Mormonism
Brief History
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, better known as
the Mormon Church, was organized on April 6, 1830, at Fayette, New
York, with six members by Joseph Smith Jr.
Smith, following in the footsteps of his father as a roving water
witch, became known as "Peep-stone Joe" because he claimed
to have miraculously discovered a "peep-stone". At the age
of fourteen he began to have visions and revelations. Being perplexed
about the religious confusion of his day and the many conflicting
denominations and their varied interpretations of the scriptures,
he said he received in the woods one day a vision of a great light.
Instructions from God were not to join any of the sects, because God
was about to restore the ancient gospel that had not been represented
in its fulness by any of the churches existing at the time.
According to his statement, three years later he had a night vision
in which Moroni, and angel, appeared before him and revealed to him
the hiding place of certain plates of gold on which was inscribed
the gospel. He was instructed by the angel to visit this place on
the same date each year. September 22, 1827, he was permitted to receive
the plates, at age 21. He then translated the records, dictating the
translation to Oliver Cowdery and others who wrote it down. It was
completed in 1829 and placed in the hands of a printer in August,
1829. In the same year, on May 15, Smith and Cowdery said that an
angel (John the Baptist) appeared to them and conferred upon them
the Aaronic priesthood and commanded them to baptize each other by
immersion. Later, three glorious personages (Peter, James and John)
conferred the Melchizedek priesthood upon them and gave them the apostleship.
These events were followed by the organization of the church at Fayette,
April 6, 1830, with all its ancient gifts and powers.
Headquarters of the various churches that began to form was established
in 1831 at Kirtland, Ohio. They met with rigid opposition in many
areas, and were expelled from the state of Missouri in the winter
of 1838-39. They then settled at Nauvoo, Illinois, but again hostility
developed and Joseph Smith and his brother were killed at nearby Carthage,
Illinois by a mob, June 27, 1844. Joseph Smith was shot to death in
a jail, where he had been lodged on a charge of treason.
After Smith's death, Mormons split into several divisions. In 1847,
the Council of Twelve near Omaha, Nebraska, elected Brigham Young
as President of the church. The main body of followers emigrated westward
and settled in Utah. There have been various divisions, and today
two main bodies exist. The "Reorganized" branch has headquarters
at Independence, Missouri. This group rejects polygamy and the name
Mormon; they do their own publishing. The branch that settled westward
erected a magnificent Temple at Salt Lake City, and there situated
the church headquarters. They claim three books to be inspired: The
Pearl of Great Price, Doctrines and Covenants, and the Book of Mormon.
Six temples have been erected in the U.S., the largest having been
constructed on a 25 acre plot in Los Angeles at a cost of $6 million.
Belief System
Mormon Belief 1 - God
gave revelations of truth to Joseph Smith. Considered to be the Word
of God, the Book of Mormon is held as a companion book to the Bible.
As stated by Joseph Smith in Article 8 of "Articles of Faith":
"We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is
translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the
word of God". In addressing the 12 apostles, Joseph Smith said,
"I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was 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" (A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, p.273). A
Mormon apostle, Orson Pratt, said: "The nature of the Book of
Mormon is such that, if true, no one can possibly be saved and reject
it; if false, no one can possibly be saved and receive it". (Orson
Pratt, Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, p.124). The Book
of Mormon is the word of God; then it is to be accepted with equal
authority...yeah with GREATER authority, since it is not only the
word of God, but translated into the English language by the power
of God.
Word of God 1 - The
Faith Was Once Delivered (Jud. 1:3). The question now before us is
whether revelation was complete and perfect in the 1st century or
if there was still a vacuum or void left after the New Testament was
given which was to be filled by a latter revelation. Jud. 3: "Beloved,
while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation,
I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly
for THE FAITH WHICH WAS ONCE FOR ALL DELIVERED unto the saints".
