Joseph Smith claims that the Book of Mormon is a genuine ancient record. However, the book itself states that its truthfulness can be verified, not by research and analysis, but by prayer alone. Mormons rely on the book itself as the standard by which to confirm the book.
And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things 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 unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. | |
 | — Moroni
|
- Notice that this verse assumes its own truthfulness (circular reasoning). So, if you don’t receive a feeling of its truthfulness, it implies your prayer was not sincere enough.
- Feelings based confirmation is the foundation of all Mormon truth.
- Mormons have long been discouraged by their church from examining the history and origins of their religion. (But they have no problems scrutinizing other religions).
- Many religions claim to offer spiritual confirmation. If spiritual experience is the sole criterion for determining truth, how do you differentiate between the diverse experiences?
| Religion | Experience |
|---|---|
| Islam | Sufism |
| Buddhism | Nirvana |
| Hinduism | Moksha |
| Mormonism | Burning in bosom |
Mormon Testimonies
Personal spiritual experiences serve as confirmation of the truthfulness of one’s religion, leading to personal testimonies that affirm one’s beliefs. These affirmations then strengthen the perceived truth of one’s religion.
- Compare, for example:
| Book of Mormon, 1830 | Joseph Smith, 1843 |
|---|---|
|
I bear you my testimony that I know the Book of Mormon is true; I know that Joseph Smith is a true Prophet of God; and I know that the Church is the only true church.
— A common Mormon testimony |
I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Mohammed is the prophet and Messenger of Allah.
— A common Muslim testimony |
In a world of diverse religions and conflicting teachings, we can conclude:
- All religions may be false, but all cannot be equally true.
- All spiritual experiences cannot originate from the same spiritual source.
- Therefore, a spiritual experience alone is not a reliable measure of a religion’s truthfulness.
- What makes the Mormon witness the true spiritual witness?
- Since numerous denominations regard the Book of Mormon as scripture, even if we do get a feeling of its truthfulness, how do we pick which is the true Mormon church?
- If we set aside the Moroni 10:4 prayer test, is the Book of Mormon still true?
Faith + Facts = Truth
Jesus’ Apostles taught that His church should test and prove all things. Spiritual experiences should serve to magnify foundational truths, which are built upon facts.
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. | |
 | — Apostle Paul
|
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. | |
| — Apostle Paul
|
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. | |
| — Apostle John
|
Conclusion
The Book of Mormon claims to be a genuine ancient record of a people, geography, artifacts, dates, events, culture and language. All these things should be examined.
- If the underlying facts of the Book of Mormon narrative can be established as true, then we have a foundation for which its teachings may also be considered true.
- However, if the underlying facts of the Book of Mormon are not true, and therefore it is a work of fiction, then the house of cards crumbles.
