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The Book of Mormon and the Bible testify of Christ
What does the Book of Mormon teach about Jesus Christ? The Prophet Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church and translator of the Book of Mormon said that a man will get nearer to God by abiding its principles than any other book. Such a statement should inspire at least a brief look at what the book professes about Jesus Christ. A common accusation of many Christians is that Latter-day Saints believe in a "different Jesus" than the one taught in the Bible. There's no better way to know what the Book of Mormon teaches about Jesus than to read from its pages.
The prophet Nephi, who wrote the first of the Book of Mormon's pages wrote this about the Savior of the world:
"For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God." (2 Nephi 25:19)
King Benjamin, a prophet-king, who reigned over the posterity of Nephi around 124 B.C. declared:
"For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases. And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men. And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people. And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary. And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him. And he shall arise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men." (Mosiah 3:5-10)
How is it measuring up so far? Sound like the same Jesus to you so far? Now, there are those critics who falsely claim that Mormons believe "another gospel," one that believes that one is saved by one's works in the flesh. This too, is an inaccurate portrayal of what we believe. The Book of Mormon teaches:
"Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved." (2 Nephi 2:7-9)
"And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away. And I said: Lord, how is it done? And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen." (Enos 1:8)
"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23)
The ancient prophet Mormon's own son Moroni, wrote the best description I've ever read of how faith and grace work together for the salvation of a believer.
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot." (Moroni 10:32-33)
The Book of Mormon teaches a remarkable doctrine that all the prophets taught of Christ, even generations before he was born. King Benjamin preached Christ and changed the hearts of his people:
"And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men. And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them." (Mosiah 4:2-4)
In his explanation of the Jews' observance of the Mosaic Law and it's ritual sacrifices, the Book of Mormon prophets Abinadi and Alma explained it's symbolism to the (yet future) sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
"And now ye have said that salvation cometh by the law of Moses. I say unto you that it is expedient that ye should keep the law of Moses as yet; but I say unto you, that the time shall come when it shall no more be expedient to keep the law of Moses. And moreover, I say unto you, that salvation doth not come by the law alone; and were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law of Moses. And now I say unto you that it was expedient that there should be a law given to the children of Israel, yea, even a very strict law; for they were a stiffnecked people, quick to do iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord their God; Therefore there was a law given them, yea, a law of performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards him. But behold, I say unto you, that all these things were types of things to come." (Abinadi as recorded in Mosiah 13:27-31)
"...Thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance." (Alma 34:15)
The Book of Mormon prophet Samuel the Lamanite taught why it was necessary for Jesus to suffer and die to bring about the resurrection of the dead.
"For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord. Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual. But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord." (Helaman 14:15-17)
Let me ask again. Does this sound like "another gospel" to you? Faith, repentance for sin, mercy, and the blood of Christ offered for the sins of all mankind? Does anything in what you've read so far imply that Mormons look to anyone other than Jesus Christ as the Savior?
The most magnificent part of the Book of Mormon is the Third Book of Nephi. After centuries of waiting, the peoples of the Book of Mormon were visited by Jesus Christ, some months after his crucifixion and resurrection.
"And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them. And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying: Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning. And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven. And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying: Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole dearth, and have been slain for the sins of the world." (3 Nephi 11:8-14)
In these chapters, Jesus heals their sick, calls twelve disciples to baptize the believers, blesses the children. He teaches them to have faith, to pray, to keep God's commandments, and to endure all things in faith. He ministers to them and blesses them in ways that defy mortal man's ability to describe. There is no more compelling witness to believe in Jesus Christ than the Book of Mormon.
Book of Mormon should seem "familiar" to you as you read it. You can feel the truthfulness of it. There is only one Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. There is only one gospel. The Book of Mormon is not another gospel, but it is another witness of the gospel that testifies of Jesus' divinity. The passages I have cited above are a characteristic few of hundreds of powerful passages that witness for Christ. Latter-day Saints treasure the Book of Mormon as another testament of Jesus Christ. Imagine if we only had the gospel of Matthew. It would be of inestimable worth to mankind. How much richly blessed are we because we also have the gospels of Luke, Mark, and John also? Similarly, how much more blessed are we to have yet another witness of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon?
The existence of the gospels of Mark, Luke, and John don't diminish the importance of the gospel of Matthew. Each gospel contains elements that the others do not. Even John concluded his gospel with the statement that, if it were possible to write all the things that Jesus did, the world could not contain all the books that could be written about him. The Book of Mormon glorifies Jesus Christ and teaches us to believe in him. It is a precious thing to read and to savor. The Holy Ghost comes to those who read the Book of Mormon and testifies of its truthfulness.
