The Book of Mormon and Questions of the Soul

Last week we saw how the tone, order and in some instances content of the Mormon missionary lessons, Preach My Gospel, have changed and changed again. One thing that doesn’t change is the imperious attitude of Mormons to other believers. Mormons have a high view of their faith compared with the traditional Christian faith. Mormon missionaries are advised:

“Although prayer has a role in many religions and cultures, rarely is prayer considered to be a two-way communication between God and man. Help those you teach understand that they can speak the feelings of their hearts in prayer. Demonstrate this in the way you pray when beginning or ending a lesson. Use simple language that they can also use when they pray. Help them understand that our Heavenly Father will answer prayers, typically through the feelings of their hearts and thoughts in their minds. If they are sincere and really want to know whether God is there, He will answer them. Invite the head of the household to offer a kneeling prayer at the end of the lesson.” (Preach My Gospel, p.39)

The arrogance and presumption in this statement is breathtakingly insulting to Christians and incredibly misleading for young missionaries who are sent out into the world believing this nonsense. But then it is in the nature of a Mormon to think better of himself than he might of others. Having planted in people’s minds the idea that Christian prayers don’t get answered they lead their investigators to infer that the Book of Mormon has answers not found elsewhere.

I thought it would be a good exercise if I challenged you to answer them from the Bible – if you can. I will put my own answers in next Monday Mormon. This is the official list of questions the Book of Mormon is, at long last, able to answer after 1800 years of “apostasy”. We thank thee Oh God for a prophet, dum, de dum, dum, dem dum, dum, de dum…

The Book of Mormon Answers Questions of the Soul

1. Is there a God?

2. What Does Jesus expect of me?

3. How can belief in Jesus Christ help me?

4. Is there a Life after Death?

5. What is the Purpose of Life?

6. Why does God allow evil and suffering?

7. Does my infant need to be baptised?

8. Does God know me?

9. Does God answer prayer?

10. How can I find peace and joy?

11. How can my family be happier and more united?

12. How can I balance my family and career?

13. How can I strengthen my relationship with my spouse?

14. How can I avoid the evils that threaten my family?

15. How can I avoid sin?