And now if there be fault, it be the mistake of men. On the other hand, if its origin is godgiven, then joseph smith was a prophet, and if he was a prophet, then the church of jesus christ of latter. Mar 11, 2016 many critics of the book of mormon have tried but failed to give a credible alternative to joseph smiths testimony of it. Thats especially the case with a case for the book of mormon. The book of mormon itself portrays the golden plates as a historical record, engraved by two precolumbian prophethistorians from around the year ad 400. A forum for exmormons and others who have been affected by mormonism to share news, commentary, and comedy about the mormon church. Curtis wright, professor of library science at brigham young university, for his assistance with many of the concepts. As the book of mormon prophet moroni writes, if ye have no hope, ye must needs be in despair moro. The initial argument by the critics that the book of mormon was manmade was based on.
As a result, if the book of mormon can be proved to be manmade, then the church is manmade. Religious studies center, brigham young university. According to latter day saint belief, the golden plates also called the gold plates or in some 19thcentury literature, the golden bible are the source from which joseph smith said he translated the book of mormon, a sacred text of the faith. Nov 24, 2016 published on nov 3, 2016 many critics of the book of mormon have tried but failed to give a credible alternative to joseph smiths testimony of it. Callister, sunday school general president for the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, discussed the book of mormon s validity by deconstructing criticism of the book of mormon at this weeks. Lehi teaches his son, jacob, that the saviors redeeming power offers a path of freedom, hope, and eternal life which otherwise would have been unavailable because of the effects of adam and eves fall. As members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, we believe. In the day that god created man, in the likeness of god made he him. For many years, critics claimed to have found another ticking clock. Many critics of the book of mormon have tried but failed to give a credible alternative to joseph smiths testimony of it. Mormonism and the nature of godgod is a spirit fairmormon.
Introduction one of the unique doctrines of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints the mormons or lds is their aaronic and melchizedek 1this is an endnote priesthoods, one of which is held by most male members 12 years and older. This witness of all witnesses bears powerful testimony to the honest in heart that this book is not man made but god given. This book feels born from a talk callister gave in the october 2017 general conference titled gods compelling witness. And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful god has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off. Nowhere does the bible say or imply that god was ever a man, or that man can become god. That joseph or anyone else had made up the book of mormon from whole cloth would be infinitely more miraculous than the divine account of its origin, as given by joseph. The independent book of mormon religion news service. The question of the authority of the bible and its divine inspiration can be stated very simply. On the other hand, if its origin is godgiven, then joseph smith was a. In this study we will show that there have been at least 3,9 changes made in the book of mormon from the time it was first published in 1830. The authority of god given to men throughout time has been taken back and restored many, many times. Valletta was an institute instructor in ogden, utah, when this was published.
The religion of moses and the book of mormon lauri hlavaty central to the church of jesus christ of latterday saints and to the great work of the lord that has begun to roll forth is a community of believers who possess a sound knowledge of the scriptures. This book feels born from a talk callister gave in the october 2017 general conference titled god s compelling witness. In the first place, much of the king james version of the bible has been reproduced verbatim in the book of mormonestimated to be from 17,000 to 27,000 words tanner, 1972, p. This witness of all witnesses bears powerful testimony to the honest in heart that this book is not manmade but godgiven. Yet, the book of mormon is guilty of violating these very criteria. The book of mormon narrative is a chronicle of nations long since gone. The doctrine of god the father in the book of mormon. Published on nov 3, 2016 many critics of the book of mormon have tried but failed to give a credible alternative to joseph smiths testimony of it.
The book of mormon and the constitution true book of mormon. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever. Some witnesses described the plates as weighing from 30 to 60 pounds 14 to 27 kg, golden in color, and composed of thin metallic pages engraved with. Nov 01, 2016 as a result, if the book of mormon can be proved to be man made, then the church is man made.
