Mormon Newsroom, October 4, 2007 “You will not get to know it [whether the Book of Mormon is true] by trying to prove it archaeologically, or by DNA, or by anything else…Religious truth is always confirmed by what you feel. And that’s the way heavenly father answers prayers.” — M. Russell Ballard
Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’
We retrieved both our references today from MissedinSunday.com. The link for the Mormon Newsroom is a 1.45 minute YouTube video of M. Russell Ballard, and the other is a link from Wikipedia you can read at the end of this article.
Truth:
Mr. Ballard’s explanation is disingenuous. True archaeologists will always say their work doesn’t prove the Bible is true, however, the BoM doesn’t have anything to back up that it even exists.
It’s been said the goal of archaeologists isn’t to prove the truth of the Bible, but it can confirm some historical events found in the Bible. So yes, faith is an important ingredient in our beliefs about God. However, we do know the Bible has existed because we have scrolls, and other written documentation of its existence. As already stated, regarding the BoM we have nothing.
It’s one thing to live by faith, it’s quite another to trust in something that isn’t tangible like the BoM. God’s word warns us to search out all things, and that the heart of man is deceitful. Why would you trust the heart if it’s not reliable?
Proverbs 14:15 ‘The simple believeth every word: but the prudent [man] looketh well to his going.’
Acts 17:11 ‘These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.’
2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Be sure to share this truth with the dear Mormon in your life. We so hope they’re given the truth to make rational decisions without emotions getting in the way.
“Emotional reasoning is a cognitive process by which a person concludes that his/her emotional reaction proves something is true, regardless of the observed evidence. …
Emotional reasoning amplifies the effects of other cognitive distortions. For example, a test-taker may feel insecure about their understanding of the material even though they are perfectly capable of answering the questions. If he (or she) acts on his insecurity about failing the written test he might assume that he misunderstands the material and therefore might guess answers randomly, causing his own failure in a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
With Love in Christ;
Michelle
By Ballard’s reasoning, EVERY religious belief is true!
Even in Mormon church services, the speakers, whether they be Bishops, General Authorities, Stake Presidents or just assigned speakers for the day, always have to remind people of :how they can” feel the spirit today:”, or how “I felt the spirit as soon as I walked into your wonderful meeting house”,: or “can;t you feel how strong the spirit is today?”. I can honestly say, in all the times I have attended Mormon Church, to include General Conference, I have never felt the :Spirit of God: present. The thing thing I have ever felt overwhelmingly in every meeting is boredom.