All Christians believe that through faith and through the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ that their sins are forgiven and they will be resurrected. This is called PROXY. Through the act of Christ, it has effect on us, through Faith. In fact, the principle is the same for the belief held by most Christians who believe that the sins of Adam, are on the heads of all men since the time of Adam. In the Old Testament, when they sacrificed the firstling of their flock, it, also was sufficient as a proxy. What this means based on that common belief is that the acts of others or proxy is 100% biblical and indeed does have an effect on those that preceded or followed.
Mormons, in fact, are not the only Christian religion that believes in proxy Baptism for the Dead. In fact, the Catholic church practiced Baptism for the dead until the fourth century. Other early Christian groups also practiced this, until it, like other doctrines, were slowly lost. Some Christian churches still have intercessory prayers for the dead to help those who have died for their salvation. Most Christian churches have some element of this when they pray for the deceased, give final rites etc. or even pray to heal someone who is sick. Through their prayers, they are asking for the mercy of God to bless them, as though Christ himself were there to heal them.
To fully understand this, specifically on Baptism for the Dead, our belief comes from modern day prophets. Whenever God has had authorized persons on the earth, he has given them revelation. This is 100% biblical. So to fully comprehend this, you need to believe God still talks to prophets. There is nowhere that it says he won't call prophets, and in fact consistency would prove that he still would. Jesus told Peter in Matt 16:19 that "whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.”
Redeeming the Dead
2 Samuel 14:14
For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
John 11:25
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
1 Peter 3:18-20
18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
Isaiah 42:6-7
Speaking of the covenant of work for the dead by proxy
6I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
7To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
1 Peter 4:5-6
5Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
6For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
Ephesians 1:10
10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Hebrews 11:39-40
Saints, or followers of Christ are tasked with this great work.
39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
1 Corinthians 15:29
29Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
1 Corinthians 15:19
19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
John 5:25;28
25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Malachi 4:5-6
5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Psalms 16:9-10
9Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Acts 4:10-12
10Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Mark 16:16
16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
John 3:3-7
3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Philippians 2:9-11
AT JUDGEMENT EVERYONE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE CHRIST, EVEN IF THEY NEVER LEARNED OF HIM WHILE ALIVE.
9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Revelations 5:13
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
Revelations 20:12-13
12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
1 Peter 3:21
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Revelations 22:18-19 Add to or Take Away?
This argument alone shows the complete ignorance of those teaching it of not only the Bible, but also the interpretation thereof.
Add to or Take Away? Is the Book of Mormon in Conflict with the Book of Revelation?
Revelation 22:18-19 reads:
“18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall aadd unto these things, God shall add unto him the bplagues that are written in this book:
19 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 abook of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
John is referring to changing or adding his own prophecy of the Book of Revelation. Anyone must first understand the nature of the Bible. The Holy Bible is a collection of Books. The King James version of the Bible has a total of 66 books. Of which the book of Revelation is the last. Chronologically, however, the Book Revelations was written before other epistles contained in the New Testament. Revelations was written in A.D. 95 while exiled on the Island of Patmos. The First, Second and Third Epistles of John as well as the Gospel According to John were written in A.D. 96 or after Johns words in Revelations 22:18-19.
SEE CHRISTIAN POST: http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080827/clarity-of-new-chronological-bible-at-question.htm
Therefore, these words weren’t the last words of the Bible, and didn’t mean what people manipulate it to say. Even Martin Luther disputed the assemblage of the Bible in this regard for fear of this very same mis-interpretation.
In fact, the words written by John in Revelation about adding or subtracting from the word of God doesn’t originate in the Book of Revelation. The same thing was written during the time of Moses in Deuteronomy 4:2:
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it...."
If the same principle were to be literally applied to Deuteronomy as many protestants place in Revelations 22:18-19, Then nothing since Moses is applicable.
Moses and John were absolutely correct: no man has authority to add or subtract from the word of God. But Deut. 4:2 did not keep Moses from writing additional chapters, nor did it prohibit Isaiah, Malachi, Matthew, Mark, Paul, and even John from writing later scripture as directed by God. It did not mean that God could give no more revelation or scripture, but that the inspired words of God given to his apostles and prophets should not be altered by men.
