Posted on 07/10/2011 3:56:37 PM PDT by delacoert
Mormons often say that Christians that write or speak about the Mormon Church and Mormonism as being contrary to the gospel that Christ and His apostles taught are Anti-Mormon. But the Mormon Church and Mormon Church leaders have a long history of declaring Christianity to be false, fallen and contrary to true doctrine. By the Mormon standard of Anti-Mormon, is the reverse scenario that Mormons are Anti-Christian? The Anti-Mormon Label: Mormons and the Mormon Church often and freely throw around the term “Anti-Mormon”. The Mormon Church often labels anyone who speaks anything about Mormonism or the LDS Church that does not promote faith in it or that does not portray it a positive light as Anti-Mormon. But the term Anti-Mormon really is far too broad a brush and is used far too frequently where it’s not warranted. Certainly, there are some that may certainly qualify as Anti-Mormon in the sense that they hate the Mormon Church (most of those are individuals who have belonged to it at one point). However, just because one seeks to get the message out to the Mormon people that there are credibility problems with the Mormon Church and/or that Mormon Beliefs are in conflict with the Word of God does not mean that there is hate or attack in the message. But the term Anti-Mormon indeed carries an inference of hate and/or religious bigotry. However, kindly proclaiming truth in love and with real concern for the spiritual welfare of a people is not hateful - it is not Anti. I think most Christians would not condone any behavior that is truly disrespectful to the Mormon people, such as defiling Mormon Temple Garments in public or chanting Secret Temple phrases on the streets. Those who do engage in such conduct, should examine the Word of God and re-think their approach. If the truth cannot be proclaimed in love, it probably should not be proclaimed, unless and until it can be proclaimed in such manner. Proclaiming the Truth in Love: It is a legitimate for bible-believing Christians to bring to light doctrines that truly are contrary to the Word of God - the bible. Neither Jesus nor His apostles would hold back in calling out false doctrines and practices and giving a warning. Here is an example of some of their warnings: "[B]ut there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 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." Galatians 1:1-8 “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth ANOTHER JESUS, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive ANOTHER SPIRIT, which ye have not received, or ANOTHER GOSPEL, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” 2 Corinthians 11: 3-4 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 In fact, past LDS Church Leaders in the past have proclaimed that if the Mormon Church or its scriptures be proven false that it should be exposed to the world as a fraud. Here's an oft-quoted example: Orson Pratt made this statement concerning The Book of Mormon: "This book must be either true or false. If true, it is one of the most important messages ever sent from God... If false, it is one of the most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever palmed upon the world, calculated to deceive and ruin millions... The nature of the message in the Book of Mormon is such, that if true, no one can possibly be saved and reject it; If false, no one can possibly be saved and receive it... If, after a rigid examination, it be found an imposition, it should be extensively published to the world as such; the evidences and arguments on which the imposture was detected, should be clearly and logically stated, that those who have been sincerely yet unfortunately deceived, may perceive the nature of deception, and to be reclaimed, and that those who continue to publish the delusion may be exposed and silenced, not by physical force, neither by persecutions, bare assertions, nor ridicule, but by strong and powerful arguments - by evidences adduced from scripture and reason..." (Orson Pratt's Works, Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, Liverpool, 1851, pp. 1-2). There are in fact many evidences that show that the veracity Mormon Church, the Book of Mormon and other Mormon Scriptures and teachings are, at worst, false - or, at best, seriously in question. Although it may make some uncomfortable, there should be no harm in letting the facts be illuminated so that they can be seen for what they are (in fact, that should be encouraged): "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." John 3:20-21 What is truth will not mind being examined for what it is. After all, it is the truth that shall make us free. Are Mormons Anti-Christian? For the reverse scenario, consider some of Mormonism's many statements against Christianity:
"What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world," (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, p. 270) (Emphasis added)
"We talk about Christianity, but it is a perfect pack of nonsense.... Myself and hundreds of the Elders around me have seen its pomp, parade, and glory; and what is it? It is a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol; it is as corrupt as hell; and the Devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century," (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, 1858, p. 167) (Emphasis added)
"The Christian world, so-called, are heathens as to the knowledge of the salvation of God" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 8:171)
"With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 8:199)
"And he said unto me: Behold 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; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God [Mormon Church] belongeth to that great church which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth" (1 Nephi 14:10)
"And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth [all churches other than the LDS Church], whose foundation is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence. . ." (1 Nephi. 14:17)
[There is] "no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith. If Joseph Smith was verily a prophet, and if he told the truth...no man can reject that testimony without incurring the most dreadful consequences, for he cannot enter the kingdom of God" Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p.190
"You call us fools; but the day will be, gentlemen and ladies, whether you belong to this Church or not, when you will prize brother Joseph Smith as the Prophet of the Living God, and look upon him as a God, and also upon Brigham Young, our Governor” Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 5, p. 88
"One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation," (Miracle of Forgiveness, Spencer W. Kimball, p. 206)
"This is the only true church ...This is not a church. This is the Church of Jesus Christ. There are churches of men all over the land and they have great cathedrals, synagogues, and other houses of worship running into the hundreds of millions of dollars. They are churches of men. They teach the doctrines of men, combined with the philosophies and ethics and other ideas and ideals that men have partly developed and partly found in sacred places and interpreted for themselves" (Spencer W. Kimball, Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.421)
"[H]e that confesseth not that Jesus has come in the flesh and sent Joseph Smith with the fullness of the Gospel to this generation, is not of God, but is anti-christ" (Brigham Young , Journal of Discourses, vol. 9, p.312)
"Should you ask why we differ from other Christians, as they are called, it is simply because they are not Christians as the New Testament defines Christianity" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 10:230) (Emphasis added)
"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 fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt 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" (Orson Pratt, The Seer, p. 255) (Emphasis added)
With declarations such as these from the Mormon Church and Mormon Leadership, should we then refer to Mormons as "Anti-Christians"?
I met my first mormon in 1968
She was the very devil towards me and I could not figure out what I was supposed to have done to her
She destroyed my belongings, drummed up trouble between me and my coworkers and tried to get me fired
19 year old me had seldom met anyone like her
After aqbout 6 weeks she kleft in a huff because our bosses would not OBEY her and fire me...
One of my bossses showed me all the literature that the mormon missionary had been giving her and explained she belongwe3d to a cult like the Exclusive Brethren
She had me promise I would never get mixed up with the mormons
after her explanations and the books and pamplets on Mormonism, I was well equainted in thart one afternoon with the anti-Christianity of the cult...
It turns out that after a friend of mine had invited her to our Christian church she had gone straight to the bosses and ordered them to fire me...
apparantly inviting a mormon to a Christian church is an insult...
The employees all had thought she was a strict Christian but she never spoke of her mormon beliefs to us
we were all just little workers
She was after our rich land owning bosses...
and their future tithes...
MONEY: the first letter is in the name of Mormonism
Free Republic’s haters, bigots, and holier-than-thou harpies who wouldn’t know a good Christian or how to act like one if their eternal salvation depended on it.
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Well, you don’t know much about Christianity do you.
I left Mormonism because of people who made me mad. Specifically, my desire to prove the ‘anti’s’ wrong, particularly one who
Mormons say terrible things about Christians all the time, and when I spoke out against that (when I was LDS) I was labeled an ‘apostate sympathizer’.
Now, in person and with my LDS friends I am much more gentle, although I am still firm about the truth.
On FR, I am constantly attacked, told I have mental issues and insulted for telling the TRUTH about Mormon teachings and doctrine.
I won’t back down and I won’t compromise the truth. I can’t do that, it would be unchristian.
And I am much more civil than the LDS are to me. Just saying...why don’t you criticize them?
using the Bible along with personal anecdotes due to your own life’s experiences isn’t haughty just because it offends you
You need ot examine whether what you are offended by is the truth or not, after all, maybe it’s YOU who are wrong.
I know a lot more church going fundamentalists who are good people, too, and they dont attend a so-called cult that attacks Christians as being apostate just because their cult leader said so 180 years ago
Any Jewish people in Utah? There must be some. I wonder how they feel being considered "gentiles"?
I am a member of the family of Jesus Christ, first and foremost a Christian, A child of Abraham by adoption and then and only then, a member of the Baptist faith.
Are your priorities in the right order?
The moment my Pastor deviates from the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Holy word of God and the only source of scripture, I will drop him and his church like a hot potato.
Fine. A perfect example.
By attack you appear to mean make pathetic gurgling noises while being barely coherent and infrequently rising to the level of meaningless, pissant, drivel.
Even if one such as yourself could manage the occasional coherent rhetorical flourish, calling such a thing an attack will never be mistaken for religious persecution.
Perhaps you are a tad overwrought.
But remember, “Christians ARE NOT PERFECT, just FORGIVEN”.
from an LDS devotee
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“devotee” ???
Tee Pee
Christians are not “devotees”
See ???
theres another difference between our 2 religions
Christians are believers
Now pagan cult worshippers like those of Cali and other Satanic entities are called “devotees”
Oops, I dropped the word (to). My excuse? Sweet Hubby had just announced that the sausages were off the grill. Yum!
They do have a way of coming slithering back with new screen names don't they? (Rhetorical)
TRUE.
Two brand new ones on this thread.
To the Mormon , it is a lifestyle , and not just an hour or two , weekly religious celebration.
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I don’t know a single true believing Christian that thinks it is just an hour or two or a weekly religious celebration. It is a life for Christians.
For Mormons, it is less of a lifestyle than it is a culture.
BTW, your assumption of the mormon ‘lifestyle’ (no lying, no cheating, no stealing , no assault , no covet, etc.) is directly CONTRARY to actual Mormonism. They ‘lie for the Lord’ and to gentiles, they cheat on their taxes, Utah is the highest white collar crime state, and they covet at lot and are very obsessed with materialism as wealth is considered ‘proof’ they are living the LDS gospel.
Been there, done that.
More like an “Anti-Christian” alert. And Mormons are very anti-Christian.
I’m guessing re-tread, the graphic the first day of sign up is a dead giveaway.
I think from the looks of things true Christians are going to have to get rather tuff skinned.
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Agreed. But then again, most of us have been on the RF for awhile now and we are kind of used to it.
INDEED.
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