Why Dont Christians Accept the Book of Mormon as Valid?

[DavyCrocket2003]

By the way guys, thanks for keeping it respectful and intelligent. A lot of people just start throwing out insults and dumping arguments from anti-mormon websites. It's nice to have an intelligent debate.

 

[Waymarker]

..Why don't Christians accept the Book of Mormon to be true?..

Because the BOM says God calls Christians "fools" for thinking the Bible is all we need.
(see Book of Mormon II Nephi 29:3-10)

 

[LittleNipper]

Oh, sorry. I didn't even address your question. I think Watchmen answered it pretty well though. Here is the title page of the Book of Mormon explaining its purpose. This title page was written sometime in the 400's AD around the time the records were buried by the prophet Moroni. Joseph Smith translated it along with the rest of the Book of Mormon:

Especially notice the part I italicized for emphasis.

The CHRIST you believe saves (so long as you keep all HIS commandments). Funny, that is why I believe CHRIST died on the cross ----------- because no one could keep HIS commandments. My Bible doesn't say anything about abridgements, why are such a part of the bom? Why is the bom about people who are in no way connected in the linage through which the CHRIST was born?

I don't mean to come across as mean, but I feel strongly that such needs to be addressed as a demonstration that there are drastic differences between the bom and the Bible...

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

Because the BOM says God calls Christians "fools" for thinking the Bible is all we need.
(see Book of Mormon II Nephi 29:3-10)

Lol... That's straightforward alright! It's true though. And I guess that's offensive. Heck, any criticism stings. It's a shot to the ego. But to be called a fool? And supposedly by God? That would be a tough one to swallow, I have to admit. Well, just make sure you're not missing out on an incredible and life-changing work of inspiration because you've been offended.

 

[Watchmen]

The CHRIST you believe saves (so long as you keep all HIS commandments). Funny, that is why I believe CHRIST died on the cross ----------- because no one could keep HIS commandments. My Bible doesn't say anything about abridgements.

And now that you've been "saved," you don't have to try to follow Him

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

The CHRIST you believe saves (so long as you keep all HIS commandments). Funny, that is why I believe CHRIST died on the cross ----------- because no one could keep HIS commandments.

Nipper, there is only one Christ. We worship the same being. Whether we are right about some specifics of his gospel is open to debate, but I'm confident there's only one Jesus, the one we are both doing our best to follow.

You bring up a good point. I can see the reason for your consternation. Let me put it like this. We are weak mortals. None of us could make it back into God's presence alone. We would be doomed from the start if it weren't for the Savior. Thank Him forever, he took our sins upon him and atoned for them. Through his atonement we can come back into the presence of God. What do you think that means? If we were all thrust suddenly into his presence, would we be prepared? Would we wilt before his glory? After all, no unclean thing can enter the Kingdom of God. In order to dwell with God, we must become like God. To become like God we must be changed, through the atonement. But when we are like God, we keep his commandments. Not every man that saith Lord!Lord! will enter his kingdom, but he that doeth the will of his Father which is in heaven.
You cannot enter the Kingdom of God as a sinful man (or woman). We will be sinful men (or women) until the atonement works in us a mighty change of heart. We must be born again. When this happens, we will no more seek to do evil, but to do good continually. We will follow the commandments of God. We will be, to a degree, godlike.

 

[sojourner]

The NEW TESTAMENT is merely a fulfillment of the OLD TESTAMENT.

I disagree. The NT is a completely different animal from the OT. It contains radically different literature and a different religious paradigm. Like the BOM.
One of the problems I have with the BOM is that it attempts to do what you say the NT does. It attempts to "fill in gaps."
The NT doesn't do this. What it does is carry the spriritual story to completion in a different direction.

 

[ἀλήθεια]

And now that you've been "saved," you don't have to try to follow Him

His sheep do follow Him. Don't you know that sheep are followers?

 

[ἀλήθεια]

Nipper, there is only one Christ. We worship the same being. Whether we are right about some specifics of his gospel is open to debate, but I'm confident there's only one Jesus, the one we are both doing our best to follow.

Does your confidence stem from not believing what the Bible says?

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matthew 24:24)

 

[Watchmen]

His sheep do follow Him. Don't you know that sheep are followers?

that's not what I got from LittleNipper.

 

[Katzpur]

The book of mormon isn't about CHRIST. CHRIST is not in anyway the center of the bom.

Jesus Christ is mentioned as early as the first chapter of the Book of Mormon. There are over 700 references to "Jesus," "Christ," "the Savior," "the Redeemer," "the Son of God," "the Only Begotten," etc. throughout the pages of the Book of Mormon. There is probably more mention of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon (relative to its size) than there is in the Bible. The Book of Mormon ends by saying:

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."

How in the world you can honestly think the Book of Mormon is not centered around Christ is beyond me. Only someone who has (a) never read the Book of Mormon or (b) is simply lying through his teeth could make such an unfounded accusation.

