2009 lines
102 KiB
Plaintext
2009 lines
102 KiB
Plaintext
The Jesus of Christianity
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Vs
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The Jesus of Mormonism
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The Jesus WE KNOW contrasted to the "Jesus" of Mormonism.
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The one true Jesus of the BIBLE, of all eternity God the Son, who
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died that we may have eternal life; who paid the price of all
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sins; who has entered our lives and is walking with us in a
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personal relationship day by day -- is not known in Mormonism.
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The Jesus of Mormonism is an entirely different "Jesus". Let's
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examine what the leaders and prophets - the foundation of the
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Latter Day Saints Church - have said:
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"When the time came that His First-Born, the Saviour, should
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come into the world and take a tabernacle, the Father Himself
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came and favored the Spirit with a tabernacle instead of letting
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any other MAN do it. .... The Saviour was begotten by the Father
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of His spirit, by the same being who is the Father of our
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spirits, and that is all the organic difference between Jesus
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Christ and you and me." BRIGHAM YOUNG, Journal of Discourses,
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4:218
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"The fleshly body of Jesus required a Mother as well as a
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Father. Therefore, the Father and Mother of Jesus, according to
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the flesh, must have been associated together in the capacity of
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Husband and Wife; hence the Virgin Mary must have been, for the
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time being, the lawful wife of God the Father." ORSON PRATT, The
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Seer, pg 158
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"Christ was begotten by an immortal Father in the same way
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that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers --- And Christ was
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born into the world as the Literal Son of this Holy Being; He was
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born in the same personal, real, and literal sense that any
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mortal son is born of a mortal father. There is nothing
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figurative about his paternity; He was begotten, conceived and
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born in the normal and natural course of events, for He is the
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Son of God, and that designation means what it says." BRUCE R.
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McCONKIE, Mormon Doctrine, pg 547,742
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Brigham Young, to be consistent with his "Adam-God"
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doctrine, believed Adam was the literal father of Jesus Christ:
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"When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father
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had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by the
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Holy Ghost. And who is the Father? He is the first of the human
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family ... Jesus, our elder brother, was begotten in the flesh by
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the same character that was in the Garden of Eden, and who is our
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Father in Heaven." BRIGHAM YOUNG, Journal of Discourses, 1:50,51
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As is evident in these statements, there is no Virgin Birth
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in Mormonism. On the other hand, the Bible clearly shows us:
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Matthew 1:18 Mary with child of the Holy Spirit
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1:20 That which is conceived in her is of the Holy
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Spirit
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1:23 Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son
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Luke 1:35 The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
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power of the Most High will overshadow you
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Further, the "Jesus" of Mormonism was married in polygamy
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and had children. This had to be so to be consistent with the
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doctrines of Joseph Smith, Junior. As Joseph reports as a
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"revelation" given him by God on July 12,1843: "I am the Lord thy
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God .. obey the instructions I am about to give unto you .. if ye
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abide not that covenant, then ye are damned; for no one can
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reject this covenant and be permitted to enter my Glory .. verily
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I say unto you, if man marry a wife by my word, which is my law,
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and by the new and everlasting covenant .. they shall be gods ..
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And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood if any man
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espouses a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first
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give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are
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virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then he is justified ..
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and if he have ten virgins given unto him by the law, he cannot
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commit adultery, for they belong to him." JOSEPH SMITH, Doctrine
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& Covenants, 132:2,3,4,19,20,61,62
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"It will be borne in mind that once on a time, there was a
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marriage in Cana of Galilee, and on a careful reading of that
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transaction, it will be discovered that no less a person than
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Jesus Christ was married on that occasion." ORSON HYDE, Journal
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of Discourses, 13:259
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"How was it with Mary and Martha, and other women that
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followed Him? In old times, and it is common to this day, the
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women, even Sarah, called their husbands 'LORD' .. Jesus was the
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bridegroom at the marriage of Cana of Galilee .. We say it was
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Jesus Christ who was married, to be brought into relation whereby
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he could see his seed, before He was crucified .. I shall say
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here, that before the Saviour died, he looked upon His own
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natural children, as we look upon ours." ORSON HYDE, Journal of
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Discourses, 2:81,82
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The Bible states that Jesus is God the Son -- eternally
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existent with God the Father -- yet Mormon doctrine says Jesus
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was a spirit offspring of the Father; that Lucifer was the second
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spirit offspring (THEY WERE BROTHERS?!); followed by billions
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more - or each of us, for instance. We are "brothers" and
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"sisters" of Jesus Christ. Jesus is not the only begotten Son in
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Mormon Theology: "It makes me think of that second person that
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came forth in the heavens when the voice went forth: 'Who will
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redeem the earth, who will go forth and make the sacrifice for
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the earth and all things it contains ?'. The Eldest son said:
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'Here am I'; but he did not say 'send me'. But the second one,
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which was 'Lucifer, Son of the Morning', said, 'Lord, here am I,
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send me, I will redeem every son and daughter of Adam and Eve
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that lives on the earth." BRIGHAM YOUNG, Journal of Discourses,
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13:282
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"The appointment of Jesus to be Saviour of the world was
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contested by one of the other sons of God. He was called Lucifer,
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Son of the Morning .... this spirit brother of Jesus desperately
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tried to become the Saviour of Mankind. MILTON R. HUNTER (First
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Council of 70) The Gospel Through the Ages, pg 15 [1958]
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"Jesus Christ is also of our species .. I have heard
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sectarian priest undertake to tell the character of the Son of
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God, and they make him half of one species and half of another,
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and I could not avoid thinking at once of a mule." BRIGHAM YOUNG,
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Journal of Discourses, 4:217
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"There is no impropriety ... in speaking of Jesus Christ as
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the elder brother of the rest of human kind." JAMES TALMAGE,
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ARTICLES OF FAITH, pg 473
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In Mormonism, Jesus was a created being: "Jesus is man's
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spiritual brother. We dwelt with Him in the spirit world as
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members of that large society of our eldest brother." MILTON R.
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HUNTER, Gospel Through the Ages, pg 21
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"The devil is a spirit son of God who was born in the
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morning of pre-existence." BRUCE R. McCONKIE, Mormon Doctrine,
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"Devil", 1966 edition, pg 192
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"There are three Gods - the Father, Son and Holy Ghost."
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BRUCE R. McCONKIE, Mormon Doctrine,"God", pg 317
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The REAL JESUS, the ONLY Son of God and God the Son, is
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proclaimed throughout the BIBLE! Look up these references and
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tie-ins of Old and New testaments declaring Jesus' Divinity and
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NOT being created:
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LOOK UP and COMPARE WITH
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Psalm 24:10 I Corinthians 2:8
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Psalm 45:6,7 Hebrews 1:8
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Isaiah 8:13 I Peter 2:8
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Isaiah 40:3 Matthew 3:3
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Malachi 3:1 Matthew 11:10
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Psalm 102:27 Hebrews 13:8
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James 1:17
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Psalm 102:25 Colossians 1:16
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Psalm 102:26 Matthew 24:35
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2 Peter 3:7,10
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JOHN 1:1-3,14 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
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was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
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with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not
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anything made that was made ... And the Word was made flesh, and
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dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the Glory as of the
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ONLY begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
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COLOSSIANS 1:15 "Who is the image of the invisible God, the
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firstborn of every creature" [Here 'firstborn' does not mean
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first 'spirit-child', rather a position of high honor - see verse
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18, Hebrews 12:23, revelation 1:5, and Psalm 89:27]. The next
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verses, 16 and 17, tell us, "For in Him were all things created,
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that are in heaven, and that are on the earth ... All things were
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created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by
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Him all things consist."
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HEBREWS 1:10 "Thou, Lord (Jesus), in the beginning hast
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laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of
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thine hands."
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In Isaiah 44:24 God tells us that He "stretched forth the
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heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself." Jesus,
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who IS the TRUTH and God the Father "have no lies within them"
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and are INCAPABLE OF TELLING A LIE. Jesus is God the Son,
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eternally One with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and not be
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confused. God the Son is not God the Father and God the father is
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not God the Holy Spirit, but each entity is a part of the ONE
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TRUE AND LIVING GOD.
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ISAIAH 9:6 "For unto us a child is born ... his name shall
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be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting
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Father, The Prince of Peace."
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MICAH 5:2 "Whose goings forth have been from of old, from
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everlasting."
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MATTHEW 28:18 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
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'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
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PHILIPPIANS 2:6-10 "Who, being in the form of God, though
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it not robbery to be equal with God: ... was made in the likeness
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of men ... became obedient unto death, even the death of the
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cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exaulted him ... That at
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the name of Jesus every knee should bow ....".
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Compare to Isaiah 45:22,23 for if Jesus is not God, then we
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worship two (or more) Gods! The Mormons, basically, do not
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worship Jesus, or pray to Him, only "through" Him.)
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COLOSSIANS 2:9 "For in Him dwelleth the fullness of the
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Godhead bodily"
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HEBREWS 1:3 "... The express image of His person ...."
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JOHN 5:23 "That all men should honor the Son, even as they
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honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the
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Father which hath sent Him."
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JOHN 20:28 "And Thomas answered and said unto Him, 'My Lord
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and my God'"
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Jesus used the same descriptions of himself; I AM, ALPHA and
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OMEGA, FIRST and LAST; as used by God the Father:
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JESUS SAYING GOD
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JOHN 8:58 I AM EXODUS 3:14,15
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REV 22:13,16 ALPHA AND OMEGA REV 1:8 & 21:6
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REV 1:17 REVELATION 21:6
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2:8 FIRST AND LAST ISAIAH 44:6
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22:13 48:12
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Jesus is GOD the SON! Eternally God and not after, or
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created by, or a spirit child of God! Our Jesus is NOT the
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"Jesus" of Mormonism, and we are empowered, if we have accepted
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the true Jesus into our hearts, to give Thanks unto God for
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selecting us to reveal His True Son to us. HALLELUJAH and AMEN
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!!!
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Computers For Christ
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THE NATURE OF GOD
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There is but ONE GOD. The BIBLE states that there has been,
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and presently is, and always will be only ONE GOD. History and
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the BIBLE show that the Jewish people always believed in ONE GOD
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of the UNIVERSE. The Jewish nation; However, was lured, time and
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time again, into going after "other gods" that were worshipped by
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the people surrounding Israel. That was the sin GOD hated and
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punished them for practicing. (Jeremiah 2:11 11:9-13 19:13)
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In direct contrast, MORMONISM has a basic belief in many
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gods. The Father, Son and Holy Ghost (in Mormonism) are three
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separate gods. There were gods before them and will be gods to
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follow: "If we should take a million worlds like this and number
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their particles, we should find that there are more gods than
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there are particles of matter in those worlds." JOURNAL OF
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DISCOURSES, Vol 2, page 345 [Feb 1855] Orson Pratt
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"Many men say there is one God; the Father, the Son, and the
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Holy Spirit are only one God. I say that is a strange God, anyhow
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- Three in one and one in three. It is a curious organization ...
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all are to be crammed into one God, according to sectarianism. It
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would make the biggest God in all the world ... he would be a
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giant or a monster." TEACHING OF THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH, page
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372; HISTORY OF THE CHURCH, Vol 6, page 476
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"In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of
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the Gods, and they came together and concocted a plan to create
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the world and people it." JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES, JOSEPH SMITH,
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Vol 6, page 5; HISTORY OF THE CHURCH, Vol 6, page 308
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Mormons will say they worship only one God; But, whether
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they worship them or not, believing in the valid existence of
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many gods -- of the same authority and reality of the one God --
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makes you a polytheist!
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False Prophets have always led the people of history (and
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the current peoples of the earth) to go after other gods
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(Deuteronomy 13:1 to 13). God's strongest wrath was then and is
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now upon people who worship or believe in other gods (Jeremiah
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16:10 to 13 and 22:8 & 9).
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Mormonism teaches that "Father God" is married and has many
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wives: "In the heaven where our spirits were born, there are many
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Gods, each of whom has his own wife or wives, which were given to
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him previous to his redemption while yet in his mortal state."
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THE SEER, Orson Pratt, page 37
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Look up John 10:34 used by Mormons to justify a belief in
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"many Gods". Jesus, there, is quoting Psalm 82 in which the
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judges were referred to as "gods" -- but were wicked and unjust
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and "die like all men".
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Anytime the word "gods" occur in the BIBLE it must be
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verified in context as referring to the idols, satanic princes or
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counterfeit gods - (Isaiah 41:23 and 24 and 45:20).
