Truth Magazine

By John McCort

The Mormons tell people that the Book of Mormon is the word of God just like the Bible. They leave the impression that the Book of Mormon is nothing more than an extension of the Bible and that both can and should be believed as being the word of God. (They actually feel the Book of Mormon to be superior to the Bible since they believe many precious and important parts of the Bible were supposedly deleted from the Bible by the Catholics.) The simple truth of the matter is that the Book of Mormon contradicts the Bible in many areas. Both books cannot be true. At least one of them is a fraud.

The Book of Mormon was supposedly written before the time of Christ. A statement, dating about 147 B. C., is found in the Book of Mormon, “And they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that time forward” (Mosiah 18:17). In about 33 A. D. Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). Jesus did not establish his church until the day of Pentecost, 33 A.D. How then can the Book of Mormon say that the church was established 147 B. C.? One of them is wrong.

The Book of Mormon states, “So long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land-for thus were all the true believers of Christ, who belonged to the church of God, called by those who did not belong to the church” (Alma 46:13, 14, p. 310, 73 B. C.). The Bible states, “And that the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch” (Acts 11:26). The statement made in the Book of Mormon predates the statement in Acts by 100 years. Both cannot be right.

With reference to the darkness at the crucifixion of Christ, the Bible says, “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour” (Matt. 27:45; Mk. 15:33). The Book of Mormon contains a completely contradictory account of the same event, “Three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel” (I Nephi 19:10, p. 42, 588-570 B. C.). Three days of darkness is quite a bit different from three hours of darkness.

The Bible states that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea … ” (Matt. 2:1). The Book of Mormon states that Jesus was born in Jerusalem. “And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers . . .” (Alma 7:10). The Mormons argue that Bethlehem was a mere suburb of Jerusalem and therefore does not contradict the Bible on this point. The Mormons fail to take into consideration several key points. Jerusalem was a walled city and thus Bethlehem would have had to be inside the walls of the city. When Jesus traveled by donkey from Jerusalem to Bethany it is said, “And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany” (Matt. 21:17). Bethany was only two and one half miles outside of Jerusalem. Bethlehem was seven miles outside of Jerusalem. If Bethany maintained a separate identity, how much more so of Bethlehem.

The Bible says, “And that repentance and remission of sins be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). The Book of Mormon states, “Repenting of your sins . . . willing to take upon you the name of Christ by baptism” (1 Nephi 31:13). “Yea blessed are they who shall … be baptized, for they shall … receive the remission of their sins … Behold baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling of the commandments unto the remission of sin.” Again, the Book of Mormon supposedly predates the New Testament. Not one thing was preached, commanded, or prayed for in the name of Christ prior to the day of Pentecost after Christ’s resurrection; nor was one saved by baptism in his name prior to that time. Repentance and remission of sin were preached first from Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, 33 A.D.

The doctrine of latter day revelation teaches that God continues to reveal new truths through modern day prophets. Thus, what those prophets teach are to be received as equal authority with the Book of Mormon. Brigham Young, the successor of Joseph Smith to the presidency of the Mormon Church, taught that Jesus was not begotten of the Holy Spirit. “When the virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by the Holy Spirit” (Brigham Young, “Journal of Discourses”, pp. 769-770). This contradicts what the Bible teaches on the matter. “Now the birth of Jesus was on this wise. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit . . . Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife: for that which has been conceived, is of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:19, 20).

There are many places where “inspired” Mormon literature contradicts itself. There are four , main documents which are considered by the Mormons as being inspired. The Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, and The Book of Abraham are all considered to be the word of God. Major, blatant contradictions between these documents would disprove the books as being inspired. For example, the Book of Mormon states, “Yea blessed are they who shall . . . be baptized, for they shall . . . receive the remission of their sin . . . Behold baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling of the commandments unto the remission of sin” (3 Nephi 12:2; Moroni 8:11). The Doctrines and Covenants state, “All who fumble themselves . . . and truly manifest that they have received the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church” (Doctrines and Covenants 20:37). In one instance baptism is unto the remission of sin. In another inspired (?) document it states that after a person has received the remission of sins they are baptized to get into the church. Both statements cannot be true.

