Answering Challenging
Mormon Questions
by Michael W. Hickenbotham
A product of HORIZON PUBLISHERS & DISTRIBUTORS, INC.

Review

     This information-packed reference book provides definitive answers to 130 questions sometimes raised by anti-Mormon detractors. More than a quick-answer book, it provides thousands of scripture references that lead the reader to much deeper understanding than can be achieved through reasoning alone. It is a major work that has rapidly become an extremely important missionary tool and reference.
     This book strengthens the LDS position and focuses on what is true about LDS doctrine rather than the errors of other faiths. Firmly anchored in scriptural evidence, it quotes liberally from LDS and non-LDS authorities. It also quotes the early Christian fathers extensively, demonstrating that today's unique LDS beliefs were major tenets of the ancient Christian Church prior to the apostasy.
     The book's questions and answers are grouped by subject for easy reference, and cover a wide spectrum of topics. They are arranged in ten chapters: Latter-day Saints and Christianity, Apostasy and Restoration, Prophets and Apostles, Modern Revelation, The Godhead, The Plan of
Salvation, Scripture, Specific Modern Scriptural Difficulties, The Holy Ghost and Truth, and Testimony.
     Here are precise scriptural answers to questions such as Why can there be only one true church? Why must there be a foundation of living prophets and apostles? Is the Mormon God a spirit? Are Mormons polytheists? What about anti-Mormon allegations that Joseph Smith prophesied falsely, and that he doesn't fit the accepted Biblical definition of a prophet? And why have LDS doctrines changed in regards to plural marriage, blacks and the priesthood, and other
theological areas? The author offers clear, direct answers to these challenging questions and many more.

 

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Purpose of this Book, 1
A Word of Caution—Ravening Wolves, 2
Avoid the Spirit of Contention, 3
Seek Learning by Study and Faith, 3
Developing Skills of Scriptural Exegesis, 4

                                         Part 1. Latter-day Saints and Christianity
  1. Are Latter-day Saints Christian?, 5
  2. Do biblical tests exclude the LDS Church from Christianity?, 8
  3. Do Latter-day Saints believe in "another gospel"?, 12
  4. Do Latter-day Saints believe in another Jesus?, 14
  5. Does the LDS Church have secret social and political objectives?, 15
  6. Why do Latter-day Saints believe there can be only one true church?, 19

                                             Part 2. Apostasy and Restoration
  7. Why does the LDS Church claim to have power and authority which Catholics and                       Protestants do not?, 20
  8. Why do Latter-day Saints teach that an apostasy and restoration occurred when the Bible           says that the gospel was "once delivered unto the Saints" (Jude 1 :3)?, 22
  9. Didn't the Savior say he would build his church upon the "rock" of Peter (Matthew 16:18)?, 25
10. Why do Latter-day Saints believe in an apostasy when Christ taught that the Gates of Hell          would not prevail against his Church (Matt. 16:18)?, 28
           Fate of the Early Christian Apostles and Leaders, 29

                                                 Part 3. Prophets and Apostles
11. Why do Latter-day Saints teach that the foundation of apostles and prophets had to be laid         again a second time?, 33
12. How can Latter-day Saints accept Joseph Smith as a prophet when he received the Book of        Mormon from an unknown and possibly false spirit?, 35
13. How can Latter-day Saints accept Joseph Smith as a Prophet when he made mistakes and         admitted he was a sinner?, 37
14. How can Latter-day Saints accept Joseph Smith as a prophet when he destroyed the Nauvoo
     Expositor press after it criticized him?, 38
15. How can Latter-day Saints accept Joseph Smith as a Prophet when he was a money-digger
     and dabbled in magic?, 39
16. How can Latter-day Saints accept Joseph Smith as a Prophet when he prophesied falsely?,        41
17. How can Latter-day Saints accept Joseph Smith as a Prophet when he attacked all                    Christians and their churches?, 43
18. How can Latter-day Saints accept Joseph Smith as a Prophet when he failed to document his
     first vision until years later?, 44
19. How can Latter-day Saints explain Joseph Smith's and Brigham Young's comments about the      moon and the sun being inhabited?, 45
20. Can Joseph Smith meet the biblical qualifications of a prophet?, 47
21. Can LDS apostles meet the qualifications in Acts 1 :21-22?, 49

                                               Part 4. Modern Revelation
22. Is revelation still necessary?, 51
23. Has the LDS Church changed its beliefs and teachings about the gathering of the Saints?, 55
24. Has the LDS Church changed its beliefs and teachings about Adam-God?, 57
25. Has the LDS Church changed its beliefs and teachings about plural marriage?, 60
26. Has the LDS Church changed its beliefs and teachings about blacks and the priesthood?, 61
27. Do Bible teachings contradict modern revelation regarding a need for the priesthood and              temples?, 63
28. Do Bible teachings contradict modern revelation regarding family history work?, 65
29. Do inspired teachings and practices change?, 66
30. Which is the correct Sabbath Day—Saturday or Sunday?, 68

