10 Things The Mormon Church Won't Tell You
When a Mormon Missionary says to you, “We are just like you”, you can hand them this tract and lovingly begin to show them why they are not even close. Here we go....
# 10 The "Book of Mormon" is in direct opposition to the Holy Bible. The Mormon Church calls the Book of Mormon an “addition” and “another revelation” to go with the Bible. Not only the Bible clearly says in Revelation 22:18-20 [i] that no one is suppose to add to the scriptures, but these two books consistently contradict one another.
· Yet, the Mormon Church go even further by holding the at least three of their books to a higher level of authority than the Bible: The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine of Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. They will tell you that the original King James Version of the Bible is of equal divine revelation (“insofar as it is correctly translated”) until it contradicts one of these three books. Then by default the Bible takes second seat to the books of Mormonism. According to their founder, Joseph Smith, an angel appeared and gave him this new message to add to the Bible. [ii]
What does the Bible say about an additional revelation to the Bible?
Ø The Bible warns us in Galatians 1:6-9 to be on guard against new gospels that are being promoted, even if an angel delivers them.
"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed."
Ø We are told to hold on to the common faith that the early church held on to and that was past down through history, and not to a new religion that sprung up on out of no where in the 1800’s.
”I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God[b] and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 3-4).”
Ø Other Bible verses to refer to: Proverbs 30:6; and II Peter 3:15-16[iii]
[i]Revelation 22:18-20: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
[ii]The Mormon claim is that in the 1800’s Joseph Smith translated unearthed “golden plates” written in “reformed Egyptian hieroglyphics” by the aid of supernatural spectacles – eye glasses. Yet to-date no reputable linguist expert has ever found the slightest evidence of an actual language called “reformed Egyptian.” Did you know that there were no eye witnesses to the so-called gold plates, according to the admissions of those who earlier said there were witnesses to these “golden plates.” We are left to believe Joseph Smith’s word that all this really happened?
[iii]Proverbs 30:6 “Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” II Peter 3:15-16 “....as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”
Jude 3-4 “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
# 9 A dead person can be saved by water baptism. When a non-Mormon dies, he goes to “spirit prison”, but the unbeliever can be converted over to Mormonism if a Mormon is water baptized on his behalf. This is a commonly practiced act going on modern Mormonism. [i] Besides the obvious head-scratches with this belief the root error is that Mormon salvation is obtained through the good works and efforts of man. This is completely contrary to the Christian faith. [ii]
Ø As a Mormon you must do all that you can do as good person and mix it with what they define as grace. The Book of Mormon says, “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. After all we can do.” (2Nephi 25:23) The Mormon doctrine of salvation includes: faith in Christ, baptism by immersion, obedience to the teaching of the Mormon Church, good works, and “keeping the commandments of God (which) will cleanse away the stain of sin”
Ø A Mormon elder commented about a woman who was saving people by getting wet - baptized: “I believe that this lady, in the day of judgment, through being baptized for the dead, has saved more souls than Jesus.” And Years ago a wealthy lady from the east made many trips to Salt Lake City to be baptized for the dead. Over the years she was baptized 30,000 times! She did it for relatives and friends and former people like Alexander the Great, Nebuchadnezzar, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, and Cleopatra.”
What does the Bible say about an additional revelation to the Bible?
Ø Christianity relies 100% on God’s unmerited grace, through faith in the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the Cross for the complete payment of our sins. Simple: Grace alone, Faith alone, by Jesus Christ alone for eternal salvation, not of man’s works/efforts lest any man boast that he had a part in it. (Ephesians 2:8-10). Biblical Grace is by definition a “free gift” and therefore cannot be earned by our efforts or deeds or it is no longer grace but wages earned. [iii]
Ø Water baptism? After a person becomes a believer and a disciple of Jesus Christ he submits to water baptism out of obedience to the Savior’s commandment. It is a symbolic act and public confession of dying to your sinful life with Christ on the cross, being buried with Him, and resurrected with Him. [iv]
Ø It is not through baptisms or good works, but by the shedding of the blood of the perfect man Jesus Christ. As it is written, “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin” (Hebrews 9:22).
