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Chapter 8

The Book of Mormon: Another Witness or a False Scripture?

What if I told you the Bible may have already pointed to another book of scripture?

Could Isaiah, Ezekiel, and even Jesus Himself have referenced a second witness of Christ—one that would come forth from the earth?

Did Jesus visit the Americas?

Are there prophetic references to a second set of scriptures?

And does Revelation 22:18 really forbid any new sacred writings?

Or… is that interpretation a misunderstanding?

Welcome to Joseph Smith and the Bible, I’m Kendall, the Mormon Mann. Today, we’re digging into the LDS claim that the Book of Mormon is a second divine witness—and we’re testing that claim using only one source: the Bible.

The LDS Claim: The Origin of The Book of Mormon

According to the Mormons, one of the major accomplishments of the Prophet Joseph Smith was the bringing forth of The Book of Mormon.

After the visit of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ to Joseph Smith, an angel named Moroni, was sent to Joseph Smith.

This angel Moroni showed Joseph Smith where a set of “golden plates” was buried in a stone box. 

Each year for four years, Joseph Smith went to the place where the “golden plates” were buried.  Each visit the angel Moroni would teach Joseph Smith more about the “golden plates” and his mission in bringing these plates to the world.

During the last visit, the angel Moroni gave Joseph Smith the plates to be translated.  With the power of God Joseph Smith translated the plates and eventually published them. 

While translating the “gold plates”, Joseph Smith learned that Moroni was a prophet from the period around 521 AD.  It was Moroni’s father, Mormon, who had compiled the writings of many American prophets from approximately 600 BC to his time in approximately 500 AD.

The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is the history of an ancient civilization in the Central American region.  It contains the major writings of the prophets and kings that lived through this thousand-year period.  Mormon relates the history of how several different white races from the Middle East came from Jerusalem to live in the Americas. 

The Book of Mormon includes their Jewish and Christian religious beliefs, their wars, trials, and tribulations.  It also tells of how Jesus Christ, shortly after His crucifixion and as a resurrected being, visited the people in the Americas and established His church. 

This history also includes the total demise of the white population (the Nephites) by the Indian population (the Lamanites).

The angel Moroni, Mormon’s son, was the last person to write on the gold plates and Moroni hid them up in the ground until he came back, approximately 1,300 years later, as a messenger from God to give them to Joseph Smith for translation and publication.

The Christian Objection

The general consensus in the Christian world about The Book of Mormon is quite contrary to what Joseph Smith claims. Many Christians reject The Book of Mormon based on one primary passage:

Revelation 22:18

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

I discussed this passage in detail in my last Chapter 7 – The Bible Perfect & Complete? In review of this discussion:

We believe that John’s statement was speaking specifically for the book of Revelation, not the Bible in its entirety.  John was on the island of Patmos when this was written.  After the Revelation was written, John wrote other epistles and letters as did the other apostles that are included in the Bible.  If the Christian interpretation is used, all epistles written after the Book of Revelation, should not be included into the Bible.

Our interpretation of John’s statement is also supported in Deuteronomy.  Moses is speaking about his writings.

Deuteronomy 4:2

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Saying basically the same thing as John, Moses commanded that nothing “shall” be added to his commandments.  If the Christian interpretation were to be used, then the statement by Moses would prevail and nothing past the book of Deuteronomy would be allowed to be used as scripture!  Therefore, the Bible would only contain the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Biblical Pattern: Multiple Witnesses

Let’s get into the Biblical Support forThe Book of Mormon.  In the Bible it was taught by the apostle Paul that more than one witness would establish everything pertaining to God’s word and Christ’s gospel.

II Corinthians 13:1

This is the third time I am coming to you.  In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

The members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe The Book of Mormonis a second witness of Jesus Christ, His death, His resurrection, and His role as our savior. 

Ezekiel’s Two Sticks

An important Biblical passage that supports the coming forth of The Book of Mormon is in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 37:15-18

15. The word of the Lord came again unto me saying,

16.  Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, for Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

17. And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

We believe this is a prophecy come true.  The Book of Mormon is the history of the linage of Ephraim, the second son of Joseph.  And the Bible is the history of Judah, also a tribe of Israel. 

Interpretation:

• Bible = record of Judah

• Book of Mormon = record of Joseph

Together, they become “one” in God’s hand—two witnesses of Christ.