The Bible is a finished book.

And you know this how?

 

[ἀλήθεια]

The Book of Mormon does not tear down the Bible, it builds it up. It gives strength to its testimony. If the Book of Mormon is true, then the Bible must be true.

No, the Book of Mormon says that the Bible is incomplete and that due to tampering by certain men, "an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them." (1 Nephi 13: 24-29)

Further the eighth LDS Article of Faith says:

8 We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.

So there you have it; the Bible, according to your church, has not been translated correctly nor is it complete!

 

[ἀλήθεια]

The Bible is a finished book.

And you know this how?

How do we know that the Bible is complete? Because the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in the New Testament. The New Testament reveals the fulfillment of man's reconciliation with God. Christ came to redeem His sheep and He paid the complete price upon the cross.

 

[Katzpur]

Because the BOM says God calls Christians "fools" for thinking the Bible is all we need.
(see Book of Mormon II Nephi 29:3-10)

I remember you! You're going by a different name nowadays. Remind me the name you may have gone by when I knew you before.

Now, as to your comment, I can see why that would offend the average Christian. I don't think most people like being called a fool. On the other hand, what reason do you have to believe that the Bible contains everything God wants us to know? The Bible itself doesn't claim to be complete. A number of its authors direct the reader to other books that were evidently, at some point in time, considered authoritative and scripturally sound -- books which have since simply disappeared from off the face of the Earth. The Bible also says that Jesus said and did so many things that were not written down that all the books in the world couldn't contain them. Unless you think that much of what Jesus said and did was mere fluff, I can't help but wonder why you would not be interested in knowing what it was.

Also, why in the world would God have suddenly stopped communicating with His children. What kind of a parent would leave his children with a list of instructions and say, "Read these. I'm no longer going to be in touch"?

 

[Katzpur]

So there you have it; the Bible, according to your church, has not been translated correctly nor is it complete!

So which translation is correct? And which Bible is complete? My hunch is that the world's 1 billion Catholics would say yours isn't.

 

[Katzpur]

How do we know that the Bible is complete? Because the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in the New Testament.

So God spoke to His children for four thousand years and then suddenly stopped talking, without so much as bothering to tell them He was going to? Why would He do that? Why would you think that just because the Old Testament prophesies have been fulfilled, He has nothing more to tell us? And why would He not have spoken to people other than those who lived in one small part of the world when He could have just as easily spoken to His children everywhere?

The New Testament reveals the fulfillment of man's reconciliation with God. Christ came to redeem His sheep and He paid the complete price upon the cross.

Yes. And how does that negate the message of the Book of Mormon?

 

[ἀλήθεια]

So which translation is correct? And which Bible is complete? My hunch is that the world's 1 billion Catholics would say yours isn't.

I haven't looked at a Catholic Bible since I was a teen. What does it teach that changes the message that Christ is the Redeemer?

You see, I'm not concerned that Catholics don't use my Bible. I would address the issue of whether one is saved by what man does or by the blood of Christ. Is the following verse considered true by a Catholic?

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12)

Does my Bible tell man how salvation is accomplished or does it neglect to do that?

 

[Katzpur]

I haven't looked at a Catholic Bible since I was a teen. What does it teach that changes the message that Christ is the Redeemer?

That's beside the point. If you're going to say that the Bible is complete, you have to explain which Bible you're referring to. I'm sure that any Catholic could tell you what the additional books his Bible contains add to the gospel message. In the process, he'd probably remind you that it was Protestantism that "took away" from what the Church had originally said was scripture. But since you answered my question with another question instead of with an answer, here's a question for you: "What does the Book of Mormon teach that changes the message that Christ is the Redeemer?"

You see, I'm not concerned that Catholics don't use my Bible. I would address the issue of whether one is saved by what man does or by the blood of Christ. Is the following verse considered true by a Catholic?

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12)

Does my Bible tell man how salvation is accomplished or does it neglect to do that?

Your Bible gives you the basics.

 

[ἀλήθεια]

So God spoke to His children for four thousand years and then suddenly stopped talking, without so much as bothering to tell them He was going to? Why would He do that? Why would you think that just because the Old Testament prophesies have been fulfilled, He has nothing more to tell us?

Why would you think that salvation in Christ is not what God's plan was from the beginning? Why would you think that Christ doesn't lead His sheep beside the still waters and restore their souls? What are His sheep lacking?

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (Colossians 2:10)

And why would He not have spoken to people other than those who lived in one small part of the world when He could have just as easily spoken to His children everywhere?

You tell me why He didn't go to Australia and China and Japan. Why did He send His followers into all the world instead of going there Himself?

Yes. And how does that negate the message of the Book of Mormon?

The LDS teachings about salvation/eternal life are in contradiction to the teachings of the Bible. You believe your teachings; I believe mine.

 

[ἀλήθεια]

Your Bible gives you the basics.

Is that all it gives?