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Tip of the Day, December 13

Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged , , , , , , on 12/13/2010| Leave a Comment »

December 13 – 1 Peter 1:19; “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

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It is rare someone will hear about the blood of Christ and the cross at any sacrament meeting held at the local ward building of the LDS Church.  Share with a Mormon why it was necessary the sacrifice had to be spotless. 

The Greek word for blemish is: amoômos.  It means without blame (unblameable), or faultless.  The Mormon will hear the phrase “lamb of God” couched in the middle of ordering them to obey the ordinances and laws of the gospel; this makes it confusing and nonsensical!  On the flip side, they will more than likely hear the following about Smith.

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“When Joseph went to Carthage to deliver himself up to the pretended requirements of the law, two or three days previous to his assassination, he said: “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I SHALL DIE INNOCENT, AND IT SHALL YET BE SAID OF ME—HE WAS MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD.”—The same morning, after Hyrum had made ready to go—shall it be said to the slaughter? yes, for so it was.”   Doctrine and Covenants 135:4

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Mormon Doctrine vs. Mormon Gospel

Posted in Doctrine, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 11/08/2010| 1 Comment »

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail through the Life After Ministries website.  This gentleman informed me that quoting from the LDS authorized book Mortal Messiah, written by Bruce McConkie, was proof I didn’t know the difference between Mormon doctrine and the gospel.  I would respond to him privately but he’s blocked my IP address on his computer.

Okay then.

(more…)

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Mentoring Handbook Chapter 16

Posted in Mentoring Handbook, tagged , , , , , , , , on 10/22/2010| Leave a Comment »

GETTING BAPTIZED…AGAIN!

By the time I left Utah and stopped getting baptized for dead people I was sure I could have webbed feet.  I don’t recall how many times I went to the temple (more than five times, less than twenty) I do know it seemed like a lot!  For me, Saturday mornings as a young teen meant a drive with the bishop to downtown Ogden to do works for the dead.

Not long after I was saved the Lord made it apparent to me that I needed to be baptized…again, yet it was for the first time!  I remember waking my poor husband up in the middle of the night after the Lord had impressed it upon my soul that He wanted me to do this.  Kirk said; “that’s nice dear” and quickly went back to sleep as I sat up the rest of the night talking to my Lord.  It was one of the sweetest times I’ve ever had with God.

It is in obedience that we are baptized and not because we “have to”, but because we desire to please our Lord and God.  It is an honor to follow Him and make that public proclamation of our devotion to Jesus.  Even today I still can’t believe He got me of all people, out of Utah!

Jesus is always our example whenever there is any doubt or confusion about what we should do in matters such as these.  We want to emphasize that baptism is not necessary for salvation and we can use the thief on the cross as one of the proofs, as well as Eph. 2:8-9.  However, when we make Jesus our Lord and not merely our Savior, then we will heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  He will never contradict what the word says, so we can use this as our measure of truth.

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry Matthew gives us the account of when Jesus went to the Jordan to be an example of righteousness fulfilled.  Matthew 3:13-7 says;

“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Getting baptized unto the Lord also serves as another way of denouncing the evil one!  Just as when we consider renewing our wedding vows and our public confession of believing Jesus, being baptized helps the ex-Mormon to spiritually make that break.  The Mormon Church maintains that “true believers” have to be baptized and then have the “laying on of hands to receive the Holy Ghost”.  Make it clear to the ex-Mormon this is not the case by showing them the thief on the cross and also how being baptized for dead people is not scriptural.

Explain in full what 1 Cor. 15:29 really means and also take another look at how Luke 16:19-31 tells us that there is no chance of being able to do things like this either from the grave or for those already in the grave.  The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 92 says;

“The fourth article of faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints declares that “baptism by immersion for the remission of sins” is one of the “first principles and ordinances of the Gospel.”…It is a primary step in the process, which includes faith, repentance, baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, whereby members may receive remission of their sins and gain access to the Celestial Kingdom and eternal life… Baptism must be performed by one who has proper priesthood authority.”

To this I say; work, work, work, work, work… 

© 2010 Life After Ministries, Inc.

