Mormonism vs. Christianity
68Many people, Christians and non-Christians believe that Mormons are just another denomination. However, Mormonism is a totally different religion all together.
A comparison of orthodox Christianity and Mormonism is complicated by the fact that Mormon's use some of the same terminology. However, the terms used in Mormonism and Christianity have different definitions.
Now you may recall from last Sunday, that in our analysis of various cults and false religions, we are taking a look at what they teach regarding:
God - Jesus Christ - Scripture - Man - Salvation
Cults believe very differently than orthodox Christianity and teach something un-Biblical and usually something that is extra-Biblical.
What Christianity Teaches About God
First, we want to read a summary of what orthodox Christianity believes about God. I've copied in your notes a paragraph from "The Baptist Faith and Message". This is not a "creed", but is simply a summary of what The Bible teaches about God.
II. God
There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
Now let's take a look at several of the Bible verses that gives us the Christian teaching about God.
Deuteronomy 6:44 Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!
Isaiah 43:10
10 You are My witnesses, declares the LORD,
And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me
Isaiah 44:6-8
6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
I am the first and I am the last,
And there is no God besides Me.
7 Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it;
Yes, let him recount it to Me in order,
From the time that I established the ancient nation .
And let them declare to them the things that are coming
And the events that are going to take place.
8 Do not tremble and do not be afraid;
Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it?
And you are My witnesses.
Is there any God besides Me,
Or is there any other Rock?
I know of none.
John 14:26
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
John 15:26
26 When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,
Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always , even to the end of the age.
2 Corinthians 13:14
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
These verses make it clear that God is one. There is no other entity that occupies the place of God. There is no plurality of Gods. There is one creator and all other things and entities in existence are created. God of The Bible is also triunal. A mystery, yes. However, if the Bible is authoritative, inerrant, and infallible, then it informs or concept of reality.
Conversely, if we decide that The Bible is not authoritative and inerrant and infallible, then we can let other ideas and other writings inform our concept of reality and truth. Which is the case with cults and false religions like Mormonism. So, let's look at what Mormonism teaches about God.
What Mormonism Teaches About God
God (Heavenly Father) is an exalted man with a physical body of flesh and bone. LDS founder Joseph Smith said,
If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by his power, was to make himself visible-I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345).
The fifth LDS President Lorenzo Snow coined the expression,
As man is, God once was, as God is, man may be (Articles of Faith, pg. 430).
In Mormon theology, the god of planet Earth is believed to have once been a man from another planet, who through self-effort and the help of his own father-god, was appointed by a counsel of gods in the heavens to his high position as the god of planet Earth, and now has a physical, resurrected glorified body.
At the center of this theology is the belief that God is literally a procreating father who is married to a Mrs. God, or divine mother.
Mormonism teaches that through the atonement of Christ and by their good deeds and holy living, people can one day become gods themselves, and with their multiplicity of goddess wives, in heaven populate their own planets with what are called spirit children.
The first of these spirit children to be born in heaven was Jesus and the second was the Devil. Mormons believe that Jesus and the Devil are spirit brothers and that we are all born as siblings in heaven.
Brigham Young said in Journal of Discourses, Vol 4, p. 216, In the spirit world their spirits were first begotten and brought forth, and they lived there with their parents for ages before they came here.
The trinity is denied with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost seen as three separate entities.
The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us (Doctrine and Covenants [D&C] 130:22).
Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, stated,
I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods (History of the Church 6:474).
In Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.370 Joseph Smith states,
I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a spirit; and these three constitute three personages and three Gods.
Mormon Apostle Orson Pratt taught,
We were begotten by our Father in Heaven; the person of our Father in Heaven was begotten on a previous heavenly world by His Father; and again, He was begotten by a still more ancient Father, and so one, from one generation to generation (The Seer, pg. 132).
Brigham Young once stated in Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7. P. 238, that,
Gods exist, and we had better strive to be prepared to be one with them.
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Comments
As much as you would like to belive that you have correctly interpreted the mormon religon for the sake of clarifying for others, but unfortunately you have made a gross mistake in your interpretation. You give no real reason as to why the mormons are a cult you just simply state that they are with no evidence behind your claim.
Many parts in this articl are wrong. Mormon religion is part of Christianity, but early
Christianity . It is staying under category " Restorationism ".
It is easy to just simply throw information out, and then make a bold declaration to those that don't know or understand what Mormons believe. Especially right now when there is so much attention being drawn to the Lds Church.
I believe that those truly interested in knowing about the Mormon Church and not just looking for sensationalism, will clearly know who is sincere, by how responsibly the information is dispensed.
