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Please download and circulate this petition:
"1. Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. "2. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. ... "7. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. "8. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. "9. But if they cannot contain, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn." 1 Corinthians 7:1-2, 7-9
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BOM Problems--Study Guide Study Guide -- Book Of Mormon Problems CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. What is the purpose of this study? (to demonstrate that the Book of Mormon is not the Word of God; p. 2)
2. To which two versions of the Book of Mormon do the references before and after the semicolons in the text refer? (The LDS reference appears before the semicolon and the RLDS reference after it; p. 2-3)
3. What threats does the Book of Mormon make to those who read it? (eternal condemnation by Christ for all who reject it; p. 3)
4. According to the Book of Mormon, what happened to the Bible that creates a need for the Book of Mormon? (Unscrupulous clergy in past corrupted the sacred text; p. 3)
5. How does the Book of Mormon claim to correct this situation? (by restoring the “plain and precious things” that had been taken from it; p. 3)
6. How long did a white race live in ancient America, according to the Book of Mormon? (about one thousand years; p.3)
7. Why did the race Christopher Columbus found in America have a dark skin, according to the Book of Mormon? (It was cursed for having rejected God; p. 3)
8. What is the origin of the American Indians, according to the Book of Mormon? (They are Israelites, a mixture of the tribes of Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh; p. 3)
9. What was supposed to happen to them shortly after being converted to Jesus Christ through the Book of Mormon? (They would lose the curse of dark skin and turn white; p. 3)
10. What does it say will happen shortly before the second coming of Jesus Christ? (The American Indians will convert to Christ en masse through the preaching of the Book of Mormon; p. 3)
11. What will these converted Indians then do to the Gentiles in the Americas who do not accept the Book of Mormon? (They will exterminate them; p. 3)
12. Where will the New.Jerusalem be built according to Joseph Smith? (In Independence, Missouri; p. 3)
13. What becomes an added requirement for salvation besides faith in Christ? (faith in the Book of Mormon; p. 3)
CHAPTER 2
PLAGIARISMS
14. Name six probable sources for the Book of Mormon: (The Maccabees, William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," Flavius Josephus' Wars of the Jews. Solomon Spaulding's Manuscript Found. Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews. and the King James Version of the Bible; p. 4-12)
15. What common Book of Mormon name appears in 2 Maccabees 1:36? (Nephi; p. 4)
16. What Shakespearian play has close parallels with the Book of Mormon? ("Hamlet"; p. 4)
17. What miracle did Nephi perform when he cut off his uncle's head? (He did not get blood on his uncle's clothes; p. 4-5)
18. Which three of the ten commandments did Nephi violate while supposedly obeying the Holy Spirit? (Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not covet any thing that is thy neighbor's; p. 5)
19. What French word often used by Shakespeare appears in Jacob 7:27; 5:48? (Adieu; p. 5)
20. What other author has been named as a source for the Book of Mormon? (Solomon Spaulding; p. 5)
21. What manuscript by this author was published by both the LDS and the RLDS churches? (Manuscript Found) p. 5)
22. At least how many parallels have been found between the Book of Mormon and Manuscript Found? (twenty-two; p. 6)
23. What three geographic features in the setting of Manuscript Found correspond to the "sea east," the "sea west," and the River Sidon in the Book of Mormon? (Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and the Genesse River; p. 7)
24. What is the distance between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie at their nearest point? (thirty-seven miles; p. 7)
25. What is the distance between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific at the Isthmus of Panama? (over 130 miles; p. 7)
26. According to the Book of Mormon, how long did it take to travel this distance? (a day and a half; p. 7)
27. Name four Book of Mormon cities that are spelled exactly the same as cities near Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. (Angola, Jerusalem, Boaz and Jordan; p. 7)
28. What man in Josephus’ “Wars of the Jews” said something that is very similar to what Jesus Christ said in the Book of Mormon when first appearing on the American continent? (Jesus; p. 8)
29. Who was a seminary classmate of Solomon Spaulding? (Ethan Smith; p. 8)
30. What book did Ethan Smith write? (View of the Hebrews: p. 8)
31. What did that book say about the origin of the American Indians? (It said they were of the ten lost tribes of Israel; p. 8)
32. What did nearly all the North American clergy of the early eighteenth century believe to be the origin of the American Indians? (They were of the ten lost tribes of the house of Israel; p. 8)
33. When was this book published the first time? (1823; p. 9)
34. In what year did Joseph Smith claim to have the “first vision” of the angel Moroni telling him about the golden plates? (1823; p. 9)
35. Who was B. H. Roberts? (A General Authority of the Mormon Church; p. 9)
36. To what conclusion did he come about View of the Hebrews? (It could have been a source for the Book of Mormon; p. 9)
37. How did he rate Joseph Smith's intelligence? (He was intelligent enough to have written the Book of Mormon; p. 9)
