In the 29 years of this ministry, the most common thing I do is to get involved with counseling people. This is especially true with young people or couples. A Christian young adult will start dating a Mormon with the understanding that the Mormon must be Christian because the name on their church has Jesus Christ in it (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). And besides, they're just dating as friends and nothing is serious. However, as time goes by, they begin to be a steady couple and the thought of marriage starts being discussed. The Mormon will finally say that if the relationship is to continue, the Christian needs to become Mormon so they can be married in the Mormon Temple. By now the Mormon knows that the Christian is so emotionally connected to the Mormon that the heart overrules the head and the Christian is hooked.
The Mormon uses Biblical scriptures like Matthew 16:19 to prove they must be married in the temple so they can be married for eternity. (-whatever is bound on earth is bound in heaven-). If the Christian doesn't know the Bible very well, this would appear to be proof of the eternal marriage. However, any Bible, including the older Bible which Mormons used, will cross reference this verse to John 20:23. Here we see that if one person sins against another and the sinner doesn't repent or the other doesn't forgive, then looking back at Matthew 16:19 we see that the sin and the unforgiveness are "bound on earth" and will have to be answered to by both parties in heaven. However, if the sin is forgiven and the other party repents, then the sin is "loosed on earth" or doesn't exist any longer and God has forgiven both parties. So Matthew 16:19 is not talking about eternal marriage, it's talking about the forgiveness of sin.
In fact, if we go to Matthew 22:29-30, Mark 12:24-25 and Luke 20:34-36 we see that Jesus Himself said after this life there is no marriage; we shall all be as the angels in heaven. (Note: We don't become angels, but we become like the angels in heaven.)
Sometimes I hear the couple say the Christian will continue to go to their Christian church and the Mormon will go to their Mormon church. This may work for a while until they start having children. Then the fights begin as they argue about which religion to raise the kids in; Mormon or Christian. In many of these cases I'm asked to get involved. If both parties are firm in their beliefs and refuse to change, I see many of these resulting in divorce. The Mormon usually initiates this because he/she believes they must be married in the temple for eternity in order to go to the highest heaven, or the Celestial Kingdom. The Mormon man wants to go to the highest heaven which is the only way he can become a god to rule over his own planet. The Mormon woman wants this because she desires to become a goddess or a queen to her husband.
The concept of being married for eternity to the one you love is a very attractive idea to the individuals who are allowing their heart to overrule their head. The concept is a wonderful idea, but it's not what God had in mind. He only meant for this to be a practice here on earth, but he has a more beautiful plan for us in heaven.
Young adults are easily deceived because they believe the Bible is the word of God, but they don't know what it says. The Mormons prey on people like this. We need to start at an early age teaching our children what the Bible says so when deception like this comes along they will see it for what it really is: a deception from the Devil himself.
Christians contemplating dating or marriage to a Mormon need to be aware of the warning from God in 2 Cor.6:14 where Paul says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?" The interesting thing about this whole situation is, Mormons today claim to be Christians. Until 1971 Judy and I, as Mormons, were taught that when asked if we were Christians, we were instructed to say, "no, we're not Christian, we're Mormon." We were taught Christianity was hatched in hell (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, pg.176). John Taylor, in Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, pg 167 said, "We talk about Christianity, but it is a perfect pack of nonsense and the Devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the 19th century." So this deception continues today!!!
The conclusion of all this is, the Christian , in his or her decision to date or marry a Mormon is setting him or herself up for a big fall. The Mormon, however wonderful he or she may be, is planning a temple marriage contrary to what the Christian understands. The decisions we make today determine our destiny.
"Virtually every single theological heresy begins with a misconception of the nature of God." Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute, coined this phrase. It highlights the importance of how one views God. In the Bible we learn that God is eternal and there was never a time when he was not God Almighty. This is drastically different from the LDS teaching that God the Father used to be a man and evolved to become the God of this world. We will look at this teaching, its logical implications and what the Bible has to say about the matter.
In the Beginning...
While the Bible is clear that "In the beginning God…," Mormonism would be more aptly explained with "In the beginning man…" This is because Mormonism teaches that God is an exalted man. This teaching has been espoused by every single LDS president and was first taught by Joseph Smith himself. Joseph Smith stated that "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens…. If you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form" and that God "was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, pp. 345-346). This doctrine of evolving from man to God is known as Eternal Progression. It is this doctrine of eternal progression, Mormons believe, that will allow faithful Mormons to become gods, just as God the Father did. This is best seen in the LDS manual Achieving a Celestial Marriage. Page 132 reads, "By obedience to eternal gospel principles, he progressed from one stage of life to another until he attained the state we call exaltation or godhood."
