In 1841 Joseph Smith declared that the Book of Mormon was “the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 194).

In light of such a fantastic claim, it behooves an individual to take a serious look at the precepts found in the Book of Mormon. Take a few moments and test your knowledge of what Joseph Smith also called the “most correct book of earth.”

1._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it teach that Elohim (God the Father in Mormonism) was once a mortal man and that he was not always God?

2._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it teach that God has a body of flesh and bones?

3._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it teach that God is married in heaven?

4._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it teach that men can become Gods?

5._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it teach that temple participation is necessary to become exalted?

6._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it teach Jesus and Lucifer are brothers?

7._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it teach the blood of Christ does not cleanse certain sins?

8._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it teach that a person can lose his salvation if he is not baptized on behalf of dead relatives?

9._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it say there is more than one God?

10._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it say males must hold either the Aaronic or Melchizedek Priesthood?

11._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it say you can’t drink coffee or tea?

12._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it teach that there are “three degrees of glory”?

13._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it teach that the Holy Ghost is a son of God just as Jesus is a son of God?

14. ______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it say that God allowed the Nephites to practice polygamy?

15._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it say that if a man wishes to be saved he must have a woman by his side?

16._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it say that faithful members must wear sacred undergarments that have the power to protect them?

17._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it say that official church doctrine must be voted on by the general membership?

18._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it say that the Black race (seed of Cain) survived the flood because the devil needed a representation on earth?

19._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it say that God is the offspring of another God who, in turn, is the offspring of still another God, etc.?

20._______ Where in the Book of Mormon does it teach that the highest level within the celestial kingdom is the “Church of the Firstborn”?

Answers

1. God a mortal man – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. The Book of Mormon never says God was once a mortal. In fact, it teaches that God was always God. Take for instance Moroni 8:18. It says God is “unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity.” Joseph Smith, however, taught, “We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity, I will refute that idea, and take away the veil so that you may see” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 345).

2. God has a body of flesh – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. The Book of Mormon never says God has a body of flesh and bones. On more than one occasion it clearly teaches that God is a God of spirit (see Alma 18:2-5, 24-28; Alma 22:9-11).

3. God is married – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. The Book of Mormon never teaches God is married.

4. Men becoming Gods – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. The Book of Mormon never says men can become Gods.

5. Temple participation – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. The Book of Mormon never mentions mankind must participate in temple ordinances in order to become exalted.

6. Jesus and Lucifer brothers – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. The Book of Mormon never teaches Jesus and Lucifer are brothers.

7. Cleansing power of Christ’s blood – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. Never does the Book of Mormon hint that there are sins beyond the cleansing power of Christ’s blood. However, second LDS Prophet Brigham Young taught, “There is not a man or woman, who violates the covenants made with their God, that will not be required to pay the debt. The blood of Christ will never wipe that out, your own blood must atone for it; and the judgments of the Almighty will come, sooner or later, and every man and woman will have to atone for breaking their covenants (Discourses of Brigham Young, p.385). Mormon Apostle Bruce McConkie wrote, “But under certain circumstances there are some serious sins for which the cleansing of Christ does not operate, and the law of God is that men must have their own blood shed to atone for their sins” (Mormon Doctrine, pg. 92).

8. Baptism for the dead – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. The Book of Mormon never teaches baptism for the dead is a necessary ordinance. In fact, the Book of Mormon teaches if a person dies in his sins, the devil has sealed him his and this is the final state of the wicked (see Alma 34:34,35). However, 10th LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith stated, “If we wilfully neglect the salvation of our dead, then also we shall stand rejected of the Lord, because we have neglected our dead; and just so sure their blood will be required at our hands …we cannot be saved without them” (Doctrines of Salvation 2:145,149).

9. Plurality of Gods – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. The Book of Mormon never teaches there is a plurality of Gods. In fact it strongly teaches there is only one true God (see Alma 11:26-29).

10. Priesthood – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. The Book of Mormon never mentions either the Aaronic or Melchizedek priesthood.

11. Can’t drink coffee or tea – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. This is taken from Doctrine and Covenants 89. Still, this health law never mentions coffee or tea specifically, only “hot drinks.” Mormon General authority George Q. Cannon included soup in this prohibition when he said, “We must not permit them to drink liquor or hot drinks, or hot soups or to use tobacco or other articles that are injurious” (Journal of Discourses 12:223).

12. Three degrees of glory – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. The celestial, terrestrial and telestial kingdoms are never mentioned in the Book of Mormon.

13. Holy Ghost is a son of God – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. Only Jesus and those who embrace Christ as their Savior are given that title in the Book of Mormon. Under the heading of “Holy Ghost,” The Encyclopedia of Mormonism states, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that the Holy Ghost is a spirit man, a spirit son of God the Father.”

14. God’s approval of Nephite polygamy – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. Jacob 2:27 makes it clear that the Nephites were to only have one wife and no concubines.

15. Must have a woman to be saved – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. However, Brigham Young taught, “No man can be perfect without the woman, so no woman can be perfect without a man to lead her. I tell you the truth as it is in the bosom of eternity. If he wishes to be saved, he cannot be saved without a woman by his side” (as quoted on page 245 of The Miracle of Forgiveness).

16. Protective Garments – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. The Book of Mormon never mentions “garments of the Holy Priesthood” yet temple Mormons are told that if they do not defile them, the garment will “be a shield and a protection” to them against the power of the destroyer.

17. Doctrine to be voted on – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. Never were the words of the Book of Mormon prophets sustained by the believers in the Book of Mormon in order to be considered official teaching.

18. Seed of Cain – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. However, third LDS Prophet John Taylor said, “And after the flood we are told that the curse that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued through Ham’s wife, as he had married a wife of that seed. And why did it pass through the flood? Because it was necessary that the devil should have a representation upon the earth as well as God” (Journal of Discourses 22:304).

19. God having a father and grandfather – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. However, Joseph Smith claimed, “If Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and John discovered that God the Father of Jesus Christ had a Father, you may suppose that He had a Father also” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg.373).

20. Church of the Firstborn – If you said it doesn’t, you’re right. Such an expression is never used in the Book of Mormon.

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