Who Has the Priesthood Authority?
Mormons believe the (Mormon) Priesthood is the power of God!
"When we act in the name of the Lord, as holders of the priesthood,
we are doing it in the name and in behalf of our Heavenly Father.
The Priesthood is the power by which our Heavenly Father works
through men." (Ensign, July 1973, pg.98). "We are the Lord's agent;
we represent him; he has given us authority which empowers us
to do all that is necessary to save and exalt ourselves as well
as his other children in the world. We are ambassadors of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Our commission is to represent him. We are
directed… to do what he would do if he were personally present."
(Ensign, June 1971, pg.49)
Mormons believe worthy male church members must have the priesthood
authority to act in the name of God when performing their sacred
ordinances, such as baptism, confirmation, administration of the
sacrament, and temple marriage. If a man does not have the priesthood,
as Christian pastors do not, the Mormons teach even though he
may be sincere, the Lord will not recognize ordinances he performs.
In Doctrine & Covenants 84:21-22, Joseph Smith said, "And without
the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the
power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; For
without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father,
and live." Joseph Smith is saying that no man can see the face
of God without these ordinances and receiving the Priesthood.
Yet we read in Joseph Smith-History 1:17, "It no sooner appeared
than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound.
When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness
and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.
One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing
to the other--- This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!"
According to Joseph Smith, he is alleged to have seen the father
and the son at this time in 1820, however this was before he reported
he had received the priesthood. According to him, he didn't receive
the Aaronic priesthood until May 1829 and he didn't receive the
Melchizedek priesthood until approximately April 6, 1830. That
is 9 and 10 years respectively after he was supposed to have had
his vision of the Father and the Son. If Joseph Smith did see
the Father and the Son, he did it without the priesthood
or ordinances he claimed were necessary to do so.
There is another aspect of the Mormon priesthood that needs
to be discussed. All worthy Mormons look forward to receiving
their Patriarchal Blessing from an authorized Patriarch of the
LDS church. The Patriarch is much like a fortune teller, revealing
to you your previous life in the pre-existence, as well as what
things you are to accomplish while in this life so that you can
return to the presence of God.
The Mormon church claims their temples are designed exactly
after the plan of Solomon's temple. But do the activities inside
the LDS temples mimic those that went on in Solomon's temple?
Consider those who administer the ordinances inside. One of the
first Old Testament requirements for temple service is that the
priests must be of the tribe of Levi, and more specifically the
family of Aaron. In Numbers 8, we read about the setting apart
of the Levites to be the only ones in the temple. In Numbers 16:40
we read that no one except a descendant of Aaron could come before
the Lord to burn incense. Numbers 18:21 through 26 says it is
the Levites that are to do the work at the Tent of Meeting or
inner chamber of the temple. It also says this is a lasting ordinance
for generations to come. In Leviticus 8, the whole chapter is
devoted to the ordination of Aaron and his sons to be the only
ones to work in the temple. In Leviticus 9, we read about the
beginning of their ministry as the only authorized priests to
be in the temple.
So now we compare the only authorized tribe in the Bible, the
Levites or family of Aaron, with the vast majority of the Mormons.
95% of the time, the Mormon is told by the patriarch that he is
a member of the tribe of Ephraim. Most of the remainder are told
they are from the tribe of Manasseh. In fact, in Numbers 3:10,
we see that anyone, other than the family of Aaron, who approached
the inner chamber of the Old Testament temple or sanctuary, must
be put to death.
When Jesus died on the cross, He became our Great High Priest.
So God no longer needed men who had the priesthood. (I Tim.2:5)
Now Jesus intercedes for us before God and has all Authority
and power given to Him. Therefore, Mormons have no authority
and power and are in grave spiritual error, leading all who follow
this teaching in error also.
Mormons have over 120 temples around the world, yet God only
authorized one temple; Solomon's Temple. We pray that the members
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would open
their eyes and minds to see and follow truth instead of the man
made organization started by the false prophet, Joseph Smith.