38. What passage from the Bible quoted in View of the Hebrews was supposedly quoted by the Angel Moroni to Joseph Smith when telling him of the golden plates? (Isaiah 11; p. 9)
39. How many chapters of Isaiah did Ethan Smith quote to make his point? (twenty chapters; p. 9)
40. How many chapters of Isaiah did the Book of Mormon quote to make the same point? (twenty-one chapters; p. 9)
41. Who prophesied in the Book of Mormon that the converted Indians will destroy the unbelieving Gentiles? (Jesus; p. 10)
42. What did B.H. Roberts think of this prophecy? (He found it hard to believe; p. 10)
43. What is the position of the Mormon Church as to the source of the long quotes from t he Bible that are found in the Book of Mormon? (Joseph Smith used the King James Version of the Bible for them; p. 10)
44. What change have they had to make in their official position because they concede that this is so? (from the position that Joseph Smith used only the Urim and Thummim to translate the Book of Mormon; p. 10)
45. Is there evidence that Joseph Smith used the King James Version of the Bible for short Bible quotes? (Yes; p. 10)
46. Are there quotes from Jesus found in the Book of Mormon before he was born? (Yes; p. 10)
47. Is there evidence that Bible personalities were used as models for people in the Book of Mormon? (Yes; p. 11)
48. Name one example: (Alma and St. Paul; p. 11)
49. Does the Book of Mormon avoid quoting from the New Testament? (No; p. 12)
50. Does the Book of Mormon avoid quoting from different parts of the Bible in a single verse? (No; p. 12)
51. Does the Book of Mormon portray people on the American continent as actually reading from the King James Version of the Bible? (Yes; p. 12, 13)
52. From which book of the still-unwritten New Testament did the Book-of-Mormon Jesus mistakenly quote when he visited America? (The Book of Acts; p. 13)
CHAPTER 3 UNANNOTATED CHANGES
53. What was Joseph Smith’s evaluation of the Book of Mormon? (It is the most correct book in the world; p. 13)
54. Do the Mormon leaders indicate where they have made changes in the text of the Book of Mormon? (No; p. 13)
55. Are members of the Mormon Church generally aware that the text has often been changed by their leaders? (No; p. 13)
56. Was the original text of the Book of Mormon written without error? (No; p. 13)
57. What types of errors have been edited out? (grammatical; p. 14)
58. What types of errors generally have not been edited out? (doctrinal and archeological; p. 14)
59. Approximately how many changes has the Mormon leadership made in the Book of Mormon? (four thousand; p. 14)
60. Why was "King Benjamin" changed to "King Mosiah" in one place in the Book of Mormon? (because King Benjamin had died many years before; p.14)
61. Does the Book of Mormon inadvertently command the practice of idolatry? (yes; p. 15)
62. What is an unusual murder weapon found in the Book of Mormon? (a garb of secrecy; p. 15)
63. What unusual enemy attacked the Nephites with swords? (the more vital parts of their bodies; p. 15)
64. Is the Book of Mormon in English as good a version as its translations into other languages? (No; p. 15)
65. Does the Book of Mormon acknowledge that it is poorly written? (Yes; p. 15)
66. Does it permit people to reject it and still be saved on those grounds? (No; p. 15)
CHAPTER 4
UN-BIBLICAL DOCTRINES
67. Does the Bible recognize that its text will be distorted by unscrupulous men? (No; p. 16)
68. Does the Book of Mormon teach that the Bible is true? (Yes; p. 16)
69. Does the Bible teach that the plan of salvation has been revealed to righteous men since the beginning? (No; p. 16)
70. Does the Book of Mormon teach that the plan of salvation has been known since the beginning of time? (Yes; p. 16)
71. Does the Bible teach that angels understood the plan of salvation before Christ died? (No; p. 17)
72. Does the Book of Mormon teach that angels understood it before the time of Christ? (Yes; p. 17)
73. Does the Bible teach that salvation is by faith without works? (Yes; p. 17)
74. Does the Book of Mormon teach that salvation is by faith without works? (No; p. 17)
75. Do both books teach the same gospel? (No; p. 17)
76. Does the Bible teach that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was available to all believers before Pentecost? (No, p. 17)
77. Does the Book of Mormon teach that people were baptized in the Holy Spirit before the Day of Pentecost? (Yes, p. 17)
CHAPTER 5
MISINFORMATION ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
78. When did the origin of the American Indian begin to be studied with modern scientific methods? (at the latter part of the 19th Century; p. 18)
79. Do these studies tend to show that Joseph Smith was a true prophet? (No; p. 18)
80. What do Mormon missionaries present as scientific evidence to support the Book of Mormon? (concepts that are nearly two hundred years out-of-date; p. 18)
81. Do Mormons trust modern scientific methods? (No; p. 18)
82. Do they promote intelligence and education? (Yes; p. 18)
83. What Old World racial group has physical characteristics most in common with the American Indian? (Asian Mongolians; p. 19)
84. Does DNA testing confirm this? (Yes; p. 19)
85. How do scientists believe that man originally came to the American continent? (by a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska; p. 19)
86. How many different linguistic stocks form the basis for the different American Indian languages? (five; p. 19)
87 Are any of these linguistic stocks related to existing Old World languages? (No; p. 19)
88. To what cultural level did the most advanced New World civilizations attain? (the "polished stone" age; p. 19)
89. When did the bow and arrow come into use in the New World? (about A.D. 800; p. 19)