May 31, 2019 may 30, 2019 messages of the book of mormon lehi teaches his son, jacob, that god was not taken off guard or thwarted in any way by satan s successful effort to get adam and eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the garden of eden. Mar 06, 2020 mormon fauxscriptures are not god s words. A war to defend our godgiven agency and liberty over force and bondage of the adversary. The mormon church teaches that this is their authority from god to act in his name and do his work. The initial argument by the critics that the book of mormon was manmade was based on the premise that joseph smith was too unlearned and ignorant to write such a comprehensive work and therefore someone allegedly much more intelligent than. Even if the so called angel, moroni, really did appear to joseph smith, he is still accursed because the gospel of the book of mormon is very different from the gospel of the bible. Is the book of mormon a series of parables rather than a. Not only do history and reason confirm the truth of the book of mormon, but much more importantly, the power of the spirit does. However, the book of mormon is not discussing nicene trinitarianism, and does not contradict the. The community of christ, formerly known as the reorganized church of jesus christ of latter day saints, views the book of mormon as an additional witness of jesus christ and publishes two versions of the book through its official publishing arm, herald house. Dec 18, 2008 a war to defend our god given agency and liberty over force and bondage of the adversary. Theoretically, any part of the gospel not specifically designated as a melchizedek priesthood privilege or ordinance is part of the religion of moses. Mormon and moroni, the book says, had abridged earlier historical records from other sets of metal plates.
Callister, sunday school general president for the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, discussed the book of mormons validity by deconstructing criticism of the book of mormon at this weeks. Cannon once said no wicked man could write such a book as this. In making this study we obtained photocopies of an original 1830 edition of. Gospel insights from general authorities and religious educators. Callister was serving as the general sunday school president of the church of jesus christ of. Millet was associate professor and department chairman of ancient scripture at brigham young university when this was published president ezra taft benson has observed. It reveals the covenants made at baptism, which are not addressed in the bible. The setting for the story of jared and his brother is the familiar one of the righteous man who leads his people out of a doomed and wicked world. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. On november 27, 1967 the metropolitan museum of art in new york city made available to the church certain papyri fragments that had once been in the possession of joseph smith.
Jared and his brother found themselves in what lehi described as a dark and dreary waste, from which the only escape was through an arduous and prayerful journey see 1 nephi 8. Just as a man does not really desire food until he is hungry, so he does not desire the salvation of christ until he knows why he needs christ. Why did the book of mormon come forth as a miracle. On the other hand, if its origin is god given, then joseph smith was a prophet, and if he was a prophet, then the church of jesus christ of latterday saints is true. Thus americas ultimate godgiven destiny, planned by the creator and testified by ancient and modern prophecy and. Callister sunday school general president speaks at the 2017 chaplain training event. Once we have a foundational testimony of the book of mormon, then. The book of mormon chronicle of jared and his brother is the story of us all in our quest for the eternal land of promise. As members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, we believe the book of mormon to be the word of god.
What does the book of mormon teach about sacrifice. Joseph smith must have wrote the book of mormon because critics were initially wrong in thinking that he was too uneducated and are now instead casting him as a creative genius who pulled from view of the hebrews and the late war between the united states and great britain. Hinckley reminded us in 2005 the importance of the book of mormon as a guide in our lives today. I would just first like to say, before i start, how. Lehi and his family had certainly given up much to follow the lords command, abandoning their comfortable living in jerusalem to travel in the wilderness. Amazingly, except for a few pages, the translation of the entire book of mormon as we have it todaya text which ended up as more than 500 pages in lengthtook place between april 7 and june 30, 1829. Wherefore condemn not the things of god, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment seat of christ. Royal skousen has looked carefully at the transmission history of the book of mormon and has highlighted many interesting things about the text that inspire confidence in its reliability and josephs ability as a translator. In reference to the record that mormon helped to produce, joseph smith stated in nauvoo, i told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book hc 4. Oct 31, 2016 another principal argument against the validity of the book of mormon, brother callister said, was the idea that joseph smith was a creative genius and wrote the book of mormon. Mar 01, 2009 the book of mormon is the word of god. The book of mormon and the constitution true book of. Mormon, the man and the message religious studies center.
