Divine Truths in the Book of Mormon Anyone ˙visited ˙by ˙a ˙Mormon Missionary has ˙heard ˙the ˙Elder's testimony ˙concerning the Book of Mormon: ˙That he knows this book is the ˙Word ˙of God and that the founder of the Mormon ˙Church, ˙˙Joseph Smith, ˙Jr., translated it by the gift and power of God. Further, the prospect is encouraged sincerely to study the Book of Mormon and ˙"The divine truths it contains." The Book of Mormon indeed does contain a number of "divine truths", first set forth in the Bible, the most important of which are: 1. GOD IS SPIRIT Alma 18:28 (p. 242) - "Believest, thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things". 2. TRINITARIAN VIEW OF GOD 3 ˙Nephi 11:27 (p. 422) - "Verily I say unto you, that the Father and ˙the Son and the Holy Ghost are one." ˙In addition, ˙three ˙close associates ˙of Joseph Smith who gave testimony of the authenticity ˙of the Book of Mormon, close with words: "And the honor be to the Father, and ˙to ˙the ˙Son and to the Holy Ghost, ˙WHICH IS ˙ONE ˙GOD. ˙˙Amen." (emphasis added) This endorsement is found in the front of every Book of ˙Mormon and further documents the Book of Mormon's ˙acknowledgement of the triune nature of God. 3. GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE Moroni 8:18 (p. 517) - ˙"For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; ˙but he is unchangeable from all ˙eternity to all eternity." 4. NO SALVATION AFTER DEATH Mosiah 3:25 ˙(p. 141) - "And if they be evil they are consigned to an ˙awful view of their own guilt and abominations, ˙which doth ˙cause them ˙to ˙shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of ˙misery and endless torment, ˙from whence they can no more return; ˙˙therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls." 5. ONLY TWO DESTINATIONS AFTER DEATH Mosiah 16:11 ˙(p. 166) - "If they be good, ˙to the resurrection of endless life and happiness; ˙and if they be evil, ˙to the resurrection of endless damnation." 6. SALVATION BY CHRIST"S WORK - NOT MAN'S Helaman 5:9 (p. 369) - "...remember that there is no other way nor means ˙whereby ˙men can be saved, ˙only through the atoning ˙blood ˙of Jesus Christ, ˙who shall come, yea, ˙remember that he cometh to redeem the world." The Book of Mormon also emphasizes the need for spiritual rebirth. For ˙example ˙Alma 5:14 ˙states "And now behold, ˙I ˙ask of ˙you, ˙˙my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received ˙his image in your countenances? ˙Have ye ˙experienced ˙this mighty change in your hearts?" Much ˙of ˙the ˙major theology set forth in the Book of ˙Mormon ˙is indeed in harmony with orthodox Christianity. ˙However, ˙many who are visited by the LDS Missionaries are unaware that the present ˙theology of ˙the Mormon Church is very different from their own Book of Mormon. Further, ˙not only are today's major doctrines different, ˙they are in total ˙opposition with this work of Joseph Smith, ˙Jr., ˙for which ˙he claimed divine inspiration. Mormon ˙theology is not contained in, ˙but rather contradicted ˙by the ˙Book ˙of ˙Mormon. ˙The members of the Mormon Church now turn ˙to newer ˙publications ˙and ˙revelations for their ˙beliefs. ˙˙A ˙˙brief examination of some of these will document the contradictions. 1. ˙˙Mormonism today teaches "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's" (Doctrine & Covenants 130:22). 2. ˙Joseph Smith, later in his life, flatly denied the Trinity: ˙"Many men say there is one God, ˙the Father, ˙the Son and the Holy Ghost are one God! ˙I saw that is a strange God anyhow - three in one, ˙and one in ˙three!" ˙He further concludes that the Father, ˙Son and the ˙Holy Ghost ˙are not one God, ˙but rather three Gods (History of the ˙Church 6:474, 476). 3. The LDS Church no longer adheres to the unchangeable nature of God, but ˙rather ˙states: ˙"God himself was once as we are now and ˙is ˙an exalted man... We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil, so that you may see". (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345). 