A man asked me, “How do you explain the Book of Mormon?” I indicated that I do not and will not attempt to explain that book. However, every word of that book must be tested. So, following the patterns of testing found in the old and new testaments, I test. Will this Mormon scripture be established as the reliable Word of God or blatant heresies?
After posting this video, a second Mormon man asked that I test the Bible with equal veracity. I agreed and posted my findings below the video. I discovered some amazing facts. Enjoy.
Ask Your Bishop is a service for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons). We compare biblical verses with Mormon doctrines, theologies, and practices. Then, we ask questions. We encourage the Mormon people to bring these questions to their Mormon Bishops. If they cannot answer reasonably, we pray you will contact us.
Follow this podcast on YouTube or in an audio-only format.
A Challenge to Test the Bible
On my Facebook channel, a man challenged me to test the Bible as I did the Book of Mormon. He wrote:
How do you know it’s actually the word of God and not just another Bhagavad-gita (Hinduism), Avesta (Zoroastrianism), or Tao Te Ching (Taoism)?
Unidentified
Challenge accepted!
In the beginning God
Over his lifetime, Joseph Smith changed his view of God. His final definition insisted that the Mormon god and all Mormon gods began as a man on another planet where he advanced to godhood.
“As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be.”
Feeling that he had received “a sacred communication” that he should guard carefully, Lorenzo Snow did not teach the doctrine publicly until he knew that the Prophet Joseph Smith had taught it. Once he knew the doctrine was public knowledge, he testified of it frequently.
Chapter 5: The Grand Destiny of the Faithful, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/
Someone said, “Study the four gospels from the Mormon manual, Come Follow Me.” So I did. The first lesson for this calendar year covers John 1:1. The following is tongue-in-cheek. However, it is the doctrine of Mormon prophets and apostles.
In the beginning? That can’t be. According to Mormon theology, in the beginning, the Mormon god had not yet begun to begin. Later, he began to begin, but his beginning was after the first beginning, and when he began, his beginning was as a man like you and me. Decades or millennia later, the transformation from man to god began to begin and the Mormon god began with a beginning that began after the first beginning that began when John wrote, “In the beginning.”
The Mormon Jesus began to begin when the Mormon god began incestuous relations with young Mary, who’s beginning began as the literal daughter of that same Mormon god. The Mormon Jesus did not begin as god! He began as another god with another beginning after the beginning of the Mormon god, who began to begin after the beginning that began in the beginning that began at the beginning of all things.
And some say Mormon theology is confusing…
Old Testament
Israel Enslaved in Eqypt
Did Israel endure 400 years of slavery in Egypt? The Sudan says yes!
When Israel had no King
Egypt gives evidence of Judges.
King David, Fact or Fiction
For a very long time, biblical antagonists claimed King David was a myth. Then came the Tel Dan Stela.
Oldest Biblical Scroll
Even with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, we had no Old Testament records dating back to the first temple period. Then, there was Dr. Gabi Barkay.
Child Sacrifice
The Bible speaks of children being sacrificed to Canaanite gods. At Gezer the evidence is unmistakable.
Siege of Lachish
The Bible speaks of the fall of Lachise and Azekah. But, where is the proof?
Royal Seal of Hezekiah
The Bible claims Hezekiah was the King of Judah. In the City of David, absolute evidence was found.
Seal of Nathan-Melech
The name Nathan-Melech appears once in the Bible, in the second book of Kings 23:11, where he is described as an official in the court of King Josiah. His seal was excavated in the City of David.
Old and New Testaments
40,000 New Testament Manuscripts and Old Testament Prophesy Fulfilled in the New
New Testament
Temple Destruction
Jesus said about the temple, not one stone will be left standing upon another. And so it was.
The Ring of Pontius Pilate
Herodium produces evidence of the reign of Pilate.
Extrabiblical Evidence
Conclusion
The man who challenged me to test the Bible is a long-time social media troll. Does he want the truth? I doubt it. Will he accept these as undeniable proof of biblical reliability? Probably not.
Jesus spoke of men who, having eyes, see not and having ears, hear not. (Mark 8:18)
In Romans 1, Paul wrote of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, and claiming to be wise, they became fools. In the end, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind…”.
Dear challenger, has God given you over to a reprobate mind? I fear it may be so.
I do not discount the reality of revelation from the Holy Spirit. Also, I do not doubt that Satan can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). This is why God commanded us to test all things. So, I can test the Bible against itself and it stands. I can test the Bible against linguistic and archeological evidence, and it stands. Finally, I can confirm what the Holy Spirit reveals and know Satan does not deceive me.
If I am wrong in my assessment, please provide equivalent evidence for the Bhagavad-gita, Avesta, Tao Te Ching, and your books of canonized Mormon scripture.
This is my story. For drama, it includes gag orders, police appearances, criminal charges, court appearances, and shunning. For eternity, it tells of a big God who saved a wretch like me!
