WHY I WRITE THIS?
Joseph Smith said: "The Book of Mormon is the most correct book on earth and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding its precepts than any other book." The LDS Doctrine and Covenants 20:8,9 says: “the Book of Mormon; … contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ…”
If these statements are true, while it is possible that there are other books and writings that may compliment the Book of Mormon, there are none that can rightly alter or correct it. And, it should be possible to see the Gospel doctrines taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints fully and accurately described in the Book of Mormon.
In this brief booklet I will describe the present day basic Gospel doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as I understand them. I recognize that my descriptions may not be exactly as the Church would write them nor as any specific individual member may understand them. But I believe my descriptions are essentially accurate according to my research of authoritative church materials. Following the description of each gospel topic I
list some links to the words in the Book of Mormon which should reveal the "fullness" of the gospel topic as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
It is a reasonable assumption that people who sincerely believe the Book of Mormon should be seriously interested in what it says. However, many people read it in light of the vast amount of commentary that is written by church authorities over the last 150 years. In doing so they read into the text of the Book of Mormon the new "revelations," thus interpreting the old by the new. As an illustration, they read the word "temple" in the Book of Mormon and think of all the things associated with modern LDS temples. The truth is that the Book of Mormon actually describes very little relating to modern LDS temple activities and meanings. Reading the new meanings into the old text enables the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to say that the Book of Mormon contains the fullness of their gospel. But, their actual gospel is not developed in the Book of Mormon but in their new revelations. For anyone willing to read the text of the Book of Mormon for itself, I believe they will find theological doctrines much more like the church environment Joseph Smith experienced as a young man than what he and the subsequent revelators developed into the modern Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
SEARCH AND REFERENCE NOTES FOR
" WHAT THE BOOK OF MORMON SAYS":
Here is the link to the program I use to search the text of the Book of Mormon: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/mormon/simple.html
>>> The words searched are underlined and the number of occurrences in the Book of Mormon follows in (parentheses). i.e.: "temple" (31)
>>> Truly interested people will search the words themselves and not just take my word (or anyone else's) for conclusions made.
WHAT I UNDERSTAND
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
TEACHES ABOUT
1- "PRE-MORTAL LIFE"
Before anyone was born on this earth they were all spirit children of their physical Father God and Mother. There are billions of literal brothers and sisters including Jesus, and Lucifer. Father God held a council to decide how to accomplish his plan for the happiness of his children. Jesus and Lucifer both offered their suggestion and Jesus offer to be the savior was accepted.
When spirit children prove their faithfulness they are sent to earth where they are given to their earthly parents in order to have physical bodies and to have the opportunity to further prove their faithfulness in order to one day return to the presence of Heavenly Father and Mother and live fully like them with their own families in eternal happiness. All these premortal experiences are hidden from a persons memory.
WHAT THE
BOOK OF MORMON
SAYS ABOUT
"PRE-MORTAL LIFE?"
- "premortal" (0) not in the Book of Mormon
- "spirit children" (0) not in the Book of Mormon
- "brother" (10) all earthy brothers
- "sister" (1) earthly sister
- "children of God" (5 times) ... they "became" children of God.
- "Father and Mother" (0)
- "Plan of Happiness" (2)
- "council" (4) all on earth
- "Lucifer" (1) "fallen from Heaven"
WHAT I UNDERSTAND
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
TEACHES ABOUT
2- "GOD"
There are three distinct personages who are each a separate God with specific yet united roles in fulfilling Father God’s plan of salvation for his family.
Father God is a physical man, a human being, who has progressed, by his faithful obedience to his Heavenly Father, to become the exalted God of his own family. Heavenly Father, together with his wife have fathered billions of spirit children with a plan for them to have physical bodies so they could progress to be exactly like their Heavenly Father and Mother living in exaltation forever.
The Son of God is the first born son of Heavenly Father and thus Jesus Christ is the elder brother of all Heavenly Father's children (including Lucifer). Obeying his Father’s plan, Jesus Christ gladly volunteered to be the Savior of his brothers and sisters by coming to earth, living a perfect example and being the sacrifice for their sin. The Holy Ghost is the third person of the Godhead who does not have a body but is a spiritual being. (I have not heard how the Holy Ghost came into existence or became a God without a body.) The Holy Ghost is given to a person at their baptism and as they are faithful, He helps them continue being true to the faith. Holy Ghost reveals truth by personal revelation to sincere seekers.
