Bible Q&A
Why is it that when I set out to prove the book of Mormon to be false, my research showed it to correlate with the bible. Have you read the book of Mormon or are you just trusting someone who says they know what it says?
Yes, I have read the Book of Mormon, and the D&C, and The Priesthood and Church Government. Since you are a Mormon who has actually read the Book of Mormon, then we have something in common and you'll appreciate my findings. I wrote this for a Mormon friend after reading the Mormon materials.
Mormon Discrepancies
By Larry WhiteI. Contradictions
1. The Father has flesh and bones. (D&C Sec. 130:22)
God is a Spirit - without flesh and bones. (Jno. 4:24; Lk.24:39)
2. Christ is born in Jerusalem. (Alma 7:9-10)
Christ is born in Bethlehem (Micah. 5:2; Matt.2:1-6)
3. Baptism for the remission of sins (3Nephi.12:2; Moroni 8:11)
Those who have sin remitted will receive baptism (D&C Sec. 20:37)
4. Polygamy commanded and good (D&C Sec. 132:36-63)
Polygamy condemned and evil (Jacob 2:26-33; 3:5)II. Anachronisms
1. Laban had a steel sword in 600 B.C. (1Nephi 4:9)
Steel was invented by Samuel Higley, of Simsbury Connecticut in May 1728.
2. Nephi had a nautical compass in 600 B.C. (1Nephi 18:12)
The earliest authentic mention of a compass is in 1100 A.D. in China, 1187
A.D. in Europe, 1220 A.D. in Arabia, and 1300 A.D. in Scandinavia.
(Enc. Britannica)
3. 2Nephi 12-24 are direct quotes from the Authorized King James Bible of
Isaiah 2-14 and are not divinely translated from any Gold Tablets. Nephi,
writing 600 years before Christ is using 17th century English word for word,
exactly what the King James translators used in 1611 A.D., word for word
including the 17th century translator's errors. Here are just a few of the
errors Joseph Smith copied into his text: (notice all the verse numbers are
identical)a. KJV translation on Isaiah 4:5 reads: "For upon all the glory shall be a
defense".In Hebrew "chuppah" means "canopy" not "defense". Joseph Smith didn't
know this and so copied the error right out of his K. J. Bible. (2Nephi 14:5)b. KJV translation of Isa.5:25 reads: "and their corpses were torn in the midst
of the streets". In Hebrew "suchah" means "refuse" not "torn" but Joseph
Smith copied the error exactly from his King James Bible into 2Nephi 15:25.c. "Associate" in Isaiah 8:9 should be "Be angry, rage, exasperate yourselves"
not "associate". 2Nephi 18:9 says associate. Smith copied the error.d. "Did more grievously afflict her, the way of the sea" in Isaiah 9:1 should be
"he brings to honour the road by the sea". 2Nephi 19:1 repeats the error and
then adds another when he says "RED Sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the
nations." "Red Sea" is not in the Hebrew text - nor is the Red Sea in Galilee,
but in Egypt. The road to the sea is by the Sea of Galilee or the Sea of
Chinnereth.This proves that Joseph Smith didn't copy what God translated from what Nephi wrote about what Isaiah said on gold tablets 600 years B.C. as Smith alleges, but rather shows that he copied it right out of his own King James Bible in 1830 A.D. and that, inaccurately.
III. Grammatical Errors (These are just a very few of the many still in the text of the Book of Mormon)
1. (1Nephi 19:1) "I might engraven" "I did engraven"
These should be present subjunctive and past tense respectively, not past participles and therefore should read: "I might engrave upon them" and "I did engrave the record"
2. (Moroni 10:23) is nonsensical. Tell me what these words mean.
3. (1Nephi 17:9,16) "that I may find ore to molten"-- "which I did molten out of the
rock". These are adjectives used for verbs.4. (2Nephi 4:14) "for a more history part?" This is simply embarrassingly bad English.
God evidently needed a copy editor in translating the Gold Tablets and Joseph Smith wasn't qualified.
IV. A Synopsis of the Priesthood and Hebrews Chapter 7
7:4-9 The Melchisedec Priesthood is greater than the Levitical Priesthood because Levi paid tithes to Melchisedec.
7:23 The Levitical or Aaronic Priests had to transfer their authority to others because they would grow old and die.
7:24 Melchisedec had a nontransferable (unchangeable) priesthood because he never dies.
7:11 Since the Levitical (Aaronic) priesthood couldn't perfect anyone (Heb.9:9) there was a need for another (different) priesthood to take it's place, that is, the Melchisedec priesthood.
7:15-16 Jesus was the only other priest after the likeness of Melchisedec, who was qualified, not by a carnal Old Testament commandment, but by the power of an endless life - he never dies.
7:13-14 Jesus was not a Levite therefore could not be a priest of the Aaronic order. He was of the tribe of Judah which never had priests.
7:12 Since Jesus is a priest after a different order (Melchisedec) and this order supersedes the Levitical order - there had to be a change in the Law.
7:18-19 This law or commandment (the Old Testament) is therefore disannulled.
7:26-28 The only one who is a Melchisedec Priest now is Jesus Christ.
Summation: Therefore Mormons cannot be priests of the order of Melchisedec for they are born and they die. There is also no need for an Aaronic Priesthood, because we haven't any more need of the sacrifices they offered year by year, which could never take away sins.
Conclusion: These are but a few examples of the many discrepancies in the Book of Mormon. These are listed to show that The All-knowing God of the Bible could not be the author of this book, nor even the translator of the alleged Gold Tablets.
This book was not portrayed as the feeble translation of an ignorant farm boy who went about hunting for buried treasure, but Joseph Smith said that God translated them for him by a word for word interlinear presented to him upon the Urim and Thummim that Smith had in his hat.
This is such an insult to the creator that anyone who is familiar with the inspired word of God found in the Bible should be revolted at the mere suggestion that Jehovah could be the author.Mormons should well heed the warning in the scriptures: "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Prov. 30:5-6)
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