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Speak O Lord (Part 1)

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‘Dear ones, if you want to hear God speak to you, there’s one way I can guarantee you that you will hear God speak, read your Bible. If you want to hear God speak to you audibly, read it out loud. I promise you…I promise you, you’ll hear Him speak.’  Justin Peters

 In a recent article entitled: I "Hear Him" by Aligning My Mind with His Will[1], Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared how he personally hears from God.

Now it is no surprise, that as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he mentions being ‘nourished by hearing the word of God from the holy scriptures and from the teachings of the prophets.’ The Holy Scriptures to which he refers would not just be the Bible, but also the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price and Doctrine and Covenants. The teachings of the prophets would be things taught as true by those who have held the position of prophet, seer and revelator of the LDS church.

In his commentary, Elder Soares offers his readers four ways in which he, and they, may hear from God. Firstly…

I Hear Him by Aligning My Mind with Him

I have been making a daily effort to align my mind with things that are good, praiseworthy, and virtuous. (Elder Soares)

Elder Soares begins by saying something we can agree with. We are exhorted by the Apostle Paul to be transformed by the renewing of our minds:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  Romans 12:1-2 

And elsewhere Paul urges believers to think upon things that are helpful in our walk with God:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

It does indeed take effort to keep our minds free from the polluting influences of the world around us and to focus on that which God says is good and right and proper. But to where do we go to hear that which is honourable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable? My answer would be the Bible, but that is not where Elder Soares takes us.

I Hear Him through the Book of Mormon

Another way I have tried to fill my soul with light is through the Book of Mormon. The introduction of the Book of Mormon reads: “We invite all men [and women] everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. When I accepted this invitation to read and ponder the Book of Mormon, I also accepted an invitation to know the Lord.” (Elder Soares) 

Though many Mormons would claim that the Book of Mormon and the Bible are equal authorities in their lives, it is patently not true. In his article Elder Soares does not mention the Bible at all, but rather goes immediately to the Book of Mormon. He, like all Mormons, believe the Bible to be the Word of God only as far as it is translated correctly, whereas the Book of Mormon is the Word of God.[2] 

Having prayed, Elder Soares has had the Holy Ghost confirm the authenticity of the Book of Mormon by giving him a ‘burning in the bosom’. Now, as he reads it, he hears God speak.

As Bible believing Christians, we should have all kinds of problems with this. Firstly, the truth of something can never be confirmed by a feeling.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?  Jeremiah 17:9

We feel all kinds of things. Sometimes a ‘burning in the bosom’ speaks to us of nothing more than indigestion, not a confirmation that something is true. Rather the Bible says that we test the truth of all things by the Word of God:

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.  Acts 17:11

I would suggest a further problem with hearing from God through the Book of Mormon, is that it is not the Word of God. 

Though Joseph Smith said “that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book”[3], there are a host of problems with it. Unlike the Bible, the Book of Mormon cannot be historically verified. The places, peoples, animals, foods, coins etc. it mentions have no place in historic fact. This should cast a great deal of doubt over its credibility, but sadly the ‘burning in the bosom’ overrides facts.

Another problem is that the Book of Mormon contradicts Mormon doctrine in numerous places. For example: The Book of Mormon teaches that there is only one God (Mosiah 15:1; Alma 11:28; 2 Nephi 31:21) whereas Mormon doctrine teaches that there are many Gods:

I will preach on the plurality of Gods . . . I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods. . . . Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods.[4]

 The Book of Mormon contradicts Mormon doctrine, yet agrees with the Bible on the issue of monotheism.

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.
Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:6-8)

I would suggest that God speaks through the Book of Mormon, as far as it agrees with the Bible – the true Word of God.

Next time we will continue by looking at two further ways Elder Soares claims God speaks to him.


[2] LDS Articles of the Faith, 8

[3] (History of the Church, vol. 4, p. 461).

[4] (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 370).

 


 

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