Ensign, ‘The Keystone of Our Religion’, January 2004; “It is important to know what the Book of Mormon is not. It is not primarily a history, although much of what it contains is historical…The test for understanding this sacred book is preeminently spiritual. An obsession with secular knowledge rather than spiritual understanding will make its pages difficult to unlock”. – James Faust
2 Timothy 4:2-4; “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables”.
If the BoM shouldn’t be relied upon historically then how does someone rely upon it spiritually?
Did Moroni really exist? Maybe he didn’t really appear to Joseph Smith!
What about Lehi and the mysterious son of King Zedekiah, Mulek? Did they exist? Maybe the stories in the BoM are just that – stories…
This isn’t about being obsessed for secular knowledge! This is about worshiping the God of the Bible and learning from the Bible what He did over the course of history. The people in the Bible existed and we have verifiable proof of their time and place in history. We don’t have to wait on word from someone telling us these things did or didn’t happen. We know these things took place. Now whether or not someone chooses to put their trust in God is another matter, but whatever men say in the future doesn’t change what’s happened in the past.
All this talk is silly because it takes our focus off the One who created us and how He intervenes in our lives to bless each of us.
If God saved the Apostle Paul then God can save you too! I use him as a classic example of someone who really did exist and he really did fight against Jesus. His life stands forever for us to remember how God can and does intervene in the lives of everyone!
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