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SUMMER $$$ DROUGHT
Between people taking family vacations, the absence of our winter
visitors and a dearth of summer speaking engagements, Concerned
Christians is experiencing the usual summer financial drought,
making it difficult to make ends meet. If you are able and God
leads, please help us through these summer and fall months with
an extra gift.
As always, thank you to our regular faithful prayer partners
and financial sponsors.
We trust God for His provision; we depend on you to be
His instruments.
Latter-day Saints: "Hooked on a (Family) Feelin'"
Part 2 by Bob Betts
 The
importance of family should not be understated and won't be by
this writer. I know no one who would argue that the family unit
is not the core of any society. Being a part of a healthy family
requires that each part fulfill his or her purpose(s) which requires
that each member set priorities with the well-being of all family-members
in mind. The examples within the unhealthy, even dysfunctional
family relationships of the major patriarchs are presented in
the Old Testament for our examination as we observe their failures.
Those examples are counterbalanced in the gospels and epistles
with the instructions of Jesus and the Apostles for healthy, functional
family relationships with the proper spiritual and relational
nourishment. The balance is critical. We all fight the self-centered
urge to give too little time and attention to our families, aware
of the eventual relational deterioration if we neglect our loved
ones.
LDS Family Emphasis
While we should never underestimate the value of the family,
our love and esteem for family should never supercede God's design.
However, in the opening paragraph to a 1997 brochure entitled,
"THE FAMILY: A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD," the Mormon church leadership
states: "We, the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim
that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and
that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal
destiny of His children."
Though their statement about marriage is certainly true, the
family being central to God's plan for the eternal destiny of
His children, definitely is not. Did Christ ever elevate the importance
of family to salvation status? Did He ever make family central
to our eternal destiny?
Christ's Holy Perspective
Jesus made sure in several of His teachings that we not place
family on an undeserved pedestal:
- He made it known that He would be the reason that family
members might be each other's enemies. And, anyone who loved
family more than Him was unworthy of Him ( Matthew 10:34-39).
- Given that He had no wife or children to personally care for,
Jesus made it known how important the disciples and anyone who
does the will of His Father were in comparison to His mother
and brothers ( Matthew 12:46-50).
- He proclaimed the reward of everlasting life to any willing
to forsake all, including family, if necessary ( Matthew 19:29).
- He declared to one man that following Him took priority over
his desire to first bury his father ( Matthew 8:21-22).
- When a woman tried to give a public blessing to His mother
for giving birth to Him, Jesus corrected her by blessing those
who hear the Word of God and keep it ( Luke 11:27-28).
- He declared the hard reality that a man must, by comparison,
hate his family members and his own life in order to be His
disciple ( Luke 14:26).
It's All About God
It's not that Jesus intended to disown His own family or to
disparage the family unit. What Christ stated in the plainest
of terms is that He and the Father are to be our foremost focus,
even above family. Christ's intention was to teach us to properly
esteem the Father and Himself above all else. God and Christ,
as co-Creators and Sustainers of all life, are the Ones who are
central to their eternal plan for man. We ARE the recipients of
God's grace, mercy, atonement, forgiveness, justification, salvation
and eternal life. But, this life is not about our families or
us. It's all about our triune God.
For the Mormon church to proclaim the family as central to God's
plan, even to the extent that their "eternal destiny" is at stake,
is to render an eternal importance to the family that cannot be
biblically validated. In fact the above scriptures document Christ's
denunciations of putting family ahead of Himself.
God actually places more importance on the relationships within
the Church, i.e. His disciples, the Body of believers in the Matthew
12:46-50 passage.
The Lord Over The Family
Once again, the Mormon church knows how to tug at people's heartstrings.
With the family under so much attack, with so many broken homes
and people of all ages wanting to experience the cohesiveness
of family, it's no wonder the Mormon church's family emphasis
is so appealing.
