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Critical review essay on the book of mormon
Book of mormon
Critical review essay on the book of mormon
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The purest, simplest description of the Book of Mormon is that it is literally, “another testament of Jesus Christ,” given to mankind so that they may know how to become like Him.
Yet sometimes, if only the surface of the Book of Mormon is studied, it is easy to loose sight of Christ in between pages after page of wars and contentions, kings and judges, journeys and trials and prophecies. If we diligently study the Book of Mormon, we will find that Christ is on every page, and we will come to a better understanding of his divine purpose and character. Furthermore, if we emulate those characteristics and do our best to become like Him, we can have all the blessings promised to the faithful in the Book of Mormon. One chapter that speaks volumes
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It is incomprehensibly significant that Christ yields himself “as a man” to be judged wrongly and crucified by these wicked men. Jesus Christ is the firstborn Son of God, the Prince of the Heavens, and the Creator of the Earth. Through the Father he has all power, and is deserving of all exaltation, yet he voluntarily chose to lower himself to the level of men, to fulfill the will of the Father and complete the Atonement for us. He could have destroyed His persecutors in an instant and avoided all the pain, but He set aside his power for that moment so that he could truly experience what mortal men experience and feel what they feel. This is without a doubt the greatest display of humility and love in the history of the world. Christ’s example of humility can give us the strength to come to Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit when we have fallen short, because we know that He has felt of our heartache and understands how difficult it is to seek forgiveness. As we strive to continually humble ourselves before Christ, He can use the Atonement not only to cleanse us from sin but to also to turn our weaknesses into strengths as we progress towards eternal life with our …show more content…
Here Nephi expresses why it is that he “delighteth in proving unto [his] people the truth of the coming of Christ.” He teaches that, “save Christ should come all men must perish.” Without a Savior and Redeemer, no man would be fit to enter back into the Kingdom of Heaven. But Nephi delights in Christ because, “in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy,” the Plan of Salvation is made possible. This characterization captures the true essence of who Christ is in so many ways. Our God is a God of justice, bound by divine principles to hold all men accountable for their actions. By this estimation, it would be impossible for any of us to make it back to Him on our own; we would all fall painfully short of the mark of perfection that qualifies men for Heaven. But our God is also a God of mercy. This does not mean that justice can simply be forgone or ignored; the price of mankind’s sins must be paid. Jesus Christ satisfied these demands of justice, when he suffered for the sins of the world. But the Savior also fulfills the cause of mercy each day as he extends his infinite Atonement to us. Through His grace and the power of His priesthood here on Earth, the “great and eternal plan of deliverance from death,” is made possible. Nephi, however, describes all of this as being “the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers.” A covenant is a two way contract between the
Bitton, Davis & Beecher, Maureen U. New Views of Mormon History. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1987.
A handsome boy kneels down for prayer beside a tree in his father’s orchard. It is a nice sunny spring day with the warm rays of the radiant sun gently kissing the boy’s face. “God, give me a sign,” he pleads to his heavenly father. He is only 14, yet religion fascinates him. Confused by what Christian faith to believe in, he was not sure whether he wanted to become a Baptist like his parents, or a Methodist, which church’s teachings appealed more to him. A slight cool breeze passes through his chestnut colored hair. In a moment he finds himself paralyzed, unable to move, at the mercy of some evil force. A shadowy mist surrounds him. The boy is afraid and does the only thing he could think of: he prayed, “God save me!” Immediately a pillar of light descends over his head like a crown of gold. A strange calmness overcomes the boy, and the shadows around him recede. To the boy, who questioned God’s existence, this was a sure sign that his heavenly father was still there. That boy was Joseph Smith, who had just experienced the first of a series of visions that he would receive throughout his faithful life. Soon after his first vision, he received another in which he the angel Moroni visited him, who presented him with a map. Smith traveled to a nearby hill where he found several golden tablets, etched with mysterious characters of ancient languages long forgotten. Smith was ordered by the angel to translate the plates into what is now known as the Book of Mormon (from which the Mormons gained their name), the cornerstone of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or simply abbreviated as the LDS Church. (Millet 6-8).
Furthermore, it was Young’s dream to establish ‘the holy city’. otherwise known as Zion. Which he also believed was God ’s will. He hoped that Mormons could eventually become self-sufficient, and live.
The Death of Joseph Smith as a Turning Point in the History of the Mormons
Utah and the Mormon Culture In 1820, Joseph Smith had a vision in Palmyra, New York, of God and his son, Jesus Christ telling him to reorganize the church of Jesus Christ. During the next 10 years, Joseph was visited by other heavenly messengers, translated the Book of Mormon and established the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. Many years thereafter, the Mormons relocated from Nauvoo, Illinois because of religious persecution (PBS Online). In Illinois, Joseph Smith had succeeded in establishing a religion which brought together its followers both sociologically and economically.
"The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles." Letter. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 2000. Lds.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1 Jan. 2000. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.
A characteristic not many people have is courage. Courage can be difficult to obtain or it can be easy. Acting upon fearful choices makes a person courageous. Courageous figures are the 2000 Stripling Warriors. These young men were morally straight, courageous, faithful, and brave. Anybody can be courageous through actions and morals. One of the most important attributes is courage.
8 Jerald Tanner and Sandra Tanner, Mormonism: Shadow or Reality (Salt Lake City: Modern Microfilm Company, 1972), 277
The church is a hierarchy that is lead by the priesthood. In order to receive the priesthood, one must be male. In The Proclamation, it says about men “By divine design fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families” (lds.org). The word preside means to have authority over something, in this case the family. Since the church is a similitude of the family, almost all the leaders are men. The only general leadership positions held by women are in the individual youth and children organization, and Relief Society, the leading women’s organization in the church. When The Proclamation talks about mothers its say “Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children” (lds.org).To many, this is a negative claim and sits as a point of opposition from feminist groups. Till this day, the gender roles of men and women continue to be debated in the Mormons church, and society.
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). In order for humanity to fulfill it’s created purpose and be completely satisfied in life, each individual must worship God in every deed, word, and thought. God reveals this purpose over and over again in the first eleven chapters of Genesis in the story of Cain and Able, Noah and the flood, the tower of Babel, and most importantly, the fall. With all of this in mind, one must ask the question, “How can we fulfill our purpose if we are unable to worship God?” That is where Christ comes in. Because of His great love, He came to this earth and died for humanity so that they could be restored to life (Romans 5:8). By accepting Jesus’ free gift of salvation, His blood covers all sin and His righteousness is credited to the sinner (Romans 6:23). The result, then, is that everyone who receives this gift is now free to live their lives for Christ; fulfilling their created purpose. There is, then, only two human identities. Either one has accepted Christ’s gift of salvation and now identifies as a child of God, or he rejects God and chooses death over life. The child of God now lives under the authority of Christ and interprets everything through a different
The Oatman’s adventure began as a result of their decision to join a new sect of the Mormon faith. This particular belief, whose followers were named Brewsterites, had its roots in Kirtland, Ohio around 1836. A young boy, about ten years old, named Colin Brewster, showed promise in the eyes of Joseph Smith, the great Mormon prophet. Many had already noticed the boy’s “gift for seeing in vision distant objects not seen by the natural eye” (McGinty 40). Eventually, Brewster’s vision of a round table lead to his acceptance as “a prophet, a seer, a revelator and translator” (McGinty 31), by Joseph Smith Sr. and two other church elders, one of which was referred to as Lord.
The Mormon population holds true to their unique religious beliefs. Most Mormons are similar to those who practice Christianity, however there are some differences. Over the past two centuries that Mormonism has been founded by Joseph Smith, this faith has expanded across the United States. Even though the faith has been powerful to many believers it is becoming less frequently practiced. This religion not only practices God and Jesus as separate people but also believes that God is seen in everyone. Since, Mormons are very religious and godlike we have to be competent to these differences when working with this population. There is very little information about how to perform Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a child that is practicing
Terry Tempest Williams is fully aware that she is contradicting the church when she writes “women have no outward authority,” yet she still chooses to take part in a ritual of healing that can only be performed by the men. Williams, however, does so in privacy and in the “secrecy of the sisterhood.” The word secrecy hints at the idea of doing something which is not accepted and against certain beliefs of today’s church. She was born and raised in a home of devout Mormons who follow the traditional beliefs of their faith. She acknowledges that the Mormon Church places great importance on obedience. In college she began to question her faith and today would not consider herself an “orthodox Mormon,” although Mormonism still has an impact in her life and work. In her writing, Williams continually contradicts the values of the Mormons.
...f God’s glory and for those that have questioned their faith. The book urges the reader to consider the sacrifices Jesus made, his role as a messenger and mediator, and the ability of people to find salvation through the acceptance of Jesus. These are central messages that other portions of the Bible touch on but do not discuss with the same degree or urgency.
Through his death Christ gained forgiveness of sins for all who follow him (see "baptism"). Titus 3:13,14 says "our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity".