The Book of Mormon and the Bible are Both Good Fruit

When I was serving as a missionary in Chile over 20 years ago, one of the main issues, questions, and interests we had with our potential investigators was  THE BOOK of MORMON.   Many of them had never heard of The Book of Mormon before.  We as missionaries shared, taught, and testified daily about the truthfulness of this scripture.

A common concern for someone unfamiliar with The Book of Mormon or our church is that we have replaced The Bible.

 “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” 2 Corinthians 13:1 

Both the Book of Mormon and the Bible testify of Jesus Christ and  teach the principles of His gospel.

 Let me share with you a quote found on Mormon.org:

"Some people think that because we read the Book of Mormon, we don't read the Bible. That's just not true. It's like saying that we don't eat oranges because we eat apples. Both are good fruit! The Book of Mormon is not a replacement for the Bible. In fact, because the Book of Mormon and the Bible both contain the gospel of Jesus Christ as it was revealed to different civilizations, studying them together can clarify some concepts that are difficult to understand. The Book of Mormon tells us to read the Bible and affirms that its message is true (Mormon 7:8-10). And in the Bible, Jesus told His apostles, “Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd”

"(John 10:16). Christ visited these “other sheep” in the Americas after He was resurrected, teaching the same message to the Nephites that He taught to the people of Israel. The Book of Mormon makes it clear that Jesus Christ's message and His atonement are not for one group of people at one time. They are for everyone, everywhere, from the beginning of the earth to the end. Having the Book of Mormon as another testament of Jesus Christ reminds us that He is mindful of every one of us."

A popular scripture we would read to our investigators from the Book of Mormon was  2 Nephi 29

6 ... A ^aBible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?

7 Know ye not that there are more ^anations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the ^bisles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the ^cearth beneath; and I bring forth my ^dword unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?

8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the ^atestimony of ^btwo nations is a ^cwitness unto you that I am God, that I remember one ^dnation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two ^enations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.

10 Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my ^awords; neither ^bneed ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.

11 For I command ^aall men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall ^bwrite the words which I speak unto them; for out of the ^cbooks which shall be written I will ^djudge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.

12 For behold, I shall speak unto the ^aJews and they shall ^bwrite it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall ^cwrite it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto ^dall nations of the earth and they shall write it.

13 And it shall come to pass that the ^aJews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the ^blost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews. "

One of the main Articles of Faith (13 beliefs about our church) states:

 We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

   Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that “scriptural witnesses authenticate each other"

Mormon 7:9 "For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe [the Bible]; and if ye believe [the Bible] ye will believe [the Book of Mormon] also; and if ye believe [the Book of Mormon] ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them."

"...but you don't have to take my word for it"

The Book with a Promise

And finally, we as missionaries would always share the promise found at the end of the Book of Mormon in Moroni 10:4,5:



4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

Each person can find out for themselves if the Book of Mormon is true by praying and asking God.  By the power of the Holy Ghost [which can be felt in the heart and mind], we can know the truth of ALL things.

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This week I am participating in a Book of Mormon forum where several of us bloggers are linking up together to share our testimonies of The Book of Mormon. If you are interested in joining go {here}

 to read more on this subject go to: The Book of Mormon: A Witness for the Bible