P. M. WILLIAMS BIBLE PROPHECY AND THE LAST DAYS [10/01/14] THE RISE OF THE CULTS – PART 17

MORMONISM – PART 3

HISTORY

The – Another Testament of Jesus Christ

As already mentioned in part 1 of the teaching on the LDS church; there are four standard works of the LDS church; the King James Bible, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. The eighth article of the LDS statement of fundamental beliefs says:

“We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.” - Articles of Faith – Article 8

One will notice, the belief that the Bible is the word of God is qualified and checked by the additional words ‚as far as it is translated correctly‛. When it comes to the Book of Mormon however it is believed to be the word of God without qualification!! In short, this means that the Book of Mormon is over and above the Bible!! Where the two are in conflict, the Mormon will take the revelation of the Book of Mormon over and against the revelation revealed in the Bible.

When one reads the front cover of the Book of Mormon, one will notice underneath this title, the words…Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Immediately, alarm bells sound in my mind. We have in our Bible, the Old and New Testaments. The word testament in its biblical usage simply means covenant, namely a covenant between God and man. There was the Old Covenant ratified at Mount Sinai and the New Covenant ratified at Mount Calvary. How then biblically can there be another covenant of Jesus Christ other than the one that was given already? However, the Mormon understands the word ‘Testament’ in its modern usage; namely a proof or evidence that something is; a testimony attesting to truth. As far as we are concerned, there is no further proof or evidence needed, no other testimony required of Jesus Christ than that which has already been revealed and given to us in the 66 books of the Bible!!

In the introduction page to the Book of Mormon it states:

“The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel.

The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and afterward separated into two nations, known as the and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the . After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.

The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after His resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.

After Mormon completed his writings, he delivered the account to his son Moroni, who added a few words of his own and hid up the plates in the Hill . On September 21, 1823, the same Moroni, then a glorified, resurrected being, appeared to the Prophet and instructed him relative to the ancient record and its destined translation into the English language.” - Introduction to the Book of Mormon (2006)

According to the book of Mormon, Lehi was an Israelite prophet who lived with his family in Jerusalem around 600 B.C. during the reign of King Zedekiah. Just after 600 B.C Lehi led his family out of Jerusalem through the Arabian dessert and across to the Americas to escape the pending destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Lehi had a number of sons three of which were named Nephi, Laman (Lehi’s firstborn) and Lemuel. Shortly after arriving in the Americas, Lehi died and entrusted the leadership of the colony to Nephi. Laman and his brother Lemuel rebelled against the leadership of their younger brother Nephi and the colony was split in two. These two groups became known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. For their rebellion, God cut off Laman and Lemuel from His presence and caused their skins to become black!

19And behold, the words of the Lord had been fulfilled unto my brethren, which he spake concerning them, that I should be their ruler and their teacher. Wherefore, I had been their ruler and their teacher, according to the commandments of the Lord, until the time they sought to take away my life. 20Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence. 21And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them. - 2 Nephi 5:19-21, The Book of Mormon

The lighter white skinned Nephites were considered righteous, whereas the darker skinned Lamanites were considered wicked. Following the supposed appearing of Jesus Christ to the Nephites shortly after His resurrection in which He preached the gospel to them; the Nephite people became a wicked race. In a great battle that supposed took place between the Nephites and the Lamanites on the Hill Cumorah in Palmyra, New York around the year 385 A.D; the Nephite people were destroyed. The military general of the Nephite army was a man by the name of Mormon. Mormon himself was a prophet who was directed to abridge the history of his Nephite ancestors written and preserved by supposed Nephite prophets. This abridgment along with additional words of his own, were supposedly engraved by Mormon onto gold plates which were then passed down to his son Moroni, the last surviving Nephite who completed the historical Nephite record. Moroni then buried the golden plates in a stone box in the Hill Cumorah. Incidentally, it was this same Moroni who 1400 years later, appeared to Joseph Smith and told him the secret location of these golden plates; Smith then supposedly translated them from ‚reformed Egyptian‛ into English thus producing ‘The Book of Mormon’.

