The Book of Mormon

1. The Location of Jesus' Birth: Jerusalem

Alma 7:10 “he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem”

2. Timing of the Name of “Christians”: ~73 B.C.

Alma 46:15 “all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come.”

(from lds.org Introduction to the Book of Alma, “The original records used as sources for the book of Alma were likely written between 91 B.C. And 52 B.C.”)

3. Timing of the Gift of the Holy Spirit: 545 B.C.

2 Nephi 3:12-13 “He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost…Wherefore my beloved brethren…ye that are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism…then ye shall receive the Holy Ghost.”

(from lds.org 2 Nephi written “About 559-545 B.C.”)

4. Time of Darkness at Christ's Death: 3 Days

3 Nephi 8:3 “the time that there should be darkness for the space of three days over the face of the land.”

(similar in Helaman 14:27)

Helaman 14:20 “there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for the space of three days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead”

5. Salvation is by Grace + Works

2 Nephi 25:23 “for we know it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”

6. Joseph Smith Head of the Church

Doctrines and Covenants 28:2-8 “no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith… who is at thy head, and at the head of the church; 7 For I have given him the keys of the mysteries, and the revelations which are sealed, until I shall appoint unto them another in his stead.”

7. The Fall of Man: Necessary Part of God's Plan

2 Nephi 2:26-25 “And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”

8. Children Are Born without Sin

Moroni 8:8 “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”

9. Truth Established By Prayer

Moroni 10:4-5 “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. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”

10. Babel: Jaredites Language Not Confused

Ether 1:33-37 “Jared came forth with his brother and their families, with some others and their families, from the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people...37 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded.”

The Bible

1. The Location of Jesus' Birth: Bethlehem

Micah 5:2 “you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah...from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler...”

Matthew 2:1 “Jesus was born in Bethlehem”

2. Timing of the Name of “Christians”:~44 A.D.

Acts 11:26 “in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians”

(from esvbible.org Major Events in the Life of the Apostle Paul, “44-47 A.D. Spends a year ministering with Barnabas in Antioch”)

3. Timing of the Gift of the Holy Spirit: 30 A.D.

Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost arrived…they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:1-4)

(from esvbible.org Chart of New Testament Timeline, “33 (or 30) A.D. Jesus returns to Judea, is crucified, and resurrected.”)

4. Time of Darkness at Christ's Death: 3 Hours

Mark 15:33 “And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.”

(also Matthew 27:45 and Luke 23:44)

5. Salvation is by Grace Alone

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

6. Jesus is the Head of the Church

Colossians 1:18-20 “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

7. The Fall of Man: Violation of God's Command

Romans 5:12-15 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.”

8. Children Are Born with Original Sin

Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

9. Truth Established in the Bible 

2 Timothy 3:15-17 “you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Psalm 19:7-14 “The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple…”

10. Babel: All Languages Confused

Genesis 11:9 “Therefore its name was called Babel, because the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of the earth.  And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.”