Quick Question #2

Yet another post blatantly ripping off Keith Walker's "Quick Questions" from Evidence Ministries.

Quick Question for Mormons:

In John 3:6, Jesus said "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." So, if God the Father has a body of flesh and bone, how could He beget "spirit children"?

50 Answers to 50 Mormon Answers to 50 Anti-Mormon Questions (answer 4)

Tower To Truth question:

4. If Brigham Young was a true prophet, how come one of your later prophets overturned his declaration which stated that the black man could never hold the priesthood in the LDS Church until after the resurrection of all other races (Journal of Discourses 2:142-143)?

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FAIR Answer:

Peter and the other apostles likewise misunderstood the timing of gospel blessings to non-Israelites. Even following a revelation to Peter, many members of the early Christian Church continued to fight about this point and how to implement it—even Peter and Paul had disagreements. Yet, Bible-believing Christians, such as the Latter-day Saints, continue to consider both as prophets. Critics should be careful that they do not have a double standard, or they will condemn Bible prophets as well.

The Latter-day Saints are not scriptural or prophetic inerrantists. They are not troubled when prophets have personal opinions which turn out to be incorrect. In the case of the priesthood ban, members of the modern Church accepted the change with more joy and obedience than many first century members accepted the extension of the gospel to the Gentiles without the need for keeping the Mosaic Law.

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My Response:

This is another case of the LDS church saying that a doctrine that they held for over 140 years was simply "one man's opinion." Give it a rest, folks. Either the "prophet" is speaking as from God's mouth, or you can't trust anything they say. Here we come back to Ezra Taft Benson's words in "14 Fundamentals"--

Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;

For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.

For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.

Did you hear what the Lord said about the words of the prophet? We are to "give heed unto all his words"--as if from the Lord's "own mouth."

That's right, give heed to the words of the LDS prophet--unless they don't make sense, or their prophecy doesn't come to pass, or it becomes an embarassment to their cause, or they really need for Utah to become a state--then you don't really have to listen, because it's "just his opinion."

Interstingly, in this same message, Youngs says,

"Brother George Q. Cannon brought me a god from the Sandwich Islands, made out of a piece of wood. If all the people bow down to such a god as that, it is in accordance with their laws and ordinances, and their manner of dealing among themselves; the Lord permits them to do as they please with regard to that matter, and this illustration will apply to all the nations upon the face of the earth. People who fall down beneath the wheels of Juggernaut, and are crushed to death; who sacrifice their children in the worship of idols; if they act according to the best of their knowledge, there is a chance for their salvation, as much as there is for the salvation of any other person."

Here is the quote in question:

We have this illustrated in the account of Cain and Abel. Cain conversed with his God every day, and knew all about the plan of creating this earth, for his father told him. But, for the want of humility, and through jealousy, and an anxiety to possess the kingdom, and to have the whole of it under his own control, and not allow any body else the right to say one word, what did he do? He killed his brother. The Lord put a mark on him; and there are some of his children in this room. When all the other children of Adam have had the privilege of receiving the Priesthood, and of coming into the kingdom of God, and of being redeemed from the four quarters of the earth, and have received their resurrection from the dead, then it will be time enough to remove the curse from Cain and his posterity. He deprived his brother of the privilege of pursuing his journey through life, and of extending his kingdom by multiplying upon the earth; and because he did this, he is the last to share the joys of the kingdom of God.

Did you notice that? Blacks will not receive the Melchizedek priesthood until all the sons of Adam have received it, and have been redeemed, and resurrected. And not until then! Obviously, not all of Adam's sons have received the Melchizedek priesthood, or been redeemed or resurrected. Yet another false prophecy. Go figure!

Of course, this is in line with their beliefs that blacks and Indians were a "dark and loathsome people" (1st Nephi 12:23; 2nd Nephi 5:21; Jacob 3:5; Alma 3:6, etc. etc. etc.)

I would answer the issue of "the mark of Cain" or "disobedience in the pre-existence" or however the Mormon church wants to play this thing. But it's a rabbit trail, one I won't even go down. I could mention Galatians 3:28, or Ephesians 2:14-18, or Revelation 5:9, or why it took the Mormon church so long to understand what these verses meant, even though Joseph Smith was supposedly a "prophet of God." But I won't.

50 Answers to 50 Mormon Answers to 50 Anti-Mormon Questions (answer 3)

Tower To Truth question:

3. Why did Brigham Young teach that Adam is "our Father and our God" when both the Bible and the Book of Mormon (Morm. 9:12) say that Adam is a creation of God? (Journal of Discourses (1852) 1:50))

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FAIR Answer:

The problem with "Adam-God" is that we don't understand what Brigham meant. All of his statements cannot be reconciled with each other. In any case, Latter-day Saints are not inerrantists—they believe prophets can have their own opinions. Only the united voice of the First Presidency and the Twelve can establish official LDS doctrine. That never happened with any variety of "Adam-God" doctrine. Since Brigham seemed to also agree with statements like Mormon 9:12, and the Biblical record, it seems likely that we do not entirely understand how he fit all of these ideas together.

Learn more here: Adam-God

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My Response:

Well, at least they got one thing right: All of [Brigham Young's] statements cannot be reconciled with each other. His doctrine seemed to change more than the weather.

So, what did Brigham Young say about Adam, the Ancient of Days? Here is the text that is at the core of the matter (Link to the JOD). No ellipses, here is the whole text so that you may see and understand that nothing I am about to comment on is taken out of context (capitalization in the original, all emphases mine):

Our Father in Heaven begat all the spirits that ever were, or ever will be, upon this earth; and they were born spirits in the eternal world. Then the Lord by His power and wisdom organized the mortal tabernacle of man. We were made first spiritual, and afterwards temporal.

Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! about whom holy men have written and spoken-He is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom WE have to do. Every man upon the earth, professing Christians or non-professing, must hear it, and will know it sooner or later. They [Adam and Eve] came here, organized the raw material, and arranged in their order the herbs of the field, the trees, the apple, the peach, the plum, the pear, and every other fruit that is desirable and good forman; the seed was brought from another sphere, and planted in this earth. The thistle, the thorn, the brier, and the obnoxious weed did not appear until after the earth was cursed. When Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit, their bodies became mortal from its effects, and therefore their offspring were mortal. When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by theHoly Ghost. And who is the Father? He is the first of the human family; and when he [Jesus] took a tabernacle, it was begotten by his Father in heaven, after the same manner as the tabernacles of Cain, Abel, and the rest of the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve; from the fruits of the earth, the first earthly tabernacles were originated by the Father, and so on in succession. I could tell you much more about this; but were I to tell you the whole truth, blasphemy would be nothing to it, in the estimation of the superstitious and over-righteous of mankind. However, I have told you the truth as far as I have gone. I have heard men preach upon the divinity of Christ, and exhaust all the wisdom they possessed. All Scripturalists, and approved theologians who were considered exemplary for piety and education, have undertaken to expound on this subject, in every age of the Christian era;and after they have done all, they are obliged to conclude by exclaiming" great is the mystery of godliness," and tell nothing.