Nevertheless, people's emotions are being manipulated and their
hearts deceived. If the family were central to God's plan for
our eternal destiny, Jesus would have said so. The Lord never
taught that family is central for salvation or that "families
are forever," as Mormonism teaches. Instead, God sent Jesus, the
central figure in His plan for the eternal destiny of those who
choose by faith, to receive His free gift and follow Him.
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From The Mailbag
Concerned Christians,
I so enjoy reading "The Cross" newsletter. Keep up the good work!
Eternity will show the final results.
Fargo, N.D.
Concerned Christians,
Enclosed find a check that is to be used to support the work and
ministry of Concerned Christians. We appreciate everything you
all do for the community.
Mesa, AZ
Dear Friends,
Thank you for mailing me your newsletter. I always learn so much
from all the articles. You are all in my prayers and I'm so grateful
for the work that you are doing in leading Mormons to Christ.
Riverside, CA
Concerned Christians,
Thank you for speaking at our church and making such an impact
on the lives of those around you!
Chandler, AZ
 Dear
Jim & Judy,
You have been sending me "The Cross" newsletter ever since we
met at my local church here in Texas. I want to say how thankful
I am for it. It's a blessing to me as a Christian who is married
to a life-long Mormon. It's unbelievable the incredible hold this
cult has on my husband. All I can do is to pray for him since
he has been taught not to listen to anything or anyone who is
against their church. Please ask your readers to pray for Chris
and his family. I am an army of one and I feel my battle alone
is being lost. Thank you all for being out there for me.
Tomball, TX
Dear Jim & Judy,
Many years ago we moved to Arizona and we attended a lecture Jim
gave at our church For the first time we heard the unbelievable
tale of Mormonism. It was so unreal to learn that anyone could
believe and expect to receive salvation and their own planet through
the belief in the still developing and ever changing theology
of Mormonism. I since, have done a lot of studying of their beliefs
and it is with great joy that I read your newsletter, "The Cross",
particularly the testimonials from "awakened" ex-Mormons. We pray
that our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to bless you and your
efforts and that the true light of the Gospel will shine on more
and more of the lost brethren, that their hearts and minds will
be turned to Christ.
Petoskey, MI
Jim & Judy,
Thanks for all you are doing to share the Good News! I pray for
you often and hope this donation will help in your work.
Mesa, AZ
Jim & Judy,
We just want to say thank you so much for what you are doing!
My wife and I heard you teach at our church months ago. Since
then God has put Mormons on our hearts. We were able, with the
knowledge that you and the Holy Spirit imparted upon us, to witness
on two separate occasions to two sets of LDS missionaries. Other
couples, who were part of the same class, have had similar stories;
i.e missionaries at their home, Mormons at work, etc. It just
makes it so exciting to think what God has done and is doing in
the hearts of Mormons through your desperate love for them and
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mesa, AZ
 Dear
Jim,
I just wanted to thank you for your help through my journey of
Mormonism. This was one of my toughest challenges in life so far
and I appreciate the time you spent with me and the insight you
provided. I am happy to tell you that this Easter I was baptized
into the Christian Church. This was all a difficult decision,
but now I am so blessed to feel that I actively have the Holy
Spirit in my life. Please accept the enclosed money as thanks
for the love and knowledge you've shared with me.
Burnsville, MN
Concerned Christians,
Thank you so much for "The Cross" newsletter and for your ministry.
I love you! Be strong and steadfast in Jesus Name. Alberta, Canada
Jim & Judy, You always touch our hearts, and today you touch our
pocket book, gladly and joyfully given. Keep up the wonderful
work.
A Pastor in Houston, TX
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An Answer to a Mormon's E-mail Question by Lloyd
Sharp
Editor's Note: Lloyd Sharp's series on the LDS Articles of
Faith is being postponed to the October/November CROSS newsletter,
so that we may bring you this important and excellent response
by Lloyd to a recent E-mail we received.
Alan, thanks for your e-mail! You raise several important issues.
