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Many San Diegans are aware of the new Mormon Temple which is being
constructed at I-5 and Nobel Drive. The building of this temple has
increased the Mormons' visibility in San Diego County, and soon
Mormon missionaries may come knocking at your door, eager and
willing to share their gospel.
They usually carry two books, the Bible and the Book of Mormon. If
you are not a Christian, either book may be used to draw you into a
discussion.
However, if you are a Christian, Mormons usually start out with the
Bible - using terminology designed to convince you of their claim
that Mormons are Christians too, and that "we basically believe the
same things". Nothing could be further from the truth, for if you
were to engage in a discussion, you would soon find out that
Mormons do not believe the Bible as you know it. Instead, they will
tell you they "believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as
it is translated correctly' (Article Eight in "Articles of Faith").
Interestingly enough, this Article was changed from "We believe the
word of God recorded in the Bible...." to its current version after
Joseph Smith started having "revelations" that did not correspond
with the Bible.
In fact, Mormons consider the Bible to be incorrect every time the
teachings of their church contradict a certain passage.
Like all cults, they try to validate their Scriptures by attacking
or re-interpreting the Bible. They do so by saying anything from,
'Here's another Testament of Jesus', to 'The Bible as we know it
has been changed, corrupted and edited beyond recognition', to 'It
was never meant to be interpreted like this...'.
What is interesting, of course, is that cults still use the Bible
to try and proof their points. However, hand a Mormon your Bible
and ask him to show you some examples of words, verses or passages
that have been translated incorrectly, and they are at a loss. Ask
Mormons when all the cutting and editing they speak of took place,
and they will give you explanations that are historically
incorrect. But not only does history prove the Mormons' claims to
be false and misleading, but so do thousands of archeological
findings, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls. In addition, there are
over 50,000 manuscripts and portions of manuscripts that attest to
the reliability of the Bible.
In my discussion with J.F. (Text file available, see notes), a
Mormon from San Diego, who claims to have a position of leadership
in the Mormon church, he used many verses and passages from the
Bible to support the points he was trying to make. Knowing that
Mormons claim much of the Bible has been corrupted, I therefore
asked him if I could assume that the verses and passages he cited
were translated correctly. After all, how could he expect to
support his points with Scriptures that he considers to be
corrupted? Not surprisingly, he did not give a conclusive answer,
because a "yes" or "no" would have meant admitting that the Bible
and the Book of Mormon contradict each other.
At the same time, Mormons try to minimalize the more than 4000
changes made in the Book of Mormon, many as recent as 1981. These
changes were made, even though in Volume 1 of the "Documentary
History of the Church", an angel appears and proclaims, "These
plates have been revealed by the power of God. The translation of
them which you have seen is correct." Mormon apostle Bruce McConkie
also said, "The book is true and was translated correctly". If
these statements are true, why were the corrections necessary?
In fairness, many of the changes include those made to punctuation
and spelling, but the Mormons claim that this is all that was
changed. Not so. For example, the orginal Book of Mormon said that
Jesus is the Grandson of God. This has been changed. In the
original edition we also see that "...the Lamb of God is the
Eternal Father", while current editions read, "...that the Lamb of
God is the Son of the Eternal Father."
The Book of Mormon used to teach the when a person of a dark skin
accepts the Mormon gospel, his skin would turn white. In 1981 the
word "white" was changed to "pure".
Joseph Smith claimed that "the Book of Mormon was the most correct
book on earth", and Alma 41:8 states that "the degrees of God are
unalterable". How, then, can Mormons justify all the changes in
their church's doctrine? (polygamy, the Black Revelation of 1978,
changes in the temple oaths, etc.).
In a 1978 edition of the Book of Mormon we find that an entire
phrase ("or out of the waters of baptism") has been added to
1 Nephi 20.
Mormon apologists will tell you that the addition was suggested by
Parley Pratt, and approved by Joseph Smith. Dr. Hugh Nibley says
that even though this phrase is not found in the original 1830
edition, "it stands in all the early editions after the first."
This, of course, is hard to believe, for as late 1908, the phrase
was still not there.
The Mormon leader with whom I have had a discussion on a Christian
BBS in San Diego claimed that the printer must have made a mistake.
This is rather unfair to the printer, seeing that the phrase can
not be found in the original handwritten account either.
Joseph Fielding Smith, the tenth president of the Mormon Church,
said this about Joseph Smith: "Mormonism, as it is called, must
stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet
of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he
was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no
middle ground." (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1).
In the "History of the Church", Vol. 4, and in "Teachings of the
Prophet Joseph Smith", we are told that Joseph Smith was the
mouthpiece of God and at the same time that the Book of Mormon is
the written word of God. Joseph Smith himself said, "I told the
brethren that The Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book
on earth...". Thus, with Smith being God's mouthpiece, and the Book
of Mormon being God's written word, statements from both should for
all practical purposes be in perfect harmony. This, however, is not
the case. Here are just a few examples of direct contradications
between the teachings of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon:
JOSEPH SMITH BOOK OF MORMON
============ ==============
1. taught there are three Gods - claims there is only one God.
that make up the godhead.
