Mormonism and Christianity

[BibleBeliever]

I can't help but to notice the president of the Mormon church on tv more than usual lately. What a smooth talker he is!! For quite some time I have been bothered by the Mormons considering themselves part of Christianity. And the Mormons are disturbed at why the Bible beliving Christians don't want to be associated with Mormon thinking. I live in Las Vegas and out of a population of one million people, it is estimated that there are 200,000 Mormons and 300,000-400,000 Cathlocis in this town. In fact, one of the Mormon Temples is located here - I don't recall the name of it but there are only 2 or 3 of this high caliber in the entire U.S.

Anyway, a brief lesson on what Mormons believe.... they believe that the last prophet was Joseph Smith (in the 1800's) and that Jesus Christ spoke to Joseph via Maroni (the vision of the dead indian), and gave Joseph golden tablets. From all of this comes the Book of Mormon - the Mormons say this book goes hand and hand with the Holy Bible. Joseph Smith was in the midwest when all this took place and as he tried to sell his new religion, he got kicked out state after state because the Christians did not accept this new doctrine. Joseph ended up in Utah and the rest is history.

In the Book of Mormon it talks about many things completely contradictory not only within itself, but contradictory to the Bible. On one page you might find that everything is on the up and up with Mormons beliving in God... then a few pages or chapters later you see that now YOU are a god and you (if you are a man) will rule your own planet after you die. They do not bleieve in Jesus Christ as Bible beliving Christians do... they belive that Jesus was just one of those men who happened to die and get assigned to rule planet earth. You don't get your own planet if you are a woman; and of course the more kids you have, the more planets your family gets. Discusted yet? In the Bible, the last chapter of Revelation God says that anyone who adds to this Book will suffer the plagues in this Book and anyone who takes away from this Book so shall part of his reward be taken away. Right here it tells the consequences of adding anything to the Bible... the Book of Mormon is certainly an addition to the Bible.

What the Mormons are trying say is that God forgot something and decided in the 1800's that it would be a good time to finish the Bible. What a joke!! God doesn't make mistakes and God doesn't go back on His Word.

To see this president of the Mormons speak on tv - in particular on Larry King... it's quite comical when you listen to his answers with a Christian mindset. Nothing but the backstroke and double talk. The Mormons have changed the rules even in their own organization - so many times, how can anyone feel heaven bound when the rules keep changing?!

Another thing I find interesting... the Mormons don't come to our place anymore to try and convert us. Their worst nightmare is when they come in and you sit down with them - holding your Bible!!!! They get very uncomfortable - especially when you point out the last chapter in Revelation about adding to the Book. When that subject comes up, the guests suddenly have to leave and have to be at an appointment. Usually there is one seasoned Mormon and one newbie... on occasion we've heard the newbie ask the seasoned fellow Mormon the same questions we ask. ha ha ha. Then we pray that God will turn them around to see the Truth.

Mormons also have a sister organization in which the Mormon Temples are actually built after... that is Freemasons. If you were to go to a Mason Temple, you would think you were walking into a Mormon church and vice versa. Masons are a pure demonic cult and that is a major thing in this world. Masons truly worship the devil and his ways. Hey, even the Statue of Liberty was given to us by the French Masons... the torch is their symbol... pretty interesting, huh?

I know about this stuff because my husband's grandfather was a 33rd degree Mason and before the grandfather died, he had high hopes that my husband would carry on the family tradition. Well, thankfully the Lord had other plans for my husband and in turn had plans for me too so that we can spend eternity with Jesus Christ and not the advasary. Plus, we do have a book of Mormon that a high ranking Mormon who converted to Christianity a while back - actually highlighted page after page of contratictions and it certainly helped with pointing out the errors to the Mormons who insisted on converting in our neighborhood!

There have even been articles in the local paper about Christian churches who take in Mormon converts - the ex-Mormons have to be re-baptised because the Christian church does not recognize Mormon baptism - this angers the Mormons of course and it stirs up all kinds of nasty stuff.

I even work with a Mormon. It is heart breaking to listen to this person be more interested in the business of material Mormanism than to listen to anyone talk about the Salvation Jesus Christ has to offer. This person even admits Mormanism is a business and he is in it for the contacts, money and other worldy promises.

A quick note on Jehovah's Witnesses... these people believe Jesus Christ and Satan are brothers and the battle is a family fued over who gets to rule heaven!! Some Mormons possibly believe this as well. I hope it's not you... I truly hope you know that there is only one Truth and that is God's Truth and His signature is in the Holy Bible.

In His Name,

Martha

[Christ_†_Alone]

For anyone that would like some additional information on this topic, Matt Slick from CARM has a real good, real easy to read format.

MORMONISM




The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church, teaches doctrines in direct opposition to historic Christianity, yet it claims to be the true church of Jesus Christ. Is Mormonism really Christian? We hope to help you answer that question here.

Introduction
What does Mormonism Teach?
Mormonism in a Nutshell
Mormonism's History
Is Mormonism Christian?
If all Mormons are Christians, then all Christians are Mormons

Regarding Mormons and Mormonism
Latter-day Saints. Please read this before emailing me.
If you are a Mormon, please click here and read this next.

Mormon Writings and Church
A Quick look at the Book of Mormon
Some of the Many Changes in the Book of Mormon
The Book of Abraham Papyri and Joseph Smith
Mormon Church Statistics
Mormon Church Structure

Issues and Answers
Does Mormonism Attack Other Religions? Yes
Difficult Questions for Mormons to Answer
A Response From (and to) S.H.I.E.L.D.S.
Jehovah is Elohim
A Biblical Response to Mormons
A Comparison Between Christian and Mormon Doctrines
What is baptism for the dead mentioned in 1 Cor. 15:29?
A Dialogue with Mormon Missionaries on the meanings of words
A Test: Do you have the True Jesus?
Mormon Objections Answered
Was the LDS Jesus born of the Virgin Mary?

Miscellaneous
Hinckley says Mormons believe in a different Jesus.
The Mormon Plan of Eternal Progression
Mormonism and the Negro: a look at their historical position

Quotes
Interesting Quotes from Mormonism's founder, Joseph Smith
Interesting Quotes from the Mormon president, Brigham Young
Interesting Quotes from James Talmage. Later an apostle.
Interesting Quotes from Various Mormon authorities.

Mormonism Unveiled
Mormonism Unveiled: eyewitness testimonies against Joseph Smith:
Mormonism Unveiled Defended
The Testimonies of Barton Stafford and Henry Harris
The Testimonies of Abigail Harris and Lucy Harris
The Testimony of Artemas Cunningham
The Testimony of Nahum Howard and Oliver Smith
The Testimony of John N. Miller
The Testimony of Roswell Nichols & Joshua Stafford

Debate
Mormonism Discussion Board

Real Discussion
Two Mormons state that 3 Gods is really 1 God.

Other websites on Mormonism
Mormonism Research Ministry - A very good site. Lots of info.
Utah Lighthouse Ministry - You'll have to dig, but it's worth it.
Institute For Religious Research - A great site on Mormonism.
Recovery from Mormonism - a lot of ex-Mormons

Click MORMONISM to access the above info at the CARM site.

[Fledge]

ALTHOUGH the "Mormon Church" as a whole has a few social issues that I can agree with, and although I admire their zeal...I cannot consider them brothers and sisters in Christ.
There are far too many differences and too many thing totally contrary to Christianity.
They are at best a psuedo-christian religion. In my opinion, they are just simply another religion. As different and seperate from Christianity as is Islam, Hunduism, Buddhism, and the New Age.

Now, as Americans, I will gladly walk hand in had with any mormon (or member of any religion that is upstanding and pro-american). When it comes to abortion, I will stand shoulder to shoulder with anybody who values life and wants to see the murder stop. But when it comes to religious beliefs and views of God, we go way seperate ways.

[Andrew]

One thing I admire about the Mormons and JW's is their zeal, albeit a misguided one.:

[KnightCommander]

Yes Andrew I agree with your statement. Mormons, JW's, Muslims...along with some others do have great zeal for what they believe in. Christians should look at their example and learn to apply it when it comes to being followers of the True Way, which is the Lord Jesus the Christ.

[Word Walker]

I noticed that you seem to have some knowledge of the similarities between these two faction. The one thing we need to realize is that today the two faction are totally independant of one another. Itis true however that there are many of the same symbolisms and rituals in common. This is due to the fact that Joseph Smith was in fact himself a Mason at one point.

_____

LDS historian Reed C. Durham, Jr., insists Joseph Smith did in fact use the Masonic ceremony as a springboard for the Mormon ceremony. He wrote, "There is absolutely no question in my mind that the Mormon ceremony which came to be known as the Endowment, introduced by Joseph Smith to Mormon Masons initially, just a little over one month after he became a Mason, had an immediate inspiration from Masonry" (No Help For the Widow's Son, 1980, pg. 17). - http://www.mrm.org/articles/masonic-influence.html

____

This does not say much for Mormonism, if in fact the spiritual rituals of this religion are based not on scripture but on the corresponding rituals of another cult then how then can they claim to be truly inspired of God and the only true path? Over the years they've had to seperate themselves from the relationship they had with Masonary. Fortunately for them Masonary considers itself to be a secrative sect. Unfortunately for the Mormon church nothing stays a secret forever and today the similarities are common knowledge.

As to masonary, I too have a father and grandfather who were both masons, although I have just recently found out, and so have done some study in this area as well. I do not believe them to be Christian in any way shape or form. Also I have read many interesting articles that seem to show that many of their symbols are of occult and ancient Egyptian religious origins. More info on this can be found here: http://www.cuttingedge.org/fmcorner.html
Caution however, this tends to be a very left wing source of information and they tend to overdramatize things at times. The articles on the symbology of the masons however is rather interesting and worth a look. If anybody know of a good source of information that I could use, concerning Free Masonary, I'd appreciate it.

[Ritchie]

I was a member of the LDS church, but now am born again for about five years.
Only yesterday I met one of the bretheren from the LDS church wh asked me why I had stopped going.
When I told him that I attended a Pentecostal Church now and that I had been changed by God, all they could say was that I had been led away into apostasy by Satan.
This troubles me because Jesus says in Matthew about how we being evil would not give bad things to our children if they ask.
He says that if the child asks for bread, would we give them a stone, if they ask for a fish, would we give them a serpent.........
This then to me says that they must belive that when I prayed to God to show me if it was right not to return to the LDS church, that instead of God answering me it was Satan and God allowed it.
Well this to me is not right infact this is bordering on blasphamy of the Holy Spirit, as he is the one who entered my life and revealed Christ to me, and we all know about blasphamy of the Holy Spirit.

They could not understand about one having the law written in the heart and not just following a set of rules.
For Jesus Said that the two most important commandmants were to love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and to love thy neighbour as thyself.
They could not understand that if you obeyed these two then this was the whole law.

What do you all think?

[disciple]

My wife is an ex-Mormon and her family is still all Mormon (family of 8 kids). Each of her sisters (3 out of 5 total) that have married thus far have married return missionaries and a temple was just built in our town (one of the smaller types). We've had many ups and downs with her family but they accept us as we are even though they'd obviously rather me be a return Mormon missionary and for us to be Mormon.

There was mention above that the Book of Mormon teaches that we can become gods. Actually this is not taught there but in other sources. In particular, it is clearly discussed in Joseph Smith’s King Follet Discourse, made in April 7, 1844 contained in the History of the Church (History of the Church, vol. 6, pp. 304-306, see also, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, pp. 345-347). Here's an interesting article about what the church says about it today http://www.irr.org/mit/hinckley.html. The entire site is a good one http://www.irr.org/mit/default.html

[Victor Joseph]

Peace to you BibleBeliever. . .

Hey I read your post and as a Catholic Christian I would agree with much of what you said about LDS. As for lumping "Catholics" with LDS. . .

You seem to have done some homework on the Mormons my challenge for you would be to do some further learning about what the Catholic Church 'really' teaches and not what someone has passed on. (I may be wrong. . .)

"There are not 100 peope in the United States who hate the Catholic Church . . . there are millions who hate the Catholic Church for what it doesn't teach." Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (pioneer televangelist)

You can learn more about the pitfalls of LDS and more about what the Catholic Church really teaches from www.catholic.com They sell a book by I. Bennett "Inside Mormonism" and "When Mormons Call".

The Following is a tract from Catholic Answers. . . V.J.

DISTINCTIVE BELIEFS OF THE MORMON CHURCH

Are Mormons Protestants? No, but their founder, Joseph Smith, came from a Protestant background, and Protestant presuppositions form part of the basis of Mormonism.
Still, it isn’t correct to call Mormons Protestants, because doing so implies they hold to the essentials of Christianity—what C. S. Lewis termed "mere Christianity." The fact is, they don’t. Gordon B. Hinckley, the current president and prophet of the Mormon church, says (in a booklet called What of the Mormons?) that he and his co-religionists "are no closer to Protestantism than they are to Catholicism."
That isn’t quite right—it would be better to say Mormons are even further from Catholicism than from Protestantism. But Hinckley is right in saying that Mormons are very different from Catholics and Protestants. Let’s examine some of these differences. We can start by considering the young men who come to your door.
They always come in pairs and are dressed conservatively, usually in white shirts and ties. As often as not, they get from place to place by bicycle. They introduce themselves to you as Elder This and Elder That. The title "Elder" does not refer to their age (many are not even shaving regularly, yet) but means they hold the higher of the two Mormon priesthoods, the "Melchizedek" order. This priesthood is something every practicing Mormon male is supposed to receive at about age 18, provided he conforms to the standards of the church.
The other priesthood—the Aaronic—is the lesser of the two and is concerned with the temporal affairs of the church, and its ranks are known as deacon, teacher, then priest.
The Melchizedek priesthood is concerned mainly with spiritual affairs, and it "embrac[es] all of the authority of the Aaronic," explains Hinckley. The Melchizedek ranks are elder, seventy, and high priest. At age twelve boys become deacons and thus enter the "Aaronic priesthood."
If the terms for the various levels of the Mormon priesthood are confusing, still more confusing is Mormonism’s ecclesiastical structure. The basic unit, equivalent to a very small parish, is the ward. Several wards within a single geographical area form a stake, which corresponds to a large Catholic parish. The head of each ward isn’t called a priest, as you might expect, but a bishop. A Mormon bishop can officiate at a civil marriage, but not at a "temple marriage," which can be performed only by a "sealer" in one of Mormonism’s temples.
*
Polygamy
Mormons try to attract new members by projecting an image of wholesome family life in their circles. This is an illusion—Mormon Utah has higher than average rates for suicide, divorce, and other domestic problems than the rest of the country. And if Mormonism’s public image of large, happy families, and marriage bring to mind anything, it is polygamy.
Hinckley explains that "Mormonism claims to be a restoration of God’s work in all previous dispensations. The Old Testament teaches that the patriarchs . . . had more than one wife under divine sanction. In the course of the development of the church in the nineteenth century, it was revealed to the leader of the church that such a practice should be entered into again." Although polygamy was permitted to Mormons, few practiced it. But enough did so to make polygamy the characteristic that most caught the attention of other Americans.
Mormonism, you should understand, is one of those religions which is peculiarly American. (A few others come to mind immediately, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christian Science.) Although now spread beyond the borders of the United States, Mormonism is so tied to a certain brand of American nationalism that you couldn’t imagine the religion starting anywhere else.
*
Mormonism: Made in America
If many of today’s Fundamentalists are known for their belief that America is destined to play a key role in the events of the Last Days, Mormons are identified even more closely with America. The Mormons’ theory is that Christ also established his Church here, among the Indians, where it eventually flopped, as did his original effort in Palestine.
The situation is somewhat similar to that of the Anglican church. In England, the Anglican church is not just the church of Englishmen; it is the Established Church. In theory, and even at times in practice, Parliament can decide what Anglicans are to believe officially and can make and unmake clerics of all grades, from the lowliest curate to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Just as Anglicanism is tied to England, so Mormonism is tied to the United States. Although it is not the established religion of this country, Mormonism has allowed itself to be modified by Congress.
"In the late 1880s," says Hinckley, "Congress passed various measures prohibiting [polygamy]. When the Supreme Court declared these laws constitutional, the church indicated its willingness to comply. It could do nothing else in view of its basic teachings on the necessity for obedience to the law of the land. That was in 1890. Since then officers of the church have not performed plural marriages, and members who have entered into such relationships have been excommunicated."
Before Congress acted, Mormons were convinced polygamy was not merely permissible, but positively good, for those "of the highest character who had proved themselves capable of maintaining more than one family." (Section 132 of Doctrine and Covenants is officially subtitled this way: "Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Nauvoo, Illinois, recorded July 12, 1843, relating to the new and everlasting covenant, including the eternity of the marriage covenant, as also plurality of wives.")
Yet this position was dropped when Washington, D.C., threatened to deny statehood to Utah. Similarly, and more recently, a "revelation," saying blacks would no longer be denied the Mormon priesthood, was given to Mormon leaders when the federal government started breathing down their necks.
*
Continuing Revelation
These continuing revelations are not exceptions to Mormon practice. "We believe all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal, and we believe that he will yet reveal many great and important things"—this is the ninth article of faith for Mormons and is an official statement of doctrine.
Hinckley notes that "Christians and Jews generally maintain that God revealed himself and directed chosen men in ancient times. Mormons maintain that the need for divine guidance is as great or greater in our modern, complex world as it was in the comparatively simple times of the Hebrews." Thus, revelation continues.
It might be added: public revelation continues. Catholics hold that public or "general" revelation ended at the death of the last apostle (Catechism of the Catholic Church 66, 73), but private revelations can be given still—and have been, as Marian apparitions at such places as Fatima and Lourdes testify (CCC 67). Such revelations can never correct, supplement, or complete the Christian faith, which is precisely what Mormon "revelations" claim to do.
*
Mormonism’s Debt to Puritanism
"Mormon theology," says Hinckley, "deals with such widely diversified subjects as the nature of heaven and the evils of alcohol. Actually, in this philosophy the two are closely related. Since man is created in the image of God, his body is sacred. . . . As such, it ill becomes any man or women to injure or dissipate his or her health." So alcohol (as well as tobacco, tea, and caffeine) is out for the believing Mormon.
Here we have an example of Mormonism borrowing from Puritanism. The religion Joseph Smith developed uses elements of various forms of Protestantism. The emphasis on "temperance"—which, to the old-line Protestants, meant not the moderate use of alcohol, but outright abstinence—is one such borrowing.
The curious thing is that this attitude is contrary to the Bible. It is one of those doctrines, shared by Fundamentalists and Mormons, that is believed independently of the Bible, though the Bible has been searched (and with quite unsuccessful results) for verses that seem to back it.
*
Jesus Wasn’t a Teetotaler
The ancient Jews were a temperate people—temperate used in the right sense. They used light wine as part of the regular diet (1 Tim. 3:8). Jesus, you will recall, was called a wine-drinker (Matt. 11:19), the charge being not that he drank, but that he drank too much (that, of course, was false, but the charge itself reflects the fact that he did drink alcoholic beverages, such as the wine that was required for use in the Jewish Passover seder).
The New Testament nowhere says the Jews claimed Jesus should have been a teetotaler. Wine was used also at weddings, and our Lord clearly approved of the practice of wine drinking since he made wine from water when the wine was depleted at Cana (John 2:1–11).
Something Mormons seldom refer to is wine’s medicinal uses (Luke 10:34). You will recall that Paul advised Timothy to take wine to ease stomach pains (1 Tim. 5:23). Such apostolic admonitions co-exist uneasily with Mormonism’s strictures against wine.
Mormons practice tithing, yet would be shocked to learn that in a key Old Testament passage where tithing (the practice of donating 10% of one’s income for religious use) is discussed, God says: "you shall turn [your tithe] into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses, and spend the money for whatever you desire, oxen, or sheep, or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves; and you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household" (Deut. 14:25-26). We’re also told, "Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more" (Prov. 31:6–7).
As is so often the case when founders of new religions get an idea into their heads, they take it to an extreme. So Joseph Smith confused the misuse of wine with its legitimate use. The Bible does condemn excessive drinking (1 Cor. 5:11; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:18; 1 Pet. 4:3), but the key here is the adjective "excessive." This is why Paul says Church leaders must not be addicted to wine (1 Tim. 3:8).
When Hinckley refers to the "evils of alcohol," he gets it wrong. Alcohol itself is not evil, but the misuse of it is, just as a hammer, which can be used to pound in nails, can be misused to pound in skulls.
*
Plural Heavens
Polygamy was a doctrine some Mormons found hard to accept. Abstinence from alcohol is a teaching many find difficult. But one unique Mormon belief has supposedly brought blessing and relief to many souls, particularly potential converts.
Mormonism teaches that practically no one is forever damned to hell. Aside from Satan, his spirit followers, and perhaps a half-dozen notorious sinners, all people who have ever existed will share in heavenly "glory." Not, mind you, all in the same heaven. There are, in fact, three heavens.
The lowest heaven is populated by adulterers, murderers, thieves, liars and other evil-doers. These share in a glory and delight impossible to imagine. Their sins have been forgiven, and they now enjoy the eternal presence of the Holy Ghost.
The middle heaven contains the souls and bodies of good non-Mormons and those Mormons who were in some way deficient in their obedience to church commandments. They will glory in the presence of Jesus Christ forever.
The top heaven is reserved for devout Mormons, who go on to become gods and rulers of their own universes. By having their wives and children "sealed" to them during an earthly, temple ceremony, these men-gods will procreate billions of spirits and place them into future, physical bodies. These future children will then worship their father-gods, obeying Mormon commandments, and eventually take their place in the eternal progression to their own godhood.
Mormons think this doctrine is a strong selling point. They point out (erroneously) that only their church offers families the chance to be together forever in eternity. But read the fine print. The only way you can have your family with you is if each one of them has lived a sterling Mormon life. Otherwise, a spouse, parent, or child may be locked forever in a lower heaven. Indeed, the faithful Mormon wife of a lukewarm Mormon man will leave him behind in an inferior place while she goes on and is sealed to a more devout Mormon gentleman. These two will then beget and raise their own, new family.
The LDS slogan, "Families are forever," can only mean fractured families.

[disciple]

http://www.razormouth.com/cgi-local/...&id=1026720133

[disciple]

http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0003/public.html