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IN CONTRAST The BIBLE states throughout there is but ONE
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GOD! Look up these verses:
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ISAIAH 43:10-11 "Before me NO god was formed, nor after"
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44: 6-8 "I am the first and the last, beside me no
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other"
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45: 5-6 "I am the Lord, and there is no other"
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45:18-22 "HE created the heavens and earth-there is no
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other"
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DEUT 6:4 "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord"
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32:39 "There is no god beside me"
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PSALM 86:10 "Thou alone art God"
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MARK 12:29 "Jesus said, the Lord our God is one; no other"
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GAL 3:20 "God is one"
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JAMES 2:19 "You believe God is one - you do well"
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EPH 4:5-6 "One God and Father of us all"
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I COR 8:4-6 "There is no god but me"
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GOD IS INFINITE: The BIBLE states that God has always been
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the same from all time in eternity past and does not change. In
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direct opposition to this, the Mormon Church has the basic belief
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that God was once a man, with many gods before Him and many gods
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to come after Him. They further believe that God is progressing
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to higher levels of power and ability: "God himself was once as
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we are now, and is an exalted Man, and sits enthroned in yonder
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heavens ... it is necessary that we should understand the
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character and being of God, and how He came to be so; for I am
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going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and
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supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that
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idea, and will take away the veil, so that you may see ... he was
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once a man like us; yea, that God himself the Father of us all,
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dwelt on an earth the same as Jesus Christ did. "TEACHINGS OF THE
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PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH, page 345; JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES Vol 6, page
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3; HISTORY OF THE CHURCH, Vol 6, page 305
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"As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become." THE
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GOSPEL THROUGH THE AGES, Milton R. Hunter, pages 105 & 106
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"Our Eternal Father has attained His position of exaltation
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and Godhood by obedience to the great law of progression ... was
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once a mortal man who passed through a school of earth-life
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similar to that which we are now passing." THE GOSPEL THROUGH THE
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AGES, Milton R. Hunter, pages 12 & 104
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"Through modern revelations we learn that the universe is
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filled with vast numbers of intelligences, and we further learn
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that Elohim is God simply because all of these intelligences
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honor and sustain him as such --- But God acquired the honor and
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sustaining influence of 'all things'. It follows as a corrolary
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that if He should ever do anything to violate the confidence of
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'sense of justice' of these intelligences, they would promptly
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withdraw their support, and the 'power' of God would disintegrate
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--- He would cease to be God. Our Heavenly Father can do only
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those things which the intelligences under Him are voluntarily
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willing to support Him in accomplishing." THE FIRST 2000 YEARS,
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W. Cleon Skousen *,pages 355,356 *=FREEMEN INSTITUTE PRESIDENT &
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B.Y.U. Professor
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Mormonism teaches that God is confined to a body of flesh
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and bones. He is at a particular place at a particular time. The
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Mormon "god" is a SMALL "god". You can have tremendous faith in a
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god - BUT, if that god is not THE GOD, then all that tremendous
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faith is meaningless. Elijah once challenged the priests of
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"another god" to start a fire, and the "god" who was able to do
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so would be recognized as THE GOD. The priests for this wooden
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idol, with great faith and efforts prayed and prayed to their god
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to bring down fire to prove his godhood. Elijah even became
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somewhat sarcastic when he asked a rhetorical question of "Maybe
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your god is asleep? Maybe you should cry out louder to wake him
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up?". After all these efforts, nothing happened! It didn't matter
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if the priest and believers of that "god" had a great faith
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because the OBJECT of that faith was incapable of fulfilling the
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promise of that faith. The ONE and TRUE GOD fulfills our prayers.
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"If God possesses a form, that form is of necessity of
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definite proportions, and therefore of limited extension and
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space. It is impossible for Him to occupy at one time more than
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one space of such limits." ARTICLES OF FAITH, James E. Talmage,
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pages 42 and 43
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"I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all
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description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto
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me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other -'This is
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my Beloved Son. Hear Him!" PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, Joseph Smith
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2:17
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"The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as
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man's. DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS, 130, v:22
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"God himself is increasing in knowledge, power, and dominion
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and will do so, worlds without end." JOURNAL OF
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DISCOURSES,Prophet Wilford Woodruff, Vol 6, Pg 120
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"We were begotten by our Father in heaven; the person of our
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Father in Heaven was begotten on a previous heavenly world by His
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Father; and again, He was begotten by still a more ancient Father
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...." THE SEER, Orson Pratt, Page 132
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The BIBLE states throughout that GOD IS INFINITE! We ask
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that you look up these proofs:
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II CHRONICLES 6:18 "Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens cannot
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contain thee."
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PSALM 41:13 (90:2) "God is from everlasting to everlasting"
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PSALM 102:25-27 "created heavens, always the same
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without end"
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PSALM 139:4-8 "Omniscient and Omnipresent"
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JEREMIAH 23:24 "I fill heaven and earth"
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HOSEA 11:9 "I am God, and not man"
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MALACHI 4:39 "I do not change"
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NEHEMIAH 9:6 "made Heaven, Heaven of Heavens and all
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their host"
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PROVERBS 15:3 "His eyes in every place"
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ACTS 17:27 "He is not far from each of us"
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JOHN 4:24 "God is Spirit"
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LUKE 24:39 "A Spirit has not flesh and bones"
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HEBREWS 4:13 "All things opened unto His eyes"
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I JOHN 4:12 "No man has seen God at any time"
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I TIMOTHY 6:15 "No man has seen, nor can see ..."
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JOHN 1:18 "No man has seen God at any time"
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EXODUS 33:20 "There shall be no man see me and live"
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It is clear that the BIBLE refutes the Mormon church's
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claims and the claims of its prophets and leaders in a most
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specific manner.
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Brigham Young, second Prophet and President of the Mormon
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Church taught that ADAM was "our Father and our God...": "When
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our father Adam came into the Garden of Eden, he came into it
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with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with
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him ... He is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom
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we have to do ... When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus,
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the Father had begotten Him in His own likeness. He was not
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begotten by the Holy Ghost. And who is the Father? He is the
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first of the human family ...." JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES, Vol 1,
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page 50, April 9,1852
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"I have learned by experience that there is but one God that
|
||
pertains to this people, and He is the God that pertains to this
|
||
earth - the first man. That first man sent His own Son to redeem
|
||
the world ..." JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES, Vol 4, pg 1, June 29, 1856
|
||
Prophet & President Heber C. Kimball
|
||
"How much unbelief exist in the minds of the Latter-Day
|
||
Saints in regard to a particular doctrine which I revealed to
|
||
them, and which God revealed to me -- namely, that Adam is our
|
||
Father and our God ... Our Father, Adam helped to make this
|
||
earth, it was created expressly for him ... He brought one of his
|
||
wives with him, and she was called Eve ... Our Father Adam is the
|
||
man who stands at the gate and holds the keys of everlasting life
|
||
and salvation to all his children.." DESERET NEWS, June 18,1873:
|
||
Discourse by Prophet and President Brigham Young
|
||
|
||
Today, the Mormon Church adamantly denies the "ADAM-GOD"
|
||
doctrine taught, and as seen above, and affirmed by "Prophet"
|
||
Brigham Young. There is overwhelming evidence that he did teach,
|
||
believed and strongly defended this belief. By any, reasonable,
|
||
interpretation of the BIBLE, Brigham Young must be classified as
|
||
a FALSE PROPHET (see Deuteronomy 13:1 to 10 and 18:20 to 22 -
|
||
also Jeremiah 23:16 to 17) ADAM is not OUR god and NEVER will be!
|
||
The BIBLE states: "... then the Lord God formed man of dust
|
||
from the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
|
||
life; and man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7)
|
||
GOD is ONE and ETERNALLY the same. Creator of the Heavens
|
||
and the Earth ... All powerful, all knowing, all present. Despite
|
||
the fact that HE is INFINITE, he knows every hair on our heads
|
||
and has a plan for each of our lives (John 3:16 & 10:10). It is
|
||
far better to have a small faith in THE TRUE GOD of the universe
|
||
than to have a great faith in a small, counterfeit god.
|
||
One should keep in mind that faith in a "counterfeit" god is
|
||
really no more than a misplaced faith in the false prophet and
|
||
the teaching of a false Prophet. Remember - a counterfeit - to be
|
||
called a counterfeit - must "resemble" the GENUINE item. If there
|
||
are many "counterfeit" gods, then there must be a REAL GOD, and
|
||
HE is found in the scriptures and in everything that surrounds
|
||
us.
|
||
|
||
Computers for Christ
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
THE REAL HOLY SPIRIT
|
||
|
||
In Mormonism the "Holy Ghost" is a personage, or a god, but
|
||
the "Holy Spirit" is an impersonal force. The Mormons refer to
|
||
verses that the Holy Spirit is symbolized by oil, fire and water
|
||
and show that these are "impersonal". The Bible refers to the
|
||
Father and the Son as "bread of life", "living water" and other
|
||
"impersonal" terms. Again, we must look at the context.
|
||
In John 16:7, our Lord is placing His emphasis on His going
|
||
away and the Holy Spirit's being sent by the Father to replace
|
||
our Lord himself. This change (or replacement), Jesus says, would
|
||
be beneficial for His disciples. AN IMPERSONAL FORCE COULD HARDLY
|
||
IMPROVE ON THE PERSONAL PRESENCE OF OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST!
|
||
The word in Hebrew and the word in Greek for SPIRIT and
|
||
GHOST both mean the same, "breath or wind" and the "translators"
|
||
of the King James Bible noted that the Greek word denoted a
|
||
neuter gender and mistranslated to be an "IT", but they did
|
||
utilize the word Ghost and Spirit and interchanged them on many
|
||
occassions.
|
||
The words as translated are from only ONE word in Hebrew and
|
||
ONE word in Greek - therefore there are NOT two words for SPIRIT
|
||
and GHOST - only ONE. Now, let's look at this ONE entity called
|
||
the HOLY SPIRIT. In John 16:13 and 14 we see our Lord, Jesus
|
||
telling us this about the Holy Spirit, "HE shall not speak of
|
||
HIMSELF ... HE shall glorify me ... HE shall receive of mine
|
||
....". NOTE that our LORD gives PERSONALITY to the Spirit.
|
||
Otherwise our Lord would have used the term that Mormons use
|
||
"IT".
|
||
Jesus repeatedly (John 16:7-15) uses the MASCULINE PERSONAL
|
||
pronoun "He" when referring to the Spirit. Jesus used the term
|
||
clearly to tell us that the Spirit had personality and intimacy.
|
||
Ananias was struck dead for lying to the HOLY SPIRIT (Acts
|
||
5:3). You cannot lie to an impersonal force! It would be like
|
||
walking up to a window box fan, turning it on and facing its
|
||
"force" and then telling lie after lie to it - IT WOULD NOT CARE
|
||
THE SLIGHTEST, WOULD IT? Now, you look at Ananias and, if you are
|
||
not a complete idiot, you would not repeat his behavior, now
|
||
would you? The Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost are not two
|
||
different items mentioned in the Bible. There is only one entity
|
||
referred to as both HOLY GHOST and HOLY SPIRIT.
|
||
The Holy Spirit is a person. The Spirit may be "grieved"
|
||
(Ephesians 4:30) and "sinned against" by UNFORGIVABLE blasphemy
|
||
(Mark 3:29). None of these things are possible for an "impersonal
|
||
force".
|
||
|
||
The Holy Ghost does things which only a person COULD do.
|
||
|
||
He SPEAKS:
|
||
|
||
"The Spirit said unto Philip, 'Go near'" (Acts 8:29)
|
||
|
||
He STRIVES:
|
||
|
||
"My Spirit shall not strive with man forever" (Genesis 6:3)
|
||
- "The Spirit also helpeth our infirmity ... [and] MAKETH
|
||
INTERCESSION for us." (Romans 8:26)
|
||
|
||
He REVEALS, SEARCHES, and KNOWS:
|
||
|
||
"But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit; for the
|
||
Spirit searcheth all things ... the things of God knoweth no man
|
||
but the Spirit of God" (I Corinthians 2:10,11).
|
||
|
||
Other verses can be shown in which the Spirit IDENTIFIES
|
||
with believers (Acts 15:28), The Spirit is ETERNAL (Hebrews
|
||
9:14), OMNIPRESENT (Psalm 139:7-10), DOES GOD'S WORK (Genesis
|
||
1:2), INVOLVED IN REGENERATION (John 3:8), participates in the
|
||
RESURRECTION (Romans 8:11).
|
||
Paul identifies the Spirit as the speaker to Isaiah. Acts
|
||
28:25-26 and Isaiah 6:8,9. An impersonal force does not counsel,
|
||
speak, feel, or anything resembling personality. The HOLY SPIRIT
|
||
is a person - one of the THREE ENTITIES of the ONE TRUE GOD.
|
||
|
||
Computers For Christ
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
MORMONISM'S "SALVATION BY WORKS"
|
||
vs.
|
||
SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH CHRIST
|
||
|
||
The entire BIBLE points in all directions to the cross. Upon
|
||
it God's only begotten Son died that we might have eternal life
|
||
from God. Only through Christ can this separation be bridged.
|
||
On the other hand, MORMONISM points in all directions to the
|
||
"Law of Eternal Progression". We have seen that Mormon doctrine
|
||
states that God was once a man. He progressed to become God. The
|
||
same law states that man may become God!
|
||
Let's go to the authorities of the church and hear what they
|
||
have said, first on the subject of man's pre-existence as a
|
||
spirit in a "spirit world" prior to taking a body here on earth:
|
||
|
||
DID WE PRE-EXIST?
|
||
|
||
BRUCE R. McCONKIE (Apostle); MORMON DOCTRINE, page 589
|
||
|
||
"Pre-existence is the term commonly used to describe the
|
||
pre-mortal existence of the spirit children of God the Father ...
|
||
All men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father
|
||
and Mother, and we are literally the sons and daughters of Deity;
|
||
as spirits they were the offspring of celestial parentage ...
|
||
Unless God the father was a personal Being, He could not have
|
||
begotten spirits in His image, and if there had been no self-
|
||
existent spirit element, there would have been no substance from
|
||
which those spirit bodies could have been organized."