[i] Mormons believe that everyone who lives and dies on this earth goes to a place called Spirit Prison. That is except faithful Mormons, who go to Paradise. Mormon Spirit Missionaries go down from Paradise to the Spirit Prison and teach the Gospel of Joseph Smith to the lost Christians and anyone else that is there. Those who accept Mormonism must remain in prison until a worthy Mormon performs certain essential rituals, called "Ordinances," on their behalf in one of the Mormon Temples. Then they are released from Spirit Prison to join the Mormons in Paradise. Since these rituals or Ordinances require a physical body to be washed, anointed, baptized, etc., they can only be performed by a living person in the place and manner prescribed by Deity, acting under Universal (Mormon) cosmic laws (http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm /Cults/mormon.htm).
[ii] If a Mormon says that he does not have to earn his way to salvation, he contradicts his own teachings. Ask him to define grace, the purpose of water baptism, and for good works. Mormon teaching defines grace as the graciousness of their god’s character. The Mormon god is gracious to enable them to participate in earning their salvation and forgiveness. This makes salvation not by grace, but by self effort - good works. Galatians 2:21 says that if salvation is not of grace, but of keeping the law of God (10 Commandments) then Jesus Christ died in vain. There was no need for Jesus to die if this is something we can obtain by doing good. But Christ had to die for our sins because we cannot do anything towards obtaining eternal life.
[iii] Romans 11:6; II Timothy 1:9; Romans 3:24; Romans 4:1-8; Romans 5:1-11; John 3:16-18
[iv] Matthew 28:18-20; I Peter 3:21.
# 8 Many people live on the Moon and the Sun. These are foundational beliefs from two Mormon sources that are held in higher esteem and authority than the Bible. Since these are totally absurd prophesies, wouldn’t that prove that the so-called prophets who proclaimed them, and their books are proven false? The Bible has serious warnings against false prophets and prophesies.
Ø "Who can tell us of the inhabitants of this little planet that shines of an evening, called the Moon? ... So it is with regard to the inhabitants of the Sun. Do you not think it is inhabited? I rather think it is. Do you think there is any life there? No Question of it; it was not made in vain." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p. 219).
Ø Martin Harris, one of the three men who was originally “thought” to have seen the golden plates claimed he visited the moon (The Story of the Mormons, New York, 1902, p. 35), and was called "wicked" (Doctrine & Covenants 3:12,13 and 10:6,7).
What does the Bible say about Moon and the Sun, and about false prophets?
Ø The Bible does not say that the Moon and Sun are inhabited, but the Bible does warn against listening to fables and false teachers. [i] Jesus warned us, the apostle Paul warned us, and the prophet Jeremiah warned us, “Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," declares the LORD. "They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least," declares the LORD (Jeremiah 23:32).”
Ø A true prophet can be tested by his prophesies. Did Joseph Smith's prophecies come to pass? If that was true Jesus would have returned in 1891 (Documentary History of the Church (DHC) 2:182), The Civil War would have poured out upon all nations (D&C 87:1-3), the wicked of Smith's generation would have been "swept from off the face of the land" (DHC 1:315), and a temple would have been built in Independence Missouri by the generation living in 1832 (D&C 84:4,5).
Ø “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain (1 Timothy 6:3-5).”
Ø Other Bible verses to refer to: Deuteronomy 13:1-3; Matthew 7:15-20; Matthew 18:6; and Revelation 2:2.
[i] 1 Timothy 1:4 “nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.”
# 7 The Mormon god of this earth, which is Adam from the Garden of Eden, had sexual relations with Mary to conceive Jesus. This is beyond heresy to Blasphemous. [i]
· “When the time came that His first-born, the Saviour, should come into the world and take a tabernacle, (body) the Father came Himself and favoured that spirit with a tabernacle instead of letting any other man do it” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 218)
· “He (Christ) was not begotten by the Holy Spirit…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” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, pp. 50-51)
What does the Bible say about the birth of Jesus Christ?
Ø Miraculous conception is the Biblical teaching of the birth of Jesus Christ. One only needs to read the two accounts of this event to see He was born through the direct divine act of the Holy Spirit. [ii] Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus, there was never a human father involved in the conception of his brith. [iii]
Ø The Bible defends itself: “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” (Luke 1:35).
