"Mormonism"

The Structure: Established on April 6, 1830, the center of the Mormon church resides in Salt Lake City, Utah where the church has its headquarters and main temple, with 144+ temples on six continents.

Top leadership comes from the president (who is considered their living prophet along with two members of the First Presidency), the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, and the Quorums of the 70. Ward leaders and local bishops are typically unpaid roles.

The Authority: The Mormon Church has several sources of authority:

(1) They claim the Bible, but only so far as it is correctly translated they say,

(2) The Book of Mormon which was said to come from two golden tablets,

(3) The Pearl of Great Price, a collection of writings added to the canon in 1880, including portions Smith said were translated from Egyptian papyri,

(4) The Doctrine and Covenants, giving instruction about the Mormon kingdom, and

(5) a variety of other Mormon publications.

The Local Connections:

Local worship takes place in so called churches called “Wards,” and multiple wards combine together for what are called “Stakes.” (not crosses present within the places of so called “worship”)

The Missionary Structure:

The Mormon Church has some 84,000 missionaries spreading the Mormon message on six different continents for two years at a time. Both males and females go an these self-supported, Mormon missions, the males are known as “elders.”

Money:

Through its 15 million members who are commanded to give 10%, the Mormon church has a fortune. In the U.S., they have not disclosed their finances since 1959 but reliable figures suggest an annual income of 7 billion per year and a debt-free net worth of some 375 billon, making it qualified to be a Fortune 500 company

(<http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/13/13262285-mormon-church-earns-7-billion-a-year-from-tithing-analysis-indicates>, accessed Oct. 27, 2016)

(<http://www.patheos.com/blogs/kiwimormon/2016/10/the-spiritual-dilemma-of-the-lds-churchs-overblown-wealth/>, accessed Oct. 27, 2016).

Long-Standing Goal:

Although the popular view is that Mormonism is all about moral, family living, two long-standing goals remain:

(1) Obedient males will one day became an exalted god with multiple wives ruling their own planet, and

(2) One day all Mormons will take control of the U.S. and whole world through a Mormon kingdom of God on this earth.

See Richard Abanes, One Nation Under Gods(New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 2002), xiii-xiv.

Joseph Smith -

Joseph Smith was born Dec. 23, 1805 inSharon, Vermont, the fourth child of Joseph and Lucy Smith. Numerous moves and four children later, the Smiths settled in Palmyra NY in 1816, searching for better times.

See Richard Abanes, One Nation Under Gods(New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 2002), 8.

Wherever they went, the Smiths distinguished themselves as people of low moral character: “I was acquainted with the family of Joseph Smith, Sen., both before and since they became Mormons. . . . They were lazy, intemperate and worthless men, very much addicted to lying. . . . Digging for [hidden] money was their principal employment. . . . Joseph Smith, Jr. to my knowledge, bore the reputation among his neighbors of being a liar” (Parley Chase, Dec. 2, 1833, http://www.solomonspaulding.com/docs/1834howf.htm#pg261, accessed Oct. 25, 2016). See Abanes, One Nation Under Gods , 11.

One of Joseph’s favorite practices was “Glass-looking.” Those who knew Smith said he was “in the habit of taking a particular stone, putting it inside his hat and looking into it, and then declaring at length that such and such was the location of the supposedly hidden treasure or object” (Martin, Maze of Mormonism, 33).

E. D. Howe (in Mormonism Unveiled, 1834) gave written testimony from Smith’s father-in-law Isaac Hale in 1825 that Joseph was consumed with this practice of glass-looking, a crime for which Joseph was later convicted in 1826 (Martin, Maze of Mormonism, 34).

Original court records from the time of Smith show that he had at least five criminal convictions for various crimes including bank fraud and failure to pay debts (Martin, Maze of Mormonism, 34).

Smith’s great uncle Nathaniel Lewis wrote, “[Joseph] is not a man of truth and veracity . . . His general character in this part of the country is that of an imposter, hypocrite and liar” (cited by Richard Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 6).

Neighbor Pomeroy Tucker wrote that Joseph had “habits of exaggeration and untruthfulness. . . . He could utter the most palpable exaggeration or marvelous absurdity with the utmost apparent gravity” (Pomeroy Tucker, The Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism, NY, 1847). See Walter Martin, The Maze of Mormonism (Ventura: Regal, 1978), 25.

Fifty-one residents in Palmyra NY gave signed affidavits describing the Smith family: “We have no hesitation in saying that We consider them destitute of that moral character. . . . They were particularly famous for visionary projects, spent much of their time in digging for money which they pretended was hid in the earth. . . . [They] were considered entirely destitute of moral character and addicted to vicious habits” (E. D. Howe, Mormonism Unveiled, Painesville, Ohio, 1834). See Walter Martin, The Maze of Mormonism (Ventura: Regal, 1978), 25.

So What?

Be intentional about maximizing every divine opportunity that you are given!

