Jesus in the Book of Mormon and the LDS Church
As is usually the case, I stumbled across something interesting in the Book of Mormon while looking for something else. This time I was reminded of what the Nephites thought of Jesus and His skin color in 3 Nephi 19:30;
“And when Jesus had spoken these words he came again unto his disciples; and behold they did pray steadfastly, without ceasing, unto him; and he did smile upon them again; and behold they were white, even as Jesus.”
How can this be you ask? Yeah, well you might want to hold that thought so you can ask the same question about all the things they say about Jesus. So this got me to thinking…is there a concise list of all the things Mormons are taught about Jesus? I remember being a Mormon and being confused about the truth. I wanted so badly to know Him, but didn’t know how or even where to look. Each time I read my MIA or Relief Society manuals to compare them with the Bible I kept getting more and more confused. I couldn’t keep the stories about Him straight and often wondered where the atonement took place and when.
It wasn’t until I started investigating on my own years later did I find the truth. I’m a visual learner and remember things better when they’re written down so I’m a fan of making lists. Below is a small list of the teachings about Jesus according to the Mormon Church.
And because the Church claims the Book of Mormon is the “fullness of the gospel”, we’re comparing what they say in the Book of Mormon to the teachings of other Church leaders. We’re simply asking:
Why aren’t all of their teachings found in the “fullness of the gospel”?
If you’re LDS please know that we pray for you each and every day here at Life After Ministries. It is our sincere desire that you know the truth about what the leaders have taught and most importantly that you would know the real Jesus of the Bible. All of our information comes directly from Church authorized books and manuals.
With Love in Christ;
Michelle
1 Cor. 1:18
Teachings about Jesus found in the Book of Mormon
A Son of God – Alma 36:17
Ascended multiple times into heaven – 3 Nephi 18:39
Belief in Jesus saves you – Helaman 14:8
Blood of Jesus is only way to salvation – Helaman 5:9
Born in Jerusalem – Alma 7:10
Cannot save you in your sins – Alma 11:34, 37
Crucified for sins of the world – 1 Nephi 11:33
Eternal Father – Alma 11:39
Eternal God – Front Cover of BoM; 2 Nephi 26:12
Father and the Son – Ether 3:14
Father, Son and Holy Ghost is One God – Mormon 7:7
God – 2 Nephi 26:12; Mosiah 13:34, Alma 11:39
God above all – Mosiah 5:15
Lamb of God – 1 Nephi 11:19
Law fulfilled in him – 3 Nephi 15:5
Lifted up on cross to draw people to him – 3 Nephi 27:14
Lord and God – Moroni 8:8; 3 Nephi 19:18
Name is Christ – 2 Nephi 10:3; Mosiah 5:9
Named Jesus Christ – 2 Nephi 25:19
One God – Alma 11:34
Redeemer – Alma 11:40
Savior of the world – 1 Nephi 13:40
Son of the Eternal Father – 1 Nephi 11:21 (note: in the 1830 BoM edition it said Jesus was the Eternal Father in this verse. Joseph Smith changed this and other verses in 1837. – Power of the Word: Saving Doctrines from the Book of Mormon, pg. 11 – Robert Millet)
Son of God – 1 Nephi 11:24
Additional teachings about Jesus
A god – Doctrines of Salvation 1:32
A god named Christ – Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pg. 6
Alpha, Omega, Jehovah, I AM – Jesus the Christ, pg. 34
Atonement of Jesus, Crucified for polygamy – Journal of Discourses 1:346, Jedidiah Grant
Atonement of Jesus, Crucified for sins – Doctrines of Salvation 1:132
Atonement of Jesus, Crucified for sins of the world – D&C 21:9, 46:13, 53:2, 54:1; 76:41
Atonement of Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane – D&C 19:18
Atonement of Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane – MD, pg. 85
Atonement of Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane – EM, pg. 542
Atonement of Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane – Learning for the Eternities, pgs. 104-105
Atonement of Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane – Selected Writings of Daniel H. Ludlow: Gospel Scholars Series, pg. 244
Atonement of Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane – Conference Report, April 1961, pg. 119
Atonement of Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane – Seventies Course in Theology 4:113-114
Atonement of Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane – Sermons and Writings of Bruce McConkie, pg. 208
Became master over elements – Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin Ballard: pg. 177
Became the Father – Gospel through the Ages, pg. 24
Begotten by man – Doctrines of Salvation 1:18
Begotten by the father of his spirit – Mormon Doctrine of Deity, pg. 264
Birth brought darkness to earth – Answers to Gospel Questions 3:45
Blood of Jesus is perfect sacrifice – D&C 76:69
Blood of Jesus not enough for murderers – D&C 42:79
Blood of Jesus not enough – Doctrines of Salvation 1:133
Born the same race as God – Doctrines of Salvation, pg. 103
Born to a virgin – Mormon Doctrine, pg. 822
Bows to Adam – Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 157
Brother of Lucifer – Mormon Doctrine, pgs. 192-195
Brother of Lucifer – Jesus the Christ, pg. 8
Brother of Lucifer – Gospel through the Ages, pg. 15
Chosen to be savior – Jesus the Christ, pg. 30
Christian Jesus is ½ horse and ½ ass – Journal of Discourses 4:217, Brigham Young
Conception result of natural act – Journal of Discourses 8:115-116, Brigham Young
Conception through sexual intercourse – Teachings of Harold B. Lee, pg. 14
Contention with Lucifer – Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 357
Created by God – Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 548
Death of Jesus was death of a god – Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin Ballard, pg. 226
Died for all sins – D&C 132:27
Doesn’t need man’s adoration – Best of Lowell L. Bennion: Selected Writings 1928-1988, pg. 79
Earned godhood status – Gospel through the Ages, pgs. 20-21
Elder brother – Doctrines of Salvation 1:15
Emmanuel – Mormon Doctrine, pg. 376
Father and Son – Gospel through the Ages, pg. 23
Firstborn spirit child of God – Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 724
Forgot everything coming to earth – Doctrines of Salvation 1:32
God – Building Faith with the Book of Mormon, pg. 127, Reid Bankhead, Glenn Pearson
God – D&C 1:20, 10:70; 17:9; 18:33, 47; 19:1, 4; 20:28; 27:1; 29:1; 34:1; 35:1, 2; 36:1, 8; 38:1; 39:1; 51:1; 53:1, 2; 54:1; 62:1; 63:59, 60; 66:13; 76:1, 81:7; 93:3
God of this earth – This is the Truth, pg. 46, Mary Pratt Parrish
Grew into Messiah – Even As I Am, pg. 69, Neal Maxwell
Had to qualify to become redeemer – Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pg, 8
Held power of priesthood with Adam – Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 158
Jehovah – Jesus the Christ, pg. 135
Literal son of God – Gospel Standards, pg. 4, Heber J. Grant;
Literal son of God – EM, pg. 724, 729
Man’s spiritual brother – Gospel through the Ages, pg. 21
Married – Journal of Discourses 4:259-260, Orson Hyde
Married in Cana – Journal of Discourses 2:82-83, Orson Hyde
Mediator of the New Covenant – D&C 76:69
Member of the council of gods – Behold the Lamb of God, pg. 17, J. Reuben Clark
Must obey commandments – Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 308
Name of Jesus Christ only for salvation – D&C 18:23
Not begotten by the Holy Spirit – Journal of Discourses 1:51, Brigham Young
Not the only savior – Joseph Smith the Prophet, pg. 13
Offspring of God – Gospel Doctrine, pg. 69
Offspring of polygamist David – Journal of Discourses 13:42, George A. Smith
One of many redeemers – Journal of Discourses 14:71, Brigham Young
Path of Jesus to godhood – God, Man, and the Universe, pgs. 193-194, Hyrum Andrus
Perfect – Gospel through the Ages, pg. 19
Polygamist – Journal of Discourses 2:210, Brigham Young
Polygamist – Journal of Discourses 13:309, Brigham Young
Polygamist – The Seer, pg. 172, Orson Pratt
Progressed into godhood – Key to the Science of Theology, pgs. 39-40, Parley Pratt
Rejected by all men – Mormonism and Early Christianity, pgs. 169-170, Hugh Nibley
Related to Joseph Smith – Jesus was Married, pg. 94, Ogden Kraut
Return of Jesus in 56 yrs (it was Jan. 1836 at time of prophecy) – History of the Church 2:180
Saved being and prototype for faith – Lectures on Faith, pgs. 97-98, Larry Dahl, Charles Tate, Jr.
Separate god from Father God – Documentary History of the Church 6:474, Joseph Smith, Jr., June 16, 1844
Shed his blood because Adam had no blood – Answers to Gospel Questions 3:207
Sired by God – Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pg. 7
Sired by God – Come unto Christ, pg. 4, Ezra Taft Benson
Son of God who also had a father – Doctrines of Salvation 1:11
Strange Powers within – Contributor, vol. 10 (November 1888-October 1889): p. 368-369
The Great White God – Pamphlets: Latter-day Tracts, pg. 1, Mark E. Petersen
Volunteered for atonement – Answers to Gospel Questions 1:32
Wasn’t perfect – Times and Seasons, 20 January 1846
Wasn’t perfect, wasn’t prepared – I Know that My Redeemer Lives: Latter-day Prophets Testify of the Savior, pg. 35, John Taylor
Withdrew his spirit from the earth – Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 15
Worked out his own salvation – Doctrines of Salvation 1:32
Worships another god – Nature of God in the Book of Mormon, 1995 FARMS, Robert Millet
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Today we’re looking at another contradiction in Mormonism. This contradiction is between Moroni 8:18, Doctrine and Covenants 20:17, and Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young (Chapter 4, page 29). These read as follows:
