A Christian friend asked why I wrote: Why Muslims Can't Believe Jesus Was a Prophet. I explained that Christians need to be aware when religions promote a "false Jesus" - a Jesus who is not the Jesus described in Scripture.
That's why I'm writing today about the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (Mormons).
My prayer is that we will recognize that Mormons need to hear the true gospel just as much as our atheist friends do.
Mormons believe:
- Joseph Smith found the Book of Mormon in 1823, guided by the angel Moroni.
- The Book of Mormon is the perfect, trustworthy Word of God.
- The Bible contains errors in doctrine.
- Non-Mormon churches are not preaching the true gospel.
- God the Father was once a man.
- Christ died to make eternal life possible, but there are different "kingdoms" in eternity. To spend eternity with God the Father, you must be married in the Mormon temple and you must obey Mormon prophets and ordinances.
It's interesting that Galatians 1:8 contains a very clear warning against false beliefs like Mormonism:
"Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse!"
The angel Moroni definitely preached a different gospel and denied the true gospel.
Whether you know any members of the LDS church or not, why not take some time to pray for their salvation.
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For more information on the beliefs of Mormonism and documentation for the beliefs listed above, see: Mormonism Research Ministry.
Also check out this collection of short, helpful articles on Mormonism: Articles on Mormonism.
Bible Love Notes
Thanks you!! This is important for me to understand and look into if I want to be ready to share Christ. This also helps me to know better how to pray.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Judith!
DeleteHello Gail. I just happened to bump into beautiful christian art gallery and discovered your Bible Love Notes about "mormonism". If you remember in our Bible's New Testament those that embraced Our Lord's teachings and joined His Church were belittle and scorned for believing in Jesus Christ. In fact, they were termed "Christians" out of anger and hateful feelings towards them for leaving the "new Judaism", not necessarily called in the Bible so, but to make a point here, the new Church of Jesus Christ had emerged even after our Lord's resurrection and ascension, left to His 12 apostles to carry on the work of His ministry.
DeleteWell, like wise was the populace at the time of Joseph Smith's vision of the Father and the Son to him that they began to ridicule him for it and when the Lord Jesus Christ sent his angel Moroni to reveal the history of this American continent's dwellers and the Visit of our Lord Jesus Christ to them in the Book of Mormon, another Testament of Jesus Christ, that like I said, the many other sects leadership started calling them "Mormons" out of derision. We never called ourselves Mormons and only in instances where people did not know about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
If you say that we worship "a different Jesus" I supposed you may be right, we worship the true Lord Jesus Christ whom manifested Himself in the company of His Father (God the Father) to young Joseph Smith. The Holy Scriptures then spoke of this event in Revelation 14:6-7 "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, AND to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice , Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of his judgement is come: and worship him that made heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." You and I know that the gospel was only preached during the apostles to local regions and some other nearby countries surrounding Israel not the "earth, and all nations..." This is our testimony that that angel spoken of in the above scripture was Moroni, a resurrected being.
Hi Unknown,
DeleteNothing in my devotion scorns and hates Mormons. But it does warn them and others that Mormonism (LDS) is a false belief.
The Mormon faith is based on a god who was unable to reveal himself for thousands of years and unable to prevent the corruption of his gospel until Joseph Smith came along.
The God of the Bible has never been unable to reveal His truth or protect His Word from corruption. He controls the universe and He cares so deeply about mankind that He would never let us go for thousands of years with a corrupted gospel as Mormonism claims.
Joseph Smith claimed that all Christian denominations were corrupted and evil. Now I hear Mormons claiming we are brothers and sisters in Christ. This makes no sense because Mormons still believe the Bible - our standard for all truth about God - is corrupted.
The Jesus of the Bible is God, not a created being as Mormonism teaches. “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17)
The Jesus of the Bible is the same yesterday, today and forever. The Mormon Jesus bears only a vague resemblance to the Jesus of the Bible.
