If only the LDS Church actually followed their Book of Mormon. The Mormon missionairies come to your door and ask you to read a free copy of the BoM with the hope that you will read it, think it's true, and thus make the jump that if the BoM is true then the Utah LDS church must be the "1 true church" on the face of the earth. Forget for the moment how flawed that logic is, as there are many, many sects that regard the BoM as true. The real tragedy is that it's nothing more than a "bait-and-switch" game since the Utah LDS Church will replace the "milk" of the BoM with the real "meat" of their doctrine once they've got a convert baptized and in their grasp. Most (but certainly not all) of the problems that Christians have with LDS doctrine would disappear if only Mormons followed the Book of Mormon.
For example, the BoM states that there is only ONE God (Alma 11:27-39, 44, 2 Nephi 31:21, Mormon 7:7, 3 Nephi 11:27, & the Testimony of Three Witnesses); however the LDS Church teaches that there are millions of gods and that men can become gods themselves. WHERE IS THAT IN THE BOOK OF MORMON???
The BoM (Alma 18:26-28, Alma 22:8-11) teaches that God is SPIRIT; however, the LDS church teaches that God has a physical body and is a distinct god from Jesus Christ. Again, WHERE IS THAT IN THE BOOK OF MORMON?
The BoM (Alma 34:36) teaches that God dwells in the heart; however, the LDS Church has rejected such teaching as can be found in D&C 130:3. Another example of Mormon scripture directly contradicting itself.
The BoM (Ether 3:12, 2 Nephi 9:34) teaches that God can NOT lie. LDS doctrine holds that God COMMANDED LYING (Book of Abraham 2:22-25).
The BOM (Alma 41:8) teaches that God's Word is unchangeable; however, LDS doctrine holds that God's Word CAN change (D&C Section 56:4-5).
The BoM teaches that there was NO pre-existence of man (Jacob 4:9, Alma 18:28, 34-36); however, LDS doctrine is that man DID pre-exist.
The BoM teaches that death seals a man's fate (Mosiah 2:36-39, Alma 34:32-35), while the LDS church teaches that man HAS a chance after death.
The BoM teaches that there can be salvation for the heathen WITHOUT baptism, while the LDS Church practices baptism for the dead. What gives?
The BoM teaches that there are 2 places to spend eternity - heaven or hell (2 Nephi 28:22, 1 Nephi 15:35, Mosiah 16:11, Mosiah 27:31, Alma 41:4-8, Alma 42:16), while the LDS Church teaches that there are actually 3 levels of heaven. Again, that is NOWHERE to be found in the BoM. And before you protest with the predictable "Not ALL of the gospel is in the BoM", the LDS Church has taught that the BoM "contains the FULNESS of the gospel". If so, WHY NOT FOLLOW IT?
The BoM teaches that there can be forgiveness of even murder (3 Nephi 30:2), while LDS Doctrine is that murder can NOT be forgiven.
Of course a real biggie is the BoM being absolutely against polygamy. Well, we know that the LDS Church practiced it, and that Joseph Smith produced "revelations" that directly contradicted what the BoM he produced said about it.
Again, if ONLY the LDS Church actually followed their own Book of Mormon.
You do not hear Mormons bashing the Baptists, Catholics, Jews or any other religion. We just don’t believe it is our place to tell someone that their beliefs are wrong.
As others have already pointed out, the LDS Church was founded on the idea ALL CHURCHES ARE WRONG AND AN ABOMINATION TO GOD. How's that for telling someone that their beliefs are wrong?! I talked to many LDS missionaries, and they've had no problem telling me where they thought I was in error.
You DO make a point though, which actually backs up my earlier point that the LDS Church wants to become part of mainstream Christianity. Is the LDS Church "in your face" about how their beliefs differ from traditional Christianity as much as they once were? Absolutely not! That's because they are more interested in "blending in" now, rather than separating themselves from Christians. It used to be Mormons insisted on NOT being called Christians. Now, they insist that they are indeed Christians.
Despite all this, I'm supposed to be impressed that they are involved with DNA and the Dead Sea Scrolls? Hey, why not apply the use of DNA to the BoM?
