Author Archives: Jonathan Whitcomb

Press Forward, Feasting on the Word

June 28, 2022

By Jonathan Whitcomb [updated September 15, 2022]

(You can contact Jonathan David Whitcomb online)

The following is the text for the choir piece “Come to Christ” (YouTube), which choral piece I wrote in mid-2022 (see also the music score below, for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, with organ):

Press forward: Feast on the word of Christ;
behold you shall have eternal life.
Hold to the rod: the word of God;
behold the tree of the love of God.

We like sheep had gone astray, to turn:
to wander far away. Turn again. Turn to God.

Like a shepherd seeks a stray,
oh Father, help us find the way.

Behold my Son, my Beloved Son:
Come unto Him for eternal life.
Behold his hands, his feet and side:
For you he bled and died.

Turn to Him. Come unto Christ.
Come to Him.

score of Come to Christ (pdf)

Contact Jonathan David Whitcomb

The words are adapted from scriptures, mostly in the Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 31: 20 (B. of M.)

. . . Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

1 Nephi 15: 23 & 24 (regarding Lehi’s dream)

What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree? . . . it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish . . .

1 Nephi 11: 21 & 22 (Lehi’s dream)

Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw? . . . Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men . . .

Isaiah 53: 6 (Bible, KJV)

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way . . .

3 Nephi 11: 7

Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.

3 Nephi 11: 14 (the words of Jesus Christ)

Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

Matthew 11: 28 (Bible, KJV)

Come unto me . . .

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Sacred song – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.”

Book of Mormon

Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile . . . The Nephites keep the law of Moses, look forward to the coming of Christ . . .

LDS Book of Mormon hymn

Book of Mormon stories that my teacher tells to me
Are about the Lamanites in ancient history.
Long ago their fathers came from far across the sea,
Giv’n the land if they lived righteously.

Press forward, feasting

. . . and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

“The Nature of the Original Text” of the Book of Mormon – Lectures by Professor Royal Skousen

For 25 years, Dr. Royal Skousen has deeply studied the original manuscript and printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon. He is uniquely qualified to lead the research and has been called “the leading expert on the textual history of the Book of Mormon.”

I here summarize one point of the many points made in one of his three lectures (early 2013), the third lecture: “The Nature of the Original Text.” Quotations are generally taken from Skousen or from Professor Daniel C. Peterson or from the Book of Mormon. Please be aware: The following is only a tiny part of what was taught by Professor Skousen.

Professor Royal Skousen, Brigham Young University

According to Wikipedia, Dr. Skousen “is a professor of linguistics and English at Brigham Young University (BYU), where he is editor of the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. . . . and the founder of the analogical modeling approach to language modeling.”

Daniel C. Peterson, professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic, B.Y.U.

Introduction to Skousen’s third lecture, by Professor Peterson

“The central task of the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project has always been, to the extent possible, to restore the original English text of the Book of Mormon by scholarly means. . . . Professor Skousen has been the editor, the leader, of the project since its inception in 1988, which is to say that he’s devoted a quarter of a century to the effort. . . . In 2001, thirteen years into his work, he began to publish the results of his research in multiple massive volumes brought out by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (or FARMS).

“In 2009, Yale University Press published his edition of The Book of Mormon – The Earliest Text, a wonderful contribution that I would love to see in the home of every English-reading latter-day saint. And the work continues. . . .

“[He has insisted that the project must be independent]. Although he is a deeply-believing latter-day saint, he has maintained, successfully and from its very beginning, that the project must be run according to the most rigorous academic principles, without distorting allegiance to any particular party, sect, or ideology, that it be independent even of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Only thus can it [the Book of Mormon] have the credibility that it must have if it’s ultimately worthy of the keystone of our religion . . . ” [seven minute introduction by Professor Daniel C. Peterson]

Third Lecture by Skousen: “The Nature of the Original Text” (very brief excerpt)

In Alma 39:18, the original word was probably “repair” instead of “retain.” Oliver Cowdery’s hand-written “r” was similar to “n” and that was part of the misunderstanding. In addition, drops of ink had fallen on the page, causing the “p” of “repair” to look like a “t”.

