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#24—What the Mormons think of Christ

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/apologeticsindex.htm

Thank you for sending us a copy of the LDS pamphlet, “What the Mormons Think of Christ.” To answer your question, no they have not changed their beliefs. In fact, the pamphlet is old. It was being handed out when I was a Mormon in the early 1980’s and had been around awhile then. The problem with the pamphlet is that it, like virtually everything the Mormons give out to the “gentiles,” (non-LDS) is very subtle and deceptive. However, if you can wade through the pious-sounding rhetoric, you will find the same old Mormon heresies imbedded in the text. I’m underlining some of the key passages for you and returning a photocopy of it to you with my comments.

Right on page 1 we have a subtle allusion to the LDS doctrine that God the Father conceived Jesus the same “literal” way we were conceived by our parents—through physical intimacy with Mary. Like much in this pamphlet, it doesn’t come out and say that, but a Mormon (or an ex-Mormon) reading it would recognize the teaching.

On pp.2-3, we have a delicate but real attack on the inerrancy of the Bible; and bring up the common Mormon lie about “many translations and versions” of the Bible which vary from one another. The Mormon writer does not tell you that there is not a dime’s worth of difference between most true Bible translations or versions; any more than that there is any real difference between an English Book of Mormon and a German Book of Mormon.

Page 9 contains another subtle teaching of the blasphemous doctrine of God having sex with Mary to produce Jesus. Aside from numerous quotations from the LDS scriptures (which are fraudulent) the next 18 pages are relatively innocuous. The Mormon author knows that few people will have the patience to finish the entire pamphlet, and so puts his best foot forward first and saves the big heresies for the end.

Page 27 begins the assault upon the glorious Pauline doctrine of salvation by grace and grace alone (Eph.2:8-9; Rom.3:20-23; 6:23, 11:6). The LDS teaching is clearly promulgated here that it is by faith and obedience that we are saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Mormon gospel.

Page 28 teaches the damnable lie that salvation by grace is only salvation from death through resurrection, and that that is all that Jesus’ sacrifice bought us. Page 29 continues the conditional nature of the Mormons’ “grace” by teaching “IF ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness…THEN is his grace sufficient for you…” In other words, grace is free, but it must be earned through obedience (???)

Page 31 begins the assault in earnest, under the heading “The Blood of Christ.” Here you will see that the Bible doctrine of salvation by trusting in the blood of Jesus is called “…such utter nonsense and so palpably false that to believe it is to lose one’s salvation.” No, the Mormons haven’t changed.

In the final paragraph, the Mormons even try to move the atonement away from the cross (which the devil hates to mention) to the Garden of Gethsemane. It says that there Jesus took on the sins of the world “conditionally” which is utterly false. There was nothing conditional about the atonement, nor did it take place anywhere but on Calvary’s hill. (John 19:30). When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He meant it! He paid the bill in full at that moment! He did not say, “It is finished, but…” John 6:47 says that we who believe in Him “HAVE” eternal life—present tense—right now!

Pages 32-33 continue the heresy by reasserting that there are “conditions” attached to the atoning blood of Christ, and that those conditions are (beyond faith) baptism, and “enduring to the end.”

Page 35 moves on, teaching the heretical LDS doctrine of “pre-existence” that we were all born spiritually to a heavenly Father and heavenly Mother before we can to earth to get our physical tabernacles (bodies). From here on, things get pretty tame again; although there is a nasty slam against “sectarian dogmatism” (ie. Biblical Christianity) on the bottom of page 43.

Page 44 contains another denial of the Virgin Birth of Jesus. Page 45 contains further blasphemy by linking faith in Christ with faith in His supposed Latter-day prophets. In simpler words, you can’t believe in Jesus without believing in Joseph Smith, which adds still another “condition” to salvation.

The pamphlets ends with a resounding lie, promising the potential Mormon a “…sure hope of eternal exaltation in the life to come.” Translated out of “Mormonese,” that means that Mormons have a sure hope of attained godhood in eternity; and nothing could be further from the truth. Aside from the fact that no man can become a god, since there is now and ever shall be only one God (Deut.6:4, Isaiah 43:10); I have yet to meet an actual Mormon who even has the “sure hope.”

No Mormon, not even the saintliest old stake patriarch has a “sure hope” of attaining exaltation. Most Mormons I knew frankly admitted that they were reasonably certain they would never make it to exaltation; and the statistics from the Church’s own records bear that out. No Mormon knows when they are going when they die; because all they have to trust in is “conditional” salvation—conditional in their own righteousness, which the Bible says are as “filthy rags” in the sight of a holy and just God (Isaiah 64:6).

No, the Mormons haven’t changed.