The Doctrines and Covenants contradicts itself on the subject of the Lord’s Supper. In one place it states, “That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, nether meet in the sight of your father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him. And, behold, this should be wine, yea, pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make” (Doctrines and Covenants 89:5). Doctrines and Covenants also says, “For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory” (Doctrines and Covenants 27:2).

Brigham Young, the “inspired” successor to Josph Smith, contradicted the Book of Mormon on the birth of Christ. Brigham Young stated, “When the virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by the Holy Ghost” (Brigham Young, “Journal of Discourses”, pp. 769-770). The Book of Mormon teaches, “And behold he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God” (Alma 7:10, 11).

There are many other doctrines taught in the Book of Mormon which are completely contradictory to the Bible. Space will not permit a detailed expose of every Mormon contradiction. These examples should be sufficient proof to demonstrate the fraudulent nature of the Book of Mormon and other spurious Mormon literature.

Truth Magazine, XX:10, p. 7-8
March 4, 1976

By Denver Niemeier

We read in Rev. 3:20 the following, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me.” Jesus here pictured a door separating him from man, a door that has to be opened by man in order for Christ to come to that man. All blessings that God has provided for man through his grace are in Christ (Eph. 1:3). If a man desires those blessings, he will have to open the door that Christ is knocking upon. Through his word, God has given man the necessary instruction to open the door. God has placed on that door a combination lock on man’s side that will have to be worked in order for it to swing open.

A combination lock is one that has a dial on which are numbers or letters, and is designed to open when a prescribed series of numbers or letters is turned to on the dial. At that time, the tumblers will release and one will have access to whatever has been secured or fastened by that lock. For example, a lock of that type is used to secure the door of a vault or safe in which are stored one’s valuables. The manufacturer arranged the lock to open when the dial was turned to the following numbers: 5-1-8-3-9. That lock will not open until all of those numbers have been turned to in the right order. If a person sought to open that door by just using some of the numbers such as 5-1-8 and then stopped, he could not open the door. The same would be true if he used all of the numbers but used them in the wrong order.

Man is a sinner (Rom. 3:23). God has the power to forgive man of his sin and therefore has the right to set forth the requirements that man must meet in order to obtain that forgiveness; thus, the combination has been designed by God which man must work in order to open the door of our study.

In John 6:45 Jesus said, “Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” Just like number 5 is the first number in the combination illustrated above, so is learning of God’s will for man the first movement that must be made in working the combination of the lock God has placed on man’s side of the door. Every instruction man needs for his soul’s salvation has been provided by God through the scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16-17), and by studying and searching them man can thus listen to God.

Not only must man hear, but accepting in faith God’s will is required of man. This then is the second movement in God’s combination. We are told in Rom. 10:17 that faith comes by hearing God’s word. Thus, learning of God and Christ, and what they have provided for man and believing what the scriptures teach concerning them, the second movement is made (Heb. 11:6; John 8:24).

Please notice our combination of figures given above, 5-1-8-3-9. Suppose one turned the dial to 5 then 1 and endeavored to open that safe. Would it come open?

You know it would not because the entire combination had not been worked. The same is true if one stops at faith and tries to open the door of Revelation 3:20.