It is true that the earth was organized by three distinct characters, namely, Eloheim [God the Father], Yahovah [Jesus], and Michael [Adam, God], these three forming a quorum, as in all heavenly bodies, and in organizing element, perfectly represented in the Deity, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Again, they will try to tell how the divinity of Jesus is joined to his humanity, and exhaust all their mental faculties, and wind up with this profound language, as describing the soul of man, "it is an immaterial substance!" What a learned idea! Jesus, our elder brother, was begotten in the flesh by the same character that was in the garden of Eden, and who is our Father in Heaven. Now, let all who may hear these doctrines, pause before they make light of them, or treat them with indifference, for they will prove their salvation or damnation.

I have given you a few leading items upon this subject, but a great deal more remains to be told. Now, remember from this time forth, and for ever,that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost.

Hmm. I wonder what he meant by all that. Yeah, it's, um, real difficult to figure out what he was saying. ('Scuse me while I wipe off the sarcasm dripping from my lips.)

What strikes me as odd is that it took the LDS church some 130 years to finally admit that, um, yes, this is something Brigham Young taught. They never refuted the teaching, but they never admitted to it either. Kinda like how the Catholic Church will neither embrace (offcially) nor deny a doctrine until enough of the faithful embrace it, after which it becomes "Tradition" and thus doctrine.

But, alas, in 1981, every Mormon's favorite apostle, Bruce McConkie, did his best to put the issue to bed in a letter to LDS in Britain:

Yes, President Young did teach that Adam was the father of our spirits, and all the related things that the cultists ascribe to him. This, however, is not true. He expressed views that are out of harmony with the gospel. But, be it known, Brigham Young also taught accurately and correctly, the status and position of Adam in the eternal scheme of things. What I am saying is that Brigham Young contradicted Brigham Young, and the issue becomes one of which Brigham Young we will believe. The answer is we will believe the expressions that accord with the teachings in the Standard Works.

So, let me understand this. When the prophet speaks, he's speaking from God only if what he says lines up with the Standard Works. Of course what they fail to mention is that one of the "Standard Works" is the teaching of the "living prophet." And we are to value the words of the "living prophet" even over the Standard Works and any dead prophets. Don't take my word for it, here are the words of Ezra Taft Benson, former LDS president, in his "Fourteeen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet":

First: The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.

In section 132, verse 7, of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord speaks of the Prophet--the President--and says: "There is never but one on the earth at a time on whom his power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred." Then in section 21, verses 4-6, the Lord states:

Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;

For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.

For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.

Did you hear what the Lord said about the words of the prophet? We are to "give heed unto all his words"--as if from the Lord's "own mouth."

Second: The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.

[...]

Third: The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.

[...]

Fourth: The prophet will never lead the Church astray.

President Wilford Woodruff stated: "I say to Israel, The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of the Church to lead you astray. It is not in the program. It is not in the mind of God." (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, selected by G. Homer Durham [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1946], pp. 212-213.)

President Marion G. Romney tells of this incident, which happened to him:

I remember years ago when I was a Bishop I had President [Heber J.] Grant talk to our ward. After the meeting I drove him home....Standing by me, he put his arm over my shoulder and said: "My boy, you always keep your eye on the President of the Church, and if he ever tells you to do anything, and it is wrong, and you do it, the Lord will bless you for it." Then with a twinkle in his eye, he said, "But you don't need to worry. The Lord will never let his mouthpiece lead the people astray." [In Conference Report, October 1), p. 78]

So, in other words, only listen to the living prophet, except when he contradicts the Standard Works, which are not as important as the words of the living prophet, who doesn't always speak for god.

Er, something.

Update on raid on Texas perverts

Now, we find out that more than 400 CHILDREN have been exposed to perverts calling themselves "saints of God" (FOXNews):

ELDORADO, Texas — A polygamist compound with hundreds of children was rife with sexual abuse, child welfare officials allege in court documents, with girls spiritually married to much older men as soon as they reached puberty and boys groomed to perpetuate the cycle.

The documents released Tuesday also gave details about the hushed phone calls that broke open the case, by a 16-year-old girl at the West Texas ranch who said her 50-year-old husband beat and raped her. Days after raiding the compound, officials still aren't sure where the girl is.

Officials have completed removing all 416 children from the ranch and have won custody of all of them, Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner told reporters in San Angelo, about 40 miles from the compound in Eldorado.

Don't think there aren't Mormons out there that want to legalize the kind of sick perversions Joseph Smith gave us? Read the comments at this site.

The seeds Joseph Smith planted...

...have sprung up in Texas (via FOXNews):

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Authorities who took 220 women and children from a polygamist compound weren't sure whether the teen girl whose phone call prompted the raid was among them.

State troopers raided the 1,700-acre West Texas ranch on Friday to look for evidence that the teen, who called authorities a week ago, was married. They planned to continue interviews Monday with some of the women and children, who were transported to a historic San Angelo museum, said Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner.

So far, 18 children have been taken legally in state custody, Meisner said, who explained Friday that the children had either been harmed or were in imminent danger at the compound. She would not give details. The children remain with relatives, and no arrests had been made as of Sunday.

18 CHILDREN!!!!!

Now, don't misunderstand. These folks were Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints, and were not affiliated with the LDS church headquartered in Salt Lake City. I am not making that leap, and neither should anyone else. But what bugs me to no end is how long it took the LDS church to finally fess up to the fact that, "Oh, yeah, I guess Joseph Smith did say, oh, I don't know, something or other about plural marriage."

But what should strike one is that these people were following the teachings of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and every Mormon president until Wilford Woodruff (And don't think he, or anybody else, was happy about having to sign the Manifesto). And I dare say there are some in the LDS church at Salt Lake City who would have this scene be repeated numerous times in many places all across the country, with young girls being forced to marry much older men. Don't think the day isn't coming when someone will try and legalize what happended on that Texas ranch.

Mormons like to challenge us that their faith is the true faith by saying, "A tree is judged by its fruits." This is their fruit.

Interview with grandson of former Mormon president

In an article at Christian Post, Ezra Taft Benson's grandson opens up on what it means to be a Mormon, and how much of an influence that may be on Mitt Romney as president.

(H/T: Brian Culver, Time 2 Change Churches)

Mormon church dishonest about its beliefs

Unbelievable.