The book of mormon is the word of god ezra taft benson. In 2 nephi 27 nephi begins by writing of a universal apostasy from the things of god in the last days consider nephis words. Response to tad callisters talk the book of mormon. The record, written on gold plates, was given to joseph smith and he was given the ability to translate it from the original language, reformed egyptian. The book of mormon is essential to gods latterday work.
For those, however, who accept christs atonement and resurrection, there comes a brightness of hope 2 ne. And all the nations that fight against zion or the kingdom of god, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision. Not only do history and reason confirm the truth of the book of mormon, but, much more importantly, the power of the spirit does. The book of mormon refers to a male prophet, as you know, by the name of alma. Jan 19, 2020 a natural question that arises at some point is whether or not this book is manmade or godgiven. Mar 09, 2020 i told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book. The book of mormon makes clear that which is unclear to much of the christian world, said brother callister. Callister was serving as the general sunday school president of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints when this talk was given on 1 nov. Critics who object to the lds position that god has a physical body claim that the latterday saints are being inconsistent, since the book of mormon teaches that god is a spirit. Mormon again leads the nephite armies in battles of blood and carnagethe book of mormon will come forth to convince all israel that jesus is the christbecause of their unbelief, the lamanites will be scattered, and the spirit will cease to strive with themthey will receive the gospel from the gentiles in the latter days. The book of mormon title page, which was translated by joseph smith, 1 ends with a rather intruiging disclaimer for a book of scripture. Book of mormonplain and precious doctrines fairmormon.
The church of jesus christ of latterday saints purports to be a reboot, if you will, of the divine franchise. The book of mormon and the constitution the following address by president j reuben clark, jr. The religion of moses and the book of mormon religious. Highlighting the fact the book of mormon contains doctrine distinct from common religious beliefs of the time, brother callister suggested that the doctrinal truths found within the book of mormon clearly show its divine authenticity. A natural question that arises at some point is whether or not this book is man made or godgiven. The book of mormon is gods compelling witness of the divinity of jesus christ. In view of the specific procedures by which the gold plates were translated, the book of mormon ought to be perfect. One must read the book of mormon and the old testament, preferably with the help of the spirit, to sense the goodness and the love for god which emanates from the religion of moses. It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. The book of tad callister was one of my favorite general authorities of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Jan 04, 2016 critics of the book of mormon have assailed the book s authenticity on the grounds that it has undergone many changes since its 1830 publication. So when the book of mormon was published in 1830 and 1 nephi 11. Do you know how to show a mormon person the difference in reliability between the bible and the book of mormon. These generated considerable interest and also much controversy over the book of abraham and what came to be read more the mormon view of the book of mormon.
Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The book of mormon claims to be a perfect translation because joseph smith supposedly used the crystal glasses the get the perfect wordforword translation, yet there have been over 4,000 changes in the book of mormon since the first edition came out. And what a blessing it will be to feast upon and treasure up its inspired words during the. The leading proponent of this argument suggested that because of josephs immense amount of inexperience, he planned to do what would have given the most experienced. Lds are key lds teachings derived from the book of mormon.
I told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book. On the other hand, if its origin is godgiven, then joseph smith was a prophet, and if he was a prophet, then the church of jesus christ of latterday saints is true. Early in the book of mormon, the concept of sacrifice appears. Thus the book of mormon was translated by the gift and power of god, and not by any power of man whitmer, 1887, emp. All christians know, and the bible and the book of mormon and joseph smith all teach, that god is a god of miracles. History, reason, and power of the spirit confirm divine. At the same time i will consider related passages in the book of mormon which bear upon and amplify this timeless truththat the natural man is an enemy to god and a foe to all righteousness. Joseph smith allegedly received the gold nephi plates the book of mormon from the angel moroni. Is the bible a book given by god to man, or is it a book produced by man and merely by man about god. The book of mormon is a record of a people that lived in the americas between 600bc and 400ad as well as their origins, lives and religion. The messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. On the other hand, if its origin is god given, then joseph smith was a. A natural question that arises at some point is whether or not this book is manmade or godgiven.
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