When missionaries are confronted with arguments against the Book of Mormon, they are taught to ignore the evidence and pray to see if the Book of Mormon is true. If you have a Bible study with them, they will ask you to pray over the Book of Mormon. Is this a valid method for testing truth?
I recently had a phone conversation with a Mormon Missionary. She asked me to pray over the Book of Mormon. Here is how the conversation went.
Me: How do I know if the Book of Mormon is true?
Mormon: You need to pray about it.
Me: Where is that command taught?
Mormon: In Moroni 10:4
Me: Where is that found?
Mormon: In the Book of Mormon.
Me: How do I know if the Book of Mormon is true?
Mormon: You need to pray about it.
Me: Where is that command taught?
She laughed when I started again, realizing she was arguing in a circle. She said praying over the Book of Mormon worked for her. I found out she was a college student and I asked her, did you pray over your history class? Did you study to discover historical facts or did you pray about them? She said that was a good point; she'd never thought of it that way. Are there problems with her reasoning?
To begin with this tactic commits the logical fallacy of circular reasoning. The missionary was using the Book of Mormon (BOM) to confirm the truth of the BOM. Here is what Moroni 10:4 says:
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.”
The author writes that if you pray the right way, the truth of whatever you are asking for will be revealed to you. What is interesting is the truth of the BOM is determined by the attitude of the person who is praying. If you pray with a sincere heart, real intent, faith in Christ the BOM says you will arrive at the fact it is true. If you say it is false, then it’s because you didn’t have a sincere heart or real intent or faith in Christ.
In other words praying correctly, according to the BOM, the Holy Ghost will confirm the BOM is true. This assumption is in place before you pray. It is a beautifully constructed circular argument. It is a great trap for those who are Mormons or those who are considering the religion. This is why it is the default or “go to” position in conversations when all the evidence is against the Book of Mormon.
Is truth determined by prayer? What does the Bible teach about testing truth claims?
First, the Bible never teaches this method for determining truth. Our faith is supported by evidence. Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) “Now faith is the substance (or assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence (or conviction) of things not seen.” Words like assurance, evidence, and conviction point to a confident dependence upon evidential knowledge. Faith is not wishing or blind.
Second, what did the Apostle Paul teach us about confirming truth? 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (KJV) “Prove (or test) all things; hold fast that which is good.” We don’t pray to confirm truth, we test it. We don’t pray to grow in knowledge, we study. 2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB), “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” The road to spiritual maturity is to test all things and to study to find the truth.
Third, what did the Apostle John teach about recognizing false teachers. 1 John 4:1 (NASB) “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Similar to Paul, John says we are to continually test what we read, hear, or see to find out if it is from God or the demonic world. In verses 2-6 he then gives a couple of tests. He says that a person of God must believe in the Apostles teachings (v6) and in the incarnation (God takes on human flesh) (v. 2, 3). Neither Paul nor John promoted testing truth through prayer.
Fourth, when Jesus was questioned, He never asked anyone to pray over what He said to verify if it was true. The majority of the time He either pointed to the evidence of His life or miracles. When John the Baptist questioned His credentials what did Jesus do? Luke 7:20-22 (NASB) “When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?'” 21 At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. 22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.’” Jesus didn’t tell John the Baptist to pray to see if He was the Messiah. He said look at the miracles as evidence.
Finally, the LDS missionary likely only prays over the BOM for truth. In her history class she looks for facts through study. Praying over the BOM is simply a tactic of the LDS church to hide the evidence. At the end of our conversation she said she would investigate the historical evidence when her mission is over. I hope she does.
Mr. or Mrs. Mormon, please don’t ask me to pray about the BOM. Provide me with whatever physical evidence you have supporting it. What are the historical, scientific and archeological truths that backup the existence of an ancient Jewish civilization found in the Book of Mormon? Prayer doesn’t change facts! What are the facts supporting your beliefs?