                                                   Part 5. The Godhead
31. Is the God of Mormonism a changeable God?, 71
32. Do Latter-day Saints believe in the Trinity?, 74
33. Do Latter-day Saints believe in one God or three?, 76
34. Are Latter-day Saints polytheists?, 80
35. Are God and Christ separate beings?, 81
36. Do God and Christ resemble each other?, 83
37. Are God and Christ identical in knowledge?, 84
38. Is God a spirit?, 84
39. Can God or Christ dwell in our hearts?, 87
40. Is God omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent?, 87
41. Doesn't a belief that God has a physical body like a man's make Him a finite God?, 89
42. How do you explain the fact that Isaiah 9:6 calls Christ the Father?, 91
43. Why do Latter-day Saints teach that God is the Father of our spirits?, 93
44. Is Jesus our spirit brother?, 93
45. Was Jesus begotten of the Father or of the Holy Ghost, and by what means?, 95
46. Do Latter-day Saints believe Christ was God prior to his birth into mortality?, 98
47. Do Bible scriptures support the belief that Jesus Christ was Jehovah of the Old
     Testament?, 99
48. Doesn't the Old Testament identify Jehovah and Eloheim as the same person?, 104
           Hebrew Titles for Deity in the Old Testament, 105
49. Did Jesus Christ attain godhood status at some point in time?, 107
50. Was God once a man?, 108

                                       Part 6. The Plan of Salvation
51. Does the Bible teach that man may become like God?, 109
52. Why do Latter-day Saints accept Satan's lie to Eve that man may become as Gods?, 113
53. Is the LDS belief in the pre-existence of man biblical?, 114
54. Aren't angels a different species of creation from man?, 116
55. Why does Paul seem to be teaching predestination in Romans 8 and Ephesians I?, 117
56. Was Adam's fall part of God's plan?, 120
57. What is salvation?, 121
58. What must we do to be saved?, 123
59. Is baptism essential to salvation?, 124
60. Do Latter-day Saints believe Christ's sacrifice was essential to salvation?, 128
61. Why don't Latter-day Saints still use wine in their sacrament? (Is it because they don't
     rely on Christ's atoning blood for salvation?), 131
62. In view of David's forgiveness in Psalms 16:9-11 and other scriptures, does Christ's sacrifice         extend to murderers?, 133
63. Do Latter-day Saints believe in salvation by grace through faith alone?, 134
64. Is salvation a free gift to all?, 138
65. Do Latter-day Saints believe in assured salvation?, 140
66. Is salvation instant?, 142
67. Do Latter-day Saints believe a man can save himself by his own works?, 145
68. Do works precede salvation or are they a product of salvation?, 149
69. Is perfection attainable by man?, 151
70. How can Latter-day Saints believe in eternal marriage in view of Matthew 22:29-30
     and other similar scriptures?, 152
71. Don't the spirits of the dead go directly to heaven or hell after death?, 154
72. What Bible scriptures justify a belief in salvation for the dead?, 156
73. Where does the Bible indicate that the temple was part of the New Testament church?, 159
74. Do Latter-day Saints believe in an eternal hell as described in the Bible?, 160
75. Does the Bible speak of more than one kingdom in heaven (degrees of glory)?, 162
76. Will there be a rapture, and when will it occur?, 165

                                                   Part 7. Scripture
77. Why don't Latter-day Saints accept the Bible to be inerrant and infallible as most Protestants       do?, 170
78. What are some of the errors in our Bible?, 175
79. Are portions of scripture missing?, 178
80. Don't newly discovered manuscripts prove the Bible is inerrant?, 182
81. Why don't Latter-day Saints accept Bible scripture as complete and sufficient for
     salvation?, 184
82. Is the Bible always accurate in scientific matters?, 187
83. Why don't Latter-day Saints study Greek and Hebrew texts to discern the true meaning of the      scriptures?, 188
84. Does Isaiah 29 refer to the Book of Mormon, or is it just pronouncing various woes on                  Ephraim and Jerusalem for trusting in foreign alliances?, 189
85. Is it true that the Book of Mormon contains no new doctrine and few unique teachings?, 191
86. Why does the Book of Mormon borrow extensively from the Bible, and why are so many             quotes from Isaiah identical to the King James version?, 193
87. Are there any scientific or historic proofs of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon?, 196
           Anachronisms , 197
           Other Evidences 200
88. Could the Book of Mormon have been taken from either the Spaulding Manuscript or
     Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews?, 205
89. Why were nearly 4000 changes made in the Book of Mormon between the 1830 edition
     and present-day editions?, 208
90. How do Latter-day Saints explain the fact that the papyri from which the Book of Abraham             was translated have been shown to be an Egyptian Book of the Dead?, 211
91. Why don't Latter-day Saints use the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible?, 214
92. Why was additional scripture given?, 215

