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The Translation Process · Why did eyewitnesses Emma Smith, David Whitmer, Martin Harris, and Isaac Hale, all agree that Joseph Smith used a seer stone (an occult device) to translate the Book of Mormon and not the Urim and Thummim as he claimed? (Saints Herald, Nov. 15, 1962, pp. 14-22) · If the gold plates Joseph Smith allegedly received from God were either covered or not present during the translation process as his wife and his scribe Oliver Cowdery stated, why did God give them to him? (Saints Herald, Nov. 15, 1962, p. 15) · Joseph Smith declared that an angel pronounced the original 1830 translation of the Book of Mormon correct. If this was true, why was it necessary for over 3,000 changes to be made in the second edition published in 1837? (RLDS Church History, Vol. 1, p. 46, Restoration Scriptures, by Richard Howard, p. 41) Jewish Ancestry · The Passover was one of the most significant of all the Jewish feasts. If the Nephites were devout Jews who kept the Law of Moses (2 Nephi 11:45), why isn’t the Passover mentioned even once in their 1,000 year history, as recorded in the Book of Mormon? · The Bible teaches that the tribe of Levi was essential to the implementation of the Mosaic Law. How, then, could the Nephites have kept the Mosaic law, as the Book of Mormon teaches, when there were no Levites among them? Furthermore, how could Alma, who was a descendant of the tribe of Joseph, have been a high priest, when the Lord had instructed Moses that every high priest must be a descendant of Aaron and of the tribe of Levi? (II Nephi 11:45, Mosiah 9:2, I Nephi 1:165, Numbers Ch. 3 and 8) · Book of Mormon believers claim that the American Indians are descendants of Jewish Lamanites. In light of a recent Princeton University study in the area of population genetics, how is this possible? The study, which involved more than 50 years of research, determined that the American Indians are of Mongoloid descent, not Jewish. (Time Magazine, “The Story in Our Genes,” Jan. 16, 1995, pp. 54-55) Archaeology · Thomas Stuart Ferguson: With the help of a large grant from the Mormon Church, Thomas Ferguson spent twenty-five years in archaeological research attempting to prove the historicity of the Book of Mormon. He finally concluded: “...you can’t set Book of Mormon geography down anywhere, because it is fictional and will never meet the requirements of the dirt-archaeology. I should say what is in the ground will never conform to what is in the book.” (Quoted from a letter written by Thomas Ferguson to Mr. & Mrs. H.W. Lawrence, Feb. 20, 1976, as cited in “Ferguson’s Two Faces” p. 6, by Jerald and Sandra Tanner) · Michael Coe: Professor of Anthropology at Yale University (former Mormon Church member) “Let me now state uncategorically that as far as I know there is not one professionally trained archaeologist, who is not a Mormon, who sees any scientific justification for believing the [Book of Mormon].” (Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Vol. 4, Summer, 1973, pp. 4146) · Smithsonian Institute: (Official Statement) “… it can be stated definitely that there is no connection between the archaeology of the New World and the subject matter of the Book of Mormon...” In view of the above statements, how can Book of Mormon believers continue to cling to the idea that archaeology validates the Book of Mormon story? Anachronisms · How could the people in the Book of Mormon practice the Law of Moses and Christianity at the same time, when the two are mutually exclusive? (II Nephi 11:45, Heb. 10:9) · Why were Christian teachings such as baptism practiced in the Book of Mormon, hundreds of years before Christ was even born? (Mosiah 9:44) · How could the baptism of the Holy Ghost have been given to the Nephites, 550 years before Christ, when Jesus said it could not be given until after He was glorified? (John 7:38-39) Covenant Confusion “Perhaps the most damaging [evidence against the Book of Mormon] is the way the book confuses the Old and New Covenants. The book stresses that before the coming of Christ the faithful kept the Law of Moses, yet they also established churches, taught and practiced Christian baptism, and were conversant with New Testament doctrines and events. The gradual unfolding of theological themes so evident in the Bible is completely lacking in the Book of Mormon. In the Bible the Old Covenant is taken away to establish the New... The Book of Mormon disrupts this divine pattern and intermingles the covenants and their ordinances... This makes the Book of Mormon seem plainer than the Bible to one who has little acquaintance with God’s Holy Scriptures. However, a careful autopsy of this book... discloses that it is really a piece of early American fiction.” (Wesley Walters, Eternity Magazine, May, 1980). Conclusion Considering the evidence presented here, one must acknowledge that there are major flaws in the Book of Mormon. Thus it cannot be considered Holy Scripture, much less the most perfect book on earth as Joseph Smith claimed. The Bible on the other hand, has proven to be reliable based on manuscript evidence, archeological discoveries, fulfilled prophecies and more. It is not the Book of Mormon but the Bible which contains the fullness of the gospel. The apostle Paul affirmed this with his statement, “I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.” (Romans 15:19) The gospel is the good news that Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all who will accept him. There is no need to look for further scriptures nor has God promised any. Don’t be misled by those who claim God speaks to them, giving them new truth and scriptures for our day and time. It is our hope that you will come to know the Jesus of the Bible, “whose divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” (2Peter 1:3)
Which scripture do you Trust? Being raised in the RLDS Church, we considered the Book of Mormon to be more trustworthy than the Bible because we believed it was only translated once and then with divine assistance. We had been taught that the Bible, translated many times through the centuries, had portions removed and other parts distorted so it was no longer reliable. But we were to learn an interesting fact about the Bible — despite the multiple translations and many versions in existence, the central message is always the same! Archeological finds and historical records affirm that the Bible we have today is reliable and trustworthy. The beauty of the various versions of the Bible is that the wording is tailored so that people of different times and cultures will understand its unchanging, plain and simple message. That message is: Christ came to earth, lived as a man among us, willingly died to pay the price for all the sins of all mankind, was buried, rose again and ascended to heaven to intercede for us until he comes again. We believed that the Book of Mormon was another witness of Jesus Christ. Yet we could not explain how the Biblical Jesus, God in the flesh, who gave up his life for the unrighteous, could be the same person who in the Book of Mormon killed the unrighteous. Also, we could not ignore the fact that, in contrast to the vast independent archeological evidence supporting the Bible, there is an obvious lack of similar evidence for the Book of Mormon. It is our testimony that if you truly want to find God and His will for you, turn to the Bible, His Holy Word. It is from there that He has consistently spoken to mankind through the ages. We invite you to consider the information in this tract and prayerfully reflect on which scripture you should trust. 
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