Updated: The Mormons (Part III) [Counterfeit Christianity evidenced by anemic blood of Christ]

In the first two parts of this series we discussed Mormonism’s positive points including its belief in a strong family unit, impressive missionary activities, and an exemplary moral code. We discussed its founder, Joseph Smith, and the history of the Mormon faith. Today we will look at what clearly sets Mormonism apart from other traditional Christian denominations; its theology. Here we cannot escape controversy. Facts are facts and history is history.

There is far too much material to detail in this short presentation, but I will highlight just a few of the areas that most Christians would consider the most problematic. I am not trying to stir up trouble or offend unnecessarily but any way you cut it Mormon theology is very controversial. It is cloaked in mystery and has always been, since its founding, the subject of debate among Christians.

Cult experts such as Walter Martin and Hank Hanagraaf (Kingdom of the Cults.) and other well-known authors and researchers label Mormonism as a cult, a Christian counterfeit. They are not considered a true Christian denomination.

First, Mormons deny original sin. They don’t believe that we suffer a fallen nature because of Adam’s sin. Original sin is a major foundation of orthodox Christian theology.

Although Mormons still young in the faith may not know if it or may not be willing to admit it, Brigham Young at one time taught what is known as the Adam-God theory. This theory states in Brigham Young’s words, that Adam is "our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do".

Wikipedia states the doctrine this way “…Adam was once a mortal man who became resurrected and exalted. From another planet, Adam brought Eve, one of his wives, with him to the earth, where they became mortal by eating the fruit of the Garden of Eden. After bearing mortal children and establishing the human race, they returned to their heavenly thrones where Adam serves as the god of this world. Later, as Young is generally understood to have taught, Adam returned to the earth to become the literal father of Jesus.”

There is still controversy among leaders in the Mormon church about this theory, its meaning, and authenticity. There are, in fact, different versions of the theory. In any case it differs dramatically from orthodox teachings. Today the theory is not currently taught in the Church and has been denounced by Church leadership various times.

The Church also practices secret ceremonies, with roots in Masonry. It has secret handshakes, rituals for the dead, blood oaths, and other unorthodox practices. Both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were Masons and apparently borrowed heavily from its ceremonies.

The Jesus of Mormonism is not the second person of the Trinity. Mormons do not believe in the Trinity. Hence, many deadly errors flow from this denial of THE foundational doctrine of the Christian faith. According to Mormon beliefs Jesus is not God, he is a pre-existent spirit, and spirit brother of the devil. Mormons hold that God (The Father) is the creator of all spirits including Jesus and Lucifer. Mormons believe that the blood of Christ alone cannot cleanse some sins. In certain cases a person’s own blood must be shed to secure redemption. This is a clear denial of the blood atonement of Jesus Christ that is the only basis for mankind’s atonement.

I could go on a long time but think I have raised enough red flags for you to pursue if you are interested in knowing more. Again, I encourage you to do research on the Mormon faith. Don’t take my word alone for it. There is more documentation out there than you would ever need if you take the time to research it.

In closing, let me restate what I said at the beginning of this series. My purpose in writing about the Mormons is because Mitt Romney is running for President of the United States. He is a very high profile Mormon. What you believe about Mormonism is your choice, but I believe we all need to know what Mormons are all about. I hope I have helped.

Quite a generalization...

Speaking of that...

Questions put to Joseph Smith: "'Do you believe the Bible?' [Smith:]'If we do, we are the only people under heaven that does, for there are none of the religious sects of the day that do'. When asked 'Will everybody be damned, but Mormons'? [Smith replied] 'Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 119).

Joseph Smith: "for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible" (from Pearl of Great Price 1:12). "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, p.270).

Brigham Young stated this repeatedly: "When the light came to me I saw that all the so-called Christian world was grovelling in darkness" (Journal of Discourses 5:73); "The Christian world, so-called, are heathens as to the knowledge of the salvation of God" (Journal of Discourses 8:171); "With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world" (Journal of Discourses 8:199); "And who is there that acknowledges [God's] hand? ...You may wander east, west, north, and south, and you cannot find it in any church or government on the earth, except the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (Journal of Discourses , vol. 6, p.24); "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" (Journal of Discourses 10:230).

Orson Pratt proclaimed: "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" (The Seer, p. 255).