(This is the first in a series of articles about the Book of Mormon and its teachings. These articles represents the author's own views. For official pronouncements of the Church, please consult www.lds.org.)
For more information: Click here to receive a free copy of the Book of Mormon
Comments
The Book of Mormon is a poorly written work of fiction, authored by Joseph Smith, based on another collection of fables, the bible. That's all you need to know about it.
I have really enjoyed your articles, Greg. I think they do a great job of bringing to light and explaining some of the beautiful truths we uphold. Keep up the great work.
Shame on Nick for his blinded bigotry. He only repeats what he's been told. He doesn't read for himself. Sadly, there are many more like him and they miss a real treasure for our times.
Greg, you are a good man, i admire your work.
SGB, Good men don't go to heaven. "DEAD" men do.
I thought i would just elaborate on my last comment.
Galatians 2:20 (Amplified Bible)
20I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Looking at the presentation of your book it's amazing how similar it looks to THE BIBLE. Allow a question please !
When you evangelize "the nations" do you give them the HOLY BIBLE or slip your one in ?
I was going down the wrong path until I ran into a wall 15 years ago and had to change or die. Then, through God's love, I experienced the change of nature / conversion we all need. One of my personal favorite passages now is:
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26. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (Ezekiel 36)
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A few passages from The Book of Mormon that have deep personal meaning for me now are:
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“15. Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.
16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was har
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17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so
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exquisite and sweet as was my joy.” (Alma 36)
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17 Who could have supposed that our God would have been so merciful as to have snatched us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state? (Alma 26)
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11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.
12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always
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retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true. (Mosiah 4)
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26 And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God. (Moroni 8)
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6 I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell. (2 Nephi)
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A brief recounting of my experience is available at: timesandseasons[DOT]org/?p=2582#comment-97137
GMan, the Book of Mormon is never used to replace The Bible. As the article stated, The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, supporting and supported by The Bible. As good as The Book of Mormon is, how sad would it be if we were missing The Bible.
The Bible contains much that the Book of Mormon does not, such as details of the life of Christ, history of the Israelites, teachings of the apostles and Old Testament prophets, etc. Parts of The Book of Mormon would be difficult to understand without The Bible. Similarly, The Book of Mormom increases our understanding of parts of The Bible. The two work together (scriptures.lds.org/en/ezek/37/16-17,19-20#16).
To address your question in another way, go to mormon.org and click on the Free Media link. One of the offerings is a copy of The Bible. Also, try scriptures.lds.org, where The Bible is available online, full of cross-references and other helps.
My dearest brother from the innermost part of my being i pray that this is not the case as in the text below. Thank you for your explanation CARL
Galatians 1:8 (Amplified Bible)
8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!
This is a very "smoothly" (dishonestly) written piece which presents a glossed over comparison of some of the supposed similarities between the "book of mormon" and the Bible. There are many apparent similarities; as many parts of Josephs Smiths writings were unabashedly plagiarized (copied) directly from the 1611 King James Version of the Bible. There are so many doctrines where the LDS Church does not follow even the BoM teachings (or the Bible) and that is why ALL true discerning Christians consider the LDS Church a CULT. In true transparent fashion, those beliefs are not pointed out in this article. Spiritual polygamy, Men can become Gods, God was a man who became a god, Many Gods, Bible not all accurate, Prophets can change or reject past teachings and the Bible.. the list is quite long. My suggestion is become intimately acquainted with the TRUE Words of God in the Bible. Once you know the God of the Bible the "gods" of the LDS Church will be obvious in their falseness.
Please read the first paragraph of Greg's article. "The Prophet Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church and translator of the Book of Mormon said that a man will get nearer to God by abiding its principles than any other book." That statement alone is so full of arrogance and falseness, that it totally marginalizes the Bible. The Book of Mormon speaks of a totally different "god" than the God you can know from the Bible. To know the true God read His words to you in the Bible. To get to know the "god" Joseph made up, read Joseph Smith's book (the Book of Mormon). I actually encourage folks to read the BoM; because it will be obvious in a few minutes who authored it. Even many "Mormon Scholars" have arrived at the point of realizing the BoM was written by Joseph Smith and does not have it's root in some magic golden plates left by Moroni in the hill Cumora in upstate New York. An accurate summary of LDS beliefs can be found at the website www.MRM.org. Thanks
NotSavedByWorks, 7/14 7:46pm,
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Interesting and puzzling comments.
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You said, that this article "presents a glossed over comparison of some of the supposed similarities between the 'book of mormon' and the Bible. There are many apparent similarities; as many parts of Josephs Smiths writings were unabashedly plagiarized (copied) directly from the 1611 King James Version of the Bible."
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Please help me here. You say that BoM-KJV similarities result from plagiarizing, that the words were lifted from one to the other -- which of the BoM citations in this article do you see to be KJV plagiarisms? This article's thesis is that our restored gospel does not teach "a different Jesus." I don't see that it propounds any similiarities between the KJV's and the BoM's wording.
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Please explain why you say this article "presents a glossed over comparison of some of the supposed similarities" which were "were unabashedly plagiarized" when it does not present any such comparison.
All you who cry sections of The Book of Mormon were copied from Isaiah are intellectually lazy. Do what the chapter headings say and "compare." Put the Isaiah sections of the Book of Mormon next to corresponding chapters in KJV Isaiah and you will quickly see the differences. Now you have to figure out how in the world someone with Joseph Smith's background and education could possibly do what he did (translate the Book of Mormon). Go ahead and compare -- I dare 'ya!
NotSavedByWorks, 7/14 7:46pm,
You said “Men can become Gods” as if Jesus, John, and Paul were wrong when they said:
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“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Mt 5:48
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“now are we the sons of God […] we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him” 1Jn 3:2
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“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” Rm 8:16-17
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“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Therefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Gal 4:6-7
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This was taught in the original Christian Church; see “Deification, Early Christian” at: lib.byu.edu/Macmillan/
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More references are at: scriptures.lds.org/en/tg/m/29
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None can become equal to Heavenly Father, but “will bow in humble reverence, and give him glory forever" D&C76:93
I agree with David (July 14, 9:22 PM). Not only are there many differences, but restorations.
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For example, 2 Nephi 12:16 reads, "And upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures."
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The Greek (Septuagint) has “ships of the sea.” The Hebrew has “ships of Tarshish.” The Book of Mormon has both, showing that the brass plates from which it originally was translated had lost neither phrase.
NotSavedByWorks, 7/14 7:46pm,
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You also listed "Bible not all accurate" as a complaint against the restored gospel.
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Our 8th Article of Faith says in part, "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated ccorrectly."
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Our concern is not with the Bible but with the accuracy of its translations.
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Three interesting articles from "Christianity Today" -- which I'm trust you recognize as a not-LDS publicaton -- on the problem of accurately translating the Bible can be read at:
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christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/october22/5.28.html
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ctlibrary.com/ct/1997/october27/7tc076.html
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ctlibrary.com/ct/1997/october27/7tc030.html
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I recommend you discuss your concern with these believing Bible translators who are here explaining to creedal Christians the problems they have.
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Or you could listen to Bart Ehrman, a scholar who lost his faith as he studied the changes in the biblical texts: youtube.com/watch?v=vJluEnIqTVk
Greg, Thank you for your article.
I too rejoice in Christ.
Gman: (3)
3. Baptists and other Protestants misuse Galatians 1:8 by asserting that Mormons have a different gospel THAN those saints of the New Testament Church. However, on closer examination, we find the NT saints refer to the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost as the “Godhead”, (protestants refer to them as the Trinity) like the NT saints, Mormons practice baptism for the dead (protestants do not), like the NT saints, Mormons claim that the Chrit’s Church is built on the foundation of living apostles and prophets. Like the NT saints, including Peter, James, John, and Paul, a reliance upon the grace of Jesus Christ for salvation and the necessity of good works for judgement, Mormonism is closer to NT Christianity than Protestantism.
Protestant interpretation relies on the Catholic Church fathers and upon the Reformers, which don’t necessarily agree with the NT Christian interpretation of scripture.
Gman: (2)
There are some important considerations however:
1. Protestant faiths teach that the day of angels has passed. So, it's not so much you really believe that angels can or will come but that since you don't believe the visitation of angels, the Mormons "must" have a different gospel.
2. It is no secret that Catholics and Protestants have a LONG tradition of interpreting the Bible differently. The question is, which interpretation is correct? Both Catholics and Protestants could both claim that each other has a “different” gospel using this scripture but quoting the scripture does not identify which interpretation is right.
Gman: (1)
You wrote:
"My dearest brother from the innermost part of my being i pray that this is not the case as in the text below. Thank you for your explanation CARL
Galatians 1:8 (Amplified Bible)
8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!"
Gman, yes, I have read this verse many times before and have heard many a Baptist preacher try to refer to Mormonism using it.
