A
CLASH OF CONVICTIONS
by
D.
E. Cunningham
A
Message for My Mormon Friends
Acknowledgements
A special note of love and
gratitude to the following people:
Pastor Frank:
Thank you for having the courage to confront me with the truth; for
being instrumental in breaking the generational curse
which held my
family captive for far too long. You are a true
warrior; battling in
the name of the Lord for the souls of men.
Pastor Kestor:
Thank you for showing me the heart of God; a heart that loves me
completely and unconditionally just the way I am.
Pastor Scarrow:
Thank you for showing me that there is so much more of God
to experience; for helping me press into a deeper
relationship with Him.
Thank you for taking God "out of the box".
Dedication:
To Jesus Christ, the Lord and love of my life. May your name be glorified
through my words until the day I have the privilege of falling at your feet and
thanking you for saving me from the fire.
Note:
Bold type is used throughout this book for emphasis. References from 'Mormon
Doctrine' are taken from the 11th printing, 1973
edition. Scriptures are taken from the King James version of the Bible.
Introduction
This book is written in love and with the hope of helping Mormons understand
why Christian and Mormon convictions clash. Haven't you ever wondered why
Christians do not consider Mormons to be Christians as well? It doesn't
seem to make sense when the title of the Mormon church
includes the name of Jesus Christ (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints) and Mormons uphold Christian values. This book seeks to answer
that question by first laying a foundation built on logic, reasoning,
information, and fact. Answering the question before laying the
foundation will lead to misunderstanding, so please read each chapter in
order.
If a
Christian friend or family member has given you this book, it is because they
love you enough to want a deeper relationship with you; one built on
understanding, not misconceptions. May this book be the catalyst for many
meaningful conversations.
Chapter 1
Perception
My grandpa
Jones was never wrong about anything; in his mind at least. If his
children made the mistake of reporting what they had learned in school, grandpa
would argue with them and tell them that their teacher didn't know what she was
talking about. It didn't matter what kind of research had been done,
Grandpa knew better. He knew more than any doctor as he frequently disregarded
their advice and did exactly what he wanted with his medications. Grandpa
made the mistake of thinking that he couldn't possibly be wrong about anything;
his perception was the only truth.
One year, when I was
teaching 6th grade, I found out that two of my students had been
involved in the theft of an item belonging to another teacher. I called
the mothers of both students. One mother said she wanted to come in and
visit with me. When she came, she began shifting the blame for her son's
behavior onto me. With her son seated beside her, she said that he didn't
think I liked him, and how was he supposed to do well in school if his teacher
didn't even like him? This student was constantly in trouble for breaking
school rules. No matter how often I would speak with him or take away
privileges, he continued his irresponsible behavior. I assured the mother
that I did indeed like her son, but there had to be consequences for his
negative behaviors. I couldn't just look the other way in regard to the
stealing incident. This mother told me that her son hadn't quot;stolen quote;
anything; he was just curious, so he took it. I was stunned by her
reasoning. I told her that he had taken something without permission that
wasn't his--which meant he had stolen something. She wouldn't agree.
The same woman had an older daughter who became upset with her volleyball coach.
While the mother watched, her daughter slapped the coach. The coach told
the girl she was off the team. The mother walked up to her daughter and
said, "It's alright, _______; I know you didn't do it." This
mother refused to believe, regardless of the evidence, that her children could
ever do anything wrong. It didn't even matter if she witnessed her
children misbehaving--she would deny it had happened. Her perception was
the only truth.
Consider the following
imaginary scenario. It begins with your neighbor's house. You
notice that there is smoke coming from one of the exterior walls of this good
man's home, and rush over to tell him. It is difficult to get him to
answer his door, as he is so busy inside. When he finally stops long
enough to listen to what you have to say, his response is, "I don't see any
smoke". You try to tell him that he could see the smoke if he would just
step outside and look. He refuses.
"This is one of the
best built homes in town, my family has lived in it for generations, and it
won't burn down. No, I won't look at the smoke because I just know there
isn't any. Stop persecuting me!" He shuts the door and you are
shocked! Why won't he look? He, his family and everything he has
ever worked for are about to go up in flames, and he won't even look! How
can he say you are persecuting him, when you are telling him the truth?
What should you do? You tried to warn him. Should you give up and
go home? You don't want to make this man your enemy, yet how can you sit
in your comfortable home while your neighbor's house is, perhaps, only minutes
away from destruction. You keep trying. You take pictures to prove
to him that his house is truly on fire.
"I don't want to look at
your pictures. I'm happy and I can't see or smell smoke." You try to
tell him that if he'd step outside and take a deep breath, he would indeed smell
the smoke. "No," he says. "Look at how well built and beautiful my
house is. I've been told all of my life by my family and important,
influential people that this house is indestructible. I like what they
say; it makes me feel good. How could all those good people be wrong?
I'm not going to believe you because what you are saying is making me feel
uncomfortable. Besides, if I were to find out that you are right, then I
might have to leave this house. I'm not willing to do that. After
all, where would I go and what would people say? I'd simply rather
believe there is no problem. I don't care what kind of proof you have, I
can't be wrong."
People like my
grandfather, the 6th grader's mother and the imaginary neighbor, are
very frustrating. Are we like them? Do we view our perceptions as
truth and refuse to look at other viewpoints or facts which may contradict our
perceptions? Do we look at other viewpoints with an open mind, or are we
like the neighbor who is so certain that he is right, that he will risk
sacrificing himself and his family to prove it--despite the facts? If you
have been taught that it is wrong or faith defeating to read or study anything
that doesn't agree with your religious views, then you have
been given some very ungodly advice.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
2 Timothy
2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman
that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word
of truth."
Acts 17:11
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness of mind, and
searched the
scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
God expects us to study to
find truth. The scriptures encourage us to do so. Can our religious beliefs
stand up to studying and testing? If we firmly believe that we have the
truth, then we will not be afraid to study other viewpoints or beliefs, for in
that research we will further prove that our beliefs are right, or we will find
our way out of a false conviction. It is foolish to deal with situations
in which our religious beliefs and perceptions of God are questioned by simply
getting mad, tossing aside well-researched and documented materials, and
refusing to deal with the facts. Far too many people would rather stick
their heads in the sand than to come to terms with difficult questions; they
take the coward's way out. We can't afford to have grandpa's perception and
think that we already know it all. Pride will close the door to truth,
and truth is the only way to God.
Millions of people
may agree with our religious beliefs, but that doesn't mean we are right.
If what we believe goes against God's word--it isn't God who is wrong. If
we find out that God's word contradicts our way of thinking or our lifestyle,
we must make a choice. We can ignore the truth and pretend there isn't a
problem (God is wrong and I am right) or we can step out in courage and make
the necessary changes in our lives. For me to presume that God could be
wrong is utterly absurd. Could I possibly know better than God, who is
all-seeing, all-knowing, and perfect in wisdom and love? If following God
means we risk losing family, friends, or a job, do we have the courage to do
it, or will we take the coward's way out?
"Whosoever
therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess
also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever
shall deny me
before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in
heaven
Think not that
I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send
peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at
variance against his
father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter
in law
against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they
of his own
household. He that loveth
father or mother more than me is not
worthy
of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more
than me is
not
worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth
after
me, is not worthy of me." (Matthew
10: 32-38)
I believe that into
every life there comes at least one monumental moment; a moment at which a
choice is made that will forever change the direction of life. One moment when the testing of character will determine courage or
cowardice. One appointed moment that affects an eternity.
This book is based on the
truths in God's Holy Bible. My opinions are of no consequence, but
God's words are life changing and soul saving! I believe that God waits
patiently as we approach our monumental moments; moments in which we must
choose courage or cowardice; eternal life or a comfortable life.
Chapter
2
Common Ground
Would you, without question, believe a friend who told you that eating green,
leafy lettuce is unhealthy for your body? Would you
believe it if your mother or a religious leader told you the same thing?
I would certainly hope that before you simply quit eating lettuce, you would do
a little research. Just because you love and respect your friend, your
mother and your leader, doesn't mean they couldn't be wrong. Many people
have based their acceptance or lack of acceptance of the Bible on the beliefs
of their parents, friends, or leaders, without checking out the facts.
I know that you believe the Bible to be the word of God--as far as it is
translated correctly. It is part of the "standard works" of the Mormon
Church. Christians believe the Bible to be the undisputed word of
God. I decided a few years ago to research the Bible. Just how much
of it could I believe? Were there parts that hadn't been translated or
transmitted correctly? If so, which parts? What I found was
absolutely incredible! Let me share just a few things I have learned
about our common book of scripture.
The Bible is unique in so many ways. Its theme and purpose are consistent
from Genesis to Revelations. This is quite remarkable when you consider
that the Bible was written over a 1500-year span (1400 B.C. -- 100 A.D), by 40
different men, on three continents (Europe, Asia,
The circulation and translation of the Bible are unique. This book has
been read by more people and published in more languages than any other
book. It was the first book translated, and has been translated and
retranslated more than any other book in existence. Currently, the Bible
has been translated into more than 2,200 languages!
The Bible is unique in its survival. The Jewish people preserved these
manuscripts as no other. Only certain special classes of men in their
culture were allowed to preserve and transmit these documents. These men
were expected to do so with perfection. They actually counted the
letters, syllables, words and paragraphs to make certain they had copied
everything correctly! In comparison with other ancient writings, there is
by far more manuscript evidence for the Bible than for any other piece of
classical literature. For example, there are over 24,000 manuscripts in
existence today which show how accurately the New Testament has been
transmitted--copied and recopied down through the ages. Scholars list the
accuracy of the New Testament at 98 -- 99%. The book with the next
greatest number of manuscript evidences is Homer's "Iliad", with fewer than 650
Greek manuscripts.
The problem with the Old Testament was that before 1947, the oldest complete
extant (existing) Hebrew manuscript was dated at around 900 A.D. Many
changes could have occurred during this period of time. However, with the
discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, manuscripts were found which
scholars dated at before the time of Christ. In fact, every book of the
Old Testament has been found within the Dead Sea Scrolls except the book of
Esther. Scholar after scholar has stated that the manuscripts they have
studied show that the standard Hebrew Bible we have today lines up within 95%
to these ancient manuscript writings. The variations they found consisted
of slips of the pen and variations in spelling. What does this mean? It
means that the Old Testament we have today is the same Old Testament that Jesus
quoted from. If there had been errors in it, wouldn't He have fixed them
instead of quoting from them?
The Bible is unique in its prophecies. It is the only book in which is
found a large number of prophecies relating to individual nations, to
Archaeology has shown the Bible's history and geography to be accurate.
This book is absolutely incredible! Archaeological artifacts have never
contradicted any statement in the Bible. Not only do we have all the above
evidences (and more) for the reliability of the Bible, but we have God's
promises to preserve His word:
Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:
but the word of
our God shall stand for ever."
Matthew 5:18
"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one
jot or one tittle
shall in no wise pass from the law, till all
be fulfilled."
Matthew 16:18
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and
upon
this rock I will build my church; and the gates
of hell
shall not prevail against it."
Matthew 24:35
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall
not pass away."
Luke 16:17 "And it is easier
for heaven and earth to pass, than one
tittle of the law to
fail."
1 Peter
1:25
"But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
And this
is the word which by the gospel is preached unto
you."
In summary, the Bible has not been mistranslated (from one language to another)
or transmitted incorrectly (taking a document from one time period to
another). All the evidences prove quite the opposite. Dr. Gleason
Archer, in his book, "Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties," has stated:
"There is a good and sufficient answer in Scripture itself to refute every
charge
that has ever been leveled against it. But this
is only to be expected from the
kind of book the Bible asserts itself to be, the inscripturation of the infallible, inerrant Word of the
Living God."
People I have encountered who
claim the Bible has not been correctly
translated, and is, therefore, full of errors, simply have not done their
research. They have relied upon statements made by others, instead of
checking out the facts. My experience has been that people who claim the
Bible to be full of contradictions are:
a) not familiar with the Bible or historical
Christianity.
b) taking
scriptures out of context.
c) exaggerating or distorting the facts.
d) mixing the doctrines of men with holy scripture.
e) failing to recognize figurative language contained
in the Bible.
f) lacking a knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek
languages, from which the
Bible was translated.
g) trying to make the Word of God fit into their
perception of truth, which may
be at odds with God's truth.
