Talking to Mormons

By Danny LarsenReligion & Spirituality Christianity Education

Talking to Mormons episodes

January 20, 2019 Matthew 3 Mark 1 Luke 3 – Come Follow Me
The manual starts out, “the mission of John the Baptist was to prepare
the hearts of the people to receive the Savior and become more like Him. How
did John do it? He proclaimed, ‘Repent
ye’.”
John the
Baptist attracted so many people because he was the First True prophet in 400
years. His criticism of both Herod and
the religious leaders was a daring act that fascinated the common people. But he also had strong words for the others
in his audience – they too were sinners and needed to repent. They confessed their sins and John baptized
them in the Jordan River.
It was not a
normal practice to, baptize Jews. Baptism
was necessary for a Gentile in order to covert to Judaism. John’s baptism was new in that he was asking
the Jews themselves to be baptized as a sign of repentance. The Jews considered themselves “clean” as
descendants of Abraham – only “unclean” Gentiles needed baptism. But John explained that sin makes everyone
“unclean,” and they all needed to repent of sin in, order to receive forgiveness.
According to
the LDS Bible Dictionary –
true repentance is a “change of mind, a fresh view about God, about oneself, and
about the world.” “a
turning of the heart and will to God.”
Then the manual asks, “How can you show that you have truly
repented?” And it quotes “Luke 3:8 ”Bring forth
therefore fruits worthy of repentance.” Does that mean you have to have good
works to earn salvation yourselves? No,
the fruits come from the knowing that you have been forgiven. They are fruits of love manifested in
kindness, tolerance, patience, forgiveness, etc.
In Matthew 3:11 John explained that baptism DEMONSTRATED repentance. Baptism was an “outward” sign of an “inward” commitment. To be effective, it had to be accompanied by
an “inward” change of attitude leading to a changed life.
The manual then brings up the point that
Jesus Christ was baptized to “fulfill all righteousness” as written in Matthew 3:15. The manual also states “Nephi recorded some important teachings about the Savior’s
baptism in 2
Nephi 31.” But when you read the 31st chapter of 2 Nephi, you find all
kinds of problems with it. First, of all
Nephi declares what he calls the “doctrine of CHRIST.” “Christ”
was a Greek term used in the Kings James Version of
the bible. It begs the question, “What
would Nephi a supposedly Jewish Hebrew, writing in Reformed Egyptian, be doing
using a Greek term – yet to be invented – to describe the coming Messiah?” Nephi is writing this between 559 BC and 545
BC according to the Book of Mormon, which would make the name “Christ” completely anachronistic. As well, the name of the future Messiah was
never mentioned in the Old Testament record.
There is much more that I could comment on in 2 Nephi’s chapter 31, but we need to
move on.
You might
ask, “Why, was Jesus baptized if baptism is not essential for salvation?” Jesus was our example, but Jesus had no
sin. He cannot be our example in being
“baptized for the remission of sins” if He had no sin. Why, then was Jesus baptized? In Matthew 3:15,
Jesus said to John, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill
all righteousness.” Jesus was declaring, “You, John the
Baptist, are the last prophet of the Old Testament (Luke 16:16, Matthew 11:13) and I am come to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17).” Thus, by you baptizing Me, we shall fulfill
all righteo
13 min
January 20, 2019 Matthew 3 Mark 1 Luke 3
The manual starts out, “the mission of John the Baptist was to prepare
the hearts of the people to receive the Savior and become more like Him. How
did John do it? He proclaimed, ‘Repent
ye’.”
John the
Baptist attracted so many people because he was the First True prophet in 400
years. His criticism of both Herod and
the religious leaders was a daring act that fascinated the common people. But he also had strong words for the others
in his audience – they too were sinners and needed to repent. They confessed their sins and John baptized
them in the Jordan River.
