THE MORMON CHURCH is officially known as: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Mormon Church is commonly referred to by Mormons, simply as “LDS,” short for Latter-day Saints.

THE ORIGIN OF THE MORMON CHURCH

The Church was founded by Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith was born in Vermont in 1805. Somewhat confused as a young man about the disagreements between the denominational churches of his day, Joseph Smith took the verse found in James 1:5 to the Lord in prayer. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

As the story goes, Joseph Smith, lacking wisdom on which church to join, walked into the woods to pray about which church to join. It was there, in 1820, that Joseph Smith, at the young age of 15, says that God the Father and His Son, Jesus, appeared to him. They supposedly informed him that the churches “were all wrong,” “their creeds were an abomination,” and “their professors were all corrupt.”

A Christian’s response to the claims of the Mormon Church, (as I will attempt to do here in this article) is not a mean-spirited attack on their faith (as some Mormon missionaries will claim). It is a response to Joseph Smith’s attack on Christianity.

Three years later, in 1823, Joseph Smith alleges that “a glorified resurrected being” named Moroni appeared to him, and told him of golden plates that were buried in a nearby hillside, in Cumorah, New York. These plates, as the story goes, contained a record of ancient people who had migrated from the near east to America in 600 B.C. [See the Book of Mormon: Introduction]

The words on the plates, according to Joseph Smith, were written by a man named “Mormon,” an ancient “prophet-historian.”

In 1827 the angel Moroni supposedly again appeared to Smith. He directed him to unearth the plates and begin “translating” the “Reformed Egyptian” characters inscribed on them with the supernatural power of God. Joseph Smith says that he was forbidden by Moroni from revealing these golden plates to anybody lest he be destroyed. Before the plates were taken from the earth, three witnesses—David Whitmer, Martin Harris, and Oliver Cowdery—prayed with Smith that they might see the plates. According to the introduction in the Book of Mormon an angel of God came down from heaven, in June of 1829, and laid the plates before their eyes to see.

According to the record, some time after Joseph Smith was done translating the plates, the plates were removed by Moroni and to this day are not available for inspection. It is interesting to note that all three individuals eventually left the church. [Martin Harris, did return to the Mormon Church late in his life, even though in the interim he had said that several other churches were true.]

In March of 1830, three years after having supposedly received the plates, Joseph Smith published his results. The name of the book? “The Book of Mormon.”

The Book of Mormon, claims right on its cover to be: “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” The Book of Mormon is made up of 15 books or divisions and appears to be slightly bigger than our New Testament. It claims to be an abridged account of God’s dealings with the original inhabitants of the American continent, between about 600 B.C. to 421 A.D. It teaches that Jesus, after his resurrection, came to America, performed miracles, and chose 12 men from a people known as the Nephites to be His American disciples.

One month after the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830, Joseph Smith founded his church in Fayette, New York. In 1844 Joseph Smith was killed at the hand of an angry mob while in prison. Brigham Young (1801-77) took over leadership as the second president of the group, and relocated the followers of Joseph Smith’s teachings to Salt Lake City, Utah, where the Church is headquartered to this day.

FOUR FALSE TEACHINGS OF THE MORMON CHURCH

Let’s briefly consider four false teachings of the Mormon Church, and then we'll turn our attention more thoroughly to the Book of Mormon itself.

1. The Mormon Church’s view of God.

Mormonism is a polytheistic religion [see for instance, The Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 5:1-21]. That is, they believe in the existence of more than one god. Although Mormons believe in the existence of more than one god, they only worship one God, whom they call “Heavenly Father” or “Elohim.” This God, whom they call “Heavenly Father,” is just one of many gods in an eternal chain of gods that have been begotten by other gods. But “Elohim” is the god over this planet so the Church says we need not worship the other gods that were around before Elohim. Elohim is our creator and thus the god with whom we are accountable to.

Mormons deny the traditional, biblical doctrine of the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity states that there is one God who eternally exists in three distinct but coequal persons, Father Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Mormon Church denies this. It teaches that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate gods. But the Bible says differently. Isaiah 44:6, 8 says, “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God....Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ ” [or the NASB says: “I know of none”]

There is only one God. If God, who is omniscient, says He does not know of any other gods, surely there are no other gods.

A second false teaching of the Mormon Church has to do with…

2. The Mormon’s Church’s view of man.

The Mormon Church has said that man is a god, “in embryo” and may attain exaltation to godhood as his heavenly father has. According to Mormon teaching God and man are of the same “species.” Mormons believe that before birth into this present world, all human beings preexisted in heaven as spiritual offspring of a father and mother, a god and goddess. Being born into this life here on earth is something that we agreed to in heaven. This life serves as a test and a means of obtaining exaltation one day to godhood. Brigham Young the Church’s second president said: “the Lord created you and me for the purpose of becoming Gods like himself...We are created to become Gods like unto our Father in heaven.” (Journal of Discourses, 3:93) One achieves exaltation by living a life of obedience to Mormon teaching and practices. Those exalted to godhood will inhabit a planet and procreate spirit children, continuing the cycle I just mentioned.

Will man become a god one day? Not a chance. It seems as if God anticipated that the Mormon Church would be saying this! Many verses could refute this teaching but turn with me over to Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43:10 says, "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me.”

There were no gods before God, and there will never be another god after him!

A third false teaching has to do with…

3. The Mormon Church’s view of Jesus.

Mormons call Jesus the Son of God just as we do, but they have a whole different idea in mind of what that means. We believe that He is God the Son (John 20:28) the second person in the Trinity. The Bible teaches that He existed from all eternity (Micah 5:2) and that He is equal in nature with God the Father (Jn. 5:18, Heb. 1:3). Mormon teaching says that Jesus was the very first of many sons. These sons included Lucifer [Satan] himself. They were procreated in heaven by Elohim and one of his many unnamed wives. [Mormon theology also denies the Biblical account of the virgin birth. It teaches instead that the human body Jesus was given at His birth the product of a physical sexual encounter between God the Father who visited earth and had sexual relations with Mary, (who was previously his spirit daughter in heaven!)]

A fourth false teaching of the Mormon Church has to do with…

4. The Mormon Church’s view of salvation.

The Mormon Church teaches that Christ’s death on the cross brings about a general salvation for all mankind. The result of this salvation is that all mankind will be resurrected and given eternal life. This salvation will be granted even to the worst of sinners (including non-Mormons). But they also teach that to experience individual exaltation in heaven one must have --repented --been baptized --and lived a life of obedience to the laws and teachings of the Mormon Church. So to the Mormon, Christ’s work is merely the beginning of salvation. Human works are needed to complete the process. Depending on your works, the Mormon Church teaches that you can achieve one of three different levels in heaven: Celestial (the highest); Terrestrial (the middle); Telestial (the lowest). To make it into the Celestial kingdom, the highest level, one must also be married in the Mormon temple sometime in this life.

According to the Mormon Church, Hell is only a temporary place of suffering for the wicked. After their time of punishment they will be accepted into glory. We obviously disagree with all of these things. And have considered a Biblical response to a works-based view of salvation (Eph. 2:8-9), in previous classes. Titus 3:5 says… 5 “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

MORMON SCRIPTURES

There are four books that the Mormon Church believes contain the Word of God.

1. The Bible

2. Doctrine and Covenants

This book claims to contain revelations given to Joseph Smith and “some additions by his successors in the Presidency of the Church.”

3. The Pearl of Great Price

First published in 1851, is made up of some of Joseph Smith’s writings, (including the Book of Abraham, which you learned about in the video we watched a couple of weeks ago).

4. Book of Mormon

The Mormon Church, not wanting us to misplace any of God’s inspired Scripture, has even graciously packaged them all together in one book for us! (All of these books can be researched online by clicking here. If you want a free copy of the Book of Mormon for research purposes click here.)

We don’t have time to discuss the problems with all of these books. So let us draw our attention to The Book of Mormon. The Mormon Church stands or falls on this book. It, being Joseph Smith’s first work, is foundational to the Mormon faith. If it can be shown that this book is a fraud, and that it is not the Word of God, then the whole foundation of the Mormon faith can be shaken. The Mormon “Apostle” Orson Pratt (1811-1881) said, “Convince us of our error of doctrine if we have any, by reason, by logical arguments, or by the word of God, and we will be ever grateful for the information” [The Seer, p.15-16]

Today I would like to take up Orson Pratt’s challenge. There are 8 reasons why the Book of Mormon should be rejected.

1. It contradicts the Bible. Turn over to Isaiah 8 and listen to what Isaiah said. Isaiah 8:20 20 “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” The Book of Mormon in many instances does not line up with what the Bible teaches. Here are a couple examples. According to Alma 7:10 in the Book of Mormon Jesus would be born in the city of Jerusalem. But the Bible says differently, saying that Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in Luke 2:4 as well as in Micah 5:2. The Book of Mormon has many of these kinds of inconsistencies and contradictions. For more examples, click here.

2. It contains false prophecy. 2 Nephi 10:7, speaking of the Jews, prophesies, “But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance.” So God here in the Book of Mormon prophesies that the Jews would be restored to their land, but only if and when they would acknowledge Jesus as God. Well, the Jews are back in their land today. But who would dare suggest that it happened as a result of their having believed that Jesus was God? That certainly was not the case was it? According to the Deuteronomy 18:22 (a verse that we’ll look at in a few minutes), God’s prophets had to be correct 100% of the time. The Book of Mormon has failed the test.

3. It has undergone enormous change. Joseph Smith himself said that the golden plates from which he supposedly got the Book of Mormon, were translated letter-by-letter, and "by the power of God." (History of the Church, i, p.54-55) see Saint's Herald, November 15, 1962, p.16. Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon was, “the most correct of any book on earth” (History of the Church, 4:461; this is also stated in the Introduction in the Book of Mormon). If that was true there shouldn’t have been any need for any corrections –even spelling and grammatical errors. But, there have been changes. Lots of them. In fact, there have been over 4,000 changes made to the Book of Mormon between the time that the original was published in 1830 and current edition published in 1981. Many of the changes were corrections to Joseph Smith’s misspellings and grammatical errors, but there have been many more changes that are quite substantial. This can pose a real problem to Mormons. If the Book of Mormon is “the most correct of any book on earth” (as Joseph Smith said)…if the Book of Mormon were truly translated letter by letter by the power of God by Joseph Smith there would have been no need for any changes! If you’d like to see actual photographs of the original 1830 version of the Book of Mormon with your own eyes you can buy the book called: 3,913 Changes in the Book of Mormon by Jerald and Sandra Tanner. You can read the introduction to the book by clicking here. A website that lists some of the changes can be viewed by clicking here. The Mormon Church hates this book. This book is an exact photographic reproduction of the first edition of the Book of Mormon compared side by side with a 1964 edition with all the changes marked.

“Charlie, I thought you said there were over 4,000 changes?” I did. The 1981 edition introduced between 100 & 200 additional word changes. So the enormous changes in the Book of Mormon is a good third evidence that the Book is not the Word of God. A couple examples of changes in the Book of Mormon: The original version at 1 Nephi 11:21 says that Jesus is “the eternal Father.” Today’s version says (in the same verse) that Jesus is: “the son of the eternal Father” The original version at Mosiah 21:28 says that: “King Benjamin had a gift from God, whereby he could interpret such engravings." Today’s version says in the same verse that: “King Mosiah had a gift from God, whereby he could interpret such engravings." Click here to view scanned images of the entire 1830 of the Book of Mormon.

4. It is guilty of plagiarism. As you know, to plagiarize is to take ideas, or writings, from another and offer them as one’s own. Well, the Book of Mormon does this hundreds of times. It puts forth some 27,000 words, verses and paragraphs that were taken directly from the King James Version of the Bible. In fact, there are even whole chapters lifted right out of the KJV of the Bible. In fact, even the italicized words in the King James version have been plagiarized. The italicized words, as noted in the preface of the KJV, have been added by the KJ translators to add clarity. And yet, even those words ended up in the Book of Mormon! If, as Joseph Smith says, the golden plates he supposedly translated, were originally penned between 600 B.C. and A.D. 421. how could the Book of Mormon contain such extensive quotations from the KJV Bible, that was written in Old English, and wasn’t even published until 1611 (over a 1,000 years later)? That is a question that Mormons do not like to answer.