Link for Chapter 17:

17. Bearing Your Testimony

http://lifeafterministry.com/2010/10/22/mentoring-handbook-chapter-17/

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Mentoring Handbook Chapter 5

Posted in Mentoring Handbook, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 10/22/2010| Leave a Comment »

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS RESIDENCE

     Picture yourself sitting in the upper room with Jesus and the other apostles at the end of the Last Supper.  Can you just imagine what it would have felt like and what your response would have been if Jesus had told you (happily I might add), that He was going to die so that you would be filled with The Comforter?  In the gospel of John we find just that!  Judas was about to betray the long awaited Messiah and here was Jesus; just as calm as if He were talking about the daily events in the life of a butterfly.

In less than two months from that very night they were going to be filled with the third person of the Trinity.  God would take up residence inside each and every believer from that day forward and never leave nor desert them just as Jesus promised the apostles with His comforting words on that dark night in the upper room.

 John 14:23 says; “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

      The long awaited day of Pentecost* had finally arrived as the apostles gathered again for prayer. The meticulous Dr. Luke narrates for us the scenario of how the Holy Spirit rushed in from heaven, filled the whole house with His presence and then filled each of the believers; Acts 2:1-4.  Remember the times in the Gospels when Jesus said you cannot tell which way the wind bloweth?  Now through His power and the wind they felt on their cheeks, they began speaking in tongues and witnessing to the people there that represented all of the surrounding areas!

Actually, there in the city of Jerusalem, people had gathered from all around to celebrate the feast of the first-fruits.  Fifty days from the time of Passover had gone by and now was the time of harvest!  What a glorious event it must have been to witness the arrival of the Promise that Jesus had foretold.  At first the people who gathered around to watch this event thought the brand new spirit filled Christians were drunk, but Peter assured them it was only nine o’clock in the morning and no one had been drinking.

(Just imagine the hushed conversations in groups of 4-5 and compare that thought with the freedom.  The freedom those apostles and disciples now were living in – my, what an experience…probably much like it was for you when you got saved.)

God was now showing them fifty days after the resurrection of His Son Jesus; the Promise was theirs to keep.  Now God would go with them everywhere they went.  They wouldn’t have to wait outside the gates of the temple or travel several days to attend the three required yearly feasts and sacrifices at the temple where God resided.  He now came to His people instead of them going to Him.  Many of the experiences, feelings and thoughts the early Christians lived through are the same things we live through; but not with this particular incident on the first Christian Pentecost.

God purposefully used this exact time to fill His believers to get the biggest audience and get “more bang for the buck”, if you will.  All the Israelites had to come back to Jerusalem for the Feast of the first-fruits.  He wanted His children who didn’t yet believe to hear Him and when they went back to their villages and towns they would take the stories of their experience with them.

Sure, God was obviously going to send out apostles and missionaries, but the little nooks and crannies of the towns were taken care of by witnessing God in action in Jerusalem on that first Christian Pentecost.  God is never one to overlook any situation; He is the ultimate Giver of Life, our Prince of Peace.  What a merciful God we have; so eager to forgive, providing through His love for a way to come to Him just in case you change your mind…

There were so many signs that this “wind” was the infilling of the Presence of God the only way to “miss” it was to willfully turn away from Him.  Paul reiterates the residence of the Holy Spirit in his first epistle to the believers in Corinth.  In chapter 3:16 he says;

 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

      And again in 6:19 he reminds them that they are the temple of God who resides inside of them.  For more examples of being filled with the Holy Spirit let’s take a quick glance at the beginning of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:41 says 3,000 became Christians in one day. Acts 2:47 says there were people being saved every single day.  In Acts chapter three we find Peter and John going up to the temple to preach the gospel and came upon a lame man sitting at the doors of the temple.  Through this man’s healing that came from the Holy Spirit through the mouths of Peter and John, 5,000 more people were added to the body of Christ!  See Acts 4:4.  By the time we get to Acts 5:14 we see that Peter and John had brought a multitude of believers to their new spirit filled lives.

Fast forward some 2,000 years and here we are in today’s world, today’s sinful behavior filled with violence and temptations of every kind; how’s a person to survive the onslaught of evil from the television, radio, magazines, billboards and just people around them?  The answer is obviously clear for those who pronounce His name as their God, but for those who’ve been lied to on purpose it’s another story.  How does one “get the Holy Spirit”?