In other words, Joseph Smith was probably given the following during translation:

. . . turn to the Lord with all your mind, might, and strength; that ye lead away the hearts of no more to do wickedly; but rather return unto them, and acknowledge your faults and REPAIR that wrong which ye have done. [“repair” emphasized for this blog post]

The word used in pre-20th-century editions of the Book of Mormon was retain, but that word was removed in the early 20th century, for it appeared to make little sense. The present printed version is thus “acknowledge your faults and that wrong which ye have done,” which makes sense, although it now appears to be less than 100% in line with what was given to Joseph Smith. The word repair has been put back into this verse in The Book of Mormon – The Earliest Text.

Royal Skousen (lecture “The Nature of the Original Text”)

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No Significant Alterations in the Book of Mormon

Comparing the original version to the 1986 edition reveals that the critics’ declarations about “thousands” of changes are misleading.

“Changes in the Book of Mormon”

Of the more than 1,000 changes made in the Book of Mormon in the 1837 (by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey), many were grammatical. In Third Nephi, an example is “Our Father which art . . .” being revised to “Our Father who art . . .”

Book of Mormon Textual Analysis

Lecture by Dr. Royal Skousen in 2013

Books by a Mormon Author

September 5, 2017

By Jonathan Whitcomb, nonfiction crypotozoology writer

Rather than begin by listing my four cryptozoology books, let’s look at what you would like as a reader or at the needs and interests of the reader for which you would give a book as a gift. Check out the following headings and choose one that fits your needs.

How do reports of non-extinct “pterodactyls” relate to LDS beliefs?

As of late-summer, 2017, the best nonfiction book to answer this question is the fourth edition of Searching for Ropens and Finding God. It’s also the longest of my cryptozoology books: 360 pages. Notwithstanding the title words “finding God,” this is more about true-life adventure than religion. Yet a few paragraphs of the early chapters occasionally mention religious belief. The following is from the first chapter:

In my childhood, nobody insisted to me that small simple life must have changed into large complex life long ago. I had read of ideas contrary to the General Theory of Evolution by my mid-teens, after our family had moved to Pasadena, California. But I was brought up to believe or disbelieve what I chose. My own feelings, perspective, and belief in God raised my doubts about Darwin.

From page 44 read:

But it was much more. We were promoting awareness of another survival long ago: the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That in itself deserves countless books, and we need to move on; but be aware, that the driving force behind the ropen expeditions was the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was more than competing with Darwin’s philosophy, although mostly that, at least at first. My associates and I believe that the fiery flying serpent of the Old Testament was a “basal” pterosaur, perhaps related to the long-tailed ropen of Papua New Guinea. We believe they called it “fiery” because of its glow, which we attribute to bioluminescence. “Flying” is literal, with wings.

Searching for Ropens and Finding God – by LDS author Jonathan Whitcomb

What book is a low-cost introduction to living-pterosaur investigations?

I recommend my Live Pterosaurs in Australia and in Papua New Guinea, a free pdf nonfiction cryptozoology book about encounters with these flying creatures in two nations of the southwest Pacific. The first chapter is titled “How can pterosaurs be alive.”

Free online cryptozoology book

Is there a book especially about pterosaur sightings in the USA?

Look into the third edition of Live Pterosaurs in America. Here’s what a satisfied reader wrote for the Amazon page of this cryptozoology book:

This book is one of the best books that I have ever read! It reminds us to have an open mind and that the things we have all been taught as fact ….may not be fact at all.This is a very interesting and educational book and may change the way you see the world around you.

Third edition of Live Pterosaurs in America (by an LDS author)

Does any nonfiction book have photographic proof of a non-extinct pterosaur?

