The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ?

   It is probable that you have had an encounter with a Mormon missionary or parishoner at some point in your life. If you have ever sat down and talked with a Mormon missionary you should have noticed two things:

(1. Mormons only use the King James Version of the Bible.
(2. You heard more about the Book of Mormon than you did about the Bible.

  Due to the fact that Mormons only accept the King James Version, they are often able to spark the interest and attention of fundamental Christians.
  If you have talked to a Mormon you probably heard alot about Jesus and "the Restoration of the Gospel". You probably heard alot of things that you agree with regarding the life and ministry of Christ, the death and resurrection of Christ, and his ascension into Heaven. The Book of Mormon is written in the older style of English that the King James Version is written in, and even plagarises some of the truths of the Bible. Does this mean we can accept the Book of Mormon as "another Testament of Jesus Christ"? Is the Book of Mormon sound doctrine that can be used as Scripture? Absolutely not. Do not allow the way the Book of Mormon reads to fool you.

How Do We Know That The Book Of Mormon Isn't True?

Let's take a look at three of many faults in the the theory of the "Divine Inspiration" of the Book of Mormon.

(1. No Manuscript Evidence.
   The King James Bible was translated from a set of manuscripts known as the Textus Receptus ("Received Text"). There were over 13 different editions of the Textus Receptus used in the translation process. This line of manuscripts can be traced back to Antioch (where the disciples were first called Christians).
   There is not one manuscript in existence that supports the translation of the Book of Mormon. The only record of a once existing "manuscript" is the personal testimony of Joseph Smith. This "manuscript" was supposedly a set of golden tablets found in upstate New York. These tablets were written in a language that Jospeh Smith indentified as "Reformed Egyptian". There is no historic record in existence of Reformed Egyptian being an actual language. The only "scholars" who oppose this statement are the students and teachers of Brigham Young University (named after the second President of the LDS Church) who claim "coins" were found in Mexico with symbols resembling that of the symbols Joseph Smith claimed were on the golden tablets. Furthermore, these tablets are apparently no longer available to the human race due to that "fact" that an angel that the Mormons identify as "Moroni" took the plates from Joseph Smith.
If this were not enough, the "translation" of these golden plates into English was performed by Jospeh Smith, using a seer stone.

(2. No Variety in Translators.
  The King James Bible is a compilation of 66 different books. Many of these books were written by different men in different parts of the world during different parts of time. The translation process into English was tackled by many different men: First, the men who translated early English Bibles preceding the King James in 1611; and second, the many scholars designated by King James I of England to be on the A.V. 1611 translation comittee.
The Book of Mormon was translated by one man, (an uneducated man at that, who was not even able to finish college) using a technique that involved divination.

(3. Contradictions Between the King James Bible and the Book of Mormon.
  The Mormons only use the King James Version, and claim it to be true; however, this is not a completely true statement. When asked, most Mormons will admit that have read through the Book of Mormon several times but have never read through the Bible one time. Mormons will also place great emphasis on "praying to find that the Book of Mormon is true" and will often include their personal testimony of how they came to find that the Book of Mormon is true. So is it possible to believe both the Bible and the Book of Mormon are true? Let's take a look.

2 Nephi 25:23 (Page 99 of the Book of Mormon)
"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."
(Emphasis added)

Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV
"8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast."
(Emphasis added)

This is a major difference regarding the doctrine of salvation.

Galatians 1:6-8 KJV
"6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But thought we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have received, let him be accursed."
(Emphasis added)

  Look on the front of a Book of Mormon. You will see the title "Book of Mormon". Below that you will see the inscription, "Another Testament of Jesus Christ". In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul addressed this offense, and took it very seriously.
 

   Also, let us briefly look at the fact that the translator of the Book of Mormon considered himself a prophet (and is still considered one by all Mormons today).

Luke 16:16 "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it." Joseph Smith was born on December 23, 1805. Luke wrote his gospel approximately A.D. 33. That's a difference of 1,772 years. According to the Bible, there is no way that Jospeh Smith, nor any man that was born after John, can be a prophet. This makes the founder of the LDS church to be a liar.

Article by: Mason Burchette