There is an idea floating among Christians that the Bible is the final word for God and that nothing can or will come after it. This idea is found nowhere in the Bible. In fact, the Bible is a history of an unchanging God relentlessly and consistently reaching out to His people, offering them guidance, and speaking to them on an individual and collective level. Those who believe the Bible to be the final word from God first disregard what it teaches; and second, apply an egregious interpretation to one passage of scripture in particular – Revelation 22:18-19.
"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
This passage of scripture is taken out of all context to imply that God will never give anymore scripture, or books of scripture. For most Christians, the “book” spoken of by John refers to the Bible. This is not so. John wrote this book in the 90’s AD; while the Bible would not be canonized until centuries later after several attempts. John did not have what we refer to as the Bible in mind because such a collection did not exist.
John tells us what “book” he is referring to in the first chapter. In Revelation 1:11, the Lord speaks to John, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia.” The “book” that John refers to is the vision he will see and send to the seven churches, and that book was not the modern Bible, it was the Book of Revelation. This is further evident with the word “prophecy” that he uses. He tells us in chapter 1 verse 3 that “blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” The prophecy is the one he is about to give. Additionally, while exact dates are unknown, many scholars believe that John wrote the Book of Revelation first, and his gospel and epistles later; sometime in the 90’s AD. Why would John continue to write scripture if he said there wouldn’t, and shouldn’t, be more? Therefore, the only logical conclusion is that the “book” John refers to is only the book of Revelation.
Some will concede that the idea of “no scripture after the Bible” does not make sense historically, but argue that it is a real warning and should be taken literally. True, it is a real warning; in fact, it is the same warning Moses gave in Deuteronomy 4:2, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” Moses is giving a similar if not the same warning John gives, yet no one would conclude that the only interpretation is to cut out everything after Deuteronomy chapter 4. The literal interpretation of this scripture would be spiritual suicide. Rather, Moses and John are telling us that God gave true commandments that we need to follow; and if we add more to it (like the Pharisees did during Christ’s time with arbitrary rules, Mark 7:3-4), or if we remove from it and relax the commandments of God (like the rich man in Jesus’ parable, Luke 12:16-21), then we will be cut off from God’s blessings. John and Moses are not talking about ceasing revelations, scriptures, or any other act of God, they are talking about applying the gospel in one’s life without adding one’s own commandments, or selecting which commandments one desires to follow at the exclusion of the rest.
Now that we determined that the Bible does not explicitly exclude additional scripture, let us examine the Biblical case for the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon is a story about a prophet in the time of Zedekiah (1 Nephi 1:4), who preached repentance (1 Nephi 1:19,20), fled Jerusalem to save his life (1 Nephi 2:1,2), to whom God gave a promised land (1 Nephi 5:5, 2 Nephi 1:5), and fulfilled ancient prophecy about the scattering of Israel (Jacob 2:25) – specifically the tribes of Joseph and Manasseh (1 Nephi 5:14, Alma 10:3). The Messiah visited his posterity (3 Nephi 11:8-11), and the record of his posterity would combine with that of the Jews to be unified in declaring the true gospel in the Last Days (2 Nephi 3:12). These are the main claims of the Book of Mormon. Do such claims have Biblical support? They do!
First, let us examine if there were prophets during Zedekiah’s reign. We know that Jeremiah was the most prominent prophet who cried repentance during this time. However, 2 Chronicles 36 covers the beginning of Zedekiah’s reign, and only a few verses after Zedekiah begins his reign (v. 11), we learn in verses 15 and 16 that “the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.” Prophets – plural – besides Jeremiah preached against the wickedness of those at Jerusalem during Zedekiah’s reign. Jeremiah himself alludes to this during one of his sermons where he reminds them that “since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them” (Jeremiah 7:25). From the Egypt exodus, until that very time, the Lord sent many prophets to cry repentance.
