Temple Work and Book of Mormon
For Latter-day Saints, what is the value of studying and reading the Book of Mormon on a daily basis?
Unless exhausted from the day before, I generally wake between 4a and 6a to study the Book of Mormon. You may think that is a bit fanatical, but you should know the rest of the story beofre you judge how fanatical that really is.
I do not believe in the Church. I used to. However, a careful look at the doctrines of Salvation presented in the Book of Mormon will convince someone who does so with an open mind that the doctrine of the Church is not only different from the Book of Mormon but directly contradictory, as if it were written to warn LDSaints. I relate this to convince you that I don't study the Book of Mormon for the purpose to be known as some great scholar when I meet among the LDSaints. If I were to share my discoveries with LDSaints I would be considered an heretic so I, when compelled to be among them, keep my mouth shut and mourn for them.
On the other hand, I meet with some saints down the road that call themselves the Church of the Nazarene. If they were to put aside initial prejudices against the Book of Mormon, which come from mistakenly assuming that LDSaints get their odd doctrine therefrom, they would find themselves in almost total agreement with the doctrines put forth in the Book of Mormon. However, among them I share nothing directly from the Book of Mormon by chapter and verse, though I share the doctrines of the Book and the things I have come to understand. I just don't reference the Book of Mormon.
So, why am I writing this? Why do I study the Book of Mormon so intensely? It is 100% personal.
Reading the Book of Mormon is interactive. The Holy Ghost breaths into my heart as I read, ponder and pray. I am able to breath back gratitude and question. This back and forth takes place in the hours that I am engaged. Sometimes I am enlightened, sometimes rebuked, sometimes just comforted and filled again with ever increasing hope and joy.
Nobody cares about any of my spiritual experiences with the Book of Mormon, but that matters to me not at all.
I understand the following:
Ether 12:39 And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things;
The LDSaints can reject the doctrines and the things taught in that book and the rest of the world can scoff and trample it for all me. That Book is mine.
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Justin Koh
Hey my friend, I'm a Latter-day Saint, and I hope you don't mind me leaving this genuine comment to your statement. I am really concerned as to the welfare of your soul, because judging by your statement it sounds rather heretical, even to the point of sounding delusional, with all due respect. It's…
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Ray Farmer
SAYS YOU: "...if you agree or accept that the Doctrine & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price are considered scripture."
ME: The Book of Moses and early, unedited, sections of the Book of Commandments seem to have been written by someone whose understanding of the principles of the Book of Mormon were fresh in the mind or written with the Book of Mormon open and before Joseph claimed to be a prophet and invented contrary doctrine. They shouldn't be relied upon as scripture, however. The Book of Mormon teaches that there are but two books that should be consulted to establish doctrine.
2 Nephi 3:12 Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write [Book of Mormon]; and the fruit of the loins of Judah [Bible] shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins [Book of Mormon], and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah [Bible], shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.
That there are only two books that must be consulted when confirmed with new doctrine is a familiar concept among LDSaints. Consider the oft quoted Ezekiel 37:
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.
How many "sticks" do you count. As in the Book of Mormon, there are only two.
How does one use the two books? We find the method in Acts 17:
Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
We see that the Bereans received the word without resistance, then check out to see if the concepts conformed to the Word of God. Isaiah (also quoted in the Book of Mormon this) warns against peepers and mutterers:
Isaiah 8
19. And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
20. To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Even the Doctrine and Covenants promotes these two Books!
Doctrine and Covenants 42:12 And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel.
SAYS YOU: "I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is the Lord's Church, teaches doctrines and teachings that are aligned with the Book of Mormon. I was genuinely shocked to hear someone say that the Church's teachings don't align with the Book of Mormon"
ME: You seem to be willing to discuss the contradictions. There are so many that it seems that the Book of Mormon was written to warn LDSaints saints against the doctrines they love most! That's why Moroni's promise says
Moroni 10:3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them....
It is not in God's wisdom that everyone gets the Book of Mormon. Significantly, it is, for the most part, LDSaints that carry the book about and claim to believe in it. The conclusion is that it is the LDSaints that need to read and believe "these things". Strangely, they believe the book but reject the things written on the pages! The Book of Mormon distinguishes between the two because it anticipates everything.
2 Nephi 27:12 ....three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of THE BOOK and THE THINGS THEREIN.
LDSaints say the Book is true and go on to say that its truthfulness testifies that Joseph was a prophet. So they believe the book. They do not believe the things therein that confound the doctrine of Joseph and Sidney.
Some examples I will put forth. Anyone of them can be a springboard to our impending discussions.
Temple Work and the Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is aggressive in confounding all concepts involved in the LDS Temples.
You say people can repent after death. the Book of Mormon clearly confounds this idea.
