--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A RESTORATION OF TRUTH: IN WORD & POWER
By: Gary Metzger & Jon Tandy
Cover Design by Connie Smith
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Christ Built His Church
The Apostasy
The Restoration
I. Additional Revelation/Scripture
II. Does the Bible Speak of Another Book of Scripture?
III. A Doctrinal Comparison
IV. Archaeology
V. Hebrew Writing Styles
VI. The Original Twelve Witnesses
VII. Additional Latter-day Testimonies
All Bible Verses from the King James Version
Printing History:
TCS Press, N. Kansas City, MO 1st Printing -- Apr. 1990
2nd Printing -- Jan. 1991
3rd Printing -- Mar. 1994
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A RESTORATION OF TRUTH: IN WORD & POWER
Jesus said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (John 14:6). He came to the earth that we might have TRUTH, and the revelation of the Father.
Jesus is our advocate with the Father, and our compassionate Creator. Jesus died to break the bondage of sin, that we might have life in Him, and the presence of the Holy Spirit to "guide us into all truth". He will reveal truth to all who will seek Him.
Jesus said, "My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me. If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself." (John 7:16,17)
Christ delivered His message of Good News unto mankind while upon the earth. He now desires each of us to leave the traditions of men and the powers of darkness, and cleave to the everlasting light of His word: TRUTH. Will you have His truth in you?
Jesus proclaimed, "I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH." It is built upon the revelation of Truth to man; to be fitly joined together in perfect unity as members of His church.
Christ's disciples who obey His gospel are His church--His Holy body--His Bride.
(return to contents)
The Church of Jesus Christ was built up according to His commands. What is its doctrine? What are some of its characteristics? Who are its ministers? Is it the same today, as when Christ established it???
[Refer to the picture below]
- FOUNDATION: It was established upon the ROCK, the revelation of Christ into your life. (Matt 16:17)
- It was built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets. (Eph 2:20). The following ministry was SET in the church for the perfecting of the saints until unity of faith is achieved:
It includes: APOSTLES BISHOPS SEVENTY TEACHERS
PROPHETS EVANGELISTS ELDERS DEACONS
And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (Eph 4:11-13)
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. (1Cor 12:28)
(See also: 1Tim 3:2,8; Phil 1:1; Titus 1:7; Acts 14:23, 20:17; 1Pet 5:1; Luke 10:1)
If: 1) God SET these ministers in the church;
2) They were placed there to perfect the saints, until we come into the unity of the faith;
3) We have not been perfected and there is not yet unity in the faith;
THEN, the purpose for their existence has not yet been fulfilled! Thus, these offices and ministers would still need to be present in the church today to bring about GOD'S desired result.
- BASIC PRINCIPLES: Steps: Faith, Repentance; Door: Baptisms of Water and Spirit; Front Window: Laying on of Hands, the Resurrection of the Dead, Eternal Judgment, and going on to Perfection. (Heb 6:1-3)
- WINDOWS: It was given the Gifts of the Spirit until perfection (1Cor 12:4-11,28, 13:8-10; 1Thes 5:19,20). Tongues, Interpretation of tongues, Discerning of spirits, Miracles, Prophecy, Faith, Healings, Dreams, Visions.
(return to contents)
These components of Christ's church were all present in the first century. But there came a time when these characteristics were laid aside. There were "changes in the ordinances" (Isa 24:5, Mal 3:7)...a falling away, an apostasy from the truth! This apostasy was foretold by the prophets of God!
2Thes 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [of Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Acts 20:29 For I [Paul] know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
1Tim 4:1-3 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats...
2Tim 3:1-5 In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves...having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
(See also: Isa 29:10; 60;2; Micah 3:6,7; Amos 8:11,12; John 10:12,14; 2Pet 2:1-3; 2Tim 4:3,4; Jude 1:18,19)
From history we also find that there was an apostasy, just as Paul prophesied. The truth was lost.
Johann von Mosheim (1694-1755) was a Church historian and Lutheran preacher. He stated, "The Christian church was scarcely formed when in different places, there started up certain pretended reformers, who not satisfied with the simplicity of that religion that was taught by the apostles, meditated changes of doctrine and worship." - Mosheim (1)
This corruption in Christ's church continued. By the 7th century "true religion lay buried under a senseless mass of superstitions, and was unable to raise her head. The earlier Christians had worshipped only God and His Son; but those called Christians in this age worshipped the wood of a cross, the images of holy men, and bones of dubious origin." - Mosheim (2)
John Wesley, founder of Methodism: "It does not appear that these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were common in the church for more than 2 or 3 centuries...The real cause was...the Christians were turned Heathens again, and had only a dead form left." (3)
Alexander Campbell, leader of the Disciples of Christ: "We argue that all Christian sects are more or less apostatized from the institutions of the Saviour." (4)
Roger Williams set up the first Baptist church in America (1638). But he perceived the great discrepancy between the churches of his day and the 1st century church. "He denied that any ministry now exists which is authorized to preach the gospel to the impenitent, or to administer the ordinances."(5)
(return to contents)
These reformers were burdened with conflicting teachings, and the lack of spiritual power and authority in their day. Yet they didn't fall into agnosticism and infidelity. Nor should we! They believed the true light of the gospel would again shine. We must also realize God Himself would bring a Restoration of Truth.
Roger Williams conceived "that the apostasy of anti-christ hath so far corrupted all that there can be no recovery out of that apostasy till Christ shall send forth new apostles to plant churches anew." (6)
"And yet the wise men of the world, the men of eminence, men of learning and renown, cannot imagine what we mean by talking of any extraordinary work of God. They cannot discern the signs of these times. They can see no sign at all of God's arising to maintain his OWN cause, and set up his kingdom over the earth." - John Wesley (7)
"But the preparation of a people for the coming of the Lord must be the result of the RESTORATION of the ANCIENT GOSPEL and order of things." (8) "Though the heavens of gospel light are still obscured by many clouds (the sects of various names), the promise is that 'at evening-time it shall be light.' [Zech 14:7] The primitive gospel, in its effulgence and power, is yet to shine out in its original splendor to regenerate the world." -Alexander Campbell (9)
Some say that Christ built His church, and that it would not fall away..."the gates of hell [would] not prevail against it" (Matt 16:18). The testimony of the scriptures and these godly men show the apostasy was real. Christ's promise was that Satan should not ultimately "prevail". For a time, Christ's church would retreat into the wilderness, and would later be restored in purity and power. (Rev 12:6-10)
The reformers stood firm and sought for that which the prophet Jeremiah desired in his day..."Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls..." (Jer 6:16) (See also Eccl. 3:14,15; Amos 3:7)
"[Martin] Luther perceived that the ancient and primitive church of the apostles must, on the one hand, be RESTORED in opposition to the Papacy." (10)
John Wesley stated, "Has the case been altered since the Reformation?...Not at all. Indeed many of the Reformers themselves complained, that 'the Reformation was not carried far enough.'" (11)
The testimony of a Roman Catholic Priest in Basil, Switzerland, in 1739 AD states:
"The old time Gospel, and the gifts thereof are lost. False doctrines prevail in all the churches on the face of the Earth. All we can do is exhort the people to be just, fear God, shun evil, and pray. Prayer and purity may cause an angel to visit some deep depressed soul. But I tell you that within one hundred years, God will have spoken. He will restore the church again! I see a little band of people led by a Prophet and a faithful leader. Some will be persecuted and burned out and murdered. From every nation shall true believers be gathered by speedy messengers. And then shall the Almighty God speak to the disobedient nations with thunder and lightning, and destruction such as men have never known before." (12)
We testify that this prophecy is true! God has spoken again to His people! He is speaking to teach and edify the followers of Christ, as He has done for thousands of years. These words should also be written as scripture for God's people, just as God's words were written by the prophets of old.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. CAN THERE BE SCRIPTURE IN ADDITION TO WHAT IS CONTAINED IN THE BIBLE?!!
Most Christians would unreservedly say NO! Some reasons given:
Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Rev 22:18,19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Does this mean that God will not add anything to the Bible? Is that what this verse says? Consider:
1) Does the verse say God cannot add, or man cannot add to these words? If man, then why could God not add His own words by revelation to edify His people?
2) In approximately 100 AD, the Bible was not a "book" as we now have it. It was canonized hundreds of years later. The book of Revelation is the "book of this prophecy". In Rev 1:3,11 we find: "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein...and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches..." John was commanded to write a book (Revelation) of the things he saw. The book of Revelation is the book referred to in Rev 22:18,19.
3) It is not definite that the Book of Revelation was the last book written in the first century.
4) What if God had given the same commandment to "not add" to His word earlier in our scripture? He did!
A principle is laid for our understanding. Consider the following scriptures:
Deut 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
Deut 12:32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Prov 30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
If the previous verses mean that God will not speak any more after He gives the command to "not add to the word I command you", then any commandments God gave after Deut 4:2 should not be scripture. Thus, Deut 12:32, Prov 30:6 and Rev 22:18-19 ARE NOT SCRIPTURE!! (according to this logic).
This can not be! The Lord is concerned that man not change what He says, whenever He says it. It is not that He can not speak any more, or that man should not write down those words and call them scripture. The facts are before us. After God told man not to "add to His words" in Deut 4:2, there is a great deal of "scripture" left in the Bible. The words from Deut 4:3 to Rev 22 are scripture! Therefore, the words "to not add" in Deut 4, Prov 30 and Rev 22 all mean the same: Do not write what we think; write as scripture whatever God says. Whenever God speaks to His Prophet, let those words be written.
For example, consider the prophet Jeremiah:
Jer 36:1,2,4,23,27,28,32 this word came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel...and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord, which He had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book...Jehudi...cast it into the fire...until all the roll was consumed...Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah...saying, 'Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll'...Then took Jeremiah another roll, and Baruch the scribe...wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; AND THERE WERE ADDED besides unto them many like words.
Should we call Jeremiah a "false prophet" for adding words to what was already given, or "accursed" for preaching a different gospel!? God Forbid! Jeremiah only wrote what God said, and GOD spoke more words the second time, which were like the first. Additional revelation must be in harmony with that given before, but does not have to be the same words.
The following illustrate that revelation should not be limited; only to be received with caution:
Isa 28:13 The word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little.
Matt 4:4 Man shall live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
1Thes 5:20,21 "Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things. Hold fast that which is good."
Rev 19:10 "...for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."
