Book of Mormon/Anachronisms/Sabellianism

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Questions

== Critics claims that the Book of Mormon teaches Sabellianism, also called modalism, i.e., the belief that Christ and the Father are a single individual expressing himself in different modes.^[1]

To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, click here

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 ^{[needs work]} How are the Father and the Son one?

"And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one."(3 Nephi 19:23)

3 Nephi clearly teaches that Jesus Christ and the Father are two persons:

"Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name." (3 Nephi 9:15)

• Trinitarians use a similar scripture in the Bible(John 1:1), in favor of the doctrine of the trinity(God in three persons).

Other examples: "And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one." (3 Nephi 28:10)

Jesus and the Spirit are two separate persons: "But he truly gave unto them bread to eat, and also wine to drink.And he said unto them: He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled. But he truly gave unto them bread to eat, and also wine to drink. And he said unto them: He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled.Now, when the multitude had all eaten and drunk, behold, they were filled with the Spirit; and they did cry out with one voice, and gave glory to Jesus, whom they both saw and heard." (3 Nephi 20:7-9)

• This scripture proofs that Mormon 7:7 and 2 Nephi 31:21 are not saying that Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are the same person .

Jesus Christ sits on the right hand of the Father:

"And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen."(Moroni 9:26)

Christ the Eternal Father is not the same as God the Father:

Christ is "the Father becuase he was conceived by the power of God" (Mosiah 5:3)

Christ is the Father of our salvation: "And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters. "(Mosiah 5:7)

Moroni 8:3: "I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end."

• This scripture clearly clarifies that the name of God is not Jesus, as Jesus' Name doctrineteaches.

"Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son." Jacob 4:5)

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Answer

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• Its very hard to interpret the scriptures above in favor of Sabellianism. Rather, they clearly go against Sabellianism. Therefore, other scriptures in the Book of Mormon that appear to teach Sabellianism, must be interpreted differently, which is not hard at all.
• The Book of Mormon teaches that the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three persons. The Book of Mormon actually clarifies the Bible on this issue.

== Notes ==

1. [note]  Origen Bachelor, Mormonism Exposed Internally and Externally (New York: Privately Published, 1838), 24. off-site

Further reading

FairMormon Answers articles

Book of Mormon/Anachronisms/Sabellianism

FairMormon web site

• FairMormon Topical Guide: Godhead in the Book of Mormon FairMormon link