Evangelicals Against Mitt

How Do I Recognize a Cult?
By CBN.com

CBN.com —
Practically every cult has certain characteristics that can tell the careful observer that something is wrong.

For instance, what does a group think about Jesus? Jesus Christ is God, Lord of all, the only source of salvation. Invariably, a cult will put something else on an equal footing with Christ. It will have a ritual that is equal to Christ, or it will have a doctrine equal to Christ, or it will have a leader who is equal to Christ. In other words, even if it acknowledges Christ as Savior, it will say that you need something else before you can get into heaven. Cults teach that salvation comes through Christ, plus their little unique way. Some cults do not acknowledge Christ at all. They may make Him coequal with their religious teachers or with certain great men of history. The quickest way to recognize a cult is by its treatment of Jesus.

Second, cults frequently attempt to instill fear into their followers. The followers are taught constantly that salvation comes only through the cult. “If you leave us, you will lose your salvation,” they say.

The third area has to do with the exaltation of the leader of the cult. Cults often center around a man or woman who is trying to gain power, money, or influence from manipulating people. This appears to be the case in the Unification church with Sun Myung Moon. In the Children of God, Moses David Berg is an autocratic leader. In the People’s Temple, Jim Jones drew attention to himself and asked his followers to die with him. A true leader who serves Jesus Christ has one goal, and that is to exalt and manifest Jesus. When someone says he has unique insight into God or is the special one that God has anointed to reach the world, you are dealing with cultic behavior.

A final mark of a cult is the unwillingness of the leaders to let the people grow up. A true shepherd will do everything he can to bring Christian people to maturity as quickly as he can. He will not seek to avoid necessary teaching, nor will he try to keep people from maturity. Many cults perpetuate spiritual dependence so that their followers lose the ability to make independent, rational decisions. Often techniques of brainwashing are used to create robotlike behavior.

Although there are other marks of cultic behavior, these seem to be the ones that stand out.

WHAT DO MORMONS BELIEVE?

Mormons are some of the most exemplary human beings, especially in regard to their behavior patterns and their adherence to the fundamental values of our society. But their religious beliefs are, to put is simply, wrong. They believe that an angel named Moroni left some gold tablets in upstate New York and that these tablets were discovered by a man named Joseph Smith. From these tablets, Joseph Smith “translated” the Book of Mormon, which is the foundation upon which Mormonism is built. Mormons also consider two other books, Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price, to be divinely inspired.

Mormonism differs from biblical Christianity in several areas. Mormons do not believe, for example, that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Mormons must work their way to heaven. (B. R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine (Salt Lake City:1958), p. 191.)

Mormonism teaches that God is not the only deity and that we all have the potential of becoming gods. (Ibid., p. 576.) (Remember that Satan’s fall came about because he wanted to be like God.) God, according to Mormons, is not just Spirit but has “a body of flesh and bones as tangible as a man’s.” (Doctrine and Covenants, 130:22.) They teach, “As we are, he was. As he is, we shall become.” (Joseph Smith, “The King Follett Discourse,” p. 9.) There has been constant revision of Mormon doctrine over the years, as church leaders have changed their minds on a number of subjects including polygamy, which was once sanctioned by the church.

In summary, the Mormon church is a prosperous, growing organization that has produced many people of exemplary character. But when it comes to spiritual matters, the Mormons are far from the truth.

WHAT DO JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES BELIEVE?

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe, essentially, that to gain salvation you must witness for Jehovah; you must go out on the streets and proclaim salvation in Jehovah. They are different from Christians in that they believe Jesus Christ is only one of many gods and that He is a created being. They translate John 1:1 as, “In the beginning was the word...and the word was a god.” The Greek says, instead, “And the word was God” (John 1:1).

Because Jehovah’s Witnesses give allegiance only to Jehovah, they do not pledge allegiance to the flag, they do not vote, they do not serve in armed forces, and they do not hold public office. They do not celebrate holidays or birthdays. Another unique teaching prohibits them from taking blood transfusions.

Jehovah’s Witnesses originally taught that the world would end in 1914. It obviously did not. They also taught that there were only 144,000 people who were going to be saved by going to heaven. When Jehovah’s Witnesses membership went past 144,000, they said they were the meek and were going to inherit the earth.

A major problem with the tenets of Jehovah’s Witnesses is that there is never an assurance of salvation. In Christianity, a person can know that he is saved by trusting in Jesus. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that salvation comes through good works, so they must work continuously, without ever really knowing whether they will be saved. Many of their other doctrines are not biblical either.

WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPAL BELIEFS OF MIND CONTROL, SPIRITISM, EDGAR CAYCE, AND HINDUISM?

In one way or another each of these cults focuses on the “universal consciousness” concept that human beings —

are part of a vast, timeless consciousness,
are ultimately divine,
will live forever in various forms,
can communicate with the dead or various spirits in the universe through reincarnation,
and can receive power through psychic and, in some instances, bodily exercise to transcend nature, understand mysteries, and affect their own destinies or the lives of those around them.

These groups, in the name of “research and enlightenment,” “psychic research,” “transcendental meditation,” “yoga,” etc., are actually not in touch with some great “God consciousness” or psychic power but Satan and demons.
The Greek word psuche is translated “soul,” and from that we get the term psychic. Most of these things deal with psychic, or soulish, phenomena. When people touch the true God, they do so through the human spirit. God does not work on the soul of man but the spirit.

The apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, said the psuchikos man, the soulish man, will not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him (see I Corinthians 2:14). Mind control, the Edgar Cayce teachings, and the new age movement all appeal to the soulish man, because they do not require repentance. They do not require being born again. A concept in most of these cults is that if a person gains sufficient knowledge, he can dominate and control the events of the world because he is part of god. He can manipulate god, because he is god. He is part of the universal consciousness, and as he opens himself up to progressive revelations, he in turn is lifted to higher and higher levels of understanding. As he advances, they teach, he gains authority over himself, his body, and those around him.

We must remember that the soulish realm is the realm of demons. Demons can and often do enter into this psychic area. The people who are in touch with the dead, in touch with “the other world,” are not tapping into some universal consciousness. They are in touch with demons. Demons lurk behind the Hindu and other oriental religions, as well as behind the mind control teachings. As people try to exercise their soulish powers and manipulate others, they are trying to project themselves into this world of demonic power. They are not asking for a savior. They are not asking for forgiveness. Instead, they are asking for human power, for expansion of human psychic potential, and therein is their downfall. Those who stay with these beliefs long enough get deeper and deeper into them. They will sooner or later be in touch with, and perhaps even possessed by, demons.

The Bible does not tell us to get involved in sharpening our psychic powers. Such things are not of God. God will give people the wisdom they need through the Bible. And through the Holy Spirit, He will give them the power they need to live the life they are supposed to live. This inordinate seeking of knowledge about the future, the inordinate seeking of power over other people, the inordinate seeking of enhancement of human potential, is dangerous. Just entering into such activity is bad. I have heard of people who have started to levitate, and some who have had horrible faces appear to them in the night. All such things are symbols and signs that these people are in touch with demons.

I’m going to be buried holding a fork.

Our own elites. They have always been willing to except the benefits of cheap immigrant labor, and then to control the effects of numbers by birth control and by public education. It took the fear of revolution after WWI to get them to accept the popular expedient, limited immigration and assimilation by attrition. The problem is that there is nothing that directly affects the high and mighty right now. I was almost hoping that the Chavezite would win the Mexican Presidency and scare them a bit.

WHY MORMONISM IS NOT CHRISTIAN?

The next several pages will summarize the major problems with the teachings of the Mormon Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.

These pages will NOT tell you what individual Mormons believe. You will have to ask them one-by-one to find this out. But keep in mind, what they say may or may not agree with what their church teaches.

Why Mormonism is not Christian is summarized in the following two major reasons:

The Mormon Church teaches another “Jesus” as the Apostle Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 11:3-4.

The Mormon Church teaches another “gospel” as the Apostle Paul warns in Galatians 1:8-9.

This claim will be demonstrated in what follows. As you read the materials note the Mormon references that support what is stated.

WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?

I will answer this question by asking some questions.

1) If I said a Christian was one who believed in Jesus Christ and then pointed to a fence post and said, “I want you to meet my Jesus Christ.” Am I a real Christian?”

2) If I said a Christian was one who believed in Jesus Christ and then said, “I carry my Jesus Christ around in this little bottle and when I rub the bottle he will come out and do anything I want.” Am I a real Christian?

3) Am I a Christian if I rejected the Bible’s New Testament as God’s standard for living our lives?

Would you give me change (assuming you had it) for what looked like a twenty dollar bill (it has all the markings of a genuine twenty)? Suppose it was on the wrong paper? It says it is a twenty on both sides. How about if it was just the wrong color? How about if it was only the wrong size? I doubt you would. Why? Because only one wrong major attribute is enough to declare it a counterfeit no matter what it claims to be. A claim is not enough, all the major attributes must also be present and align with the genuine article.

So you see, using the right vocabulary, saying the “right” words, is not enough. Having God’s name correct and most of the major attributes of God correct is not enough. Why? Because there is more to being a Christian than saying the name “Jesus Christ” and having some of God’s major attributes correct.

The devils believe (James 2:19). A Christian is more than calling Jesus Lord, more than casting out demons in His name, more than doing deeds in His name (Matt 7:21-23; Lk 6:46). A Christian is a person who has in their heart the biblical Jesus Christ not only as their Savior but as their Lord. They have confessed Him with their mouth and believe in their hearts (Eph 3:19, Rom 10:9-11). They then with His help start to live the kind of life He wants them to live (Eph 2:10; Phil 1:6, 2:13; John 15:5; Heb 13:20-21).

How do we know the biblical Jesus Christ? We use the descriptions in the Bible given about Him and His father, God the Father. See article B-2 for a side-by-side comparison of the Biblical teachings about God to what the Mormon church teaches.

The Mormon Church teaches the following:

1) There are many Gods and that people (some of us for example) can progress to become Gods and Goddesses. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, by Joseph Fielding Smith, pp. 349, 370, 373; Gospel Principles, by the Mormon Church, 1986 and older editions, pp.190-191; Achieving A Celestial Marriage, by the Mormon Church, pp.129-132; History of the Church, 6:306 (Vol 6, page 306); Teachings of the Prophet Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 28, 51-53.)

2) Those who become Gods will each have his own world and with his wife (wives?) procreate spirits who will be raised to maturity and go into bodies on the new world. These new people will worship those who procreated their spirits, in the same way we worship God the Father. (Gospel Principles, by the Mormon Church, 1986 and older editions, pp. 9, 190-191.)

3) God the Father has a father. He was once a man like us who died and was resurrected as part of his progressing to godhood. He has a body of flesh and bones. The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three separate Gods. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, by Joseph Fielding Smith, pp. 345-347, 370; Mormon Doctrine, by Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, pp. 321, 576-577, 589; Doctrine and Covenants 130:22; “The Restoration of Major Doctrines Through Joseph Smith,” The Ensign, January 1989, p. 28; Doctrines of the Gospel, Student Manual, Religion 231 and 232, p. 7.)

4) Jesus Christ is our elder brother, the first spirit born to God the Father and Mother in Heaven. His physical body was conceived physically by the Father and his earthly mother, Mary, just as ours was by our parents. This was part of Jesus Christ’s progression to become a God. Mormon doctrine also teaches that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are spirit brothers, both were born of God the Father and Mother in Heaven and raised to maturity in a pre-mortal pre-existence. (Gospel Principles, by the Mormon Church, 1986 and older editions, pp.15-16; Mormon Doctrine, by Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, pp. 192, 546-547, 589-590, 742; Gospel Through The Ages, Milton R. Hunter, p. 15; “The Restoration of Major Doctrines Through Joseph Smith,” The Ensign, January 1989, p. 28-29; “Whom Say Ye That I Am”, Family Home Evening Manual, published by the Mormon Church, 1972, pp. 125-126.)

5) The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, and as the Father and Son, is not omnipresent (all places at one time). (Gospel Principles, by the Mormon Church, 1986 and older editions, p. 34; Doctrines of Salvation, by Joseph Fielding Smith, 1:38, 49-50; Doctrines of the Gospel, Student Manual, Religion 231 and 232, pp. 8, 11; Doctrine and Covenants 130:22.)

6) Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of mankind in the Garden of Gethsemane, not on the cross alone. (Gospel Principles, by the Mormon Church, 1986 and older editions, p. 58.)

7) The grace of God and attaining exaltation in the highest level of the Celestial Kingdom only comes by works, not as a free gift from God (as in Ephesians 2:8-9). (2 Nephi 9:23, 25;23; Moroni 10:32; #3 Articles of Faith; Gospel Principles, by the Mormon Church, 1986 and older editions, p. 291-292; Mormon Doctrine, by Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, pp. 339-671.)

8) The Bible has been tampered with, parts removed and parts changed, so it is not reliable, as a result additional Scriptures are needed. (Doctrines of Salvation, by Joseph Fielding Smith, 3:190-191; 1 Nephi 13:26-29; 2 Nephi 29:2-3, 6-8; Church News, June 20, 1992, p. 3, a letter from the first presidency of May 22, 1992; The Ensign, January 1992, p. 5.)

9) There was a great and total apostasy of the Church established by our Lord Jesus Christ shortly after he died and that truths lost needed to be restored, as done through Joseph Smith. (Gospel Principles, by the Mormon Church, 1986 and older editions, p. 100-101; Mormon Doctrine, by Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, p. 44; Doctrines of Salvation, by Joseph Fielding Smith, 3:265-291.)

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE ABOVE MORMON TEACHINGS?

None of the above teachings by the Mormon Church are biblical, hence are not Christian. The Bible has the following to say about the above items.

The Bible is very clear that there is only one God and that he is the God of all creation, not just of this world:

A. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” 1 Timothy 2:5

B. “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” Isaiah 43:10

The King James edition of the Old Testament, as others, follows the tradition that the Hebrew word “Yahweh” (YHWH), frequently given as Jehovah, is shown as LORD, in small capital letters (The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Holman Bible Publishers, 1989, in the preface called “To The Reader,” p. 3). Mormon teachings say this is the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, the Lord before he came to earth (The Holy Bible, published by the Mormon Church, at the back is the Bible Dictionary, p. 710-711 under “Jehovah” and Mormon Doctrine, p. 392 under “Jehovah”). This should be kept in mind as you read the Old Testament verses. For example, LDS should view items #B., C. and E. as follows: Here we have the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, who would not lie to us and knows everything, saying he does not know of any another God, before him or after him. This also means the LORD is saying he knows nothing about his father, grandfather, great grandfather and so on.

C. “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God ...Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.” Isaiah 44:6, 8

D. “Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;” Isaiah 44:24

In Isaiah 44:24 we have, based upon Mormon Church teachings, the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ saying he created the universe by himself. This contradicts the LDS temple endowment ceremony which shows three persons involved in the creation: Elohim (the Father), Jehovah (the Son) and Michael (Adam).

E. “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else...Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.” Isaiah 45:5-6, 21

F “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,” Hebrews 6:13

G. “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.” Nehemiah 9:6

H. “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” Colossians 1:16

I. “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” Hebrews 1:2

The Bible is also clear that God has always existed as God, there never was a time when he was not God, he is God from all eternity to all eternity.

J. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Psalms 90:2

K. Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.” Psalms 93:2

L. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting .....” Psalms 103:17

The Bible is also clear that the Father does not have a body of flesh and bones as taught by the Mormon Church:

M. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

N. Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” Luke 24:39

In items 0.- S. below we are told that the LORD (Yahweh in Hebrew, also called Jehovah) is God (Elohim in Hebrew) and God is the LORD. Elohim and Yahweh (Jehovah) are one in the same God. They are names/titles for the same one true God Almighty of the Bible, not two separate Gods as taught by the Mormon Church. According to them Yahweh (Jehovah) is the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ and Elohim is God the Father.

O. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” Genesis 17:1

P. Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.” Deuteronomy 4:35

Q. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:” Deuteronomy 6:4

Q. “Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.” Deuteronomy 4:39

R. “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;” Deuteronomy 7:9

S. “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” Exodus 6:3

The following is about the Mormon teachings in item 8 and 9 on page 2 of this paper. In item 8 we demonstrated how the Mormon Church thinks the Bible has been tampered with and parts are missing or changed. The following biblical verses attest to the reliability of the Bible:

John 17:11, 20 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are...Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

From these last two verses we are assured of the Bible’s reliability. Can you imagine that the Lord’s prayer for us in John 17:20 was ignored for 1,800 years? Did the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:17 tell us to take up a defective sword?

As mentioned in item 9, on page 2, the Mormon Church claims there were complete and full apostasy shortly after the Lord died. To support this LDS will quote biblical verses. None of the Mormon proof text or any other verses in the Bible say there would be a COMPLETE and FULL apostasy. No Biblical verses support the LDS teachings. In reality the following verses say there would NOT be complete apostasy

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 18:19-20 Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Also see: Matthew 24:35, 28:20; John 10:29

Were the Lord’s apostles, disciples and the Holy Ghost bunglers, dismal failures? If the teachings of the Mormon Church are correct about a complete apostasy they would have to be. But they were not, the Lord’s church was never lost! His words (the Bible) were never lost or corrupted

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Is the Book of Mormon a Divine Revelation?
By Dr. John Ankerberg, Dr. John Weldon

Even though Mormon prophets and leaders have always stressed the divine authority of the Book of Mormon, and therefore that it could To learn more about the topics in this articles, we suggest these items available through our catalog:

What Do Mormons Really Believe

Mormon Officials and Christian Scholars Compare Doctrine

Former Mormons Testify

withstand any and all critical scrutiny, many theologians and scholars over the years have shown the falsity of the claim. Here we will briefly highlight just several of the many facts that disqualify the Book of Mormon for any serious consideration of revelation from God. A more in-depth discussion can be found in our book What Do Mormons Really Believe? (Harvest House, 2002).

