If you are a Mormon, please understand that I am not trying to personally attack you, your character, or the sincerity of your belief.
(Sounds like) Of course I'll still respect you in the morning...
I am a christian, Jesus is my judge, not you.
I. Definition of a Cult:
A day late and a dollar short, aren't we? I went with a dictionary, you went with a theological work from your religion.
Lets examine your points a little more closely shall we? a) An extra scriptural source of authority. So exactly where did the scripture come from anyway? Was the Bible delivered in lump sum as it is today?
You know as well as I do that The Biblia (or collection of Books) was compiled by a council of men, men of God yes, but men nonetheless. These men were trying to put together works whose authenticity could not be denied, and also whose contents backed up what they had been preaching.
Are you familiar with the Book of Enoch? It was excluded by these men, yet every time the savior says "The Son of Man" he is quoting from there because of a Messianic prophesy in Enoch that refers to him that way, all the Gospels quote from the Book of Enoch, and Paul does in most of his letters. Why isn't it in the Bible? It's not there because it refers to God and Jesus as separate entities and by the Time the Bible was being compiled the Greeks had influenced the church with their belief that nothing that exists physically can have all power.
Thus the Book of Enoch was ignored because even though it was a powerful book of scripture, it said things that were inconvenient for the men who were compiling the bible.
Please link your scriptures, lurkers who read this will seldom actually look up a scripture unless it is linked there are many on line sources for the Bible.
Let's see,
2 Timothy 3:15 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be a perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
So, since the Bible was yet to be compiled, what was he talking about? (hint, the old testament, do you really mean to say we don't need the new Testament?)
2 Peter 1:20 – 21 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
So, God speaks, we listen and we should not claim there is a special interpretation, got it, next?
Revelation 22:18 – 19 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
So, what does
Deuteronomy 4:2 Mean?
2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Does this mean that God can't give more revelations after the BOOK of Deuteronomy? You do realize that the BOOK of the Gospel of St John was written after the BOOK of revelations and that these BOOKS were commonly separate until they were compiled into the bible (hundreds of years later, the Catholic bible still has books protestants don't have, you knew that right?, right ? so the BOOK John was talking about could only be the BOOK of Revelations, right?
The scriptures John knew were individual books, testified of Jesus, included the book of Enoch (which we don't have today) Never used the word Trinity, and the cannon was open when he wrote this, you knew all that, right?
Why are you trying to add a private interpretations which is contrary to the plain meaning which John wrote?
Well lets go on with your straw man building and burning...
Every cult has an extra-Biblical source of authority, which supersedes the authority of the Bible. That is interesting, since the Bible is part of our Cannon, there is nothing that "Supersedes" it, just like the Book of the Gospel of St. John does not supersede the book of Revelations even though it was written later.
Mormonism: “The Bible is full of errors; our ultimate authority is The Book of Mormon and The Pearl of Great Price.”
In interesting Quote, did you make it up yourself? This is not the doctrine of my church.
b. They proclaim a different gospel from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We proclaim exactly the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you are the one preaching something different (see how easy unfounded assumptions are to make?)
We are to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone
Yawn, I tire of linking your scriptures for you, we teach the Bible, all of it, and you have yet to show we don't, all you can show is that we do not teach your interpretation of it, history is full of men calling each others names and even killing each other because they did not agree about the Bible's interpretation.
*Question: Is your primary task proclaiming the person and Gospel of Jesus Christ as found in Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 15:3 – 4 and Acts 4:12?
Mormonism: “We are the only church built on the gospel mission to restore the TRUE gospel which was given to Joseph Smith: The Book of Mormon.”
Again with an interesting unsourced Quotation that is not what my church teaches.
The Gospel is, we have more clarification of the Gospel because we have more scripture, not less, so we understand and preach things those who only accept the Book of Revelations, not the Book of the Gospel of ST. John, miss.
Are you familiar with the phrase "A distinction without a difference" If I teach From John, and you teach from Mark, are you not teaching Jesus's gospel because I am teaching from John?
c. The denial of justification by grace alone.