The best teacher, is most concerned with making sure that they always can be considered a credible source of information for their student. And the honest student that desires to be taught truth, will then trust that teacher, above all others - forever.
tDMg
It's easy to attack another religion and find data that is inacurate and stretch it's meanings. There are quite a few scriptures in the new testament that clearly show that Jesus Christ and God the Father were seen side by side. When Stephen was being stoned he saw the Heavens open and saw the son of Man standing on the right hand of God.
About us someday being Gods, did not the Lord himself state in the book of John that it is written that he called us Gods. If you understand the many parables he spoke he cleary describes that someday we will be one with Him as he is with the father that we may all be one and glorify each other. What does ONE mean?
One body or ONE in spirit? One in spirit as the Holy Ghost is within all of us.
Diligently seek the truth of things by aksing the Lord for the right answers.
Did he not say ask the Father in Heaven in his name ye shall receive? Well, have you ever sincerely asked if your faith is the right one? We all believe in Jesus Christ if we ask in faith believing that we shall receive as he told us HE WILL answer our prayer but we must not doubt it and only be believing. Our hearts must be opened and sincere to receive an answer.
May God be with you.
Christianity is the way to go. The Bible is the TRUTH the real word of God. And I am so sorry but you will not become a god when you die because God is the Lord of lords the King of kings, there is no one higher than Him. So you should seriously reconsider your faith, because the time of the ends are coming.
I would like to add a bit more clarification, as to our doctrine of the Godhead. Mormons believe, that we are literal spirit offspring of our Heavenly Father, who is the Father of which Christ speaks of doing all things in obedience to by submitting his will, prays to, and ultimately glorifies Him as He glorifies the Father, in His great atoning sacrifice in our behalf.
The scriptures are very clear on their relationship. It is astounding that 'man' has distorted this doctrine in this way, and why? Because they did not have the spirit when they attempted to understand it... so they went for something mysterious, that nobody can comprehend.
Scriptures teach that it is eternal life to know God, and His Son Jesus Christ, who He hath sent. If the doctrine of the godhead was so hard to understand from what it was... then why did not those who's record we have not make this known to us? If that was the case that we are supposed to guess at it... why would God make it so difficult to understand and know Him?Does not make sense.
We are His children and it is His desire that we should know Him. He is not hiding, but only in the philosophies of man.
Luke 20:36
36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
(in other words, we are the rightful heirs of that which Jesus Christ laid claim. Now we must claim it through him - resurrection is His free gift to all men, but to be in His presence requires covenants )
John 5: 18 18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
(and this is precisely what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints also claims... interesting -- also the Jesus Christ was doing things His way, which the jews did not understand... )
Philip. 2:6
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
(Jesus Christ was not some ethereal symbol of something that actually was not physical as He was, meaning His own Father. Where is there a child, without a mother and father?)
You will note in this definition of the word 'form', we are using it the same way it is used in scripture -- as a person. You will also see that I have made bold the origin, of which evangelicals have adopted this to mean. I do this as evidence that the teaching of the trinity is not correct teaching, come from God.
Mormons believe that the Godhead, consists of three, separate and distinct individuals, with each having a physical body, although resurrected and exalted.Another poster made the point of Stephan seeing the Savior on the right hand of His Father.
Also, we have evidence at the baptism of Jesus Christ, where all three members of the Godhead made themselves known.And of course, as Mormons, we accept that Joseph Smith, saw in vision both the Father and the Son. The Father spoke to Joseph, introducing His Son to Joseph, and said "Hear Him".
Mormons have certainly not taken Jesus Christ out of the equation, but recognize Him as the Son of God, just as scripture states.Further study will validate the philosophies of men, in the interpretation of this doctrine, as language is studied more intensely. Which it currently is being.
But I believe this is clear enough that the word 'form' does not have Plato's application to it, but rather what Jesus Christ teaches in the Bible. Plato is just a man, not inspired as to godliness.
Why would his understanding be applied to the Bible? Because, those that interpreted it at the council of Nicene, had thoroughly adopted his teachings as a way of trying to understand spiritual truths. In this, they erred.
In our 8th article of faith, it states...We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly by man...
It is not the word of God that we question in any way whatsoever, but the translations of it over 2000 years ago that is the problem of which we question.
As you clearly can see here, one word can change doctrine.
form |fôrm|noun1 the visible shape or configuration of something : the form, color, and texture of the tree.
• arrangement of parts; shape : the entities underlying physical form.
• the body or shape of a person or thing : his eyes scanned her slender form.
• arrangement and style in literary or musical composition : these videos are a triumph of form over content.
• Philosophy the essential nature of a species or thing, esp. (in Plato's thought) regarded as an abstract ideal that real things imitate or participate in.
I hope this clarifies this doctrine for those who know nothing of Mormonism. It is our desire to become like Christ.
We know, we are not perfect, but we do recognize His laws and strive to be obedience to them, so we may honor the great sacrifice He made for us and His continued intercession on our behalf.
Sorry for the epistle:-) Just want to set the record straight on this mis-interpretation...
tDMg
LdsNana-AskMormon
Very well written article. Not sure about the facts that you presented. I have no clue to what Mormons actually believe. Personally I believe Jesus to be God in flesh. He put on a body of flesh to show us a face like ours. He took our sins upon His back and nailed them to the cross. He redeemed us and saved us from our sins. Keep the faith brother and keep writing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBqb31G8R9k
I don't think there is a need to prove anything to the world. But if proof is required, it must be done by works and deeds. God bless.
Dear readers.
Mormonism, is obviously not congruent with the Bible, it is simply and factually full of errors. I will be posting a Hubb soon, that deals with the modern day cult, and why so many are in fact, LdsNana, being drawn to this feel good, psudo righteousness. My arguement will include quote and testimonies from some long standing mormon leaders who have since, seen the Light. Being good, or good works never got anyone into heaven, it is by Grace we are saved, not of works, lest any man should boast. If you really try and see what God says in His word,as the LDS like to say, and pray about it, you most certainly will not see any deceiving doctrine such as that of the Mormon church. The message of the mormon,is simple and age old, it is pure and utter self exaltation. Which is why they fit so well into a "new age", post modern culture, that wants to satisfy self,without any self sacrifice. I would invite any one,with any questions,to write to me, or post comments on my "hubb", and I will be more than glad to answer and debate. The bible says to be ready in season and out,and to accurately divide the word of truth. any debate with me will not conclude in bashing or proving someone else wrong,it will simply leave you with the decision to follow the Doctrine of Christ,or decide on something else, free will is the beacon of righteousness. But the Bible is extremely clear on what and who God is, if it were not, than I would be a mormon.
In the name of the Father,Holy spirit, and Son, all separate all One.
Josiah.
PS. I enjoyed the read kmowery.
LdsNana-AskMormon says:Mormons believe, that we are literal spirit offspring of our Heavenly Father...
Which translated means that Mormons don't have any idea what they're talking about.
The "literal" thing sounds so very wonderful -- the whole "families are forever" sunshine beaming in on the breakfast nook with orange juice thing. So evocative.
And so insane the moment the claim is actually examined.
LdS attempt to associate by connotation people's experience of childhood in this world with what they might think about God in a Mormon-informed context. This is the value of the term "literal" in the Mormon claim. But it's nonsense the moment you prick it.
Having children in this world, to most people, means originating little copies of yourself. When I have children, I originate beings who haven't existed before, whose bodies are like mine. So when I think "literal children," that's what I have in mind.
And yet in the Mormon scheme of things, Father didn't originate these children; their intelligence was pre-existent. And what he did originate, wasn't at all like him. After all, Father has a body -- a glorified physical one. And these children did not have such a body. All they had was Father's spiritual half. Their bodies required an elaborate plan, a war in heaven, the loss of 1/3 of their "literal brothers and sisters" to Lucifer's company, a catch-22 for Adam and Eve, and on and on. In fact, the only way these "literal children" could obtain bodies like their "literal father" was for their "literal brothers and sisters" to procreate them. But wait -- that's the family that's forever, right? The brothers and sisters who give each other bodies? Or is the "families are forever" thing talking about the "literal" way Father God morphed the intelligences into something their "literal" brothers and sisters then incarnated into bodies so they could be saved?
We seem to be more literally the children of our earthly parents than of our heavenly parents. And by golly, that kind of makes sense -- which means Mormonism doesn't make sense.
A piece of advice to rasqual or anyone who desires to intelligently discuss a topic. Before you claim a person or a group of people have no idea what they are talking about make sure you know your own text. In the King James version of the Bible in Romans chapter 8:16-17 Paul (a stalwart servant of the Lord Jesus Christ) states:"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." This is one of many scriptures which support the separate entities of God and Son and I love how Paul so elegantly lays out such a plain and simple truth. Ultimately though, The final authority on Christianity would be Christ himself, and in His words He states:
"My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." (John 7:16)
"O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew 26:39)
"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) In Mark 14:36 The word Abba is used. “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” The word “Abba,” is a transliteration. The word “Father,” is a translation. There is no English word that adequately conveys the meaning of the Aramaic word, “Abba.” This is why the translators gave us this transliteration – Abba. The word conveys a close intimacy that is reserved for parents and children. I find it hard to justify that the saviour of our souls is speaking to himself. Instead He was speaking intimately to his Father, reaching out in a time of great suffering while in the Gethsemane. The matter of the trinity is something that has been debated for centuries. in 325 AD there was actually a contested vote regarding what should be the correct interpretation of the nature of the Father, Son, and Holy ghost. There were many political trappings tied to the way church leaders voted and this was known as part of the Nicaen creed. In the end, with this doctrinal dispute and the many others that have corrupted the pure teachings of Christ, Jesus taught how we could know the truth for ourselves. In John 8:31-32 it states "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. So as we forgive, pray always, kindly serve, and acknowledge our own weakness and dependance on the perfect atonement of Christ, while giving all glory to God our Father, we can know for ourselves what is true. May we each seek the face of the Lord always that in patience we may possess our souls. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.-D. Rigby"This is one of many scriptures which support the separate entities of God and Son"
:-\
You're a cradle Mormon, right? The reason I intuit that is because you're evincing the kind of sheer ignorance about orthodox Christianity that can only come from having learning about it solely through your church's teachings. You pretendt to understand ancient creeds and councils, but haven't a clue what you're talking about.
Trinitarians do not believe that Father and Son are the same person. In fact, that's a heresy that trinitarianism condemns.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabellianism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinitarianism
Thus in their privileged station as recipients of personal revelation and guardians of the restored gospel, do many Mormons wax completely clueless when discussing Christianity, while having the chutzpah to say "Before you claim a person or a group of people have no idea what they are talking about make sure you know your own text."
Since you have no clue about trinitarianism, and laughably claim trinitarians believe what trinitarians in fact consider to be rank heresy, you might want to get out more. That insular Mormon world is keeping you in darkness, friend.
If you had merely READ as many words as you TYPED above -- from some reliable source other than your own church's benighted representations of non-Mormon denominations -- you'd have learned something denied you all these many years. What's that say about your church's integrity, that it lets her members fester in ignorance, that the Mormon church cultivates doctrinal slanders of those outside the fold?
I apologize for detracting from my statement by attempting to censure another and their statements. I wish no sarcasm or spite to come through in my words here. I feel God has granted no privileged station but an open invitation to all of his children to know for themselves what is true.
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" -Matthew 7:7
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." -James 1:5
I am thankful for the initial blog page by kmowery, the link on trinitarianism, and the comments from each person and post on this link. They give insight and depth to what some may consider my simplistic view on the subject. In discussions with others regarding many different forms of belief I have come to learn that it is usually the case that each religion has its own set of interpretations which allow all pieces of the puzzle to fit logically together. And I can see how yours, mine, and others beliefs within their own frame work make sense. Thus an intellectual appeal will rarely satisfy such a debate. It is here where I have faith in personal revelation.
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." -John 14:26
Thankyou for reading and sharing,
-D. Rigby
This isn't about sarcasm. And your apology is not received, because there was no offense. If there's sting to be felt, it should be yours to feel from your own church, within which you've been fed a consistent diet of slanders about what apostate denominations believe. You are not alone. You have nothing to apologize for. A vast number of Mormons believe that trinitarian Christianity is about "one person" appearing as three. This can only be explained in terms of the Mormon church's stake in keeping Mormons believing that outsiders are foolish and deluded. If LdS began to realize that orthodox Christianity was not as foolish as they'd been led to believe, there'd be less evidence of the apostasy which the LdS church teaches left Christianity in such a foolish state.
Mormons should feel foolish indeed when upbraided for believing myths about outsiders, but they should chalk it up to the propagandistic benefits the Mormon church derives from keeping her membership ignorant and condescendingly patronizing of the silly Christians who can't do the math of one and three.
Excellent job, JosiahOneil! The Truth, The Trinity, speaks for Itself...Amen!
I respectfully agree with JosiahOneil as well.
I really do not see the point of this discussion. We are counseled to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling...OUR OWN SALVATION...not that of others! I am Mormon and proud. I know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ...and it is only through the grace and merits of the Messiah that I am saved...if that is not chrisitian...well I want no part of Christianity then.
Know the truth and the truth shall set you free...., deny the truth, you find yourself trapped
Quit belittling my people you jerks I think you will all go to hell when God is done with you, because my religion is more true than any other christian religion on the Earth so this religion has such historical events in the Book of Mormon that it will want you to read more and more so. I god this from the Old Testement; And if it seem evil unto you to serve the lord choose you this day whom ye will serve, but as for me in my house we shall serve the lord. So don't deny God or Jesus Christ for their ar serious punishments in store for those who do. Is this because we don't drink or smoke pot or crack, or is because you think we don't offer choice? Is this also be cause we don't gamble our lives and family away? You people should convert there are many benefits to the LDS religion.
working
Vincent Von Lupin says:
9 months ago
Interesting, most people don't know about the Mormon teaching that people can become gods themselves. Also interesting is the fact that it is a rival Theocratic government, which stocks up food and resources for a coming end of days. But just remember even if your cult is big it is still a cult and that includes all forms of Christianity.