Bible Study for Mormons
When I relate my testimony to my Mormon friends, family and acquaintances telling them that I was baptised at the age of eight into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but how, at the age of 12, I was baptised into the Seventh-day Adventist Church (see Lesson #4 for my testimony), they must think, was I old enough to make an intelligent decision on my part? Would four years have given me enough time to understand Mormon doctrine thoroughly enough so that I could tell I was deceived, and leave the LDS faith and join the Seventh-day Adventist Church instead? Can a child actually see the difference in the church that is following the Bible? I was a child, and I could see the difference.
So how does Mormonism compare to Seventh-day Adventism? Some people, even some Mormons themselves, believe that the two churches are headed down the same road together... ! However, rather than ask how they compare with one another, the question that should be asked and studied is, which of the two churches follows the Bible? Both claim to follow the Bible, as do all Christian churches, but which one is actually following the Bible? The Bible is to be the standard in examining the endtime Prophet as we have seen in Lessons #1, #2, #3 , and #4, but it should also be the standard in judging the endtime church. More specifically, which church is teaching and keeping the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ? Revelation 14:12-- "Here is the patience of the saints: (who are the saints?) here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
It is interesting that Mormonism is called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day "Saints." With this name, she identifies herself as God's endtime people! True, there may be some very honest, sincere believers in Mormonism, just as there are in Adventism. Believe me, Seventh-day Adventism is not made up of all pure, holy people! But what does Adventism profess to teach, and why did I choose that religion above Mormonism, which also professes to believe the truth? I have found that it is the Word of God that makes the difference.
So how will we distinguish the endtime church? The answer is very simple! The church which follows the Bible and the Bible only is the true endtime church! To distinguish the false from the true, we must study the Bible! That gives us every reason to examine both the Old Testament and the New Testament to find out what the Bible teaches in the area of doctrines. After we have done that, it will be a simple matter to determine which church is following the Word of God!
Already we may have problems with attitudes from those who are reading this! Mormons are taught to believe that the Book of Mormon is the truth of God, even more so than the Holy Bible because they do not believe the Bible has been translated correctly. See Articles of Faith, by Joseph Smith, Jr., number 8. Yet, how do we know that the Book of Mormon is the truth of God? We cannot judge it by itself, we must compare it to the standard that has existed through the centuries basically unchanged!
The Holy Bible has been found to be the most preserved book in all the world, especially the manuscripts from which we have derived the King James Version. They compare favorably to many other Bibles around the world which have been developed from the same source of manuscripts. The Old Testament portion compares very well with the some of the old manuscripts of the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of which date back as far as 200 B.C. So as far as textual reliability, the KJV stands above all other books, including the book of Mormon!
But let the Bible speak...
[We will be using the KJV in these studies unless otherwise noted. You may print these Bible studies out on your printer, and fill in the blanks.]
1. How should I present a doctrinal study from the Bible to
anyone?
John 17:17 and 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Answer:
a. "Sanctify them through _________ ________________: thy
word is _________________." John 17:17
b. "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God, For I determined not to know any thing among you, save ______________ ___________________, and ________________ crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was ___________ with enticing words of ______________ _______________________, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of _______________, but in the power of _____________." 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Before each study, we should remember to pray and ask for the guiding of the Holy Spirit to teach us His truth based on the word of God, for Jesus said that the Word of God, meaning the Bible, is the truth itself. Compare also 2 Peter 1:20, 21, we want the interpretation of the Holy Spirit, not someone else's.
2. Who does the whole Scripture [in this case, the Old
Testament, because the New Testament was not yet written when
Jesus spoke this] testify about?
John 5:39; Luke 24:25-27
Answer:
a. "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life: and they are they which testify of ___________."
John 5:39
b. "Then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not ____________ to have suffered these things, and to enter into _________ glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning ________________." Luke 24:25-27
3. For instance, in the Old Testament Passover service
referred to in Exodus 12:3-14, who did the sacrificial lamb
represent?
John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7
Answer:
a. "The next day John seeth ______________ coming unto him,
and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of
the world!" John 1:29.
b. "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our ________________ is sacrificed for us." 1 Corinthians 5:7.
4. What practical object lesson from God in the life of
Abraham helped him to understand who Christ was?
Genesis 22:1-14; Hebrews 11:17-19; John 3 16.
Answer:
a. "....And he said, take now thy son, thine ___________
_________ Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of
Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the
mountains which I will tell thee of....And Isaac spake unto
Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I ,
my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is
the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will
provide Himself ___ ____________ for a burnt offering: so they
went both of them together....And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and
looked, and behold, behind him a __________ caught in a thicket
by his _____________: and Abraham went and took the ____________,
and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."
Genesis 22:1-14
b. "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his __________ ________________________ son...." Hebrews 11:17-19
c. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His ____________ ______________________ Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
The whole Bible is God's word that EXALTS Jesus Christ and no other man! It would make sense then, that any writings or translations of any other prophet who claims to speak for God, should agree with the word of God, the Holy Bible, and not judge the word of God with the writings or translations of the prophets, to see whether the word of God is correct! And the word of the prophet who speaks for God should exalt Jesus Christ, the same Jesus found in Scripture and not himself or another.
5. How deep should our belief in Christ be for salvation?
John 17:3; Ephesians 5:22-32
Answer:
a. "And this is life eternal, that they might ____________
Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent."
John 17:3
b. "Wives, ___________ yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord,.......Husbands, ___________ your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself of it; that He might sancitfy and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish....For we are members of _______ ___________, of His flesh, and of His bones.... This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church...." Ephesians 5:22-32 (read it from the Bible).
This deep relationship with Jesus is likened to that of a husband and wife who both love Him and are submissive to Him as they are to one another. That is how totally united to Christ we should be! It is of course a spiritual union by faith in Him, possible through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which He gives to every one who believes and asks. It is by the "washing of the word" of God that we can reach this perfection or holiness of Christian character. Reading God's word changes us into a new Creature, so that self is hid and Christ is seen. Just like a husband and wife who have lived together, they grow up together similar not only in character, but sometimes, even in looks! Do you want to become LIKE God in character? Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, that we can get to know God. John 14:6.
Using the Bible as our foundation, the next study will be "The Nature of Man." Have we all preexisted in spirit form, and will we advance to become Gods?