I don't expect you to just
believe me, so I will list a few resources which will help you in your
research. It will amaze you at how astounding God has been in preserving
His word for us--His truth. There are so many people in this world
believing and promoting various beliefs about God which contradict biblical
teachings. We have God's authenticated, proven word in the Bible, and it is our
obligation, once we know how reliable it is, to hold all other beliefs and
opinions up to its truth; otherwise we may be contentedly sitting in our lovely
homes, unable to see that our house is truly on fire.
RESOURCES:
Gleason L.
Archer, "The Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties". (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982)
Paul
Barnett, "Is the New Testament History?" (Ann Arbor, Mich.: Vine, 1986)
Craig Blomberg, "The Historical Reliability of the Gospels".
(Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1987)
F. F. Bruce,
"The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?" (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1960)
Jack Finegan, "The Archaeology of the New Testament"
(Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press, 1992)
Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix, "A General Introduction to the
Bible" (1968; reprint,
Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe,
"When Critics Ask" (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor, 1992).
Frederic
Kenyon, "Handbook to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament" (New
York: Macmillan, 1912)
Josh
McDowell, "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" (1972; reprint,
Josh
McDowell, "The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict" (1999;
Bruce M.
Metzger, "The Canon of the New Testament" (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1988)
J. A.
Thompson, "The Bible and Archaeology".
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975)
Chapter
3
Fires
Fires can destroy lives--physically or
spiritually. A spiritual fire begins when a man or woman decides that the word
of God needs some revision. The flames of this fire represent the flames
of Hell which lull people into a false sense of security as they follow leaders
who have twisted and distorted biblical truths. Historically, many people
have added to or subtracted from the Bible in order to promote their own ideas
and agendas. Religious cults begin this way; a self-proclaimed leader distorts
the teachings of historical Christianity and sets himself up as the ultimate
authority on God. Many people who join cult groups are highly intelligent
and would never consider themselves to be cultists. Cult leaders are
powerful and deceptive. They are masters at manipulating their followers
through the use of mind control techniques; techniques which distort truth and
turn a leader's twisted perception into reality for an entire group of people.
Sun Myung Moon (The Unification Church), Marshall Herff Applewhite and Bonnie Lu
Trousdale (Heaven's Gate), David Koresh, Jeffrey
Lundgren, and Jim Jones are examples of cult leaders. Each one turned
away from biblical Christianity and began a cult group based on personal
interpretation of scripture. Each one claimed to have had divine
revelations or visions. Each one used behavior, information, thought, and
emotional control to govern their followers.
Behavior
Control. Cults have a rigid schedule for their
members. Free time is restricted because of the demands put upon their
people. Activities and fellowship revolve around the cult group, thus
isolating their followers. Individualism in thought, behavior, dress, etc. is
discouraged. The leader does the thinking for them. There is a chain of
command, and obedience to the leader is top priority; his word is followed
without question. Doubting or questioning is discouraged or even
punished. Cult leaders set many strict rules for their followers, yet the
leaders view themselves as above the laws and rules of society as well as those
they set for their followers. These groups are usually preoccupied with
recruiting new members and/or making money.
Information Control. Cult members are
told that the majority of their reading should be cult-related. They are
not to read or study anything which is critical of their leader or beliefs.
Members spy on each other and report infractions or negative comments made
about the cult leader. Members are told not to associate with ex-members
or critics. By controlling information, cult leaders disable people from
finding out the truth about the cult or the leader. Denying information keeps
members from making sound judgments. New recruits are told general
information which attracts them to the cult, but the insider doctrines are
unveiled gradually as a person gets more deeply involved in the cult and less likely
to break away.
Thought
Control. Cultists have been taught that any information
given to them which is critical of their doctrines or leaders,
is simply an attack on the cult. They are trained to automatically
disbelieve any criticism, no matter how reliable the source. Members are taught
techniques which keep them from entertaining or thinking about anything
negative in regard to the cult or their leader. Since the cult doctrine
and leaders are promoted as perfect, any problem that arises is assumed to be
the fault of the cult member. The cultist learns to blame himself and work harder. Thought control effectively
blocks out any feelings that are not in harmony with the group doctrine.
Emotional Control. Members are told that they
are an elitist group and yet at the same time, the cult leader uses guilt and
fear as effective tools to keep his followers under control. Happiness
consists in suffering for a cause, following a leader, recruiting new members,
and status within the cult. Loyalty and devotion are the most highly
respected emotions of all. Cultists are not allowed to feel or express
negative emotions except toward outsiders. Members are taught that they
should not be concerned for their own needs, but always think of the group and
never complain. Confession of past sins or wrong attitudes is a device
cult leaders use for emotional control. Guilt
and confession reinforce the insecurities of the members, while elevating the
cult leader. Cultists live with fear, guilt and shame. They feel
guilt and shame within the cult because they can never meet the standards of
perfection set for them. They fear leaving the cult because they have been
taught to fear anyone outside the cult. Cultists are told that if they leave
the group, they will be lost and defenseless, and terrible consequences will
befall them. Cultists feel that there is no security outside the group.
When anyone does decide to leave a cult, the former love they received turns to
anger, hatred or ridicule.
(To check my sources and for
further information on cults: "Combating Cult Mind Control", by Steven Hassan--international expert on cults; "Cognitive Dissonance
Theory", by Leon Festinger--psychologist; "Deception,
Dependency & Dread--The Conversion Process", by Michael D. Langone--Ph.D.; "Conditions for Thought Reform", by Margaret
T. Singers--Ph.D. Check the internet for these and other resources regarding
cults.)
Cults are easy to join, but difficult to escape. They look very
good on the outside--they may be involved with charitable work, they may promote
virtuous lifestyles, etc. Deep within the center of each cult, however,
lies a deceptive, controlling center--the cult leader-- who steals away the
minds of his members and turns them into sheep who are willing to blindly
follow his/her questionable leadership and doctrines. A cultist's
perception becomes so distorted, that he/she is unwilling to listen to anything
which contradicts the cult's beliefs; the cult leader's perception has become
the only truth.
No one wants to find out
that they have been part of a religious cult--living and promoting a twisted and
distorted Christianity. The only way to avoid being taken in or to escape, is to hold all doctrines and leaders up to God's
proven word in the Bible. If the religious leader or doctrines contradict those
in the Bible, this group cannot be considered to be Christian. The
Apostle Paul warned us about false Christs and a
false gospel that would seek to infiltrate the world.
"For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom
we have not preached, or if
ye receive another spirit, which ye have not
received, or another gospel, which ye
have not accepted, ye might well bear with him .
. . For such are false apostles,
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into
the apostles of Christ. And no
marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into
an angel of light. Therefore it
is no great thing if his ministers also be
transformed as the ministers of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." (2
Corinthians 11: 4, 13-15)
Paul is talking to the body of believers in
Cult leaders want people to believe that their salvation is dependent upon the
leader, the organization, and the level of perfection they achieve within the
cult. In contradiction to this, the Bible says:
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in
thine heart that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. For
the scripture saith, Whosoever
believeth
on him shall not be ashamed . . . For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the
Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:9-11, 13)
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting
life." (John 6:47)
"That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent
not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him
might be saved. He that believeth
on him is not condemned: but he that
believeth not is condemned already, because he
hath not believed in the name of
the only begotten Son of God. . . He that
believeth on the Son hath everlasting
life:
and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God
abideth on him."
(John 3:15-18, 36)
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting
life."
(John 6:47)
Confessing belief in Christ brings salvation. In the book of John 3:14,
15 we read:
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
man be lifted up: That whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but
have eternal life."
The Israelites were complaining against Moses when God sent serpents to afflict
them. People began dying from the bites, which caused a change in the
Israelites' attitudes. They went to Moses in a state of repentance,
asking him to intercede with God to take away the serpents. God told
Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole; anyone who was bitten
could look up at the serpent and live. God made it easy to be healed!
So it is with Christ. Many people believe salvation is something we must
work for; we must earn. Not so! It is the free gift of God.
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus
Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the
gift of God: Not of works, lest
any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8, 9)
We look in faith to Christ, admit we are sinners, repent of our sins, accept
Him as our Savior, and ask Him to be Lord of our lives. That's how simple
it is! Belief in Christ is EVERYTHING! It is the only way to gain
eternal life!
We could call many people by the name of Jesus Christ, but it wouldn't mean
they have the power to save us from our sins--as does the biblical Jesus.
A cult leader can create a different Jesus by twisting and distorting not only
who Jesus is, but what He taught. There is only one Jesus who can save.
Consider this example. You need a loan. I tell you to go talk to my
friend, Sam, who works at the local bank. However, there is more than one
Sam who works at the bank. So, I tell you that Sam was born in
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name?
and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy
name done many
wonderful
works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart
from
me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:22,23)
We may think we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and repented of our
sins, but what if the Jesus we have accepted is a false Jesus who has no power
to save us? Scary, isn't it? We could be living for and promoting a
false Jesus who cannot save us or anyone else--our house could be on fire!
The fire scares me because I know what it represents--the flames of Hell and an
eternity without God. The only thing that can extinguish this fire is the
truth. We must know and accept the one true Jesus Christ or, as the Bible
tells us, we will spend an eternity in Hell without Him. No one can live
a good enough life to be accepted into heaven on his/her own merits.
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf; and our
iniquities, like the wind, have taken us
away." (Isaiah 64:6)
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)
The only way any of us will ever make it to heaven is through the atoning blood
of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross at
The Bible tells us that there are two choices--Heaven or Hell. What will
life without God be like; life in Hell? Matthew 25:46 tells us that it
will be an everlasting punishment. Mark 9:43 describes Hell as a fire
that will never be quenched. Revelations 20:12-15 speaks of Hell as a
lake of fire. The following chart outlines biblical truths about God. Is
your house on fire, or do you have the one true God, the one true Jesus Christ
in your life who can save you?
GOD(S) OF
MORMONISM
GOD OF THE BIBLE
1.
Material (a physical body of flesh 1. Immaterial (spirit)
and
bones)
--Jeremiah 23:24
--Joseph Smith, "Journal
of
--John 4:24
Discourses", Vol. 6,
p.3
--1 Timothy 6:16
--Mormon Doctrine, p.
278
2.
Mortal (a time when He
didn't
2. Immortal (has always existed)
exist)
--Psalms 90:2
--Orson Pratt, "The Seer",
1853,
--1 Timothy 1:17
p. 132
--1 Timothy 6:16
--Mormon Doctrine, p. 321
GOD(S) OF
MORMONISM
GOD OF THE BIBLE
3.
Changeable,
Evolving
3. Immutable (doesn't change)
--Wilford Woodruff,
"Journal
--Malachi 3:6
of Discourses", Vol. 6, p. 120
--Brigham Young, "Journal of
Discourses", Vol. 11, p. 286.
4.
Physically localized (is in one place 4.
Omnipresent (many places at one time)
at a
time)
--Jeremiah 23:24
--Mormon Doctrine, p.
319
5.
Polygamous
5. Celibate
--Orson Pratt, "The Seer",
Nov.
--no mention anywhere in the Bible
1853, p. 172.
that God the Father was
married.
--Brigham Young, "Journal of
Discourses", Vol. 1, pp. 50, 51
6.
Polytheistic (thousands of Gods) 6.
Monotheistic (one God)
--Mormon Doctrine, pp. 576-577 --Isaiah
43:10-11
--Doctrine and Covenants 132:20
--Isaiah 44:6, 8
--Isaiah 45:5, 6, 14, 21
--Isaiah 46:9
--Deuteronomy 4:35, 39
--Mark 12:32
--Romans 3:29, 30
--1 Corinthians 8:4
--Ephesians 4:6
--1 Timothy 1:17
--James 2:19
7.
Tritheistic (3 Earth Gods--Father, 7.
Trinitarian (3 personages = 1 God)
Son and Holy
Ghost)
--John 14: 7, 10-11
--Mormon Doctrine, p.
319
--1 Peter 1:2 (The Father is God.)
--John 20:28 (Jesus is God)
--Acts 5:3, 4 (The Holy Spirit is God.)