Questions will obviously begin swirling around in the heads of those you mentor so be prepared.  This is always such a blessing and fascinating time for them and for you.  Always know that we’re here praying for you and those you are mentoring.  Interesting word study if you have the time!  Take a look at the word “comforter”.

There’s a short list of questions to answer at the end of this section; however we won’t be delving into the subdivisions of the many denominations throughout the world.  The purpose of focusing on this subject is to show the new Christian how the disciples did nothing to deserve or expect the Holy Spirit to take up residence inside of them.   We so desperately want you to know how the everyday Christian life is spent on a day-to-day basis of leaning into Him and no one else.

Now that we’ve gone to the Bible and learned some new things, let’s compare them with the lies that are packed tightly inside of the heart of the ex-Mormon.  Exposing the lies for what they are and calling them out to the light will take the control away from the spiritual stranglehold they have around the throats of these dear people; maybe it’s even you who needs true freedom!

God said that “what is bound on earth is bound in heaven” (claim Matt. 16:19 while praying for their minds to be clear of lies).  The Bible also tells us that scripture is more powerful than a two edged sword.  As a believer you have the ability to claim spiritual authority over any darkness that still lingers around.  So with this in mind let’s take a look at the lies; expose them for what they’re are and carefully help the ex-Mormon see the differences between what the LDS Church and the Bible really says.

      For further information on denouncing and the oppression that comes along with being a Mormon, see “Denouncing Mormonism” and “The dark clouds overhead are Mormonism” later in this outline.

The LDS Church has always taught its members that “When the leaders (of the Church) speak, the thinking has been done”.  So if the leaders of the Church say the things that are listed below, it’d be difficult at best to figure out whom the Holy Ghost is, what purpose he serves or where he even come from.

In DoS 1:39 Joseph Fielding Smith, grandson of Hyrum Smith and son of Joseph F. Smith was the “leading gospel scholar and the greatest doctrinal teacher of this generation”. The point to my bringing attention to this man is that he was and still is considered to be as “authoritative” as Hinckley is today.  They use his writings in public correspondence and continued on to say the following in the preface of volume one in DoS:

 “Few men in this dispensation have approached him in gospel knowledge or surpassed him in spiritual insight, His is the faith and the knowledge of his father, President Joseph F. Smith, and his grandfather, the Patriarch Hyrum Smith.” –

      In other words, they still believe it even if they lie and say they don’t. The leaders of the Church, both dead and alive hold a tremendous amount of spiritual power over the members of the Church.

When an active, inactive, or ex-Mormon says that the Church doesn’t use these references anymore; ask them why the Church still sells them (the books) at their bookstores and why they are continuing to this day to embrace the “old prophets” theology.  They are indeed used in speeches or classes they teach when it’s convenient for the leaders.  Until they completely denounce all the teachings of the LDS faith, we will continue to speak the truth.  The prophet Joseph Fielding Smith told the members of the Church that he didn’t speculate on the purpose of the Holy Spirit.

 Doctrines of Salvation 1:39 says; “I have never troubled myself about the Holy Ghost whether he will sometime have a body or not because it is not in any way essential to my salvation. He is a member of the Godhead, with great power and authority, with a most wonderful mission which must be performed by a spirit. This has satisfied me without delving into mysteries that would be of no particular benefit.”

       Then from James Talmage in his work entitled Articles of Faith, pg. 145, it says the Holy Ghost isn’t omnipresent;

 “Much of the confusion existing in human conceptions concerning the nature of the Holy Ghost arises from the common failure to segregate His person and powers…the actual person of the Holy Ghost cannot be in more than one place at a time.”

      Joseph Smith went so far as to say the Holy Ghost’s power is nothing but pure intelligence.  History of the Church 3:380;

 “There are two Comforters spoken of. One is the Holy Ghost, the same as given on the day of Pentecost, and that all Saints receive after faith, repentance, and baptism. This first Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence…while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham.”

      History of the Church 3:379;

 “THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST by the laying on of hands, cannot be received through the medium of any other principle than the principle of righteousness, for if the proposals are not complied with, it is of no use, but withdraws.”

      Encyclopedia of Joseph Smith’s Teachings;

 “But the Holy Ghost is yet a spiritual body and waiting to take to himself a body, as the Savior did or as God did or the gods before them took bodies; for the Savior says the work that my Father did do I also. . . . He took himself a body and then laid down his life that he might take it up again. (Joseph Smith, The Words of Joseph Smith, p. 382; standardized).”