5. Archaeological verification is absolutely lacking. The Book of Mormon tells us of two different nations that supposedly once existed in North America: the Nephite and Lamanite nations. We’re told in the Book of Mormon that these nations had huge populations that lived in large, fortified cities. They allegedly waged large-scale wars with each other for hundreds of years in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed. The final battle was in A.D. 385 near Hill Cumorah in present-day New York State (see Mormon 6:9-15). Yet despite these huge populations and cities, and wars, archaeologists have not been able to discover a single thing that would indicate that these people groups ever existed, or that these events actually ever occurred. “Not one piece of evidence has ever been found to support the Book of Mormon-not a trace of the large cities it names, no ruins, no coins, no letters or documents or monuments, nothing in writing. Not even one of the rivers or mountains or any of the topography it mentions has ever been identified (Dave Hunt, In Defense of the Faith, p.156)."

This has been verified by both the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. which stated:

“The Smithsonian Institution has never used The Book of Mormon in any way as a scientific guide. Smithsonian archaeologists see no direct connection between the archaeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book.” Click here to see a photocopy of this document.

National Geographic magazine stated in 1990 that:

"There is no archaeological evidence to verify the history of early peoples of the Western Hemisphere as presented in the Book of Mormon.” Has anything changed in the ten years that followed? No. On January 22, 1999, National Geographic Society stated: “Archaeologists and other scholars have long probed the hemisphere’s past, and the Society does not know of anything found so far that has substantiated the Book of Mormon.” Click here to see a photocopy of this document.

Even some Mormon scholars, such as Dee F. Green, are conceding that this is the case. Green was formerly the editor of the University Archaeological Society Newsletter, published at Brigham Young University. He said:

“No Book of Mormon location is known with reference to modern topography. Biblical archaeology can be studied because we do know where Jerusalem and Jericho were and are, but we do not know where Zarahemla and Bountiful (nor any other location for that matter) were or are. It would seem then that a concentration on geography should be the first order of business, but we have already seen that twenty years of such an approach has left us empty-handed.” (Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Summer 1969, pp. 77-78)

Or there was Thomas Stuart Ferguson, a Mormon archaeologist and apologist. He dedicated more than twenty years of his life to finding proof for the Book of Mormon. He founded the New World Archaeology Foundation at Brigham Young University, which was established for the purpose of unearthing archaeological evidence that would support the Book of Mormon. After utterly failing to find any evidence, he said this:

“With all of these great efforts, it cannot be established factually that anyone, from Joseph Smith to the present day, has put his finger on a single point of terrain that was a Book of Mormon geographical place. And the hemisphere has been pretty well checked out by competent people…I must agree with Dee Green, who has told us that to date there is no Book of Mormon geography. I, for one, would be happy if Dee was wrong…you can’t set Book of Mormon geography down anywhere—because it is fictional….Mormonism is probably the best conceived myth-fraternity to which one can belong (Cited by Richard Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, p. 76-80 and footnotes)."

If a Mormon tells you that archaeological evidence does exist, put the burden of proof back on them. Ask for hard documentation from non-Mormon sources that you can examine.

A great DVD that discusses this utter lack of archaeological evidence is The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon (available in our online store).

6. It has been disproved by recent DNA research. The Book of Mormon claims that about 2,600 years ago there was a migration of Hebrew people to the Americas. The introduction to the Book of Mormon says these Lamanites: “are the principal ancestors of the American Indians.” That is to say, the Book of Mormon teaches that the Native American Indians actually trace their roots back to the Hebrew people. That foundational claim in the Book of Mormon has been disproved by exciting new scientific DNA research. Research done on thousands of individuals from scores of Native American tribes from Alaska down to the tip of South America show that the overwhelming majority [96.4% in post Colombian individuals] of DNA in these tribes originated in northeastern and north-central Asia. [Research done on the remains of Pre-Colombian Indians reveals this even more so (100% in pre Colombian individuals).] Archaeologists, anthropologists, and now DNA experts have reached a consensus: The Native American Indians were not, and are not related to the Hebrew people as the Book of Mormon claims. Had there been a Hebrew migration to the new world in ancient times as the Book of Mormon claims, there would be at least some evidence of this in the DNA of modern-day Native Americans; however, that is not the case. Because there was never a Hebrew migration to the Americas in ancient times, there could not have been a Lamanite race. This new research, that is beginning to making it’s way into the mainstream, is causing many Mormons to reevaluate their beliefs in the Book of Mormon. You can obtain a copy of a great DVD on this topic, called DNA vs. the Book of Mormon in our online store.

