Also known as "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints", the Mormon Church has been in the spotlight a lot recently. With reality TV shows like Sister Wives, featuring a polygamist family and how their belief is a sect off the Mormon Church, with Governor Mitt Romney running for President and him being a practicing Mormon, and with all the internet promotions, it seems they advertise it all around us. Perhaps you've even met a few of them at your doorstep. So, are they a safe belief?
Personally, I know this to be true as well for I've had discussions with Mormons and they have instructed me to read the Book of Mormon and pray for God to reveal by the Holy Spirit whether this is the word of God or not. They have then told me that I'd experience a burning sensation within my heart and that I'd know it is God's word.
I'm a Christian because I believe the Bible and all of the things written about Jesus Christ. Upon my conversion I didn't know everything and I still don't. As a Christian however I've increased in my faith more and more as I've found the Bible to be what it claims - God's word, and I've felt the presence of God in my life, which also is evidence to me.
In addition to this however, I've found intellectual proof that I'm on the right track, and it is an increase to my faith even more. I've found that Science and Scripture line up and it is a great comfort for me to know I don't have to follow my faith blindly and throw my brains in the trash.
My Point?
To believe in a supposed sequel book that contradicts it's predecessors in many ways foundationally, to trust a man with a shady past (we'll get to that) that discovered it, and to see it has nothing either historically or scientifically that backs it up. This to me makes no sense, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. The Mormon faith and it's supposed Latter Day saints make some outlandish claims about God that I simply can't embrace. They are:
Mormonism:
"God was once a man". Journal of Discourses, Volume II, Page 40 - Bringham Young.
Bible:
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:24
Mormonism:
God, the Father resides on a planet near the star Kolob, with his wives and many kids. Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 3:9,16
In 1999, I did some extensive study on the Mormon belief and I'd like to share my findings with you in this blog. I'd encourage you to do further study yourself on the subject and correct me on anything you see that may not be accurate to your findings. As I write this I can also say that I have dear friends who are practicing Mormons and they are very kind-hearted, loving people. However, with a heavy heart I also have to say that they have been deceived. In this blog we will look at the Book of Mormon.
Mormons read both the Old and New Testament that we know as the Bible, but they also esteem a third book known as the Book of Mormon just as highly. They believe that when Jesus Ascended into Heaven, He went around the world and descended in North America and appeared to the Native Americans. Jesus established His Church there as well. The Book of Mormon is the Chronicles of His Church in North America.
Regarding the Book of Mormon's origin one can read it's claims right here in the Introduction of the book. http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/introduction?lang=eng - I'll summarize it for you here though. In a nutshell, The Book of Mormon was inscribed on plates of gold known as the "Plates of Nephi". An angel named Moroni showed a man named Joseph Smith the location of these plates. Joseph Smith had 8 witnesses sign a paper citing that they saw these plates, then he translated the words from the plates into English in what is now known as the Book of Mormon. The angel Moroni then took the plates back to Heaven.
So basically, a lot of the credibility of the Book of Mormon and therefore the whole religion, rides on Joseph Smith since he penned the book. We will get to him later in part 2, but for now let's examine the Book of Mormon itself.
The Bible warns us in the Book of Revelation about how God feels of man adding or taking away from His word...
Revelation 22:18-19 say's,
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
But is the Book of Mormon authentically the word of God?
The Holy Bible was written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit by more than 40 writers. Although no one really knows for sure, it is believed that the Bible was written over a period of at least 1,600 years. Geographically, the 66 Books in the Bible come from Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Syria, Israel, and many other locations that are unknown. What is interesting is that instead of the contradictions between the writers that one would expect, we see that the texts compliment each other historically, prophetically, idealistically, and theologically.
Mormons claim that the Book of Mormon is also complimentary to the Bible, but if one examines this they will find it simply is not true. According to The Institute for Religious Research (http://www.irr.org/mit/bom-bible.html) there are numerous contradictions between the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Some of their findings are:
From the Institute for Religious Research website:
The Book of Mormon teaches that little children are not capable of sin because they do not have a sinful nature (Moroni 8:8). In contrast, the Bible in Psalm 51:5 clearly teaches that we have sinful nature from birth: "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (NIV). (This does not mean that those who die in infancy are lost.*)
The Book of Mormon teaches that the disobedience of Adam and Eve in eating the forbidden fruit was necessary so that they could have children and bring joy to mankind (2 Nephi 2:23-25). In contrast, the Bible specifically declares that Adam’s transgression was a sinful act of rebellion that unleashed the power of sin and death in the human heart and throughout God’s perfect world (Genesis 3:16-19; Romans 5:12; 8:20-21).
