Posted in Furniture of the Temple, tagged Aaron, Brazen Sea, false gospel, gospel, Israelites, Jesus, Mercy Seat, Molten Sea, mormonism, propitiation for sin, sacrifice, sacrificial lamb on 04/27/2011| 1 Comment »
Furniture of the Temple 1
The verses that I’ve chosen to focus on during this word study are: John 19:30; “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” And also Gal. 2:21; “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Posted in Mailbag, tagged Book of Mormon, Christianity, gospel, Jesus, Life After Ministries, mailbag, mormonism, salvation on 04/23/2011| 4 Comments »
Our Mailbag
We receive a fair amount of e-mail from our readers so we thought we’d share some of the correspondence with everyone! As you can see some are heart-wrenching and others are sad because of the lack of knowing the Lord…
Posted in Unequally Yoked, tagged 2 Corinthians, bible, body of Christ, Book of Mormon, false gospel, false teachers, God's love, gospel, Jesus, joseph smith, mormonism, Redeemer, salvation, shunning, unequally yoked on 04/22/2011| 5 Comments »
Unequally Yoked
God is so good to us. Just as a loving father takes his children by the hand to cross the street our Father in heaven tells us what is safe in life by providing us with His word. All He ever wants is to love us and in so doing provides the way for us to be living life the way He intended for it to be.
I’ve dealt with families and their children on the issue of being unequally yoked since 1994. It has never ceased to amaze me the lengths a parent will go to in order to keep their child from joining a cult like Mormonism. The panic and grief in their hearts are a heavy burden indeed. When I hear the pain in their voice I always wonder how God must feel. Typically we see 5-6 new families a month with the same problem and the only things that differ in their stories are their names and place of residence. For individual reasons (usually hormonal) the young Christian has decided their Mormon friend isn’t like the other 13 million Mormons in the world. I can assure the reader, nothing could be further from the truth.
Posted in Resignation Letter, Why I Left the Mormon Church, tagged gospel, Jesus, joseph smith, mormonism, Resigning from the LDS Church, salvation on 04/15/2011| 2 Comments »
Resignation Sample Letter
Many people write in asking us how to go about writing a letter to the Church requesting their names to be removed. We highly encourage all people who want to disassociate themselves with Mormonism to officially resign and demand the Church send you the papers acknowledging that you have taken this action.
Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged false gospel, forgiveness, gospel, Jesus, mormonism, Redeemer, Reformation, Restoration, salvation, truth on 04/12/2011| Leave a Comment »
April 12 – Acts 3:19-20; “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you”.
Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged baptism for the dead, bible, Book of Mormon, false gods, false gospel, freedom, godhood, gospel, Jesus, joseph smith, Lamanites, lds church, Mormon temple oaths, mormonism, necromancy, Nephites, sacred temple oaths, salvation, satanic symbols on Mormon temples, secret oaths, secrets, temple oaths, truth on 03/18/2011| Leave a Comment »
March 18 – Luke 11:33 says; “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light”.
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Word study! The Mormon Church has their temples to utter secret oaths to their god. They will tell you they are sacred not secret, but they won’t tell you what those oaths are. That’s what makes them secret!
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1 Nephi 20:16 even says that their god doesn’t speak in secret. “Come ye near unto me; I have not spoken in secret; from the beginning, from the time that it was declared have I spoken; and the Lord God, and his Spirit hath sent me”.
Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged angel of light, bible, Book of Mormon, Christianity, Christians, endure, eternal, Everlasting, false prophets, false teacher, forever, God, gospel, Isaiah 40:8, Jesus, joseph smith, Lamanites, lasting, lds church, Mormon, mormonism, Moroni, Nephites, trustworthy, truth, word of God on 03/15/2011| Leave a Comment »
March 15 – Is. 40:8; “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever”.
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Word study time! Eternal and forever are the key words for today. Look them up in a dictionary, concordance and lexicon and then share your new found knowledge with the Mormon. Be sure to use some of your favorite verses from the Bible that contain these words. Don’t forget to explain why the verses you share are your favorites. What did God reveal to you through these things?