Alma 34
30. And now, my brethren, I would that, after ye have received so many witnesses, seeing that the holy scriptures testify of these things, ye come forth and bring fruit unto repentance.
31. Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.
32. For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
33. And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.
34. 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.
35. 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.
This seems to confound the whole idea behind temple work. The Lord tweaks temple-worshipers in the very next verse, specifically identifying the real temples!
Alma 34:36 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...
The Book of Mormon is amazing and complete!
1 Nephi 15
32. ...the day should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body IN THEIR DAYS OF PROBATION.
33. Wherefore, IF THEY SHOULD DIE IN THEIR WICKEDNESS they must be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to stand before God, to be judged of their works; and if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God; if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also.
34. ....FINAL STATE of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken.
Mosiah 2:33 For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to obey that spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and DIETH IN HIS SINS, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of God contrary to his own knowledge.
Alma 12:16 And now behold, I say unto you then cometh a death, even a second death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time that WHOSOEVER DIETH IN HIS SINS, AS TO A TEMPORAL DEATH, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall die as to things pertaining unto righteousness.
Alma 12:24 ....this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.
There are a multitude of teachings that confirm the idea that this life, this temporal moment is the day of probation. Eternal reward or punishment is determined at death. There is no moving from spirit prison (not in scriptures) to paradise in the time between death and resurrection.
Alma 40
13. And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil--for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house--and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.
[Not much of a spirit school. Sound awful]
14. Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus THEY REMAIN IN THIS STATE, AS WELL AS THE RIGHTEOUS IN PARADISE, UNTIL THE TIME OF THEIR RESURRECTION.
Alma 40:21 ....there is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery UNTIL the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works.
Moroni 10:34 [Moroni is not leaving paradise to preach repentance to the wicked] And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite...
We know that in the parable of Lazarus and the Rich man, Abraham states
Luke 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
Even the Doctrine and Covenants 38
4. I am the same which have taken the Zion of Enoch into mine own bosom; and verily, I say, even as many as have believed in my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name, by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt, have I pleaded before the Father for them.
5. But behold, the residue of THE WICKED HAVE I KEPT IN CHAINS OF DARKNESS UNTIL the judgment of the great day, which shall come at the end of the earth;
6. And even so will I cause THE WICKED TO BE KEPT, that will not hear my voice but harden their hearts, and wo, wo, wo, is their doom.
Related to the temple (and there is much) you say those who die without the law need to be baptized. Mormon hits hard against this.
Moroni 8
22. For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also ALL THEY THAT ARE WITHOUT THE LAW. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and UNTO SUCH BAPTISM AVAILETH NOTHING--
23. But it is mockery before God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and putting trust in dead works.
24. Behold, my son, this thing ought not to be; for repentance is unto them that are under condemnation and under the curse of a broken law.
25. And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;
Obviously those who didn't have the Gospel can't repent. Repentance comes before baptism. Since those who die in ignorance are not under the curse of a broken law can't repent and, therefore, can't meet the requirements of baptism.
You call it "work for the dead". Mormon calls it "dead works"! He also calls it "mockery before God", "this gross error", "solemn mockery before God". To him who believes the ignorant "need baptism is in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; for he hath neither faith, hope, nor charity; wherefore, should he be cut off while in the thought, he must go down to hell".
The Lord expounds "His Gospel" three times between 3 Nephi 11:30 "...Behold, this is not my doctrine.. and 3 Nephi 11:39 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine". Clearly the LDSaint doctrines of necessary salvation requirements are not between these verses. There is no temple attendance requirement, priesthoods, oaths and covenants, eternal marriages, new names, signs and tokens to pass angels. Read it yourself and see. What you will find, though, is a warning to you about adding stuff to the simple doctrine He puts forth:
3 Nephi 11
39. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
40. And whoso shall DECLARE MORE OR LESS THAN THIS, AND ESTABLISH IT FOR MY DOCTRINE, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.
You say we must "stand in Holy Places", meaning the temple. Just as the Lord tweaked you by using "dead works" and "temples" are the hearts of the righteous, He gets you again when discussing the Zoromites who required attendance at a certain place.
Alma 31:21 Now the PLACE was called by them Rameumptom, which, being interpreted, is the HOLY STAND.
These are just a few of the "anti-mormon" teachings of the Book of Mormon regarding temples. A book can be written about the temple and the Book of Mormon to include views of oaths and covenants, elegant sanctuaries, etc.
We can get into divine authority, the sacrament, and, most interesting, degrees of glory and multiple kingdom rewards as foreign and contradictory to the Book of Mormon.
You pick.
SAYS YOU: "I am concerned also that, I assume, you don't have a community or people supporting you in your faith"
ME: Join me! All joking aside, you will read in the scriptures a grand multitude of folks who were alone in their faith and yet maintained it.