It was not a
normal practice to, baptize Jews. Baptism
was necessary for a Gentile in order to covert to Judaism. John’s baptism was new in that he was asking
the Jews themselves to be baptized as a sign of repentance. The Jews considered themselves “clean” as
descendants of Abraham – only “unclean” Gentiles needed baptism. But John explained that sin makes everyone
“unclean,” and they all needed to repent of sin in, order to receive forgiveness.
According to
the LDS Bible Dictionary –
true repentance is a “change of mind, a fresh view about God, about oneself, and
about the world.” “a
turning of the heart and will to God.”
Then the manual asks, “How can you show that you have truly
repented?” And it quotes “Luke 3:8 ”Bring forth
therefore fruits worthy of repentance.” Does that mean you have to have good
works to earn salvation yourselves? No,
the fruits come from the knowing that you have been forgiven. They are fruits of love manifested in
kindness, tolerance, patience, forgiveness, etc.
In Matthew 3:11 John explained that baptism DEMONSTRATED repentance. Baptism was an “outward” sign of an “inward” commitment. To be effective, it had to be accompanied by
an “inward” change of attitude leading to a changed life.
The manual then brings up the point that
Jesus Christ was baptized to “fulfill all righteousness” as written in Matthew 3:15. The manual also states “Nephi recorded some important teachings about the Savior’s
baptism in 2
Nephi 31.” But when you read the 31st chapter of 2 Nephi, you find all
kinds of problems with it. First, of all
Nephi declares what he calls the “doctrine of CHRIST.” “Christ”
was a Greek term used in the Kings James Version of
the bible. It begs the question, “What
would Nephi a supposedly Jewish Hebrew, writing in Reformed Egyptian, be doing
using a Greek term – yet to be invented – to describe the coming Messiah?” Nephi is writing this between 559 BC and 545
BC according to the Book of Mormon, which would make the name “Christ” completely anachronistic. As well, the name of the future Messiah was
never mentioned in the Old Testament record.
There is much more that I could comment on in 2 Nephi’s chapter 31, but we need to
move on.
You might
ask, “Why, was Jesus baptized if baptism is not essential for salvation?” Jesus was our example, but Jesus had no
sin. He cannot be our example in being
“baptized for the remission of sins” if He had no sin. Why, then was Jesus baptized? In Matthew 3:15,
Jesus said to John, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill
all righteousness.” Jesus was declaring, “You, John the
Baptist, are the last prophet of the Old Testament (Luke 16:16, Matthew 11:13) and I am come to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17).” Thus, by you baptizing Me, we shall fulfill
all righteo
13 min
January 15, 2019 Testing the Book of Mormon – Part 2
The Book of Mormon claims to have a parallel timeline with the Bible.
But, when put to the test, does it hold true?
Lets look at the historical evidence.
Last time we met, I introduced the tests that proved the evidence for the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon against – time, history and inspiration.
So, let’s begin these tests.
The Introduction of the Book of Mormon claims that it is comparable to, superior to, and in harmony with the Bible. If that is accurate, the timeline in the Book of Mormon should reflect the Bible’s timeline.
But it does not!
The first inconsistency is in regard to Christ’s atonement. The cross, which was where Christ shed his innocent blood for the sins of the world was a defining moment.
As stated in Hebrews 9:15-17, Jesus’ blood was not only operative for those who lived in Jesus’ day forward through today, and into the future, but it also was retroactive for those who lived faithfully before the atonement.
But it did not happen until the death of Christ in AD 33.
So, how does that effect the Book of Mormon?
In the Book of Mosiah 4:2 there is a crowd of people saying, “O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
If you’ll look at the footnote, it says “about 124 B.C.”
How is it that they appealed to have Jesus’ blood applied to them if it had not yet been shed?
The second timeline discrepancy is in the establishment of the church. In Matthew 16:18, we find the very first usage of the word “church” in the Bible.
Jesus said, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my CHURCH; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Notice, Jesus promised to establish His church in the FUTURE – meaning after His death and resurrection.
According to the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 18:17 says “And they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that time forward. And it came to pass that whosoever was baptized by the power and authority of God was added to his church.”