Orson Pratt also said: "This great apostasy commenced about the close of the first century of the Christian era, and it has been waxing worse and worse from then until now" (Journal of Discourses

, vol.18, p.44) and: "But as there has been no Christian Church on the earth for a great many centuries past, until the present century, the people have lost sight of the pattern that God has given according to which the Christian Church should be established, and they have denominated a great variety of people Christian Churches, because they profess to be ...But there has been a long apostasy, during which the nations have been cursed with apostate churches in great abundance" (Journal of Discourses , 18:172).

President John Taylor stated: "Christianity...is a perfect pack of nonsense...the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century." (Journal of Discourses , vol. 6, p.167); "Where shall we look for the true order or authority of God? It cannot be found in any nation of Christendom." (Journal of Discourses , 10:127).

James Talmage said: "A self-suggesting interpretation of history indicates that there has been a great departure from the way of salvation as laid down by the Savior, a universal apostasy from the Church of Christ". (A Study of the Articles of Faith, p.182).

President Joseph Fielding Smith said: "Doctrines were corrupted, authority lost, and a false order of religion took the place of the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as it had been the case in former dispensations, and the people were left in spiritual darkness." (Doctrines of Salvation, p.266). "For hundreds of years the world was wrapped in a veil of spiritual darkness, until there was not one fundamental truth belonging to the place of salvation ...Joseph Smith declared that in the year 1820 the Lord revealed to him that all the 'Christian' churches were in error, teaching for commandments the doctrines of men" (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p.282).

More recent statements by apostle Bruce McConkie are also very clear: "Apostasy was universal...And this darkness still prevails except among those who have come to a knowledge of the restored gospel" (Doctrines of Salvation, vol 3, p.265); "Thus the signs of the times include the prevailing apostate darkness in the sects of Christendom and in the religious world in general" (The Millennial Messiah, p.403); "a perverted Christianity holds sway among the so-called Christians of apostate Christendom" (Mormon Doctrine, p.132); "virtually all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ whom they vainly suppose to be a spirit essence who is incorporeal uncreated, immaterial and three-in-one with the Father and Holy Spirit" (Mormon Doctrine, p.269); "Gnosticism is one of the great pagan philosophies which antedated Christ and the Christian Era and which was later commingled with pure Christianity to form the apostate religion that has prevailed in the world since the early days of that era." (Mormon Doctrine, p.316).

President George Q. Cannon said: "After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, there were only two churches upon the earth. They were known respectively as the Church of the Lamb of God and Babylon. The various organizations which are called churches throughout Christendom, though differing in their creeds and organizations, have one common origin. They all belong to Babylon" (Gospel Truth, p.324).

President Wilford Woodruff stated: "the Gospel of modern Christendom shuts up the Lord, and stops all communication with Him. I want nothing to do with such a Gospel, I would rather prefer the Gospel of the dark ages, so called" (Journal of Discourses , vol. 2, p.196).

All Christians need to keep the “true gospel of Jesus Christ” in their hearts when discussing Christianity. The teaching of Christianity is found in the Commandment, “Love God above all things & Love your neighbor as yourself.” It’s really only >one commandment as the love of neighbor is the ‘fruit’ of the Love of God. Just as grapes are the fruit of a grape vine.

The Judgment of the Nations, Matthew25: 39-46 in part when Jesus Christ separates the sheep & the goats.

“He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave food. I was thirsty and you gave drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me,”

“Then the righteous will answer Him and say, ‘Lord, when did we...” “And the King will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

God gives >everyone sufficient grace to get into Heaven. Christian Doctrines are important to learn as they make it easier for God to change the human Heart. True Doctrine should NOT be a doctrine that >separates people from one another. Christianity teaches the unity of all people before God. It’s God’s job to do the separating on Judgment day.

We as Christians are obligated to ‘Love God above all things & love our neighbors as ourselves.’ & Proclaim salvation through Jesus Christ for everyone. We are called to love one another with true Christian Charity.

The founder, Joseph not telling wife Emma about women he had affairs with (Fanny & others) 1831 & beyond. Secret.
_______________________________________________

I talked to 2 Mormon missionaries yesterday...

Their mission president showed up too so it was more fun...

They were polite and had added even more Christian beliefs to their lineup..

They told me that Joseph Smith never rwrote the bom..

That the “holy spirit” wrote it...

I informed them that the front page in the first bom says that Joseph Smith was the author...

They quickly said that was a publishers error...

(and yet Joseph Smith was trying to sell the bom in Canada and elsewhere as is with him as the author)

but I didnt mention that..