After the Book of Mormon prophet, Lehi, preached against the wickedness of the people, they tried to kill him. Lehi then fled Jerusalem with his family for safety. The danger Lehi faced was real and the prospect of fleeing danger was not without precedent. Years earlier in Jerusalem, during King Jehoiakim’s reign, another contemporary prophet to Jeremiah named Urijah “prophesied in the name of the Lord…against this city [Jerusalem] and against this land” (Jeremiah 26:20). Jehoiakim did not like the bold prophet and “sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt” (Jeremiah 26:21). Unfortunately, Jehoiakim pursued Urijah into Egypt and brought him back to be killed (Jeremiah 26:22-23). Lehi probably remembered the fate of Urijah and other prophets when the mob turned against him and forced him to flee for his life.
After leaving Jerusalem Lehi tells his family that God promised to lead them to a promised land. But didn’t they just leave the promised land? Actually, there is more than one promised land. Throughout Biblical history God has given different lands to different peoples as a promised land. For example, while the Israelites are traveling to their promised land they pass by the people of Esau and the people of Lot. In both cases the Lord instructs them to leave them alone because they are in the land God promised them. “I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession” and “I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession” (Deuteronomy 2:5,9). The Israelites are not the only people to be given land to inherit, in fact God promised Joseph would have his own promised land. “And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land” (Deuteronomy 33:13). It is not only possible that God granted Lehi a promised land, it is entirely Biblical; especially since in so doing, God would fulfill His promise to Joseph through Lehi.
An objection can be raised about the likelihood of a Josephite living and then fleeing from Jerusalem. After all, the tribe of Judah primarily made up the inhabitants of that city. While this is true, 1 Chronicles 9:3 declares that “in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and Manasseh” (see also 2 Chronicles 15:8-10). Parts of the tribe of Ephraim and Manasseh are specifically mentioned as living in Jerusalem, making Lehi’s lineage in Jerusalem not only possible, but Biblical.
The most important claim in the Book of Mormon is the appearance of Christ. The record states that after His resurrection, Jesus Christ personally ministered to this scattered branch of Israel. Again, an objection might be made that this is not possible because the Messiah was promised to Judah (Genesis 49:10), and was fulfilled during Christ’s mortal ministry. While Judah was promised that the Messiah would come from Judah, the coming of the Messiah was to all of Israel. For instance, consider the words of Jesus when He declared His mission to the house of Israel. “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). Christ specifies that His mission is to Israel and not restricted to Judah. Referring to Israel as sheep, He reveals that “other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16). Jesus has other sheep – other Israelites – that must hear His voice. These “other sheep” are not of this fold, meaning they aren’t in this area. He is not speaking about the Gentiles because they were not His mission (Matthew 10:5, Gentiles would be brought the gospel through apostolic ministry – Acts 10). The other sheep are scattered branches of Israel of which the descendants of Lehi are one. Furthermore, the ancient prophet Joseph promised his posterity that “God will surely visit you” (Genesis 50:24-25). Christ’s ministry to a scattered tribe of Israel, particularly the tribe of Joseph, is entirely Biblical.
Lastly, the Book of Mormon it will join with the Bible to testify of Christ and His gospel. The prophet Ezekiel prophesied this union. Ezekiel uses the term “stick” to refer to wooden writing tablets, i.e. scripture records. Ezekiel 37:15-21 (NIV):
"15 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, 16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. 18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? 19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. 20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. 21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:"
Take the record of Joseph (the Book of Mormon), in the hand of Ephraim, and put it with the record of Judah (the Bible). “In the hand of Ephraim” refers to the lead role Ephraim will play in gathering scattered Israel – gathering scattered Israel is primarily assigned to Ephraim. “[Joseph’s] glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousand of Manasseh” (Deuteronomy 33:17). Joseph also prophesies this with his dual-meaning statements to his brethren. “God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Genesis 45:7). This statement refers to the food Egypt provided Jacob’s family, as well as a future spiritual deliverance from the “famine…of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11) that will occur in the Last Days.
Once the two records are unified some will ask what this means. The Lord replies that by unifying the two records He will gather scattered Israel. The gathering will be physical and spiritual. Physical in that Israel will again occupy their promised lands, and spiritual in that they will learn true doctrine and have a true understanding of the Messiah and His gospel. The two records of the two tribes will “grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of [Israel], and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants” (2 Nephi 3:12). The unification of these records is part of God’s great work to fulfill all His promises to Israel.