Your first question, are Christians Mormon? You claim to be a
Christian, as I do. Yet you would no doubt deny that I am a Mormon.
After all, I do not believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I
do not believe in latter-day revelation equal to the Holy Bible.
I deny that God is a man. I deny that Jesus Christ is a separate
God from God the Father. For all of these reasons and more, you
would kindly but firmly inform me that I am not a Mormon. Indeed
I cannot be a Mormon and deny essential Mormon doctrine! Neither
can you claim to be Christian and deny essential Christian doctrine.
You define a Christian as one who "believes that the person
described as Jesus of Nazareth was indeed a real person in history
and also believes that he was truly who he said he was, and accepts
the testimony and witness of the Apostles to his death on the
cross and his resurrection." This is a great definition, however,
it lacks one thing. Who is Jesus, Alan? Jesus asked His apostles
this very question (Matthew 16:15). When He asked "Who do you
say that I am?" He knew that the answer was of eternal importance.
The LDS church teaches that Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer.
Former LDS prophet Spencer Kimball wrote that "Long before you
were born a program was developed by your creators.... The principal
personalities in this great drama were a Father Elohim [God the
Father],…and two sons, Lucifer and Jehovah [Jesus]." (Teachings
of Spencer W.Kimball, 32-33) LDS Apostle Milton Hunter taught
that "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....
the spirit-brother of Jesus desperately tried to become the Savior
of mankind." (Hunter, The Gospel Through the Ages, 15) See also
Doctrine and Covenants 93:21. In LDS theology Jesus is looked
at as an "elder brother" more than the sovereign creator of all
that exists (Col 1:16-17).
The Bible is clear that Lucifer is an angel, specifically a
cherub (Ezekiel 28:14). As an angel, Lucifer falls into the category
of created things, and all things are created by Jesus (Colossians
1:16-17). The Bible also teaches that Jesus is God incarnate (John
1:1-2, 14) and has been from all eternity. Jesus is not a created
being, but the sovereign master of all that is. This is a far
cry from the Jesus of the LDS church.
Also worth noting is that the LDS church teaches that God the
Father is a man (Doctrine & Covenants 130:22)! The Bible clearly
teaches that God is not a man and never has been (Isaiah 43:10-11;
Numbers 23:19; Hosea 11:9).
 Second,
the gospel of Christ is one of freedom from the law. Those who
are saved are under grace, not under the law (Rom 6:14). Your
claim that somehow "salvation does depend upon continued faithfulness
to my Lord's commandments and to that which I have come to know,
not what others might think they know" is not Biblical. The Bible
clearly teaches that it is by GRACE we are saved, not works (Ephesians
2:8-9). A man's salvation is dependent on faith in Christ alone,
not the filthy works of man. (Isaiah 64:6) Jesus Himself said
that faith in Him is all one needs for salvation. (John 6:28-29)
Finally, Alan, you are wrong to claim that "no one knows who
is and who is not truly Christian but God." I KNOW that I am a
Christian. I KNOW that if I died at this very moment I would spend
eternity in the presence of God the Father because I KNOW Jesus
whom I trust for my salvation. The apostle John must have had
these things in mind when he penned these words:
"These things I have written unto you that believe on the name
of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life,
and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John
5:13) emphasis added.
Alan, if you do not KNOW that if you died today you would be
in heaven with God the Father, you are putting your faith in a
false gospel. As a former Latter-day Saint I know how hard this
is to hear and that your first instinct is to brush me off as
anti-Mormon. Please do not do this. Eternity is at stake Alan.
I will be glad to answer any other questions you have.
In His Name,
Lloyd
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Thanks for the prayers - by Judy Robertson
I'm very grateful for all of you who prayed for my recovery
after the allergic reaction I had while in Hawaii. I'm back to
normal now and each day is a blessing. I am reminded anew that
life on earth is fleeting. But I can say with David, "My flesh
and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and
my portion forever" Psalm 73:26).
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