Then we got on to Joseph being chosen by the Mormon gods to write the bom..

(they never said the word “restore” etc)

they said he didnt write it he translated it

Since they already had told me the Bible was not translated correctly, I asked if they were sure the bom had been translated corrstly.

They had “prayed” about it and I needed to also.

I asked if they ever prayed about whether or not they should go to a bar and get drunk

Oh no they didnt need to do that they they just knew not to..

How did they know if they hadnt prayed about it ???

They just knew by the Mormon holy spirit..

OK says I... I just know by the Holy Spirit that the bom os not written by God..I dont have to pray about it..

They moved on to another subject...

However I wanted to stay on where i was going and so i did..

Why would the Mormon gods choose Joseph Smith ?

Becuse he was pure etc

AH no he wasnt...

What do you mean ???

Well for instance he was an adulterer ...

Oh know he wasnt/ where did you hear that ?

(They spoke at once.. I expected the mission president to chime in)

I said he had about 40 extra women..

No he didnt ...he only had Emma..

I figured they hadnt read d&c 132 so I brought the MP into the conversation by asking him where that 132 was found where Joseph Smith wrote that he was entitled to 10 virgins and if his wife Emma objected she would be destroyed

He said quickly doctrines and covenants

One of the boys was still proclaiming that Joseph only had Emma as if he had lived in their house with them so I asked him if he had been there ..

When he said No I asked him whether Joseph Smith had written d&c 132 and why he would do so since he was such a “righteous “ man...

He ummed and ahed...

So I said You cant deny that he wrote he was entitled to extra women besides Emma can you ?

He was silent and then remembered an appointment almost accusing me of knowing he had to be somewhere..got real rude..

I was sitting in my car...he and his friend had come up to me...

I wasnt stopping him from going anywhere

Everything I said was for the other young boy who seemed to want to know things he had never heard before...

I hope that nice sweet boy gets out of Mormonism soon...

I asked 2 Mormon missionaries yesterday where their Mormon jesus came from

They couldnt tell me other than Jerusalem, he was born..

from his father as we were...he went back as we will etc..

I asked them who Jesus was...

They couldnt tell me so I told them Jesus is God...

I said Jesus was with God from the beginning..He was the Word of God

When God said Let there be Light it was Jesus the Word that went out of the mouth of God to create..

I mentioned John where it says nothing was created without Jesus and that everything was created through Him..

When they told me yes that was true I reminded them that they had just told me the Bible was incorrect and not translated corrected..

I had asked hem if they believed the Bible and they said it was translated etc

I told them at that time I believed every word in it..

When they mentioned the bom I told them I didnt believe it..

Theu tried telling me that Jesus and the Holy Ghost were mentioned in the bom but I didnt ask them the lead up questions they wanted so they left off in that direction..

They were polished and bright and very polite but they knew little about Jesus..

Whenever I said No thats not right it seemed to stun them..

As I was talking to them i was praying that they soon meet the real Jesus..

I was nice to them because I wanted them to hear what I had to say about the real Jesus..

especially one nice boy who seemed ready to hear the truth...

True Doctrine should NOT be a doctrine that >separates people from one another.

I suggest that you study mormonism, and also the catholic refusal to accept mormon baptism before you preach the "We are called to love one another with true Christian Charity." sermon.

The mormon church has spent 180 years promoting itself to be ABOVE any/all Christian faiths and has 52,000 missionaries going out every day doing just that.

A cult of Christianity

A cult of Christianity is a group of people, which claiming to be Christian, embraces a particular doctrinal system taught by an individual leader, group of leaders, or organization, which (system) denies (either explicitly or implicitly) one or more of the central doctrines of the Christian faith as taught in the sixty-six books of the Bible.

Source: Alan Gomes, Cult: A Theological Definition, excerpt from "Unmasking The Cults"

"Central doctrines" of the Christian faith are those doctrines that make the Christian faith Christian and not something else.

The meaning of the expression "Christian faith" is not like a wax nose, which can be twisted to mean whatever the speaker wants it to mean.

The Christian faith is a definite system of beliefs with definite content (Jude 3)

Certain Christian doctrines constitute the core of the faith. Central doctrines include the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection, the atoning work of Christ on the cross, and salvation by grace through faith. These doctrines so comprise the essence of the Christian faith that to remove any of them is to make the belief system non-Christian.

Scripture teaches that the beliefs mentioned above are of central importance (e.g., Matt. 28:19; John 8:24; 1 Cor. 15; Eph. 2:8-10).