Speaking from the Dust

Another prophecy from The Bible is when Isaiah was talking about the descendants of Ephraim and that they shall speak out of the dust.  Ephraim was the second son of Joseph.

Isaiah 29:1-4

4. And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

The plates of gold that Joseph Smith was given were buried in the ground.  Joseph Smith was given those plates and by the power of God fulfilled this prophecy of Isaiah – the lineage of Ephraim “spoke out of the dust.”  The spirit from The Book of Mormon is “one that has a familiar spirit” to The Bible – they both testify of Jesus Christ’s role as our Saviour!

This is interpreted as:

• A buried record

• Coming forth from the earth

• Speaking again to future generations

Supporting Isaiah’s prophecy of “speaking out of the dust”, the following passage is found in Psalm.

Psalms 85:11

Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Other Sheep — Did Christ Visit the Americas?

Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus Christ himself told us that he has other sheep, which were not of the lineage of Israel that he must go and teach his gospel.  Then He would have these two cultures as one-fold, under His leadership.

John 10:16

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Question:  Who are these other sheep?

From The Book of Mormon we learn that the people in the Americas were the “other sheep” that Christ spoke about in John.  After Christ’s ascension into heaven, Christ came to the people in the Americas and set up His church to be ”one-fold.”  This is what Christ told His sheep in the Americas.

3 Nephi 15:21

And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Towards the end of His visit to the people of The Book of Mormon, Christ again stated that He had even “other sheep” that He must take His word to and teach.

3 Nephi 16:1-3

1. And verily, verily, I say unto you that I have other sheep which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister. 

2.  For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice; neither have I at any time manifested myself unto them. 

3.  But I have received a commandment of the Father that I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice, and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there may be one fold and one shepherd; therefore I go to show myself unto them. 

Referring back to The Bible, Christ again spoke about how He was not just sent to “the lost sheep of Israel.”

Matthew 15:24

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

Here, Christ infers that he has other sheep that he must visit. 

Did Jesus Christ go and visit other scattered groups or lost tribes?

Scattered Israel and Distant Lands

Additional Biblical support for the “lost sheep” theory begins in Genesis. 

Genesis 11:8

So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth…

This is when the God of the Old Testament scattered His children over all the continents.  This passage supports the need for Christ having to go to other “lost sheep, not of the fold of Israel” and establishing His gospel.

In Deuteronomy, the land of Joseph is also to be blessed.

Deuteronomy 33:13,16

13. And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath…

16.  And for the precious things of the earth and fullness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. 

It is common knowledge that the land of the Americas is a very blessed land!

Across the Sea

Not only did The Bible testify that the posterity of Joseph and the land that they inhabited would be great, it also testified that this land would be overseas!

Isaiah 16:8

For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea. 

The Book of Mormon relates the history of a family out of Israel going into the wilderness, building a boat and sailing to a new land that was “over the sea.”

Joseph & Ephraim’s Lineage

The Bible also supports the fact that the lineage of Ephraim will become greater than his older brother’s lineage.

Genesis 48:15, 19

15. And he blessed Joseph, and said…

19. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it; he also shall become a people, and he shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

Again, Joseph lineage is prophesied to become great.

Genesis 49:22-26

Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: …

Cannot Read A Sealed Book

According to Joseph Smith, another prophecy came true from Isaiah.

Isaiah 29:11,12

11. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: 

12. And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

Joseph Smith had a very similar occurrence while he had possession of the gold plates.  Approximately two thirds of the gold plates were sealed, prompting an Egyptian language scholar to repeat the words from Isaiah.

All Scripture is Profitable

Another biblical passage that supports the importance of The Book of Mormon being other scripture is in Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:15-17

15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 

16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

17. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

At the time this was written by Paul, there was no Bible. The religious leaders read from the individual writings of prophets. 

Here, Timothy is stating that all these sacred writings were given by inspiration of God.  A list of other scriptures included in Timothy’s statement are found in Chapter 7 - The Bible – Perfect and Complete? 

Nowhere in The Bible does it state that there cannot be any more sacred scriptures come forth, except potentially in Revelation 22:18. We already discussed this dangerous interpretation.

Now let’s go the Biblical Support Challenge.

