Ron Cosby
Many and vast are the differences between the Mormon Church, also known as the Latter Day Saints (LDS), and the Lord’s church. No one could be, ever was, or ever will become a Mormon by simply reading the Bible. Conversely, one must ignore and neglect many New Testament facts, truths, and doctrines to be a Mormon. In reality, one must reject clear and plain Bible teaching in order to become a Mormon.
The church of the Bible is built upon inspired historical facts and eternal truths, while Mormonism is built upon a deceiver’s words. Here are a dozen reasons why the Mormon Church is not from heaven, but of men:
Its Claims of Revelation Contradict God’s Word
In Second Nephi 29, the Mormon Church teaches that their new revelations are equal to the Bible. They also teach that one is a “fool” to only believe in the Bible (2 Ne. 29:6). The existence of Mormonism proves the old adage, that “You can fool some of the people all the time.” They teach that the Bible is not enough (2 Ne. 29:10). They teach that all men will be judged out of the Bible. This is a faithful saying, not because the Book of Mormon says it but because the Bible teaches it. Here is their error: They also teach that men will be judged out of Mormon writings (2 Ne. 29:11).
The revelation of the Mormon Church teaches foolishness that you can see without knowing anything about Mormonism or the Bible. The Book of Mormon teaches that God would reveal His message unto others (2 Ne. 29:11-12). The last sentence in Second Nephi 29:12 is a terrible sentence. It says too much. According to the Book of Mormon, the Lord said, “I shall speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.” Deceiver Joe Smith wanted to leave the impression that the Book of Mormon should be added to the Bible as inspired of God. However, what he said was far more than that. His sentence structure says 1) that God shall “speak” to all nations and 2) that “they” [all nations] shall write. Thus, according to Deceiver Smith, we will have inspired writings from “all nations,” not just from one, or a dozen, or a hundred nations, but from each and every one of them. This is the sort of foolishness the writings of men produce. You do not find this ignorance in the Bible.
The Bible teaches that revelation from God ceased in the first century. In First Corinthians 12-14, Paul teaches that love will not perish but the partial (miraculous capabilities) would be replaced by the completed will of God (1Cor 13:8). This same truth is taught in Ephesians chapter 4 where Paul again predicts the termination of spiritual gifts. Since the cessation of the supernatural was anticipated after the death of the apostles, we would expect that second century folks would no longer be exercising supernatural power. Historically, after the first century, the report concerning miraculous events from second and third century “Christians” were few. Those that are mentioned are questionable.
Therefore, the Book of Mormon cannot be from God. It, and the other so-called inspired writings from the Mormon Church, are bogus. Mormon “Scriptures” are not equal to the Bible but to the Koran. Both the Book of Mormon and the Koran were supposedly given by an angel from heaven. Anticipating this deceitfulness, God gave a dire warning that Deceiver Joseph Smith and the Mormon Church have ignored. He said,
But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema” (Gal. 1:8-9).
Students cannot follow the Bible and the Book of Mormon. They must reject one or the other. For over 1,700 years men became Christians without the Book of Mormon. Follow the Bible and it alone and you will be blessed.
The Mormon God Isn’t The God Of The Bible
The Mormon Church teaches that God is flesh and bones like Jesus (Doctrines and Covenants, 130:22). Though not given in their “scriptures,” they also teach that God was once a man (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.1, p. 51, April 9, 1852). They also teach that, we, like Adam, shall one day be gods.
While dwelling on this mundane sphere, Jesus was indeed clothed in flesh and bones (John 1:1-3, 14; Phil. 2:5-8). However, it is error to teach that the Father has a body of flesh and bones. God is a spirit (John 4:24). A “spirit hath not flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39). Jesus clearly declares that the father is not flesh and bones (Matt. 16:17). Flesh and bones cannot dwell in the heavenly abode of God (1 Cor. 15:50; Matt. 6:1; 1 Kings 8). The heaven of heavens cannot contain God because of His spiritual essence and majesty, not because of physical (flesh and bones) size (1 Kings 8:27; Acts 7:49ff). Mormons make the same mistake that the idol worshipers at Athens made. They thought God needed to be served with men’s hands (Acts 17:22ff).
The Mormon Christ Isn’t The Christ Of The Bible
The Mormon Church is wrong in its concepts of the life of Christ from the beginning to the end. Jesus was not born in Jerusalem, as their scriptures teach (Alma 7:10), but in Bethlehem, as the Bible teaches (Micah 5:1-2; Matt. 2:1-5).
At His death, the earth was not engulfed in darkness for three days, as the LDS Scriptures teach (Helaman 14:20, 27), but three hours, as the Bible teaches (Luke 23:44).
They also teach another gospel when they proclaim that, after Jesus had been crucified, He was manifested to folks who lived in America (“the people of Nephi,” 3 Nephi 10:18; 11:1-ff, A.D. 34). This concept has been advertised on Television. Paul gives the correct list and order of Christ’s appearances after He was resurrected (1 Cor. 15:1-12).
The Book of Mormon has Jesus doing a foolish thing. In Nephi 11:14-15, “Jesus” tells the multitude to see and feel the print of the nails in his hands and feet. What good would that have done? None! They knew absolutely nothing of the crucified Christ. Jesus was slain on the cross in Jerusalem not Utah, Missouri, or New York. That foolishness is not on the part of the Lord, but Deceiver Joe Smith. Mormonism has a total lack of understanding of what constitutes evidence.
Mormonism’s failure to understand the divine nature of Jesus produces error concerning His relationship with the devil. They teach that Jesus and Lucifer (the devil) are spirit brothers (the following is copied directly from their own web site, at: http://library.lds.org/Library/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&2.0.) though I added the bold at the end.
How can Jesus and Lucifer be spirit brothers when their characters and purposes are so utterly opposed? Jess L. Christensen, Institute of Religion director at Utah State University, Logan, Utah. “On first hearing, the doctrine that Lucifer and our Lord, Jesus Christ, are brothers may seem surprising to some—especially to those unacquainted with latter-day revelations. But both the scriptures and the prophets affirm that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are indeed offspring of our Heavenly Father and, therefore, spirit brothers. Jesus Christ was with the Father from the beginning. Lucifer, too, was an angel “who was in authority in the presence of God,” a “son of the morning.” (See Isa. 14:12; D&C, 76:2527.) “Both Jesus and Lucifer were strong leaders with great knowledge and influence. But as the Firstborn of the Father, Jesus was Lucifer’s older brother” (emphasis, RC). (See Col. 1:15; D&C, 93:21.)
Remember Galatians 1:6-9. Mormonism is a different gospel, even by their own admission. Note the words in the previous paragraph which say, “On first hearing, the doctrine that Lucifer and our Lord, Jesus Christ, are brothers may seem surprising to some—especially to those unacquainted with latter-day revelations.” Indeed, it is surprising because it is only in Mormon writings; it is not in the Bible.
The Church Of The Bible Is From Heaven, The Mormon Church Is Of Men
The founder of the church of Christ was Jesus, not Joseph Smith (Matt. 16:16-19). On the other hand, Deceiver Smith founded the Mormon Church (Doctrines and Covenants, 20:1-2). No one had heard of Mormonism before Smith introduced it into the world. Doctrines and Covenants erroneously says the church was “established …by the will and commandments of God” (20:1c). Verse 2 tells readers what commandments verse 1 has in mind, saying, “Which commandments were given to Joseph Smith.” Obviously, since the commandments given unto Imposter Joe are not the commandments given unto Peter, James and John, Deceiver Smith’s structure is built on sand.
The church of our Lord was established in 33 AD, not 1830 AD or 145 BC (both dates are given by Mormonism). If that were not foolish enough, the writer (Joseph Smith) then gives the date as being “one thousand eight and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh” (20:1). This is four or five years too late. Mr. Smith followed erroneous dating. It is now believed that the Lord was born about 4 years earlier than our dating method allows, a method Mr. Smith foolishly followed. If Doctrines and Covenants were inspired of God, the writer would not have made this mistake. He could have scooped the scholars by correcting history a hundred years before the world discovered the dating mistake.