7. It is permeated with scientific problems. Dr. Thomas Key (TDKey.com), the author of the book The Book of Mormon in the Light of Science documents numerous problems that exist in the Book of Mormon. This book can be downloaded for free on Dr. Key's website. Among the problems he documents are the Book of Mormon’s: Geographical problems, Botanical problems, Zoological problems, Language problems, Microbiological problems, Physiological problems, Physical and Chemical Problems, Technological problem, Anthropological problems, Historical problems, Grammatical and Spelling Problems (in the first edition 1830)

A shorter article on this topic by Dr. Key can be read here .

8. Joseph Smith was a false prophet. Joseph Smith has made numerous false prophecies. In September of 1832 Joseph Smith claimed that the Lord told him that the latter-day Saints would build the New Jerusalem and its temple in Zion, Missouri during his generation. He said in… Doctrine & Covenants 84:5, 31 5 “For verily this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house.…which house shall be built unto the Lord in this generation, upon the consecrated spot as I have appointed” Joseph Smith was in Kirtland, Ohio at the time that he made this prophecy. Little did he know that as he spoke his followers (in Zion) was being run out of town. Their printing presses were destroyed, and some of their leaders were tarred and feathered! Well, it has been 170 years since this prophecy was made. Generations have come and gone since 1832 and the New Jerusalem has not been built in Zion, Missouri. A proven false prophecy!! There are many. On May 6, 1843. Joseph Smith made this prophecy He said “I prophesy in the name of the Lord God of Israel, unless the United States redress the wrongs committed upon the Saints in the state of Missouri and punish the crimes committed by her officers that in a few years the government will be utterly overthrown and wasted, and there will not be so much as a potsherd left” (History of the Church, Vol. 5, p. 394). Well, the United States Government did not redress, (or rectify) any of the wrongs committed against the Mormons in Missouri, and now over 150 years later, the U.S. Government is still standing. Here we have another example of a false prophecy. Deuteronomy 18 tells us what we should think about false prophets. Deuteronomy 18:22 22 says, “When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” That word “afraid” in the Hebrew is the word “guwr” (goor). Besides meaning “afraid” it can also mean to turn aside from the road (as in a place for a lodging or any other purpose). In other words, we are to have nothing to do with false prophets. There is to be no turning aside to follow after them. In fact, listen to what God commanded the Israelites to do with false prophets in Deuteronomy 13:1-5: “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods' — which you have not known — 'and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.” False prophets were to be put to death. God takes deception very seriously. (It is interesting to note that Joseph Smith was put to death).

So what are we to think about the Book of Mormon?

1. It contradicts the Bible.

2. It contains false prophecy.

3. It has undergone enormous change

4. It is guilty of plagiarism.

5. Archaeological verification is absolutely lacking.

6. Recent DNA Research has disproved a major claim in the Book of Mormon.

7. It is permeated with scientific problems.

8. Joseph Smith was a false prophet.

What should we think about the Book of Mormon? Orson Pratt, that Mormon apostle of old, the one who said “Convince us of our error” was so confident in the Book of Mormon, he said the following in 1851. “The Book of Mormon claims to be a divinely inspired record…If false, it is one of the most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions [burdens] ever palmed upon the world, calculated to deceive and ruin millions. . . if false, no one can possibly be saved and receive it.” [Orson Pratt's Works, “Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon,” Liverpool, 1851, pp.1-2) See: http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech5a.htm#The Book of Mormon]

Seeing that the Book of Mormon is false, we’ll allow his own statement to summarize for us what the Book of Mormon is… “…it is one of the most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions [burdens] ever palmed upon the world, calculated to deceive and ruin millions…”

WITNESSING TO MORMON MISSIONARIES

1. Lovingly Greet the Missionaries on Your Porch. Keep in mind that Mormon missionaries are human beings with families just like you. They are not intentionally going door to door trying to deceive people. They have been deceived. Satan has blinded their minds (2 Cor. 4:4) and taken them captive to do his will (2 Tim. 2:26). So, when Mormon missionaries knock on your door, greet them in love and invite them in to sit down. If the time is bad for a discussion (maybe you’re in the middle of something) that’s okay! Tell them that, and let them know a good time to come back. (You’re going to need about an hour for the first meeting). Of course ladies, for your safety you never want to invite anybody into your home unless your husband or another man is present.