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2 Nephi 9:16; “And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word which cannot pass away”.
Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged body of Christ, Christianity, Doctrine and Covenants, false gospel, false prophet, freedom, gospel, grace, Jesus Christ, joseph smith, lie, Messiah, mormonism, Redeemer, salvation, salvation through LDS prophet, Savior, truth on 02/03/2011| Leave a Comment »
February 3 – We find salvation in no one else but through our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 says; “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”.
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For the Mormon there is a list of people holding the keys of salvation. At the top of this list is their heavenly father, then Jesus, then Adam, Joseph Smith and next in line is the living prophet. If you happen to be a woman in the church you will also have your husband to answer to.
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“The President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds the keys of salvation for all men now living because he is the only one by whose authorization the sealing power of the priesthood can be used to seal men up to salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of God. (D&C 132:7).”
Posted in KJV Only or Not?, tagged bible, false gospel, gospel, Jesus, KJV, KJV only, lds church, mormonism, NASB, salvation, truth on 01/24/2011| 1 Comment »
KJV Only or Not?
Matthew 10:16; “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” – Geneva Study Bible
Around 1999 I wrote an article for the Saints Alive newsletter when I worked for Ed Decker at the ministry. From the time Ed opened the doors of SA until that day he had published his newsletters in KJV only.
Ed had asked me for an article, so I wrote it and sent it in to him. What I hadn’t paid attention to was that I quoted scripture from my NASB (New American Standard Bible). Ed prayed before he sent it to the printers and the Lord told him to send it as is.
Within a day of sending out the newsletters we began reaping what we had sown. We lost many of our supporters, but then gained others. Ed’s response in the following newsletter taught me how God works. He called me into his office as our phones began ringing and said he agreed with me in Bible translations and that God speaks in all languages. Now I can’t speak for Ed; only Ed can do that, but I do know his personal choice of bible translations is the NKJV.
As I sit here more than a decade later I am facing the same topic but in a different venue. So let me say this about the KJV only issue.
I have chosen to publish the website with KJV references because that is what the Mormon people use as their Bible. I like the KJV and refer to it often during my personal study times during each day. It’s a beautiful Bible and I enjoy it immensely. I also employ and rely upon Strong’s Concordance and English dictionaries. The Bible I personally use every day and carry with me to church every Sunday is the NASB.
I use study tools from Oswald Chambers, Charles Spurgeon, John Calvin, Charles Stanley, Chip Thompson, J. Vernon McGee, Martin Luther, Adrian Rogers, Walter Martin, Moody and the list goes on!
I am totally convinced God Almighty speaks other languages in addition to 1611 English. I am reminded of it each day as I study His words in my NASB and when I receive my web-tracking report on how many people have used the Alta Vista Babelfish program we’ve installed on our website. People from every nation have visited our website and used the translation tool.
As you can imagine and know for yourselves, there are also countless Bibles written which are blasphemous and not worthy of mention. I have gone throughout the last seventeen years by proving that which is good, honorable and worthy of praise. If it does not line up with what God says and coincides with His intent then I will be the first to run the other way. And while I am not a theologian nor am I a language expert, I can’t for the life of me understand the divisiveness in the KJV issue that seems to plague us as Christians in the English speaking nations.
I am certain God speaks to the people from Sai Pan or Guam in the Mariana Islands through their Chamorro bibles and to the people in Hernhut, Germany in their German bibles.
I am comforted in knowing He has spoken to the Kenyans from their Ekegusii Bibles as they write in to thank us for having the courage to publish our website.
I’m reminded of God’s omniscience every time I look at the pictures my daughter Jacqui brought back with her from the two month mission trip she took to Ethiopia. They handed out Bibles in Amharic, served hundreds of people and led many to the Lord. We are also grateful for the opportunity Jacqui had in southwestern Ethiopia sharing the gospel with the Kara tribe on the Omo River.
I’m reminded of His omnipotence when I hear from my dear Portuguese pastor friend named Luiz.
