Customer Reviews

Mormons Answered Verse by Verse

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1 star:		(8)

 

 

David Reed (long time cult expert reaching JW's) and John Farkas have furnished the Christian community a concise power-packed resource to help in reaching out to Mormons. If you ever wanted to share your faith to those trapped in the cultic grip of the LDS church, here is an important book to utilize.

The authors explore the false doctrines of the LDS church and provide the answers from the Bible.
Mormons Answered Verse by Verse is ideal to refute Mormons claims that:
- Men can progress into gods and goddesses
- God the Father is a physical man grown into a god
- Jesus Christ is the sprit brother of Lucifer
- LDS polytheism is real

Reed and Frakas also supply a verse by verse refutation of Mormonism using the Book of Mormon. They teach you many simple but powerful techniques to help reach the LDS people.

There are many more exhaustive studies available, but this is a necessary part of a tool-case for those who witness to cult members inasmuch as it instructs the reader verse by verse.
Presuppositional Apologetics Examines Mormonism: How Van Til's Apologetic Refutes Mormon Theology

There has been and always will be much discussion about what is and isn't "doctrine"
according to the LDS Church. While the authors may have felt they were revealing some
great secrets, most of what they yammer about is not doctrine, but non-doctrinal thoughts
or comments.

If it is not in the Holy Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants or Pearl of Great Price,
it IS NOT DOCTRINE, merely opinion. Everyone has an opinion, and they have been freely shared.
But until the Church canonizes such "opinions" as doctrine, they will be nothing more than the
personal thoughts of men.

David Reed is a former Jehovah's Witness, which is also the author of books such as: Answering Jehovah's Witnesses: Subject by Subject, Jehovah's Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse, How to Rescue Your Loved One from the Watchtower, Left Behind Answered Verse by Verse, etc. John Farkas is president of Berean Christian Ministries, which ministers to Mormons and former Mormons, and is also the co-author (with David Reed) of Mormonism: Changes, Contradictions, and Errors.

They write in the Introduction to this 1992 book, "No, it is not the Book of Mormon that these missionaries open to persuade potential converts, at least not at first; rather, it is the Bible that furnishes dozens of citations the missionaries use to 'prove' all other churches false and to reveal their own organization as the restoration of Christ's true church today. It is to refute this misuse of the Bible that (this book) is written."

Here are some quotations from the book:

"The 'Joseph Smith Translation' apparently puts the Mormon leadership in somewhat of a dilemma. Some of Smith's revisions to the King James text fail to agree with the same passages as quoted in the Book of Mormon. Other portions contradict current Mormon doctrine. Therefore, fully endorsing it could prove embarrassing, but flatly rejecting it as erroneous would discredit Smith as a prophet. Instead, LDS leaders have sidestepped the issue by alleging that the work Smith began in 1831 was left unfinished at his untimely death..." (Pg. 29)
"On June 27, 1844 ... Joseph Smith was shot to death at Carthage, Illinois, by an armed mob. Evidently not 'ready to die,' he fired shots in his own defense and attempted to escape his attackers by leaping from a window. Unlike Jesus Christ, who correctly prophesied his own death, Joseph Smith predicted (in HOC, V6, pg. 58) that he would NOT be killed---hardly what would be expected of a prophet..." (Pg. 63)
"Another Mormon defense is the argument that one error does not make Joseph Smith a false prophet. How many people does a man have to murder to be called a murderer? Only one. So, how many false prophecies does a prophet have to make to be a false prophet?" (Pg. 93)
"Then how should Christians evaluate the Book of Mormon? The same way that Jews in Berea evaluated the message preached to them by the apostle Paul... They compared what Paul preached with what the Old Testament said about the Messiah, and this solid evidence led them to accept Jesus as the Christ." (Pg. 101)

Mormons Answered Verse by Verse is an attempt to "refute the misuse of the Bible" (p. 13) by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Written by two evangelical Christians, David Reed and John Farkas, the book reflects their zealous desires to expose the allegedly faulty use of selected biblical passages by Mormons. Mr. Farkas draws his insights from a nine-year membership in the Church, during which time he served as an elders quorum president. Mr. Reed is a former Jehovah's Witness who views Mormonism in a similar light.

