…to let go of the Book of Mormon.
Let me explain.
Just one month ago, I told you how I was still open to the Book of Mormon somehow being true, even though I’ve already come to reject Joseph Smith.
But today something hit.
We recorded two totally unrelated podcast episodes today, and coincidentally they both brought up major issues with the Book of Mormon.
First, we talked about the validity of the Bible. And it hit me how much this is really at odds with 2 Nephi 29. And how offensive that chapter is. To suggest that we need other scriptures to add more to the Bible. To mock people who put their full trust in the Bible and receive a complete gospel understanding from it (which I have learned is completely reasonable).
Then, we talked about Gnosticism and how the temple endowment is completely based on that other religion! This idea that Eve had access to higher (“esoteric”) wisdom, higher than what God had given her, and that it came through Lucifer the liar. And how this idea came from 2 Nephi 2 in the first place.
Wow.
Two hard knocks.
But heavy, solid knocks.
I’ve got my list of BOM pros and cons I’ve been working on for many months. But today I feel like it doesn’t matter anymore. These two chapters carry so much more weight than all other considerations.
These two chapters are at odds with issues God has specifically been working on my heart.
And as such, even if the rest of the Book is biblical, and completely harmless, and even testifies of Christ, these two chapters ruin it for me.
These two chapters are 100% un-Christian. Irreconcilable. At odds with Biblical Christianity.
And God has led me to biblical Christianity.
I’m siding with the Bible.
I said that a long time ago— if the Book of Mormon is at odds with the Bible, I’m choosing the Bible. And so I sat with that, collected scriptures, and continued to read the Bible in search of any possible contradictions.
At first I didn’t find any. Cuz every time I thought I found something unbiblical in the Book of Mormon, I’d find the same verse in the Bible (this happened 5 times!) – I thought it was actually a cool phenomenon and that God was leading me.
But honestly, these two things? They’re not in the Bible. If they are, that would be completely mind blowing.
Does the Bible talk down about itself and say it’s not enough?
1 Corinthians 4:6 really talks against adding to the Bible. And why? So one group of Christians doesn’t become puffed up with their own unique teachings and leader. (Wow, if that isn’t the Mormon churches! Plural.)
And does the Bible say Gnosticism is the correct perspective, and sometimes we should actually disobey God, because wink wink he actually meant for us to do the opposite?
What kind of crazy nonsense is that!!?
No.
Sorry, guys. Sorry to the numos reading this.
I gotta break away.
I hope we can still be friends.
All I Possess 