      Note:  The page number for the above passage is sketchy as it didn’t list each page number. From the entries before and after it’s somewhere between pg. 321-323.

I believe we’ve made our case and proven the Holy Spirit is not any of the things the LDS Church says He is!  I can’t imagine living even one day without His Holy Spirit inside of me.  I can look back to the time before I was saved in ‘93 and remember what a mess my life was then.  The most striking difference is the loneliness I felt all the time from running circles in my head looking for the answers and always coming back more empty than before.

*Give definition of Pentecost.  Share any insights you have gleaned in your years as a Christian.

 Questions for Chapter Five

1.  What are the transliterations in Hebrew and Greek for Pentecost?

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2.  What is the purpose of Pentecost now that it’s “over with”?

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3.  How can the Holy Spirit living inside of each believer be a comfort to the ex-Mormon?  Be as specific as you can.

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4.  What were some of the signs given to the disciples and others at the time of Pentecost?

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5.  Who, where, what is the Church of Jesus Christ today?  _____

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6.  What was the purpose of Pentecost in the Old Testament?  Read the following and write your answers below.  Exodus 23:14-17; Lev. 23:1-16.

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7.  Did the Holy Spirit ever dwell inside a man before Pentecost or the time of Jesus?  Use scripture for proof of your answer.  ___________________

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8.  How is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in each believer different from the LDS version of the Holy Ghost?  1 Cor. 3:16 & 6:19 says what to us as believers?

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9.  Give example of what a Christian might say to their very active LDS family members

or friends about the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you as a Christian and don’t forget scripture!

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Link for Chapter 6:

Chapter 6. Will the One True Church Please Stand Up?

http://lifeafterministry.com/2010/10/22/mentoring-handbook-chapter-6/

© 2010 Life After Ministries, Inc.

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Mentoring Handbook Chapter 4

Posted in Mentoring Handbook, tagged , , , , , , , , on 10/22/2010| Leave a Comment »

THE TRUTH ABOUT JESUS

      From its inception, the LDS Church has maintained that Jesus Christ is a son of God.  While they say they are Christians by showing Him partiality; calling Him the first born; and proclaiming they worship Him; the evidence of their doctrine tells a different story.

When you ask a Mormon if they believe that Jesus is God they will answer with a resounding “NO”!  When you ask them who they believe Jesus is, they will reply with; He is (the) Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son.  I remember the first time I had heard that Jesus is God.  A friend of mine asked me if I believed in the Trinity.  I had never heard of that word before so I asked her to define it for me.

She said; “Jesus is God incarnate (in the flesh)”.  Well, needless to say that I had never felt so small and insignificant in my life and that feeling stayed with me for quite some time afterward.

If you ask a Mormon if they believe Jesus died for their sins, they will say, “Oh yes”!  And then go on to tell you they also believe He was resurrected on the third day.

When you ask them if they are Christians, they will tell you they most certainly are and the proof is that “His name is in the title of their church”; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  [1] They will also tell you that they prefer to be called “a member of the LDS Church” instead of “Mormon”.  If you’re confused don’t feel alone; so are they.

I personally find it interesting that the title they now prefer doesn’t include Jesus’ name.  Notice; “I’m a Latter-day Saint” or they have told me “I’m LDS” – where is Jesus in all of this?

Some of the most blasphemous teachings about Jesus in “these latter days” have been promulgated by the doctrines of the LDS Church.  I guarantee that as you continue to go through the various steps of mentoring and layers of lies begin unraveling, you will understand.

When you are mentoring an ex-Mormon it may seem daunting to approach or get through this part of it, but don’t be dismayed.  I have yet to find a Mormon that doesn’t love Jesus to the very core of their being.  If I had a shred of doubt about this I wouldn’t be in this ministry.  The entire reason I do this is because I am one hundred percent convinced they do love Jesus!

Above all in this chapter, be sure to show your enthusiasm about Jesus.  You’re not a mentor because you’ve begrudgingly accepted the position, so don’t give them a subdued “Tom” or a mellow “Susan”; just be yourself!  Go out of your way to show them “faith in action” and how you live your everyday life having a personal relationship with Jesus.