It should be noted that there is disagreement on what Ezekiel means when he refers to “sticks.” Many commentators believe that “stick” is used to reference the kingdoms of Ephraim and Judah. I believe that this is one sound interpretation. However, I believe there is more to it. Matthew Poole’s commentary describes the stick as a “tablet, i.e. a writing tablet or a tally, such as is fitted to be written upon, or a rod, or staff, on which thou mayst write; the Hebrew calls it wood, without describing its form and fashion; but whatever its fashion was, it must be but one.”[i] Poole indicates that the “stick” is more of a tablet used for writing and God does command that something should be written on it. The stick-tablet that has writing on it needs to be placed in the hand of Ephraim; the one from Judah will combine with that of Ephraim’s. Both stick-tablets will come together in the hands of the prophet. This symbolizes the coming together and reuniting of the two main kingdoms; but think deeper about the symbolism used to achieve this. The two united sticks are also referred to as a rod. Elsewhere, Isaiah uses a rod to symbolize the word of God (Isaiah 11:4).
Consider what we have. There are sticks on which are written words; belonging to either Joseph or Judah. These two sticks, or writing tablets, come together to form one. This one longer stick is referred to as a rod – which could mean the word of God. It is in the hand of a prophet – which could represent a tool used to fulfill the directive of God. The Prophet uses the stick (writing tablet, rod, word of God) in his hand to unify and bring Israel together. While this is physical because it refers to their lands, it is also likely spiritual because God is far more concerned with our spiritual wellbeing. The stick does mean the reunification of the two kingdoms, but it also means more than that. It signifies the spiritual reunification performed by a prophet wielding the word of God. Referring to the stick of Joseph as the record of Joseph and the stick of Judah as the record of Judah is a logical symbolic conclusion.
This understanding of Ezekiel enlightens a passage from Isaiah chapter 29. This chapter deals largely with conditions in the last days. Verses 7 and 8 talk about those who oppose Zion and how they will find no satisfaction in their work. Verses 13-17 reveals several groups of people who are against the Lord; those who only pay lip service to God (13), those who seek to work in darkness (15), and those who turn things upside down (16). The Lord responds to these conditions by performing a marvelous work and a wonder among his people. In the day of these conditions a book will be brought to several groups of people. The book is delivered to the learned (11), the unlearned (12), the deaf and the blind (18), and the meek and the poor (19).
The conditions in which the book comes forth matches those during the Book of Mormon – a period of “opposites” where left is right and down is up, where the creation denies the work of the creator. Has there been such a time of opposites where some say that a man is a woman and a woman is a man? Or such justification that the murder of an unborn child is actually a right? These examples, among many, correlate with the conditions Isaiah prophesied. During this time, a book will be revealed. Those who should read it, because they are learned, will refuse. Others will excuse themselves (the unlearned). While those who want to know what the book says will be able to, i.e. the blind and the deaf along with the meek and the poor.
The story of the Book of Mormon is not only possible, it is Biblical; but to stop there would be a disservice. The Book of Mormon is not just Biblical, it is a fulfillment of Biblical prophecies: the promises made to Israel that the Messiah will minister personally, that the tribe of Joseph will have its own land and its own record. That this record will come forward in the Last Days to lead us to truth; “and in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 29:18-19). The Book of Mormon is not simply Biblical, it is one with the Bible.
One thing to consider are the conditions that will be present in the Biblical Last Days. Most Christians consider the present year to be somewhere in the Last Days. If this is the case, then there will be certain conditions and acts of God that will occur. First, we know that God will perform a work. Isaiah describes it as a “marvellous work and a wonder” (Isaiah 29:14) and as an ensign. Daniel describes it as a “stone [that] was cut out of the mountain without hands,” which Daniel interpreted to mean that “the God of heaven [shall] set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people” (Daniel 2:45, 44). These scriptures, among others, suffice to illustrate that God will be active in the Last Days. Wherever God performs a work, we can expect angels, prophets, and spiritual gifts; the Bible says that such things will be in the Last Days.