Rev 10:11 - 11:6 There will be future prophets who will prophets in the name of the Lord. See also Joel 2:23-31; Eph 4:11-13.
Isa 8:20 "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."
Isa 5:20 "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil..."
Resolved: 1) DO NOT DESPISE PROPHESYINGS; The Lord desires to give precept upon precept.
2) Refer to BOTH the Law & to TESTIMONY for verification of truth;
3) A testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy;
4) Do not call that which is GOOD, Evil, just because others share that view.
Test it for yourself, and hold fast to that which is good.
The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy:
"...from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (2Tim 3:15)
What were those scriptures which Timothy used from a child? THE OLD TESTAMENT! (Not even the New Testament, which Paul was in the act of writing!) Paul said they HAD ENOUGH for salvation! Was Paul saying that there was no need for additional scripture? Did Paul mean his letters were not "Scripture"? We believe they ARE scripture, because we discern they were authored by the Spirit of God.
This is still the test today. Do not call Good, Evil. If the God of Heaven wishes to reveal Himself to people today by the Spirit, as He did for 4000 years and have those words written for our edification as did the Apostle Paul, we should not oppose Him. HE DOES NOT CHANGE (Mal 3:6, Heb 13:8).
He used angels to minister to Jacob, Abraham, Lot, Isaiah, Daniel, Joseph and Mary, the Shepherds, Jesus, Peter, Cornelius and John. Thus, since God does not change, and He has consistently used angels throughout ALL of scripture, HE will not stop! After Christ's departure, angels continued to minister. Even the book of Revelation was delivered to the apostle John by an angel (Rev. 1:1). Hebrews 13:2 indicates that angels will continue to appear to people. Repentance and faith are still brought forth by angelic ministry from heaven.
Hebrews 1:14 tells us that angels are "all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." Therefore, since there are still heirs of salvation, angels MUST still be ministering to people today! Thus a RESTORATION OF TRUTH will certainly include the ministry of angels.
"I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth."(Rev 14:6)
This restoration was spoken of by God's prophets of old, and recorded in the Bible!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. DOES THE BIBLE SPEAK OF ANOTHER BOOK OF SCRIPTURE OR DOCTRINE!?
Gen 48:8-20 Story of Jacob blessing Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Ephraim, the younger, was set before his older brother Manasseh. Jacob prophesied that they would "...grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. And Joseph said unto his father, 'Not so, my Father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.' And his father refused, and said, 'I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations'...and he set Ephraim before Manasseh."
This extension of the blessing to the younger son was not the normal pattern. It indicates a special intervention by the hand of God in bringing about this prophecy. We have discovered it is prophesied that Manasseh will become a nation, and Ephraim will become a greater one. Both inherit the following blessing:
Gen 49:22,25,26 Joseph is promised a land blessed by God. "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall; ...and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under...unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren."
Hundreds of years later, Moses also gave the same type of prophetic message, revealing the same promises to the descendants of Joseph:
Deut 33:13-17 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven,... and for the precious things of the earth...let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren...He shall push the people together to the ends of the earth; and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
This message is consistent with Gen 49 in the blessings of the land to Joseph, and setting Ephraim before Manasseh. God is trying to tell us something. Will we hear it? Through the separation of Joseph from his family, physical salvation from famine was brought to his people and to Egypt. In a similar pattern, the lineage of Joseph will also be separated "to the utmost bound." The following scriptural warnings indicate they would leave the Jerusalem area before captivity in Babylon (586 BC). This will bring spiritual salvation to the world in the last days. To cause this gathering "to the ends of the earth", a RESTORATION OF TRUTH would come through Ephraim as referred to earlier in the prophecies by Jacob and Moses. The land this branch would come to would be "over a wall". That wall is a sea (Gen 49:22; Isa 16:8). See Josephus Wars, Book 6, Ch. 6, para 2.
Isa 37:32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this. (see also II Kin. 19:30-31)
Jer 49:30,31 Flee, get you far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the Lord; for Nebuchadnezzar...hath taken counsel against you...Arise, get you up unto the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without care, saith the Lord, which have neither gates nor bars, which dwell alone.
Isa 16:8 For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.
Jer 48:32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer:...
[Note that from Num 32:37,38 the children of Reuben were in Heshbon and Sibmah. In 1Chr 5:1, the birthright belonging to Reuben's descendants was given to the sons of Joseph. In 1Chr 9:3, the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh were in Jerusalem.]
God is on record that HE will lead a remnant out of Heshbon, Sibmah and Jerusalem. And that He would lead them far away from the land of their forefathers, over the sea: (to
Isa 18:1 Woe to the land showing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
=====================================================================================
III. THE BIBLE VS. THE BOOK OF MORMON: A DOCTRINAL COMPARISON.
Does the Book of Mormon teach doctrine in harmony with the Bible? Below is listed a sample of scriptures from the Bible and Book of Mormon. Most of the headings list only one scripture, but the references listed are typical of those found throughout both books. For further study, see The Book of Mormon is Christian (17).
Book of Mormon references are from the RLDS (Independence, MO) 1908 version. The Utah edition of the Book of Mormon has different verse numbers, which follow in (parentheses).
A. GOD.
1. There is Only One God.
BIB: Deut 6:4 Hear, O Israel; The Lord Our God is one Lord.
BOM: 1Ne 3:197 (13:41) For there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth.
2. Trinity--He is One with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
BIB: 1John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost and these three are one.
BOM: 2Ne 13:32 (31:21) And now behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end.
3. He is unchangeable.
BIB: Mal 3:6 For I am the Lord; I change not.
BOM: Moroni 8:19 (8:18) For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity.
4. He is loving.
BIB: John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish; but have everlasting life.
BOM: Alma 14:38 (24:14-15) He loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations. O how merciful is our God!
5. He does not Show Favoritism (Impartial).
BIB: Acts 10:34-35 Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
BOM: 2Nephi 11:113-115 (26:33) And he inviteth them all to come unto him, and partake of his goodness and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen, and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.
6. He is Holy.
BIB: Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.
BOM: 2Nephi 6:44-45 (9:20,21) Oh, how great is the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it. And he cometh into the world that he may save all men, if they will hearken unto his voice.
7. He is Forgiving.
BIB: Psa 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
BOM: Mosiah 11:138-139 (26:29,30) [God speaking] And if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also; Yea, and as often as my people repent, will I forgive them their trespasses against me.
B. JESUS CHRIST.
1. He is One with God and the Holy Spirit. (See A.2. above)
2. He is the Son of God.
BIB: John 20:31 But these [things] are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name.
BOM: Hel 2:74 (5:12) Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation.
3. He is the Creator.
BIB: John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
BOM: Mosiah 2:4 (4:2) For we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth and all things, who shall come down among the children of men.
4. He was Born of a Virgin.
BIB: Isa 7:14 Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
BOM: 1Nephi 3:58 (11:18) And he said unto me, Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
5. He was God in Human Form.
BIB: John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
BOM: Mosiah 1:97 (3:5) The Lord omnipotent who reigneth, who was and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven, among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay.
6. He was Crucified and Resurrected From the Dead.
BIB: Luke 24:6-7 He is not here, but is risen. Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again?
BOM: 2Nephi 11:22 (25:13) Behold, they will crucify him, and after he is laid in a sepulcher for the space of three days, he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings, and all those who shall believe on his name, shall be saved in the Kingdom of God.
7. We have Salvation in no one but Jesus.
BIB: Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other [than Jesus Christ]; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
BOM: Mosiah 1:116 (3:17) There shall be no other name given, nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
C. HOLY SPIRIT.
1. He Speaks the Truth.
BIB: John 16:13 When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come.
BOM: Moroni 10:5 (10:4-5) And if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost; and by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things.
2. Spirit Bears Witness of God and Christ.
BIB: John 15.26 The Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me [Jesus].
BOM: 2Nephi 13:26 (31:18) And ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise...that if ye enter in by the way ye should receive.
3. Spirit is Source of Revelation.
BIB: 2Pet 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
BOM: 1Nephi 3:29-31 (10:19) For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in this time as in times of old; and as well in times of old as in times to come.
4. Spirit is Received Through Faith.
BIB: Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
BOM: 1Nephi 3:24 (10:17) And also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost; which power he received by faith on the Son of God.
5. Brings Sanctification.
BIB: 1Cor 6:11 And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
BOM: 3Nephi 12:33 (27:20) Now this is the commandment, Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and cone unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.
D. SALVATION.
1. Man was Created in God's Image, Without Sin.
BIB: Gen 1:26,31 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...and God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
BOM: Ether 1:80 (3:15) Yea, even all men were created in the beginning, after mine [Jesus'] own image.
2. Satan Tempted Adam and Eve to Sin.
BIB: 2Cor 11:3 The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.
BOM: 2Nephi 1:103,104 (2:18) And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable for ever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said, unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies; wherefore he said, Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
3. Sin Brought Death to All Men.
BIB: Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
BOM: Alma 9:38,40 (12:22,24) Now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of God; and thus we see, that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and a fallen people...And we see that death comes upon mankind.
4. There is an Escape from Death.
BIB: 1Cor 15:21,22 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
BOM: Mosiah 1:115 (3:16) For behold as in Adam, or by nature they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins.
Alma 19:97 (42:15) And now the plan of mercy could not be brought about, except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.
5. Man Can't save Himself.
BIB: Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
BOM: Alma 13:46 (22:14) And since man had fallen, he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atoneth for their sins, through faith and repentance, etc.
6. Salvation in Jesus Christ is Only by Grace of God.
BIB: Eph 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
BOM: 2Nephi 7:41,42 (10:24) Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God, that ye are saved.
2Nephi 1:73 (2:8) Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah.
7. Salvation Through Jesus Christ was Planned from the Beginning.
BIB: 1Pet 1:18-20 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world.
BOM: Mosiah 8:53 (15:19) For were it not for the redemption which he hath made for his people, which was prepared from the foundation of the world; I say unto you,...all mankind must have perished.
E. PRINCIPLES OF THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST. (See Hebrews 6:1-2)
1. Faith {belief} on Jesus Christ.
BIB: Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
BOM: Mosiah 1:103 (3:9) And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men, even through faith, on his name;
Ether 1:78 (3:14) In me [Christ] shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.
2. Repentance.
BIB: Luke 13:3,5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Acts 17:30 But now [God] commandeth all men everywhere to repent.
BOM: Helaman 5:71,72 (14:17-18) but behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord; yea, and it bringeth to pass the conditions of repentance, that whosoever repenteth, the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire.
