Questions for Mormons

Over the years many times Mormons have ask me questions about what I believed as a Biblical Christian. Often the conversation has been one of them asking questions and of me defending my Biblical faith. I have always gladly and cordially answered every question without taking offense. I always welcome any opportunity to share my Biblical faith with others. Following are some questions that Mormons should answer for themselves about their faith and teachings of LDS church. These questions are not intended to offend, nor are ask in a spirit of hostility. If the LDS teachings are true then they should be able to stand the test of honest examination and the Mormons should welcome the opportunity prove their faith.

Question # 1
If God was superintending the translation of the Book of Mormon and he said it was correct why are there so many copyist mistakes, misspellings and subtractions and deletions necessary? Why has the LDS church made almost 4000 changes to a book that Smith said God told him it was perfect?

Note what Joseph Smith said about the accuracy of the Book of Mormon,

"I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth. . ." ( Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg 194)

Joseph Smith said that as the Book of Mormon was translated from the golden tablets, and that each letter and word was shown to him as he looked into a hat which contained a seer stone. The words would appear and remain until they had been correctly written down by Smith's scribe. Why then have close to 4000 changes been made in the Book of Mormon since the 1830 version?

The LDS church claims these changes are minor ones of spelling, grammar, etc, but do not affect doctrine. However, some of the changes do affect doctrine such as the following examples:

1 Nephi 11:18
------1830: "Behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of God...." (page 25)
------Modern: - "Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God..."

1 Nephi 13:40
-----1830 - ". . . the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world." (page 32)
-----Modern - ". . .the Lamb of God is The Son of the eternal Father, and the savior of the world."

1 Nephi 11:21
------1830 ". . .behold the Lamb of God, ye, even the Eternal Father!" (page 25)
------ Modern ". . .behold the Lam of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father."

1 Nephi 11:32
------1830 ". . .the Everlasting God, was judged of the world."
------Modern "The Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world."

Did you note that in each of the above changes the LDS church has changed these verses that refer to Jesus Christ as God the Father so that they now refer to Him only as a Son. How could Smith have made such an error if the Book of Mormon as given to Joseph Smith was "the most correct" of any book ever written? The bottom line is that the original Book of Mormon recognized the Deity of Jesus Christ and the modern copies do not!

Question # 2
The Doctrines &Covenants 20:9, states that the Book of Mormon is the "fullness of the gospel." Why then do you not find the major doctrines of the LDS in the Book of Mormon?

Following is a list of major LDS doctrines not found in the Book of Mormon:

The Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood.
The plurality of gods.
God is an exalted man.
Man can become a god.
The three degrees of heaven.
The plurality of wives.
The Word of Wisdom.
The pre-existence of the human spirit.
Baptisms for the dead.
Celestial marriage.
The need of a present day prophet.
The temple works of washings, anointing, endowments, sealing. (The new & everlasting covenant of marriage)
The organizational structure of the church.

Question # 3
Why did Joseph Smith not believe and teach what the Book of Mormon says about the Creation of man?

Example:

The Book of Mormon. It says in Jacob 4:9, that God spoke both man and the earth into existence by the power of his word. "For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created. . ." (Jacob 4:9)

Contradicting the Book of Mormon Joseph Smith said,

"Now I ask all who will hear me, why the learned men who are preaching salvation, say that God created the heavens and earth out of nothing? The reason is, that they are unlearned in the things of God...Now, the word create came from the word "bara", which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize...God never had the power to create the spirit of man at all." (Teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 350-354)

Question # 4
Why did Joseph Smith not believe that God indwells in the hearts of righteous men as the Book of Mormon teaches?

The Book of Mormon clearly states:

"And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell..." (Alma 34:36)

However, Joseph Smith stated:

"The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man's heart is an old sectarian notion, and it is false."

Question # 5
Why did Joseph Smith teach "baptisms for the dead" in order for the deceased to obtain salvation when the Book of Mormon clearly says that if a man does not repent in this life that becomes his FINAL state. The Book of Mormon states there is no second chance after death!

The Book of Mormon says:

Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world. For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked. And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb. (Alma 34:34-36)

However, in the Doctrines &Covenants 128, (begin reading in verse 13) Joseph Smith proclaimed that the dead could receive salvation through proxy baptisms for the dead. If the Book of Mormon is correct why did Joseph Smith and why does the LDS church teach that through baptism for the death, a person can have a second chance by having someone else do his temple work, etc for him?

Overview of Mormonism

God of the Bible & god of Mormonism