THE faith, not just any faith; not gradually being given through 2000
years or given in part in the first century to be delivered again
in the 19th century. ONCE DELIVERED (Greek word here is "hapax",
defined in Thayer's Lexicon as: "once, one time...never need
repetition", also, "once for all"). The same word is
employed in these verses: 2 Cor. 11:25; Heb. 9:26-28; 1 Pet. 3:18.
The curse of heaven rests upon any man or angel or apostle who preaches
any other gospel than that revealed in the New Testament (Gal. 1:8-9).
Man is not to add to the words of the prophecy of this book as we
read in Rev. 22:18-19, nor to "go onward and abide not in the
teaching of Christ" as we read at 2 Joh. 9. Notice: "Seeing
that his divine power HATH GRANTED unto us ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN
UNTO LIFE AND GODLINESS, through the knowledge of him that called
us by his own glory and virtue". (2 Pet. 1:3) We must conclude
that since the divine power did not grant them the Book of Mormon,
that it therefore does not "pertain unto life and godliness".
"Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness:
that the MAN OF GOD MAY BE COMPLETE, FURNISHED COMPLETELY UNTO EVERY
GOOD WORK". (2 Tim. 3:16-17) There is no room for later revelations;
no vacuum; no need.
Mormon Belief 2 - The
man is a fool who says the Bible is sufficient and that it contains
all of God's revealed truth, according to the Book of Mormon. "And
my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, for a standard
unto my people, which are of the house of Israel; and because my words
shall hiss forth - many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible!
We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible...Thou fool,
that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible and we need no more Bible.
Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews? ...Wherefore, because
that ye have a Bible ye need NOT SUPPOSE THAT IT CONTAINS ALL MY WORDS;
neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written...for
out of the books which SHALL BE WRITTEN, I will judge the world...For
behold, I shall speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and
I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which
I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto
all nations of the earth and they shall write it" (2 Nephi 29:2,3,6,10-12).
Further, 2 Nephi 28:29 says "WO be unto him that shall say: We
have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of
God, for we have enough!"
Word of God 2 - Deu.
4:2; 12:32. See above passages. "Every good work" is recorded
in the Bible, the scriptures available in the first century (2 Tim.
3:16-17). The gospel was never "lost", hence it is absurd
to speak of restoring its revelation. "My words shall never pass
away" said Jesus (Mat. 24:35). What is new is not true; what
is true is not new.
Mormon Belief 3 - Translation
of the Book of Mormon was "By the gift and power of God",
hence not subject to human error. (a) "The prophet, scanning
through the Urim and Thummim, the golden pages would appear in lieu
of the strange characters thereon, their equivalent in English words.
These he would repeat and a scribe, separated from him by a veil or
curtain would write them down. Until the writing was CORRECT IN EVERY
PARTICULAR, the words last given would remain before the eyes of the
translater and not disappear. But, on the necessary corrections, being
made, they would immediately pass away and be exceeded by others"
(Brigham H. Roberts, The History of the Church, p.28). (b) "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, and put his face in the 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 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 THE POWER OF ANY
MAN" (David Whitmer, An Address To All Believers In Christ, pp.17f).
(c) "The prophet possessed a seer stone which he was able to
translate with us as well as from the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience
he then used the seer stone. By the aid of the seer stone, sentences
would appear and were read by the prophet and written by Martin Harris
and when finished he would say, "Written", and if correctly
written that sentence would disappear and another appear in its place.
But, if not correctly written, it remained until corrected, so that
the translation was JUST AS IT WAS ENGRAVEN ON THE PLATES PRECISELY
IN THE LANGUAGE THEN USED" (Martin Harris, The Myth of the Manuscripts
Found, p.91). (d). "And we know that they (the golden plates)
have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath
declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is
true" (Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris, Testimony
of the Three Witnesses, in Book of Mormon Preface.
Word of God 3 - Fables
and false prophets are to be avoided (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 4:3-4). Joseph
Smith was a base impostor, and the Book of Mormon a colossal fraud.