What does it have for the date of that passage?
It says, “about 147 B.C.“
The New Testament says that in 32 AD the church didn’t even exist yet. It wouldn’t exist for about another year after the resurrection of Christ.
The Book of Mormon claims that even before Christ came to this earth, people were being added to the church. Which one is it?
Another discrepancy has to do with when and where the disciples of Jesus were named. The first time the Bible refers to “the church” is in Acts 2:47 after the day of Pentecost.
Eventually, they received a new name.
“And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
Acts 11:26
The FIRST, time disciples were ever called Christians was in Antioch, about 42 AD.
The Book of Mormon has a different story
Alma 46:15
“And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come.”
“about 73 BC”
So, which one is it? The Bible – 42 AD or the Book of Mormon – 73 BC?
The Book of Mormon claims to be congruent with the Bible. But, when put to the test, does it hold true?
4 min
January 15, 2019 Testing the Book of Mormon – Part 2
The Book of Mormon claims to have a parallel timeline with the Bible.
But, when put to the test, does it hold true?
Lets look at the historical evidence.
Last time we met, I introduced the tests that proved the evidence for the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon against – time, history and inspiration.
So, let’s begin these tests.
The Introduction of the Book of Mormon claims that it is comparable to, superior to, and in harmony with the Bible. If that is accurate, the timeline in the Book of Mormon should reflect the Bible’s timeline.
But it does not!
The first inconsistency is in regard to Christ’s atonement. The cross, which was where Christ shed his innocent blood for the sins of the world was a defining moment.
As stated in Hebrews 9:15-17, Jesus’ blood was not only operative for those who lived in Jesus’ day forward through today, and into the future, but it also was retroactive for those who lived faithfully before the atonement.
But it did not happen until the death of Christ in AD 33.
So, how does that effect the Book of Mormon?
In the Book of Mosiah 4:2 there is a crowd of people saying, “O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
If you’ll look at the footnote, it says “about 124 B.C.”
How is it that they appealed to have Jesus’ blood applied to them if it had not yet been shed?
The second timeline discrepancy is in the establishment of the church. In Matthew 16:18, we find the very first usage of the word “church” in the Bible.
Jesus said, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my CHURCH; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Notice, Jesus promised to establish His church in the FUTURE – meaning after His death and resurrection.
According to the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 18:17 says “And they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that time forward. And it came to pass that whosoever was baptized by the power and authority of God was added to his church.”
What does it have for the date of that passage?
It says, “about 147 B.C.“
The New Testament says that in 32 AD the church didn’t even exist yet. It wouldn’t exist for about another year after the resurrection of Christ.
The Book of Mormon claims that even before Christ came to this earth, people were being added to the church. Which one is it?
Another discrepancy has to do with when and where the disciples of Jesus were named. The first time the Bible refers to “the church” is in Acts 2:47 after the day of Pentecost.
Eventually, they received a new name.
“And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
Acts 11:26
The FIRST, time disciples were ever called Christians was in Antioch, about 42 AD.
The Book of Mormon has a different story
Alma 46:15
“And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come.”
“about 73 BC”
So, which one is it? The Bible – 42 AD or the Book of Mormon – 73 BC?
The Book of Mormon claims to be congruent with the Bible. But, when put to the test, does it hold true?
4 min
January 14, 2019 Matthew 2 Luke 2 – Come Follow Me
Luke 2 is probably one of the most famous
in the Bible because it tells the “Christmas Story.”
Joseph took
his espoused pregnant wife from Nazareth in Galilee to the city of David, which
was called Bethlehem to be taxed. Luke 2:5 Mary “being great with
Child.” It would have taken them 4 to 5 days walking and riding a
donkey over the rocky hilly Judean desert.

Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.”
Luke doesn’t say the birth of Jesus occurred on the very
night of their arrival in Bethlehem, though it seems to have been soon after
that. The setting was probably in a
limestone cave used for a stable. Here
the Greatest of all would enter mortality in the humblest of circumstances.
