Question:
“What is Mormonism? What do Mormons believe?”
Mormonism, also known as the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, claims to be the restoration of the true
gospel and a revelation of the true God.
Mormonism began with Joseph Smith Jr.,
who was born on Dec. 23, 1805 in Vermont. He was the fourth child of Lucy and
Joseph Smith. Joseph senior was known as a money digger and sought after buried
treasure particularly that of Captain Kidd. His mother was highly
superstitious.
Joseph
Smith Jr. stated that he was disturbed by all the different denominations
of Christianity and
wondered which was true. In 1820, when
Three
years later, on Sept. 21, 1823, when he was 17 years old, an angel called Moroni, who
was supposed to be
the son of Mormon, the leader of the people called the Nephites who had lived
in the Americas, appeared to him and told him that he had been chosen to
translate the book of Mormon which was compiled by Moroni's
The
Book of Mormon is supposed to be the account of people who came from the
Middle-East to the Americas. It covers the period of about 600 B.C. to A.D.
400. It tells of the Jaredites,
people from the Tower of Babel who came to central America but perished because
of their own immorality. It also describes some Jews who fled persecution in
Jerusalem and came to America led by a man called Nephi. The Jews divided into
two groups known as the
After
the publication of the Book of Mormon, Mormonism began to grow. Because their
religion was so deviant from Christianity, i.e., plurality of gods, polygamy
(Joseph is said to have had 27 wives), etc., persecution soon forced
After
the shooting, the church divided into two groups: One led by his widow which
went back to Independence Missouri. They are known as the Reorganized Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They claim to be the true Church and lay
claim to the legal succession of the church presidency which was bestowed upon
Joseph's son by Joseph Smith himself. The other group was led by Brigham Young;
and they went to Utah where in 1847, they ended up in Salt Lake and founded
Salt Lake City. Brigham had 25 wives and accumulated much wealth.
The Mormon church, also known as the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, denies the historic Trinity (teaching three gods), says
that salvation is by grace and works (2
Nephi 25:23) and that people have the potential of becoming gods and goddesses.
Some of its unique doctrines of the Mormon Church are that God used to be a man
on another world who became a God and came to this world with one of his wives.
We all are literally born in heaven as spirit brothers and sisters and then
inhabit human bodies on earth.
Following
is a listing of Mormon Teachings cited from Mormon writers.
There
are many gods, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163)
There
is a mother goddess, (Articles of Faith by James Talmage,
p. 443)
God
used to be a man on another planet, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 321)
After
you become a good Mormon, you have the potential of becoming a god, (Teachings
of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pages 345-347, 354)
God resides near a star called Kolob, Pearl of Great
Price, pages 34-35, Mormon Doctrine, p. 428)
The
Trinity is three separate gods, (James Talmage,
Articles of Faith, p. 35)
God
is increasing in knowledge, (Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p.
120)
God
has the form of a man, (Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 3).
God
the Father has a body of flesh and bones, (Doctrine and Covenants, 130:22)
God is married to his goddess wife and
has spirit children, (Mormon Doctrine p. 516)
We
were first begotten as spirit children in heaven and then born naturally on
earth, (Journal of Discourse, Vol. 4, p. 218).
Jesus
and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to
them both, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163)
There
is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, (Doctrines
of Salvation, Vol. 1, p. 188)
There are three levels of heaven: telestial,
terrestrial, and celestial, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 348)
The
Holy Ghost is a male personage, (A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, p. 118, Journal
of Discources, Vol. 5, page 179)
Baptism for the dead, (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. II, p. 141).
This is a practice of baptizing each other in place of non-Mormons who are now
dead. Their belief is that in the afterlife, the "newly baptized"
person will be able to enter into a higher level of Mormon heaven.
There
were 5,000 original Book of Mormon copies published in 1830 in Palmyra, New
York. According to Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon is more correct than
the Bible (History
of the Church, Vol. 4, page 461).
The
1830 Book of Mormon Text:
The 1830 Book of Mormon Text:
•Enos
•Omni
•Alma
The
Book of Mormon
The
Book of Mormon is at the center of Mormon faith and belief.
Mormons
use the Book of Mormon alongside the Bible in teaching and study.
They
believe that the Book of Mormon tells the story of God's dealings with the
ancient inhabitants of the American Continent, including a visit by the risen
Jesus to the people of the New World.
Mormon
was an ancient American prophet who compiled the history of the ancient
civilization from old records.
The
document was inscribed on plates of gold which Mormon's son Moroni
buried for safety in what is now New York state.
Moroni
returned in 1823 as an angel and showed Joseph
Smith (founder of the Church)
where the plates were hidden. Smith translated the plates into the Book of
Mormon, which was first published in 1830.
Mormons
believe that the Book of Mormon, unlike the Bible, was translated correctly and
is the unaltered word of God.
Pearl
of Great Price
The
Pearl of Great Price contains Joseph Smith's translation and revision of the
Bible - the Book of Moses and
the Book of Abraham which
he translated from Egyptian papyri.
It
also includes his translation of Matthew 24, the story of his first vision, and
the Thirteen
Articles of Faith.
The
book was first published in 1851 in Liverpool, England, and became officially
regarded as scripture in 1880.
The
Doctrine and Covenants is a book of scripture containing revelations from the
Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith and to a few other latter-day prophets.
It is unique in scripture because it is not a translation of ancient documents.
The
Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith, "This generation shall have my word
through you" (D&C 5:10).
In the Doctrine and Covenants we learn doctrines concerning the eternal nature
of families, the degrees of
the
organization of Christ's Church on earth today.
We also read about the covenants God makes
with those who are willing to keep His commandments.
Joseph
Smith bore many titles in his lifetime, Elder, Seer, President, Mayor, even
Lieutenant General, but he is probably best known as the Prophet. And prophesy
he did, often with great passion, invoking the powers of heaven and the name of
God.
Deut.
18:20-22
If someone claims to be a prophet, Examine his prophecies.
If they failed to happen, Then he is a false prophet.
The following are only five of the many prophecies made by Smith. Just one false prophecy is enough to discredit him. These prophecies come from such Mormon documents as Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, History of the Church, Journal of Discourses, and Mormon newspapers, magazines, sermons, diaries, etc.
If someone claims to be a prophet, Examine his prophecies.
If they failed to happen, Then he is a false prophet.
The following are only five of the many prophecies made by Smith. Just one false prophecy is enough to discredit him. These prophecies come from such Mormon documents as Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, History of the Church, Journal of Discourses, and Mormon newspapers, magazines, sermons, diaries, etc.
1.Smith prophesied that people live
on the moon, dress like Quakers, live to be a thousand years old and are six
feet in height. Brigham Young also claimed that people live on the sun!
2.Smith prophesied that the ten
lost tribes of Israel are living in a tropical valley at the North Pole. The
Apostle John is still alive and lives with them there.
3.Smith prophesied that the Second
Coming of Christ and the end of the world would take place in 1891.
4.Smith prophesied that a temple
would be built on the “temple lot” in Independence, Missouri, within the
generation of those living in 1832.
5.Smith prophesied that he would
return from Salem, Massachusetts, with “many people” and “much treasure.”
•These are only five of 64 false
prophecies given by Smith.
Galatians 1:6-9 (NKJV) I
marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace
of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which
is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the
gospel of Christ. 8 But
even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you
than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.9 As we have said before, so now I say again,
if
anyone preaches any other gospel
to
you
than what you have
received, let him be accursed.
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