I am humbled beyond words when I read my ancestor’s Welsh Bible knowing that not all of them were tricked by the likes of Joseph Smith and his teachings.
I’m reminded of how blessed I am by knowing John Johnson who is a Nepali national and got saved on a mountain top in Nepal while praying to a Hindu god. He now works for the American Bible Society and translates the Bible from the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic into two different Hindi languages.
I know God’s overwhelming love for HIV infected Fisya and Yeshi, the children Kirk and I sponsor through World Vision in Ethiopia and live hundreds of kilometers from each other and speak different languages.
I am filled with awe each time my youngest daughter Axi returns from a mission trip to Bohol, Philippines. They share the gospel at the schools of deaf children in the poorest part of the Philippines and have seen many children accept Christ Jesus through the Bibles in their native tongue – Pilipino.
I am grateful to Him who supplies our every need in being able to sponsor little Mario in Los Cedros, Nicaragua. Our church adopted an entire town and has sent our own members who are doctors, teachers and engineers to help them build homes, a health center and schools. The Bible he reads is in Spanish.
I still can’t believe Jesus allowed me to live next door to the Kim family who moved here from Korea. Pastor Shin and his family now live in Minneapolis as he is a translator for IHOP (International House of Prayer). And yes, their Bible is in Korean and yes, they also know the One True God.
I stand in awe and have learned so much about Him through my friend Daniel who is a Messianic Jewish believer and director of Chosen People Ministries in London. His Bible is in Hebrew.
I pray daily for the missionaries who hosted a booth next to ours at Seattle Missionsfest. They distribute bibles throughout the poorest tribes of Africa to the tribal elders. The Bibles are picture bibles. They go out and teach the gospel to the tribal fathers and elders and they in turn teach the gospel to their tribesmen.
I am often reminded of God’s omnipresence when I think of my friends who live here in Seattle but are from Paraguay. Eleanor’s grandmother escaped the horrible regime of Stalin in Russia only to be put into prison by Hitler’s henchmen while escaping through Germany. The family finally made it to Paraguay and then immigrated here to the states. The grandmother taught all her children and grandchildren how to read and speak several languages so they could read the Bible wherever they were living. Russian, German, Spanish and English is spoken by all of the family members. Their personal favorite Bible is in German.
They used it while serving missions in China and personally delivered pages from the Chinese Bible to those in their home churches.
I will always be learning something new about God from my dear, dear friends Jean Boardman and her late husband Bob. Bob got his throat box and part of his right hand shot off during WW2. He then turned around to serve God with his new bride and to raise his family in the very place he got shot during the war just to minister to the Japanese people in Okinawa. Every one of the people he encountered during those thirty two years used their Japanese Bibles not printed in KJV English.
Now I am just one little person living in the outskirts of Seattle. I’m not famous, I’m not a language expert, and I’m not a heretic, of this I am sure. I also know that God has allowed me to meet all the people I’ve mentioned for a certain purpose. After my experience with Ed at Saints Alive and with all the people God has introduced me to, I know what that purpose is.
God is not a respecter of persons. He looks upon all of us the same and sees us as His children when we are washed with His Son’s precious, holy blood. He told us in His word that it wouldn’t return void in Isaiah 55:11 and His word is pure in Proverbs 30:5. He also told us His word would endure forever in Isaiah 40:8 and Jesus Himself said not one jot or tittle would pass away until all was fulfilled – Matthew 5:18.
I don’t know about you but I believe what He’s saying. I also know there are indeed some horrible bible translations and it’s your job as a Christian to stay away from those things not from God. However, to arbitrarily throw out all Bible translations but one in 1611 English just doesn’t seem rational.
This line of thinking is saying that God is not able to produce any other human being with the talent or desire to keep His word pure. If God can’t do that maybe God can’t ensure the gates of hell won’t prevail against His church as He promised in Matthew 16:18 or maybe God can’t provide good pastors for his flocks. Are God’s arms strong enough to hold a grieving mother through His words on a page? What about the man who was just furloughed from his job? What about my dear friend Jean Boardman who lost her husband and best friend Bob after 55 years of marriage?