That is because Grace alone is not Biblical.
Lets explore some passages of the bible your post indicates you have never read.
James 2:14-26 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
By works is your faith made perfect, anyone who tells you anything else is not teaching what the Bible says (and is probably selling something)
The fruit/position of biblical Christianity:
Holds that men are totally depraved and are justified before a holy God as a gift by His grace alone apart from works (Romans 3:19 – 28 and Ephesians 2:8 – 9).
(FYI, Depraved does not appear in the Bible anywhere).
We are justified by Grace after all we can do, for by trying to Do his works we become closer to him and thus increase our faith, you are saying we don't believe in Grace, which is not surprising. You are consistently wrong, I'll give you that.
Every cult denies justification by grace alone apart from works. It always is faith plus works.
Well, it's what is taught in the Bible, so that is why
we claim it, why don't you teach what's in the Bible?
*Question: Do you depend upon some achievements of your own for salvation or are you exclusively relying on the grace of God (Romans 3:21 – 24)?
Without Jesus, I am lost. I am totally dependent on his saving Grace, however, he has commanded me to follow him, so I do, he has commanded me to do works, so I do, and by doing those things that I am commanded he changes my heart to be more open to his grace.
Do you mean to tell me that all the work you talk about in your posts and on your page has not increased your faith? If it has not, you are doing it wrong.
{snipping out all the scriptures that are meant to prove I don't believe in Christ, for I do, and have stated that here.}
Counterfeit Christianity robs Christ's sacrifice of its saving significance because salvation is not determined by the grace of God, but by works.
Mormons believe we are saved by Grace, after all we can do. We believe this for it is correct, biblical and we have been told by God that it is true, we dare not deny his words.
Mormonism: “Justification by grace is a wicked doctrine. Individual salvation to one of the three heavens is earned by man through his own acts in obedience to the commandments of the Lord.” We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.”
I don't know where you are getting this from, but stop, I am laughing so hard it is getting hard to type (all typos are to be accredited to my laughing, OK?)
Finally a Question that is not a statement, but an actual question!
*Question: Do you believe that Jesus is/has:
- God's chosen one to save the world from sin?
- God the Son—the eternal Word of God become flesh?
- His one, all-sufficient sacrifice on Calvary and his shed blood is the only basis for the forgiveness of your sins?
- Risen from the dead?
- Your Redeemer and Lord?
- The Only Mediator Between God and Man?
A "Yes" answer to all of the foregoing would be indicative of Biblical Christianity. I believe these points with every fiber of my soul, thank you for ceasing to tell me I am not a Christian, not that it really matters for the only one whose opinion matters it Jesus Christ and I hope to be found acceptable to him that I may worship at his feet some day.
If you had just stopped here, Grin.
Mormonism: Jesus Christ is not God, nor is he equal to the Father. “Among the spirit children of Elohim, the firstborn was and is Jehovah or Jesus Christ, to whom all others are junior.” Jesus Christ is the first born of all spirit children, all men are spirit children. Therefore Jesus Christ was merely a man who happened to be the first born “spirit child”.
Seriously, there is nothing so dangerous as a little knowledge, and you know little of us.
Jesus is a member of the Godhead, which makes him God. (think of the Godhead as the original template for the Trinity, for Godhead is in the Bible where Trinity is not.)
Jesus was the first born spirit, so? that is not what made him God or our savior.
Jesus is Equal with God for they are one. This oneness, seems to confuse people, try reading
John 17:22 And think about how the Disciples became "one" after Jesus's death and resurrection.
This Statement "
Jesus Christ was merely a man who happened to be the first born “spirit child”" deserves special attention, You are wrong, that's not what we believe, Jesus is the literal son of God the Father, Born of a Virgin (so no hanky panky comments, we don't believe that either) Jesus was fully God (inherited from his Father) and Fully Man (inherited from his mother)
Jesus being a God and Man could chose to give up his life (A God cannot Die, A mortal cannot chose to live if killed) Jesus willingly Gave up his life for us, and then became the first fruits of the resurrection, by taking his body Back up, thus he broke the bands of death. In the Gethsemanie and again on the cross, he suffered for us. He a sinless sacrifice to God willingly shed his blood for us in the garden and on the cross, his blood is all that stands between us and eternal damnation for we are all sinners.
No man can say "I believe" and thereafter take no thought for Jesus and be saved, Jesus will not be mocked and many (not all) who believe in Saved by Grace believe they can say "I believe" and thereafter, whatever they do is swallowed up in His sacrifice, I submit that his is to make a mockery of his teachings and is a perversion of his atoning sacrifice.
I am not even close to perfect, in fact I am sometimes not even fit to be called a Christian, but I am trying, I know in whom I trust and if I keep working he will see fit to make up what I lack, but there is no "Free Ride into heaven it's not works, but the faith grown through works that makes you his.
Christ’s incarnation only illustrated what happens to every man who perfectly keeps all the commands of the gospel (as defined by Joseph Smith).
This is at best a misquote, at worst a complete fabrication, Only? Not even close to what Joseph Said about Jesus.
*Question: Is your group the only true church? Must I join your group in order to be saved or are others preaching the truth as well?
Mormons: Believe they are the only true church, all others are false. According to Mormon doctrine, the church was in a state of TOTAL APOSTASY until God revealed Himself to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry in 1820. When they received the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood in 1829 and 1830 the restoration of the true church took place.
Ever meet someone who was a little pregnant? How about a little dead?
Some things are all or nothing, if you have lost the authority of God, you cannot reform back to God's authority any more than I can work my way into heaven, it just does not work that way.
The Mormon Church asserts that God
a) keeps his word (the apostles in the Bible prophesied of the Apostasy and said that it had already started
2 Thesalonians 2:3 B) That since God is unchanging used the same methods he had used before to establish his church, as he called Moses, he called Joseph Smith, as he gave Moses authority, he gave Joseph Smith authority, as Moses Wrote Scripture, Joseph Smith Wrote God's word and it is scripture. If you have a problem with that, take it up with God. As for me, I haven't had a whole lot of luck telling God how to do things, let me know how yours attempt goes, OK?
Let's hit the rest of your points...
- I have yet to find a church that teaches it is not true, the Catholics claim to be the only true church, are they a C-U-L-T to you?
- We have been commanded to perform all the ordinances for all people (it's a vicarious work, like the atonement)
- Those who were "Good" while alive who had no chance to join will have a chance to accept or reject the saving ordinances.
- It is entirely possible even if I am right about the church and you are wrong for me and you to live in such a way that you make it to the highest kingdom and I make it to the lowest, or be cast off all together.
- Membership in no church guarantees you heaven.
- All churches teach some pieces of truth, Some have more than others, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, having restored the authority to act in God's name is the only true church in that we are the only church that has that authority now.
As to the criteria of a “Christian cult and apologetic information regarding the beliefs , practices and doctrines of Mormonism see: The Four Major Cults, by Anthony Hoekema;
The word Cult has been so abused from it's correct meaning here, that I must direct you to
Mormonism as "Cult": The Limits of Lexical Polemics
If Mormons are a cult then so are Catholics, Methodists Baptists and Calvanists, just to name a few.
You are using the Word cult because of the misuse it has suffered that has imbued the word with connotations of Jim Jones and people in black waiting for the mothership, or a Comet to take them home. That is not us, to continue to state it is by inference to state a lie and if you have all the degrees you claim to have, you know that.
As for the books you cite, they are shoddy scholarship and I would be embarrassed to bring them forth if I were you.
In closing, while we can not accept Mormonism’s doctrine, their enthusiasm and sacrifice often put the Church of Jesus Christ to shame.
But, we are the... Oh, you mean we aren't the well, I guess it's a good thing you admit we are dedicated, maybe there is something to this works thing after all.
However, in spite of all these positive qualities, Mormonism is still a cult. It is not biblical Christianity.