Isaiah gives us several descriptions of the “Ensign” that God will raise up to gather the righteous. “He will lift up an ensign to the nations from far” (5:26), “he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains” (18:3), “…a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people, to it the Gentiles seek” (11:10) “And he shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (11:12). In summary, the ensign will be in a land far away from Jerusalem, on a mountain range. This ensign will be sought by Gentiles, largely believed to be Europeans, as well as scattered Israel. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is headquartered in a mountain range far from Jerusalem, the Rocky Mountains on the American continent. Gentiles did seek this ensign historically with their large migration and vast global missionary effort to gather Israelites all throughout the world.
Angelic work appears in many last day prophecies from the book of Revelation. For instance, chapters 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 are all examples. Revelation 14:6 is of particular interest, “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” This angel brings the gospel to the earth, to every nation and people. This angel and the work he does coincides directly with the Angel Moroni revealing the Book of Mormon (which contains the gospel) to Joseph Smith to bring to all the world (through its worldwide missionary effort). While it is possible that this prophecy does not refer specifically to the Angel Moroni, his appearance and revealing the gospel to the world is completely reasonable by Biblical standards.
There will be prophets after Christ in the Last Days. One main criticism against the coming of the Book of Mormon is that there cannot be a prophet; such a statement is unbiblical. Immediately after the resurrection of Christ, prophets continued the work of God. Acts chapters 11 and13 list some of their names; Agabus, Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius and Manaen (Acts 11:27-28, 13:1). The role of prophets did not cease after the resurrection of Christ. In fact, the role of prophets is vital in the Last Days. Malachi tells us plainly that the Prophet Elijah will be sent to us in the Last Days (Malachi 4:5-6). Elsewhere Malachi declares that the Lord will provide a messenger [i.e. a prophet] to prepare the way for His return (Malachi 3:1). Finally, John sees that there will be at least two prophets working in Jerusalem (Revelation 11:3, 10). There must be prophets in the Last Days.
God will pour out His spirit and therefore spiritual gifts in the Last Days. The prophet Joel, prophesying about the Last Days, declared, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth” (Joel 2:28-30). An outpouring of the Spirit, prophesying, dreams, visions, and wonders; all of these should be expected in the Last Days. The claims made about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in a miraculous way, through angelic visitation, prophetic calling, and God’s servants relying on the gifts of the Spirit, are entirely Biblical. To say that such things can’t exist during this time is unbiblical.
A Secular-Historical Case for the Book of Mormon
Four historical verities surround the Book of Mormon. First, Joseph Smith did not write the Book of Mormon. A literary study, sometimes referred to as “linguistic fingerprint,”[ii] uses statistical occurrences of certain word usage to determine a “statistical analysis of style.”[iii] The study found that the “odds that a single author wrote the book are less than 1 in 100 billion.”[iv] Further, they concluded that the odds of Joseph Smith or any of their nineteenth century authors was “less than 1 in 10 billion”[v] and that all the Book of Mormon authors produced a clear writing distinction from the nineteenth century test authors; indicating that it wasn’t written in the nineteenth century.[vi]
Second, Joseph had something that resembled a heavy, shiny, book. We know this because several people testified to having seen, touched, or hefted the plates. Most notably are the witnesses of Oliver Cowdrey, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris who all saw the plates in a miraculous manner. Their testimony is recorded in the front of every copy of the Book of Mormon. Right below their testimony is a testimony of eight other individuals who saw the plates in a straightforward way and even handled them. Their names are Christian Whitmer, Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer Jr., John Whitmer, Hiram Page, Joseph Smith Sr., Hyrum Smith, and Samuel Smith. Additionally, at least five women testified to either seeing, touching, or hefting the plates. They include Lucy Mack Smith, Katherine Smith Salisbury, Emma Smith, Lucy Harris, and Mary Musselman Whitmer. (A summary of these women’s testimony can be found here.[vii]) All these witnesses saw and felt something. Due to their consistency of description it is likely they all saw, or felt, (or both), the same thing. Joseph had something in his possession. This something resembled a book; it was heavy and shiny, and it had characters etched onto it.
