Insights From The Book Of Mormon

After hearing one of our presentations exposing the false doctrines of Mormonism, people often ask, "How could anyone ever believe all that stuff?" It is a step by step process. Remember the the old joke, "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is: "One bite at a time!"

The first bite in swallowing Mormonism comes when the LDS missionary offers a copy of the Book of Mormon and asks the recipient to read 3 Nephi chapter 11, so they can discuss it on their next visit. This chapter, they claim, is where Christ fulfills the prophecy of John 10:16. "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd." The missionaries would like you to believe that the "other sheep" spoken of by Jesus are the Nephite people which supposedly lived in the Americas.

However, if you start reading in 3 Nephi chapter  8, you will make some interesting discoveries. For three days prior to this appearance of Christ, the people in the Americas endured 3 days of thick darkness. The darkness was so thick that they couldn't even light a fire or see the sun. On top of that, there were terrible earthquakes which buried whole cities and made a wreck of everything. When the three days were ended, as they surveyed the damage, they reportedly discussed "this Jesus Christ of whom the sign had been given concerning his death."¹

Most readers would go right past this, But it's a good place to stop and ask "What is the sign that was given?" The footnote in the Book of Mormon refers the reader to Helaman 14:20-27. In verse 27 we read, "that darkness should cover the face of the whole earth for the space of three days." This certainly disagrees with the Biblical account in Matthew 27:45 which says, from the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. That's three hours, not three days. That would make Helaman 14:27 a false prophecy and 3 Nephi 11:2 historically inaccurate. If you discussed this with an LDS person, they might reply that there were 3 hours of darkness on the eastern continent and 3 days on the western continent. However, Helaman 14:27 states clearly that darkness would cover the whole earth for the space of three days. The next LDS tactic may be to try and get you to believe that Matthew 27:45 is mistranslated. However, 2 Corinthians 13:1 says, "Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." Not only does Matthew 27:45 say that there were 3 hours of darkness, so do Mark 15:33 and Luke 23:44. That should pretty much end this discussion!

In 3 Nephi 11:14, this Jesus invites the multitude to come forward and to thrust their hands into his side and feel the marks of the nails in his hands and feet. In the following verse it says that the multitude took Jesus up on his invitation and that everyone of them thrust their hands into his side and felt the marks of the nails in his hands and feet. "...and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he..." I wonder how long it took for the entire multitude to each have their turn at thrusting and feeling? It must have taken hours and hours; or maybe even days and days--depending on exactly how many people make up a multitude.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines multitude as follows:

1.The condition or quality of being numerous.
2.A very great number.
3.The masses; the populace: the concerns of the multitude.

So basically, it's a lot! Why aren't these people forever referred to as the doubting Nephites? (The apostle Thomas was given this label just for saying he wouldn't believe until he felt the marks!) But somehow it's commendable in the Book of Mormon.

Finally, I should point out that 3 Nephi 11:32-33 says, "And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given me...and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men everywhere to repent and believe in me. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God." Verse 40 of the same chapter continues, "And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds blow upon them." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stands condemned by its own book. Their prophets have established more doctrines than repentance, faith, and baptism. They have added temple endowments, eternal marriage, tithing, the Word of Wisdom, and genealogy, to name just a few. According to 3 Nephi 11:40 these doctrines have come from evil and the gates of hell stand open to receive these people.

In 1 Timothy 2:3-4 we're told that God " wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."² The salvation offered to mankind through Jesus Christ is received through faith in Him (see Romans 1:16, Acts 16:30-31, and others). That faith is expressed by repentance of our old ways (Acts 2:38 and 26:20); demonstrated in words of open confession (Romans 10:10 and Matthew 10:32); and "Those who accepted his message were baptized..."³ It's a commitment, pledge or covenant, to live, from this point forward, in obedience to Him. God's mercy is abundant and free. Let's give our lives "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy."⁴

1. 3 Nephi 11:2
2. John 14:6
3. Acts 2:41
4. Jude 24

**Special acknowledgment to Truth in Love Ministries and their manual "How to Communicate with Your Mormon Friends and Loved Ones"

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