Circular Reasoning in the Book of Mormon

by Jon Gary Williams

The book of Mormon closes with an appeal to pray to God asking Him to reveal that the book is true. An assurance is then given that if one is "sincere" God will "manifest" that it is true (see Moroni 10:4).

However, this is circular reasoning. First, after assuming (expecting) the Book of Mormon to be true, one is to then ask God to reveal that it is true. So to establish the proof of this book, one must first accept it to be true! Such logic is completely worthless but is typical of the subjective nature of the Mormon religion.

In contrast, the Bible is an objective revelation and needs no subjective confirmation. It is not necessary to ask God to reveal its authenticity through a separate source, for it stands on its own merits. However, the Book of Mormon cannot so stand and this deceptive effort to create faith in the book exposes its author as a perpetrator of a hoax.