THE BOOK OF MORMON COMPARED TO MORMONISM, COMPARED TO THE BIBLE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Purpose and Summary
Preface
                    Chapters:
1  Doctrine Not Found In The Book of Mormon
2  The Book of Mormon, Other Churches and The Bible
    Changes To The Book of Mormon
    The Book of Mormon and Other Churches
    The Book of Mormon and The Bible
3  Contradictions
    When Our Lord Died On The Cross
    For Who's Will Did The Lord Come?
    Polygamy
    Archaeology and The Book of Mormon
    Places, People, Cities and Coins
    Animals, Plants and Metals
    Hundreds of Thousands Die With No Artifacts?
    Miscellaneous Contradictions
4  Our Afterlife
    Now Is The Time Of Salvation
5  The Grace of God
    We Cannot Be Righteous On Our Own
    Do We Only Have To Just Say the Words "We Believe"?
    We Can Know Now We Will Spend Eternity With God
6  The LDS Response
    Conclusions
Should Booklets Like This Be Published?
Questions and/or Concerns

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
      The purpose of this booklet is to aid those interested in the Book of Mormon (a Mormon Scripture) to briefly gain an understanding of some of its many major problems. This is done by comparing the Book of Mormon to the current teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons or LDS) and to the Bible. The comparisons are made using well documented information, primarily from Mormon Scriptures and publications.
      The Book of Mormon may appear to only teach Christian doctrine after a brief examination. This is not a correct conclusion. It will be shown that this Mormon Scripture is not what the Mormon Church claims. Doctrines found in it often contradict current teachings and the Bible and it does not contain many of the important and unique current doctrines. There is no reputable archaeological evidence officially accepted by the Mormon Church that demonstrates the existence of Book of Mormon period coins, artifacts, events, places and cities. It has also been changed significantly since its first edition in 1830.

PREFACE
     The Book of Mormon is one of the four canonized Scriptures (1) of the Mormon Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). On November 28, 1841, following a meeting with the Twelve Apostles, the Prophet Joseph Smith (2) wrote in his journal: (3)

      In the Ensign, published monthly by the Mormon Church, then apostle, later President and Prophet Ezra T. Benson, quotes Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie as follows:       Let us examine what an early LDS apostle said:       More recent Mormon leaders said:       The Mormon Church's newspaper, Church New, in the heading of an article on the Book of Mormon said:      Most Mormon missionaries, early in their lessons to prospective converts, will ask them to pray about the truth of the Book of Mormon.(5) It should be obvious that Mormon leaders think very highly of the Book of Mormon. It is the most correct of any book on earth, there will be more people saved in the kingdom of God because of it, the translation was effected through the gift and power of God, unsurpassed in doctrinal content and it is a prime missionary tool. But is this book worthy of such confidence?
      Before placing such confidence in the Book of Mormon, or similar books, ALL should investigate, study and raise questions  about it until the truth of it is fully clear in his mind and heart. Yes, such a study must include prayer, but, it must also include much more.(6) It should include an examination of the doctrines taught and a comparison of those doctrines to what is now taught by the Mormon Church and what has always been taught by the Bible; the historical and archaeological verification of the events, places, people and items mentioned; a study of how the Book of Mormon was translated; and a comparison of its first edition (1830) to the present edition. Your eternal future may depend on how you handle what follows in this booklet!

                                                                 CHAPTER 1
                                DOCTRINE NOT FOUND IN THE BOOK OF MORMON

       Using President Hinckley's suggestion (read the Book of Mormon), let us test Elder Milton R. Hunter's statement (practically all religious truths are given in a clear and forceful way, more clearly). When we do this we find that there is significant doctrine taught by the Mormon Church that is NOT found in the Book of Mormon. In fact, in some cases the Book of Mormon contradicts current teachings. NOT found in the Book of Mormon is the teaching:

 1.  That God the Father has a body of flesh and bones.(7) In truth the Book of Mormon teaches that God is a spirit (Mosiah 15:1-5; Alma 18:26-29, 19:25-27, 22:8-11, 31:15-38) (8).
 2.  That the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are separate and distinct Gods (9).
 3.  That they are one God in that they are one in purpose. (10)
 4.  That God the Father was once a man like us and progressed until he became God.(11) In reality the Book of Mormon says God has always been God from eternity (Mosiah 3:5, 8; 2 Nephi 27:23, 29:9; Moroni 7:22, 8:18; Mormon 9:9, 19). (12)
 5.  That there are three levels in heaven. (13) (There is more on this subject in chapter 4 "Our Afterlife")
 6.  That we can progress to become Gods with "all the power, glory, dominion, and knowledge" the Father  and Son have. (14)
 7.  The elaborate priesthoods and organization in present day Mormonism. (15)
 8.  That God is married and there is a mother in heaven. (16)
 9.  That our spirits and the spirit of Jesus Christ were born in the pre-existence (a pre-mortal life). (17)
 10. The "new and everlasting covenant", the practice of polygamy, as taught in D&C 132. In fact polygamy is condemned in the Book of Mormon (Jacob 2:24, 27, 3:5; Mosiah 11:2; Ether 10:5).
 11. The teaching that matter is eternal and all Jesus Christ did in his creation was to organize and form it. (18)
 12. Vicarious work for the dead as now done in Mormon temples.(19) In reality the Book of Mormon rules out such a practice (Alma 34:31-35; Mosiah 16:5, 11; There is more on this subject in chapter 4).
 13. The sacred (to the Mormons) temple endowment ceremonies that Mormonism teaches are needed to pass through the veil to spend eternity with God. (20)
 14. That Jesus Christ atoned for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane.(21) In fact the Book of Mormon does not even mention the Garden of Gethsemane. It does say Jesus Christ died for all men on the cross (see 2 Nephi 9:5; 1 Nephi 11:33; 3 Nephi 27:14).

      This shows, that contrary to Elder Hunter's claim, there is much Mormon doctrine not found in the Book of Mormon. How can it be the "most correct book"? Many of the missing doctrines are needed, according to LDS teachings (22), to allow a person who accepts and lives them, to reach exaltation (becoming a God) in the Celestial kingdom of heaven. In addition, the many offshoot sects (over 100) (23) of Joseph Smith's Mormonism, most or all of which use the Book of Mormon, and have significantly different teachings, show the book does allow for different conclusions and for controversy.
 

CHANGES TO THE BOOK OF MORMON (24)
       A comparison of the first edition (1830) of the Book of Mormon with a current edition will show many changes. Many of the changes may indeed appear relatively minor, but some are not. A detailed analysis will show that almost 4,000 changes have been made and a number of them are significant. The original thought was changed and the changes are not in full harmony with the original text. A full analysis has already been completed in the book 3913 Changes in the Book of Mormon by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, *. They photocopied every page in the first edition of the Book of Mormon and clearly marked the differences between it and the 1964 edition. Some of the changes are illustrated below. The Tanner's book, on page 17 of their text and page 26 of the photocopy of the Book of Mormon, discusses the change made to what is now 1 Nephi 11:32 (Chapter 3, page 26 of the original Book of Mormon). Using a photocopy of the original handwritten manuscript, they clearly demonstrate that the original manuscript and the first edition agreed. The printer of the first edition did not introduce changes that needed correction. It was the changes introduced later by the LDS Church that were significantly different from the handwritten manuscript.
 Many of the changes made to the original edition of the Book of Mormon were corrections in spelling, grammar and arranging the book into chapter and verse. None of these types of changes will be included in the few examples given below. But if several of the early witnesses to the events leading to the publishing of the Book of Mormon are correct, then one has to wonder why even these changes were needed.

How Was The Book Of Mormon Translated?
      David Whitmer, one of the three witnesses whose statement is found in the Introduction of the Book of Mormon had this to say about how the Book of Mormon was translated from the gold plates (25):

      This same quote is used and accepted by Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in his article, "A Treasured Testament", in the July 1993 Ensign, page 62. Emma Smith, the wife of Joseph Smith, had a similar observation to share with her son Joseph Smith III when she said: The Changes
      The major changes are:       These changes are significant and cannot be ignored in light of the claims made for the Book of Mormon (see the Preface of this booklet). In addition Alma 41:8 claims "Now, the decrees of God are unalterable..." and Mormon 9:9 says "For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing..." In the light of these how could any change be justified? The translation was allegedly done by the power of God as described by David Whitmer, Emma Smith and Apostle Talmage:      There is also no reason to question the honesty of David Whitmer, as his word was accepted as one of the witnesses of the gold plates.(26.)