2. Let them talk. The tendency of many Christians (and myself included at one time) is to employ what I call “the flamethrower approach” with cultists on your doorstep. As soon as the Mormon or the Jehovah’s Witness shows up on your doorstep or sits down there in your house you blast them! You lay out before them all that you know about their group. All the things that you disagree with. All the things you’ve ever heard. All the differences that you can think of between orthodox Christianity and their beliefs.This is rarely effective. Don’t do that! I’ve done that. Others have done it. It doesn’t work.

In most cases Mormon missionaries have a memorized presentation. The two of them will take turns. This guy will speak, then the other will speak, back and forth. Let them go through it, and with no interruptions! You’re listening intently. You’re praying for them.

THEIR TESTIMONY: When their presentation is over the one that is talking will share with you his testimony. It’s memorized and it will sound something like this: “I testify to you that --Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, -- the Mormon church is true, --Jesus is the Christ, --the president of the Mormon church is a prophet on the earth today, --and I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

THEIR CHALLENGE TO YOU: Then one of them will say something like this (it is right out of the introduction to the Book of Mormon and it reads): “We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost.” That is typically how their presentation will end; with an invitation to you to read the Book of Mormon for yourself and pray about whether or not it’s true.

3. Tell Them You Have Looked into the Book of Mormon. You've read some of it right here on this webpage. Say something like this (very humbly) “I have read some of the Book of Mormon." You are going to have two shocked missionaries sitting there. Why are they going to be shocked? Well, first off, the average Mormon has NEVER met somebody outside of the Church that has read the Book of Mormon. Secondly, because you have just taken the steam out of their entire presentation!! Their whole presentation is designed to get you interested in reading the Book of Mormon, and then to leave one behind and leave.

4. Say something like, “In fact, I ran into a few problems and maybe you can help me out.” They’ll look puzzled, but will be glad to see themselves as those who can help a person out who has honest questions. So they’ll say “Sure!?”

5. Excuse yourself for a moment. There are two things you want to go do. A. Go and get your Book of Mormon, your King James Version of the Bible (this is only version officially accepted and used by the Mormon Church ), and your notes. B. Pray.

6. Ask the questions you’ve prepared ahead of time. What kind of questions? Questions that specifically address problems with the Book of Mormon and the teachings of their prophets. If you preach at them most Mormons will tune you out. Asking questions gives them hope that you are genuinely interested in learning more about their religion. Asking questions is a great way to get the Mormon to think about things they may have never thought about. researching into the false teachings of their church. Jesus Himself often times asked His critics questions. To the chief priests and the elders who were challenging his authority, Jesus asked… Matthew 21:25 (also v. 28) “The Baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” Let’s look at some sample questions that you can ask? I’d suggest going through these on your own and writing them out in your own handwriting and in your own words. One student even suggested in class that we give it to them on a piece of paper, and encourage them to get back to us with an answer. That is a good idea. Don't print out the whole page. Just ask about three during the first meeting.

1. Can you find me archeological and historical proof from non-Mormon sources that prove that the peoples and places named in the Book of Mormon are true?

2. Why does the Book of Mormon state that Jesus was born in Jerusalem (Alma 7:10) when history and the Bible state that he was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1)?

3. I’ve read where Joseph Smith said that he translated the golden plates (from which he got the Book of Mormon) letter-by-letter, “by the power of God” and that it was “the most correct of any book on earth." If that’s true why has the Mormon Church had to make more than 4,000 changes to the Book of Mormon that was originally published in 1830?

4. Why do the Bible verses quoted in the Book of Mormon contain the italicized words from the King James Version that were added into the KJV text by the translators in the 16th and 17th centuries?

Here’s an example: 3 Nephi 24:10 says: “...that there shall not be room enough to receive it...” This is an exact quote from Malachi 3:10 from the King James Version. What’s amazing is that seven of these words were not part of the original text. They were added by the KJV translators for clarity. How did those words end up in the Book of Mormon that was supposedly written over a thousand years before the King James Version of the Bible?

