Some people say joseph smith must have been a child prodigy. Book of mormon testimonies have you ever wondered about. Dec 23, 2015 the false translation of the book of abraham, therefore, casts serious doubt on the book of mormon as well, forever debilitating josephs claim he was a true, inspired prophet of god. If you would like to learn more about them and what they believe, please join us for this thorough and thought provoking discussion. With the bible and the book of mormon, there seems to be an important element of. 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 latterday.
When i first encountered the book of mormon, i assumed it was a hoax. Of course, all cult groups have testimonies that their church is true. Nonmormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. Lost civilizations of north america documentary4, deborah bolnick on haplogroup x. For those who long to more fully understand the intricacies of scriptural doctrine and events, knowing why holds the key. It is also the creepiest book anyone has written in a long timeand thats meant as the highest possible praise.
Whenever a mormon suggests we should pray to find out whether the book of mormon is true, we should begin by pointing out that this idea comes from the book of mormon itself. Sidney rigdon, the real founder of mormonism 1885, pgs 140141. The theory that the book of mormon is an ancient american history is not accepted as scientifically verifiable by the mainstream academic community. May 01, 2012 if the book of mormon and the book of abraham are fraudulent, it is because they are counterfeit scriptures, imitations that reflect the value that so many people rightly put on the bible. If joseph smith was a prophet, then the church of jesus christ of latter day saints is the same church that christ established while he was on the earth.
Most adherents to the latter day saint movement view the book as a work of inspired scripture. Although it serves primarily as a religious text, it is to be interpreted literally as being an actual, historical record of the inhabitants of the ancient americas. The book of mormon also contains many errors such as claims of elephants in the western hemisphere and advanced metal producing capabilities in america before 400 a. The story of how it came about is rather fantastic, after all, and the simplest explanation is that the book was a deliberate deception. The story of how it came about is rather fantastic, after all, and the simplest explanation is that the book was a. It is counter to scriptural truth, and it essentially subjects truth to a feeling. Smith, they will say, translated the book of mormon. History is replete with examples of such knockoff scriptures, from the gnostic gospels of the second century to the aquarian gospel of jesus the. The book of mormon is another testament of jesus christ. In this unprecedented guide through the book of mormon, readers are invited on an exploration of the scriptures that asksand answerssome of the most intriguing questions about the book of mormon, such as. Some people loved itand some people hated itbut at the end of the day, the experiences i shared are so tangible to me that ill never be able to forget or deny their. Mormons claim that to restore the true church and true gospel to the earth, in 1820 god the father and jesus christ appeared to joseph smith in a grove of trees near his home.
Lds leaders who admit mormonism isnt true life after. Of course, it is one thing to demonstrate that a given principle is not taught in a particular passage or book. To the lds faithful, the book of mormon is the true historical account of a group of ancient israelites who fled jerusalem prior to the babylonian captivity 600 b. According to mormon apostle bruce mcconkie, author of the book mormon doctrine, the gospel is the plan of salvation that embraces all of the laws, principles, doctrines, rites, ordinances, acts, powers, authorities, and keys necessary to save and exalt men. Many mormons are unfamiliar with this doctrine of their church, but this is nonetheless a cardinal teaching. Proof that the book of mormon is true book of mormon facts. Robertson spills the beans on all thing mormon in her book, detailing the top secret rituals and beliefs of the mormons, as she details her seven years in the religion she now calls a cult. Should you pray and ask if its true or maybe you already prayed and didnt get an answer. Scholars today have varying theories about the true authorship of the book of mormon, but most conclude that smith composed the book himself, possibly with. Get to know mother eve and father adam with the lds living book club pick for may.
Even members of the mormon church sometimes question if the book of mormon is false, or a fraud. See journal of discourses, volume 4, page 218, for an example. For a fuller but still brief explanation of each point, you can click on the opening sentence to jump to the page where the. The book of mormon claims to be the history of the inhabitants of the western hemisphere from about 2200 bc to 421 ad. Upon first glance, the book of mormon appears rather unthreatening. Book of mormon truth in love ministry witnessing to mormons. Jan 02, 2020 next will come the invitation to read the book of mormon, pray, and ask god to show you it is true. Christ bore testimony that the book of mormon is true. Feb 16, 2016 historicity, geography, and methods of authorship continue to be hotly debated among mormons and ex mormons as a way to prove that the book is true or false. Proof the book of mormon isnt true the book of mormon contradicts the bible and was actually a work of fiction written by joseph smith in the 1800s, who copied much of it from the king james version, trying to make it look like an ancient manuscript. Book of mormon difficulties, contradictions and explanations. Dear mormons, you dont know the book of mormon is true. In this way, the mormon system is expanded to other planets.