|
||
|
||
The basis of the Mormon law of progression in Mormonism is
|
||
that "intelligences" are eternal. On the other hand, God is not!
|
||
He started as a spirit child in another 'spirit world' long ago;
|
||
entered a body on another earth as a man; apparently was able to
|
||
follow the law of progression perfectly; after death He became
|
||
God in the 'celestial kingdom' of that other earth; brought (or
|
||
was given) many wives; through sexual union in our spirit world
|
||
had billions of spirit children : The first was Jesus, the second
|
||
Lucifer, the third and on and on were to enter the earth as you
|
||
and me.
|
||
No organic difference in the parentage between us and Jesus
|
||
and Lucifer! We all have the same literal "Heavenly Father". Note
|
||
how those in Mormonism generally refer to Him as "Heavenly
|
||
Father" -- they mean just that - LITERALLY!! Just remember that
|
||
they could say also; "Heavenly GRANDFATHER", "Heavenly Great-
|
||
Grandfather", and so on ...!
|
||
|
||
MILTON R. HUNTER (1st Council of 70); GOSPEL THROUGH THE AGES;
|
||
pages 127-129 (1958)
|
||
|
||
"In the first stage, man was an eternally existent being
|
||
termed an intelligence ... The next realm where man dwelt was the
|
||
spirit world."
|
||
|
||
According to Mormon concept eternally existing intelligences
|
||
were clothed with spirit bodies in the mansion of their eternal
|
||
Father... "numerous sons and daughters were begotten and born of
|
||
heavenly parents into that eternal family in the spirit world ...
|
||
There ... they were reared to maturity, becoming grown spirit men
|
||
and women prior to coming upon this earth ... Following his stay
|
||
in the spirit world, man comes to earth in a probationary state
|
||
... receives a physical body and undergoes the experiences of
|
||
mortality .. Eventually; however, mortal death comes upon all.
|
||
The eternal spirit goes to the spirit world to wait resurrection
|
||
and judgement ... there they shall be assigned to the glory that
|
||
they have merited ... Some will receive celestial glory; others
|
||
terrestrial, while those who are recorded in the 'Lamb's Book of
|
||
Life' will enter celestial glory. There some of them will become
|
||
angels and others priests and kings, or, in other words, Gods."
|
||
On page 12, Hunter states a basic "truth" of Mormonism, that
|
||
God is subordinate to the law of eternal progression.: "Our
|
||
Eternal Father has attained His position of exaltation and
|
||
Godhood by obedience to the great law of progression."
|
||
|
||
JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH; DOCTRINES OF SALVATION; Vol 1, pg 12
|
||
|
||
"The intelligent part of man was never created but always
|
||
existed. That is true of each of us as well as it is of God, yet
|
||
we are born sons and daughters of God in the spirit and are
|
||
destined to exist forever. Those who become like God will also be
|
||
from eternity to eternity."
|
||
The BIBLE states explicitly that there are no intelligences
|
||
co-eternal or co-existent with God. Anything that exists, other
|
||
than God, is a "thing". COLOSSIANS 1:16-17 and JOHN 1:1-3 state
|
||
that ONLY Jesus is co-eternal with God as the "WORD WAS GOD"
|
||
(John 1:1). He is before all "things" and created all "things".
|
||
His creation did not pre-exist Him! God knows the beginning and
|
||
end of all things before they exist. There are several scriptures
|
||
stating HE "knew" us before we were born. They do not imply we
|
||
existed before we were born.
|
||
"The burden of the word of the Lord of Israel, saith the
|
||
Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the
|
||
foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within
|
||
him." (ZECHARIAH 12:1)
|
||
|
||
SALVATION BY GRACE VERSUS WORKS
|
||
|
||
The BIBLE states over and over that we do not merit
|
||
salvation (eternal life in God's presence) by our own goodness
|
||
and system of good works from or for any organization. You need
|
||
only to study the Old Testament and see the hopelessness of a
|
||
system whereby man was to live within God's laws with the system
|
||
of prophets - temples - priests and ordinances. The purpose of
|
||
Jesus coming to earth to die for us was to make provision for our
|
||
own inability to bridge this separation of man from God and
|
||
brought a new covenant. If you choose Mormonism as your plan of
|
||
salvation, you have regressed to the old covenant of the prophet,
|
||
temple and ordinance which produce only "dead works" in an
|
||
attempt to obtain righteousness on your own. If you trust the LDS
|
||
church and its prophets; here is what is said:
|
||
|
||
MILTON R. HUNTER; THE GOSPEL THROUGH THE AGES; pg 115 JOSEPH F.
|
||
SMITH; TEACHINGS OF THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH; pg 348
|
||
|
||
"Thus all men who ascend to the glorious status of Godhood
|
||
can do so only by one method - by obedience to all the principals
|
||
and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (another way of
|
||
saying "Mormonism")... Men are saved no faster than they gain
|
||
knowledge. The Prophet Joseph described the process of going
|
||
toward Godhood as follows: When you climb a ladder, you must
|
||
begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at
|
||
the top; and so it is with the principles of the Gospel - you
|
||
must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all of the
|
||
principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you
|
||
have passed through the veil before you will have learned them."
|
||
|
||
JAMES E. TALMAGE; ARTICLES OF FAITH; pg 480
|
||
|
||
"The sectarian dogma of justification by faith alone has
|
||
exercised an influence for evil."
|
||
|
||
II NEPHI 25:23 (BOOK OF MORMON)
|
||
|
||
"For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after
|
||
all we can do."
|
||
|
||
WHAT THE MORMONS THINK OF CHRIST
|
||
|
||
LDS CHURCH TRACT; pg 32,46,47
|
||
|
||
"Christians speak often of the blood of Christ and its
|
||
cleansing power. Much that is believed and taught on this
|
||
subject, however, is utter nonsense and so palpably false that to
|
||
believe it is to lose one's salvation. Many go so far, for
|
||
instance, as to pretend, at least, to believe that if we confess
|
||
Christ with our lips and avow that we accept Him as our personal
|
||
Savior, we are thereby saved ... And no man can pick the fruit of
|
||
eternal life off the branches, as these are tied to the vine,
|
||
without accepting both Christ and His prophets ... If it had not
|
||
been for Joseph Smith, the Prophet, the perfect knowledge of
|
||
Christ would not be had in the world in this day. If it had not
|
||
been for him and his mission there would be no legal
|
||
administrators now on earth to administer in the ordinances of
|
||
salvation."
|
||
|
||
BRUCE R. McCONKIE; MORMON DOCTRINE; pgs 84 & 745
|
||
|
||
"The second birth begins when men are legally baptized in
|
||
water by a legal administrator ... Those who receive the Gospel
|
||
(Mormon Doctrine) and join the church of Jesus Christ of Latter
|
||
day Saints have power given them to become sons of God."
|
||
(Compare to John 1:12 -- "But as many as received Him, to
|
||
them gave He power to become sons of God..")
|
||
|
||
BRUCE R. McCONKIE; MORMON DOCTRINE; pg 149
|
||
|
||
"Those things which men are directed to do to attain peace
|
||
in this life and gain eternal life in the world to come are
|
||
collectively called the commandments."
|
||
|
||
BRUCE R. McCONKIE; MORMON DOCTRINE; preface to 1966 Edition; pg
|
||
118
|
||
|
||
"Man is saved no faster than he gains knowledge -- (See I
|
||
Corinthians 1:17,20-23,2:1-5) -- To gain salvation after baptism
|
||
it is necessary to keep the commandments of God and endure to the
|
||
end ... The most important things that any member of the church
|
||
of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints ever does in this world are:
|
||
1. To marry the right person, in the right place, by the right
|
||
authority (Mormon Temple marriage); and 2. to keep the covenant
|
||
made in connection with this holy and perfect order of matrimony
|
||
- thus assuring the obedient persons of an inheritance of
|
||
exaltation in the celestial kingdom."
|
||
|
||
CHURCH NEWS-EDITORIAL; November 8,1975; page 16
|
||
|
||
"There is only one way to become sanctified and perfected,
|
||
and thus prepared to live with God. That is by obedience to His
|
||
laws. There is no other way ... When will we learn to obey him
|
||
with all our heart, mind and strength?
|
||
(Compare with Luke 10:27 - "Thou shalt love the Love the
|
||
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with
|
||
all thy strength, and with all thy mind....")
|
||
|
||
MILTON R. HUNTER, GOSPEL THROUGH THE AGES; pgs 118-120
|
||
|
||
"If men and women obey all the other laws of the gospel
|
||
except that of celestial marriage (Mormon Temple Marriage), they
|
||
are appointed angels ...."
|
||
|
||
BENNET; WHY I AM A MORMON; pg 170
|
||
|
||
"Once we have been resurrected, it will be our own efforts,
|
||
and not Christ's sacrifice, that will be the deciding factor ...
|
||
A man can be saved only so fast as he gains knowledge of the laws
|
||
of God." Prophets ... temples ... Obedience to the Law ...
|
||
Aaronic Priest .. Legalisms ... Dependent on our own efforts and
|
||
good works ...
|
||
|
||
Sound familiar? Old Testament in a new wrapping? Wrapped in
|
||
Christian terminology? Mormonism calls the unsuspecting back
|
||
under what amounts to the old covenant. If righteousness could be
|
||
obtained, earned or gained by our own efforts to be perfect under
|
||
the law, there would have been no need for a "NEW" covenant. If
|
||
all Christ's death meant was to conquer death - to pay for Adam's
|
||
sin as Mormonism teaches - why are the following among the great
|
||
number of God's words declaring the TRUTH of the NEW COVENANT of
|
||
salvation through Christ, by faith, not works of the law. Look up
|
||
these scriptures and review their full context:
|
||
|
||
THE LAW AND WORKS DO NOT SAVE
|
||
|
||
JOHN 6:28,29,39,40 ... What must we do to be doing the works of
|
||
God? This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He
|
||
sent.
|
||
|
||
ROMANS 3:21,22 ... No one is justified by the works of the law.
|
||
Now righteousness of God is manifested apart from the Law.
|
||
|
||
ROMANS 4:13-16 ... If it is adherents of the Law that are to be
|
||
heirs, then faith is NULL and the promise void.
|
||
|
||
ROMANS 7:4-6 ... Died to the Law through the body of Christ.
|
||
Discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so
|
||
that we serve not under the old written code but in new life of
|
||
the Spirit.
|
||
|
||
ROMANS 8:1-4 ... God has done what the law could not do!
|
||
|
||
ROMANS 9:30-32 ... Israel who pursued righteousness based on the
|
||
law did not succeed. WHY? They did not pursue it through faith,
|
||
but as if it were based on works.
|
||
|
||
ROMANS 10:1-4 ... A zeal for God - but not enlightened. Seeking
|
||
to establish their own righteousness. Christ is the end of the
|
||
law. Romans 14:1-23 and Colossians 3:8-23 are clear refutations
|
||
of the point made by Joseph Smith in "Words of Wisdom" to not
|
||
drink and eat certain things is nothing more than MAN'S
|
||
regulation and NOT from God. Read and see what God said through
|
||
the Apostle Paul!
|
||
|
||
GALATIANS 2:16 ... Man is not justified by works of the law but
|
||
is through faith!
|
||
|
||
GALATIANS 2:19-21 ... Died to the law, that I might live to God.
|
||
I do not nullify the Grace of God; for if righteousness were
|
||
through the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
|
||
|
||
GALATIANS 3:10 ... As many as are under the works of the law are
|
||
under the curse!
|
||
|
||
GALATIANS 3:23-28 ... Before faith came, we were under the law -
|
||
our schoolmaster (Custodian) until Christ came. Now that faith is
|
||
come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
|
||
|
||
GALATIANS 5:18 ... If led by the Spirit, you are not under the
|
||
law.
|
||
|
||
II TIMOTHY 1:8-10 ... Who saved us, not according to our works,
|
||
but according to His own purpose and grace.
|
||
|
||
TITUS 3:3-9 ... He saved us, not by works of righteousness which
|
||
we have done, but according to His mercy. Being justified by
|
||
grace.
|
||
|
||
HOW IS MAN (or WE ) SAVED ?
|
||
|
||
If salvation is not by works of our own under the law and
|
||
ordinances, HOW IS MAN SAVED? Just a few of the scriptures God
|
||
has given us are:
|
||
|
||
JOHN 3:1-18 ... YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN! In context Jesus,
|
||
Himself, explains that, not only do we have a natural birth
|
||
(Flesh) but a spiritual birth! "Whosoever believeth in Him shall
|
||
not perish but have everlasting life (ETERNAL)!
|
||
|
||
ROMANS 5:1-11 ... Christ died for us, sinners, who are now
|
||
justified by His blood. We are reconciled through Him.
|
||
|
||
ROMANS 5:15-17 ... The free gift of righteousness by the grace of
|
||
God.
|
||
|
||
ROMANS 10:9-17 ... Confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
|
||
believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be
|
||
saved.
|
||
|
||
GALATIANS 2:16-21 ... We are justified by faith. Our old nature
|
||
is crucified with Christ; Christ now lives in us; we live by
|
||
faith --- not the law!
|
||
|
||
EPHESIANS 2:8-10 ... "For by grace are ye saved through faith;
|
||
and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works,
|
||
lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in
|
||
Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that
|
||
we should walk in them."