The certainty that the engravings were ancient Egyptian characters come from the endorsement of Professor Charles Anton. The story goes that Martin Harris took a copy of these characters from Joseph Smith to Professor Anton to verify them. Professor Anton verified their authenticity and then later retracted it upon learning that the characters in front of him were produced by Joseph Smith. Naturally, Professor Anton would later state that he never verified these characters and it was all a lie. However, we can learn the truth of what happened by observing the actions of Martin Harris. Harris went to verify these characters to prove to himself, and others, that Smith was indeed doing what he claimed - the Lord's work. After speaking with Professor Anton, Harris decided to mortgage his farm to pay to produce the Book of Mormon. He really did “bet the farm” on the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. One must ask oneself why Harris did this. If Professor Anton verified the characters, then took it back because of some petty prejudice, then Harris would believe that the unbiased first opinion was trustworthy and could confidently bet his farm. If Professor Anton never verified the characters, why then would Harris bet his farm, what would he gain from betting on a fraud? The actions of Harris only support the story that Professor Anton did verify the characters at first, when he was ignorant to the reason, and later retracted it to save face.
Third is the containment of ancient Hebrew poetry in the Book of Mormon. This style is known as Chiasmus and is essentially “an inverted type of parallelism.”[viii] It is found most predominately in the Hebrew Bible, although it has been found in other languages. While a few European countries had a few publications on the subject in the 1700’s and 1800’s, it was not recognized in America until around the 1920’s[ix], well after Joseph translated the Book of Mormon. Chiasmus often looks like this:
A
B
C
C’
B’
A’
An example from the Old Testament in Isaiah 55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
An example from the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 29:13
The Jews shall have the words of the Nephites,
And the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews;
And the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel;
And the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.
While this is only one example, many more complex and lengthy examples exist[x]. The Book of Mormon has obvious Hebrew poetic style which Joseph Smith translated well before he, or any noted American, knew that such poetic style existed.
Lastly, the Book of Mormon describes Lehi’s journey through the Arabian Peninsula with remarkable detail and precision; from campsites, directions and length of travel, to environmental conditions. Research suggests that Lehi’s trail resembled very closely to an ancient caravan route known as “The Frankincense Trail”[xi]. Lehi’s first stop, which he named the Valley of Lemuel, corresponds very well with the oasis Al Beda[xii]. The next stop Lehi named Shazer, which corresponds with the oasis Wadi AL Azlan[xiii]. During Lehi’s journey their metal bows break, but they are able to make new ones from trees. Jiddah is the likely area where this occurred because it offers the unique climate for their circumstances. Jiddah “is known for a combination of heat, humidity, sand, and salt that rusts car fenders in a few months and turns limber any dry wood brought from other areas”[xiv]. This area also “grows the pomegranate tree, excellent for bowmaking,” and a place up a mountain used for hunting[xv]. Lehi’s descriptions and conditions of their final resting point before sailing to the Americas aligns precisely with the area called Salalah[xvi].
The researchers concluded that for “Joseph Smith to have so well succeeded in producing over twenty unique details in the description of an ancient travel route through one of the least-known areas of the world, all of which have been subsequently verified, requires extraordinary, unreasonable faith in his natural genius of his ability to guess right in direct opposite on to the prevailing knowledge of his time”[xvii]. The truth of the matter is that the journey through the Arabian Peninsula, as described in the Book of Mormon, is incredibly accurate and frequently matches real areas from the Arabian Peninsula.
To believe Joseph Smith (or some other author) fabricated the Book of Mormon necessitates a belief that he changed his writing style several times, and even changed his writing period, without knowing that such style could be traced in the future. He would need to have produced some physical object to show several witnesses who could examine, touch, see it, and then commit their lives or possessions to aide in its publication and distribution. Then he would need to be proficient in Hebrew poetry before anyone in his country discovered it. Lastly, he would need to describe a journey through the Arabian Peninsula in great detail, a place he has never been, nor studied, and have those details align with real places. He was either the luckiest man, or aided by the gift and power of God.
In summary, Joseph Smith did not write the Book or Mormon, nor did any other single author, as shown by differing, distinct writing styles. Joseph Smith did have in his possession something that resembled a golden, heavy, book full of ancient characters. The Book of Mormon contains ancient Hebrew poetry and it describes a real journey through the Arabian Peninsula. These four facts exist independent of personal belief and lend credibility to the Book of Mormon being a record of ancient scripture brought forth in a miraculous way.