1+1=3
There are some serious logical problems with the doctrine of eternal progression. The first main problem is known as an infinite regress. Imagine that what Joseph Smith taught was true for a moment. God was a man, created by a god who was a man, who was created by god who was a man back into infinity past. You could never get to the first Mormon god because he would always need a creator! This infinite regress of gods makes it impossible to have a first cause. Second LDS president Brigham Young admitted the difficulty in finding the beginning of all things within Mormonism when he said, "Many have tried to penetrate the first cause of all things… It would be as easy for a gnat to trace the history of man back to his origin as for man to fathom the First Cause of all things" (Journal of Discourses, 7:284). Other logical problems abound as well. For example, the Mormon God evolved to godhood by abiding by various eternal laws and regulations. If you can never reach the first LDS god, then who created these rules? Even if you could reach the first LDS god, how did he get his body? Who created the earth he lived on? How could he overcome sin, if there was no god before him to define what sin is? As we see, the lack of a first cause makes the Mormon concept of God not only confusing, but also limited and illogical. This goes contrary to scripture which states that God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33).
An example of the limitations of the God preached in Mormonism is seen in the creation of the universe. While the Bible teaches that God created the universe Ex Nihilo (out of nothing), the LDS church teaches that God can only create things out of preexisting material know as element. Rather than speaking the universe into existence, the God of Mormonism forms elements together to create planets, people, etc. LDS Apostle John Widtsoe stated that "God, the supreme power, cannot conceivably originate matter; he can only organize matter. Neither can he destroy matter; he can only disorganize it…. The doctrine that God made the earth or man from nothing becomes, therefore, an absurdity." (Widtsoe, A Rational Theology, p.12). How God can be "the supreme power" as Widtsoe said, and be limited to organizing preexisting material seems to be a self-defeating statement.
The Final Verdict
While many Latter-day Saints continue to struggle with how God can be an exalted man and still not be limited, the Bible offers a better alternative. God is eternal and is the only God ever to exist. Isaiah 43:10 states that "before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." Through the prophet Malachi God said that "I am the LORD, I change not" (Malachi 3:6). Numbers 23:19 makes it clear that "God is not a man," not even an exalted one. In the New Testament we read that God is a Spirit (Jn. 4:24) and a spirit does not have flesh and bones (Lk. 24:39). God creates by His powerful word. When He speaks in Genesis, the universe leaps into existence. God is unique in every way from His creation and rebukes any who compare Him to man (Ps. 50:21; Romans 1:22- 23).
(The following letter was so moving that we thought it best to print the whole thing to see the heart of this person).
Dear Judy,
I recently finished reading your book, Out Of Mormonism, and it has helped to
put together some of the puzzle pieces for me that I've never quite been able
to understand.
I grew up in the Mesa-Tempe-Chandler area and have always been very aware of the Mormon influence in this community. All through my school years, most of my friends were Mormon. I saw them as good people, but because none of them ever actually tried to "witness" to me, I never really knew what they were all about. I became a true Christian when I was in high school and was always simply told that Mormonism was contradictory to true Christianity and to treat it as any other cult. While that is certainly true, I was never taught about the actual doctrines and beliefs of Mormonism, and the many specific ways which it blatantly mocks the one and only true God. Your book helped me to see those things. It is so true that in order to protect yourself from the enemy, you must know who he is!
I worked for a few years at a Christian bookstore and we always had your "Witness To Mormons" book on hand, although I never looked inside it. I didn't know enough about Mormonism to think that my Mormon friends actually needed help. I figured that they were happy and they seemed to know Jesus, so I didn't pester them any further. Then my life-long best friend, who is also a true Christian, had a crisis in her family; her sister became engaged to a Mormon and was about to be baptized into the LDS church. Panicked, the family ran to Concerned Christians for help. Praise God, she came through the ordeal even more in love with the TRUE God than ever before. That's when I realized that Mormonism was even more dangerous then I had initially thought. Since then, I have known a number of friends who have run to your organization for help in struggling with Mormonism. Each time they have emerged from their trial triumphantly because of the aid that you provided through God's leading.
Because of what your organization has done for my brothers and sisters in Christ all around the world, I wish to give you what little I can to support your mission. I know without a doubt that Concerned Christians is doing the noble work of God by helping to bring His children safely back to Him. Thank you for loving God and His children and not backing down from His call to duty.
Chandler, AZ
Concerned Christian's staff,
Thank you for your awesome ministry! I receive your "Cross" newsletter via snail
mail, so I'm sending you my e-mail address. Please save as much money as you
can and don't use any unnecessary postage. I have been praying for my husband
to leave the Mormon faith. He is not active, but is strongly influenced and
"will never denounce" the Mormon faith. Because of his feelings I am not able
to support your ministry financially at this time, but please know that you
are in my prayers. If there is anything I can do here in South Florida to help
your ministry, please let me know.
Lauderhill, FL
Dear Concerned Christians,
I appreciate Concerned Christians very, very much!! Every person you can save
from the Mormon Church is a great blessing! Again, thank you and God bless the
excellent work you are doing for the Kingdom of the Lord.
Scottsdale, AZ
Concerned Christians,
Thank you for all of your hard work and effort. This isn't much, but we hope
that it helps with bringing the good news of God's love to those in need.
Tempe, AZ
Dear Jim,
Thank you for everything you are doing. I'm not LDS, but I find that I need
to learn more about their beliefs; how else can I defend myself and my beliefs.