3. Baptism by Immersion into Water.
BIB: Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Acts 10:47,48 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord....
BOM: 2Nephi 13:7-9 (31:5-7) And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water to fulfill all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water... But notwithstanding he being holy, he sheweth unto the children of men, that according to the flesh, he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.
4. Laying on of Hands for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
BIB: Acts 19:5-6 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied.
BOM: Moroni 2:2 (2:2) And [Christ] called them by name, saying, ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this, ye shall have power that on him whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles.
5. Resurrection of the Dead.
BIB: John 5:28-29 Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (See also Acts 24:15)
BOM: 2Nephi 1:73-75 (2:8) There is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead.
Alma 19:105 (42:23) ...mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God;
6. Eternal Judgment.
BIB: 2Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Gal 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest...they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
BOM: 1Nephi 4:52,56 (15:32,33) For the day should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body in their days of probation....And if they be filthy, it must needs be that they can not dwell in the Kingdom of God.
7. Perfection.
BIB: Matt 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
BOM: Moroni 10:29,30 (10:32,33) come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness,...and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you...then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father, unto the remission of your sins that ye become holy without spot.
=====================================================================================
F. THE BOOK OF MORMON:
1. DOES NOT teach Polygamy.
Jacob 2:33,36 (2:24,27-28) Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives, and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord....Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none: For I, the Lord God, delighteth in the chastity of women.
2. DOES NOT teach that men shall become Gods.
Ether 1:30 (2:8) And he had sworn in his wrath unto the Brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him,, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fullness of his wrath should come upon them.
Alma 8:79-82 (11:26-29) And Zeezrom [an unbeliever] said unto him, Thou sayest there is a true and living God? And Amulek said, Yea, there is a true and a living God. Now Zeezrom said, Is there more than one God? And he answereth, No.
3. DOES NOT teach that Jesus was born "in the city of Jerusalem" instead of Bethlehem.
Alma 5:19 (7:10) And behold, he shall be born of Mary at Jerusalem, which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall...conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost....
a. In 600 BC the system that prevailed was "city-states," as a political unit. Cities took in considerable territory adjacent to them, including towns and villages. "The phrase 'land of Jerusalem,' meaning 'the land around the city of Jerusalem,' is found on the Amarna Tablets. These tablets were found in Egypt in 1887 and date to the 14th century BC. This pattern of naming the land around the city the same as the city was carried over to the New World. For example: land and city of Nephi [Omni 1:20(27) Mosiah 6:18(9:15)]". (18) Bethlehem being about four miles out of Jerusalem was within the "city-state", or "land", of Jerusalem.
b. If you were from Blue Springs, MO (a city about 10 miles from Kansas City) and you were 6,000 miles from home (as were the Book of Mormon people) you could certainly tell a person unfamiliar with its exact location: "I'm from Kansas City."
c. The angels stated to the shepherds that Christ was born in the "city of David" (Luke 2:11). Since the Old Testament specifically calls JERUSALEM the city of David (2Kings 14:20; 1Chron 11:4-5); it would certainly not be wrong to include Bethlehem in the land of Jerusalem.
d. Besides, any child knows that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. How many of us have sung the song "O Little Town of Bethlehem...", or have heard the prophecy in Micah 5:2, "But thou Bethlehem Ephratah...out of thee shall he come forth...." SO, why did Joseph Smith write Jerusalem, instead???
Joseph is accused of being a fool by his opponents, yet he was familiar enough with the Bible to know that Bethlehem was the exact birthplace of Christ.
He is also accused of trying to perpetrate a fraud and lead innocent people, and innocent Christians astray. If this were the case, why did Joseph put such a blatant error into the Book of Mormon? Unless perhaps it is NOT an error. Joseph could not have known the preceding evidence on city-states would come forth about 60 years later.
Robert McKay is an anti-Mormon writer who does not believe in the Book of Mormon. Nevertheless, he said the following: "I found that in the overwhelming majority of cases where a doctrinal statement is made, the teaching is essentially Christian, not LDS...I found that in 10 separate doctrinal areas the Book of Mormon never taught LDS doctrine, but in every case where the teaching was mentioned it accorded with the Christian position...The book is...full of basically Christian teaching, and so nearly barren of what the LDS Church teaches..." (19)
The Book of Mormon also does NOT teach celestial marriage, baptism for the dead, or salvation only by works. If you have heard otherwise, read it for yourself; those teachings are not there.
In conclusion, THE BOOK OF MORMON IS A CHRISTIAN BOOK.
=====================================================================================
IV. ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BOOK OF MORMON
The Bible has been supported by archaeology. Is there archaeological evidence to support the Book of Mormon? A widely known archaeologist, A. Hyatt Verrill wrote the following in a letter to Roy Weldon, dated June 27, 1946:
"My archaeological studies convinced me that the book of Mormon was inspired for it contained many archaeological and historical facts which were absolutely unknown at the time it was written." (20)
Many non-Christians criticized the Bible before the archaeological evidence was in. Much of the Biblical account has now been validated. The same process is occurring with the Book of Mormon. Before 1841 the existence of ancient jungle cities was almost unknown outside of Middle America. (21)
Since that date many discoveries have been made and many opinions have been changed about the people inhabiting Middle America. Initially, the Book of Mormon ran counter to most of the theories concerning the native Indian. But in the last 160 years, many archaeological discoveries have been made which validate the Book of Mormon. The absolute statements in the Book of Mormon are founded in truth. It is time the truth was made known!
(Thanks to many scholars, but particularly to Roy E. Weldon for his 65 years of tireless research.)
These following facts are now known about the Middle American culture. Consider the boldness of Joseph Smith, Jr. in describing the following specific details, without any scientific information.
He claimed to know none of it himself, but that it was given by God; the only accurate way.
A. The population of Southern Mexico / Central America was densely populated.
BOM: Jarom 1:19 (1:8) And we multiplied exceedingly, and spread upon the face of the land....
Ether 3:20 (6:18) ...they began to spread upon the face of the land, and to multiply...
"This region, now overgrown with a dense tropical forest, had been cleared and put under an intensive cultivation. Great cities had flourished on every side....this was one of the most densely populated areas of its size in the world during the first five centuries of the Christian era, the seat of a mighty American Empire." Claims and Evidences, Vol. 3, p.7, by Roy Weldon. [1979 - 1981; a four volume work available at the School of Saints. See p. 29 for address.]
B. Metal plates were used by native Americans for written records. Also, over one dozen civilizations elsewhere in the world used metallic plates to record their history.
BOM: 1Nephi 5:217 218 (18:25-19:1) And we did find all manner of ore, both of gold, and of silver and of copper...I did make plates of ore, that I might engraven upon them the record of my people.
"The Miztecan Indians 'sold...some very thin plates of gold...which their ancestors had been able to preserve, and on which were engraved ancient hieroglyphs.'" C&E Vol. 1 p 150.
"In Colombia it is reported that Indian graves contained plates of gold...with various curious characters." C&E Vol. 1 p 150.
C. Some American cottons originated in the Southwestern Asiatic region.
BOM: 1Nephi 2:40 (8:1) ...we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind; both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruits of every kind.
"A number of...studies have demonstrated that the large chromosomes present in the American cultivated cottons are homologous with the 13 large chromosomes of the cultivated cottons of Southwest Asia..." How then did Asiatic cotton come to Peru? "Only one alternative remains, that they were carried across the Pacific by man among the seeds of his crop plants and with tools of his civilization." C&E Vol. 1 p 3.
D. Fine twined linens were used in prehistoric America.
BOM: Helaman 2:133 (6:13) Behold, their women did toil and spin, and did make all manner of cloth, of fine twined linen, and cloth of every kind.
"The most wonderful textiles in the world, showing the highest artistic skill in weaving and decorative art, are now determined to have come from ancient Peru...Many contain nearly 300 weft yarn to the inch." [See Other Sheep, p. 96]
E. Highways were constructed in the Central American region during the Mayan era.
BOM: 3Nephi 3:8 (6:8) ...there were many highways cast up, and many roads made...
"A number of these great stone roads are known to radiate out of Coba..." C&E Vol. 1 p 50.
F. Many elegant buildings with fine, ornate work within the walls are in Southern Mexico.
BOM: Mosiah 7:13 (11:10) And he also caused that his workmen should work all manner of fine work within the walls of the temple.
"this building is 320 feet in length, and is said to contain two hundred thousand cubic feet of masonry, not counting the massive substructure. Wonderfully designed and constructed, its facade is covered with most ornate sculpture...In the application of beautiful sculpture to the facades of the buildings, the Mayas have never been equaled" C&E Vol. 1 p 33.
"Archaeologists marvel at the way huge stones weighing many tons are fitted together with such accuracy that not even a knife blade can be inserted between them." C&E Vol. 1 p 34.
G. Many cement constructions have been found in the Mexican region.
BOM: Helaman 2:7 (3:7) the people who went forth became exceeding expert in the working of cement; therefore they did build houses of cement, in the which they did dwell.
"The cement is on the interior of the wall which surrounds the pyramid. Marquis de Nadaillac describes highways with a layer of cement two inches thick as well as other constructions of cement...J.D. Baldwin...speaking of cement at Palenque, said: 'The floors are of cement, as hard as the best seen in the remains of Roman baths.'" C&E Vol. 1 p 48.
Below are eight claims of the Book of Mormon and statements used by its opponents to discredit the book. Following each are some of the Answers to the Criticisms.
1. WHAT ABOUT METAL TOOLS?
BOM: Jarom 1:19 (1:8) And we...became exceeding rich in gold, and in silver, and in precious things,...and also in IRON, and COPPER, and BRASS, and STEEL, making ALL MANNER OF TOOLS of every kind to TILL THE GROUND, and WEAPONS OF WAR.
Criticism: "Iron, steel, glass, and silk were not used in the New World before 1492 (except for occasional use of unsmelted meteoric iron)." (22)
"There is not the slightest evidence that the aborigines of this continent anywhere knew anything about the practical use of iron, steel, and brass." (23)
Answer: "A.H. Mallery wrote a book, Lost America..., claiming he has found remains of iron smelting furnaces in prehistoric American archaeological sites." (24)
"In contradiction to general belief, metal was used not only for jewels but also for implements:...hoes, axes, spades, chisels,...helmets, crests, shields...." (25)
Without knowledge of their mechanical capabilities, Joseph accurately stated they used metal tools.