WHAT THE
BOOK OF MORMON
SAYS ABOUT
"GOD?"
About Father God:
- While Jesus is described as having a body, there is no description of Father God as a physical being. Man being created in God's "image" assumes rather than assigns a "physical-material" description.
- There is no mention in the Book of Mormon about Father God becoming a God or progressing as a God
- There is no description of Father God having "spirit children."
About Son of God:
- "Jesus is" (5) ... the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, ... the Christ, the Son of the living God
- "Christ is" (3) ... the Holy One of Israel
-"Elder Brother" (0)
About Holy Ghost:
- 2Nephi 2:4 ... for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.
About Gods:
- "gods" (2) ... men "becoming as Gods" / ... "sacrifices unto their idol gods."
- "one God" (10)
... The Testimony of Three Witnesses:
"And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen."
... 1 Nephi 13:41 "...for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth."
... 2 Nephi 31:21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen."
... Mosiah 15:4,5 "And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth." And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people."
... Alma 11:28,29 "Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? And he answered no
... Alma 11:38,39 "Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father? And Amulek said unto him: Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which in them are; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
... Mormon 7:7 "And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end."
- "the same, unchanging" (1)
... Mormon 9:9 "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?"
WHAT I UNDERSTAND
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
TEACHES ABOUT
3- "MAN"
Heavenly Father wants his children to experience all the happiness he does as an exalted man. In order for that to happen each spirit child needs to have a physical body and experience the challenges of earth in order to have the opportunity to further obey the commands of Heavenly Father. Human beings are in the physical and moral image of their Heavenly Father with whom they lived as spirit children in a pre-mortal life. As such all human beings are born good and only need to faithfully progress in worthiness to return to live with and live like Heavenly Father for eternity.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve courageously disobeyed God’s command to not eat a certain fruit. The primary result of that agency and free moral choice was good. It gave them the opportunity to have children, and to demonstrate their faithfulness as they progressed to be fully like their Heavenly Father. All descendants of Adam and Eve have the same free choices to disobey or obey to prove their own faithfulness to Heavenly Father's plan for happiness. Individuals become accountable for their own sin when they reach an age of clear awareness of disobedience and unfaithfulness. At that time they are responsible to repent and fully forsake sin in order to be forgiven by Heavenly Father’s grace. Their fallen condition gives every person the opportunity to faithfully progress out of this temporary life and back to an eternal physical and exalted life with Heavenly Father and their family.
Some people fail to hear or accept Heavenly Father’s instructions and thus they live unrighteously. These people will have another chance to believe and demonstrate their worthiness in a waiting place called paradise after they die. All people will live for eternity in one of three kingdoms depending on the level of their obedience to Heavenly Father’s commands. There is a hell for those who are especially evil.
There are difficult and distracting things while living a mortal life on earth, but Heavenly Father’s plan is for his children to learn, prepare and work on their progression to eternal life. In living a mortal life on earth every person has the opportunity to prove that they will use their free will to choose to obey all of Heavenly Father's commands. This could not have been done without physical bodies. This process of personal progression is the Gospel that Heavenly Father restored in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints so that all human beings exercising their "agency / choice," would have the opportunity to live in the happiness of eternal life according to Heavenly Father’s plan.
(Read the book "True To The Faith" published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to learn what is required to live faithfully as a Latter Day Saint.)
WHAT THE
BOOK OF MORMON
SAYS ABOUT
"MAN?"
- "creation" is mentioned 51 times
- "premortal" (0) or "spirit children" (0)
- "becoming" children of God. (5)
- "trials" (12) ... ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
- "test" (0)
- "agency" (0)
- "free will" (1)
- "choose" (17)
- "obey" (18)
- "obedient" (12)
- fall / fallen (216) - nothing about "falling up" as the church claims
- sin (65)
- sinner (8)
- "wicked" (270)
- "evil" (136)
- "wretched" (1)
- "return to God" (1) ... 2Nephi 9:38 And, in fine, wo unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins.