The Biblical Support Chart

Is the following topic supported in the Bible? Yes or No

1. Does the Bible support Joseph Smith’s claim that The Book of Mormon came out of the ground?  Yes

(Isa 29:1-4; Psalms 85:11)

2. Does the Bible support Joseph Smith’s claim that The Book of Mormon could have been sealed?  Yes

(Isa 29:11,12)

3. Does the Bible support Joseph Smith’s claim that The Book of Mormon could be another scripture?  Yes

(2 Tim 3:15-17)

4. Does the Bible support the claim that a book will be written that contains the history of the tribe of Judah, one of the twelve tribes of Israel? Yes

(Ezk 37:15-18)

5. Does the Bible support Joseph Smith’s claim that The Book of Mormon is the history of tribe of Ephraim, one of the twelve tribes of Israel? Yes

(Ezk 37:15-18)

6. Does the Bible support the claim of The Book of Mormon that it contains the history of a family from Jerusalem that went across the ocean to another land?  Yes

(Gen 11:8; Gen 48:15-19; Gen 49:22-26; Deut 33:13-16; Isa 16:8)

7. Does the Bible support The Book of Mormon’s account of Jesus Christ visiting the people in the Americas?  Yes

(Matt 15:24; John 10:16)

Conclusion

The claims of Joseph Smith in relation to The Book of Mormon does have the support in the Bible. Remember this scripture where Christ states:

Matthew 5:18

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

We have gone over many prophecies from the Old and New Testaments here and in my other videos. These prophecies pertain to the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the coming forth of The Book of Mormon and etc.

To those who do not believe in the restoration…how will many of these prophecies be fulfilled before Christ comes? They all will be fulfilled…and they are happening right in front of our eyes.

Whether you're LDS or not, the question remains: is The Book of Mormon compatible with The Bible? I hope this episode has helped you weigh Joseph Smith’s claims against Scriptures.

If you found this video helpful, please like, comment, and subscribe. And don’t forget to check out the rest of this series, Joseph Smith and the Bible, where I challenge over 80 of Joseph Smith’s teachings using only The Bible.

Final Invitation

A special note to the non-members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As much as I wish that the explanations of the teachings in this particular book would be enough to sway a person’s desire to know, by wisdom and common sense, that these things are spiritually true, I do not kid myself into believing that these videos will spiritually convert a wise man or woman. 

What is important is each one of us, to include you, should follow a promise given by the angel Moroni.

He gives this promise to those who are sincere in knowing if The Book of Mormon and “the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ” are true.

Moroni 10:3-5

3. Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. 

4. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto your, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 

5. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

For those who sincerely follow Moroni’s promise the Lord has shared this blessing :

Doctrine & Covenants 20:14,15

14. And those who receive it in faith, and work righteousness, shall receive a crown of eternal life.

A crown of eternal life! What is this compared to being saved?

They are not one in the same.

To find out more about this “crown of eternal life” make sure you watch my three videos on “Salvation vs Exaltation." They are Chapters 16a, 16b, and 16c.

This is where I dive into the “mysteries of the Kingdom of God”…in particular, the “mystery of godliness” and what Christ meant when he told the Jewish leaders that were about to stone him…”Ye are gods!”

Wow…some really great teachings are coming up! Make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss any of Christ’s teachings!

My next video is a series that delves into the Personality of God. They comprise Chapters 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, and 9e.`

Introduction to “The Big Picture of the Book of Mormon”

“Mesoamerican Model”

The Location of The Book of Mormon…On Modern Maps

Now, for some great revealing news and updates on the veracity of The Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon has basically been, archeologically and geologically, found to be true.

From the research of professional LDS Archeologists and LDS Bible scholars, I have made a series of videos in a play list called the: “Big Picture of The Book of Mormon”.

This is where I take Mormon’s own descriptions of The Book of Mormon countryside and I place them on modern maps.

I also compare the findings with the other major theories as related to their location. The 1868 Hemispheric Model, the 2007 Heartland Model and the 2007 Big Picture of The Book of Mormon - Mesoamerica Model.

The Big Picture of The Book of Mormon Sneak Preview

Below is a sneak preview on what the LDS archeologists and scriptorians have put together on the actual location of The Book of Mormon. They compare their findings with the Hemispheric and Heartland’s models.

As you can see, there are eight of Mormon’s descriptions that only The Big Picture locations perfectly fit! Click the button below to go to the first video in this series.

Make sure you subscribe so that you can be alerted when these videos are published.

Thanks for watching! I hope you have a great rest of your week! I will see you in my next video.