Not just the story, but the Mormon church itself. Fox News asked an LDS official 21 questions about Mormonism. They ducked and dodged and hemmed and hawed and kinda answered them.

Just a few examples of the Mormon church lying about its beliefs:

Q: Does the Mormon Church believe that God and Mary had physical sex to conceive Jesus?
A: The Church does not claim to know how Jesus was conceived but believes the Bible and Book of Mormon references to Jesus being born of the Virgin Mary.

Umm.. Hmm. I seem to recall, the Mormon teaching manual Gospel Principles, says aomething about this. Oh yeah. Chapter 11-

Thus, God the Father became the literal father of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the only person on earth to be born of a mortal mother and an immortal father. That is why he is called the Only Begotten Son. From his mother he inherited mortality and was subject to hunger, thirst, fatigue, pain, and death. He inherited divine powers from his Father.

Now, before you go thinking this "immortal Father" was the Holy Spirit, guess again. Bruce McConkie, Ezra Taft Benson, Brigham Young (to name just a few Mormon "prophets") taught that God the Father, not the Holy Spirit, was the Father of Christ. Next?

Q: Does the Mormon Church believe its followers can become "gods and goddesses" after death?
A: We believe that the apostle Peter’s biblical reference to partaking of the divine nature and the apostle Paul’s reference to being 'joint heirs with Christ' reflect the intent that children of God should strive to emulate their Heavenly Father in every way. Throughout the eternities, Mormons believe, they will reverence and worship God the Father and Jesus Christ. The goal is not to equal them or to achieve parity with them but to imitate and someday acquire their perfect goodness, love and other divine attributes.

Q: Does the Mormon Church believe in the existence of another physical planet or planets, where Mormons will "rule" after their death and ascension?
A: No.

Umm, excuse me! From Joseph Smith's "King Follett Discourse" (Google it):

Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God. And you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves…until you are able to sit in glory as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power.

Some snippets from chapter 47 of Gospel Principles:

• When we lived with our Heavenly Father, he explained a plan for our progression. We could become like him, an exalted being.
• Exaltation is eternal life, the kind of life God lives. He lives in great glory. He is perfect. He possesses all knowledge and all wisdom. He is the Father of spirit children. He is a creator. We can become like our Heavenly Father. This is exaltation.
  
  If we prove faithful to the Lord, we will live in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of heaven. We will become exalted, just like our Heavenly Father. Exaltation is the greatest gift that Heavenly Father can give his children (see D&C 14:7).
• Those who receive exaltation in the celestial kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ will receive special blessings. The Lord has promised, "All things are theirs" (D&C 76:59). These are some of the blessings given to exalted people: (2) They will become gods. (3) They will have their righteous family members with them and will be able to have spirit children also. These spirit children will have the same relationship to them as we do to our Heavenly Father. They will be an eternal family...(5) They will have everything that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have--all power, glory, dominion, and knowledge.

And, Joseph Fielding Smith, in Doctrines of Salvation, said,

The Father has promised us that through our faithfulness we shall be blessed with the fulness of his kingdom. In other words we will have the privilege of becoming like him. To become like him we must have all the powers of godhood; thus a man and his wife when glorified will have spirit children who eventually will go on an earth like this one we are on and pass through the same kind of experiences, being subject to mortal conditions, and if faithful, then they also will receive the fulness of exaltation and partake of the same blessings. There is no end to this development; it will go on forever. We will become gods and have jurisdiction over worlds, and these worlds will be peopled by our own offspring. We will have an endless eternity for this.

These are just a few examples of why you can not trust the Mormon church to be honest about what they believe. On the sidebar, about 2/3 of the way down, is a section all about Mormonism. You can read more there. Or, you can check out this post at Parchment and Pen, which gives a very detailed account of each and every question asked, and the Mormon's answer.

Was this what Adrian Rogers fought for?

It truly is a sad day when the head of the Southern Baptist Convention--the man who is supposed to reflect the teachings of the SBC--says something like this (H/T: Paul, a commenter at Joining God in His Work):

[SBC President Richard] Land explained that he would look at Mormonism "as another faith in the same sense that I would look upon Islam as another faith. I think the fairest and most charitable way to define Mormonism would be to call it the fourth Abrahamic religion — Judaism being the first, Christianity being the second, Islam being the third, and Mormonism being the fourth. And Joseph Smith would play the same character in Mormonism that Muhammad plays in Islam."

Yeah, Richie, they do play the same part: illiterate, polygamous, pedophile, false prophet. This is truly sad. I don't know how else to say it. Adrian Rogers fought tooth-and-nail to keep the SBC from drifting away from the truth of Scriptures. If it were not for the late Dr. Rogers, the SBC might very well look like the Episcopal Church, just kinda making up their beliefs as they go along.

Now, if it were possible, you could hear a spinning sound just outside of Memphis. That would be the great Dr. Rogers spinning in his grave.

Warren Jeffs guilty on all counts

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

ST. GEORGE, UT -- Polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs has been found guilty of two counts of being an accomplice to rape.

Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, blinked when the verdicts were read, but showed no emotion. None of his followers in the courtroom reacted.

The 51-year-old was convicted of two counts of being an accomplice to rape related to a marriage he conducted in 2001 between Elissa Wall, who was 14, and Allen Steed, 19.

Before anybody says that what Warren Jeffs did--forcing two teenagers who were cousins (the girl was 14 years old) to get married and start having sex so they could provide bodies for all the "spirit children" waiting for them--goes against true Mormon teaching, let me say this: you are wrong. These people hold firm to the things that Joseph Smith said were "revealed" to him by God. And they believe that Wilford Woodruff should have never signed the 1890 Manifesto (now Doctrine and Covenants Official Declaration No. 1) In fact, these people are doing things exactly how Joseph Smith and Brigham Young did them; both of those early Mormon "prophets" married multiple wives, and Joseph himself was married to at least two teenagers. And the FLDS practice it to this day:

Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap had argued Jeffs, then-first counselor in the faith, was the "mouthpiece of God" and had ignored Wall's objections to the marriage.

Later, when she asked to be freed from the marriage and said her husband was "doing things to me I don't understand,'' Jeffs sent her back to him. He threatened loss of heavenly salvation as a consequence for disobedience, Belnap said.
"He placed Elissa Wall in a situation where she felt she had no choice," he said.

And yes, Mormons who hold to the teachings of Smith, Young, etc., do believe that polygamy is necessary in order for one to "progress" toward godhood. From Utah Lighthouse Ministries:

In addition, the Latter-Day Saints' Millennial Star carried the following comments:

And we, ... are believers in the principles of plural marriage or polygamy, ... as a principle revealed by God, underlying our every hope of eternal salvation and happiness in heaven ... we cannot view plural marriage in any other light than as a vital principle of our religion (Millennial Star, vol. 40, pp.226-27).