One of the reasons this book ever came to be is because of an “everyday Christian”.  My good friend Fran befriended me at church not long after I got saved.  Everyone in my new Christian church welcomed me warmly and showed me much grace and kindness.

Kirk, the girls and I were invited to various homes for fellowship and all the programs they offered at the church; but not one single person I met had ever personally known a Mormon.  Out of the congregation of roughly 250 there were only a handful of women that took me aside to help and only one or two from that group truly sat with me on a consistent basis to help show me how to have an intimate relationship with the Lord.

We understand it might seem overwhelming to anyone that has no experience with Mormonism.  What you want to keep in mind is that the mentor doesn’t necessarily have to know intimate details about Mormonism and most certainly the Christian mentor doesn’t need to be a psychoanalyst!  You’re there to serve and accept them in the spiritual condition they’ve found themselves in; right here, right now, right at this moment.

God has orchestrated your paths to cross at this time for His purpose; not ours.  The spiritual warfare will have certainly made an appearance by now as you’ve gone through this mentoring book with your Mormon friend or loved one.  If it hasn’t done so yet, then you can count on it as you dig deeper into the Bible with them.  Now is the time to really make sure you’re side by side with them in prayer and as a show of spiritual strength they can learn from as they discover the truth about Jesus.  If they can just capture a tiny bit of whom He really is, their lives will never be the same!  God does all the work inside of their minds and hearts; we’re just pointing them in the right direction.

Remember the story of how Aaron and Hur held up the arms of Moses during his prayer to God Almighty?  You may want to share the story as a visual of you standing by their side encouraging and praying while they fight the battles of their exodus from Mormonism.

The story of Moses’ prayer and Israel’s success in the battle against Amalek will give them hope.  The passage comes from Exodus 17:1-12.  There is going to be a two-pronged lesson learned by using this passage.  The Amalekites were descendants of Esau and were the first group of people the Israelites had to fight after crossing the Red Sea. This exodus process is probably the first battle they’ll have in their new walk with Christ.

      Sharing a few tidbits of the goodness and truth found in the OT as you go along will help those put things into perspective as they learn how to cultivate and grow their relationship with our Savior.  It’s not that the Mormons are merely unaware of how to have this relationship with Jesus when they get out of Mormonism; they are actually trained not to do this as Mormons!  They believe that He was here to show that He was perfect and had to “earn” His own way to godhood.  He is their “example” for their path to their own godhood status.  Doctrines of Salvation 1:32;

 “Our Savior was a God before he was born into this world, and he brought with him that same status when he came here. He was as much a God when he was born into the world as he was before.”

     Again, while I know that it seems I may be “beating a dead horse”, allow me to reiterate; they cannot have a personal relationship with the Jesus of the Bible, if the Mormon or ex-Mormon doesn’t know the truth about Him.

In many ways I am a visual-type student so I created a side-by-side chart comparing the doctrines of the LDS Church and the doctrines of God which I took from the Bible.

These basic teachings that I’ve chosen to list here weren’t pulled from some dusty old books that went unread for centuries or even decades.  On the contrary, the teachings I’ve listed here are just some of the things I was taught and buried deep in my heart while growing up as a sixth generation Mormon in Ogden, Utah.

BIBLE/TRUTH LDS/LIES
God incarnate:  John 1:1, 14 – (the Word) “…Father, Son, HG crammed into one God…could be monster…” TPJS, pg. 372    [1]
Mighty God:  Isaiah 9:6 “…Jesus is a god…” DOS 1:32 [2]
God of the whole earth:  Isaiah 54:5 “Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God”.  Introductory page of BoM
Ancient of Days:  Jer. 7:13-4 “…Adam is Ancient of Days…” EOM, pg. 16 [3]

Notes_____________________________________________________________________

Ensign of the people:  Is. 11:10 “Joseph Smith has done more, save Jesus…for the salvation of men…”  D&C 135:3
Friend of sinners:  Matt. 11:19 “…Jesus is not our friend…”Apostle McConkie, 1982  [4]
The Great “I AM”:  John 8:58 & Ex. 3:14 “Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.” D&C 93:29
Our Passover:  1 Cor. 5:7 “…some sins beyond reach of Christ’s blood…” DOS 1:134  [5]
Image of the invisible God:  Col. 1:15 “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also…” D&C 130:22

Notes__________________________________________________________________________

Mediator of a better covenant:  Heb. 8:6 “…Jesus was Great High Priest; Adam next…”  Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 158.
True God:  1 John 5:20 “I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit, and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods.”  HoC 6:474 
Creator: Gen. 1:23, 26 “…earth was organized by three distinct characters, namely, Eloheim, Yahovah, and Michael…” Journal of Discourses 1: 51.
Born in Bethlehem: Matt. 2:1 Born in Jerusalem Alma 7:10
His blood of the New Covenant  Matt. 26:28 “…His great suffering was before he ever was placed upon the cross. It was in the Garden of Gethsemane that the blood oozed from the pores…” DoS 1:130

Notes____________________________________________________________________

Lamb of God:  John 1:29, 36 Jesus is Lucifer’s brother:  Gospel Through the Ages, pg. 15
“The cross is foolishness to those who are perishing…” 1 Cor. 1:18 “…such a custom is repugnant and contrary to the true worship of our Savior…” AGQ 4:17

For all LDS references in full contextual proof see Bibliography, Chapter Four footnotes.

Notes_________________________________________________________________________

Please note that while it may seem there are a few rabbit trails that I wander off on, remember that everything the Mormon knows is a lie; and I mean everything.  While the Bible talks about the Israelites going to battle against Amalek; in the Book of Mormon the Amalekites are the good guys in scriptural history.  Your sharing a small tidbit from the OT will be rich for them.

One integral part of Mormonism that you’ll want to address is Jesus’ name.  The Mormons only refer to Him as Christ, rarely by His given name of Jesus.  Explain to the Mormon that the word Christ is a title, not a name.  The first place in the Bible you’ll find this word is in Matthew 1:1;  “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

In the Greek the word Christ is “Christos” and it means; the Messiah or anointed one.  It is from the Hebrew, Meshiah.   Also notice that listing the genealogy of Jesus establishes His right to the throne as it is evidence He came from the royal line of David.

Again, we’ll be looking at Matthew 1:1, as it is the first time the name of Jesus is mentioned. “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Jesus is the Greek (and Latin) form of this name while it was originally of Hebrew origin.  In the Hebrew the name is Yehowshuwa (Joshua).  It means he will save; the deliverer; the Lord is salvation.  The name Yehowshuwa originally came from the name Yehovah (Jehovah).  This is the Jewish national name of God and it is understood that Jehovah is self-Existent or Eternal and that He is God.

LDS doctrine says that Jesus is Jehovah but they’ve also been taught to believe that Jesus (Jehovah) is not the same as ‘elohim’ (heavenly father).  They are taught that the godhead is made up of three distinct personages.

One of the ways Mormons have stripped Jesus’ personal identity from Him is by not referring to Him by His given name.  This way they don’t have to deal with the reality of whom He really was for the Israelites and who He became for the Gentiles.  Jehovah – He will save.  Not me, not you, not your spouse, nothing, nobody.  Jehovah will save.

Isn’t it strange they “play the same game” with their missionaries?  They’ve stripped their identities from them as well.  They go out as nameless faces with a suit, tie and nametag.  Whenever I speak with the missionaries I insist they give me their first names as this is how they are identified.  They wear their nametags stating they are “Elder so and so” and since they can’t all be named “Elder”, I break the ice using this method of making it personal for them.

So now we have established what the name “Jesus” means and what the word “Christ” means.  This is the foundation from where we begin to build our truth from this point forward.  Jesus is God who saves and will deliver.  Jesus is also the Messiah.

Encourage the new ex-Mormon they can now have a relationship that is built on a first name basis with Him!  If they haven’t done so yet, now would be a good time to pray with them to accept Jesus into their life.  At the end of this booklet is a copy of the “Romans Road”.  It is a group of scriptures to read and understand how to be saved.

Another suggestion would be to share with the ex-Mormon a few of the prophecies in the Old Testament about Jesus.  There are 333 prophecies about Jesus from the OT and every single one of them came true!  In Isaiah chapter 53 there are 48 prophecies about Jesus; from His mission to the way He would die are all in that one chapter of only twelve verses.  These are the things the Mormon has never heard of before.  Even on Easter their services are filled with stories of Joseph Smith and nothing about Jesus, the cross or the resurrection.