WHAT I UNDERSTAND
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
TEACHES ABOUT
4- "SALVATION"
Heavenly Father wants His children to be happy so he has a plan for enabling them to have eternal life by progressing to become exalted like him. Heavenly Father's spirit children did not have bodies like their Heavenly Father and Mother, so the plan for their salvation included creating the earth where they could come and take on physical bodies, experience mortality, become baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, learn the saving example of Jesus from the living Apostles, Prophets, Seers and Revelators,. They progress by obeying all the teachings of the Gospel. Salvation is the joy of being perfected through choosing to faithfully follow Heavenly Father’s plan and thus be worthy to live happily exalted in Heavenly Father’s presence forever. The process of salvation requires Church and Temple endowments, ordinances and covenants regarding baptism, sacrament, and marriage. All these things are led by priesthood holders who serve as deacons, elders, bishops, presidents, in wards and stakes. All these things are organized just as Jesus organized His Church in Jerusalem before His ascension.
People who are unaware or refuse these salvation truths in this life will be given the opportunity to accept them when living members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints perform them by proxy baptisms and sealings.
When a person demonstrates enduring faith and repentance God gives His grace to complete the process of salvation with eternal life and exaltation for the individual and their family.
WHAT THE
BOOK OF MORMON
SAYS ABOUT
"SALVATION?"
- "eternal life" (25)
- "life eternal" (4)
- "progress" (4) none regarding salvation or eternal life
- "like God" (0)
- "saved" (81)
- "salvation" (88)
- "convert" (31) / "conversion" (5) - quickly not process
- "perfect" (42)
- "exalt" (9) none other than God and Devil mentioned?
- "faith" (304)
- "repentance" (360)
- "grace" (33) "grace" and "gift" not used together in the Book of Mormon
- "obedience" (1) "obey" (18) "obedient" (12)
- "endure" (24)
- "baptism" (26)
- "baptized" (85)
- "baptism for dead" (0)
- "baptism" in Temple (0)
- "elders" (9)
- "Deacon" (0) / "Bishop" (0) / "President" (0) / "Quorum" (0)
- "Melchedezek" (5) nothing about being a succeeding priesthood
- "high priesthood" (8)
- "Aaronic priesthood" (0)
- "apostle (16) 12 apostles of the Lamb - no succession mentioned
- "Seventy" (21) only "years" not leaders
- "stake" (2)
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mormon/mormon-idx?type=simple&format=Long&q1=stake&restrict=All&size=First+100
- "ward" (0)
- "sacrament" (1)
- "temple" (31) Only teaching and preaching mentioned being done in temple
- "temple::::" "covenants" (0) / "endowments" (0) / "marriage" (0) / "wedding" (0) / "sealing" (0) / "garment" (0) "baptism" (0) "recommend" (0)
- "covenant" by God (96) -by men (58) i.e. keep commandments / of peace / of no murder / etc.
- "endowments" (0)
- "family" (23) - nothing about eternal family or family history
- "wedding" (0) / "wedding covenant" (0) / "wedding sealing" (0) "temple wedding" (0)
- "marriage" (1) / "marry" (1)
- "ordinance" (11)
WHAT I UNDERSTAND
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
TEACHES ABOUT
5- "AFTER WE DIE"
When a persons physical body dies it go to the spirit world. While waiting for the Resurrection, people who have been worthy by obedience to the Gospel will be very happy sharing gospel principles with people who died without hearing or believing them. Those who have, by proxy, been baptized and sealed in earthly Latter Day Saint Temples will have the opportunity to accept those ordinances done on their behalf. At the time of Resurrection all human beings will be reunited with their body.
Jesus Christ will judge each person’s obedience to Heavenly Father’s plan. Jesus’ judgment will determine the level of glory they will receive. The highest level is Celestial where those who have been most faithful to all the commands will live in Glory with Heavenly Father and with Jesus Christ. People who were good yet did not respond obediently to The Father and the Son will live in the second level called Terrestrial where they will live with moderate glory. The lowest level is Telestial where unrighteous people will live with minimal glory. There is place of suffering and punishment reserved for the most evil persons like the Devil and his followers like Hitler.