Gman:
Acts: 2:17
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Joseph Smith received a vision of the Father and the Son. Could not Mormons cite this scripture as a fulfillment of that prophecy?
Among Christians today, what leader claims to have received a vision from God that resulted in new knowledge about God's word?
Dear Carl, thank you kindly for your response.I appreciate it and I can see you put allot of effort into it. Thanks
I don't and never will by GoD's grace belong to any denomination movement or religious institution. I gather with the saints as per the bible and our testimony is based only on Christ and the FINISHED work of the cross, as given by the apostles that walked with HIM and by revelation of the HOLY SPIRIT.See it's that "vision" we receive that draws us to GOD.
Be that as it may, who am I to judge another's belief but I trust that one day when that role is called i'll get to see you,because like me you have "called" on that one name that can save you. CHRIST JESUS AMEN
blessings and love
Gman
Examination of the Mormon Religion reveals that it is a cult and its adherents are not Christian. Mormonism is based on the teachings and so called revelations of the "Prophet" Joseph Smith. Many of the "prophesies" of Joseph Smith are proven to be false. Smith "prophesied" that Jesus would return by 1861. (History of the Church, vol. 2, p. 189 (This is a Mormon document))Jesus did not-Smith was proven false. Smith prophesied that the temple would be built in Missouri withing his (Joseph Smith's generation)(Doctrines and Covenants 84:2-5,31.(a Mormon document)) It was not built in Smith's generation nor has it been built since. Smith was wrong. The test of a true prophet is not that he is right some of he time but that he is right 100% of the time. (Deuteronomy 18:20-22) God's Word (the Bible) tells us that if any of a "prophets prophesies are false then the prophet is not from God.Joseph Smith was not God's prophet and neither are the false prophets in Mormonism who today claim to be
All you need to know about the Book of Mormon is right there for you to read. The only problem is. . .if you read it full of doubt and hate you will never truly see what it has to say!! The only way you can UNDERSTAND what the Book of Mormon is offering you is if you read it with an open heart and mind and a desire for truth. If you read it to PROVE ANYTHING, your will PROVE NOTHING!
There have always been those who disbelieve the revelations of God. Steven, in Acts, testified that he saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God. They stoned him anyway. Paul saw a light and heard a voice. They imprisoned him anyway. Jesus appeared to his Apostles in the upper room. Thomas didn't believe until he saw the Savior himself and felt the prints of the nails in his hands and feet. Revelation from God is essential so that doubt and disbelief may be dispelled. Joseph Smith and others have seen their Savior in our day and time and they do know that he is the Christ. Others have prayed to know and received witnesses of the Holy Ghost that the scriptures are true and Jesus is the Christ. I too wanted to know. I prayed and asked God. I received my witness that God lives, Jesus is the Christ, the Bible and Book of Mormon are the Word of God. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. The witness is true and the testimony sure. You must pray to know. Personal revelation is essential!
<B>Barry, Barry, Barry!</b><BR><BR>
I do not wish to insult you, but I suggest that you learn to read the text without reading INTO the text that which you would like it to day, but doesn't. That way you will be spared the embarrassment of claiming that a text says something that it does not.
Young Smith did not prophesy that Jesus would return in 1861. Not when his statement on that particular is read from source without pejorative commentary from one of the scions of Bigotry.
If you are incapable of parsing what Smith said to find what he actually did say, infer, mean, etc., then ask your high school English teacher to let you sit at her side and parse it for you and also have her elicit for you exactly what it DOES say, and what it DOES NOT say.
That will remove much of your angst and anger, that your life becomes sunnier, brighter, more hopeful, relaxed, pleasant, understanding, and live at peace with your fellow men whether you agree with their beliefs or not.
Ble
The BOM Jesus brought death, destruction with him to the Cross. In 3Nephi, Chapters 8-9, it details the events testifying of Christ's crucifixion. It describes the desolation of the great city of Zarahemla by fire, and the city of Moroni "did sink into the sea and the inhabitants thereof were drowned... the earth was carried up upon the city of Mornihah...there was great and terrible destruction in the land southward......terrible destruction in the land northward....the highways were broken up....many great and noble cities were sunk and many burned and many shaken till the buildings thereof had fallen to the earth.....all these great and terrible things were done in the space of three hours."
3 Nephi, Chapter 9, tells of further wrath as the Lord also destroyed the cities and inhabitants of Gigal, Onihah, Mocum, Jerusalem, Gadiandi, Gadiomnah, Jacob,Gimgimmo, Jacobugath, Laman, Josh, Gad, and Kishkumen. (a total of 16 major cities)
Who did all this killing? The LDS Jesus!