Mormonism developed -

Perhaps the most important event in Mormon history is Smith’s claim that in 1820 he had a countryside vision of the Father and Son in Palmyra, NY during the time of a religious revival in town, a revival that did not actually take place (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 15).

Smith says he asked which denomination was true, and God told him “they were all wrong,” and “all their creeds were an abomination,” and that “all those who were members were corrupt” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 12).

The fraudulent nature of Smith’s claim is further complicated by the fact that Smith’s initial claim (1832) was that this first vision was actually from an angel, and not the Father and Son (Journal of Discourses 13:77-78). Later Mormon revisions changed the story to be the Father and Son (see Martin, 28). It was not until the 1870s Mormons began claiming Smith had seen the Father & Son (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 16).

The plot was only beginning to form with the 1820 (or perhaps 1824) Palmyra vision.

Smith later claimed that he resisted the message of the first vision, but says he had a second vision on Sep. 21, 1823 when an angel called Moroni, the son of Mormon, the leader of the Nephites visited him telling him that God had a great work for him to accomplish and that he would receive a book written on golden plates that contained the fullness of the everlasting gospel (In the meantime, Smith actually gotbaptized in a Baptist church in 1824 [Abanes, 28]). With this message, Joseph says he was commanded to found a new church and restore the truth to the world (Roger Patterson, “Mormonism,” World Religions and Cults[Green Forest: Master Books, 2015], 233-234).

Other accounts say that Smith claimed he received golden plates from Moroni on Sep. 22, 1827, later published 1830 as The Book of Mormon, being translated from (the non-existent) “Reformed Egyptian.” For years the 1823 vision was cited as his first religious experience (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 22).

Meyer notes that, “It was on this date, September 22, 1827, that the resurrected being described as the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and eventually revealed the location of golden tablets containing the Book of Mormonbeneath a hill in Palmyra, New York. Moroni is supposed to have been a prophet who lived in North America in the late 4th century. The golden plates were compiled and abridged by Moroni’s father, Mormon, a Nephite warrior but also a prophet. The Book of Mormon was purported to be the story of ancient Americans known as Nephites and Lamanites, records buried in a hill called Cumorah centuries ago” (Ronald Meyer, “The Angel and the Mormon,” <http://freethoughtalmanac.com/?p=3218>, accessed October 27, 2016).

The translation of the BOM was published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon. Joseph claimed that during this translation process, John the Baptist appeared to him and ordained him to accomplish the divine work of restoring the true church by preaching the true gospel which had been lost from the earth.

The BOM is said 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 400 A.D.

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 Nephites and Lamanites who fought each other.

The Nephites were defeated in 428 A.D.but the Lamanites continued and are known as the American Indians, and the Lamanites, i.e., the American Indians, were said to be cursed as evidenced by their dark skin as explained in 1 Nephi 12:23; 2 Nephi 5:21 (Martin, Maze of Mormonism, 48).

The Book of Mormon is the account of the Nephite leader, Mormon, concerning their culture, civilization, and appearance of Jesus to the Americas. After the publication of the BOM, Mormonism began to grow.

Reality Check: The BOM has no basis in reality.

The Smithsonian Institute states that no ancient Jewish migrations to America ever took place, and no such ancient civilizations in North American existed (with claims of pre-Columbus things like “wheat, barley, oats, millet, rice, cattle, pigs, chicken, horses, donkeys or camels”).

In 1996 the Smithsonian Institute was forced to issue the following statement: “The Smithsonian Institute . . . sees no direct connection between the archeology of the new world and the subject matter of the [Book of Mormon].”

The Smithsonian repudiated any ethnic connection between ancient Jews and American Indians, as well as numerous other Mormon claims from the Book of Mormon.

Where did the book of Mormon come from?

In 1977 researchers Howard Davis, Wayne Cowdery, and Donald Scales published Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon , in which they produced substantial evidence that the book was actually aplagiarized romantic novel written in 1816 by the retired minister Solomon Spalding (Martin, Maze of Mormonism, 59-69).

When shown the BOM, relatives of the deceased author recognized it as being the work Spalding.

Sworn affidavits from the family have shown that the Spalding’s work is “a word-for-word portion of the BOM (Martin, Maze of Mormonism, 61).

Despite earlier claims, the 3 “witnesses” who had seen these golden plates were all evicted from the Mormon Church after accusing Smith of heresy, and the denied the former claim that they had seen these golden plates.

Key point: Mormonism is in no wise compatible with biblical Christianity: It is a polytheistic cult: (1) A different god. (2) A different Jesus. (3) A different gospel.

Because their religion was so deviant from Christianity, i.e., plurality of gods, polygamy, etc., persecution soon forced them to move from New York to Ohio, then to Missouri, to Nauvoo, Illinois, and eventually to Utah.

After breaking laws in Nauvoo (for destroying a printing press that was publishing harmful information on Mormonism), Joseph and his brother Hyrum ended up in jail. A mob later broke into the jail and killed Joseph and his brother.

Background for Smith’s murder: Smith and his brother Hyrum had been arrested in Carthage IL for destroying the printing press being used against them.

Many people had become fed up with the wicked practices of the entire Mormon community, including criminal acts like murder and angry residents determined they would do away with Smith.

Smith and his brother were killed June 27, 1844 with two guns in their hands when an angry mob stormed the jail.

After the shooting, the church divided into two groups: One was led by his widow which went back to Independence Missouri. They are known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter DaySaints. 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 (11 at the time of his father’s death) by Joseph Smith himself.

The other group was led by Brigham Youngand they went to Utah where, in 1847, they founded Salt Lake City. Brigham accumulated 55 wives and great wealth.

Looking back, after their departure from NY but before theirtheir migration to Missouri and Illinois, the Mormons settled for a time in Kirtland, Ohio.

It was there in 1836 that the Mormons built their first temple as other Mormon missionaries kept migrating westward to Independence, MO (Patterson, “Mormonism,” 235).

Around this time Smith made the prophecy that a valley near Independence, MO was the location of the Garden of Eden, and that this would be the location for the “New Jerusalem” (but that temple was never built) (Patterson, “Mormonism,” 235).

From here Young led the Mormons to Nauvoo, Illinois. Smith escaped jail and came to Nauvoo and commanded a temple be built, one completed in 1846 (Patterson, “Mormonism,” 235).

It was during this period that Mormon doctrines such as polygamy and baptism for the dead developed.

As noted, after the death of Smith, the group split with some staying with Smith’s wife Lucy and the “successor” son (a smaller group called Reformed Latter Day Saints).

The majority, however, followed Brigham Young in 1846 to eventually settle in SLC (the major branch of Mormonism with some 15,000,000 members).

On July 24, 1847, “after 17 months and many miles of travel, Brigham Young led 148 Mormon pioneers into Utah’s Valley of the Great Salt Lake. Gazing over the parched earth of the remote location, Young declared, “This is the place,” and the pioneers began preparations for the thousands of Mormon migrants who would follow” (“Mormons Settle Salt Lake Valley,” <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mormons-settle-salt-lake-valley>, accessed Oct. 29, 2016).

In Utah, July 24 is the big celebration, not July 4.

“Seeking religious and political freedom, the Mormons began planning their great migration from the east after the murder of Joseph Smith, the Christian sect’s founder and first leader. Later that year, Young rejoined the main body of pioneers in Iowa, who named him president and prophet of the church. Having formally inherited the authority of Joseph Smith, he led thousands of more Mormons to the Great Salt Lake in 1848. Other large waves of Mormon pioneers followed. By 1852, 16,000 Mormons had come to the valley, some in wagons and some dragging handcarts. After early difficulties, Salt Lake City began to flourish. By 1869, 80,000 Mormons had made the trek to their promised land.

In 1850, President Millard Fillmore named Brigham Young the first governor of the U.S. territory of Utah, and the territory enjoyed relative autonomy for several years. Relations became strained, however, when reports reached Washington that Mormon leaders were disregarding federal law and had publicly sanctioned the practice of polygamy. In 1857, President James Buchanan removed Young, who had 20 wives, from his position as governor and sent U.S. Army troops to Utah to establish federal authority. Young died in Salt Lake City in 1877 and was succeeded by John Taylor as president of the church” (“Mormons Settle Salt Lake Valley,” <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mormons-settle-salt-lake-valley>, accessed Oct. 29, 2016).

“Tensions between the territory of Utah and the federal government continued until Wilford Woodruff, the new president of the Mormon church, issued his Manifesto in 1890, renouncing the traditional practice of polygamy and reducing the domination of the church over Utah communities. Six years later, the territory of Utah entered the Union as the 45th state” (“Mormons Settle Salt Lake Valley,” <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mormons-settle-salt-lake-valley>, accessed Oct. 29, 2016).

In short, God changed his view on polygamy so that Utah could avoid the wrath of the U.S. government.

How interesting it is that polygamy, a doctrine that had in the earliest days been claimed as a divine commandment and central to all Mormon theology, was suddenly abandoned when the U.S. Federal govt. threatened the Mormon Church. President Wilford Woodruff claimed in 1890 that he had a fresh revelation from God that polygamy would no longer be practiced in this world, but would be relegated to a “celestial” state to be enjoyed in the flesh only in the future (Martin, Maze of Mormonism, 70-71).

Many Mormons (inc. many church leaders) rejected this new teaching and continued the practice despite the claims of the official church that the president of the church had the authority to change former revelations (Patterson, “Mormonism,” 239).

Various polygamous communities like Colorado City, UT and Fredonia, AZ are well-known polygamist communities till the present.

DATES

1805, Dec. 23: Joseph Smith, Jr. is born in Sharon, Vermont.

1820: Smith says God (Father and Son) appears and all Christianity is corrupt.

1823, Sept. 21: Angel Moroni appears telling him location of the golden plates

1827: Smith receives the golden plates that were buried in the Hill Cumorah.

1829: John Baptist gives Aaronic Priesthood to Smith/Oliver Cowdery.

1830: Book of Mormon is first published

1830, April. 6: Mormonism organized and called "The Church of Christ."

1831: Move to Kirtland, Ohio.

1833: Book of Commandments published.

1834: Name changed to "The Church of Latter DaySaints.“

1838: Joseph Smith leaves Kirtland and goes to Far West, Missouri.

1838: Name is changed to "The Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints."

1838: About 19 men, women, children attacked/killed at HaunsMill, Missouri.

1839: Settlement at Nauvoo, Illinois.

1841, April 6: Foundation laid for the Temple at Nauvoo (finished 1846).

1843: Kinderhook plates are found

1843: The revelation that permits polygamy is received by Joseph Smith.

1844, June 10: Smith/others destroy the printing press of Nauvoo Expositor.

1844, June 25: Joseph Smith is arrested and are held in Carthage Jail, Carthage, Il.

1844, June 27: A mob breaks into the jail and kills Joseph and his brother Hyrum.

1846: Mormons leave Nauvoo led by Brigham Young

1849, March: State of Desert is founded in Salt Lake City

1850: Utah Territory organized

1851: First edition of the Pearl of Great Price is published.

1857, Sept. 11: Mountain Meadows Massacre where more than 120 men, women, and children were killed by Mormons and Indians.

1862: Polygamy is outlawed in the U.S.

1876: First proclamation of polygamy is published in D & C 132

1877, Aug. 29: Brigham Young dies

1880: Pearl of Great Price becomes Scripture.

1890: President Wilford Woodruff asks Mormons to stop practicing polygamy.

1918, Nov. 19: Joseph Fielding Smith, eldest son of Joseph Smith, dies

1967: The Original papyri Smith used to translate the Book of Abraham are rediscovered -- it was found to be the Book of Breathings, a funeral text.

1978: Blacks are allowed to hold the priesthood.

Just think about this for a moment: Mormonism wants the world to believe the unsupported claim of a 15 year oldboy (whose reputation was widely known as very poor) that God’s saving truth was lost from the human racefor over 1700 years.

They also want the world to believe that this one boy is the one who would bring the message of salvation to the world—a message that claims to be “the pure doctrines of Christianity,” but completely contradicts the Bible and historic Christian teaching since the apostolic age (Martin, Maze of Mormonism, 31).

The official revelation is found in modern editions of Doctrine and Covenants dated July 12, 1843 (sec. 132), but Smith had already been sexually active with numerous women other than his wife, at least 12 wives (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 130).

oAs far back as 1830, Smith had sought sexual relations with an Eliza Winters of Harmony, PA. A cousin of Smith’s wife Emma tried to seduce Winters to marry Joseph, but failed. Smith later used his clout to persuade Winters and her father to have her marry Joseph.

On July 17, 1831Smith sent a letter to Brigham Young telling him that God had given him a revelation that Mormons should start marrying multiple Indian women so they would have a chance of turning white (the racist idea that dark skin is a mark of curse). When Young questioned Smith about polygamy, Smith replied it is “by revelation” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 131).

Smith’s first polygamous union started in 1832 with 16 year oldFanny Alger, the daughter of Mormon family. Smith made numerous improper solicitations that eventually resulted in having her uncle Levi Hancock arranging a secret marriage in 1835, with young Fanny moving into the Smith home as a maid-servant/adopted daughter (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 132).

The parents were honored to have their daughter marry “the prophet,” but wife Emma was not so thrilled when she looked through a crack in the barn and saw Smith with Fanny. After Emma’s discovery, Fanny was forced to live with neighbors.

Criticism grew, but church officials sought to deflect criticism with the 1835 D&C.

Ebenezer Robinson recounted how Smith’s brother Hyrum “instructed me in Nov or Dec 1843 to make a selection of some young women . . . and if she should have an offspring [I was to] give out word that she had a husband, an Elder, who had gone on a foreign mission” (Abanes, 282).

History shows that Smith had roughly 40 wives with at least 14 of them having been married to someone else at the time Smith took them to himself with many being teenagers.

Years after polygamy had become widespread, the D&C was republished in 1876 (with the 1835 statement expunged).

Fanny left Kirtland in 1836 and never saw Smith again.

Mormon wives were not so thrilled with polygamy. Orson Pratt’s first wife, Sarah, left her husband and the church, declaring polygamy the “direst curse. . . . As for the women, well, God help them.” Sarah says Smith repeatedly told his victims, “God does not care if we have a good time, if only other people do not know it” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 283).

Ann Elizahhad been one of Young’s many wives, but left him and the church. In her 1875 book Wife No. 19, she revealed that in Utah plural marriage was a command and not an option. Young had a larger “beehive” house with separate rooms for each wife, but most families all slept in one room, and “modesty and decency forbid my throwing too strong a light on that habitation (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 290).

Elizah further explained: “It is the very refinement of cruelty, this polygamy, and its hurts are deeper and more poisonous than any other wounds can be. They never heal but grow constantly more painful, until it makes life unendurable” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 296-297).

oFollowing Young (2nd president from 1847-1877), John Taylor became president on Oct. 10, 1880 (1880-1887). By this time Taylor had 15 wives, far less than Young’s harem of fifty-five.

Having settled in the frontier Utah, Orson Pratt preached the first official sermon on polygamy on August 29, 1852. Pratt declared, “[It is not a doctrine] to gratify the carnal lusts and feelings of man.” Rather, it is to liberate the preexistent spirit children and give them a mortal body so that they might have the ability to experience eternal progression and become gods themselves” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 284).

Thus, Elohim and his heavenly wives had limitless spirit children through celestial sex, siphoning off portions of the great ocean of cosmic intelligence, living on Kolob. Mormon parents give these spirits a chance to obtain a body. Having large families, esp. in polygamy, is the path to advancing eternal progression. A Mormon male advances in eternal progression by receiving increasing worship and obedience from his wives and spirit children (nothing less than the Ancestor Worship of Eastern Religions) (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 285-287).

In 1866, Young stated, “The only men who become gods … are those who enter into polygamy” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 299).

As BYU scholar Eugene England explains it, Mormon women literally are to become “birth machines” for Mormon male exaltation.” In heaven, the husbands would then call up the wives so that the wives could be saved and build the heavenly kingdom (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 289, 303).

A Utah pioneer song for women:

“Now, sisters, list to what I say; with trials this world is rife.”

You can’t expect to miss them all; help husband get a wife!

Now this advice I freely give, if exalted you will be: Remember that your husband must, be blessed with more than thee.

Chorus: Then, oh, let us say, God bless the wife that strives,

and aids her husband all she can to obtain a dozen wives” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 303).

The heresy worsens: Mormonism teaches that Jesus was conceived when Elohim came to earth and had sex (literally) with Mary after making her his wife, although already his daughter and betrothed to Joseph. Mormonism also teaches that Jesus became a polygamist, and among his wives were Mary, Martha, and Mary Magdalene (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 288).

Pressured by the U.S. government and the Reynolds v. the United Statesdecision (1879) and the threat of closure, Wilford Woodruff (1889-1898) claimed a new revelation in 1890 forbidding polygamy—an essential step to statehood in 1896 (Note: many rejected this new law, and after achieving statehood polygamy jumped five-fold in 1897).

Mormons today typically do the best they can to deny, disavow, or avoid this teaching, but the fact is that it was/is a central tenet of Mormon theology.

Some writers have noted that from the beginning, Mormonism might best be described as “a doomsday sect led by an end-time prophet (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 92).

From Smith onward, the church was driven by the view that an imminent collapse was coming to the U.S., and Mormons would step in to establish a kingdom of God on earth.

On March 7, 1831Smith exhorted his followers to migrate westward with him to the New Jerusalem (Zion) where they would find “a land of peace and city of refuge, a place of safety” in the midst of global destruction, revealed on June 7 as Independence, in Jackson County Missouri (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 100).

The Mormons immediately began making enemies by calling non Mormons Gentiles and telling them that the day was approaching when they would be driven out of their homes and farms unless they converted to Mormonism, with Smith claiming that all non Mormonswere sinners, Gentiles and the wicked (note how the Mormons identified themselves as Israel). Mormons responded to angry residents with things like doomsday threats and prophetic condemnation (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 104-105).

From 1830-1833 Mormon migrations swelled the Jackson County population from 2,800 to over 4,000. Residents began to fear a Mormon take over as a block of voters.

In 1833, the American Revivalist and Rochester Observer printed a letter [a false prophecy] from Smith: “I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the history of our nation. . . . The people of the Lord . . . have already commenced to gather to Zion. . . . There are now those living upon the earth whose eyes shall not be closed in death until they see all these things which I have spoken fulfilled” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 111-112).

Angry Missourians drove the Mormons out of Jackson County, tarring and feathering Edward Partridge and Charles Allen. The Mormons left Jackson County and fled to neighboring Clay County.

Disgusted with Mormon antics and claims of divine revelation to justify their actions, former Smith scribe Warren Parrish wrote in February 1838, “[Smith and Rigdon] lie by revelation, swindle by revelation, cheat and defraud by revelation, run away by revelation, and if they do not mend their ways, I fear they will be damned by revelation” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods,” 143).

Of the twelve apostles appointed by Smith in Kirtland, only two (Young and Kimball) remained faithful to Smith and Mormonism. The three men who had earlier claimed to be witnesses to the Book of Mormon also repudiated Smith and his claims (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods,” 149).

One –time Mormon leader Oliver Cowdery denounced Smith for his “dirty, nasty, filthy affair” with Fanny Alger and said that his only loyalists were “hot-headed power seeking, ignorant men” (Patterson, “Mormonism,” 150).

lDespite the defections, Smith and his followers still kept insisting that God was going to overthrow the world with Mormons at the head. One letter in The Elder’s JournalAlanson Ripley wrote, “The Lord our God is about to establish a kingdom which cannot be thrown down” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods,” 148).

To suppress resistance, Smith established a secret force he called the Danites for the purpose of “plundering and murdering the enemies of the saints”—the so-called “Destroying angels” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods,” 148).

Loyalist Danite Alexander McRae (one of about 1,000) wrote, “If Joseph should tell me to kill VanBuren[the president] . . . I would immediately start and do my best to assassinate him” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 154).

On July 4, 1838Rigdon made the threat that anyone who should opposes Mormonism would be facing “a war of extermination . . . till the last drop of their blood is spilled” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 155).

When Mormons of DavieesCounty, MO pillaged local residents and a militia came against the Mormons, Smith’s command was “Go and kill every devil of them,” not realizing it was a state militia (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 159-160).

Smith, brother Hyrum, Young, and Edward Partridge were facing trial in Boone County, but they succeeded in bribing the sheriff with a jug of whiskey and $800. On April 15, 1839 Smith and his men escaped from a drunken sheriff (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 168).

One of the biggest blots of Mormon history came in September 1857 when Brigham Young ordered the massacre of a group of pilgrims travelling west through Utah who had rejected Mormon teachings.

Wiki comments: “Intending to leave no witnesses and thus prevent reprisals, the perpetrators killed all the adults and older children—about 120 men, women, and children in total. Seventeen children, all younger than seven, were spared. The wagon train . . . was bound for California. After arriving in Salt Lake City, the Baker–Fancher party . . . [stopped] to rest at Mountain Meadows. While the emigrants were camped at the meadow, nearby militia leaders, including Isaac C. Haight and John D. Lee, joined forces to organize an attack on the wagon train. Intending to give the appearance of Native American aggression, the militia's plan was to arm some Southern Paiute Native Americans and persuade them to join with a larger party of their own militiamen. . .

The emigrants fought back, and a five-day siege ensued. Eventually fear spread among the militia's leaders that some emigrants had caught sight of white men and had likely discovered the identity of their attackers. As a result militia commander William H. Dame ordered his forces to kill the emigrants” (“Mountain Meadow Massacre,” <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Meadows_massacrehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Meadows_massacre >, accessed Nov. 1, 2016).

“Paiute chiefs Toncheand Jackson told federal investigators that they carried with them a letter from Young ordering the emigrants to be killed, though no such document was ever found. In 1858, Young was pardoned by President Buchanan for his role in the Mountain Meadow Massacre. If he was not involved in the massacre, why did the church’s second prophet have to be pardoned? . . . Helen Brockett, a ninety-two year old descendant of a Salt Lake City Mormon, was told by her grandmother that her grandfather J. J. Davidson had been ordered by Brigham Young to go south to participate in the slaughter. Instead, Davidson backtracked through a river bedand fled to California. For year’s afterward, he lived in fear of Young’s retribution” (Frank Kirkman, “Brigham Young: The Worst Mass Murderer In The History Of The United States” <http://1857massacre.com/MMM/byoung.htm>, accessed Nov. 3, 2016).

An October 12, 2002NY Times reported, “Brigham Young, the formidable church leader who built a Mormon kingdom in an oasis in the arid wilderness of the Rocky Mountains, masterminded the killings and then conspired to cover up his role. ''He did it,'' said Will Bagley, a history columnist for The Salt Lake Tribune whose book ''Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows'' (University of Oklahoma Press) has been a best seller in Utah since it appeared in late July. ''The evidence is unambiguous.'‘ Sally Denton, an investigative reporter based in Santa Fe, N.M., whose book ''American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows'' will be published by Knopf next summer, also holds Young responsible for the crime. ''He was an absolute dictator,'' she said. ''Nothing happened in the place that did not happen under his direct orders” (Emily Eakin, “Reopening a Mormon Murder Mystery; New Accusations That Brigham Young Himself Ordered an 1857 Massacre of Pioneers” <http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/12/books/reopening-mormon-murder-mystery-new-accusations-that-brigham-young-himself.html>, accessed Nov. 2, 2016).

Mormon theology -

Much teaching appears to simply be the result of the (demonically driven) fertile imaginations of young pagans (e.g., polygamy, eternal progression to godhood, having your own planet).

One also sees clear influences from Freemasonry. Smith became an official Freemason in in 1842 (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 33-40). Masonry influences are evident through practices like blood oaths, secret rites, and Masonry-based symbols.

One must also beware that “while Mormons will use the same language as Christians, their meanings are usually different” (Patterson, “Mormonism,” 273).

Structure: The President is a living prophet, 12 apostles, 2 quorums of the 70, bishops

Writings: BOM, Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine & Covenants

Inspired speeches by General Conference.

Bible is not seen as closed canon.

The Bible

Ephesians 2:20 says that the church’s foundation was a historically established foundation of persons, Jesus, the Apostles, & NT Prophets.

Among the eyewitness apostles (Acts 1:21; 1 Cor. 9:1), Paul is the last of all (1 Cor. 15:7-8).

The NT teaches an end to NT revelation with Revelation last (Rev. 22:18-19; 1 Cor. 13:8-13; Eph. 2:20).

Mormon Theology

Mormonism is a polytheistic religion that believes there are many gods. More precisely, they are henotheistic in that they believe in many gods, but claim to worship only Elohim, the god of this earth (Patterson, “Mormonism,” 240-243).

Elohim is not eternal, but was created by another god, and so on—the teaching that originated with Smith and held ever since.

This god is a of flesh and blood who has been exalted through his obedience, and now resides on the planet called Kolob as found in Abraham 3:1-4.

Mormonism teaches the “law of eternal progression”—exaltation through obedience to the Mormon Church (“As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become”—Doctrine of Eternal Progression”).

The Bible

The true God is an eternal, uncreated, immutable Spirit, not a man (Num. 23:19; John 4:24).

There is only ONE GOD, the maker of every created thing (Deut. 6:4; 1 Sam. 15:29; Is. 43:10-13; 44:6; 45:5; 48:12; Matt. 22:37; 1 Cor. 8:4; 1 Tim. 2:5).

Mormon Theology

Good Mormon men obey the Mormon Church can become a god with their own heavenly planet and multiple wives, just like Elohim.

In the 1844 “King Follett sermon Smith asserted, “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens. . . . We have imagined and supposed that god was god from all eternity. I will refute that idea” (Joseph Smith, Jr., “The King Follett Sermon,” Ensign, April 1971, <https://www.lds.org/ensigh/1971/04/the-king-follett-sermon>).

Fifth president Lorenzo Snow coined the expression “As man is, God once was: As God now is, man may be” (<“Becoming Like God,” LDS.org, https://www.lds.org/topics/becoming-like-god>).

The “god” of Mormonism is an idolatrous fabrication suiting Mormon theology.

The Bible

The true God is immutable, never changing (Num. 23:19; Ps. 55:19; 102:25-27; Is. 41:10; 46:4; Jer. 4:28; Mal. 3:6; Heb. 1:10-12; 13:8; James 1:17).

No creature will ever become God, or a god, but each creature will be judged as a creature (Rev. 20:11-15).

Hebrews 9:27: “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”

►There is no marriage or procreation beyond this natural life (Matt. 22:30).

Mormon Theology

Jesus: The created being, a spirit child of God the Father & Mary, & spirit brother of Lucifer.

When voted on by council of gods, Jesus’ plan was chosen over Satan’s.

Married to 3 of women at wedding in Cana of Galilee (and others).

Received fullness of godhead after his resurrection.

The Bible

Jesus is 2nd person of Trinity, eternal God who took on flesh (John 1:1, 18; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Tit. 2:13; 2 Pet. 1:1; Heb. 1:8; 3:1-6; 1 John 5:20; Rev. 1:8, 17-18; 21:6; 22:13).

Jesus came by a virgin birth through the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20-25; Lk. 1:34-38).

The Bible never shows Jesus marrying.

Jesus is fully God by virtue of His person, and did not “become” a god (1 John 2:22-24; 4:1-3).

Mormon Theology

Denies the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, and the eternal immutability of God.

Denies salvation by grace alone, through faith alone. Salvation is through obedience to the commands of Mormonism.

Jesus’ cross merely provides resurrection for all of mankind.

The Bible

Trinitarian truth is clearly a biblical doctrine (See former references to the Unity of God & Deity of Christ; cf. Matt. 3:13-17; 17:5; 28:18-20; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 1:3-14; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:1-2).

The cross provided a substitutionary sacrifice to redeem sinners (Is. 53:4-6; Matt. 20:28; Rom. 3:21-26; 1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 2:9; 1 Pet. 1:19; 2:9; Rev. 1:5; 5:9).

Mormon Theology

Mormon Works determine eternal destiny.

Preexistence as spirit children (Abraham 3:22).

“Proxy “baptism for the dead” is what procures salvation for dead family members and others.

The Bible

Salvation is entirely by grace and in no way contingent upon human works (John 3:16; 1 Cor. 1:30; 4:7; Eph. 2:8-10; 2 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 3:4-7).

True salvation includes EVERY spiritual blessing (Dan. 7:27; Eph. 1:3; Rev. 2-3; 21:7).

The Bible gives absolutely no hint to preexistence.

The obscure reference to “baptism for the dead” (1 Cor. 15:29) cannot be used as a proof-text for Mormon baptism.