I pray that you will one day find the true Jesus because He will help you understand that the lies of Joseph Smith are meant to deceive men and send them away from truth, not toward it.
I have to share with you that my husband, just THIS weekend, out of curiosity of Mitt Romney's faith, brought home the movie "The Work and The Glory". It was about a young man who met and believed in Joseph Smith just before he pulled the gold plates from hiding. It made me curious about how God appeared to each of His prophets uniquely. I also wondered if it was impossible that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and considered for a moment finding out more. I did not remember this verse from Galatians. Thank you very much, and Thank the Lord that he used you as a vessel to keep me on track. He has been working very quickly in my life.
ReplyDeleteHi Gail
DeleteThanks for sharing this. I think there are lots of people who misunderstand the differences between Mormonism and Biblical Christianity. And many don't realize there are differences. That's why I thought this post was important. Gail
Nice to meet another Gail : )
I rarely meet anyone who spells their name like mine
Prophecy died with the Apostles in the First Century. There aren't any new prophets since then. We have God's complete revealed word in Scripture. It is sufficient for all our spiritual needs until Christ returns.
DeleteI highly recommend "Out of Mormonism: A Woman's true story" by Judy Robertson. This book is written by an ex Mormon and explains why she left this church. It also explains clearly what Mormons believe (which I found extremely helpful).
ReplyDeleteJudy has a real heart for those still in this church and her book shows this love for those she left behind when she left this church.
I share this love for Mormons... many are the sincerest people you will ever meet (in my own personal experience of speaking and working with Mormons).
Thanks for sharing all of this, Wendy. I appreciate the resources and your heart as well. Bless you, Gail
DeleteThank you for this post Gail, I have other thoughts on this but you asked so nicely that we don't mention them in your comment section ; )
ReplyDeleteThanks, KM : )
DeleteThanks for sharing this! I've always been really interested in other religions, and have studied what the Mormons believe, and it saddens me that some Christians actually think that Mormonism is the same as Christianity. (It is not.) Thanks for bringing this to light! :) Blessings, Lauren, lholmes79.wordpress.com
ReplyDeleteGail...having several Mormon friends, I have looked up their beliefs and you are right about their views "representing a different gospel". It seems so similar but it is so very different in doctrine. Glad you wrote about this. Thank you for sharing at WJIM this week.
ReplyDeleteI think if you really want to know what Mormons believe you should check out the website Mormon.org.
ReplyDeleteI did check out that site and other official Mormon websites to verify everything I've written here.
DeleteObviously you got something wrong, as the church was organized April 6, 1830, not 1840. Joseph's first vision was a visit from God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, not an angel.
DeleteThanks for the correction, Rozy. I've corrected the date and clarified my information.
DeleteHere's the information from Mormon.org, an official Mormon site:
“In 1823 Joseph Smith was visited by a heavenly messenger named Moroni just as angels often appeared to Apostles in the New Testament. Moroni told Joseph about a record of the ancient inhabitants of the American continent that was buried in a nearby hill. He said it contained the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and was written on thin metal sheets of gold. Joseph translated the book into English. The book was named the Book of Mormon after Mormon, the ancient prophet who compiled it.”
This was my main point, and it is accurate according to this and other Mormon sites: Mormons believe that Smith was guided by an angel to scriptures that contradict the Bible.
Thanks for showing me that my date was incorrect. I want to write accurately.
As a Mormon, aka a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I would like to clarify a few of your statements.
ReplyDeleteWe do believe the Book of Mormon to be a wonderful set of Scripture. And yes, we do believe that some valuable truths have been lost in the countless translations of the Bible. I want all my sisters in Christ to know that we use and study the Bible extensively. We use the Book of Mormon as a second witness of Christ. The entire title of the Book of Mormon is "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ". The Book of Mormon is our companion to the. Bible, not our only source of doctrine.
