THE BOOK OF MORMON AS AN ISUFFICIENT GUIDE
In the Introduction to every Book of Mormon printed today Joseph
Smith is quoted as saying that it is "the keystone" of the Mormon
religion and that "a man would get nearer to God" by it "than
by any other book." How true is this statement? Are all Mormon doctrines
found in this book, and does it teach ways to get nearer to God that are
not in the Bible? And what about archeology? Does it support what the book
claims to be? Let's take a look and see for ourselves.
A
Plagiarism On Each Page
For anyone who reads the Bible on a regular basis, one thing quickly stands
out. The Book of Mormon is loaded with plagiarisms from the King
James Bible. Literally thousands of word for word and paraphrased plagiarisms
permeate the pages of the Book of Mormon. Early on in my study
of the book I challenged myself to find one plagiarized verse per page.
This was done with little trouble. The most obvious plagiarisms involve
those from the books of Isaiah, Malachi and Matthew, where entire chapters
are taken out of the Bible. Even the italicized words are plagiarized.
This is important because the translators added the italicized words in
the King James Bible for clarity. They are not part of the original text.
Compare 3 Nephi chapter 22 with Isaiah 54, or 3 Nephi 24-25 with Malachi
3-4. Even the verse numbers are the same in most cases! 3 Nephi 12:3-48
and Matthew 5:3-48 is the same as well. It even uses the word Raca in
3 Nephi 12:22 which is used in Matthew 5:22. This is an Aramaic word used
to show contempt. The Nephites would not have understood what this word
meant, since according to Mormonism, they did not speak Aramaic. Chapters
13 and 14 in 3 Nephi continue in the same pattern as well. Because the
book is largely plagiarized from the Bible, many of the Bible's doctrines
are found within it. With only a few exclusively Mormon doctrines inside,
the book lacks anything new and insightful regarding the nature of God
and his plan for mankind.
The Charge of Changes
David Whitmer is often used by Mormons to support the authenticity of
the Book of Mormon. While he left the church believing Joseph Smith
to be a fallen prophet, he never denied his belief that the Book of
Mormon was divine in origin. Whitmer made this clear in his book An
Address to All Believers in Christ. While Mormons point to Whitmer's
statements in this book to support the Book of Mormon, many dismiss his
statements about how the book was translated. Why? Well, if his statements
are true then there is a zero chance for errors in how the book was written.
David Whitmer said "Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a
hat, and put his face in the hat…. A piece of something resembling
parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character
at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English.
Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery….and
when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was
correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation
would appear" (An Address to All Believers in Christ, p. 12,
Emphasis Added).
This would allow no room for the misspellings, grammatical and
typographical errors in the book. This makes it difficult for Mormons
to explain the 4000 plus changes made in the Book of Mormon since
the original 1830 printing was made.
Devoid of Doctrine
While LDS missionaries urge prospective converts to read and pray about
the Book of Mormon, the fact is that major Mormon doctrines are
nowhere in the book. Prospective converts are subjected to a spiritual
bait and switch technique, believing that essential Mormon beliefs are
found in the Book of Mormon. Doctrines such as God being an exalted
man, multiple levels of heaven, and the sacred temple ceremony of baptizing
the dead are nowhere in the Book of Mormon. In light of this, one wonders
how it can be the "fullness of the everlasting gospel" as Joseph
Smith said.
Absence of Archeology
It can be said with an absolute certainty that there is no reputable archeological
institute that uses the Book of Mormon to search in New World archeology.
Unlike the Bible which boasts many thousands of archeological finds and
support, the Book of Mormon has no archeological evidence showing
that any city or location which is in the book (except for those mentioned
in the Bible) ever existed. To the best of my knowledge there is no non-Mormon
archeologist that supports any Book of Mormon claim about New World
archeology. The Smithsonian Institute and National Geographic, two of
the most prestigious and reputable institutes in the arena of archeology,
categorically deny any correlation between New World archeology and the
contents of the Book of Mormon. It is also worth noting that to
this day the Mormon hierarchy refuses to endorse any location of any Book
of Mormon city with absolute certainty.
Conclusion
With thousands of plagiarisms, unwarranted changes, and a severe lack
of LDS doctrine and archeological support, the Book of Mormon is
weighed and found wanting. There is a consistent lack of evidence to show
the book to be a truthful and divine work. Unlike the Bible, the Book
of Mormon stands as a human fabrication of human origin, not Holy
Scripture inspired of God.