The Mormon Church claims two priesthoods: The Aaronic and Melchizedekian Priesthood, with the latter being the higher of the two.

Smith claimed that in 1829 John the Baptist appeared to him and bestowed on him the Aaronic Priesthood, one that is given to Mormon males at age 12.

The Melchizedekian Priesthood was established in 1831 with Smith claiming he was visited by Peter, James and John.

Smith claimed to translate this document from Egyptian papyri purchased by Smith in 1835, but sold by the Smith family in 1856, actual papyri that do exist. After being lost, they were discovered in a NY museum in 1967 (Patterson, “Mormonism,” 260).

Smith claimed they were writings from Moses that had not been put into the Bible.

The POGP taught that negroes were forbidden from holding any priesthood or achieving exaltation due to their cursed/inferior status, a racist teaching that would soon become quite unacceptable to American society.

TEMPLE Work

Temple work revolves primarily around the practice of Proxy Baptism, i.e., baptizing dead non Mormonswith the belief that they can be made Mormons thus qualifying them for Mormon blessings in the next life.

Mormons carry out extensive genealogical studies for these proxy baptisms.

TEMPLE GARMENTS -

When a Mormon has been deemed faithful enough, he/she become eligible to receive temple endowments and with ittemple garments.

These garments are worn day and night and are seen as symbols of purity.

Symbols on the garments include a carpenter’s square and compass as found in Freemasonry (Patterson, “Mormonism,” 266).

Holy underwear

All Mormons are expected to tithe 10% and cannot be eligible for temple work or exaltation if they have not paid their full tithe. In the words of Gordon B. Hinckley, “Our people are expected to pay 10 percent of their income to move forward the work of the Church” (“Why are Mormons asked to donate 10% of their income to their Church?,” <https://www.mormon.org/faq/topic/tithing/question/churchtithing?gclid=CMTB46TdgdACFQUuaQodbJoIMw&cid=99117947&s_kwcid=AL!3737!3!87897508455!p!!g!!mormon%20tithing&ef_id=WBE3ngAAAC8fE7H4:20161030045029:s >, accessed Oct. 29, 2016).

Note: The problem is not tithing, but telling people it is required for heaven.

Mormon Words of Wisdom -

Do not drink coffee or tea.

Do not drink alcohol.

Do not use tobacco.

Note: The problem is not that the Mormon church encourages healthy living, but it lies in the legalistic approach that these rules are essential to salvation.

PAST DECLARATIONS

All Christianity is apostate, and Mormonism is a restoration of truth.

Polygamy is an essential part of Mormonism and male exaltation.

Mormonism’s central eschatological purpose is to see themselves ruling over the world with the coming messianic kingdom (a view still held, but not publicallytouted).

Despite these cosmetic changes, Mormonism still holds the same theology as they always have: (1) A different God, (2) A different Jesus, (3) A different gospel.

Mormon present message -

Mormonism is just another form of Christianity.

Polygamy is no longer essential due to new revelations. Mormon leader Hugh Nibley explains: “Revelations have been revised whenever necessary. That is the nice thing about revelation—it is strictly open-ended” (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 408).

Long-time Mormon Francis Henderson explains the practice as “changing, retelling, or withholding information” as necessary (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 408).

As Abanesputs it, “Such a move radically departs from the staunchly anti-Christian stance taken by Mormonism’s founders (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, 376).

ERRORS

Flat denial of biblical theology.

Book of Abraham is a demonstrated fraud (includes the teachings on the priesthood).

Joseph Smith made multiple false prophecies.

Book of Mormon is noted for ludicrous historical, geographical, and archeological errors.

Joseph Smith is yet another sinner who makes the arrogant claim that he/she is the chosen recipient (God’s “prophet”) for God’s messages.

REMEMBER -

1. Understand what a cult is, and that Mormonism is a cult.

2. Understand the importance of religious authority when talking to a Mormon.

3. Understand the importance of dealing with the person of Joseph Smith, and dealing with the false prophecies of Joseph Smith.

Talk with them about the peace and assurance that comes from knowing God’s free grace in Christ (Matt. 11:25-30; Eph. 2:1-10; Titus 3:1-5).

Remember that it is the Spirit who saves (John 6:44; 16:5-11).

Do not forget the huge cost of leaving a cult to embrace Christ by faith alone (cf. Lk. 14:25-33).

Do not use terms that they will define with Mormon background. Explain the issues.

Ask questions and listen.

You must maintain a godly testimony before Mormons if you hope to gain a hearing from them.

You should not try to insult their Joseph Smith, their history, or their faith with blanket accusations.

You should beware of trying to answer questions they will throw out at you that deviate from key salvific issues.

You should try and focus on key aspects of the gospel:

The condemning power of sin.

The inability of man to please God by human works.

The reality of eternal punishment.

The glory of sovereign grace.

The person and work of Jesus Christ.

The need for faith plus nothing else.

n You should try to be a good and sincere friend and really love them as people.

Pray!!!