                             Part 8. Specific Modern Scriptural Difficulties
93. Isn't the name Sam, used in the Book of Mormon, an American and not a Jewish name
     (1Nephi 2:5)?, 217
94. Why does the Book of Mormon describe a river which emptied into the Red Sea when none          exists today (1 Nephi 2:8)?, 217
95. Why does it seem that many Book of Mormon passages are identical to passages from the        King James New and Old Testament?, 218
96. How could a devout Jew not know which tribe he was from (1 Nephi 5:14)?, 222
97. Why does Lehi use the Elizabethan poetic word "methought" in 1 Nephi 8:4?, 223
98. Aren't titles such as "Son of God" and "Lamb of God" New Testament terms?, 223
99. Why was faith given to the ball in 1 Nephi 16:28-29 and not to God?, 223
100. Wasn't the Jewish "land of promise" the land called Canaan (2 Nephi 1 :3)?, 224
101. Did Joseph Smith borrow 2 Nephi 1:14 from Shakespeare?, 224
102. How could the love of God cause flesh to be consumed (2 Nephi 4:21)?, 225
103. How could Lehi's family grow into two nations so quickly, and how could they build a                  temple within thirty years (2 Nephi 5)?, 225
104. Doesn't 2 Nephi 5:21-23 indicate racial bias?, 226
105. Isn't 2 Nephi 10:7 a false prophecy since the Jews are back in their own land but in
       unbelief?, 226
106. The name "Jesus" was not known in Old Testament times, and "Christ" was not a name but        a title. Why does 2 Nephi 25:19 refer to the name "Jesus Christ" more than 500 years                 before his birth?, 227
107. Doesn't 2 Nephi 28:8-9 contradict the Latter-day Saint doctrine of repentance after
       death?, 227
108. Why was the French word "adieu" used in 544 BC (Jacob 5:27)?, 228
109. How could Nephites offer sacrifices when Exodus 28:41 and Hebrews 7:5-14 say that only            Levites could perform this ordinance?, 228
110. "Alma" in Hebrew means "betrothed virgin." Why was this name given to a man?, 229
111. Why does the Book of Mormon say that Jesus was born in Jerusalem (Alma 7:10)?, 230
112. Why do Latter-day Saints say Ezekiel 37:15-20 is a prophecy of the Book of Mormon when          Lehi was a descendant of Manasseh, not Ephraim (Alma 10:3)?, 230
113. Why does the Book of Mormon say there were Christians in the New World
       (Alma 46:15)?, 231
114. Doesn't Samuel the Lamanite contradict the Bible's account of Christ's death (Helaman               14:20, 29)?, 231
115. Why wasn't 3 Nephi 13:12 changed as it was in the Joseph Smith Translation?, 232
116. Why did one of the Lord's disciples have the Greek name Timothy (3 Nephi 19:4)?, 232
117. Why did 4 Nephi 6 require 57 words to say that 59 years had passed?, 233
118. If the Jaredites were to become a great nation, where are they today?, 233
119. How could the brother of Jared be so bold as to instruct the Lord (Ether 2)?, 233
120. How could the brother of Jared be redeemed without Christ's sacrifice (Ether 3:9-13,
       19)?, 233
121. How could the canopic jars in the Book of Abraham facsimiles 1 and 2 look alike, yet have           different meanings?, 234

                                       Part 9. The Holy Ghost and Truth
122. How should scriptures be interpreted?, 235
123. How may a knowledge of truth be obtained?, 236
124. What is the Holy Ghost?, 237
125. Why is the gift of the Holy Ghost necessary, and why do Latter-day Saints believe it must
       be given by the laying on of hands?, 239
126. Why do Latter-day Saints believe in a "burning in the bosom" when it doesn't seem to be a           biblical principle?, 241
127. Why do Latter-day Saints say that the gift of the Holy Ghost follows baptism when
       Cornelius and others received it prior to baptism?, 243
128. What is the unpardonable sin?, 244
129. What does it mean to be born again?, 245

                                                 Part 10. Testimony
130. What is a testimony?, 248

Bibliography, 255
Index, 265

 

Order Information

Title:

Answering Challenging Mormon Questions—
Replies to 130 Queries by Friends and Critics of
the LDS Church

Author:

Michael W. Hickenbotham

Retail Price:

$19.98

Available:

Now

ISBN:

0-88290-536-8

Order Number (SKU):

1058

Pages

276

Size

6” x 9”

Binding

Hardbound with jacket

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