Updated November 26, 2018, by Jonathan Whitcomb

From early 2017 until early in November of 2018, I believed that the greater weight of evidence regarding the Ptp photo was this: that it showed a genuine image of a modern pterosaur that resembled a Pteranodon (short-tailed pterosaur). Since I’ve been informed of a portion of an episode of the TV series Walking With Dinosaurs, however, I have decided to withdraw my support for the authenticity of this image:

This apparent 19th century photo of a pterosaur is no longer supported by Whitcomb

Is there a nonfiction living-pterosaurs book for children or teens?

The Girl who saw a Flying Dinosaur is especially for middle-grade kids and young teenagers. Here is part of the Title Page in this non-fiction cryptozoology book:

This is nonfiction, completely unlike a book that might be titled something like “Dolores the Dinosaur.” This one is about real persons and about animals that appear to be real. The author has no doubt that the animals that are seen are what they appear to be: not made up and not mistakes that people make when they see birds or bats. This book is about ordinary persons who have seen extraordinary flying creatures. The author believes what those persons have told him. You, the reader, decide what you want to believe.

This nonfiction book is for readers from about eight to fourteen years old. It contains nothing about the Bible except for one quotation: “Seek and ye shall find.” It says nothing about the Book of Mormon or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a nonfiction cryptozoology book for young readers, and that’s it.

With that said, I, Jonathan Whitcomb, am an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nothing in The Girl who saw a Flying Dinosaur is contrary to the principles and practices of the Church. I recommend it to middle-grade children and younger teens of all faiths and ask that they use their own judgement and come to their own conclusions about these extraordinary sighting reports from different areas of the world.

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Mormon nonfiction writer Jonathan Whitcomb

“Not all of my books and online publications are about eyewitness reports of apparent pterosaurs, but most of them are. How do doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints relate to the existence of modern pterosaurs? Most of our beliefs don’t relate to them directly, yet those that do—they deserve attention. . . .”

New Book About Living Pterosaurs

In spite of the title, this nonfiction book is not technically about dinosaurs but about reported sightings of apparent pterosaurs, flying creatures that have long been thought to have all gone extinct long ago.

Cryptozoology book by Whitcomb

Reports of living pterosaurs or apparent pterosaurs come from Papua New Guinea and Africa, with cryptid names that include “ropen,” “indava,” and “kongamato.” But similar descriptions come from eyewitnesses in the U.S.A.

Flying dinosaur book for a ten-year-old girl

. . . The Girl who saw a Flying Dinosaur. I’m not saying that this paperback is the ideal gift for every 10-year-old girl who reads English, of course, but it’s a whole new approach to the “dinosaur bird,” and I wrote it for readers 8-14 years old or thereabouts.

Warning Against “Another Gospel”

September 13, 2015

The other day, I noticed a comment on one of my posts on Facebook. A man quoted to me a few verses from the first chapter of Galatians in the New Testament:

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Before getting into my original post, let me mention the writer of the above scripture.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ as Taught by the Apostle Paul

What was the gospel taught by Paul the apostle in the New Testament times? It was the same gospel taught by Peter and the other apostles of the Lord: the good news that the Messiah had come to the earth and fulfilled prophesy and was resurrected and still lives.

Consider how Jesus concluded many days of teaching his disciples (beginning of the first chapter of Acts in the New Testament):

To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God . . . And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

This was not a God who left his friends by evaporating into an ether, never again to be seen in the form of a man. This was not a Savior who would never again send an angel to minister to Christians. This was not a Messiah who would never again inspire any mortal to write scripture. This was Jesus Christ, a glorified personage who appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, and that appearance was in his true form: a glorified man.

Let’s now look at the beginning of the second chapter of Galatians:

Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles . . .

Revelation From God

So the Lord communicated with Paul the apostle. Is that a new doctrine or “another gospel?” No, it’s the same way that Peter the apostle lived after his conversion: a life led by revelation.

So what would cause Paul to write the following? “I marvel that ye are so soon removed . . . [from Christ] unto another gospel . . .” It was a system of long-standing traditions that lacked that essential ingredient of spiritual life: our need for a Redeemer, even Jesus Christ. So how do we know Christ and know about him and know about his great works? It’s by revelation from God, both personal communication with God and by revelations from true apostles and other truly authorized messengers from God, including angels.

