In her
poorly researched volume, Protestant apologist Christina Darlington wrote that:
There is not a single doctrine revealed in
the Book of Mormon that is not already mentioned in the Bible. (Christina R.
Darlington, Misguided by Mormonism But
Redeemed by God’s Grace: Leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints for Biblical Christianity [2d ed.; 2019], 206, emphasis in original removed)
This is
simply false. Firstly, in the Book of Mormon addresses explicitly a practice
that has divided Protestantism and other faiths for centuries but one that is
not addressed at all by the Bible—infant baptism:
For, if I have
learned the truth, there have been disputations among you concerning the
baptism of your little children. And now, my son, I desire that ye should labor
diligently, that this gross error should be removed from among you; for, for
this intent I have written this epistle. For immediately after I had learned
these things of you I inquired of the Lord concerning the matter. And the word
of the Lord came to me by the power of the Holy Ghost, saying: Listen to the
words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the
world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no
physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for
they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken
from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision
is done away in me. And after this manner did the Holy Ghost manifest the word
of God unto me; wherefore, my beloved son, I know that it is solemn mockery
before God, that ye should baptize little children. Behold I say unto you that
this thing shall ye teach-- repentance and baptism unto those who are
accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must
repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and
they shall all be saved with their little children. And their little children
need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the
fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins. But little children are
alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a
partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how
many little children have died without baptism! Wherefore, if little children
could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell.
Behold I say unto you, that he that supposeth that little children need baptism
is in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; for he hath neither
faith, hope, nor charity; wherefore, should he be cut off while in the thought,
he must go down to hell. For awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth
one child because of baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no
baptism. Wo be unto them that shall pervert the ways of the Lord after this
manner, for they shall perish except they repent. Behold, I speak with
boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for
perfect love casteth out all fear. And I am filled with charity, which is
everlasting love; wherefore, all children are alike unto me; wherefore, I love
little children with a perfect love; and they are all alike and partakers of
salvation. For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable
being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity. Little
children cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful wickedness to deny the pure
mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his mercy.
And he that saith that little children need baptism denieth the mercies of
Christ, and setteth at naught the atonement of him and the power of his
redemption. Wo unto such, for they are in danger of death, hell, and an endless
torment. I speak it boldly; God hath commanded me. Listen unto them and give
heed, or they stand against you at the judgment-seat of Christ. For behold that
all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the
law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law;
wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation,
cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing--But it is mockery before
God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and
putting trust in dead works. (Moroni 8:5-23; cf. my blog post The
Dispute about Infant Baptism among the Nephites: Evidence of 19th century
origins for the Book of Mormon?)
Another
doctrine that is taught in the Book of Mormon that is not explicated in the
Bible would be the ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood (see Alma 13),
though I will note that there is overwhelming implicit biblical evidence for an
ordained, ministerial priesthood, not the Protestant concept of the “Priesthood
of All Believers.” Interested persons should read my book:
In making such a claim, Darlington shows she has never actually read the Book of Mormon; instead, she is only getting (often eisegeted and wrenched out of context) quotations therefrom; her constant misunderstanding of the meaning of 2 Nephi 25:23 and "after all we can do" is another example (see James Stutz's article “After All We Can Do” as a reference to the Law of Moses)
For a listing of previous articles refuting Darlington’s book, Misguided by Mormonism, see:
