Book of Mormon vs. Bible
The Book of Mormon is another witness that Jesus Christ really lived,
that He was and is God’s Son. It contains the writings of ancient
prophets. One of these, Lehi, lived in Jerusalem around 600 B.C. God
commanded Lehi to lead a small group of people to the American
continent. There they became a great civilization.
God continued to call prophets among these people. The Book of Mormon is a collection of the writings of their prophets and record keepers. It is named after Mormon, one of the last of these ancient prophets. These prophets knew about Heavenly Father’s plan for His children and the mission of Jesus Christ. They recorded that Christ appeared, after His Resurrection, to the people in America, taught them His gospel, and formed His Church among them. The book contains the teachings of Jesus Christ, testifying of His Atonement and His love. It supports and verifies the Bible. The Book of Mormon concludes with a great promise that those who read it and sincerely pray about it can know by the Holy Ghost that it is true (Moroni 10:4). |
The Bible is an account of Gods action in this world and his great purpose with all of creation. The writing of the Bible took place over many centuries and is the writing of over 40 authors. This compilation of booklets contains an astonishing variety of writing styles. It provides many stories about the lives of good and bad people, about battles and journeys, about the life of Jesus, about early church activity, about our creation, and about sin. It comes to us in narratives and dialogues, in proverbs and parables, in songs and allegories, in history and prophecy.
The accounts in the Bible were not generally written down as they occurred. Rather they were told over and over again and handed down through the years, before eventually being written down . Yet the same themes may be found throughout the book and along with the diversity there is also remarkable unity throughout. The Bible is a guide for living life to the full. It gives us a road map for the perilous journey of life. Or to put it another way, on our voyage through life's ocean, the Bible is an anchor. A storehouse of wonderful stories for children and grownups. Remember Noah and the ark? Joseph's coat of many colors? Daniel in the lion's den? Jonah and the fish? The parables of Jesus? These stories emphasize the triumphs and failures of ordinary people. A refuge in trouble. People in pain, in suffering, in prison, and in mourning tell how turning to the Bible brought strength in their desperate hours. A treasury of insight as to who we are. We are not meaningless robots, but we are magnificent creatures of God who loves us and gives us a purpose and a destiny. A source book for everyday living. We also find standards for our conduct, guidelines for knowing right from wrong, and principles to help us in a confused society where so often "anything goes." |