You have yet to prove this assertion, actually, your points above prove that we are "Biblical Christianity", but let's go on...
In light of the above, Mormonism is not Christian, or Christianity, it is a cult, a non-Christian religion.
In light of my unsupported assertions ...
Even though many Mormons are perceived as “good people” (as man reckons “goodness”), although they worship “a” god, and share some common words with Christians (although these words have distinctly different meanings/definitions), in spite of the fact that they help their people, and do many “good things”; none of the above criteria makes anyone a Christian.
Nor does it deny us the right to be called after him on whose name we believe.
In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus warned: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Wait! this is about
Doing what you are commanded, this is about works!!!!
No one becomes a Christian by belonging to a particular church or religious organization, by doing “good works”, or simply “believing in God”. According to the Bible, a person can only become a Christian when they have personally put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his fully accomplished work of Calvary for the payment of their sins i.e., when they have received Him as their savior, trusting in the true and living God alone for salvation, in the True Jesus as presented in the Word of God, not the brother of the devil, the “Jesus” of Mormonism; not the god of Mormonism, not the gospel of Mormonism.
Here you judge my faith and tell me I don't know what I believe, LOL! I knew this would be fun.
"Not the Brother of the Devil", Wow, you are pulling out all the stops today aren't you, Is Jesus your brother? Is he mine? Mormons believe so, listing Satan as Jesus' only brother is quite melodramatic and misleading, but I was hoping not to be disappointed, do I need to show the scriptures that show Satan being Cast from heaven, how about the scriptures that speak of him as a former son of God? (Oh how art thou fallen...) Do I need to show you the scriptures where Jesus himself compares his father hood by God to our father hood? No? That is because you already know they are there.
Your whole post is made up of unsourced statements presented as if they were made by my church, glued together by unsupported statements about what I believe by you who really does not know what I believe, so you tell me not to be offended while you misrepresent me and mine and tell me I don't know what I believe, and all this because you have studied your religion. (chuckle, you got Chutzpa, I'll give you that)
Why don't you tell people what you believe instead? You said you are a minister, desk-bound part of the time, if I understand your page correctly, is this misrepresenting of other religions part of your job?
I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in the Jesus Christ spoken of in the Bible, born of a virgin, visited by Wise men, the same Jesus who healed the sick, caused the lame to walk and raised Lazerus from the dead, yes even the same Jesus who was crucified and willingly gave up his life that I a sinner might call upon his name and be saved. I believe that Jesus Christ will return in the last days and I hope it will not be long. I love God and Godliness, to the extent that Jmouse007 speaks the truth, listen to him if you have need, but when he tells you about Mormons, consider the source, a paid minister whose job is to bring souls into his church, and he sees us as a threat to his lively hood. (don't be offended, I am saying this in the nicest way I can think of.)
Read the Bible (
Free Bible Read the Bible on line), and pray about it, God will tell you it is true.
Read the Book of Mormon (
Free Book of Mormon Read the Book of Mormon online), and pray about it, and once that same God tells you it is true as well, you will not need the arguments of back and forth, you will know it is of God for he will tell you so. I have done this, I have tried the scriptures to see if it is the same spirit which testifies of Christ in both books and it is.
God bless you and keep you in his ways until the brighter day, Amen.
P.S. Sorry for the late post, and if I am extra cranky, I am currently dealing with a stomach virus and I apologize for any crankyness from that.
Regarding the definition of the term” a Cult:” You said: “A day late and a dollar short, aren't we? I went with a dictionary, you went with a theological work from your religion.”
This is not a “theological work from my religion”, it comes from a book focusing upon Christian cults. Given the fact that Mormonism is making the claim that it is a “Christian religion” that has the support of Christ and the Bible, it is a valid definition. The definition comes from “Confronting the Cults” by Gordon R. Lewis pg 3. The reasoning behind the definition:
1) A Christian cult is a religious movement. As such it ought not be confused with an essentially non-religious enterprise.
2) A Christian cult claims the support of Christ and the Bible. Religions of the world which make no such claims are not Christian cults.
