How can you disprove Mormonism? I am currently a Mormon now.
Also, why are there so many diffrent versions of the Bible?

I have produced a fair amount of material on Mormonism at the web site.
One can consider the validity of this religion from two main
perspectives. First of all, are the teachings of Mormonism, as contained
in the Book of Mormon, as well as the Doctrine and Covenants consistent
with the inspired word of God–the Old and New Testaments? Second, do the
character and life of Joseph Smith show evidence of him being a prophet of
God as he claims? I believe the evidence in both cases very strongly
leads to the answer no.

Below are some notes I have used when teaching on Mormonism. At the end
of the article is a series of Bible studies one can use to understand the
relationship between the covenants as described in the Book of Mormon and
the Bible. Also, I have a power point presentation on Mormonism which you
can find at my web site in the Power Point section. Please feel free to
direct more specific questions to me if you think I can be of help.

About your second question, there are certainly a number of translations
of the Bible available. As far as I know, there is only one version of
the Bible, which is the original writings in the original languages
(Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic). If you look in the articles section at the
web site, you can find an article titled “How We Got the Bible” for
background on the biblical manuscripts. As for the great number of
different translations of the Bible, most of these are very good, while
some are not as good. If you want to study the Bible carefully, it is a
good idea to have more than one translation in hand so that you can
compare to get a better feel for the original meaning of the text. I
suggest a modern translation rather than the King James Version, as this
translation is in a form of English which is very hard to understand for
modern readers. Perhaps you could read the Bible from a word-for-word
translation such as the New American Standard as well as a
phrase-for-phrase translation such as the New International Version. If
you would like me to comment on a particular translation. The reason
there are so many translations is that the Bible is a very popular book,
and different people find different styles of translation to be helpful.
You should realize that translations are not inspired. Only the original
versions, in the original languages are without error.

John Oakes

Notes to accompany MORMONISM (The Churchof Jesus Christof the Latter Day
Saints)

Founder: Joseph Smith (1805 – 1844)

HISTORY:

Joseph Smith

Born in Vermont, 1805, raised in rural New YorkState.

Not known for holding a regular job

Turned to scamming people. Was a religious charlatan.

Divining, dousing treasure hunting

Arrested and convicted of scamming people out of money for finding
treasure

Used “magic stones” to find buried treasure.

Dreamed about a large ancient buried treasure near PalmyraNew Yorkand got
a number of people to pay to support his treasure hunt.

When he could not make sufficient money from treasure hunting, turned to
religious pseudo-Christian scams, much like supposed faith healers today.

In 1823, Joseph Smith said he was visited by an angel named Moroni, who
told him of an ancient record containing God’s dealings with the former
inhabitants of the American continent.

Claimed to have a vision and to receive a direct commission from The
Father and the Son, Jesus Christ.

Claimed to have found golden tablets buried under ground in 1927 on which
was inscribed in a kind of Egyptian writing (which never existed) the Book
of Mormon.

Translated them by putting his head inside a hat and holding the same
magic rocks which he now called the Urim and the Thummim ( he used to
search for buried treasure.

Never produced these supposed golden tablets for the public.

His translation complete, Joseph had one further use of the golden plates.
To assure skeptics that the plates did, indeed, exist, he showed them to
several trusted witnesses, who signed statements affirming that they had
beheld the plates. In preparation for viewing the plates, the chosen
witnesses prayed for several hours. After lengthy praying, one witness
reported that he saw only an empty box. Joseph sent him out for additional
prayer, after which the golden plates were fully visible to the witness.

Joseph later announced that he had returned the plates to the angel who
had first led him to them. The angel took them off to eternity

Book of Mormon is a grade B historical fantasy novel with many passages
stolen directly from the Old Testament, especially from Isaiah. Written
is pseudo King James English.

Original version had thousands of grammar and spelling errors.

Every single original witness to the golden tablets, including Joseph
Smith?s first wife eventually left the Mormon cult.

Mormon movement grew rapidly, moved to Kirtland, Ohio; Independence,
Missouriand Far West, Missouri. Finally it would find a resting place in
Nauvoo, Illinoisbetween 1839-1944. Joseph Smith became Mayor. Took on a
number of other wives, including stealing wives from some other leaders in
the movement.

Sidney Rigdon became sort of his right hand man on teaching of Mormonism.

Rigdon a major figure in the Restoration Movement, under leadership of
Alexander Campbell.

Into speaking in tongues, other gifts, left Disciples of Christ movement
g became part of Mormonism.

Rigdon?s influence: repentance and baptism for forgiveness of sins part
of Mormonism.

Persecution at Nauvoo, Ilbecame intense, Smith arrested, killed in a
shootout at a jail in nearby CarthageIllinois.

Movement scattered, many moved to IndependenceMissouri, others followed
Brigham young to Salt Lake City, Utah.

