Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105) Mount
Baker
Beacon Volume 02, Number 42
10/15/2023 Published by
Mt. Baker
church of Christ Location:
1860 Mt. Baker HWY
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 30821
Bellingham, WA 98228
(360) 752-2692 Sunday:
Bible Classes..........9:30 AM
Worship..10:30AM; 6:00PM
Wednesday:
Bible Classes.........7:00 PM
Web site: Mt. Baker church
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Editor......John Bass
| In this issue:
CONTRADICTIONS IN THE BOOK OF MORMON
Mike Willis I have recently been studying with a Mormon which naturally resulted in an examination of the Book of Mormon and the life of the "Prophet, Seer, and Priest" Joseph Smith. Usually the Mormon will ask you to read through the Book of Mormon and then kneel down and ask God if those are His words. This I did, only I asked for proof of its truth OR its falsity.
The Book of Mormon has been accurately described as "chloroform in action." During the days spent in reading the book, I repeatedly fell asleep while reading the book. Its literary frailties are quite apparent even to an average person. Finally I succeeded in finishing the book. With the help of several other books, I found the following evidence that proves conclusively that the Book of Mormon is contradictory to the Bible.
The purpose of this article is to give you a convenient reference in answer to Mormon "Elders" who visit you door to door. Perhaps this will save someone from wasting the time it takes to wade through the Book of Mormon.
The most apparent contradiction in the book is listed as follows:
As you can easily see, the Book of Mormon states that Jesus was born in Jerusalem while the Bible states that he was born in Bethlehem. In order to reconcile the two accounts, the Mormon will usually state that Bethlehem was a "suburb" of Jerusalem that was located just a little over seven miles away. However, the word "Jerusalem" is used to name the city within its wall. Never has been found the occasion when the name was used to describe more than that area (at least to my knowledge), either in the Bible or in the Book of Mormon. In Matt. 21:17, 18 Jesus left Jerusalem to go to Bethany--just one and one-half miles away yet this was not mentioned as being a "suburb." The argument of the Mormons is just a vain attempt to reconcile the Book of Mormon to the Bible.
Another bit of evidence that is noticeable is in regard to the events transpiring at the death of Jesus. Notice the following series of verses:
As is easily perceived, the contradiction in these two verses is in regard to the length of time of the darkness following the death of Christ. In order to reconcile these verses, Mormons try to apply the three days only to the American continent but in so doing they contradict their own book which specifically states "the face of the whole earth."
The Book of Mormon teaches one doctrine that leads to the following series of contradictions in regard to the establishment of the church before Christ came. Notice the following comparisons:
The passage taken from the Book of Mormon certainly occurred before Christ came to the earth and has been dated by their own book as 147 B.C. Yet, when Jesus was on the earth 180 years later, He thought that the church still needed to be built.
With the church already in existence, according to the Mosiah, naturally there would be Christians.
Either Acts 11:26 is false and the Book of Mormon is true or the Book of Mormon is false and Acts 11:26 is true in this case, because it is impossible for the two conflicting statements to both be true. As you notice, Alma had Christians before Christ should come and dated, once again by their own book, at 73 B.C. Yet, Luke said they were called Christians first at Antioch.
In addition to reference to Christians and to the Church being premature, the Book of Mormon has the disciples praying in the name of Christ prematurely.
Jesus stated that prior to that time they had asked nothing in his name (33 A.D.), but the Book of Mormon had Christians praying in Jesus' name as early as 544 B.C.
In another "inspired" writing by Joseph Smith under the title of Doctrine and Covenants, we have the following contradiction regarding the time that repentance began to be preached in Jesus' name:
On one side we have the affirmation that repentance and redemption were preached first to Adam while on the other side we have Jesus' statement that it should begin (it had not already begun) at Jerusalem.
In a Mormon pamphlet entitled Joseph Smith's Own Story, this final contradiction will be pointed out.
"He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth verse to the last. He also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be." (p. 9)
On the day of Pentecost, Peter quoted the same verses in Acts 2:17-21 and preceded his usage of the passage from Joel with these words:
"For these are not drunken, as ye suppose; seeing it is but the third hour of the day; but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel:" (Acts 2:15,16). The weight of this is seen in that Peter said "this is that" and was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost in 33 A.D. while Joseph Smith said "No, it has not yet been fulfilled."
In conclusion, one must point out that a person cannot follow both the Book of Mormon and the Bible. Therefore, each individual must choose which he will follow. The objective of each Bible student must be to illustrate vividly contradictions in order to let the Mormon see that he MUST choose between the two. Top
DOES GOD HAVE A PLAN OF SALVATION?
Joe R. Price A plan is a program of action, "a scheme for making, doing, or arranging something" (Webster). We are familiar with plans: Football teams have game plans, architects have building plans, and teachers have lesson plans. Before smartphones, many people used day planners to arrange their daily activities.
Having a plan indicates order and definition. Although the word is not used in Ephesians 1:3-14, it is obvious from a reading of that passage that God had a plan to save lost souls that He executed through Jesus Christ. When we speak of the "scheme of redemption" we are referring to God's arrangement or plan by which He saves sinners.
We also speak of the plan of salvation when talking about how God's salvation is appropriated by the sinner. A reading of the New Testament makes it clear God has a plan (an arrangement) whereby His mercy and grace remove sin from our lives (Acts 4:12; Acts 10:34-35). What follows is a brief summary of God's plan, the arrangement God has revealed, which, when believed and obeyed, results in salvation. First, one must believe in God and His Son, Jesus Christ (Heb. 11:6; John 8:24). Without faith, no one will be saved. One comes to faith in Christ by hearing the word of God (John 20:30-31; Rom. 10:17). It is this word of God that commands every sinner to confess faith that Jesus is the Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:37). When a sinner confesses faith in Christ, that person's faith compels him to repent of his sins (another commandment of God we obey to be saved, Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30). Having repented (changed one's mind toward God and sin against Him), what remains is to be baptized into Christ for the remission of sins. In this action, Christ's blood washes sin away and the sinner is saved (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; 1 Pet. 3:21). The Lord adds the saved person (now a Christian) to His body, the church (Acts 2:47). Now a disciple of Christ, the Christian lives by faith, obediently serving Jesus as Lord (Rom. 6:17-18; 12:1-2; Gal. 2:20).
God has a plan of salvation and wants to save you. The question is whether or not you have obeyed it. If not, why not believe, obey, and be saved now (2 Cor. 6:2)? Top
Created by John Bass, last updated. 10/14/2023 The Mount Baker Beacon is a weekly publication of the Mt. Baker church of Christ, Bellingham, WA.
Send all questions, comments to the editor, John Bass at (360) 325-5149 or johnbass2468@gmail.com |
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