90. What was the principal hunting weapon before the bow and arrow? (the lance thrown with an "atuatl"; p. 19)
91. What caused wars between the different Indian tribes? (the need for cultivable land as the population increased; p. 19)
92. Which was the only tribe to develop a written language? (the Mayans; p. 19)
93. Do we know what their written language looked like? (Yes; p. 19)
94. Do they look like the inscriptions Joseph Smith copied from the golden plates? (Not at all; p. 19)
95. Briefly describe the Mayan calendar. (It had eighteen months per year with twenty days each for a total of 360 days. Then five days more were added at the end of the year, and a sixth day was added every four years; p. 19)
96. What is the only domesticated animal the pre-Columbian Indians had? (the dog; p. 19)
97. What kind of religion did the American Indians have? (idol worship, cannibalism, human sacrifice, animism, and witchcraft; p. 20)
98. Is there evidence that this religion was ever interrupted? (No; p. 20)
99. Does this agree with the Book of Mormon? (No; p. 20)
100. How many pre-Columbian migrations from the Old World are related in the Book of Mormon? (Three; p. 20)
101. What kind of civilizations did each migration encounter upon arrival? (None; p. 20)
102. How long does science show that the American continent was inhabited? (for at least 25,000 years; p. 20)
103. Are there any signs of massive annihilations during that time? (No; p. 20)
104. Is there any archeological evidence of a pre-Columbian white race that inhabited America? (No; p. 20)
105. Do the American Indians' physical features resemble those of the Jewish race? (No; p. 20)
106. How many ancient migrations to America would seem to be indicated by the number of language stocks? (five; p. 20)
107. What type of language was spoken in America until A.D. 400, according to the Book of Mormon? (Hebrew; p. 20)
108. What type of writing did they use? (Hebrew and "reformed Egyptian"; p. 20)
109. Have archeologists found this type of writing from pre-Columbian America? (No; p. 20)
110. Does the Mayan writing resemble the letters Joseph Smith supposedly copied from the golden plates? (No; p. 20)
111. What metals and textiles were in use in pre-Columbian America, according to the Book of Mormon? (iron, steel; linen, silk; p. 20)
112. Is this confirmed by archeology? (No; p. 20)
113. What kinds of domestic animals are mentioned in the Book of Mormon? (about every kind we have today; p. 20)
114. Is this confirmed by archeology? (No; p. 20)
115. How many days long was a week in the Book of Mormon? (seven; p. 20)
116. Does this coincide with the Mayan calendar? (No; p. 19, 20)
117. What person in Aztec legends do Mormons believe was Jesus Christ? (Quetzelcoatl p. 21)
118. When do scientists date Quetzalcoatl? (about A.D. 1,000; p. 21)
119. What would seem to indicate that the Indians were not white when he lived among them? (He is remembered as a bearded white man. If they had been a white race at that time due to removal of the curse on their skin, this fact would not be outstanding in their memory; p. 21)
120. What evidence exists showing that a Christian civilization existed in the Americas in pre-Columbian times?(None; p. 21)
121. What does Mormon anthropologist Ross T. Christensen admit about the relationship between archeology and the Book of Mormon? (The Book of Mormon has not been proven by archeology; p. 21)
122. What do some Mormon missionaries keep saying? (That scientists use the Book of Mormon in their archeological investigations; p. 21)
123. What does the Smithsonian Institution have to say about this? (It is not true. p. 21)
CONCLUSION
124. Does the Book of Mormon show irrefutable evidence of plagiarism to the objective observer? (Yes; p. 21)
125. Has the original text of the Book of Mormon been quietly changed by religious leaders with suspicious motives? (Yes; p. 21)
126. Do the Book of Mormon and Bible agree on all points? (No; p. 21)
127. Does the Book of Mormon propagate concepts about the American Indians' past which have been shown to be false by objective scientific investigation? (Yes; p. 21)
128. Can the Book of Mormon be the Word of God? (Definitely not; p. 21) Prayer of Salvation: Lord Jesus, I thank you for your Holy Word, the Bible, which reveals the plan of salvation which is so simple. I repent for thinking that a church could save me when you only ask me to come to you in simple faith. Lord, I have heard your knock at the door of my heart. I open that door and ask you to come in. I believe that you lived a sinless life, took my sins upon you when you died on the cross, and are now at the right hand of the Father, praying for me. I renounce Mormonism and everything associated it. I ask for release from all the spirits of deception I have allowed in my life by doubting your holy Word and following the teachings of men. Cleanse me with your shed blood. I believe. I receive you now as my Lord and Savior. I will seek out a church which teaches the Bible as the guide for my life. I will be re-baptized as a testimony of my new-found faith. I give you my life. Do with me what you will. I promise never leave you, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Jesus! Amen! If you prayed this prayer sincerely, please contact Dr. Dean at the email address below and let him know about it. He will see that you receive the guidance necessary to keep you in the ways of the Lord. Of course, your name and email address will be kept confidential.
NOTE: All other correspondence with Dr. Dean is made with the understanding that it may be used on this website or elsewhere unless you specifically request confidentiality. |
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