This volume contains three general divisions. First, it presents an introduction and three short chapters as a framework for understanding Mormonism. With nothing more than the first two introductory paragraphs, even the casual reader will readily sense the negativism which permeates this paperback. This negative slant continues throughout the introduction and chapter one, both of which examine the historical roots of Mormonism. In chapter two the authors examine the current doctrines (and not so current, i.e., Adam-God theory) of the Latter-day Saints. The third chapter completes the background materials with an overview of Mormon scripture. "Overview," however, might be somewhat euphemistic, as the authors digress quickly into an assault on the Joseph Smith Translation and the authenticity of the Pearl of Great Price.

The second general portion of the book represents the heart of the content. Here, in chapters four through six, the focus turns to a verse-by-verse refutation of the biblical passages Mormons commonly use to support their theology. Chapter four is an attempt by the authors to refute Latter-day Saint interpretation of twenty-one Old Testament passages. Likewise, chapter five treats thirty-four passages from the New Testament with a similar perspective. Then, finally, chapter six discards the putative purpose of this volume and attacks Mormon doctrine on its own turf by analyzing fifteen Book of Mormon verses. The third and final section of this piece concludes with two short chapters. The first chapter outlines how to convert Mormons, and the second, chapter eight, tells about the authors personally and their brush with Mormonism.

The larger issue of this review is the question of scholarly impact. Do these two devotees effectively accomplish their task of scripturally refuting Mormonism? The most probable answer is a split decision, dependent more upon the religious predisposition of the reader than the rhetoric or persuasiveness of this book. For critics of Mormonism, the sheer number of scriptural citations, complete with logical barbs and daggers, promises hours of premeditated superiority and quixotic victories. However, for those loyal to Mormonism, these pages will engender a different response.

This book will present precious little substance for the pro-Mormon audience. It basically attacks biblical Mormonism through the worn-out arguments of polytheism, polygamy, and non-Christian theology. For the assault on the Book of Mormon, the authors flog the issues of biblical plagiarism and archaeological anachronisms. Many of their scriptural explanations, both biblical and Book of Mormon, loop rather quickly back into one or another of these issues. Aside from their specific content concerns, the authors will definitely offend their Latter-day Saint sympathizers with their unabashed use of both spurious and specious logic. For one example, consider their answer to the Mormon use of James 1:5 in the New Testament. This verse admonishes mankind to pray for guidance in areas of uncertainty. Reed and Farkas respond, "He (God) does not expect us to ask him questions that we can answer for ourselves . . . such as, "Should I rob a bank?' or "Is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs a true story?' and we cannot expect him to give us personal answers to such questions" (p. 101). Their answer borders on the absurd, if not presumptuous, counsel that intelligent Christian students will read this book and, subsequently, have no need to ask God about the truth of Mormonism. In short, Reed and Farkas elevate their intellectual conclusions above and beyond personal feedback from God. Such is the reasoning that devout Mormons will find insulting.

Although this book will mostly serve to segregate its readership, are there any positives that this publication might spawn? In all likelihood a smaller segment of non-LDS readers will find in this volume a springboard for deeper introspection concerning their religious convictions. Jesus himself admonished his followers to "search the scriptures" (John 5:39). Possibly a perusal of these cited passages will encourage all serious Christians to consider their theology more thoughtfully. A second beneficiary might also be the committed Latter-day Saint reader. Too often this group has not wrestled sufficiently with attacks like those advanced by Reed and Farkas on the issues of polygamy, polytheism, and supposedly non-Christian theological frameworks. Consequently, this book might engender some thoughtful study from Latter-day Saint readers even with its deeply bipolar orientation.

In a final challenge, the authors encourage their readership to engage Mormons with the help of a four-letter abbreviation, L.P.P.Q. Their explanation: love, politeness, patience, and quality (p. 125). Perhaps the message behind this acronym represents the real contribution of this paperback, by identifying something that both Mormon critics and sympathizers can finally agree upon.

