"Test Every Spirit"--Mormonism (part 3)

Part 1 here.
Part 2 here.

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Unchangeable, unshakeable, unstoppable
That's what You are
---"You Are God Alone (not a god)" by Phillips, Craig & Dean

God is “unchangeable”. When He says something is going to happen, it’s gonna happen. If He says that something’s gonna happen at 2:30 today, you won't have to look at your watch at 3:00 and wonder why it hasn’t happened yet. Not only that, but He Himself doesn’t change. I’ve gone through many hairstyles in my life. I’m pretty much stuck with the one I have now, which isn't much. My physical body started out as two little cells that grew and grew. I came from my mother’s womb, I got bigger and taller. My views about many things have changed over the years. But GOD does not change! He is the same now as He was from eternity past, and He will be forever. He does not change!

You know, I can almost grasp the concept of a future eternity. That we will rejoice with the saints and the angels around the throne of GOD and worship Him in that brand new city. But eternity past? Before there was anything, GOD was. You hear little kids ask, “Well, who made GOD?” Nobody. Nobody made GOD. He has just always been GOD. Ask me to explain it. Hah! I can't explain something as simple as nuclear energy, let alone trying to explain GOD.

Last time we looked at the beginnings of Mormonism—the story of the “first vision” of Joseph Smith, a story which changed many times over the years. We looked at his character, that he was a treasure hunter and that he was fascinated with the occult. And these two aspects of his life made him the perfect target for Satan to begin this grand counterfeit to Christianity. Today, we’re going to look deeper into what Mormons actually believe.

I mentioned last time that if you were to ask a Mormon, “Are you a Christian?” they would answer unequivocally, “YES!” They would say what former LDS president and prophet Gordon Hinckley said--

“We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.”

And you may then ask why we don’t consider Mormons to be Christians. Well, it’s because they don’t believe in the TRUE GOD, the TRUE Jesus Christ, and the TRUE Holy Ghost. And if you do not know and worship the TRUE GOD, then you cannot be saved. In John 4:24, Jesus told the woman at the well, “You worship what you do not know…God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” In fact, the official website of the Mormon church says,

“Jesus Christ taught that you must know the only true God to have eternal life (John 17:3). As His child, you must know who He is and what He is like to find greater peace and joy, both in this life and in the life to come.” (1)

In other words, if you believe GOD to be something other than what He really is, you are not worshipping GOD.

Consider some of the creeds of the early church. Now, these are not Scripture, and we don’t hold them in the same esteem as we do the words of Christ, or the prophets and apostles. But these creeds are based on Scripture. It’s not like the men who developed these creed did so to make themselves appear to be godlier than they were. They didn’t need to. These were some of the godliest men you could ever know. Listen to the Nicene Creed:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God], Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made [both in heaven and on earth]; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man; he suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

And in the Holy Ghost.

[But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable' — they are condemned by the holy…church.] (2)

Now, some people get this whole thing backwards. They think that the Nicene Creed was invented to force Emperor Constantine’s beliefs on the world. When in fact, the Council of Nicea was called to answer many heresies that had sprung up in many churches. One of which was called “Arianism”, after a man named Arius. He taught that Christ was “created” by GOD the Father. They also had to battle against the Gnostics, who taught that material, physical things were evil, and if so then Christ could not have had a physical body. So, this council was not called to “invent” Christianity, but rather to defend it.

I’m telling you these things to prepare you for what’s next. The best way to show you what Mormons believe about GOD is to show you what they believe about how you can become a "God". One of the most famous speeches Joseph Smith ever gave was called the “King Follett Discourse,” and it was actually a eulogy he gave at the funeral of a man named King Follett. In this “King Follett Discourse”, Joseph Smith said,

God Himself who sits enthroned in yonder heavens is a Man like unto one of yourselves…I am going to tell you how God came to be God…we have imagined that God was God from the beginning of all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil so you may see…He once was a man like one of us… He is of the same species as human persons. (3)

ANATHEMA!! GOD was not “born as a man like us,” He did not “become” GOD. GOD has been GOD from eternity past, He will be GOD for eternity future!! There is none like Him, there can never be anyone like Him!!! He did not have to progress to godhood, GOD IS GOD.

• Psalm 90:2—Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
• Deuteronomy 6:4—The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.
• Isaiah 45:5—I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.

Well, I mentioned last time that Mormons do believe in a Trinity, consisting of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. In the Trinity we know, these three are one. Look at John 10:30, Colossians 2:9. Look at Isaiah 44:24 and John 1:3 and Acts 5:3-4. Compare these verses one with the other and you will find that they speak of a Trinity that is one in every essence, and every substance.

But listen to the Mormon version of the Trinity. From the LDS teaching manual called Gospel Principles:

Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are called the Godhead…It is perfect unity between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost that binds these three into the oneness of the divine Godhead. (4)

Again, Joseph Smith:

I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father and the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute… three Gods. (5)

And from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:

GOD the Father is not one in substance with the Son or the Holy Spirit, but is a separate being. The Father existed prior to the Son and the Holy Ghost…They are His offspring. (6)

So, we see that they believe in many “Gods”. Mormonism is indeed a polytheistic religion. But, listen to the words of the prophet, in Isaiah 44:6-8—Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God…Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not one…" Now, this presents a problem for our Mormon friends. Either there is only one God as God says; or there are many gods that God doesn't know about; or there are many Gods, God Himself knows them but He's lying. Which is it?

Well, not only do we have a Heavenly Father, but we also have a Heavenly Mother. Don’t believe me? Listen to what it says in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:

Latter-day Saints infer from authoritative sources of scripture and modern prophecy that there is a Heavenly Father as well as a Heavenly Mother.

[…]

Latter-day Saints believe that all the people of earth…are actual spiritual offspring of God the Eternal Father…parenthood requires both father and mother, whether for the creation of spirits in the premortal life, or…on earth. A Heavenly Mother shares parenthood with the Heavenly Father…she is like Him in glory, perfection, compassion, wisdom, and holiness. (7)

• 1st Timothy 1:17—Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God alone who is wise, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
• Deuteronomy 33:26—There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun…
• Exodus 9:14—GOD said, “I will send all my plagues…that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.”
• 1st Samuel 2:2—There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee…
• 2nd Samuel 7:22—“Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee…”

See, Mormons believe that before we were born into these physical bodies, we were spirits in what they call the “premortal” state. They try to use Romans 8:16—The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are children of GOD. This is one time I thank GOD that He has allowed to hear true, solid, biblical preaching, when there is so much mushy-squishy namby-pamby fluffernuttery out there. That I have been able to sit under a pastor that doesn’t just jerk verses out a slap them at you, but has shown me how to use Scripture to interpret Scripture. That’s what we need to do here.

Because you see, the LDS church has got it backwards. We aren’t “spirits” who become flesh and blood. Listen to Isaiah 42:5—Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it… FIRST He gives us a body, THEN He gives us a spirit, and breath.

Part 4 tomorrow.

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References:

(1) Gordon B. Hinckely, cited by Robert L. Millet. link.

(2) Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetices. link.

(3) Joseph Smith. King Follett Discourse. Mormon literature database--Brigham Young University. link.

(4) The Prophet Joseph Smith. p. 190. link.

(5) TPJS. p. 370. link.

(6) Encyclopedia of Mormonism. 1992. MacMillan Publishing. p. 548.

(7) Encyclopedia of Mormonism. 1992. MacMillan Publishing. p. 961.