The Book of Mormon bears the name of the so-called Prophet Mormon mentioned above. Indeed two of the books in the Book of Mormon bear his name; another book bears the name of his son Moroni. The Book of Mormon is just under one and half times larger than the New Testament; it comprises of 15 books which the LDS church says were written by Nephite prophets. The LDS church believe that whilst the Bible documents the events of God’s chosen people Israel in the eastern hemisphere; the Book of Mormon documents the lives of the Israelites inhabiting the western hemisphere, namely the ancient Americas. Interestingly much of what the LDS church believe doctrinally is not to be found in the Book of Mormon but in the other writings of Joseph Smith; Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price. Yet Smith said of the Book of Mormon:

“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than any other book.” - Introduction page to the Book of Mormon

We will then investigate this statement in the light of modern science, history and the truth of the Holy Bible; what we will find is shocking, prepare yourselves…

The Book of Mormon in the Light of Modern Science

The title page of the Book of Mormon informs us that the Book of Mormon was written to the Lamanites who are identified as the remnant of the house of Israel:

“Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of israel; and also to Jew and Gentile” - Title Page to the Book of Mormon

In the introduction to the Book of Mormon it identifies these Lamanites as the principal ancestors of the American Indians:

“After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians” - Introduction page to the Book of Mormon (1981)

However, in the latest edition of the Book of Mormon (2006) this has been changed to read:

“After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.” - Introduction page to the Book of Mormon (2006)

Did you notice any difference? One word has been changed!! The word ‘principal’ has been changed to the word ‘among’. Why so? Joseph Smith himself agreed with the 1981 introduction when he wrote in a letter

“They were principally Israelites, of the descendants of Joseph…The remnant are the Indians that now inhabit this country." - Joseph Smith, The Wentworth Letter – cited from www.lds.org

Former LDS church President Spencer W. Kimball in an address delivered at the Lamanite Youth Conference in 1971 said:

“With pride I tell those who come to my office that a Lamanite is a descendant of one Lehi who left Jerusalem six hundred years before Christ and with his family crossed the mighty deep and landed in America. And Lehi and his family became the ancestors of all of the Indian and Mestizo tribes in North and South and Central America and in the islands of the sea.” - Spencer W. Kimball, “Of Royal Blood” – cited from www.lds.org

The answer to the question, ‘why the change?’ lies in the modern scientific discovery of DNA. For over a century and a half the LDS church has taught that the Native American Indians are descendants from the Lamanite people who in turn are descendants from Lehi, an Israelite Prophet from the tribe of Manasseh. If the Book of Mormon is true, then the Native Indians of America are Israelites of Hebrew descent. Before the modern discovery and subsequent advancements in the field of genetics such claims were hard to prove or disprove scientifically. However, the LDS church now has a problem on their hands!! Research in the field of DNA has revealed that the Native American Indians contain NO Hebrew blood in their bodies!!

Former LDS Bishop and plant geneticist Simon Southerton published a book in 2004 entitled ‚Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church; this book ultimately resulted in him being excommunicated from the LDS church. In this book Southerton uses genetic evidence to examine the historical claims of the Book of Mormon. In an open letter in 2000 entitled DNA Genealogies of American Indians and the Book of Mormon, Southerton writes:

“In the last decade scientists from several research groups had tested the mitochondrial DNA of over 2000 American Indians from about a hundred tribes scattered over the length of the Americas. It soon became apparent to me that about 99% of their female lineages were brought into the Americas in excess of 12,000 years ago. Almost all of these lineages are most closely related to those of people in Asia, particularly in southern Siberia near Mongolia. Several tribes in Mesoamerica (which included Aztecs and Mayans) had been tested and all but a couple of individuals out of about 500 had mitochondrial DNA of Asian origin. The small fraction of Native American lineages that were not from Asia appeared to originate in Europe, most likely Spain. DNA studies also showed that the female ancestors of the Polynesians came from South East Asia and not the Americas. Y-chromosome studies, which trace male migrations, strongly support the mitochondrial work, except that the European influence is higher (about 10% in the Americas).” - Simon Southerton, DNA Genealogies of American Indians and the Book of Mormon Read the full letter here : http://www.exmormon.org/whylft125.htm

Although I disagree with the timing, the science that can be tested, i.e. the DNA proves conclusive; Native Americans are not ancient Israelites. Latter Day Saint and anthropologist Thomas W. Murphy published a controversial essay in the early 2000’s entitled, ‚Lamanite Genesis, Genealogy, and Genetics‛ in which he concluded:

"DNA research lends no support to traditional Mormon beliefs about the origins of Native Americans" - Thomas W. Murphy, Lamanite Genesis, Genealogy, and Genetics – cited from Christianity Today (2003), Mormon scholar under fire.

