The Book of Mormon

The Digital Book of Mormon can be found in the following: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng.

By studying the Book of Mormon, I aspired to learn more about the Mormon tradition and how its most important text portrays it. I wished to compare the Book of Mormon to the Bible and, potentially, other religious texts that I might come to read soon. Effectively, I hope to compare Christianity to Mormonism by holding up their texts against one another.

Before studying the Book of Mormon, I expected a couple of things from the Book of Mormon; first, I expected a mostly narrative format for the text with some poetry (Somewhat like the Bible). As is sometimes stereotyped, I imagined the Book of Mormon to promote polygamy, white supremacy, and rejecting the Christian gospel and churches. 

In the third quarter of the year 2021, from July 1st to September 30th, I studied the Book of Mormon. As I studied the Book of Mormon, I underlined sections and wrote questions concerning the underlined passages off to the side as I also noted some questionable content (once a questionable theme or doctrine was repeated, I did not underline it again or write the question off to the side). These questions will be mentioned in the following sections with their corresponding references.

1. Then what is the need for the Bible? (The Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, [no page number])

2. What does it mean by “church”? (1 Nephi 4:20-37, p. 9)

3. How did this become true? (1 Nephi 5:17-19, p. 11)

4. Why can’t he write out his lineage? (1 Nephi 6:1-2, p. 11)

5. Why does he use New Testament language? (1 Nephi 6:5, p. 12)

6. How did he already comprehend the trinity? (1 Nephi 10:17, p. 18)

7. How did he know what an apostle was? (1 Nephi 11:26-36, p. 21)

8. Did the gates of Hell prevail then against the Church? (1 Nephi 13:4-6, p. 24)

9. Where was the Church of the lamb? (1 Nephi 14:9-10, p. 28)

10. Nephi added to the book of Revelation? (1 Nephi 14:27-28, p. 30)

11. But if all our works are filthy, who can enter God’s kingdom? (1 Nephi 15:33, p. 33)

12. Isn’t hell nordic? (1 Nephi 15:35, p. 33)

13. The Book of Mormon is not inerrant? (1 Nephi 19:6, p. 44)

14. How did he know about baptism? (1 Nephi 19:1, p. 46)

15. How is this not the gates of Hell prevailing? (1 Nephi 22:22-23, p. 52)

16. Who else testifies for the book of Mormon? (1 Nephi 22:31, p. 53)

17. What word is used for “hell”? (2 Nephi 2:15, p. 55)

18. But the law has not been fulfilled? (2 Nephi 2:5, p. 57)

19. Did they even know what crucifixion then? (2 Nephi 6:9, p. 68)

20. How would they know what baptism is? (2 Nephi 9:23, p. 74)

21. What is a priestcraft? (2 Nephi 10:5, p. 78)

22. Isn’t Christ a greek word? (2 Nephi 10:7, p. 78)

23. How can God fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant with another land? (2 Nephi 10:20, p. 79)

24. How? (2 Nephi 11:7, p. 81)

25. Why does this steal from the bible out of nowhere? (2 Nephi 12:1, p. 81)

26. If the Messiah doesn’t need to return then why does he supposedly in America? (2 Nephi 25:16, p. 98)

27. Which prophets revealed the time of coming or name of the Messiah? (2 Nephi 25:19, p. 99)

28. How is it grace if it’s offered for works? (2 Nephi 25:23, p. 100)

29. But the prophets wasn’t official yet? (2 Nephi 25:28, p. 100)

30. Then where was the church for 1800 years? (2 Nephi 26:23, p. 103)

31. But don’t eight people see the plates? (2 Nephi 27:12, p. 105)

32. How is this not the gates of Hell prevailing? (2 Nephi 28:19-23, p. 108)

33. But didn’t the Book of Mormon exist before the New Testament? (2 Nephi 29:3-5, p. 110)

34. So there can be more books of the Bible? (2 Nephi 29:6, p. 110)

35. But the Jews reject the Book of Mormon? (2 Nephi 29:13, p. 111)

36. If God delights in plainness then why does Jesus speak in parables? (2 Nephi 31:2-3, p. 113)

37. How is this consistent with progressive revelation? (Jacob 4:4, p. 124)

38. Doesn’t regeneration come from Baptism in the Book of Mormon? (Enos 1:5-8, p. 136)

39. What did it mean to speak in tongues in that day? (Omni 1:25, p. 142)

40. How did one come into Christ in that day? (Omni 1:26, p. 142)

41. Who is Mormon? (Words of Mormon 1:1, p. 143)

42. How can all of the prophecies be fulfilled before Christ? (Words of Mormon 1:4, p. 143)