We’ve been trained to think of the manger as wooden. But, in Palestine animals were fed from stone
troughs. It was symbolic of Jesus’ final
resting place at the end of His life, being placed in a stone sepulcher.
The birth of Christ is announced to the Shepherds in
their fields. There was a Heavenly Choir
singing and praising God. Then the
Shepherds find Mary, and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. Afterwards the Shepherds spread the word
abroad to many. But Mary kept all these
things in her heart realizing that this tiny, helpless infant was the Son of
God, the Promised Messiah, the Savior of the world.
The Scriptures are clear that Jesus was born during the
reign of King Herod the Great. The best
historical evidence dictates that the birth of Jesus occurred about the year 4
B.C.
For Latter-day Saints, the challenge comes in attempting
to reconcile this historical evidence with Doctrine and Covenants 20:1,
which refers to the organization of the LDS Church on April 6, 1830, as being “one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh.” Church leader’s interpretations
of this verse as they relate to the Savior’s birth vary from being taken
literally on April 6, 1 A.D. to not proposing any date as, the true date.
Matthew 2:1 “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of
Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.”
The LDS Bible Dictionary suggest “that they were actually prophets on a divine errand.”
Why in the
Book of Mormon, does Alma 7:10 say that Jesus will be born at Jerusalem when Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:1-7 speak of Christ being born in
Bethlehem? In that same Alma 7:10 verse
it says, speaking of Mary “who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power the Holy
Ghost.” Alma supposedly writing in 83 B.C.
uses the word “Ghost.” That word was not
even formed until the 15th Century A.D. which proves that the entire
passage is anachronistic and plagiarized from the King James Bible.
Matthew 2:9 “When they heard the king, they departed: and, lo, the star,
which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where
the young child was.” By the time the wisemen arrived in
Jerusalem, Jesus was already a young child.
Joseph and Mary had apparently decided to stay in Bethlehem for a while
after the Savior’s birth and had settled in a house there. Thus, the pictures we see of the wise men and
the shepherds visiting the baby Jesus in a stable were a composite of two
separate events.
After the
wise men worshipped Jesus a
9 min
January 14, 2019 Matthew 2 Luke 2
Luke 2 is probably one of the most famous
in the Bible because it tells the “Christmas Story.”
Joseph took
his espoused pregnant wife from Nazareth in Galilee to the city of David, which
was called Bethlehem to be taxed. Luke 2:5 Mary “being great with
Child.” It would have taken them 4 to 5 days walking and riding a
donkey over the rocky hilly Judean desert.

Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.”
Luke doesn’t say the birth of Jesus occurred on the very
night of their arrival in Bethlehem, though it seems to have been soon after
that. The setting was probably in a
limestone cave used for a stable. Here
the Greatest of all would enter mortality in the humblest of circumstances.
We’ve been trained to think of the manger as wooden. But, in Palestine animals were fed from stone
troughs. It was symbolic of Jesus’ final
resting place at the end of His life, being placed in a stone sepulcher.
The birth of Christ is announced to the Shepherds in
their fields. There was a Heavenly Choir
singing and praising God. Then the
Shepherds find Mary, and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. Afterwards the Shepherds spread the word
abroad to many. But Mary kept all these
things in her heart realizing that this tiny, helpless infant was the Son of
God, the Promised Messiah, the Savior of the world.
The Scriptures are clear that Jesus was born during the
reign of King Herod the Great. The best
historical evidence dictates that the birth of Jesus occurred about the year 4
B.C.
For Latter-day Saints, the challenge comes in attempting
to reconcile this historical evidence with Doctrine and Covenants 20:1,
which refers to the organization of the LDS Church on April 6, 1830, as being “one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh.” Church leader’s interpretations
of this verse as they relate to the Savior’s birth vary from being taken
literally on April 6, 1 A.D. to not proposing any date as, the true date.
Matthew 2:1 “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of
Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.”
