Expert: Michael Kelley - 11/8/2009

Question
QUESTION: What is the practise in LDS that is contrary to the Book of Mormon?

ANSWER: Hi Segbenu,
 I will be happy to answer your question. Please note that I am ex-LDS and belong to the Church of Christ that believes in the Bible and Book of Mormon.

 What are some of the doctrines that the LDS have practiced in the past or currently practice that are contrary to what the BoM (Book of Mormon) teaches? There are many. Many LDS doctrines are simply not even mentioned in the BoM. Other doctrines are either indirectly or directly opposed by plainly worded passages in the BoM. Some examples are:

Past Practices:
1. Polygamy. The BoM bitterly condemns this practice, no exceptions, no excuses. The LDS say God justified Abraham, Jacob, David and others doing this if He had commanded them, yet there are no passages in the Bible of God ever commanding them to do this and in every single case it brought them sorrow and grief.

Jacob 2:24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.

Jacob 2:27 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;

Jacob 3:5 Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them.

2. Racism. The LDS during Brigham Young's days until the 1970s forbid people of African decent of holding any priesthood or political office. Young is even recorded in the Journal of Discourses that any persons caught in an inter-racial relationship were to be put to death on the spot.

2 Ne. 26: 33 For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; 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.

Current Doctrines practiced by the LDS today that are absent or opposed by the BoM:

1. Baptism for the Dead. The LDS believe that vicarious baptisms for the dead can somehow help save them. The BoM teaches that once you die you cannot repent or change your fate in the afterlife. It also teaches that the innocent such as the truly ignorant or infants and children are automatically saved by grace alone and to suppose otherwise is a solemn mockery to God.

Alma 34: 34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.

Moroni 8:9 And after this manner did the Holy Ghost manifest the word of God unto me; wherefore, my beloved son, I know that it is solemn mockery before God, that ye should baptize little children.

Moroni 8:22 For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing— 23 But it is mockery before God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and putting trust in dead works.

2. Celestial Marriage, Plural Gods. The LDS believe that by being sealed in their temples, Celestial Marriage, they will be sealed as husband and wife in the afterlife. They will also be "as Gods" eternally procreating spirit children and rule over their own worlds. The BoM never mentions this and the Bible opposes the idea.

Alma 33: 1 Now after Alma had spoken these words, they sent forth unto him desiring to know whether they should believe in one God, that they might obtain this fruit of which he had spoken, or how they should plant the seed, or the word of which he had spoken, which he said must be planted in their hearts; or in what manner they should begin to exercise their faith.

Luke 20: 35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in cmarriage:

3. Placing man (First President) as the head of the church instead of Christ. The LDS have what they believe to be a Prophet-Seer-Revelator at the head of their church yet he does not possess the seer stones, and has Papal like authority. It is through this figurehead that so many of the false doctrines including the ones I already mentioned, came through. The BoM and Bible states that Christ is the head of the church and that 12 Apostles are selected as overseers (not Lords). Placing trust in man is a form of idolotry that inevitably leads to deception and false doctrines.

2 Ne. 26: 29 He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.

2 Ne. 28: 31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.

4. There are many other lesser false doctrines that the LDS still espouse such as having secretive temples, High Priests (Jesus was the last one), altering the sacrament and words used for the baptism, changing many revelations and scriptures from their originals, believing in a Changing God and on and on. I have only scratched the surface and covered the core doctrines that the BoM not once mentions and often bitterly condemns.

Feel free to ask for follow up or more depth on a particular subject if you life.

God Bless,
Mike

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: You say you believe in the Bible and the BoM, what is the understanding behing these contradictions:

Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. (Matthew 2:1 and Micah 5:2)   Jesus Christ was born at Jerusalem. (Alma 7:10)
Jesus Christ promised: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
(Matthew 24:35)   “...there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.” —1 Nephi 13:28
During Jesus’ death, darkness covered the earth for three hours. (Matthew 27:45)   At Jesus’ death, darkness covered the earth for three days. (Helaman 14:20, 27)
Christ’s followers were first called “Christians” at Antioch (after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven).
(Acts 11:26)   Christ’s followers were called “Christians” at 73 B.C. (70+ years before Christ was born).
(Alma 46:15).
Melchizedek (a picture of Christ in the Old Testament) was “without father.” (Hebrews 7:3)   Melchizedek “did reign under his father.”
(Alma 13:18)  