43. What was the Word of God at that time? (Words of Mormon 1:17, p. 145)

44. Why would they need the Plates of Nephi when they could read the Torah? (Mosiah 1:5, p. 145)

45. How does he go to Heaven when he dies? (Mosiah 2:28, p. 151)

46. How can you know who these people are? (Mosiah 3:11, p. 154)

47. What did it mean that the Spirit of the Lord fell on them? (Mosiah 4:3, p. 154)

48. Salvation comes by this belief and repentance? (Mosiah 4:8-10, p. 155)

49. Did the word omnipotent even exist then? (Mosiah 5:2, p. 157)

50. How and why do they become his children then? (Mosiah 5:7, p. 158)

51. When has a seer done this? (Mosiah 8:13, p. 163)

52. What’s the difference? (Mosiah 8:15, p. 163)

53. Isn't the original chapter about Israel? (Mosiah 14:1, p. 174)

54. Jesus is the Father and the Son? (Mosiah 15:2-3, p. 175)

55. So the grave is powerless before Jesus? (Mosiah 16:8, p. 178)

56. Two baptisms allowed? (Mosiah 18:15, p. 182)

57. Priests should earn their own money? (Mosiah 18:26, p. 182)

58. How is Alma a priest when he isn't a descendent of Levi? (Mosiah 23:16, p.191)

59. How did Mosiah get authority over the church? (Mosiag 25:19, p. 196)

60. Then why wasn't it passed down until Columbus arrived? (Mosiah 28:20, p. 203)

61. Why is the ideal church pictured as wealthier than everyone else? (Alma 1:31, p. 210)

62. Dark skin is a curse? (Alma 3:6, p. 214)

63. Interracial marriage a sin? (Alma 3:8, p. 214)

64. But wasn't that Daniel? (Alma 10:2, p. 231)

65. If he is Daniel then wouldn't he live before Lehi? (Alma 10:3, p. 232)

66. Only one God? (Alma 11:18-30, p. 236)

67. Where are these supposed synagogues now? (Alma 16:13, p. 249)

68. But Christ hadn't died yet? (Alma 27:28, p. 277)

69. But the Law of Moses demands them to worship God alone? (Alma 30:7, p. 281)

70. What more than his testimony does he have? (Alma 30:41, p. 283)

71. So Christians existed before Christ? (Alma 48:10, p. 329)

72. Pelagianism? (Alma 48:17, p. 329)

73. But the word "epistle" didn't even exist then? (Alma 54:4, p. 344)

74. But cement wasn't invented until the 19th century? (Helaman 2:7, p. 372)

75. Where are these other records? (Helaman 2:15, p. 373)

76. Being black is a curse? (3 Nephi 2:14-16, p. 410)

77. Doesn't "doctrine" have Latin origins? (3 Nephi 11:30-31, p. 430)

78. How would they even know about the Nevi'im? (3 Nephi 12:17, p. 432)

79. Isn't this part originally interpolation? (3 Nephi 13:13, p. 434)

80. But God never promised Jacob America? (3 Nephi 20:22, p. 448)

81. How do they fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant? (3 Nephi 20:25, p. 448)

82. So the fullness of the gospel wasn't preached to the Old World? (3 Nephi 20:30, p. 449)

83. Didn't he say that America was their inheritance? (3 Nephi 20:33, p. 449)

84. Which doctrines do they need to believe in? (3 Nephi 21:6, p. 451)

85. What proof of Reformed Egyptian is there? (Mormon 9:32, p. 487)

86. More blessed than Abram? (Ether 1:43, p. 489)

87. Doesn't the word "barge" come from Greek? (Ether 2:6, p. 490)

88. Wouldn't his sons become free too then? (Ether 3:13, p. 493)

89. Then how are they read? (Ether 3:22, p. 494)

90. Why is no one else allowed to translate it? (Ether 5:1, p. 496)

91. Does this apply to other writings? (Ether 5:3, p. 496)

92. If they brought animals from the Old World to the New World then why do we not have them today? (Ether 5:4, pm 497)

93. How are there already millions? (Ether 15:2, p. 516)

94. How would he have access to any of the Bible? (Ether 15:3, p. 516)

95. Why is this only written now? (The Book of Mormon 2:3, p. 519)

96. Can this lineage of elders be traced? (The Book of Mormon 3:4, p. 519)

97. Are kids who later reject Good still chosen? (Moroni 8:12, p. 526)

98. Didn't Jesus say the Nephites would be a blessing to the nations? (Moroni 8:29, p. 527)

99. How is the Divine name rendered with Egyptian? (Moroni 10:34, p. 531)

Similar to my expectations, the Book of Mormon seemed to be narrative with some discourse (but seemed to lack poetry) and seemed to contain white supremacist themes (while, not in defense of such disgusting themes, it should be noted that such beliefs were common among many American colonials at the time) as well as anti-orthodox rhetoric, but, surprisingly, did not seem to advocate for any type of anti-trinitarian theology or polygamy.