Hello,
I'm a baptist, who lives in the UK and does outreach to various cults. Here is a copy of a letter which I wrote to two Mormon missionaries after they challenged me to read one of the books in the book of mormon. I read the Book fo Alma and here are my comments. By the way I'm giving a talk tonight on Mormonism, though it's more of an informal chat than a sermon.
Robert
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Dear Elder Woodfield,
Thank you both for leaving a copy of the book of Mormon with me, I certainly do appreciate your concern. However may I please ask you a few questions about your faith, as I’m certain that you will appreciate that with so many other religious groups proselytising and claiming that they alone have the truth, so one has to test a religion to find out if it is indeed true or not: “test all things, hold fast to what is good” (
1st Thessalonians 5:21). Primarily I’ve been looking at the book of Alma, and then crossed referenced various verses with the footnote references at the bottom of the page, as well as those references in the index at the back of the book.
• The word Alma is a Hebrew word which means ‘young virgin woman.’ So why are two male figures within the book of Mormon each called ‘Alma?’ Is this a joke which those people without a grasp of basic Hebrew will miss, but those with some Bible knowledge will immediately grasp? So as it isn’t possible for a man to be an Alma; this must be a joke!
• Alma 7:10, page 224. This is blatant mistake, as it claims that Christ was born in Jerusalem, when he was in fact born in Bethlehem. See
Luke 2:4 which states precisely that.
• Alma 12:22 we read that when Adam fell, as a result of his sin, he then immediately partook in Adam’s new sin nature. This is of course is the classical doctrine of original sin, and there is nothing particularly unique or unusual about this belief. However, whilst the book of Mormon has affirmed original sin at Alma 12:22, surprisingly the second article of faith denies both original sin and consequently Alma 12:22, when it sates that; “men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgressions.”
• Alma 13:1, Page 241, here Joseph Smith being uneducated has confused his tenses. People are asked to look forward, which implies a future action, but then a past tense “gave” is mistakenly used in the text. If God had inspired this book, then he would not have made such a basic mistake, as I assume that God understands the rules of grammar.
• Alma 34:36: on page 295 states that God dwells within the hearts of his people. However the Doctrine and Covenants 130:3 records a prophecy made by Joseph Smith at Rumus, Illinois on 2nd April 1843. In this prophecy (D & C 130:3), Smith claims that the standard Christian interpretation of
John 14:23 is wrong, because he claims that the Father and Son cannot indwell Christians or anyone else. Yet this is precisely what
John 14:23 states, the words ‘we will come to him’ obviously implies, a literal indwelling: “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him:”
John 14:23 KJV.
• Alma 41:8: If the decrees of God are unalterable, then why has the Mormon Church repeatedly changed its strictures under the claimed inspiration of God? Polygamy was at first condemned as a sin (Jacob 1:15, 2:24-33), but it was then commanded (D&C 132:1), and then forbidden again in 1890 when its practice caused the American Government to threaten confiscation of all church property. The priesthood was forbidden to blacks until 1978, when the Mormon god then changed his mind again, although all senior Mormons today such as the prophet and other leaders, are all white!
• We read at
Genesis 8:21, that God here states that he will never again curse the land: “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake.” This promise was made by God to Noah, about 4,000 years ago if we regard the Biblical chronology as trustworthy. However, in the Book of Mormon at Alma 45:16, we read that God did again curse the ground, even after he promised not to do so at
Genesis 8:21. It is interesting to note that Alma 45:16: “Cursed shall be the land” is dated as having taken place at about 73 BC.
• Alma 46:16: The claimed date of authorship for this section of the Book of Mormon is 73 BC. However, the Bible states at
Acts 11:26, and at approximately 40 AD, that; “the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.” So because Scripture must always harmonise with the previous revelation to be correct, how could God inspire different prophets with different contradictory truths? Why does the Book of Mormon claim the title “Christian” in 73 BC, some 113 years before it was first used at
Acts 11:26?
• At Mormon 8:12 and 1st Nephi 19:6 the Book of Mormon openly admits to its own errors! So why then should trust it, if unlike the Bible this is a religious book containing admitted errors? In the light of
Deuteronomy 18:18-20 and
Isaiah 8:20, anybody who makes a false prophecy, even just a single false prophecy, is a false prophet.
In summary I believe that true salvation is the gift of God, and that it isn’t something that we can ever work for or contribute to (
Ephesians 2:8-10). Indeed God warns us about religious groups such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses who attempt to preach a gospel based upon works – our works for God with the intention of earning us salvation. “But even though we or an angel from heaven preach any other Gospel to you, than that that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (
Galatians 1:8). Please notice the words ‘or an angel.’
So when God forgave me my own sins, he consequently also gave me Christ’s righteousness at the very same time, thus making me (positionally) perfect (
Matthew 5:48), through my faith in Christ’s sacrifice and not by my good works. This is why right now, I can testify to you that through my faith in Christ I can stand before God without any condemnation whatsoever: “There is therefore NOW no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” (
Romans 8:1). I ask both of you to ask yourself if right now, (and not at some future point), you too have no condemnation before a holy God and so are right now – perfect? If you’re not, then you stand before God, condemned as sinners, for God only accepts perfection (
Matthew 5:48), those who aren’t prefect are lost sinners who’re going to hell.
Yours faithfully
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