Though not a direct disparage of David, his speech on the Book of Mormon disparages all Book of Mormon followers who leave the Mormon Church:
If anyone is foolish enough or misled enough to reject 531 pages of a heretofore unknown text teeming with literary and Semitic complexity without honestly attempting to account for the origin of those pages—especially without accounting for their powerful witness of Jesus Christ and the profound spiritual impact that witness has had on what is now tens of millions of readers—if that is the case, then such a person, elect or otherwise, has been deceived; and if he or she leaves this Church, it must be done by crawling over or under or around the Book of Mormon to make that exit. (Jeffrey R. Holland, Safety for the Soul, General Conference, Oct. 2009)
Or by standing on it, like Whitmer and other true followers of the Book of Mormon did.
One’s salvation is in jeopardy by following doctrine contrary to it:
Whoso shall declare more or less than this (Book of Mormon) and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil…and the gates of hell stand open to receive such (i.e. Elder Holland). (3 Nephi 11:40)
Not to mention, the Lord said (if you accept it was revelation) the “whole church” was “under condemnation” for not following the Book of Mormon:
54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, NOT ONLY TO SAY, BUT TO DO ACCORDING TO THAT WHICH I HAVE WRITTEN—(D&C 84)
Ezra Taft Benson said the church was still under that condemnation. The audacity of a so-called “apostle” of Jesus, to claim in one speech the divinity of the Book of Mormon, and then to condone teachings contrary to it:
- Apostles – more than the original twelve in Jerusalem
- Baptism – all children for sins at the age of eight
- Communion – to the unbaptized, infants
- Confirmation – required for church membership
- Eternal Marriage – required for salvation/Mormon exaltation
- Garments – required for salvation/Mormon exaltation
- God – is married
- Heavenly Mother
- High Priests – after Jesus
- Holy Ghost – only Mormons have the “gift of”
- One man leader – pope or prophet
- Only one true church – all others wrong
- Plurality of Gods
- Polygamy – a requirement for salvation/Mormon exaltation
- Pre-earth stewardship – determined this life’s status
- Progression of God
- Prophets – man called
- Temple endowments – required for salvation/Mormon exaltation
- Tithing – after Jesus
- Word of Wisdom – required for salvation/Mormon exaltation (source: Reformed Mormonism)
To teach, support, or condone before MILLIONS of Book of Mormon “believers” doctrines contrary to it, in the name of it, is truly an abomination before God. I stand as God’s witness (in a long line of witnesses), that Elder Holland’s foundation is sand until he stands upon the rock he claims to espouse, for:
Thou believest in the Book of Mormon; thou doest well: the devils also believe. (James 2:19)