What LDS specific beliefs are in the Book of Mormon?

[_zzyzx]

Other than Nephites & Lamanites and Jesus visit to the Americas what LDS Specific beliefs are in the Book of Mormon?

No three degrees of glory. No Celestial/eternal marriage. Is there even a mention of Aaronic and Melchizidek priesthood and duties?

If a man 'can get closer to God' through it than from any other book, can a man get 'closer to LDS, Inc. through it? I don't see how.

[_truth dancer]

This is a great topic.

I recall asking this question on the FAIR board and If I recall correctly, the response was: no infant baptism, sacrament prayers, and the explanation/description of the Godhead (although we know this certainly changed over the years).

I think that was about it.

I'm with you, there is little in the Book of Mormon that resembles the current LDS church. Even if the story was true, I don't see how it even remotely means the LDS church is of God, or divinely inspired, or under the direction of Christ.

~td~

[_bcspace]

There is no requirement, stated or logical, for all LDS doctrines or even just restored or unique ones to be in the Book of Mormon. But there are quite a few there for those who've actually read it (which neither you nor truth dancer have).

The nature and reason for the Fall, for example, in 2 Nephi 2. This alone clearly sets us apart from other Christians.

I can go on and on actually but I won't be providing that list mainly because the first two posters here are merely parroting a standard and well-refuted anti Mormon claim without having actually studied (i.e. read the Book of Mormon) the issue.

Life was not meant to be handed to you on a silver platter nor pearls to be cast before swine. However, if you honestly endeavor to search, then it shalll be given to you. Faith without works is dead and the proof left to the student.

However, I may visit this thread from time to time if it stays high on the list because of actual posts (not bumps) and give other examples.

If a man 'can get closer to God' through it than from any other book, can a man get 'closer to LDS, Inc. through it? I don't see how.

By abiding by it's precepts. You seemed to quit reading just before the most important part. Either that, or you're parroting again without having read the actual quote.

[_Inconceivable]

If a man 'can get closer to God' through it than from any other book, can a man get 'closer to LDS, Inc. through it? I don't see how.

No, a man cannot get closer to LDS Inc. In fact, the more I had read the Book of Mormon as a TBM, the further I got from LDS Inc.

I could see how one might have said that it contains the fullness of the Gospel. Why?

The most important concept contained in the Book of Mormon demonstrates how one may change their nature - to be born again, become a child of Christ and have no more disposition to do evil. It's about forgiving and being forgiven. It about the good news of peace. The good news is the magic Enos spoke of.

What is remarkable is that it teaches us how to recognize this change of heart within ourselves as well as others. It's about charity. We learn to see as we are seen. And few Mormons ever discover any of this in the book because they don't read it. For most, church is about the three round circles on the chalk board. Jesus true purpose is misunderstood.

It is an amazing book of fiction. If it were mostly true I would understand this love of Christ that Alma, Limhi and Nephi spoke of.

But it would still not require me to believe that Smith had any gift beyond showing up with it. Smith was a Charlotten scumbag that never read the book. If he did, he didn't abide it's principles or understand it.

[_harmony]

But it would still not require me to believe that Smith had any gift beyond showing up with it. Smith was a Charlotten scumbag that never read the book. If he did, he didn't abide it's principles or understand it.

That is my single biggest problem with the entire concept: Joseph's life was in direct contradiction to what the church teaches.

[_Seven]

Other than Nephites & Lamanites and Jesus visit to the Americas what LDS Specific beliefs are in the Book of Mormon?

No three degrees of glory. No Celestial/eternal marriage. Is there even a mention of Aaronic and Melchizidek priesthood and duties?

If a man 'can get closer to God' through it than from any other book, can a man get 'closer to LDS, Inc. through it? I don't see how.

This is one of the problems I had with Elder Holland's talk.
When he said:

I testify that one cannot come to full faith in this latter-day work—and thereby find the fullest measure of peace and comfort in these, our times—until he or she embraces the divinity of the Book of Mormon and the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it testifies. If anyone is foolish enough or misled enough to reject 531 pages of a heretofore unknown text teeming with literary and Semitic complexity without honestly attempting to account for the origin of those pages—especially without accounting for their powerful witness of Jesus Christ and the profound spiritual impact that witness has had on what is now tens of millions of readers—if that is the case, then such a person, elect or otherwise, has been deceived; and if he or she leaves this Church, it must be done by crawling over or under or around the Book of Mormon to make that exit. In that sense the book is what Christ Himself was said to be: “a stone of stumbling, . . . a rock of offence,”11 a barrier in the path of one who wishes not to believe in this work. Witnesses, even witnesses who were for a time hostile to Joseph, testified to their death that they had seen an angel and had handled the plates. “They have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man,” they declared. “Wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true.”12

Why can’t a person leave the church with the Book of Mormon? The RLDS and fundamentalists have. The witnesses did. The doctrines that distinguish the LDS church from other Christian faiths are not found in the Book of Mormon. In fact, the doctrines that make the LDS church unique are contrary to the teachings in it. (i.e. polygamy, the Godhead, temple ordinances, etc. )

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Christ. Having a testimony of those scriptures doesn’t require a person to join the LDS church, just as having a testimony of the Bible doesn’t require me to join a particular religion. If LDS Prophets can speak opinion from the pulpit and make mistakes in doctrines, why would any person require someone to have an umbrella testimony of the LDS church?

[_moksha]

As mentioned above, I have heard several opinions that Joseph Smith had not read the Book of Mormon. Is there any substantiation to this claim?

The nature and reason for the Fall, for example, in 2 Nephi 2. This alone clearly sets us apart from other Christians.

Out of curiosity, didn't the Campbellites also deny the doctrine of hereditary depravity? It should be noted that outside of denying the bad mojo accrued in the fall from grace, hereditary curses were allowed elsewhere in Mormon doctrine.

[_Manfred]

Here's a list of unique teachings found in the Book of Mormon prepared by FAIR:

http://en.fairmormon.org/Plain_and_precious_Book_of_Mormon_doctrines#Response

[_huckelberry]

Manfred, the fair link has a list of Book of Mormon teaching but makes no claim that the teachings are unique. Most all of them are not. Though it is possible there is more than one at least close to unique, the only one I recoginized that way was the idea that Adam had to first sin in order to have children. That proposition may well qualify as unique, that is uniquely bizarre and difficult to find sense in.

[_Inconceivable]

Here's a list of unique teachings found in the Book of Mormon prepared by FAIR:
http://en.fairmormon.org/Plain_and_precious_Book_of_Mormon_doctrines#Response

I would note that FAIR entirely missed the most essential aspect of the Book of Mormon:

The Book of Mormon clearly demonstrates by example the various and miraculous ways a person becomes born again (Nephi, Enos, Alma, Limhi, Abish, Ammon, Sherem etc). It's a book of magic.

Why don't they enumerate the miraculous accounts for their target audience?

1) Because none of these events transpired in their own personal life.. yet.
2) I would submit that most of them at FAIR would consider such occurances as fables.
3) They wouldn't believe you if you told them you had one. Try it. Pin them down.
4) If they think it might have occurred in their life, they would feel foolish to relate it. They would wander around their truth until they got lost in the non-essentials - that mist of darkness thing.

And the magical event is the most important of all teachings from the Book of Mormon.

This is what Smith missed as well. It was all cerebral when it came to exemplifying Christ. There is no connection. No personal relationship as is demonstrated in the Book of Mormon.