Mormonism (Men's Breakfast 01-07-23)

Who here has some sort of connection to Mormonism?

The story goes that when Joseph Smith was 14 years old, he was seeking to find the right church but found that the church was experience strife and contention.

Young Joseph Smith read the book of James where James gives direction to ask God for wisdom, so the 14-year-old Joseph asked in faith to receive wisdom from God.

Upon praying and asking God for wisdom, Joseph encountered a vision with the Heavenly Father and the Son.

The Son told him that all the creeds of the churches were an abomination and their professors were all corrupt and that he should not join any of these false churches. (233)

Joseph did as the Son told him and did not join any of the false churches

However following this vision

Joseph lived the next three years in rebellion.

After living the rebellious lifestyle for 3 years Joseph decided to seek another revelation. (233)

That night an angel named Moroni appeared to Joseph and told him that God has a great work form him and that he would receive a book written on plates of gold, that contained the fullness of the everlasting gospel.

Joseph was to start a new church and restore the truth to the world. (233-234)

The Mormon Church was than established in 1830, in Palmyra, New York, after Joseph Smith received the gold plates

These gold plates is what was translated into the Book of Mormon. (234)

The Book of Mormon is considered another testament of Jesus Christ which is to bring restoration of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. (234)

For Mormonism the true gospel was lost shortly after the Apostles died. (234-235)

Essentially the period from the last Apostles to the time of Joseph Smiths revelation is a time period known as the great Apostasy. (235)

So Joseph Smith restores the church back to the true church by establishing the Mormon Church.

That is the brief history of the start of the Mormon Church.

Before going further what is your thoughts so far about their history?

Joseph Smith’s background…

Josephs Father was a Master Freemason and his brother was also a Freemason.

(The LDS church has special temple undergarments which have the Freemason compass marked on them)

Freemason was not the only occult influence in Joseph Smith’s background.

Before finding the golden plates, Smith’s family was involved in treasure seeking through the occult practice known as “money digging” (267)

Part of this practice involved a seer stone which would be placed in a hat to “see” the location of buried treasure. (267)

This is interesting because what did Joseph Smith find? (Gold Tablets)

Also, Joseph smith did not claim to translate the golden plates directly, but he placed his seer stone into a hat where he saw the words appear. (268)

And that his how he was able to write the book of Mormon.

Another interesting fact about Joseph Smith was that in March 20th 1826 he was convicted as a “glass looker”

A glass looker is essentially a modern-day crystal ball reader.

Without knowing the back story of Joseph Smith you could say that his story has a level of innocence to it.

Reading his Bible… Trying to find the right church....

You pull back the curtain of Josephs involvement with the occult and it brings clarity to the origins of Mormonism.

So now what is your thoughts on Mormonism?

There other numerous odd things in their history that I don’t have time to go into depth

Blacks cannot be apart of the priesthood, curse of Cain.

Apostles and Prophets in the Bible appearing to them

Large families are encouraged because we are spirit children of the Heavenly Father and Mothers that are waiting for a human body

The idea of when we die we become an angel comes from the Mormon Church

Because they believe angels are not separate created beings but rather people who died and became angels

3 levels of heaven

Prophets with equal authority to the Bible

Today,

LDS Church claims to have over 15 million members across the globe and 29,000 local congregations. (234)

They publish their literature in nearly 200 different languages. (234)

In 2014 there was a report that LDS has 84,000 Mormon missionaries actively spreading their message. (234)

29,000 local congregations with 84,000 missionaries means there is almost 3 missionaries per a congregation. (234)

Mormons claim that they believe that the Bible is the ultimate authority but also believe that their can be modern revelation that is equal to the Bible though they probably would not use that language. (238)

For Mormons, they believe that there are different dispensations, which means for them that there can be a continuous moving plate of doctrine because times change which means there is different revelations for different times. (238)

Marriage is a good example of this idea. (238)

Throughout the history of Mormonism they have practiced openly and secretly polygamy based on revelations from their leaders who are Prophets.

Joseph Smith approximately 40 wives and at least 14 of them were married to other men.

Today, the leaders of the LDS have banned polygamy, though there are branches of the Mormon Churches that still do practice polygamy but that is the small minority of people associated with the Mormon Church.

We should recognize that there are different branches that have sprouted up in the Mormon church so not all Mormon’s are the same.

It is important that we do not misrepresent Mormon’s when we debate about their faith.

MISREPRESENT… (Polygamy)

It is important to know that today the LDS Church claims to be apart of the wider Christian tradition.

This is a more modern practice for the Mormon Church because for most of the 200 years they have been in existence they have tried to make a clear distinction from Christianity and Mormonism.

Remember that the years between the last Apostles and Joseph Smith was the period known as the great Apostasy. (235)

But now, many of the LDS church’s marketing campaigns have been in an effort to be recognized as branch of Christianity. (239)

Vid-Angel - The chosen

I believe their media campaigns have worked well…

(My generation probably does not have some of the same thoughts behind Mormonism as previous generations)

A Mormon Speaking at a friend’s Bible Study….

Remember a good deception has a grain of truth in it.

If you where to talk to a Mormon you would probably realize that they would agree with much of what have to say.

Orthodox Christianity has considered Mormonism a cult….

View Sheet and Power point……………