Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism)

An Overview by Scott Shiffer

Founder/Leadership

Joseph Smith Jr. was born on December 23, 1805.  He was a mystic and loved to dig for treasure.  He founded the Mormon Church on April 6, 1830.  He used seer stones, divining rods, talismans; he used things made for ritual magic.  A man named D. Michael Quinn was an LDS historian that published a book containing information that Smith used both peep stones and seer stones, shortly after he was excommunicated.  Joseph Smith's mother also wrote a book containing much of this information, but Brigham Young, Mr. Smith's successor would not allow it to continue to be published because he claimed it had to many errors.  Other author's as well who lived during the time of Smith claimed that he was a peep stone addict.

Joseph Smith's calling came in 1820.  At this time he claimed to have seen the Father and the Son in material form.  It is taught that after the deaths of the Apostles, Christianity was nothing more than apostasy until Joseph Smith came around to restore the true faith.  In 1826 he was fined by the courts for using a peep stone, which was considered to be an illegal occult practice at the time.  In 1823 before this incident, Smith claimed that the Angel Moroni appeared to him with the golden tablets.  These tablets were translated from their Reformed Egyptian Hieroglyphics to what is now known as the Book of Mormon in1830, one year after he claimed that he saw John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John who bestowed upon him and Oliver Crowley the "Aaronic Priesthood" and later the "Melchizadek Priesthood."  Smith is said to have translated the tablets using the Urim and the Thummim, magical glasses that he could wear to have the meaning of the tablets revealed to him.  It is worth noting that Reformed Egyptian never existed.

Smith caused many ruckuses and was forced to move around from place to place.  Finally there was an issue with a newspaper company that he made remarks which led to the burning of the building in which the paper was published.  This led to Smith's being jailed and his attack while in jail which left him murdered.  He is attributed martyrdom status by the Mormons themselves.  After his death, there was a split in which the majority of Mormons followed Brigham Young.  In fact, they followed him all the way to Salt Lake City in Utah .  That is where the headquarters is today.  Young continued to teach Smith's doctrines adding to them and taking away from them wherever he deemed it necessary.  This leads us to the authority of the church.

Authority

The authority in the church is set up in general authorities.  At the top of the list is the Presidency, Gordon B. Hinkley currently.  The President has two counselors.  Under the President is the Counsel of the Twelve.  This is followed by the First and Second Counsels of the Seventy; the head of the Second counsel is referred to as the Presiding Bishopric.  The authority rests in the priesthood.  The priesthood is made up of the Aaronic and Melchizedek groups.  Nearly every male over the age of twelve is in the Aaronic group.  The churches are divided into territories called wards, wards are combined into stakes, and a stake president, two counselors, and twelve high priests oversee stakes.

As far as literature is concerned, the Mormons accept as authoritative/Scripture the King James Version of the Bible so long as it is correctly interpreted.  The Book of Mormon, which is the story of two groups of people who came to South America .  The Jaredites in 2,250 B.C. after the Tower of Babel and a group of righteous Jews in 600 B.C.  The second group was led by Lehi and later his son Nephi.  There was another group called the Lamanites, known as the Indians.  They had dark skin as a curse for their sins (evil deeds).  Around 421 A.D. there was a great battle between the Lamanites and the Nephites in which the Nephites were destroyed.  However, this was after Christ came and revealed himself to the Nephites who were righteous.  The Book of Mormon is known to have geographical, historical, and scientific errors as well as numerous plagiarisms from the KJV where some passages are even quoted verbatim.  Other books they accept as authoritative are The Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrines and Covenants; the latter may still be added to today.  Between 1831 and 1844 Smith claimed to have received over 135 revelations that are written down in these books.

Doctrine of God

The Mormons are Polytheistic in nature, and are known for the statement "as God once was, man now is, as God now is, man may become."  This statement takes several variations but is nonetheless quite accurate.  The Creator they serve is the God of this earth, but he is not the only God.  God the Father has flesh and bones just like the Son.  The Holy Spirit on the other hand does not; he is only a spiritual person.  Brigham Young taught that Adam the first man is God the Father, but this is no longer accepted as authoritative.  It has also been taught that Christ is God the Father but this also seems to be a minority view.  Once people achieve Godhood, they procreate spirit children.  These children are given bodies on different planets, and if they achieve Godhood, then they get to begin this process on their own.  When Mormons achieve Godhood they also enter into an eternal polygamous relationship.  Elohim and Jehovah are different God's in the LDS church and the idea of the Trinity is rejected.  The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are all different Gods.