I've lived in Utah for three years and I've never felt so alone. I enjoy reading
your articles and look forward to receiving your newsletter. God Bless!
Ogden, UT
Dear Jim & Judy,
Thank you so much for "The Cross", for all you both do for the community and
for all those you help make the transition out of Mormonism, as well as their
families and loved ones. I have wondered - if there had been a "Jim & Judy"
- back when Joseph Smith started his religion - perhaps many people would have
been spared the conversion - "Out of Mormonism."
Mesa, AZ
Dear Bob,
I enjoy "The Cross" very much I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, UT. My
family homesteaded the Salt Lake valley with Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers.
I became the first Christian on both sides of my family. I took a class from
Marvin Cowan called "Early Utah History and the Mormon Pioneers." It taught
me a lot about my roots. Needless to say, I faced and still face a lot of persecution.
Keep up the great work and know that I'm praying for the ministry of Concerned
Christians.
Lewisville, TX
Dear Concerned Christians,
Thank you so much for continuing to send me your very informative newsletters.
I'm a real estate agent and have worked with numerous young Mormon couples.
It breaks my heart to see the satanic deception they are under. I am so thankful
for a ministry like "Concerned Christians" that have a heart to reach out to
those lost in Mormonism. I shared the article you had in the August/September
issue regarding "What the Mormon Temple Represents" with our home Bible study,
and it was such wonderful and helpful information! Thank you for your commitment
to such an excellent ministry, and providing such great witnessing resources
for those of us who interact with Mormons on a daily basis. This is the first
time I've donated to your organization, and the Lord willing, it will continue
on a regular basis.
Chandler, AZ
Dear Friends,
Oh, how my heart is first full of thankfulness for the work you are doing, and
secondly the flip side of that coin is the heart break of the Mormon cult. I
had to write you because two precious boys just came to my door; so clean, so
precious and so convinced they have the true religion. Yes, two young men from
the Mormon church. You look into their eyes and see that they have been so well
drilled and indoctrinated. I am 73 years old and on SS, but I enclose a small
check even though it's not much. I continue to pray for you and pray that others
with the means can do so too, so you can keep your ministry going strong.
Buckeye, AZ
Anyone who reads some of the things Joseph Smith said as recorded in History of the Church and Journal of Discourses, knows that this self-appointed prophet was quite full of himself and quick with a revelation. Some cases in point:
In Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, p. 271, Brigham Young affirmed Joseph's teaching about "the inhabitants of the moon… ." Incidentally, Brigham then went one-up on Joseph by stating his own incredible beliefs regarding "…the inhabitants of the sun."
What Joseph never counted on was that, over a hundred years later, man would actually land on the moon and find it completely devoid of life or any sign that life ever existed there.
What he never counted on was that, in the late 1960's, real Egyptologists would be allowed to examine and translate the papyri. They discovered that these were actually ancient Egyptian burial instructions which had absolutely nothing to do with Abraham or Joseph. Joseph Smith claimed this was THE BOOK OF ABRAHAM. You'll find it in The Pearl of Great Price, one of the four books that Mormons accept as scripture.
What he never counted on was that, after his death, his successors would find almost 4,000 errors that needed changing in his "most correct book." The LDS faithful are quick to inform you that those changes were a result of minor punctuation errors created by the printer who deliberately sabotaged their holy book. But, don't be fooled. The changes were not just multiple punctuation, spelling and sentence structure errors. But, many words were added and deleted, resulting in multiple textual and doctrinal changes. And, some of the changes were made as late as their 1981 Edition, which is their last edition.
In Part 2, in the February/March issue, we will look at more things in this genre that will expose Joseph Smith for who he really wasn't.
Editor's Note. Read other bazaar teachings by Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and others in Amazing Mormon Quotes by Robert Betts. It's available at our Mesa office, or through this newsletter, or our Concerned Christians' on-line bookstore (www.concernedchristians.org).
Praise God and thanks to all of you who gave financial gifts, large and small, over the past two months. Thanks, also, to those of you who couldn't give, but prayed for our needs. Approximately 40% of the year-to-date shortfall of almost $16,000 was erased.
As the Office Manager for Concerned Christians, it's my responsibility to make a year-end push to try to erase the other 60% of that shortfall. We still have an almost $10,000 need to make up before the end of the year if we're going to just break even. That would be such a blessing.
Be assured that our budget belt is about as tight as it gets. Concerned Christians' total average operating expenses (including salaries) is under $12,000 per month. That includes all of our books and other publications, our video library, the mortgage, the utilities, etc.
This being our final newsletter in 2002, this will be our final appeal for your financial assistance. If you are needing or wanting a last minute tax write-off for 2002, please keep Concerned Christians in mind for that purpose.
We thank the Lord for His provision over the past year; and most especially, for the dozens of souls He has given us to help bring out (or keep out) of Mormonism and into His kingdom.
We trust Him for His future provision and we depend on you to be His instruments.
We pray your Christmas holiday will be blessed and that you have a prosperous, happy and safe New Year.