After studying the true word of God in the Bible, this book was outstanding in showing how the LDS will twist scripture to teach unBiblical doctrine. Mormonism teaches that God was once a man, you can become a God yourself, and Jesus was the brother of Satan (all unBiblical).

This book allows the reader to understand how many trained missionaries and other well educated Mormons will use Bible passages to try to convince Christians that they have the truth. By marking your Bible after reading this book, you will be much more equipped to share the truth in love with Mormons.

In addition, you learn the truth of the Bible in a new and deeper way as a bonus!

This book is very good to read. It lets the reader see how cults take scripture from the bible and take it out of context. Christ came and died on the cross to save us from our sins, because there is none righteous. Its so amazing that God loved us so much that he would die for us. If you want to sincerly know Christ you need to investigate. As a christian I do not follow blindly my leaders, I study the bible and research what they say for myself, and so should mormons. Mormons why are you so afraid of books that reveal truths about the lds past? If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart you will be saved. No where in the King James bible does it talk about " the burning of the bosoom".

For those of you looking for a strong, bible-based response to Mormon interpretation of the scriptures, this book falls short, dramatically short. David Reed and John Farkas provide frustratingly few point-by-point responses to Mormon bible-based argument, and not enough consistency or sound reasoning in the responses they do provide. A few points about the book:

* The book's purported focus -- Mormons answered "verse by verse" is not fulfilled. First, the book is only 154 pages long. Of those pages, only a skimpy 67 (pp 37-103) actually take on Mormon bible-based doctrines. That's not nearly enough for a real "verse by verse" response.

* Related to the above point, the book glosses over or ignores some of the most powerful biblical verses that support Mormon doctrines. Messrs. Reed and Farkas do not even address the Mormon interpretation of John 17:20-23 (the Intercessory Prayer, where Jesus prays that the believers be "one; as thou Father art in me and I in thee") which provides a solid justification for the Mormon concept of three beings acting as "one," and therefore considered to be "one God." The authors likewise give short shrift to Mat. 3:16-17 (the baptism of Jesus, where God speaks from heaven and the Holy Ghost descends on Jesus "like a dove," which Mormons use to claim a separation of Father, Son and Holy Ghost). Their response to this scripture? The Mormons' "off-target argument will have no effect on Christians who *know* the God they worship" and "[i]f the unsuspecting householder finds his faith shaken by such arguments it [is because] he started out with a popular misconception in his own mind rather than with sound Christian theology" (p 67). In other words, they have no real response at all except for blaming the reader for being ill-informed or dumb.

* The authors are also sometimes mendacious in their answering method. Switching translations of the bible to get the words you seek is a lot like bumping the roulette wheel if the ball doesn't fall into the hole you want. Their approach to conclude that the priesthood of Jesus is "a priesthood that needs no successor" is to hunt for a translation that says so (p 43). Having fumbled my way through the original Greek, I can assure you that Heb. 7:24 says no such thing. The most accurate translation of the KJV's "unchangeable" is "inviolable."

* The book spends way too much time addressing obscure topics like "Adam-God" (pp 22, 59-62, 126) at the expense of more relevant ones. Things like "Adam-God" are a wild goose chase. If you confront a Mormon with an accusation that he believes Adam is our God, he will look you straight in the eye and say truthfully "No I don't." Trust me, it's a blind alley and the authors really should know better than to waste their effort on it. Likewise the hyperventilating over how Mary conceived Jesus (pp 65-66, 68-70). If, as the Trinitarians say, the Holy Ghost is God, and God the Father is God, why should they get the vapors if Mormons say God the Father is the father of Jesus? The authors don't even bother to respond to scriptures like Rom. 15:6, which state plainly that is the case.

* The authors also make unintentional admissions, some of which are hilarious. They actually admit that the Mormon doctrine of premortal life (Jer. 1:5, Prov. 8:1, 27-31) "is indeed logical from a human perspective" (p 57). And what, if I may be so bold as to ask, is the authors' perspective? Are they not human? They read the same bible as the Mormons. Aren't they arguing basically "we're right because we're right"? What kind of lame-o argument is that? I actually laughed out loud when I read it.

* The authors also have a low knowledge base (i.e., they're ignorant) about certain aspects of both the bible and Mormon doctrines. For example, when referring to the priesthood of Melchizedek, they claim "[t]here is no evidence, biblical or otherwise, that Jesus Christ passed on this priesthood to anyone" (p 43). Besides the 1.1 billion Roman Catholics (not to mention 300 million Orthodox) who would disagree with that statement, the authors ignore the Mormon doctrine that the apostles received the sealing power (Mat. 18:18) and were sent forth with the Melchizedek priesthood in John 20:21-22. Similarly, when the authors state "there is nothing in the bible about 'perfect' humans progressing to Godhood" (p 68) they seem to be blissfully unaware of (and as a consequence fail to respond to) verses such as Mat. 25:45-47, 2 Pet. 1:4, 1 John 3:1-2 and Rev. 3:21, 21:7.

* Anyone purporting to show another's errors had better make sure their own **** is squared away. If Messrs. Reed and Farkas wish to argue that the priesthood of Jesus "needs no successor" (p 43) they are perfectly free to do so; likewise, they are free to argue that all believers are "a royal priesthood" (p 98). They cannot, however, argue both. This sort of illogic and interpretive inconsistency kills any confidence the reader might otherwise have in the authors' knowledge base and analytical capabilities.

However, the book does have *some* good points. Messrs. Reed's and Farkas' exposition on how Moses could speak to God "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (Exod. 33:11) (pp 47-48), yet not really see God, is pretty good, considering how weak their position is. They also do an effective job of refuting the claim that the Book of Mormon is being referred to in Ezek. 37:16-17, and pointing out that the Book of Mormon is questionable indeed if Isa. 29:4, 11 applies to it (pp 55-56). Their argument regarding Rev. 22:18 and changes made within Revelation itself, as opposed to mere inclusion of additional scriptures (p 103), is fresh, coherent and spot-on. Their discussion of flaws and inconsistencies in the Book of Mormon (pp 105-120) was also solid and well-done, even foregoing the usual Alma 7:10 "at Jerusalem" baloney.

Overall, the book is good enough for Christians looking to confirm their beliefs. However, it is unpersuasive to an objective inquirer into the scriptures, and cannot even come close to changing the mind of a knowledgeable Mormon.

This book is VERY useful in order to be prepared for what Bible verses (as well as Book of Mormon verses!) Mormons will use to try to convince you of their doctrine. It will prepare you to answer Mormon challenges to the Bible and to standard Christianity beliefs. I've read this book cover-to-cover and it's an excellent reference.

Books like this ARE necessary for those not extremely familiar with the Bible (such as myself) because Mormons don't tell you about everything they believe. They tell you the parts that sound like Christian teachings. Not until way down the road do you learn that they think that their god was a guy like us living on a planet like us that transcended into a "higher being." Their god had a literal sexual union with Mary to produce Jesus. They tell you this only after they get you to believe that Mormonism is the only true Church, so then you must believe all the stuff that follows.

THIS is precisely why we must be prepared to witness to Mormons when the come to us. And be prepared properly to do so. They are very prepared to witness to US. This book is very specific and was written by an ex-Mormon and an ex-Jehovah's Witness who are knowledgeable on the subject.

I have at least 6 books about Mormonism and every one (including this one) says that Mormons are wonderful and sincere people. There is no hate taught here. Judge for yourself about their doctrine, but you must be informed before you can! By talking with Mormons, you will never get the whole story. They only show the comfortable side. This book is a GREAT start towards more complete knowledge about them.

It you want to know what the mormans believe and what the bible really says this book is for you. It will help you talk to the LDS thru the bible. You will learn alot from this book. I guarnteed it.

bottom line mormons, who do you say Jesus Christ is? because your salvation hinges on what you believe about Jesus Christ. My sister is married to a mormon, and i iknow somehwat of it. Peter said that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, do you have any idea what that means? let me ask you, what does the very first commandment say? well, if thats true, and John 1 is true, then who is Jesus Christ? hope this helps.