Upwards of forty years ago the Lord revealed to His Church the principle of celestial marriage.... the command of God was before them in language which no faithful soul dare disobey.

"For, behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant, and be permitted to enter into my glory...."

Damnation was the awful penalty affixed to a refusal to obey this law. It became an acknowledged doctrine of the Church; it was indissolubly interwoven in the minds of its members with their hopes of eternal salvation and exaltation in the presence of God.... Who could suppose that ... Congress would enact a law which would present the alternative to religious believers of being consigned to a penitentiary if they should attempt to obey a law of God which would deliver them from damnation! (Millennial Star, vol. 47, p.711).

William Clayton claimed that he learned from Joseph Smith that "the doctrine of plural and celestial marriage is the most holy and important doctrine ever revealed to man on the earth, and that without obedience to that principle no man can ever attain to the fulness of exaltation in the celestial glory" (Historical Record, vol. 6, p.226).

George Q. Cannon said that if he "had not obeyed that command of God, concerning plural marriage, I believe that I would have been damned" (Journal of Discourses, vol. 23, p.278).

Brigham Young declared on August 19, 1866: "The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy" (Journal of Discourses, vol. 11, p.269).

At one time Joseph Smith told Heber C. Kimball that if he didn't enter into polygamy "he would lose his apostleship and be damned" (Life of Heber C. Kimball, p.336).

Kimball Young stated: "One man recalled a Stake conference in Southern Utah where the brethren were bluntly told to marry in polygamy or 'resign their church offices' " (Isn't One Wife Enough? p.108).

The Mormon writer John J. Stewart, writing in 1961, still upheld the teaching that plural marriage leads to exaltation: "Plural marriage is a pattern of marriage designed by God as part of His plan of eternal progress to further His kingdom and exalt His children" (Brigham Young and His Wives, p.71).

Jeffs and his followers belong to a group called the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). You may have gotten a peek inside their world recently. The FLDS group that lives in Centennial Park was featured on an episode of ABC's "PrimeTime Live." You got to see all the warm, fuzzy moments, and how wonderful and sweet they were...on camera. You did not, however, get to see fundamental Mormonism for what it really is: control, manipulation, harassment, brainwashing, etc. How at any time, the "prophet" could take someone's daughter and say that "God has given her to me." These FLDS Mormons have nothing to do with the Salt Lake Mormons (and, as was pointed out in the comments by Ann, the Centennial Park FLDS are not affiliated the Jeffs camp, but they do believe the same things) and actually think the SLC Mormons are the apostates for renouncing "plural marriage."

This, my friends, is Mormonism.

"Test Every Spirit"--Mormonism (part 6)

Part 1 here.
Part 2 here.
Part 3 here.
Part 4 here.
Part 5 here.

Today, we are finishing up our look inside Mormonism--its beginnings, scriptures, beliefs about God, and their history. And in all actuality, this has been a very brief look. There is so much to slog through, we probably couldn't cover it in a year. That's why I have the permalink on the sidebar entitled "Are Mormons Christians?" It will be updated from time to time with more glances inside the LDS church.

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Well, besides the Book of Mormon, the LDS church uses a work called the Doctrine and Covenants. Originally, this was called the “Book of Commandments.” And it is supposedly made up of visions Joseph Smith had between 1823 and 1844. There were new revelations added more recently, and we’ll look at those as well. And if you want to learn about Mormon doctrine, this is the place to look. In fact Mormons use the Doctrine and Covenants more than the Book of Mormon. We’re going to see where some of the unorthodox beliefs of the Mormon church can be found.

First, there’s the whole issue of polygamy. Of course, Mormons like to use the less offensive term, “plural marriage.” In section 132, listen to these “revelations” from “God” to the “prophet”:

David…received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants…and in nothing did they sin…David’s wives and concubines were given unto him of me…And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me…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…And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified.

“Hey, Abraham, and David, and Solomon, they had a bunch of wives and concubines! I’m just restoring things!” But nowhere does it say that GOD approved of their polygamy. Remember how I said they use the Doctrine and Covenants more than they do the Book of Mormon? Listen to what it says in Jacob 2:23-27—

…behold, thus saith the Lord: This people…seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son. Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord…Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have [but] one wife; and [no] concubines…

But you see, that’s the Mormon “God”. What does He desire, what does He command? Well, it depends on what day it is, and what kind of a mood He’s in. “I AM the LORD, I change not!!” What He hated yesterday, He hates today and He’ll hate tomorrow!

Listen to these Mormon apostles and prophets:

• Brigham Young, “The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy.” (1)
• His chief counselor, Heber Kimball said, “You might as well deny 'Mormonism,' and turn away from it, as to oppose the plurality of wives.” (2)
• Apostle Orson Pratt—“…those who reject this principle reject their salvation, they shall be damned, saith the Lord…” (3)
• And, Michael D. Quinn, professor of American History at Brigham Young University, wrote that “President [Wilford] Woodruff personally authorized Apostle Abraham H. Cannon to marry a new plural wife...” (4)

Now, this polygamy in the Doctrine and Covenants, this was an “everlasting” thing, right? Eh, not so much. In the late 1800’s, Utah wasn’t a state yet. And in 1887, Congress passed the Edmunds-Tucker Act, which basically outlawed polygamy. And if the Saints continued to practice it, Utah would not become a state. And since the Saints were getting by on their own, they really wanted Utah to become a state so they could get money from the federal government. So, in order for Utah to become a state, they had to renounce their beliefs about polygamy. Well, lo and behold, there came a “new revelation.” It is Doctrine and Covenants Official Declaration No. 1. These are the words of Wilford Woodruff, President of the LDS church, in 1890:

There is nothing in my teachings to the Church or in those of my associates, during the time specified, which can be reasonably construed to…encourage polygamy; and when any Elder of the Church has used language which appeared to convey any such teaching, he has been promptly reproved. And I now publicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land.

What does the Doctrine and Covenants say about God’s forgiveness of our sins? Doctrine and Covenants 82:7—

“And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge; go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God.”

Former LDS President Spencer Kimball wrote this in his book The Miracle of Forgiveness,

“Numerous folks have…recovenanted that they would live all the commandments…yet many there are who forget their covenants and break the commandments…Of those who break covenants and promises made in sacred places and in solemn manner, we can apply the Lord's words as follows: '... a wicked man, who has set at naught the counsels of God, and has broken the most sacred promises which were made before God, and has depended upon his own judgment and boasted in his own wisdom' (D&C 3:12-13).” (2)

In other words, if you repent of your sins, go live the best life you can, then slip in ONE LITTLE AREA, all of your former sins come back to you. WRONG!!! That is NOT the forgiveness GOD promised us in His TRUE WORD!! Psalm 103:12—As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgression from us. If you head out of here, keep going north, as soon as you hit the North Pole, you start heading south. But if you leave here, head west, you can keep going west around this earth 1000 times, and your back will ALWAYS be to the east. And in the same way, when we are in Christ, it’s like God’s face is looking west, and our sins are in the east. Romans 8:1—There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… When we call upon Jesus to be our Lord and our Savior, and we are reconciled to GOD, and sealed to GOD by the Holy Spirit, Christ’s righteousness is given to us, and He does not remember our sins anymore!