Christology

Mary conceived of Jesus through physical union with the Father and according to LDS doctrine, that Father was the one in the garden.  However, this means that even if they reject the idea that Adam is the Father, it may still be taught in this doctrine here.  Either way, Jesus was sexually conceived.  He came to the earth for salvific purposes.  Even so, his death on the cross was not considered to be a blood atonement for our sins.  There is no original sin.  Lucifer was the spirit brother of Jesus and asked God the Father if he could be our redeemer but the Father said no.  He fell from heaven because he was jealous of Christ.  Christ's atonement worked in two ways, generally and individually.  The general sense is that everyone will be resurrected from the dead and no one will face an eternity in Hell.  The individuals who are redeemed have special reward but for more information on them refer to the thirteen articles of the faith.

Doctrine of Salvation

Faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, obedience to the teachings of the Mormon church, good works, and having sin cleansed by the keeping of the commandments of God is what redeems people according to the LDS.  Christ did not redeem man on the cross.  The fall of Adam is looked upon as a good thing, because it is what allows man to achieve Godhood.  Cain fell also and because of his sin, he was given dark skin much in the same way the Lamanites were.  This has lead some people to accuse the LDS of being White Supremacists.  Nonetheless, they do evangelize people with dark skin and allow them to become LDS members.  In the Mormon faith there are 3 levels of Heaven.  First, the telestial heaven will be filled with all those who live for the world in carnality, sensuality, and devilish ways.  This will be where most people go.  The second level is the terrestrial level; this level is set-aside for Christians who did not accept the teachings of the LDS and Mormons who do not meet their requirements.  The third and highest level is the celestial heaven.  This is the heaven that Mormons go to when they achieve Godhood.  Here they receive their own planets and they and their families are given the opportunity to populate them.  In the end, the LDS is a works based faith, but one that only results in a good end.  Even if they fall short they will still make it to heaven or eternal paradise on some level, they will not cease to exists as the Jehovah's Witnesses claim and they will not be punished for eternity as orthodox Christianity claims.

Christian Perspective

In orthodox Christianity, it is believed that man is born into sin and separated from God.  Men are given one chance to come to know God while they are on earth.  Christ died as a substitute on our behalf, on the cross, so that we could be reconciled back to God through His death.  God the Father is Holy and therefore He cannot look upon sin.  Hebrews 9:27 explains that it is appointed for every man to die once, and then to face judgment.  If we have not accepted Christ's sacrifice on our behalf and thus become justified in the sight of God by the blood of His only unique Son (John 3:16), then we are left to pay for our own sin. 

Because God is Holy He cannot ever look lightly upon sin, and the punishment for being sinful and fallen in nature is eternal separation from God.  This separation is not for a limited time until one has suffered adequately.  All sin merits eternal separation and punishment, regardless of the magnitude of any particular sin.  The only way God may look past our faults is by seeing us through the blood of His Son, because He alone was without fault. Hell is an eternally burning lake of fire, and that is where all will spend eternity who did not accept his Son while on earth.[1]

All who accept Christ will live in the presence of God in the New Heaven and Earth, which will be combined in the eternal state. We will all share in His fellowship for eternity.[2]  While there are levels of reward, all glory will be given to God and we will all be equals.  We will not become gods.

The eternal state rests on one thing alone, our faith in Jesus Christ.  When we accept Christ He sends the Holy Spirit to indwell us, and His Spirit convicts us of sin so that we will change our ways.  Our deeds do not determine our salvation, but rather demonstrate externally what God has already done internally in our hearts.[3]

In conclusion, the Christian view of the eternal state is one that holds to equality among all people in the presence of God, and will be characterized by peace and harmony for all who accept Christ on earth.  Those who do not accept Christ will be eternally separated from God and will face eternal punishment.  The Mormons have a kind of caste system built on works, not faith alone, and we find that only the "best" Mormons achieve the fullest reward--godhood.  This is only available to men who may have more than one wife for eternity.  In the Mormon Church, people are not equal and the women are somewhat oppressed.  This should cause all true Christians to desire more than ever to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all people, and especially Mormons.  After all, there are no second chances.

Some questions to ask Mormons (based on issues raised in Mormonism 101 by McKeever and Johnson:

1.       Brigham Young said to compare the teachings of the faith with Scripture, in Discourses of Brigham Young on page 433, to see if it could pass the test, so how do Mormons explain that:

a.       In 1828 Joseph Smith lost part of the book of Lehi, but the Bible says that God's words will not pass away in Luke 21:33.

b.       In 1831 Joseph Smith claimed that Independence Missouri would be the site of the New Jerusalem, but it is not.  Can a prophet be of God if he is wrong?

c.       The Pearl of Great Price, written in 1835, was found to be mistranslated in 1967; can this be of God?

d.       In 1842 the 14 Articles of the faith becomes 13 Articles again one appeals to Luke 21:33.

e.       In 1852, Brigham Young said that Adam was God the Father; does the Bible teach this?  If so, it means that through God all men have sinned.

2.       1835 - Doctrines and Covenants was modified in some of its revelations and re-published, can this book be trusted?