 THE BOOK OF MORMON AND OTHER CHURCHES
       THE BOOK OF MORMON says the following about other churches:

      Another LDS Scripture reinforces this idea. The following is what Joseph Smith allegedly experienced in 1820 when he wanted to know which church to join:       Some Mormons are embarrassed by these verses and try to say they do not apply now, but they do. What is clear is that the Mormon Church considers itself to be the one and only true church of God (D&C 1:30) and the "church of the Lamb of God." How does this make you feel? Many Mormons go on to say that while all churches have some truth, their church is the only one with all the truth. Top Mormon leaders have made this very clear:      Has their teaching record proven this? Have they demonstrated that their teachings are reliable and unchangeable and can be found in the Book of Mormon?

THE BOOK OF MORMON AND THE BIBLE
      THE BOOK OF MORMON considers the Bible unreliable and incomplete.

      Many Mormons say the Bible has been tampered with. What have their leaders said? The First Presidency (the president and his two counselors) in a letter to all members said:       Mormon President and Prophet Ezra Taft Benson said:      It appears that, no matter what is informally said for the general public, the official LDS view is that the Bible has been tampered with, parts are missing and the other three Mormon Scriptures have precedence. This idea is false and not correct. As shown below, and in footnote 26, it is the LDS Scriptures that have been tampered with, not the Bible.
      THE BIBLE is our standard for judging and evaluating other teachings. It speaks of its own reliability, see Matthew 16:18; Mark 13:31; 1 Peter 1:23 and John 17:20. As a starting point, to learn more about the reliability of the Bible see Mormonism - Changes, Contradictions and Errors, by John R. Farkas and David A. Reed, Baker Books, 1995, pp. 181-184, 229-230, *.

                                                           CHAPTER 3
                                                   CONTRADICTIONS

       What follows is a comparison of Book of Mormon teachings with the Bible and historical and archaeological studies.

WHEN OUR LORD DIED ON THE CROSS
      The Book of Mormon and Bible have significantly differing descriptions of what happened when Jesus Christ died on the cross.
      THE BOOK OF MORMON says great violence occurred, cities were destroyed, thousands killed, there was a great darkness on the earth:

      THE BIBLE says nothing about death, cities being destroyed, darkness on the whole land, there is nothing of the magnitude described in the Book of Mormon. FOR WHO'S WILL DID THE LORD COME?
       THE BOOK OF MORMON: to do his own will and the Father's will:       THE BIBLE: not for his own will, but for the Father's: POLYGAMY
      Is polygamy an abomination to the Lord? Let us examine what two LDS Scriptures say.
      THE BOOK OF MORMON: since its first edition in 1830 the practice of polygamy was condemned (the wording below is paraphrased in some cases).       Another LDS Scripture of the period also agreed:  This was in the Doctrine and Covenants 1835-1876, yet polygamy was practiced from about 1832 to 1890.

 THE MORMON CHURCH:

Note that in one case what David and Solomon did was an abomination before the Lord and in the second case in nothing did they sin. They both cannot be correct!

ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BOOK OF MORMON (30)
Places, People, Cities and Coins
      Many Mormons will claim archaeological support for the Book of Mormon and try to place its cities and lands in Central and Middle America. But, unlike the Bible which has much detailed archaeological support, the Book of Mormon has very little that is officially recognized by the Mormon Church. Members will claim many things but there is no or little official recognition of these claims. This was demonstrated in the Mormon teaching manual Book of Mormon, Student Manual Religion 121 and 122, 1989, page 163. This page is titled "Possible Book of Mormon Sites." The main idea in the title (Possible Sites) is reinforced at the bottom of the page with the following statement: "No effort should be made to identify points on this map with any existing geographical locations." If Book of Mormon sites (cities and places) were known this would have been the place to say so.
      The reality is that no coins and artifacts and few people, cities and places identified in the Book of Mormon have ever been officially located by the Mormon Church. Exceptions include Joseph Smith, the City of Manti and Hill Cumorah (near Palmyra, New York). Hill Cumorah is the place where Joseph Smith allegedly received the gold plates that he allegedly translated into the Book of Mormon and the place where two great extermination battles allegedly took place (Ether 15:2, 11; Mormon 6:9-15, 8:2-3). Joseph Smith had the following to say about the City of Manti:

      The City of Manti is mentioned in the Book of Mormon. The index of this book under Manti, Land of, has: "most southerly land of Nephites" and under Manti, City of, it has: "chief city in land of Manti." All this information then leads to the conclusion that the Land of Manti is allegedly in the State of Missouri, in the United States. Mormon historian and Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith, in his book Doctrines of Salvation, Volume 3, pages 239-241, came to the same conclusion.
      It still remains, there is no archaeological evidence in support of the Book of Mormon officially accepted by the Mormon Church.

Animals, Plants and Metals
       The Book of Mormon in its main story line (roughly 600 BC to AD 400, which excludes the Book of Ether) speaks of a variety of animals, plants and metals that existed during its time frame:

      Archaeologists and the prestigious Smithsonian Institution (letter to John Farkas dated January 26, 1990) say that the Americas (New World) had none of the principle Old World domesticated food plants or animals (except the dog, which the Book of Mormon mentions only once, 3 Nephi 7:8). There were NO horses of any size in the 600 BC to AD 400 period; NO elephants, iron, steel, wheat, barley, oats, millet, rice, cattle, pigs, chickens, donkeys (asses) and silk in the New World during the Book of Mormon time frame. There were traces of items made from meteoric iron/steel, but the technology to make iron and steel was not present. The above listed items did not start to arrive in the New World until the Old World peoples brought them starting roughly in the AD 1500 time period.

Hundreds Of Thousands Die With No Artifacts?
      THE BOOK OF MORMON has:

These are the pre-Nephite people (the Jaredites) who were just coming to their end with the arrival of the main story-line Book of Mormon people, Lehi and his family as they arrived from Jerusalem in BC 600. The final Jaredite battle allegedly took place on the same Hill Cumorah as the following extermination battle between the Nephites and the Lamanites in AD 385. Other verses have:       This is the extermination battle on Hill Cumorah in AD 385 that allegedly killed 240,000 Nephite (31) warriors, and probably the same number of Lamanites, including Zelph. The Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon also related that another great battle took place there hundreds of years earlier, (see Ether 15, part of which is above). It seems reasonable to expect that items that would not decay easily, such as arrow heads, stone axe heads, copper, silver, and gold items, gold and silver coins (see Alma Chapter 11 heading and 11:4-19) would be found in farming of the land and in excavations at the site. Iron and steel would leave their oxides, that is the rust as they decayed. Also note that in 1834 Joseph Smith claimed to have found the bone of Zelph, a white Lamanite, who was killed in the "last great struggle of the Lamanites and Nephites" at Hill Cumorah.(32) So at the very least some bones should also be found. But the reality is no unusual artifacts have ever been found at or around Hill Cumorah. This is the case even though major construction has taken place on and at the base of the hill. A four lane road has been built at the base of Hill Cumorah, a paved road was built to the top of the hill and the visitors center was constructed part way up the hill.

MISCELLANEOUS CONTRADICTIONS
      The following are more examples of contradictions in the Book of Mormon:

      The Introduction of the Book of Mormon says that it, as well as the Bible contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel. Mormon top leaders say the fulness of the everlasting gospel is that information from God to man, which if accepted and lived, will allow him to reach exaltation (reaching Godhood), being with the Father in the highest level of the Celestial Kingdom (The Promised Messiah, by Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, p. 405; Doctrines of Salvation, by Joseph Fielding Smith, Vol 1, pp. 158-160). Why then do we need the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price? All the information is allegedly already available in the Bible!