[i]The Mormon doctrine teaches that Adam is “our” god, who populated this planet, fathered Jesus Christ, and…well read for yourself: “When our father Adam came in 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” (Brigham Young, in the Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, p. 50). “…Adam is our father and our God…” (Brigham Young clarified in a sermon on June 8, 1873). It should be noted that Brigham Young taught that he had “never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call Scripture” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, p. 95).
[ii]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 “Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
[iii]Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
# 6 The dark skin of Indians and black people proof that they are a cursed race of people. If a person has black skin, then they are the cursed descendants of Cain, the first murderer. The Mormon teaching was that Cain had black skin as a curse from God (By the way, this isn’t in the Bible). Mormons for years avoided and ignored blacks in their missionary work. They were taught that black skinned people were pre-existent souls which were considered less than valiant in the “war in heaven” between Christ and Satan and were punished by being assigned to black bodies during the mortality. (2 Nephi 30:6, prior to the 1981 revision).
· "Black people are black because of their misdeeds in the pre-existence" (Three Degrees of Glory, the Mormon leader and “Apostle” Melvin J. Ballard, p. 21); "The Negro is an unfortunate man. He has been given a black skin. But that is nothing compared with that greater handicap. He is not permitted to receive the priesthood and the ordinances of the temple, necessary to prepare men and women to enter into and enjoy a fullness of glory in the Celestial Kingdom" (Elder George E. Richards). [i]
· Indians were supposedly direct descendants of the Book of Mormon’s wicked Lamanites. These people were cursed by the Mormon god with dark skins as a punishment for their misdeeds of their forefathers.
· Up until 1978 they were denied all of the “blessings” and “privileges” of the Mormon priesthood, but a revelation of convenience gave them full access to these benefits because their god had lifted his curse from the African race.
· I have to stop and ask the inevitable question: When a dark skinned person becomes a Mormon why doesn’t his skin turn white?
What does the Bible say about different races and skin color?
Ø Christ looks at the heart of a person, not the color of his skin any more that He looks at the color of his clothes. He told us not to judge by appearances, but judge righteously (John 7:24).
Ø If dark skinned people were cursed by God, why did God rebuked two people who disagreed with Moses’ marriage to an Ethiopian woman? Why did God instruct to Philip to go to the desert to meet an Ethiopian man and explain the gospel to him, and then baptize the man in the river after confessing his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? [ii]
Ø All of us have the same skin color, the difference is in the amount of a coloring substance in our skin called melanin—a brownish-black pigment like paint. With the exception of albinos, all of us have some melanin in our skin,. The more melanin, the darker the skin.
[ii] Acts 8:26-39
# 5 The book of Mormon was plagiarized from a fictional novel by Rev. Solomon Spaulding. Should we be surprised that this book has many contradictions, corrections, and errors? It has had so many errors that it had to be updated over the years. Should a book from a divine god ever need correcting and revised?
· Yes, it has been proven, documented, and testified against in a court of law that its stories did not happen. There is no proof to support its claims, and there is proof that it is fiction.
· The Old Testament and New Testament in the Bible state that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. The Book of Mormon states that Jesus would be born in Jerusalem (Alma 7:9). This is one example, and is a very important example. If Jesus was not born in Bethlehem as it was prophesied hundreds of years before, then God lied when He spoke through the prophet, and Jesus did not fulfill all the prophets about Him. But wait, did you know that the Book of Mormon makes Christ to be a liar in Nephi 3? How far can a person deceive themselves to believe that these two books are compatible? One is divinely given, the other a fictional book.
What does the Bible say about the false teachings?
Ø Either the Bible is true, as history supports, or the fictional Book of Mormon is true – they can’t both be true. They oppose each other and contradict each other. You have to choose one and reject the other.
Ø Although the Book of Mormon needed to be updated to correct their god’s message and story, the God of the Bible said that His word is eternal and will never change or fade away.
Ø Jesus and the apostles writing in the New Testament warned us against false teachers who try to persuade us to believe in something other than the only source for spiritual truth. The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Ø We are told to test the spirits to see if they are from God, or from the spirit of falsehood, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. [i]
Ø Plagiarism is both a theft and a deception, breaking the 8th and 9th commandments.