2. WHAT ABOUT WHEAT AND BARLEY IN THE NEW WORLD?
BOM: Mosiah 6:12 (9:9) And we began to till the ground, yea, even with all manner of seeds, with seeds of corn, and of WHEAT, and of BARLEY,...and with seeds of all manner of fruits.
Cri: "American Indians had no wheat, barley, oats, millet...before 1492." (26)
Ans: "Perhaps the most startling evidence of Hohokam agricultural sophistication came last year [1983] when salvage archaeologists found preserved grains of what looks like domesticated BARLEY, the FIRST EVER FOUND IN THE NEW WORLD." (27) The barley was discovered in Phoenix, AZ as a result of excavations carried out by Arizona State University. The Hohokam Indians were present in the Phoenix area from about 300 BC to 1450 AD.
It would be bold to name specific grains if they did not have them. How could he know?
3. MIGRATION TO NEW WORLD THROUGH TRANS-OCEANIC CONTACT OR BERING STRAIT?
BOM: Ether 3:5 (6:4) They got aboard of their vessels or barges, and set forth into the sea.
1Nephi 5:70 (17:8) The Lord spake unto me, saying, Thou shalt construct a ship...that I may carry thy people across these waters.
Cri: "The physical type of the American Indian is basically Mongoloid, being most closely related to that of the peoples of eastern, central, and northeastern Asia. Archaeological evidence indicates that the ancestors of the present Indians came into the New World--probably over a land bridge known to have existed in the Bering Strait region during the last Ice Age...Certainly there were no contacts with the ancient Egyptians, Hebrew or other peoples of Western Asia and the Near East." (28)
"It should be categorically emphasized that no objects manufactured in any part of the Old World have been identified in any Maya site, and that...theories involving trans-Pacific or trans-Atlantic contact have never survived scientific scrutiny." (29)
Ans: "Monte Verde and other discoveries in South America are changing the picture of archaeology of early humans in the Americas....when all the archaeological evidence is considered, it is more reasonable to believe that the early settlers arrived in South America and gradually moved northward instead of their having originated in the extreme north and eventually moved toward the south. According to this line of reasoning, early humans first entered the Americas by trans-oceanic voyages across the Pacific Ocean from Asia. Current research suggests this as an increasingly viable explanation, even though there has been a tendency in the earlier archaeological literature to discount such interpretations as wildly speculative." (30)
"The Negroid portraits...are found in pre-Christian Olmec sites along with...unexplained portraits of keen-visaged men with Semitic noses and with beards that were quite un-Mongoloid." (31)
"The theory of the originally and perpetually Mongoloid character of the American population is DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT in view of the decidedly non-Mongoloid character of the stratigraphically early types." (32)
"Gordon and Marguerite Ekholm (1974) of the American Museum of Natural History, see evidence of transpacific contact in the scroll-wing motif [a stylized bird's wing...having no real basis in nature] found in both the Shang civilization of China (1700-1100 BC) and the Olmec civilization of Mesoamerica (1200-600 BC). Betty Meggers (1975) of the Smithsonian Institution, also sees [it] along with several other [common] traits [such as] jade, batons as symbols of rank, settlement pattern and architecture, long range acquisition of luxury goods, feline deity, worship of mountains and cranial deformation...[as] possibility [of] transpacific contact." (33)
Early in this decade, near the Rio Puerco River in New Mexico at Los Lunas, "at the foot of a steep-sided hill there [was found] a rock with the Ten Commandments written on it in good Hebrew... A professor from a rabbinical school... measured the letters, their height in relation to their width and to the spacing of lines, and the regularity of the lines. These follow very definite rules and are datable by the rules. The style falls in the first century AD...So does the use of the word Yahwe." Broken bits of pottery were also found about five years previous with Semitic letters on them. "Another set of Ten Commandments in Hebrew was found after the Civil War in Ohio. Strong evidence of a Jewish settlement has turned up in Tennessee: an inscription, coins, and a Hebrew ceremony preserved to this day." (34)
Josephus records, "After this they were dispersed abroad, on account of their languages and went out by colonies everywhere; and each colony took possession of that land which they light upon, and unto which God led them; so that the whole continent was filled with them, both inland and maritime countries. There were some also who passed over the sea in ships, and inhabited the islands." (35)
Michael Coe (quoted above with the opposing point of view) says in a LATER edition of the same book: "The possibility of some TRANS-PACIFIC INFLUENCE on Mesoamerican cultures CANNOT, however, BE SO EASILY DISMISSED...Professor David Kelley... has long pointed out that within the twenty named days of the 260-day calendar so fundamental to Mesoamericans...is a sequence of animals that can be matched in similar sequence within the lunar zodiacs of many East and Southeast-Asian civilizations. To Kelley, this resemblance is far too close to be merely coincidental...." (36)
Again, Michael Coe: "Even more extraordinary...Chinese astronomers of the Han dynasty as well as the ancient Maya used exactly the same complex calculations to give warning about the likelihood of lunar and solar eclipses. These data would suggest that there was direct contact across the Pacific." (37)
With most thinking that the early inhabitants of America came by the Bering strait, why would a young man (with everything to lose for being wrong) testify that they came across the sea, without knowing any of the above evidences?
4. BOOK OF MORMON CHRONOLOGY TOO EARLY FOR FIRST MIGRATION FROM THE GREAT TOWER?
BOM: Ether 1:7 (1:33) Jared [c. 2350 BC] came forth with his brother and their families...FROM THE GREAT TOWER, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people.
Cri: "If you had asked any museum guide in 1925 when man first came to North or South America, he undoubtedly would have answered: 'About the time of Christ, or slightly before.'" (38)
Ans: "Looking to the first appearance of pottery in Mesoamerica we find a type of pottery called Pox identified at Puerto Marguez on the Pacific coast near Acapulco. This pottery has been dated about 2300 BC (Brush 1965)... Recent excavations in Belize have discovered pottery dating as early as 2500 BC (Hammond et al 1979). This pottery is dated by a group of 12 carbon-14 dates tied into a stratigraphic sequence." (39)
After finding several stone anchors (ages of 2000-3000 years) off the coast of California, scientists reported that "geologic studies show that the stone from which they were made is not of California origin....It seems clear to us that Asiatic vessels reached the New World in Pre-Columbian times." (40)
"The Olmec civilization of the southern Mexican jungles was VIRTUALLY UNKNOWN to archaeologists as recently as fifty years ago [1918]...There were very few archaeologists before 1957 who would have cared to go against the Maya experts and place the Olmec before AD 300... In that year, however, a second bombshell came along: the new radiocarbon dates on La Venta. These range from 1160 to 580 BC...." (41)
"Michael Coe's work at the site of San Lorenzo, Veracruz from 1966 to 1968 pushed back the recognition of full-blown Olmec culture to 1200 BC. (Coe 1970) Coe indicates that 1200 BC is not the beginning of the Olmec but that it must have roots much earlier." (42) This time period correlates with the high point of the first migration of people in the Book of Mormon.
Joseph not only accurately stated their origins, but also the times of their migrations! By guess?
5. GOLDEN PLATES (Made of Gold, Silver, and Copper)?
BOM: 1Nephi 5:217,218 (18:25-19:1) And we did find all manner of ore, both of GOLD, and of SILVER, and of COPPER. And...I did make PLATES of ORE, that I might engraven upon them the record of my people.
Cri: "He [Martin Lamb] is compelled to believe that no such people as are described in the Book of Mormon ever
lived upon this continent; that no such records were ever engraved upon golden plates, or any other plates, in the early ages." (43)
After calculating the size of the gold plates from Joseph Smith's description, John Hyde estimates that "this mass of gold plates... would have weighed nearly 200 lbs." He then ridicules the story that Joseph outran "two empty-handed men a distance of two miles." (44)
Ans: "The metalsmiths of Andean cultures knew how to plate copper with gold or silver and how to treat alloys of copper, gold, and silver so that the surface of the metal consisted only of gold." These "sophisticated processes" were also used in "many parts of pre-Columbian South and Central America and was known as far north as Mexico." (45) The gold content in some examples ranged from 12% to 40%.
Using the data from the article just quoted, making an adjustment for engravings on the plates (which would reduce their weight), the weight of the plates has been calculated to be 50 to 65 lbs. (46)
Joseph's brother William hefted the plates and estimated that they weighed about 60 pounds. (47) The plates were described as having the "appearance" of gold, not being solid gold.
6. USAGE OF THE PHRASE "AND IT CAME TO PASS".
BOM: 1Nephi 6:1-2 (19:22) Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, did teach my brethren these things. And it came to pass, that I did read many things to them.
Cri: "'And it came to pass' was his [Joseph Smith's] pet. If he had left that out, his Bible would have been only a pamphlet." (48)
Ans: Just recently [1981] there was a breakthrough in reading the previously unknown Mayan hieroglyphs. David Stuart was able to translate the following from a tablet at the Mayan ruins of Palenque:
"On March 4, 764, it came to pass that Jaguar Quetzal was seated as ruler of Palenque." (49)
The tablet indicates that this phrase, uncommon for our culture, was used in the Mayan culture. The Book of Mormon claims that, in part, the Mayan ancestry was Hebrew. The phrases "it came to pass", "and", "behold", and "now" in Hebrew are not merely adornments. Yet to be used in their peculiar Hebrew patterns in English would be considered awkward. However, in Hebrew, "There is a dislike to begin a sentence without 'and'; even books begin with 'and' -- such as Ruth, Esther, Jonah, Joshua, Judges, Ezekiel and Exodus." (50) "In the 22nd chapter of Genesis, 'and' begins the verse in 21 ... verses [20 of 24 verses in the KJV]. A similar pattern is found throughout the Book of Mormon." (51) Section V. will cover language similarities between Hebrew and the Book of Mormon text in greater depth.
7. JESUS CHRIST IN AMERICA AFTER HIS RESURRECTION IN JERUSALEM?
BOM: 3Nephi 5:9-11 (11:8-10) They cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe, and he came down and stood in the midst of them....And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand, and spake unto the people, saying, Behold I am Jesus Christ.