Like at the time of Paul the apostle, angels still minister to people in modern times

What was my original comment on Facebook, that caused a man to quote to me a few verses from the first chapter of Galatians? It was my testimony of the Book of Mormon a glorious book that has led thousands of persons, if not millions, to search the Bible. The Book of Mormon is a revelation from God. It is filled with exhortations to believe in Jesus Christ and follow him, listening and reading of his eternal gospel. Outside of the Bible itself, what book, other than the Book of Mormon, has done more in turning people to read and believe in the Bible?

Beware of old Christian traditions that include dogmas about God never again giving us any new scriptures and never again sending angels. That was not the gospel preached by Paul.

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Reading the Bible and the Book of Mormon

Encountering the book published by Joseph Smith, in the early 19th century, promotes Bible reading.

A New Word for Marriage Between a Man and a Woman

A new word has been appointed for traditional marriage between a man and a woman: Adahmeve.

“Through my Savior” Sacrament Hymn

March 19, 2015

The following is a revision, the March 31, 2015 version; the earlier one (Mar 19) was improved.

Over thirty years ago I wrote the music for what soon became my sacred song about Jesus Christ and his atonement. On occasion I revised the music and the text. This week I modified the song further, making it a sacrament hymn: “Through my Savior.” For those unaware of the meaning of sacrament hymn, it is sung by an LDS congregation right before they partake of the sacred emblems of bread and water. It’s very similar to what some Christians call the Holy Communion. But this one is an exception in one way.

I do not expect any LDS congregation to adapt my hymn and sing it instead of a sacrament hymn in the official hymn book. It is arranged in simple choir format, for a ward choir to sing in a sacrament meeting. Of course this should only be done with the approval of the bishop of the ward, for he has that stewardship and responsibility for his congregation.

For us who are baptized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the sacrament helps us remember our Savior, but it is more. We renew our baptismal covenants, promising that we intend to always remember him and keep his commandments and take upon ourselves his name.

In the Book of Mormon, in Third Nephi, we read of the Savior’s visit to Christians in this American continent. He gave them the sacrament and authorized those who would continue to give the people those sacred emblems.

With all the many wonderful sacrament hymns we have in our LDS hymn book, it took over thirty years for me to arrive at a point where I felt it appropriate to write one, revising the first two verses of my song and changing the melody somewhat. Still, my own contribution is provided for choir singing, not to replace any sacrament hymn choice. Here are the words of the revised two verses:

Verse One

Father in Heaven, thy name is blessed. Heeding thy Spirit’s pleading we repent. For thy Beloved, with our assembling blessing his name, we take the sacrament. When I remember his cup of trembling, Drop after drop of blood was shed for me, Oh, my Father, because of Jesus, then I know I may return to thee.

Verse Two

I was begotten by thee my Father, nurtured in wondrous realms in ages past. My older brother to be my savior. Then came the time: mortality at last! Now in the shadow of mortal weakness, sorrow and sin and counterfeit I see. Oh, my Father, premortal Father, through my Savior I return to thee.

This hymn I approve for non-commercial church and home use.

Addendum: The following two words were changed on August 16, 2015:

Verse #1: “pleading I repent” instead of the early-2015 version which had “pleading we repent”

Verse #2: “would be my Savior” instead of the earlier version of “to be my Savior”

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Getting People to Read the Bible

March 1, 2015

Introducing the Book of Mormon

Why would I title this post “Getting people to read the Bible” when it’s mainly about the Book of Mormon? Encountering the book published by Joseph Smith, in the early 19th century, promotes Bible reading. That needs explaining.

I, Jonathan Whitcomb, am one of millions who have been influenced by the Book of Mormon in this way: My faith in Jesus Christ has been strengthened; my knowledge of his Gospel has been enlarged; my understanding of his divine existence has been elevated. And there’s something else.