As one simple illustration, consider the writings of Jeremiah as recorded by Jeremiah's scribe, Baruch. See Jeremiah 36, where we learn that Baruch wrote all the words from Jeremiah that were recorded in a book (vss. 4, 17, 18) Unfortunately, King Jehoiakim of Judah burned the book that contained the words of Jeremiah (vss. 21-25). The Lord commanded Jeremiah to prepare his document again, writing "all the former words that were in the first roll" (vs. 28). In verse 32, Jeremiah then commanded his scribe, Baruch, to write on another roll the words of Jeremiah, "and there were added besides unto them many like words." Many like words added? This doesn't sound like original dictation straight from the mouth of God, perfectly preserved and unchangeable. Prophets speak or dictate by inspiration, but there can be later changes and additions.
Jeremiah 36:32 is not the only example of prophets revising their prior revelations. Moses revised the Decalogue (Ten Commandments), as seen when one examines Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. In addition, Isaiah 36-39 is a revision of 2 Kings 18:13 - 20:19, and Jeremiah 52 is a revision of 2 Kings 24-25.
Additional Bible references that support this truth:
Deuteronomy 12:32 “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not aadd thereto, nor bdiminish from it.”
Proverbs 30: 5-6 “ 5 Every word of God is apure: he is a bshield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Mathew 5:19 “Whosoever therefore shall abreak one of these least commandments, band shall cteach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and dteach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Isaiah 42:9 “Behold, the aformer things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell byou of them.”
2 Timothy 3:16 “aAll bscripture is given by cinspiration of God, and is dprofitable for edoctrine, for freproof, for correction, for ginstruction in hrighteousness:”
Ecclesiastes 12:12 “And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end;”
Jeremiah 36:27-32. “27 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,
28 Take thee again another roll, and awrite in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.
Certainly Jeremiah was following the commandments and inspiration of God when he wrote the words he was commanded, as have other prophets since then. Christ is always the same, he is consistent and unchanging, Hebrews 13:8 “ Jesus Christ the asame yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” He has always called prophets since Adam, and continues to today. Why would he stop? No evidence, and certainly no Scripture gives evidence of this. But Satan would love people to believe this.
Consider the following Scriptures:
Amos 3:7 “ 7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, abut he brevealeth his csecret unto his servants the dprophets.”
Mathew 23: 34 “ Wherefore, behold, I send unto you aprophets, and wise men, and bscribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Numbers 12:6 “And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a aprophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a bvision, and will speak unto him in a cdream.”
Re-read the text carefully of Revelation 22:18-19 and truly ponder what John is talking about. At the time this was written, there was no Bible as we know it. The new Christians had the Septuagint (which included the Apocrypha) and scattered writings of some of the apostles, but there had not yet been any known attempt to establish a New Testament canon or to bring the Gospels and epistles into a single volume. John, who was in exile on the Isle of Patmos, is obviously referring to the newly written text before him when he speaks of "this book," the Book of Revelation. He refers to the unique contents of his book: its prophecies, its descriptions of plagues, its discussion of the holy city, and urges that no one change what he has written. Even though the Book of Revelation has been placed last in our Bible, it was not necessarily the last book written, but may have preceded other writings of John himself by a couple of years. In fact, many Christian canons over the centuries did not include the Book of Revelation at all, and even Martin Luther questioned its status. The first church council that listed most of the canonical books in our present Old and New Testaments, the Council of Laodicea that met in A.D. 363, still did not include the Apocalypse of Saint John [Bernstein, p.5]. The common idea that this was the last book added to an existing canon of New Testament scripture by John is erroneous, as is the idea that John meant that there could never be any more scripture.
Followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints fully agree with John: no man should change what God has spoken. However, God has the authority to speak what and when He wants. God spoke to other prophets after Adam, God spoke to prophets after Moses and many of their divinely commissioned writings have been preserved in the Bible. God also speaks today to living apostles and prophets in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we should be willing to accept those whom God has sent and hear their inspired words or you are like the same people at the time of Jesus who didn’t even accept Him.
When God speaks to prophets, they write words that become scripture. Moses, Isaiah, Matthew, Luke, John, and many others all added scripture. One of the surest signs that the Church of Jesus Christ has really been restored is that new scripture has been added! The Jews at the time of Christ claimed to revere dead prophets but rejected living ones and rejected newly added scripture. They were in apostasy. Those who reject new prophets and new scripture from God in our day are likewise in apostasy and need to repent and come unto Christ more fully.
To the evangelical ministers who rail against us for "adding to the word," I am tempted ask - with tongue in cheek - by what authority they use a Bible from which many books of scripture accepted by the early Christians have been subtracted? Where is the Book of Enoch, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Apocryphal writings of the Septuagint, Psalm 151 of the Septuagint, or other missing scriptures? They may insist that their Bible is complete and perfect, but where is the missing scripture from which Paul quotes the words of Christ in Acts 20:35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive"? Where is the scripture that contains the prophecy that Christ would be a Nazarene, which is cited as fulfilled in Matt. 2:23? If God restored those missing writings, would our critics accept the new scripture with gratitude, or reject it because it offends their sensibilities? Ask this question and you may be surprised, as I have been, at the answer. One devout man told me that he would have to reject any new writing, no matter how authentic, even if it had been written by an ancient apostle under inspiration from God, was perfectly preserved and unmistakably contained directly quoted words of Christ, because to admit the possibility of additional scripture would mean that we could not accept the existing Bible as the perfect, complete, and infallible final authority. (I almost wonder if some people worship the Bible rather than God.) On the other hand, Latter-day Saints are taught to anxiously accept every word that comes from God, and to look forward to many future revelations and the discovery of other ancient volumes of sacred scripture. The word of God is not finished yet!
By the way, some modern Christians seem to think that the Apocrypha was never seriously accepted by Christians of the past, in spite of being included in their canons. However, "the conciliar decree De canonicis scriptures, issued on 8 April 1546 by Session IV of the Catholic Council of Trent, declares all who do not accept the Apocrypha as Christian scripture - in other words, the Protestants - to be anathema or accursed" [Peterson and Ricks, p. 118]. If Latter-day Saints are to be condemned for adding to scripture, can the Protestants justify themselves in subtracting from scripture from the Bible? But clearly there is not yet a single, universal, indisputable standard for what the Christian canon should be, so I suggest we stop the condemnation and allow different groups to use different canons. The ideal, of course, is that we would "all come to a unity of the faith" - a process which requires receiving and following revelation from God (Eph. 4:11-14) and accepting His inspired additions to scripture.
Remember, the Bible says nothing about itself to imply that the canon is complete. As one of many passages implying incompleteness, consider John 21:25, which states:
"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen."
John understood that there could have been many other books written to describe all the words and deeds of Christ. What he and others offered was limited to a minute fraction of what could have been written. It is a purely human assumption that all of the truly important material has been recorded and preserved, and an even more ridiculous assumption that we have no need for anything more. We must live by every word of God (Matt. 4:4), and as long as He lives, He will have words to speak, if only we are willing to listen. As we read in Acts 11:26,27, one of the only places in the Bible that uses the word "Christian," the people that were first called Christians had the benefit of having prophets among them. Doesn't it make sense that modern Christians ought to accept every word of God, including those of modern revealed scripture and those provided through God's living prophets and apostles?
The ninth Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is:
“We believe all that God has arevealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet breveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
As long as we have a God that loves us. As long as we have a God that answers our prayers, and reveals his will upon us. A God that blesses us and heals us, all of which are methods that he reveals his power and existence to us, we have a God that is keenly aware of our need for doctrine, for teaching, for prophets and leaders.
Why the Book of Mormon? Understanding the true nature of the scriptures, such that most of the New Testament are letters written by apostles such as Paul to Saints (or followers of Christ) in various locations in the Middle East. Simple Geography and New Testament text would demonstrate that Paul was successful in reaching the following (See Map Below):
( Map Source. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/biblemaps/13 )
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and apreach the bgospel to every ccreature.