|
||
|
||
Works have nothing to do with our justifying eternal life.
|
||
The Mormon will be quick to point out James 2:17 - "Even so
|
||
faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." AMEN! That is
|
||
not denying salvation by faith. What it is saying is this: "You
|
||
say you are saved? Saving faith will naturally flow into a life
|
||
that will show evidence of it. Your 'works' will testify of your
|
||
faith. If none, there is reason to question whether there really
|
||
was a saving faith to start with." To quote Ed Decker in his
|
||
tract "To Moroni with Love"; You do not bark to become a dog nor
|
||
"baa" to become a sheep. You bark because you are a dog or "baa"
|
||
because you are a sheep! Christians, when born-again and indwelt
|
||
by the Holy Spirit, have a never ending desire to follow the Lord
|
||
Jesus in their daily life behavior. "Works" is not an appropriate
|
||
name as it suggests payment after the work has been done. Christ
|
||
made the payment IN FULL for our sins by His blood for us; if
|
||
only we REPENT of our sins and ACCEPT Him by faith. It is
|
||
available only through God's grace for an eternal life.
|
||
|
||
I JOHN 1:7 ... Blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin.
|
||
|
||
HEBREW 9:23-28,10:10-18 ... Jesus was the sacrifice, once, to
|
||
perfect forever those who are sanctified.
|
||
|
||
ROMANS 5:6-11 ... We are reconciled by His blood.
|
||
|
||
ISAIAH 53:6-11 & I CORINTHIANS 5:17-21 ... Our iniquity was laid
|
||
on Jesus; to die for us; that we might be made the righteousness
|
||
of God in Him.
|
||
|
||
I PETER 2:24 ... "Who his own self bare our sins in His own body
|
||
on the tree, that we, being dead to sins should live unto
|
||
righteousness: By whose stripes ye are healed."
|
||
|
||
You will never (Well, We won't say never because God may
|
||
have His plan for their salvation that We are not aware of at
|
||
this moment) see a cross on a Mormon structure. They will say
|
||
call it a "graven image"; yet "Moroni" stands on top of their
|
||
temples. Moroni didn't die for them. Joseph Smith, Jr. didn't die
|
||
for them. The church didn't die for them. JESUS DIED FOR THEM, if
|
||
they would only cling to His cross and reach out to claim His
|
||
blood for their sins. They're told they can earn their own
|
||
righteousness based on the law of the church which is based on
|
||
"prophets, seers and revelators" proven -TIME AND AGAIN- to be
|
||
false. Wouldn't you rather lay your eternal life in the hands of
|
||
the ETERNAL GOD; the SON who, personally, died for you - than,
|
||
say, a "prophet" in Salt Lake City?
|
||
Our prayer is that this comparison of the Bible vs: the LDS
|
||
Mormon church will show you the LIGHT of CHRIST.
|
||
|
||
Computers For Christ
|
||
|
||
DO THE NAG HAMMADI WRITING AND DEAD SEA SCROLLS
|
||
CONFIRM MORMONISM
|
||
or
|
||
IS EINAR ERICKSON CONFUSED ?
|
||
|
||
In recent years, Mormon lecturer, Einar C. Erickson, has
|
||
given numerous talks to Mormon church groups concerning the Dead
|
||
Sea Scrolls, Nag Hammadi writings, Mandean Ginza and related
|
||
Middle East finds. These lectures have been taped and widely
|
||
distributed for use in converting the uninformed to Mormonism. Mr
|
||
Erickson states that the writings discovered in the vicinity of
|
||
Nag Hammadi, Egypt, are one of the greatest confirmations of the
|
||
"truthfulness" of the Mormon church that anyone would find
|
||
anywhere.
|
||
On one of his tapes, Mr. Erickson boldly declares that:
|
||
"These documents and others leave without doubt evidence positive
|
||
even on the best rules of evidence that an attorney might be able
|
||
to assemble, that this gospel [i.e. the Mormon gospel] is true.
|
||
You get no credit for faith anymore." Mr. Erickson attempts to
|
||
convince his listeners that the writers of the Nag Hammadi were
|
||
the true Christians, (based upon his allegation of their
|
||
similarity to Mormonism) and that all others had slipped off into
|
||
apostasy.
|
||
However; the Nag Hammadi writings are of "Gnostic" origin
|
||
which were written during the first to fourth century A.D. The
|
||
Gnostic heretics did cherish both the Old and New testament
|
||
Scripture, but re-interpreted them in terms of a mythological
|
||
Gnostic Redeemer. Gnosticism gave rise to the writings of a
|
||
number of totally spurious apocalyptic books, false gospels and
|
||
epistles that incorporated their own mysticism.
|
||
Gnosticism was a movement that vigorously contended with
|
||
Orthodox Christianity for supremacy. Writings by the early Church
|
||
Fathers show how widespread and influential Gnosticism was; and
|
||
it was combatted as a lethal threat to the proclamation of the
|
||
Gospel. The bishops pointed out the great gulf between Biblical
|
||
Christianity and Gnosticism, even though the Gnostics made use of
|
||
Biblical text. It is obvious that Paul, the Apostle, knew of the
|
||
false ideas of Gnosticism, and spoke out against such doctrines
|
||
several times in the Scriptures.
|
||
The Gnostics believed in the supreme being as an
|
||
undescribable God. He is invisible, incomprehensible, and dwells
|
||
unbegotten in eternal peace. Some names used to describe God and
|
||
to stress His transcendence were "Father of All", "The
|
||
Unapproachable God", "The Unknowable". Such a God could not
|
||
possibly have direct contact with the material world; therefore,
|
||
He does so through intermediates, each one answerable to the
|
||
other. Each intermediate in descending order is less divine and
|
||
more earthy as the chain nears the material world.
|
||
Mr. Erickson spellbinds his listeners when he tells them
|
||
that the Nag Hammadi writings confirm the Mormon doctrine of the
|
||
Heavenly Mother! What he fails to tell them is that this Mother
|
||
God of the Nag Hammadi is the "Holy Spirit." Certainly this is in
|
||
direct conflict with the Mormon concept of a Mother God, because
|
||
in Mormon doctrine, the Holy Spirit is a male. The supreme being
|
||
has a female counterpart which emanates from Him. She is known as
|
||
"Mother of All" or "The Holy Spirit."
|
||
Other emanations that come forth from the Supreme Being in
|
||
pairs are called AEONS; the lowest Aeon being "Sophia Akhamoth",
|
||
she was so full of passion to understand or know God that she
|
||
fell and was placed outside the Pleroma, God's heavenly dwelling.
|
||
Because of her desire, she becomes fertile with a formless
|
||
monster. This monster (Yaldabaoth, Samael or SATAN) is the
|
||
Demiurge or inferior god who created this material world and
|
||
brought forth man upon it.
|
||
According to the Gnostic, all matter is evil; therefore,
|
||
only an inferior being could have created it. Satan is the
|
||
creator-god of this earth and of man, and is an evil god. To the
|
||
Gnostics, Satan is Jehovah of the Old Testament! After Jehovah
|
||
(Satan) creates man and breathes life into him, he creates Eve.
|
||
The demonic forces see the beauty of Eve, and proceed to rape
|
||
her. Through this act, she conceives Cain and Abel.
|
||
Mr. Erickson often refers to the Hypostasis of the Archons
|
||
of the Nag Hammadi and being direct parallel to the Garden of
|
||
Eden scene of the Mormon Temple Ceremony. However, he fails to
|
||
inform his listeners that the Hypostasis of the Archeons tells of
|
||
the demons raping Eve! Nor does he point out that the serpent in
|
||
the garden is really the Holy Spirit coming to give Adam and Eve
|
||
the "true knowledge." He neglects to mention to his listeners
|
||
that the "god" who comes into the garden to ask Adam and Eve what
|
||
they have done is not the "Heavenly Father" but is Satan the
|
||
arrogant Archon, the evil god. In this instance, Mr. Erickson is,
|
||
at best, mistaken about the facts -- a fault which reappears
|
||
throughout his lectures and tapes.
|
||
The authors of the Nag Hammadi writings taught a form of re-
|
||
incarnation, and that marriage was evil, because it is of the
|
||
earth. They believed the begetting of children was from Satan,
|
||
since it merely increases the number subjected to the evil
|
||
angels. Resurrection of the flesh is denied by these Gnostics,
|
||
since earthly flesh is in itself evil, and can have no part in
|
||
the spiritual scheme of God. All of these concepts are not
|
||
confirmations of Mormon doctrine, but are direct contradictions
|
||
of it!
|
||
Mr. Erickson, looking elsewhere in the Middle East for
|
||
"proof," tells his audiences that the writings of the Mandaeans
|
||
of Iraq and Iran are (also) a confirmation of Mormonism. His
|
||
"evidence" for this is that they speak of baptism for the dead,
|
||
baptism by immersion, priesthood and baptize in the name of the
|
||
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. What he fails to mention to
|
||
them is: according to the Mandaeans, Jesus was a rebel and a
|
||
heretic who led men astray by betraying secret doctrine and
|
||
making religion easier. The Mandaean sacred book tells of how
|
||
Jesus perverted the Scriptures, and that Jesus told the Jews that
|
||
He was the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Furthermore, the
|
||
Mandaean book accuses Jesus perverting baptism by baptizing in
|
||
the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
|
||
The Mandaeans were baptized many times throughout their
|
||
lives. They baptized infants; and if an infant died before or
|
||
during this baptism, a clay or dough image was made which they
|
||
then baptized in proxy for that infant. Proxy baptism was also
|
||
done for an adult who died before getting his last minute
|
||
washings before death. In this case, an individual that looked
|
||
like the deceased was baptized in proxy for the dead person.
|
||
The Mandaeans also had a ceremony of "eating for the dead"
|
||
to give the deceased nourishment for his travels to the heavenly
|
||
spheres. The Mormon people do not baptize infants, do not eat for
|
||
the dead, nor do they have last minute washing rituals before
|
||
death as the Mandaeans did. The Mormon proxy baptisms have less
|
||
in common with the Mandaean baptisms than they do with Catholic
|
||
infant baptisms, last rites ritual, and prayers for the dead.
|
||
Clearly, the Mandaean concepts of Jesus and baptism are in no way
|
||
similar to Mormon doctrine.
|
||
Those holding the Mandaean priesthood had to have a clean
|
||
family history for a number of generations, and meet strict
|
||
physical and mental qualifications. They had to be without the
|
||
slightest physical blemish, and be of pure Mandaean blood. A man
|
||
who was circumcised, impotent, or a eunuch could not be a priest
|
||
for the body must be sound, pure, and perfect. If a man was
|
||
already a priest and he received an injury which destroyed his
|
||
manhood or robbed him of a limb, he could no longer officiate as
|
||
a priest. There are no such restrictions within the Mormon
|
||
priesthoods. The only things in common with the Mormon
|
||
priesthoods and baptism and that of the Mandaean are the very
|
||
words themselves!
|
||
Mr. Erickson makes false claims about the Dead Sea Scrolls
|
||
community, as well. He states that those at Qumran baptized at
|
||
the age of eight, just as the Mormons do. This is just simply NOT
|
||
the case. They trained young men for their celibate monastic
|
||
order for about ten years before they were baptized into their
|
||
ranks. This baptism never took place before the age of twenty.
|
||
Mr. Erickson states that the people of Qumran were essentially
|
||
the first "Mormons." However, the people at Qumran didn't even
|
||
believe in marriage! Rather they adopted in young men from other
|
||
Essene groups who married only to beget children. By contrast, in
|
||
Mormonism, marriage is absolutely essential to each member's
|
||
salvation in the Celestial Kingdom of God.
|
||
Mr. Erickson claims that the Apocryphal books should be used
|
||
as scripture. However, even the Mormon's own "latter day"
|
||
revelation disagrees with him. In the introductory heading of
|
||
Section 91 of the Doctrine and Covenants, it declares
|
||
specifically that the apocryphal books are NOT to be accepted as
|
||
scripture. Beyond that built-in contradiction, lies the fact that
|
||
one need only to read some of these apocrypha for himself to
|
||
quickly discover their singular lack of inspiration.
|
||
For example, two "Gospels" portray the life of the young
|
||
Jesus, allegedly covering the "silent" years skipped over in the
|
||
Bible. The book, "The First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus"
|
||
portrays Jesus as a spoiled despot who curses another child for
|
||
bumping into him, and a schoolmaster who was going to discipline
|
||
Him for refusing to answer a question. After these two people are
|
||
killed at Jesus' command, Joseph tells Mary, "we will not allow
|
||
him to go out of the house; for every one who displeases him is
|
||
killed." In Thomas' "Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ", we
|
||
see Jesus causing the withering of hands, blindness, and again,
|
||
death. This is clearly not the Jesus Christ of the Bible!
|
||
The conclusion is inescapable -- the claims by Mr. Erickson
|
||
(and consequently other Mormons) that the Mormon doctrine is
|
||
"exonerated" by the findings in the Middle East is totally
|
||
without foundation. Mormon doctrine is not confirmed by these
|
||
different religious sects, it is contradicted by them! It is
|
||
apparent that these claims are just another chapter in the long
|
||
history of false archeological boasts made by Mormons in the
|
||
past.
|
||
|
||
NOTE: A full and completely documented study of Mr. Erickson's
|
||
scholarship regarding the above topics has been written by Mrs.