Murphy’s findings like that of Southerton found that the Native American Indians are descendants of people from northeast Siberia and not the Middle East

For more on this featuring Simon Southerton and Thomas Murphy, watch the video DNA vs. The Book of Mormon Official link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svfxSscxh8o

Why then the change in the word ‚principal‛ to ‚among‛? The LDS church have responded to the DNA research findings by saying that the peoples of the Middle East formed only a small part of the population of the Americas and not a ‘principal’ part, limited to as specific geographical region which did not extend to the whole of the Americas. As a result they argue that the Lamanite genetic heritage may have been diluted so that it cannot at present be detected. This theory however contradicts the testimony of Joseph Smith and the standard teachings of down through history which absolutely has asserted that the Native American Indians populating the Americas are descendants of the Lamanites, descending from Lehi.

The Book of Mormon in the Light of Archaeology

As has already been mentioned, the Book of Mormon claims to portray the history primarily of a two great civilizations covering the periods of 2200 B.C – 400 A.D. As well as documenting the history of the ancient Jaredites (documented in the book of Ether), the Book of Mormon is primarily concerned with the people groups descending from an Israelite by the name of Lehi, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The Book of Mormon records the history of these two people groups over a period of approximately 1000 years between the years 600 B.C and 400 A.D. This civilization supposedly lived and died in the Americas; they built settlements and cities, roads and highways; farmed lands and fought wars; documented their history on metal plates. One would think that during the last two hundred years of American archaeological research one would surely have an abundance of evidence and data to support these ancient civilizations historically. Amazingly, the exact opposite is the case; when one turns to the earth to bear witness to the Book of Mormon one is greeted with overwhelming silence! Yet American archaeology has managed to unearth other ancient American civilizations such as the Maya civilization (2000 B.C – 250 A.D). By way of comparison, when one turns to archaeology to bear witness to the Bible, it has literally been said that the rocks cry out attesting to the civilizations that the Bible claims existed in the time in which the events were recorded.

“The Bible is a book that is full of historical accounts covering thousands of years and multiple nations and peoples. Every year there is a significant find that is tied to recorded events that are written down in both the Old Testament and the New Testament…The mountainous collection of artifacts show indisputable evidence that the Bible is true and what was recorded actually happened in the places and times that the Bible states that they did. The many thousands of archeological finds have provided solid evidence for the reliability of the Scriptures and biblical scholars have used much of this evidence to further their study of the Bible.” - Jack Wellman ,Does Archeology Support the Bible? A Look at the Evidence - cited from www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com

On the contrary, even the most basic artefact finds have yet to be found supporting the Book of Mormon:

While many Mormons may feel that the Book of Mormon would have similar support from archaeological support in the Americas, they should understand that even the most common of items in their scripture’s pages have never be found. This includes swords (3 Nephi 1:18), scimitars (Alma 2:12), chariots (Alma 18:12), large buildings (Ether 10:5), many highways (Helaman 14:24), forts (Alma 48:8), javelins (Alma 51:34), breastplates (Mosiah 8:10), hand plates (Alma 46:13), compasses (Alma 37:38,44), trumpets (3 Nephi 13:2), chains (2 Nephi 1:13), hoes (Ether 10:25), and harps (2 Nephi 15:12). - Eric Johnson, Archaeology and the Book of Mormon – cited from Mormonism Research Ministry(mrm.org)

The National Geographic Society, one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutes in the world, wrote in 1998 in a letter to the Institute for Religious Research:

"Archaeologists and other scholars have long probed the hemisphere's past and the society does not know of anything found so far that has substantiated the Book of Mormon." - National Geographic Society Statement on the Book of Mormon – cited from irr.org

The world renowned and prestigious historic institute, the ‘Smithsonian Institution’ has repeatedly passed judgment of the Book of Mormon over the years. In a recent statement it said:

“The Smithsonian Institution has never used the Book of Mormon in any way as a scientific guide. Smithsonian archeologists see no direct connection between the archeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book.” - The Smithsonian Institution Statement on the Book of Mormon - cited from godandscience.org

It has well been documented that the Book of Mormon contains many historical inaccuracies. It makes mention of things that were supposedly in existence in the Americas in the periods dating between 2200 B.C – 400 A.D that historical authorities know for sure did not exist in the Americas during those time periods. For example, the Book of Mormon states:

Having all manner of…grain…silks…cattle…oxen…cows…sheep…swine…goats…horses…asses…elephants…” Ether 9:17-19 - The record of the Jaredites (2200 – 600 B.C)

And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel.... 2 Nephi 5:15 Record of the Nephites (approx. 559-545 B.C)

…And behold, we at this time do pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites, to the amount of one half of our corn, and our barley, and even all our grain of every kind… Mosiah 7:22 – Record of Lamanites and Nephites (121 B.C)

The Book of Mormon also claims that ancient Nephite prophets wrote down the ancient records of their people on metal plates in a language known as reformed Egyptian.