All liars shall be punished (Col. 3:9; Rev. 21:8, 27; 22:15). Men
today should preach the same things taught in the first century (2
Tim. 2:2). There is only one conclusion: the translation into the
English language was absolutely perfect, and the ONLY flaws must be
typographical or printer's errors. It is an undisputed fact, however,
that there are even in the current editions many grammatical, historical,
and literary errors which cannot be attributed as typographical. Notice:
"The book passed into a fluid condition and assumed a different
FORM with every edition. In 1842, an edition appeared bearing on its
title page the announcement, 'Carefully revised by the translator,'
and such corrections have continued and accumulated so that 'a comparison
of the latest Salt Lake edition with the first has shown more than
three thousand changes'." (J. H. Snowden, The Truth About Mormonism,
p.69).
Mormon Belief 4 - Characters
were of an ancient language. See graphic below:
The Egyptian hieroglyphics in 1833 had not been fully
deciphered, and there was no way of proving Smith's work. However,
in 1861 Smith's translation was shown to a scholar named Theodule
Deveria of Paris, who declared the work was "entirely incorrect".
So also attest eight other distinguished scholars in Egyptian lore
(Snowden, Ibid., pp.76-79).
Word of God 4 - Prove
all things (1 Thes. 5:21).
Mormon Belief 5 - Some
grammatical and language blunders and absurdities in the Book of Mormon:
1830 Edition - p.193 "the priests was", p.192 "They
was added", p.290 "they did not fight against God no more",
p.351 "that all might see the writing which he had wrote upon
the rent", p.506 "I have wrote them" "I were about
to write" "that to teach baptism unto they", p.582
"this thing had ought not to be", p.224 "and this he
done". 1949 Edition - 2 Nephi 33:4 - "the words...it",
Words of Mormon 1:2 - "it supposeth me", Moroni 9:5 - "it
seemeth me", 1 nephi 6:2 - "we are a descendant of Joseph",
Alma 13:1 - "I would cite your minds forward to the time when
the Lord God gave", Alma 14:6 - "his soul began to be harrowed
up", Alma 24:17 - "they did bury them up deep in the earth",
Helaman 9:6 - "Now, Immediately when the judge had been murdered
- he being stabbed by his brother by a garb of secrecy" (a strange
weapon!), Ether 2:17 - "the length thereof was the length of
a tree" (see verses 16-25), Ether 3:1 - "the brother of
Jared...did molten" (adjective should be replaced by the verb,
melt).
Word of God 5 - God
is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). Does this sound like
the product of "the gift and power of God?!" I THINK NOT.
Mormon Belief 6 - Book
of Mormon refutes any claim to inspiration. 1 Nephi 1:3 - "I
make it according to MY knowledge". nephi wrote what his knowledge
led him to write, and only what "I think it to be sacred"
(1 Nephi 19:6). Him again: "And now if I do err" (1 Nephi
19:6). Now let us hear Jacob: "I should write...which I considered
to be most precious" (Jacob 1:2). He concludes saying, "I
have written according to the best of my knowledge" (Jacob 7:26).
What they thought was true according to their knowledge,
if they do not err! Also see 3 Nephi 8:1-2 and Mormon 8:12
- "if there was no mistake made by this man", and "because
of the imperfections which are in it (this record)." They wrote
"according to my memory" (Ether 5:1).
Word of God 6 - Book
of Mormon claim they are inspired in one place, and not inspired in
another.
Mormon Belief 7 - Some
contradictions between the Book of Mormon and the Bible: (a) 1 Nephi
19:10 - Darkness at Jesus' death. (b) Jesus born at Jerusalem (Alma
7:10). (c) Disciples called Christians first 73 B.C. (Alma 46:13-14).
