How millions can take the book of mormon seriously is almost beyond comprehension. Book of mormon central is designed and built by people who love the book of mormon. I can tell you i know for myself the book of mormon is true. Apr 07, 2017 the book of mormon provides powerful doctrines and moving examples of those who exemplified such love and consecration.
There are differing views on the origin of the book of mormon. The conclusion states, much as critics and defenders of the book of mormon would like to use dna studies to support their. The religions that grow, succor and motivate people to perform heroic acts of service are usually theologically rigorous, arduous in practice and definite in their. When i first encountered the book of mormon, i assumed it was a hoax. Likewise with the book of mormon, i can t prove that ammon preached to the lamanites or that the brother of jared saw god or that christ visited the americas.
However, if god tells us something is true, we know it is. The book of mormon testifies of jesuss ministry in the americas following his resurrection. Moroniand topicabrahamic covenant and other covenants. The very spirit that helps me know the bible is true is the very same spirit that helps me know the book of mormon is true. Why you shouldnt ask god if the book of mormon is true. Documented evidences are given to show that the major doctrines and teachings of the mormon church are contrary to the teachings of the book of mormon. You are to pray and ask god and the holy ghost will tell you. Im not going to spend time on how this line of reasoning is terrible or how this sets members up for failure. A lot of the time we want to prove whats true andor false. As such, true conversion to the gospel of jesus christ, through his atonement, is one of the major themes throughout the book of mormons pages. Being able to conclusively, scientifically prove everything actually undermines what god is all about in this life which is faith. Top 40 inspirational book of mormon scriptures the lifey app.
For behold, ye do love amoney, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye. In like manner it is shown that the claims made for the book of mormon are in disagreement with true archaeological data, as well as not being in accord with the word of god, the holy bible. The challenge of the book of mormon religious studies center. How can the book of mormon help saints live the law of. After each left, another angel showed up, but it was not one from god, and he did not have a body. He relates seeing a messenger while plowing who said blessed is the name of the lord and thehy who keep his commandments. The story the book of mormon musical wont tell you normons. 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 story of how it came about is rather fantastic, after all, and the simplest explanation is that the book was a deliberate deception. The lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them 1. For a fuller but still brief explanation of each point, you can click on the opening sentence to jump to the. 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. The book of mormon, true or false arthur budvarson.
But dont worry our lds scripture study techniques can. If it is true 1 but not true 2, however, that might cause some theological problems, starting with the claims that both the book itself and authoritative interpretations of it have made regarding its truth 2. 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. To be known, the truth must be stated, elder roberts said, and the clearer and more complete the statement is, the better opportunity will the holy spirit have for. 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. According to the introduction to the book of mormon, what will those who gain a divine witness of the book of mormon also come to know is true.
If a mortal person tells us something is true, that can help us, but it is shakyif our relationship with that person changes, we may find ourselves doubting his words. 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. Those who take this approach will know by the power of the holy ghost that the book is true see moroni 10. Will you pray and ask god if the book of mormon is true. The book of mormon provides powerful doctrines and moving examples of those who exemplified such love and consecration. Sep 20, 2017 ideally for believers, the book of mormon is true 1 and true 2.
With the bible and the book of mormon, there seems to be an important element of faith. How to prove that the book of mormon is true quora. Feb 16, 2016 if the book is false or not historical, then everything is supposed to fall down in shambles. Nov 03, 2016 the very spirit that helps me know the bible is true is the very same spirit that helps me know the book of mormon is true. For example, critics of mormonism have shown convincing proof that the book of mormon is a synthesis of earlier works written by other men, of the vivid imaginings of joseph smith, and of plagiarisms from the king james bible. If you want to know if joseph smith was a true prophet, read the book of mormon, which he claimed to have received from god. Of course you must do this with sincerity, or it wont work. The book of mormon is a compilation of several books written by ancient prophets. Problems with the book of mormon catholic answers catholic. Mormon church says it was an error in their come follow me manual that there was a curse of dark skin. 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. The result was a new revelation called the book of mormon and a new religion called mormonism.
Our mission is to inspire greater knowledge of the book of mormon. This essay is about how proving the book of mormon is true or false by historical landmarks or by authorship is a huge waste of time. This feeling is for them the real proof that the book of mormon is inspired. To the lds faithful, the book of mormon is the true historical account of. What can the book of mormon teach me about repentance and. The only problem with the book of mormon musical, brooks continued, is that its theme is not quite true. That testimony supposedly will convince you beyond doubt that the book of mormon. Miraculous origins theories generally accept joseph smiths own account, that he translated an ancient record compiled and abridged by mormon, a precolumbian resident of the western hemisphere. Dec 10, 2012 if a mortal person tells us something is true, that can help us, but it is shakyif our relationship with that person changes, we may find ourselves doubting his words. This is some heavy duty gaslighting and throwing the bom under the bus. This in itself is problematic and amounts to a logical fallacy known as begging the question or circular reasoning. The only bible that joseph smith relied on was the king james version. Legrand baker found that the book leads its readers to charity and thus to the personal fulfillment of the law of consecration.
