Every time I hear “Covenant Path” I cringe! The scriptures calls it the "strait and narrow path" and so I will.

1 Nephi 8:20 And I also beheld a strait and narrow path,

2 Nephi 31:18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life;

2 Nephi 31:19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path,

One time it is called "strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery". (Helaman 3:29)

Establishing the Church

People seem surprised that someone can believe in the Book of Mormon and yet reject the Church. I have to admit, I wondered how that could be in the beginning. We are always presented with what I call the syllogism: "If the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph was a prophet. If Joseph was a Prophet, then the Church he restored is true. If the Chruch is true than Nelson is a true prophet of God". I knew the Book of Mormon was true before I knew anything about the Church. As a 19 year old knucklehead, so unacquainted with men and things, that made sense. So I joined up.

Eventually, I came to realize the flaw. Correctly, if the Book of Mormon is true than Joseph was a true translator. What if that was the only gift he was to receive? Than I came across the 1833 Book of Commandments and all fell into place. It says,

Book of Commandments (1833), Chapter 4, Page 10
2 ....he has a gift to translate the book and I have commanded him that he shall pretend to no other gift, for I will grant him no other gift.

Even Joseph realized this presented the problem for himself and the answer to us. So it was changed in the next edition called the Doctrine and Covenants.

Doctrine and Covenants 5:4 And you have a gift to translate the plates; and this is the first gift that I bestowed upon you; and I have commanded that you should pretend to no other gift until my purpose is fulfilled in this; for I will grant unto you no other gift until it is finished.

Apparently, the original intention at the very beginning was that after the Book of Mormon was translated, Joseph and the three witnesses were to go out and proclaim the fulness of the Gospel found in the combination of the Bible and the Book of Mormon, which supplied all the Plain and Precious parts that were removed from the Bible By the Great and Abominable.

1 Nephi 13:40 And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.

The instruction, therefore, was to teach the scriptures (the D&C changed it to "principles) found in the Bible and Book of Mormon because the two contained the Fulness of the Gospel.

Doctrine and Covenants 20:8-11 And gave him power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon;
Which contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also;

Book of Commandments (1833), Chapter 44, Page 91
13 And again, the elders, priests, and teachers of this church, shall teach the scriptures which are in the bible, and the book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel;

This seems to be the idea from the Book of Mormon.

2 Nephi 27:12 Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken....three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God,.... and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein.

The "things therein", I think, is very significant. LDSaints will proclaim as a missionary tool the Book of Mormon but they do not preach the "things therein". They will have you ask if the Book is true. I think this means one must ask if Joseph really had the plates and translated them. But the true witnesses do that but they go further and testify of the things one reads on those pages or, in other words, the these things. Moroni's Promise takes on a whole new light.

Moroni 10:3 ....when ye shall read [implies familiarity of the "things therein"] these things [contents of the Book of Mormon]....ye shall receive these things [contents of the Book of Mormon], and ponder it [contents of the Book of Mormon] in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things [contents of the Book of Mormon], I would exhort you that ye would ask God....if these things [contents of the Book of Mormon] are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it [contents of the Book of Mormon] unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Joseph and the three witnesses were to preach to Christ's church that was already on the earth. Section 10 defines that church different from the LDSaints.

Doctrine and Covenants 10:67-8
Behold, this is my doctrine--whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church. Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.

Members of this church were to be gathered through the preachings of Joseph and the Three Witnesses. When they preached, they were to prove what they say by always going back to the Book of Mormon aned Bible.

Doctrine and Covenants 35:23 ....thou shalt preach my gospel and call on the holy prophets to prove his words, as they shall be given him.

Doctrine and Covenants 10
61. And I will bring to light their [Nephites] marvelous works, which they did in my name;
62. Yea, and I will also bring to light my gospel which was ministered unto them, and, behold, they shall not deny that which you have received, but they shall build it up, and shall bring to light the true points of my doctrine, yea, and the only doctrine which is in me.
63. And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention; yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them.
64. Therefore, I will unfold unto them this great mystery;
65. For, behold, I will gather them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if they will not harden their hearts;
66. Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely.

So, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon was to gather the Chickens who, according to the Book of Mormon were "stumbling". I think the use of the word "stumble" is significant. They weren't fallen (total apostacy) they were just "stumbling". Sadly, the next verse contains the conditional, "if".

53. And for this cause have I said: If this generation harden not their hearts, I will establish [confirm, build up, strenghten] my church among them.
54. Now I do not say this to destroy my church, but I say this to build up my church;

Less than two weeks after the Book of Mormon dawned on the world, Joseph took on, pretended, more "gifts".

Doctrine and Covenants 21:1 BEHOLD, there shall be a record kept among you; and in it thou shalt be called a seer, a translator, a prophet, an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church through the will of God the Father, and the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ,

All kinds of ridiculous doctrines were introduced. The target chickens assumed that those doctrines came from the Book of Mormon. That seems to make sense. And so the chickens hardened their hearts against the Book of Mormon. Because the Book of Mormon contradicts the unique doctrines of the LDSaints, they too, have to reject "the things therein". If this generation hardened not their hearts, the Lord would have established His church among them. It appears that some future generation will have the church established among them. I think it is going to happen when the "Choice Seer" is raised.

2 Nephi 3

6. For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins.
7. Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers.
8. And I will give unto him a commandment that he shall do none other work, save the work which I shall command him. And I will make him great in mine eyes; for he shall do my work.
11. But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins--and not to the bringing forth my word only [Book of Mormon], saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them [Bible].

The LDSaints don’t do this. They will tell you word, which shall have already gone forth among them is flawed (translation problems). We can see, however, that the whole purpose of the two books is contained in this list:

2 Nephi 3:12 Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write [Book of Mormon]; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write [Bible]; 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 [Book of Mormon and Bible], unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing [there is that word again] 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.

Only two books? LDSaints will contend that there are “other books” mentioned beyond the Bible and Book of Mormon. but there is a way to identify the “other books”.

1 Nephi 13:39 And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.

Insofar as their “other books” add contradictory doctrines to the prophets and twelve apostles of the lamb, they would convince us, rather, that records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles are not true. Therefore, their other, additional books are not and cannot be the “other books”

I think the emphasis on the actual name of the Church is a divine preparation for the coming forth of the Book of Mormon to the ”chickens”. I am convinced that there must be a complete disassociation of the Church from the Book of "Mormon".

What do you think?

Anyway, these are my tentative conclusions. This is how I reconcile believing in the Book of Mormon and rejecting the “Living Oracles”.

I am very, very interested in hearing how you do the reconciling.