MORMONS
MORMONS
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1).
We live in a dangerous world. Joab said to his cousin Amasa “How are you my brother?” Amasa did not realize he was in danger and was therefore not on his guard. Joab then put out his right hand and took Amasa by the beard to kiss him, but with his left hand he plunged a dagger into his belly and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Then the mortally wounded man lay in the middle of the road wallowing in his own blood (2 Sam. 20:8 — 13).
The warning of Scripture against false prophets is even more serious because false prophets can rob us of eternal life!
Please consider these warnings:
m “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” (Matt. 7:15).
m= “and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” (Matt. 24:11).
m “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:24).
m “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Mk. 13:22).
m “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves” (2 Pet. 2:1).
m= “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve” (2 Cor. 13 — 15).
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are sometimes called “Mormons”. According to their teaching Mormon was a great warrior prophet. They believe that he compiled the Book of Mormon. They also believe he was one of the last prophets to record revelations from God. Because they believe Mormon was a prophet of God being called a Mormon is not offensive.
MORMONS ARE NOT JUST ANOTHER DENOMINATION
The Christian world has many denominations. Mormons, however, are in a different category from Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Etc. Here are some unique Mormon teachings listed by Sandra Tanner in “41 Unique teachings of the LDS Church”.
m God the Father was once a man. God the Father has a body of flesh and bones. Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three separate beings. God the Father is under a higher god. God lives on a planet near the star Kolob. All matter is eternal. God did not create out of nothing. Everything was first created as a spirit.
m There is a Heavenly Mother. We are all spirit children of Heavenly Parents. Jesus and Lucifer
are literally brothers. The Fall was necessary and a great blessing. Heavenly Father had intercourse with Mary to procreate Jesus. Jesus suffered in Gethsemane for our sins. The gospel includes all of Mormon doctrine.
™ Going to heaven is not the same as having eternal life. Three levels of LDS heaven. Man can
become a God and rule over his own world. Temple marriage required for eternal life. Must pay tithing to go to the temple.
m Prohibit tea, coffee, tobacco, alcohol. Only faithful LDS members may attend temple weddings. Sacred underwear must be worn. Temple handshakes, gestures and passwords. Temple oath to consecrate everything to the LDS Church.
m LDS woman called up from the grave by husband. Exalted couples have sex eternally.
Polygamy will be lived in the celestial kingdom. Baptism for the dead and proxy marriage ceremonies. Christ visited the Americas shortly after His crucifixion.
Mm Dark skin is the result of a curse from God. The Garden of Eden was in western Missouri.
Jesus will return to Earth in western Missouri. Noah set sail from Missouri. Enoch will return to Missouri at the time of Christ's return.
m The LDS Church claims to be the only true church. Bible insufficient and mistranslated. The LDS prophet's revelations not limited. Only LDS priesthood authority is accepted by God. The LDS Sacrament (communion) uses bread and water. Test a spiritual messenger with a handshake. Four of Jesus' disciples did not die.
m In addition to the Bible Mormons believe in the Book of Mormon, the Book of the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price (Including the Book of Abraham).
JOSEPH SMITH
Jerald and Sandra Tanner are among the ex-mormons who are exposing Joseph Smith as a fraud. The Tanners' best-known publication is Mormonism: Shadow or Reality?, which has been reprinted five times. The Tanners question the character and integrity of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon; they discuss the different accounts that Joseph Smith gave of the First Vision. Their book includes copies of original LDS documents. Joseph Smith claimed that the Book of Mormon came from God but the many changes and revisions it the book call it’s inspiration into question.
Here is a condensation of a chronology of Joseph Smith compiled by Sandra Tanner. m Joseph Smith was born December 23, 1805 in Sharon, Vermont. m In 1816 the Smith family moved to the Palmyra, New York area.
m In the Spring of 1820 Joseph claimed to have attended a revival at which time God called him to be a prophet.
In 1822 Joseph found a seer stone which he used to search for buried treasure. Later he would use it to translate the book of Mormon.
Sept. 23, 1823 — Joseph claimed the Angel Moroni appeared to him and called him to translate the history of God’s dealings with the former inhabitants of America.
Oct. - Nov. 1825 - Josiah Stowell hired Joseph and his father to help him search for buried treasure near Harmony, Pennsylvania. Joseph boarded with Isaac Hale, where he met his future bride, Emma Hale.
March 20, 1826 - Joseph Smith was brought before Judge Albert Neeley on charges of money
digging, using a "peep stone" to locate buried treasures for hire, according to Court records of Chenango County, State of New York, People vs Joseph Smith.
Jan. 1827 - Joseph eloped with Emma Hale. Her father opposed the wedding on grounds that Smith had no visible means of support and his involvement with magic and treasure hunting.
Mr. Stowell helped Joseph and Emma move back to Manchester, NY.
Sept. 22, 1827 - Joseph went to the hill and received from the Angel Moroni the gold plates, Written in "Reformed Egyptian," it claimed to be the history of migrations from the old world to the new. One group came at the time of the Tower of Babel, the others about 600 BC. The descendants of these people became the American Indian.
Nov. 27, 1827 - Joseph and Emma moved back to her father's farm in Harmony, Pa. They took the plates with them, hid in a barrel of beans. Started to translate.
May 15, 1829 - John the Baptist allegedly appeared and bestowed the Aaronic Priesthood on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery as part of the restoration of God's Church on earth — Smith later claimed that sometime after receiving the Aaronic Priesthood, Peter, James and John bestowed upon Joseph and Oliver the Melchizedek Priesthood.