Cri: "In trying to find support for the Book-of-Mormon visit of Christ to America just after His resurrection, Mormons have grasped at the legends of Quetzalcoatl." (52)
Ans: Quetzalcoatl was the Aztec (AD 1350) and Toltec (AD 1100) name for a god, or culture hero. Many other tribes had names for this legendary god according to their own languages: Kukulkan, Gucumatz, Kate-Zahl, Bochica, Viracocha, Chee-zoos, etc. Following is a list of some of the traditions about this deity. Consider how these all traditions could have been started.
a) He was born of a virgin in a land far across the ocean to the east.
b) He was killed on a cross, was dead for 3 or 4 days, tarried in the underworld, and was then resurrected and ascended to his throne.
c) He appeared to the tribe suddenly, descending out of the sky, dressed in a flowing white robe, having a beard and fair skin.
d) He taught them to stop fighting and to practice brotherly love and other virtues.
e) He healed people, performed miracles, raised people from the dead, and pronounced oracles.
f) He prophesied that white strangers would come in the future and conquer them.
g) He left as suddenly as he had come, promising that he would return and rule over them, not as an earthly ruler, but as a god who would call the dead to life. (53)
The following are characteristics of Quetzalcoatl discovered through research by Pierre Honoré:
"He forbade human sacrifice and preached peace... .Everywhere in the Indian states of Central and South America the legend of the white God is known, and it always ends in the same way: the White God left his people with a solemn promise that he would one day come back." (54)
The inhabitants of Central America that were in existence after the time of Christ's ascension worshipped in a building now known as "The Temple of the Bearded White God". The picture below is taken from a carving in a wall from this temple in Chichen Itza in the Yucatan peninsula. How could they know of a "Bearded White God", if they had never seen one? (55)
=====================================================================================
Many scholars agree that these traditions were in existence long before the arrival of the Spaniards--about FOURTEEN CENTURIES according to one tribe. (56) These traditions refer to Jesus Christ! Who else fulfills ALL these descriptions? Jesus came to Ancient America, and was remembered in legend. The god of this legend came to be called Quetzalcoatl.
In a book entitled He Walked The Americas, L. Taylor Hansen describes many ancient Indian legends which she uncovered during twenty-five years of research. An authority on the Indians of North and South America, she holds a Masters Degree in Archaeology, Anthropology and Geology from Stanford University. The following are some of these legends. (57)
"The Algonkin of the Eastern Seaboard, when asked how they got their name for the Dawn Light, say that it was the name of the Pale One. They would not give Him their own name, as He had asked them, for to Him names meant nothing and He allowed each tribe to name Him. They asked instead His name in childhood when He lived across the ocean. The name He gave them was a strange one, hard to say in their liquid language, so today they try hard to say it: Chee-Zoos, God of the Dawn Light." (p.53)
"It was long ago that we knew Him. He gave to us our rite of baptism, many of our lodges, and our rites of purification." (pp. 53-54)
"That part of the Dene whom we call Navaho have another legend. To the Prophet, names meant nothing, but they are important to the Dene. So they asked the Healer the name of His one God, and when the Prophet asked them to name Him, they refused saying that they knew not what name to give Him. Then they made a suggestion."
"'Surely in your childhood, across the ocean, you were told His name? What name did they tell you?'"
"So the Navaho have the name He gave them: Great Yeh-ho-vah." (pp. 102-103)
A story told the author by a native Quichua Indian of Peru tells of a legend of three crosses, and a man despised, crucified between two thieves, buried in a tomb and resurrected. (pp. 150-154)
Given Jesus Christ was the god of this legend, Quetzalcoatl, why are the native American traditions so full of paganism and idolatry? In the following legend, Kate-Zahl warns his people of the time when human sacrifice would exist in their land.
"Remember to tell your children so that they in turn may warn their offspring."
"Down from the north come men brandishing axes and taking war dogs into battle. They are the first wave of many invasions... They are met by the restless Serpent, the Takers of Men, the Sacrificers. Long have I tried to teach these children, but they now turn their heads away from my precepts.
"Horror shall come to the Broad Land. All shall dwell in fear of that black-robed priesthood, who kill their captives to feed their idols. Daily My Father's Law is broken. Hourly do the great stones drip with fresh blood because they think these rocks should be nourished.
"Watching this cycle of Sacrificing is a heavy burden to my soul. Poor, pitiful misled people. Listen carefully that you may tell them my words after Kate-Zahl is but a memory." (pp. 127-128)
According to the Book of Mormon, about 200 years after Christ left, the people started becoming prideful and wicked again. Their society quickly digressed and those surviving their many wars were bloodthirsty with very few righteous left among them. [4Nephi 1:27-55 (1:24-46); Mormon 2:13 (4:11)].
Consider also the rapid rise and fall of the righteousness of the children of Israel in the Old Testament, from restoring the ordinances to worshipping and sacrificing to idols in the high places. If you were to investigate the archaeological evidence of Israel from Old Testament times, it would certainly bear witness of pluralistic God worship and idolatry. Yet, we know that the true worshipers worshipped only one God. The evidence of Baal-worship should not prevent us from believing the truth. Likewise, the evidence of a fallen society in the book of Mormon does not prevent us from believing it.
8. PRE-COLUMBIAN ELEPHANTS AND HORSES IN THE NEW WORLD?
BOM: Ether 4:21,75 (9:19; 10:26) And they also had HORSES, and asses, and there were ELEPHANTS,... all of which were useful unto man, and more especially the elephants,...And they did make all manner of tools with which they did work their beasts.
Cri: "None of the principal Old World domesticated food plants or animals (except the dog) occurred in the New World in pre-Columbian times. American Indians had no...horses...before 1492....It is clear that...elephants never existed on this continent." (58)
"Facts are stubborn things, and the simple testimony of past history already presented, buries the fabrications of the Book of Mormon BEYOND THE POSSIBILITY OF A RESURRECTION." (59)
Ans: "The most astonishing of the idols is one bearing a figure which is so strikingly and obviously elephantine that it cannot be explained away by any of the ordinary theories of being a conventionalized or exaggerated tapir, ant-eater or macaw. Not only does this figure show a trunk, but in addition it has the big leaf-like ears and the forward-bending knees peculiar to the elephants. Moreover, it shows a load or burden strapped upon its back. It is inconceivable that any man could have imagined a creature with the flapping ears and peculiar hind knees of an elephant." (60)
"They may have roasted chunks of camel and mammoth meat...since the ivory tusks of the prehistoric elephants made good tools the hunters brought some of these into the cave." This was discovered in a Scandia cave in New Mexico. (61)
"Probably it is safe to say that American Proboscidea have been extinct for a minimum of 3000 years....Archaeology has proved that the American Indians hunted and killed elephants." (62)
"Its fossil remains (horse) have been so frequently found, especially in the southern and western states, and in South America and have been so carefully examined by competent paleontologists, that no doubt can remain of the former existence of the horse on the American continent, at the same time with the mastodon, and that man was probably his companion." (63)
"Most vertebrate paleontologists concede that the now extinct vertebrates [in the New World] may have survived to within a very short time ago." (64)
A man on horseback is carved on an ancient Maya structure at Chichen-Itza, Yucatan. What may be horse petroglyphs are inscribed in the Arches National Monument near Moab, Utah. (65)
Isn't it interesting that a young, uneducated man knew that in ancient America there were horses and elephants, before the rest of the scientific world came to that knowledge? Could it be God told him?
The Prophet Joseph Smith defied the currently held understandings of his day and accurately spoke of unknown archaeological evidences, some not to be discovered until 150 years later. One interesting example is in the field of seismology--the study of earthquakes. The Book of Mormon records tremendous earthquakes in America at the time of Christ's crucifixion. Recent evidence attests to there being such earthquakes in the Central American area (Book of Mormon territory) (66). There was no field of seismology in 1830, yet the Book of Mormon records accurately the weird phenomena which accompany major earthquakes. In its eyewitness accounts of the upheaval, it is described in this way:
"rocks were rent in twain", "dreadful groanings", "tumultuous noises." In addition there was "thick darkness upon all the face of the land", the people "could feel the vapor of darkness" and were "overpowered by the vapor of smoke and darkness." "There could be no light,...neither candles...neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and exceeding dry wood", "there was not any light seen...neither the sun nor the moon" [See 3Nephi 4:15-20,62,68 (8:18-22; 10:9,13)]
But now the facts are known to seismologists. Mr. E.J. Houston says, "after the actual quaking of the earth, the most wonderful and impressive thing is the great variety of sounds and noises." (67) In a major earthquake the earth opens up and closes again.
"Immense quantities of carbonic and sulphurous gases are released from the interior of the earth. These gases cause immediate darkness... are thick or heavy, and can be felt...do not support combustion, and therefore no fires can be built in their presence...will overcome and suffocate. Dr. Hartwig says. ..A light dipped in carbon gas is immediately extinguished and every animal inhaling it is liable to instant suffocation." (68)
A twenty-three year old uneducated man could not have accurately described the effects of a major earthquake in this way, unless he was utilizing a written account... the gold plates. And there is more.
=====================================================================================
V. HEBREW WRITING STYLES, METAL PLATES & WORD PRINTS.
The Book of Mormon claims to have been written by Hebrew people. Critics charge that it was written by Joseph Smith or other 19th century authors. Is the writing style Hebrew, or 19th century English? Let us compare Old Testament writing styles with the Book of Mormon. Note how different they are than that used by people of the United States.
Most of the following writing styles seem awkward to Americans. Yet they are perfectly good Hebrew. This is mainly true because in the Hebrew (as also in Chinese), there is Rhyme of Thought, as opposed to in America there is mainly a Rhyme of Sound. A study of the Hebrew text of the Bible reveals the patterns discussed in this section. A study of the Book of Mormon reveals the same patterns. Why? It's authors were Hebrew, not American. [Thanks go to many contributors in this field, but primarily to Angela Crowell and the Zarahemla Research Foundation for its research in Hebraisms. (69)]
A) Chiasm. This is writing in a sequence, coming to a main point, then repeating the things mentioned first, only in reverse order. Definitely not an easy or common way to write. (70)
An example of a simple chiasm is demonstrated by the following:
A. And hereby we do know that we know him,
B. If we keep his commandments.
C. He that says I know him and keeps not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him
B'. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected.
A'. hereby know we that we are in him. (1John 2:3-5)
Some entire chapters and books in the Book of Mormon are written chiastically! The very first two verses in the Book of Mormon are written in this way, and there are hundreds of examples.
OT: Exod 9:31 The flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.
BOM: 1Ne 1:1,2 (1:1-3)
having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God,
therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days;
yea, I make a record in the language of my father,
which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.
And I know that the record which I make is true;
and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.
Jacob 3:12 (4:9) For behold, by the power of his word, man came upon the face of the earth; which earth was created by the power of his word.