…wherefore I did make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the record of my people… 1 Nephi 19:1

…we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian… Momon 9:32

In a 1996 response to the Book of Mormon, the Smithsonian Institute stated emphatically:

“…none of the principal Old World domesticated food plants or animals (except the dog) occurred in the New World in pre- Columbian times. American Indians had no wheat, barley oats, millet, rice, cattle, pigs, chickens, horses, donkeys, camels before 1492…Iron, steel, glass, and silk were not used in the New World before 1492.

Reports of findings of ancient Egyptian Hebrew, and other Old World writings in the New World in pre-Columbian contexts have frequently appeared in newspapers, magazines, and sensational books. None of these claims has stood up to examination by reputable scholars. No inscriptions using Old World forms of writing have been shown to have occurred in any part of the Americas before 1492…” - Smithsonian Institution Statement Regarding the Book of Mormon – cited from Mormon Research Ministry (www.mrm.org)

This is not the opinion of biased theologians but of expert historians! The LDS church has a case to answer; let the earth bear witness to the Book of Mormon if it is able. If it can’t then the Book of Mormon remains a book of fiction until proven to be otherwise!!

The Book of Mormon in the Light of Holy Scripture

Joseph Smith claimed to have translated the Book of Mormon in the late 1820’s resulting in this book being published in 1830. Remember, Joseph Smith simply translated what former ancient prophets supposedly wrote down, the last account being recorded by the Prophet Moroni around the year 400 A.D. If the Book of Mormon professes to contain the history of a people inhabiting the Americas between the periods 2200 B.C – 400 A.D; then what we are about to discover is shocking to say the least! To add a bit of context to what I am about to say, the KJV of the Bible is a translation from the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts; it is an excellent translation but a translation never the less. The first edition was published in 1611 and underwent a number of revisions, the latest being 1769. The ancient records that are claimed to be contained in the Book of Mormon predate the KJV by well over 1000 years. What would one to think, if whole passages and chapters of the KJV - 1769 edition were to make their way into the Book of Mormon! What would that do to the credibility and claims of the Book of Mormon? In short, it would prove that Joseph Smith did not translate an ancient document written on golden plates which between the years of 400A.D until 1827 was supposedly buried in the hill Cumorah.

“According to a careful study of the Book of Mormon, it contains at least 25,000 words from the King James Bible. In fact, verbatim (in exactly the same words as the original) quotations, some of considerable length, have caused the Mormons no end of embarrassment for many years”. - Walter martin, Kingdom of the Cults, p187 (brackets are my addition)

Let us investigate this further. Thirteen consecutive chapters from the book of Isaiah in King James old English (chapters 2-14) appear almost identically word for word in the book of 2 Nephi (chapters 12-24). A further seven chapters from Isaiah (chapters 48-49, 50-54) also make their way into 1 Nephi 20-21; 2 Nephi 7- 8; 3 Nephi 20; Mosiah 14 and 3 Nephi 22 respectively. When one turns to the New Testament, the whole Sermon on the Mount taken from Matthew’s Gospel (chapters 5-7) appears almost word for word in 3 Nephi 12-14. The only difference is the setting; Jesus’ audience are now transported to the Americas in the form of Nephites!! How is it that Jesus words are found in exactly the same sequence as that recorded not by Luke, but by Matthew? It is quite obvious that the Book of Mormon is a fraud! In addition to the above, part of Paul’s famous discourse on love found in 1 Corinthians 13 also makes its way again almost word for word into Moroni 7:45-46

45And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 46Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail. Moroni 7:45-46

There are other cases that could be mentioned but the ones cited provide irrefutable evidence Joseph Smith plagiarised the King James Bible! For a side-by-side comparison of all these plagiarisms please see the following link below: http://www.mormonismdisproved.org/plagiarism.html

There are also historical errors contained in the Book of Mormon that flatly contradict the Bible. The Bible claims that Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:5). Yet the Book of Mormon states:

And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin... Alma 7:10 – a prophecy given in 83 B.C by the prophet Alma