The Book of Mormon’s Case for the Book of Mormon
One of the Book of Mormon’s best defenses is itself. The book claims to be sacred scripture written by holy prophets called by God. If true, then one would find three main subjects – Testimony of Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind, the Gospel, and Prophecy. The Bible has the same main themes. Their prophets and apostles provided frequent testimony of Jesus Christ being the source of our salvation. For instance, Acts 26:23, “That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles,” or Hebrews 5:9 “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.” The inspired writers of the Bible also taught the Gospel, or the way for us to become one with God. The author of Hebrews 6:1 teaches that the foundational principles of the Gospel are repentance, faith, baptisms and the laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement. Peter, in Acts 2:38 declares in plain terms that those who believe in Christ must “repent, and be baptized…in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and [they] shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Likewise, there are no shortage of prophecies from which to choose which exemplify the fruit prophets produced to confirm their divine calling. The books of Revelation, Daniel, Matthew, Ezekiel and Isaiah all give extensive prophecies about what will happen in the future relative to their time. Their prophetic powers lend credibility to their revelatory teachings about God and salvation.
The Book of Mormon is no different. It too has powerful testimonies of Christ, His gospel principles, and prophetic pronouncements. For example, the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob testified of Christ, “And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam. And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day” (2 Nephi 9:21-22).
During Christ’s visit after His resurrection He testified of Himself in these words: “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning” (3 Ne 11:10-11). Other examples include: 2 Ne 9:21-22, 2 Ne 10:25, Omni 1:26, Alma 4:14, and Alma 34:22.
Several verses of Book of Mormon scripture plainly teach the Gospel. Again from the prophet Jacob, "And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God” (2 Ne 9:23). And again from Christ’s own ministry, “And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God” (3 Nephi 11:37-38). Other examples include Mosiah 18:20, Alma 13:27-30, and 3 Ne 27:20.
Prophecy is one of the fruits Jesus spoke about when deciding if something is from God or not (Mat 7:16-18 and Deut 18:21-22). The Book of Mormon has (by my count) about 750 prophetic verses pertaining to the last days. For perspective that is about the same number of verses as the entire Gospel of Mark. While several prophecies deal with similar subjects as do biblical prophecies, a good number are unique to the Book of Mormon. The prophecies presented are unique to the Book of Mormon and have seen their fulfillment (whether partial or full) between the translation of the Book of Mormon and now, thus excluding the possibility that Joseph invented a prophecy that saw fulfillment before the translation.
- 1 Nephi 14:15-17. This prophecy declares precisely that there shall be “wars and rumors of wars.” While this is found in the Bible as well, in verse 17 it declares in precise terms that when war is poured out among all nations “at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel.” The commencement of war on the largest scale this world has known marks the beginning of the return of God’s people to their promised land – Israel. The most plausible time when war became the dominant theme of history is the 20th century. It is precisely during WWl that Great Britain issued the Balfour Declaration promising the Jews a gathering place in the Palestine area. WWII, with its detestable holocaust, would generate enough global support for the United Nations to grant Israel statehood. Such was the work of the Lord “preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants,” and the Book of Mormon links these two (wars and gathering of Israel) prophetically in ways no one imagined at the time of Joseph Smith.
- 1 Nephi 22: 7-8. This prophecy discusses the scattering and gathering of the Lehites on the American continent. Within this prophecy it declares that “the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land.” While declaring America a might nation seems obvious now, in 1830 this was not the case. America was still very young, only a few decades past the war of 1812 where their enemies marched on their capitol and set it aflame. While America may not have been the weakest country, no one considered its status as “mighty” that sort of term was reserved for the older European countries with empires.
- 1 Nephi 13:30. Likewise this prophecy declares that this land has been “lifted up by the power of God above all other nations, upon the face of the land which is choice above all other lands.” God will lift America over “all other nations.” Again, this is easy to see in the current year, but in 1830 this was not the case. America is the world leader; every other nation acknowledges the high place America holds in the world. At times it was referred to as the world’s only “superpower.” This is not to brag, only one nation has been granted that title, and that same nation was prophesied to be lifted up by God above all other nations. To claim that America would become “mighty” and “above all other nations” is not wishful patriotic rhetoric, it is prophetic.