[see also 1Nephi 1:28-33 (2:4-6); Alma 17:1-30 (36:1-30)]
B) Usage of "came (shall come) to pass..."
OT: Occurs over 500 times.
Isa 37:1 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes...
BOM: Occurs over 2500 times. (refer to archaeological findings validating this also.)
Mosiah 2:5 (4:3) And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words, the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy.
C) Usage of the word "behold".
OT: Occurs over 1250 times.
Isa 7:14 ...Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
BOM: Occurs over 1750 times.
2Nephi 11:24 (25:14) And behold, it shall come to pass, that after the Messiah hath risen from the dead, and hath manifested himself unto his people, unto as many as will believe on his name, behold, Jerusalem shall be destroyed again: for wo unto them that fight against God and the people of his church.
D) Repetition of possessive pronoun in a list. i.e. "And his.. And his.. And his..."
OT: Gen 36:6 And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got...
BOM: 1Ne 1:29 (2:4) And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and he departed into the wilderness.
E) Usage of the word "I" [Compound Subject].
OT: Gen 22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men...I and the lad will go yonder and worship...
1Kings 1:21 when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon...
BOM: 1Nephi 1:68 (3:10) And it came to pass that when we had come up to the land of Jerusalem, I and my brethren did consult one with another...
Mosiah 6:21 (9:17) For I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord, that he would deliver us...
F) Repetitions of noun and verb pairs [Cognate Accusative] (Sinned a sin (Exod 32:30); thundered thunder (1Sam 7:10)).
OT: Dan 2:3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled...
BOM: Enos l:19 (1:13) And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him;...
Alma 12:72 (18:5) Nevertheless Lamoni began to fear exceedingly, with fear...
G) Word Pairings.
- Immediate repetition - (repent/repent; cry/cry.)
OT: Isa 52:1 Awake, Awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments...
Isa 52:11 Depart ye, Depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing;...
BOM: Hel 2:74 (5:12) And now my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation...
2Ne 11:48 (25:26) And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ; we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies...
- Repeated parallelism -
OT: Isa. 65:21,22 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat for as the days of a tree are the days of my people,...
BOM: Mos. 1:71,72 (2:31) As ye have kept my commandments, and also the commandments of my father, and have prospered, and have been kept from falling into the hands of your enemies, Even so if ye shall keep the commandments of my son, or the commandments of God, which shall be delivered unto you by him, ye shall prosper in the land, and your enemies shall have no power over you.
H) Terrace Patterns. (With conclusions called Sorites). End of phrase A, is beginning of phrase B.
OT: Psa 135:12 And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel his people.
NT: John 1:4,5 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
2Pet 1:5-7 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
BOM: 2Ne 1:88-92 (2:13) And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. And if ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness, there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness, there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not, there is no God.
Moroni 8:29 (8:25,26) And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith, unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins; and the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart, cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end...when all the saints shall dwell with God.
No Erasers and Metal Plates.
If the Book of Mormon history was originally written upon metal plates, how could they erase errors? They couldn't!! The ancient writers instead corrected themselves by properly restating what they originally intended. The following examples evidence this pattern of restatement, resulting from the Book of Mormon being written on metal plates. (71)
BOM: Mos. 1:72 (2:31) Even so if ye shall keep the commandments of my son, or the commandments of God, which shall be delivered unto you by him, ye shall prosper...and your enemies shall have no power over you.
Alma 1:23 (1:15) And there he was caused, or rather did acknowledge, between the heavens...
Alma 1:92 (2:34) And thus he cleared the ground, or rather the bank, which was on the west...
Alma 12:28 (17:18) Now Ammon being the chief among them, or rather he did minister unto them...
Alma 14:47 (24:19) And thus we see that they buried the weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace.
Alma 22:33 (50:32) Now behold, the people who were in the land Bountiful, or rather Moroni,...
Alma 25:5 (54:4-5) Now these are the words which he wrote unto Ammoron, saying, Behold, Ammoron, I have written unto you somewhat concerning this war which ye have waged against my people, or rather which thy brother hath waged against them,
Word Prints.
Different authors each have a certain writing style and certain choices of words, distinguishing them from one another. Just as animals leave foot prints in the ground, writers leave "word prints" on the page.
A study was compiled taking 65 of these types of word choices common to two of the major authors of the original text: Nephi and Alma. These were then compared to writing styles of Joseph Smith and Solomon Spaulding to see if they matched. Nephi's portion covers about 100 pages of text and there were no more than 5 variations, from section to section of his work, out of the 65 tested. Alma's portion covers about 200 pages of text and there were no more than 6 variations, from section to section of his work, out of the 65 tested. Yet for both of these authors tested, neither of their writing styles was similar to that of Joseph Smith for the same 65 variables, nor were his similar to that of Solomon Spaulding. (72)
Joseph Smith did not create 777 pages of text! He translated words written long ago.
A similar study done by Larsen and Rencher using multivariate analysis of variance concluded the same for the above-mentioned authors: "none of the Book of Mormon selections resembled the writing of any of the suggested nineteenth-century authors. The Book of Mormon itself offers the strongest evidence for a clear scientific refutation of the theories that it was written in the nineteenth century." (73)
Do you suppose a twenty-three year old man could invent a story, and write consistently in the previous style, throughout 777 pages in less than ninety days? It seems inconceivable that he could have. Our testimony is that he did NOT WRITE it; he TRANSLATED it by the Gift and Power of GOD. That is why the book is so Hebrew in character...It was written by Hebrews! The original record written on gold plates was buried in the earth to be recovered later through the ministry of an angel! Consider the following list of attributes concerning the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Could all these things have been done only by the power of men? (74)
1) It is a history of an ancient country covering a period from 2200 BC to 400 AD. And very little was known about ancient America in 1830.
2) Joseph Smith had no more than three years of formal schooling, having spent his life in a backwoods farming community. (He was not a library buff!!)
3) Other than grammatical, punctuation and proofreading corrections, there were very few changes after the first edition. It would stand forever as written.
4) The book is over 300,000 words in length and claims to be true and sacred history
5) The writing style changes many times in the text, giving evidence of the many ancient authors in the original text.
6) The record contains their existent modes of travel, whether they used fire, their clothing, crops, mourning customs, industrial abilities, and types of government.
7) This record includes: prophecy, visions, dreams, doctrine and exhortation, and it ALL agrees meticulously with the Bible [Be careful of what you may have heard]. Several chapters include the ministry and words of Christ.
8) Many of the things which he wrote as fact, disagreed with the prevailing beliefs of the world in his day, yet he still penned them, and died for his words. Future scientific and archaeological discoveries have verified his claims, but not until 100 to 150 years after he wrote them.
9) He invited an able scholar on Egyptian hieroglyphics to examine examples of the characters he was translating, and they were stated as authentic.
10) Three other individuals so believed that this record was divine, that they engaged in the work, receiving not profit, but persecution. At any time they could have denied their association with this work, but to their death, they did not. Many times, they and others lost all their earthly goods, but still they followed the teachings which they believed to be of divine origin.
11) Joseph finished writing the book under threats upon his life, yet, he still claimed the writing to be divine, and would not waver in that testimony. He finished it, and received a sacrificial donation to have it printed, all within two or three months!
12) The main purpose for the book is not to gain money or attention, but to be a second witness that Jesus is the Christ, and to confirm the testimony of the Bible to the lost nations.
=====================================================================================
VI. THE ORIGINAL TWELVE WITNESSES.
If the Book of Mormon was truly translated by the Gift and Power of God, then the original witnesses to the validity of this book should not have denied it. And such a marvelous work would not go without additional witnesses, both at its introduction and now.
There were (at least) twelve witnesses to the Book of Mormon who declared with written testimony that they saw the gold plates and that the work was true.
- The location of the buried plates was given through the ministry of an angel, and Joseph was told to translate (not originate) them by the gift and power of God.
Joseph Smith Jr., Prophet and translator of the record, died for his testimony. "I never feel to force my doctrine upon any person. I rejoice to see prejudices give way to truth, and the traditions of men dispersed by the pure principles of the doctrine of Jesus Christ." - Joseph Smith, Jr. - 1844.
- When the Sonship of Jesus Christ was to be revealed, it was to three special witnesses: Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration and they heard a voice from heaven. (Matt 17:1-5). Later, Christ arose from the dead and initially appeared "Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead." (Acts 10:41)
- In our day the authenticity of the Book of Mormon was similarly certified to three witnesses: Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, and David Whitmer. These men saw the plates and remained faithful to their testimony to their death. While they were engaged in prayer, an angel of God showed them the plates from which it was translated, while a voice from heaven declared, "The translation of them which you have seen is correct, and I command you to bear record of what you now see and hear." (75)
"It is recorded in the American Cyclopaedia and the Encyclopaedia Britannica, that I, David Whitmer, have denied my testimony as one of the three witnesses to the divinity of the Book of Mormon; and that the other two witnesses, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, denied their testimony to that Book. I will say once more to all mankind, that I have never at any time denied that testimony or any part thereof. I also testify to the world, that neither Oliver Cowdery or Martin Harris ever at any time denied their testimony. They both died reaffirming the truth of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon. I was present at the death bed of Oliver Cowdery, and his last words were, 'Brother David, be true to your testimony to the Book of Mormon.'" - David Whitmer (76)
- There were eight other men who held and saw the plates and wrote this testimony to all:
"Be it known to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come, that Joseph Smith, Jr., the translator of this work, has shewn unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated, we did handle with our hands: and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shewn unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety, that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen; and we lie not, God bearing witness of it." (77)
=====================================================================================
VII. ADDITIONAL LATTER-DAY WITNESSES.
There has been evidence in the foregoing article that there are proven physical and identifiable evidences to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon record. Is there a witness from the Holy Spirit in our day to confirm this?
2Cor 13:1 In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
Isa 8:20 ...To the law AND to the testimony...
There should also be testimony of the Holy Spirit, along with Scripture, to all that God does. Peter received a vision by the Spirit showing the Gentiles should be accepted into the church (Acts 10-11) in addition to scriptural evidence (Rom 9:24-30).
Daniel Elliott, Wichita, KS: He spent over three years vigorously studying the New Testament. He came to the point where he could quote the chapter and verse for many verses after hearing them. It was at this time when he was introduced to the Book of Mormon, and he refused to read it. Then he had a dream in which he was reading a book of scripture which spoke of Jesus Christ. In his dream he rejoiced, recognizing these to be the words of Christ. Yet, he had never read those verses before in his life. After reading the Book of Mormon later, he discovered that the book in his dream, was the Book of Mormon.
