Posted on 04/06/2016 7:11:21 AM PDT by PeteePie
A real good man who was on my staff in Iraq, an Iraqi national, left the country recently. He received repeated threats from local Al Qaeda and later ISIS for helping the US Army during OIF. There was always something special about this guy and we shared a bond of friendship that still endures. I believe the Lord put him on my heart for prayer and salvation. He made it to Sweden about eight months ago and is awaiting a ruling for asylum as a refugee. My prayers continued. Today I received what I thought was the answer to that prayer, he was approached by Christians and is going to church this Sunday. My jaw dropped and my joy overflowed. However, in a follow up message he told me these nice guys were from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and their book was the book of Mormon. My heart sank. I need prayer for this man and resources that I can share with him to warn him away from Mormon but into the loving arms of the one true God. If anyone has easy-to-understand resources that explain the crucial differences between Mormonism and true Christianity, please ping me or send me a freepmail.
Thanks. I’ll give these a preview when I get home. But until then would you say these messages can be understood by someone with little to no Biblical worldview as well as limited education? My friend is savvy but I don’t know how much formal education he received.
Joseph Smith patterned himself after Mohammed and never hid the fact. Advise your friend not to give up one false doctrine for another. Advise him to read the Bible as his only spiritual guide and no other book!
If he can convert 10 other Muslim refugees in Sweden to Mormonism, it would be wonderful. ANYTHING but Islam. But of course Sweden is already doomed. They are like the passengers to the Kanamits’ planet in “To Serve Man.”
In the heat of the Missouri “Mormon War” of 1838, Joseph Smith made the following claim - and threat,
“I will be a second Mohammed to this generation…whose motto, in treating for peace, was 'the Alcoran [Koran] or the Sword,' so shall it be eventually with us, 'Joseph Smith or the Sword.’ ”[1]
It is most interesting that a self-proclaimed Christian prophet would liken himself to Mohammed, the founder of Islam. His own comparison invites us to take a closer look as well. And when we do, we find some striking—and troubling—parallels. Consider the following.
Mohammed and Joseph Smith both had humble beginnings. Neither had formal religious connections or upbringing, and both were relatively uneducated. Both founded new religions by creating their own scriptures. In fact, followers of both prophets claim these scriptures are miracles since their authors were the most simple and uneducated of men.[2]
Both prophets claim of having angel visitations, and of receiving divine revelation to restore pure religion to the earth again. Mohammed was told that both Jews and Christians had long since corrupted their scriptures and religion. In like manner, Joseph Smith was told that all of Christianity had become corrupt, and that consequently the Bible itself was no longer reliable. In both cases, this corruption required a complete restoration of both scripture and religion. Nothing which preceded either prophet could be relied upon any longer. Both prophets claim they were used of God to restore eternal truths which once existed on earth, but had been lost due to human corruption.
Both prophets created new scripture which borrowed heavily from the Bible, but with a substantially new “spin.” In his Koran, Mohammed appropriates a number of Biblical themes and characters—but he changes the complete sense of many passages, claiming to “correct” the Bible. In so doing he changes many doctrines, introducing his own in their place. In like manner, Joseph Smith created the Book of Mormon, much of which is plagiarized directly from the King James Bible. Interestingly, the Book of Mormon claims that this same Bible has been substantially corrupted and is therefore unreliable. In addition, Joseph Smith went so far as to actually create his own version of the Bible itself, the “Inspired Version,” in which he both adds and deletes significant portions of text, claiming he is “correcting” it. In so doing he also changes many doctrines, introducing his own in their place.
As a part of their new scriptural “spin,” both prophets saw themselves as prophesied in scripture, and both saw themselves as a continuation of a long line of Biblical prophets. Mohammed saw himself as a continuation of the ministry of Moses and Jesus. Joseph Smith saw himself as a successor to Enoch, Melchizedek, Joseph and Moses. Joseph Smith actually wrote himself into his own version of the Bible—by name.
Both prophets held up their own scripture as superior to the Bible. Mohammed claimed that the Koran was a perfect copy of the original which was in heaven. The Koran is therefore held to be absolutely perfect, far superior to the Bible and superceding it. In like manner, Joseph Smith also made the following claim. “I told the Brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding its precepts, than by any other book.”[3]
Despite their claim that the Bible was corrupt, both prophets admonished their followers to adhere to its teachings. An obvious contradiction, this led to selective acceptance of some portions and wholesale rejection of others. As a result, the Bible is accepted by both groups of followers only to the extent that it agrees with their prophet’s own superior revelation.
Both Mohammed and Joseph Smith taught that true salvation was to be found only in their respective religions. Those who would not accept their message were considered “infidels,” pagans or Gentiles. In so doing, both prophets became the enemy of genuine Christianity, and have led many people away from the Christ of the Bible.
Both prophets encountered fierce opposition to their new religions and had to flee from town to town because of threats on their lives. Both retaliated to this opposition by forming their own militias. Both ultimately set up their own towns as model societies.
Both Mohammed and Joseph Smith left unclear instructions about their successors. The majority of Mohammed’s followers, Sunni Muslims, believe they were to elect their new leader, whereas the minority, Shiite Muslims, believe Mohammed’s son was to be their next leader. Similarly, the majority of Joseph Smith’s followers, Mormons, believed their next prophet should have been the existing leader of their quorum of twelve apostles, whereas the minority, RLDS, believed Joseph Smith’s own son should have been their next prophet. Differences on this issue, and many others, have created substantial tension between these rival groups of each prophet.
Mohammed taught that Jesus was just another of a long line of human prophets, of which he was the last. He taught that he was superior to Christ and superceded Him. In comparison, Joseph Smith also made the following claim.
“I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him, but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet.”[4]
In light of these parallels, perhaps Joseph Smith’s claim to be a second Mohammed unwittingly became his most genuine prophecy of all.
If your friend believes in One True God The Creator, then what Jesus taught His disciples in John 14 stands in stark contrast to the god of Mormonism. The god of Mormonism was once a man just like your friend, which means the god of Mormonism is not a god at all.
Joseph Smith, Founder of Mormonism Said: "I Will Be a Second Mohammed"!
m’Lady, a copy of that video you sent to me so many years ago might be an excellent tool for the learning curve, so he can better discuss Mormonism with his friend.
Praying for The Holy Spirit to give him wisdom and discernment and speak to him through His word.
Praying for The Holy Spirit to give him wisdom and discernment and speak to him through His word.
Choosing Your Faith: In a World of Spiritual Options
by Mark Mittelberg (Author), Lee Strobel
I'm not sure which video you refer to...FReepmail me more info, please.
Mormonism indeed has many wonderful people trapped inside its cultic ways.
You’ve got freepmail.
Real question: (full disclosure; I read exmormon.org) are there many ex-Mormons who are so turned off by the LDS concept of the divine that they conclude there must not be any such thing as a divine Being, and thus turn to atheism?
At that site, ex-mo’s exult in new found freedoms; no garmies, no rules or Word of Wisdom, enjoying a beer, no more boring three hour Sunday worship, etc.
Just asking; I’m Catholic & began studying Mormonism after learning about anti-Catholic teachings in the Doctrine & Covenants, BoM & other source documents.
>>Interesting that you came to Mormonism from atheism, since the majority of Mormons who abandon the LDS church become atheists.
I live in Southern Baptist country and those Mormons were the first religious people that ever tried to convert me without beating me up about making a commitment TODAY which always creeped me out. They talked to me like friends and when they found that I was willing to listen, they answered my questions. They came back three or four times and they answered my questions every time.
Obviously, the Holy Spirit was at work in me so I heard about Jesus and liked what I heard. It was only when I started asking about the nuts and bolts of their religion that I began to get concerned. When I told them that I chose something else, they just thanked me for my time and never returned.
Their church may be misled or it may be apostate, but the rank-and-file Mormons seem to have a genuine desire for Christ.
No, you still are denying the Word of God by saying that He changes His mind. You’re interpreting “God changed His mind” in such a way to suggest that He was wrong in His previous dictations, which is blasphemy; Scripture in no way suggests this when put into context. God knows everything which has happened, is happening, and will happen; this is a fundamental quality of Him.
LOL, you actually take the LDS at their word, then say people who don’t take the LDS at their word are going to hell. You also stand by the lie that the LORD changes His mind (refuted in posts 23 and 56). Such behavior is befitting of the hellbound.
>>close, but they do drop subtle notes in here and there as they beam their lies in under the radar.
Perhaps you’ve never been a non-believer. If you have been, then you would understand that “close” is much better than the place where you were when you did not believe at all. “Close” introduces you to the Christ you never knew and makes you want to know more. “Close” leads to closer.
To the non-believer, every religious person trying to convert you is a liar.
Respectfully, I disagree.
Even for we petty humans, not every circumstance has a binary solution. It is reasonable, especially for the Creator of all things, that an abundant number of correct solutions exist at His disposal.
That we can receive forgiveness and obtain grace, while those of the Old Testament could not, is such an example.
That’s a fair way of looking at it, I suppose. I wouldn’t say that qualifies as “changing His mind”, since His prior decisions would certainly not qualify as wrong (His decisions are never wrong) and He knew from the start that He would send His only Son. Perhaps this is just an example of how manmade languages are incapable of fully grasping His grace. Thanks for clarifying your views, and God bless!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.