|
||
Melaine Layton entitled: The Truth About the Dead Sea Scrolls and
|
||
the Nag Hammadi Writings in Reference to Mormonism. For further
|
||
information, please write to the office of Computers For Christ -
|
||
San Jose.
|
||
Do Mormons "Really" Believe in the Bible?
|
||
|
||
Isaiah 41:21 - Set Forth your case
|
||
I Peter 3:15 - Be prepared, always
|
||
|
||
The credibility of a religious claim rests upon its ability
|
||
to verify its terms. In the year of 1800, the French Institute in
|
||
Paris issued a list of 82 "errors' that it had found in the Bible
|
||
and felt would destroy Christianity in short order. In 1804, not
|
||
one of the alleged errors remained!
|
||
In the year 1901, the American Society of Archeology claimed
|
||
that the Biblical account of a peoples called the Hittites was
|
||
false. In 1933, archeologists found conclusive proof of the
|
||
existence of the Hittites and other peoples that the Bible had
|
||
claimed existed!
|
||
The primary question for this text is: "Why are we
|
||
discussing the matter of the Bible and its completeness? Doesn't
|
||
the Mormon church accept the Bible as the Word of God?" To
|
||
respond, let me quote from the sources of the Mormon church:
|
||
|
||
8th Article 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."
|
||
Joseph Smith, in Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page
|
||
327, stated "Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or
|
||
designing and corrupt priests committed many errors.' and the
|
||
mormon apostle Mark E. Peterson states in his book, As Translated
|
||
Correctly - page 4, "Many insertions were made, some of them
|
||
"slanted' for selfish purposes, while at times deliberate
|
||
falsifications and fabrications were perpetrated.'
|
||
Orson Pratt further made a comment in his book, Divine
|
||
Authenticity of the Book of Mormon - pages 45 & 47, thus: "If it
|
||
be admitted that the apostles and evangelists did write the books
|
||
of the New Testament, that does not prove of itself that they
|
||
were divinely inspired at the time they wrote ... Add all this
|
||
imperfection to the uncertainty of the translation, and who, IN
|
||
HIS RIGHT MIND could for one moment suppose the Bible in its
|
||
present form to be a perfect guide? Who knows that even one verse
|
||
of the Bible has escaped pollution, so as to convey the same
|
||
sense now that it did in the original?"
|
||
The Book of Mormon, II Nephi 29:6 states "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?" Can you note
|
||
the FOOLS are the only ones who trust in the Bible? Read verse
|
||
10. Here, the Book of Mormon declares the need for more
|
||
revelation and makes way for its own existence!
|
||
A point of interest - turn to I Nephi 13:26: "a great and
|
||
abominable church - has taken away from the gospel of the Lamb
|
||
many parts which are plain and precious; and also many covenants
|
||
of the Lord have they taken away." The Book of Mormon tells us
|
||
that this is 600 B.C.! Do you know what B.C. means - BEFORE
|
||
CHRIST! So we are told that the gospel of the Lamb has been
|
||
polluted six hundred years before the Lamb or His Gospel was
|
||
recorded in the New Testament and given at the Passover!
|
||
|
||
IS THE BIBLE INFALLIBLE?
|
||
|
||
The Bible was composed over a period of 1,500 years by more
|
||
than 40 different authors from the full range of humanity: from
|
||
military generals (Joshua) to prime ministers (Daniel) to
|
||
cupbearers (Nehemiah) to fishermen (Peter) to tax collectors
|
||
(Matthew) to kings (David). The books were written in many
|
||
different places: the wilderness (Moses), prison (Paul), and
|
||
exile (John on the Island Patmos). On three different continents
|
||
(Africa, Asia and Europe) and in three different languages
|
||
(Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek).
|
||
The content, yet, remains constant in its unfolding of the
|
||
plan of salvation through Christ Jesus. The Old Testament reveals
|
||
itself to be the story of the preparation for the arrival of the
|
||
Messiah or Christ. The Gospels of the New Testament are the
|
||
manifestation of the Christ in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
|
||
Acts is the propagation of the message. The Epistles give the
|
||
explanation and the Revelation of John provides the consummation
|
||
of the Kingdom of God in Christ Jesus or Lord! The entire Bible
|
||
is about Jesus (Luke 24:27 - 44 and John 5:39,46,47). I challenge
|
||
any Mormon to take any ten people, and you can even get them from
|
||
the same heritage - education - language and culture and ask them
|
||
separately to give you their opinion of the meaning of life - you
|
||
will get opinions of such variety, yet the Bible consists of over
|
||
40 authors of more than one generation with very little
|
||
similarity and is in total unity! Complete harmony!
|
||
|
||
In discussion of the matter of infallibility of the Bible we
|
||
need, first to look at the process that we use to arrive at this
|
||
conclusion:
|
||
PREMISE # 1 - The Bible is basically a reliable and trustworthy
|
||
document.
|
||
|
||
PREMISE # 2 - On the basis of this reliable document, we have
|
||
sufficient evidence to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of
|
||
God.
|
||
|
||
PREMISE # 3 - Jesus Christ, being the Son of God, is an
|
||
infallible authority. (Luke 24:27,44; John 5:39; Hebrews 10:7)
|
||
|
||
PREMISE # 4 - Jesus Christ teaches that the Bible is MORE than
|
||
generally trustworthy. He teaches that it is the very Word of
|
||
God.
|
||
|
||
PREMISE # 5 - The WORD, in that it comes from God, is utterly
|
||
trustworthy because GOD is utterly trustworthy!
|
||
|
||
PREMISE # 6 - On the basis of the infallible authority of Jesus
|
||
Christ, the Bible is infallible.
|
||
|
||
II Timothy 2:13 declares that God "cannot deny Himself" and
|
||
Galatians 1:8,9 tells us that we should be wary of any teaching
|
||
of any other Gospel than that which Paul preached, which by the
|
||
declaration of Paul in Romans 15:19 states that "I have fully
|
||
preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
|
||
The Mormon church is unable to provide any proof that Paul
|
||
taught such doctrines as celestial marriage, no hell, wearing of
|
||
sacred underwear, or godhood to be obtained. It is proper to
|
||
state that if Paul never taught such doctrines, then Galatians
|
||
1:8-9 CONDEMNS them! The claim of the LDS that more scripture is
|
||
necessary is groundless.
|
||
In II Peter 1:3, we are told that "His divine power hath
|
||
given unto us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness."
|
||
Paul further explained in Colossians 2:10 that "Ye are COMPLETE
|
||
in Him." If just these two statements are true, what possible use
|
||
could additional scripture be? Granted that nowhere in the Bible
|
||
does it state that "This is the end of Scripture"; However, with
|
||
the above statements, anything else could ONLY be redundant. It
|
||
is obvious from the text of the New Testament that the writers
|
||
were "eyewitnesses" of the ministry and presence of Jesus Christ.
|
||
(II Peter 1:15-18 and I John 1:1-5)
|
||
Acts 22:14-15 and I Corinthians 11:23 show that the Apostle
|
||
Paul was specially chosen by the Lord as a witness while the
|
||
other Apostles were alive. Paul's testimony was identical to that
|
||
of the other Apostles - what He had seen, heard and taught of the
|
||
Lord Jesus was identical to all previous teachings and in accord
|
||
with the Old Testament teachings. Much more could have been
|
||
written (John 20:30 and 21:25); However, there was no need as
|
||
there already existed "all things that pertain to life and
|
||
godliness." (II Peter 1:3 and John 20:31)
|
||
How many of us, Mormon or Christian have read and digested
|
||
all of the meat of the Holy Bible - completely? Can there really
|
||
be a need for something more when the original item is still
|
||
unplumbed for the depths it contains?
|
||
We have the following possibilities: the Bible was written
|
||
by either (1) Good Men or Angels, (2) Evil Men or Demons, (3)
|
||
God.
|
||
Good Men or Angels could not have written it as they could
|
||
not write "Thus saith the Lord" when it was a lie or an invention
|
||
of their own minds.
|
||
Evil men or demons could not have written the Bible as they
|
||
would not have written a book that commands all duty, forbids all
|
||
sin, and condemns all evil to Hell!
|
||
We thus have GOD as the only source of the BIble.
|
||
|
||
In the ancient Israel, a class of servants in the Temple
|
||
were called Scribes. This was a lifelong calling and one of great
|
||
importance to the continuance of the Law and Prophets of Israel.
|
||
I will demonstrate the LEGAL method of making a copy of a
|
||
document according to the laws of Israel at this time and
|
||
according to the great traditions of the Talmud. The possibility
|
||
for incorrect copy is almost non-existent. Combine this with the
|
||
facts as proven by archeology. Prior to the Dead Sea Scroll copy
|
||
of the Book of Isaiah, the best copy of that Book was over 1000
|
||
years newer! In comparing the two copies that covered this gap of
|
||
a thousand years, there was found only ONE CHARACTER changed, and
|
||
that was an article that "possibly" could have lost the accent
|
||
mark of the character to make it 100% identical to the dead sea
|
||
scroll version! Imagine - 1000 years of copies and NO CHANGE in
|
||
the versions! Now the basis to make copies of the New Testament
|
||
were as strict. We find many incidences of the same phenomena of
|
||
clarity and correctness. Out of all the many thousands of pieces
|
||
and text, not ONE DOCTRINE has been added to or changed or
|
||
modified in ANY MANNER!
|
||
|
||
JOSEPH SMITH'S FIRST VISION
|
||
Fact or Fable ?
|
||
By W. P. Walters
|
||
|
||
"Sometime in the second year after our removal to
|
||
Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual
|
||
excitement on the subject of religion. It commenced with the
|
||
Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in the
|
||
region of country ... my mind became somewhat partial to the
|
||
Methodists ... but so great was the confusion and strife among
|
||
the different denominations, that it was impossible ... to come
|
||
to any certain conclusion who was right, and who was wrong ... in
|
||
accordance with this, by determination, to ask God, I retired to
|
||
the woods to make an attempt. It was on the morning of a
|
||
beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and
|
||
twenty ... I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my
|
||
heart to God. ... I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head
|
||
... When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, (whose
|
||
brightness and glory defy all description) standing above me in
|
||
the air ... I asked the personages who stood above me in the
|
||
light, which of all the sects was right, (for at this time it had
|
||
never entered into my heart that all were wrong) and which I
|
||
should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for
|
||
they were all wrong ..." Joseph Smith, Jr.
|
||
|
||
The well publicized story above, of Joseph Smith's First
|
||
Vision is not a true account of the origin of the Latter Day
|
||
Saint movement. The facts are decidedly against it!
|
||
First, the historical evidence shows that Joseph Smith, Jr.
|
||
could not have been stirred by an 1820 revival, to ask which
|
||
church was true.
|
||
Second, early Mormon statements do not support his claim
|
||
that in 1820 he learned through a visitation of the Father and
|
||
the Son that all existing churches were wrong.
|
||
Third, the details known about Joseph's early life
|
||
contradict his assertion that in 1820 he had such a divine
|
||
visitation and was persecuted by the community for telling such a
|
||
story.
|
||
|
||
NO 1820 REVIVAL .....
|
||
|
||
First his neighborhood in 1820 experienced no revival such
|
||
as he described, in which "great multitudes" joined the
|
||
Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches. The Presbyterian
|
||
records for the Palmyra Presbyterian Church show that it
|
||
experienced no revival in 1820. The local Baptist Church gained
|
||
only six on profession of faith the entire year, while the
|
||
Methodists actually lost members that year as well as the
|
||
preceeding and following years. (Minutes of the Annual
|
||
Conference)
|
||
Joseph Smith claimed that his mother, sister and two
|
||
brothers were led to join the local Presbyterian Church as a
|
||
result of that 1820 revival. However, four years before he made
|
||
this claim, his own church paper had stated that the revival in
|
||
which his family had been led to join the Presbyterian Church
|
||
took place in 1823. (Messenger & Advocate I, pp. 42, 78) In fact,
|
||
that account says it was the same 1823 revival that led him to go
|
||
to his bedroom (not to a sacred grove) and pray "if a Supreme
|
||
being did exist" and to know that "he was accepted of him." An
|
||
angel (not a deity) is then reported to have appeared and told
|
||
him of his forgiveness and of the gold plates.
|
||
Joseph's mother, likewise, knew nothing of an 1820 vision.
|
||
In her unpublished account she traces the origin of Mormonism to
|
||
a BEDROOM VISIT by an angel. Joseph at the time had been
|
||
"pondering which of the churches were the true one." The angel
|
||
told him "there is not a true church on Earth, No not one."
|
||
(First draft of "Lucy Smith's History," LDS Church Archives)
|
||
Furthermore, she tells us that the revival which led to her
|
||
joining the church took place following the death of her son,
|
||
Alvin. Alvin died November 19, 1823, and following that painful
|
||
loss she reports that: "..about this time there was a great
|
||
revival in religion and the whole neighborhood was very much
|
||
aroused to the subject and we among the rest, flocked to the
|
||
meeting house to see if there was a word of comfort for us that
|
||
might relieve our over-charged feelings." (P. 86)
|
||
She adds that although her husband would only attend the
|
||
first meetings, he had no objection to her or the children "going
|
||
or BECOMING CHURCH MEMBERS." (emphasis added)
|
||
There is plenty of additional evidence that the revival Lucy
|
||
Smith refers to did occur during the winter of 1824-1825. It was
|
||
reported in at least a dozen newspapers and religious
|
||
periodicals. The church records show outstanding increases due to
|
||
the reception of new converts. The Baptist Church received 94,
|
||
the Presbyterian 99, while the Methodist work grew by 208. No
|
||
such revival bringing in "great multitudes" occurred in 1820.