Like millions of other ordinary persons, I have come to better appreciate the Bible and believe in its divine origin because of the Book of Mormon. In other words, we have greater confidence in the Bible because of the Book of Mormon, greater faith in the truths in those 66 books than we would have if we had never encountered the Book of Mormon.

Reading the Bible—a fruit of the Book of Mormon

What is the greatest tool that God has given to modern mortals, to turn their hearts to reading the Bible? Other than the printed Bible itself, it is the Book of Mormon.

The greatest tool in defending the divine origin of the Bible—that’s the Book of Mormon? Exactly. How many people had never touched a Bible until they had been touched by the Book of Mormon! I’m not one of those many readers but my wife is. (I was converted to Jesus Christ from reading the Bible, before I found the Book of Mormon.)

I intend no special criticism of the Roman Catholic church nor any of its members by the following statements, for we are all human, with weaknesses in knowledge and understanding that God has given to us while we live in this short estate of mortality. With all the qualities of character and faith that I have seen in the lives of my Catholic friends, persons whom I have loved and admired throughout my life, many of them have not read the Bible. Notable exceptions are those many Catholics who have encountered the Book of Mormon and felt the influence of the Holy Spirit, testifying to their hearts that it is true. That leads them to the Bible.

Origin of the Book of Mormon

The key mortal in organizing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in bringing forth the Book of Mormon—who was he? Let’s approach it thus: Can any person be sure of coming to know who Joseph Smith truly was by first rejecting the man’s claim to being a prophet of God?

Beware of that approach, the same faulty approach used by those Jews who rejected Jesus Christ during the mortal ministry of the Savior. Jesus tried to reason with those who opposed him, asking them to consider his works, even if they disliked him. If they had followed his counsel, they might have recognized the truth: His life was evidence that he was who he said he was: the Messiah.

Who is a prophet of God?

Consider what Jesus said (7th chapter of Matthew):

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

Notice that he did not say that the world would never again have prophets in the future. If our Father in Heaven intended that no prophets would be sent to the earth, after the Savior’s redeeming sacrifice was accomplished, Jesus would then have simply said that no more prophets would come. He said nothing like that, but gave us a way to tell the difference between true and false prophets. Now apply that to Joseph Smith.

The Book of Mormon—a fruit of the life of Joseph Smith

A farm boy in the back woods of New York state in the early 1800’s—Joseph Smith could hardly finish writing an intelligible letter, let alone hundreds of pages of apparent ancient scriptures, when the Book of Mormon first began to emerge. What greater evidence could we find, of a man being a true prophet or a false prophet, than a new publication of proclaimed scripture?

Consider the following, if you have not yet read anything in the Book of Mormon. Regardless of what you had previously assumed about it, use portions of it to test whether or not Joseph Smith was a true prophet.

______________________________________________________________________________

What early-18th-century farm boy anywhere on this planet would have known that many people in Jerusalem, in 600 B.C., were strongly influenced by the Egyptian language? Only recently have scholars come to understand how deeply those people were involved in the culture and language of Egypt at that time in history.

And that is only the beginning of the countless evidences for the historical validity of the Book of Mormon, that first page. Beware of those critics who use improper tactics to try to discredit this modern book of scripture, for some of those tactics have also been used to try to discredit the Bible, in particular vain declarations based on the assumption that all scripture is of human origin, without divine authority.

Beware of careless criticisms against the greatest tool that God has given us to defend the divine origin of the Bible: the Book of Mormon.

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Book of Mormon and baptism of little children

The ancient American prophet Mormon is teaching his son Moroni what was revealed by God through revelation, after Mormon had become troubled about disputations on this subject of infant baptism.

Textual Evolution in Book of Mormon?

It appeared to me that this commentator had not actually read the Book of Mormon but was speculating based on his imagination (and perhaps on what other critics had speculated) for he gave no detail, no example, no reference. . . . [in reality, however] How obvious that there was no textual evolution from 1830 to the present!

The Book of Mormon

An additional witness for Jesus Christ