Psychic Method of Writing

Even though the Mormon church claims that Joseph Smith translated the alleged gold plates (containing the alleged historical records of the “Nephites” and “Lamanites”) by the power of God using divine implements called the Urim and Thummim,1 the Book of Mormon was actually produced through psychic methods and has nothing to do with ancient history. It is merely a product of nineteenth-century occultism.

Historical documents prove that when Smith translated the Book of Mormon he was only engaging in his usual practice of crystal gazing. The testimonies of David Whitmer (one of the three key “witnesses” to the Book of Mormon), Emma Smith (one of Joseph Smith’s wives and scribes) and William Smith (Joseph’s brother) make this clear.

In 1877, Whitmer confessed that the alleged “Egyptian” characters on the gold plates (Nephi 1:2) and their English interpretation appeared to Joseph Smith while using his seer stone with his face buried inside a hat:

I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated. Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Crowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated.2

Emma Smith revealed the same occult method. “In writing for your father, I frequently wrote day after day.... He sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us.”3 Clearly, the Book of Mormon was produced through a form of crystal gazing. Testimonies such as these (and others)4 have brought even some Mormons who reject the idea to at least concede its possibility. The tenth president and prophet, Joseph Fielding Smith, confessed in his Doctrines of Salvation (Vol. 3, p. 225) that “it may have been so.”

Human Sources

The Mormon church believes that the Book of Mormon is an account of ancient writings first inscribed on gold plates at least fifteen hundred years ago that chronicled the history of the so-called “Nephite” and “Lamanite” peoples, who spanned a period from 600 B.C.—A.D. 421. The Book of Mormon therefore claims to be a translation of ancient historical records that date long before Joseph Smith lived, and Mormons maintain that apart from divine revelation it would have been impossible for Joseph Smith to have done this translation. Thus they consider this a great proof of its heavenly derivation. Mormons, however, rarely consider the other possibilities that explain the origin of the Book of Mormon far better; for example, that it could have been a combination of Smith’s natural talent and spiritistic revelation from crystal gazing. Concerning the former, there are several possible human sources for the Book of Mormon.

Fawn Brodie, who was excommunicated from the Mormon church for her scholarly critical study on Joseph Smith, No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith5 cites persuasive evidence for the likelihood of a nineteenth-century origin of the Book of Mormon. For example, how likely is it that Jewish writers between 600 B.C.—A.D. 421 would discuss the social and religious issues common to nineteenth-century Christian America?

Any theory of the origin of the Book of Mormon that spotlights the prophet [alone] and blacks out the stage on which he performed is certain to be a distortion.

[For example, in] the speeches of the Nephi prophets one may find [discussions of] the religious conflicts that were splitting the churches in the 1820’s. Alexander Campbell, founder of the Disciples of Christ, wrote in the first able review of the Book of Mormon: “This prophet Smith, through his stone spectacles, wrote on the plates of Nephi, in his Book of Mormon, every error and almost every truth discussed in New York for the last ten years. He decided all the great [religious] controversies... [and even the questions of] Freemasonry, Republican government and the rights of man. But he is better skilled in the controversies in New York than in the geography or history of Judea. He makes John baptize in the village of Bethabara and says Jesus was born in Jerusalem.”

The theology of the Book of Mormon, like its anthropology, was only a potpourri.... Always an eclectic, Joseph never exhausted any theory he had appropriated. He seized a fragment here and another there and of the odd assortment built his history.6

In his study A Parallel, The Basis of the Book of Mormon, Hal Hougey observes a number of striking similarities between the Book of Mormon and Ethan Smith’s 1823 text View of the Hebrews, a book that was available to Joseph Smith.7 Parallels between the Book of Mormon and View of the Hebrews were sufficient enough to prompt no less an authority than Mormon historian B. H. Roberts to study the issue. He concluded that it was possible for Smith alone to have written the Book of Mormon.8

The language of the King James Bible is also enlightening. According to Dr. Anthony Hoekema, some 27,000 words taken from the King James Bible appear in the Book of Mormon. Anyone who compares the following list, which carries just several examples, will see that Smith copied material from the King James Bible:

• 1 Nephi chapters 20,21—Isaiah chapters 48, 49

• 2 Nephi chapters 7,8—Isaiah chapters 50, 51

• 2 Nephi chapters 12,24—Isaiah chapters 2-14

• Mosiah chapter 14—Isaiah chapter 53

• 3 Nephi chapters 12,14—Matthew chapters 5-7

• 3 Nephi chapter 22—Isaiah chapter 54

• 3 Nephi chapters 24,25—Malachi chapters 3,4

• Moroni chapter 10—1 Corinthians 12:1-11.9

[See the chart at the end of this article for a comparison of Isaiah 53 with Mosiah 14.]

Jerald and Sandra Tanner, who have done massive amounts of research on Mormonism, have also supplied evidence for other sources for the creation of the Book of Mormon, including: Josiah Priest’s The Wonders of Nature and Providence Displayed (Albany, NY: 1825); The Wayne Sentinel; The Apocrypha, a dream of Joseph Smith’s father and The Westminster Confession and Catechism. All this indicates that the Book of Mormon could not have been a translation of ancient records. What then is the real source of the Book of Mormon? The most appropriate answer is that it combines human sources from other books and spiritistic revelation through Smith’s use of the seer stone.

Archaeology and the Book

If the Book of Mormon were truly an historical record of ancient peoples inhabiting a vast civilization, it is probable that at least some archaeological data would confirm the civilization, just as it has confirmed, in varying degrees, biblical and other ancient histories. The Book of Mormon claims to represent the history of three different groups of people, all of whom allegedly migrated from the Near East to Central and South America. Two of the groups supposedly traveled as far north as Mexico and North America (the Book of Mormon, Ether and 1 Nephi).10 The Nephites and Lamanites are said to have been Semitic, with the most important group being led by Lehi of Jerusalem. His descendants became the Nephites. The main history of the Book of Mormon concerns the Nephites.

But not a shred of archaeological evidence exists to support that any of this is history, despite many vigorous archaeological excavations financed by the Mormon church. This has forced any number of non-Mormon researchers to conclude that the Book of Mormon is primarily myth and historical invention. Dr. Walter Martin refers to “the hundreds of areas where this book defies reason or common sense.”11

Both the prestigious National Geographic Society and the Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institute have issued official statements denying Mormon claims, and the Tanners’ book, Archaeology and the Book of Mormon, and other works, show that archaeological confirmation claimed by the Mormon church is untrustworthy.12 Dr. Gordon Fraser, observing that Mormons still accept their book as history, asserts that it in no way corresponds to the known facts of the ancient Americas.13

Nevertheless, Mormon apologists and lay writers alike claim that archaeology proves that the Book of Mormon is true. In fact, this is a standard argument frequently used by Mormon missionaries around the world in their attempts to convert people. As Hal Hougey observes in Archaeology and the Book of Mormon, most Mormons think that archaeology is on their side.

The numerous books and articles by Latter-day Saints over the years have shown that Mormons believe that the fruits of archaeological research may properly be applied to verify the Book of Mormon. Dr. Ross T. Christensen, a Mormon anthropologist, agrees: “If the book’s history is fallacious, its doctrine cannot be genuine.... I am fully confident that the nature of the Book is such that a definitive archaeological test can be applied to it.”14

But definitive archaeological tests have already been applied, and they have discredited the Book of Mormon as history. Mormon authority Gordon Fraser correctly observes the Book of Mormon’s fictitious nature:

Mormon archaeologists have been trying for years to establish some evidence that will confirm the presence of the [Mormon] church in America. There is still not a scintilla of evidence, either in the religious philosophy of the ancient writings or in the presence of artifacts, that could lead to such a belief.

The whole array of anachronisms [historical errors] in the book stamps it as written by someone who knew nothing about ancient America and presumed that no one ever would know. It is total fiction, done by one who assumed that cultures in ancient America would probably be about the same as those of our own north eastern states in the 19th Century. While certain Mormon apologists are pledged to the task of defending the credibility of the Book of Mormon, because the church demands it, some professors at Brigham Young University are demanding caution concerning claims that the ruins of old temples and other artifacts found in Mexico and Central America are positive evidence of the claims of the Book of Mormon.

The problem has become a sticky one for Mormon scholars who would like to be investigators in depth but are forbidden by their church authorities.15

Lack of Manuscript Evidence

Another problem with Mormon claims about ancient Nephite history is the lack of ancient manuscript evidence. Because of their perceived importance, the religious scriptures of most ancient peoples have been preserved, despite the sometimes incredible odds against it. Occasionally, the preservation is almost perfect, and the Bible of the Jews and the New Testament of the Christians are unique in this regard.16 Even with the Qur’an of the Muslims and with Hindu and Buddhist scriptures some evidence exists to determine a religious document’s genuineness. For example, sufficient extant manuscript evidence may exist to prove that a document is as old as its proponents claim it to be.

This is not true for the Book of Mormon. While the manuscript evidence for the Bible is rich and abundant, for the Mormon scriptures it is nonexistent.17 There is no textual evidence for either an ancient Book of Mormon or for any of Smith’s other alleged ancient records. Is there a single ancient manuscript? Is there even a portion of one, or even one fragment of a page? No. There is none of this. Can the “gold plates” from which Smith allegedly translated the Book of Mormon be produced? Were these ancient records ever cited by another writer? No. There is none of this either:

As far as historical and manuscript evidence is concerned, Joseph Smith’s scriptures have absolutely no foundation. The “records of the Nephites,” for instance, were never cited by any ancient writer, nor are there any known manuscripts or even fragments of manuscripts in existence older than the ones dictated by Joseph Smith in the late 1820’s. Joseph Smith’s “Book of Moses” is likewise without documentary support. The only handwritten manuscripts for the “Book of Moses” are those dictated by Joseph Smith in the early 1850’s. The “Book of Abraham” purports to be a translation of an ancient Egyptian papyrus. However, the original papyrus is in reality the Egyptian “Book of Breathings” and has nothing to do with Abraham or his religion. Therefore, we have no evidence for the “Book of Abraham” prior to the handwritten manuscripts dictated by Joseph Smith in the 1850’s. It would appear, then, that there is no documentary evidence for any of Joseph Smith’s works that date back prior to the late 1820’s.18

Lack of Mormon Doctrines

A further point, briefly made here, but which should be of particular interest to many Mormons, is that Mormon teachings are not principally derived from the Book of Mormon. Mormon doctrine is derived primarily from another Mormon scripture, Doctrine and Covenants. Thus, “... doctrinally the Book of Mormon is a dead book for most Mormons.... The Book of Mormon teachings have little bearing upon current Mormon doctrine.”19

The dilemma that this poses for the Mormon church is a serious one because Doctrine and Covenants [D & C], emphasizes that the Book of Mormon contains basic, or fundamental, Mormon teachings. For example, according to D & C, the Book of Mormon contains “the truth and the Word of God” (D & C, 19:26); “the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ” (that is, Mormon teachings, D & C, 20:9); and “the fullness of the everlasting gospel” (D & C, 135:3). Doctrine and Covenants also has Jesus claiming that the Book of Mormon has “the principles of my gospel” (D & C, 42:12) and “all things written concerning the foundation of my church, my gospel, and my rock” (D & C, 18:4, cf. 17:1-6; emphasis added; see also Book of Mormon, Introduction).

According to Doctrine and Covenants, then, the Book of Mormon must contain at the very least most of the central doctrines of Mormon faith. But the Book of Mormon contains few major Mormon teachings. It does not teach any of the following central Mormon principles, which form the foundation of the Mormon church and its “gospel”: polytheism; God as the product of an eternal progression; eternal marriage; polygamy; human deification; the Trinity as three separate Gods; baptism for the dead; maintaining genealogical records; universalism; God has a physical body and was once a man; God organized, not created, the world; mother gods (heavenly mothers); temple marriage as a requirement for exaltation; the concept of eternal intelligences; three degrees of heavenly glory (telestial, terrestrial, celestial); salvation after death in the spirit world; a New Testament era of Mormon organizational offices and functions such as the Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthoods; stake president and first presidency.20

All this is why some Mormon writers have noted the theological irrelevance of the Book of Mormon to Mormonism. For example, John H. Evans observed “how little the whole body of belief of the Latter-day Saints really depends on the revelation of the Nephite record [the Book of Mormon].”21

Given the vast amounts of scholarly research that is similar to and affirms our brief survey of the Book of Mormon, all the evidence points to the unavoidable conclusion that the Book of Mormon is really a piece of nineteenth-century fiction. Whatever else it is, it cannot be a divine revelation. Writing in “The Centennial of Mormonism” in American Mercury, Bernard De Voto described it as “a yeasty fermentation, formless, aimless and inconceivably absurd.”22 All this is why Mormon leaders tell potential converts to ignore criticism of the Book of Mormon and rely entirely upon subjective (completely personal) “confirmation.” Nevertheless, the church’s appeal to subjectivity does nothing to convince a rational person why he or she should believe in the Book of Mormon. To believe without any evidence is troublesome enough; to believe in spite of the evidence is folly.

Notes

1 In the Book of Mormon Introduction—testimony of Joseph Smith—the Urim and Thummim are described as two stones in silver bows fastened to a breastplate. We do not know exactly what the Old Testament Urim and Thummim were. Nevertheless: 1) they were restricted in usage to the high priest; 2) the God of the Bible only rarely “spoke” through them to reveal his will; and 3) apparently they were two separate objects, not a single stone, which is what Smith used. Thus, in each category Mormon claims are refuted. Whatever Smith used, it was not the biblical Urim and Thummim (Ex. 28:50; Num. 27:21). Joseph Smith was not an Old Testament high priest who used these implements to reveal God’s will. He used an occult seer stone to divine the “translation” of a “text” that denies God’s Word (cf. Mosiah 28 preface and verse 15).

2 David Whitmer, “An Address to All Believers in Christ by a Witness to the Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon” (Concord, CA: Pacific Publishing Co., 1887, reprint 1972), p. 12

3 The Saints Herald, May 19, 1888, p. 310.

4 See Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Joseph Smith and Money Digging (Salt Lake City, UT: Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1970), passim.

5 Einer Anderson, Inside Story of Mormonism (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 1974), p. 61.

6 Fawn Brodie, No Man Knows My History, 2nd ed (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976), pp. 69-70, 72-73.

7 Hal Houghey, A Parallel, The Basis of the Book of Mormon: B. H. Roberts’ “Parallel” of the Book of Mormon to View of the Hebrews (Concord, CA: Pacific Publishing, 1975), p. 4; Harry L. Ropp, The Mormon Papers: Are the Mormon Scriptures Reliable? (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), p. 36.

8 Originally cited in The Rocky Mountain Mason, Billings, MT, January 1956, pp. 17-31; also in Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Did Spaulding Write the Book of Mormon? (Salt Lake City, UT: Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1977), p. 17.

9 Cf. Walter Martin, The Maze of Mormonism, rev. ed. (Santa Ana, CA: Vision House Publishers, 1978), p. 68.

10 Although the traditional view is that the Book of Mormon story covers North and South America, some modern Brigham Young University academicians, apparently attempting to coordinate Book of Mormon claims and geography with existing data back pedal and accept a more limited geography. They believe, for example, that the Cumorah in New York was really in Southern Mexico. (Taken from the Book of Mormon and in part from Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine (Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft, 1977), pp. 528-529; Martin, Maze, pp. 47-48; Floyd McElveen, Will the “Saints” Go Marching In?: A Comparison of the Mormon Faith with Biblical Christianity (Glendale, CA: Regal, 1977, retitled The Mormon Illusion), pp. 59- 61; Gordon Fraser, Is Mormonism Christian? Mormon Doctrine Compared with Biblical Christianity (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1977), chapter 16; and Arthur Wallace, Can Mormonism Be Proved Experimentally? (Los Angeles, CA: Arthur Wallace, 1973), chapter 9. They believe, for example, that the Cumorah in New York was really in Southern Mexico.

11 Martin, Maze, p. 328.

12 John Ankerberg and John Weldon, Behind the Mask of Mormonism (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1996), pp. 287-289.

13 Fraser, Is Mormonism Christian? p. 135.

14 Hal Houghey, Archaeology and the Book of Mormon, rev. ed. (Concord, CA: Pacific Publishing, n.d.), pp. 3-4.

15 Fraser, Is Mormonism Christian? pp. 143-145.

16 Norman L. Geisler, William E. Nix, An Introduction to the Bible, rev. and exp. Ed (Chicago: Moody Press, 1986); F. F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1971).

17 Ibid.

18 cf. Jerald and Sandra Tanner, The Changing World of Mormonism: A Behind the Scenes Look at Changes in Mormon Doctrine and Practice, rev. ed. (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1981), pp. 369-370.

19 Wesley Walters, “Whatever Happened to the Book of Mormon?” Eternity magazine, May 1980, p. 32.

20 From Bob Witte, comp., Where Does it Say That?: A Witnessing Resource for Christians (Safety Harbor, FL: Ex-Mormons for Jesus, n.d.), p. 4.

21 Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Changing World, p. 560, citing Improvement Era, 16:344-345.

22 Bernard De Voto, “The Centennial of Mormonism,” American Mercury, 19 (1930), p. 5.

Twenty Steps of Indoctrination in Destructive Cults

Here’s an interesting primer on cults that you can find in a book on advertising. The author of “Coercion: Why We Listen to What ‘They’ Say” describes religious cults as powerful pyramid schemes.

Author Douglas Rushkoff lists 20 common steps of indoctrination in destructive cults. His steps are quoted in italics with my comments included below each step.

1. The Goal
Every cult has a stated, vague and metaphorical goal. Because this goal must serve as the “illuminated eye” of the pyramid, it cannot be attainable. Rather, it is expressed as an abstract idea - like “salvation” - which the cult members will enjoy once they have made it to the top of the pyramid.

So what is the ultimate goal for Mormons? Nothing less than Godhood, not salvation. Mormons don’t talk about salvation as the ultimate goal. They talk about “Exaltation” and “having all that God has,” becoming “priests and kings” and having “kingdoms, thrones, principalities, powers, dominions and exaltations.”

The top of the Celestial Kingdom is the goal for Mormons. Yet very little is known about it. And it’s certainly impossible to attain and experience that goal in this life. Best case scenario is you die and go the Celestial Kingdom, but it’s not something that exists or can be reached during this life.

2. A Charismatic Leader
All cults - whether spiritual or mundane - have a charismatic figurehead. The leader must be someone whose speech, manner and energy exert inexplicable influence. In religious cults, the leader attains his divine status in one of two ways. The first is by claiming to be the hand-picked successor to the last guru. The second is by claiming to embody an entirely new spiritual force - either to have been born sacred or to have suffered an “awakening” trauma or a sudden “new breeze” of insight.

Most True Believing Mormons find the General Authorities to be very Charismatic. They are celebrities and almost worshiped wherever they go among the membership. Even Gordon B. Hinckley is charismatic enough to woo over Mike Wallace from 60 Minutes, who was so impressed with Hinckley he called him “charismatic.”

For Mormons, the last guru before Mormonism was Jesus Christ. Smith claimed to be picked by Jesus Christ and God the Father to restore the only true church. He claimed they personally came to him in a grove of trees and started off his prophetic ministry. Every church president since then has also claimed that Joseph Smith was the hand-picked successor to Jesus Christ to restore His gospel in this “dispensation.” Only Joseph Smith had the divine mandate to translate and restore the gospel due to his personal calling by God Himself. You can’t claim more authority than that.

3. Sacred Doctrine
Most cults have a sacred text or doctrine. Often a cult will adopt an established text, like the Bible or the Koran. Others use a spontaneously revealed doctrine. These are usually “channeled” or transcribed.

Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, Ensign, General Conference Talks, etc..

4. Divine Coincidence
New members must learn of the cult as if by grace. If the members believe they came to the cult through conscious or rational process, then they are in a position to take responsibility and credit for their participation. Cults try to avoid this perception because members should be separated from their sense of willpower in order to be fully indoctrinated.

Most converts see their discovery of the church as a divine coincidence of some kind. Missionaries thrive on stories of divine intervention and every convert has that as part of their story of joining the church.

But I think this goes even deeper than that. Instead of following a rational process, converts follow the irrational instructions of the “Moroni Promise” in the Book of Mormon. Missionaries tell people to join the church because of how they feel when they pray about the Book of Mormon, not because Mormonism makes logical sense.

True spiritual converts to the church do experience divine coincidence either in how they met the missionaries or how they felt their answer to the “Moroni Promise.”

5. Positive Results Through Commitment
While discovery and introduction are almost always free, the newcomer is told that he will experience satisfaction only when he has made a financial or equivalent commitment. At sales meetings for another of the cults I investigated, writing a check was equated with the first step toward changing one’s life, and new members reported feeling results the moment they made this commitment.

For Mormons, this commitment is primarily expressed in tithing. Tithing is affectionately known as “fire insurance” in the Mormon Church and the Bishop does not see you as a member in good standing if you are not a full tithe payer. Those who do not pay tithing are second-class members that are not given leadership callings, cannot perform church ordinances or attend the temple (endowments or family weddings). Most True Believing Mormons think something bad will happen to them if they stop paying tithing and superstitiously attribute good luck experiences to their paying of tithing. What follows are temple recommend cards which for many believing Mormons is a symbol of their worthiness and self-esteem.

6. Extraordinary Measures
Once new members have made their initial surrender or contribution to the cult, they are asked to do something that contradicts their judgement. What’s important is that the act goes against the new members’ own internal sense of appropriateness. The members must get used to acting against their own values.

The big examples of this are found in the temple. Everything from garments, naked touching and secret handshakes go against what most people would consider extraordinary. The full-time missionary experience is also full of required behavior that goes against the many people’s internal sense of appropriateness. One of the hallmarks of all destructive cults is their bizzare rites of passage, which Mormonism has in spades.

7. Member Complicity
Once an extraordinary measure is taken, the members are rewarded with complicity in the greater pyramid. To get out of the cult after this act of complicity, a member will have to own up to all of the cult’s practices as if they were his/her own.

This goes back to what happens to people in the temple. After accepting garments for life, being touched while naked, making loyalty oaths and learning secret handshakes, members are then rewarded with inclusion into the temple club and the privileges that includes. Being a temple card-carrying member is a huge sign of complicity.

Apart from the temple, church leadership positions also work this way.

8. A Cycle of Breaking “Self”
After extracting extraordinary measures and complicity, the cult exploits the commonly practiced spiritual discipline of self-denial and demands increasingly difficult acts of faith from its followers. Sometimes these requests seem to benefit the cult - members are instructed to donate huge sums of money or contribute tremendous time and labor to the cult. Just as often, however, these requests will be completely arbitrary or even against the interests of the cult. By interspersing real requests with these random and bizarre instructions, the cult can avoid the appearance of self-interest. It can also paralyze the followers’ ability to second-guess cult actions.

Look at this from the convert’s perspective. Most don’t know about all of the responsibilities and duties of membership before they join the church. For many it is a shock to learn how much time the church really demands of them, from church meetings, home teaching, genealogy work, missionary service etc...

To people who weren’t born in the church, Mormonism is very demanding of time and restrictive on behavior. And it gets worse the longer you strive to be a “Faithful Mormon.”

Compared to 19th-century Mormons, the church demands less. But compared to a normal life, the church demands more of people and it only gets worse as you climb the church hierarchy, just like other destructive cults.

9. Confusion and Transference
By alternating self-interested and random demands, the cult brings its followers into a state of great confusion - they aren’t sure how to please the cult. Sometime leaders will reward members who fail to carry out commands, and punish those who complete them successfully. The CIA suggests using rewards and punishments in a random, illogical manner so that the subjects regress into a childlike dependence. Similarly, the confused cult member will eventually regress to a childlike state and transfers parental authority to the cult leaders - which is why so many cult leaders insist on being called “Mother” or “Father.”

Confusion and Transference is all about reducing people to childlike dependence on the church through confusion. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the Mormon obsession with “following the spirit” which leads to all kinds of personal confusion. Look at the people in the church you know are doing their damndest to follow the spirit and you’ll see they are adults in the most childlike mentality.

Titles like “President,” “Bishop,” and “Apostle” all imply these people are authority figures that should be obeyed. True Believing Mormons accept that people with these titles are more “in tune with the spirit” and in a state of personal confusion will cling to their leadership. To true believers, the Bishop is the “Father” of the ward and deserves the same respect and obedience as if he were your father - despite the fact that the Bishop is really just a lay member without any real education or extra wisdom. The whole church system is demeaning to adults and reduces the faithful to dependence, not independence.

10. Prescriptive Behavior
Like any victim of induced regression and transference, once their ability to make decisions have been suspended, the cult members look to their leaders for guidance on how to behave. They long for direction on what to think, do an believe.

Why does the church have Sunday School, Priesthood instruction, General Conference, Stake Conference, Leadership training, Patriarchal Blessings, Seminary, Institute, Scriptures, Magazines etc.. if not for dishing out instructions on how members should think, do and believe?

The Mormon Church is about 90% instructions on behavior and beliefs. The other 10% is testimony bearing, which is modeling of correct thinking and behavior.

In what church lesson or speech are they not telling you overtly or covertly how to think, act and/or believe? That’s what Mormonism is all about! It’s not about “finding your own way” or “discovering your true self.” It’s about obedience. All good Mormons know that obedience is the first law of heaven.

11. The Goal of Inclusion
Once transference has been achieved, the elusive stated goal of the pyramid cult is replaced with the much more tangible one of establishing a relationship with the cult leaders and acceptance in the cult. The cult members become, in effect, siblings competing for their parent’s approval. The result is a prolonged psychodrama that capitalizes on unresolved issues from the members’ own family backgrounds. The cult leaders orchestrate emotional battles, pitting members against one another as they seek to develop a “special relationship” with the leaders.

Because Mormons are reduced to a childlike state, they become obsessed with acceptance and its evil counterparts, judging and gossip. Mormons are obsessed with acceptance and being defined by the group. One way to gain acceptance in the group is through unquestioned loyalty and obedience. Other ways include putting up an elaborate façade of perfection - the Mormon image. Another is to gossip and put down others because this makes you feel better about yourself (temporarily).

Anyone who’s spent any real time with Mormons recognizes that this is a real problem in Mormonism. But the people aren’t really to blame, because it’s the Mormon system that brings this out in people. The cult is designed to make people behave like this because it keeps the members off balance and the leadership in control, just as Joseph Smith intended.

12. Never Expose Uncertainty to Those Lower in the Pyramid
By the time a member is this far into a cult, he/she is required to preserve the illusion of its cohesion and perfection.

Since a member’s sense of status and nearness to the leaders are directly related to how many people are beneath him/her in the cult hierarchy, he/she must always make an effort to recruit more members. The need to subscribe newcomers outweighs whatever benefits the products or cult system might offer. Cult members seek new recruits to raise their own positions in the hierarchy. The power of networking - social, economic, and technological - is exploited by people who offer little more than the promise of complicity in the scheme itself. The elusive eye atop the pyramid remains as elusive as ever.

Members’ statures are directly related to their ability to maintain the appearance of steadfast devotion to the cult. They cannot reveal any lingering doubts about the divinity of the leader lest they lose their own places in the hierarchy to more ardent followers beneath them. Furthermore, expressing doubt to a new member is seen as an act of heresy. In fact, a cult member’s very position in the pyramid is defined by his ability to quell the doubts of those beneath him, without being thrown into doubt himself.

Uncertainty here is defined as uncertainty in the authority claims of the cult leadership. When has any church leader ever said he wasn’t sure if Joseph Smith was a prophet, or if the Book of Abraham were true? Leaders never express doubts about the church’s claims of truth and authority.

At the same time, there’s no threat to the cult if the leaders say the members are screwed up, are not obeying the commandments or are full of pride. In fact, these kinds of statements just substantiate the leader’s authority even more.

13. Never Expose Uncertainty to Those Higher in the Pyramid
Eventually, any expression of doubt at all is deemed offense against the cult. To spread one’s misgivings to a higher member is, in effect, a challenge to that member’s own resolve. Such expressions can be allowed up to a point, but ultimately the members must learn that they are the source of their won doubts and must overcome crisis without spreading confusion to others. Confessing one’s misgivings to a higher member merely affirms the latter’s superior status in the pyramid. If one is to move up, he/she must show less doubt and more commitment that those above him/her.

If you tell your Bishop or Stake President that you don’t believe Joseph Smith was a prophet, then you can kiss your temple recommend goodbye. As an institution - not just a culture - Mormonism punishes doubt and disbelief in its truth and authority claims.

Honest, sincere questioning will not earn you any points or blessings in Mormonism - with the Bishop, with the members or with your own family. It’s systemic, not cultural and follows the pattern of Mormonism being a destructive cult right up there with the Jehova Witnesses and Scientology.

14. The Cult Precludes All Other Commitments
One by one, each member’s connection with the real world must be reinterpreted as base “attachments” that need to be limited or purged. The member’s original religion, job, friends, spouse and children are less important that his relationship with the cult and its leaders. The members must not gain positive reinforcement from anything or anyone outside of the cult. Family and social bonds are reinterpreted as distractions from the higher values the member is adopting. All real-world associating, inevitably and by design, come into conflict with one’s commitment to the higher goal.

This is true for many members of the church, especially those serving full-time missions and local leaders who feel they can’t turn down a calling.

One of the great lies of Mormonism is that it is extraordinarily “family friendly.” Most Mormons buy into this myth because the church stresses that image so much. But there is little substance behind it.

One of the main purposes of Mormonism is to make families into mini-cults that reinforce the larger cult’s objectives of control. But are Mormon families really that much healthier than families outside of the church?

Does the church really support the family in its needs, or does it simply enforce its own will on families?

The answers to these questions can be found in the real-world practices of Mormonism, not the rhetoric.

Look what the church does when one family member is not following the church dogma. Does the church help the family or add stress?

Do families have more or less time together after they join the church?

Do families have more or less money for family needs after they join the church?

Do families truly accept one another more or less after they join the church?

Do families show more or less tolerance for non-member family members after they join the church?

Do children accept a non-member parent more or less after joining the church?

Is there more or less respect/appreciation for female members of a family after they join the church?

Are families more or less worried about what the neighbors think after they join the church?

An honest look at Mormonism in practice reveals that families are better off without Mormonism. That is of course, unless you’ve bought into the carrot of the “Celestial Kingdom” dangling in front of you. Then you’re willing to sacrifice family time, money and love in order to reach the unattainable goal of the cult.

15. Never Refuse a Request
A member may never refuse a request made by a cult leader, or in the name of the cult. To do so is to place some other value ahead of the sanctity of the group.

Members can refuse church callings, but it’s frowned upon and that’s no way to get ahead in the cult. In non-cult churches people recognize that the church is a voluntary organization and there are no serious ramifications if you turn down a request.

But in the Mormon cult, it’s not volunteer work but “callings from the Lord” and tremendous pressure is brought to bear on people to accept “callings” to work. If you don’t believe this, then ask nineteen-year-old males in the church if they feel pressure to serve missions. Ask the twenty-year-olds that didn’t go if they feel second-class for not going. Mormons are conditioned to accept callings despite their better judgements.

16. All Requests Can Be Challenged
A cult member who has made an inappropriately personal or self-interested request in the name of the cult will be challenged. On the other hand, members who are in the leader’s favor can get away with almost anything of those beneath them.

Real churches have moral and ethical obligations to their members. But if you’re in a church that doesn’t teach or enforce what the church owes the members, then you’re probably in a destructive cult. In Mormonism, the church doesn’t owe the members anything - not even financial disclosures or honest history.

17. Never Take Action in the Cult Leaders’ Names
The cult leaders are free from all responsibility. To make a request in the cult leader’s name is to blame the cult leader for any ill will that might result. To claim, for example, that “I divorced my wife because the leader told me to” is to refuse responsibility for one’s own actions. Although a cult leader may have “shown the way,” a member divorces his wife or disowns his children because it’s the “right thing to do.” To use the leader as an excuse is just another way to express doubt.

When have church leaders ever stood up and accepted responsibility for their poor counsel, false prophecies or financial incompetence?

If the church isn’t working for people, the church teaches that it’s the members’ fault, never the leadership. Mormons held the common belief that “the church is perfect, but the members aren’t.” In other words, the system is perfect and never to blame. If the Bishop tells you to get divorced and things go sour, it’s not the Bishop’s fault, now is it?

18. Act Automatically
Members must strive to act in accordance with the cult leaders’ wishes without thinking. The conditioning, confusion, and fear to which the members are subjected result in a set of new behaviors that take the place of what normally might be called intuition or instinct. Once achieved, this automatic behavior is a welcome relief from the constant questioning of one’s own actions.

Choose the right! Follow the Prophet! Just Do it! Obedience is the first law of Heaven! Isn’t that what Mormons are taught?

Are there any church lessons on real critical thinking?

19. Witness and Accept the Leaders’ Faults
Once they reach the highest levels of the cult pyramid, members are privy to their leaders’ darkest actions. Members must also come to terms with the abusive behavior of their leaders.

Mormon missionaries also experience this cult phenomena first hand. True Believing Missionaries in the field think their assignments are inspired and the Mission President is a prophet. Those who end up working in the office learn the President has a dark side that is petty, arbitrary and cruel. Yet those exposed to this still propagate the myth that the President is divinely-inspired leader. This is also common in ward and stake leadership.

20. The Cult Leaders Are Perfection
The final stage of cult indoctrination is to accept the leaders as the perfect center of the universe, from which all else derives. The “fully evolved” cult member thus understands all the pain and suffering as resistance to the cult leaders’ divinity. The leader is the single point of entry for God and perfection in the otherwise imperfect universe.

Once cult leaders have achieved such a stature in his followers’ minds, the leader can ask them to do anything, even to kill themselves. They already have been trained to go against their own instincts. Thwarting one’s natural tendency toward self-preservation becomes a pleasurable, almost fetishistic obsession. As members look for more outrageous ways to break their own attachment to life, suicide emerges as the ultimate act of devotion.

This is the one aspect of destructive cults that does not currently exist in Mormon practice. Nor do I think that current Mormon Church leaders have reached this status in the minds of believing members. What Mormon would commit suicide solely on the order of the Bishop, Stake President or Prophet?

Granted, the dogma still exists in the temple endowment when members covenant to “sacrifice all that [they] possess, even [their] own lives if necessary, in sustaining and defending the Kingdom of God.” But this little clause in the endowment is not currently exercised by church leaders.

Today, the Mormon Church enjoys the benefits of the first nineteen indoctrination steps of a destructive cult. If it ever needs to resort to indoctrination step number twenty, it’s certainly not out of reach.

The Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price are compared below. Original scriptures from each religious book have been compiled for examination and comparison.

1) How many gods are there?

The Holy Bible:
Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him. (Deuteronomy 4:35)
Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. (2 Samuel 7:22)
Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. (Isaiah 43:10-11)
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. (Isaiah 44:6)
And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: (Mark 12:32)
things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. (1 Corinthians 8:4)
Book of Mormon:
Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? And he answered, No. (Alma 11:28-29)
and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil. (Alma 11:44)
doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen. (2 Nephi 31:21)
praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end. (Mormon 7:7)
power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son—And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth. And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, (Mosiah 15:3-5)
of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them. (Ether 2:8)
Doctrine and Covenants:
According to that which was ordained in the midst of the Council of the Eternal God of all other gods before this world was, that should be reserved unto the finishing and the end thereof, when every man shall enter into his eternal presence and into his immortal rest. (Section 121:32)
And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife, and make a covenant with her for time and for all eternity, if that covenant is not by me or by my word, which is my law, and is not sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, through him whom I have anointed and appointed unto this power, then it is not valid neither of force when they are out of the world, because they are not joined by me, saith the Lord, neither by my word; when they are out of the world it cannot be received there, because the angels and the gods are appointed there, by whom they cannot pass; they cannot, therefore, inherit my glory; for my house is a house of order, saith the Lord God. And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them. (Section 132:18-20)
Abraham received concubines, and they bore him children; and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given unto him, and he abode in my law; as Isaac also and Jacob did none other things than that which they were commanded; and because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods. (Section 132:37)
For additional information and verses, see the page, Is There One God?

2) Has God always been the same or is He changeable?
The Holy Bible:
But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. (Psalms 102:27)
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6)
And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. (Hebrews 1:12)
Book of Mormon:
For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing? (Mormon 9:9)
And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. (Mormon 9:19)
But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism! (Moroni 8:12)
For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity. (Moroni 8:18)
For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith. (2 Nephi 27:23)
But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast elected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God. (Alma 31:17)
Doctrine and Covenants:
And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife, and make a covenant with her for time and for all eternity, if that covenant is not by me or by my word, which is my law, and is not sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, through him whom I have anointed and appointed unto this power, then it is not valid neither of force when they are out of the world, because they are not joined by me, saith the Lord, neither by my word; when they are out of the world it cannot be received there, because the angels and the gods are appointed there, by whom they cannot pass; they cannot, therefore, inherit my glory; for my house is a house of order, saith the Lord God. And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them. (Section 132:18-20)
For additional information and verses, see the page, Does “Progression” Exist or is God Unchangeable?

3) Is God a spirit?

The Holy Bible:
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
Book of Mormon:
And then Ammon said: Believest thou that there is a Great Spirit? And he said, Yea. And Ammon said: This is God. And Ammon said unto him again: Believest thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things which are in heaven and in the earth? (Alma 18:26-28)
And now when Aaron heard this, his heart began to rejoice, and he said: Behold, assuredly as thou livest, O king, there is a God. And the king said: Is God that Great Spirit that brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem? And Aaron said unto him: Yea, he is that Great Spirit, and he created all things both in heaven and in earth. Believest thou this? And he said: Yea, I believe that the Great Spirit created all things, and I desire that ye should tell me concerning all these things, and I will believe thy words. (Alma 22:8-11)
Doctrine and Covenants:
The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us. (Section 130:22)

4) Does God dwell in the heart?

The Holy Bible:
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)
Book of Mormon:
And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb. (Alma 34:36)
Doctrine and Covenants:
John 14:23—The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false. (Section 130:3)

5) Creation: How many Gods?
The Holy Bible:
Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? (Malachi 2:10)
Book of Mormon:
And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon. (2 Nephi 2:14)
For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure? (Jacob 4:9)
Pearl of Great Price:
And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth. (Abraham 4:1)
And the Gods came down and formed these the generations of the heavens and of the earth, when they were formed in the day that the Gods formed the earth and the heavens, (Abraham 5:4)

6) Can God lie?

The Holy Bible:
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19)
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; (Titus 1:2)
Book of Mormon:
And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie. (Ether 3:12)
Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell. (2 Nephi 9:34)
Pearl of Great Price:
And it came to pass when I was come near to enter into Egypt, the Lord said unto me: “Behold, Sarai, thy wife, is a very fair woman to look upon; Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see her, they will say—She is his wife; and they will kill you, but they will save her alive; therefore see that ye do on this wise: Let her say unto the Egyptians, she is thy sister, and thy soul shall live.” And it came to pass that I, Abraham, told Sarai, my wife, all that the Lord had said unto me—Therefore say unto them, I pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may be well with me for thy sake, and my soul shall live because of thee. (Abraham 2:22-25)

7) Is God’s word unchangeable?

The Holy Bible:
Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. (Psalms 119:142)
The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live. (Psalms 119:144)
Book of Mormon:
Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore, the way is prepared that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved. (Alma 41:8)
Doctrine and Covenants:
Wherefore I, the Lord, command and revoke, as it seemeth me good; and all this to be answered upon the heads of the rebellious, saith the Lord. Wherefore, I revoke the commandment which was given unto my servants Thomas B. Marsh and Ezra Thayre, and give a new commandment unto my servant Thomas, that he shall take up his journey speedily to the land of Missouri, and my servant Selah J. Griffin shall also go with him. (Section 56:4-5)

8) Does man pre-exist?

The Holy Bible:
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45)
Book of Mormon:
For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure? (Jacob 4:9)
And Ammon said: This is God. And Ammon said unto him again: Believest thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things which are in heaven and in the earth? (Alma 18:28)
Ammon said unto him: I am a man; and man in the beginning was created after the image of God, and I am called by his Holy Spirit to teach these things unto this people, that they may be brought to a knowledge of that which is just and true; And a portion of that Spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowledge, and also power according to my faith and desires which are in God. Now when Ammon had said these words, he began at the creation of the world, and also the creation of Adam, and told him all the things concerning the fall of man, and rehearsed and laid before him the records and the holy scriptures of the people, which had been spoken by the prophets, even down to the time that their father, Lehi, left Jerusalem. (Alma 18:34-36)
Doctrine and Covenants:
Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth; (Section 93:23)
Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence. Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light. And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation. For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy; (Section 93:29-33)
Pearl of Great Price:
Howbeit that he made the greater star; as, also, if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal. (Abraham 3:18)
I dwell in the midst of them all; I now, therefore, have come down unto thee to deliver unto thee the works which my hands have made, wherein my wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou hast seen. Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born. (Abraham 3:21-23)

9) Does death seal man’s fate?
The Holy Bible:
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)
Book of Mormon:
And now, I say unto you, my brethren, that after ye have known and have been taught all these things, if ye should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in you to guide you in wisdom’s paths that ye may be blessed, prospered, and preserved— I say unto you, that the man that doeth this, the same cometh out in open rebellion against God; therefore he listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy to all righteousness; therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in unholy temples. Therefore if that man repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever. And now I say unto you, that mercy hath no claim on that man; therefore his final doom is to endure a never-ending torment. (Mosiah 2:36-39)
For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors. And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world. For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked. (Alma 34:32-35)
Doctrine and Covenants:
These are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall have perfected his work; When he shall deliver up the kingdom, and present it unto the Father, spotless, saying: I have overcome and have trodden the wine-press alone, even the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. Then shall he be crowned with the crown of his glory, to sit on the throne of his power to reign forever and ever. But behold, and lo, we saw the glory and the inhabitants of the telestial world, that they were as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the seashore; And heard the voice of the Lord saying: These all shall bow the knee, and every tongue shall confess to him who sits upon the throne forever and ever; For they shall be judged according to their works, and every man shall receive according to his own works, his own dominion, in the mansions which are prepared; And they shall be servants of the Most High; but where God and Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end. (Section 76:106-112)
And after this another angel shall sound, which is the second trump; and then cometh the redemption of those who are Christ’s at his coming; who have received their part in that prison which is prepared for them, that they might receive the gospel, and be judged according to men in the flesh. (Section 88:99)

10) Is baptism required for salvation?

The Holy Bible:
And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:41-43)
Book of Mormon:
For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing— But it is mockery before God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and putting trust in dead works. (Moroni 8:22-23)
Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him. For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel. (2 Nephi 9:25-26)
And these are those who have part in the first resurrection; and these are they that have died before Christ came, in their ignorance, not having salvation declared unto them. And thus the Lord bringeth about the restoration of these; and they have a part in the first resurrection, or have eternal life, being redeemed by the Lord. And little children also have eternal life. But behold, and fear, and tremble before God, for ye ought to tremble; for the Lord redeemeth none such that rebel against him and die in their sins; yea, even all those that have perished in their sins ever since the world began, that have wilfully rebelled against God, that have known the commandments of God, and would not keep them; these are they that have no part in the first resurrection. Therefore ought ye not to tremble? For salvation cometh to none such; for the Lord hath redeemed none such; yea, neither can the Lord redeem such; for he cannot deny himself; for he cannot deny justice when it has its claim. (Mosiah 15:24-27)
Doctrine and Covenants:
You may think this order of things to be very particular; but let me tell you that it is only to answer the will of God, by conforming to the ordinance and preparation that the Lord ordained and prepared before the foundation of the world, for the salvation of the dead who should die without a knowledge of the gospel. (Section 128:5)
And again, in connection with this quotation I will give you a quotation from one of the prophets, who had his eye fixed on the restoration of the priesthood, the glories to be revealed in the last days, and in an especial manner this most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel, namely, the baptism for the dead; for Malachi says, last chapter, verses 5th and 6th: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. (Section 128:17-18)

11) Is there heaven and hell?

The Holy Bible:
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. (Matthew 18:9)
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:46)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18)
Book of Mormon:
And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment. (2 Nephi 28:22-23)
And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken. (1 Nephi 15:35)
If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life and happiness; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation, being delivered up to the devil, who hath subjected them, which is damnation— (Mosiah 16:11)
Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye. (Mosiah 27:31)
And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame—mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption—raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil, the one on one hand, the other on the other— The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh. And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness. These are they that are redeemed of the Lord; yea, these are they that are taken out, that are delivered from that endless night of darkness; and thus they stand or fall; for behold, they are their own judges, whether to do good or do evil. Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore, the way is prepared that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved. (Alma 41:4-8)
Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were a punishment, which also was eternal as the life of the soul should be, affixed opposite to the plan of happiness, which was as eternal also as the life of the soul. (Alma 42:16)
Doctrine and Covenants:
Who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands, except those sons of perdition who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him. (Section 76:43)

12) Can murder be forgiven?

The Holy Bible:
Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. (Matthew 12:31)
Book of Mormon:
Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel. (3 Nephi 30:2)
Doctrine and Covenants:
And now, behold, I speak unto the church. Thou shalt not kill; and he that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come. (Section 42:18)

13) Does God condone polygamy?

The Holy Bible:
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; (1 Timothy 3:2)
Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. (1 Timothy 3:12)
Book of Mormon:
And now it came to pass that the people of Nephi, under the reign of the second king, began to grow hard in their hearts, and indulge themselves somewhat in wicked practices, such as like unto David of old desiring many wives and concubines, and also Solomon, his son. (Jacob 1:15)
Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord. (Jacob 2:24)
Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them. (Jacob 3:5)
For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart. And he had many wives and concubines. And he did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord. Yea, and they did commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness. (Mosiah 11:2)
Doctrine and Covenants:
Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines— (Section 132:1)
Abraham received concubines, and they bore him children; and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given unto him, and he abode in my law; as Isaac also and Jacob did none other things than that which they were commanded; and because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods. David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants, from the beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin save in those things which they received not of me. David’s wives and concubines were given unto him of me, by the hand of Nathan, my servant, and others of the prophets who had the keys of this power; and in none of these things did he sin against me save in the case of Uriah and his wife; and, therefore he hath fallen from his exaltation, and received his portion; and he shall not inherit them out of the world, for I gave them unto another, saith the Lord. (Section 132:37-39)
And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else. (Section 132:61)

14) Should ministers be paid?

The Holy Bible:
For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. (Romans 13:6-7)
Book of Mormon:
But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish. (2 Nephi 26:31)
Yea, and all their priests and teachers should labor with their own hands for their support, in all cases save it were in sickness, or in much want; and doing these things, they did abound in the grace of God. (Mosiah 27:5)
Doctrine and Covenants:
And the elders or high priests who are appointed to assist the bishop as counselors in all things, are to have their families supported out of the property which is consecrated to the bishop, for the good of the poor, and for other purposes, as before mentioned; Or they are to receive a just remuneration for all their services, either a stewardship or otherwise, as may be thought best or decided by the counselors and bishop. And the bishop, also, shall receive his support, or a just remuneration for all his services in the church. (Section 42:71-73)
And if ye desire the glories of the kingdom, appoint ye my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and uphold him before me by the prayer of faith. And again, I say unto you, that if ye desire the mysteries of the kingdom, provide for him food and raiment, and whatsoever thing he needeth to accomplish the work wherewith I have commanded him; (Section 43:12-13)

15) Can you be saved by money?

The Holy Bible:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
The Book of Mormon:
Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up that shall say: Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins. (Mormon 8:32)
Doctrine and Covenants:
Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming. (Section 64:23)
All verses taken from King James Version Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price using LDS View computer software published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Compiled by Richard Deem. Permission given to freely distribute. If you would like to research Mormon, religious texts, please go here: http://scriptures.lds.org and here: http://bible.jcsm.org.

It’s Friday and it’s the same old ****

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Matthew 7:15-16 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?”

- Do the preachers you follow add or subtract to God’s Word? Are they following the Bible or their own doctrines? If they follow the Bible, Christians will see their fruit and know it is from God. If they are following something else, we will see their fruit and know it is not good.

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

- There will actually be people in Heaven who think they are saved, but they are not! Are there people on Earth who think they are saved, but are not? Of course there are. Mormons are one group that fits this category. It seems very strange to Christians that there could be people who are unsaved but truly believe they are saved to the point where they will question God and tell Him about their good deeds done in His name. However, God is warning us about these people now in this passage of scripture. Don’t be surprised when you speak to Mormons who truly think they are saved. God will tell them, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.”

Galatians 1:8-9 “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”

- Salvation by works is the beginning of the major differences between the Mormon gospel and the Christian gospel. The nearly two thousand year old Christian gospel is easy to understand and straight-forward. However, the new, different gospel preached by the Mormons is not the same and actually contradictory in many ways.

Matthew 24:11 “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”

- How many millions of people are deceived in the Mormon church? The massive numbers have inspired me to do hours of research.

Matthew 24:24 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

- There are two sources of power on this planet. One is good and from God. The other is evil and from Satan. These evil powers will be used to produce signs and wonders that will actually deceive true Christians! Know your Bible inside and out. Don’t be one of the elect who is deceived. In order to deceive true believers, these evil powers must be subtle. They must appear like they are good and coming from God. Is the Mormon church calling themselves Christians today? Do the differences in their gospel and religion seem subtle and incidental at first? Yes.

2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.”

- If you do not think that there are contradictions between the Mormon doctrines and the Bible, please read comparison paper on the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. For each and every prophet and teacher in the Mormon religion to bring in their new and contradictory doctrines by accident would be unfathomable. No matter how well meaning their followers may be today, there has been and there still are false teachers in the Mormon church who are willingly and purposely teaching their flock wrong things.

1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

- How do you test the spirits? Not only by praying. You must know what God’s Word says. The only way to test new doctrines is to see if it stands up against the only source of truth that we have - The Bible. Praying is fantastic. However, don’t be fooled by Mormons who ask you to pray about their religion or Book of Mormon. Would you pray and ask God if you should kill someone? Of course not. Likewise, you should not pray and ask God if you should accept and believe a man and a doctrine that contradicts what God has written in His Word. Nowhere in the Bible does it command or allow us to pray about new doctrines. Know God’s Word and compare anything that you see or hear against it.

My Prayer: “Thank you for the warnings against false prophets, Lord. Help us to read and know the Bible very well, so we won’t be deceived. Make us spiritually mature, Father. Give us great discernment so we can identify truth and lies. Make us very wise and give us great knowledge, Lord. Let us hate evil and the father of lies! Help us to have patience with people who are being deceived, but give us the courage to tell them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Considering Leaving the Mormon Church?

It’s tough, but worth it.
If you are starting to consider the possibility that some of the things you were taught as a Mormon may not be true, you might be feeling a little anxious, overwhelmed, stressed or even angry right now. Tricia (a sixth generation Mormon) experienced many of these emotions and discovered a rainbow at the end of the storm.

“After leaving the church, I had many emotions to work
through ... anger, fear, sorrow, betrayal, and finally ...
unspeakable joy.” (more) — Tricia

Allowing yourself to begin questioning some of the beliefs you were taught as a Mormon will likely be a painful process, but you are not alone. For Dennis, the IRR email support group called MIT-talk (Mormons In Transition) helped him work through the hurt and bitterness and seek healing and find spiritual solutions through faith in Jesus Christ.

“I asked God to help me with the scriptural and emotional conflicts I had with Mormonism versus Biblical Christianity that were tormenting me.” (more) — Dennis

MIT-talk is a safe place were you can discuss, or just listen in with others like yourself, who are working to resolve doubts and questions about their Mormon / ex-Mormon experience. If you are ready to put the LDS Church on the examination table, Chris recommends you do your homework.

“If you’re reading this, do your own investigation of the LDS Church. Look at it with an open mind. Research it. Study the contradictions and you too will find what I found out — that me and you were sold a bill of goods that cannot be delivered.” — (more) Chris

Is Mormonism Christian?
A Comparison of Mormonism and Historic Christianity
Copyright © 1999 Institute for Religious Research. All rights reserved.

Is Mormonism Christian? This may seem like a puzzling question to many Mormons as well as to some Christians. Mormons will note that they include the Bible among the four books which they recognize as Scripture, and that belief in Jesus Christ is central to their faith, as evidenced by their official name, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Furthermore, many Christians have heard the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing Christian hymns and are favorably impressed with the Mormon commitment to high moral standards and strong families. Doesn’t it follow that Mormonism is Christian?

To fairly and accurately resolve this question we need to carefully compare the basic doctrines of the Mormon religion with the basic doctrines of historic, biblical Christianity. To represent the Mormon position we have relied on the following well-known Mormon doctrinal books, the first three of which are published by the Mormon Church: Gospel Principles (1997), Achieving a Celestial Marriage (1976), and A Study of the Articles of Faith (1979) by Mormon Apostle James E. Talmage, as well as Doctrines of Salvation (3 vols.) by the tenth Mormon President and prophet Joseph Fielding Smith, Mormon Doctrine (2nd ed., 1979) by Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie and Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

1. IS THERE MORE THAN ONE TRUE GOD?

The Bible teaches and orthodox Christians through the ages have believed that there is only one True and Living God and apart from Him there are no other Gods (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10,11; 44:6,8; 45:21,22; 46:9; Mark 12:29-34).

By contrast, the Mormon Church teaches that there are many Gods (Book of Abraham 4:3ff), and that we can become gods and goddesses in the celestial kingdom (Doctrine and Covenants 132:19-20; Gospel Principles, p. 245; Achieving a Celestial Marriage, p. 130). It also teaches that those who achieve godhood will have spirit children who will worship and pray to them, just as we worship and pray to God the Father (Gospel Principles, p. 302).

2. WAS GOD ONCE A MAN LIKE US?

The Bible teaches and orthodox Christians through the ages have believed that God is Spirit (John 4:24; 1 Timothy 6:15,16), He is not a man (Numbers 23:19; Hosea 11:9; Romans 1:22, 23), and has always (eternally) existed as God — all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere present (Psalm 90:2; 139:7-10; Isaiah 40:28; Luke 1:37).

By contrast, the Mormon Church teaches that God the Father was once a man like us who progressed to become a God and has a body of flesh and bone (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22; “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!” from Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 345-347; Gospel Principles, p. 9; Articles of Faith, p. 430; Mormon Doctrine, p. 321). Indeed, the Mormon Church teaches that God himself has a father, and a grandfather, ad infinitum (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 373; Mormon Doctrine, p. 577).

3. ARE JESUS AND SATAN SPIRIT BROTHERS?

The Bible teaches and orthodox Christians through the ages have believed that Jesus is the unique Son of God; he has always existed as God, and is co-eternal and co-equal with the Father (John 1:1, 14; 10:30; 14:9; Colossians 2:9). While never less than God, at the appointed time He laid aside the glory He shared with the Father (John 17:4, 5; Philippians 2:6-11) and was made flesh for our salvation; His incarnation was accomplished through being conceived supernaturally by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:34-35).

By contrast, the Mormon Church teaches that Jesus Christ is our elder brother who progressed to godhood, having first been procreated as a spirit child by Heavenly Father and a heavenly mother; He was later conceived physically through intercourse between Heavenly Father and the virgin Mary (Achieving a Celestial Marriage, p. 129; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 546-547; 742). Mormon doctrine affirms that Jesus and Lucifer are brothers (Gospel Principles, pp. 17-18; Mormon Doctrine, p. 192).

4. IS GOD A TRINITY?

The Bible teaches and orthodox Christians through the ages have believed that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost are not separate Gods or separate beings, but are distinct Persons within the one Triune Godhead. Throughout the New Testament the Son and the Holy Spirit, as well as the Father are separately identified as and act as God (Son: Mark 2:5-12; John 20:28; Philippians 2:10,11; Holy Spirit: Acts 5:3,4; 2 Corinthians 3:17,18; 13:14); yet at the same time the Bible teaches that these three are only one God (see point 1).

By contrast, the Mormon Church teaches that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate Gods (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 370; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 576-577), and that the Son and Holy Ghost are the literal offspring of Heavenly Father and a celestial wife (Joseph Fielding McConkie, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, vol. 2, p. 649).

5. WAS THE SIN OF ADAM AND EVE A GREAT EVIL OR A GREAT BLESSING?

The Bible teaches and orthodox Christians through the ages have believed that the disobedience of our first parents Adam and Eve was a great evil. Through their fall sin entered the world, bringing all human beings under condemnation and death. Thus we are born with a sinful nature, and will be judged for the sins we commit as individuals. (Ezekiel 18:1-20; Romans 5:12-21).

By contrast, the Mormon Church teaches that Adam’s sin was “a necessary step in the plan of life and a great blessing to all of us” (Gospel Principles, p. 33; Book of Mormon — 2 Nephi 2:25; Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp. 114-115).

6. CAN WE MAKE OURSELVES WORTHY BEFORE GOD?

The Bible teaches and orthodox Christians through the ages have believed that apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross we are spiritually “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1,5) and are powerless to save ourselves. By grace alone, apart from self-righteous works, God forgives our sins and makes us worthy to live in His presence (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6). Our part is only to cling to Christ in heartfelt faith. (However, it is certainly true that without the evidence of changed conduct, a person’s testimony of faith in Christ must be questioned; salvation by grace alone through faith, does not mean we can live as we please — Romans 6:1-4).

By contrast, the Mormon Church teaches that eternal life in the presence of God (which it terms “exaltation in the celestial kingdom”) must be earned through obedience to all the commands of the Mormon Church, including exclusive Mormon temple rituals. Works are a requirement for salvation (entrance into the “celestial kingdom”) — Gospel Principles, p. 303-304; Pearl of Great Price — Third Article of Faith; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 339, 671; Book of Mormon — 2 Nephi 25:23).

7. DOES CHRIST’S ATONING DEATH BENEFIT THOSE WHO REJECT HIM?

The Bible teaches and orthodox Christians through the ages have believed that the purpose of the atoning work of Christ on the cross was to provide the complete solution for humankind’s sin problem. However, those who reject God’s grace in this life will have no part in this salvation but are under the judgment of God for eternity (John 3:36; Hebrews 9:27; 1 John 5:11-12).

By contrast, the Mormon Church teaches that the purpose of the atonement was to bring resurrection and immortality to all people, regardless of whether they receive Christ by faith. Christ’s atonement is only a partial basis for worthiness and eternal life, which also requires obedience to all the commands of the Mormon church, including exclusive Mormon temple rituals (Gospel Principles, pp. 74-75; Mormon Doctrine, p. 669).

8. IS THE BIBLE THE UNIQUE AND FINAL WORD OF GOD?

The Bible teaches and orthodox Christians through the ages have believed that the Bible is the unique, final and infallible Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:1,2; 2 Peter 1:21) and that it will stand forever (1 Peter 1:23-25). God’s providential preservation of the text of the Bible was marvelously illustrated in the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

By contrast, the Mormon Church teaches that the Bible has been corrupted, is missing many “plain and precious parts” and does not contain the fullness of the Gospel (Book of Mormon — 1 Nephi 13:26-29; Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, pp. 190-191).

9. DID THE EARLY CHURCH FALL INTO TOTAL APOSTASY?

The Bible teaches and orthodox Christians through the ages have believed that the true Church was divinely established by Jesus and could never and will never disappear from the earth (Matthew 16:18; John 15:16; 17:11). Christians acknowledge that there have been times of corruption and apostasy within the Church, but believe there has always been a remnant that held fast to the biblical essentials.

By contrast, the Mormon Church teaches that there was a great and total apostasy of the Church as established by Jesus Christ; this state of apostasy “still prevails except among those who have come to a knowledge of the restored gospel” of the Mormon Church (Gospel Principles, pp. 105-106; Mormon Doctrine, p. 44).

Conclusion: The above points in italics constitute the common gospel believed by all orthodox Christians through the ages regardless of denominational labels. On the other hand, some new religions such as Mormonism claim to be Christian, but accept as Scripture writings outside of the Bible, teach doctrines that contradict the Bible, and hold to beliefs completely foreign to the teachings of Jesus and His apostles.

Mormons share with orthodox Christians some important moral precepts from the Bible. However, the above points are examples of the many fundamental and irreconcilable differences between historic, biblical Christianity and Mormonism. While these differences do not keep us from being friendly with Mormons, we cannot consider them brothers and sisters in Christ. The Bible specifically warns of false prophets who will teach “another gospel” centered around “another Jesus,” and witnessed to by “another spirit” (2 Corinthians 11:4,13-15; Galatians 1:6-9). Based on the evidence presented above, we believe Mormonism represents just such a counterfeit gospel.

It has been pointed out that if one claimed to be a Mormon but denied all the basic tenets of Mormonism — that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, that the Book of Mormon is true and divinely inspired, that god was once a man who progressed to godhood through keeping the laws and ordinances of the Mormon Church, and that the Mormon Church was divinely established — the Mormon Church would reject such a person’s claim to being a Latter-day Saint. One cannot fairly call oneself a Mormon if one does not believe the fundamental doctrines taught by the Mormon Church. By the same token, if the Mormon Church does not hold to even the basic biblical truths believed by the greater Christian community down through the ages, how can Christians reasonably be expected to accept Mormonism as authentic Christianity?

If the Mormon Church believes it is the only true Christian Church, it should not attempt to publicly present itself as a part of a broader Christian community. Instead it should tell the world openly that those who claim to be orthodox Christians are not really Christians at all, and that the Mormon Church is the only true Christian Church. This in fact is what it teaches privately, but not publicly.

Statements of 5 Christian Denominations on Mormonism

Christian churches teach belief in God as an eternal, self-existent, immortal being, unfettered by corporeal limitations and unchanging in both character and nature. In recent years, several Christian denominations have made studies of Mormon teaching and come to the conclusion that there are irreconcilable differences between LDS doctrine and Christian beliefs based on the Bible.

When a Catholic joins a Protestant sect or vice-versa they accept the original baptism as they recognize a believer from that sect as legitimately Christian.

This does not square with my experience, I have a family that went from Methodist to Calvinist (which most think is just a subset of Methodism) they had to be rebaptised. I had a friend in High school whose entire family switched from Methodism to Baptist, he invited me to his baptism. I think you see your fellow heretics with rose colored glasses, and that's OK, but you also seem to have drunk the Koolaid that Mormons are the spawn of Satan, and it's scary (to me) that you don't seem to understand the discussion that you are flailing around in the middle of.

But every true Christian sect Protestant, Catholic, etc. requires all converts from LDS go through the entire baptismal process as the LDS is not recognized as Christian.

Or maybe it's Tit for Tat because we don't recognize theirs...

It is considered by all of Christendom as a heretical cult.

Never speak in absolutes for if I can find one "Christian" who does not agree with you (and I can) then our whole premise falls apart because you overreached.

"Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite."

-- CS Lewis

Which is something many more Christians are going to start doing on this forum and expose you all for though many of you are well meaning, non-the-less dangerous soul damning fraud your wacko movement is.

Here is a Christan for you:

"It is not for us to say who, in the deepest sense, is or is not close to the spirit of Christ. We do not see into men's hearts. We cannot judge, and are indeed forbidden to judge. It would be wicked arrogance for us to say that any man is, or is not, a Christian in this refined sense….

…When a man who accepts the Christian doctrine lives unworthily of it, it is much clearer to say he is a bad Christian than to say he is not a Christian.

CS Lewis, a man most think of as a Christian does not agree with you, indeed Tantiboh is right, you seem to have more in Common Worth Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, than you seem to have in common with C.S. Lewis.

We (Mormons) are not concerned that you personally will lead the charge of the majority.

Mormons

Q. Are Mormons generally regarded as Christians, and how do their beliefs differ from those of the Missouri Synod?

A. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, together with the vast majority of Christian denominations in the United States, does not regard the Mormon church as a Christian church. That is because the official writings of Mormonism deny fundamental teachings of orthodox Christianity. For example, the Nicene Creed confesses the clear biblical truth that Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, is “of one substance with the Father.” This central article of the Christian faith is expressly rejected by Mormon teaching — thus undermining the very heart of the scriptural Gospel itself. In a chapter titled “Jesus Christ, the Son of God: Are Mormons Christian?” the president of Brigham Young University (Rex Lee, What Do Mormons Believe? [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1992] summarizes Mormon teaching by stating that the three persons of the Trinity are “not... one being” (21), but are “separate individuals.” In addition, the Father is regarded as having a body “of flesh and bone” (22). Such teaching is contrary to the Holy Scriptures, destructive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and indicative of the fact that Mormon teaching is not Christian.

Presbyterians and Latter-day Saints

Presbyterians in many parts of the United States live in close proximity with Mormon neighbors. Historically, these contacts with one another have often involved mutual difficulties. Today Presbyterians are challenged to apply the learnings we are gaining about interfaith relations to our relationships with Latter-day Saints.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, like the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), declares allegiance to Jesus. Latter-day Saints and Presbyterians share use of the Bible as scripture, and members of both churches use common theological terms. Nevertheless, Mormonism is a new and emerging religious tradition distinct from the historic apostolic tradition of the Christian Church, of which Presbyterians are a part.

Latter-day Saints understand themselves to be separate from the continuous witness to Jesus Christ, from the apostles to the present, affirmed by churches of the “catholic” tradition.

Latter-day Saints and the historic churches view the canon of scriptures and interpret shared scriptures in radically different ways. They use the same words with dissimilar meanings. When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speaks of the Trinity, Christ’s death and resurrection, and salvation, the theology and practices related to these set it apart from the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches.

It is the practice of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to receive on profession of faith those coming directly from a Mormon background and to administer baptism. Presbyterians do not invite officials of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to administer the Lord’s Supper.

Revelation

The Reformed tradition believes that the canon of scripture is closed and the Bible is complete, although the Holy Spirit continues to lead the Church into deeper understandings of God’s revelation. Reformed Christians test new understandings against the content of the central revelatory events recorded in the Bible. Latter-day Saints speak of receiving new revelations. Revelatory events not found in the Old and New Testaments are recounted in additional Mormon scriptures.

God

The historic apostolic creeds of the church remind Christians how difficult it is to speak about God. Reformed Christians have described the person of God as invisible, without body or passions. God’s otherness is overcome in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Mormon teachings speak about God in literally anthropomorphic terms. Latter-day Saints understand that all souls live a premortal life as spirit children of Heavenly Father and say that humans may become gods, “as God is.” They define themselves as monotheists since they give allegiance only to Heavenly Father, creator and ruler of this world.

Salvation

For Latter-day Saints, salvation through Christ’s atonement is a first step toward sanctification and exaltation — an eternal progression that is in the hand of each person and family — thus explaining the special importance of obedient living, marriage, or baptism for the dead. The Reformed tradition understands both the initiative and completion of the plan of salvation to rest on God’s grace. Nothing is required but acceptance of God in Christ, from which a life of gratitude flows.

The 199th General Assembly (1987) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) provided general suggestions concerning newer religious traditions that profess allegiance to Jesus. The 207th General Assembly (1995) offered specific guidelines for interfaith relationships with Mormons.

Support the search to promote understanding.

Learn about the cross-cultural context in which Presbyterians living in areas of significant Mormon concentration carry out the apostolic ministry of the church.
Study the historical experience of Mormons that has contributed to their present forms of social cohesion.
Seek firm grounding in your own understanding of revelation.
Use educational materials prepared for pastors and church officers.
In predominantly Mormon areas, help new members of Presbyterian churches to learn about the historic apostolic tradition of the Christian church.
Support the search for cooperation.

Seek opportunities to work on common concerns in society together with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Mormon people.
Identify common interests and converging moral imperatives for the good of the larger community. These do not require full agreement about beliefs or practices.
Work to develop friendly relations built on mutual respect and understanding.
Respond to invitations to Latter-day Saints’ activities (e.g., Boy Scouts, Mutual Improvement Association, athletic events) in a manner appropriate to their interfaith context.
Use guidelines for interfaith celebration and worship where appropriate, including when interfaith families request Presbyterian participation in weddings and funerals.
Support the search for witness.

Exercise special pastoral sensitivity at funerals and memorial services involving interreligious families.
As you joyously witness to the good news of Jesus Christ among all people, feel free to share the gospel with persons of Mormon background. Witness is dialogical, both speaking and listening with an attitude of openness and respect.
Do not use conflict to manipulate persons to change their religious community.
Witness to your own faith rather than speaking against the other.
Resist the temptation to respond with fear or hostility if you are confronted with proselytizing efforts.
Presbyterian relationships with Latter-day Saints have changed throughout the twentieth century. By God’s grace they may change further.

See General Assembly actions on which this content is based: Nature of Revelation 1987; Guidelines 1995. Use Presbyterians and Mormons: A Study in Contrasts and a Resource Packet for study and guidance.

Resources

Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Resource Packet on Presbyterians and Latter-day Saints. Available 1998. PDS #74-292-98-001.

Presbytery of Utah. A Present Day Look at the Latter-day Saints. Published by Office of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 1990. PDS #OGA 90-003.

Robinson, Stephen E. Are Mormons Christians? Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, 1991.

Shipps, Jan. Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition. University of Illinois Press, Urbana and Chicago, 1985.

Theology and Worship Unit, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Presbyterians and Mormons: A Study in Contrasts. 1990. See this material for the full text adopted for guidance by the 207th General Assembly (1995), with study guide and bibliography. PDS #273-90-001.

World Council of Churches. Guidelines on Dialogue with People of Living Faiths and Ideologies, revised 1993, Geneva. ISBN 2-8254-0607-4. This brochure describes relationships with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. Contact the church for its materials.

“... Mormonism differs from traditional Christianity in much the same fashion that traditional Christianity ... came to differ from Judaism.”

— Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition

“This study is not about the faith of individual Mormons or about the ability of Mormonism to generate faith .....

“..... theology, history, and religious practices are legitimate topics for interfaith discussions and evaluations. Each of these comes second ... as an expression and implication of faith.

— Presbyterians and Mormons: A Study in Contrasts Study Guide

“... self-serving descriptions of other peoples’ faith are one of the roots of prejudice, stereotyping, and condescension. Listening carefully to the neighbors’ self-understanding enables Christians better to obey the commandment not to bear false witness against their neighbors ...

“... any religion or ideology claiming universality ... will also have its own interpretations of other religions and ideologies as part of its own self-understanding. Dialogue gives an opportunity for a mutual questioning of the understanding partners have about themselves and others.”

— Guidelines on Dialogue with People of Living Faiths and Ideologie

The Committee recommends concurrence as amended as follows:
Whereas, there is a perceived an expressed need on the part of United Methodists for more clarity on the issues surrounding the reception of people baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) who seek to become members of The United Methodist Church; and

Whereas, there are varying practices in United Methodist churches in such instances, some not recognizing the Latter-day Saints’ baptism, and so baptizing them; and some recognizing the baptism, and so receiving them as baptized Christians; and

Whereas, United Methodists seek to act in ways that are faithful, compassionate, and just in relationship to other faith traditions, extending hospitality toward all and charity toward those whose faith and practice differ from ours;

Therefore, while our denomination must continue to seek further clarity on issues of our own faith, we have enough clarity to take steps toward establishing a policy for the United Methodist Church regarding the reception of those converting from the LDS Church. It is our recommendation that following a period of catechesis (a time of intensive exploration and instruction in the Christian faith), such a convert should receive the sacrament of Christian baptism.

We, further, petition the 2000 General Conference to receive Sacramental Faithfulness: Guidelines for Receiving People From The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons),found on pages 215 to 223 of the Advance Edition of the Daily Christian Advocate, Volume 1, Section 1, with the following changes as a study resource and guideline for pastors and congregations who face the challenge of receiving former Mormons who seek to become United Methodist:

on page 222 top of page, left column, beginning with the end of line 2: change the paragraph to read “United Methodism should declare that The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by self-definition,does not fit within the bounds of the historic, apostolic tradition of Christian faith. This conclusion is supported by the fact that the LDS Church itself, while calling itself Christian, explicitly professes a distinction and separateness from the ecumenical community and is intentional about clarifying significant differences in doctrine. As United Methodists we agree with their assessment that the LDS Church is not a part of the historic, apostolic tradition of the Christian faith.”

We also petition the 2000 General Conference to authorize the General Board of Discipleship to provide resources in accordance with the Sacramental Faithfulness: Guidelines for Receiving People From the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), to the Church to guide pastors and congregations to receive former Latter-day Saints (Mormons) who seek to become United Methodists in ways that are faithful to our United Methodist heritage

The Mortal Jesus Christ of Mormonism
By Marvin W. Cowan

On December 25 we celebrated the birth of Christ. Both Mormonism and the Bible refer to Jesus as the “Son of God.” But Mormonism defines those words in a very different way than the Bible does. Our last article entitled “The Pre-mortal Christ of Mormonism,” discussed the LDS view of Christ before he came to earth.

In order to understand the LDS view of the earthly Christ it is also necessary to understand the LDS view of God the Father. Joseph Smith, who founded Mormonism said, “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens… He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all dwelt on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 345-346). LDS scripture also says that God “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” (Doctrine and Covenants [D. & C.] 130:22). And the fifth LDS Prophet, Lorenzo Snow wrote, “As man now is, God once was; As God now is man may be” (The Promised Messiah, p. 134).

Mormon Apostle, Bruce R. McConkie wrote,

God the Father is a perfected, glorified, holy Man, an immortal Personage. And Christ was born into the world as the literal Son of this Holy Being; he was born in the same personal, real, and literal sense that any mortal son is born to a mortal father. There is nothing figurative about his paternity; he was begotten, conceived and born in the normal and natural course of events, for he is the Son of God and that designation means what it says. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 742)

McConkie also said the name titles “Only Begotten Son… all signify that our Lord is the only Son of the Father in the flesh. Each of the words is to be understood literally. Only means only; Begotten means begotten; and Son means son. Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers” (ibid. pp. 546-547).

Apostle McConkie also said,

Our Lord’s mother, Mary, like Christ, was chosen and foreordained in the pre-existence (pre-mortal spirit world) for the part she was destined to play in the great plan of salvation… She was one of the noblest and greatest of all the spirit offspring of the Father. Mary’s name and mission were revealed to holy prophets centuries before her mortal birth. Nephi saw her as, “A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins”… As such a virgin she gave birth to a son whose Father was the Almighty God. (ibid. p. 471)

Notice the sequence in this quotation. God the Father begat Mary as His spirit daughter in the pre-mortal spirit world and then He became the father of her Son in this mortal world! Remember that LDS teach that God the “Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” and that Christ was conceived and born on earth the same way any other mortal is born.

Brigham Young also said, “The birth of the Savior was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood—was begotten of his Father as we were begotten of our fathers” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 8, p. 115).

Ezra Taft Benson, the 13th LDS Prophet also said, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the most literal sense. The body in which he performed His mission in the flesh was sired by that same Holy Being we worship as God, our Eternal Father. Jesus was not the son of Joseph, nor was He begotten by the Holy Ghost. He is the Son of the Eternal Father” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pp. 6-7).

In spite of such teaching many Mormons say they believe in the virgin birth of Jesus which doesn’t fit with what their leaders have taught. We have quoted some of the highest authorities in the LDS Church because there are Mormons who deny that their Church or their leaders teach this doctrine.

Many Mormons are offended if they are told that Mormonism’s Jesus is not the same as the biblical Jesus. However, their current President and Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley said of Christ,

He is the Son of the living God, the firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten in the flesh, who left the royal courts on high to be born as a mortal… As a Church we have critics, many of them. They say we do not believe in the traditional Christ of Christianity. There is some substance to what they say. Our faith, our knowledge is not based on ancient tradition, the creeds which came of a finite understanding and out of the almost infinite discussions of men trying to arrive at a definition of the risen Christ. Our faith, our knowledge comes of a witness of a prophet in this dispensation who saw before him the great God of the universe and His Beloved Son, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. They spoke to him. He spoke with Them. He testified openly, unequivocally, and unabashedly of that great vision. It was a vision of the Almighty and of the Redeemer of the world, glorious beyond our understanding but certain and unequivocating in the knowledge which it brought. It is out of that knowledge, rooted deep in the soil of modern revelation, that we, in the words of Nephi, “talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophecy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that we and our children may know to what source we may look for a remission of our sins.” [II Nephi 25:26] (Ensign, May 2002, pp. 90-91)

Notice that Hinckley admitted that LDS beliefs about Christ are different from traditional Christianity (as taught in the Bible) because LDS beliefs are based on “a witness of a prophet (LDS founder Joseph Smith) in this dispensation. So, while Mormons do believe in a “Jesus Christ,” he is not the Jesus Christ of the Bible. But it is the Jesus Christ of the Bible who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6).

For those who want to read more on this subject from a Christian perspective we suggest The Second Person, by Lehman Strauss; published by Loizeaux Brothers, New York, in 1951. Our next article will discuss the LDS view of Jesus as Savior.

Mormonism’s Prophetic Record
Are There Demonstrable False Prophecies Within Mormon Scripture and Literature?
By Dr. John Ankerberg, Dr. John Weldon

To learn more about the topics in this articles, we suggest these items available through our catalog:

Mormon Officials and Christian Scholars Compare Doctrine

Fast Facts on Mormonism

Mormonism Revisited

The legitimacy and validity of the entire Mormon church rested squarely upon its declaration that Joseph Smith was a genuine prophet of God. If he was not, then the Mormon church has been guilty of promoting a false prophet to the world for over 170 years.

Mormons themselves freely confess that upon the authority of Joseph Smith the church stands or falls. If he was a false prophet, the church cannot be genuine. This is why the issue of prophecy is so vital. Apostle James Talmage said of Smith, “If his claims to divine appointment be false, forming as they do the foundation of the church in this last dispensation, the superstructure cannot be stable.”1 Given this, Mormon authorities have no choice but to perpetuate the claim that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that his hundreds of prophecies were “literally fulfilled,” and are therefore the “marvelous proof” of his divine appointment. For example, the late leading doctrinal theologian Bruce McConkie argues:

By their works it shall be known whether professing ministers of religion are true or false prophets. Joseph Smith was a true prophet. What fruits did he leave? There is probably more evidence of his divine call and mission than of any other prophet who ever lived, Jesus himself only excepted. Joseph Smith has... uttered hundreds of prophecies which have been literally fulfilled.2

Joseph Smith himself emphasized that one who claims to be a true prophet of God must have his prophecies evaluated by the standard of God’s Word. By his statement “the ancient Word of God” he clearly referred to biblical standards in part:

The only way of ascertaining a true prophet is to compare his prophecies with the ancient Word of God, and see if they agree, and if they do and come to pass, then certainly he is a true prophet.... When, therefore any man, no matter who, or how high his standing may be, utters, or publishes, anything that afterwards proves to be untrue, he is a false prophet.3

By Joseph Smith’s own words, then, he is proven to be a false prophet. And by the very words of Mormon authorities the Mormon religion also is proven to be fraudulent. Not only do the many prophecies given by Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants deny every biblical doctrine they comment upon, but Joseph Smith’s specific predictions of future events have also characteristically proven wrong. While we have not studied every alleged prophecy Mormons claim for Smith, every one we did study proved false.

In 1844, while in jail, Smith was killed by an angry group of townspeople. By that time, he had uttered scores of prophecies “in the name of the Lord.” But according to biblical standards, anyone who claims to be a prophet must prove himself so by establishing a perfect record of prediction. Again, the biblical requirement is for absolute accuracy in prophetic revelation. What this means is that a single false prophecy—just one—is sufficient to establish a person as a false prophet. God Himself warned all men:

But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.” You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him (Deut. 18:20-22 NIV).

In other words, if anyone spoke in the name of the Lord (Joseph Smith), but spoke presumptuously (Joseph Smith), or in the name of other gods (Joseph Smith), and if the prophecy did not come true (Joseph Smith), that prophet was to die—as, unfortunately, Joseph Smith did in 1844. When Mormon authorities claim that Smith’s prophetic record is infallible and that this proves him a true prophet, they are regrettably only continuing the well-established tradition of Mormon distortion in religious matters.

Mormons have in fact devised various ways to “explain” Smith’s many false prophecies. There are so many different rationalizations that one wearies of reading them. For example, they may claim, as Smith himself did, that a prophet is only a prophet when he is acting as such—that is, presumably, when he claims to speak in the name of the Lord and is therefore under divine inspiration. Mormons claim that any errors which do exist were, therefore, given when Smith was not “acting” as a prophet.

However, since many of Smith’s false prophecies were given “as a prophet,” when he was speaking in the name of the Lord, the explanation is irrelevant.

For anyone who lets words mean what they say, the inescapable conclusion is that, according to biblical standards, Joseph Smith was a false prophet. Just as the single act of marital infidelity or a single premeditated killing makes a person an adulterer or a murderer, so a single false prophecy makes one a false prophet.4 Joseph Smith himself agreed to that standard.

In the following cases, we include examples where Smith clearly prophesied “in the name of the Lord,” so there can be no mistake that the prophecy was being claimed as divine.

The Canadian Prophecy

David Whitmer (one of the three principal witnesses to the Book of Mormon) tells a highly relevant story which not only reveals Smith to be a false prophet, but sprouts seeds of doubt about any purported prophecy or revelation Smith claimed to receive. Just as the Mormon scriptures, in particular Doctrine and Covenants, contain the “feel” of occult revelation, here we also sample the flavor of spiritistic “humor.”

Here is the story in Whitmer’s own words:

When the Book of Mormon was in the hands of the printer, more money was needed to finish the printing of it.... Brother Hyrum said it had been suggested to him that some of the brethren might go to Toronto, Canada and sell the copyright of the Book of Mormon for considerable money: and he persuaded Joseph to inquire of the Lord about it. Joseph concluded to do so. He had not yet given up the [seer] stone. Joseph looked into the hat in which he placed the stone, and received a revelation that some of the brethren should go to Toronto, Canada, and that they would sell the copyright of the Book of Mormon. Hyrum Page and Oliver Crowdery went to Toronto on this mission, but they failed entirely to sell the copyright, returning without any money. Joseph was at my father’s house when they returned. I was there also, and am an eyewitness to these facts. Jacob Whitmer and John Whitmer were also present when Hyrum Page and Oliver Crowdery returned from Canada.

Well, we were all in great trouble; and we asked Joseph how it was that he had received a revelation from the Lord for some brethren to go to Toronto and sell the copy-right and the brethren had utterly failed in their undertaking. Joseph did not know how it was, so he inquired of the Lord about it, and behold the following revelation came through the stone:

Some revelations are of God: some revelations are of man: and some revelations are of the devil.

So we see that [even though Smith claimed it was] the revelation to go to Toronto and sell the copyright was not of God, but was of the devil or of the heart of man.... This was a lesson for our benefit and we should have profited by it in [the] future more than we did.

Whitmer concludes his discussion with a warning to every living Mormon:

Remember this matter brethren; it is very important.... Now is it wisdom to put your trust in Joseph Smith, and believe all his revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants to be of God?... I will say here, that I could tell you other false revelations that came through Brother Joseph as mouthpiece (not through the stone), but this will suffice. Many of Brother Joseph’s revelations were never printed. The revelation to go to Canada was written down on paper, but was never printed (emphasis added).5

Let’s consider this account carefully. Smith and the other Mormons were obviously convinced of the divine authority of the initial revelation—or else they would never have taken the difficult journey to Canada. When the prophecy inexplicably failed, they naturally sought an answer from God (by occult means)—and what happened? They received a reply that could not help but strike dread into their hearts: “Some revelations are of God; some revelations are of man; and some revelations are of the devil.” Apparently, then, there was no way to distinguish a true prophecy from a false one!

Thus, if this false revelation was indistinguishable from the genuine revelations of Smith, how can Mormons today know that any of Smith’s revelations were legitimate? And what does this fact do to the credibility of the revelations given by any Mormon president and prophet? What is worse, such revelations will never be objectively verified or invalidated. Why? Because the Bible itself is rejected by Mormonism as a reliable authority. This means that the only “Scripture” left to test such revelation by is Mormon scripture, which is itself contradictory and perpetually “open.” New revelations can come at any time and be added to the canon of scripture. Whether or not they contradict earlier revelation is irrelevant. In the end, we see that no Mormon should logically place trust in any of Smith’s prophecies (or any of his other revelations) because 1) they could just as easily be false as true, and 2) there is no way to tell the difference until it is too late.

Doctrine and Covenants

Nevertheless, we will proceed to document some of the false prophecies of Joseph Smith. Let us begin with the alleged scripture. Doctrine and Covenants. The first false prophecy is found in chapter one, where “God” Himself promises that the prophecies in the book are all true and will come to pass:

Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abides forever and ever. Amen (D&C, 1:37,38, emphasis added).

Note that this section of Mormon scripture claims first, that the commandments “are true” and that the prophecies and promises “shall all be fulfilled”; second, that the Mormon deity is placing his own authority on the line when he says, “I excuse not myself” (for having spoken them), and third, that the prophecies “shall all be fulfilled” whether by God’s own voice “or by the voice of my servants”—which is the same thing.

These claims leave no room to maneuver: A single indisputable false prophecy anywhere in Doctrine and Covenants will completely invalidate the entire book. Obviously, then, the existence of dozens and scores of false prophecies in Doctrine and Covenants means that Mormons who trust this book are being deceived. If 1) the Mormon God has spoken falsely, and 2) “some revelations are of God, some revelations are of men, and some revelations are of the devil,” and 3) there is no way of knowing which are which, then the logical conclusion is that 4) Mormons should not place their trust in any of them. We will now prove that Doctrine and Covenants contains false prophecies.

The City and Temple Prophecy

In a revelation given to Joseph Smith on September 22 and 23, 1832, “the word of the Lord” declares that both a city and a temple are to be built “in the western boundaries of the state of Missouri” (that is, in Independence, Missouri):

A revelation of Jesus Christ unto his servant Joseph Smith, Jun[ior].... Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his church... for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem. Which city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot... in the western boundaries of the state of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith.... Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation. For verily this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house.... Therefore, as I said concerning the sons of Moses—for the sons of Moses and also the sons of Aaron shall offer an acceptable offering and sacrifice in the house of the Lord, which house shall be built under the Lord in this generation, upon the consecrated spot as I have appointed (D&C, 84:1-5, 31, emphasis added).

This prophecy clearly teaches that a temple and a city will be built in western Missouri in the generation of the men then living and that it will be dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith himself. This temple will stand (in western Missouri) “upon Mount Zion” and the city will be named “the city of New Jerusalem.” It was to be the place Christ returned to at His Second Coming.6

In Doctrine and Covenants, 97:19 (August, 1833) and 101:17-21 (December, 1833), God further declares that He is absolutely certain as to His intent and the location of this temple: “Zion cannot fall, nor be moved out of her place, for God is there, and the hand of the Lord is there,” and “there is none other place appointed than that which I have appointed; neither shall there be any other place.”

It is interesting to note that on July 20, 1833, when Smith was giving this prophecy in Kirtland, Ohio—and unaware of the events taking place in Missouri—the Mormon community had already agreed to leave Missouri because of “persecution.” In other words, even as Smith was giving the prophecy “in the name of the Lord,” “Zion” was already being “moved out of her place.”7

How do Mormons respond? They claim the prophecy failed because the Mormon community itself was unfaithful. However, how can Mormons credibly claim this when the church itself was being “persecuted”? Surely, if they had not been living as committed and zealous Mormons, they would never have encountered the social response they did. It was thus undoubtedly the faithful Mormons who were driven from Missouri, leaving the prophecy unfulfilled. And even Mormon historians concede that when they moved to Quincy, Illinois, their promised Missouri “temple” comprised only four cornerstones.8

In the ensuing 160 years no temple has ever been built in western Missouri, let alone a Mormon city. Thus Joseph Smith never dedicated a temple, nor were sacrifices offered there. It was not built in “this generation,” no cloud “rested upon” the temple, etc. This revelation alone thus contains at least four false prophecies. Neither can Mormons logically claim that Zion was “reestablished” in Salt Lake City, for the December 1833 prophecy clearly says there will be “none other place” than the western boundaries of Missouri.

Nevertheless, the Mormon reaction to this prediction illustrates the basic Mormon approach to their many false prophecies. Divine predictions are vigorously maintained until proven false. Then they are rationalized. Consider the following train of events.

In spite of being driven from Missouri, the early Mormons intended to return and fulfill the prophecy. In 1861, thirty years after the prophecy was first given, Apostle George Smith emphasized, “Let me remind you that it is predicted that this generation shall not pass away till a temple shall be built, and the glory of the Lord rest upon it, according to the promises.”9

Then in 1870, almost forty years after the prophecy, Apostle Orson Pratt stated that Mormons could expect a literal fulfillment of the prophecy as much as they do the rising and setting of the sun. Why? “Because God cannot lie. He will fulfill all his promises. He has spoken, it must come to pass. This is our faith!”10

Perhaps sensing a growing problem, the 1890 edition of Doctrine and Covenants (almost sixty years later) carried a footnote declaring that a generation lasted more than a hundred years.11 This note is not found in modern editions of Doctrine and Covenants.

Again, in 1900, almost seventy years later, the fifth Mormon president and prophet, Lorenzo Snow, reiterated that Mormons would still go back and build the divinely prophesied temple.12

Even in 1931, ninety-nine years after the prophecy (when “that generation” would surely have been dead), the tenth president and prophet of the Mormon church, Joseph Fielding Smith, was stating his “firm belief” that the temple and city would be built. Thus, he promises that when the temple is reared it will be by:

Some of that generation who were living when this revelation was given.... I have full confidence in the word of the Lord that it shall not fail.... We have not been released from this responsibility, nor shall we be. The word of the Lord will not fail.... No matter what the correct interpretation may be, the fact remains that the city Zion, or New Jerusalem, will eventually be built in Jackson County, Missouri and the temple of the Lord will also be constructed.13

Incredibly, recent editions of Smith’s book (e.g., 1975) continue to retain this embarrassing statement! Logically, one would think that he would have had to confess that his “full confidence in the word of the Lord” proved futile. Who could disagree with his words when he stated in a more recent text: “It is also reasonable to believe that no soul living in 1832, is still living in mortality on the earth.”14

It is now more than 160 years since the prophecy, and neither the temple nor the city has been built. There is no way to escape the conclusion that this prophecy is false. But, of course, since Mormonism assumes that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, this cannot possibly be a false prophecy. So the process of rationalization sets in. For example, Joseph Fielding Smith dealt with the problem by finally claiming that the term “generation” meant an indefinite period of time and that, due to “persecution,” God had “absolved the saints and postponed the day.”15

Now everyone could relax. There never was a false prophecy.

For some reason, Mormon presidents, prophets and leaders see “no conflict whatever” between the outcome of the prophecy just cited and the teaching of the Book of Mormon in Nephi 3:7 which says, “The Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”

What is most disconcerting is that modern Mormons do not seem to be concerned with such an unquestionably false prophecy and refuse to recognize the implications.16 They continue to believe, and to teach others, that Doctrine and Covenants is the inerrant “word of the Lord.”

The Civil War Prophecy

The Civil War prophecy represents another false prediction. It is found in Doctrine and Covenants 87:1-8, concerning a prophecy given on December 25, 1832. In his Articles of Faith, James Talmage refers to “the facts establishing a complete fulfillment of this astounding prophecy.”17

However, there was no “complete fulfillment,” neither was the prophecy “astounding.” It was patently false. What is astounding is that Talmage applies the 1832 prophecy to World War I (1914-1918) when it has nothing at all to do with that war. Indeed, to apply the prophecy to World War I only increases the magnitude of its errors. For one thing, its own declaration requires it be applied to the “wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning... at South Carolina.” The prophecy declares:

Verily, thus sayeth the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls; And the time will come when that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place.... And the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations.... And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightening also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of Almighty God until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations.18

Joseph Smith made other predictions relating to this great war. Elsewhere he spoke another false prophecy when he declared “in the name of the Lord God” that these tumultuous events would precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ:

I prophecy [sic], in the name of the Lord God, that the commencement of the difficulties which will cause much bloodshed previous to the coming of the Son of man will be in South Carolina. It may probably arise through the slave question. This a voice declared to me while I was praying earnestly on the subject, December 25, 1832.19

But listening to voices can be perilous.

In looking at this prophecy, we should note several facts. First, it has been demonstrated historically that Smith could have expected a civil war, hence to write of an expected war, one that is public knowledge, is hardly “astounding.” For example, “Joseph Smith was familiar with the fact that South Carolina had rebelled at the time he gave the revelation.”20 Also, “many people believed there would be a civil war before it actually took place.”21 For example, five months previous to Smith’s “revelation,” on July 14, 1832, Congress passed a tariff act, refused by South Carolina, and Andrew Jackson alerted the troops. So, even at this time, “the nation was fully expecting a Civil War to begin promptly in South Carolina.”22

Second, even God Himself didn’t seem to know whether or not this great war would arise over the issue of slavery. (He said, “It may probably arise through the slave question.”)

Third, the revelation itself was wrong on numerous counts. First, the war did not start until 1861, thirty years later—it did not “come to pass shortly.” Second, war was not “poured out upon all nations” but only on one nation. Third, there were no “earthquakes,” “thunder of heaven,” or lightening which struck the “inhabitants of the earth” as evidence of God’s wrath. Nor did the remainder of the earth’s population feel “the wrath of Almighty God.” Fourth, there was hardly “a full end of all nations.”

Finally, Smith’s revelation on the war was not printed until 1851, almost twenty years after the revelation, and “Mormon leaders have suppressed part of Joseph Smith’s diary which tended to discredit the revelation.”23 (This concerned a “dream interpretation” of the prophecy which stated that the United States Government would call on Joseph Smith to defend the “western territory” against England. Smith was obviously dead at the start of the Civil War, thus the interpretation was false, which cast doubt on the revelation itself.24) In conclusion, no one can deny that this is another false prophecy.

Brigham Young was also guilty of false prophecy relating to the Civil War. He predicted that the war would not end until it had emptied the land to allow Mormons to return to Missouri, something that was never fulfilled.25 He also predicted that the slaves would not be freed: “Will the present struggle free the slaves? No;... they cannot do that.”26

Joseph Smith’s Civil War prophecy and his “Rocky Mountain” prophecy are considered his “most important prophecies.”27 We have seen that the first is a false prophecy; and the Tanners have documented that the latter is not worth considering in that it is a “forgery which was written after Joseph Smith’s death.”28

The Second Coming

Along with Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists, Joseph Smith predicted that the Second Coming of Christ would occur in the latter part of the nineteenth century. In his History of the Church, Smith taught that the Second Coming would occur between 1890 and 1891. Thus, in 1835 he declared Christ’s return would occur fifty-six years later; and in 1843 he predicted it would occur in forty-eight years. Smith claimed that the generation then living would not die “till Christ comes.”29 For example, under the date of April 6,1843, in his original History (taken from Smith’s diary, March 10, 1843, to July 14, 1843) one can read, “I prophecy [sic] in the name of the Lord God—& let it be written: that the Son of Man will not come in the heavens until I am 85 years old, 48 years hence or about 1890” (emphasis added).30 Of course. Smith was dead within a year—and Christ still has not returned.

Some of the twelve Mormon apostles were told that they also would remain until Christ returned. For example, according to the Tanners, Lyman E. Johnson was told he would “see the Savior come and stand upon the earth with power and great glory”; and William Smith was told that he would “be preserved and remain on the earth, until Christ shall come.”31 Because of such a strong belief in the imminence of the Second Coming, Apostle Parley P. Pratt wrote in 1838:

I will state as a prophesy [sic], that there will not be an unbelieving Gentile upon this continent 50 years hence; and if they are not greatly scourged, and in a great measure overthrown, within five or ten years from this date, then the Book of Mormon will have proved itself false.32

Perhaps not unexpectedly, the entire prophecy has been deleted from the modern versions of the Writings of Parley P. Pratt.

But there have been many other false prophecies throughout the history of the Mormon church, far too numerous to list. We cite only seven others for purposes of illustration:

1. In the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 3:14 it is prophesied that “that seer” (which Mormons interpret as Joseph Smith) will be protected by God: “They that seek to destroy him shall be confounded;... this promise... shall be fulfilled.”

But it was not fulfilled, for “they that seek to destroy him” did in fact destroy him at a young age in 1844 when he was killed by townspeople in a gun battle in Carthage, Illinois. Smith himself had said in October, 1843, “I prophesy, in the name of the Lord God of Israel... they never will have power to kill me till my work is accomplished, and I am ready to die.”33 But again, less than a year later, Joseph Smith was dead. And according to accounts of his death, he certainly was not yet “ready to die.” While in jail, facing the prospect of confronting the angry people that would kill him, he quickly wrote to his Nauvoo Legion to break into the jail and “save him at all costs.”34 Eyewitnesses noted that just before he was shot he gave the Masonic signal of distress and cried out, “Is there no help... ?”—and then after he was shot came the exclamation of unbelief, “Oh Lord; my God!”35 Furthermore, given the tremendous obstacles facing the church he had founded, who could reasonably say his work had been “accomplished?”

2. In Doctrine and Covenants, (114:1) it was prophesied in the name of the Lord that David W. Patten would go on a mission one year later:

Verily thus sayeth the Lord: It is wisdom in my servant David W. Patten, that he settle up all his business... that he may perform a mission unto me next spring, in company with others, even twelve including himself, to testify of my name and bear glad tidings unto all the world.

This prophecy was given April 17, 1838. Six months later, on October 25, 1838, David W. Patten was shot and killed—he “instantly fell, mortally wounded, having received a large ball in his bowels.”36 No one can deny, then, that this is another false prophecy. But if the Mormon God is genuine, why would He prophesy that a man was to preach for Him whom He knew would shortly be killed and thus be unable to fulfill His mission? Patten’s death cannot be rationalized with the claim that he was guilty of sin or apostasy because Smith’s own remarks after his death claim he was a faithful Mormon until his demise.37

3. On May 18, 1843, in the “name of the Lord” and “in the name of Jesus Christ” Joseph Smith prophesied the complete overthrow of the United States Government. This never occurred, nor did the Government ever redress “its crimes” as Smith promised:

President Smith, in concluding his remarks, said... “I prophesy in the name of the Lord of Israel, unless the United States redress the wrongs committed upon the saints in the state of Missouri and punish the crimes committed by her officers that in a few years the Government will be utterly overthrown and wasted, and there will not be so much as a potsherd left” (emphasis added).38

And,

I prophesied by virtue of the holy priesthood vested in me, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that, if Congress will not hear our petition and grant us protection, they shall be broken up as a government, and God shall damn them, and there shall be nothing left of them—not even a grease spot.39

But again, Congress never granted the Mormons their petition. It correctly concluded that Mormon problems with other settlers were a result of their own religious excesses and evil practices such as polygamy, violence against non-Mormons and their terrible doctrine of blood atonement. In fact, the Government so increased its pressure against the polygamist activity of the church that a new “revelation” in 1890 conveniently “reversed” the polygamist doctrines which had prevented Utah’s entry into the Union.

Thus, the United States Government was not “utterly overthrown and wasted,” nor was there “nothing” left of it, “not even a grease spot.” The United States grew to become the most powerful nation on earth.

4. In Doctrine and Covenants (104:1) “Jesus” claimed that the Mormon “United Order”—the Mormon communities in Ohio and Missouri—would remain until He returned. However, the “United Order” failed and was disbanded, and over 150 years later Jesus still has not returned.

5. In the Book of Mormon (Alma 7:10) it is falsely prophesied that the Messiah will be born in Jerusalem when, of course, He was born in Bethlehem. Four biblical books of history attest to Jesus’ birthplace as Bethlehem: one prophet who wrote a miraculous prediction in 700 b.c., and three contemporary biographers of Jesus (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6; Luke 2:4-7; John 7:42).

6. Heber Kimball falsely prophesied that “Brother Brigham Young will become President of the United States.”40

7. Joseph Smith’s father falsely prophesied that Joseph, Jr., “should continue in the Priest’s office until Christ comes.”41

Many other false prophecies could be listed.42

With so many false prophecies by Smith and other Mormons, one is tempted to assume that they were either carried away by false visions of their own mind or through spiritistic duplicity. Certainly a truthful God could not be the author of such wrong predictions.

In spite of all these false prophecies, again, Mormons do not show much concern about the issue. Apparently, this is because they have never come to grips with the biblical teaching on what God requires of a true prophet and what a false prophet really is:

It is somewhat ironic that most Mormons are basically unimpressed by the evidence against their “prophets” concerning the many false prophecies that have issued forth from them. This behavior is so unusual because of the reverence Mormons give their Presidents as “prophets of God.” Their attitude of indifference is primarily based upon ignorance and conditioning. The average Mormon is unaware of the biblical tests for a true prophet and is therefore ignorant of how to properly determine if a man is a true prophet or a false prophet. However, the greatest difficulty Mormons have is overcoming their “conditioning.” They have been programmed to believe that the greatest test of a prophet is their own personal “testimony” that he is a prophet.43

But it must also be said that many Mormons aren’t even aware of these false prophecies. For example, if one examines the Doctrine and Covenants’ student manual, an extensive five-hundred-page commentary on Doctrine and Covenants, one finds that the false prophecies are either ignored or carefully reinterpreted. For example, concerning the rebuilding of the temple, the Manual equivocates on the word “generation” and defines it as an indefinite period.44 Further,

The Lord later excused the Saints from building that temple because mobs prevented it... and because the Saints at that time had not kept the commandments as they should.... The day will come, however, when the holy city of God will be established in Jackson County, Missouri, and the temple will be filled with the glory of God as envisioned by the prophets.45

This completely ignores the clear statements of the prophecy itself that it must be built in “this generation.”

Its explanation of the Civil War prophecy is equally distorting. The text cites various wars around the world spanning almost a century, from 1861 to 1958. This is the alleged pouring out of wars upon “all nations” as described in the prophecy. But anyone who actually reads the prophecy can see that such an interpretation is completely false. To claim that “the Civil War was the beginning of the war that will bring about the end of the world” (the “full end of all nations” prophesied in D&C, 87:6) is a statement that could be made for any war at any period of history—if we are ignoring the factor of time.46 Again, anyone who reads the prophecy can see that it is the end of the world itself that is predicted, and this is to happen within a set period.

But again, what else can Mormon leaders do when faced with proof of false prophecies? Being unwilling to accept the implications, which would require them to accept that Joseph Smith was a false prophet and to thus have to forsake Mormonism, they have no choice but to rationalize his failures. However, in doing this, they are guilty of foisting a deliberate deception upon unsuspecting converts and the very Mormon people they claim to shepherd.

Notes

1 James Talmadge, The Study of the Articles of Faith: Being a Consideration of the Principle Doctrines of the Churd of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1976), pp. 7-8.

2 Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Matthew-Revelation Vol. 1 (Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcaraft, 1976), pp. 252-253.

3 The Evening and Morning Star, July 1933, p. 1, emphasis added.

4 From an analogy by Bob Whitte, “And It Came to Pass” (tract) (Safety Harbor, FL: Ex Mormons for Jesus).

5 David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ by a Witness to the Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon (1887, rpt. Concord, CA: Pacific Publishing Co., 1972), pp. 30-31.

6 John Ankerberg, K. H. Christensen, Lawrence Flake, James Bjornstad, Sandra Tanner, Ed Decker, Walter Martin, “Mormon Officials and Christian Scholars Compare Doctrines,” (Chattanooga, TN: The John Ankerberg Show, 1983), program transcript, p. 7.

7 Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 1 (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company/The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1975), p. 400.

8 Ibid., 394, 400, 403, Walter Martin, The Maze of Mormonism, rev. ed. (Santa Ana, CA: Vision House Publishers, 1978), pp. 353-354.

9 Brigham Young et al, Journal of Discourses, vol. 10, p. 344, cited by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, The Changing World of Mormonism: A Behind the Scenes Look at Changes in Mormon Doctrine and Practice, rev. ed. (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1981), p. 421.

10 Journal of Discourses, 13:362, cited in ibid.

11 Doctrine and Covenants, 1890 edition, Section 84, p. 289.

12 Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Autumn 1955, p. 74, cited in Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Changing World, p. 422.

13 Joseph Fielding Smith, Way to Perfection (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company, 1975), pp. 268-271.

14 Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company, 1976), vol. 4, p. 122.

15 Ibid., pp. 111-115.

16 John Ankerberg, Ed Decker, “Mormonism Revisited” (Chattanooga, TN: The John Ankerberg Show, 1983), program transcript, p. 19.

17 Talmage, Articles of Faith, p. 25.

18 Doctrine and Covenants, 87:1-8.

19 Joseph Smith, History, 5:324, in Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Changing World, p. 428, emphasis added.

20 See “Rebellion in South Carolina” in The Evening and Morning Star, January 1833 (This magazine was available to Smith in December); Joseph Smith, History, 1:301; Larry S. Jonas, Mormon Claims Examined, 1961, p. 52 in Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Changing World, pp. 424-425.

21 A civil war was considered a possibility even before 1832. This fact was discussed on American Adventure, a two-part program on Jacksonian America on WTCI-TV34 Saturday, November 2, 1991, 7:00-8:00 am, produced by the Dallas Community College. See also Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Changing World, p. 425; Martin, Maze, p. 357.

22 Harry L. Ropp, The Mormon Papers: Are the Mormon Scriptures Reliable? (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, retitled Are the Mormon Scriptures Reliable? 1987), p. 64.

23 Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Changing World, p. 430.

24 Ibid., pp. 428-430.

25 Journal of Discourses, 9:142-143, cited in Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Changing World, p. 426.

26 Journal of Discourses, 10:250; see The Millennial Star, 25:787.

27 Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Changing World, p. 430.

28 Ibid., pp. 428-430.

29 Joseph Smith, History, 5:336.

30 Cited in Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Changing World, p. 419.

31 Ibid., p. 420.

32 This was copied from the microfilm original at the Mormon Church Historian’s Library; cf. Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Changing World, p. 420.

33 Smith, History, 6:58, emphasis added.

34 Fawn M. Brodie, No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, 2nd ed, rev. (New York: Alfred Knopf, 1976), p. 392.

35 Ibid., pp. 393-394.

36 Smith, History, 3:170-171.

37 Ibid., p. 171.

38 Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company, 1977), p. 302; cf. Smith, History, 5:394.

39 Joseph Smith, Millennial Star, 22:455; cited in Bob Whitte, “And It Came to Pass,” (tract).

40 Journal of Discourses, 5:219.

41 Smith, History, 1:323.

42 See our Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Mormonism (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1992), p. 353n for other examples.

43 Bob Whitte, Witnessing to Mormons: Where Does it Say That? (Safety Harbor, FL: Ex-Mormons for Jesus Ministries, n.d.), p. 17.

44 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual (Salt Lake City, UT: Church Educational System, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1981), p. 181.

45 Ibid.

46 Ibid., p. 194.

Mormonism’s Claim To Be Christian
By Marvin W. Cowan

The Mormon Church today emphatically claims to be Christian. To prove that, they often point to their official name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, even though they often refer to themselves as Mormons or members of the LDS Church. Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie declared, “Mormonism is Christianity; Christianity is Mormonism; they are one and the same, and they are not to be distinguished from each other in the minutest detail” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 513). On the same page, McConkie further said, “ Mormons are true Christians; their worship is the pure unadulterated Christianity authored by Christ and accepted by Peter, James, and John and all the ancient saints.” We’ll consider this claim in later articles. But, if Mormonism and Christianity are “one and the same,” does Mormonism believe that other Christian denominations are as fully “Christian” as Mormonism is?

Bruce R. McConkie was not only a Mormon Apostle and son-in law of Joseph Fielding Smith, the tenth LDS President and Prophet, but he is also one of their best theologians. He wrote about the word, “Christendom,” saying, “The term applies to the whole body of supposed Christian believers; as now constituted, this body is properly termed apostate Christendom” (ibid. p. 131). And on page 132, McConkie said, “A perverted Christianity holds sway among the so-called Christians of apostate Christendom.” McConkie then said, “This (LDS) Church is ‘the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth’ (Doc. & Cov. 1:30), the only organization authorized by the Almighty to preach his gospel and administer the ordinances of salvation, the only church which has power to save and exalt men in the hereafter” (ibid. p. 136). He also said on p. 670, “There is no salvation outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” McConkie’s statements show that Mormonism is a very different kind of “Christianity” from that found in other “Christian” churches.

Mormonism teaches the above ideas because they believe there was a universal apostasy that resulted in the extinction of the true church and gospel. Mormon historian B. H. Roberts wrote, “Saddening as the thought may seem, the Church founded by the labors of Jesus and His Apostles was destroyed from the earth; the Gospel was perverted; its ordinances were changed; its laws were transgressed; its covenant was, on the part of man, broken; and the world was left to flounder in the darkness of a long period of apostasy from God...a universal apostasy from the Christian doctrine and the Christian Church took place” (History of the Church, Introduction, pp. 39 and 41). LDS Apostle Orson Pratt also declared, “Jesus made His appearance on the earth in the meridian of time, and He established His kingdom on the earth. But to fulfill ancient prophecies the Lord suffered that kingdom to be uprooted; in other words, the kingdoms of this world made war against the kingdom of God, established eighteen centuries ago, and they prevailed against it, and the kingdom ceased to exist. The great beast that John saw made war with it and prevailed against it, and human institutions, without prophets or inspired men, usurped the place of the ancient kingdom of God” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 13, p. 125). Wilford Woodruff, the fourth LDS Prophet, agreed when he said, “For the last eighteen hundred years, the people that have lived and passed away never heard the voice of an inspired man, never heard a gospel sermon...” (ibid., vol. 19, p. 228).

The previous statements are not just opinions of ordinary Mormons, but they are LDS beliefs taught by the highest authorities in Mormonism, their Apostles and Prophets. The Mormon Church has three books of scripture in addition to the “Bible, as far as it is translated correctly” (8th Article of Faith). All three of those “scriptures” make exclusive claims for the LDS Church. The Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 1:30 says the LDS Church is “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.” In the Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith-History 1:19, Joseph Smith, Mormonism’s founder, said that the Lord told him that the existing churches “were all wrong—all their creeds were an abomination in His sight—that those professors were all corrupt—.” And The Book of Mormon, I Nephi 14:10 says, “there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil...” Since Mormonism claims to be “the church of the Lamb of God,” that automatically makes all other churches belong to the devil. LDS Apostle Orson Pratt, certainly taught that when he wrote, “But who in this generation have authority to baptize? None but those who have received authority in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; all other churches are entirely destitute of all authority from God; and any person who receives baptism or the Lord’s Supper from their hands will highly offend God; for He looks upon them as the most corrupt of all people. Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the ‘whore of Babylon’ whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornication and wickedness. And any person who shall be so wicked as to receive a holy ordinance of the gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent of their unholy and impious act” (The Seer, p. 255).

Such teachings are an attack upon historic, biblical Christianity. Yet, when Bible believing Christians reject or answer these LDS claims, Mormons often call them “Mormon bashers” or “anti-Mormons.” Christianity was about 1800 years old when Mormonism’s founder, Joseph Smith, claimed that it was universally corrupt and that he alone was authorized by God to restore the true gospel. Thus, it was Joseph Smith and Mormonism that attacked Christianity, not Christianity that attacked Mormonism. Christianity is merely responding to the “Christian bashing” by Mormons.

Even a casual observer should be able to see that there is a very real difference between Mormonism and Christianity. Why else would Mormonism have 60,000 missionaries who proselyte around 300,000 people per year, primarily from other churches? Why does Mormonism need three additional books of scripture if they are Christians? The Bible has been sufficient for Christians for about 2000 years. If Mormonism is Christian, why are Christian parents excluded from their own children’s weddings when those children become Mormons and are married in a Mormon temple? Obviously, when McConkie said that “Mormonism is Christianity; Christianity is Mormonism—” he did not mean that Mormonism is the same as historic Biblical Christianity.

We will discuss some of those differences in future articles. But, the next article will deal with Joseph Smith’s claim that Mormonism is a “restoration” of the church that existed in New Testament days.

For further information you may order my book, Mormon Claims Answered which is available in English, Spanish and Russian

Mormon Scripture — The Bible
By Marvin W. Cowan

Joseph Smith claimed that he was visited in 1820 by God the Father and Jesus and told not to join any of the churches because they were all wrong. That is called the “First Vision” because it was the first of several heavenly visitations he said he had. In Latter Day Saint’s scripture called The Pearl of Great Price, “Joseph Smith-History” 1:29-54, Smith said a resurrected messenger named Moroni visited him three times on the night of September 21, 1823 and once the next day, repeating the same message each time as he quoted from Malachi, Isaiah, Joel, and Acts. Moroni also predicted that the generation living on earth in 1823 would experience great judgments and desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence.
Smith said that Moroni was the last of the early inhabitants on the American continent to write his people’s history on gold plates. Just before he died in 421 A D, Moroni hid the gold plates in a hill near where the Smiths lived in Manchester, NY in 1823. The plates contained the fulness of the everlasting gospel and was scripture for the early Americans much like the Bible was for the Israelites. Moroni told Smith that with the plates were two stones, called the Urim and Thummim, which God had prepared for the purpose of translating the Reformed Egyptian writing on them into English. He also told Smith to meet him at the location of the plates on September 22nd each year for the next four years after which he could begin translating them into The Book of Mormon.

Smith’s story of Moroni’s visits is as flawed as his First Vision story. In his personal 1832-34 diary on page 4, Smith wrote that the heavenly messenger who told him about the gold plates appeared to him three times on the night of September 22, 1822 and once the next day. That is one year and one day earlier than the account in the current edition of The Pearl of Great Price. Smith said he met this messenger several times over the next few years, so he should have known his name quite well. But, in Nauvoo, IL, on April 15, 1842, in the Mormon newspaper Times and Seasons, vol. 3, page 753, Smith was writing about the one who revealed the gold plates to him when he said, “He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Nephi” (not Moroni). One month earlier on March 15, 1842 in the same paper Joseph Smith wrote, “This paper commences my editorial career, I alone am responsible for it” (vol. 3, page 710).

Others who were close to Smith also said the messenger’s name was Nephi. Parley P. Pratt was one of the original Twelve Apostles and the editor of the LDS newspaper called The Millennial Star, which was published in Liverpool, England. In the August 1, 1842 issue, Pratt said twice that the angel who revealed the gold plates was Nephi (vol. 3, pages 53 & 71). The first edition of The Pearl of Great Price, published in Liverpool in 1851, also said that the angel’s name was Nephi on page 41. No one knew Joseph Smith better than his mother, Lucy Smith, who wrote Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet and His Progenitors for Many Generations which was published in 1853 in Liverpool. On page 79 she also said the angel’s name was Nephi. No one was with Joseph in any of the meetings he claimed he had with the angel, so the only information available about those visits came from him.

Mormons believe that The Book of Mormon came from the gold plates and contains “the fulness of the everlasting gospel,” while they only “believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly” (8th Article of Faith). Yet, Moroni (or Nephi) quoted only from the King James translation of the Bible, and did not use The Book of Mormon in his messages to Smith! Even more strange is the fact that none of the unique Mormon doctrines that are essential to their salvation and exaltation are found in The Book of Mormon! We will discuss more about the contents of The Book of Mormon in a future article. Moroni’s (or Nephi’s) prediction of great judgments and desolations by “famine, sword and pestilence” on the generation of people living in 1823 should also raise questions since the people living then didn’t suffer such things any more than any other generation. So, what was the point of that prophecy? Can an angel sent from God give false prophecy?

The apostle Paul warned that “Satan himself is transformed as an angel of light” (II Cor. 11:14). Therefore, just because someone claims an angel gave them a message, doesn’t prove that it came from God. Paul declared that the gospel is about Christ dying for our sins (I Cor. 15:1-3). And, he also warned, “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” (Gal. 1:8). Not even an angel has the right to change the true gospel! But what Mormonism calls “the gospel” is not what Paul preached! Paul declared that the gospel “is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth” (Rom. 1:16). In what “gospel” are you trusting?

For more historical information about Moroni and The Book of Mormon, we suggest The Creation of The Book of Mormon by LaMar Petersen, published by Freethinker Press in Salt Lake City, UT in 1998. Our next article will discuss the origin of LDS priesthood.

Mormon Scripture: The Bible
By Marvin W. Cowan

Jesus Christ and His disciples often quoted or referred to Old Testament scripture when they spoke. And by the latter part of the first century the disciples were also calling New Testament books “scripture” as Peter did in II Peter 3:16. By the end of the second century the books we now call the New Testament were in wide use by Christians even before any church council voted to accept them as scripture. Since about that time, Christians have referred to Old and New Testament books as “scripture.”
Mormons today claim to be Christians and claim to believe the Bible like other Christians. LDS Apostle James Talmage declared, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accepts the Holy Bible as the foremost of her standard works, first among the books which have been proclaimed as her written guides in faith and doctrine” (Articles of Faith, p. 236). And LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie also wrote, “Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known informally by the nickname Mormons) believe the Bible. Indeed, so literally and completely do their beliefs and practices conform to the teachings of the Bible that it is not uncommon to hear informed persons say: ‘if all men believed the Bible, all would be Mormons.’ Bible doctrine is Mormon doctrine and Mormon doctrine is Bible doctrine. They are one and the same” (What the Mormons Think of Christ, p. 3). However, when Joseph Smith organized the Mormon Church on April 6, 1830, he claimed that all of the existing churches were universally apostate and that his church was “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth” (See History of the Church, vol. I, Intro. pp. 39-41 and Doctrine & Covenants 1:30).

By the time Smith organized the LDS Church he had already published the Book of Mormon and was calling it scripture. II Nephi 29 of the Book of Mormon says “many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible, A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible—Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?—Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written” (verses 3, 6, & 10). And in I Nephi 13, it also says that “the great and abominable church” had withheld and taken away
many plain and precious parts from the book that is a record of the Jews and from the gospel and the covenants. Later in that chapter it says many of those things will be brought forth in a book for the Gentiles (The Book of Mormon). Thus, The Book of Mormon declared that the Bible was deficient and then said that The Book of Mormon would reveal much that had been lost from the Bible!

Because LDS believe the Bible is deficient they believe, “Shortly after the organization of the (LDS) Church the Lord commanded Joseph Smith to make a revision of the Bible by revelation” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, footnote, p. 9). Smith also declared, “Upon my return from Amherst Conference, I resumed the translation of the Scriptures (Bible). From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of men, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled” (ibid, pp. 9-11).

In a revelation given to Smith on January 10, 1832, he and Sidney Rigdon were
commanded to “continue the work of translation (of the Bible) until it is finished” (D. & C. 73:4). Smith claimed that he completed the translation in History of the Church, vol. I, pp. 324 and 368, and in Times and Seasons, vol. VI, p. 802. But Smith was also commanded by the Lord to “publish the new translation of my holy word unto the inhabitants of the earth” (D. & C. 124:89). He never did publish it even though he lived for many years after he completed it. Mormon leaders claim that Joseph Smith planned to revise his work on the Bible but didn’t get it done before he was killed. But why would
he need to revise or change a translation that was given to him by revelation? Since 1979 the LDS Church has published a Bible with the 1611 King James text but which has some of Joseph Smith’s translation in the margins and appendix. But they have never accepted Smith’s translation as their official Bible. They still use the “corrupted” King James Version as their official Bible! Is that because there is not a single Greek or Hebrew manuscript of the Bible that support’s Smith’s “translation?” Since one of the official titles that Joseph Smith and every LDS President has had is “Translator,” why haven’t they translated a reliable Bible, if it is as bad as they claim?

LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie declared, “By the standard works of the Church is meant the following four volumes of scripture: The Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. The Church uses the King James Version of the Bible, but acceptance of the Bible is coupled with a reservation that it is true only insofar as it is translated correctly (Eighth Article of Faith). The other three, having been revealed in modern times in English, are accepted without qualification” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 764). Notice that LDS accept the Bible “only insofar as it is translated
correctly” while their other three books of scripture “are accepted without qualification.” Yet, all three LDS books which are “accepted without qualification” had changes made in them in 1981 and several times before that while the “corrupted” 1611 King James Bible remains their official version! Those actions contradict their claims!

There are many good books about the reliability of the Bible at Christian Bookstores. One good book is Thy Word is Truth, by Edward J. Young, published by Eerdman’s Publishing Company in 1957. Our next article will discuss The Book of Mormon.