--Matthew 28:19
--1 John
5:7
8.
Exalted, Saved
Man
8. Eternal Diety
--Joseph Smith, "Journal
of
--Numbers 23:19
Discourses", Vol. 5, p.3
--Hosea 11:9
--Mormon Doctrine, pp. 321, 742 --Romans
1:22-23
GOD(S) OF
MORMONISM
GOD OF THE BIBLE
9.
Eternally Progressing in
Certain 9. Eternally Immutable in All
Attributes
Characteristics
--Wilford Woodruff, "Journal of
--Malachi 3:6
Discourses", Vol. 6, p.120
--Brigham Young, "Journal of
Discourses", Vol. 11, p. 286
10.
Feminine Counterpart
(heavenly 10. No Feminine
Counterpart
mother)
--no mention anywhere in the Bible
--Mormon Doctrine, p.
516
of a feminine
counterpart
11.
Adam, Once Considered
God
11. Adam, A Creation of God
--Brigham Young, "Journal
of
--Genesis 1:26, 27
Discourses", Vol. 1, pgs. 50,
51
12.
Jesus, Begotten by Elohim's
12. Jesus Begotten Supernaturally
Physical Intercourse with
Mary
by the Holy Spirit
--Brigham Young, "Journal
of
--Matthew 1:20
Discourses",
Vol. 8, p. 115
--Mormon Doctrine, pgs. 546,
547
13.
Polygamist Jesus--Probably
13. Jesus Celibate
Married to Martha and
Mary
--no mention anywhere in the Bible
Magdalene
that Jesus was
married
--Orson Hyde, "Journal of
Discourses",
Vol. 2, p. 210
--Brigham Young, "Journal of
Discourses",
Vol. 11, p. 328
--Orson Pratt, "The Seer",
Nov.
1853, p. 172.
14. Jesus Christ--Firstborn spirit
14. Jesus--Has always existed as God
child of Heavenly Father.
Brother
--John 1:1
of Lucifer. Brother of all
mankind.
Lucifer was an angel, not a brother
Existed with mankind in a
pre-existent --Ezekiel
28:13, 14, 15
state.
Mankind is a creation of God, not
--Mormon Doctrine, pgs. 129,
192,
brothers or sisters.
193
--Genesis
1:26, 27
Did not live in a pre-existent state
with man--mankind did not exist
spiritually first.
--1 Corinthians 15:46, 49
*The
The
above chart explains why devout Christians do not accept Mormons as
Christians. Christians are followers of Jesus Christ--the Jesus of the
Bible. Mormons have been taught to trust in a different Jesus. Our
Jesus' are both born in
Chapter
4
Testimonies
Perhaps you feel that differing Jesus' don't matter because you have a
testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true
church; that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God; and that the Book of Mormon is
the word of God. Let's talk about testimonies. According to my
dictionary a testimony is a declaration of faith, but it is also evidence in
support of a fact or statement. When you tell me that the LDS church is
the only true church, that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of
Mormon is the word of God--you need to be able to provide some kind of evidence
that what you are saying is indeed true. If you claim to know these
things are true because of a "burning in your bosom", or because you simply
know in your heart, that is insufficient proof. Let me explain.
God's truth can be proven. The Bible has been proven to be accurate
historically, prophetically, archaeologically, etc. The reliability of
biblical testimony has withstood many tests and will continue to do so.
In a court of law, a witnesses' testimony has to be corroborated through
evidence in order for that testimony to be viewed as reliable. In order
for me to view your testimony as reliable, the facts must bear it out to be
such. You see, I have a testimony too. My testimony may be quite
the opposite of yours. A Moslem may have a testimony that Allah is the
one true God, that Mohammed was a true prophet and that the Koran is the word
of God. Who can judge then, which testimony should be believed? We
have to hold up a testimony to the already established truth in God's
word. If a testimony contradicts the word of God, it is a feeling-guided
testimony based on misinformation and emotions.
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can
know it?"
(Jeremiah 17:9)
"He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool:
but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be
delivered." (Proverbs 28:26)
God knows that we can be deceived by
feelings. Satan can indeed create feelings in us; positive and
negative. There is only one sure way to know if a feeling is from God or
Satan--what
does the word of God say about it? Satan is a master deceiver, and if we
live our lives thinking that if we "feel good" about something then it must be
right, we will make a lot of bad choices. If "feeling good" is the
ultimate measure of truth, then we might as well throw out God's word and
believe everyone and everything we hear. If Satan can cause us to feel
angry and frustrated, why couldn't he also bring a false sense of happiness and
contentment in order to keep us from progressing or learning too much?
Using God's
word, we can discern if the following testimony may be viewed as
reliable: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only
true church, Joseph Smith was a prophet, and the Book of Mormon is the word of
God.
Chapter
5
The
Only True Church
A. The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the Only True Church
First of all, let's research the word "church". The New Testament--wherein
the word "church" is found--was translated into English from Greek. The Greek
word for "church" is Ekklesia; Ek
meaning "out" and kaleo meaning "to call". The
"church" therefore, is the people who are called out as believers in
Christ. The "church" is the body of believers, not an institution or
organization. The Mormon church teaches that
unless a church is specifically called "The Church of Jesus Christ", it can't
be the true church. Other requisites include that the true church must
have the same organization (apostles and prophets), as did Christ's original
church (see Mormon Doctrine, p. 139). Let's see how the apostle Paul
addressed the "church" in his letters to them.
1 Corinthians 1:1, 2
"Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the
will of God, and Sosthenes
our brother, Unto the
to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to
be saints, with all that in every
place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both
theirs and ours:"
2 Corinthians 1:1
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and
Timothy
our brother, unto the
which are in all Achaia:"
Ephesians 1:1
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints
which are at
Philippians 1:1
"Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to
all the
saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, . . ."
Colossians 1:1, 2
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and
Timotheus our brother, To the
saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at
Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus
Christ."
1 Thessalonians 1:1
"Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus,
unto the church of
the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in
the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be
unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord
Jesus Christ."
2 Thessalonians 1:1
"Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus,
unto the church of
the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ."
The apostle Paul did not use a specific name to address the "church".
Christ's "church" is the body of believers, not a specific organization.
Paul was concerned, however, with making certain that the gospel was being
taught accurately. The name of a church will not tell you if it is a true
Christian church, but the teachings taught therein will identify it
quickly. If the Mormon church is a true
Christian church, then it must strictly follow the biblical teachings of
Christ--the Christ of the Bible. If the Mormon church
is indeed the only true church, that must mean that all other churches are
false--even those based on biblical truths. If the Bible is true, and
there are churches which teach strictly from the Bible, how can these churches
then be false? Is it their organization?
The Mormon church teaches that Christ's "church" had
the same officers and organization as the Mormon church has today. Let's
check it out, using the Bible as our accurate and reliable source of
truth. Nowhere in the Bible do we see the following offices which the
Mormon church has within its organization: the
quorum of the First Presidency, Assistants to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles,
the first seven Presidents of the Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric.
Apostles: There was only one man chosen to fill the vacancy in the
original twelve apostles from which Judas fell. In Acts 1:21-23 we can
see there were certain qualifications that an apostle had to meet. One
called as an apostle must have accompanied Jesus and have been a witness of his
resurrection (Acts 1:21-26; 5:32; Luke 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:8).
Paul claimed that he was the last person to see the risen Christ and to receive
an apostolic calling (1 Corinthians 15:8). Now consider for a moment, the
building of a house. A house needs a solid foundation. Once a
foundation is built, there is no need to build another foundation. The
house is built from the one foundation up. Ephesians 2:20 says, "And are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;" The scripture doesn't
say, "built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, .
. ." This scripture tells us that Christ's church is built upon the
foundation (singular foundation) of the apostles (singular
group). This foundation never needed to be rebuilt because the Bible
tells us in Matthew 16:18:
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my church; and the gates of
hell
shall not prevail
against it."
In order for
Christ's church to have been taken off the earth (making a second foundation of
apostles necessary), the gates of Hell would have had to prevail, making God a
liar.
Prophets: "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until
John." (Matthew 11:13)
"The law and the prophets were until John: since that time
the
preached, and every man presseth into it."
(Luke 16:16)
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake
in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom
also he made the worlds;" (Hebrews 1:1-2)
These scriptures indicate that there was not a designated "prophet" after John
the Baptist. There have been men and women who have been given the gift
of prophecy since that time (Acts 13:1, Acts 15:32, Acts 21:10-11, Acts 21:9,
Acts 2:16-18). The calling as prophet--spokesman for God--is different
than the gift of prophecy. In the past, God spoke through a
prophet. Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us that now God speaks through His Son,
Jesus Christ. The Mormon church has a "prophet"
when the word of God tells us we no longer need one.
High Priests. The duty of the Jewish High
Priest was to offer sacrifices for sins. (Hebrews 5:1) Leviticus 8 tells
how these sacrifices were to be made for sin, and how Aaron and his sons were
called and consecrated as High Priests. The Mormon High Priests do not follow
this biblical pattern. Hebrews 7 tells us that Christ was the last
High Priest and continues as High Priest forever--there is no need for
others to be ordained. Christ offered a sacrifice for sin once for all
when he offered up Himself. Why would we continue to need a High Priest
when Christ made the last, ultimate sacrifice for sin?
Seventies. "After these things the Lord
appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into
every city and place, whither he himself would come." (Luke 10:1) This
scripture speaks of a time when Christ sent out seventy witnesses or
missionaries. There is nothing in the New Testament to indicate
this is an office of the priesthood, or that this was
ever repeated.
Elders. Titus 1:5-6 gives the
qualifications for an elder: "For this cause left I thee in
Patriarch or Evangelist. In the Mormon church, the patriarch gives blessings to members of the
church. He seals blessings upon them and pronounces their lineage.
However, there is nothing in the New Testament about the need of a
Patriarch. There is nothing that indicates that an evangelist is
another term for Patriarch. Evangelists are preachers of God's word (2
Timothy 4:2-5).
Bishops: "For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God;
not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no
striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good
men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath
been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to
convince the gainsayers." (Titus 1:7-9) See also1 Timothy 3:1-7 for
qualifications of a Bishop.
Priests: The New Testament does not list the office of
priest as part of the church. And yet, young Mormon men, aged 16,
qualify for this "office". Priests were no longer needed after Christ
became the last, ultimate sacrifice.
Teachers. The Mormon church
ordains boys at the age of 14 to be teachers. The New Testament speaks of
teachers: "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many
witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be
able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2)
Deacons. Mormon boys as young as 12 years
old are ordained as deacons. "Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy
lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let
these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being
found blameless ". . . Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife,
ruling their children and their own houses well." (1 Timothy 3:8-10, 12) Twelve year old boys are not
normally husbands and fathers.
Pastors. Ephesians 4:11 speaks of
pastors. The Mormon church does not have
any pastors. Instead they claim that a pastor is the same as a
bishop even though the Bible lists them separately.
Regarding the above "offices", I have found the following information: Brigham
Young didn't believe that boys should be Deacons (Journal of
Discourses, Vol. 2, p. 89); Brigham Young ordained his owns sons to be
Apostles when they were 18 and 11 years old ("Church Chronology",
Compiled by Andrew Jenson, Assistant Church Historian, Salt Lake City, 1899, p.
xxvii); Heber C. Kimball, First Counselor to Brigham Young,
ordained his boy a High Priest when he was only about 6 years old
(Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, pp. 370-372).
The Mormon priesthood and its offices have changed repeatedly over time.
If you want to do your own research, there is a fascinating book filled with
excellent and accurate documentation. The title is: "The Mormon
Hierarchy--Origins of Power" by D. Michael Quinn (Ph.D. from
There is nothing biblical about the Mormon priesthood. When Christ
shed His blood, making an atonement once and for all,
the Aaronic Priesthood was no longer needed (Hebrews
7-10). The whole purpose of the Aaronic Priesthood
was to act as mediator between the people and God in regard to sin. These were
the men who offered up the animal sacrifices for the people, which sacrifices
acted as a covering for sin. Christ was the last, ultimate sacrifice for
sin. Secondly, in order for a man to hold the Aaronic
Priesthood, he would have to be a Jew who was a literal descendant of Aaron--of
the Tribe of Levi (Hebrews 7:5; Exodus 28:1, 29:9,44; 31:10; Numbers
3:1-10). Jesus did not meet this qualification, and yet every Mormon male
does?