3) A Christian cult misses the heart of Christianity. What, then, is central in Christianity? The gospel is central because Christian life is founded upon it. The gospel proclaims the good news of Christ’s personal Lordship and atoning work in fulfillment of Scriptural prediction. (Gospel summarized in 1 Cor. 15:3-4)
1Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
2by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
The answer to your question: “So exactly where did the scripture come from anyway? etc...” can be found in Josh McDowell’s apologetic book “New Evidence That Demands a Verdict”. This work provides an extensive, thoroughly researched and documented overview of how we received the Bible, the tests of canonicity, the trustworthiness of the Bible, etc. The paper “Bibliology The Doctrine of the Written Word” by J. Hampton Keathley III can be viewed on www.bible.org it also provides an extensive overview of the reliability of the Bible, canonicity, preservation of scripture, etc.
As for the book of Enoch, it has not been accepted or recognized as part of scripture because it did not meet the requirements/tests of canonicity.
Regarding my statement: “Mormonism: The Bible is full of errors; our ultimate authority is The Book of Mormon and The Pearl of Great Price.” You said: “An interesting Quote, did you make it up yourself? This is not the doctrine of my church.”
In answer to your question; I didn’t make up the quote; as to your statement that “this is not the doctrine of my church”. Your statement is patently false; this is precisely what the Mormon church believes and teaches. The Mormon Church has four books of “scripture” referred to as “The Standard Works.” In Mormonism three of these books are all viewed as more important than the Bible: The Book of Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine and Covenants, these three are accepted as modern scripture.
I will let Mormon “prophets,” “presidents” and spiritual leaders back up my statement that Mormonism: The Bible is full of errors; our ultimate authority is The Book of Mormon and The Pearl of Great Price, in their own words and writings, (sources cited):
“...the Book of Mormon [is] the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (Book of Mormon, 1987, Introduction).
Throughout the history of the Mormon Church it has rejected the orthodox Christian view that the Bible is the infallible and inerrant Word of God, the sole authority for faith (what we believe) and practice (how we live our lives). The Mormon church does not believe the Bible is the Holy, infallible, inerrant word of God:
The 8th article of faith from the Mormon Church states, “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.” This means that when the Bible disagrees with or contradicts Mormon teaching or doctrine, the Bible isn’t trustworthy, it must be properly interpreted in light of Mormon “scripture”..
Joseph Smith taught that "many important points touching the salvation of men, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled” (History of the Church, v. 1, p. 245)
Joseph Smith claimed the Bible is full of errors, "Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.327).
Joseph Smith, the founder of the new Mormon religion did away with the inerrancy and infallibility of the Scriptures that all the prophets and apostles of God wrote and depended upon.
Joseph Smith’s successors have reiterated the same position as their founder that the Bible is full of errors and unreliable and that Mormon “scriptures” supersede the Bible:
Orson Pratt (1811-1881), LDS Apostle and contemporary of Brigham Young and Joseph Smith claimed, "Who knows that even one verse of the whole Bible has escaped pollution, so as to convey the same sense know that it did in the original? ..." (Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, pp.44-47). In his book “The Seer”, Pratt goes as far as to say, “The Bible has been robbed of its plainness; many sacred books having been lost, others rejected by the Romish (Roman Catholic) Church, and what few we have left, were copied and re-copied so many times, that it is admitted that ALMOST EVERY VERSE HAS BEEN CORRUPTED AND MUTILATED....” (Apostle Orson Pratt, The Seer, pp. 212 - 213, 1854).
Orson Pratt claimed, “Who knows that even one verse of the whole Bible has escaped pollution, so as to convey the same sense know that it did in the original?” ...(Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, pp.44-47). According to Pratt, every verse of scripture is unreliable and suspect!.
The Bible has “passed through generations of copyists, translators and corrupt religionists who have tampered with it” (Ezra Taft Benson, 13th LDS President, Ensign Jan 92, p.5)
Mark E. Peterson wrote, “Many insertions were made, some of them `slanted' for selfish purposes while at times deliberate falsifications and fabrications were perpetrated” (As Translated Correctly, p.4).
