Words of Life: The Bible, or Book of Mormon?

Luke 21:8 “And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.”

Liahona, ‘The Book of Mormon Brings Abundance,’ July 2018 “It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life” (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. … Do eternal consequences rest upon our response to this book? Yes, either to our blessing or our condemnation.

“Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit. Otherwise he is placing his soul in jeopardy… Let us not remain under condemnation…” – Ezra Taft Benson [emp. mine]

John 6:67-68 “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” [emp. mine]

Today we’re looking at an article in the latest edition of the LDS youth magazine, ‘Liahona’. Originally this was a 1986 speech delivered by their late prophet, Ezra Taft Benson. The topic was to pound home the idea the Book of Mormon should be a vital part of a Mormon’s life.

After reading over this sermon, we have a few comments, and questions –

1.The BoM does not teach truth! If it taught truth there’d be no contradictions, nor would there be anachronisms, plagiarisms, or lack of historical evidence.

2.The only means of power a believer has in resisting temptation is through the power of God’s Holy Spirit residing inside that believer. No source of any power outside of God, has the ability to do such a thing. As scripture says, ‘all our works are as filthy rags’. Isaiah 64:6

3.The Bible never tells us that reading the BoM is essential to our salvation!

4.Mr. Benson was quoting from a prophecy given by Joseph Smith in 1832 when he used D&C 84:85. That particular verse in the D&C simply states they should stay their minds upon the word of life. The real word of life in that prophecy is listed in vss. 35-45, which says eternal salvation, aka, the word of life, is the priesthood.

5.Lastly, as you can see in the highlighted Bible verse above, it’s very similar to how Peter referred to Jesus’ teachings. If Jesus’ teachings are the word of life, how could the BoM, or the Mormon priesthood, be the word of life?

Furthermore, that phrase is also how Brigham Young referred to the Bible you can read about in our post yesterday.

‘…in the Bible are the words of life and salvation.’ – Brigham Young, 1870

So, out of those four choices which one is true?

• God’s word?
• Brigham Young?
• Joseph Smith?
• Ezra Taft Benson?

If you’re LDS, we pray you’ll trust Jesus, and Him alone. As Peter rightly said, it’s only in Jesus that we find salvation and truth!

Remember Jesus’ words – ‘…he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life…’ John 5:24

With Love in Christ;

Michelle

1 Cor 1:18