Category: Standard Works
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Does Revelation 22:18 Condemn the Book of Mormon?
By Bill McKeever
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Test Your Knowledge of the Book of Mormon
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, pg. 194). In light of such a fantastic claim, it behooves an individual to take…
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How Heavy Were Those Gold Plates?
Paramount in the story of the Latter-day Saints is the account given by Joseph Smith of a visitation he received from the angel Moroni on September 21, 1823. He stated that after he retired to bed, his room became filled with light. At his bedside stood an angel who called Smith by name and told…
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Can a Myth be Scripture?
One of the primary reasons millions of Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God is its historicity. The Bible speaks of real people and real events. Even though not every place named in the Bible has actually been located, enough sites have been discovered to give the Bible a considerable amount of trust.On…
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NHM – A Place Name from the Book of Mormon?
At the Worlds of Joseph Smith Conference held in Washington, D.C. in May 2005, BYU professor John Welch spoke about circumstantial pieces of evidence that he believes substantiates Joseph Smith’s claim as a prophet. Among the list of “evidence” Welch supplied was an inscription on a stone from the country of Yemen, which is located…
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Who Are the “Other Sheep” in John 10:16?
By Bill McKeever
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Does Scholarship Support Article Eight of the Articles of Faith?
By Bill McKeever The LDS Church has had a history of being very critical regarding the accuracy of the Bible. In fact, it is the only book among the LDS standard works accepted with qualification. Article eight of the LDS Articles of Faith reads, “We believe the Bible as far as it is translated correctly…
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Is Judging Always Wrong? A Closer Look at Matthew 7:1
By Eric Johnson Are making judgment calls always wrong? If not, is it wrong to critique what Christians believe to be doctrinal error? A common proof text used by Mormons who insist that their church is above criticism is Matthew 7:1, which says, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” “Why do you judge?” is…
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Mark 12:25 and Marriage in Heaven
By Eric Johnson “For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.” Mark 12:25
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Does Genesis 1:26, 27 Prove God Has a Physical Body?
By Bill McKeever According to Doctrine and Covenants 130:3, “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s.” A common proof text used by Mormons to support Smith’s claim is Genesis 1:26, 27. These passages state: 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and…
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Three Passages That Should Impact Christian Evangelism and Public Dialog
Titus 2:15: Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. An ambassador for Christ should deliver the word of God with authority. The impression should be given that what is being communicated in scripture1 is ultimately God’s perspective, and that God seriously means what He says. An alternative is to speak in a way…
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The Most Criticized Book
Along with about 60 of my senior students from the Bible classes that I teach at a private Christian high school, I recently traveled to three different religious venues for educational visits. We visited a conservative Jewish synagogue, a Hare Krishna temple, and an Islamic mosque, spending two hours at each venue. We had visited…
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Commandment-Keeping and God’s Grace
My October, 2006 edition of Ensign just arrived. I wish more of my Christian friends who think Mormonism is abandoning its heretical past would take closer notice of what the LDS Church is still teaching; for instance, in an article titled “Plain and Precious Truths Restored.” On page 53, Clyde Williams, BYU assistant professor of…
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Mormon Circles
According to the LDS history web site, on this day (September 22nd) in 1827 Joseph Smith “received the golden plates from the angel Moroni on the hill where they were buried.” Eyewitnesses reported that Joseph took the gold plates home and began translating them with the help of a seer stone — that is, a…
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DNA and Mormonism
Check out this article that appeared today on the LA Times web site: Bedrock of a Faith Is Jolted DNA tests contradict Mormon scripture. The church says the studies are being twisted to attack its beliefs. By William Lobdell, Times Staff Writer From the time he was a child in Peru, the Mormon Church instilled…
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Mark Twain’s Review of the Book of Mormon
From chapter 16 of Roughing It. Transcribed by Joey Day. § All men have heard of the Mormon Bible, but few except the “elect” have seen it, or, at least, taken the trouble to read it. I brought away a copy from Salt Lake. The book is a curiosity to me, it is such a…