WHAT THE
BOOK OF MORMON
SAYS ABOUT
"AFTER WE DIE?"
- "heaven" is mentioned 169 times:
- "hell" is mentioned 59 times:
- "paradise" is mentioned 5 times
- "kingdom" (159) - kingdoms of God, Devil, idols, nations, Christ, heaven, ...
- "kingdom of heaven" (17)
- "celestial" / "terrestrial" / "telestial" kingdoms (0)
- "eternal life" (25) / "life eternal" (4)
- "exalt" (9) only God and Devil
- I have found no mention of second chances after death.
WHAT I UNDERSTAND
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
TEACHES ABOUT
6- "WHERE BELIEFS COME FROM"
LDS beliefs, come from three basic sources: written Scriptures, Prophetic Revelations, and Personal Revelations or Testimonies.
Their written Scriptures are: The King James Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price. Latter Day Saints believe the Bible is true as far as it is interpreted correctly. They believe the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ which affirms the teachings of the Bible. They believe the Doctrines and Covenants are the authoritative written revelations of various past Apostles of The Church. They believe the Pearl of Great Price is additional Scripture translated from ancient Egyptian texts. My understanding is that they believe these later writings have clarified and restored the things that the apostate church lost or removed from the Bible and Christian teachings during the first centuries after Jesus Christ left Jerusalem.
The continuing Apostolic Revelations of the Prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are authoritative truth given by Heavenly Father as he reveals more and more about himself and his plans and directions for his Church.
Latter Day Saints beliefs in both written Scriptures and Apostolic Revelations are based on revelations they personally receive from the Holy Ghost regarding their authenticity. Individuals ask for and receive a deeply heartfelt conviction from the Holy Ghost that these things are true. They believe the Holy Ghost guides them personally in many life decisions through this deep heartfelt conviction.
WHAT THE
BOOK OF MORMON
SAYS ABOUT
"WHERE BELIEFS COME FROM?"
- "revelation" (34)
- "Holy Ghost" (2)
- "personal revelation" (0)
- "deceive" (14)
- "false" (18)
- "liar" (9)
~~~~~~~
WHY I WANT THE BIBLE TO BE THE SOURCE OF MY BELIEFS ...
My desire and my intention is to get my beliefs from the most reliable sources. This desire is often sidetracked by my human tendency to believe what the people I am around believe and tell me. Even more influential than other people are my own self-confident feelings, impressions and conclusions. Too often I believe things simply because I believe them, for all sorts of quite often questionable reasons. It does not take much repetition for beliefs to naturally move from welcome impressions to strong convictions that are not easy to reconsider.
I believe that the Bible itself is the standard of real truth to which I long to conform my beliefs and my behaviors. I believe the Bible has most accurately described the real world and the people in it for decades, centuries and even millennia. I recognize that I, and anyone else can easily misinterpret or misapply the Bible. This is precisely the reason it is so vitally important to read and ponder the Bible texts over and over and over again. One of the great benefits of being the Temple of God is that the Holy Spirit is present in us to teach, train and correct us. He does so using the Bible that God gave us, and other people who are willing to read the Bible most seriously.
I must be clear that my believing does not make something true. I believe the Bible is the standard of truth for all mankind. I recognize that other people consider other things to be the standard for truth. It seems to me that we should all be willing to question how accurately our truth source actually represents the the world we see all around and within us. Our conclusions really do have eternal consequences.
CONCLUSIONS:
It seems quite obvious that the Book of Mormon lacks many, if not most, of the "plain and precious" gospel teachings of the present day Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Thus it cannot be the "keystone of their religion." And even the things the Book of Mormon does say certainly do not "contain the fullness of the Gospel" of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. These deceptive claims then bring into serious question the claim to be "the most correct book on earth." The "Prophets, Apostles, Revelators and Seers" of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who wholeheartedly subscribe to and teach these false claims should not be trusted as they build their new religion by deceptively using their different meanings of familiar Bible words.
I want to believe God's True Gospel, I hope you do too.
I invite and welcome corrections and questions about any of these things.
With sincere love for God and for the people He loves,
J Neil Evans
neil@truesaints.us
all content by J Neil Evans
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