Answer
Hi segbenu,
 I will answer each of your questions below in **, Mike

QUESTION: You say you believe in the Bible and the BoM, what is the understanding behing these contradictions:

**Mike replies: I am aware of most of the seeming contradictions that opponents to the BoM bring up. Typically closer study eliminates most of these contradictions, if not all. Even so I am aware of contradictions in the scriptures. Cases in point are the differing testimonies of various events between the four gospels, the case where Jesus refuted the Law of Moses concerning divorce for any cause, and the one that stands out for me is when Nathan rebuked David about Basheba and seemed to indicate God gave David his master's wives... yet in both OT and NT polygamy is never taught and always taught against. Even with these contradictions this does not shake my faith in the Bible, nor the BoM.

You sent: Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. (Matthew 2:1 and Micah 5:2) Jesus Christ was born at Jerusalem. (Alma 7:10)

**Mike: Correct, Bethlem is a suburb just outside of Jerusalem, so the statement "at Jerusalem" would not be in error, it would have been an error if "in Jerusalem" had been used. There are similar examples in the OT that I could dig up if you really want to know.

You sent: Jesus Christ promised: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
(Matthew 24:35) “...there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.” —1 Nephi 13:28

**Mike: Correct, His words did not pass away. The difference in our opinions may be HOW did He preserve His word. You might believe that God kept this promise by preserving the Bible in it's perfect form. My belief is God preserved His word through the BoM and that many things were ommitted from the Bible starting at the Council of Nicea, and errors introduced through translations, and errors introduced by the will of men. Today we have 10,000s of various Bible only churches, each with their own particular doctrines, most claiming the holders of truth, all professing sound understanding of the Bible... yet they are so different. If the Bible had contained these plain and precious things this great diversity of doctrine across these churches would not exist. God's word has not passed away, it was preserved through the BoM. This does not mean I dismiss the Bible (as some LDS seem to do). Rather the BoM has stengthened my belief and understanding of the Bible. When Jesus came to the Jews He taught them new doctrines which should have helped them understand the OT better... but due to being indoctrinated by the traditions of men the Jews rejected this new truth and crucified Him.

You sent: During Jesus’ death, darkness covered the earth for three hours. (Matthew 27:45) At Jesus’ death, darkness covered the earth for three days. (Helaman 14:20, 27)

**Mike: Correct, but remember the authors each wrote using the persective they had. The Jews thought the event they witnessed impacted the entire earth, not knowing different things could happen to something across the earth... a place they had no knowledge of. Ditto for the Nephites who wrote their experience. Why the Nephites suffered darkness and destruction for 3 days verses the Jews 3 hours I do not know. I do know the Nephites were more accountable and had sinned with greater knowlege so they may have been dealt greater punishment.

You sent: Christ’s followers were first called “Christians” at Antioch (after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven).
(Acts 11:26) Christ’s followers were called “Christians” at 73 B.C. (70+ years before Christ was born).
(Alma 46:15).

**Mike: I don't have a problem with this. The Nephites had received greater prophecies than the Jews had and knew what was to come in greater detail. They called themselves Christians already knowing in much degree what was to come and what to believe in.

You sent: Melchizedek (a picture of Christ in the Old Testament) was “without father.” (Hebrews 7:3) Melchizedek “did reign under his father.”
(Alma 13:18)

**Mike: According to Coffman's commentary (Bible only) he says: "The statement by the author of Hebrews that Melchizedek had no father, no mother, no genealogy, no beginning of life, and no end of days, simply means THAT HE HAD NONE OF THOSE THINGS IN THE SCRIPTURAL RECORD, and does not mean that he was actually born in a manner different from other men."

**Mike adds: There are numerous complaints that opponents to the BoM bring up yet closer study, or new truth almost always debunks those complaints. Case in point is where antis decry the BoM mentioning the Nephites had Barley while the "Smithsonian" says the Native Americans did not have barley. Yet I lived in Phoenix, AZ when they excavated Hohokam ruins while build I-10 and found preserved barley, which even grew when planted. Quite often people make this or that complaint against the BoM not knowing the very same identical doctrine can be found in the Bible as well, and they were simply ignorant of it. Again the BoM helps deepen one's understanding of the Bible.

Mike