When he told them to go into the entire world and teach every creature. Jesus Christ meant everywhere, not just an area the size of several thousand miles. If the Epistles of Paul represents this small location and the New Testament is the record of fulfilling the prophecy and commandment of Jesus? Where is the record of Christ and or his disciples teachings to the rest of the World and to the other Creatures? If apostles can send epistles to the people of Rome (Romans) Philipi (Philippians) or Ephesus (Ephesians). What makes apostles spreading the gospel to other parts of the world so wrong?
The Book of Mormon is a historical record of the teachings of Jesus Christ to people on the American continent. Either way, the Book of Mormon is essentially crucial information that fulfill both the commandment and prophetic words taught by Jesus Christ.
Look at this World Map. The Book of Mormon supports the Bible 100% in testifying that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and convinces those who currently don’t believe of the truth.
(Source of Map http://scriptures.lds.org/en/chmaps/7 changes, additions by Greg Nielsen)
Mathew 28: 19-20
19 ¶ Go ye therefore, and ateach all bnations, cbaptizing them in the name of the dFather, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 aTeaching them to bobserve all things whatsoever I have ccommanded you: and, lo, I am dwith you alway, even unto the eend of the world. Amen.
This clearly states that we are to teach ALL NATIONS.
Why the Doctrine and Covenants? Because it was necessary to restore Truths Fundamentally lost in the “interpretations” of men. The D+C was very important during the early days of the church restoration because things such as Sacramental Prayers were restored. Covenants were explained, and Doctrine was revealed. Also, since the very labor intensive work of the restoration, the intensity and delivery of larger amounts of revelation occur throughout the Scriptures. Paul is an example in the New Testament. Other Prophets through the Old Testament revealed more in written revelation than others.
WHAT ABOUT PROOF? WHERE ARE THE GOLDEN PLATES?
Those that have the proof, have no more the advantage than those that don’t.
Consider all of the believers who believed in Christ before seeing his hands and prints. And consider just as many, that despite that physical evidence and testimony, still did not believe. The Pride in their hearts prevents them from hearing and understanding the truth. The scriptures give us an example of this in the story of Doubting Thomas. John 20: 24-29.
John 20: 24-29
24 ¶ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the aprint of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 ¶ And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and athrust it into my side: and be not bfaithless, but cbelieving.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast aseen me, thou hast believed: bblessed are they that have not seen, and yet have cbelieved.
The Gospel requires faith. The scriptures require faith. This is why the Holy Spirit exists to testify and confirm truth to each of us. There are 12 men, who testified, in addition to Joseph Smith to their grave that they saw and felt the Golden Plates. Jesus was a Jew, and they didn’t believe. In fact the Bible was written by Jews for Jews, and they don’t believe. This is why the Book of Mormon is so crucial, as it is to convince even the Jews, that Jesus is in fact the Christ. Why the Jews? Because today, they have 100% of our Old Testament, yet believe none of the New Testament. The Book of Mormon adds an extra testament to this fact.
The fact remains that evidences of the Book of Mormon, Golden plates as a method of recording and more are discovered factually all the time. There are books bound with rings with Gold leaflets that experts date back to 600 BC. And these are discoveries made just recently. By the way, they were written in Reformed Egyptian.
Anyone who argues the scripture such as Revelations 22: 18-19 is someone who clearly does not understand the nature of the Bible, nor the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
All references and quotes not from the Bible were compiled from Jeff Lindsay.
Add to or Take Away? Is the Book of Mormon in Conflict with the Book of Revelation?
Revelation 22:18-19 reads:
“18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall aadd unto these things, God shall add unto him the bplagues that are written in this book:
19 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 abook of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
John is referring to changing or adding his own prophecy of the Book of Revelation. Anyone must first understand the nature of the Bible. The Holy Bible is a collection of Books. The King James version of the Bible has a total of 66 books. Of which the book of Revelation is the last. Chronologically, however, the Book Revelations was written before other epistles contained in the New Testament. Revelations was written in A.D. 95 while exiled on the Island of Patmos. The First, Second and Third Epistles of John as well as the Gospel According to John were written in A.D. 96 or after Johns words in Revelations 22:18-19.
SEE CHRISTIAN POST: http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080827/clarity-of-new-chronological-bible-at-question.htm
Therefore, these words weren’t the last words of the Bible, and didn’t mean what people manipulate it to say. Even Martin Luther disputed the assemblage of the Bible in this regard for fear of this very same mis-interpretation.
In fact, the words written by John in Revelation about adding or subtracting from the word of God doesn’t originate in the Book of Revelation. The same thing was written during the time of Moses in Deuteronomy 4:2:
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it...."
If the same principle were to be literally applied to Deuteronomy as many protestants place in Revelations 22:18-19, Then nothing since Moses is applicable.
Moses and John were absolutely correct: no man has authority to add or subtract from the word of God. But Deut. 4:2 did not keep Moses from writing additional chapters, nor did it prohibit Isaiah, Malachi, Matthew, Mark, Paul, and even John from writing later scripture as directed by God. It did not mean that God could give no more revelation or scripture, but that the inspired words of God given to his apostles and prophets should not be altered by men.
As one simple illustration, consider the writings of Jeremiah as recorded by Jeremiah's scribe, Baruch. See Jeremiah 36, where we learn that Baruch wrote all the words from Jeremiah that were recorded in a book (vss. 4, 17, 18) Unfortunately, King Jehoiakim of Judah burned the book that contained the words of Jeremiah (vss. 21-25). The Lord commanded Jeremiah to prepare his document again, writing "all the former words that were in the first roll" (vs. 28). In verse 32, Jeremiah then commanded his scribe, Baruch, to write on another roll the words of Jeremiah, "and there were added besides unto them many like words." Many like words added? This doesn't sound like original dictation straight from the mouth of God, perfectly preserved and unchangeable. Prophets speak or dictate by inspiration, but there can be later changes and additions.
Jeremiah 36:32 is not the only example of prophets revising their prior revelations. Moses revised the Decalogue (Ten Commandments), as seen when one examines Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. In addition, Isaiah 36-39 is a revision of 2 Kings 18:13 - 20:19, and Jeremiah 52 is a revision of 2 Kings 24-25.
Additional Bible references that support this truth:
Deuteronomy 12:32 “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not aadd thereto, nor bdiminish from it.”
Proverbs 30: 5-6 “ 5 Every word of God is apure: he is a bshield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Mathew 5:19 “Whosoever therefore shall abreak one of these least commandments, band shall cteach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and dteach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Isaiah 42:9 “Behold, the aformer things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell byou of them.”
2 Timothy 3:16 “aAll bscripture is given by cinspiration of God, and is dprofitable for edoctrine, for freproof, for correction, for ginstruction in hrighteousness:”
Ecclesiastes 12:12 “And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end;”
Jeremiah 36:27-32. “27 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,
28 Take thee again another roll, and awrite in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.
Certainly Jeremiah was following the commandments and inspiration of God when he wrote the words he was commanded, as have other prophets since then. Christ is always the same, he is consistent and unchanging, Hebrews 13:8 “ Jesus Christ the asame yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” He has always called prophets since Adam, and continues to today. Why would he stop? No evidence, and certainly no Scripture gives evidence of this. But Satan would love people to believe this.
Consider the following Scriptures:
Amos 3:7 “ 7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, abut he brevealeth his csecret unto his servants the dprophets.”
Mathew 23: 34 “ Wherefore, behold, I send unto you aprophets, and wise men, and bscribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Numbers 12:6 “And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a aprophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a bvision, and will speak unto him in a cdream.”
Re-read the text carefully of Revelation 22:18-19 and truly ponder what John is talking about. At the time this was written, there was no Bible as we know it. The new Christians had the Septuagint (which included the Apocrypha) and scattered writings of some of the apostles, but there had not yet been any known attempt to establish a New Testament canon or to bring the Gospels and epistles into a single volume. John, who was in exile on the Isle of Patmos, is obviously referring to the newly written text before him when he speaks of "this book," the Book of Revelation. He refers to the unique contents of his book: its prophecies, its descriptions of plagues, its discussion of the holy city, and urges that no one change what he has written. Even though the Book of Revelation has been placed last in our Bible, it was not necessarily the last book written, but may have preceded other writings of John himself by a couple of years. In fact, many Christian canons over the centuries did not include the Book of Revelation at all, and even Martin Luther questioned its status. The first church council that listed most of the canonical books in our present Old and New Testaments, the Council of Laodicea that met in A.D. 363, still did not include the Apocalypse of Saint John [Bernstein, p.5]. The common idea that this was the last book added to an existing canon of New Testament scripture by John is erroneous, as is the idea that John meant that there could never be any more scripture.
Followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints fully agree with John: no man should change what God has spoken. However, God has the authority to speak what and when He wants. God spoke to other prophets after Adam, God spoke to prophets after Moses and many of their divinely commissioned writings have been preserved in the Bible. God also speaks today to living apostles and prophets in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we should be willing to accept those whom God has sent and hear their inspired words or you are like the same people at the time of Jesus who didn’t even accept Him.
When God speaks to prophets, they write words that become scripture. Moses, Isaiah, Matthew, Luke, John, and many others all added scripture. One of the surest signs that the Church of Jesus Christ has really been restored is that new scripture has been added! The Jews at the time of Christ claimed to revere dead prophets but rejected living ones and rejected newly added scripture. They were in apostasy. Those who reject new prophets and new scripture from God in our day are likewise in apostasy and need to repent and come unto Christ more fully.
To the evangelical ministers who rail against us for "adding to the word," I am tempted ask - with tongue in cheek - by what authority they use a Bible from which many books of scripture accepted by the early Christians have been subtracted? Where is the Book of Enoch, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Apocryphal writings of the Septuagint, Psalm 151 of the Septuagint, or other missing scriptures? They may insist that their Bible is complete and perfect, but where is the missing scripture from which Paul quotes the words of Christ in Acts 20:35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive"? Where is the scripture that contains the prophecy that Christ would be a Nazarene, which is cited as fulfilled in Matt. 2:23? If God restored those missing writings, would our critics accept the new scripture with gratitude, or reject it because it offends their sensibilities? Ask this question and you may be surprised, as I have been, at the answer. One devout man told me that he would have to reject any new writing, no matter how authentic, even if it had been written by an ancient apostle under inspiration from God, was perfectly preserved and unmistakably contained directly quoted words of Christ, because to admit the possibility of additional scripture would mean that we could not accept the existing Bible as the perfect, complete, and infallible final authority. (I almost wonder if some people worship the Bible rather than God.) On the other hand, Latter-day Saints are taught to anxiously accept every word that comes from God, and to look forward to many future revelations and the discovery of other ancient volumes of sacred scripture. The word of God is not finished yet!
By the way, some modern Christians seem to think that the Apocrypha was never seriously accepted by Christians of the past, in spite of being included in their canons. However, "the conciliar decree De canonicis scriptures, issued on 8 April 1546 by Session IV of the Catholic Council of Trent, declares all who do not accept the Apocrypha as Christian scripture - in other words, the Protestants - to be anathema or accursed" [Peterson and Ricks, p. 118]. If Latter-day Saints are to be condemned for adding to scripture, can the Protestants justify themselves in subtracting from scripture from the Bible? But clearly there is not yet a single, universal, indisputable standard for what the Christian canon should be, so I suggest we stop the condemnation and allow different groups to use different canons. The ideal, of course, is that we would "all come to a unity of the faith" - a process which requires receiving and following revelation from God (Eph. 4:11-14) and accepting His inspired additions to scripture.
Remember, the Bible says nothing about itself to imply that the canon is complete. As one of many passages implying incompleteness, consider John 21:25, which states:
"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen."
John understood that there could have been many other books written to describe all the words and deeds of Christ. What he and others offered was limited to a minute fraction of what could have been written. It is a purely human assumption that all of the truly important material has been recorded and preserved, and an even more ridiculous assumption that we have no need for anything more. We must live by every word of God (Matt. 4:4), and as long as He lives, He will have words to speak, if only we are willing to listen. As we read in Acts 11:26,27, one of the only places in the Bible that uses the word "Christian," the people that were first called Christians had the benefit of having prophets among them. Doesn't it make sense that modern Christians ought to accept every word of God, including those of modern revealed scripture and those provided through God's living prophets and apostles?