- 2 Nephi 27: 12-13. These verses prophecy that there will be three people who will see the plates on which the Book of Mormon was written. Further, it says that there will be “a few” more in addition to the three witnesses. This prophecy came true. In the beginning of every copy of the Book of Mormon there is a page displaying these witnesses. At first there were three, and later eight more saw the record. This would have been a strange prophecy to add into the text if Joseph Smith indeed made it up. He would have cornered himself if he didn’t have anything to show to these witnesses.
- 2 Nephi 29:3. “And because my words shall hiss forth – many shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.” This verse foretells the reaction that people will have to the Book of Mormon. Not only did it predict its general rejection by the Christian world, it also foretold the exact words many would say. Christians all over the world are presented with the Book of Mormon, many do not, read, open, or consider the book; they respond with “I already have the Bible,” or “you cannot add to the Bible.” Of all the arguments one could give, this theme is the most apparent, and the prophet who wrote this verse knew it before it happened.
- 2 Nephi 30:3. “…there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints population has exceeded 15 million. This is a very large number, while yet being small in comparison to the world population. The Church has a global missionary force that is well known and recognizable. So much so that Broadway has a hit musical impersonating this missionary work. There are missionaries in almost every region and country in the world with very few exceptions. This stands in stark contrast to the original 6 church members and no worldwide mission effort in 1830.
- 3 Nephi 29:1. “When the Lord shall see fit, in his wisdom, that these sayings shall come unto the Gentiles according to his word, then ye may know that the covenant which the Father hath made with the children of Israel, concerning their restoration to the lands of their inheritance, is already beginning to be fulfilled.” This prophecy connects the coming of the Book of Mormon to the returning of the Israelites to their own lands of promise. The Book of Mormon was published in 1830, Orson Hyde dedicated Israel for the returning of the Jews, under the direction of Joseph Smith, in 1841, Theodor Herzl (founder of Zionist movement) was born in 1860, and the appeal for Jews to return to their homeland gains tractions over the next few decades. For hundreds of years, the thought of returning to Israel was never a focal point for Jewish immigrants and citizens around the world. The movement to return the Jews to Palestine, known commonly as Zionism, went from relative obscurity to prominence rapidly after the coming of the Book of Mormon.
The above prophecies serve as examples of the prophetic nature of the Book of Mormon. Each of these prophecies occurred after 1830, thus excluding the possibility that Joseph Smith made something up, and have been either fully or partially fulfilled by the time of this writing. The Book of Mormon was written by the spirit of prophecy and thus testifies of the divine nature of Jesus Christ, His gospel, and prophecy; for “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).
Appeal to prayer
The last, but most important, case for the Book of Mormon is the one you (the reader) make. Spiritual things should be learned through the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches this principle clearly in 1 Corinthians 2: 10-14. Below are the main portions about learning spiritual things through the Spirit.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit
11...the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 we have received…the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 …comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Since the Book of Mormon purports to be the word of God one expects that the Holy Spirit will teach through spiritual means its veracity. Its teachings, prophecies, gospel, testimonies, origin, and significance can all be confirmed by the Holy Spirit. This is its most powerful witness. Moroni chapter 10 invites all sincere seekers to have this spiritual experience. The prophet Moroni lays out the conditions in verse 3 and the beginning of 4, then gives a prophetic promise that those who meet the conditions will have a spiritual confirmation that it is from God.
Let us quickly examine the conditions and promises made in this chapter concerning a personal spiritual witness from God. In verse 3 there are three conditions; read, remember, and ponder. First, one must read the contents of the book. The adage that you can’t judge a book by its cover fits perfectly. Second, one must remember the mercy of God from Adam until now. Remember all the promises made to God’s people, the promises to hear the cries of His people, the mercies poured out on those who sought them; remember that God is still good. Third, ponder it in your heart. Personalize what you just remembered by considering how God has acted in your own life, or how these same promises and mercies are extended to you.