I would also suggest to the reader to take a look at the attitude of some that is attached to the KJV only issue. Some, not all, of the proponents of this theory are almost rabid in their approach with this. If it’s truly the only way we can hear from God, then why the ferocious defensiveness? I’ve come to the realization that Jesus is a big God; He doesn’t need people with a bad attitude to spread His good news.
There are even websites and ministries out there with the KJV only theory that also condemns Strong’s Concordances, the Matthew Henry Commentary, Brown, Driver and Briggs, as well as many other very reputable dictionaries, commentaries and concordances. One went so far as to condemn these and “all Greek and Hebrew Study Tools and Interlinears”.
My question for the latter example is why should we even trust your books if every dictionary is condemned? What makes this particular insight the only way? As I’ve stated many times before – I did that for thirty years with an organization who thought they held the only truth. I hadn’t even heard of Palm Sunday until I got saved on that very day. I was always taught other people “knew better”. Really?
I hope you’d think about this – heavily. If we’re to condemn all Greek and Hebrew Study tools then how are we to gain a deeper understanding of Him? Why wouldn’t God provide reputable scholars? Why are they all to be condemned? The Catholic Church pulled this off for over a thousand years. They didn’t want the truth of God to be handled by the average, every day person so they burned the translators and publishers of His word.
We should be praising God every day for His gift of Tyndale, Wycliffe, Hus, Knox and Luther to name a few. I have to wonder if they’d be condemned under the same pen used by today’s critics…
The goal of this article isn’t to be divisive. It’s to encourage people to think things through. Know that there are indeed bad translations and bad people in this world who are intentionally out to trick God’s people. Then there are those who’ve been misinformed who go about misinforming others. Test the spirits as John warned us to do and follow Him – all the way to Jerusalem.
I’ve listed three verses from different versions of the Bible – see for yourself what you think.
Matthew 28:18-20 –
NASB – “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
KJV – “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
ESV –“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
RSV/ASV – “And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
Amplified Bible – “Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).”
Isaiah 40:8 –
NASB – “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God
stands forever.”
KJV – “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God
shall stand for ever.”
ESV – “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
RSV/ASV – “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever.”
Amplified Bible – “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Matthew 5:18 –
NASB – “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not
the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
KJV – “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or
One tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
ESV – “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
RSV/ASV – “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.”
Amplified Bible – “For truly I tell you, until the sky and earth pass away and perish, not one smallest letter nor one little hook [identifying certain Hebrew letters] will pass from the Law until all things [it foreshadows] are accomplished.”
With Love in Christ;
Michelle Grim
1 Cor. 1:18
Leading Mormons to the Real Jesus Christ
Posted in Baptisms for the Dead, tagged baptisms for the dead, baptize, bible, endowments, false gospel, freedom, gospel, heresy, Jesus, lds church, Mormon temple, mormonism, ordinance, proxy baptisms, truth, works vs. grace on 01/24/2011| 1 Comment »
Baptisms for the Dead
The following paragraph about the practice of baptizing the dead was taken from Jefflindsey.com, an LDS “apologetic” website–if there is such a thing. It shows how Mormons helplessly try to explain the practice of baptizing the dead:
“Baptism for the dead is a powerful evidence that Joseph Smith was a real prophet and the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. The LDS practice has long been derided as absolute fiction and an abomination, and based on a terrible mis-interpretation of 1 Cor.15:29. However, long after Joseph Smith restored the practice through revelation, dozens of ancient documents have turned up showing that early Christians (at least some) indeed believed in and practiced baptism for the dead much as we do today. “
I am always glad to see the appearance of the phrase “through revelation” because it usually means that all other Mormon explanations have been exhausted leaving only “we do what we want through revelation.”