[i] 1 John 4:1-6
# 4 The Mountain Meadow Massacre was ordered by Bringham Young. "I intend to meet them on their own grounds. ... and if any miserable scoundrel comes here, cut their throats." wagon train of innocent men, women, and children were passing through Utah to California. Brigham thought they were from Illinois and Missouri where Joseph Smith had been killed and ordered them massacred.]
Ø On September 11, 1857 the leader of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young, ordered Bishop John D. Lee to annihilate a wagon train of over 120 women, children, and disarmed men who were on route to California. Twenty years later Bishop Lee was tried and convicted by the U.S. Government and executed for this totalitarian crime against humanity. In Lee’s own book, he confessed to the crime and swore that he acted on the orders he was given by Bringham Young. Other officers under Bishop testified that Young ordered and sanctioned the massacre. This will forever be a sore spot and embarrassment to the Mormon Church. Would a prophet from God command such a crime?
A part of the error is found in the lofty attitude held by its founders. For instance Joseph Smith wrote in Documentary History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 408-409, "I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet."
What does the Bible say about such acts?
Ø The Sixth Commandment is “Thou shall not Murder.” Jesus said that if you are unjustly angry with another, then you have committed murder in your heart. He also said that the words that come out from our mouths reveal what is in our hearts in abundance. If you want to know what is in a person’s heart, listen to what they say. [i]
Ø Pride, arrogance, and boastfulness have no place in Christianity, nor should it be found in the heart of a child of God. The man whom God used to write 2/3 of the New Testament said he was the “least of all the apostles” and although he was a pious man, he did not boast in his good works or accomplishments, but said. “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” [ii]
Ø It is a contrite and humble heart that God is looking for. [iii] We are told in 1 Peter 5:5 that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” The same verse says “all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility.”
[i] Matthew 15:19-20; Matthew 12:34
[ii] Galatians 6:14
[iii] Isaiah 57:15 “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’”
# 3 Unless you are baptized in the Mormon church, you will not be saved.
· In the Mormon faith the remission/forgiveness of sins is a result of baptism (3 Nephi 12:2 & Moroni 8:11 –“Yea, blessed are they who shall...be baptized, for they shall receive the remission of their sin.”), but then it contradicts itself in the Doctrine and Covenants (Section 20, verse 37) states: “All who humble themselves…and truly manifest by their words that they have received the spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church.”
· In fact, there is no hope or salvation for anyone outside of the Mormon Church. According to their founding father only the Mormon Church has the truth. Joseph Smith (Joseph Smith—History 1:19) branded all Christian organizations as “all wrong,” their creeds as “abomination,” and all Christians as “corrupt...having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”
· Then there is the question, “What is Salvation to the Mormon Church?” Although the Mormon Church will teach that the atonement of Christ is essential to being saved from damnation, they believe that Christ’s atonement on the cross was not completely sufficient. What Christ did only ensures a universal resurrection of all people, but it doesn’t atone for your personal sins. Being a real good person and water baptism are absolute necessities to be welcomed into the kingdom of their god.
What does the Bible say about water baptism?
Ø Read what the Bible says about #9.
Ø Romans 3:20 tells us that no person can be justified, found guiltless, before God by keeping the Ten Commandments. No matter how good you are, your sins still condemn you before God. The only way to be completely forgiven is by believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross for all your sins. We do good works because we are forgiven and desire to please our Savior, not to be saved. Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
#2 The Mormon religion is Polytheistic, meaning that they believe in many gods. [i]They teach that the universes are full of gods. But wait, you are wondering where all these gods come from? The goal of Mormon men is to be a god themselves and be given their own planet to rule and populate with their Mormon harem of Mormon wives. The teaching says that the universes are inhabited by different gods who procreate spirit children, who then become fleshly humans on different planets, and strive to godhood, repeating the same god-goal process. Does anyone else think that this falls under the category of strange? Besides the obvious err in anthropology and theology, the Bible warns us finite creatures to “not think of himself more highly than he ought to think” (Romans 12:3). Having a god-complex is pretty big stuff. I don’t think I am ready for the god role, I have trouble remembering what I had for dinner yesterday.
