1. Are
the testimonies recorded in the front of the Book of Mormon credible and impartial?
Is it not true that the “three
witnesses” all left the Mormon Church and were later condemned as reprobates
and criminals by the Mormon Church? Is it not true that the other “eight
witnesses” were all related to either David Whitmer (one of the “three
witnesses”) or to Joseph Smith, Jr., and that Whitmer’s living relatives had
all left the Mormon Church by the eighth year of its existence? [cf. Apostle
George A. Smith, Journal of Discourses
7:114-15]
2. Why
were portions of the Book of Mormon copied word
for word from the KING JAMES VERSION of the Bible? For example, compare the following:
Isaiah
2:1-9 (King James Version) 2
Nephi 12:1-9 (Book of Mormon)
1 The word that Isaiah the son of
Amoz saw concerning 1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz
saw concerning
Judah and
Jerusalem. 2 And it shall come to
pass in the Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And it shall come to pass in the
last days,
that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall
last days, when
the mountain of the Lord’s house shall
be
established in the top of the mountains, and shall be be
established in the top of the mountains, and shall be
exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say,
Come ye, and let us 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us
go up to
the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the go
up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the
God of
Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we God
of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we
will walk
in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the will
walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the
law, and
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 And
he law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4
And he
shall
judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many shall
judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many
people:
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, people:
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their
spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up and
their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up
sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war any sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war any
more. 5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us
walk in the more. 5 O
house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the
light of
the Lord. 6 Therefore thou hast
forsaken thy people light of the Lord.... 6 Therefore...thou hast forsaken thy
people
the house
of Jacob, because they be replenished from the the
house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the
east, and
are soothsayers like
the Philistines, and they east,
and hearken unto soothsayers like the Philistines, and they
please
themselves in the children of strangers. 7
Their please themselves in the children of strangers. 7 Their
land also
is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end land also is full of silver and
gold, neither is there any end
of their
treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither of
their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither
is there
any end of their chariots: 8 Their
land also is full is there any end of their chariots: 8 Their land also is full
of idols;
they worship the work of their own hands, that of
idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that
which
their own fingers have made: 9 And
the mean man which their own fingers have made: 9 And the mean man
boweth down,
and the great
man humbleth himself: boweth
not down, and the great man humbleth himself not:
therefore
forgive them not. therefore
forgive them not.
Except for
minor variations, the above passages are identical (even the verses
correspond). The King James Version was published in 1611. The Book of Mormon
was supposedly translated into English “by the gift and power of God” in the
1820s. Thus either (a) God speaks 17th century English, or
(b) the King James Version of 1611 is a divinely inspired English translation, or (c) whoever wrote the Book of Mormon had access to
the King James Bible (which was available and commonly used in the 1820s) and
copied portions from it.
3. If the Book of Mormon is from God, why is
it filled with errors and contradictions? For example:
· 2 Nephi 5:15 says that these precious ores
“were in great abundance,” yet verse 16 says, “They were not to be found upon
the land”???
· 2 Nephi 5:15 mentions “steel” being in
America between 588 and 570 BC, yet steel was not made in America until the
1800s.
· In 1 Nephi 18:21 it is recorded that Nephi
used a “compass” in 589 BC, but the compass was not invented until the 12th
century AD.
· In 1 Nephi 18:25 asses and horses are
mentioned as being in America in 589 BC, yet these animals were first
introduced in America only about 500 years ago by the Spaniards.
· Alma 11 mentions various coins that were
supposedly used, yet inhabitants of North & South America did not use coins
before the 15th century AD. None of these
coins have ever been found, while every
coin mentioned in the Bible has been found in abundance.
· Alma 7:10 states that Jesus was born in
Jerusalem, when in reality he was born in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:1).
· Heleman 14:20 and 3 Nephi 8:3,20-23 assert that
the sun was darkened for three days,
when in reality it was only three hours
(Matt. 27:43; Mark 15:33).
· Alma 14:13-16 refers to the people in 73 BC
as “Christians,” so they were presumably wearing the name of Christ 73 years
before Christ was on earth. The Bible says, “the disciples were called
Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).
4.
Mormon 9:32 says that the Book of Mormon was originally written in the
“reformed Egyptian” language.
Nephi was supposedly a Jew who lived in Jerusalem around 600 BC. At that time
both the written and spoken language of the Jews was Hebrew. Where did Nephi
learn “reformed Egyptian”? Why did God cause copies of Hebrew and Greek
manuscripts of the Bible to be preserved in greater numbers than those of any
other ancient book, whereas in the case of the Book of Mormon he purportedly
left us with only an English translation? There is not a single manuscript for
the Book of Mormon. The gold plates from which it was supposedly translated are
nowhere to be found. There exists no literature in the so-called “reformed
Egyptian.” What assurance do we have
that “reformed Egyptian” was actually spoken and written?
5. How
do you explain the fact that Mormon teaching is inconsistent with the Book of
Mormon?
For example:
· Baptism for the dead: Alma 34:32-35?
· God is changeable: Moroni 8:18?
· God is flesh and bones: Alma 22:9-10 (cf.
John 4:24)?
· Plural wives: Jacob 2:24?
· Water in communion: 3 Nephi 18:8 (cf. Matt.
26:29)?
6. How do
you explain the fact that the Book of Mormon contradicts Doctrine and
Covenants? For example:
Book of
Mormon
Having
multiple wives and concubines is abominable to the Lord (Jacob 2:23-24,35).
Doctrine
& Covenants
Having
multiple wives and concubines is not sinful, is a commandment of the Lord and
part of his everlasting covenant, and failure to comply results in damnation
(D&C 132:1-6,29-38).
Book of
Mormon
Baptism is
for remission of sins (3 Nephi 12:2).
Doctrine
& Covenants
Baptism
comes after remission of sins (D&C 20:37).
7. Why
is Mormon teaching inconsistent with the Bible? For
example:
· Those who enter the “Celestial Kingdom” will
be gods (D&C 132:20); compare Isaiah 43:10; 44:6.
· “unto that soul who sinneth shall the former
sins return” (D&C 82:7); compare Hebrews 8:12.
· “Man was also in the beginning with God”
(D&C 93:29); compare Genesis 1:26; 2:7; Zechariah 12:1; Ecclesiastes 12:7.
· John was not to die (D&C 7:1-3); compare
John 21:20-23.
· The Bible alone is insufficient (2 Nephi
29:6-10); compare 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:3-4; James 1:25;
Jude 3.
· The Mormon Church was established in 1830,
and Joseph Smith was its head and laid its foundation (D&C 21:1-3; 28:2,6);
compare Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 1:19-23; Colossians
1:17-18.
8.
Have Mormons obeyed (or do they intend to obey) the instructions set
forth in Doctrine & Covenants 57:2-3; 84:5 in regard to building a temple
in Independence, Missouri?
9.
Would you like to learn more about the Bible, true Christianity, and
God’s will for your life?
--Kevin L. Moore
Related Posts: Mormonism, Questions for My Jehovah's Witness Friends
Related articles: Jess Whitlock's Differences between the Bible and Book of Mormon
Recommended Websites: Nathan Franson's Mormon Study, Lance Mosher's 3 Tests Book of Mormon Can't Pass
Image credit: http://blog.chron.com/mormonvoice/files/2013/09/bom.miss_.2.jpg
Related articles: Jess Whitlock's Differences between the Bible and Book of Mormon
Recommended Websites: Nathan Franson's Mormon Study, Lance Mosher's 3 Tests Book of Mormon Can't Pass
Image credit: http://blog.chron.com/mormonvoice/files/2013/09/bom.miss_.2.jpg
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