The Melchizedek priesthood could never have been given to Joseph Smith
because Christ alone holds it forever (Hebrews 7). The
Melchizedek priesthood can only be held by one person at a time. This
priesthood is a saving office that only Christ could hold. There is no
mention anywhere in the New Testament of believers having the Aaronic or Melchizedek priesthoods conferred upon them.
Just because a church uses the name of Jesus Christ in its
title, does not make it Christ's one true church. The "church" is
the body of believers who are following Christ, not an organization or
institution. For the "church" to be true, the people must be learning and
teaching true principles as set forth in the Bible. Distorting "offices"
or "priesthoods" from those in the Bible would indicate that a "church" is not
following Christ, but promoting the views of its leader.
Chapter
6
Prophet
B. Joseph Smith was a
Prophet
If I were to call myself a prophet and tell you that I had seen visions and
knew that I was to start a new church, God's one true church--would you simply
believe me? I hope not. We need to investigate before simply
believing any self-proclaimed prophet. God has given us ways to determine
whether or not someone is truly a prophet of God. In Deuteronomy 18:20-22
we are told about one of these ways:
"But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have
not
commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the
name of other gods, even that
prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which
the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if
the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the
thing which the Lord hath not
spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not be afraid
of
him."
If I am going to presume to speak for God, to be His prophet, then every single
one of my prophecies must come to pass. If I am wrong about even one of
them, I am a false prophet. If we are to believe the testimony that
Joseph Smith was a prophet, then we need to check his prophecies for
accuracy--100% accuracy.
Joseph Smith wrote a letter to N.E. Seaton, on January 4, 1833. He
stated: "And now I am prepared to say, by the authority of Jesus
Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall
present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the history of our
nation; pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake will sweep the wicked of
this generation from off the face of the land, to open and prepare the way
for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country . . . flee
to Zion, before the overflowing scourge overtake you, for there are those
now living upon the earth whose eyes shall not be closed in death until they
see all these things, which I have spoken, fulfilled." (History of the
Church, Vol. 1, pp. 315-316) This never happened.
"Verily this is
the word of the Lord, that
the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning
at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in
this generation. For verily this generation shall not all pass away until
an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall
be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house. (Doctrine &
Covenants 84:4-5) This revelation was given in September of
1832. It has now been over 170 years since Joseph Smith prophesied that
the temple would be built in "this generation" in the western boundaries of the
state of
In 1835, Joseph
Smith prophesied that the second coming of Jesus Christ was near, and that 56
years would wind up the scene. (History of the Church, Vol. 2, p. 182)
(See also: Journal of Oliver B. Huntington, Vol. 2, pp. 128-129)
If this had been a true prophecy, Christ would have returned in the year 1891.
In 1829, when the
Book of Mormon was being printed, more money was needed to finish it.
Joseph Smith and other church leaders had been waiting on Martin Harris to sell
his farm to raise the money needed. After some time, Hyrum Smith and
others became impatient and wanted to raise the money another way. Hyrum
said it had been suggested that some of the brethren go to
B.H. Roberts (noted LDS Church Historian) has stated, trying to justify the
above revelation:
"The revelation respecting the Toronto journey was not of God, surely; else
it would not have failed; but the Prophet, overwrought in his deep
anxiety for the progress of the work, saw reflected in the ‘Seer Stone' his
own thought, or that suggested to him by his brother Hyrum, rather than
the thought of God . . . in this instance of the Toronto journey, Joseph
was evidently not directed by the inspiration of the Lord." (A
Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol. 1, pp. 164-165) There is no
way to justify this "mistake" being made by a man claiming to be a prophet of
God.
"I will say here,
that I could tell you other false revelations that came through Brother Joseph
as mouthpiece, (not through the stone) but this will suffice. Many of
Brother Joseph's revelations were never printed. The revelation to go to
On October 15, 1843, Joseph Smith stated: "I prophesy, in the name of
the Lord God of
Joseph Smith made at
least 53 false prophecies of which I am aware. For a list of these prophecies,
write to:
H.I.S. Ministeries International
Or, you may access this information at www.hismin.com/53FlsPro.htm. Check
out the references for yourself. There is no way of escaping the fact
that Joseph Smith made many false prophecies.
Matthew 7:15, 16 tells us of another way to discern a true prophet from a false
prophet:
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their
fruits. . ."
The fruits of an apple tree are apples, not pears. The fruits of Christ
"tree" would reflect the teachings of Christ. The fruits of an evil tree
would distort the teachings of Christ. God would never command a prophet
to speak in opposition to His established word; to contradict His holy
scriptures.
In chapter three, we see that biblical teachings about the nature of God have
been drastically changed by Joseph Smith. The God of the Bible is not the
God of Mormonism--Gordon B. Hinckley admitted the same. Listed below is
one of many other examples wherein Joseph Smith's church is in contradiction to
biblical teachings.
Genealogy: The Mormon church has spent
millions of dollars maintaining one of the world's greatest genealogical
societies. There are hundreds of millions of names and data about people
who have lived in the past which are available for study. The reason for
this genealogy, is so that work can be done for the
dead in Mormon temples--baptisms, endowments, sealings.
Mormons believe that 1 Corinthians 15:29 promotes baptism for the dead as a
biblical teaching. The apostle Paul said:
"Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies,
which minister questions,
rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so
do." (1Timothy 1:4)
"But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings
about
the law, for they are unprofitable and vain." (Titus
3:9)
"None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom
for
him: (For the redemption of their soul is
precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) (Psalms
49:7, 8)
The Bible tells us that genealogies are pointless, and that no one can do
redemptive work for another person. The scripture in 1 Corinthians 15:29
says, "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead
rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?"
Throughout 1 Corinthians, Paul refers to the Corinthian believers and himself
using first-person pronouns ("we", "ye", "I").
But when he comes to 1 Corinthians 15:29--the verse dealing with baptism for the
dead--Paul switches to the third person pronoun ("they"). Paul is
referring to people other than Christians in
If you found out that a good friend had been lying to you and other people for
years, do you think it would be wise for you to disregard those lies and
promote this friend of yours as trustworthy to yourself and others? There
are no examples in the Bible where God tells one of His prophets that it is
permissible to lie. God's prophets do not lie about His truths. In
this regard, we must ask, "Did Joseph Smith ever lie about what he claimed were
God's truths?
In the beginning, the Mormon Church did not believe in
plural marriage. In the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants,
printed in 1835, section 101:4 states:
" . . . Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of
fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have
one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death, when either
is at liberty to marry again."
However, even before this 1835 statement, Joseph had already married one plural
wife, Fanny Alger. At the time Joseph Smith recorded the revelation on
plural marriage, in 1843, he had twenty-eight plural wives. There could
possibly have been more. The data shows that 33% of Joseph Smith's wives
were teenagers--14 to 20 years old. Another 27% were 21 to 30 years
old. In Joseph Smith's peer group, ages 31 to 40, the percentage was
24%. Only 6% were ages 41-50, and 9% were ages 51-60.
Eighteen of Joseph's wives (55%) were single when he married them and had never
been married previously. Another four (12%) were widows. The
remaining eleven women (33%) were married to other husbands with whom they were
living, when Joseph Smith married them. All together, before Joseph Smith
died, there is documentation that shows he was married to at least thirty-three
women besides Emma.
In the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, printed in 1835, section
101:4 states: "All legal contracts of marriage made before a person is
baptized into this church, should be held sacred and fulfilled . . ." Joseph Smith was not following his own doctrine.
Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants today states that
the revelation on plural marriage was recorded on July 12, 1843.
But, before 1890 it read "given" July 12, 1843. Joseph F. Smith
(Journal of Discourses Vol. 20, p. 29 in 1878), in order to justify the fact
that Joseph Smith had already married many plural wives before this revelation
came out said:
"To put this matter more correctly before you, I here declare that the
principle of plural marriage was not first revealed on the 12th day
of July, 1843. It was written for the first time on that date, but it had
been revealed to the Prophet many years before that, perhaps as early as 1832."
Regardless of the above statement, the fact is that the following statements by
Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith were given at the same time plural marriage was
being practiced:
"But, for the information of those who may be assailed by those foolish tales
about two wives, we would say that no such principle ever existed among the
Latter-Day Saints, and never will; this is well known to all who are
acquainted with our books and actions, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine &
Covenants; and also all our periodicals are very strict and explicit on that
subject, indeed far more so than the bible." (Joseph Smith, Millennial
Star, Vol. 3, p. 74 in 1842)
"All legal contracts of marriage made before a person is baptized into this
church, should be held sacred and fulfilled. Inasmuch as this church of
Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we
declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but
one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry
again." (Joseph Smith, "Times & Seasons",, Vol. 3, p. 909 in
1842)
". . .Whereas brother Richard Hewitt has called on me
to-day, to know my views concerning some doctrines that are preached in your place,
and states to me that some of your elders say, that a man having a certain
priesthood, may have as many wives as he pleases, and that doctrine is taught
here: I say unto you that that man teaches false doctrine, for there is no
such doctrine taught here; neither is there any such thing practiced here.
And any man that is found teaching privately or publicly any such doctrine, is
culpable, and will stand a chance to be brought before the High Council, and
lose his license and membership also; therefore he had better beware
what he is about." (Hyrum Smith, "Times & Seasons", Vol. 5, p. 474 in
1844)
"As we have lately been credibly informed, that an Elder of
the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints, by the name of Hiram Brown, has
been preaching Polygamy, and other false and corrupt doctrines, in the
"This is to notify him and the Church in general, that he has been cut off
from the church, for his iniquity; and he is further notified to appear at
the Special Conference, on the 6th of April next, to make answer to
these charges." (Joseph Smith, "Times & Seasons", Vol. 5, p. 423 in
1844)
Despite Joseph F. Smith's reasoning, Joseph Smith was lying to the public about
Polygamy, which he later called the "most Holy Principle." This fact
alone would disqualify Joseph as being a true prophet because true prophets
would never lie about God's doctrines of salvation. For more information
on this topic:
"In Sacred Loneliness The
Plural Wives of Joseph Smith"
--Todd Compton/Signature Books,
(Todd
Compton, Ph.D., among other noteworthy achievements, is the recipient of a Best
Article Award from the Mormon History Association.)
If a prophet of God translated ancient writings from one language into another,
claiming that he did so with the power of God, wouldn't you assume that the
translation would be correct? Let's examine Joseph Smith's ability to translate
"The Book of Abraham."
On July 4, 1835, Michael H. Chandler was in
". . . with W. W. Phelps and Oliver Cowdery as
scribes, I [Joseph Smith] commenced the translation of some of the characters
or hieroglyphics, and much to our joy found that one of the rolls contained the
writings of Abraham, another the writings of Joseph of Egypt, etc.--a more full
account of which will appear in its place, as I proceed to examine or unfold
them. Truly we can say, the Lord is beginning to
reveal the abundance of peace and truth." (History of the Church, Vol. 2,
p. 236)
Along with the translation of the papyri, Joseph Smith also prepared an
alphabet and grammar of the Egyptian language. The Saints felt that if
Joseph Smith could decipher Egyptian characters from the papyri, it was further
evidence that he was a prophet of God.
As the translation of the Book of Abraham papyrus continued, its contents began
to justify the newer doctrines that Joseph Smith had recently introduced into
the church, such as: eternal progression, plurality of Gods, the pre-existence
of spirits, and priesthood authority.
Up until the year 1799, when the Rosetta Stone was
discovered, Egyptian hieroglyphics could not be understood. After many
years of dedicated work on the Rosetta Stone, scholars
were able to decipher Egyptian. In Joseph Smith's day, however, very few
people in the world had any understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Although the Saints had no one to check the authenticity of the translation,
they believed that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and could truly decipher
this ancient language.
When the Saints left Nauvoo after the death of Joseph Smith, and headed for the
The facsimiles and Joseph Smith's accompanying explanations were printed in the
Pearl of Great Price and many copies made their way to
In 1880, the Book of Abraham was officially recognized as scripture. In
1912, Rt. Reverend Franklin S. Spaulding, Episcopal Bishop of Utah, sent copies
of the facsimiles from the Book of Abraham to leading scholars of Egyptology,
asking them for an assessment of the interpretations. The eight Egyptologists
and Semitists who responded were in agreement as to the interpretations.
