Filter: Protestant Theology
Total chapters: 47
1 Nephi 15
Protestant Theology
The phrase “days of probation” is non-Biblical, but occurs in Protestant theological discussions in the same context, about being judged for our actions done in our mortal lifetimes, before we are judged and given our eternal reward. See State of probation for use of the term in the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries.
2 Nephi 2
Protestant Theology
The phrase “state of probation” is non-Biblical, but occurs in Protestant theological discussions in the same context, about being judged for our actions done in our mortal lifetimes, before we are judged and given our eternal reward. See State of probation for use of the term in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
2 Nephi 11
Protestant Theology
“For if there be no Christ there be no God.” (Ignores the existence of Judaism and Islam entirely, without super clear support from the Old Testament.)
2 Nephi 28
Protestant Theology
Nephi's characterization of Universalism, with a conflation of ”Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” is an (anachronistic) quote of 1 Cor 15:32 Septu. translation of Isa. 22:13 (which just has “eat and drink”), but Lk. 12:19's summarizes the Epicurean motto (“eat, drink and be merry”). Nephi could not have known about Epicureanism, from ancient Greece, 307 BCE (Vogel, Anti-Universalist Rhetoric in BoM). Those of JS Jr.'s day conflated the two NT passages.
Jacob 2
Protestant Theology
Jacob speaks to the people about their wickedness, and condemns polygamy, which is very Protestant of him
Omni 1
Protestant Theology
“Offer your whole souls as an offering unto him” references a concept traceable back to a sermon of William Beveridge (1637–1708) republished posthumously in 1824: “our souls be offered up as a whole burnt-offering unto him,” as well as New Testament paratext.
Mosiah 2
Protestant Theology
King Benjamin warns about dying in one's sins (drinketh damnation to his own soul), a reference to John 8:21, a verse used in anti-universalism, see notes on Mosiah 15, Alma ch. 1, 2, 3, 11, 12.
Mosiah 3
Protestant Theology
Infant damnation rejected (as well those who die in ignorance, to cover Alvin Smith's untimely death) in King Benjamin's revival sermon.
Mosiah 15
Protestant Theology
Abinadi warns about dying in sins (the Lord redeemth nonesuch), a reference to John 8:21, a verse used in anti-universalism, see notes on Mosiah 15, Alma ch. 1, 2, 3, 11, 12. Abinadi preaches explicitly on trintarianism, a doctrine not developed until the second, third, and fourth centuries of the Christian era.
Mosiah 16
Protestant Theology
Abinadi preaches explicitly on trintarianism (“Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father”), a doctrine not developed until the second, third, and fourth centuries of the Christian era.
Mosiah 18
Protestant Theology
Alma says the righteous shall be numbered with those of the first resurrection, a reference to Rev. 20, so that heavily implies that there are at least two resurrections. The Book of Mormon attempts to provide answers to the questions generated by this tricky passage in the Book of Revelations. See Alma 40 and First Resurrection, Second Resurrection, Third (General) Resurrection, etc. for more about theological discussions in English-speaking Christendom, especailly regarding the millenium mentioned in the beginning of Rev. 20. This part of the Book of Mormon was not produced in a theological vacuum, and had nearly 200 years of precedent in English print discussions alone.
Alma 1
Protestant Theology
Nehor preaches universalism, loses an argument with Gideon, slays him, and is hanged for his crime, after renouncing universalism. The mistaken Order of Nehor haunts future chapters. E.D. Howe in Mormonism Unvailed [sic] (1834) wrote, “the name of our ancient Universalist is called Nehor.”
Alma 3
Protestant Theology
Amlici and his followers are defeated and meet their maker, and find out that universalism is wrong, being sent to receive the eternal punishment they were so sure would never come upon them.
Alma 11
Protestant Theology
Amulek refutes Zeezrom's universalism, explaining that the Lord will not redeem the people in their sins, but shall redeem them from their sins (Mt. 1:21), echoing 19th century arguments. Anti-universalist Charles Marford, Victor, NY, 10 miles from Smith home in Manchester c. 1819, “Are all to be redeemed ...? Christ is a savior, to save his people from their sins, not in them. ...” “The opposers of universalism have generally written and contended the doctrine, under an entire mistaken notion of it. They have endeavored to show the absurdity of believing that men could be received into the kingdom of glory and righteousness, in their sins; which no Universalist ever believed. ... [T]he salvation which God wills is a salvation from sin." Hosea Ballou, A Treatise on Atonement (Randolph, VT, 1805). (Vogel)
Alma 12
Protestant Theology
Alma continues to explain that whosoever dieth in their sins shall receive a spiritual death, an exposition of Rev. 20 which mentions the second death. (Actually Rev. says that death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.) In The History of Redemption, 1793, Jonathan Edwards writes on p. 93 that “In Enoch's time God more expressly revealed the coming of Christ than he had before done,” and Edwards mentions the prophecy of Enoch in Jude in support of this. In other parts of the book, he also weighs in on whether Adam or other patriarchs knew about Jesus, or were simply commanded to sacrifice as a typology of Jesus without understanding what it meant. In other words, The Book of Mormon, being written for our day (by ancient prophets who knew what JS Jr. knew)—weighs in on this theological debate that was already occurring. (The point isn't that The Book of Mormon can be shown to have copied this idea from Edwards, but rather that tons of Protestant Christians and preachers and theologians and writers were discussing this idea for decades, if not much longer, before the Book of Mormon was written, so that idea more likely came from after Moroni buried the plates, than from an ancient source, especially since there are no independent pre-Columbian, pre-Christian New World sources, as specific as Alma and Amulek, to corroborate this. It's always retroactive prophecy.)