|
||
It is clear that the revival Joseph Smith, Jr. described did
|
||
not occur in 1820, but in 1824. Joseph Smith arbitrarily moved
|
||
that revival back four years to 1820 and made it fit a First
|
||
Vision story that neither his mother nor other close associates
|
||
had heard of in those early days. The historical facts completely
|
||
discredit Joseph Smith's First Vision story. (For further details
|
||
see, DIALOGUE: A JOURNAL OF MORMON THOUGHT, Spring 1969, pp. 59-
|
||
100)
|
||
|
||
BIBLE READING vs. REVELATIONS .....
|
||
|
||
About 1832, Joseph Smith, Jr. began an account of the origin
|
||
of the Mormon church (the only one written in his own hand), that
|
||
contradicts the official First Vision story he dictated some six
|
||
years later. The account was never finished and has only recently
|
||
been published. (See the text in BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
|
||
STUDIES, Spring 1969, pp. 278ff) In this version Joseph presents
|
||
himself between the ages of twelve and fifteen being a committed
|
||
and perceptive reader of the Bible. He claims that his STUDY OF
|
||
THE SCRIPTURES led him to understand that all the denominations
|
||
were wrong. He wrote: "...by searching the Scriptures I found
|
||
that mankind did not come into the Lord but that they had
|
||
apostatised from the true and living faith and there was no
|
||
society or denomination that built upon the Gospel of Jesus
|
||
Christ as recorded in the new testament."
|
||
Six years later, when he set forth his official First Vision
|
||
story, he decided that he never had reached the firm conclusion
|
||
that all churches were wrong from his study of the Bible.
|
||
Instead, he claimed that it was DURING A VISION OF THE FATHER AND
|
||
THE SON that he first learned this information. He presented this
|
||
as coming as a great surprise, for he added parenthetically -
|
||
"for at this time it had NEVER ENTERED INTO MY HEART THAT ALL
|
||
WERE WRONG." (emphasis added) That statement even contradicted
|
||
what Joseph had said a few paragraphs earlier in the same
|
||
account. There he claimed that "I OFTEN SAID TO MYSELF ... Who of
|
||
all these parties are right; or ARE THEY ALL WRONG TOGETHER?"
|
||
(emphasis added) Although the former statement appears in the
|
||
original manuscript (see BYU Studies above, p. 290), such a
|
||
serious contradiction could not be allowed to stand, and after
|
||
Joseph's death the embarrassing words were edited out.
|
||
Even without these words, however, the 1838 official account
|
||
is in conflict with the 1832 version. In the 1832 account it is
|
||
his Bible reading that stirs him to seek God, while in the 1838
|
||
story it is a non-existent revival that motivates him.
|
||
In the 1832 version he claims to have seen only Christ,
|
||
while in the 1838 rendition both the Father and the Son appear.
|
||
In the 1832 account he already knows all the churches are wrong,
|
||
while in the 1838 story it is the dual deities who first inform
|
||
him of this. Different people may have different views of the
|
||
same event, but when one person tells contradictory stories about
|
||
an event, he completely loses his credibility.
|
||
|
||
PERSECUTION vs. ACCEPTANCE .....
|
||
|
||
The 1838 First Vision story not only runs into trouble with
|
||
Joseph's earlier 1832 version, it is also contradicted by what we
|
||
know about his early years in Palmyra. In his official version
|
||
Joseph claims he was persecuted by all the churches in his area
|
||
"because I continued to affirm I had seen a vision." However,
|
||
Orsemus Turner, an apprentice printer in Palmyra until 1822, was
|
||
in the same juvenile debating club with Joseph Smith. He recalled
|
||
that Joseph "after catching a spark of Methodism ... became a
|
||
very passable exhorter in evening meetings." (HISTORY OF THE
|
||
PIONEER SETTLEMENT OF PHELPS AND GORHAM'S PURCHASE, 1851, p. 214)
|
||
Thus, instead of being opposed and persecuted as his 1838 account
|
||
claims, young Joseph was welcomed and allowed to exhort during
|
||
the Methodist's evening preaching. Furthermore, no one, either
|
||
Mormon or non-Mormon, seems ever to have heard of Joseph's
|
||
encounter with two divine Personages until after 1838. (see this
|
||
admission in DIALOGUE, Autumn 1966, pp. 30-31; SAINTS HERALD,
|
||
June 29, 1959, p. 21)
|
||
|
||
From all available lines of evidence, therefore, Joseph's
|
||
First Vision story appears to be a fabrication. There was NO
|
||
REVIVAL anywhere in the Palmyra area in 1820, Joseph was
|
||
WELCOMED, NOT PERSECUTED by the Methodists. His 1832 account
|
||
represents him as PERCEIVING FROM HIS PERSONAL BIBLE STUDY that
|
||
all the churches were apostate, while his 1838 account said it
|
||
"NEVER ENTERED INTO MY HEART that all were wrong." His 1832
|
||
version claimed ONLY A VISION OF CHRIST, while the 1838 story
|
||
transformed this into THE FATHER AND THE SON. No one ever heard
|
||
such a story until after he dictated it in 1838.
|
||
In the light of such strong contradictory evidence, the
|
||
First Vision story must be regarded as only the invention of
|
||
Joseph Smith's highly imaginative mind. The facts and Joseph's
|
||
own words discredit it.
|
||
|
||
|
||
This work is presented with the earnest prayer that sincere
|
||
people everywhere may perceive the fallacy and danger of
|
||
Mormonism and will not become entangled in it, and that the dear
|
||
Mormon people who are unfortunately deceived by it, may be
|
||
reclaimed and find the true Way of salvation in the Bible and the
|
||
blessed Saviour whom it reveals.
|
||
|
||
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the
|
||
Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6)
|
||
|
||
We also pray that the earnest reader upon discerning these
|
||
things will search the Word of God, the Bible, the only Book
|
||
whose message is "able to make thee wise unto salvation through
|
||
faith which is in Christ Jesus." (II Timothy 3:15)
|
||
|
||
For Further information write:
|
||
|
||
Utah Christian Tract Society
|
||
P.O. Box 725
|
||
La Mesa, California 92041
|
||
|
||
SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST
|
||
vs:
|
||
THE EXALTATION OF MAN
|
||
|
||
God's word, the BIBLE, which clearly states that our
|
||
salvation is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, alone
|
||
through one faith and His Grace --- not as a result of
|
||
fabricating our own righteousness by "good works" by
|
||
attempting to become "perfect" as a result of laws and
|
||
ordinances of any organization.
|
||
|
||
I JOHN 5:11-13
|
||
|
||
"And this is the record, that God hath given us eternal
|
||
life, and this life is in His son. He that hath the Son
|
||
hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life.
|
||
These things have I written unto you that believe on the
|
||
name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have
|
||
eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the
|
||
Son of God."
|
||
|
||
God spells it out - you either have life through the Son
|
||
or you reject Him. It is either Heaven or the Lake of Fire;
|
||
no "grey areas"; no half-way locations. You either accept
|
||
the Son or you reject Him.
|
||
|
||
Mormonism claims to accept Jesus ----
|
||
|
||
"We have His name on our church" - But we have now
|
||
seen that the Jesus of Mormonism is a different Jesus
|
||
- not any resembalance to the REAL Jesus. Further, by
|
||
rejecting the total sufficiency of the New Covenant of the
|
||
sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for their personal sins -
|
||
and instead electing to attempt the old covenant of works,
|
||
laws, temples, etc ----- they nullify the offer of eternal
|
||
life as a gift by God's Love and immeasurable Grace:
|
||
|
||
GALATIANS 2:21
|
||
|
||
"I do not frustrate the Grace of God: for if righteousness
|
||
come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
|
||
As a result, the Mormon believing in the Mormon Jesus, and
|
||
not the real Jesus of the BIBLE; and following a life only
|
||
of works, even with utmost sincerity, without the saving
|
||
faith in the one who died for them, personally, is LOST. We
|
||
don't say that - GOD says that - in HIS Word - The BIBLE
|
||
|
||
THREE KINGDOMS?
|
||
|
||
Let's go further ---- Mormonism claims three "heavens."
|
||
They take I CORINTHIANS 15:37-49 totally out of context to
|
||
arrive at this false teaching. Where Paul is declaring that
|
||
an individual's resurrected body is different in Glory from
|
||
his earthly body - as the sun differs from the moon, from
|
||
the stars - Mormonism has declared three kingdoms of Heaven:
|
||
|
||
TELESTIAL KINGDOM
|
||
|
||
Where all the wicked go, whether they've rejected God and
|
||
Jesus all their life or not - Murderers, etc !
|
||
|
||
TERRESTIAL KINGDOM
|
||
|
||
Where good and honorable persons go - they only failed to
|
||
accept the "gospel" of Mormonism.
|
||
|
||
CELESTIAL KINGDOM
|
||
|
||
a) LOWER DEGREE
|
||
Good Mormons, but failed to marry in the Temple and having
|
||
"other" imperfections. These will be allowed to be angels.
|
||
|
||
b) MIDDLE DEGREE
|
||
Mormons who failed to accept the complete "gospel" but were
|
||
married in the Temple, sealed to many wives, and are in the
|
||
process of being exalted through baptism of the dead, etc.
|
||
|
||
c) HIGHEST DEGREE - EXALTATION
|
||
"Perfect" Mormons. They will be gods themselves just like
|
||
God the Father. Will have eternal, multiple, marriages for
|
||
the purpose of sexually procreating billions of spirit
|
||
children to populate another world that they will reign
|
||
over as that world's god.
|
||
|
||
MORMON TERMINOLOGY
|
||
|
||
Let's be "clear" on some important terms - even though you
|
||
will find Mormon writers interchanging them, in a strict
|
||
sense they are:
|
||
|
||
SALVATION
|
||
|
||
Resurrection only; immortality, or simply life after death.
|
||
This is what Christ's death on the cross "achieved". This
|
||
is what all mankind has by the Grace of God as a free gift.
|
||
But "salvation" for what? This is just the bottom of the
|
||
ladder.
|
||
|
||
"Those who gain only this general or unconditional
|
||
salvation will still be judged according to their works and
|
||
receive places in a Terrestial or Telestial kingdom. They
|
||
will, therefore, be damned; their eternal progression will
|
||
be cut short; they will not fill the full measure of their
|
||
creation, but in eternity will be ministering servants to
|
||
more worthy persons."
|
||
Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, "Salvation",pg 669,670
|
||
(1966 Edition)
|
||
|
||
So, you see, salvation as a gift through Christ is nothing
|
||
special to a Mormon. When they say, "Jesus is our Savior",
|
||
this is what they give Him "credit" for!
|
||
|
||
Now, let's find out what the goal of Mormonism is. Who are
|
||
these "more worthy persons" ?
|
||
|
||
EXALTATION = Eternal Life in the Highest Degree of the
|
||
Celestial Kingdom. This is what Mormonism teaches day in
|
||
and day out. McConkie continues -
|
||
|
||
"Conditional or individual salvation, that which comes by
|
||
grace coupled with gospel obedience, consist in receiving
|
||
an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God. This kind
|
||
of salvation follows faith, repentance, baptism, receipt of
|
||
the Holy Ghost, and continued righteousness to the end of
|
||
one's mortal life. (D & C 20:29 & 2 Nephi 9:23-24). All
|
||
others are damned --- Even those in the celestial kingdom
|
||
however, who do not go on to exaltation, will have
|
||
immortality only and not eternal life --- they will be
|
||
'ministering servants, to minister for and to those who are
|
||
worthy of a far more, and an exceeding and an eternal
|
||
weight of glory'. They will live "separately and singly" in
|
||
an unmarried state 'without exaltation, in their saved
|
||
condition, to all eternity' (D & C 132:16,17). Salvation in
|
||
its true and full meaning is synonymous with exaltation or
|
||
eternal life and consist in gaining an inheritance in the
|
||
highest of the three heavens within the Celestial Kingdom
|
||
--- It is the salvation which saints seek --- This full
|
||
salvation is obtained in and through the continuation of
|
||
the family unit in eternity, and those who obtain it are
|
||
gods --- If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the
|
||
restoration, there would be no salvation. There is no
|
||
salvation outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
|
||
Saints."
|
||
|
||
"Then shall they be gods, because they have no end - Then
|
||
shall they be gods, because they have all power ---"
|
||
(D & C 132:20)
|
||
|
||
"Here then is eternal life - to know the only wise and true
|
||
God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves,
|
||
and to be kings and priest to God, the same as all gods
|
||
have done before you --- and to sit in glory, as do those
|
||
who sit in everlasting power --- What is it? To inherit the
|
||
same power, the same glory and the same exaltation, until
|
||
you arrive at the station of a god ---"
|
||
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg 345-347;
|
||
Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, "Godhood", 1966
|
||
Edition, pg 321
|
||
History of the Church, Volume 6, page 306
|
||
|
||
"They are they into whose hands the Father has given all
|
||
things - they are they who are priest and kings, who have
|
||
received of His fulness, and his glory -- they are gods --"
|
||
Doctrine & Covenants, 76:55-58
|
||
|
||
"As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become."