If there’s a part of scripture that best illustrates how Mormons twist the word of God, this is it. We have always maintained that Mormons are great basing an entire belief system upon one or two verses of scripture. This is a well known fact amongst those of us who work in the field of counter-cult ministries. The LDS Church is no exception to this rule, although they would vehemently deny the allegations. There is literally one verse that talks about baptism for the dead and this is what the Mormon Church has put their minds on to set a standard of a dead work for their god. It is found in 1 Corinthians 15:29 and it says; ‘Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?’
The key to understanding scripture is to read all things in context before you apply it to any teaching. The first half of 1 Corinthians 15 is speaking about the absurdity of not believing in the resurrection of the dead. Paul gave examples of those who had witnessed Jesus’ resurrection and then went on to explain that baptizing for dead people was even more absurd if they didn’t believe in the resurrection. The uniqueness of Christianity lies in the resurrection of the dead. For whatever reasons, the Corinthian church believed they needed to perform this proxy for the dead and Paul was there to set them straight.
Joseph Smith is quoted in the book Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 179 as follows; ‘The Saints have the privilege of being baptized for those of their relatives who are dead, whom they believe would have embraced the Gospel, if they had been privileged with hearing it, and who have received the Gospel in the spirit, through the instrumentality of those who have been commissioned to preach to them while in prison.’
Several questions arise in my mind when I read this thought process of Smith’s. First of all, how does one know if their dead relative got the chance to hear the gospel in spirit prison? Secondly, how could someone ever presume that their dead relative would even accept the gospel? Third, if, as many Mormon leaders teach today, that all people will be caught up in the first two levels of heaven regardless of whether they’re Mormon believer or not (i.e. they deny the concept of hell), then what is the point of baptizing the dead? Aren’t we all already going to heaven?
Let’s look at the exact passage in scripture:
1 Cor. 15: 29
“Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?” KJV.
Just to gather some meaning here, let’s read the same verse from the NLV to get a better understanding:
“What good will it do people if they are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised, why are people baptized for them?”
Mormon “apologists” put all their reasoning behind the word “they,” in 1 Cor. 15:29, as if to imply that since Paul said “they” in referring to his fellow apostles in the early part of the chapter, that he means to attribute “they” to [the apostles’] practices later in the chapter as well.
We cannot build a doctrine based on that. We need more. We need to know what is biblical and what is not, based on the entire bible. Since God is not a God of confusion, He tells us what is His ways and what is not. We know that when we see things mentioned in the bible, as in God’s law in the Old Testament, we also saw it in practice in the scriptures as well. Paul talks about living a life for Christ numerous times in the New Testament and we see many characters in the Gospels doing just that. We also see what Paul wrote to the Churches in Ephesus, Corinth and others, yet again, we see it put into practice in Acts. We also know that the Church of Corinth was a church that was practicing some strange rituals. They had lost their way and Paul’s letter was sent to correct that. That alone should make us suspicious and cause us to question his motives for mentioning baptisms for the dead—if the context to the chapter were not obvious already.
But let’s look at this from one other angle. Doesn’t it seem reasonable that if baptisms for the dead were truly God’s way, then it’s a significant thing? Forgetting or not baptizing the dead as the Mormon’s teach would cost someone their salvation, or so we’re led to believe by LDS doctrine. That’s an incredible statement if true! If it were a practice of the early church, and a teaching of Jesus Christ that Paul taught as well, shouldn’t it have appeared somewhere else in scripture? Perhaps Paul just wasn’t that concerned about the dead. And perhaps Jesus had better things to do.
Again, I cannot over emphasize this. The idea of baptizing the dead so that people could be resurrected who would otherwise be lost for all eternity is a rather astonishing idea. And there is much to be lost if the Church has failed to practice this exercise. Were it not the pagan ritual that it is, then we should have seen it put into practice by the early church. The book of Acts gave us many examples to follow, preaching, baptism, and laying on of hands, to name a few.
I was baptized for the dead on several occasions in the Ogden Temple while I was growing up as a Mormon in Utah. I remember thinking I had never heard of any of the people I was baptized for so I was unable to say if those people accepted the gospel. Each time I went to do my proxy work I wondered if what I was doing was in vain. I prayed that with all my hard work to stay holy and pure to get in the temple wouldn’t be for nothing. I wasted many hours praying they would accept what I had to offer them.