Finally, let’s take a quick look at the Pearl of Great Price. It’s kinda like a miscellaneous assortment of stuff. First, there’s the Book of Moses. These are supposed to be things that were removed from the first books of the Bible. In this “Book of Moses”, in the first chapter we find a couple of things that contradict Mormon doctrine. For one thing, “God” says,

“Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?” (Moses 1:3)

Now, the LDS church teaches that GOD had a beginning. Yet it says here that GOD Himself said He has no beginning. Another thing: “God” also says,

“no man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; and no man can behold all my glory, and afterwards remain in the flesh on the earth” (Moses 1:5)

So how did Joseph Smith remain in his flesh, on the earth, after being visited by the Father and Jesus? Chapter 2 and chapter 3 contain a revision of the first chapter of Genesis. Only now, every verse says, “I, God, said ‘Let there be light,’” and “I, God, said, ‘Let there be a firmament,’” etc.

Now, hold that last thought. Also contained in the “Pearl of Great Price” is something called the Book of Abraham. This is supposed to be some things shown to Abraham by “God.” Well, in chapter 4 and chapter 5, we have another revision of Genesis. Only this time, the verses start out by saying, “They (the Gods) said ‘Let there be light,’” and “They (the Gods) said, ‘Let there be a firmament,’” etc.

But let me point one thing out to you. In the introduction, it says,

“The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus.”

Well, that ain't exactly so. Here’s what happened: in 1835, a traveling exhibit of Egyptian artifacts—including mummies—was rolling through Kirtland, Ohio, which was where the Mormons were settled at the time. The man in charge of the exhibit brought a papyrus for Joseph Smith to translate. This became the “Book of Abraham.” In 1871, the papyrus was lost…until 1966, when it surfaced in a vault at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. The LDS church confirmed that this was, indeed, the papyrus that Joseph Smith translated from. He would be vindicated as a true prophet of GOD!! Eh, not so much. According to the foremost Egyptologists, this papyrus was nothing more than an Egyptian embalming manual. The whole thing is a fraud.

One last thing about this Pearl of Great Price. It also contains their Articles of Faith. And the third and fourth Articles of Faith say,

“We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

In other words, the LDS church teaches a man-centered salvation. From the Book of Mormon, 2nd Nephi 25:23—“…we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” Absolutely not!!! There is absolutely no way that we could ever “earn” our salvation! There is no way that we could “do” enough for GOD to look at us and say, “OK, you've done enough!” But that’s what false religions do. They take the truth of the gospel—that WE cannot make ourselves righteous, that it’s only by the righteousness of Christ being given to us—and they say, “Nah, that’s not enough. You’ve got to do all this other stuff to have evidence of salvation!” But as Paul wrote in Romans 11:5-6--"So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace." God does not make us earn His grace. Because we never could! It is given to us freely, that we may bring glory to Him! Hallelujah!

--------------------

References:

(1) Journal of Discourses, vol. 11, page 269. link.

(2) Journal of Discourses, vol. 5, p. 203. link.

(3) Journal of Discourses, vol. 17, p. 224-225. link.

(4) Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. Spring 1985. page 62. link.

(5) Spencer Kimball. The Miracle of Forgiveness. page 57.

"Test Every Spirit"--Mormonism (part 5)

Part 1 here.
Part 2 here.
Part 3 here.
Part 4 here.

----------------

My purpose for presenting this series is not so much that if we meet up with someone from the LDS church that we can win an argument, or make them feel bad and send them away. These people are lost. They don’t know GOD for who He really is. But what makes it so sad is, unlike people who KNOW they’re lost, who obviously don’t know the LORD, and have no desire to, these people think they are saved, and they think they know GOD, because they have been told by men who call themselves “prophets” that only THEY know the true GOD. And it is so hard to unweave what has been taught by these people, and it can be one of the most frustrating things you’ll ever do.

If you know someone who is involved with the LDS church, the best thing you can do for that person is to pray for them. Pray that the GOD of truth will open their eyes, so that they may see when you turn on the light for them. One of the books I’m reading makes this analogy. That if you are in a room blindfolded, and somebody were to turn on a light, you wouldn’t know it. But, if you take off the blindfold, and THEN they turn on the light, then you can see. Likewise, our attempts to bring Mormons to the truth will be useless unless we remember who it is that is the only one who can open their eyes, and call upon Him to do so. Only after GOD has opened their eyes to accept light into their body will they be able to see the truth.
2nd Corinthians 4:3-4—But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
Acts 26:18—Paul, recounting his conversion, says that Christ told him that he was sending him to the Gentiles, “…to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God…”
Luke 11:34 (ESV)—“Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.”

Can any of us say that before we came to know Christ, we would have read the Bible, and been affected, or changed by it? I started to read the Bible several times, many years ago. I was telling a friend of mine that for about three or four years in a row, I got saved every Easter. Charlton Heston led me to Christ many times. (I say this sarcastically. One does not get saved over and over again. Once we are truly sealed to God, we cannot be lost again.) I had the light right in front of me, but my eyes were darkened. I believed that GOD existed. I believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of GOD, and that He died on the cross for my sins, and that He rose again three days later. I knew all those facts. But guess what? Satan knows those facts as well, and it doesn’t do him any good. Unless GOD opens the eyes of the blind, they can not see. Unless we pray for those who are involved with the Mormon church, then all of our efforts to show them the truth will be in vain.

Well, we saw last week what they believe about GOD, about Christ, the Trinity, creation, the fall and the virgin birth of Christ. Today, we are going to look at what they consider to be “Scripture.” Mormons really have four sources of “Scripture.” The Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Bible, “…so far as it is correctly translated.” This is their 8th “Article of Faith.” When Mormon missionaries show up at your door, they will only be carrying a Bible, so that you get the impression that what they are telling you is in there. Next time, we will look at the many places where their works don’t match the truth.