Lds church members are taught that the book of mormon bom is scripture, as well as a true record of the inhabitants of the americas from about 2200 bc to 420 ad. The book of mormon, the first broadway musical by matt stone and trey parker the creators of south park. Of course you must do this with sincerity, or it wont work. You can say what you want, but it wont change the fact that i know and i can not deny it jul 01, 2011 the rest of the book was about how they got out, and how they helped other ex mormons. How the book of abraham exposes the false nature of mormonism. Dec 10, 2012 mormons who are considering joining the church, and those who are already in the church, are taught not to take the word of any mortal person concerning the truthfulness of the book of mormon.
Theres one question youre likely to hear from every mormon missionary. The story of how it came about is rather fantastic, after all, and the simplest explanation is. The book of mormon was written for the intent that we may believe the bible, morm. The most well known scripture of the mormon church is the book of mormon, even though most mormon theology does not derive from this book. Have you ever wondered about your testimony of the book of mormon. Sidney rigdon, a portrait of religious excess, pgs 2728. Theyll assure you that if you read their text in a spirit of prayerful inquiry, you too will receive the testimony of the holy ghost. You can say what you want, but it wont change the fact that i know and i can not deny it book of mormon, i assumed it was a hoax.
The most common belief of adherents is that promoted by joseph smith, who said he translated ancient golden plates inscribed by prophets. Bad book of mormon apologetics lds church is true blog. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the holy ghost. So the question of all questions deals with the truthfulness of book of mormon. It has been set up to be an all or nothing campaign, where if the book is true, then joseph smith was a prophet and if he was the prophet, then he restored the only true church.
It presents twelve simple statements that identify as succinctly as possible each of the twelve reasons. We invite all men everywhere to read the book of mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask god, the eternal father, in the name of christ if the book is true. They know some of its stories, having been taught them since childhood. I could honestly say that i knew by the power of the holy ghost that the book of mormon is the word of god, but i couldnt describe what that meant.
The evidence for smiths prophetic calling from god is damning when we examine who really wrote the bom. How joseph smith and the early mormons challenged american. I cant deny the spiritual and logical reasons that were presented to me as part of my testimony of that book. This article provides an overview of twelve major reasons why biblebased christianity is true but the mormon religion should not be accepted as true christianity. The book of mormon purports to give an account of two civilizations formed by families who migrated to the americas. A whiteknuckle mix of truecrime reporting and provocative history. Study guide 1 1 the book of mormon a says that silk, steel, iron, and coins were all used for almost a thousand years in america from 600 bc to about 421 ad, but. Book of mormon commentary volume two entitled these records are true is 532 pages in length and covers the books of jacob, enos, jarom, omni, words of mormon and mosiah. Top 40 inspirational book of mormon scriptures the lifey app.
A lot of the time we want to prove whats true andor false. The book of mormon teaches that indians originated from these jewish settlers. According to the church of jesus christ of latter day saints a. This view finds no acceptance outside of mormonism. If the book of mormon is true, then joseph smith was a prophet. Will you pray and ask god if the book of mormon is true. Maybe the book of mormon is true after all greg trimble. Sidney rigdon true author of the book of mormon and founder. Historicity, geography, and methods of authorship continue to be hotly debated among mormons and ex mormons as a way to prove that the book is true or false. The book of mormon presents problems that cannot be explained away regarding the following topics. True understanding of scripture requires diligent studynot only reading at the surface level but delving deeper and asking the question why.
The book of mormon is a great asset for the lds church. For example, critics of mormonism have shown convincing proof that the book of mormon is a synthesis of earlier works written by. They have the mongoloid blue spot, specific blood traits, and their facial. Non mormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. Coming soon is a report of grant palmers meeting with a ga who admitted he doesnt believe the church is true. How joseph smith and the early mormons challenged american democracy. I had already known what the lds church teaches, but had wanted to read a firsthand account of someone who actually left. If the book of mormon and the book of abraham are not true. Why you shouldnt ask god if the book of mormon is true. Proof that the book of mormon is true, excerpt from. One group of families came from jerusalem in 600 bc and afterward separated into two nations, known as the nephites and the lamanites. The book of mormon name, lehi, is also found in the bible. Before you fall to your knees, there are some things you need to know that they are not telling you and wont unless you ask. The book of mormon rings true, frankenstein steps up and the winters tale springs forth.