5. Isaiah 43:10 says, "Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me." In Isaiah 44:6, God says, "There is no God besides Me." In light of what is said here, how can worthy Mormon males become Gods in the afterlife when God already said that before him no God was formed, nor will there be any Gods formed after Him?

6. Why do Mormons say that Jesus and Lucifer are spirit brothers when both the first chapter of John 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:16 teach that Jesus is the creator of all things, including Lucifer?

7. I read where Brigham Young, the second president of the LDS Church, taught that both the moon and the sun were inhabited by people (Journal of Discourses, 1870, v.13, p.271). Has the Mormon Church ever found scientific evidence of that to be true?

8. I read in Doctrine and Covenants 84:1-5 where Joseph Smith prophesied that the New Jerusalem and a temple would be built in Zion, Missouri in his generation. Does the Mormon Church still teach that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God after he made a false prophecy?

9. I read where Brigham Young taught that Adam is “our Father and our God” (Journal of Discourses, Apr. 9, 1852, vol.1, p.50). How can that be true when both the Bible and the Book of Mormon (Mormon 9:12) say that Adam was a creation of God?

10. If Brigham Young was a true prophet, why would one of your later prophets overturn his declaration which stated that the black man could never hold the priesthood in the LDS Church until after the resurrection of all other races (Journal of Discourses, Dec. 12, 1854, 2:142-143)?

11. Read Deuteronomy 18:20-22. Since the Bible’s test to determine whether someone is a true prophet of God is 100% accuracy in all his prophecies has the LDS Church ever reconsidered its teaching that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were true prophets?

12. In the last couple of years, Mormon scholars, and scientists have discovered powerful DNA evidence that has proven that the American Indians are not descendants of the Jewish race (as the Book of Mormon claims in its introduction), but the Asian race. How does your church respond to this scientific evidence?

13. Why did Joseph Smith condone polygamy as an ordinance from God (Doctrine and Covenants 132 [see v. 38-39]) when the Book of Mormon had already condemned the practice in the book Jacob 1:15 and 2:24?

These are questions that can slowly chip away at the Mormons very foundation, their faith in their the Book of Mormon, and their supposed prophets.

7. Suggest to them the idea of getting together again. Why? To continue discussing these matters and your questions. Will they come back? Most likely, yes. Why? You were friendly. You were humble. You were kind. You remained joyful and unargumentative. You posed honest questions to them (that you need answers to) and they will feel as if they owe it to you to provide answers to the questions that you asked that they were not able to answer. Your goal is to eventually and lovingly share with them three things.

1. Your discovery that the Bible is trustworthy and reliable.

2. The real gospel.

Demonstrate to them the total sufficiency of Christ’s death on the cross to secure for us salvation and forgiveness of sins.

3. Your testimony (what God has done in your life).

This is the same approach I would use with co-workers, friends, and family members that are Mormons as well. It may play out a little differently. They won’t come to your door, but you can have a talk over a lunch or two with that uncle of yours or that friend that you work with and ask them, “So what exactly is it that you believe?” They will tell you. Response: Debate? Arguing? I wouldn’t. My response? Say, "Hmmmm." Then tell them that you’d be interested in reading the Book of Mormon, and any of their other inspired literature. A couple of weeks after they give you that material let them know that you have a few questions you’d like to ask them.

If this ministry has been a blessing to you, would you please
prayerfully consider making a donation to help our work?

ABOUT CHARLIE CAMPBELL

Charlie Campbell is the Director of The Always Be Ready Apologetics Ministry, the author of One Minute Answers to Skeptics’ Top Forty Questions, and a popular guest speaker at churches around the United States on issues related to the defense of the Christian faith. His teachings and resources have been endorsed by Dr. Norman Geisler, Charles Colson, Chuck Smith, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Jeremy Camp, and Brian Brodersen. He resides in southern California with his wife and five children.

BOOKING:

If you would like to inquire about having Charlie Campbell teach at your church, conference, Christian school, or retreat please call email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or click here for further details.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

For additional resources, including notes, audio messages, and DVDs, that will help you always be ready to defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15) check out www.AlwaysBeReady.com