First, let’s start by looking at the Book of Mormon. Just to refresh your memory, Joseph Smith claims that an angel named Moroni told him there were some gold plates buried in a hill called “Cumorah”, just outside his hometown of Palmyra, NY. And that this “angel” told him that these plates contained “the fullness of the everlasting gospel.” So, after leading Joseph by the nose for four years, the angel told him that he could go ahead and start translating the plates. Now, one thing to keep in mind here: the Book of Mormon is supposed to contain a record of a family of Jews that sailed from Israel to the Americas about 600 BC. That after many years, there were two brothers, Nephi and Laman, who had split the loyalties of the family, which led to a great war, with the complete destruction of every descendant of Nephi, with one exception. A man named…Moroni. And it was supposedly this same Moroni that buried these gold plates.

And in the year 1827, Joseph Smith began translating these plates. We have seen that he used a “seer stone”, a type of crystal used in the occult, put in a hat, and that a parchment would appear with the translated word on it. But he would never translate directly from the plates. They would either be in a box covered with a cloth, or they would be buried somewhere out in the woods. No one, other than Joseph himself, has ever actually seen the PHYSICAL plates. And they were supposedly written in a language called “Reformed Egyptian”—a language that no expert in the field of Egyptology or linguistics has ever heard of, or seen evidence of.

So, how does the Book of Mormon contain the “fullness of the everlasting gospel?” Because, apparently, some things had been removed from the Bible. The Book of Mormon calls them “plain and precious truths.” But how reliable is the Book of Mormon? Is it a divinely inspired record of an ancient people? Or is it a hoax invented by Satan, and given to the world through a teenager involved in the occult? Well, there was one incident that took place that gives us a pretty good indication that this is a work of fiction.

In 1827, when Joseph had completed about 116 pages, one of his scribes, a man named Martin Harris, asked if he could take the manuscript home with him. After asking “God” several times if he should let him, Joseph finally agreed. Three weeks later, Mr. Harris walked to Joseph’s house and told him the manuscript had been lost. The following story was told by Luck Mack Smith, Joseph's mother, and is found in a book titled Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet:

Martin Harris, having written some one hundred and sixteen pages for Joseph, asked permission of my son to carry the manuscript home with him, in order to let his wife read it...Joseph...inquired of the Lord to know if he might do as Martin Harris had requested, but was refused...

Joseph inquired again, but received a second refusal. Still, Martin Harris persisted as before, and Joseph applied again, but the last answer was not like the two former ones. In this the Lord permitted Martin Harris to take the manuscript home with him...

Mr. Harris had been absent nearly three weeks, and Joseph had received no intelligence whatever from him... we saw him [Harris] walking with a slow and measured tread towards the house... Harris pressed his hands upon his temples, and cried out, in a tone of deep anguish, "Oh, I have lost my soul! I have lost my soul!"

Joseph... sprang from the table, exclaiming, "Martin, have you lost that manuscript?..."

"Yes, it is gone," replied Martin, "and I know not where."

"Oh, my God!" said Joseph, clinching his hands. "All is lost! all is lost! What shall I do? I have sinned..." He wept and groaned, and walked the floor continually... what could I say to comfort him, when he saw all the family in the same situation of mind as himself, for sobs and groans, and the most bitter lamentations filled the house. However, Joseph was more distressed than the rest... he continued, pacing back and forth, meantime weeping and grieving, until about sunset...

The manuscript has never been found; and there is no doubt that Mrs. Harris took it from the drawer... (1)

Can you see the dilemma facing the young prophet? If he was truly commanded to publish this work, he couldn’t leave out 116 pages. But, if he did try to reproduce it, and it wasn’t an exact copy, and those pages turned up later, he would be exposed as a fraud. But, you see, Satan’s pretty smart. Because you see, apparently, God had anticipated this happening, and had told Nephi to write on another set of plates to make up for the theft of the first set.

But, you see, this doesn’t make sense. If Joseph had translated from the plates, why would he need the manuscript? Couldn’t he just retranslate the plates? Nope. Apparently, “God” told Joseph to write this “revelation”—

And because you have delivered the writings into his hands, behold, wicked men have taken them from you...And, behold, Satan hath put it into their hearts to alter the words which you have caused to be written, or which you have translated, which have gone out of your hands. And behold, I say unto you, that because they have altered the words, they read contrary from that which you translated and caused to be written… (2)

So, these “evil men” had changed what Joseph wrote. Now, here’s a question for your Mormon friend: If GOD could have anticipated this “alteration” and “work of Satan” to discredit the Book of Mormon, you mean to say He couldn’t have anticipated the same thing about the Bible being “altered”?

Now, let’s contrast Joseph Smith’s reaction when he lost those 116 pages, to something similar that happened to the prophet Jeremiah—a TRUE prophet. In Jeremiah 36, the prophet dictates to his scribe Baruch. The scroll is read to the prophets in the house of the LORD. Then the scroll was read to king Jehoiakim, who doesn't cotton too well to what Jeremiah prophesied. So he cuts up the scroll and burns it. What does Jeremiah do? Does he panic? Of course not! Jeremiah 36:32—Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe…who wrote on it at the instruction of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. If someone claims to be a prophet, and they get a word from GOD, then they don’t need to worry about losing what they’ve written, because GOD will give the same message again!

So, would you like to see the “gold plates” this Book of Mormon was supposedly written on? Well, you can't. Because they're not here. You see, after Joseph got done translating, Moroni took them with him. And nobody knows where they are. So how are we supposed to believe that what is in the Book of Mormon is true? Well, you're supposed to pray about it, and if you get the right feeling, then you'll know it’s true. It is sometimes referred to as a “burning in the bosom.”

But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. (3)

May I say that if you read the Book of Mormon—and I wouldn’t recommend it without praying up really hard first—and after reading it, you pray about it—if you get a “burning in your bosom”, it is nothing but the fires of Hell burning in you. Knowing that it was Satan who invented the Book of Mormon, just who is it that you would be praying to?

See, another difference between the Book of Mormon and the Bible is GOD doesn’t mind if you question what you think you know. Acts 17:11—says that the Bereans “were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” When Thomas doubted, Jesus said in John 20:27—“Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” GOD isn't afraid of you seeking out the truth. Because if you find the truth, you have found Him!! Besides, when the NT manuscripts were being copied, and distributed throughout the land, there were literally thousands of copies made available to people all over the place. Yet only one man has ever seen the “golden plates” that became the Book of Mormon. And GOD supposedly told him not to show anybody else.

Part 6 tomorrow

---------------------------

References:

(1) Lucy Mack Smith, quoted in Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet. 1853. pp. 117,118,120-123. (Cited by Utah Lighthouse Ministries. Salt Lake Messenger. Issuse no. 72. July 1989.) link.

(2) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Doctrine and Covenants 10:8-11. link.

(3) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Doctrine and Covenants 9:8. link.

"Test Every Spirit"--Mormonism (part 4)

Part 1 here.
Part 2 here.
Part 3 here.