· "Here then is eternal life -- to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you..." (Teachings of the Prophet, Joseph Smith, p. 346).
· Their prophet Lorenzo Snow in The Gospel Through the Ages, pp. 105, 106: “As man is, God once was: as God is, man may become.”
· Orson Pratt wrote in The Seer (p. 37), “In the Heaven where our spirits were born, there are many Gods, each one of whom has his own wife or wives which were given to him previous to his redemption, while yet in his mortal state.”
What does the Bible say about such about the existence of many gods and more than one savior?
Ø “Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.” Isaiah 43:10
Ø “I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.” Isaiah 44:6
Ø “You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.” Isaiah 44:8
Ø The God of the Bible makes it perfectly clear that He alone is the Only Living God, leaving no doubt. Other verses include: Isaiah 45:5-6, 18, 21-23.
A word to the Mormon on this issue:
If you are striving to become a god, then you are striving to have other people one day kneel before you and worship you? In the same way that you are instructed to worship, serve, and adore the god of this planet. Yet, if your present god is so good, awesome, and magnificent, then why wouldn’t you want to live throughout eternity basking in this god’s glory and goodness, rather than your own earned glory and perfection?
One more question: Are you going to have to pro-create a savior for your world like Adam did for this one? I am referring to # Seven on this list.
[i]“Gods exist, and we had better strive to be prepared to be one with them.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p. 238); “In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods; and they came together and concocted a plan to crate the world and people it.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 349).
# 1 Jesus is Lucifer’s brother. Yep, you read it correctly; according to Mormon teaching Jesus Christ and the devil are brothers, and at the root of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ there is a sibling rivalry. (Moses 4:1-4 and reaffirmed by Brigham Young in the Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, p. 282). Milton Hunter of the LDS First Council of the Seventy clarified their doctrine: "The appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by one of the other sons of God. He was called Lucifer, son of the morning. Haughty, ambitious, and covetous of power and glory, this spirit-brother of Jesus desperately tried to become the Savior of mankind" (The Gospel Through the Ages, p. 15).
They do not want you to know that they fulfill 2 Corinthians 11:4 [i] by teaching “another Jesus,” which is a “different gospel,” by a “different spirit” than that which is of the Bible. They preach a Jesus that was created by their founders Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and endorsed by the Mormon organization. It is “another Jesus”, not the One who is depicted in Scripture, who lived, died, and arose again, and is alive forever more.
What does the Bible say about an additional revelation to the Bible?
Ø Jesus is Almighty God Himself who humbled Himself by becoming a man. He is God incarnate – Immanuel, meaning God with us. [ii] Jesus wasn’t created, He created all things, and all things were made through Him and for Him. The Bible makes this clear in Colossians 1:16 - "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him."
Ø Jesus not only claimed to be God and equal with the Father God, but He also accepted worship as the One True God (John 20:26-29). [iii]
Ø John 1:1-2; 14 says that the living Word was in the beginning, and that the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and He as in the beginning with God. Verse 14 says “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” [iv]
Ø These verses are only a small sample of scriptures that support the reason why the Apostles, the Church for over 2000 years, and the Council of Nicene clarified that Jesus Christ is 100% God, as the Father and the Holy Spirit is God in nature, substance, and deity.
Ø Not only is the Mormon Jesus the brother of Satan, and was not born of a virgin, but Christ is taught to have celebrated his own marriage to both “the Marys and Martha, whereby he could see his seed before he was crucified” (apostle Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, pp.259-260).
[i]2 Corinthians 11:4 “For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!”
[ii]Matthew 1:23 ““Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”"
[iii]John 20:26-29 is the story where “doubting” Thomas realizes the Jesus has indeed risen from the dead. It says that Thomas answered and said to Him [Jesus], “My Lord and my God!” Jesus replied with a confirmation of Thomas’ faith and confession, “…you have believed…” Jesus did not rebuke Thomas for ascribing Him the title, honor, worship, and name of the One True Lord and God, but put His seal of approval on it. The Magi and Shepherds worshipped Jesus at his birth, the angels are commanded to worship Him (Hebrews 1:6); men worship Jesus (John 9:38).
Isaiah 42:8; 48:11 - “I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another” and yet in Hebrews 13:21 and in Jesus own words, John 17:5 - "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."
[iv]The Word in verse 1 is the Word that became a man through the virgin birth. The God/man is ascribed glory that belongs only to the True God. Who alone can be and is “full of grace and truth” but the True God. Jesus Christ stepped down from His heavenly throne and took on full humanity to be a man so that He would be a sacrificial substitute on the cross for sinful man. I John 4 speaking about false prophets warns us that “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.”
A word to the Mormon:
There are certain foundational beliefs such as the deity, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that are quintessential to the Christian faith. If any message compromises or rejects these, then Christianity it is not. The Epistle of Jude says that we must “contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.” This Epistle also warns us that there will be men who creep in unnoticed and “deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Mormon Church denies the one and only.
Are You Good Enough to Go to Heaven?
You may consider yourself to be a pretty good person, especially if you compare yourself to other people. But when we compare ourselves to God’s goodness, His perfect holiness, we don’t come out looking so good. In fact we completely fail in this comparison. God’s standard of goodness is the Ten Commandments, and He requires absolute perfection. If you break the law of God in one area, you are a law breaker and corrupt, imperfect, and impure. [i]Let’s do a short quiz, looking at only half of the commandments and see how you do compared to God’s definition of goodness. I better warn you, God not only looks at your actions, but your words and the secrets of your heart. He knows it all. Jesus said that each of us will have to give an account for all of it. All of it.
First Commandment: Have you always put God first place in your life – Always?
Third– Have you ever used the name of God or Jesus in an unholy manner (e.g., as a curse word in anger, or said His name casually without thought or respect? That is blasphemy and it is very evil.
Seventh- Have you ever committed adultery? Jesus said that if you look at another person and have inappropriate sexual thoughts about them that you are guilty of adultery in the heart.
Ninth– Have you ever told a lie? Deceived anyone into believing something untrue?
Tenth– Have you ever wanted something that belonged to someone else (e.g., a car, popularity, talent, job, money)? That is coveting.
That was only five of them. How did you do? If you’re thinking, “These are impossible no one can keep them all.” You are right. Only one man ever kept them perfectly – Jesus Christ. In God’s eyes you are a guilty law breaker and cannot enter His kingdom. You are not acceptable to Him, because you have sinned against Him.
What does a just and good judge do with the guilty? The Bible tells us that neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor covetouswill inherit the kingdom of God. [ii]It also says that all liarsshall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. [iii]As you have see there is no one good in God’s sight, not one righteous person. All have guilty and fallen short of His perfection.
Since God holds every sin against you from birth to the day you die, you are without excuse. You rightly deserve everlasting hell as a law breaker. This should cause you to fear and tremble. What will you do on judgment day standing before the judge of the universe? Come to think of it, how can anyone get to heaven and be acceptable to Him? I am glad you asked.
The God who created you also knew that He would have to save you. In His incredible loving kindness and mercy He came to earth in the man Jesus Christ and lived perfectly, keeping all of the laws, and then suffered and died on the cross as payment for your sin. You deserved death and the wrath of God, but Jesus stepped in on your behalf. He paid your debt for your sins to enable you to be free and forgiven. Then He rose from the dead to reign over all throughout eternity.
If eternity is serious to you, and if you have come to realize your desperate need for a right-relationship with God and that you can do nothing towards earning and obtaining forgiveness, then here is what you must do: (1) Believe that Jesus Christ is the only way the Father, and you are completely dependent upon him like you would depend upon a parachute jumping out of an airplane; (2) Repent of your sins. Get alone with God and pour out your heart asking for forgiveness. Turn from serving yourself or other gods and begin serving Jesus Christ; (3) Trust in Jesus alone for salvation and forgiveness. From your heart live a life that says He obtained and secured a right-relationship with God for you; (4) Begin reading your Bible and praying to Him. Don’t rely on additional revelations, just take God at His word; and (5) Get involved in a Bible teaching Church.
[i] James 2:10 “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”
[ii]1 Corinthians 6:9-10 "No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."
[iii]Revelation 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."