” Was Joseph Smith a true prophet?”
Based on the “truest” book ever written according to Mormons. No!
The doctrine according to Mormon theology is that Jesus was not God Himself but an older brother to all of us. But according to the BOM it specifically states that it was God himself that came down as Jesus. So naturally when a Christian reads the BOM he finds not too much difference. It is only when you get into their deeper theology that you find bad doctrine. Doctrine that contradicts itself on the most fundamental levels. Such as who is God.
Book of Mormon (Condradicts that Jesus was the OLDER brother)
Mosiah 13:34: “Have they not said that God himself should come down among the children of men, and take upon him the form of man, and go forth in mighty power upon the face of the earth?”
Mosiah 15:1-5: “And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people. And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son— The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son— 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...”
Mosiah 16:15: “Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father.”
Alma 11:26-33: And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is a true and living God? And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God. Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? And he answered, No. Now Zeezrom said unto him again: How knowest thou these things? And he said: An angel hath made them known unto me. And Zeezrom said again: Who is he that shall come? Is it the Son of God? And he said unto him, Yea.”
Alma 11:38-40: 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; And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else.”
In Mosiah it says, “God himself” shall come down among the children of men. “God Himself”. What better words to explain who Jesus is! In Mosiah it also says Jesus is “…Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father”. This isn’t written in another language or in need of further interpretation, but comes from the Book of Mormon – a book proclaimed to be “the most correct book on the face of the earth”! The Book of Mormon – and the Bible – teach there is only one Eternal Father and He is our Father in heaven who is over all, not just ‘over this earth’, but over all that exists and all that will ever exist. Why don’t you believe these verses from the Book of Mormon? If the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the earth, why doesn’t it say, “Jesus, who is our eternal brother”?
How can the Book of Mormon be the most correct book on the earth when the LDS Church doesn’t accept and teach the above passages? Growing up, I was always taught that the Book of Mormon is “the most correct book on the face of the earth”. I don’t know who originally said that, as far as church history, but I’ve heard this quote or phrase many times. To find out that the Book of Mormon agrees with the Bible on who God is, was like a lightning bolt from the sky. Can you tell me why the LDS Church doesn’t teach this – especially since it is in the Book of Mormon? It doesn’t make sense that your church does not accept it’s own scriptures.
Book of Mormon
Mosiah 13:34: “Have they not said that God himself should come down among the children of men, and take upon him the form of man, and go forth in mighty power upon the face of the earth?”
Mosiah 15:1-5: “And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people. And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son— The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son— 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...”
Mosiah 16:15: “Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father.”
Alma 11:26-33: And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is a true and living God? And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God. Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? And he answered, No. Now Zeezrom said unto him again: How knowest thou these things? And he said: An angel hath made them known unto me. And Zeezrom said again: Who is he that shall come? Is it the Son of God? And he said unto him, Yea.”
Alma 11:38-40: 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; And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else.”
In Mosiah it says, “God himself” shall come down among the children of men. “God Himself”. What better words to explain who Jesus is! In Mosiah it also says Jesus is “…Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father”. This isn’t written in another language or in need of further interpretation, but comes from the Book of Mormon – a book proclaimed to be “the most correct book on the face of the earth”! The Book of Mormon – and the Bible – teach there is only one Eternal Father and He is our Father in heaven who is over all, not just ‘over this earth’, but over all that exists and all that will ever exist. Why don’t you believe these verses from the Book of Mormon? If the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the earth, why doesn’t it say, “Jesus, who is our eternal brother”?
How can the Book of Mormon be the most correct book on the earth when the LDS Church doesn’t accept and teach the above passages? Growing up, I was always taught that the Book of Mormon is “the most correct book on the face of the earth”. I don’t know who originally said that, as far as church history, but I’ve heard this quote or phrase many times. To find out that the Book of Mormon agrees with the Bible on who God is, was like a lightning bolt from the sky. Can you tell me why the LDS Church doesn’t teach this – especially since it is in the Book of Mormon? It doesn’t make sense that your church does not accept it’s own scriptures.
As anyone familiar with the LDS doctrine you can clearly see that the BOM CONDRADICTS their own theology.
With Judaism and Christianity you could go back and translate out of the original tongues. With Mormonism their is no original tongue except Joseph Smith.
>With Judaism and Christianity you could go back and translate out of the original tongues.
= = = =
No, actually, you can’t. The earliest existing fragments come from the second century (about 125 A.D.).
So we have no way of know exactly what the original New Testament said... and the Old Testament, of course, goes back much, much earlier.
You're on the right track.
It was actually Joseph who said that the moon was inhabited by a race of tall humans who dressed like Quakers.
However, Brigham prophesied that there were people who lived in the sun. More specifically:
Who can tell us of the inhabitants of this little planet that shines of an evening, called the moon?...when you inquire about the inhabitants of that sphere you find that the most learned are as ignorant in regard to them as the ignorant of their fellows. So it is in regard to the inhabitants of the sun. Do you think it is inhabited? I rather think it is. Do you think there is any life there? No question of it; it was not made in vain." - Journal of Discourses, vol. 13, p. 271)
As anyone familiar with the LDS doctrine you can clearly see that the BOM CONDRADICTS their own theology.
Actually, all Mormon scripture blatantly contradicts itself. For example in this SOURCE. The author provides numerous clear-cut examples with links directly to Mormon Scripture. Some of the examples include:
And these contradictions remain despite thousands of documented changes to Mormon Scripture, which was supposedly either divinely translated by Joseph or provided to him by direct revelation from Mormonisms god.
All of this evidence leads to a most distressing question: How is it possible to claim that Mormon scripture is unimpugnable when it in fact impugns itself?