August 17 – Using Malachi to Build Mormon Temples. 1 Thessalonians 4:8; “So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”
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Today’s Mormon reference is on the Church’s misinterpretation of a prophecy in Malachi chapter three. They used this prophecy as an excuse to build temples because as they said, Jesus needs a home on earth. You’ll want to share with the Mormon how God’s temple on this side of the cross is actually the believer. In fact, a sign that someone is a Christian is the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit inside of them. Tragically, Mormons have been tricked into believing God’s Spirit living inside a man’s heart is false, and His Spirit to influence mankind can come and go, depending on a person’s behavior – D&C 130:3, 23.
Two verses from the Apostle Paul should put those false teachings to rest, so be sure to point out he told the Corinthians in his first epistle the believer is the temple of God. See 1 Corinthians 3:16, and 1 Corinthians 6:19.
Another problem in using Malachi chapter three is the erroneous belief they needed to build temples in order to fulfill Malachi’s prophecy for God. While God can use man to fulfill His prophecies, there are obviously times God is fully capable of doing things all on His own when He chooses to do so.
Matthew Henry mentioned Malachi’s prophecy had several dimensions to it and worthy of investigation. See Malachi 3:1-6. He (Malachi) was confirming what Isaiah said several hundred years earlier, making Malachi the latter prophet spoken of in this prophecy. There is no doubt the messenger was in reference to none other than John the Baptist. Immediately on the heels of John’s appearance, Jesus would show up on the scene, and preach in His temple at Jerusalem. Matthew Henry also mentioned the other way this will be fulfilled is seen in John’s revelation at the Lord’s Second Coming when He judges the sorcerers, and other ne’er-do-wells.
Because this is such a ‘big thing’ with the Mormon people, remember to take your time when explaining these things, and using demonstrative evidence, why their apostle, Orson Pratt, was wrong.
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Journal of Discourses 16:251; “I will call the attention of the congregation to a portion of the word of God contained in the third chapter of Malachi—“Behold, I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple…The building of Temples of the Lord is promised in his word, for there we read that in the latter days he would have a house built on the earth…strange as it may be, and that when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, and shall sit as a refiner’s fire and as fuller’s soap on the sons of Levi, to purify them as gold and silver, he will, in that day, come to his Temple, and come very suddenly. That shows, at once, that he must have a Temple on the earth in the latter time.” – Orson Pratt, Salt Lake City, Oct. 7, 1873
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