The third movement of God’s combination is repentance. The necessity of this is set forth many times in the scriptures (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9). Some mistakenly think that sorrow is repentance. Others think reformation is repentance. While godly sorrow is involved in repentance (2 Cor. 7:10), and John said there would be “fruits meet for repentance,” Jesus through the lesson given in Matt. 21:28-29 shows that a change of will is involved also. When one who has heard and believed the gospel of Christ, with godly sorrow determines to turn from the way he has been going, to follow God’s way and is willing to bow his will to God’s, he will then work the third movement of God’s combination.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:32, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” Paul wrote in Rom. 10:9-10 “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” This we find the eunuch did in Acts 8:37. Thus when man does this, he then works the fourth movement in God’s combination. We note again that in our example combination of 5-1-8-3-9 that if the combination was worked through 3 the door would still not open. So it is with our door of Rev. 3:20 if we stop at confession.

Baptism is the fifth movement of God’s combination. The Bible shows there is a going down into water (Acts 8:38), a burial (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12), and a coming up out of the water (Acts 8:39), and a planting together in the likeness of his death and a likeness of his resurrection (Rom. 6:5). The reason for doing this according to Acts 2:38 is for the remission of sins, or to have “sins washed away” (Acts 22:16). Peter says, in 1 Pet. 3:21, that it saves us, as Jesus also taught in Mark 16:16. The Lord adds those thus saved to the church (Acts 2:47). Paul said in Gal. 3:27, it puts us in Christ where, as mentioned before, we have access to all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3). This fifth movement then will open the door and Christ “will come in and sup.”

A combination lock will only open when the right combination is worked in the right way. Have you worked God’s combination and opened the door for Christ? If not, remember “Now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).

Truth Magazine, XX:10, p. 6-7
March 4, 1976

By Max A. Burgin

This report comes to you from Lismore in the extreme northeast of N.S.W. where we have been for six weeks. This is a very prosperous city of 25,000. in some of Australia’s most beautiful country midway between the ocean and the mountains, being twenty miles from each. The city proper is in a basin which floods almost every year. The record flood of 1974 saw almost 30 feet of water over the caravan park where we are at this very moment; and the business area was under six to eight feet. The “ordinary” floods are up to eight feet or less, but in my opinion are still “a complete wash-out” but those here “for life” accept it as another day.

The church here consists of 16 members and 5 children, including ourselves, and meets in the City Band Hall on Sunday mornings; all other services are in the Squires’ home. At the moment these are on Sunday and Tuesday evenings. Another class is also being arranged to cater for the development of the children and the young Christians. Plans are also under way to purchase a meeting place of their own, however there remain a few difficulties which make it impossible to determine the final outcome of these plans.

We are now beginning a regular teaching article in the local newspaper as well as advertising the meetings etc. I have made contact with several people I’ve known from past visits and set up studies with two, one of which continues. Many things are against the work here just now: two of the women have just had babies and live 25 miles out of town, another member lives about 30 miles out in another direction and twice have been held up by flooding. The majority of the members are young and / or very weak Christians. On top of this, the approaching holiday season makes for a very unstable time. For these reasons we will most likely stay longer than three months, or return at a later date.

Since my last report I have preached in two missions. The first was at Mackay Qld. at the close of our work there when Rolly McDowell and 1 shared the preaching. Prior to that effort we letter-boxed 3,000 invitations, advertised each day for two weeks on the radio, including a live interview, which resulted in nine visitors, three of whom returned at least once. Others were contacted who did not attend and studies continue with a total of five people. At Bundaberg I preached in a seven-day mission on our way from Mackay to Lismore; 19 people visited and 14 of them had not previously attended. Some returned several times but I am not sure of the number.

Last week I returned to Bundaberg for three days to be together with Rolly McDowell and Leslie Diestelkamp, prior to Leslie’s leaving the country. Profitable hours were spent discussing the work in many places and how best our time could be used in each.

We are happy to report an increase in support of $39.31 ($50 U.S.) which comes to us from Brother and Sister Howard McGuire, 8072 21st Street, Westminister, California 92683. This makes our support average $728.26 per month against a budget of %750. A few weeks ago we also received $50 U.S. from Brother and Sister Harris Dark which was much appreciated and we are thankful.