Verse 4 gives two more conditions; receive and ask God. The fourth condition is to “receive these things,” meaning accept them into your heart and mind. Accept that God is merciful and will be merciful to you; accept that God is eager to enlighten His children and will enlighten you; accept the things that you remembered and pondered from the previous verse. Fifth is to ask God. In other words – pray. During this prayer there are three things you must do: be sincere in your desire to know, intend to act on the knowledge God grants you, and have faith in Christ.
The first four conditions prepare one to pray and once one asks, the Lord will answer. The Book of Mormon promises that “he will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost.” It also reminds us of several important gospel truths. In verse 5 it teaches “by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” Verse 6 reminds us that all that is good comes from God. Verse 7 reminds us that spiritual things are learned by the Spirit, that we should not deny the power of God but remember that He acts according to our faith and that He is the same “yesterday, today and tomorrow.” This means that His desire for us to know His word, and the processes He uses to teach and guide us are consistent.
Every person who meets the conditions laid out by the prophet Moroni to read, allow the goodness of God in our hears, and ask in prayer will have a personal spiritual manifestation of the truth of the Book of Mormon through the Spirit of God. I can add my own testimony, because of my own personal experience that God fulfilled His promise when I met the conditions. You too can ask God directly to know, and He will tell you. There is no better case to be made than the one God provides to you personally.
Consider that the Bible not only allows room for the Book of Mormon but expects the Book of Mormon to exist. Additionally, there are strong secular arguments supporting Joseph Smith’s account about translating the Book of Mormon. Further, the Book of Mormon provides its own defense with its testimony of Jesus Christ, His gospel, and prophecies. Lastly, the best case for the Book of Mormon is when God declares its truthfulness. This last point is something that all will experience if they seek it. These four witnesses are enough to convince any sincere seeker of truth of the divine origin of the Book of Mormon.
[i] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/poole/ezekiel/37.htm [ii] Wayne Larsen and Alvin Rencher; “Who wrote the book of Mormon,” Book of Mormon Authorship (1982): 159. [iii] Wayne and Rencher, “Who Wrote the Book of Mormon”: 159. [iv] Wayne and Rencher, “Who Wrote the Book of Mormon”:165. [v] Wayne and Rencher, “Who Wrote the Book of Mormon”:167. [vi] Wayne and Rencher, “Who Wrote the Book of Mormon”:167. [vii] https://bookofmormoncentral.org/blog/5-women-who-are-witnesses-of-the-physical-golden-plates [viii] John Welch, “Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon,” Book of Mormon Authorship (1982):35. [ix] https://www.bible-discernments.com/joshua/backgroundofchiasms.html [x] Welch, “Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon”:41-51. [xi] Eugene England, “Through the Arabian Desert to a Bountiful Land: Could Joseph Smith Have Known the Way?,” Book of Mormon Authorship (1982):150. [xii] England, “Through the Arabian Desert to a Bountiful Land,”:151. [xiii] England, “Through the Arabian Desert to a Bountiful Land,”:151. [xiv] England, “Through the Arabian Desert to a Bountiful Land,”:151. [xv] England, “Through the Arabian Desert to a Bountiful Land,”:151. [xvi] England, “Through the Arabian Desert to a Bountiful Land,”:152. [xvii] England, “Through the Arabian Desert to a Bountiful Land,”:153.
References
Clarke, Thomas B. 2019. Background of Chiasms. Accessed April 13, 2020. https://www.bible-discernments.com/joshua/backgroundofchiasms.html.
England, Eugene. 1982. "Through the Arabian Desert to a Bountiful Land: Could Joseph Smith Have Known the Way?" In Book of Mormon Authorship: New Light on Ancient Origins, 143-156. Provo: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies.
Heimerdinger, Chris. 2020. 5 Women Who Are Witnesses of the Physical Golden Plates. Accessed April 13, 2020. https://bookofmormoncentral.org/blog/5-women-who-are-witnesses-of-the-physical-golden-plates.
Larsen, Wayne A, and Alvin C Rencher. 1982. "Who Wrote the Book of Mormon? An Analysis of Wordprints." In Book of Mormon Authorship: New Light on ANcient Origins, 157-188. Provo: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies.
Welch, John W. 1982. "Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon." In Book of Mormon Authorship: New Light on Ancient Origins, 33-52. Provo: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies.
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