Actually, that's been done...
In December, 2002, Thomas Murphy, lifetime Mormon and chairman of the Edmonds Community College Anthropology Department in Washington, was threatened with excommunication over his research on DNA and Book of Mormon issues. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported:
In December, the local stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints scheduled a disciplinary council and informed Murphy he faced the possibility of excommunication, or expulsion from the church. But the president of the stake—a district made up of a number of wards—indefinitely postponed the council after the debate hit the press and supporters staged rallies across the country. . . .
"Sin, Skin and Seed: The Mistakes of Man in the Book of Mormon" is the title of Murphy's talk today at the UW, . . .
The "sin" and "skin" in his lecture refer to Scripture linking skin color and behavior. The Book of Mormon states ancient Israelites came to the Americas about 600 B.C. and divided into two groups: the light-skinned, civilized Nephites and the dark-skinned, corrupt, Lamanites, who eventually defeated the Nephites. These Lamanites, according to the modern introduction to the Book of Mormon, are the principal ancestors of Native Americans.
In fact, says Murphy, DNA data, as well as anthropological studies, indicate American Indians are descended from Northeast Asians who migrated across the Bering Sea between 7,000 and 50,000 years ago.
The stir over his findings began when he published them on a Web site run by Mormon intellectuals and in a collection of essays on the Book of Mormon called "American Apocrypha.". . .
Murphy was frankly please with the publicity and subsequent response. He's received . . . missives from Native Americans who say they're happy to finally see someone addressing the issue of racism in Mormon text. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Jan. 13, 2003, page B3)
As we can see, LDS researchers are free to study whatever they want, but they dare not discover or say anything against current LDS doctrine. Under such circumstances, it's hard for me to have any faith in BYU researchers.
Why don't the BYU researchers take another look at the second part of the Pearl Great Price, also known as the "Book of Abraham"? It was supposed to have been written on Egyptian papyrus by Abraham himself about 4,000 years ago! According to Mormon officials, this same papyrus fell into Joseph Smith's hands and he began translating it in 1835. If the papyrus were really written by Abraham, its discovery was probably one of the most important finds in the history of the world.
For many years Joseph Smith's collection of papyri was lost and there was no way to check the accuracy of his translation. On Nov. 27, 1967, however, the Mormon-owned Deseret News made the startling announcement that the collection had been rediscovered in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The article went on to say: "Included in the papyri is a manuscript identified as the original document from which Joseph Smith had copied the drawing which he called 'Facsimile No. 1' and published with the Book of Abraham." The importance of this find cannot be overemphasized; it, in fact, made it possible to put Joseph Smith's ability as a translator of ancient Egyptian writing to an absolute test.
Although the Mormon Church tried to slow down the dissemination of material with regard to the Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri, within six months from the time the Metropolitan Museum gave the papyri to the church, the Book of Abraham had been proven untrue! The fall of the Book of Abraham was brought about by the identification of the actual piece of papyrus from which Joseph Smith claimed to "translate" the book.
Noted Egyptologists Richard A. Parker and Klaus Baer translated this papyrus fragment and found that it is in reality the Egyptian Book of Breathings. Other Egyptologists have confirmed that it is nothing but the Book of Breathings. Even the Mormon apologist Hugh Nibley has admitted this identification. In fact, he has even made his own translation of the text.
It is obvious, therefore, that the papyrus Joseph Smith claimed was the "Book of Abraham" is in reality an Egyptian funerary text known as the "Book of Breathings." It is a pagan document which is filled with magical practices and the names of Egyptian gods and goddesses. It has absolutely nothing to do with either Abraham or his religion.
The LDS Church ignores these facts, hopes they will just go away, and wants us to take their ancient manuscript researchers seriously?
Ping ... I used your chart.
DNA disproves the BOM only if you believe in DNA!
Using facts to tear down our beloved beliefs!!
Where will we go if the LDS organization is found to be wrong??
--MormonDude(Lost without my precious Scriptures - even though much of what we do is not FOUND in scripture.)