The LDS Bible Dictionary suggest “that they were actually prophets on a divine errand.”
Why in the
Book of Mormon, does Alma 7:10 say that Jesus will be born at Jerusalem when Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:1-7 speak of Christ being born in
Bethlehem? In that same Alma 7:10 verse
it says, speaking of Mary “who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power the Holy
Ghost.” Alma supposedly writing in 83 B.C.
uses the word “Ghost.” That word was not
even formed until the 15th Century A.D. which proves that the entire
passage is anachronistic and plagiarized from the King James Bible.
Matthew 2:9 “When they heard the king, they departed: and, lo, the star,
which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where
the young child was.” By the time the wisemen arrived in
Jerusalem, Jesus was already a young child.
Joseph and Mary had apparently decided to stay in Bethlehem for a while
after the Savior’s birth and had settled in a house there. Thus, the pictures we see of the wise men and
the shepherds visiting the baby Jesus in a stable were a composite of two
separate events.
After the
wise men worshipped Jesus a
9 min
January 13, 2019 John 1 – Come Follow Me
Joseph Smith
made many additions and clarifications in verses 1-34 in the JST, which is the Joseph Smith
Translation of the Bible. You
can read these verses in its entirety, in the back of your LDS Bible in the
section titled, “Joseph Smith translation.” By-the-way, the JST
was not so much a translation by Joseph Smith as it was a modification of the Kings James Version –
without consulting any of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek manuscripts. We will include many of these JST changes as we study chapter 1 of
John.
In the
interest of time, I will only be able to comment on selected passages of this
chapter.
The Kings James Version of the Bible starts out in John 1:1 “In the beginning was
the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” What a beautiful statement! God’s Word is God. When John wrote “in the beginning” he was paralleling the words of the creation account
in Genesis 1:1.
John marks the beginning of Jesus’s life as an event that took place before the
beginning of eternity. He was already present in the beginning. He has always existed. The term “Word” in Greek is “Logos.”
Not only was the Son – the Word – Logos with God, He was himself
God. The Word is coeternal with God.
Look how the
Joseph Smith Translation changes the critical meaning in this powerful verse “In the beginning
was the gospel preached through the Son.
And the gospel was the word, and word
was with the Son, and the Son was with
God, and the Son was of God.” This
translation creates a polytheistic structure within the Godhead of
Mormonism.
KJV John 1:1 tells us that Christ, before He became
a human being, had ALWAYS been God. The
biblical Jesus has been God from the beginning.
Uncreated, the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God has revealed Himself to us through His
Word, the Bible. The Bible is clear that
He did not earn His status as deity nor, was He created, but He has always been
God. Jesus is equal with YHWH, yet he is
distinct from YHWH.
KJV John 1:3 teaches that the preexistent Christ,
the divine Son, was the One through whom all created things came into existence
(Genesis 1:1;
Isaiah 44:24; Ephesians 3:9; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2). If the Word created ALL things in heaven and
earth that would mean He, himself is uncreated.
He couldn’t create Himself. That also
means He created Satan and could not be a spirit brother of Satan. Conclusion: Jesus Christ is the creator of
the heavens, the earth, and all things. And ultimately, everything depends on
Him.
KJV John 1:4 “in him was life; and the life was the light of men.” He was the giver of life since He create all things. He also gives eternal life to all those who
believe in Him. The Light of Jesus
penetrates and enlightens the hearts and minds of men and women. When Christ’s light shines, we can see our
sin and his glory. We can also refuse to
see the light and remain in darkness. Listen
to how Joseph Smith restates JST John 1:4 “in him was the gospel, and the GOSPLE was life, and
life was the light of men.” To Joseph Smith, it’s not so much Jesus, but the
“gospel” with all that Mormonism teaches that was light to
men.