True or not, the book of mormon is a powerful epic written on a grand scale with a host of characters, a narrative of human struggle and conflict, of divine intervention, heroic good and atrocious evil, of prophecy, morality, and law. May we stay as true to our testimony of the book of mormon as they did to their testimony of the sacred scripture. Contradictions between the book of mormon and the bible. The founder of mormonism said the book of mormon was the most correct book of any book, including the bible history of the church, vol. Harper and others in the history department of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints are transitioning the narrative about the book of mormon. The book of mormon shall stand as a testimony against the world, ether 5. I bought this book to become more familiar with the mormon religion and this boo did a good job of explaining how mormon life is and how difficult it is for a mormon. 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. Two of the most prevalent claims for the book of mormon are, there is much archaeological proof to the book of mormon, and the american indians are descendants of israelites who came to america as described in the book of mormon. The dominant and widely accepted view among latter day saints is that the book of mormon is a true and accurate account of these ancient american civilizations. There are several theories as to the origin of the book of mormon. In nauvoo, illinois, smith established a theocracy, ran for president, and tested the limits of religious freedom. Aug 01, 2008 i read the book of mormon a few times growing up and i always felt that it was true, but i could never clearly express how i had come to that knowledge.
When mormon missionaries properly called latter day saints or simply lds come to your door, they will often offer a free copy of the book of mormon and tell you about its author, joseph smith. This is supposed to show that mormonism cannot be true if the book of mormon is true, and that the book of mormon must be false if mormonism is true. It might be the funniest thing in the world to me when someone tells me with absolute certainty that the book of mormon isnt true after having admitted never actually reading the book themselves. Is the book of mormon true notes on the debate book of. But if i found out that the book of mormon is true then everything was going to change. The only problem with the book of mormon musical, brooks continued, is that its theme is not quite true. They learn that all truth comes from god and that a testimony from him is one we cant deny. 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. Typically bound in a blue leather cover with the name inscribed in gold it. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. It is the word of god and, like the bible, gives us guidance and inspiration in our daily lives.
It is a known fact that hebrews spoke hebrew, and their records were kept in hebrew. They told him that all professing christians on the face of the earth were abominable and corrupt and that the true church, having died out completely shortly after it. New york post scrupulously reported and written with krakauers usual exacting flair, under the banner of heaven is both illuminating and thrilling. Then, very solemnly, theyll testify to you that they know the book of mormon is true, that its gods inspired word, and that it contains the fullness of the everlasting gospel. It has been set up to be an all or nothing campaign, where if the book is true, then joseph smith was a prophet and if he was the prophet, then he restored the only true. King benjamin bore testimony to his sons that the plates of brass, that had been brought from jerusalem and preserved by the hand of god, were true. I know, because i received an answer through my prayers from the holy ghost. Surprisingly, it contains very little lds doctrine. Mormons highly respect it, even though many have never read it. In the articlei gave my personal experience with the book of mormon in my college years and also laid out some of the logical reasons why i believe the book to be true. The book of mormon was translated and published in 1830. While robertson can be longwinded in her explanations, she uses the scripture to prove that mormonism is no more christian than the jehovahs witnesses. Thousands of mormons left the church as the result of this discovery, while thousands more are completely unaware of this important piece of evidence. They win points with the uninformed, but they hurt us more in the.
Many a learned person has asked the same thing about the bible or. Let alone proof, theres not even any good evidence or argument that book of mormon stories are true or historically accurate. Non mormons are encouraged to read it and prayerfully ask heavenly father if the book is true. Excluding the bible and similar writing, can you prove to an atheist or to someone that is agnostic that god exists. Lds leaders who admit mormonism isnt true life after ministry. However, mormons will not give in to a logical proof since their testimonies are not based on facts but on what they claim is a testimony of the holy spirit. Those who are hearing about the book of mormon for the first time are often confused at its message and its origins. See walter martins kingdom of the cults for a fine study in the errors of the mormon bible the mormons, under smiths command, turned out to be a rough bunch. I view the book of mormon as the culmination of the christian debates, which started with paul moved through augustine and.
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