|
Is the Book of Mormon On the front cover of the Book of Mormon is the statement "Another Testament of Jesus Christ." It wasn't until several years after reading much of the Book of Mormon that these words really stood out to me. "Another testament" it says. Based upon the belief of the Mormon church that the Book of Mormon is the gospel to the people of America and the Bible is the word revealed to the people in the East, the idea that this book is "another testament" may seem reasonable. However, the statement has several serious consequences. The Book of Mormon cannot be "Another testament" of Jesus Christ for at least
two reasons. |
| 1. | The Bible is not a "testament" of Jesus Christ.
This statement may be surprising to some. The Bible is composed of two testaments - the Old and the New. The Old Testament is referred to as the Law of Moses. John 1:17 says, "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." The New Testament is the testament of Jesus. Notice what Hebrews 9:15 says about Jesus. "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." When Jesus died He established the New Testament. The division in our Bibles is not manmade but a separation established by God. Therefore, the Bible is not one testament of Jesus Christ while the Book of Mormon is another. The Bible does contain the New Testament of Jesus Christ but the Bible is not His testament in the sense the Mormons want us to believe. |
| 2. | A man cannot have two wills. The word testament as used in Hebrew 9:15 above actually means "will." In our terminology the New Testament is Jesus' "last will and testament." The Hebrew writer makes that very point in the verses following verse 15. "For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives." Hebrews 9:16,17. A will has no power until after the person who wrote the will is dead. The conclusion is that Jesus' will went into effect after His death. What happens when a man dies and leaves two wills? The courts must determine which one of the two wills is the "authentic" last will and testament. The Book of Mormon cannot be "another testament" of Jesus Christ because two wills cannot be probated. Only one will is allowed to stand. That is the very point being made in Hebrews. There was the Old Testament given by Moses and the New Testament given by Jesus. What testament should be followed? The Old Testament was put into force by the blood of animals (Hebrews 9:18) but the New Testament was put in force by Jesus' blood. How do we know what to follow in the Bible? We follow the "last will and testament" of the one who died for us - Jesus Christ. He died and the New Testament was put into force. If the Book of Mormon is a "testament" of Jesus Christ then we must determine which of these testaments, the New Testament or the Book of Mormon, is the true last will and testament of Jesus Christ. Both cannot be His will. |
|
Why is this of concern? This matter is very serious. If the New Testament is not the true last will and testament of Jesus then many millions of people have followed the wrong will of Jesus for their lives and are lost. If the Book of Mormon is not the true last will and testament of Jesus Christ then many thousands of Mormons are lost. Joseph Smith claimed that an angel of God appeared to him and led him to these words of God. The Book of Mormon claims to be a testament "comparable" to the Bible. It is actually another gospel. Please carefully consider this warning by the apostle Paul. "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:8,9 The Book of Mormon is another gospel presented by an angel to Joseph Smith. Rather than reveal this "other" gospel, Joseph Smith should have considered the angel accursed and forever left those words unrevealed.
|