Gary Metzger, Wichita, KS: After following Mormon elders around in his college dormitory, and warning those whom they talked to of the "devilish doctrines" they promulgated, he joined the RLDS church because the pattern of doctrine it taught was closer to the New Testament than any church he had ever seen. Yet, he could not initially accept that the Book of Mormon was from God. But he was challenged to read it and see for himself, and obtain testimony of its truthfulness, or its falsehood.
After reading it all the way through twice, and starting on his third time, he lost his job in November, 1982. He decided to pray and fast all that weekend. Early Sunday morning, he was awakened by an audible voice which told him to "Read 2Nephi 3:38." The verse contains this message: "Behold, he hath heard my cry by day...." Two weeks later, he was sharing this experience with someone and while telling of the verse he read, the Spirit of God told him "Are there not many verses in Psalms that speak of my faithfulness and power? I chose this verse because it is My word, too."
Ferne Launius, Simpsonville, SC: She discovered the faithfulness of praying to God in faith if you "lack wisdom". She simply asked if the Book of Mormon was true. That night she had a dream in which she saw a group of white fluffy clouds. In the middle cloud lay a maroon Book of Mormon (like the only one she had ever seen). A very bright ray of golden light shone from above onto the book. A voice spoke to her and said, "This book is true." (78)
John J. Cornish. (1854-1937) "In the early part of February, 1872, one Sunday morning I went back in the woods where...I knew no one on earth would hear me. There I knelt and prayed earnestly that at their prayer meeting that evening, if God would speak to me in the gift of tongues through rough Elder Myron Haskins, and tell me this gospel is true, if it is, and give me a manifestation of His Holy Spirit, sensibly, so I would feel and know that it was true, I would obey it and try to live up to it.... I went to the preaching meeting that morning, but Elder Haskins was not there....I also went to the evening prayer meeting....In about ten minutes after the meeting was opened, when some songs had been sung, a prayer or two offered, and two or three had testified, Brother Haskins arose and began to speak in a language I did not know. He seemed to be talking to all the people present. Then turning to me, he pointed to me, looking in my face, and continued. A strange feeling. came over me, a power that caused my entire being to tremble -- not with fear, but a power that I believed was in answer to prayer, as I had asked Him to give me His Holy Spirit as an evidence that this was the true gospel.
When Brother Haskins ceased speaking, he turned to go towards his seat and was in the act of sitting down when all at once he straightened up, turned to the congregation again, and began to speak in our own language a few words to all. Then, as in the tongue, he turned to me, and, pointing to me, said (as I remember it), 'Oh, thou son of man, inasmuch as you have inquired of Me this day to know of the truthfulness of My gospel, I now reveal it unto you, and give you a manifestation of My Spirit by which you will know it is true. I require obedience at your hands, and I will bless you, and you will be the means of doing much good among men and of bringing many souls to the knowledge of the truth.'"
He taught and preached for over fifty years. He with others saw the heavens opened and heard, as did the apostles at Pentecost, the Spirit of God descending. He saw the vertical shaft of light as did Paul. He was the instrument in God's hands of healing many sick, casting out devils, and he baptized with his own hands well over fifteen hundred into the RLDS church, and assisted in converting hundreds more. (79)
Joseph Luff, London, Ontario, Canada, 1876: He was a young minister who had read some literature of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was only mildly interested but well content with the truth which he possessed. He records... "Having heard considerable about the Book of Mormon, I secured a copy [of the Book of Mormon] and shut myself up in the parlor nearly all day to read it. While thus engaged I was visited several times by as peaceful an influence as ever pervaded my frame.... The persuasive force of that influence drew tears from my eyes and praise from my lips almost involuntarily and my suspicions regarding the Book melted under it... It was strange to me then, for it was no mere feeling of gladness or ecstasy but the distinct consciousness of a presence and power near me that was associated in some way with the Book."
Wondering whether this beautiful influence was the manner in which the Spirit of God manifest itself in former times, and wondering if the spiritual gifts in this organization were genuine expressions from God, he attended a prayer service. During the service he offered a silent prayer, asking if the influence which he had so richly enjoyed was the Spirit of God. And he prayed that if this Church was approved of heaven, the Lord would speak to him in the anciently enjoyed gift of prophecy through a young boy, Robert Parker (at that time only ten years old) and instruct him further of the divine will. He records the answer to that unspoken prayer...
"When the number so desiring had prayed vocally, the company rose and was seated, and the singing and testimony were resumed. Soon Robbie, as he was familiarly called, stood up and began to speak as any child of that age would in testimony. He had not uttered many words till his face became waxen and the tears started from his eyes and flowed profusely down his cheek, and turning till he faced me, he raised his hand and said, as nearly as I can remember: 'Verily, thus saith the Lord God unto you, O son of man, Go now and obey My gospel, for this is indeed My church. It is my will that you shall be baptized at the hands of one of these My servants, for you have received of My Spirit, saith the Lord.'" (80)
His prayer had been fully answered, and in words beyond the ordinary ability of a ten-year-old child, who had no idea of the request made to God. Joseph obeyed God's voice, and later became an apostle.
Ferdinand Frohmut, Brazil, South America: He had immigrated to Brazil around 1926 and established a business as a flower culturist. In 1959, after many letters in communication with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, he prayed to the Lord asking whether the Book of Mormon was the truth. After praying about it he had a dream or vision where his room was filled with light. On his night table he had seen a pile of leaves that looked like part of a Golden Book. Each of the thin leaves were moved by a hand but nothing was said until the last leaf was turned over. Then he heard a voice say, "Now you have seen the original Book of Mormon." He decided to be baptized. In planning to come to Independence, MO, he planted an extra large field of flowers for the expense. All was well until one night all of his roses withered and died. This had never happened before. His heart was broken and there was no place to go for help but to the Lord. So the next day, early in the morning, he went out into the field and kneeled down between his withered roses, asking God for guidance. He told the Lord that he wanted to do His will and that he did not want to ask for anything selfish, but if He wanted him to go to America to become a part of His great church, that He, as Creator and Sustainer of all things, could also restore His roses to life again. On the third day his son went out and discovered that all the roses were alive again, having one to one and one-half inch sprouts on them. (81).
Wilhelm Carlsen, Norway: He was the first member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ in Norway. He was baptized shortly after 1900. The coming forth of the Book of Mormon had led to his conversion to the Restoration. He was intrigued with the book and read it at work at lunch breaks. Wilhelm was employed at the Porcelain factory at Porsgrunn. His foreman became quite inquisitive about the book he was reading. One day the foreman told him "You definitely must not read that terrible book. It is of the devil." Brother Carlsen replied, "Have you read it?" The foreman answered, "No I would not lay my hands on that devilish book."
That evening Wilhelm went to pick up his lunch pail and the Book of Mormon was nowhere in sight. The foreman then spoke up. He held the book in the air and said, "Here is your book. I am now going to throw it into the fire." He had heated the fire to full capacity to be ready for the pottery that had been formed that day. Brother Carlsen said to the foreman, "You mustn't do that. If you do, you will be sorry. In the first place the book will not burn. If you do throw it in, I will reach in and take it out, and not a hair on my arm will be singed." Those present all laughed at this. The foreman did throw it into the fire.
The book lay there and did not burn. Then Wilhelm reached into the fire and took the book out. His arm was not even scorched. Brother Carlsen said to the foreman, "Because you did not believe me and did what you did, tomorrow morning when we come to work and the oven doors are opened to remove the completed pottery, you will find that all the work that has been done today will come to naught. All of it will be disintegrated and all you will find will be a pile of dust where each vessel should have been."
Next morning Brother Carlsen and his fellow workers were on the job first. They waited for their foreman. The doors were opened and the scene was exactly as Wilhelm had said it would be. There was not one piece of prepared pottery. This greatly encouraged the Norwegian saints as the RESTORATION OF TRUTH began to shine in the latter-day work that had begun there. (82)
The Almighty Ruler of the universe has guided ancient peoples by His power. He has given us an additional testimony of Jesus Christ, clear and well attested. He has intervened directly by Spiritual power in our generation by vision and prophecy. Let us investigate this hopeful message.
- The Scriptures bear witness that by means of a "vision" a "book" speaking of "the Holy One of Israel" was to come to the attention of men before the restoration of Lebanon to fruitfulness, a fact now accomplished. (See pg. 6-8)
- The doctrine taught in this Book fully matches that of the Bible.
- Archaeological research has since validated many of its claims.
- It supports the legends that a virgin-born Creator of the universe, a bearded-white man had ministered to them.
- The writing style of the Book is distinctly Hebrew, not 19th century English.
- Twelve men, ridiculed and persecuted but unchanging to death, affirm that they saw the metallic plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated by the Spirit.
- Many modern-day testimonies of the Holy Spirit bear witness that the Book of Mormon was divinely revealed through the prophet Joseph Smith
Let us turn to GOD. He is the source of all truth, and desires that we grow in the light of His word. He has given us these testimonies, and through the Book of Mormon extends this promise directly to you:
Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam, even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God the eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true;
And if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost; and by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things. Moroni 10:3-5 (10:3-5)
AMEN.
=====================================================================================
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. John Laurence von Mosheim, 1st Cent., part 2, Ch .5. An Ecclesiastical History, [Philadelphia: Stephen C. Ustick, 1797], Vol. 1.
2. John Laurence von Mosheim, 7th Cent., part 2, Ch .3. Institutes of Ecclesiastical History, [London: Gilbert and Rivington, 1845] Vol. 2, p. 87.
3. John Wesley, Sermon, "The More Excellent Way". The Works of John Wesley, 3rd Ed. [Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978] Vol. 7, p. 26,27.
4. Alexander Campbell, The Christian Baptist, Vol. 5, p. 402.
5. J. M. Cramp, Baptist History, p. 462.
6. "John Cotton's Answer to Roger WiIliams", The Complete Writings of Roger Williams, [NY: Russell & Russell, 1963] Vol. 2, p. 19.
7. John Wesley, Sermon, "The Signs of the Times". The Works of John Wesley, 3rd Ed. [Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978] Vol. 6, p. 308.