KJV John 1:5-8 introduces
John the Baptist as being
a witness for th
11 min
January 13, 2019 John 1
Joseph Smith
made many additions and clarifications in verses 1-34 in the JST, which is the Joseph Smith
Translation of the Bible. You
can read these verses in its entirety, in the back of your LDS Bible in the
section titled, “Joseph Smith translation.” By-the-way, the JST
was not so much a translation by Joseph Smith as it was a modification of the Kings James Version –
without consulting any of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek manuscripts. We will include many of these JST changes as we study chapter 1 of
John.
In the
interest of time, I will only be able to comment on selected passages of this
chapter.
The Kings James Version of the Bible starts out in John 1:1 “In the beginning was
the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” What a beautiful statement! God’s Word is God. When John wrote “in the beginning” he was paralleling the words of the creation account
in Genesis 1:1.
John marks the beginning of Jesus’s life as an event that took place before the
beginning of eternity. He was already present in the beginning. He has always existed. The term “Word” in Greek is “Logos.”
Not only was the Son – the Word – Logos with God, He was himself
God. The Word is coeternal with God.
Look how the
Joseph Smith Translation changes the critical meaning in this powerful verse “In the beginning
was the gospel preached through the Son.
And the gospel was the word, and word
was with the Son, and the Son was with
God, and the Son was of God.” This
translation creates a polytheistic structure within the Godhead of
Mormonism.
KJV John 1:1 tells us that Christ, before He became
a human being, had ALWAYS been God. The
biblical Jesus has been God from the beginning.
Uncreated, the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God has revealed Himself to us through His
Word, the Bible. The Bible is clear that
He did not earn His status as deity nor, was He created, but He has always been
God. Jesus is equal with YHWH, yet he is
distinct from YHWH.
KJV John 1:3 teaches that the preexistent Christ,
the divine Son, was the One through whom all created things came into existence
(Genesis 1:1;
Isaiah 44:24; Ephesians 3:9; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2). If the Word created ALL things in heaven and
earth that would mean He, himself is uncreated.
He couldn’t create Himself. That also
means He created Satan and could not be a spirit brother of Satan. Conclusion: Jesus Christ is the creator of
the heavens, the earth, and all things. And ultimately, everything depends on
Him.
KJV John 1:4 “in him was life; and the life was the light of men.” He was the giver of life since He create all things. He also gives eternal life to all those who
believe in Him. The Light of Jesus
penetrates and enlightens the hearts and minds of men and women. When Christ’s light shines, we can see our
sin and his glory. We can also refuse to
see the light and remain in darkness. Listen
to how Joseph Smith restates JST John 1:4 “in him was the gospel, and the GOSPLE was life, and
life was the light of men.” To Joseph Smith, it’s not so much Jesus, but the
“gospel” with all that Mormonism teaches that was light to
men.
KJV John 1:5-8 introduces
John the Baptist as being
a witness for th
11 min
January 09, 2019 Testing the Book of Mormon – Part 1
How would you define faith?
Latter-day Saints often use Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” They believe that faith is the first principle of the gospel.
I believe faith is the basis of Christianity. Christians believe we are saved by grace through faith. We are justified by faith.
Unfortunately, many people in the world have a wrong impression of faith. They think faith is something that is blind. They think those who have faith are those who believe in something that has no evidence.
Paul said, in 2 Corinthians 5:7 ”For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
Notice he did NOT say, “we walk by faith, not by evidence.” Because in Hebrews 11:1, it says that faith flows out of evidence.
And we are told as Christians to only believe something after it has been proven or evidenced.
To give you an example, let’s look at 1 John 4:1
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out of the world.”
1 Thessalonians 5:21
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
To illustrate how faith and evidence work together – though I haven’t seen Jesus with my eyes, my faith is not blind. It is based on the evidence of time, history, and inspiration.
The Bible has been proven through science, archaeology and other literary sources. In fact, when a person examines all of the evidence available, one is compelled to believe the Bible is undeniably true.
Latter-day Saints believe the same thing applies to the Book of Mormon. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they believe the Book of Mormon is “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” inspired by the same God as the Bible. They are in harmony with each other.
