Meeting the Mormon Challenge With Love

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Table of Contents

A Word to the Reader
Chapter One--Mormonism Today
Chapter Two--A Brief History of Mormonism
Chapter Three--The Question of Ultimate Authority
Chapter Four--The Book of Mormon: Fact or Fiction?
Chapter Five--The Book of Abraham: Enlightenment or Embarrassment?
Chapter Six--Prophecy and Prophets
Chapter Seven--Who and What is Man?
Chapter Eight--How Mankind is Saved
Chapter Nine--The Priesthood and the Temple
Chapter Ten--The Law
Chapter Eleven--The Sabbath and the Real Seal of God
Chapter Twelve--The True Church

Overview

Learn how to be a witness to your Mormon friends and acquaintances. Even though Mormons are industrious, hard working, temperate people, yet most of their doctrines find little harmony with the Bible. Discover the difference between the "Gospel of Mormonism" and the Gospel of the Bible. MP3 format

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Cornforth, Leon. Meeting the Mormon Challenge with Love: The Book for Mormons. Marshing, Idaho: Leon Cornforth, 1997. 222p.

This book was written in direct response to a statement found in the introduction to the book Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon by Orson Pratt, briefly as follows:

If, after rigid examination, it (the Book of Mormon) be found an imposition, it should be extensively published to the world as such . . . by (using) strong and powerful arguments-by evidences adduced from scripture and reason. (Words in italics supplied).

Cornforth, who was raised by a Mormon mother and is appreciative of the fine traits of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has set out to meet this challenge in this work. He compares Mormon claims and beliefs with Scripture and historical facts; he examines the history of how Joseph Smith came to write the Book of Mormon, a possible prior source used (a work of fiction by Solomon Spaulding), and the mysterious disappearance of Spaulding's work before the Book of Mormon was published. Mormon teachings such as the priesthood, law and grace, the ten commandments, and the prophetic gift in the last days are studied.

This book makes a sizable contribution to scholarship by reproducing in full an authentic, autographed copy of The Joseph Smith Papyri: a Translation & Preliminary Survey of the Ta-Shert-Min & Ter Papyri (1968), an analysis written by Dee Jay Nelson at the request of the Mormon church. (The actual papyri that Joseph Smith used to produce The Book of Abraham were found and given to the church in 1967). This work is available on microfilm from only a few libraries in the United States. Mr. Nelson is a recognized archeologist, Egyptologist, and lecturer, well versed in the ancient Egyptian religion and languages, and also an elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After a detailed examination and analysis of the text of the papyri, Mr. Nelson shows that they were common Egyptian funeral documents, of which many examples exist to this day. In the Introduction to this document, the author regretfully states that the teachings of the Mormon Church and the principle of Egyptology "are not completely reconcilable."

Cornforth begins and ends this clear, readable book with his personal testimony as to how God led him to a deeper understanding of the Bible. Those who are curious about ancient Egyptian documents and those who want to learn more about the claims and beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints should read this book.

Mormons number some 11 million members worldwide and claim to posses the "gospel restored" in these last days. It is a religion shrouded in mystery, yet is highly moral and has done much to promote family values. What do Mormons really believe? And how do those beliefs compare with the Bible?

Elder Leon Conforth has had a unique opportunity to compare the teachings of Mormonism with those of Christianity at large. Because of the only religious influence during his childhood was Mormonism, and because of his nearly 600 relatives who embrace their teachings, Cornforth approaches this investigation with sensitivity and genuine love. His purpose in this book is to set forth the teachings of Mormonism from its own sources and then to compare those teachings with the Bible.

Elder Leon Conforth is a Seventh Day Adventist and a small portion of this book shows a support for that. The specific sections would be Chapter 6 and Chapter 11. These chapters contain sub-chapters and it is within these sub-chapters that Leon takes his stand for Adventism. We have taken the liberty to clearly rubber stamp the top of the pages in this book that this ministry does not agree with. But there is so much value in this book it is not worthwhile to "throw the baby out with the bath water" so to speak.

Leon Cornforth was raised in a Mormon home. After his conversion to Adventism he served as an educator, pastor/evangelist, author and international lecturer for 53 years. After graduating from Walla Walla College with a theology degree, Leon Cornforth served as pastor, administrator, and evangelist and also as Circulation Manager for the Pacific Press Publishing Assn. His studies in Mormonism and his interest in being a witness in their behalf resulted in the publication of the book Meeting the Mormon Challenge with Love. In his "working" retirement he was speaking and holding Bible studies including evangelism in Brazil and India until his death in 2010.