The ninth Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is:
“We believe all that God has arevealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet breveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
As long as we have a God that loves us. As long as we have a God that answers our prayers, and reveals his will upon us. A God that blesses us and heals us, all of which are methods that he reveals his power and existence to us, we have a God that is keenly aware of our need for doctrine, for teaching, for prophets and leaders.
Why the Book of Mormon? Understanding the true nature of the scriptures, such that most of the New Testament are letters written by apostles such as Paul to Saints (or followers of Christ) in various locations in the Middle East. Simple Geography and New Testament text would demonstrate that Paul was successful in reaching the following (See Map Below):
( Map Source. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/biblemaps/13 )
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and apreach the bgospel to every ccreature.
When he told them to go into the entire world and teach every creature. Jesus Christ meant everywhere, not just an area the size of several thousand miles. If the Epistles of Paul represents this small location and the New Testament is the record of fulfilling the prophecy and commandment of Jesus? Where is the record of Christ and or his disciples teachings to the rest of the World and to the other Creatures? If apostles can send epistles to the people of Rome (Romans) Philipi (Philippians) or Ephesus (Ephesians). What makes apostles spreading the gospel to other parts of the world so wrong?
The Book of Mormon is a historical record of the teachings of Jesus Christ to people on the American continent. Either way, the Book of Mormon is essentially crucial information that fulfill both the commandment and prophetic words taught by Jesus Christ.
Look at this World Map. The Book of Mormon supports the Bible 100% in testifying that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and convinces those who currently don’t believe of the truth.
(Source of Map http://scriptures.lds.org/en/chmaps/7 changes, additions by Greg Nielsen)
Mathew 28: 19-20
19 ¶ Go ye therefore, and ateach all bnations, cbaptizing them in the name of the dFather, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 aTeaching them to bobserve all things whatsoever I have ccommanded you: and, lo, I am dwith you alway, even unto the eend of the world. Amen.
This clearly states that we are to teach ALL NATIONS.
Why the Doctrine and Covenants? Because it was necessary to restore Truths Fundamentally lost in the “interpretations” of men. The D+C was very important during the early days of the church restoration because things such as Sacramental Prayers were restored. Covenants were explained, and Doctrine was revealed. Also, since the very labor intensive work of the restoration, the intensity and delivery of larger amounts of revelation occur throughout the Scriptures. Paul is an example in the New Testament. Other Prophets through the Old Testament revealed more in written revelation than others.
WHAT ABOUT PROOF? WHERE ARE THE GOLDEN PLATES?
Those that have the proof, have no more the advantage than those that don’t.
Consider all of the believers who believed in Christ before seeing his hands and prints. And consider just as many, that despite that physical evidence and testimony, still did not believe. The Pride in their hearts prevents them from hearing and understanding the truth. The scriptures give us an example of this in the story of Doubting Thomas. John 20: 24-29.
John 20: 24-29
24 ¶ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the aprint of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 ¶ And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and athrust it into my side: and be not bfaithless, but cbelieving.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast aseen me, thou hast believed: bblessed are they that have not seen, and yet have cbelieved.
The Gospel requires faith. The scriptures require faith. This is why the Holy Spirit exists to testify and confirm truth to each of us. There are 12 men, who testified, in addition to Joseph Smith to their grave that they saw and felt the Golden Plates. Jesus was a Jew, and they didn’t believe. In fact the Bible was written by Jews for Jews, and they don’t believe. This is why the Book of Mormon is so crucial, as it is to convince even the Jews, that Jesus is in fact the Christ. Why the Jews? Because today, they have 100% of our Old Testament, yet believe none of the New Testament. The Book of Mormon adds an extra testament to this fact.
The fact remains that evidences of the Book of Mormon, Golden plates as a method of recording and more are discovered factually all the time. There are books bound with rings with Gold leaflets that experts date back to 600 BC. And these are discoveries made just recently. By the way, they were written in Reformed Egyptian.
Anyone who argues the scripture such as Revelations 22: 18-19 is someone who clearly does not understand the nature of the Bible, nor the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
All references and quotes not from the Bible were compiled from Jeff Lindsay.
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