2. said God has a body of flesh - says God is a Spirit.
and bones.
3. claimed that David and Solomon - calls polygamy an abomination.
were justified in having many
wives.
4. says he saw both God the Father - says that Jesus Christ is God
and Jesus standing above him in come in the flesh.
the air.
5. said that God does not dwell in - says he does.
the heart of man.
6. taught that God was not God - claims he was and will always
from all eternity. be God.
In 1980, then Mormon Apostle Ezra Taft Benson, in a speech titled,
"The Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet", said, "The
prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything."
During the same speech, reported in the Ogden Standard Examiner of
Febr. 26, 1980, Benson also said, "The Prophet and the Presidency,
the living prophet and the first presidency, accept them and be
blessed, reject them and suffer." In his speech, given at Brigham
Young University, Benson claimed that a church president "must be
obeyed, even when he contradicts scripture or statements of past
prophets". This while he also stated that "Nothing a Mormon
president says can be incorrect."
Mormon leaders have to make such illogical statements, because we
now have the following situation:
1. The Book of Mormon contradicts the Bible, while both are claimed
to be the word of God.
2. Joseph Smith, who claimed that the Book of Mormon was the most
correct book on earth, contradicts both the Bible and the Book
of Mormon.
3. Thus, Joseph Smith, who Mormons say was the mouthpiece of God,
contradicts God.
As if this was not enough, the Book of Mormon and the "Doctrine and
Covenants", both of which Mormons claim to be sacred and without
error, also contradict each other. For example, in the Book of
Mormon, God calls David and Solomon's act of polygamy "abominable":
"Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines,
which thing is abominable before me, saith the Lord." (Jacob 2:24).
But in Doctrine and Covenants, section 132:1, we read, "Verily,
thus saith the Lord unto my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you
have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I, the
Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also
Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle
and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines...".
What do Mormons think about such glaring contradictions? How do
Mormons react to being told that church presidents must be obeyed,
even when they contradict scriptures or statements of past
prophets? Who knows - Mormons are taught not to question their
leaders:
In 1945 Mormons were told that Lucifer, "...wins a great victory
when he can get members of the Church to speak against their
leaders and 'do their own thinking'...When our leaders speak, the
thinking has been done, when they propose a plan - it is God's
plan. When they point the way, there is no other which is safe.
When they give direction, it should mark the end of controversy."
(Improvement Era, June 1945).
Mormon doctrine tells us the reasons Lucifer was not chosen to be
the savior of mankind was because he wanted to force people into
believing.. His plan was to take away their freedom to choose for
themselves. If - as they say - Mormon leaders truly want their
people to practice their "free agency", why do they threaten
members with "spiritual peril" for bringing out points which show
Joseph Smith and his successors in a bad light?
While Mormons will not speak out against their leaders, God will:
In Jeremiah 23:32 (Bible), we read, "'Indeed, I am against those
who prophesy false dreams,"' declares the Lord. 'They tell them and
lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send
them or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the
least,' declares the Lord."
Even stronger is the Lord's statement in the Biblical book of
Deuteronomy, chapter 18:20-22. "..a prophet who presumes to speak
in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet
who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. You may
say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been
spoken by the Lord?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the
Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord
has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be
afraid of him."
In 1835 Joseph Smith claimed that the Lord would come again in just
56 years, which would have been on or before 1891. This was a false
prophecy.
Section 84:1-5 of Doctrine and Covenants records a prophecy given
by Smith on September 22 and 23, 1832, concerning the building of a
temple in Independence, Missouri. He stated, this "temple shall be
reared in this generation. For verily this generation shall not
pass away until a house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud
shall rest upon it...". To this day no temple stand on the lot
Smith dedicated, and even if construction started tomorrow there
would be no way this prophecy could be fulfilled as Smith claimed.
In this article we have merely scratched the surface of these
issues. But whether or not you are a Christian, this information
has made you aware of the Mormons' deceptive teachings.
If you are a Mormon, we invite you to check the information in this
article, and to check the sources for context accuracy. The writer
believes that the vast majority of Mormons are very sincere in
their beliefs, but he also believes that Mormons are sincerely
wrong, and that the facts speak for themselves.
Much of the information in this article was obtained from the
Mormonism Research Ministry, a non-profit organization.
Feel free to contact them for information about sources, as well as
"Mormonism Researched", a free newsletter:
Mormonism Research Ministry,
P.O. Box 20705,
El Cajon, CA 92021-0955
Phone: (619) 447-3873
For more text-files on Mormonism, including a discussion between
the author and a Mormon leader, you may contact Abba II, a
Christian BBS in San Diego, California: (619) 487-7746.