And, if that were not foolish enough, the Mormon writings have the church being established in the 2nd century BC, more than 150 years before the Bible says it was, and almost 2,000 years ahead of Joseph Smith (Mosiah 18:17).
Mormon Religious Practices Are Of Men
Mormonism teaches that God’s people were called Christians (Alma 46:15) more than 100 years before the Bible says they were (Acts 11:26). That was 73 years before Christ was born. On the very surface, this is silly. How can a person be described as a follower of someone who has never lived? Can’t! More importantly, the Bible clearly says that God’s people were called Christians first at Antioch. Since 73 BC comes before 40 AD, then either the Bible or the Book of Mormon is wrong. I’ll take the Bible instead of the Book of Mormon. After all, the Book of Mormon was published after the Bible. Luke, on the other hand, as noted before, is classified as one of the “world’s greatest historians,” and the Book of Mormon has been classified by scholars as a fraud. The Book of Mormon is like an antique salesman who found a vase that was thousands of years old. How did he know it was thousands of years old? Because 73 BC was inscribed on the bottom. Such foolishness is a dead give away of fraud.
In 145 BC, the LDS taught folks to be baptized in water (Mosiah 18:13). Though they were taught to teach only one baptism (Mosiah 18:21), John the Baptist was allowed to teach another (Mark 1:3; Acts 19:1-6). The Bible is right, and the Book of Mormon is wrong. We shall see in the other assignment given unto me that, in 1830, all baptisms were annulled (D&C, 22:1-2).
Another error taught by the LDS on baptism is that their scriptures give two conditions unto condemnation—the failure to be baptized and the failure to believe (3 Nephi 11:33-35). What this means is, a baptized unbeliever meets only one of the conditions for being condemned. According to the sentence structure of Deceiver Smith, it takes both, not just one, of the conditions to condemn a person.
A third error concerning baptism which is taught by the LDS is, those that have been immersed in water will be visited “with fire and with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 11:35). Deceiver Smith’s words clearly convey that the baptism of fire and Spirit is to be upon the same person. According to John the baptist, the baptism in fire is the judgment upon the nation of Israel (Matt. 3:1-12). Without doubt, Third Nephi 11:35 reveals a total lack of Bible understanding.
Though Jesus clearly taught one wife for one man for life (Mat. 19:1-9; 1 Cor. 6:16-18), lustful Joe Smith introduced polygamy in 1831 AD (D&C, 132:61-62), which they prefer to call “pluralism.” Since Mrs. Joseph Smith was giving lustful Joe problems on the new doctrine, God, through lustful Joe of course, gives a warning to Emma Smith to receive the new doctrine on “pluralism” (D&C, 52-55). Contrary to loud but groundless denials from some Mormons, the evidence that lustful Joe had several wives is overwhelming.
Look at Mormon doctrine concerning their priesthood. In deceiver Smith’s church, the priesthood was introduced in America in 34 AD, and they were ordained as a separate group (D&C, 20:39; 132:45). In contrast, Peter refers to all members as priests (1 Pet. 2:5-9). Furthermore, no list of the “appointed” includes “priests” (Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Cor. 12:28ff; 1 Tim. 3:1ff; Titus 1). Do you realize that, if Joseph Smith is right on this new priesthood, that Jesus is no longer our priest (Heb. 7:12, 23-24)?
Furthermore, the early teaching of the Mormon Church forbids blacks from being priests, though this doctrine was changed in 1978. In contrast, Christianity and its priesthood is for all flesh.
Conclusion
The Mormons teach a different doctrine concerning Revelation, God, Jesus, the Church, and how to become a Christian. With Paul’s warning in mind (Gal. 1:8-9), students ought to cast aside the Mormon religion and cleave unto the religion from God. The Mormon Church is not from heaven, but of men.