“ the planned changes resulted from man's deliberate altering of the original text and meaning to serve his own purposes and not to preserve the words of the Lord” (The Inspired Revision of the Bible, Merrill Y. Van Wagoner, pp.5, 24--(Pearl of Great Price, Moses 1:41.)
“No one can tell whether even one verse of either the Old or New Testament conveys the ideas of the original author” (Journal of Discourses Vol. 7.p.28)
“The Bible itself is but the dead letter.” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 102)
The Book of Mormon itself also claims that the Bible is incomplete and insufficient and that God has given other written revelation through “the Jews” and “Nephites” besides the Bible and that this new revelation is a “standard unto my people”:
“Many gentiles shall reject the Book of Mormon – They shall say: We need no more Bible – The Lord speaks to many nations – He will judge the world out of the books thus written” (Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 29:1a). The verse basically says; when the Book of Mormon is produced and proclaimed to be another bible/new written revelation from God, many gentiles will reject it outright and say, we don’t need another bible other than the one that we have already received from God. He will judge the world out of the one which He has already given.
But Nephi 29:1b-2 goes on to say that the Bible is not enough, God is going to remember his “promises” to Israel and Nephi by producing new revelation i.e., the Book of Mormon and other so-called Mormon “revelation”. This new revelation will: “come forth from the words of your seed should proceed out of my mouth unto your seed; and my words shall “hiss forth unto the ends of the earth” (Nephi 29:1b-2). Here are the verses in their entirety:
But behold, there shall be many at that day when I shall proceed to do a “marvelous work” among them , that I may remember my covenants which I have made unto the children of men that I may set my hand again the second time to recover my people, which are of the house of Israel; And also, that I may remember the promises which I have made unto thee, Nephi, and also unto thy father, that I would remember my promises which I have made unto thee, Nephi, and also unto thy father, that I would remember your seed: and that the words of your seed should proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed; and my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, for a standard unto my people, which are of the house of Israel (Nephi 29:1b-2)
“And because my words shall hiss forth - many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible (Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 29:3).
As a direct result of this supposed new revelation (the Book of Mormon etc…) “hissing forth” (interesting choice of words) from god though his “seed” many Gentiles will contend that the Bible has already been established and that there is no further “revelation” new “Bible”. But how does the god of Mormonism view those holding the position that God’s revelation is complete and contained in the Bible alone?:
“Thou fool, that shall say: 'A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews” (Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 29:6).
According to verse six, the Book of Mormon audaciously claims that those who are relying upon the Bible alone as their source of spiritual authority and revelation are “fools”. Why, because according to the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 29:10 and 12, god is writing new revelation through the “Jews” and “Nephites”:
“Wherefore because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written" (Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 29:10).
“For behold I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it: and I shall also speak unto other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away. And they shall write it and I shall also speak unto all the nations of the earth and they shall write it. (Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 29:12).
According to Mormon doctrine and teaching, the Bible is replaced with/superseded by their new revelation; the book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, etc. As for the Bible, Mormonism teaches that the Bible is full of errors and must be read through/properly interpreted through the lens of the book of Mormon (and their other revelations):
Joseph Smith: “I told the brethren that the book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth and the keystone of our religion and a man would nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than any other book” (Joseph Smith history of the church vol.4 p. 461).
Joseph Fielding Smith, the tenth Prophet of the Mormon Church, explained how one can understand these errors: “Guided by the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Spirit of the Lord, it is not difficult for one to discern the errors in the Bible.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p. 191) Because the Book of Mormon is considered more correct than the Bible, it becomes the superior companion to the Holy Bible, correcting its errors.
The above sourced quotes verify my original statement, Mormonism teaches and believes that the Bible is full of errors and untrustworthy. According to Mormon teaching, their ultimate authority is not the Bible but The Book of Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrines and Covenants
This is in fact the position and doctrine of the Mormon Church regarding the Bible. It is
I will deal with Mormon Christology in depth in a future post.