The following are a few of these scholars' names and comments:
Dr. Arthur Mace,
"Joseph
Smith's interpretation of these cuts is a farrago of nonsense from beginning to
end," and he added that "five minutes study in an Egyptian gallery of any museum
should be enough to convince any educated man of the clumsiness of the
imposture;"
Dr. A. H. Sayce,
". . .
difficult to deal seriously with Smith's impudent fraud," he wrote.
"Smith has turned the Goddess into a king and Osiris
into Abraham."
James H. Breasted, Ph.D.,
". . . very
clearly demonstrates that he (Joseph Smith) was totally unaquainted
with the significance of these documents and absolutely ignorant of the simplest
facts of Egyptian Writing and civilization."
W. M. Flinders Petrie,
". . . the attempts to guess a meaning are too absurd to be noticed.
It may be safely said that there is not one single word that is true in these
explanations."
Church spokesmen charged the scholars with using erroneous
criteria; faulty methods, and questionable motives. Mormon writer John
Henry Evans said that the only way scholars could accurately test Joseph
Smith's ability to translate Egyptian would be to examine the original papyrus,
or a copy of it, from which the Book of Abraham was translated (Improvement
Era, Vol. 16, February 1913, p. 343).
In 1966, Dr. Aziz S. Atiya,
a professor of Arabic Studies from the University of Utah found the Joseph
Smith papyri in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. On November 27,
1967, the Salt Lake City Deseret News announced:
"NEW YORK--A collection of pa[p]yrus manuscripts, long
believed to have been destroyed in the Chicago fire of 1871 was presented to The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints here Monday by the Metropolitan
Museum of Art . . ."
"Included in the papyri is a manuscript identified as the original document from
which Joseph Smith had copied the drawing which he called ‘Facsimile No. 1' and
published with the Book of Abraham."
Members of the Mormon church were very excited.
There was no doubt as to the authenticity of the papyri. The reverse
sides of the paper to which the papyri had been glued, contained, among other
things, drawings of a temple and maps of the Kirtland,
Dr. Sperry and Dr. Clark from BYU recommended a professional be consulted to
work on the papyri. LDS leaders were not comfortable with having a
non-Mormon doing the translation. Dr. Hugh Nibley
of BYU was given the job of studying and translating the papyri. Nibley knew he was not a qualified Egyptologist. Nibley asked Dee Jay Nelson, a Mormon elder who had been
involved in the study of Egyptology for 20 years, to help him. In January
1968, they began to examine the original papyri and the papyri photographs.
As he was translating, Nelson discovered something which disturbed him greatly;
not only did the papyri (including facsimile no. 1 and the small sensen fragment) NOT contain the Book of Abraham, but there
was no connection at all between their contents and Abraham. They were
ordinary Egyptian funeral documents. Nelson sent the results of his work
to the
When the Church refused to publish his work, Nelson submitted it for
publication elsewhere. At this time, the editors of "Dialogue: A
Journal of Mormon Thought", decided to get a number of renowned Egyptologists
to give their interpretations of the Joseph Smith papyri.
Dr. John A. Wilson (
Dr. Klaus Baer (
Egyptologists have dated the papyri at after 500 B.C.,
fifteen-hundred years or more later than Abraham's
time. (John A. Wilson in "Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought", Summer
1968, p. 70)
Thomas Stuart Ferguson, was a stalwart defender of the
Mormon faith. He established the New World Archaeological Foundation at BYU,
wrote "One Fold and One Shepherd", and co-authored the book "Ancient America
and the Book of Mormon". Ferguson stated in a letter he wrote dated March 10,
1971: ". . .Since 4 scholars, who have established that they can read
Egyptian, say that the manuscripts deal with neither Abraham nor Joseph--and
since the 4 reputable men tell us exactly what the
manuscripts do say--I must conclude that Joseph Smith had not the remotest
skill in things Egyptian--hieroglyphics. To my surprise, one of the highest
officials in the Mormon Church agreed with that conclusion when I made that
very statement to him on Dec. 4, 1970--privately in one-to-one [c]onversation . . . ."
Mormon writer, Klaus Hansen remarked: "To a professional historian, for
example, the recent translation of the Joseph Smith papyri may well represent
the potentially most damaging case against Mormonism since its foundation . .
." (Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Summer 1970, p. 110)
Another document related to the Book of Abraham was Joseph Smith's "Grammar and
Alphabet of the Egyptian Language". It had been brought from Nauvoo and
had been in the Church Historian's fireproof vault in
What would you think of a man who claimed he was superior to Christ?
Would God call a man like this to be a prophet? The following statement
was made by Joseph Smith:
"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." (History of the Church, Vol. 6,
pp. 408, 409)
Prophets of God do not give false prophecies, promote non-biblical teachings,
lie about sacred doctrines, mistranslate ancient writings, and think they are
superior to Christ.
Chapter
7
The
Word of God
C. The Book of Mormon
is the Word of God
In order for the Book of Mormon to be considered the word of God, it should be
able to stand up to the same tests as does the Bible. Archaeology
confirms the historical accuracy and reliability of the Bible. Can the
same be said for the Book of Mormon?
For years, rumors have been circulating throughout the LDS church claiming that
archaeology backs up the Book of Mormon. The Smithsonian Institute and
the National Geographic Society reject archaeological claims made concerning
the Book of Mormon. The Smithsonian still sends out the following
statement:
1. "The Smithsonian Institution has never used the Book of Mormon in any way as
a scientific guide. Smithsonian archeologists see no direct connection
between the archeology of the
2. "The physical type of the American Indian is basically Mongoloid,
being most closely related to that of the peoples of eastern, central, and
northeastern
Anyone may request a copy of the entire statement by writing:
Public Information Officer
Dept. of Anthropology
Smithsonian Institution
The National Geographic Society stated:
". . . Neither representatives of the National
Geographic Society nor, to my knowledge, archaeologists connected with any
other institution of equal prestige have ever used the Book of Mormon in
locating historic ruins in
This statement can be verified by writing:
National Geographic Society
One of the most well-known authorities on the
"Mormon archaeologists over the years have almost unanimously accepted the Book
of Mormon as an accurate, historical account of the
whether ‘Reformed Egyptian' or ancient American, and that his
translation of the Book of Abraham is authentic. Likewise, they accept
the Kinderhook Plates as a bona fide archaeological discovery, and the reading
of them as correct. Let me now state uncategorically
that as far as I know there is not one professionally trained archaeologist, who
is not a Mormon, who sees any scientific justification for believing the
foregoing to be true, and I would like to state that there are quite a few
Mormon archaeologists who join this group . . . The picture of this hemisphere
between 2,000 B.C. and A.D. 421 presented in the book has little to do with the
early Indian cultures as we know them, in spite of much wishful thinking . . ."
"The bare facts of the matter are that nothing, absolutely nothing, has ever
shown up in any
M. Wells Jakeman, Professor of Archaeology at BYU has
stated:
" . . . the Book of Mormon peoples . . . had cultures
of mainly sedentary type, which--as proved by the results of archaeological
excavation throughout the world--invariably leave behind extensive material
remains!"
". . . Consequently, even if the Book of Mormon peoples had been mainly
nomadic--which we have seen they were not--a great deal in the way of material
remains or archaeological traces of their existence would have had to be
expected . . ."
". . . it is inconceivable--and contrary to world-wide
archaeological experience--that such civilizations could ever have existed
without leaving some identifiable remains." (The University
Archaeological Society Newsletter, BYU, March 30, 1957, pp. 1-7)
Dee F. Green, a Mormon archaeologist stated:
"The first myth we need to eliminate is that Book of Mormon archaeology
exists." (Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Summer 1969, pp.
74, 76-78)
The most compelling evidences of the fictional nature of the Book of Mormon,
from an archaeological view, are the things which have not been found.
Plant Life
There are four major crops mentioned in the Nephite
records. These are:
Barley
Figs
Grapes
Wheat
No evidence has been found to
support the existence of these plants. The existence of numerous non-Book of Mormon plants (maize, lima beans, tomatoes,
squash, etc) has been supported by abundant archaeological findings.
Animal Life
There are many animals mentioned
in the Nephite records.
Ass
Bull
Calf
Cattle
Cow
Flocks
Goat
Herds
Horse
Ox
Sheep
Sow
Swine
Elephants
"Evidence of the foregoing animals has not appeared in any form--ceramic
representations, bones or skeletal remains, mural art, sculptured art or any
other form. However . . . evidence has been found in several forms of the
presence in the Book-of-Mormon times of other animals--deer, jaguars, dogs,
turkeys, etc. The zero score presents a problem that will not go away
with the ignoring of it. Non-LDS scholars of first magnitude--some who
want to be our friends--think we have real trouble here. That evidence of
the ancient existence of these animals is not elusive is found in the fact that
proof of their existence in the ancient Old-World is abundant. The
absence of such evidence . . . is distressing and significant, in my view."
(Quest For The Gold Plates--Thomas Stuart Ferguson's Archaeological Search for
The Book of Mormon, by Stan Larson, p. 246)
Metals
bellows
brass
breast plates
chains
copper
iron
ore
plows
silver
swords
steel
"Metallurgy does not appear in the region under discussion until about the
ninth century A.D. None of the foregoing technical demands are met by the
archaeology of the region proposed as Book of Mormon lands and places. I
regard this as a major weakness in the armor of our proponents and
friends." (Quest For The Gold Plates--Thomas Stuart Ferguson's
Archaeological Search for The Book of Mormon, by Stan Larson, p. 257)
The following two books are great references for further study concerning
archaeology and the Book of Mormon:
1.
Studies of the Book of Mormon, by B.H.
Roberts
2. Quest For
The Gold Plates--Thomas Stuart
Ferguson's Archaeological Search for The Book of Mormon, by Stan Larson
Both B. H. Roberts and Thomas Stuart Ferguson were Mormons in good standing
within the Mormon church. Yet each came to
realize that the Book of Mormon was a fictionalized account. The Book of
Mormon fails the archaeological test.
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the over 24,000 extant New Testament manuscripts have
shown the Bible to be incredibly accurate. How accurate is the Book of
Mormon? Have there been many changes?
Most of the 3,913
changes in the Book of Mormon are related to the correction of grammatical and
spelling errors, but there are some that alter the meaning of the text.
According to Joseph Smith's own testimony, there should not have been any
reason to make changes in the Book of Mormon. He stated that when he
and the witnesses went out to pray concerning it, "We heard a voice from out of
the bright light above us, saying, ‘These plates . . . have been translated by
the power of God. The translation of them which you have seen is
correct . . .'" (History of the Church, vol. 1, pp. 54-55) On another
occasion Joseph Smith stated that he "told the brethren that the Book of
Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth . . ." (Ibid., vol. 4, p.
461)
David Whitmer, one of the three witnesses made this
statement, "I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book
of Mormon was translated. Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a
hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the
darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling
parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One
character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in
English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was
written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it
would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear.
Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God and not by
any power of man." (An Address to All Believers in Christ,
by David Whitmer, pg. 12.)
"Saturday, Feb. 25, 1881 . . . Heard Joseph F. Smith (the sixth president of
the church) describe the manner of translating the Book of Mormon . . . Joseph
did not render the writing on the gold plates into the English language in his
own style of language as many people believe, but every word and every letter
was given to him by the gift and power of God . . . The Lord
caused each word spelled as it is in the book to appear on the stones in short
sentences or words, and when Joseph had uttered the sentence or word before him
and the scribe had written it properly, that sentence would disappear and
another appear. And if there was a word wrongly written or even a letter
incorrect the writing on the stones would remain there . . . and when corrected
the sentence would disappear as usual." (Journal of
Oliver B. Huntington, p. 168 of typed copy at Utah State Historical Society).
The four most important changes Joseph Smith made in the Book of Mormon are
related to the doctrine of the Godhead. A significant change was made in
1 Nephi 13:40. In the 1830 edition it was stated that the very purpose of
the Nephite records was to make known that Christ
is the Eternal Father: ". . . These last records, . . . shall
make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that
the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and Savior of the world . . ."
(Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., p. 32) In the current Utah edition, 1 Nephi
13:40, three words have been interpolated: "These last records, . . .
shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people
that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and
the Savior of the world . . ." Similar changes concerning the Godhead
were made in three other places in the text of the Book of Mormon.
An
important change concerning the name of a king was made in the book of Mosiah. In the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon, p.
200, we read: "king Benjamin had a gift from God, whereby
he could interpret such engravings . . ." In modern editions this has
been changed to read: " . . . king Mosiah
had a gift from God, whereby he could interpret such engravings . . ." (Mosiah 21:28) From chronology found in the Book of
Mormon (see Mosiah 6:3-7 and 7:1), it would appear
that king Benjamin should have been dead at this time. The name,
therefore, was changed to Mosiah.
It is interesting to note that even the statement by the Eight Witnesses to the
Book of Mormon has been altered. In the 1830 edition the last page
contained this statement: ". . . Joseph Smith, Jr. the Author and
Proprietor of this work, has shewn unto us the
plates . . ." In modern editions it was
changed to read: " . . . Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator
of this work, has shown unto us the plates . . ."
" . . . Adam and Eve, which was
our first parents . . ." (p. 15)
" . . . the bands which was upon my wrists . . ." (p.
49)
5
" . . . the priests was not to depend . . ." (p. 193)
" . . . those that was with him." (p. 195)
" . . . there was many . . ." (p. 209)
" . . . I had much desire that
ye was not in the state of dilemma . . ." (p. 241)
" . . . they was angry with me, . . ." (p. 248)
" . . . there was no wild beasts . . ." (p. 460)
Another common mistake in the first edition was the use of the word "is" when
it should read "are." The following are extracts from the first edition
in which the word "is" has been changed to "are" in
later editions:
" . . . there is save it be, two churches . .
." (p. 33)
" . . . the words which is expedient . . ." (p.
67)
" And whoredoms is an
abomination . . ." (p. 127)
" . . . here is our weapons of war . . ." (p.
346)
Another mistake in the first edition was the use of the word "a" where it was
not necessary. In the following extracts "a" has been deleted in later
editions:
" . . . as Ammon and Lamoni was a journeying thither . . ."
" . . . he found Muloki a
preaching . . ." (p. 284)
" . . . had been a preparing the minds . . ."
(p. 358)
" . . .
The extracts that follow are from the first edition; the word "no" has been
changed to "any" in later editions:
" . . . have not sought gold nor silver, nor no
manner of riches . . ." (p. 157)
" . . . they did not fight against God no more . . ."
(p. 290)
". . . neither were there Lamanites, nor no manner of Ites
. . ." (p. 515)
(To check on these references: "Joseph Smith Begins His Work," Vol. 1,
Book of Mormon 1830 First Edition, by Wilford C.
Wood)
The Book of Mormon is supposed to contain the fullness of the gospel" (D&C
27:5; 135:3). Joseph Smith said, in speaking of the Book of Mormon:
It is "the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our
religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts,
than by any other book." (History of the Church, Vol. 4, p.461) Mormon
Doctrine, p. 333 says that the highest laws and ordinances are contained in
the Book of Mormon. If this is true, why were the following doctrines
and ordinances not mentioned in the Book of Mormon, but rather added with the
creation of additional Mormon scripture?
Pre-existence
God
is an exalted man
Plurality
of Gods
Celestial
marriage
Plural
marriage
Organization
of the church
Aaronic and
Melchizedek Priesthoods
Three
degrees of heaven
Baptism
for the dead
Sealings
Sacred
garments
Word
of wisdom
Men
and women can become Gods
The Bible is linguistically accurate. The languages it was originally
written in were the actual languages being spoken in those regions at that
time. How does the Book of Mormon rate? Dr. John McLaughlin
(Linguist,
In addition, DNA studies have proven that there was no Hebrew migration to the
Dr. Stephen L. Whittington (Anthropologist,
Randall Shortridge, Ph.D. (Molecular Biology,
University at
Thomas Murphy (Mormon Anthropologist and Scholar)
Simon Southerton, Ph.D. (Molecular Biologist)
Dr. David Glen Smith (Molecular Anthropologist,
Dr. Dennis O'Rourke (Molecular Anthropologist,
(DNA vs. The
Book of Mormon, www.livinghopeministries.info)
You might claim that there were witnesses to the Book of Mormon,
therefore it must have come from God. In all fairness, we need to
research the character of these witnesses so that we may discern the
reliability of their testimonies.
Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer,
and Martin Harris claimed that an angel of God showed them the gold plates from
which the Book of Mormon was translated. Eight additional witnesses
claimed to have seen the plates, although they saw no angel.
There are two statements in Mormon publications which seem to indicate that
these witnesses had some doubts.
"Some of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon, who handled the plates and
conversed with the angels of God, were afterwards left to doubt and to
disbelieve that they had ever seen an angel." (Brigham Young--Journal of
Discourses, Vol. 7, p. 164)
A poem appeared in the Mormon publication "Times and Seasons" in 1841:
"Amazed with wonder? I look around
To see most people of our day,
Reject the glorious gospel sound,
Because the simple turn away,
Or does it prove there is no time,
Because some watches will not go?
. . .
Or prove that Christ was not the Lord
Because that Peter cursed and swore?
Or Book of Mormon not his word
Because denied, by
Oliver?"
(Times and
Seasons, Vol. 2, page 482)
Some of the most damaging statements against the Book of Mormon witnesses, have come from Joseph Smith and other Mormon
leaders. Joseph Smith gave two revelations in which Martin Harris (one of
the three witnesses) was called a "wicked man". (Doctrine and Covenants
3:12-13; 10: 6-7)
Apostle John A. Widtsoe made the following statement
concerning Hiram Page (one of the eight witnesses):
"Hiram Page (1800-1852), appears to have been somewhat fanatical. He
found a stone through which he claimed to receive revelations, often contrary
to those received by Joseph Smith. For this he was reprimanded."
(Joseph Smith--Seeker After Truth, page 58)
Joseph Smith admitted that Hiram Page (one of the eight witnesses) gave false
revelations, and that the Whitmers (four of the eight
witnesses) were believing in
these
false revelations. (History of the Church, by Joseph Smith, Vol. 1, pp.
109-110)
Martin Harris (one of the three witnesses) was in trouble with the Church quite
often.
"The council proceeded to investigate certain charges presented by Elder Rigdon against Martin Harris; one was that he told A.C.
Russell, Esq., that Joseph drank too much liquor when he was translating the
Book of Mormon; and that he wrestled with many men and threw them; and that he
(Harris) exalted himself above Joseph, in that he said, ‘Brother Joseph knew
not the contents of the Book of Mormon, until it was translated, but that he
himself knew all about it before it was translated.'
"Brother Harris did not tell Esq. Russell that Brother Joseph drank too much
liquor while translating the Book of Mormon, but this thing occurred previous
to the translating of the Book; he confessed that his mind was darkened, and
that he had said many things inadvertently, calculated to wound the feelings of
his brethren, and promised to do better." (History of the Church, Vol. 2,
p. 26)
George Albert Smith (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, pages 114-115) speaks about
a widespread apostasy from within the church which included ". . . One of the
First Presidency, several of the Twelve Apostles, High Council, Presidents of
Seventies, the witnesses of the Book of Mormon, Presidents of Far West, and a
number of others standing high in the Church . . ."
The three witnesses were excommunicated. Martin Harris accused Joseph
Smith of "lying and licentiousness." Joseph Smith (Elders' Journal, Aug.
1838, p. 59) accused Martin Harris of ". . . swearing, lying, cheating,
swindling, drinking, with every species of debauchery, . . ."
(Elder's Journal, August 1838, p. 59)
In 1838, Oliver Cowdery accused Joseph Smith of
adultery, lying and teaching false doctrines. Joseph Smith gave testimony
against Oliver Cowdery, claiming that a "non-member
of the Church by the name of Sapham had told him in
Kirtland that a warrant had been issued against Oliver ‘for being engaged in
making a purchase of bogus money and dies to make the counterfeit money with.'
(A History of the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri From 1836 to 1839,
page 146)
"Evidence to support the final charge, namely, that Oliver was guilty of
retaining bank notes after they had been paid and had forsaken the cause of God
to seek after ‘the beggarly elements of the world,' was also abundant.
Joseph Smith, for example, testified that Cowdery had
informed him that he had ‘come to the conclusion to get property, and that if
he could not get it one way, he would get it another, God or no God, Devil or
no Devil, property he must and would have.' Joseph Smith also claimed that
Oliver told him that since he had been dishonestly dealt with by others, it was
his intention in the future to deal dishonestly." (A History of the
Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri From 1836 to 1839, page 147)
David Whitmer, just before his death, published "An
Address to All Believers in Christ" in which he stated:
"If you believe my testimony to the Book of Mormon; if you believe God spake to us three witnesses by his own voice, then I tell
you that in June, 1838, God spake to me again by his
own voice from the heavens, and told me to "separate myself from among the
Latter Day Saints, for as they sought to do unto me, so should it be done unto
them." (An Address to All Believers in Christ, by David Whitmer,
1887, p. 27)
Martin Harris changed his religious position eight times during his life in
Mormon writer E. Cecil McGavin stated
that: "Martin Harris was an unagressive,
vacillating, easily influenced person who was no more pugnacious than a rabbit
. . . . His conviction of one day might vanish and be replaced by doubt
and fear before the setting of the sun. He was changeable, fickle, and
puerile in his judgment and conduct." (The Historical Background for the
Doctrine and Covenants, p. 23, as quoted in an unpublished manuscript by LaMar Petersen)
If we are to believe that all eleven witnesses to the Book of Mormon were men
of perfect integrity, then we must also believe they had just cause to
disassociate themselves from the Mormon church.
If we are to believe the derogatory remarks made about these witnesses by
Joseph Smith, then these witnesses definitely lack credibility.
In the LDS Church Almanac, it states that the three witnesses viewed the plates
in a vision. (Deseret News
1993-94 Church Almanac: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(SLC:
Martin Harris, after being asked, "Did you see those plates with your naked
eyes?" told John Gilbert (the printer who set up
the majority of the type for the Book of Mormon), "No, I saw them with a
spiritual eye." Harris later answered the same question of an attorney
who came to
On April 15, 1838, Harris stated publicly: "He never saw the plates with
his natural eyes only in vision or imagination, neither Oliver or David and
also that the eight witnesses never saw them and hesitated to sign that
instrument for that reason, but were persuaded to do it . . . (Harris later)
said that he never should have told that the
testimony of the eight was false, if it had not been picked out of (him)
but should have let it pass as it was." (Letter from
Stephen Burnett to Lyman E. Johnson. A copy of this letter is located
in the Joseph Smith Collection in the LDS Church Archives. Quoted in
David Persuitte, "Joseph Smith and the Origins of the
Book of Mormon",
Thomas Ford, Governor of Illinois, knew several of Joseph Smith's key
men. They told Governor Ford that the witnesses were "set to continual
prayer, and other spiritual exercises." Then at last "he assembled them
in a room, and produced a box, which he said contained the precious treasure.
The lid was opened; the witnesses peeped into it, but making no discovery, for
the box was empty, they said, ‘Brother Joseph, we do not see the plates.'
The prophet answered them, ‘O ye of little faith! How long will God bear
with this wicked and perverse generation? Down on your knees, brethren,
every one of you, and pray God for forgiveness of your sins, and for a holy and
living faith which cometh down from heaven.' The disciples dropped to
their knees, and began to pray in the fervency of their spirit, supplicating
God for more than two hours with fanatical earnestness; at the end of which
time, looking again into the box, they were now persuaded that they saw the
plates." (Thomas L. Ford, "History of Illinois", Chicago, 1854, p. 257)
We have a real problem here. Not only has Joseph Smith been shown to lack
credibility, but so do his witnesses. The Book of
Mormon fails archaeological, linguistic and DNA tests. There have
been nearly 3,913 changes made in the Book of Mormon--not just spelling and
grammar, but mistakes which alter the meaning of the text (see "3913 Changes in
the Book of Mormon", by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, www.utlm.org/booklist/ordertitlelist.htm).
Finally, the Book of Mormon does not contain a fullness of the Mormon
gospel--that fullness was added later in the form of "revelations" given to
Joseph Smith.
Chapter 8
Who was this Man?
Although you may
have an absolutely sincere testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints is the only true church, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and
that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, the facts discount that
testimony. How then, if he wasn't a prophet of God, could Joseph Smith
have commanded such a huge following and have been so influential in the lives
of so many people? Perhaps the best way to answer that is to explore the
lives of a few other leaders who, like Joseph Smith, rose to greatness in the
eyes of their people.
On January 6, 1920, a baby boy was born to the Moon family in
Marshall Herff Applewhite
(Heaven's Gate Cult) was raised by a Presbyterian minister father. After
he married, Applewhite had an affair with a male
student. His wife and sons left him after which he admitted himself into
a psychiatric hospital to cure his obsessions with sexuality. He was a
charismatic man who promised a higher order for his group of followers. He
claimed to be one of the two witnesses spoken of in the book of
Revelations. He promoted extreme discipline and perfection as the
way to salvation, which included no sexual contact and no privacy. Applewhite was fascinated with UFO's, astrology and science
fiction. He believed that he was an earthly incarnation of an alien who
was millions of years old. He twisted biblical scripture to support his
belief that a spaceship would come for his people. On March 21, 1997,
members of Applewhite's cult took Phenobarbital and
vodka, lay on their beds with plastic bags over their heads until they passed
out, all the while believing they were on their way to meet a spaceship and
gain their salvation. Thirty-nine people were deceived into committing
suicide.
David Koresh claimed to be God's "seventh
messenger" who would set off the chain of events that would bring on the
Apocalypse. He twisted prophecies from the book of Revelations to
support his own beliefs to his group of followers. He claimed to be
inspired when he divided husbands from their wives. He then took all the
women as his own because God was going to use his "seed" to create a divine
army. Koresh had sexual relations with at least
fifteen girls and women, some as young as twelve years old. He dictated
all the rules for his group of followers and would then change them. He
was above the rules and did as he pleased. He taught his people--including
the children--that suicide might be required of them, and showed them how to do
it with cyanide and a gun. Koresh's group had a
military compound and stockpiled it with weapons and explosives. On
February 28, 1993, he and many of his followers were killed in a clash with law
enforcement. Men, women and children died because Koresh's
perception became their only truth.
Jeffrey Lundgren was born on May 3, 1950 in
Jim Jones was a student pastor at a Methodist church and later preached at Penecostal churches. Eventually, he broke away from
mainstream Christianity and began his own church. He had a dynamic and
charismatic personality, and did charitable things for people in the
community. His church welcomed all races, criminals, drug addicts,
etc. Jones demanded great sacrifices and dedication from his
followers. The amount of money given by each person was recorded, which
Jones used to measure the level of commitment of each person. He set
rules to satisfy his own whims, but did not feel obligated to obey these rules
himself. He had extra-marital sexual encounters, sodomized a man, and
used drugs. Jones had to have complete control. He viewed the
government at a threat, and would rehearse his people for mass suicide.
Jones moved his followers to
(Additional
information on each of the above leaders can be found on the internet.)
Religious cults, such as those headed by Moon, Applewhite,
Koresh, Lundgren and Jones, have common elements or
"red flags" which set them apart. If the leader of a group displays
the majority of the following characteristics, it is very likely that he/she is
a cult leader.
1.
Leaders are charismatic.
2.
Leaders demand and receive unquestioning
loyalty, and discourage questioning, doubting and dissention.
3.
Leaders set many strict rules to which they
alone are above keeping.
4.
Leaders claim elite status (prophet,
Messiah, etc.).
5.
Leaders isolate their followers (physically,
socially, or emotionally).
6.
Leaders claim that they have a special
mission to fulfill.
7.
Leaders believe they are above the laws and
rules of society.
8.
Leaders mislead followers into believing
that the ends justify the means.
9.
Leaders use guilt and promote confession of
"sins" to reinforce the insecurities of others and elevate themselves.
10.
Leaders demand that their members spend
excessive time devoted to meetings or
activities.
11.
Leaders dictate many things to their
members, such as how to think, act, feel, type of clothing worn, food that may
or may not be eaten, hairstyles, etc.
12.
Leaders promote and are deceptive in
recruiting, money-making tactics, etc. (Withholding or distorting information,
and outright lying).
13.
Leaders promote an "us versus them"
mentality in regard to the government, and may even build their own military
group and arsenal.
14.
Leaders promote their group as elite or
special--set apart from the rest of the
world.
15.
Leaders promote obedient members with positions
of authority or rewards, while demoting or punishing disobedient members.
16.
Leaders encourage members to report negative
attitudes or actions of other members.
17.
Leaders teach members to disbelieve any
information which is critical of the group or leader, and to disassociate themselves
with ex-members or anyone else who is critical of the group or leader.
18.
Leaders tell members that their salvation is
dependent upon their involvement with the group or leader.
19.
Leaders are obsessed with their members'
sexual purity.
20.
Leaders are often involved in extramarital
sexual liaisons.
21.
Leaders use fear to control their members.
22.
Leaders discourage individualism, and
promote rigid rules and regulations.
23.
Outsider vs. Insider Doctrines
If Joseph Smith wasn't a prophet, what was he? Let's take a
matter-of-fact, unemotional look at the "red flags" checklist to see if we can
rule out the possibility that Joseph Smith was a cult leader.
1.
Leaders are charismatic.
Joseph Smith was
charismatic; he was able to attract and influence a
great number of people.
2.
Leaders demand and receive unquestioning
loyalty, and discourage questioning, doubting and dissention.
"When brother
Joseph Smith lived, he was our Prophet, our Seer, and Revelator; he was our
dictator in the things of God, and it was for us to listen to him, and do
just as he told us." (Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, v. 2, p. 106)
Joseph Smith once
said: "God made Aaron to be the mouthpiece for the children of
Joseph Smith gave a
revelation in which the Mormons were told to "give heed unto all his [Joseph's]
words and commandments which he shall give unto you . . . his word ye shall
receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith."
(Doctrine & Covenants 21:4-5)
There was a group of men in
Nauvoo called the Danites. Joseph Smith was
fully aware of this group. One of its members, Reed Peck, gives the
following account: "It is not our business or place to know what is
required by God, but he will inform us by means of the prophet and we must
perform . . . The secret signs and purposes of the society are not to be
revealed on pain of death' &c &c" --"All the principles of the
Society tended to give the presidency unlimited power over the property,
persons and I might say with propriety lives of the members of the church as
physical force was to be resorted to if necessary to accomplish their
designs[.] The blood of my best friend must flow by my own hands if I
would be a faithful Danite should the prophet command
it[.] (The Reed Peck Manuscript, pages 9-12)
3.
Leaders set many strict rules to which they
alone are above keeping.
Joseph Smith repeatedly
broke the Word of Wisdom revelation he gave his followers. (History of the
Church, Vol. 5, p. 380; Vol. 2, p. 369; Vol. 2, p. 378; Vol. 6, p. 616)
Joseph Smith took plural wives
without the consent of Emma, even though his revelation in D&C 132:61
stated that he must have the consent of his wife. (Historical Record, p.
240)
Joseph Smith privately
practiced polygamy while publicly denying it. (See Chapter 6)
Joseph Smith asked for
the wives of other men, even though his revelation in D&C 132:61 states
that these additional wives were to be "virgins".
(Journal of Discourses, Vol. 2,
pp. 13-14) (Mormon Portraits, 1886,
pp. 70-72)
4.
Leaders claim elite status (prophet,
Messiah, etc.).
Joseph Smith claimed to
be a prophet of God.
Joseph Smith claimed to
be King. (History of the Church, Vol. 6, pp. 568-569)
Joseph Smith stated:
"I combat the errors of ages; I meet the violence of mobs; I cope with
illegal proceedings from executive authority; I cut the Gordian knot of powers,
and I solve mathematical problems of universities, with truth-diamond truth;
and God is my ‘right hand man.'" (History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 78)
5.
Leaders isolate their followers (physically,
socially, or emotionally).
Joseph
Smith set up his own city, government, etc., in Nauvoo,
6.
Leaders claim that they have a special
mission to fulfill.
Joseph Smith stated:
"I calculate to be one of the instruments of setting up the
Joseph Smith stated: " . . . 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." (History of the Church, Vol. 6, pp. 408-409)
7.
Leaders believe they are above the laws and
rules of society.
Joseph Smith broke the
Joseph Smith ordered the
illegal destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor, a newspaper critical of him.
(History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 432)
If anyone came into
Nauvoo to arrest Joseph Smith, they would be arrested "with or without
process", and tried by the Nauvoo
court. If they were found guilty, they would be sentenced to imprisonment
for life and could only be pardoned by the Governor--if the Governor had the
consent of the Mayor of Nauvoo (Joseph Smith). (History of the Church, Vol. 6,
p. 105)
Faithful members claimed
that they were ordered to burn homes and plunder the property of their
enemies. (Benjamin F. Johnson, "My Life's Review", Independence, Mo., 1947,
pp. 38-39; "Oliver Boardman Huntington Journal," pages 31-32, typed copy, Utah
State Historical Society; "Albert P. Rockwood Papers," letter dated Oct. 29,
1838, Coe Collection, Yale University Library)
8.
Leaders mislead followers into believing
that the ends justify the means.
"The duty of all noble and
loyal Danites was to waste away the Gentiles by
stealing their goods and consecrating them to the
9.
Leaders use guilt and promote confession of
"sins" to reinforce the insecurities of others and elevate themselves.
"By this ye may know if a
man repenteth of his sins--behold, he will confess
them and forsake them." (D&C 58:43)
"It follows that it is the
order of the Church for confession to be made to the
bishop, . . ." (Mormon Doctrine, p. 293)
10.
Leaders demand that their members spend
excessive time devoted to meetings or
activities.
All men in Nauvoo were
expected to spend each tenth day working on building the Nauvoo temple.
If they did not work, they were expected to give the equivalent in goods or
money.
Members attended church
services, meetings, and temple sessions.
All able-bodied men were
required to join the Nauvoo Legion.
Members were encouraged to
join organizations such as the Ladies' Relief Society, the Danites, and the Council of Fifty.
11.
Leaders dictate many things to their
members, such as how to think, act, feel, type of clothing worn, food that may
or may not be eaten, hairstyles, etc.
"Word
of Wisdom" revelation given; foods that can and cannot be eaten.
The Mormon people were able
to dominate politics in their region because they voted for the same
candidates. (Kenneth W. Godfrey, "Brigham Young University Studies,
Winter 1968, page 211)
"And however much we might
wish to sustain the Democratic nomination, we cannot--we will not vote for
Van Buren." (History of the Church, v. 6, p. 216)
Garments and temple clothing requirements.
12.
Leaders promote and are deceptive in
recruiting, money-making tactics, etc. (Withholding or distorting information,
and outright lying.)
Joseph Smith established the
Kirtland Safety Society (bank) upon the premise of revelation. (History
of the Church, Vol. 2, pp. 509-510) The bank began operating illegally,
not waiting to get a charter from the state. After the bank failed, thirteen
lawsuits were filed against Joseph Smith to collect nearly $25,000. He
was arrested seven times in four months, and his followers had to raise $38,428
in bail money.
Joseph Smith had a
"revelation" commanding the people to tithe in order to pay for the
Joseph Smith had total
control of all land sales to his people in Nauvoo. He was voted
treasurer of the church, and given the title of "Trustee-in-Trust". He
could then receive, acquire, manage or convey property for the benefit of his
church. (History of the Church, Vol. IV, pp. 286-7, 543) Rumors
circulated throughout the church that Joseph Smith was getting rich off of
his own people. (History of the Church, Vol. IV, pp. 391, 437)
Missionaries sent out by Joseph
Smith, did not teach potential converts concerning the doctrines of polygamy
and temple work.
Joseph Smith privately
practiced polygamy while publicly denying it. (See chapter 6)
Joseph Smith admitted
that the Danite band existed; later he denied it.
(History of the Church, Vol. 3, pages 178-182; Vol. 6, page 165)
13.
Leaders promote an "us versus them"
mentality in regard to the government, and may even build their own military
group and arsenal.
Four years after publishing
the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith organized an army and marched to
Sidney Rigdon,
counselor to Joseph Smith, gave a speech in which he threatened persecutors
of the church with "a war of extermination". (Comprehensive History
of the Church, Vol. 1, p. 441) Joseph Smith spoke approvingly of his
speech and recommended it to the saints. (Comprehensive History of the Church,
Vol. 1, p. 443)
Joseph Smith gave made the
following prediction: "I prophesied by virtue of the holy Priesthood
vested in me, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that, if Congress
will not hear our petition and grant us protection, they shall be broken up
as a government and God shall damn them, and there shall be nothing left of
them--not even a grease spot!" (Millennial Star, Vol. XXII, 1860, p. 455)
14.
Leaders promote their group as elite or
special--set apart from the rest of the
world.
Joseph Smith claimed
that the church he established, The
Christ of Latter Day
Saints, was the only "true" church on the face of the
earth.
15.
Leaders promote obedient members with
positions of authority or rewards, while demoting or punishing disobedient
members.
Members who helped Joseph
Smith solemnize his polygamous marriages were rewarded. The promise of salvation was also linked with
obedience to plural marriage. (In Sacred Loneliness, The
Plural Wives of Joseph Smith, p.33)
Joseph Smith's revelation
on polygamy threatened Emma with destruction if she didn't obey. (D&C
132)
Joseph Smith's revelation on
polygamy threatened all married women in Nauvoo with destruction if they
didn't allow their husbands to participate in polygamy. (D&C 132:64)
Joseph Smith would not allow members to participate in temple work unless
they paid tithing.
16.
Leaders encourage members to report negative
attitudes or actions of other members.
Orson Hyde stated:
"Elder Rigdon has been associated with Joseph and
Hyrum Smith as a counselor to the Church, and he told me in Far West that it
was the imperative of the Church to obey the word of Joseph Smith, or the
presidency, without question or inquiry, and that if there were any that would
not, they should have their throats cut from ear to ear." (The Nauvoo
Neighbor, Dec. 4, 1844)
The Danites
were sent to drive out all Mormon dissenters from
17.
Leaders teach members to disbelieve any
information which is critical of the group or leader, and to disassociate
themselves with ex-members or anyone else who is critical of the group or
leader.
A newspaper, the Nauvoo
Expositor, was printed in Nauvoo by people who opposed Joseph Smith's
political ambitions and his practice of polygamy. Joseph Smith order it destroyed.
(History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 432)
The following Mormon
publications were encouraged: Times & Seasons, The
Millennial Star, and The Nauvoo Neighbor.
18.
Leaders tell members that their salvation is
dependent upon their involvement with the group or leader.
"If it had not been for
Joseph Smith and the restoration, there would be no salvation. There is
no salvation outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
(Mormon Doctrine, p. 670)
19.
Leaders are obsessed with their members'
sexual purity.
"In Nauvoo it was the orders
from Joseph Smith and his apostles to beat, wound and castrate all Gentiles
that the police could take in the act of entering or leaving a Mormon household
under circumstances that led to the belief that they had been there for immoral
purposes." (Confessions of John D. Lee, photo-reprint of 1880 edition, pp.
284-286)
20.
Leaders are often involved in extramarital
sexual liaisons.
Joseph Smith was involved
in many polygamous relationships. (See Chapter 6)
21.
Leaders use fear to control their members.
Joseph Smith's revelation
on polygamy threatened Emma with destruction if she didn't obey. (D&C
132)
Joseph Smith's revelation
on polygamy threatened all married women in Nauvoo with destruction if they
didn't allow their husbands to participate in polygamy. (D&C 132:64)
Joseph Smith's brother
William gave this testimony in court: "I left Nauvoo in 1845 because
my life was in danger if I remained there, because of my objections and
protests against the doctrine of blood atonement and other new doctrines that
were brought into the church." (Temple Lot Case, page 98)
A statement by Orson Hyde in
the Mormon newspaper, the Nauvoo Neighbor said: "Elder Rigdon has been associated with Joseph and Hyrum Smith as a
counselor to the church, and he told me in Far West that it was the
imperative of the Church to obey the word of Joseph Smith, or the presidency,
without question or inquiry, and that if there were any that would not, they
should have their throats cut from ear to ear." (The Nauvoo Neighbor, Dec.
4, 1844)
22.
Leaders discourage individualism, and
promote rigid rules and regulations.
All men in Nauvoo were expected
to spend each tenth day working on building the Nauvoo temple. If
they did not work, they were expected to give the equivalent in goods or money.
Five hundred dollar fines
were imposed on anyone in Nauvoo who was a vagrant, idle, or those who could
not "give a good account for themselves". A penalty of six months in jail
was imposed for using profanity or indecent language. (Times & Seasons, Vol. III, Dec. 1, 1841, p. 622)
Every able-bodied man was
required to join the Nauvoo Legion. Heavy fines were given to those who
failed to appear at military parades.
23.
Outsider vs. Insider Doctrines
The following doctrines
or organizations were not public knowledge to those outside the church, or to
new converts:
Danites
Council of the Fifty
Polygamy
Blood Atonement
If we look at the facts in an
objective, unemotional way, it becomes very clear
that
Joseph Smith was not a prophet of God, but a cult leader.
Chapter 9
Hell is a Choice
The Mormon church
looks great on the outside. It is part of the Religious Alliance Against
Pornography, is affiliated with Religion in American Life, has entered into interreligious relief work, has sent millions of dollars to
famine-ravaged Africa, has sent disaster relief money worldwide, is the largest
sponsor of the Boy Scouts in the U.S., promotes family life, high moral
conduct, health consciousness, hard work, service to others, and provides
social and welfare programs for its own members. The Mormon church promotes Jesus as the cornerstone of its religion,
sends over 60,000 missionaries worldwide, and has approximately 11 million
members. The Mormon church has a great deal of
money and power, and its influence is spreading rapidly throughout the world.
If Satan can get very good people to put their faith and trust in this "church"
which teaches a false gospel and a false Jesus, then
He has won millions to Hell. How better to deceive good people than to
set up a very nice looking, Christian look-a-like organization which does so
many good things--and yet cannot save its people. An organization which
keeps its people so busy, they don't have time to study or even consider that
there might be something wrong with the internal structure.
For all the good things the Mormon church promotes,
its people are in crises. Let's look at some statistics, keeping in mind
that 63-70% of
In the year 2000, the State of
In the year 2000, the State of
In the year 2000, the State of
(Rothstein Catalog On Disaster Recovery)
In July, 1990, General Authority of the Mormon Church,
Glen Pace, sent a memo to the "Strengthening Church Members Committee", and
maintained that a satanic cult had taken root in the Mormon Church. Many
children had been ritually abused. Pace charges that ". . . Young Women
leaders, Young Men leaders, bishops, a patriarch, a stake president, temple
workers, and members of the Tabernacle Choir may be involved." Also, that
"sometimes the abuse has taken place in our own meetinghouses." (Salt
Lake City Messenger, Nov. 1991, pp. 3-8)
"Antidepressant drugs are prescribed in
A 2001 report from The Department of Health and Human
Services, Administration for Children and Families, shows that
During the first quarter of 2003, crime in
White supremacists are infiltrating northern
More bankruptcies are filed in
Please don't look at the facts
and refuse to deal with them. There is a reason that the Mormon people
are falling apart, and eternity in Heaven or Hell is hanging in the
balance. The facts, the research, and more importantly, the word of God,
all speak out against Mormonism. Now you must choose how you will react
in this, your monumental moment:
1) You get mad, throw this book
away, accuse me of persecution and thereby justify your refusal to deal with
anything that makes you uncomfortable;
2) You decide to find out for
yourself by studying and researching. Let's say you've chosen to study
and research; that leaves you with two additional choices:
1) You find out that I've told
you the truth, but decide not to create waves by making any changes;
2) You find out that I've told
you the truth and make the necessary changes--no matter what the outcome.
This choice takes courage. This is the only choice that will lead
you to an eternity in Heaven with a loving God.
You might be thinking that
a loving God would never send anyone to Hell. Hell is a choice; our
choice. We don't get there by accident or mistake. We make it our
destination when we decide that having a relationship with Jesus Christ--the one
true Jesus Christ--is not important; when we refuse to look at or trust in
anything different than what we have been taught all of our lives--regardless of
the facts or the word of God. Many people have shown the courage it takes
to look at the facts, to look at the word of God, admit they've been wrong, and
step away from Mormonism. Accepting the one true Jesus as your Savior is the
only way to salvation.
"Neither is there salvation in any
other: for there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
(Acts
4:12)
"For this is good and acceptable
in the sight of God our Savior; Who
will
have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."
(1Timothy
2:3, 4)
Suppose you have two grown
children that you love more than your own life. You would do anything for
them, including laying down your life if need be. You value their lives
more than your own, and you want a relationship with each one of them.
However, you have one child who doesn't visit, she doesn't call you, and she
doesn't make time for you to share in her life. You keep inviting her,
you keep calling her, you keep telling her how much you love her; it doesn't
seem to matter. She values the
attention of her friends, her popularity, and her abilities far more than
she values a relationship with you. It breaks your heart, but you can't
force her to have a relationship with you. Your daughter has chosen not
to have a relationship with you. That's how it is with Christ. He loves
us so much he laid down his life for us. Through His word He calls for
us, He invites us, and He tells us how much He loves us. And yet, some of us
are too busy, too content, too focused on other things or people to feel like a
relationship with
Christ needs
to be a priority. He won't force us to have a relationship with
Him. Have we taken the time to accept Christ as Lord and Savior of our
lives? If not, we have chosen to have no relationship with Him, which
means we have chosen Hell as our final destination. Hell is a choice; our
choice.
White-Washed
Sepulchers
Glistening, beautiful, masterful illusion of peace.
Pleasing
to the eye, it lures me within.
I cannot
see clearly for it is dimly lit,
But all
who dwell inside assure me that it is more glorious than I can imagine.
I forge a
life within surrounded by the stony, cold walls built from secrets and sins of
my embraced heroes.
I am
surrounded by a death I cannot see;
Enslaved within a white-washed tomb.
I am
taught how to act
But the
dead cannot teach me how to act out of love because they know nothing of love.
I am
taught what to believe
But the
dead cannot make me believe that I am valuable or loved.
I am
taught to disregard myself and my needs,
But the
dead refuse to see that I have needs that must be met.
Day after
day, years go by as the dead teach me a life in which I am preparing myself for
burial with them.
I cry out
for love, for something, anything, to fill the empty, painful pit in my soul,
but no one hears.
I am
surrounded by the security of a lifetime of insecurities.
Mine is a
legacy of death left to me as an inheritance from the dead.
I see no
escape and I despair of life.
A light
breaks through and I see that the one who has always loved me is beckoning for
me to leave the white-washed caverns of Hell.
"I will be
your family. I will love you and care for you. There is life in
me," He gently whispers. "Trust me."
His hand
reaches down and I clutch it desperately--knowing that I will surely die if I
stay in this place.
Suddenly,
warmth and sunlight explode around and inside me. The weight of death
lifts from me and I am free!
I stumble
in my walk with you, for these are new legs I am traveling with. You
never leave me--you never cast me off.
You are
all I have ever needed. Thank you for teaching me to love. Thank
you for letting me experience what it means to be loved.
I owe you
everything. Without you there is no life.
I know what it's like to have lived and promoted a lie. I was an active
Mormon for 38 years. When I left the church, my husband was bishop of our
ward. The poem you just read expresses the difference in how it felt to
live a life without Christ versus a life with Him. I don't expect you to
believe everything I've said, but your eternity depends upon knowing whether
I'm right. Your house is on fire. Don't be like the neighbor
who refuses to look. Don't be like my grandpa whose pride would never allow him
to believe he could be wrong. Don't be like the 6th grader's
mother and pretend the problems don't exist. Be courageous enough to search, study and pray. God's word can stand up to any
test you might give it; it is the standard for all truth. God bless and
be with you in your journey. It takes courage to step
out; to look for the fire. God will give you the ability to see the
flames and the courage to escape them. He will never leave you alone. This is
your monumental moment!