Anti-Mormon Claims
Anti-Mormon Claimsmoronigalatiansangelanother testament

Is Moroni the Accursed Angel of Galatians 1:8?

Paul says even an angel from heaven who preaches another gospel is accursed. Isn’t that a bullseye on the Angel Moroni — and on ‘Another Testament’ printed on the cover?

Bible

They quote this

Bible · Galatians 1:8–9, 11–12

KJV + NRSVUE

They hang the whole Restoration on ‘even an angel.’

King James Version

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… But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

NRSVUE

But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!… For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin, for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

How we read it

Paul received his gospel “by the revelation of Jesus Christ,” not from a committee — then he warns against a contrary one. An angel is not automatically accursed. A different Christ is. Moroni’s book preaches the crucified and risen Lord. The critic has to prove a different gospel, not a different mailman.

The Bible answers

Bible · Revelation 14:6

KJV + NRSVUE

John already saw an angel flying with the gospel. Accursed, or appointed?

King James Version

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

NRSVUE

Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation and tribe and language and people.

Bible · Luke 1:26–32

KJV + NRSVUE

Gabriel was an angel from heaven with news about Jesus. Galatians did not curse him.

King James Version

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth… And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest.

NRSVUE

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth… And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon answers

Title Page of the Book of Mormon

The book’s job, on its own title page, is to convince Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ.

…to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.

3 Nephi 27:13–14

The messenger is tested by the message. This is Paul’s gospel.

Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father… that I might be lifted up upon the cross… that I might draw all men unto me.

Moroni 10:32–33

Moroni’s last words are come unto Christ, not come unto Moroni.

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness… then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ… then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God.

Ancient witnesses

Dead Sea Scrolls and related extra-biblical texts that illuminate the same pattern the Restoration restores.

11QMelchizedek (11Q13); Revelation 14:6

Second Temple Jews already expected a heavenly herald of good news. John sees an angel with the eternal gospel to every nation. Galatians 1 does not cancel Revelation 14. It tests the message.

If ‘angel = automatic curse,’ Gabriel at Nazareth, the angels at the empty tomb, Cornelius’s visitor, and John’s angel in Revelation 14 are all accursed. No Christian believes that. The test is whether the message is Christ crucified and risen. Moroni’s book will not shut up about that Christ.

Faithful answers

FAIR

Galatians 1:8, Moroni, and ‘Another Testament’

FAIR Latter-day Saints

The X version treats Galatians as if Paul had Moroni’s name in a footnote. He did not. He was fighting teachers who made Gentile Christians keep the law of Moses to be saved. The Book of Mormon’s title page, 2 Nephi 25:26, 3 Nephi 27, and Moroni 10 preach faith in Christ, the cross, the resurrection, and grace. That is 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, not Galatia’s ‘other gospel.’ ‘Another Testament’ is 17th-century English for another witness — the way Hebrews calls the gospel a testament, and the way the New Testament is not ‘another gospel’ than the Old. If additional witness were accursed, Luke would be accursed for writing a second Gospel after Mark.

Paul curses a contrary gospel, not additional witnesses of the same Christ. Moroni did not replace Calvary. He pointed a continent at it.

  • Content test, not messenger test. Paul himself received the gospel from a revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12), not from a committee in Jerusalem.
  • Revelation 14:6 is still in the Bible after Galatians 1:8. An end-time angel with the gospel is expected, not banned.
  • The cover says Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Testament = witness. Read the title page: ‘Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.’
  • Gabriel announced Jesus and was not accursed. Moroni announced a record of Jesus and is not accursed. The Judaizers announced circumcision as the ticket and were.
  • If ‘another’ means ‘not in my denomination’s systematic theology,’ every Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant body is Galatians-accursed to someone.
Read the original

Suggested videos

Faithful voices only. Most of these are independent — not official Church productions unless marked as such.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

What Is The Book of Mormon? | Now You Know

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Ward Radio

Why “Galatians 1:8” Doesn't Actually Work Against Latter-day Saints

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Further reading

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