TEN REASONS WHY I CANNOT BE A MORMON by Rev. John Hornok 1. �MORMONISM DOES NOT TEACH THAT THE BIBLE IS THE INFALLIBLE WORK OF GOD. ��"We �believe the Bible to the 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 �the �the verbally inspired Word �of �God, ��the �final authority �for �faith and life, �inerrant in �the �original �writings, infallible and God-breathed (2 �Tim. �3:16-17; �2 Pet. �1:20-21; �Matt 5:18). 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. 131:22) 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..." ��(Lk. 24:39). 3. MORMONISM TEACHES THAT CHRIST AND THE DEVIL ARE BROTHERS. "...that Lucifer, �the son of morning, �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, �created by God. "thou �wast �perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast �created, till �iniquity �was found in thee" �(Ezekiel 28:15). ��"For �by �Him (Christ) �were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, �visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, �of dominions, or principalities, �or powers; �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 �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 by 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, and the Word was 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 that I know not a man? �And �the �angel answered... The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee..."(Lk. 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" (1 Cor. 3:11). ��"...And �are built upon the foundation of the �apostles �and prophets, ��Jesus �Christ himself being the chief cornerstone" ��(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 of FREE AGENCY and Articles of Faith, No. 4). The Bible says, "Moreover brethren, I �declare unto you the gospel that he was buried, �and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" �(1 �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 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, �if the dead �rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 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 �man 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 worth of all acceptation" �(Doc. �& �Cov., �Sec. 128:24). The �Bible �says, ��"Neither �give �heed �to �fables �and �endless genealogies" ��(1 ��Tim. ��1:4). �"but �avoid �foolish �question �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 �Melchizedek 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 it 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). 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