The Mormons and "Two Sticks"

In studies with Mormons they will sometimes suggest a text from Ezekiel 37:16,17 as support for the Book of Mormon. The passage reads as follows: “Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: and join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.” The Mormons explain the passage thus: “Is not the Bible the stick of Judah? Then the Book of Mormon must be the stick of Ephraim.” The idea is that sticks were used to roll up parchment scrolls. Two sticks then, according to their interpretation, must represent two separate books—the Bible and the Book of Mormon—which would ultimately be shown as a unified revelation from God.
The Mormons are simply wrong about this text. Ezekiel was NOT making any kind of prediction about separate written revelations from God. The context shows that he was speaking of a reuniting of a remnant of Judah and Israel. These were the two sticks that would become one. He proceeds to show that the accomplishment of this would be through the spiritual blessings granted by God in Christ Jesus. (Ezekiel 37:18-26): “And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand ... And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all ... I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God ... Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will ... set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.”
The Mormons are clearly guilty of perverting the Scriptures when they attempt to use this text to support their corrupt doctrine.