A man would get nearer to God by abiding
by its precepts than by any other book
—Joseph Smith on The Book of Mormon
Some people are intimidated by missionaries because they are trained and it is their job to preach. However, the more you deal with them, the more you realize that they are somewhat like classical musicians. Professional classical musicians are known for two things: 1) expertise at their craft—they can play many classical tunes, read the music, etc and 2) they cannot improvise to save their lives—ask them to “just play something…make something up…improve” and they do not know what to do since to them music is about prescribed notes and not about imagination and being creative.
Missionaries, and here I refer to cult missionaries, know their own step by step, Q&A, catechism, prescribed dialogue and know how to jump from partial verse to partial verse in order to tie together their particular and peculiar doctrines. Yet, get them to take them time to read an entire passage in order to determine context, get them to consider passages that are ignored as there are inconvenient to their particular/peculiar doctrines or, simply ask various questions of them and they fall apart.
When missionaries come to your home they always ask if you will invite them to share a prescribed and pre-packaged message with you. This message is the trained and rehearsed classical tune. I always tell them that I would rather discuss this or that issue instead. Although, going through their message and causing them to doubt that about which they were so certain is also a good idea.
When Jeff Durbin asks what is the context of a text that is up for discussion the Mormon asks, “Does it matter?” and continuing, whilst pounding on the desk, with “Joseph Smith was prophet” and later, “the most important thing…I don’t need to know everything in the Bible…most important thing to know is truth; Joseph Smith is a prophet of God.”
And there you have it: this is the very essence of Mormonism.
Joseph Smith stated the following in Pearl of Great Price – Joseph Smith – History 2:18-20:
My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join…
I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt…He again forbade me to join with any of them [emphasis added]
Once he is believed, the one and only things that matters is what Joseph Smith states: what the Bible stated does not matter, the context does not matter, nothing else matters because it is Joseph Smith to whom you submit all. Now you know why Mormon article of faith number eighth is “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.” Now, how do we ascertain when it has been accurately translated? Textual criticism, manuscript evidence, study of ancient languages, etc.?
No. The issue is very simple, given the Mormon worldview: if it deviates from Mormon doctrine then it is considered not to be translated correctly with absolutely no regard to any other considerations.
For more information of Mormonism, please see: this link