                                                                 CHAPTER 4
                                                              OUR AFTERLIFE

       THE BOOK OF MORMON speaks of a significantly different afterlife than what the Mormon Church now teaches (see below). It has: (the wording is paraphrased)

We learned from these, particularly from this last reference, that life, happiness, and the kingdom of God is everlasting, endless and eternal living with God. Damnation, punishment and misery is also everlasting, endless and eternal, in the same exact way, but with the devil. Damnation, punishment and misery with the devil is not a part time experience for anyone. It will be full time! Similar ideas can be found in 1 Nephi 15:28-36; 2 Nephi 2:28-29, 9:16, 28:21-22; Jacob 7:18; Mosiah 2:33, 3:25; 3 Nephi 11:33-34, 27:11, 17; Helaman 7:16, 14:18-19; Mormon 9:23; Ether 4:18.
      There is nothing about levels between the kingdom of God (34) and the kingdom of the devil in the Book of Mormon. It is one or the other, nothing in between! If you are righteous, you go to spend eternity with the Father forever. If evil, unclean, wicked, unsaved, non-believer or unrepentant you go to spend eternity in punishment, misery and damnation with the devil and remain there forever.
      LDS do not understand these terms this way. A Mormon apostle in trying to explain away endless and eternal damnation/punishment quotes Doctrine and Covenants 19:6-12: Here we have two separate LDS Scriptures (Book of Mormon and D&C) given in the same year contradicting each other. To be consistent with D&C 19:6-12, LDS should accept that eternal - endless life, which is God's life, also is not eternal and endless. They should expect they will not spend eternity with God, it will not endure forever. But this is not an LDS teaching. If the Book of Mormon is all that LDS leaders claim it to be (see the Preface), why is there nothing about God's name being "Endless" and "Eternal" and that "endless/eternal punishment" does not mean that those who go there must endure it forever. Why is this critical subject not covered at all?
      THE MORMON CHURCH says there are four levels to our afterlife. They are hell and three levels of heaven - the telestial, terrestrial and celestial (where God dwells). Only the devil, his demons and relatively few others will spend eternity in hell. Some will spend a limited time in hell and then are released to the lowest level in heaven, the telestial.(35)
      THE BIBLE has similar teachings as the Book of Mormon. See Matthew 25:34-46; Mark 3:29; Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:21; 2 Thessalonians 1:8.

Now Is The Time Of Salvation
       THE BOOK OF MORMON says we must make our decision for Jesus Christ while alive, we will get no other chance: (verses are paraphrased)

This is another significant difference between the Book of Mormon and present day LDS teachings.
       THE MORMON CHURCH today teaches that all of the saving ordinances necessary for the living must also be done on earth for the dead who did not have the opportunity while living.(36) They then have the choice to accept or reject the ordinances done for them.
       THE BIBLE also says that only in this life do we have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; see 2 Corinthians 6:2; Luke 16:20-31; Hebrews 9:27; John 10:9 and Romans 10:9-10 (These last two imply the action of a living person). Some LDS point to 1 Corinthians 15:29 as support for baptism for the dead, it has:

They interpret this as supporting ordinances for the dead. But Paul's intent is to support the resurrection of the dead. In all of chapter 15, except for verse 29, Paul in speaking refers to "us", "you", "we" and "your", those within the Christian community. Only in verse 29 does he speak about "they", those outside the community Paul was addressing. Details are covered in Mormons Answered Verse by Verse, by David Reed and John Farkas, Baker Book House, 1992, pp. 85-87, *.

                                                               CHAPTER 5
                                                      THE GRACE OF GOD

      As part of our study of the grace of God let us first examine what Webster's Deluxe Unabridged Dictionary says:

 grace,
 11. in theology, (a) the free unmerited love and favor of God;
 (b) divine influence acting in man to restrain him from sin;
 (c) a state of reconciliation to God;
 (d) spiritual instruction, improvement, and edification...
 (Webster Deluxe Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition, Dorset & Baber,  1983. *)

     THE BOOK OF MORMON: Mormons frequently say they believe in the grace of God and works. They then quote James 2:17, 26: "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead,...For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" in their attempt to refute Ephesians 2:5, 8-9. In doing this they ignore "not of works, lest any man should boast" (in the Bible and the JST) and accept what their Book of Mormon says.

      These LDS Scriptures make salvation a "do it yourself" activity. Note the bold text above: after all we can do, having perfect faith, deny yourselves of all ungodliness and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient. These seem to say a person must become sinless on his own, with no help from God, and only then will God grant his grace. If a person can do all of these things without God why does he need the grace of God? It is an impossible task, we all need the grace of God. None of us can be good enough on our own.
      THE BIBLE: For Mormons biblical grace is a difficult idea to grasp. Most believe they have to work their way to spend eternity with God (there is more detail on this below). The Bible says otherwise.

      The following biblical verses express similar ideas: John 1:17; Romans 3:24, 5:15, 17, 20, 21, 6:1, 14, 15; Ephesians 1:7.

We Cannot Be Righteous On Our Own
       THE BOOK OF MORMON has no verses that express similar thoughts as clearly as the Bible verses shown just below.
       THE BIBLE verses below make it abundantly clear that on our own we cannot be righteous enough for God. Our works will not save us.

      For Mormons, obtaining their salvation is going to be a very tough job. They had better not stumble too many times, for it appears that the Mormon God has a limited supply of mercy and grace. A Mormon scripture says:       A Mormon prophet explains:       The Bible (and the Book of Mormon) has nothing that says the faithful and honest confessed and repentant sinner will eventually be ignored by God. In fact the Bible says God will not remember our sins.       Can any of us always do all we can? Do we always have perfect faith? Can we deny ourselves of all ungodliness and love God with all our mind, might and strength day after day, year after year and decade after decade without slip up? Yet this is what Mormonism requires before God's grace is given.
      None of us should forget 1 Timothy 1:15, "...Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners..." and 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Do We Only Have To Just Say The Words "We Believe"?
       Not understanding grace, some will be incredulous, and maybe even ridicule the idea. They might say: "You mean all you have to do is say the right words, and then it is okay to live a life of sin?" The Apostle Paul experienced the same question. He answered it in his epistle to the Romans:

 The apostle expands on this in chapter 10 of Romans:

We Can Know Now That We Will Spend Eternity With God
      Many Mormons do not know where they will spend eternity. In reading the verses below note carefully that the tenses of the verbs are in the present time frame. We can know now!

Also see John 6:47, 54; 1 Corinthians 1:18, 15:2; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 John 5:13 (38). The Book of Mormon does not have similar clear statements.
      Our spending eternity with God (going to heaven) is only a function of our faith in the biblical Jesus Christ and his free grace. We have shown that our good works and righteousness are never enough. We cannot work our way to heaven, it is a free gift. Because of grace we want to do good works to please the Lord! Philippians 2:10; Isaiah 42:16 and John 6:44 have similar messages.
 

                                                            CHAPTER 6
                                                      THE LDS RESPONSE

      Many in an effort to rationalize the material in this booklet may try to change the meaning of some of the words or phrases in the statements quoted. They may also try to add words, all in an effort to have the Book of Mormon harmonize with what the Mormon Church or its other Scriptures say. Let us look at what Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon say about this:

      It seems reasonable to assume that Scriptures are worded correctly. We should not force words and phrases into a meaning not there. The same logic should be applicable to the words of LDS prophets and top leaders. Those who refuse to use this application should consider the following questions: "What is my authority to change the meaning of words by Joseph Smith (or whoever the source is)? Was he incapable of saying what he meant? I know Joseph Smith's authority (founding prophet and first president) in the Mormon Church, what is mine that I can change what a prophet says? Is there an official LDS Church statement agreeing with what I am saying? If there is none I must realize I am just giving my personal opinion. It is interesting, but not authoritative!"
      Some may try to claim an authority they do not have. They must not understand the very high authority top LDS leaders claim when the subject is Church doctrine and teachings. It exceeds the authority of any one else, including LDS Church members. The following is a very small sample of quotes showing this:

The LDS scripture Doctrine and Covenants 21:4 tells us to give heed to all of the prophet's words and commandments. From all these we can see that the words by top leaders of the LDS Church should be taken seriously and their words and meanings should not be changed.

CONCLUSIONS
 Any rational, reasonable and thinking person would have to conclude that the Book of Mormon contains a mixed cross section of teachings. It clearly does not teach many of the unique doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It also has non-Mormon doctrine.
 As said above, these problems are significant and cannot be ignored in light of the claims made for the Book of Mormon (see the Preface of this booklet). Would the One True God of the Bible be the source of such confusion? For the answer see 1 Corinthians 14:33.
 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches another God and another plan of salvation (2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6-9).