(d) Church of Christ built about 147 B.C. (Mosiah 18:17). (e) Mysteries
unfolded 600 B.C. (1 Nephi 10:19). (f) Seer is greater than a prophet
(Mosiah 8:15). (g) The Lord's Supper is a common meal to "fill"
the participants (3 Nephi 18:8). Followers of Book of Mormon do not
obey it, for they take water and bread (3 Nephi 18:13). (h) Priests
outside the tribe of Levi (2 Nephi 5:26). Yet, 2 Nephi 5:10 says they
kept the Law of Moses "in all things". (i) Men have authority
in the church (Mosiah 26:8, 37). (j) Melchizedek had a father (Alma
13:18).
Word of God 7 - Mat.
27:45. Mat. 2:1. In Bethlehem, about 7 miles out of Jerusalem. Act.
11:26. First in Antioch about 45 A.D. Mat. 16:18. 33 A.D. What mysteries?
Eph. 3:4-5; Mat. 13:17. Not until days of apostles, first century
A.D. 1 Sam. 9:9. Same. 1 Cor. 11:20-22. The meal was separate from
the Lord's Supper. Mat. 26:26-29. Num. 3:10. Heb. 8:4. Eph. 1:22-23;
col. 1:18. Christ has all authority in the church. Heb. 7:3. He had
no father.
Mormon Belief 8 - The
fall of Adam and Eve was "one of the great steps to eternal exaltation
and happiness and one ordered of God" (Catechism for Children,
p.33).
Word of God 8 - (Gen.
3:19; Rom. 5:12-18). Disobedience to God's law has never been His
desire or "order".
Mormon Belief 9 - Joseph
Smith contradicts himself on doctrine of polygamy. (a) Polygamy of
David and Solomon "which thing was abominable before me, saith
the Lord" (Book of Mormon, Jacob 2:24). (b) God gave David all
his wives and concubines "by the hand of Nathan, my servant,
and others of the prophets..." He sinned in none of these things
except in the case of Uriah and his wife (Doctrines and Covenants,
132:39).
Word of God 9 - Sinners
and false teachers "oppose themselves".
Mormon Belief 10 -
Polygamy is a command to obey and if disobeyed, damnation is the penalty
(The Seer, Vol. 1, p.158. Doctrines and Covenants, 132:3, 4, 6, 61,
62).
Word of God 10 - Man
is to cleave to his wife, not wives (Gen. 1:18-25). Man has one wife
(Eph. 5:23-33), the same as Christ has one church which is his bride.
Elders must be husband of one wife (1 Tim. 3:2). Lamech, a murderer,
originated polygamy (Gen. 4:19-24).
Mormon Belief 11 -
There are many gods, "a general assembly, quorum or grand council
of the gods, with their president at their head, constituted the designing
and creating power" (Key of Theology, p.52).
Word of God 11 - Only
one God (Gen. 1:26; Exo. 20:1-3; Mat. 28:19; Joh. 1:1-3; 14:25-26;
16:7-10).
Mormon Belief 12 -
Doctrine of God: (a) God in heaven "has flesh and bones. The
Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's" (Doctrines
and Covenants, 130:22). (b) He has sex and marries and multiplies
His species. "God, angels, and men are all of one great species,
one race, one great family" (Key of Theology, p.41, 52; The Seer,
Vol. 1, p.37). (c) Adam is God, and Eve was "one of his wives"
(Pearl of Great Price, p.60; Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p.50).
(d) "God himself was once as we are now and is an exalted man"
(Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p.3, sermons by Joseph Smith).
Word of God 12 - God
is a spirit (Joh. 4:24; 1 Cor. 15:50). A spirit has not flesh and
bones (Luk. 24:39). God is omnipresent (Psa. 139:7-11; Act. 17:28;
1 Cor. 3:16). God's only marriage relationship was spiritual, with
Israel (Jer. 3:14). No marriage after death (Mar. 12:25). Adam is
not God, but was created by Him (Gen. 1:27; 2:18-25; 3:8-11, 19; Exo.
