Apologetics Common Questions 1

Question 1

Why do bad things happen?

Answer 1

Romans 5:3-5
Romans 8:28
James 1:2-3

Question 2

The Bible’s books were subjectively chosen by the early Christians—Why should we trust the canon that we have or not add more?

Answer 2

• The 66 books were first explicitly mentioned in the Easter letter of Athanasius in 367 AD. He noted that these were the only ones that were universally accepted.
• The ones that were accepted came from a long line of tradition and acceptance about their authorship and authority (from a time in which it could have been verified—Mark, for example, wasn’t even challenged by anyone until the 5th(?) century).

Question 3

Why are we here?

Answer 3

Jeremiah 1:5
1 Peter 1:20
Abraham 3:22-23
1 John 2:1
2 Nephi 9:13
2 Nephi 25:23 (10:24)
Alma 22:13
Moses 1:39
Alma 7:11-13

Question 4

What does God intend with us?

Answer 4

Moses 1:39

Question 5

What is Zion?

Answer 5

Moses 7:18

Question 6

Is there foreordination?

Answer 6

Abraham 3:22-23

Jeremiah 1:5(?)

Question 7

We aren’t special. We’re only animals with greater cognitive abilities.

Answer 7

Genesis 1:26-27
Genesis 1:28
Philosophical view: The importance of a being is determined by how much they’re able to project their subjective will onto the universe around them. Humans are endowed with the intelligence and strength in order to do this. Assuming that we’re excluding the idea of God from the picture, then might is right. Any other view is just built up by the group with the might necessary to establish it.

Question 8

When did Israel become God’s chosen people?

Answer 8

Exodus 19:5-6

Deuteronomy 14:2

Question 9

What are the Ten Commandments?

Answer 9

Exodus 20

Question 10

I don’t think that your God is one that I want to worship

Answer 10

Joshua 24:15

Question 11

So we can arm ourselves and convert people with our own studies and hard work, right?

Answer 11

Proverbs 3:5-6

Question 12

I don’t think that God can forgive me…

Answer 12

Isaiah 1:18

Question 13

We only started existing here on this earth.

Answer 13

Jeremiah 1:4-5

Question 14

I don’t feel comfortable going out to preach to others…

Answer 14

Ezequiel 3:16-21

[Add a softer one also]

Question 15

We need to just invite people to pray, there’s no need for all of this researching and debating!

Answer 15

D&C 71:7-10

1 Peter 3:15-16

Question 16

Where in the Bible does it say anything about the Book of Mormon?

Answer 16

Ezequiel 37:15-17

Question 17

How can we know what God will do and what he intends for us?

Answer 17

Amos 3:7

Question 18

Where does the idea of tithing come from?

Answer 18

Malachi 3:8-10

[research it to find something more historical]

Question 19

People make too big of a deal out of Sundays

Answer 19

Isaiah 58:13-14

Question 20

You shouldn’t bring up someone’s error if it isn’t harming anyone

Answer 20

Jude 1:3

“That’s the world’s standard, I want to live by the Lord’s standard”

Question 21

Why would Jesus call the Gentile woman a dog?

Answer 21

Jesus was a special gift to the people of Israel primarily. The woman (probably) came from a people that would accept most any teaching. Dogs don’t distinguish between types of meat/food that they’re given, so it wouldn’t be right to grant this special gift (Jesus’ teachings/miracles) to one that would view Him as just a means and not recognize Him for more than this. When she indicates that she understands and accepts His teachings and says that she knows she will receive Jesus when the right time comes, Jesus says that she has passed the trial of her faith (she’s shown that she recognizes who Jesus is) and that her daughter has been healed.

Question 22

Answering the social gospel.

Answer 22

Focuses on the wrong thing. In Mark 8:31-38, Jesus reminds us that even if we gain everything in this whole world, it does us no good if we lose our souls. We need to focus on what matters above all, and have things in their correct order. Spiritual matters, and then temporal welfare.

Question 23

Is there precedent for the Gentiles being accepted into the covenant?

Answer 23

Isaiah 56: 6-8
There are plenty of other scriptures in the OT talking about treating foreigners the same even at religious things. Just search for them (ex: Numbers 9:14, Exodus 12: 48-49)

Question 24

The apostles and prophets are just men–they’re fallible just like the rest of us!

Answer 24

D&C 1:38
We believe that they have been put in their positions by God, and that when the Lord’s servants speak, it’s the same as Him speaking.