The Bible passes the tests of time, history and inspiration. Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
If the Book of Mormon is from God, then it should be able to pass the same tests.
We believe that true faith is also validated by a person’s feelings. M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “Religious truth is always confirmed by what you feel.”
Latter-day Saints wouldn’t go so far as to say that seeking archaeological or scientific evidence for the Book of Mormon is contrary to faith. They do promise that if a person is willing to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it, he or she will receive a good feeling in their heart.
Should we accept it is true, despite what the evidence says? Don’t get me wrong – feelings are not bad in themselves. However, you have, to admit they can sometimes be deceptive.
That’s one way the Lord teaches us to trust Him, instead of our feelings. I want us to review what the Bible warns about trusting in the Lord in spite of our feelings.
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
And, Proverbs 28:26 “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”
The Bible says we should first take the time to examine and investigate; second, believe the truth that the evidence points to; third, feel confident that we have tested all things. And finally, hold fast to that which is good.
While the Book of Mormon says to trust in your feelings with all your heart, the Bible exhorts us to trust in the Lord with all your heart.
4 min
January 08, 2019 Matthew 1; Luke 1
The Gospel
According to Matthew starts out by giving us
the genealogy of Jesus Christ in chapter 1:1-18. It is a
genealogy of the legal successors to the throne of David. It confirms that Jesus was a descendant from
David. This genealogy is another testimony
of Jesus Christ’s fulfillment of Old Testament, prophecies. It also, allowed for the Jews to prove they
were true Israelites since that is a birthright, as opposed to a religion.
There is a
high priority in Mormonism for members to do genealogical research in order to
perform temple ordinances for their dead ancestors. The Apostle Paul warned in 1 Timothy 1:4 and
Titus 3:9 that
tracking genealogy for spiritual, reasons as this, is discouraged in the New
Testament. In
70 A.D. the temple would come to an end and be torn down, Christian Jews would
be killed. And their genealogies
destroyed by the Romans armies.
However, under
the New Covenant it would no longer be necessary to trace one’s ancestoral
lineage, since everyone – Jew or Gentile – becomes a son or daughter of God
through their belief on Jesus Christ.
Matthew 1:18 states about Mary that, “she was found with
child of the Holy Ghost.” As a side note: In other translations of
the Bible, the Holy Ghost is referred to as the “Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:20 An angel appears to Joseph to declare “for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” Luke 1:35 clarifies what is
meant that Mary’s child was “of the Holy Ghost.” The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore, also that holy thing
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
Mormonism
has a unique perspective. LDS apostle, James E. Talmage wrote in his book Jesus the Christ p. 81,
“That Child to be born of Mary was
begotten of Elohim, the Eternal Father, not in violation of natural
law but in accordance with a higher manifestation thereof; and, the offspring
from that association of supreme sanctity, celestial Sire-ship, and pure
though mortal maternity, was of right to be called the ‘Son of the
Highest.’…His parents – one immortal and glorified – God, the other
human – woman.”
Church
President, Ezra Taft Benson in his
book Come unto Christ, p. 4, declared: “The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
in the most literal sense. The
body in which He performed His mission in the flesh was sired by that
same Holy Being we worship as God, our Eternal Father. Jesus was not the son of Joseph, nor was
He begotten by the Holy Ghost.
He is the Son of the Eternal Father!”
It is
heavily implied, if not directly stated from these and many other quotes that
the LDS resurrected immortal Father in Heaven had physical relations with his
virgin spirit daughter Mary. If that is
the case, there is no other way to describe it other than incest. And, if the Mormon Heavenly Father with a
resurrected body did have relations with Mary –
she would no longer be considered a virgin.
To his
credit, Apostle, Harold B. Lee who
later becomes Church President from Teachings of Harold
B. Lee, p. 13-14, gave a specific caution to those who teach
about the divine Conception: “Teachers should not speculate on the manner of Christ’s
birth. We are very much concerned that
some of our Church teachers seem to be obsessed of the idea of teaching
doctrine
11 min

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