The article I am going to comment on can be found at http://www.newsweek.com/id/135758
Suppose you were sitting at home, reading a good book, when all of the sudden a knock came at your door. You went to answer the door and there stood two men wearing black pants, white shirts, and black ties. On their shirt pockets they had name tags identifying them as "elders." They greeted you politely and told you that they were from the local Mormon tabernacle.
Now the question I want to ask you is not "How would you respond?" but "Would you know what separates them from you?" Would you know what they believe as well as what you believe? Let's face the facts, Mormonism is spreading all over the United States. Whether it is Mitt Romney running for the Republican Presidential nomination, and now possibly the Republican VP nomination, or David Archuleta and Brook White singing on American Idol, we are seeing an advance of Mormonism in our culture. And my fear is that we will begin to see Mormons as "alright people" even though they radically object to fundamental biblical beliefs. Many people might be inclined to look at our battle as more political or scientific and see Mormons as "religious people" saying that "the enemy of my enemy (in this case liberalism, evolution, abortion, homosexual rights - all of which Mormons oppose) is my friend." However, the Bible pictures the world much differently. Jesus made a contrast in John 3 using light and dark, and He said that all who are not a part of His light are a part of the darkness. In many senses that would then make Mormons as much our enemies as abortionists, liberals, homosexuals, and evolutionist because they are all in darkness and lost. It doesn't matter that they have some semblance of religion, only that they have no relationship with Christ.
That said, let me now turn my attention to some fundamental beliefs of Mormonism that are opposed to what the Bible teaches.
First, Mormons do not believe that Jesus is God. They see Him as a Prophet, and as God's Son, but not as God Himself. By the way, when Mormons say that they believe Jesus is God's Son they mean that God came down in a physical body, had a sexual encounter with Mary, and as a result Jesus was born. Therefore they see Jesus as half God and half man, while we see Jesus as fully God and fully man. If you tell a Mormon that Jesus is God they will object and try to point out John 14:28 where Jesus says that the Father is greater than the Son (even though this verse refers to the heirarchy of the trinity rather than the nature of the trinity). A good response to this verse is to quote Jesus' opponents in John 10:33 or to show them John's statement about the the beliefs of His opposition in John 5:18.
Second, Mormons do not believe in salvation by faith. An essential Mormon belief is that good works are necessary to obtain heaven. Ironically, Mormons believe that the only way to get into the highest heaven (for them there are three levels of heaven: celestial - the highest, telestial - the middle, and terrestrial - the lowest) that they must be married in a Mormon tabernacle. So you can tell the Mormon missionaries (who are single) at your door that they can't even get into the highest heaven according to their own system. A good passage of Scripture to point out to them is Ephesians 2:8-9.
Third, Mormons reject the Bible as authoritative. They believe in the book of Mormon and they will accept the Bible so far as it has been "translated accurately," and so far as it agrees with the book of Mormon. The phrase "translated accurately" for them is subjective, so any time that you quote a verse that does not match what they believe they will attribute that to an error in translation. Interestingly enough, they are willing to accept the book of Mormon as correct, which has no verifable history (no names, dates, or places can be proven as real) while they reject the Bible, which has been proven time and time again historically, scientifically, medically, and archaeologically. One question I always ask Mormon witnesses is, "Can you prove that any of the events, places, names, or dates in the book of Mormon were real?" If they are honest they must answer no. My response to them is then, "Well seeing that to be the case it seems that the Bible makes a much better case for it's accuracy and authority than does the book of Mormon."
While there are many other views that Mormonism has that are diametrically opposed to biblical teachings these should give you a basis on which to address Mormon witnesses the next time they show up at your door step. It is my hope that these comments will help you to better understand the culture that you live in and that you will be ready to be a witness to Mormons the next time you should meet.
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6 comments:
I know Kent knows this, but for his readers, I want to state that I was raised in the Mormon church and was a strict follower until I was 18. I am now a "born again believer" for lack of a better way of saying it. Kent has done an incredible job of explaining a lot of the differences between us (Christians) and them (Mormons). However, I wanted to point out a couple things about this post that I slightly disagree with, based on my experience. I cannot speak for all Mormons or for the church as a whole, but some of the beliefs I held to while a member of the church and some of my understanding differs slightly from what Kent has mentioned here. Again, I'm not defending Mormonism, nor am I bashing Kent, I just want to help everyone understand them better (as Kent is trying to do as well).
First off, I have to say that, in my opinion, Mormons are "alright people" as Kent put it. However, this does not make them saved. I think that when it comes to politics, Mormons CAN be our allies, but that doesn't mean we validate their belief. It isn't that religion shouldn't be a part of politics, but in politics, our ultimate goal is legislation, and Mormons are definitely fighting the same battles we are. In the spiritual realm, however, they are our enemies in the sense that Kent describes.
As far as Mormons not believing Jesus is God, I disagree. While a Mormon I fully believed that Jesus was God, so much so that the church teaches that Jesus IS the God of the Old Testament. They basically believe the same things about the trinity that Christians do, except that they don't believe they are all a part of the same essence. They believe God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all a part of what they call the Godhead and that Jesus has the full power of God. They explain verses that talk about God and Jesus being one by saying that they are one in purpose and one in power, but that they are very distinct and separate beings. As for the idea that God had sex with Mary, I cannot confirm or deny that it is a Mormon belief. My memory is telling me they don't believe that (as church doctrine), but I'm not sure.
As for salvation by faith vs. works, its hard to really pinpoint their exact belief. They don't talk about salvation the way we do. However, they essentially believe that your "salvation" is a result of your baptism. It takes a much greater understanding of their idea of heaven and hell to fully grasp my intent in saying this, but that's a whole other thing.
As for the 3 levels of heaven, this is true. They believe in 3 levels of heaven. However, within the highest level of heaven, they believe there are 3 classifications. The highest class are those that are married in the temple and have kids (these people, they believe, become gods of their own planets and creation). The second class is for those who never married in the temple or had kids (this is where the missionaries fall in). The lowest class, still within the highest level of heaven remember, are those who died before the age of accountability (8 years old).
As for the comments about Mormons not believing the Bible to be completely accurate. That is correct. They believ that the Book of Mormon is infallable, but that, due to potential translation errors, the Bible is questionable, to a degree. This is partially why they do not accept any translation other than the King James Version.
All-in-all this post is a really accurate picture of basic differences between Christians and Mormons. Thank you Kent for putting forth the effort to educate people on this false religion. Again, keep in mind that my understanding as a Mormon could be different from someone elses (just think about all the differences in Christianity), so just because I said something wasn't the way I understood it, doesn't mean that there aren't Mormons who believe that.
Wow. Between the post and Brent's comment, that is a whole lot of info. Hard to get a grasp on the relationship between Mormanism and ??? without knowing to what group Kent represents. Is it "Generic" Christianity? (Kent, regardless of your affiliation, I'd be thrilled to see a post on what religions might comprimise "generic" Christianity.)
I am Southern Baptist, although what I am speaking of when I make comparison to "Christianity" is traditional orthodox evangelical Christianity. That which has its origins in the Lord Jesus Christ and has been faithfully carried down throughout the centuries. This would of course exclude Roman Catholicism, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Greek Orthodox all of which I consider to be cults. Hope that helps.
Brent, as far as Mormons believing that Jesus is God I don't particularly know what strand of Mormonism you believed in when you were Mormon, but what I am referring to is a combination between traditional Mormon teaching and the numerous Mormon witnesses that have been at my door, none of which have considered Jesus to be God. They all believed that He was a god, but certainly not the God of the O.T. or God the Father. Every group that came to my door quoted the words of Jesus "The Father is greater than I" in an attempt to disprove that Jesus could be the source of salvation and God. Although I will admit that there are obviously numerous sects of Mormonism out there, maybe you were a part of the polygamist group (just kidding). Needless to say, much like Christianity there will be different takes on various doctrines from individual Mormons.
I have one comment I would like to make in response to Kent's last comment:
I know for a fact Brent does not have any other wives. He cannot remember what day of the week it is most days, how could he keep up with 2 or more of us? :)
I love you Brent!
The missionaries quote "The Father is greater than I" to show that the Father and the Son are distinct entities, not to discredit the Son as God.
Brent was right. Mormons believe Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Elijah was Jesus Christ. The Great I Am.
It's amazing what you'll learn when you read the Book of Mormon, instead of reading about the Book of Mormon.
What Do Mormons Believe?
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