4. ˙˙Bruce ˙R. ˙McConkie announces on page 73 ˙of his ˙work, ˙˙'Mormon Doctrine': ˙˙"The Lord has ordained baptism for the dead as the means whereby ˙all ˙his ˙worthy children of all ages ˙can ˙become ˙heirs ˙of salvation in his kingdom." 5. ˙˙Mormonism today informs its members that all mankind will ˙occupy one of three heavenly kingdoms. ˙The highest is the Celestial Kingdom (which itself contains various levels). ˙This kingdom is reserved for all ˙faithful Mormons and could lead to Godhood for the ˙male ˙members there. ˙The middle Kingdom, the Terrestrial Kingdom, is for those who did ˙not ˙accept the gospel according to Mormonism, ˙but who lived ˙an honorable ˙life. ˙˙The ˙lowest or Telestial ˙Kingdom ˙still ˙contains murderers, ˙˙adulterers, ˙liars and thieves. ˙(Doctrine ˙& ˙Covenants section ˙76). ˙˙Hell ˙in Mormonism is usually thought to ˙be ˙only ˙a temporary ˙state of suffering, ˙which can be terminated through ˙self- atonement. ˙˙In ˙summary, ˙all will be resurrected and ˙receive ˙some degree of glory, according to Mormonism. 6. Mormons believe not in the infinite atonement of Christ, but rather that ˙"redemption ˙from ˙personal sins can only ˙be ˙obtained ˙through obedience ˙to ˙the ˙requirements of the Gospel, ˙AND A ˙LIFE ˙OF ˙GOOD WORKS." (emphasis added) (Talmage, Articles of Faith pgs. 478-479) These ˙changes ˙and contradictions contained within ˙these ˙easily available ˙LDS ˙Scriptures leave no doubt as to the human, ˙˙man ˙made origin of Mormonism. While ˙Mormons regard the Bible as the Word of God, ˙the Bible ˙is actually placed lower and superseded by their other Scriptures, ˙which in addition to the Book of Mormon include the Doctrine & Covenants and the ˙Pearl ˙of Great Price. ˙This devaluation of the Bible ˙is ˙found within the LDS Articles of Faith, ˙in the Pearl of Great Price, ˙where it ˙is ˙stated ˙that Mormons "believe the Bible in so ˙far ˙as ˙it ˙is correctly translated." God's ˙word, ˙˙the Bible, ˙has definitely stood the test of ˙time, whereas in its short existence the Book of Mormon has not. The Bible, has been used by and confirmed by archeology, - the Book of Mormon has not. ˙The Bible, ˙has through recent ancient manuscript ˙discoveries, been ˙demonstrated to have been transmitted and translated accurately, where the Book of Mormon contains nearly 4000 textual changes from the first ˙edition ˙in 1830 ˙to the present editions used today, ˙and ˙has received further changes in the new 1981 "Triple Combination" edition. The ˙presence ˙of ˙"Divine Truths" ˙within the Book of ˙Mormon ˙is merely a result of Joseph Smith, ˙Jr. ˙incorporating much of the Bible into his work. (see 'The use of the Bible in the Book of Mormon by H. Michael ˙Marquardt). ˙˙Thus, ˙the Book of Mormon must be regarded ˙as fiction, not as inspired Scripture. Changes within Mormonism and the Book of Mormon make it clear that Mormonism is not from God. ˙God's word does not change. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, ˙today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) ˙and His Word shall never pass away (Psalm 119:89; Matthew 24:35). The Jesus Christ who ˙shed his blood on Calvary's cross to save you is not the Jesus of present-day ˙Mormonism. ˙˙Jesus ˙invites all people to ˙experience ˙a spiritual ˙rebirth ˙and to receive the free gift of ˙eternal ˙life ˙by trusting in him alone for salvation. Write ˙to us and let us share with you more information concerning our Risen Saviour Jesus Christ and how you can receive Him. PERSONAL FREEDOM OUTREACH Route 3 Weir Lake Rd., Kunkletown, PA. 18058 (215) 381-3661 P.O. Box 26062, Saint Louis, MO. 63136 (314) 388-2648 P.O. Box 30073, Phoenix, AZ. 85046 (602)867-0538 P.O. 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