The Book of Mormon teaches that black skin is a sign of God’s curse, so that white-skinned people are considered morally and spiritually superior to black skinned people (2 Nephi 5:21). In contrast, the Bible teaches that God "made of one blood all nations of men" (Acts 17:26, KJV), that in Christ distinctions of ethnicity, gender and social class are erased (Galatians 3:28), and that God condemns favoritism (James 2:1).
According to a Book of Mormon prophecy (Helaman 14:27), at the time of Christ’s crucifixion "darkness should cover the face of the whole earth for the space of three days." In contrast, the New Testament gospel accounts declare repeatedly that there was darkness for only three hours while Jesus was on the cross (Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44).
These are not just little grammatical errors, but they are fundamentally contradictory! So the first question should be, which is true? Is the Bible true or false? Is the Book of Mormon true or false? Both cannot be right, and unless someone just wants to just throw their brains in the trash can they should choose one. At the very least with these tremendous contradictions the Mormon believer should not believe the Bible, yet they claim there is harmony between the books. This is a flat out deception and millions have been fooled with it. In all there are over 3,000 contradictions between the Book of Mormon and the Bible!
Archaeological findings validate the Bible more than any other religious book in the world. Caiaphas was a high priest mentioned in the Bible. Recently road construction workers accidentally stumbled upon his tomb. There are numerous other tombs and whole cities that archaeologists have discovered right where the Bible said they were. This is not so with the Book of Mormon, where numerous ancient cities are mentioned all across North America. To this day no archaeological evidence has ever been discovered about any of the cities mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
From C.A.R.M., The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry, a sound, well known, online source for Christian research (http://carm.org/quick-look-at-book-of-mormon):
"One of the things Mormons ask potential converts to do is to read the Book of Mormon and then pray to God and ask Him if the Book of Mormon is true. It is said that you will then receive a testimony from the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's restored church on earth today. It is difficult to counter this testimony because it is an emotional and, I believe, spiritual phenomena. I say spiritual but I am not saying it is of God; it is of the devil."
Personally, I know this to be true as well for I've had discussions with Mormons and they have instructed me to read the Book of Mormon and pray for God to reveal by the Holy Spirit whether this is the word of God or not. They have then told me that I'd experience a burning sensation within my heart and that I'd know it is God's word.
I'm a Christian because I believe the Bible and all of the things written about Jesus Christ. Upon my conversion I didn't know everything and I still don't. As a Christian however I've increased in my faith more and more as I've found the Bible to be what it claims - God's word, and I've felt the presence of God in my life, which also is evidence to me.
In addition to this however, I've found intellectual proof that I'm on the right track, and it is an increase to my faith even more. I've found that Science and Scripture line up and it is a great comfort for me to know I don't have to follow my faith blindly and throw my brains in the trash.
My Point?
To believe in a supposed sequel book that contradicts it's predecessors in many ways foundationally, to trust a man with a shady past (we'll get to that) that discovered it, and to see it has nothing either historically or scientifically that backs it up. This to me makes no sense, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. The Mormon faith and it's supposed Latter Day saints make some outlandish claims about God that I simply can't embrace. They are:
Mormonism:
"God was once a man". Journal of Discourses, Volume II, Page 40 - Bringham Young.
Bible:
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:24
Mormonism:
God, the Father resides on a planet near the star Kolob, with his wives and many kids. Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 3:9,16
Bible:
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Matthew 6:9
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Matthew 6:9
Mormonism:
Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers. - President Kimball, Ensign Magazine Dec. 1980, pg 5
Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers. - President Kimball, Ensign Magazine Dec. 1980, pg 5
Bible:
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. - Colossians 1:16-18
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. - Colossians 1:16-18
There is so much more I could write, but we're stretching a blog length now. Be sure to read part 2 where we look at the Founder himself, Joseph Smith. God bless you and please do not be deceived by this heresy.
