Subject: Concerning BoM Slander appendix
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 09:56:58 -0500 (CDT)
From: James Trimm <jstrimm@home.com>
To: jstrimm@home.com
 
 

ONCE AGAIN LET ME PREFACE ALL OF THIS BY SAYING THAT I DO NOT HOLD A BELIEF
THAT THE BOM IS TRUE LEST ANYONE MISUNDERSTAND.

THE POINT OF THE MATERIAL BELOW IS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THE BOM CAN BE USED
TO REACH MORMONS.  HOW ONE CAN TAKE THE "FOR ARGUMENTS SAKE" APPROACH AND
SHOW THEM THAT THEIR OWN BOOK DISPROVES MORMON THEOLOGY.
 

    APPENDIX I
    BoM "prooftexts" which teach against LDS doctrines:
    (These have been identified by and used by Christian anti-Mormon
ministries)

GOD NEVER CHANGES (against LDS "God was once a man" doctrine)
Alma 41:8; 3Ne. 24:6; Morm. 9:9-10, 19; Moroni 8:18

PRAISE GON RATHER THAN BECOME A GOD IN THE AFTERLIFE
Mosiah 2:28b; Mormon 7:7

AGAINST "SECOND CHANCE SALVATION"/"BAPTISM FOR THE DEAD"
Alma 34:32, 35; Mosiah 3:25; 2Nephi. 9:38

THAT GOD ACTUALLY CREATED REATHER THAN JUST ORGANIZED THE WORLD
Morm. 9:17; 2Ne. 2:14

SALVATION BY GRACE THRU FAITH APART FROM WORKS
2Ne. 9:21-23; Mosiah 5:7; 27:24-26; Alma 11:40-41; Hel. 5:9-11; 3Ne. 11:33;
Morm. 9:23-24; Eth. 3:14; 4:18; Moroni 8:23; 2Ne. 2:4-6; 25:23; Mos.
16:11-15; 2Ne. 10:24; Mos. 3:18; Alma 22:14

NEED FOR SPIRITUAL REBIRTH
Alma 5:14

TRINITARIAN VIEW OF GOD
2Ne. 31:21; 3Ne. 11:27

AGAINST LDS "PLURAL GODS" DOCTRINES
1Ne. 13:41; Alma 11:26-33, 38, 39, 44

AGAINST LDS "GOD HAS A BODY OF FLESH AND BONE" DOCTRINE
Alma 18:26-28; 31:15; 34:36

AGAINST LDS SECRET TEMPLE CEREMONIES AND OATHS
2Ne. 9:9; 26:22; Morm. 8:27; Alma 34:36; 37:23, 31

AGAINST POLYGAMY
Jacob 1:15; 2:22-27; 3:5; Mos. 11:2; Eth. 10:5

THAT "JESUS" WAS LUCIFER'S CREATOR RATHER THAN HIS BROTHER
3Ne. 22:16; Hel. 14:12; 3Ne. 9:15

ONLY TWO DESTINATIONS IN THE AFTERLIFE
Mos. 16:11

VERY LITERAL ETERNAL HELL
1Ne. 15:29-30, 35; 2Ne. 9:16, 19, 26; 28:21-23; Jacob 6:10; Mosiah 2:33;
3:25, 27; 5:5; 28:3; Alma 12:17; 3Ne. 27:11, 17; Moroni 8:21

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    APPENDIX II

    ADITIONAL BoM "PROOFTEXTS" THAT I HAVE FOUND
    FOR A HEBRAIC-ROOTS TORAH APPROACH
 

MESSIAH IS THE TORAH INCARNATE
3Ne. 15:9

THE SCRIPTURES ARE BEST UNDERSTOOD FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE
2Ne. 25:5

THE GREAT APOSTASY OCCURRED *AFTER* THE MESSAGE LEFT THE JEWS IN PURITY AND
WENT TO THE GENTILES WHO THEN CREATED A GREAT AND ABOMINABLE CHURCH, THE
GREAT WHORE BABYLON
1Ne. 13:20-29

KNOWEDGE OF "TRUTH" AND KNOWLEDGE OF "THE WORD OF GOD" MAY BE OBTAINED BY
SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES (i.e. the Tanak since the NT and BoM were not
supposed to have existed yet)
Alma 17:2

THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY RESTS WITH THE TANAK WE MUST SEARCH THE TANAK FOR
UNDERSTANING

    The Book of Mormon constantly tells us to search the Scriptures:

         ...and they searched the scriptures... (Jacob 7:23)

         ...many of them did believe on his words,
         and began to repent, and to search the scriptures.
         (Alma 14:1)

         ...they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth;
         for they were men of sound understanding
         and they had searched the scriptures diligently,
         that they might know the word of God.
         (Alma 17:2)

         ...ye ought to search the scriptures...
         (Alma 33:2)

         ...he that has the scriptures,
         let him search them,...
         (3Nephi 10:14)

    (see also Mosiah 1:3; Jacob 4:6; 3Nephi 20:11; 23:1, 5; Mormon  8:23)

    Now when the Book of Mormon refers to the "Scriptures"
    it cannot be referring to itself and it cannot be referring to
    the New Testament.  When the Book of Mormon says to
    "search the scriptures" it refers to the Tanak ("Old Testament").
 

HAVING ESTABLISHED THAT KNOWLEDGE OF THE "TRUTH" AND THE "WORD OF GOD" ARE
TO BE FOUND BY SEARCHING THE TANAK WE CAN THEN USE THE TANAK TO DEFINE THE
FOLLOWING TERMS AS EUPHAMISMS FOR TORAH:

    THE TRUTH (Ps. 119:142, 151)

    THE WORD OF GOD/YHWH (Is. 2:3 which is quoted in BoM 2Ne. 12:3)

    THE LIGHT  (Prov. 6:23; Psalm 119:105; Isaiah 8:20; Isaiah 51:4)

    FREEDOM (Psalm 119:44-45) "the Torah of freedom" (James 1:25; 2:12).

    THE WAY     (Deut. 9:12; 11:22, 26-28; 30:15-16;
        Joshua 22:5; Isaiah 30:21; Psalm 119:1, 14, 32)

THUS MAKING PASSAGES IN WHICH THE BOM USES THESE TERMS SPRINGBOARDS TO TALK
ABOUT TORAH.  FOR EXAMPLE:

    ...they were numbered among the peope of the
    church of Christ; and their names were taken,
    that they might be remembered and nourished by
    the good WORD OF GOD, to keep them in the right WAY,...
    (Moroni 6:4)

    What does it mean "Word of God"?
    What does it mean "keep them in the right way"?
    Lets "search the Scriptures [Tanak] diligently"
    to find out (Alma 17:2).

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