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Mormon missionaries who come to your door say that the Book of Mormon
(BOM) adds no new doctrine to the Bible; it merely supplies
"another witness" of Jesus. The "basic beliefs" section of the web site
www.mormon.org says: "The Book of Mormon:
Another Testament of Jesus Christ is an actual record of God’s dealings with the
ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of
the everlasting gospel."
If that’s the case, the BOM should always harmonize with the Bible. Yet as the previous article shows, Mormons teach that prophets and apostles continue today, receiving revelation from heaven, while the Apostle Paul teaches that revelation was to cease when the New Testament was complete. The BOM also misses Jesus’ birth place. Micah 5:2 prophesies that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. Matthew 2:1 says Jesus was born in Bethlehem. But the BOM says He would be born at Jerusalem (Alma 7:10). Mormons say Jesus Himself refers to the rise of the LDS Church in John 10:16 when He speaks of "other sheep I have which are not of this fold." But Jesus is addressing a completely Jewish audience here, alluding to the inclusion of Gentiles in the Gospel system. Unlike Judaism, Christianity is universal, with national distinctions erased (Ephesians 2:11-3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:26-28). Gentiles enjoy the blessings of Christ, too. LDS Church members say you can know if the Book of Mormon is true by asking God. Their website’s "basic beliefs" section includes this: "How can I know this is true? You can know if the gospel of Jesus Christ has truly been restored to the earth. Ask your Heavenly Father in prayer and you will receive an answer from Him through the Holy Ghost." What if I pray and receive no answer? What if the answer comes back that the BOM is false? The Bible never offers such a subjective test for truth. The Bible says we can know truth by comparing new material with prior, accepted revelation (see 1 John 4:1; Deuteronomy 13:1-5). Mormonism faces a fatal dilemma. If what the Book of Mormon teaches is the same as the Bible, then I don’t need the BOM because I’ve already got the Bible. If the BOM teaches something different, the Bible itself condemns it. Logic, the Bible, and Mormon testimony demand that Mormonism is either irrelevant or false. But we’ve already seen that the BOM differs with the Bible. That means the BOM and founder Joseph Smith fall under the condemnation Paul proclaims in Galatians 1:8 — "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." LDS Church members tend to be very good people. They’re strong in morals and have strong families. But examining their teachings and the book from which they come reveals a system of religion at odds with New Testament Christianity. This is the final of three articles ( I & II ) in this quarterly edition on Mormonism. |