The Newsletter

THE MINISTRY OF JOHN L. SMITH

(Reaching Mormons with the Gospel and Keeping Many Out)

226 W Main/PO Box 9

Marlow, OK 73055

(580)658-7359

 

   Vol. 1                                                    February 2004                                                      No. 2

 

REASONS TO QUESTION THE TRUTHFULNESS OF THE

BOOK OF MORMON

 

    It is unbelievable that honest, educated, sincere people would accept such obvious untrue claims.

    I believe I could point to at least a hundred very obvious reasons to question the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and Mormonism as it’s taught today.

    Mormon leaders say God, Christ and the Holy Ghost all have bodies and can each be at only one place at a time.

    But the title page of current printings of the Book of Mormon, the second paragraph says, "that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD…"

    The Testimony of the Three Witnesses ends with the sentence, "And the honor be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God." (My Italics)

    I find such words as ‘church’ (1^st Nephi 4:26, 13:6, 8, 26, 28, 32, 34; 8, 26, 28, 14:3, 10, 12, 14; etc. 600 – 592 B.C.). I find such New Testament words as ‘baptize’ (1^st Nephi 10:9-10).

    The word ‘Christ’ is found in 2^nd Nephi 10:3, 7; 11:6, 7 etc. 559 – 545 B.C. and he wasn’t even born until perhaps B.C. 4.

    Then beginning in 2^nd Nephi 12:1 we have Isaiah 2 quoted from the King James Version through chapter 14 even including some italicized words which were not inserted until later. The King James Version was not printed until 1611, so the date 559 – 545 B.C. simply cannot be correct.

    In fact, the original of the Book of Mormon, if Mormonism is true, it could not have been printed until 2000 years later when the King James Version of the Bible was first printed in 1611.

    The words church, Jesus Christ, etc. are repeated time after time.

    Then 2^nd Nephi 27 is quoted from Isaiah 29. In chapter 29 ‘Bible’ appears in verse 3 and 4 (8 times in chapter 29).

    Second Nephi 31:21 says, "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." (My italics)

    Jacob 2:23 – 28 condemns plural marriage. Also, 3:5. All this 544 – 421 B.C..

    Zarahemla is mentioned many times in the Book of Mormon from the book of Omni to Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, 3^rd Nephi and Mormon.

    There are many passages in the Book of Mormon that refute the claims of Mormonism that God, Christ and the Holy Ghost are really not three, but one God (Mosiah 15:1 – 5). See also Mosiah 16:15.

    I often point to Mosiah 27:24 – 28 as a statement by one who holds to Baptist teachings. To me this indicates Sidney Rigdon’s part in producing the Book of Mormon. It is my position that though Solomon Spaulding’s novel may have been the real forerunner of Mormonism, Sidney Rigdon is the real author of the Book of Mormon. Joseph at this point is his life, with no church relationship, without any theological training when the book came off the press in April of 1830 he was not yet 25. I have other reasons to believe that Rigdon is really the principle author of the Book of Mormon. He may have started with Spaulding’s manuscript.

    (Mosiah 16:15 and 17:8 (148 B.C.) in the lower right-hand corner should persuade any knowledgeable person that God and Christ are not two human persons with arms, legs, head, etc., as Mormons teach, especially in view of the several statements supposedly long before Christ’s ministry on earth.) This passage professes to be 148 – 147 B.C..

    I have serious doubts about 3^rd Nephi 8 and 9. They speak of what occurred on the day of the crucifixion, of the cities that were destroyed, especially Zarahemla. Of cities sinking, of the terrible fires.

    Then in the 9^th chapter Christ is said to have burned Zarahemla. It says, "have I burned with fire," (9:3), "I caused to be sunk into the sea," (9:4) "have I covered with earth." (9:5).

    Several times in 3^rd Nephi 9 Jesus is said to have declared all the terrible things that he did.

    Then in chapter 10 we have quotes from Matthew 5. Then there are quotes from Matthew chapter 6 in 3^rd Nephi 13, and chapter 7, and chapter 14.

    In chapter 22 we have quotes from Isaiah 54. Then in 3^rd Nephi 24 – 25 we have quotes (always from the King James Version of 1611) of Malachi 3 and 4. These chapters were supposedly written nearly four hundred years before Christ.

    This supposedly was written in A.D. 34. But the King James Version was not printed until 1611 A.D.

    I note with interest that the theological quotes in the book of 3^rd Nephi always agree with the teachings of Sidney Rigdon. I do not recall a single theological passage in the Book of Mormon, except for 2^nd Nephi 25:23. That passage says, "for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

    That’s a quote from Alexander Campbell’s teachings, which Sidney Rigdon had recently accepted.

    I’ve often mentioned Mosiah 27:24 – 28 which is obviously a Baptist position. Rigdon had until recently been a Baptist minister!

    I’ve only mentioned 4^th Nephi 1:6 which is an example of the limited background of whoever really wrote the Book of Mormon. You should read it. Surely, surely God didn’t write that. Nor did the King James translator’s. Nor did Solomon Spaulding.

    Perhaps it was Joseph Smith!

    Our readers should note the many times that ‘the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost are one God’ are mentioned. (Example Mormon 7:7b)

    I especially like Mormon 9:9 – 11. I’ve marked all the "it came to passes." There are more than a thousand in the Book of Mormon.

    I like Moroni 8:18. The Mormon god (and Mormon theology) has changed greatly through the years.

    Then Moroni wrote, "Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good."

    What a book!