A Roman Catholic OpinionFrom: www.Catholic.com - "Problems with the Book of Mormon" In these "latter days," there are few people who haven’t been visited at least once by Mormon missionaries. At some point in your doorstep dialogue, these earnest young men will ask you to accept a copy of the Book of Mormon, read it, and pray about it, asking the Lord to "send the Holy Ghost to witness that it is true." Then, very solemnly, they’ll "testify" to you that they know the Book of Mormon is true, that it’s God’s inspired word, and that it contains the "fullness of the everlasting gospel." ... Tell the Mormon missionaries: "Look, it is foolish to pray about things you know are not God’s will. It would be wrong of me to pray about whether adultery is right, when the Bible clearly says it is not. Similarly, it would be wrong of me to pray about the Book of Mormon when one can so easily demonstrate that it is not the word of God." NIHIL OBSTAT: I have concluded that the materials presented in this work are free of doctrinal or moral errors. Bernadeane Carr, STL, Censor Librorum, August 10, 2004 Another Roman Catholic Opinion Not all Roman Catholics have their minds closed to seeking God's superior wisdom in prayer. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, foundress and first superior of the Sisters of Charity, in personal prayer just before her conversion to the Catholic faith from Anglicanism, was not dissuaded from praying to ask God to lead her right in choosing between Anglicanism and Romanism: "If I am right, Thy grace impart still in the right to stay. If I am wrong, Oh, teach my heart to find the better way." A Southern Baptist Opinion Protestant Doctrines within the Book of Mormon by Reverend Lynn Ridenhour A Southern Baptist Minister "I’m a licensed Southern Baptist minister and I embrace the Book of Mormon. That is, I believe the truths recorded in it. No, I’m not a convert to the Mormon faith, nor am I a member of any particular "spin-off" restoration group such as the RLDS (Reorganized Latter-day Saints), Hedrikites, or Strangites. I’m still a Baptist minister.To be exact, I’m "charismatic Baptist." That is, I still embrace the "born again" experience. I still believe you’re saved by grace. By the shed blood of Christ. Salvation is by faith alone in His finished work on Calvary. I still believe in the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. I believe and embrace those cardinal doctrines of Protestantism. And you know what?… I still believe the Book of Mormon too! I know. I can hear you now. "…A charismatic Baptist minister who believes the Book of Mormon?! Impossible. That’s like a Protestant Pope…" No, it’s not. It’s not a contradiction. The two go hand in hand, really--Protestant doctrine and the Book of Mormon. They’re not at odds. The Book of Mormon is filled with Protestant cardinal doctrines, believe it or not. In fact, I discovered, the Book of Mormon is more "Baptist" than the Baptist hymnal in places. I know that’s hard to believe, but it’s so. I read the Book from cover to cover and found as a Baptist minister, there is absolutely nothing in it that contradicts the Bible. For example,- the book uplifts the blood of Christ (Mosiah 1:118),
- declares that salvation is only by God’s grace (2 Nephi 7:42),
- defends the grand theme of salvation (Mosiah 1:108), and
- proclaims that salvation comes only through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ (Mosiah 3:8,9).
Other themes such as- repentance,
- atonement by Christ’s blood,
- redemption, and
- forgiveness, run like a scarlet thread through the book as well (Alma 3:86, Helaman 2:71, Alma 13:13, Mosiah 2:3,4). ...
I’m telling you, the grand themes of Protestantism are found recorded through and through. From cover to cover! What Latter-day Saints believe about the Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a collection of sacred writings that, like the Holy Bible, was written by prophets that were inspired to write accounts of God's dealings with them from the time they were commanded to leave the Land of Jerusalem shortly before the Babylonian Captivity and as they travelled under the direction of God to what we know today as the American Continent. to be expanded .......... |
