INTRODUCTION

Prior to the popularity of the Internet, little was known about Mormonism. The LDS church is notoriously secretive about their core beliefs and does its utmost to prevent their disclosure to non-members. Their excuse is that non-Mormons aren't ready for the "meat" of the gospel, so they must be given "milk." Consequently, their missionaries are instructed to avoid answering any questions that may be raised about their major doctrines, preferably by re-directing the subject to the first vision of Joseph Smith. (There are nine known differing and contradictory versions of this claimed vision. See Joseph Smith's First Vision and the Controversy Surrounding It .)Their sole aim is to persuade folk to be baptized into membership of the LDS church. Only then will their exclusive beliefs be revealed to initiates, through a carefully worked out system of indoctrination.

In the real world we call this deception.

For some time now the LDS has been conducting an aggressive publicity campaign, depicting themselves as a denomination of Christianity. But quite the opposite was the case when the editor was a member of their church, some time ago. At that stage we were regularly instructed from the pulpit never, ever to call ourselves Christians. They made it clear that the beliefs of Christian churches were an abomination in the sight of God.

But then came the dreaded Internet. And ex-Mormons began to reveal LDS beliefs and practices for all the world to see. As more and more folk became aware of the unbiblical nature of their doctrines, so their missionary efforts became less effective. The number of new converts dropped, and to make matters worse they were subjected to a growing barrage of criticism from folk who objected to their heretical teachings. To counteract this, the LDS got busy with damage control. A group of scholars was formed, dedicated to defending their exclusive scriptures, doctrines and practices. (Previously called FARMS, they are now known as The Neal A. Maxwell Institute of Religious Scholarship.) And a massive publicity campaign that presents their beliefs as being both biblical and Christian (they are neither), kicked into gear.

As we well know, the best way to make a deceptive claim believable, is to ensure that it contains an element of truth. And this is the line their campaign has followed.

This article will discuss what the LDS reveals to the public in their claim to be Christian, what they misrepresent, and what they very carefully and deliberately conceal about their beliefs. (The editor was a second generation Mormon, and is familiar with LDS teachings and practices.)



LDS CLAIMS POSTED ON THEIR OFFICIAL WEBSITE

The following is an extract of a posting on the official LDS country website of the United Kingdom. In this article, the Director of Media Relations for the LDS church skillfully, deceptively and convincingly presents Mormonism as being both biblical and Christian, when all the while nothing could be further from the truth.

..... When a Mormon says he or she is Christian, they are not trying to minimize differences or fudge the issues. Mormons are well aware of the many deep doctrinal differences with other Christians. For instance, Mormons reject the Trinity as non-biblical, and believe the concept to be the product of the creeds that emerged from the 4th and 5th centuries. Further, while embracing the Bible (the King James version is preferred), they don't interpret it the same way as some Protestants for instance, that the earth was literally created in six days of 24 hours. Neither do they believe that the scriptural canon was closed with a period and an exclamation mark after the death of the apostles, but that God is perfectly able to talk to prophets today as He did in ancient times.

But for Mormons, these belief differences have nothing to do with whether or not they are Christian in the true meaning of the word. Mormons believe in the Jesus of the Bible, the same that was born at Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, preached His gospel in Galilee and Judea, healed the sick, raised the dead, and finally offered Himself as a sinless ransom for the sins of the world. They believe that Jesus Christ was literally resurrected, that He lives today, and that He is the only name under heaven by which mankind can be saved. This is the Jesus whose name is depicted on the front of every Mormon place of worship. This is the Jesus in whose name every Mormon prays and every sermon is preached. This is the Jesus whose body and blood are commemorated in weekly worship services by Latter-day Saints from Nigeria to New Zealand, from Michigan to Mongolia. For Latter-day Saints who try to live their lives as they believe Jesus taught, assertions that they aren't Christian are as bewildering as they are wounding. (Are Mormons Christians? January, 2008, by Michael Otterson, Director of Media Relations for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

It will be noted that, in line with the LDS's entrenched practice of deception, the above article fails to disclose the fact that all their major doctrines, including their teachings on God and Jesus Christ, radically contradict the teachings of the Bible. (This will be discussed further on.)

Right at the start the reader needs to know that in order to make their teachings appear to be biblical, the LDS has dishonestly invented their own meanings for all the biblical terms. For instance they use the term salvation by grace when referring to their doctrine of universal resurrection, which does not require a belief in Christ or God, and doesn't guarantee forgiveness of sins or eternal life. And although they will loudly maintain that Christ earned the forgiveness for our sins in His atonement, they neglect to mention their teaching that salvation is only possible through membership of the LDS church and obedience to their laws and ordinances. These contradictions will be discussed further down. (See the article The LDS Atonement only Covers Resurrection .)

Unless we are aware of their deceptive practices of "double speak," and of giving different meanings to biblical terms, we could all too easily be taken in by the LDS's claim to be Christian.

Mormonism is a deception.



MINIMIZING THE DIFFERENCES AND FUDGING THE ISSUES

The first paragraph in their article quoted above, starts off by admitting that the doctrinal differences between Mormons and "other Christians" are very deep. (This is the "truth" part of the deception.) As an example of these very deep differences, they mention the trinity; whether or not the creation literally took six days; and whether or not the biblical canon is closed.

But they carefully omit any mention of the most important difference of all, i.e. that it is Joseph Smith's doctrine of eternal progression, and not the Bible, that defines the exclusive God that Mormons worship. Consequently, the Mormon deity bears no resemblance to the eternally unchanging God and creator of the universe, who is a spirit being who has been God eternally, who is the only God who has ever existed and will ever exist, and who is revealed to us in the pages of the Bible. Why don't they mention that one of the major differences between Mormonism and Christianity is that we worship different Gods?

The doctrine that God was once a man and has progressed to become a God is unique to this church. (Official LDS Lesson Manual, 1997, page 34, "The Teachings of Brigham Young")

There is no other God in heaven but that God who has flesh and bones. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 1976, Compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, page 181.)

"We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil that you may see. It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God ..… that he was once a man like us ..... Here, then, is eternal life — to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, namely by going from one small degree to another" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, 1976, pages 345-346 c/f "Times and Seasons," Volume 5, pages 613-614). (Italics inserted by editor)

The Bible reveals that in their worship of an exalted man, Mormonism is following the ways of pagan idolaters:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man ..... (Romans 1:18-23, KJV) (Author's italics)

How can a church who is worshipping a different God to the deity described in the pages of the Bible, call themselves either biblical or Christian, or go that one step further by claiming to be a Christian denomination?

The problem here is, that if our beliefs concerning God are wrong, then our other doctrines will be wrong too, because they all stem from our understanding of God. And this is precisely the case in Mormonism. Their teachings on Christ, the Holy Spirit, the atonement, salvation, eternal life and the gospel all differ radically from the teachings of both the Bible and the primitive church. As these matters have already been discussed in some depth on this website, we won't go into any further detail here. But the reader is invited to access relevant, fully referenced articles by clicking on the following links:

The Mormon Gods, Past and Present

The Case Against the God of Mormonism

Mormonism's Law of Eternal Progression

THE TRINITARIAN TEACHING

As the LDS's statement indicates, Mormons and Christians do differ on the question of the trinity. However, the trinitarian doctrine did not originate with the Council at Nicea in the fourth century, as they so wrongly claim it did. The concept of the trinitarian deity is taught consistently throughout the entire Bible (see the article Understanding the Biblical God ). All the Council at Nicea did was to rubber stamp the fact that the trinity had always been one of the foremost doctrines of the church. And there is plenty of evidence that proves this to be exactly the case. Hundreds of years before the above Council had come into being, independent secular historians and other men of note had already recorded the fact that the early Christians worshipped Christ as deity. (See Celsus, on the True Doctrine by R. Joseph Hoffmann, Oxford University Press 1987; The Christians as the Romans Saw Them by Robert L. Wilken, Yale University Press, 1986; and volume 4 of The Ante-Nicene Fathers.) (The following section continues to elaborate on the subject of the trinity.)



WHAT IS A "CHRISTIAN?"

The LDS maintains:

..... But for Mormons, these belief differences have nothing do with whether or not they are Christian in the true meaning of the word (Are Mormons Christians? January, 2008, by Michael Otterson, Director of Media Relations for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)

On the contrary, Mormonism's major belief differences have everything to do with why they cannot be termed Christian.

Regarding the true meaning of the word, "Christian," Christianity is a historical religion. And it didn't come into being in a little corner somewhere out of the way. Everybody knew what was going on. It created such a furore that they crucified the Lord and Head of the Christian church publicly, and persecuted His followers mercilessly in a bloody rampage that has continued to this day. (The statistics for three years ago revealed that in that year alone, more Christians had been persecuted and martyred than had been for the rest of the entire period since Christ's crucifixion.)

Besides the writings of those who were the followers of Christ, other records have survived, some of them written by men who didn't take kindly to Christianity. Furthermore, historians who lived during those times have recorded the practices of the primitive church, that are still followed by Christians today. And all these ancient records are in agreement. The primitive Christian church worshipped Christ as God. And this doesn't fit in with Mormonism. Furthermore, the primitive church had never heard of the doctrine of eternal progression. Here are some quotes taken from the excellent and well-referenced article, Jesus in Ancient Non-Christian Sources, written by Patrick Zukeran:

"Pliny the Younger:
Pliny was the governor of Bythnia in Asia Minor. In 112 AD, Pliny writes a letter to Emperor Trajan regarding the Christians. He mentions the following:

'They (the Christians) were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up .....' Pliny the Younger, Letter, 10:96) (Editor's emphasis.)

From this passage we learn several facts about early Christianity. First, the Christians worshipped Christ as God. This strikes a serious blow to skeptics who attempt to promote the idea that Christ was a man who was promoted to divine status by Christians in the fourth century AD at the Council of Nicea. Second, the Christians followed closely the ethical code taught by Christ ....."

"Lucian:
Lucian was a second century Greek satirist. He spoke very negatively of Christians accusing them of being gullible and believing in a charlatan. He wrote:

'The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day — the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account ..... You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self devotion which are so common among them .....' (Editor's emphasis)

From this passage we learn the following. First, Jesus was known to have lived as a historical person. Second, Jesus was worshiped by the Christians. Third, Christians believed in eternal life. Fourth, Christians were willing to die for what they believed about Christ. Fifth, Jesus was crucified. Sixth, Christians lived according to the teachings of Christ. Finally, Christians did not mix their faith with the gods of Greece. This goes against skeptics who promote the idea that Christians borrowed their beliefs from Greek mythology."

"Celsus:
Celsus was a Roman Philosopher who wrote a work in 177 AD, criticizing the Christians in what he saw as a contradiction of monotheism. He scoffed at Christians who were worshipping a man as God: (Emphasis by editor)

'Now if the Christians worshipped only one God they might have reason on their side. But as a matter of fact they worship a man who appeared only recently. They do not consider what they are doing a breach of monotheism; rather they think it perfectly consistent to worship the great God and to worship his servant as God. And their worship of this Jesus is the more outrageous because they refuse to listen to any talk about God, the father of all, unless it includes some reference to Jesus: Tell them that Jesus, the author of the Christian insurrection, was not his son, and they will not listen to you. And when they call him Son of God, they are not really paying homage to God, rather they are attempting to exalt Jesus to the heights.'

"Although Celsus clearly misunderstood Christian teachings, from the work of Celsus we learn several things. First, Christians were monotheists, like the Jews polytheism was rejected. Second, the Christians worshipped Jesus as God. Here is evidence of the doctrine of the Trinity, one God revealed in three persons. In this passage the Holy Spirit is not mentioned but the Son, the second member of the Trinity, is worshipped as equal in nature to the Father. Third, Christians held very strongly to the belief in the deity of Christ."
(Celsus, On the True Doctrine: A Discourse Against the Christians, trans. R. Joseph Hoffman [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987], 116, quoted in Ed Komoszewski, James Sawyer, and Dan Wallace, Reinventing Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI.: Kregel Publications, 2006), 313.)"

[The above indented extracts were taken from the article, Jesus in Ancient Non-Christian Sources, written by Patrick Zukeran. His work is featured on the following websites: http://www.evidenceandanswers.org/ and http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4415429/ .]

To continue in this vein, here are a few scriptures from the New Testament which reveal that Christ claimed to be God, that He was believed to be God, and that He was prayed to and worshipped as God by his apostles, as well as by the primitive church:

The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. (John 10:33, KJV) (Emphasis by editor)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? (John 14:6-9, KJV)

Then saith he [Jesus] to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:27-29, KJV) (Emphasis by editor.)

And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. (Matthew 28:9, KJV)

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:59-60, KJV) (Emphasis by editor)

In the beginning was the Word [Christ], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1, KJV)

For by him [Christ] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:16-17, KJV)

According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21, KJV)

As we have clearly seen, Christians have always worshipped Christ as God, and they still do, right up until this day.



THE LDS'S JESUS CHRIST AND HIS SINLESS RANSOM

The second paragraph in the LDS article under discussion, mentions that Mormons:

"..... believe in the Jesus of the Bible, the same that was born at Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, preached His gospel in Galilee and Judea, healed the sick, raised the dead, and finally offered Himself as a sinless ransom for the sins of the world. They believe that Jesus Christ was literally resurrected, that He lives today, and that He is the only name under heaven by which mankind can be saved." (Are Mormons Christians? January, 2008, by Michael Otterson, Director of Media Relations for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Firstly, this statement that Mormons believe that "He [Christ] is the only name under heaven by which mankind can be saved," is misleading to say the least, as they have completely redefined the criteria for salvation:

There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, (Doctrines of Salvation, Volume 1, page 188.)

There is no salvation outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, page 670).

"Redemption from personal sins can only be obtained through obedience to the requirements of the [Mormon] gospel, and a life of good works ..... The Sectarian Dogma of Justification by Faith Alone has exercised an influence for evil" (Mormon Apostle James Talmage, Articles of Faith, pages 478-479)

What this means is, that if I refuse to accept Joseph Smith's amazing claims; but instead trust in the biblical Christ alone as my Saviour and sin bearer; become a member of one of the Christian denominations, obediently undergo baptism by immersion as a witness to my faith in Christ; live an exemplary life of service, holiness and devotion to Christ; give liberally to the poor; sacrificially serve my fellow man on the mission field and finally lay my life down as a martyr for Christ's sake; according to the LDS church I will go into the next life without having received forgiveness for my personal sins, regardless of having humbly confessed them, sincerely repented from them, and asked forgiveness for them. Not only that, I will not qualify for eternal life either. My terrible crime will be that I didn't believe that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, that I rejected his religion of Mormonism as being a deception, that I did not become a tithe-paying member of the LDS church, which they maintain is vital for salvation, and nor was I married for time and eternity in a Mormon temple, which they teach is essential in order to attain eternal life.

How does that fit in with their claim that they are a denomination of Christianity?

Going back again to the previous quote:

"..... [Mormons] believe in the Jesus of the Bible, the same that was born at Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, preached His gospel in Galilee and Judea, healed the sick, raised the dead, and finally offered Himself as a sinless ransom for the sins of the world. (Emphasis by editor.)

Here again it's a case of "double speak," in that on the one hand the LDS says that Christ offered Himself as a sinless ransom for the sins of the world, but on the other hand their 3rd Article of Faith states that "We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the [LDS] Gospel.

To put it in plain language, the LDS teaching is that Christ's atonement ensures resurrection on a universal basis, regardless of the individual’s beliefs, philosophy or religion. However, they go on to say that it does open the door for us to earn the right to forgiveness of own personal sins, but we have to earn this by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the [LDS] gospel, which includes amongst many other things, full tithing and devoted service to their church.

So when a Mormon says he believes Christ died for his sins, he means something completely different to what the Bible actually teaches, because he's been indoctrinated to think along the lines of Mormon "double speak."

Furthermore, if, as Mormons claim in the statement under discussion, they believe in the Jesus described in the Bible, which qualifies them to be called Christians; why then did their prophet and founder, Joseph Smith, in his so-called "translation" of the Bible, make so many radical changes in order to depict a totally different, unbiblical Christ, i.e. a Jesus that fits in with Mormonism and eternal progression, but not with the Christ of the Bible who was followed by the primitive church? We do not have the space here to quote all of Smith's alterations to the KJV's various passages concerning the glory of who Christ is, but below is John 1:1-5 in both the King James and the Joseph Smith Versions of the Bible so that you can see for yourself that the LDS's idea of who Christ is, does not agree with the reality of what the Bible teaches about Him. I clearly remember as a Mormon youngster, being told emphatically that John chapter 1 in the KJV "didn't mean what it said," as it had been incorrectly translated. (Bear in mind that Smith altered the Bible regarding what it taught about Christ in many other places besides the few verses quoted below.)

KING JAMES VERSION
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:1-5, KJV)

THE JOSEPH SMITH "TRANSLATION"
In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made which was made. In him was the gospel, and the gospel was the life, and the life was the light of men; And the light shineth in the world, and the world perceiveth it not. (John 1:1-5, JST)

(Editor's note: Christ's deity is done away with, and instead of the life of Christ being the life and the light of men, the [LDS] gospel is the life and the light of men. The LDS gospel is glorified and Christ is deprecated, and literally brought right down to our level; as the LDS teaches that we were all also with God prior to our earthly life, and that Christ is our literal brother in eternal progression.) They maintain that in a previous spiritual existence God and his wives bred Christ, the whole of mankind and all of the angelic beings, through the normal method that men and women engage in to reproduce today. So Christ is our brother, genetically. And Satan is both Christ's brother and ours, also genetically. The only difference between us and God, and between us and Christ, is that they have progressed further than we have at this moment in time.

You can read an article on Joseph Smith's translation by clicking on the link Joseph Smith's Inspired Translation of the Bible

You will find articles on the LDS Jesus and their doctrines on atonement and salvation by clicking on these links:

The LDS Jesus Christ is Not the Saviour of the Bible

Mormon Salvation Exposed to the Light of the Bible

Mormonism's Deceptive Teaching on Eternal Life

The LDS Atonement only Covers Resurrection

Here is a statement made by the past President and Prophet of the LDS church, confirming that the Christ of Mormonism is not the Christ of the Christian church:

In bearing testimony of Jesus Christ, President Hinckley spoke of those outside the Church who say Latter-day Saints do not believe in the traditional Christ. "No, I don't. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the Dispensation of the Fulness [sic] of Times. He together with His Father, appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in the year 1820, and when Joseph left the grove that day, he knew more of the nature of God than all the learned ministers of the gospel of the ages ("The LDS Church News," week ending June 20, 1998, page 7) (Italics inserted by the writer.)

"EMBRACING THE BIBLE"

We will now take a look at the next portion of the LDS article under discussion:

Further, while embracing the Bible (the King James version is preferred), they [the LDS] don't interpret it the same way as some Protestants for instance, that the earth was literally created in six days of 24 hours. Neither do they believe that the scriptural canon was closed with a period and an exclamation mark after the death of the apostles, but that God is perfectly able to talk to prophets today as He did in ancient times. (Are Mormons Christians? January, 2008, by Michael Otterson, Director of Media Relations for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

This section of their article creates the false impression that although the LDS interprets the Bible in a slightly different light, and although they believe in ongoing revelation, they nevertheless "embrace" its teachings. But nothing could be further from the truth. As revealed in the quotes given above, when we compare the KJV with their prophet Joseph Smith's translation (as well as with their doctrines), it becomes obvious that Mormons disagree with the most important doctrinal sections of the Bible, particularly those on God, Christ, mankind, the atonement, salvation and the gospel.

Furthermore, in their claim about embracing the Bible, another important fact they carefully omit mentioning is that ever since the inception of the LDS church, their membership has been taught that the Bible has been incorrectly translated, and that evil persons had removed large portions containing covenants and teachings on salvation. In other words, they maintain that we have a corrupted Bible.

"Many important points touching the salvation of men, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled." (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Volume 1, page 245)

"Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 327).

"..... for behold they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away. And all this have they done that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men" (Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 13:26-27)

"Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible ..... Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye supposed that I have not caused more to be written" (Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 29:6 and 10)

Consequently, far from embracing the teachings of the Bible, Mormons are taught to use their own revelations, scriptures and teachings, as the standard of truth against which to test the Bible:

"The most reliable way to measure the accuracy of any biblical passage is not by comparing different texts, but by comparison with the Book of Mormon and modern-day revelations." (Church News, June 20, 1992, page 3, quoting a letter from the First Presidency [Presidents Benson, Hinckley and Monson] dated May 22, 1992, to all of the Church)

How does this line up with their claim to be a Christian denomination?

There is a vast gap between a cult and a denomination. Cults follow the teachings of a specific leader, and separate themselves from those who don't. And because each cult has their own leader and their own exclusive teachings, they don't mingle.

On the other hand, Christian denominations get their teachings solely from the Bible. Consequently, they are in full agreement on the doctrines of God, Christ, mankind, the atonement, salvation and the gospel. So a Christian would feel quite at ease worshipping in a different denomination to the one he generally attends.

Because the members of the LDS church follow the exclusive teachings of their prophet and founder, Joseph Smith, they fall into the category of a cult, not of a Christian denomination.

Besides making deceptive claims such as those contained in the article under discussion, in their endeavour to present themselves as a Christian denomination with biblical beliefs, the LDS has for some time now been giving away Bibles for free. But their major teachings on God, Christ, the atonement, salvation and "the gospel" all come from their own revelations and scriptures, which contradict the teachings of the Bible. So why are they giving away Bibles as an advert for their church? This is the same deceptive tactic they employ when they send out missionaries with Bibles tucked under their arms, with the instruction not to reveal their exclusive, unbiblical doctrines to prospective members. The real world calls that deception.

Joseph Smith, the founder of the LDS church, was a con artiste. And the practice of deception has been deeply entrenched in the religion of Mormonism. They even have a name for it. They call it, "Lying for the Lord." But what Lord? The God of the Bible is a deity of truth and light, who hates lying.



MORMONISM IS CHRISTIANITY???

To my way of reasoning, if Mormons are Christians, then it stands to reason that Christians must be Mormons too. They are either in the same category or they are not.

I could use the same tactics as they do, claiming that Christians also believe in a Jesus Christ who was born in Bethlehem, who performed miracles, and so on, and that this proves that Christians must be Mormons too. Furthermore, many of us also favour the King James version of the Bible. In fact, although we differ on some points, we have so much in common that it hurts us Christians deeply when we are accused outright by the LDS of not being Mormons. Does that sound familiar?

The LDS leadership would not agree that these statements would mean that Christians are Mormons, because they know full well that it's not what we have in common that proves that Mormonism is Christianity; rather it is the radical, irreconcilable differences in our major doctrines on God, Christ, salvation, scripture and the gospel, that prove that Mormonism is most definitely not Christianity.

Another point of note is, if Mormons are Christians and their church is a Christian denomination, why then do they all bear testimony that the LDS Church is the only true church? Why would they want to associate themselves with a church that they maintain is apostate?



CONCLUSION

The reader needs to bear in mind that we have only dealt with the tip of the iceberg concerning their major, unbiblical doctrines that disqualify Mormonism from being classified as a denomination of Christianity.

A fairly short, yet informative article dealing with the differences between Christian denominations and cults, will be found here:

Comparing Churches, Denominations and Cults

To access a comprehensive index of fully referenced articles, comparing various aspects of Mormonism with what the Bible teaches, click on the "home" button at the bottom of this page.

You are welcome to contact the editor at response@bibtruth.com



Copyright 2010 by Mormonism and Biblical Truth. All rights reserved.

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