SHOULD BOOKLETS LIKE THIS BE PUBLISHED?
 To those that say booklets like this should not be published I say: "Please read Jude 1:3; Acts 17:10-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:2; Hebrews 5:14." In exposing the problems with the teachings of the Mormon Church I am just following what the Bible tells us ALL to do.

QUESTIONS AND/OR CONCERNS
 If you have questions or concerns about the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) or anything said in this booklet please contact the author, John Farkas, at Berean Christian Ministries, P.O. Box 1091, Webster, NY 14580. If you are interested in reading more about other problems with Mormonism please write for our free Resource List. For a detailed coverage of the contradictions found in the teachings of the Mormon Church see Mormonism - Changes, Contradictions and Errors, by John R. Farkas and David A. Reed, Baker Books, 1995, *. This can be purchased at the above address or your local Christian book store.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 My gratitude to Phyllis Farkas and Tom Jones for their insightful input and helpful participation in preparing this booklet.
 But above all I give thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for his mercy and love and for letting me be one of his servants.

ENDNOTES:
1. The four are the King James edition of the Bible, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants (hereafter abbreviated D&C) and Pearl of Great Price.
2. He was the president and prophet of the church he founded in 1830. The church was first named the Church of Christ.  In 1834 the name was changed to the Church of the Latter Day Saints and it took on its present name in 1838.
3. Within quotes bold type, underlining and words in brackets are by this author, John Farkas. With only several exceptions all quotes are from books published and/or copyrighted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or authored by its top leaders. The exceptions are marked with a *.
4. I recommend that all mature Christians studying Mormonism read the Book of Mormon.
5. Is it fair and honest to give someone the Book of Mormon as if it represented the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, fail to tell them about the major LDS teachings not found in it (chapter 1 of this booklet), and then ask them to pray about it? Since 1829 76 million copies of the Book of Mormon have been distributed, 3.7 million in 1995 (Church News, January 6, 1996, p. 5).
6. The Bible is clear that we should use our intellect in such a study, see: 1 Thess. 5:21; 1 John 4:1; Acts 17:10-11. We do this by comparing what God has already said in the Bible to what is being said in the Book of Mormon. After we have done our part in gathering information (also with the Lord's help), then we go to the Lord seeking wisdom, as in James 1:5. Wisdom is the proper application of the information we have gathered. The Mormon missionaries will probably ask you to pray about the truth of the Book of Mormon before you fully investigate it. THIS MUST NOT BE DONE. Your response to this non-biblical request is found in Mormonism - Changes, Contradictions and Errors, by John Farkas and David Reed, Baker Book House, 1995, pages 195-196.*
7. D&C 130:22. The reader should see "Key Verses On What The Bible Says About The Father & Son" off our main web page for what the Bible says about this and the following LDS teachings.
8. Note in Alma 31:15-38 that those who say God is a spirit are not corrected in the prayer of the prophet involved even though other errors are. In none of the references are any of the speakers corrected for calling God a "spirit" or the "Great Spirit." In Alma 18:26-29, 22:8-11 alleged prophets of God call God the "Great Spirit." The verses below also support the teaching that God is a spirit.