Because these central doctrines define the character of Christianity, one cannot be saved and deny these.

Central doctrines should not be confused with peripheral issues, about which Christians may legitimately disagree.

Peripheral (i.e. non-essential) doctrines include such issues as the timing of the tribulation, the method of baptism, or the structure of church government. For example, one can be wrong about the identity of "the spirits in prison" 1 Peter 3:19) or about the timing of the rapture and still go to heaven, but one cannot deny salvation by grace or the deity of Christ (John 8:24) and be saved.

All Christian denominations -- whether Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant -- agree on the essential core. The relatively minor disagreements between genuinely Christian denominations, then, cannot be used to argue that there is no objectively recognized core of fundamental doctrine which constitutes the Christian faith.

Well, I didn't see anything wrong with your statements...only incomplete...

For example...can you love somebody with the truth? (Yes)

Does love rejoice in the truth? (Yes, 1 Cor. 13:6) Does love withhold the truth, enabling people to stay in sin & be hell-bound? (Obviously not)

Was it loving for Jesus to compare the Pharisees to children of the devil? (John 8) (Yes)

Was it loving for Jesus to compliment the outward behavior of the Pharisees (sermon on the Mount) while also condemning their inward tombstone condition (Matt. 23)? (Yes)

Was it loving for the apostle Paul (& then also Apollos) to refute, dialogue, reason, debate with the Jews in the synagogues...(see three chapters in Acts... 17-19)? (Yes)

Are we supposed to "contend for the faith once delivered to the saints"? (Yes, Jude 3)

Are we warn and admonish people doctrinally? (Yes, Titus 1:9)

Are to pull down every stronghold & take it captive for Christ...including arguments? (Yes, 2 Cor. 10:3-5)

Do you see what I mean by "incomplete?"

Christian Charity means we want everyone to make it to Heaven. There is only one way to Heaven & that is through Jesus Christ.
When Christians ‘preach Jesus,’ an effort should be made to preach the gospel so that people will listen & God can transform the human heart. = That’s all I am saying.

I have talked to Mormons. They will ‘shun’ someone that attacks their church. The typical Mormon has been raised to ‘turn-off’ their ears when attacked.
What is the purpose of your comments. Are you preaching to the Choir or trying to ‘change’ the hearts of Mormons? (It’s a rhetorical question.)

I didn’t post my comment to really >argue. But rather encourage Charity & hopefully the conversion of souls through Jesus Christ.

In Matthew25, Jesus describes who will get into Heaven. God gives the Grace to everyone.

Two other scripture passages:
The Parable of the Two Sons. Matthew21: 28-31, “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir.’ but did not go. >”Which of of the two did his father’s will?”

Matthew13: 24-30 in part, “The Kingdom of Heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field...when the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well...The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?” He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, ‘first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”

I heard a Priest say in a Homily, God can change the weeds into wheat. God can transform all hearts. God decides who gets into Heaven. We creatures can NOT look into the human heart.

I am a Roman Catholic. +The Catholic Church is very concerned about True Christian Doctrine. The Catholic Church does NOT recognize Mormon ‘baptism’ because the Mormon Church does NOT teach the ‘Trinity’ as it should be understood by Christians.

Here is some Catholic teaching about salvation:
The Code of Canon Law: Rights and Obligations of Lay Persons. “They are bound to bring an evangelical spirit to bear on the order of temporal things and to give Christian witness in carrying out their secular pursuits.”

Dogmatic Constitution on the Church - Lumen Gentum:
“Nor is God himself far distant from those who in shadows and images seek the unknown God.
Those also can attain to everlasting salvation who through >no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, yet sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, strive by their deeds to do his will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does divine Providence deny the help necessary for salvation to those without blame on their part, have not arrived at at an explicit knowledge of God, but who strive to live a good life, thanks to his grace. Whatever goodness or truth is found among them is looked upon by the Church as preparation for the Gospel. She regards such qualities as given by Him who enlightened >all men so that they may finally have life.”

God decides who will get into Heaven & God can change ‘weeds into wheat.’ God decides >”fault.”

We are all children of Adam&Eve & God gives sufficient Grace to all people to make it to Heaven. Christian Charity makes it easier. Jesus Christ opens the Gates of Heaven & our job is to ‘preach salvation’ with Charity.

I did NOT mean to have you get so riled up. We ALL are on the earth together & we are obligated to try and help everyone reach Heaven.

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