|
||
Lorenzo Snow, Millennial Star, Vol 54, pg 404
|
||
|
||
"Mormonism does not tend to debase God to the level of man,
|
||
but to exalt man to the perfection of God."
|
||
Charles W. Penrose,Millenial Star,Vol 23, pg 181
|
||
|
||
The above quotes appear in Milton R. Hunter's, The Gospel
|
||
Through The Ages (1958, pges 105-107) under the chapter
|
||
heading "Men may become gods". Hunter surprisingly supports
|
||
Mormonism's view of the Godhead of man by noting (on pg 117):
|
||
"Even the doctrine of a knowledge of God as the avenue to
|
||
Godhood made its way outward from the Divine Fountain of
|
||
Truth into the heathenistic religions of the Mediterranean
|
||
world. The teaching of the HERMETIC pagan cult sound quite
|
||
familiar to those who are acquainted with the doctrine
|
||
taught by Jesus, by John the Beloved, by Paul, and by
|
||
Joseph Smith, the American Prophet".
|
||
|
||
Sorry, but only the teachings of the latter sound familiar.
|
||
Nowhere in the BIBLE do we find GOD saying man can reach
|
||
godhood. Yes, we do find such a teaching in the BIBLE ---
|
||
yet it is Satan who is doing the talking !!
|
||
|
||
Computers For Christ prays that this has been interesting
|
||
and has opened your eyes to the false nature of the Mormon
|
||
teachings. Leave us a message at termination if you wish us
|
||
to mail you any additional material.
|
||
** END OF TEXT **
|
||
|
||
TEN REASONS WHY I CANNOT BE A MORMON
|
||
by Rev. John Hornok
|
||
|
||
1. <20>MORMONISM DOES NOT TEACH THAT THE BIBLE IS THE INFALLIBLE WORK OF
|
||
GOD. <20><>"We <20>believe the Bible to the the Word of God as far as it <20>is
|
||
translated <20>correctly; <20><>we also believe the book of Mormon to be <20>the
|
||
word of God" (Articles of Faith, No. 8).
|
||
|
||
As <20>Christians we believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old <20>and <20>New
|
||
Testaments <20>to <20>the <20>the verbally inspired Word <20>of <20>God, <20><>the <20>final
|
||
authority <20>for <20>faith and life, <20>inerrant in <20>the <20>original <20>writings,
|
||
infallible and God-breathed (2 <20>Tim. <20>3:16-17; <20>2 Pet. <20>1:20-21; <20>Matt
|
||
5:18).
|
||
|
||
2. <20><>MORMONISM TEACHES THAT GOD IS AN EXALTED MAN AND HAS A <20>PHYSICAL
|
||
BODY. <20><>"God himself was once as we are now, <20>and is an exalted <20>man"
|
||
(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, <20>pg. 345). <20>"The Father has a
|
||
body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's..." <20>(Doc. <20>& Cov., <20>Sec.
|
||
131:22)
|
||
|
||
The Bible says, <20>"God is not a man..." <20>(Num. <20>23:19). <20>"God is a
|
||
Spirit; <20><>and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and <20>in
|
||
truth" <20><>(John 4:24). <20>"A spirit hath not flesh and <20>bones..." <20><>(Lk.
|
||
24:39).
|
||
|
||
3. MORMONISM TEACHES THAT CHRIST AND THE DEVIL ARE BROTHERS. "...that
|
||
Lucifer, <20>the son of morning, <20>is our elder brother and the brother of
|
||
Jesus Christ" (Mormon Doctrine by Bruce McConkie, pp. 163-4).
|
||
|
||
The Bible says that the devil is a created being, <20>created by God.
|
||
"thou <20>wast <20>perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast <20>created,
|
||
till <20>iniquity <20>was found in thee" <20>(Ezekiel 28:15). <20><>"For <20>by <20>Him
|
||
(Christ) <20>were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in
|
||
earth, <20>visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, <20>of dominions,
|
||
or principalities, <20>or powers; <20>all things were created by Him and for
|
||
Him..." (Col. 1:15-17).
|
||
|
||
4. MORMONISM TEACHES THAT JESUS WAS MARRIED AND THE HE IS POLYGAMOUS.
|
||
"We <20>say <20>it <20>was <20>Jesus Christ who was married at <20>Cana <20>of <20>Galilee"
|
||
(Journal of Discourses, <20>Vol 2, p. 80). <20>Mormonism teaches that Jesus
|
||
was <20>the <20>natural <20>child <20>of Adam and Mary. <20>"When <20>the <20>Virgin <20>Mary
|
||
conceived <20>the Child Jesus....He was not begotten by the <20>Holy <20>Ghost.
|
||
And who is his Father? <20>He is the first of the human family" (Brigham
|
||
Young, Journal of Discourses, pp. 50-51).
|
||
|
||
The Bible says, <20>"In the beginning was the Word (Christ), <20>and the
|
||
Word was with God, and the Word was God;...The Word was made flesh and
|
||
dwelt among us..." <20>(John 1:1, 14). <20>"Then Mary said unto the angel,
|
||
How <20>shall <20>this <20>be, <20>seeing that I know not a man? <20>And <20>the <20>angel
|
||
answered... The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee..."(Lk. 1:34-35).
|
||
|
||
5. <20><>MORMONISM TEACHES THAT THE TRUE CHURCH CEASED TO EXIST UNTIL <20>IT
|
||
WAS RESTORED TO JOSEPH SMITH. <20>The church (LDS) was restored April 6,
|
||
1830 by Joseph Smith (Doc. & Cov., 20:1).
|
||
|
||
Jesus <20>Christ said, <20>"I will build my church and the gates of hell
|
||
shall not prevail against it" <20>(Matt. <20>16:18). <20>"for other foundation
|
||
can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor.
|
||
3:11). <20><>"...And <20>are built upon the foundation of the <20>apostles <20>and
|
||
prophets, <20><>Jesus <20>Christ himself being the chief cornerstone" <20><>(Eph.
|
||
2:20).
|
||
|
||
6. <20><>MORMONISM TEACHES ANOTHER (PERVERTED) <20>GOSPEL THAN THAT <20>OF <20>THE
|
||
BIBLE. <20><>The gospel to Mormonism is: <20>"Faith, <20>Repentance, <20>Baptism,
|
||
Receiving the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands, <20>Morality, <20><>Loyalty,
|
||
Tithing, <20>Word of Wisdom, Duty Celestial Marriage (for eternity)" (LDS
|
||
chart of FREE AGENCY and Articles of Faith, No. 4).
|
||
|
||
The Bible says, "Moreover brethren, I <20>declare unto you the gospel
|
||
that he was buried, <20>and that he rose again the third day according to
|
||
the scriptures" <20>(1 <20>Cor. 15:1, <20>3-4). <20>"if any man preach any other
|
||
gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed" (Gal.
|
||
1:9).
|
||
|
||
7. <20><>MORMONISM <20>TEACHES <20>SALVATION FOR THE THE DEAD <20>BY <20>PROXY <20>WATER
|
||
BAPTISM. This doctrine is based on one misunderstood Scripture: "Else
|
||
what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, <20>if the dead <20>rise
|
||
not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 Cor. 15:29).
|
||
|
||
Paul <20>did not practice baptism for the dead. <20>He excluded himself
|
||
by using the pronoun "they" rather than "we" <20>or "ye". He is asking a
|
||
question <20>rather than making a statement. <20>"It is appointed unto <20>man
|
||
once to die, but after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27).
|
||
|
||
8. <20>MORMONISM TEACHES GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH FOR THE DEAD. <20>"Let <20>us,
|
||
therefore, <20>as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, <20>offer
|
||
unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; <20>and let us present in his
|
||
holy temple, when it is finished, a book containing the records of our
|
||
dead, <20>which shall be worth of all acceptation" <20>(Doc. <20>& <20>Cov., <20>Sec.
|
||
128:24).
|
||
|
||
The <20>Bible <20>says, <20><>"Neither <20>give <20>heed <20>to <20>fables <20>and <20>endless
|
||
genealogies" <20><>(1 <20><>Tim. <20><>1:4). <20>"but <20>avoid <20>foolish <20>question <20>and
|
||
genealogies..." (Titus 3:9).
|
||
|
||
9. <20><>MORMONISM TEACHES THAT THERE ARE MODERN DAY PROPHETS AND <20>MODERN
|
||
DAY REVELATIONS FROM GOD. Mormonism claims that Joseph Smith received
|
||
the <20>Aaronic <20>Priesthood <20>from John <20>the <20>Baptist. <20><>The <20>Melchizedek
|
||
Priesthood and Apostleship <20>was <20>restored <20>by Peter, <20><>James <20>and John
|
||
shortly afterwards in 1829 (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 13).
|
||
|
||
The Bible says, <20>"God...hath in these last days spoken unto us <20>by
|
||
his <20>Son, <20>whom he hath appointed heir of all things, <20>by whom also he
|
||
made <20>the worlds" <20>(Heb. <20>1:1-2). <20>The test of a prophet is given <20>in
|
||
Deut. 18:20-22.
|
||
|
||
10. <20><>MORMONISM <20>TEACHES THAT SALVATION DEPENDS UPON <20>GOOD <20>WORKS <20>AND
|
||
ACCEPTANCE <20>OF <20>JOSEPH SMITH. <20>"No man who rejects the <20>testimony <20>of
|
||
Joseph <20>Smith can enter the kingdom of God" <20>(Doctrines of <20>Salvation,
|
||
vol. 1 pg. 190). "Men have work to do it they would obtain salvation"
|
||
(Doctrines of Salvation. vol. 3, pg 91).
|
||
|
||
The <20>Bible <20>teaches <20>that salvation is provided <20>by <20>Jesus <20>Christ
|
||
alone, <20><>"for <20>there is none other name under heaven given among <20>men,
|
||
whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:10-12). <20>"For by grace are ye saved
|
||
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not
|
||
of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
|
||
|
||
Another file downloaded from: NIRVANAnet(tm)
|
||
|
||
& the Temple of the Screaming Electron Jeff Hunter 510-935-5845
|
||
Burn This Flag Zardoz 408-363-9766
|
||
realitycheck Poindexter Fortran 510-527-1662
|
||
Lies Unlimited Mick Freen 415-583-4102
|
||
My Dog Bit Jesus Suzanne D'Fault 510-658-8078
|
||
New Dork Sublime Demented Pimiento 415-566-0126
|
||
|
||
Specializing in conversations, obscure information, high explosives,
|
||
arcane knowledge, political extremism, diverse sexuality,
|
||
insane speculation, and wild rumours. ALL-TEXT BBS SYSTEMS.
|
||
|
||
Full access for first-time callers. We don't want to know who you are,
|
||
where you live, or what your phone number is. We are not Big Brother.
|
||
|
||
"Raw Data for Raw Nerves"
|
||
|
||
X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
|
||
|
||
Divine Truths in the Book of Mormon
|
||
|
||
Anyone <20>visited <20>by <20>a <20>Mormon Missionary has <20>heard <20>the <20>Elder's
|
||
testimony <20>concerning the Book of Mormon: <20>That he knows this book is
|
||
the <20>Word <20>of God and that the founder of the Mormon <20>Church, <20><>Joseph
|
||
Smith, <20>Jr., translated it by the gift and power of God. Further, the
|
||
prospect is encouraged sincerely to study the Book of Mormon and <20>"The
|
||
divine truths it contains."
|
||
The Book of Mormon indeed does contain a number of "divine truths",
|
||
first set forth in the Bible, the most important of which are:
|
||
|
||
1. GOD IS SPIRIT
|
||
|
||
Alma 18:28 (p. 242) - "Believest, thou that this Great Spirit, who
|
||
is God, created all things".
|
||
|
||
2. TRINITARIAN VIEW OF GOD
|
||
|
||
3 <20>Nephi 11:27 (p. 422) - "Verily I say unto you, that the Father
|
||
and <20>the Son and the Holy Ghost are one." <20>In addition, <20>three <20>close
|
||
associates <20>of Joseph Smith who gave testimony of the authenticity <20>of
|
||
the Book of Mormon, close with words: "And the honor be to the Father,
|
||
and <20>to <20>the <20>Son and to the Holy Ghost, <20>WHICH IS <20>ONE <20>GOD. <20><>Amen."
|
||
(emphasis added) This endorsement is found in the front of every Book
|
||
of <20>Mormon and further documents the Book of Mormon's <20>acknowledgement
|
||
of the triune nature of God.
|
||
|
||
3. GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE
|
||
|
||
Moroni 8:18 (p. 517) - <20>"For I know that God is not a partial God,
|
||
neither a changeable being; <20>but he is unchangeable from all <20>eternity
|
||
to all eternity."
|
||
|
||
4. NO SALVATION AFTER DEATH
|
||
|
||
Mosiah 3:25 <20>(p. 141) - "And if they be evil they are consigned to
|
||
an <20>awful view of their own guilt and abominations, <20>which doth <20>cause
|
||
them <20>to <20>shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of <20>misery
|
||
and endless torment, <20>from whence they can no more return; <20><>therefore
|
||
they have drunk damnation to their own souls."
|
||
|
||
5. ONLY TWO DESTINATIONS AFTER DEATH
|
||
|
||
Mosiah 16:11 <20>(p. 166) - "If they be good, <20>to the resurrection of
|
||
endless life and happiness; <20>and if they be evil, <20>to the resurrection
|
||
of endless damnation."