Early critics of the book of mormon had a heyday with this one, pointing out that steel did not exist at the time nephi would have written this passage the prevailing knowledge in 1830, so the book of mormon couldnt possibly be true. People that oppose the church hate when someone says. 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. 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. 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 whose religious history it documents. As a result of me publishing my testimony online regarding the book of mormon, ive had hundredsmaybe even thousands of people send me messages with their reasoning about why the book of mormon can t be true. In the book of mormon, the prophet nephi taught that when the lord commands us to do something, he also provides a way to do it. The book of mormon is clear that it was a literal curse on their skin. I was in a beach chair on my balcony in corona del mar, california waiting to go surfing. I have never met anyone in those years that can actually say god told them. For a fuller but still brief explanation of each point, you can click on the opening sentence to jump to the page where the. If the book is false or not historical, then everything is supposed to fall down in shambles. Mar 14, 2020 you can convince god to send the golden plates back down to earth again, then you can take them to a panel of mesoamerican archaeologists and allow them to examine them at length, performing every scientific test on them that they can think of.
In many respects, things started off for me the same way they did for the book of mormons protagonist, elder price. Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true revelation for the church, revelation. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand. The book of mormon is changing the lives of people all. Variations of this theory only include that the text is a divinely inspired narrative, regardless of its. Wow, i can only say that this was very inspiring and has contributed to my new testimony of the book of mormon. How does the spirit witness to me that the book of mormon is. 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.
I realized that the most important thing i could do is find out whether or not the book of mormon was true. 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. Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness that the book of mormon is the word of god, that joseph smith is a prophet, and that this is the lords church. Vague, uplifting, nondoctrinal religiosity doesnt actually last. And when ye shall receive these things, i would exhort you that ye would ask god, the eternal father, in the name of christ, if these things are not true. Jan 02, 2020 next will come the invitation to read the book of mormon, pray, and ask god to show you it is true. In this episode, dave talks about the relationship between faith and unanswered questions. Mormon had it exactly right when he made this prediction about the church in our day. I know, he said, that the book of mormon is as true as the bible. I prayed about it, asked for an answer that i could not mistake, and i was visited by 2 angels who shook my hand each. I can still remember the exact spot i was sitting when i knew the book of mormon was true. Theres one question youre likely to hear from every mormon missionary. Jan 23, 2016 early critics of the book of mormon had a heyday with this one, pointing out that steel did not exist at the time nephi would have written this passage the prevailing knowledge in 1830, so the book of mormon couldnt possibly be true. How can one learn the truth about the book of mormon.
First, while smith referred to the book of mormon as the most correct of any book on earth and the keystone of our religion, its flaws run the gamut from the. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which adherents. How does the spirit witness to me that the book of mormon. For those who have devoutly believed in the book of mormon and the other lds scriptures, such as the book of abraham, as the word of god, coming to the realization that these books are not what they claim to be can cause ripple effects throughout their belief system. Dear mormons, you dont know the book of mormon is true. The book of mormon is not metaphor, it is a testament of the living christ, a key to show joseph smith had the priesthood of god which is essential today, otherwise all our callings, all our ordinances, all our temples are not sealed with divine authority. Frequent short essays published on our website, and via memes, podcasts, and videos on social. Special thanks to dennis largey and all the contributors of the book of mormon reference companion, which provided me with valuable insight into some of the book of mormons teachings. Dave and les jacobs getty images looks like youll need to do quite a bit of studying before youre considered a book of mormon scholar. In the first case, there is a representation of early christians in the americas, and in the second, examples of the very script of the anthon transcript. While praying about the truth of a book may seem innocent, there are many inherent problems with this type of subjective test. It presents twelve simple statements that identify as succinctly as possible each of the twelve reasons. The gospel is true, the bishop is true, the book of mormon is true, and on and on. But dont worry our lds scripture study techniques can help you get there faster.
Dont worry, we will never share or sell your information. The degree to which you can or will accept an evidence or proof of the book of mormon will be in exact proportion to your desire to know if the book of mormon is true and in exact proportion to your hope that the book of mormon is true. For that reason, mormons are taught to read the bible and the book of mormon and to pray as they read. Click to read what is and isnt true about the book of mormon musical.
The last chapter in the book of mormon invites anyone who reads it, ponders it, and sincerely wants to know if it is true to ask heavenly father in the name of jesus christ. If the book of mormon and the book of abraham are not true. The book of mormon is not metaphor, it is a testament of the living christ, a key to show joseph smith had the priesthood of god which is essential today, otherwise all our callings, all our ordinances, all. Scholars today have varying theories about the true authorship of the book of mormon, but most conclude. The truth about the book of mormon gives people the opportunity to examine the book of mormon s teachings to see for themselves whether they be good or evil. May 01, 2012 for those who have devoutly believed in the book of mormon and the other lds scriptures, such as the book of abraham, as the word of god, coming to the realization that these books are not what they claim to be can cause ripple effects throughout their belief system.
But real life was nothing like the story told in the musical. The scientific legacy of a quest to prove the book of mormon. Among the most powerful and enduring examples of this theme is the story of alma the younger. 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. Ideally for believers, the book of mormon is true 1 and true 2. The website summarizes these teachings by chapter1 nephi. The book of mormon can be true without being historical. Oct 02, 2019 a lot of the time we want to prove whats true andor false. The book of mormon can only work as a spiritual truth if it is historically true. You can convince god to send the golden plates back down to earth again, then you can take them to a panel of mesoamerican archaeologists and allow them to examine them at length, performing every scientific test on them that they can think of.