In the past two years I have been introduced to Baptist Preacher Lynn Ridenhour. He is a good humble man who loves the Book of Mormon. I have invited him to a few of our past FIRM Foundation Expos and I have enjoyed his comments. His personal story about being burned at a young age and then devoting himself to God is incredible.
At this time Lynn prefers to stay a Baptist as he feels he can share his message with Christians that may never listen to a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am praying for his true conversion by entering the waters of baptism. I think you will enjoy hearing a different perspective from a practicing Baptist. Although I don’t agree with all of his beliefs, I respect his opinion and desire to share with us.
The Book of Mormon Explained from the Bible
by Lynn Ridenhour, Southern Baptist Minister
First, if I may, address those of you (both Mormon and non-Mormon) who are surprised to find the endorsement of a practicing Southern Baptist Minister; let me assure you, I am indeed an ordained Baptist Minister, I taught for eight years at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University and I am in fact endorsing the Book of Mormon to be the Word of God and a companion to the Bible, which also I love dearly. I preach from the Bible, it is God’s Word and I teach from it every Sunday in my own and other Christian congregations across this great country. I also teach and preach the Book of Mormon and I testify that it is also God’s Word. I declare that from every pulpit, wherever I preach. This preacher is a Book of Mormon and Bible loving Baptist from Missouri, I fell in love with the Book of Mormon in 1985 and never looked back.
The story of the Book of Mormon can be told entirely out of the Bible! Using nothing but Bible scriptures. Let me show you how…
David succeeded Saul as King of Judah approximately 1,000 BC. When David died, his son Solomon caused his people to sin, which resulted in the kingdom being divided into two separate kingdoms (I Kings 11:29-36). Ten tribes, under the leadership of Ephraim, formed the “Northern Kingdom of Israel” with Samaria as its capital and Jeroboam as its king. The other two tribes of Judah and Benjamin (with some of the tribe of Levi) formed what was known as the “Southern Kingdom of Judah.” Their capital was located at Jerusalem and Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) was their king (I Kings 12:19).
So Jeroboam is king of the Northern kingdom and Rehoboam, the king of the Southern kingdom. The 11th and 12th chapters of First Kings describes the break up, with a son of David’s royal family as king over one kingdom, and a son of the House of Joseph as king over the other, larger kingdom. The two kingdoms became known as the house of Judah and the house of Israel (Jer.3:18). The Jews (house of Judah) stayed in the land of Israel while the ten tribes (house of Israel) migrated primarily north and west and became identified as the “lost house or lost tribes of Israel.” Many Bible students believe these ten tribes eventually migrated into Europe, England and then to America.
Two Houses. What a blessed thought. Two distinct peoples. Which brings up a very thought-provoking observation: all Israelites are not Jews! Just as all Americans are not Texans. As a Baptist minister, I was totally caught off guard the first time I discovered the “two houses” in the Bible. I had no idea there was such an array of scriptures pointing out that distinction (Jer.33:7; Jer.30:3,4; Jer.32:30; Jer.3:8; Jer.3:11, Hosea 1:11).
I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will have mercy upon the house of Judah. (Hosea 1:6,7)
For as a girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah” (Jer.13:11).
The envy of Ephraim (Northern Kingdom) shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off. Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. (Isa 11:33)
These scriptures raise the inevitable question—who then are the Jews? The name is really a derivative, or shall we say, corruption of the name “Judah.” The name “Jew” or “Jews” is applied only to the people who composed the (Southern) kingdom of Judah. It was their land only that became designated as “Judah” and “all Judah,” or finally, “becoming known as “Judea” and “all Jewry.” Thus, the following distinction…We do not say that all Jews are Israelites, just as we do not say all Americans are Texans. We do, however, say—all Texans are Americans, and likewise, all Jews are Israelites. Texas is part of America; but we could write the history of Texas without writing the history of America. And we could write a history of the southern kingdom without writing a history of the northern kingdom. In other words, we could write the history of the Jews and not write the history of Israel.
With this basic two-house understanding, it might be helpful to examine this passage from the Book of Ezekiel 37:6.
“Moreover thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah and for the children of Israel his companions (Southern Kingdom): then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel (Northern Kingdom) his companions.”
Here the word “stick” makes reference to some kind of book or record each representing one of the two houses. These two sticks are to become one in the hand of the prophet. What better way for Ezekiel to prophesy that the record of Judah, (the Bible) and the record of Ephraim (The Book of Mormon) will come together in the last days? Also is the suggestion that the two Houses of Israel, divided for millennia, are destined to be brought together in the fulfillment of last-days prophecy.
Let’s look briefly at the Sons of Isaac. Some Bible scholars have researched and documented the origins of the word “Saxon” suggesting that it was derived from the Hebrew name “I—saac.” The affix meaning “sons of.” “Sons of Isaac.” The Saxons are the Sons of Isaac! It seems that the house of Joseph (“…In Isaac shall thy seed be called…”) preferred the name “Isaac” whereas the Jews preferred the name “Jacob.” Israel clung to the name of Isaac, especially after they were taken into captivity. They dropped the name of Israel and called themselves “Saac,” or “Saxae” (Latin derivative) which, in this interpretation, is nothing more than the Hebrew name of Isaac.
Yet another bit of trivia that some have suggested and which I believe has merit. Israel was known as a “people of the covenant.” The word for covenant in Hebrew is “berith,” “brith” or “brit” and “ish” means “man.” Which takes us to Brit-ish “Covenant Man” and Brit-tain “Covenant Land.” While there will always be some debate on this matter, it is something to consider.
Israel in the Isles
Thus saith the Lord…I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant people…
to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages. (Isa.49:8)
Is it possible that Isaiah was saying that Israel migrated north into the Brit-ish Isles, “the desolate heritages” and places?
Let’s briefly talk about Joseph’s two sons from Egypt, Ephraim and Manasseh. While Israel (Jacob) lay dying, a portion of his blessing on the two sons was “…Let my name [Israel] be named on them” (Gen.48:16). In other words, the descendants of both Ephraim and Manasseh were to be called Israelites. The name of Israel shall rest upon both sons and their descendants. Included in the patriarch’s blessing was the promise, “…[Manasseh] shall become a people, and he will be great; but truly his younger brother [Ephraim] shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations” (Gen.48:19). Many students of scripture believe this prophecy is making reference to America and England.
Now let’s look at Judah and Joseph
“…The Sceptre shall not depart from Judah…but the Birthright is Joseph’s…” (Gen.49:10, I Chon.5:2)
The destiny of Judah and Joseph is critical to this discussion. Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright—two prophetic promises earmarked for the endtime; two distinctive promises which Protestant Christians, generally speaking, know very little about. Let’s briefly examine the distinction—Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright. All the screptre’s blessings, privileges, and promises pertain to Judah, from whom comes the royal family of Israel’s race. Jesus, our blessed Messiah, is from the tribe of Judah. We Protestants know about the Messianic promise, the plan of salvation; we’re familiar with Judah’s Sceptre, Christ’s bloodline. It’s God’s birthright promise to Joseph that we’ve overlooked.
The Messianic covenant, the Sceptre was separated from the birthright, and given to Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, while the birthright fell to Joseph. This individual separation of the Septre and the Birthright took place just before the death of Jacob. Joseph was promised the Birthright. And what was that promised birthright? Land! Joseph’s Land. The Promised Land. Joseph, through his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, was to become the father of many nations which were promised to the fathers of Israel. Nations and land were promised to Joseph and his descendants. Yes, Judah got the royal bloodline and the land of Israel (Palestine), but Joseph got his land also, the Promised Land. “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall … unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. (Gen 49:22, 26)
And out of all the nations, out of all the lands upon the earth, there was one set aside to be “…choice above all others…” It was Joseph’s land, the land of America. Saved for the endtime. And Joseph’s descendants were to settle in Joseph’s Land and become an Ensign to all other nations (Isa.5:26). Two lads and their descendants, Joseph and Judah, both play prophetic roles in these endtimes. The Lord promised that a righteous branch would come from his seed—latter-day saints of Israel!
As an aside, it might be worth noting that the colony who left Jerusalem in 600 BC and fled to “the Promised Land of Joseph” to write the record of Joseph (The Book of Mormon) was in fact, from the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim. They did inherit the “land of Joseph” where they “become a people…” that was “great,” but which, because of iniquity was destroyed around 400 AD.
Fast-forward to 1620 AD and what do we see? The beginnings of yet another nation upon the Promised Land of Joseph also a people fleeing persecution and seeking religious freedom. These people call themselves “Covenant Israel” bear in their midst the “stick of Judah” (Bible). In time, these pilgrims lay the foundation of a nation built upon principles of religious tolerance and freedom which ultimately leads to the stick of Joseph coming forth “out of the dust and crying with a familiar spirit” this later stick then joins the former and the two sticks are joined together under the aegis of Ephraim, which nation and people are “great,” yea, even greater than that of Manasseh. Indeed Ephraim has become a “multitude of nations,” whose seed has blessed every nation.
Today, all people, whether descending from Israel by direct bloodline or whether adopted in by the blood of Christ, all who come unto Him comprise the latter-day Covenant House of Israel and all are heirs of salvation through the Lordship of the Messiah, even Jesus Christ. Can you imagine a greater blessing than to be a latter-day Israelite living in Joseph’s land?
There you have it, I have just described the storyline of the Book of Mormon entirely from the Bible, using Old and New Testament scriptures. What a blessed story we have to tell the nations. Perhaps the late George Q. Cannon said it best, regarding the Book of Mormon:
“No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true, and he were commanded of God to do so.”
Dr. Lynn Ridenhour Baptist Minister,
Independence, MO
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A Witness of the Restoration
By Keith J. Wilson associate professor of ancient scripture at BYU.
An article about Lynn Ridenhour
https://religion.byu.edu/news/witness-restoration