MORMON SCRIPTURES

A. THE BOOK OF MORMON

Supposedly translated from “Reformed Egyptian” (Mormon 9:32)

Mormon 8:18 “Don?t demand to see the plates or you will be killed.”

Originally published in 1830.

Went through several early editions. The original is not generally
available.

A grade B religious fantasy about a group of Jews who crossed the Atlantic
oceanin a cubic shaped boat with one hole in the bottom, one in the top
and no windows.!

Another “lost tribe” of Jews migrated as well to New Worldaround 600 BC.

The apparent scene of the book of Mormon is Central America.

Describes many tribes, wars in which over two million soldiers are killed
and large cities, none of which exist.

No archaeological discovery supports any of the events in the Book of
Mormon.

Book of Mormon has cows and horses in Central Americawhen there were none.
(Enos 1:21). Silk in the New Worldin 600 BC (Ether 7:9) Even elephants
(Eth 9:19).

Baptism in the name of Jesus for forgiveness taught in 600 BC!

Jesus came and preached to these people after being resurrected (3 Nephi
9).

Many of the really strange Mormon doctrines are not found in the Book of
Mormon

B. PEARLOF GREAT PRICE

I. Articles of Faith. (Smith)

II. The Doctrine and the Covenants (Smith, Brigham Young and others)

Mormons believe in progressive revelation.
The Pearl of Great Price can
be added to.

Here is where the strange doctrines of Mormonism are found.

C. THE BIBLE (so long as it is properly interpreted by the Mormon
priesthood)

TEACHINGS OF MORMONISM

Scriptures to bear in mind: Galatians 1:6-9, 2 Thess 2:5-12, 1 John
2:18-23

The original church completely fell away with the death of the original
apostles. There was no legitimate church for about 1700 years.
Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. He did not work miracles in the same
sense that Jesus did. He was not deity per se, but Mormonism makes a slim
distinction between humans and deity.
The Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are three separate gods.
Mormonism is a polytheistic religion. Joseph Smith declared, “I will
preach on the plurality of Gods. I have always declared God to be a
distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from
God the Father, and the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit:
and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods”
(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 370).

Jesus and Satan were once “brothers” Jesus, according to Milton Hunter of
the LDS First Council of the Seventy, is the brother of Lucifer. “The
appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by one of
the other sons of God. He was called Lucifer, son of the morning. Haughty,
ambitious, and covetous of power and glory, this spirit-brother of Jesus
desperately tried to become the Savior of mankind” (The Gospel Through the
Ages, p. 15).

Truly spiritual people can become gods as well, eventually having their
own world to be the god of. MAN’S DESTINY: As Lorenzo Snow, fifth prophet
of the LDS Church exclaimed, “As man now is, God once was; as God now is,
man may be” (Ensign, February 1982, pp. 39-40). This means that every
worthy male, according to the standards of Mormonism, will become a god
and rule over their own planet. But what about the women? That question
was answered by Joseph Fielding Smith, tenth prophet of the Church, when
he spoke of Man’s salvation or exaltation as it is called in Mormonism.

“The Father has promised us that through our faithfulness we shall be
blessed with the fullness of his kingdom. In other words we will have the
privilege of becoming like him. To become like him we must have all the
powers of godhood; thus a man and his wife when glorified will have spirit
children who eventually will go on an earth like this one we are on and
pass through the same kind of experiences, being subject to mortal
conditions, and if faithful, then they also will receive the fullness of
exaltation and partake of the same blessings. There is no end to this
development; it will go on forever. We will become gods and have
jurisdiction over world, and these world will be peopled by our own
offspring. We will have an endless eternity for this” (Doctrines of
Salvation, Vol. 2, 48).

In April, Joseph Smith preaches perhaps his most famous sermon. “God
himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned
in yonder heavens!…I am going to tell you how God came to be God. 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…He was once
a man like us; yea that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an
earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did…Here, then is eternal
life…you have got learn how to be Gods yourselves,…the same as all
Gods have done before you” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp.
345-46). (See 1829, 1842a, 1844c, d.)

When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a
celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to
make and organize this world. He is Michael, the Archangel, the Ancient of
Days! about whom holy men have written and spoken – He is our Father and
our God, and the only God with whom we have to do” (Journal of Discourses,
Vol. 1, p. 50