-------------------------

Mormons believe that our Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Mother begat us as “spirit children.” Well, among these “spirit children” were two brothers—named Jesus and Lucifer. Again, I am NOT making this up. Jess L. Christensen, an area authority in the LDS church, wrote an article in the June, 1986 issue of the magazine called Ensign, which is an OFFICIAL publication of the LDS church, and is considered to be authoritative by Mormons:

On first hearing, the doctrine that Lucifer and our Lord, Jesus Christ, are brothers may seem surprising to some---especially to those unacquainted with latter-day revelations. But both the scriptures and the prophets affirm that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are indeed offspring of our Heavenly Father and, therefore, spirit brothers…as the Firstborn of the Father, Jesus was Lucifer's older brother. (1)

Many Mormons seek to deny that this doctrine is taught, or ever was taught. There you have it, in black and white, right before your eyes. Does that sound like the true Christ? See, Lucifer was an angel, a created being. And if Christ was his brother that means that Jesus must have also been created. But we know that our Lord Jesus Christ is the uncreated, everlasting, eternal Son of the uncreated, everlasting, eternal Father. “From everlasting to everlasting, THOU ART GOD!!” Listen to what it says in Nehemiah 9:6—“You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.” Jesus created the angels, meaning He created Lucifer, meaning that Jesus and Lucifer CANNOT BE BROTHERS!!

So, what about creation? How did that happen? Well, apparently, GOD the Father called a meeting with His spirit children, to figure out a way that they could continue toward godhood. Joseph Smith:

In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods; and they came together and concocted a plan to create the world and people it. (2)

One fellow who has studied this subject put it this way:

God presented to his children…a plan of salvation for their consideration. This plan was to be the means by which God's spirit children could continue their growth and development and thus attain exaltation. A world would be created—this earth—where they would be born of mortal, human parents and receive a body of flesh and bones. And they would not remember their premortal lives with their Heavenly Parents.

[…]

Two of God's children volunteered to serve as the world's redeemer: Jesus Christ, the first-born and eldest of all, and Lucifer, another spirit-child.

[…]

Ultimately, God chose Jesus Christ to serve as the savior and redeemer of the world. One third of all God's spirit children, however, took the side of Lucifer and rebelled against God. A war in heaven ensued; Lucifer and the rebellious spirits were finally cast out…

(3)
Genesis 1:1—In the beginning, GOD created the heavens and the earth. And He didn’t need any help to try and figure out how to do that. Isaiah 44:24—Thus saith the LORD…"I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself…" He didn’t create them so that we could “become gods.” He created them for His pleasure. Colossians 1:16—All things were created by Him and for Him.

So, what do they teach about the fall of Man—Adam’s sin that brought death into the world? The LDS church considers the fall of man to be a GOOD thing. Another of their “scriptures” is called “The Pearl of Great Price,” and it contains something called “The Book of Moses”. Moses 5:10-13,

[Adam said]…because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy…And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil...

Another passage from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism says this:

These sources [the Mormon “scriptures”] dwell at length on the beneficial effects of the Fall as part of God's "great plan of happiness" for his children and testify that Adam and Eve are to be honored for their actions. (4)

But what does the Bible say about this event? Genesis 3:6-8—[Eve]… took of the fruit…and did eat, and gave also unto her husband…And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons…and…hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God… It also says that GOD told Adam that the ground was cursed because of his actions, and that he would be in sorrow all the days of his life. He told Eve, In sorrow you shall bring forth children… That doesn’t sound like “Happy Days” to me!! That’s because the fall of man WAS NOT A GOOD THING!! And think about this: wouldn’t this mean that GOD considered this sin to be “good”? So why is every other sin considered to be “bad”? GOD hates sin! GOD does not change. Do the math.

Next, we’re going to see what they believe about the virgin birth of Christ. Consider the following passages from the Bible.

• Matthew 1:18—Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
• Luke 1:34-35—Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."

So, we can see from the TRUE word of GOD, that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary, and causing her to conceive a body of flesh in her womb, which would eventually grow into the Man Jesus Christ. But, listen to another former LDS president and prophet, Ezra Taft Benson:

"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." (5)

The First Presidency and Council of Twelve said in 1916,

"Jesus Christ is the Son of Elohim both as spiritual and bodily offspring; that is to say, Elohim is literally the Father of the spirit of Jesus Christ and also of the body in which Jesus Christ performed His mission in the flesh..." (6)

So you see, they don’t believe that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, but by the Father. In fact, they don’t even believe in the Virgin Birth of Christ the same way we do. What they say is that Mary was a virgin when our Heavenly Father—literally—had sexual intercourse with her and conceived Jesus Christ in the flesh. This, my friends, is NOT THE TRUE CHRIST.

So, GOD learned how to be GOD, he bore “spirit children” with Heavenly Mother, two of which were the brothers Jesus and Lucifer. He created the universe, and put Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden where they sinned against GOD—which was a good thing. Because it gave us all the chance to become “gods” ourselves. I’m not making this up. But Joseph Smith did. If we live a good enough life, get married, have a bunch of kids, etc., we too can become a “god”…just like GOD. Again, Joseph Smith, from the King Follett Discourse:

Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God. And you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves…until you are able to sit in glory as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power. (7)

And the thing is, this “progression” doesn’t stop when we die. See, there are three “heavens” in Mormonism. The telestial for murderers, adulterers, and those who were Mormons but left the LDS church. The terrestrial is for “good people” who weren’t Mormons. The highest heaven—the celestial—is for Mormons who were the best Mormons they could be and had a bunch of children. And only those who get to the highest level of THAT heaven get to work towards godhood.

Well, there’s one problem—actually, there are many problems—with that belief. You see, in Hebrews 9:27, the writer say that …it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. Every time the Bible talks about heaven, or eternity, it talks about worshipping before the throne of GOD forever. It talks about the saints, and the angels, and the elders, and the four living creatures, directing our praise toward the Most High GOD. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we can do anything after we die to become more than that. And it certainly doesn’t say that we can become a “god” like Almighty GOD.

One last thing real quick. There’s the whole issue of “baptism for the dead”. How you're supposed to go back through your family tree, and if you find people who weren’t Mormons, you're supposed to have somebody dunk you in water, and somehow that gets them into a better heaven. Er, something. They base this on 1st Corinthians 15:29—Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? Suffice it to say theirs is a completely unbiblical misinterpretation of this verse. You see, once you're dead, you're dead. There is absolutely no way that anyone who is living can get you into heaven, or a higher heaven.

---------------------

References

(1) Ensign. 1986. pp. 25-26. link.

(2) TPJS. p. 349. link.

(3) Doctrine of Exaltation, or Becoming a God. From Partakers of the Divine Nature. Jordan Vajda. pp. 27-40. link.