3.       Martin Harris (1837), Oliver Cowdery (1838), David Whitmer (1838). All renounced the belief that they had seen the plates.  In 1887 David Whitmer claimed that Smith was a false prophet.  Apart from these men what evidence that the plates even existed does the Church have? (Excluding the witness of the Eight)

4.       In 1842 Joseph Smith becomes a Mason, but aren't all other branches wrong?

5.       In 1978, Doctrine was changed to include Blacks in the faith.  In fact, by 1981, 200 changes were made and about 4,000 in all.  Most were grammatical, but if Smith had only accurate revelation, why were there so many mistakes?  Could other things be wrong?

6.       Why was the angel renamed from Nephi to Moroni in 1842, was Smith's story inconsistent?

7.       The Church taught that the Garden of Eden was in the U.S. in 1838, can this be proven?

8.       If the LDS Church believes that the God they serve is not the God of Christian Creeds, how then can they call themselves Christians? 

9.       Mormons believe that Elohim is God the Father, but how do they explain that Elohim is plural in the Hebrew.

10.   If God didn't create from out of nothing, and he grows and progresses and becomes more powerful in time, what then is the first cause? If we eternally existed, once again, where is the first cause?

11.   The LDS Church teaches that God is not eternal, but how does that reconcile with Psalm 90:2, 93:2; Isaiah 40:28, and 57:15?

12.   Mormons teach that we were in the beginning with God, but Scripture only teaches this about Christ, so how can we know that we were there?

13.   Mormons teach that God changes, but how do they reconcile this with Psalm 102:27; Malachi 3:6; and James 1:17?

14.   Explain the contradiction between Moroni 8:18 and Mormon 9:19? Also in Mosiah 3:5, Moroni 7:22, 3 Nephi 24:6, and Mormon 9:9-10.

15.   Matthew 1:18 teaches a virgin birth, not conception of Mary by God.  And the Bible teaches that Jesus was perfect from before His birth, in eternity past, not that perfection was achieved after His resurrection.  Explain why the Mormon Church desires to contradict these clear teachings.

16.    Explain the contradiction between 3 Nephi 12:48 and Matthew 5:48.

17.   Christ is certainly not Satan's brother; He is in fact God and has been since eternity past.  He created Lucifer (John 1:1-3, and Col. 1:15).  Satan only wants to fool people (2 Corinthians 11:14). Explain why the Mormon Church desires to contradict these clear teachings of Scripture.

18.   Christ didn't have to work out His salvation, only sinners do.  Christ was sinless and only gave salvation; He never was in need of it.  Why does the LDS faith desire to contradict this clear doctrine of Scripture?

19.   Christ was not a polygamist and that is not taught in Psalm 45.  If he was, why did he not have John take care of his wife or wives along with His mother and sisters?

20.   Knowing that the Pearl of Great Price was mistranslated and that is what teaches the doctrine of pre-mortal existence, then why do Mormons still believe in this (Moses 3:5, 4:1-2, 4; Alma 28:13)?

21.   If all who received mortal bodies sided with Christ, why do they not all follow Christ now?

22.   If Christ was the first spirit child, why was he not the first bodily child?

23.   How can Mormons say that the Fall was good in light of what Genesis says?  Especially in light of what History and New Testament context teach (Death=Adam, Life=Christ)? Romans 6:23 and 3:23 claim that sin leads to death; therefore the fall was not a wise choice.

24.   Mormons built their faith based on a complete apostasy by the rest of the Church, but the Bible never teaches that there will be a complete apostasy (1 Timothy 4:12, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 2 Peter 2:1-7, and Matthew 16:18).  So where do Mormons find support for such an event?

25.   If God would not allow the Mormon Apostles to lead the Church into error, why would He allow the original Apostles to do so?

26.   Why is the Melchizedek priesthood needed today, based on Hebrews 6:20, 7:24, 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 3:2, and 5:5?

27.   If Joseph Smith found the plates at the Hill of Cumorah, and LDS members today believe that this is located near Central America, then why did Smith find the plates in New York ?

28.   If Mormons believe that all one needs to know for salvation is found in the Book of Mormon, then why are so many of their Doctrines not found there (pp. 119-120)?

29.   How can a Mormon know if they have done enough in keeping God's commandments?  Is trying satisfactory, or is perfection satisfactory?  How can one know (p. 160)?

30.   If Mormons believe that marriage is for time and eternity, then explain Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; and Luke 20:27-28?

31.   If plural marriage is no longer accepted by the LDS Church , why is it still listed in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132 (p. 248)?

32.   If Mormons reject the orthodox view of heaven and hell because there are no second chances, then why do Mormons believe that Satan and 1/3 of the "spirit children" who fell with him were given no second chance?  As result, 1/3 of all God's spirit children automatically end up in hell, is this fairer than the orthodox view (p. 174)?