If you spend much time in a Mormon discussion, especially if it’s with missionaries, they’ll probably ask you to read the Book of Mormon. Missionaries quickly lose interest if you refuse to read their scripture. Don’t let this discourage you. Reading a bit of the Book of Mormon can make your discussion easier. Most Mormons will tune you out if you base your understanding of their doctrine on something you read on a website. But it’s a lot easier to ask questions based on strange verses you read. Here’s some I found while reading a few passages Mormons said were good places to start.
1 Nephi 6
1 And now I, Nephi, do not give the genealogy of my fathers in this part of my record; neither at any time shall I give it after upon these plates which I am writing; for it is given in the record which has been kept by my father; wherefore, I do not write it in this work.
5 Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.
6 Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men.
Moses obviously thought recording the genealogy from Adam to Abraham was worthy for men to know. Matthew and Luke both felt it was pleasing to God to trace Jesus’ genealogy back to King David. Yet this author refuses to record any genealogy saying they’re just pleasing to men, but not of worth to men.
Genealogies may be boring, but they still play an important role. They help show the Bible is a record of real men who really lived. The genealogies in the Gospels help connect their story with the people and timeline of the Old Testament (OT). The Book of Mormon asks us to trust it without giving links to the OT. They mention Jerusalem and a few other people from the OT, but they don’t mention any specific events in the OT. Someone claims to be Christ later in the book, but he certainly doesn’t act like the Christ in the Bible. Look at the first thing they say Christ does when he visited the Americas.
3 Nephi
3 Behold, that great city Zarahemla have I burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof . . . that great city Moroni have I caused to be sunk in the depths of the sea . . . that great city Moronihah have I covered with earth . . . the city of Gilgal have I caused to be sunk . . . and the city of Onihah and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Mocum and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Jerusalem and the inhabitants thereof . . . , that great city Jacobugath . . . the city of Gadiandi, and the city of Gadiomnah, and the city of Jacob, and the city of Gimgimno . . . to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face . . . And many great destructions have I caused to come upon this land, and upon this people, because of their wickedness and their abominations.
So he destroyed at least 11 cities because of their sin. But the worst part is in the next verse.
13 O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they.
To be clear, I’m not denying God did similar things in the Old Testament. The issue is Christ spent most of His ministry on earth reaching out to the worst types of sinners in the land. He forgave the people who killed Him. Any mention of human righteousness was a critique, often very harsh, of religious leaders. The LDS Christ is not the Christ in the New Testament.
3 Nephi 2
14 And it came to pass that those Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites;
15 And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites;
In other words, some Lamanites joined God’s people and their skin turned white. Basically, following God = white skin and sinning = dark skin. I don’t get it. Why aren’t there any examples of skin color changes in the Bible? Has anyone’s skin color changed when they joined the LDS church?
1 Nephi 6
1 And now I, Nephi, do not give the genealogy of my fathers in this part of my record; neither at any time shall I give it after upon these plates which I am writing; for it is given in the record which has been kept by my father; wherefore, I do not write it in this work.
5 Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.
6 Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men.
Moses obviously thought recording the genealogy from Adam to Abraham was worthy for men to know. Matthew and Luke both felt it was pleasing to God to trace Jesus’ genealogy back to King David. Yet this author refuses to record any genealogy saying they’re just pleasing to men, but not of worth to men.
Genealogies may be boring, but they still play an important role. They help show the Bible is a record of real men who really lived. The genealogies in the Gospels help connect their story with the people and timeline of the Old Testament (OT). The Book of Mormon asks us to trust it without giving links to the OT. They mention Jerusalem and a few other people from the OT, but they don’t mention any specific events in the OT. Someone claims to be Christ later in the book, but he certainly doesn’t act like the Christ in the Bible. Look at the first thing they say Christ does when he visited the Americas.
3 Nephi
3 Behold, that great city Zarahemla have I burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof . . . that great city Moroni have I caused to be sunk in the depths of the sea . . . that great city Moronihah have I covered with earth . . . the city of Gilgal have I caused to be sunk . . . and the city of Onihah and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Mocum and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Jerusalem and the inhabitants thereof . . . , that great city Jacobugath . . . the city of Gadiandi, and the city of Gadiomnah, and the city of Jacob, and the city of Gimgimno . . . to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face . . . And many great destructions have I caused to come upon this land, and upon this people, because of their wickedness and their abominations.
So he destroyed at least 11 cities because of their sin. But the worst part is in the next verse.
13 O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they.
To be clear, I’m not denying God did similar things in the Old Testament. The issue is Christ spent most of His ministry on earth reaching out to the worst types of sinners in the land. He forgave the people who killed Him. Any mention of human righteousness was a critique, often very harsh, of religious leaders. The LDS Christ is not the Christ in the New Testament.
3 Nephi 2
14 And it came to pass that those Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites;
15 And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites;
In other words, some Lamanites joined God’s people and their skin turned white. Basically, following God = white skin and sinning = dark skin. I don’t get it. Why aren’t there any examples of skin color changes in the Bible? Has anyone’s skin color changed when they joined the LDS church?
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