Christ First Forum

Jeani wrote:[i] Mormons
By Daymond Duck
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Most Mormons are kind, loving, moral people. They’re committed to personal holiness. They put a lot of emphasis on family values. They practice many things that come right out of the Bible.
I appreciate the compliment here. The LDS faith does indeed instill Christian family and personal values in its members. We consider ourselves personal representatives of Jesus Christ, having taken upon ourselves the name of Christ through baptism.

But these kind, loving, moral people have been led astray by the false teachings of a man called Joseph Smith, Jr. He added things to the Bible. He took things away from the Bible.
The basis for any "additions" to the Bible are made under the doctrine that God has called a prophet once again here on Earth. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7) and "Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day, and for ever." We unapologetically believe that God has not changed and therefore calls prophets in our day to help reveal His will, just as he has always done. We don't feel that our interpretation of Biblical teachings is much different than the interpretation of the Bible by all other sects (like it or not, if you're a Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, etc. you listen to the interpretation of the Bible via a pastor).

He called himself a Christian. But his distortions of the Bible probably mean that he went to a very hot place.
Surely the Lord's own words come into play here: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged... And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (Matt. 7:1-3). I believe the Bible also mentions that the LORD is the only judge.

Mormons say God is a man, but the Bible says God is NOT a man (Hosea 11:9).
We believe that God is an exalted Man, and therefore not man. He is perfect and therefore not mortal. Did not God create man in His own image, in His likeness? Did Jesus himself not say, "a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have" (Luke 24:39) and "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). Once again, this comes down to interpretation of scripture, and in my world journeys (Europe, South America, and the United States), I have heard Protestant and Catholic, Mormon and Jew debate these same interpretations. This is why Mormons believe that a prophet has been called, so that the Lord will reveal these secrets definitively and authoritatively.

Mormons say God has a body of flesh and bone, but the Bible says God is a SPIRIT (John 4:24).
We believe God has a Spirit, but that he also has a body of flesh and bone. See above. No one ever continues that verse where it says that we must worship God in spirit. Does that mean you don't have a body, too?

Mormons say there are millions of Gods, but the Bible says there is NO God beside Him (Isaiah 45:5, 22).
This is actually technically false. Mormons believe in one God, but many gods. I.E. We worship only God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ our Redeemer (John 17:3). In Genesis 1:26, God says "Let us create man in our image...", "I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." (Ps. 82:6).

Mormons say Jesus is the brother of Satan, but the Bible says Jesus is the CREATOR of all things including Satan.
Job 1:6 "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them." We believe that all spirits were created by God, including you, me, Jesus, and Satan. Therefore we are all brothers in the sense that we are all creations of God.

Mormons say Jesus had three wives and many children with Joseph Smith, Jr. being one of His descendants.
This is absolutely and unequivocally false. Sounds like a terrible Dan Brown novel.

Mormons say Jesus pointed the way, but the Bible says Jesus is THE way (John 14:6).
To sum up our belief about Jesus (from the Book of Mormon): 2 Nephi 33:6 "I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell." and from the pen of Joseph Smith (Articles of Faith 3) "We believe that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all mankind may be saved..."

Mormons say people are saved by following the teachings of the Mormon Church, but the Bible says people are saved by accepting Jesus as their Saviour and there is NO OTHER WAY. Those who teach salvation by following the teachings of a Church are teaching salvation by works not salvation by grace. The Bible says we are saved by grace through faith not works.
The Book of Mormon says in 2 Nephi 25:23 "we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do". Whoever told you that we're saved through the teachings of a Church probably didn't know Mormon doctrine very well. Now, just like other Christians, we believe that in order to make that grace effective in one's life and be saved, they must have faith in Jesus Christ, repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost.

Mormons say the Church corrupted the Bible, Joseph Smith, Jr. corrected it, and the Mormon Church is teaching a RESTORED gospel, but the Bible says anyone who teaches any other gospel should be cursed (Gal. 1:6-9).
We believe that the thousands of translations and interpretations of the Bible speak for themselves. Within the thousands of translations of the Bible, you will find a wide variety of doctrinal interpretations based on the whims of the translator. We do not believe that the Bible is "corrupt" (it's part of the canon of scripture that we use).

Mormons use the Book of Mormons in addition to the Bible, but Christians believe the Bible is the sole authority.
The Book of Mormon is the record of God's dealings with His children in the Americas. Anyone who really believes in the Bible will note this verse from Paul (Colossians 1:23: "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven"; if you believe this verse, then the gospel was preached to peoples outside of Jerusalem at some point. Is it unbelievable that those people would have written God's words down?

Mormons have made a multitude of changes to the Book of Mormons since 1830, but the Bible says the Word of God is settled forever in heaven.
This multitude of changes to which you refer are mostly changes made to make the Book of Mormon closer to Joseph's original manuscripts as well as to update punctuation and grammar. How many changes have been made to the Bible if you include the hundreds of translations?

Finally, most Mormons are really good people, but because of their beliefs many Christians call them a cult.
I disagree. Paul states that without charity, we are nothing. Labeling those who follow Jesus as cultists really doesn't serve any purpose; especially when that accusation of cultism is based on falsities and opinions of others rather than the actual beliefs of those who belong to the LDS church.

BYU.David wrote:Hi Jeani,

Thanks for the response.

Joseph Smith plays the same role in my life that Peter, Paul, or a pastor plays in yours -- he was a prophet and apostle, a witness of Christ and nothing more.

No Mormon will tell anyone to pray in the name of Joseph Smith, that is sacrilegious at best and blasphemous at worst. We believe in 1st Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ." We pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, as our only mediator with God.

Also, we agree with everything that you said about Jesus being the only Savior of mankind; only His grace is sufficient to save something as fallen and sinful as man.

Gray.Shift wrote:I find it hilarious that you think Mormonism goes against the scriptures, seeing as they read the scriptures regularly. And yes, I'm talking about the bible.

Gray.Shift wrote:I am willing to abide by the rules. I just didn't think I was the only one attacking in this thread. If you really think about it . . . you are blatantly telling someone what they believe.

That is all.

BYU.David wrote:Hi Remnant!

I apologize for violating the rules of the board.

May I make a request, however? Can all information regarding so-called "cults" be required to be placed in locations where members of those "cults" can correct misinformation? It seems unfair that Jeani can (I'm sure not intending to!) post literal lies about my belief in Jesus Christ without the ability to respond. It violates every sense of fairness and free discourse that the First Amendment is meant to protect.

Remnant wrote:Do you believe that Satan was the brother of Jesus?

Do you believe that Jesus is God incarnate?

Do you believe that you can become a god?

Are you a Mormon or a member of the LDS Church?

BYU.David wrote:

Remnant wrote:Do you believe that Satan was the brother of Jesus?

Do you believe that Jesus is God incarnate?

Do you believe that you can become a god?

Are you a Mormon or a member of the LDS Church?

1.) Do I believe that Satan was the brother of Satan? I don't think it's possible for someone to be his own brother. You might have meant to ask if I believe that Satan is Jesus's brother. God created all things, thus all are brothers; all are creations of the same God.

2.) John 1 speaks of the Verb being God and then made flesh. Mormons don't believe that the Trinity is one being, if that's what you mean.

3.) "I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." (Ps. 82:6). "we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:16-17). What LDS mean when they say becoming like God is inheriting all that God has; for Christ said that he had receive "all things" from the Father, and by being joint-heirs with Him, we become perfect like them through the Atonement of Christ. I think other Christians misinterpret LDS theology by thinking that we usurp or overthrow God's power.

Remnant wrote:You also do not believe that Jesus is God!

Remnant wrote:David, Have you ever been born again?