Why do you teach such lies....how lost you are!!!!!!!!
Let's just keep this honest and simple. Mormonism was founded in 1830, correct? Records state Jesus died A.D. 36 (earliest possible death A.D. 27). Either you believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God or you don't. Would you rather believe that God's perfection worked through man to assemble the Bible or believe someone who created a religion 1,794 – 1,803 years after Christ’s death, let alone someone who did not read Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic trying to translate the Bible. What is the easiest way to get someone to question the Bible and buy into their new teachings is to tell their followers the Bible was translated innacurately by others. More importantly, Christians believe Jesus is who He said he was, the Son of God and God in the flesh. Would you rather believe Jesus is who said He was from the Bible or believe Joseph Smith's version of Jesus being a literal son of God created in a sexual union? This completely demeans the true power of God. I will write further......
Mormons what say so many things similar to what Christians believe, but you need to test the spirit. "Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. 1John 4:1 Mormons don't believe in the truth of the God of the Bible. This is of their own text: "God the Father has a Father whom He followed as Jesus had followed His Father in order to become a god (Fielding Smith, The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 373 [pre-2002 edition]). The Bible teaches that there is no other God before God. He is not so weak that He needed to serve and receive counsel from some other God in order to become God; He always was God. Go to these scriptures to read the scriptures proving this (Ps. 90:2; Isa. 40:12-26; and 43:10). Mormons don't believe in one true God. There is no debate to be had if they don't even believe the foundation of God and the Bible versus heresy.
Mormons do not even believe Jesus is God in the flesh. This is of their text: Jesus, like all other gods before Him, had to become a God. He is the literal Son of God like we are children of God, but He's without sin (Fielding Smith, The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 346-7 [pre-2002 edition]). The Bible teaches that Jesus is God in the flesh “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) and “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Mormonism is so easily disproved...again. I tell you, it comes down to the testing the Holy Spirit when speaking with Mormons. They will say everything that sounds the same, but you need to ask the detailed questions like: explain who Jesus is in relation to God. Ask if they believe if God is just the God of our world only or if He is the only God of the universe. Ask if they believe Jesus died even for murderers. Know your Bible!!!!
Happy Easter, Christomichael!
For those who think you should just read it "with an open mind and heart" have been misled. First off, the Bible is clear that we are to "test all things" (1 Thessalonians 5:21) A Mormon Missionary at my door told me that all I had to do was pray and God would show me the right answer. When Paul was teaching in Thessalonica, they hushed him up. Later in Acts 17, he goes to Berea and begins preaching there. In verse 17, it says that the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians and "searched the scripture to see if what Paul was saying was true." Even if the Book of Mormon IS true, it is wrong to tell someone they need only pray. And, becoming Mormon means accepting ALL the church doctrine which contradicts not only the Bible, but the Book of Mormon they hold so fast too. I leave you with 1 John 4:1 from the NIV: "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
Correction, it talks about the Bereans in verse 11, not verse 17. Acts 17:11 NIV: "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."
the bible says dont baptize in the name of or for the dead. and mormons baptize for the dead.. lol theres a million contradictions beyond that as well.. the book of mormon contradicts itself as well as the pearl of great price and as well as doctrines and covenants. there all self contradicting and cross contradicting apart from and with the bible. go look up joseph smiths prophicies and tell me with straight face that he was not a false prophet, they kicked him out of his own county and he profasized that if they dont let him back in: that the us goverment will be destroyed in the next 50 years"thus sayeth the lord" ROFL they still booted him! ROFL well that was in the 1800's and apparenlty u.s.a is still here.. he also admitted to lie about alot of stuff in his court cases! joseph smith burns in hell this very moment.. i suggest to keep the book of mormon with reach of your toilet, incase you run out of tp you then could put the wasted paper in the book to a BETTER use.. :)
How does your idea really fit with the plot of the Book of Mormon out lined in this this document?
http://www.scribd.com/doc/49567641/Plagiarism-of-the-devils-Secret-Socie...
Thank you
Thanks to all who have read this article in the past year or so and left their comments. I appreciate having you all as readers. It is important for everyone to realize, as you read the article, not one of the critics has touched upon the actual content of the Book of Mormon cited in the article. When a person actually reads the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart and real intent, they see something different than those who are simply determined to remain ignorant and keep others that way.
Read the Book of Mormon. Ask God if it is true. The answer that you will get is the essence of Mormonism.
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