(4) Encyclopedia of Mormonism. p. 485.

(5) The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson. p. 7.

(6) First Presidency and Council of Twelve, 1916. Cited in Ensign. April 2002. p.13. link.

(7) Joseph Smith. King Follett Discourse. Mormon literature database—Brigham Young University. link.

"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.

----------------------
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.

Permalink: Are Mormons Christians?

There will be a new addition to the "Permalinks" section, called "Are Mormons Christians?" which will be updated frequently with new posts pointing out the differences between the teachings of the Mormon church and the truth of the Bible.

Are Mormons Christians?--part 1.
Are Mormons Christians?--part 2.
Are Mormons Christians?--part 3.
Mormon thinking--Jesus and His "wives".
The reason Romney flip-flops
Mormons and Psalm 97:9
Huckabee asks a question, LDS camp dodges

Are Mormons Christians? Part 3

Many times, when you point out a faulty doctrine or teaching in the Mormon church, the answer you get is, "Well, that's just what that one person taught. It was never official Mormon doctrine." But how can they say that when that doctrine/teaching has been perpetuated by one president/prophet after another. And these men are supposed to be speaking with authority from GOD.

Now, while I may differ in some beliefs as the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention--and even my pastor sometimes--I know, and they know, that we do not speak as though we are prophets on the order of Isaiah, Ezekial, Obadiah, etc. We are reading the Word of GOD, and interpreting it as best we can according to what is written. We do not stand and proclaim that what we teach is superior to what GOD has already revealed.

If a man does claim to speak on the authority of GOD, and as a prophet on the order of Isaiah, Ezekial, Obadiah, etc., and if he is going to claim that what he speaks is from GOD, then that word must be truth. And since GOD does not change--what He accepts or rejects today, He will accept or reject tomorrow; He is not the author of confusion--then what that man who claims to be a prophet teaches must be consistent with the nature of GOD.

That said, let us take a look at a man who claimed to be speaking truth that came from GOD's lips to his ears: Brigham Young. Young was the second president/prophet of the LDS church. He led the Saints out to Utah, and was so hightly revered by them that they named their university after him. But, how true were his teachings? Let's take a look at one in particular: The so-called "Adam-God Doctrine." As I said at the outset, Mormons will tell you this was never Mormon doctrine. Is that true? Not really. Here is what Young said:

Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is Michael, the Archangel, the Ancient of Days! about whom holy men have written and spoken—He is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do... (Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, pp.50-51.)

"But," the Mormon will say, "The Journal of Discourses is not official Mormon scripture!" Well, that really depends on whether or not the teaching in that particular issue makes the LDS church look good or bad. Much the same as it is with anything current or former LDS presidents/prophets have said.

So, was this "Adam-God Doctrine" official? Well, it was thought of highly enough that the LDS church published it in the Millennial Star [November 26, 1853 (vol.15, pp.769-70)], an official publication of the LDS church, and the forerunner to Ensign. And, when objections were raised by the LDS saints in England, they received this reply from the church elders:

"Concerning the item of doctrine alluded to by Elder Caffall and others, viz., that Adam is our Father and God, I have to say do not trouble yourselves, neither let the Saints be troubled about this matter.... If, as Elder Caffall remarked, there are those who are waiting at the door of the Church for the objection to be removed, tell such, the Prophet and Apostle Brigham Young has declared it, and that it is the word of the Lord" (Millennial Star, vol. 16, p.534).

Now, your Mormon friend may tell you that it was simply something Brigham Young said one time, and was quickly forgotten. Not so fast. The first time he said it was 1852. But, in 1873--some 21 years later--he was still putting forth that doctrine:

How much unbelief exists in the minds of the Latter-day Saints in regard to one particular doctrine which I revealed to them, and which God revealed to me—namely that Adam is our Father and God.... Our Father Adam helped to make this earth, ... he and his companions came here. He brought one of his wives with him.... Our Father Adam is the man who stands at the gate and holds the keys of everlasting life and salvation to all his children who have or who ever will come upon the earth.... We say that Father Adam came here and helped to made the earth. Who is he? He is Michael.... He was the first man on the earth, and its framer and maker. He, with the help of his brethren, brought it into existence. Then he said, "I want my children who are in the spirit world to come and live here. I once dwelt upon an earth something like this, in a mortal state..." (Deseret News, June 18, 1873).

Was this the point at which this doctrine ended? Brigham Young died in 1877. Did he take this teaching to the grave with him? No. In 1889--12 years after his death--it was still being taught in the LDS church:

"Jesus Christ is Jehovah...Adam is His Father and our God" (Daily Journal of Abraham H. Cannon, vol. 11, p.39)

So, was Brigham Young bringing forth a word from GOD, or was this simply the idea of one man, foisted upon the LDS saints? And if this doctrine was the idea of Brigham Young alone, then does it not cast doubt upon everything else he said?

Well, in 1981--after denying for almost 130 years Brigham Young ever taught the "Adam-GOD Doctrine"--Apostle Brucke McKonkie finally fessed-up that, yeah, he said it:

Nonetheless, as Joseph Smith so pointedly taught, a prophet is not always a prophet, only when he is acting as such. [How convenient--Ed.] Prophets are men and they make mistakes. Sometimes they err in doctrine. . . . Sometimes even wise and good men fall short in the accurate presentation of what is truth. Sometimes a prophet gives personal views which are not endorsed and approved by the Lord.

Yes, President Young did teach that Adam was the father of our spirits, and all the related things that the cultists [non-Mormons--Ed.] ascribe to him. This [Brigham Young's teaching on Adam], however, is not true. He expressed views that are out of harmony with the gospel. But, be it known, Brigham Young also taught accurately and correctly, the status and position of Adam in the eternal scheme of things. What I am saying is, that Brigham Young, contradicted Brigham Young, and the issue becomes one of which Brigham Young we will believe. The answer is we will believe the expressions that accord with the teachings in the Standard Works.(Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Spring 1982.)

In other words, when he (or any other LDS "prophet") says something that doesn't line up, then he's not speaking "as a prophet." It's kinda like their "get out of jail free" card. But, this begs the question: How is one supposed to know whether the "prophet" is speaking the word of the Lord, and when he's not? Does he have some "on/off" switch that he flips, and shifts from "prophet" to "not a prophet"?

Listen to what GOD said in Jeremiah 1:4-5--"Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Before Jeremiah was even conceived, GOD told him he would be a prophet. For life. Not "on" one day, and "off" the next. A prophet of GOD is always a prophet of GOD. This is just one more reason to beware of any organization calling themselves "God's channel", etc. and saying they have a "living prophet." And one more piece of evidence that Mormonism is a false religion.