In spite of some minor health problems resulting in seven days in bed on my part, we thank the Lord continually for our well-being and pray always for you brethren who have so generously made the necessities and comforts of life available to us.

May you all be aware of God’s richest blessings strive together for the salvation of lost souls.

Truth Magazine, XX:10, p. 5-6
March 4, 1976

By Cecil Willis

In our last two lessons we studied the “double-law” distinction of denominationalism, and saw that the Scriptures indicate that the “ceremonial” and Ten Commandment Law (“moral”) are both a part of one and the same system, namely the Old Covenant. Hence when we learn, as we have in previous lessons that the Law was nailed to the cross (cf. Eph. 2:14-16; Col. 2:1416), it is equivalent to saying that we are no longer bound by the Ten Commandment Law, or the Old Testament Law, but are now living under the Law of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

When one turns to the book of Galatians he finds that the Law and the Gospel were quite thoroughly discussed. This theme was likewise developed in the books of Romans and Hebrews. But in Galatians, Paul showed us that it was not God’s eternal plan to redeem man through the Law, but through the Promise revealed to Abraham, and fulfilled in Christ. Notice: “Brethren, I speak after the manner of men: Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet when it hath been confirmed, no one maketh it void, or addeth thereto” (Gal. 3:15). This statement simply means that even in dealing man with man, once a covenant is confirmed, it cannot be set aside or altered. Much more is this true when God makes a covenant with man. In the next verse, Paul said, “Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ” (v. 16). After having demonstrated that in dealing man with man, the covenant could not be broken, Paul then declared that God made a covenant with man. If man does not break or change his promises, certainly God does not. God promised Abraham, that through his seed, not seeds (plural), all men would be blessed. Paul plainly stated that this seed through whom all men were to be blessed is Jesus Christ. Man’s blessing of redemption came through Jesus Christ, and not by the Law, for notice Paul’s next statement:

“Now this I say: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of non-effect” (v. 17). God promised to save people through the system of salvation revealed in Christ. This promise made to Abraham was given approximately in the year 1921 B. C. As Paul, said, four hundred and thirty years later, 1491 B. C., the Law of Moses was given at Mt. Sinai. These dates are both taken from Usher’s chronology of Bible history, and may vary a few years, but the four hundred and thirty years difference between the time the Promise was made to Abraham, and the Law was given by Moses is a period established by the inspiration of the Apostle Paul. Paul taught that the salvation of mankind came not by the Law, for God had promised hundreds of years before the Law that a plan of salvation would be revealed in Christ. Paul stated this in very clear language. He said, “For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise” (Gal. 3:18). After this declaration as to the insignificance of the Law to one’s salvation, the question quite naturally arises, “If the Law had nothing to do with salvation, why was it given to begin with?” This is a logical question, so Paul proposes it, and then answers it. “What then is the law?” (Gal. 3:19). After asking this question, Paul proceeded in the next few verses of Gal. 3 to discuss the purposes of the Law of Moses.

The Law Was Not Given To Save Men

Before we begin the study of the specific answers given by Paul, let us notice one purpose for which the Law was not given. It was not given to save men. There was never a person saved, exclusively, by the Law of Moses. It was essential that after one had done all he could possibly do under the Law, something else had to be done that his salvation might be procured. Jesus Christ had to die for the sins of those people under the Law, just as He died for your sins and mine. “And for this cause he is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Heb. 9:15). Paul further taught that Christ died that God might be perfectly just in the passing over of sins done aforetime, and also that He might be the justifier of those who would accept God’s plan of salvation (Rom. 3:21-26). Therefore the Law of Moses was not given to save men, independently of the death of Christ. Yet there are thousands of people today who tell us that all one has to do to be saved is to keep the Ten Commandments. Not only was the Law done away, but keeping the Ten Commandments alone would not save if the Law were yet in effect. So the purpose of the Law was not to save.