June 1829 - Secured copyright for Book of Mormon. Moved to Fayette, NY to complete his translation.
Early 1830 - In order to raise funds for the printing of the Book of Mormon, Joseph gave a revelation for several men to travel to Canada to sell the copyright. The revelation failed and was not included in his 1833 printing of his revelations.
March 1830 - 5,000 copies of Book of Mormon were printed by the Grandin Print Shop in Palmyra, NY. Martin Harris pledged his farm to cover the printing costs. In April of 1831 one hundred and fifty-one acres of Harris' farm were auctioned off to pay the bill.
April 6, 1830 - The Church of Christ was organized in New York with a handful of people, as God's one true church on earth.
June 1831 - Smith traveled to Jackson County, Mo. where it was revealed that it was to be the site of the City of Zion and a temple. Mormons started settlements in Missouri.
Sept. 1832 - Revelation that the church was to build a temple in New Jerusalem (Independence, Mo.)
Fall 1833 - Mormons driven from Jackson County, Mo. 1834 - The name of the church was changed to The Church of the Latter Day Saints.
July 1835 - Church purchased Egyptian mummies and papyri. Smith began his "translating" of the papyri, which would eventually be published as the Book of Abraham, part of the Pearl of Great Price. Also composed an Egyptian alphabet and grammar. About this time Joseph Smith had an affair with a young woman staying in his home, Fanny Alger. It was later claimed to be a plural marriage. Oliver Cowdery referred to it in 1838 as a "dirty, nasty, filthy affair."
Dec. 1837 - Growing dissent among members over financial matters. Martin Harris excommunicated.
Jan. 1838 - Joseph fled Kirtland, and went to Far West, Mo., fleeing the wrath of the law and disgruntled members.
April 1838 - Oliver Cowdery excommunicated. David Whitmer withdrew his membership. The name of the church was changed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Oct. 27, 1838 - Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs issued the "extermination" order against the Mormons.
Oct. 31, 1838 - Smith surrendered to Missouri militia at Far West and was imprisoned. Spends months in Liberty Jail while awaiting trial.
1838 — 1839 - Mormons are driven out of Missouri due to conflicts between them and the non- Mormons.
April 1839 - Smith escaped while being transferred to another county, fled to Illinois. Settlement of what was to become Nauvoo, Illinois started.
1840 - Mormon Church had about 17,000 members. Gov. of Illinois signed the Nauvoo charter, giving the city of Nauvoo extensive legal rights.
April 1841 - Joseph Smith was secretly sealed to Louisa Beaman, usually listed as his first plural wife. Over the next 3 years he would marry at least 33 women in secret marriages. John C. Bennett joined Mormonism, was appointed an Assistant President of the Church, and mayor of Nauvoo. In the coming months various charges of immorality were raised against him. His defense was he was following the teachings of Joseph Smith regarding polygamy.
1842 - Smith published his "Book of Abraham" in the LDS newspaper, Times and Seasons. Also, an account of Smith's 1820 vision was published for the first time.
March 15, 1842 — Smith became a Free Mason.
April 1843 - Joseph Smith prophesied "There are those of the rising generation who shall not taste death till Christ comes. . . . I prophesy in the name of the Lord God, and let it be written— the Son of Man will not come in the clouds of heaven till I am eight-five years old."
July 1843 - Smith privately dictated a revelation authorizing the practice of polygamy, but it was not formally announced until 1852, and was not included in LDS scripture until 1876.
Aug. 12, 1843 - Meeting in Hyrum Smith's office, Joseph Smith's revelation on plural marriage was read to the High Council. At least two members objected to the revelation.
1844 — Smith announced his candidacy for U.S. President. April 7, 1844 - Smith delivered his "King Follett" sermon on plurality of gods. June 18, 1844 — Nauvoo placed under martial law.
June 24, 1844 - Joseph and Hyrum Smith surrendered to civil authorities to stand trial for "riot and treason".
June 27, 1844 - While incarcerated at Carthage Jail, Joseph and Hyrum were allowed to have several visitors. Two men smuggled guns into them. At approximately 5 p.m. a mob stormed the jail. Joseph and Hyrum shot back, and Joseph wounded a couple of men, one of whom was later said to have died. The mob killed Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and wounded John Taylor. In the ensuing struggle to determine the rightful successor to Joseph Smith, Brigham Young gained the support of the majority of the apostles and became the next president of the church.
After the death of Joseph Smith his followers have been divided into two main groups. The LDS Church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and claims more than 15 million members worldwide. RLDS is headquartered in Independence, Missouri, and reports a worldwide membership of approximately 250,000.
ADDING TO THE BIBLE If you add to the Bible the teachings of Ellen G. White you become a Seventh Day Adventist.
If you add to the Bible the teachings of C. T. Russell you become a Jehovah’s Witness. If you add to the Bible the teachings of Mary Baker Eddy you become a Christian Scientist. If you add to the Bible the teachings of the Pope you become a Roman Catholic.
If you add to the Bible the teachings of Joseph Smith you become a Mormon.
m If you don’t add anything to the Bible, and if you don’t take anything away from the Bible, you merely become a Christian. No one can claim to be the “only Christian”, all of us, however, can be “Christians only”.
m The Bible is all sufficient, and alone sufficient, to guide us spiritually. PLEASE DO NOT ADD ANYTHING TO THE BIBLE!
“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” (Rev. 22:18 — 19).
This brief article has been written by Boyce Mouton. No rights are reserved! Please feel free to use this material in whole or in part for the glorification of Jesus Christ and the advancement of His Kingdom.