Faith, repentance, water immersion baptism, holy spirit baptism.
Polygamy. Taught and practiced by Smith, even with married women.
Officially denounced in 1890. Mormon apostle and later counselor to
Brigham Young in Church’s First Presidency Jedediah M. Grant quotes with
approval pagan philosopher Celsus, “The grand reason why the gentiles and
philosophers of his school persecuted Jesus Christ, was because he had so
many wives; there were Elizabeth, and Mary, and a host of others that
followed him.” He goes on to say, “The grand reason of the burst of public
sentiment in anathemas upon Christ and his disciples, causing crucifixion,
was evidently based upon polygamy, according to the testimony of the
philosophers who rose in that age. A belief in the plurality of wives
caused the persecution of Jesus and his followers. We might almost think
they were ‘Mormons'” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, p. 345-46; see 1854c,
1963a).
Blacks and especially Indians are degenerate humans. Mormon 5:15
“Indians are dark filthy and loathsome.” 1 Neph 11:13 “dark people are
sinful.” 2 Nephi 5:21 Dark skin is loathsome. Those who marry dark
skinned are cursed. The doctrine of racism was officially renounced in
the 1980?s.
A group of 12 “apostles” receive modern-day revelation.
Baptism for dead people.
Modern-day priesthood of Melchizedek.

HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE WITH A MORMON

Their belief is based on emotion, not on rational knowledge.

“All I know is that Joseph Smith is a prophet and the Book of Mormon is
the Word of God.”

Showing “proof” that the book of Mormon is not inspired may not help.

You might be surprised that they may be more outwardly righteous than you
would expect.

Get them to make a clear statement that the Bible is the Word of God, and
begin studying the Bible.

The Word of God

What books are identified as the words of God ? 2 Nephi 29:13

“..words of the Jews” The Bible

” words of the lost tribes of Israel” Lost books?

“?words of the Nephites” Book of Mormon

What does “?they both shall be established in one” mean? 1 Nephi 13:41

What are the “Plain and precious things” that were taken from the Bible?
1 Nephi 13:28

Do the Bible and the Book of Mormon have to be in harmony with each other?

What are the two sticks in Ezekiel 37:15-22

What version of the Bible do you accept as the inspired word of God?

Does God?s word in the Book of Mormon ever contradict God?s word in the
Bible?

Would there ever be any reason to reject the Bible as God?s word?

Infinite and Eternal Atonement

Alma 34:14 / Hebrews 10:1

Atonement Shadow

Atonement applied

Book of Mormon

Mosiah 16:14 (148 BC)

2 Nephi 25:24-27 (545 BC)

Alma 33:19-22 (74 BC)

Mosiah 12:31-13:28 (148 BC)

Alma 25:15 (77 BC)

The Old Testament

Genesis 12:3 (1500 BC)

Numbers 21:4-9 (1500 BC)

Isaiah 53:4-7 (701 BC)

Exodus 12:1 (1500 BC)

Leviticus 4 (1500 BC)

(Hebrews 10:1, Galatians 3:24)

Book of Mormon

Mosiah 4:2,3 (124 BC)

Jacob 4:11 (421 BC)

Jarom 1:11 (399 BC)

Jacob 7 (421 BC)

Alma7:14 (83 BC)

The New Testament

Galatians 3:8 (AD 49)

John 3:14, 12:32 (AD 85-90)

1 Peter 2:21-25 (AD 64)

1 Corinthians 5:7 (AD 54)

Hebrews 9 (AD 60-69)

(Galatians 3:19,23, Colossians 2:14)

The Mystery

Ephesians 1:9,10 The mystery?.to be put into effect when the times have
reached their fulfillment.

Ephesians 3:3-5 The mystery?.which was not make known to men in other
generations

Ephesians 3:6 The mystery?.the gospel?.the promise in Christ Jesus

Ephesians 3:9 The mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God.

The Plan of Redemption

Atonement in Christ before the foundation of the world

Law of Moses 1500-400
BC New Testament

Leviticus 16 Animal Sacrifices
Hebrews 9:11-14

Exodus 20:8 Keep the Sabbath
Colossians 2:14-16

Book of Mormon

Jarom 1:5,11 Law of Moses / Sabbath 399
BC

2 Nephi 25:24-27 Belief in Christ
545 BC Jn 3:16 Belief

Mosiah 4:2 Atonement Applied 124
BC Rom 3:25 Atonement

Alma7:14 Baptism for Remission of Sin 83 BC
Acts 2:38 Baptism

Alma46:15 Christian
73 BC Acts 11:26 Christian

What arrangement did God make for atonement under the Law of Moses?

What did the Nephites command in regard to atonement?

What event fulfilled the Law of Moses?

MT

SINAI

The Patriarchs Law of Moses
New Testament

Adam / Eve Ex 20 Ten
Commandments 2Co 3:6 Spirit of Law

Cain / Abel Nu 3:10 Temple/
Priesthood 2Pet 2:5 All Believers

Noah / Ark Animal
sacrifices Heb 10:8-10
Crucifixion

Were those under the Law of Moses required to build an ark? Yes / No

Was Noah required to offer animal sacrifice for sin? Yes / No

Are Christians required to keep the Law of Moses? Yes / No

Were those under the Law of Moses required to accept the Atonement of
Christ? Yes / No