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"...The church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
I Timothy 3:15
Ten Reasons Not to be a Mormon (Latter Day Saint)
1. Mormonism does not teach that the Bible is the infallible Word of God.
"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" (Articles of Faith, No.
8).
As Christians we believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be
the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant
in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed (Matt. 5:18; II Tim. 3:16-17;
II Pet. 1:20-21).
2. Mormonism teaches that God is an exalted man and has a physical
body.
"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man" (Teachings of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, pg. 345). "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as
man's..." (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 130:22).
The Bible says, "God is not a man..." (Num. 23:19). "God is a Spirit; and they that
worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). "A spirit hath
not flesh and bones..." (Luke 24:39).
3. Mormonism teaches that Christ and the devil
are brothers.
"...that Lucifer, the son of the morning, is our elder brother and the brother of
Jesus Christ" (Mormon Doctrine by Bruce McConkie, pp. 163-4).
The Bible says the devil is a created being, created by God. "Thou was perfect in
thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee" (Ezek.
28:15). "For by Him (Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in the earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him and for Him..." (Col. 1:15-17).
4. Mormonism Teaches that Jesus Christ Was Married and That He Is Polygamous.
"We say it was Jesus Christ who was married at Cana of Galilee" (Journal of Discourses,
Vol. 2, p. 80).
Mormonism teaches that Jesus was the natural child of Adam and Mary. "When the Virgin
Mary conceived the Child Jesus... He was not begotten of the Holy Ghost. And who
is his Father? He is the first of the human family" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses,
pp. 50-51).
The Bible says, "In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God;...The
Word was made flesh and dwelt among us..." (John 1:1, 14). "Then Mary said unto the
angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered...The Holy
Ghost shall come upon thee..." (Luke 1:34-35).
5. Mormonism teaches that the true
church ceased to exist until it was restored to Joseph Smith.
The church (LDS) was restored April 6, 1830 by Joseph Smith (Doc. & Cov., 20:1).
Jesus Christ said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it" (Matt. 16:18).
"For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ"
(I Cor. 3:11). "...And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Eph. 2:20).
6. Mormonism teaches
another (perverted) gospel than that of the Bible.
The gospel to Mormonism is, "Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Holy Spirit
by laying on of hands, Morality, Loyalty, Tithing, Word of Wisdom, Duty, Celestial
Marriage (for eternity)" (LDS chart on FREE AGENCY and Articles of Faith, No.4).
The Bible says, "Moreover brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... how that Christ
died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he
rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Cor. 15: 1, 3-4). "If any
man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed"
(Gal. 1:9).
7. Mormonism Teaches Salvation For the Dead By Proxy Water Baptism.
This doctrine is based on one misunderstood Scripture: "Else what shall they do which
are baptized for the dead?" (I Cor. 15:29).
Paul did not practice baptism for the dead. He excluded himself by using the pronoun
"they" rather than "we" or "ye". He is asking a question rather than making a statement.
"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27).
8. Mormonism teaches genealogical research for the dead.
"Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto
the Lord an offering in righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple, when
it is finished, a book containing the records of our dead, which shall be worthy
of all acceptation" (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 128:24).
The Bible says, "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies" (I Tim. 1:4).
"But avoid foolish questions and genealogies..." (Titus 3:9).
9. Mormonism teaches
that there are modern day prophets and modern day revelations from God.
Mormonism claims that Joseph Smith received the Aaronic Priesthood from John the
Baptist. The Melchizadek Priesthood and Apostleship was restored by Peter, James
and John shortly afterwards in 1829 (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 13).
The Bible says, "God...hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he
hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds" (Heb. 1:1-2).
The test of a prophet is given in Deut. 18:20-22.
10. Mormonism teaches that salvation
depends upon good works and acceptance of Joseph Smith.
"No man who rejects the testimony of Joseph Smith can enter the kingdom of God" (Doctrines
of Salvation, Vol. 1, pg. 190). "Men have work to do if they would obtain salvation"
(Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 3, pg. 91).
The Bible teaches that salvation is provided by Jesus Christ alone, "for there is
none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:10-12).
"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).
My friend, the Bible clearly states the way for a person to escape the wrath of God
and enjoy the blessings of eternity in God's presence. Jesus said, "He that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see
life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36). In God's way of salvation
a person must accept certain facts about God, about himself, and about Jesus Christ.
He must understand that God in love provided the method by which men may come to
Him. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). This
God is not limited by a body of flesh and bones.
Man must also acknowledge that he has fallen short of God's standard and so deserves
eternal punishment and separation from God. "For all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).
An individual must realize that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man and that
He paid the price for each man's sin. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins,
the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (I Pet. 3:18).
In God's plan each individual must personally received God's gift in order to be
saved. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).
Salvation comes not through man's works, proxy water baptism, or a belief in Joseph
Smith, but by accepting the finished work of Jesus Christ. "Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us" (Titus 3:5).
Are you a Christian? Have you come to God in God's way as described in the Bible?