20:1-3). Man is a created being (Gen. 2:7). Christ was like us only
from his fleshly aspect after he came to earth (Isa. 7:14; Mat. 1:20-23).
Mormon Belief 13 -
Doctrine of Christ: (a) Christ is Adam's son by natural generation.
"he was not begotten by the Holy Spirit. And who is the Father?
He is the first of the human family" (Journal of Discourses,
Vol. 1, p.50, sermon by Brigham Young). (b) Jesus was a polygamist.
"...there were several holy women that greatly loved Jesus, such
as Mary and Martha her sister, and Mary Magdalene; and Jesus greatly
loved them...If all the acts of Jesus were written, we, no doubt,
should learn that these beloved women were His wives" (The Seer,
Vol. 1, p.158-159).
Word of God 13 - Jesus
was conceived of the Holy Spirit (Isa. 7:14; Mat. 1:18-23). Christ
is the one husband and head of his one bride, the church (Joh. 3:29;
Rom. 7:4; Eph. 5:23-33).
Mormon Belief 14 -
Doctrine of The Holy Spirit: Not a person, but ethereal substance,
pure and refined.
Word of God 14 - The
Holy Spirit is a person, one of the three persons in the godhead (Mat.
28:19; Joh. 14:15-17; 16:13-14; Act. 5:3-4; 8:29; 10:19-20). He is
not a mysterious "it" but a personal "He".
Mormon Belief 15 -
Doctrine of Apostles: (a) Twelve apostles were appointed by David
Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery; T. B. Marsh, Parley Pratt, D. W. Patten,
Luke Johnson, Brigham Young, William Smith, H. C. Kimball, Orson Pratt,
Orson Hyde, John Boynton, William M'Lellin, Lyman Johnson. (b) They
maintain an apostleship in the church.
Word of God 15 - Those
claiming apostleship tried and "found them liars" (Rev.
2:2). Apostles had to be eye witnesses of the Lord "from the
baptism of John" (Act. 1:25). Saul was "the last of all"
chosen as apostle who "saw the Lord" (Act. 9:6; 22:17-21;
1 Cor. 15:8). Apostles cannot exist today because none can do the
signs of an apostle, and none living today has seen the Lord.
Mormon Belief 16 -
Doctrine of Salvation: (a) Salvation is the resurrection from the
dead (Doctrines and Covenants, 88:16). (b) Salvation consists of 3
degrees: highest or celestial, terrestrial (deceived, etc.), and those
who did not accept Mormonism, liars, sorcerers, etc. (Doctrines and
Covenants, 76:51-112).
Word of God 16 - Both
good and bad will be resurrected (Joh. 5:28-29; Rev. 20:11-15). Universal
salvation is not taught in the scriptures (Mat. 25). (Mat. 25:46)
Only eternal life or eternal punishment (Rev. 22:4).
Mormon Belief 17 -
Baptism for the Dead: The saints can be baptized for those who have
died (Doctrines and Covenants, 124:28; Journal of Discourses, Vol.
6, p.7-8, Joseph Smith).
Word of God 17 - Man
must be baptized by his own faith and volition (Rom. 6:3-4, 17-18;
Act. 2:37-38). A man is "dead in sin" before he is baptized,
hence is baptized for the old dead self. See 1 Cor. 15:29. Responsible
only for deeds done in own body (2 cor. 5:10). There is no second
chance after death (Luk. 16:19-30; Act. 17:31).
Mormon Belief 18 -
"Every spirit that confesses that Joseph Smith is a prophet...and
that the Book of Mormon is true, is of God, and every spirit that
does not is of "Antichrist" (Millenial Star, Vol. 5, p.118,
by Brigham Young).
Word of God 18 - Confess
Christ, not Joseph Smith (Mat. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-10). Many false
prophets (Mat. 7:15; 24:11; 2 Cor. 11:13; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 Joh. 4:1).