8. Alexander Campbell, The Christian System, p. 311.
9. Amos S. Hayden, Early History of the Disciples in the Western Reserve, [Cincinnati: Chase & Hall, 1875] pp. 36-37.
10. J. H. Merle D'Aubigne, History of the Reformation, [New York: American Tract Society] Vol. 3, p. 80.
11. John Wesley, Sermon, "The Mystery of Iniquity", The Works of John Wesley, 3rd Ed. [Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978] Vol. 6, p. 262-263.
12. Christophilus Gratianus, (leader of the Swiss Pietism) Die Hoffnug Zions (Zion's Hope), [1756], Translated by Henry Schaefer. Original work in University Library in Basil, Switzerland.
13. Henry Schaefer, I Will Be With You Always..., [1978] p. 53.
14. History of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ, Vol. 2, p. 446, 553-556.
15. George T.B. Davis, Rebuilding Palestine According to Prophecy, [1935] p. 15-16, 34.
16. Joseph Smith Tells His Own Story (tract).
17. Gary Whiting, The Book of Mormon Is Christian, [1987] 1733 Northeast Parkway, Wichita, KS. 67208
18. "First Nephi", Study Book of Mormon, [Zarahemla Research Foundation: 1988] p.3,6.
19. Robert McKay, "My Study of the Book of Mormon", The Inner Circle, Vol. 6, #5, May 1989.
20. Roy Weldon, Other Sheep, p. 113.
21. Constance Irwin, Fair Gods and Stone Faces, [New York: St. Martin's Press, 1963] p.78.
22. Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults, [Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1985] p. 184.
23. Bruce Kinney, Mormonism: The Islam of America, [New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1912] p. 66.
24. Roy Weldon, The Book of Mormon Evidences Joseph Smith a Prophet, p. 25.
See also: Arlington H. Mallery, Lost America; The Story of Iron-Age Civilization Prior to Columbus [Washington DC: Overlook Co., 1951]
25. Alfonso Caso, Handbook of Middle American Indians, p. 917. Qtd. in Verneil Simmons, Peoples, Places, and Prophecies, p. 136.
26. Martin, p. 184.
27. Adams, Science 83, December, p.32. Qtd. in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, "Barley Found in The New World," Raymond C. Treat, p. 15-18.
28. Martin, p. 184,185.
29. Michael D. Coe, The Maya, [New York: Praeger Publishers, 1966], p. 52.
30. Donna Weddle, "Time Vindicates the Prophet - Again," The Witness, July 1985, p. 1.
See also: E. James Dixon, Archaeology, March/April, 1985.
31. Constance Irwin, p. 128.
32. Earnest Albert Hooten, The Indians of Pecos Pueblo, [New Haven: Yale University Press, 1930] p. 363. Qtd. in Roy Weldon, Criticisms of the Book of Mormon Answered, p.35.
33. Raymond C. Treat, "Transoceanic Contact," Recent Book of Mormon Developments, [1984], p.20.
See Also: Meggers, B.J. (1975) "The Transpacific Origin of Mesoamerican Civilization: A Preliminary Review of the Evidence and Its Theoretical Implications," American Anthropologist, 77:1-27.
34. George F. Carter, "Before Columbus," The Witness, July 1985, p.8.
35. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 1, Ch. 5.
36. Coe, The Maya, 4th ed. [New York: Thames & Hudson, 1987] fully revised, p.45. Qtd. in The Witness, "Even Unto the Land of Promise," Lyle Smith, April 1988, p. 12.
37. Ibid.
38. Frank Hibben, The Lost Americans, [New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1946] p. 17.
39. Raymond C. Treat, "Mesoamerican Archaeology and the Book of Mormon, Outlines Compared," Recent Book of Mormon Developments, [1984] p.7
See Also: Brush, C.F. (1965) "Pox Pottery: Earliest Identified Mexican Ceramic", Science, 149:194-195.
Hammond, Norman et al (1979) "The Earliest Lowland Maya? Definition of the Swasey Phase," American Antiquity, 44:92-110.
40. L.J. Pierson and J.R. Moriarty, "Stone Anchors: Asiatic Shipwrecks Off the California Coast," Anthropological Journal of Canada, V. 18, No. 3:17-23 [1980]. Qtd. in Recent Book of Mormon Developments [1984], "Chinese Stone Anchors in the New World," Shirley R. Heater, p.38-40.
41. Michael Coe, America's First Civilization, [NY: American Heritage, 1968] p.6-7, 50.
42. Raymond C. Treat, "Mesoamerican Archaeology..." Recent Book of Mormon Developments [1984], p.8.
See Also: Coe, Michael (1970) "The Archaeological Sequence at San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, Veracruz, Mexico." University of California Archaeological Research Facility Contributions 8:21-34.
43. Rev. Martin Thomas Lamb, The Golden Bible: or, the Book of Mormon. Is it From God?, [New York: Ward & Drummond, 1886] p. 11.
44. John Hyde, Mormonism. Its Leaders and Designs, [New York: W.P. Fetridge, 1857] p.244.
45. Heather Lechtman, "Pre-Columbian Surface Metallurgy," Scientific American, June 1984, p.56, 60.
46. B. Mildred Smith, The Witness, Oct. 1988, p.6, 12-13.
47. Saint's Herald, 1884, Vol. 31, pp. 643, 644.
48. Mark Twain, Roughing It, [New York: New American Library, 1962] p. 103.
49. Virginia Morell, "The Lost Language of Coba," Science 86, March, p.48.
50. Andrew B. Davidson, Hebrew Syntax, [Charles Schriber's Sons, New York, 1950] p.184. Qtd. in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, [1984] "Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon," Angela Crowell, p.55.
51. Angela Crowell, "Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon", Recent Book of Mormon Developments, p.55.
52. Ed Decker and Dave Hunt, The Godmakers, p. 196.
53. see Bancroft's Native Races, V.3, p.45, 249-51, 267, 462-465. Native Races, V.5, p.23-25, 171.
Stephen Peet, Prehistoric America, [Chicago: Office of American Antiquarian, 1905] V.5, p.395,399.
Wm. Prescott, History of the Conquest of Mexico, [Philadelphia: David McKay, 1891] V.3, p.320-323.
Lewis Spence, Myths of Mexico and Peru, [Boston: David D. Nickerson and Co., 1874] V.7, p.80-81.
Constance Irwin, p. 34, 44, 262.
A. Hyatt Verrill, Old Civilizations of the New World, [NY: New Home Library, 1929] p. 180-183, 324-325.
54. Pierre Honoré, In Quest of the White God, [London: Hutchinson, 1963] p. 15-17.
55. Photo taken by Charles Hield. Used by permission of Foundation for Research on Ancient America.
56. Kathleen Romoli, Colombia: Gateway to South America, [Garden City: Doubleday, 1941] p.62,63.
57. L. Taylor Hansen, He Walked The Americas, [Amherst, WI: Amherst Press, 1963] various pages.
58. Martin, p. 184,185.
59. Lamb, p. 300.
60. A. Hyatt and Ruth Verrill, America's Ancient Civilizations, p. 132,133.
61. Franklin Folsom, Exploring American Caves, p.45, Qtd. in Roy Weldon, The Book of Mormon Evidences Joseph Smith a Prophet, p. 16.
62. Ludwell H. Johnson III, "Men and Elephants in America," Scientific Monthly, Oct. 1952, p. 216,220.
63. American Encyclopedia, "Horse." Qtd. in Roy Weldon, Other Sheep, p. 106.
64. Kirk Bryan, "Geologic Antiquity of Man in America," Science Magazine, May 30, 1941, p. 507.
65. Roy Weldon, Book of Mormon Evidences Joseph Smith a Prophet, p. 16.
66. Raymond C. Treat, "Volcanoes, Archaeology and the Book of Mormon," Recent Book of Mormon Developments; [1984], p.22-24.
67. E.J. Houston, The Atmosphere, Chptr. 24. Qtd. in Roy Weldon, Other Sheep, p.66.
68. G. Hartwig, Volcanoes and Earthquakes. Qtd. in Roy Weldon, Other Sheep, p.67.
69. Angela Crowell, "Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon," p.55-62.
70. Raymond C. Treat, "Chiasms in the Book of Mormon," Recent Book of Mormon Developments [1984] p.64-68.
See Also: Welch, John W. (1969) "Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon," BYU Studies, 10:69-84.
71. Mary Lee Treat, "No Erasers," Recent Book of Mormon Developments, [1984], p.54.
72. John L. Sorenson, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at BYU, Lecture given on Sept. 30, 1989 at the RLDS church Auditorium.
73. Wayne A. Larsen and Alvin Rencher, "Who Wrote the Book of Mormon - Chpt. 7" Book of Mormon Authorship, Edtd. by Noel B. Reynolds, [1982]. Qtd. in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, "Wordprints: Further Evidence of Book of Mormon Authorship", p.69-71.
74. Done by class at Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Grain Valley, MO, 1985.
75. Times and Seasons, V.3, p.898.
76. David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, Richmond, MO, 1887.
77. Book of Mormon, 1908 version, from title pages.
78. Ferne Launius, To the Convincing, [Ardie Launius: 1986] p. 120; P.O. Box 1002 Independence, MO
79. John Cornish, Into the Latter Day Light, p. 14-15, 200-201.
80. Joseph Luff, The Autobiography of Elder Joseph Luff, [Lamoni: Herald Publ. House, 1894] pp. 133-136.
81. Henry Schaefer, I Will Be With You Always, 1978, p. 26-28.
82. Kasper and Anna Anholt, To the Convincing, [Ardie Launius: 1986] p. 169-170.
CITED MATERIALS AVAILABLE FROM:
Foundation for Research on Ancient America, 210 W. White Oak. Independence, MO 64050 [30,34,36,37,46]
Herald House, P.O. Box HH, Independence, MO 64051 [14,47,57,75,77]
Price Publishing, 915 E. 23rd, Independence, MO 64055 [16,20,24,32,61,63,65,67,68,79,80]
School of Saints, 520 W. Maple, Independence, MO 64050 [13,20,24,25,32,61,63,65,67,68,81]
Zarahemla Research Foundation, P.O. Box 1727, Independence, MO 64055 [18,27,33,39,40,42,50,51,66,69,70,71,73]
Booklet prepared by: Gary Metzger and Jon Tandy; members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; meeting in Independent Restoration Branches defending and proclaiming the original doctrines of the church. Write for additional information about the Book of Mormon or the Restoration.
Jon Tandy
323 S. Crane
Independence, MO 64050
http://home.earthlink.net/~jptandy/tandyland/resttru.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment