Michigan Camp Meeting 2019: As a Witness, Matthew 24:14

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Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Mormonism at the Crossroads

Daniel Scarone

Mormonism at the Crossroads - Part 2

Father in Heaven, thank you for your blessings.

Thank you for the beautiful day that we are enjoying today.

Thank you for your protection, your care, and please help us in this work that we are going to be working together to foster our mission into different and diverse groups, especially our brethren in this community of faith.

Be with us in the presentation, in Jesus' name, amen.

Just sometimes, I don't know if you are in a hotel or something like that, please, after you check it around, you can check.

There are several versions of the Book of Mormon.

Yesterday we were talking about, a little bit about, what are the canonical background for the Mormons.

And of course, they believe in the Bible, and I mentioned yesterday that they believe with an exception, that is the article of faith number 8 and I'm going to mention, This is in Spanish and this is in English, the same thing.

Okay, I don't know if I'm going to have it in Hungarian for tomorrow here in Michigan, but just to let you know, this is a version in which there is the Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants, and the Pill of Great Praise.

That the other that I give to my friend over there, is a blue version, it's just the Book of Mormon.

It's the 1 that you might be able to find in some hotels belonging to Thethil in Marriott or, you know, all those who are downtown Salt Lake City headquarters, you are going to find out a little bit about that.

I am going to review a little bit because today I do have the PowerPoint presentation.

We are talking about a world movement that is worthlesh, but it's not in the same amount of countries like the Seventh-day Adventist Church, by the way.

There are countries in which Mormons are not represented.

And you can check online about that because last year they had a constituency and a World Congress with a lot of information and everything is available.

At the beginning of the year I've been checking that and so I couldn't find out too many more, but I am updating this book that I wrote in Spanish, and I'm going to have it in Spanish this year.

I don't know if I'm going to work a little bit with this in English.

I am surprised that many people here are attending.

I've been telling my wife that every time that I did a presentation regarding this topic, surprises me the attendance that we do have because apparently there is some, or family, friend, or somebody else here with a kind of relationship.

So probably I'm going to make an effort and put it in English if I can.

Because all the, by the way, all the quotations, all the references in the bibliographic that I am working with, it is in English, of course, because That is the point.

So yesterday we were surveying, I'm going to repeat a little bit about this today, that Joseph Smith is the basis of the Mormonism.

Of course He was born in December the 23rd.

And in 1920, he refers to have the first vision.

And Joseph Smith found in 1923, the golden plates, but they are going to be released in 1827.

And we are going to probably between tomorrow or Thursday, I'm going to take more than 20 minutes of my presentation regarding these 2 dates, 1823 and 1827.

Let me get back to you, Let me get back to you.

I'm going to, I'm going to enter into detail into this topic because it is important and in 1827, September the 22nd, Joseph Smith received the golden plates that is the basis of this book according to the reference that it says.

So when you open the Book of Mormon you are going to see from the beginning the testimony of 3 witnesses that saw the book and after that the testimony of 8 witnesses.

So we are going to work out on maybe tomorrow regarding that because it is important.

Keep in mind that, and we are going to make a reference in between that and Doctrines and Covenant, Chapter 5, because in that kind of connection, we are going to be working something regarding to them because let me share with you that I am with a burden with these people there are good people in in this community and I think that we need to do something in favor of them There was a hand over there?

No, yes, they were in Gilcomora but were not released to him until 1827.

And we are going to get back into this topic because this is important.

And also the question, because we are going to dig in regarding this topic.

It is important, your question, and it's important what we are going to see here.

I went to a patient event that they normally do have every single year, and I understand that they are going to have this event.

And let me share with you that this is a kind of Hollywood kind of presentation, very powerful the way in which they are going to work the presentation.

And you see, there is a lot of people, by the way.

When we reached the place, we parked over here with my family.

So we were walking a lot to find a place, but they didn't give me permission to tape, you know?

I didn't give my name to them, but don't worry.

Because I, by the way, I wrote a book about them, and they answered.

I'm going to show you some of the things that they put on the internet in Spanish.

So this is in the top of the Hill Cumorah and there is a kind of remembrance for them and they do have a center for the visitors and they are very well prepared to attend all the visitors.

And they are having people coming from all over the world to visit, especially in that month, that is July.

Remember something, if you check into the into the Google Maps you are going to find out Gilcomora is about what maybe 6, 7 miles away from Palmyra.

That is the place in which it was the center of the first printing of the Book of Mormon.

So that's a reason why that is important, For some reason, and I think that is financial reasons, they are not going to perform this any longer from this year on.

I guess this or 2019 or 2020, according to my understanding, what I checked on, they are not going to repeat this event.

And the display is, in my view, in my view, is very expensive 1.

The platform is that kind of thing that you are going to see.

And in about, what, maybe 2 hours, because it's July, so in between 9-ish, around this time in July, until maybe 11-15, they are going to give you a general picture of the historical background of the Book of Mormon.

So the display that they represent into that, let me tell you, it's grandiose, to use 1 awesome word, because there is a lot, lot of people involved in the actuation, in the sketches, and I am trying to focus from the distance in order that you may have an idea of that.

Of course, this is just a clip about that.

In 1829, the 3 witnesses, and when I speak about the 3 witnesses, I am referring to this, I don't know if you have the Book of Mormon over there someplace, but when you, yes, when you open the Book of Mormon, the first thing that you are going to see, I'm sorry that I'm with this, for some reason, but you, the first thing is, you find is this page and says well I have the Spanish version I can read it but I don't know if it's could you read it from the testimony of the 3 witnesses here at the beginning over there just at the beginning yeah unto people, unto the womb, that this work shall come, that we, through the grace of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the place which contain this record, which is the record of the people of Nephi, and also the Lamanites, their brethren, and also the people of Jared who came from the tower Which which have been spoken and we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God for his voice hath declared it unto us that we have seen the engravings which are upon the place and have been shown unto us the power of God, and not of man.

And we declare with words of soberness that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes that we beheld and saw the place the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ That we beheld and bear record that these things are true and it is a marvelous In our eyes nevertheless the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it.

Wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandment of God, we bear testimony of these things.

We know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men and be found spotless before the judgment seat of Christ and show 12 with him eternally in the heavens and the honor be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, which is 1 God.

So at the end says Oliver Coudery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris.

It is important to take in count this because tomorrow we are going to visit a little bit this, because we are going to enter into that in a comparison in between writing.

I mention this because the problem is that when you turn the page, you turn the page and the next page says, and the testimony of 8 witnesses.

And yesterday I mentioned that 1 of the problems that they do have, in fact, in history, is that 3 witnesses, the first 3 witnesses, abandoned the church.

Everything happened in the branch of about 10 years, approximately.

So the reason is that suddenly, in between, between some of them returned, get back into the church.

But in between, there was no testimony about the existence of that.

So that's a reason why the rationale is the testimony of 8.

But we're going to enter tomorrow into that because that is a problem for them.

And I'm going to show you what is the reason of the problem and what is the dynamic of that.

No, Oliver Cowdery, that is family of the Prophet, and David Whitmer get back, but not Martin Harris.

My understanding, according to the bibliography, is he never get back.

So in 1830, They printed out the first version of the Book of Mormon, and they organized the charge.

And in 1833, Joseph Smith was elected as the president of the new organized charge.

Yesterday, we were mentioning a little bit about that.

I don't know if I'm going to have with too much emphasis regarding that but basically let me tell you that in the temples they distinguish churches and temples.

If you are an official member of the Church, yesterday I received a verbal hint that I'm going to check, but I'm going to share with you, that normally they are checking with auditors about the offerings to the church, by the way.

Mormonism at the Crossroads - Part 3

Father in heaven, we come again to you, asking your blessings, your direction.

Help us to build up our knowledge in order to be missionaries to this movement, and help us to give testimony to these people too.

Of course, we were, I don't know, There were some people yesterday that were not here.

I don't want to lose my books, by the way.

This is in Spanish, by the way, and this is the same version.

And this is the Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants, and the Pill of Great Praise.

And they are, you know, bounded together into that, but.

Yeah, And 1 of the things that we were talking yesterday was regarding this, and I am putting here, what is the scriptures.

Let me correct this for a moment, because I didn't, I was more concerned in other things, didn't correct that.

Now it's, This is the canonical set of scriptures of the Mormon.

They believe that the Book of Mormon is inspired by the Lord, doctrines and covenants, and you are going to see it is in this version that I've been sharing with you, the Pill of Great Price, and the Bible, remember Article of Faith number 8, that says that as it is translated correctly.

So yesterday we were beginning to explore, at the end, you know, we were beginning to explore the concept of Joseph Smith and Joseph Smith, we were talking yesterday about the history.

Joseph Smith was born in Vermont, in Jarom, Vermont in 1805.

Keep in mind the date because today we are going to review something and today we are going to enter into some detail and I will say superficial comparison between some of the writings of the Book of Mormon and some of the statements coming from the Bible.

But in history of the church it says, and Joseph Smith the prophet, the instrument whom God used to translate this record, testified that, and this is quotation, i.e.

So the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth and the keystone of our religion and a man will get near to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book.

That is History of the Church, Volume 4, 461.

So 1 of the things that, and we finished with this yesterday so I am just recapturing a little bit and we are going to start after that that in the book of second Nephi that is Book of Mormon okay I am using the writings and say awake and arise from the dust and hear the words of a trembling pattern whose limbs yes man must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave from whence no traveler can return a few more days and I go the way of all the earth.

So it sounds very poetic I will say so it is it's quite interesting the topic I'm going to reflect a little bit in a part of the presentation that is called sources of the Book of Mormon.

And in the sources of the Book of Mormon, we are going to work a little bit regarding the linguistic, and I'm going to share with you some dissertations, and not, some of them not theological dissertation, but linguistic English as a language or the main topic dissertations and 1 is done in Purdue University in Indiana.

I'm going to share with you that information and you're going to enjoy that.

So the point here that caught my attention, and by the way in the Times in which, as I mentioned yesterday, I was living in South America and I was a little bit familiar with the 2 books, 2 books, 2 works, or play works of Shakespeare.

And 1 was Macbeth and the other was Hamlet, but in Spanish by the way.

Sorry for that, I already request forgiveness a couple of times before.

So when, but the metaphor here is from whence no traveler can return.

So it is a very deep, deep and profound metaphor here in the second book of Nephi chapter 1 verse 14.

And by the way, the English, the linguistic building is astonishing.

Well, I would say for a book that is from 500 years before Christ in America, and that was originally, you know, written in Reform Egyptian.

It is almost a miracle, I would say, you know, not to enter into much about that, but what's the origin of this metaphor?

When I was reading that, I remembered immediately, and I went to my house to look for an early version that I have of the complete Shakespeare works and here it is.

But the dread of something after this, the undiscovered country from whose born no traveler returned.

And when you compare that and when you compare that you're going to see that of course I put this in this book I put this and I say that and immediately this is coming out from them.

Let me explain what it is because it's in Spanish but it's from them by the way.

This is coming from our friends in Estudios Sud and that is 1 page in the internet from the Mormons that is from them and they they mentioned Joseph Smith plagiarized William Shakespeare when when wrote the Book of Mormon, an analysis made by a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, and that's the name.

I didn't search myself regarding that, but they moved the page now.

And you see the Angel Moranay over there is in Spanish and an analysis made by da da da da da.

When you compare from whose born no traveler returned, That is interesting.

Because Shakespeare is about 1500 and Joseph Smith is 18.

They are going to say, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Of course, I grant you permission to think that way however Book of Mormon is what this is a translation of what okay Egyptian reformated language okay but who is first in time translation or Shakespeare finish finish Shakespeare finish finish Shakespeare first you understand what I'm saying here so that's so if not they are going to ask you please, could you tell me in Egyptian reformed language how it says in that language?

Because if you don't have the power to do that first, that is not a translation and that is a very big lie, by the way.

Of course, I'm going to agree that probably Shakespeare took the concept, the conceptual frame of non-returnable way metaphor coming from the book of Job, because it's that, okay?

But the concept of traveler is not in the book of Job.

When you go to the book of Job, chapter 16, verse 22nd when a few years are come then I shall go they were whence I shall not return that that's a book of Job so probably maybe Shakespeare took the concept here from here because this is normal why because Shakespeare William Shakespeare, was a very deep intellectual person and the Bible was very common and by the way the translation of the King James Version was in very close time to Shakespeare language.

That's probably understandable, but the other...

I will leave the thinking in your thing regarding that.

But it's very, very clear for me that here is something that is not.

And probably on the following days, I'm going to mention a little more things regarding these things.

Here is, regarding the Book of Mormon, the error I speak of, this is Joseph Smith.

In the definition of the word Mormon, it has been stated that this word was derived from the Greek word mormo.

And take note about this because we are going to be connecting statements regarding this and this is the source of those statements.

There was no Greek, he says, and no Latin upon the place from which I through the grace of God translated the Book of Mormon.

Let the language of that book speak for itself." So he says, there was no Greek or Latin upon the plates that is the golden plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated.

So, let's to do that here is 1 third book of Nephi book of Mormon chapter 3 verse 17 and This is about the year 34 AD.

I am the light and the life of the world.

I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.

Alpha and Omega is the first and the last words of the Greek alphabet.

Or here is a gap in the knowledge or when the big statement there was no Greek or Latin in the manuscript is wrong or something like that but here is in the book of Mormon by the way so you you can you can search online you can download that and and you can and you can check for yourself about that this this is another second Nephi chapter 29 verse 3 and because my words shall his for many of the Gentiles shall say a Bible a Bible we have got a Bible and there cannot be any more Bible.

And when you check the books and the chapters, it's going to tell you where, approximately, what is the time frame in which those statements, those chapters were written.

And this was written in between 559 before Christ and 545 before Christ and there was the conceptual framework of Bible in those days.

When you think about genealogies and dynasties and time frames and timelines and when you are going to, you know, to throw a schedule upon the times, you are going to see that this is the time of Jehoakim, and this is the time of the first temple destruction and in that time it existed in America in Egyptian reformated language the concept of Bible.

You know in the New Testament, when the New Testament quoted scriptures, they never used the word Bible.

The word Bible is not in the Bible because it's a construction, linguistic construction of centuries after the time of the early church and this means that there was a concept of Bible before the New Testament before the New Testament there is no Bible you agree with that everybody can agree with that so and before to end the Old Testament there was a concept of Bible that Bible here is used before Daniel Haggai say Zechariah and Malachi and before Jesus and before all the New Testament.

So it's coming from Tabiblia, it's coming from Biblos, that means the books, that is the Hebrew scriptures, plus the New Testament writing.

So the word Biblion itself has the literal meaning of paper, scroll, and come to be used as the ordinary word for book.

It is the diminutive of Biblos and Egyptian papyrus and possibly so-called from the name of Venetian port Biblos also known as Geval from whence Egyptian papyrus was exported to Greece, says the note.

And the Greek term, tabiblia, that means little papyrus books, was an impression Hellenistic Jews used to describe their holy or sacred books or the Septuagint and the Christian use of the term can be traced about probably, that is close, 223 after Christ.

So here we have a gap that is how many years?

Mormonism at the Crossroads - Part 5

Father in heaven, thank you for this week.

Thank you for your blessings for the beautiful day today.

And please, Lord, guide us in these presentations, especially giving us wisdom from heaven to lead and help this lot of people in this community of faith.

Be with us in the presentation in Jesus' name, Amen.

Okay, yesterday at the beginning of the presentation we were ending the presentation of the day talking about contradictions.

We were presenting some, some, because the timeline cannot put all together, you know, some of the contradictions in between Mormon or LDS writings with their own literature, that is, doctrines and covenants, Book of Mormon, and so on.

And also we were working with contradictions with the Bible.

And we were working the last of them regarding the place in which the Lord Jesus was born?

And I've been, you know, suggesting ways in which we might be able to work with them, starting with that.

And that is quite interesting because the Bible got a different perspective historically, and the book of Matthew was very clear, but Lehem and the book of Mormon in the book of Alma chapter 7 verse 10 says Jerusalem.

And we were talking in the presentation yesterday about how missionaries were outreaching people in countries abroad and dealing with that kind of situation that was the background of the controversy upon that.

We were reflecting about the difference in between the Bible and the Book of Mormon regarding, you know, testimonies, witness and scriptures, reference regarding places in the Bible and so on, and the problem with the Book of Mormon, in which there are names, geographical places, rivers and cities and so on, but nobody can find them, and that is part of the problem with them.

And today, in part of the presentation, I'm going to work out a little bit about the statement of the Smithsonian Institution regarding that topic, because it is important that you know about that.

This for me is very crucial because Mormon says that there were inhabitants of Judea that reached America and built up a new civilization, but there were no traces about that thing here in America.

So what we are going to enter today is in other topics.

1 of the points that we were talking before the presentation is the DNA.

And in this moment, the DNA studies are not helping them because Indian Americans are not Jewish background.

So today we are going to enter in a little bit on the topic on the Book of Mormon and the background.

Yesterday we were comparing view of the Hebrews, but not from my personal perspective, but from the vision of Brigham Henry Roberts, who is a historian and Mormon leader.

And basically, and I am recapturing the elements, there were a very big amount of common elements between the book view of the Hebrews and the book of Mormon.

And the Jewish background is in both books, the destruction of Jerusalem, the scattering of the inhabitants also, and several other elements we were presenting yesterday and we were talking yesterday about that.

But the main point here is that before that comparison, Brigham Robert says, the material of Fith and Smith's book is of a character and quantity to make a ground plan for the Book of Mormon.

And it's quite interesting because yesterday we were asking ourselves, did Joseph Smith Did Joseph Smith know about that book?

And we were, at the end of the presentation, talking about the 3 or the 2 editions, the 2 editions of the view of the Hebrews in 1823 and 1825, that is before the Book of Mormon, And the fact that Ethan Smith was a congregational pastor of the Oliver Cawdery family, and Oliver Cawdery was the secretary of Joseph Smith, and when he became the secretary in 1829, just in a few months, he finished the draft and the final edition of the Book of Mormon.

This is the times and the seasons, and you see under the name, that is the editor, Joseph Smith, and in the middle, you see that he is quoting view of the Hebrews.

A Smith name in British and in USA is like Rodriguez in America.

So now I'm going to enter into the topic of today because I've been promising about that.

And there is something for me, relatively new, that is the link and the connection in between Mormonism and Spiritism.

I don't know if you had made that kind of connection before, But for me, let me tell you that was a discovery.

1 was the facture of that Heatsville, the place in which modern spirit is was born.

I am talking about the Fox sisters, it is just about 9 miles from Palmyra.

And in Palmyra, they cannot take Palmyra out of the geographical background because this is the first printing place for the Book of Mormon.

And they do have a temple, and it is about 4 miles or maybe so away from Hill Cumora, a place in which, you know, everything, according to them, started.

White says this, the doctrine of man's consciousness in death, especially The belief that spirits of the dead return to minister to the living has prepared the way for modern spiritualism.

If the dead are admitted to the presence of God and holy angels and privileged with knowledge far exceeding what they before possessed?

Why should they not return to the earth to enlighten and instruct the living, if as thought by popular theologians, spirits of the dead are hovering around their friends on earth, why should they not be permitted to communicate with them, to warn them against evil or comfort them in sorrow.

How can those who believe in man's consciousness in death reject what comes to them as divine light communicated by glorified spirits.

Here is a channel regarded as sacred through which Satan works for the accomplishment of his purposes." That's very clear, very strong, very strong quotation coming from Ellen G.

The fallen angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the spirit world while professing to bring the living into communication with the dead.

The prince of evil exercises his bewitching influence upon exercise his bewitching influence upon their minds." Clear, strong, great controversy, 551 is the page.

The point is not only LNG White, of course, When we go to the Bible, the Bible prohibit any kind of contact with that.

It is in the book of Leviticus, it's in the book of Deuteronomy.

That is a background very clear for that.

And I'm going to read probably the last here, Deuteronomy 18, 14.

For these nations which thou shalt possess, hearken and observers of times, and unto diviners, but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

It is a very clear restriction for the people of the Lord not to go into that direction.

So why some people are going to transgress, to overpass what the Bible says, when there is a very clear prohibition in going into that direction?

I'm going to show, of course, at the end, because you are going to see an astonishing statement coming from 1 of the historians of Mormonism.

Okay, what we know is that the official version of Mormonism is telling us that Joseph Smith received the visit of a messenger of the world beyond, speaking to him about hidden golden plates in Gilgumorah.

And what we know is that these golden plates were given to Joseph Smith by Liszt and Engel, and he translated that, those golden plates, and from that is the Book of Mormon.

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