Chapter 24 (BOMC)

The Bible states that only the descendants of the tribe of Levi were made priests. These people served in the tabernacles of the old covenant. The Lord told Moses this while on Mount Sinai. It is written, “and the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.” (Numbers 3:5-8) Therefore, Levitical priests performed all the sacrificial offerings and other duties inside the tabernacle. God did not permit anyone else to perform these ordinances. However, with Jesus’s death and resurrection, He became our last High Priest, and better tabernacle. We have no more need for temples made with hands.

The Book of Mormon would disagree when it comes to the priest's roles in God’s tabernacle. It teaches that those of the tribe of Joseph were also priests. It is written, “and it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate Jacob and Joseph, that they should be priests and teachers over the land of my people.” (2 Nephi 5:26) These fictional characters are supposedly from the tribe of Joseph. Even the official LDS website acknowledges this. “A record of one group from the tribe of Ephraim that was led from Jerusalem to America about 600 B.C. This group’s record is called the stick of Ephraim or Joseph, or the Book of Mormon.” (Ephraim) Priests play a significant role in Mormon churches today. Men are believed to be from the tribe of Joseph, where they serve as priests and high priests.  These are callings for boys at the age of 12 and older in the church. This goes against God’s directives.  Jesus is our high priest, and His believers are all under His royal priesthood.  Also, the tribe of Levi no longer holds the priesthood anymore, for it is not necessary.

The Book of Mormon is said to be based on a group of people who came from Israel, specifically the tribe of Ephraim. If you recall, Ephraim was Joseph's son in Egypt. It is written, “a record of one group from the tribe of Ephraim that was led from Jerusalem to America about 600 B.C. This group’s record is called the stick of Ephraim or Joseph, or the Book of Mormon.” (Ephraim) All this is based on Ezekiel, chapter 37.  Where it claims the stick of Joseph are people who came to America. It reads, “the word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?” (Ezekiel 37:15-18) There are two problems with how Mormons translate these verses, and we will discuss that next.

The two sticks are the kingdoms of Judah and Joseph. They were divided, but would soon be brought back together again.  This passage is not about a people going to America. It is written, “and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.“ (Ezekiel 37:21) The good news is that Israel did become one nation again. The bad news is that the stick of Joseph is not the Book of Mormon. Also, there is nothing about Ephraim as the LDS church claims in their book.  It’s about Manasseh.  Alma, chapter 10 says this.  It is written, “and Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by the hands of his brethren.” (Alma 10:3) Lastly, these priests were not from the tribe of Levi, but from Manasseh. This is a problem that people in the LDS people need to reconcile. Jesus is the answer and not religion. Amen.

Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that many Mormons will come to faith. I know many of them personally, and it breaks my heart to know how deceived they really are. The Book of Mormon has many contradictions when compared to the Bible. People should reconsider what they have been taught. Thank You for helping me know what the Bible says. How our beliefs should not waver from what Your Word says. You’ve helped me understand that believing in something that contradicts what the Bible says is a no-go. So, I search the scriptures to make sure what I believe in comes from You and not man.  Lord, I place the Bible above all books. Nothing can match what has been passed down from generation to generation with the writings of this book. It is the book to rule all books, for it comes from You, God. I know that many books have been written that contain different truths.  But it is amazing to see a book like the Bible that is true from the first page to the end.  I can trust everything that was written down in Your holy Word. The Bible is true. Lord, help the LDS people know this also. I love You, Jesus. Amen.