|
||
|
||
6. SALVATION BY CHRIST"S WORK - NOT MAN'S
|
||
|
||
Helaman 5:9 (p. 369) - "...remember that there is no other way nor
|
||
means <20>whereby <20>men can be saved, <20>only through the atoning <20>blood <20>of
|
||
Jesus Christ, <20>who shall come, yea, <20>remember that he cometh to redeem
|
||
the world."
|
||
|
||
|
||
The Book of Mormon also emphasizes the need for spiritual rebirth.
|
||
For <20>example <20>Alma 5:14 <20>states "And now behold, <20>I <20>ask of <20>you, <20><>my
|
||
brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye
|
||
received <20>his image in your countenances? <20>Have ye <20>experienced <20>this
|
||
mighty change in your hearts?"
|
||
Much <20>of <20>the <20>major theology set forth in the Book of <20>Mormon <20>is
|
||
indeed in harmony with orthodox Christianity. <20>However, <20>many who are
|
||
visited by the LDS Missionaries are unaware that the present <20>theology
|
||
of <20>the Mormon Church is very different from their own Book of Mormon.
|
||
Further, <20>not only are today's major doctrines different, <20>they are in
|
||
total <20>opposition with this work of Joseph Smith, <20>Jr., <20>for which <20>he
|
||
claimed divine inspiration.
|
||
|
||
Mormon <20>theology is not contained in, <20>but rather contradicted <20>by
|
||
the <20>Book <20>of <20>Mormon. <20>The members of the Mormon Church now turn <20>to
|
||
newer <20>publications <20>and <20>revelations for their <20>beliefs. <20><>A <20><>brief
|
||
examination of some of these will document the contradictions.
|
||
|
||
1. <20><>Mormonism today teaches "The Father has a body of flesh and bones
|
||
as tangible as man's" (Doctrine & Covenants 130:22).
|
||
|
||
2. <20>Joseph Smith, later in his life, flatly denied the Trinity: <20>"Many
|
||
men say there is one God, <20>the Father, <20>the Son and the Holy Ghost are
|
||
one God! <20>I saw that is a strange God anyhow - three in one, <20>and one
|
||
in <20>three!" <20>He further concludes that the Father, <20>Son and the <20>Holy
|
||
Ghost <20>are not one God, <20>but rather three Gods (History of the <20>Church
|
||
6:474, 476).
|
||
|
||
3. The LDS Church no longer adheres to the unchangeable nature of God,
|
||
but <20>rather <20>states: <20>"God himself was once as we are now and <20>is <20>an
|
||
exalted man... We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all
|
||
eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil, so that you
|
||
may see". (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345).
|
||
|
||
4. <20><>Bruce <20>R. <20>McConkie announces on page 73 <20>of his <20>work, <20><>'Mormon
|
||
Doctrine': <20><>"The Lord has ordained baptism for the dead as the means
|
||
whereby <20>all <20>his <20>worthy children of all ages <20>can <20>become <20>heirs <20>of
|
||
salvation in his kingdom."
|
||
|
||
5. <20><>Mormonism today informs its members that all mankind will <20>occupy
|
||
one of three heavenly kingdoms. <20>The highest is the Celestial Kingdom
|
||
(which itself contains various levels). <20>This kingdom is reserved for
|
||
all <20>faithful Mormons and could lead to Godhood for the <20>male <20>members
|
||
there. <20>The middle Kingdom, the Terrestrial Kingdom, is for those who
|
||
did <20>not <20>accept the gospel according to Mormonism, <20>but who lived <20>an
|
||
honorable <20>life. <20><>The <20>lowest or Telestial <20>Kingdom <20>still <20>contains
|
||
murderers, <20><>adulterers, <20>liars and thieves. <20>(Doctrine <20>& <20>Covenants
|
||
section <20>76). <20><>Hell <20>in Mormonism is usually thought to <20>be <20>only <20>a
|
||
temporary <20>state of suffering, <20>which can be terminated through <20>self-
|
||
atonement. <20><>In <20>summary, <20>all will be resurrected and <20>receive <20>some
|
||
degree of glory, according to Mormonism.
|
||
|
||
6. Mormons believe not in the infinite atonement of Christ, but rather
|
||
that <20>"redemption <20>from <20>personal sins can only <20>be <20>obtained <20>through
|
||
obedience <20>to <20>the <20>requirements of the Gospel, <20>AND A <20>LIFE <20>OF <20>GOOD
|
||
WORKS." (emphasis added) (Talmage, Articles of Faith pgs. 478-479)
|
||
|
||
These <20>changes <20>and contradictions contained within <20>these <20>easily
|
||
available <20>LDS <20>Scriptures leave no doubt as to the human, <20><>man <20>made
|
||
origin of Mormonism.
|
||
While <20>Mormons regard the Bible as the Word of God, <20>the Bible <20>is
|
||
actually placed lower and superseded by their other Scriptures, <20>which
|
||
in addition to the Book of Mormon include the Doctrine & Covenants and
|
||
the <20>Pearl <20>of Great Price. <20>This devaluation of the Bible <20>is <20>found
|
||
within the LDS Articles of Faith, <20>in the Pearl of Great Price, <20>where
|
||
it <20>is <20>stated <20>that Mormons "believe the Bible in so <20>far <20>as <20>it <20>is
|
||
correctly translated."
|
||
God's <20>word, <20><>the Bible, <20>has definitely stood the test of <20>time,
|
||
whereas in its short existence the Book of Mormon has not. The Bible,
|
||
has been used by and confirmed by archeology, - the Book of Mormon has
|
||
not. <20>The Bible, <20>has through recent ancient manuscript <20>discoveries,
|
||
been <20>demonstrated to have been transmitted and translated accurately,
|
||
where the Book of Mormon contains nearly 4000 textual changes from the
|
||
first <20>edition <20>in 1830 <20>to the present editions used today, <20>and <20>has
|
||
received further changes in the new 1981 "Triple Combination" edition.
|
||
The <20>presence <20>of <20>"Divine Truths" <20>within the Book of <20>Mormon <20>is
|
||
merely a result of Joseph Smith, <20>Jr. <20>incorporating much of the Bible
|
||
into his work. (see 'The use of the Bible in the Book of Mormon by H.
|
||
Michael <20>Marquardt). <20><>Thus, <20>the Book of Mormon must be regarded <20>as
|
||
fiction, not as inspired Scripture.
|
||
Changes within Mormonism and the Book of Mormon make it clear that
|
||
Mormonism is not from God. <20>God's word does not change. Jesus Christ
|
||
is the same yesterday, <20>today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) <20>and His Word
|
||
shall never pass away (Psalm 119:89; Matthew 24:35). The Jesus Christ
|
||
who <20>shed his blood on Calvary's cross to save you is not the Jesus of
|
||
present-day <20>Mormonism. <20><>Jesus <20>invites all people to <20>experience <20>a
|
||
spiritual <20>rebirth <20>and to receive the free gift of <20>eternal <20>life <20>by
|
||
trusting in him alone for salvation.
|
||
|
||
Write <20>to us and let us share with you more information concerning
|
||
our Risen Saviour Jesus Christ and how you can receive Him.
|
||
|
||
|
||
PERSONAL FREEDOM OUTREACH
|
||
|
||
Route 3 Weir Lake Rd., Kunkletown, PA. 18058 (215) 381-3661
|
||
P.O. Box 26062, Saint Louis, MO. 63136 (314) 388-2648
|
||
P.O. Box 30073, Phoenix, AZ. 85046 (602)867-0538
|
||
P.O. Box 15081, Santa Ana, CA. 92705 (714) 832-9385
|
||
|
||
|
||
Information from the
|
||
|
||
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF OF NATURAL HISTORY
|
||
Smithsonian Institution Washington D.C.
|
||
|
||
Your <20>recent <20>inquiry <20>concerning <20>the Book <20>of <20>Mormon <20>has <20>been
|
||
received in the Smithsonian's Department of Anthropology.
|
||
|
||
The <20>book <20>of Mormon is a religious document and not a <20>scientific
|
||
guide. <20><>The Smithsonian Institution does not use it in archeological
|
||
research. Because the Smithsonian Institution receives many inquiries
|
||
regarding the book of Mormon, <20>we have prepared a "Statement Regarding
|
||
the Book of Mormon," a copy of which is enclosed for your information.
|
||
This statement includes answers to questions most commonly asked about
|
||
the Book of Mormon.
|
||
|
||
|
||
PREPARED BY
|
||
THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
|
||
STATEMENT REGARDING THE BOOK OF MORMON
|
||
--------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
1. <20><>The Smithsonian Institution has never used the Book of Mormon in
|
||
any way as a scientific guide. <20>The Smithsonian archaeologists see no
|
||
direct <20>connection between archeology of the New World and the subject
|
||
matter of the book.
|
||
|
||
2. The physical type of American Indian is basically Mongoloid, being
|
||
most closely related to that of the peoples of eastern, <20>central, <20>and
|
||
northeastern <20><>Asia. <20><>Archeological <20>evidence <20>indicates <20>that <20><>the
|
||
ancestors <20>of the present Indians came into the New World -- <20>probably
|
||
over <20>a land bridge known to have existed in the Bering Strait <20>region
|
||
during the last Ice Age -- <20>in a continuing series of small migrations
|
||
beginning from about 25,000 to 30,000 years ago.
|
||
|
||
3. <20><>Present <20>evidence indicates that the fist people to <20>reach <20>this
|
||
continent from the East were the Norsemen who who briefly visited <20>the
|
||
northeastern part of North America around A.D. <20>1000 <20>and then settled
|
||
in <20>Greenland. <20>There is nothing to show that they reached Mexico <20>or
|
||
Central America.
|
||
|
||
4. <20><>One <20>of <20>the main lines of evidence <20>supporting <20>the <20>scientific
|
||
finding <20>that contacts with Old World civilizations, <20>if <20>indeed <20>they
|
||
occurred at all, <20>were of very little significance for the development
|
||
of <20>American <20>Indian <20>civilizations, <20><>is the fact that <20>none <20>of <20>the
|
||
principal <20>Old World domesticated <20>food plants or animals (except <20>the
|
||
dog) <20><>occurred in the New <20>World <20>in pre-Columbian times. <20><>American
|
||
Indians had <20>no <20>wheat, <20>barley, <20>oats, <20>millet, rice, <20>cattle, <20>pigs,
|
||
chickens, horses, <20>donkeys, <20>camels <20>before 1492. <20>(camels and horses
|
||
were in the Americas, along with the bison, mammoth, mastodon, but all
|
||
these animals became extinct around 10,000 B.C. <20>at the time the early
|
||
big game hunters spread across the Americas.)
|
||
|
||
5. Iron, steel, glass, and silk were not used in the New World before
|
||
1492 <20>(except for occasional use of unsmelted meteoric iron). <20>Native
|
||
copper <20>was worked in various locations in pre-Columbian <20>times, <20><>but
|
||
true <20>metallurgy was limited to southern Mexico and the Andean region,
|
||
where its occurrance in late prehistoric times involved gold, <20>silver,
|
||
copper, and their alloys, but not iron.
|
||
|
||
6. <20>There is a possibility that the spread of cultural traits <20>across
|
||
the Pacific to Mesoamerica and the northwestern coast of South America
|
||
began several hundred years before the Christian era. <20>However, <20><>any
|
||
such <20>inter-hemispheric <20>contacts appear to have been the <20>results <20>of
|
||
accidental voyages originating in eastern and southern Asia. It is by
|
||
no <20>means <20>certain that even such contacts occurred with <20>the <20>ancient
|
||
Egyptians, <20><>Hebrews, <20>or other peoples of Western Asia and <20>the <20>Near
|
||
East.
|
||
|
||
7. <20><>No <20>reputable <20>Egyptologist or other <20>specialist <20>on <20>Old <20>World
|
||
archeology, <20>and no expert on New World prehistory, <20>has discovered or
|
||
confirmed any relationship between archeological remains in Mexico and
|
||
archeological remains in Egypt.
|
||
|
||
8. <20><>Reports of findings of ancient Egyptian, <20>Hebrew, <20>and other Old
|
||
World <20>writings <20>in <20>the <20>New World <20>in <20>pre-Columbian <20>contexts <20>have
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||
frequently <20>appeared in newspapers, <20>magazines and sensational <20>books.
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||
None <20>of <20>these <20>claims <20>has <20>stood up <20>to <20>examination <20>by <20>reputable
|
||
scholars. <20>No inscriptions using Old World forms of writing have been
|
||
shown to have occurred in any part of the Americas before 1492 <20>except
|
||
for a few Norse rune stones which have been found in Greenland.
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||
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||
9. <20><>There <20>are <20>copies of the Book of Mormon in the library <20>of <20>the
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||
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
|
||
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|
||
NOTE: <20><>This article is an exact reproduction of a letter compiled <20>by
|
||
The Smithsonian Institution that was received by Computers for Christ,
|
||
and has been graciously provided free of charge by them.
|
||
|
||
For your own copy, write to:
|
||
|
||
The Smithsonian Institute
|
||
National Museum of Natural History
|
||
Department of Anthropology
|
||
Washington D.C. 20560
|
||
|
||
|
||
Computers For Christ, Panama City, Fl.
|
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