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This piece is linked from a current BYU Website under the heading 'Apostasy': BYU New Testament Commentary Bibliography

The very original source for this excerpt was: Kent P. Jackson in By Study and also by Faith Volume 1, eds. John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1990).

Worth Noting:

1. Deseret Book Publishers IS owned by the Mormon Church itself.

2. FYI: This piece can also be found by an old Lds apologetics Web site:

3. The most controversial paragraph from this BYU Professor -- as published almost 25 years ago by the Mormon Church -- has been deleted in an abridged version found at the BYU Religious Education Religious Studies Center portion of its Website: See New Testament Prophecies of Apostasy

Here, the article pretty much starts off the same...but the following excerpt From the article was deleted in that abridged version:

...The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi envisioned in the latter days following the Restoration only two churches: "the church of the Lamb of God" and "the church of the devil" (1 Nephi 14:10). Since whoever does not belong to "the church of the Lamb of God" belongs to "the church of the devil," as Nephi announced, then all systems of worship outside of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be classified as "the church of the devil" by Nephi's definition.9...To suggest that fallen Christianity has Satan at its head in the place of God is certainly not to say that all that is in it is satanic...

So...this isn't the "PR" version of what the Mormon Church plays off often to the world...that :

"...all systems of worship outside of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be classified as 'the church of the devil' by Nephi's definition"...


1 posted on 01/16/2014 5:19:52 AM PST by Colofornian
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To: All
For other threads of interest on this topic, see:
Just posted today: LDS Church follows Christ's 'blueprint,' speaker says [Lds leader says other churches invalid]
* If Mormonism is 'anti-Christian,' then how can it be considered 'Christian?'
* The Great Apostasy [Mormonism labels ALL Protestant, Catholic & Orthodox churches 'apostate']
* A non-FR thread: The Mormon Double Standard: We can criticize you, but how dare you criticize us!!!
2 posted on 01/16/2014 5:26:23 AM PST by Colofornian (The Spirit HIMSELF [not itself] testifies w/our spirit...we ARE [not will be] GodÂ’s children Rom8:1)
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To: All
Mormonism Research Ministry has an interesting well-researched piece entitled The Great Apostasy...

The initial three paragraphs of this piece are as follows:

"Around the world the fame of Christ spreads. Men and women lift their hands to praise the name of Jesus, worshiping him as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Full of the Holy Spirit, they lift him up as their savior, redeemer, and advocate. His gospel is preached, his word is believed, and his death and resurrection are celebrated in the Lord's Supper. Millions are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, trusting in the person and work of Christ for forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and the transformation of their heart. Hundreds of millions of Christians gather to fellowship over the risen Christ."

"Yet Mormonism pats these Christians on the heads and pities them. The 'one true church', Mormonism says, is found nowhere in non-Mormon Christendom. The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is found nowhere outside Mormonism. The God of Mormonism recognizes no missionary work, no baptism, and no communion outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as authorized. Despite patronizing us with the uninteresting affirmation that all religion has some truth in it, Mormonism still teaches that God told Joseph Smith:

"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: 'they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.'" (Joseph Smith—History) Mormonism teaches that Christ's church fell into what has been described as a complete and universal apostasy.

  So here we have a Mormon church that claims...: 

a. gift of indwelling Holy Spirit to be found NOWHERE outside of Mormonism; 
b. It ALONE is the "one living & true church on the face of the earth" (Lds scripture D&C 1:30
c. "...all systems of worship outside of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be classified as 'the church of the devil'" (See "Watch and Remember": The New Testament and the Great Apostasy [Non-Lds worship 'church of...devil']
d. Marriages performed by priesthood (or ministry) outside of the Mormon church is "presumptuous and blasphemous" (See last book listed here by lds.org: The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. by Edward L. Kimball. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982, page 494)
e. All baptisms and communion/Lord's Supper/Eucharist served outside of the Mormon church is both "presumptuous and blasphemous" (Lds "prophet" Spencer W. Kimball, the man who approved black priesthood in the Mormon church) and "will highly offend God" (Lds "apostle" Orson Pratt, the man who set the chapter-and-verse divisions in the 1879 Book of Mormon still in use today) [See: Last book listed here by lds.org: The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. by Edward L. Kimball. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982, page 494 and Lds "apostle" Orson Pratt's The Seer, page 255, column 2 [Please note, Pratt had such authority in the Mormon church that Pratt's 1879 chapter and verse divisions in the Book of Mormon is what Mormons still use today]
e. No missionary work outside of Mormonism is recognized as divinely authorized 
f. No spiritual gifts outside of Mormonism is recognized as divinely given Lds "apostle" Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, pp. 67-68
g. Although the apostle Paul wrote about prophetic gifts to the Corinthians (which is distinct from any official "OFFICE" of prophet as we find in the Old Testament), Mormonism claims no one but their top etchelon speaks prophetically any more as guided by the Holy Spirit. [Ironically, many Mormon apologists and writers have attempted to belittle Christianity for saying God doesn't reveal revelations any more; yet, these very advocates of Mormonism have "bottled up" God from speaking to anyone beyond a few who happen to live in Salt Lake City!] 

3 posted on 01/16/2014 5:29:31 AM PST by Colofornian
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To: All
...The Mormon church has made sure that over these past 62 years its missionaries emphasize a so-called "UNIVERSAL" (complete) apostasy by the Christian church shortly after the apostles died.

Since 1952, the Lds church has sent out about a million missionaries...[Lds has boasted of over a million in its entire history; the largest swath have come in the last 60 years]. They work 70-hour weeks. That's a LOT of "apostasy" mongering...especially given the 80,000 Lds missionaries out & about daily.

And that doesn't include their 24/7 online accusations... 
...their books published in who knows how many languages... 
...their curricula... 
...their published articles... 
...their broadcasts...

Snapshot of Joseph Smith’s Slanderous Invectives vs. Christian Sects

Mormon Source

[Note: Most of these are Mormon ‘scriptures'. In fact, First three rows below are Lds 'scripture' & therefore cannot be rug-swept any more than a Jew might try to take three commandments off of the very tablets of stone Moses brought down from the mountain]
“...which of all the sects was right… must join NONE of them, for they were ALL WRONG… those professors were ALL CORRUPT…” Joseph Smith – History vv. 18-19. – Lds "scripture" Pearl of Great Price
...“which of all the sects was right…ALL their CREEDS were an ABOMINATION in his sight…they teach for doctrines the commandments of MEN…” Joseph Smith – History vv. 18-19. – Lds "scripture" Pearl of Great Price
Mormon church the only ‘Christ-sanctioned’ church on earth: “…the foundation of this [Mormon] church…the ONLY true and living church on the face of the whole earth” [Obvious ‘scorched earth’ implication: All other churches are false and dead] Lds “scripture” Doctrines & Covenants 1:30
Direct question asked of Joseph Smith: 'Will everybody be damned, but Mormons?" Answer from Lds "prophet" Joseph Smith: 'Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness." Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 119 [Not “scripture” – but still publicly spoken by the Mormon ‘living prophet’ and published by a later Mormon ‘living prophet,’ Joseph Fielding Smith – via a publisher owned by the Mormon church – Deseret News Press, 1938]
“In 1952…the first official proselyting plan was sent to missionaries throughout the world…It included seven missionary discussions that emphasized…[four topics, one of them being]THE APOSTASY and Restoration…” [This makes it 60 years that Mormon church missionaries, soon to number 85,000, have formally emphasized in its training & door to door saturation a priority in bashing the worldwide Christian church as “apostates” (100% AWOL)] Our Heritage: A Brief History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints p. 116, 1996

4 posted on 01/16/2014 5:32:32 AM PST by Colofornian
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To: Colofornian

“...the doctrines which its inspired leaders taught were corrupted and changed by others not of similar inspiration”

Well the article is spot on with that statement. Even a brief look into church history will reveal how Constantine and the Roman church made many revisions to the Messiahs message just 300 years after His ministry. And the corruption continues to this day. Do your own research and try to keep bias out of your conclusions.


5 posted on 01/16/2014 6:07:21 AM PST by wheat_grinder
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To: Colofornian
In before.....”you hater, you are obsessed, you have no idea what you are talking about, it's all Constantin’s fault"

Nobody likes you...... :-)

6 posted on 01/16/2014 6:31:28 AM PST by svcw (Not 'hope and change' but 'dopes in chains')
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To: Colofornian

CAUTION!! RELIGION BASHING THREAD!!
This thread does not praise God, it weakens faith.
Beware wolves in sheep's clothing.

9 posted on 01/16/2014 8:41:36 AM PST by laotzu
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To: Colofornian
A little slow today with the THREE MINUTES' HATE today, aren't you ?

Does the constant spewing of bile ever get in the way of tasting things ?

Does the ugliness of your mind show up on your face, like "The Portrait Of Dorian Gray" ?

What other groups do you slander and hate as much as Mormons ?

13 posted on 01/16/2014 10:37:01 AM PST by jimt (Fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed.)
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To: Colofornian

I don’t understand how the LDS can go through the effort of reading the Bible, point out the warnings about false prophets and teachers but yet go on to promote Mormonism?

You’d think some of them might put two and two together? Connect the dots, etc... Maybe some of apostle’s warnings might have sunk in?!?


14 posted on 01/16/2014 11:09:49 AM PST by dragonblustar (Psalm 37:7)
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To: Colofornian
"...all systems of worship outside of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be classified as 'the church of the devil' by Nephi's definition"...


 

MORMON
ATTITUDES OF SUPERIORITY
 

  1. I’m Superior; I have a special gift of the holy Ghost -- you don’t!
  2. I’m Superior; I have God’s true priesthood power -- you don’t!
  3. I’m Superior; I can go in God’s secret Temple -- you can’t!
  4. I’m Superior; I’ve been Endowed with special Gifts and Knowledge -- you’re just normal!
  5. I’m Superior; I’ll have my family with me in heaven -- you’ll be with strangers!
  6. I’m Superior; I’m becoming a God -- you aren’t!
  7. I’m Superior; My women know their place as servants of man and yours don’t.
  8. I’m Superior; YOUR creeds are wrong because they come from man - mine comes from God (you can find each one printed in our Scriptures).
  9. I’m Superior; I don’t HAVE a creed - I’ve got 13 Articles of Faith.
10. I'm Superior; I have 4 "Bibles"-- the standard works (5 if you count the JST) -- you've only got one: in as far as it is translated correctly.
11. I’m Superior; I can lie with impunity about such things as church membership, church growth, church doctrine, church history, church influence, etc. —                           -- You can’t.
12. I’m Superior; I am right (everybody knows) when I say 'evangelical' Christians are lunatics -- 
                           -- You’re a hideous narrow-minded bigot, who is persecuting me by practicing discrimination by saying I'm not a Christian.
13. I'm Superior; I have a testimony about a prophet -- you don't.
14. I'm Superior; I have a Scripture-producing Amos 3:7 prophet -- you don't
15. I’m Superior; I have a Living Prophet who talks to god every day -- you have a dim-witted hireling of Satan who only talks to himself.
16. I'm Superior; I have my calling & election made sure -- you don't.
17. I’m Superior; I have magic underwear to protect me from the bogey man -- you don’t.
18. I’m Superior; I have secret clasps and grips to give the angel so I get admitted to the celestial kingdom -- you don’t ;so you can’t.
19. I'm Superior; I know secret handshake codes for afterlife entrances-- you don't.
20. I’m Superior; I will see Joseph Smith setting on the right hand of GOD, when I get to Mormon heaven, and he will recognize me and judge me favorably                              -- You’re on your own; when you get to wherever you’re going!
21. I’m Superior; I’m going to hie to Kolob -- you’re going to who knows where.
22. I’m Superior; I get to have a harem and act like a celestial stud for time and all eternity -- you don’t.
23. I’m Superior; I have sun stones, moon stones, sky stones, cloud stones, Saturn stones, and the evil eye of Osirus guarding my temple
                            -- You have nothing but a stupid cross.
24. I’m Superior; My church has billions in assets stashed away -- yours has taken a stupid vow of poverty.
25. I'm Superior; Last - we have the power to keep a whole race out of our priesthood if we wanted to reinsert our 148-year legacy  (we ARE still keeping an entire GENDER at bay!)
26.  I'm superior; I have the "higher law" -- everyone else "lives under the "lesser law' because I say so...(over and over).
 
 
Revision 46.5
Semi-Official creed of the EXclusive club of Freeper Flying Inmans.
All rights liable to be abused.

22 posted on 01/16/2014 3:27:11 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Colofornian

So, do they believe that the Gates of Hell prevailed?


30 posted on 01/16/2014 3:42:06 PM PST by Jim Noble (When strong, avoid them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise.)
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To: Colofornian
Since its beginning, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has proclaimed to the world...there was an apostasy of the church which had been founded by Jesus during his earthly ministry...This is a fundamental belief of the restored church.

Of which the Mormons have absolutely NO proof.

47 posted on 01/23/2014 9:23:39 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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