Also, we believe that everyone will be saved and receive glory. Those who accept Christ not at all, those who accept Him in name, and those who accept Him fully will all be glorified. The highest level of glory will be for those who accept Him heart and soul, and who accept His ordinances. Our Temples provide those ordinances for those who did not receive them in life, and they have the choice if they want to accept them or not. The people who receive the highest glory in the Kingdom of God will not be limited to only Mormons. Christ loves and will provide opportunity for everyone.
There are many out there who like to interpret the doctrine of the LDS church. If you want to understand the plain and simple doctrines of my faith, please ask your questions from the source. Any questions you may have can be addressed through the website LDS.org.
Thank you for openly talking and openly listening! Isn't the love of Christ wonderful?!!!
Thank you, Carol Ann. I believe everything you've written is in line with my explanations, especially because I was careful to verify them on official Mormon sites. Thanks for these confirmations about what you believe. I appreciate your comment.
DeleteActually, I'm a former Mormon. Mormons believe that only married Mormons (those married in the temple) will reach the highest level of Heaven-The Celestial Kingdom. That means unmarried Mormons and non-members will not reach the highest level.
Deletewww.exmormon.org is a good website to talk to ex-Mormons. The church doesn't allow members to look at these websites, but everyone else can!
Thanks for sharing this information and this site. It's always helpful to be well informed.
DeleteI think there's a lot of misinformation and misconceptions about Mormons, and I'm grateful that you've made it clear exactly what they believe, Gail. There are some HUGE differences between Christians and Mormons, and I appreciate the gracious way you laid it all out for us.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beth, my desire is to be respectful and loving to Mormons, but also dispel some of the misunderstandings. When I went to the official Mormon sites to make sure my facts were correct, I found I had to peel away many layers before getting down to the differences. Much of the introductory material sounds Biblical.
DeleteBlessings be upon you Gail my sister in Christ as you continue to peel the layers of truth. May God continue to use your site to bring glory to Him.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your devotions.
ReplyDeleteTwo of the resources listed in your article, are not authorized websites by the Church. I suggest in searching for research material that you read those sites authorized by the Church. I do not know what you mean that we worship another Jesus. There is only one Christ!
ReplyDeleteHi Peg,
DeleteI have done my research on the official Mormon sites because I want to be very careful to present actual Mormon beliefs, not hearsay.
And I found most of those sites very difficult to use because the major differences the LDS church has with Biblical Christianity were buried deep, not shared up front.
In fact, it seems that many of those sites go out of their way to hide the non-Biblical beliefs from the average visitor.
But by digging deep and studying official Mormon literature, I am confident that what I've presented in this devotion is accurate.
My husband was raised Mormon. His mom became Mormon after he was born and felt like no one supported or cared about her. A co-worker convinced her that she would only find the acceptance and love she wanted if she joined the Mormon’s. So she did.
ReplyDeleteWhen he would attend church, with me and our girls, his mom would tell him that it's nice he was going to church but that he will never learn the truth from our church. When she tried to convince me I needed to go to the Mormons, she used the tactic that they are the only ones who truly believe in family. Which I found very odd after reading about how they will tell (according to a book I read written by an ex-Mormon) a Mormon husband to leave his wife, and take his kids, and find a "good Mormon" wife, if his current wife refuses to be or stay Mormon. Things I heard, and/or read, scared me.
My husband has not attended a Mormon service since he was a teen. He tried to be part of the church I attend with our girls, but he just never felt like he belonged, so he quit attending.
I'm sorry, Kathy. I pray your husband will find the Jesus of Scripture and start attending a Bible-believing church with you.
DeleteHi Gail,God bless you graciously for the good work you are doing trying to demystify the obvious misinformation frontend by the authors in their defence of the doctrines they so deeply believe to be true,it's my hope and prayer that they'll take some time to examine the Bible in search of the truth as opposed to flatly believing in questionable doctrines,I pray that they will one day know the truth and consequently become free!
ReplyDeleteOne point you need to add. According to former Satanists, the head demon they worshipped was named Moroni. Joseph Smith did talk to an angel, but not an angel of heaven sent by God.
ReplyDelete