The Law Defined Sin

Well, then, for what reason was it given? Paul answered the question, and told three reasons why the Law was given. He asks, “What then is the law?” in Gal. 3:19, and answered “It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made.” The first reason the Law of Moses was given was because of transgression. Remember, God had promised that all men could be saved through the seed of Abraham. It was 430 years later that the Law of Moses was given. During this 430 years, the people of Israel became exceedingly wicked, and therefore the Law of Moses was given to declare to them what they should and should not do. It clearly and adequately defined sin. Not only did it define sin, but there were written statements of what God commanded and what He forbade. The book of Romans has been defined as `a fuller and more complete statement of the truths revealed in Galatians.’ When we turn to Romans, we find Paul taught that the Law declared what was sin. “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting except the law had said, thou shalt not covet” (Rom. 7:7). It seems that Paul used himself as a representative of mankind and said that by the statements contained in the Law he became aware of what God would have him do and what God would not have him do. Further in the same chapter, Paul said, “But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceedingly sinful” (Rom. 7:13). The seed through which all men were to be blessed was to come through the Jews. Consequently due to their weakness to sin, the Law was given to put a restraint on sin within the nation of the Jews, that they might be purely preserved as a lineage through which the Christ was to come.

The Law Condemned

A second reason why the Law of Moses was given was expressed in Gal. 3:22. Paul was yet talking about why the Law was given and he said, “But the scripture shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” The Law was given to shut up all things under sin. This statement is best understood in the light of some other passages. It meant that all the people who were under the Old Testament Law stood condemned by it. There was not redemptive satisfaction it it, or else as Paul said, there would have been no need for another law. Paul also said, “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could make alive, verily righteousness would have been of the law” (Gal. 3:22). So the Law could not save them. It only shut them up under sin.

Paul explained what this purpose of the Law meant when he said, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them” (Gal. 3:10). This passage asserts that if an individual under the Law failed to keep one single commandment of the Law, he was under a curse. Why was this true? Does the Bible offer any explanation as to why it is true? The reason why the Law shut up under sin those under it was because none of them kept the Law with perfection. Everyone broke one or more commandments. Paul said, “for all” (meaning Jews and Gentiles) “have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Every person violated some commandment of the Law, and under the Old Testament Law, no provision was made by which transgressions could be forgiven. Paul taught this in the following passage: “For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh. Else would they not have ceased to be offered? Because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sin. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:1-4). Under the Old Law, they only had animal sacrifices, and Paul declared that these cannot take away sins. So everyone violated one or more parts of the Law of Moses; it was impossible for the kind of sacrifices they had to forgive sin; therefore one purpose of the Law, was, as Paul said, to shut up all things under sin.

The Law Brought Men To Christ

A third purpose of the Law was to bring man unto Christ. Paul said, “So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). It was the purpose of the Law to direct men unto Christ, that in Him they might be saved. This is very logical, for as Paul had already said, the Law shut them up under sin. But it also told of Him who could remove the sin. So it would be the natural thing for them to be led by that which covered them with sin to Him who could take away sin. It is as though one were hopelessly lost in a great forest, and suddenly he was to come upon a well marked path to safety. The Law declared that they were hopelessly lost in sin unless they permitted themselves to be led to the Messiah who could blot out their sin. Already we have seen that the whole of the Old Testament may be referred to as the Law. In the Old Testament, there are said to be over three hundred prophecies which pointed toward Christ. The Law was their schoolmaster to lead them to Christ.

Conclusion

In conclusion, what is the purpose of the law? (1) It was added because of transgression (Gal. 3:19); (2) It shut up all things under sin (Gal. 3:22); (3) It was a tutor to lead men to the Christ (Gal. 3:24). All of these purposes of the Law indicate that the nature of the law was therefore temporary. Next week we will continue our study of the Law of Moses and the Gospel of Christ, concentrating on “The Duration of the Law.”

Truth Magazine XX:10, p. 3-5
March 4, 1976