      In the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants Joseph Smith said the Father was a personage of spirit, as contrasted with the Son who is a personage of tabernacle (a physical body): NOT ONLY DO THE ABOVE SAY THAT GOD THE FATHER IS A SPIRIT, THERE ARE NO LDS SCRIPTURES FROM 1830 TO ROUGHLY 1842 THAT CONTRADICT THEM.
9. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 1976, pages 370, 373; D&C 130:22; Mormon Doctrine, 1979, page 319 under "Godhead."
10. Mormon Doctrine, p. 317 under "God." Joseph Smith finished his translation of the Bible (JST) July 2, 1833 (History of the Church, 1:324, 368-369). It shows how he once thought that there is only one God. The following have the same idea: JST 1 Corinthians 8:4; JST 1 Timothy 2:4; JST James 2:19
11. Doctrines Of The Gospel, Student Manual, Religion 231, 232; 1986; pp. 7, 9-10, 17; Achieving a Celestial Marriage, 1976, 1992; pp. 129-132.
12. Some may say "Yes, God has always existed.", usually meaning he has always existed, first as an intelligence, next as a spirit, then as man and finally as a God. We have to remember - "God, as God, has always existed! - the Bible and the Book of Mormon say God from everlasting, not a man who became God."
13. Doctrines Of The Gospel, Student Manual, Religion 231, 232; 1986; pp. 90-91.
14. Gospel Principles, 1986 and older editions, p. 290; Achieving a Celestial Marriage, p. 129-132.
15. Mormon Doctrine, p. 594, under "Priesthood" and its sub-headings.
16. Achieving a Celestial Marriage, p. 129-132.
17. Gospel Principles, 1986 and older editions, p. 9.
18. Mormon Doctrine, p. 169 under "Creation".
19. Mormon Doctrine, p. 822 under "Vicarious Ordinances"; Doctrines of the Gospel, p. 85.
20. Mormon Doctrine, p. 226 under "Endowments"; Achieving A Celestial Marriage, p. 4-5.
21. Gospel Principles, 1986 and older editions, p. 58 item #7.
22. Gospel Principles, pre-1986 editions, pages 291-292.
23. Divergent Paths of the Restoration, by Steven L. Shields, Los Angeles, Restoration Research, 1990. *
24. The Book of Mormon is not the only Mormon Scripture that has been tampered with. A comparison of the 1833 Book of Commandments with the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants and a comparison of this 1835 book to the current Doctrine and Covenants will show significant changes to some of the revelations allegedly from God. The Book of Abraham, in the Pearl of Great Price, was not written in the hand of the Prophet Abraham as alleged, but from a pagan Egyptian Book of the Dead (a funeral text) found with a mummy (By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus, by Charles M. Larson, Grand Rapid, Institute for Religious Research, 1985. *).
25. The official version says it was all done by use of the Urim and Thummin (D&C 10:1; Joseph Smith-History 1:35-36).
26. See the "Testimony of Three Witnesses" at the front of the Book of Mormon.
27. In an LDS teaching manual we have, "Elder Bruce R. McConkie defined the church of the devil in the following way: ‘...It is every church except the true church whether parading inder a Christian or pagan banner...'" (Book of Mormon Student Manual, Religion 121 and 122, page 14)
28. Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist - see JSH 1:5, 9.
29. This allegedly occurred AD 34. If the whole earth was broken up and deformed as described then how is it that archaeologists frequently find large tombs carved deep into rock, large objects carved on large rock faces and large stone structures that existed well before AD 34? These have little damage. Egyptian, Roman and Maya Indian structures are major examples.
30. Additional information on this subject can be found in: How To Rescue Your Loved One From Mormonism, by David A. Reed and John R. Farkas, Baker Book House, 1994, pp. 63-74, *; Mormonism -Shadow or Reality, by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, pp. 97-125, *.
31. This does not include wives and children who were also present (Mormon 6:7).
32. History of the Church, June 3, 1834, 2:79-80; Times and Seasons, 6:788.
33. This is also an example of false prophecy.
34. In the Book of Mormon heaven, everlasting life, eternal life and the kingdom of God have the same meaning, the place where God dwells, see 1 Nephi 15:35; Alma 5:24, 40:26; Mormon 7:7; Ether 5:5 with Helaman 14:8; Moroni 9:6; Mosiah 5:15, 15:23; Testimony of Three Witness in front of the Book of Mormon.
35. Mormon Doctrine, p. 784, 420, 349, 176, 116; D&C 76:70-107.
36. D&C 137; Mormon Doctrine, page 779.
37. The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) Eph. 2:5, 8-9 has the same idea.
38. The JST has the same idea.

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John Farkas
Berean Christian Ministries
P.O. Box 1091
Webster, NY 14580

E-mail: bcmmin@frontiernet.net
Web page: http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin

web/ bomsweb.htm
First Edition January 20, 1989; Revised and Enlarged, January 30, 1996; Revises for the web 1-1-98