In the year 147-145 B.C the Book of Mormon sets forth a scene where the prophet Alma baptizes in the waters of Mormon 240 souls:

16And after this manner he did baptize every one that went forth to the place of Mormon; and they were in number about two hundred and four souls; yea, and they were baptized in the waters of Mormon, and were filled with the grace of God. 17And they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that time forward. And it came to pass that whosoever was baptized by the power and authority of God was added to his church. Mosiah 18:17-18

There are grave problems with this passage, not least the fact that there was no such body in existence called the church of Christ. Jesus Christ did not come until over 150 years after the account given in the Book of Mormon and He did not even introduce such a phrase until He prophesied of such to the Apostle Peter. It is akin to someone living 150 years ago speaking of eating a Big Mac and fries!!

18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Mat 16:18)

How can you have the church of Jesus Christ existing by that name before Christ even instituted it? Adding further to this error is the verse found in Alma 46:15 dated 72-72 B.C.

15And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come. Alma 46:15

Once again, how can there be believers in Christ being referred to as Christians before the coming of Jesus Christ. Acts 11:26 tells us plainly that the term Christian was first used to describe the followers of Christ in Antioch around the year 40 A.D

26…And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Act 11:26)

Other contradictions could easily have been cited but sufficient are the ones that have been cited to prove that the Book of Mormon cannot possibly be the word of God. Taking the sum of the case presented in this teaching both scientifically, historically and biblically then the case is closed and the Book of Mormon is weighed and found wanting!!

Conclusion

To conclude this week’s teaching I want to quote from Mormon Apostle Orson Pratt, an original member and last surviving member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles – the second highest authority in the LDS church, second only to the First Presidency. Orson Pratt writing from Liverpool, England in 1850 said:

“The Book of Mormon claims to be a divinely inspired record, written by a succession of prophets who inhabited ancient America. It professes to be revealed to the present generation for the salvation of all who will receive it, and for the overthrow and damnation of all nations who reject it.

This book must be either true or false. If true, it is one of the most important messages ever sent from God to man, affecting both the temporal and eternal interests of every people under heaven to the same extent and in the same degree that the message of Noah affected the inhabitants of the old world. If false, it is one of the most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever palmed upon the world, calculated to deceive and ruin millions who will sincerely receive it as the word of God, and will suppose themselves securely built upon the rock of truth until they are plunged with their families into hopeless despair. The nature of the message in the Book of Mormon is such, that if true, no one can possibly be saved and reject it; if false, no one can possibly be saved and receive it. Therefore, every soul in all the world is equally interested in ascertaining its truth or falsity.

In a matter of such infinite importance no person should rest satisfied with the conjectures or opinions of others: he should use every exertion himself to become acquainted with the nature of the message: he should carefully examine the evidences of which it is offered to the world: he should, with all patience and perseverance, seek to acquire a certain knowledge whether it be of God or not. Without such an investigation in the most careful, candid, and impartial manner, he cannot safely judge without greatly harming his future and eternal welfare. If, after a rigid examination, it be found an imposition, should be extensively published to the world as such; the evidences and arguments upon which the imposture was detected, should be clearly and logically stated, that those who have been sincerely yet unfortunately deceived, may perceive the nature of the deception, and be reclaimed, and that those who continue to publish the delusion, may be exposed and silenced, not by physical force, neither by persecutions, bare assertions, nor ridicule, but by strong and powerful arguments--by evidences adduced from scripture and reason. Such, and such only, should be the weapons employed to detect and overthrow false doctrines--to reclaim mankind from their errors, to expose religious enthusiasm, and put to silence base and wicked impostors.” - Orson Pratt, Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, Number 1, p.1-2 – cited from www.boap.org

Yet in spite of this, Mormons are encouraged to test the Book of Mormon by a feeling; a supposed burning in the bosom.

We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)

Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah. - Introduction to the Book of Mormon

Brethren, this will never do!! Instead, we have done as the apostle Orson Pratt suggested, we have carefully investigated employing logic and reason, consulting science and archaeology and above all the most sacred standard, the Holy Bible! In so doing we have proved indeed the Book of Mormon to be a fallacious invention of man’s own devising helped and inspired by the prince of the power of this World, spiritual wickedness in high places for the purpose of damning millions of souls!! Over the next weeks, we shall turn our attention to examining the theology of the LDS church and holding it against the standard of the Bible. We shall endeavour to refute LDS theology and provide a defence for the orthodoxy of our Christian faith, once delivered to the Saints!!