During the intense persecution of the early Christians by the Jews and Romans, the sacred texts of the Christian Church were systematically destroyed. Many Christians gave up their records in hopes of saving their lives. After the organization of the Catholic Church several councils were held to decide on which books were "authoritative" and thus should be canonized. Much debate and disagreement ensued. As an outgrowth of those councils we received the Canonization of the scriptures as we now know it (with minor changes along the way). With such few records remaining, Christians rightly grew very protective of the Bible and the books contained therein. With an absence of true revelation since the death of the Apostles, the doctrine was developed and taught that the Bible was the only word of God and anything else claiming divinity was to be shunned and attacked.
Most concerns of this nature relate to the following two passages of scripture:
| 1) | REVELATION 22:18-19 |
| Find Out: |
What "book of this prophecy" was John referring to? (most likely they will answer "the Bible") When was the Book of Revelation received? |
| Explain: | John wrote the Book of Revelation about 69 A.D |
| Find Out: | Do you know what John did after receiving the Book of Revelation on the Isle of Patmos? |
| Explain: |
Later he went to Ephesus where he wrote the "Gospel of John" The bible (Derives from the Greek word "Biblia" meaning books or a collection of books) was not compiled until hundreds of years later. Revelation was placed at the end because it is a revelatory book, whereas the Gospels and Letters are "historical" books. Revelation was not the last book written in the Bible. |
| Read | [Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32] |
| Explain: |
Since Moses wrote his record, there has been much " add[ed] to the word which [he] commanded", because the rest of "The Bible" came after this. Moses was clearly speaking of adding to or diminisliing fi'om his own words only, and he was not condemning the fact that other prophets would write after him. Christ taught that we must live by, "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matl.4:4) The Prophets in the Bible knew and prophesied of the Book of Mormon (Some clear examples are given on the next page). |
| 2) | John 16:13 |
| Explain: | It's true that the Apostles were given "all truth," yet that does not mean that they gave all truth to us. Only a small number of their writings have reached us. |
| Read: | [Matthew 13:11] |
| Explain: | In order to grow in their knowledge of the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" church members were taught to continue "steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine," (Acts 2:42). |
| Explain: |
All truth is not contained in our present Bible. Bible writers quote "books" that to them were authoritative, yet we do not possess them.
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BIBLICAL PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE BOOK OF MORMON
| Read | [Ezekiel 37:15-17] |
| Explain: |
Background of scripture: At this time the Israelites had been taken into captivity. The Prophet Ezekiel received revelations dealing with the scattering and gathering of Israel The Lord showed him events that must take place before Israel is gathered. Ezekiel prophesied very specifically of: "one stick" or record that was to come forth from the tribe of Judah (anciently prophets wrote on either scrolls or wooden writing tablets- verse 16). The Bible was written by the tribe of Judah (the Savior himself was bom through this lineage). |
| Find Out: |
What "other" record did Ezekiel prophesy would be kept? |
| Explain: | "another stick" was prophesied to be written by the descendents of Joseph. Joseph had two sons Ephraim and Manasseh (the end of verse 16). |
| Find Out: |
Why would God command a record kept to record the history of Joseph's descendents? Answer- Because Joseph was given amazing promises concerning his seed. |
| Read: | [Gen. 49:22-26] |
| Explain: |
The promises given to Joseph are very specific. We can break down this blessing into several "key points": (Every "key point" is followed by a: sign and an explanation is given) |
| Read: | [verse 22] |
| Explain: |
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| Read: | [verse 25] |
| Explain: |
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| Read: | [verse 26] |
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| Explain: |
The Book of Mormon was written by commandment and fulfils every one of these prophecies. 1) The Book of Mormon was written by descendants of Joseph (Alma l0:3). 2&3) Lehi and his family left Jerusalem, traveled down the Arabian peninsula and crossed the Pacific Ocean (1 Nephi 2:1-8 16:ll-17 ,33-34; 17:l-8; l8:8,23-25). 4&5) Lehi and his descendants establishe d a civilization un-equaled by any primitive civilization in the East including ancient Eeypt. Historians know this period of civilization on the American Continent as the Mayan/Toltec period. 6&7) They landed on the American continent, which is home to the larsest chain of mountains in the world, the Rockies. |
| Explain: | Isaiah also prophesied about a record of a fallen people that would come forth. |
| Read: | [Isaiah 29:1-2] |
| Explain: | "and it shall be unto me as Ariel." = Isaiah places the fulfillment of this prophesy in a place that is "like Jerusalem" (Ariel:Jerusalem). |
| Read: | [verse 3] |
| Explain: | "I will camp against thee" "lay siege against thee" "raise forts against thee" = the people Isaiah is seeing are going to be destroyed. |
| Read: | [verse 4] |
| Find out: |
How do a destroyed people " speak out of the ground" ? How does thetr speech "whisper out of the dust"? |
| Explain: | Once again, the Book of Mormon fulfills this prophecy to the very manner it was preserved. The record, written on gold plates, details the rise and fall of a great civilization and it was buried by its caretakers "in the ground" to be had by future generations. |
For your own study: (verses 5-6 detail the destruction of the Nephite nation and verses 7-9 explain how, without a prophet, the people would become "spiritually asleep" and stagger).
| Explain: | Isaiah went on to tell us what the conditions would be on the earth when this "record" would come forth. |
| Read: | [verse 10] |
| Explain: | "the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered" = There would be no revelation on the earth when this record would be brought forth. |
| Read: | [verse 11] |
| Explain: |
"And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book" = Isaiah sums up his entire vision, saying that what he saw will come forth in book form. "which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:" = part of the Book of Morrnon manuscript was taken by Joseph Smith's scribe, Martin Harris, to a professor in New York named Charles Anthon. Mr. Anthon declared the hieroglyphs to be of ancient character and asked to see the plates they were translated from. Martin Harris told him how the plates had been given to a farm boy prophet and were sealed. Mr. Anthon then said, "I cannot read a sealed book" and thus fulfilled biblical prophecy. |
| Read: | [verse 12] |
| Explain: | The Prophet Joseph Smith had virtually no formal education, but was instructed in the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. He truly was "not leamed". He translated the Book of Mormon through the inspiration and power of God. |
For your own study: (verse 13 is almost an exact quotation of what Jesus Christ told Joseph in the sacred grove, compare JS-H 1:19)
| Read: | [verse 14] |
| The Book of Mormon is a "marvelous work and a wonder" (see "The Fruit of the Prophet Joseph Smith"). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is alone in its organization, doctrine and growth among all churches. The Lord has and continues to "do a marvelous work among this people". |
For your own study: (verses 15-24 detail the purpose of the Book of Mormon and what would occur after it's coming forth).
Regarding verse 24, Elder Bruce R. McConkie said,
"Such is the purpose of the Book of Mormon. Members of false churches who err in spirit, who think they have the truth, are brought by the Book of Mormon to the fullness of the gospel. Those who have based their beliefs on isolated verses and obscure passages, and who have wondered and murmured at seeming biblical conflicts, come to learn sound doctrine. No longer do they worry about the atonement, salvation by grace alone, infant baptism, the priesthood, the gifts of the spirit the passages about the apostasy, a gospel restoration, and the gathering of Israel. All things fall into place because of this new witness for Christ and His gospel, this witness which bears the name of the prophet Mormon."