Many Mormons wonder why Christians don’t believe Mormons are also Christians. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said – “Some people erroneously believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members are not Christian. We have difficulty understanding why anyone could accept and promote an idea that is so far from the truth.” He went on to say –

Our beliefs and actions may differ from those of others, but we, as good Christians, do not criticize other religions or their adherents. ‘We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

[Listen to a Podcast of this study by clicking this link.]

Critical Christians

Wirthlin raises an interesting question. Should Christians “not criticize” other religions or their adherents? Are they “good Christians” if they don’t criticize other religions? My answer is simple – Christians should always criticize false teaching by false teachers. I say that based not on my personal opinion, but upon the guidance of God’s Word.

Christians should take their direction from the Holy Spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles to write Scripture (Hebrews 1:1; Ephesians 2:20; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Jesus and His apostles warned disciples about false teachers and their teaching and today’s disciples should as well.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:15-16

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 2 Peter 2:1-3

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ … These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; aging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Jude 1:4, 12-13

To “criticize” someone is to be critical about what they believe and teach. Christians should be critical of any and all false teaching (Part Two of the False Teacher series). Christian leaders have a responsibility to warn Christians about false teachers who want to draw people away from the Gospel (Acts 20:30). However, be sure your criticism is based on God’s Word rightly divided (1 Timothy 2:15). Do not criticize someone’s beliefs unless you have a solid understanding of what the Bible teaches and what it doesn’t.

Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. Acts 20:3031

False teaching is so serious that the Apostle Paul announced a spiritual curse on false teachers and preachers. I often quote this to Mormon missionaries for discussion and warning purposes.

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8-9

The Apostle Peter joined with Paul in warning Christians –

Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:14-18

How To Determine False Beliefs

One of the primary ways to determine whether someone’s spiritual beliefs are true or false is to find out what they believe about Jesus Christ. If someone calls himself or herself a Christian but denies the truth about who the Bible says Jesus is, they are either not a Christian or they are ignorant about what the Bible teaches concerning Jesus. The apostles made that clear in their teaching.

By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.. 1 John 4:2-6

If you know your Bible well and are thoroughly convinced from the evidence of what it teaches about Jesus Christ, then you will know what kind of spirit a person has when you talk with them.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.’ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Titus 1:10-16

Testing Mormonism

Mormonism can be tested. One test I mentioned earlier in this series concerns People, Places, Things (PPT). That deals with history, anthropology, geography, and archaeology. However, the best and surest test is to compare Mormon beliefs with the teachings of God’s Word, the Holy Bible. Using the knowledge you have about what the Bible teaches concerning God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, test these Mormon beliefs – starting with Joseph Smith.

God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!!! … We have imagined that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil, so that you may see. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345)

Christ was begotten by an immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers” … “There is nothing figurative about his paternity; he was begotten, conceived and born in the normal and natural course of events (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 547 & 742,  Bruce McConkie, LDS First Council of the Seventy)

Our Father in heaven, according to the Prophet, had a Father, and since there has been a condition of this kind through all eternity, each Father had a Father (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:47, LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith)

God the Father is a perfected, glorified, holy Man, an immortal personage. And Christ was born into the world as the literal Son of this Holy Being; he was born in the same personal, real, and literal sense that any mortal son is born to a mortal father. There is nothing figurative about his paternity, he was begotten, conceived, and born in the normal and natural course of events, for he is the son of God, and that designation means what it says (Mormon Doctrine, 1979, p. 742, under Son of God).

The birth of the Savior was a natural occurrence unattended with any degree of mysticism, and the Father God was the literal parent of Jesus in the flesh as well as in the spirit (Religious Truths Defined, p. 44, quoting LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith)

The birth of the Saviour was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood – was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers (Journal of Discourses, v.8, p. 115, LDS President Brigham Young)

Now, remember from this time forth, and for ever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost (Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p. 51, LDS President Brigham Young)

The first spirit born to our heavenly parents was Jesus Christ (see D&C 93:21). He is thus our elder brother (see Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 26). Our spirits resemble our heavenly parents although they have resurrected bodies. We have inherited the potential to develop their divine qualities. If we choose to do so, we can become perfect, just as they are (Gospel Principles, 1978, p. 9)

Jesus became a God and reached His great state of understanding through consistent effort and continuous obedience to all the Gospel truths and universal laws (The Gospel Through the Ages, General Authority, Milton R. Hunter, p. 15).

Mormon doctrine teaches that God the Father “has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” (Doctrine & Covenants 130:22, LDS scripture)

The appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by one of the other sons of God. He was called Lucifer, son of the morning. Haughty, ambitious, and covetous of power and glory, this spirit-brother of Jesus desperately tried to become the Savior of mankind (The Gospel Through the Ages, 1945, p. 15)

God used to be a man on another planet. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 321; Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 333)

God resides near a star called Kolob. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 428; Pearl of Great Price, p. 34-35)

Implicit in the Christian verity that all men are the spirit children of an Eternal Father is the usually unspoken truth that they are also the offspring of an Eternal Mother.  An exalted and glorified Man of Holiness (Moses 6:57) could not be a Father unless a Woman of like glory, perfection, and holiness was associated with him as a Mother (Mormon Doctrine, 1977 ed., p. 516)

Does any of this correspond to the Word of God? I hope your answer is an emphatic “no!” God was not as we are now. He is not an exalted man. He was not a man on another planet. God does not have a body of flesh and bones like a man. Jesus is not a spirit child of an Eternal Father and Mother who have resurrected bodies. Jesus is not the spirit brother of Satan. Jesus did not become ‘a God’ through consistent effort and continuous obedience to all the Gospel truths and universal laws. We did not inherit the potential to develop God’s divine qualities and become perfect as God is Perfect.

If you do agree with what the Mormon teachers teach, please read the Bible again. You won’t find those teachings in the Bible. You may find those teachings in other religious writings, but not in the Bible.

[Listen to a Podcast of this study by clicking this link.]

Next Time

I will conclude this study and share three theories about Joseph Smith and his prophecies in the next part of our special series.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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