A couple that had visited Kirk and I a few years back shared their last Easter experience with us at the LDS Church.  They wanted so badly that Sunday to sit and hear about Jesus and actually told their two daughters to get excited to hear the news!  The only time they heard Jesus’ name mentioned was at the end of the perfunctory prayers they use at the end of taking Sacrament and when the bishop ended his talk he used Jesus’ name as a salutation.

That was it – they heard nothing about Jesus, the crucifixion or His resurrection.  No mention of the last supper, Judas’ betrayal or the incident in the Garden of Gethsemane when the disciples kept falling asleep; no mention of the trial, the scourging or the glorious and triumphant victory over death.  How sad for this family and what a letdown for their future outlook of the lives they’re expending on this false christ.

 LESSON PLAN FOR CHAPTER FOUR

 

1 – Name four LDS teachings about Jesus that weren’t listed in this chapter.  Refute the LDS’ doctrine you just listed by using Scripture.  (Don’t forget to use your skills of picking out “key words”.  You can get other facts from the website of www.lds.org)

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2 – What is the Hebrew form of the name Jesus?  Give proof by using Bible, Concordance or Lexicon

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3 – How many times if any did Jesus appear in the Old Testament and in what form?  Read Gen. 32:24-32 and give explanation of the name Israel.  Were there any other times Jesus appeared in the O.T.?

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4 – Give as many verses as you can from the Bible that gives a definitive explanation of the nature and/or character of Jesus.

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5 – What new teaching about Jesus was the ex-Mormon most shocked about?  Show a scripture from the Bible to refute the LDS teaching.  As always –we use scripture to claim authority over the lies of Satan and to help the ex-Mormon see that it was a “real teaching” not just something they made up on their own!

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6 – What teaching about Jesus in the LDS Church does the ex-Mormon miss the most and why?  Be sure this is a doctrine, not a tradition or something from the heritage/culture of Mormonism.  There are categories that seem to be intertwined at places that can’t be unwoven, but for now see what you can do with this one.  We’ll be addressing different culture subjects later in this study.

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7 – Does the ex-Mormon now have a new favorite teaching about Jesus that speaks to them personally?  If so, have them write it out here.  (Be sure to list “location” of the verse or passage.)

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© 2010 Life After Ministries, Inc.

Bibliography

Chapter Four:

LDS CHURCH

Jesus was Great High Priest and Adam next:

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 158; “How have we come at the Priesthood in the last days? It came down, down, in regular succession. Peter, James, and John had it given to them and they gave it to others. Christ is the Great High Priest; Adam next…”

Jesus is Only Begotten according to the flesh:

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 323; “Jesus Christ is the heir of this Kingdom—the Only Begotten of the Father according to the flesh, and holds the keys over all this world.”

The phrase “according to the flesh” is code talk meaning “through a sexual union”.

Jesus is our elder brother:

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 724; “In the premortal life, Jesus Christ, whose main title was Jehovah, was the firstborn spirit child of God the Father and thus the eldest brother and preeminent above all other spirit children of God. In that first estate, he came to be more intelligent than all other spirits, one “like unto God” (Abr. 3:19, 24), and served as the representative of the Father in the creation of “worlds without number” (Heb. 1:1-3; D&C 76:24; Moses 1:33; 7:30).”

Jesus and the cross:

Doctrines of Salvation 1:130; “We speak of the passion of Jesus Christ. A great many people have an idea that when he was on the cross, and nails were driven into his hands and feet, that was his great suffering. His great suffering was before he ever was placed upon the cross. It was in the Garden of Gethsemane that the blood oozed from the pores of his body…”

Jesus and Lucifer are brothers:

Gospel Through the Ages, pg. 15; “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.”

Also see Jesus the Christ, pg. 8; “Thus it is shown that prior to the placing of man upon the earth, how long before we do not know, Christ and Satan, together with the hosts of the spirit-children of God, existed as intelligent individuals.”

Jesus is not our friend:

The Apostle Bruce McConkie said this in a speech at BYU in March 1982;

“Another peril is that those so involved often begin to pray directly to Christ because of some special friendship they feel has been developed. In this connection a current and unwise book, which advocates gaining a special relationship with Jesus, contains this sentence: Because the Savior is our mediator, our prayers go through Christ to the Father, and the Father answers our prayers through his Son. This is plain sectarian nonsense.”

Link for Chapter 5:

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