The purpose for writing this is NOT to convince you not to be Mormon. The purpose is that you embrace the all-powerful Son of God who was crushed for our iniquity so that we have the opportunity to have our sin forgiven. When we are washed clean of sin by his precious blood, we stand before God spotless. This is why God is able to adopt us into his divine Family as sons. Please consider who Jesus is as explained in the New Testament. The best book you could read is not this one. The very best book is God's Word. Trust it. Examine it yourself to determine if the Jesus there is the same person as who you have put your trust in. If you have embraced Mormonism, you have embraced a pseudo-Jesus. Read about the actual man from Nazareth with Divine identity. He alone can save. This is why He came.
Conclusion
There are 2
scenarios I’d like to present. In both scenarios, the detective slowly steps
off the porch of the suspect’s home. You are no doubt shocked and confused at
all the evidence you discovered in your investigation and now you begin to
ponder the outcome of all this when you hand over the evidence to the judge.
It’s not simple. You know the suspect. He is your Parents, possibly your
Grandparents. He is your best Friend. He is your future, your dreams, your
Husband or your Wife. The judge is impartial. He will make his decision and
you’re the one who will suffer the most because you’re the reason for the
conviction.
You hurry
home with all the evidence you’ve collected and take it to your garden. With
the weight of what you’ve learned you begin to dig deep in the soil. You’re
conflicted, but you know that this is the only way to keep the suspect safe.
After you’ve buried it deep and wipe your hands clean you take a deep breath.
You can carry on as usual. You can maintain all that you would have lost. But,
you have retained your world at the cost of your soul. Jesus said in Matthew
16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (KJV). The
evidence demands a verdict. What will you
give in exchange for your soul?
Let’s look
at the other option. Though heart-broken and scared, you drive your car to the
police station. You submit the evidence to your will and choose instead to lose
it all so that justice can be served. You ask God for the grace to endure all
the loss and you begin to experience something you didn’t expect! You begin to
hear God! It’s not what you expected, but it is more than you could have ever imagined! As you cry out to God
for mercy, you realize that God really did send his only begotten son! You
realize that he shed his blood for your sin and that there is nothing you could
ever do to earn that kind of love. He rose from the grave so that you could be
assured that where he is, you will be. He is your redeemer. He is your loving
God who chose to save you by his power! Can you put your trust in that God? Is
Jesus enough?
This is
your story. I cannot write its ending. The two options are simple, but far from
easy. Will you go on rejecting the God of the Bible for the god that you knew
so well? Or will you reject the one you once held dear for the living
unfamiliar One who exists in truth. Is He worth getting to know? Is He worth
losing everything for?
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save
his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find
it.”
-Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:24-25 KJV)
Index
Here
is a list of New Testament quotes I personally recognized in the Book of
Mormon. How is this possible?
|
New Testament Passage
|
Book of Mormon Passage
|
|
Matthew
24:6
|
1Nephi
14:15
|
|
Romans
11:23
|
1Nephi
15:12-13
|
|
Malachi
3:2
|
1Nephi
20:10
|
|
Romans
3:20
|
2Nephi
2:5
|
|
Romans
8:23
|
2Nephi
2:8-9
|
|
John
8:44. Revelation 12:9
|
2Nephi
2:18
|
|
Galatians
4:4
|
2Nephi
2:26
|
|
John
1:13
|
2Nephi
2:29
|
|
Romans
7:24
|
2Nephi
4:17
|
|
Mark
16:16
|
2Nephi
9:24
|
|
Romans
8:6
|
2Nephi
9:39
|
|
Acts
4:12
|
2Nephi
25:22
|
|
Matthew
7:13-14
|
2Nephi
33:9
|
|
Mark
10:24
|
Jacob
2:18
|
|
Acts
4:12
|
Mosiah
3:17
|
|
1Corinthians
15:58
|
Mosiah
5:15
|
|
1Corinthians
15:55
|
Mosiah
16:7
|
|
John
5:29
|
Mosiah
16:11
|
|
1Corinthians
15
|
Alma
5:15
|
|
John
3:16
|
Alma
5:49
|
|
Matthew
3:10, Luke 3:9
|
Alma
5:52
|
|
Hebrews
12:1
|
Alma
7:15
|
|
Matthew
11:24
|
Alma
9:15
|
|
Hebrews
9:27
|
Alma
12:27
|
|
1Corinthians
15:55
|
Alma
22:14
|
|
Hebrews
6:6
|
Alma
24:30
|
|
John
4:35
|
Alma
26:5
|
|
1Corinthians
15:54
|
Alma
27:28
|
|
2Corinthians
6:2, John 9:4, Revelation 12:11
|
Alma
34:3, 33, 36
|
|
Philippians
2:12
|
Alma
34:37
|
|
1Corinthians
1:28
|
Alma
36:6-7
|
|
Luke
22:31
|
Alma
37:15
|
|
Matthew
10:22
|
Alma
38:2
|
|
Acts
4:12
|
Alma
38:9
|
|
Luke
18:10
|
Alma
38:14
|
|
1Corinthians
15:50
|
Alma
40:2
|
|
Matthew
8:12
|
Alma
40:13
|
|
Revelation
22:17
|
Alma
42:27
|
|
John
4:23
|
Alma
43:10
|
|
Matthew
23:26
|
Alma
60:23
|
|
Matthew
6:20
|
Helaman
5:8
|
|
Acts
4:12
|
Helaman
5:9
|
|
1Peter
1:8
|
Helaman
5:44
|
|
Matthew
6:20
|
Helaman
8:25
|
|
Matthew
16:19
|
Helaman
10:7
|
|
Matthew
23:30
|
Helaman
13:25
|
|
John
1:12
|
3Nephi
9:17
|
|
2Peter
3:10
|
Mormon
9:2
|
|
Hebrews
6:19, 1Corinthians 15:58
|
Ether
12:4
|
|
1Corinthians
13:4-7
|
Moroni
7:45
|
|
1John
3:1-3
|
Moroni
7:48
|
|
James
4:4
|
Mosiah
3:19
|
About the Author:
Samuel
Martin was raised in Laramie Wyoming. He grew up in a Pastor’s home and later
joined the Navy after graduating from Laramie High School in 2000. Sam served
on the USS Tucson (SSN 770) in Pearl Harbor Hi. where he began to understand
his call to ministry. Sam Maried his Wife Erin during that time and they had
their first of 4 children while stationed there.
After being
honorably discharged in 2005, Sam attended the University of Wyoming where he
continued a lifestyle of evangelism and raised a growing Family. Sam then
attended The West Institute Seminary in Laramie Wyoming (a teaching sight of
Shepherd’s Theological Seminary in NC). Sam was hired as a Youth Pastor during
his time at the University and later hired as the Associate Pastor at Laramie
Valley Chapel.
Throughout
Sam’s life in Wyoming his heart for reaching Mormons has grown. You cannot live
in Wyoming long without meeting and befriending many Mormons. After speaking
with many missionaries of the LDS Church, Sam decided to research the Book of
Mormon in a deep and meaningful way. Ulitmately, Sam’s heart is to make
Disciples of Jesus Christ. His hope is that this book will remove the barriers
that exist between Mormons and Jesus so that they can clearly understand the
Gospel and respond to its hope.