Alma 13
Protestant Theology
Alma explains Martin Luther's interpretation of Melchizedek being an archetype or type of Jesus Christ. This idea dates to as early as 1537.
Alma 14
Protestant Theology
Amulek and Alma action-hero their way out of prison, leaving the dead professors of Nehor in the dust to be judged and sent to their eternal punishment, something they did not expect, as they were universalists.
Alma 15
Protestant Theology
Mormon interjects and rubs it in, saying that those of the profession of Nehor did not believe in the repentance of their sins and were ripe for destruction.
Alma 21
Protestant Theology
Mentions that the Amalekites believed that God would save all men, a reference to Universalism in the 19th century, a bugbear throughout the Book of Mormon.
Alma 25
Protestant Theology
Protestants had discussed the idea of the Law of Moses prefiguring and pointing to Christ for centuries using the phrase “outward performances” specifically, see Outward Performances for examples.
Alma 30
Protestant Theology
This chapter brings in the stock character of the Infidel Philsopher as the basis of Korihor, an amalgation and caricature of various deists, atheists, sceptics, philsophers and infidels, based on President of Yale College Timothy Dwight's 1799 pamphlet The Nature and Danger of Infidel Philsophy, or other anti-infidel revival preachers of the Second Great Awakening.
Alma 31
Protestant Theology
Alma heads up a mission to confront the Zoramites and their belief in predestination, i.e. election (Calvinism), specifically “unlike some Calvinists, Lutherans do not believe in a predestination to damnation,” which the Zoramites believed. John Calvin lived and preached during the 16th century, well over a millenium after Alma.
Alma 40
Protestant Theology
Alma explains the state of the soul between death and resurrection, which reflects 19th century discussions of the fate of sinners according to anti-Universalists of JS Jr.'s day. The NT (Mt. ch 8, ch 13, ch 22, ch 25, has weeping + gnashing of teeth, and weeping + wailing) never lists all three together, although discussions of the day did so. (Adam Clarke, 1811. Also, Wesleyan-Methodist Mag. 1824). Alma quotes Rev. 22:11 and Eph. 5:5, arguing similar to anti-universalist John Cleaveland, 1776, calling life a time of probation, and the soul being judged at death.
Alma 41
Protestant Theology
Alma repudiates Restorationism (Universalism), that all mankind would be restored from sin to happiness, claiming it refers to the soul being restored to the body in the resurrection. 1783, Samual Hopkins repudiates this restoration of all things (all creatures) as Univeralist blasphemy. Famous Book of Mormon line "Wickedness never was happiness" reflects this argument against the restorationist words of the likes of Hosea Ballou, 1805, “a restitution or restoration from mortality and sin, to a state of immortality and righteousness, ... is consistent with scripture, and worthy of God.” (Vogel) According to Alma, wouldn't mortality be restored to mortality, and corruption to corruption? Ballou's argument makes more sense.
Alma 42
Protestant Theology
Corianton forces Alma to bring up the satisfaction theory of atonement, see note on Alma 34. Alma also paraphrases Presbyterian Magazine, 1821, concerning God's justice, and how it cannot be compromised by mercy, or Jehovah would cease to be.
Alma 54
Protestant Theology
“If it so be that there is a devil and a hell,” strongly implies that the wicked Ammoron doesn't personally believe such a thing, which may reference the Universalist motif of “no hell, no devil,” see the note about 1811 hymnal which explicitly states this.
Helaman 12
Protestant Theology
Anti-Universalism: Mormon rants, including, “And I would that all men might be saved. But we read that in the great and last day there are some who shall be cast out, yea, who shall be cast off from the presence of the Lord.” See Anti-Universalism.
Helaman 13
Protestant Theology
The phrase “days of probation” is non-Biblical, but occurs in Protestant theological discussions in the same context, about being judged for our actions done in our mortal lifetimes, before we are judged and given our eternal reward. See State of probation for use of the term in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
3 Nephi 18
Protestant Theology
Jesus institutes the sacrament among the Nephites, similar to the New Testament.
Mormon 8
Protestant Theology
Moroni weighs in and condemns a straw-man form of Universalism ("Do this or do that, it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day").
Moroni 2
Protestant Theology
Moroni explains how the Church of Christ will work in the 1830s, specifically that “ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles.”
Moroni 3
Protestant Theology
Moroni describes the ordinance of ordination to the office of teacher or priest, including the laying on of hands, with no mention of Aaronic or Melchizedek priesthood.
Moroni 4
Protestant Theology
Moroni describes the sacrament prayer on the bread, emphasizing the importance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Moroni 5
Protestant Theology
Moroni continues the discussion on the sacrament, focusing on the water wine.
Moroni 6
Protestant Theology
Moroni describes the ordinance of baptism for the remission of sins, “And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ,” with no explicit mention of the laying on of hands, aside from that mentioned a few chapters earlier.
Moroni 8
Protestant Theology
JS Jr. speaks through Mormon to Moroni about 19th-century theological issues, namely there being no need for infant baptism.