The Lord tells us to set our minds upon the things of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 it says; ‘Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ’. The church keeps their members busy so they don’t have the time to think about the obedience of Christ, let alone anything He would want them to do, i.e., studying His Word.
My prayer now is that if you are a Mormon, you will study the entire passage in 1 Corinthians 15 to see where this teaching originated. I can assure you that it had nothing to do with the Mormon Jesus’ teaching on the ‘eternal principles’ of baptizing for the dead in the meridian of times and everything to do with Jesus’ resurrection as told consistently in other scriptures in the bible. Can Mormons present the same evidence for Baptism of the dead being taught elsewhere in scripture?
Posted in Mormonism vs. Islam, tagged Allah, bible, Carthage, false gospel, freedom, Freemasonry, God, gospel, Great Architect, Islam, Jesus, joseph smith, martyr, Masonic Logde, mormonism, Nauvoo, truth on 01/23/2011| 3 Comments »
Islam vs Mormonism
by Kirk Grim
The Islamic faith is centered on the belief in one God and in Arabic he is called Allah. The Muslims, followers of Islam, believe that Muhammad was visited by an angel of light from whom he received God’s final revelation. Muhammad claimed that this angel of light was Gabriel, the same Gabriel as the one from the Old Testament of the Bible. It was several years before these visions were recorded in what is called the Quran, the sacred scripture of Islam.
Posted in Light of Christ, tagged bible, Book of Mormon, false gospel, false teachers, gospel, James Talmadge, Jesus, joseph smith, lds church, lies, light of Christ, mormonism, Redeemer, salvation, Savior, truth on 01/17/2011| 1 Comment »
LIGHT OF CHRIST
As of late the Mormon term “Light of Christ” has been on my mind. As a member of the LDS Church, I heard this used many times in reference to an individual possessing it. It’s amazing how differently I think about things now versus a year ago when I was newly out of the LDS church. Back then I never would have contemplated what the word “light” meant from a biblical point of view.
I’ve discovered several passages and examples in the Bible where God teaches us who He is and how He manifests Himself to us through His word.
The first mention of “light” is in Genesis 1:3, when God says “let there be light”. Then in Psalms 119:105 it says “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”. Another example is found in 2 Samuel 22:29 which says; “For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness”. The “light” mentioned in the latter verses are referring to the Word of God.
We learn from John 1: 1-5, 7 that Jesus is the Word of God, that he is the light. In John 12:16 Jesus says, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” As I will explain later, the “light” that people see in us is the Holy Spirit that dwells in us when we are saved. Before we are saved we are in darkness. In the hymn Amazing Grace we sing “…Was blind, but now, I see…” Jesus tells us about this “light” in Luke 11:34-36.
The phrase “light of Christ” doesn’t appear in the Bible, but is used often in the LDS community. They believe that we are all born with “the light of Christ” in us. Neal Maxwell said;
“It is possible for all to develop such love, because carried within each soul born on this planet is the Light of Christ, which can illumine the landscape of life, even if the carrier does not understand that light within (D&C 93-2)( All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience pg 51-70)
What the Mormon Church isn’t telling you in the above reference is their belief that being born with “light of Christ” goes hand in hand with their belief about original sin. The Church teaches that everyone is literally a child of God, born without sin.
A couple of years ago I recall being in a meeting with a group of Christian ladies (I was LDS at the time) and somehow we got on the topic of sin and children. When I said, “How can babies sin? They are perfect” the ladies just kind of stared at me. I obviously hadn’t been taught and didn’t understand the doctrine of “Original Sin”!
I was taught that we would “be punished for our own sins not for Adam’s transgressions” (The Articles of Faith #2).
In the Improvement Era, Dr. James E. Talmage said:
“The Church holds that children are born to earth in a sinless state, that they need no individual redemption; that should they die before reaching the years of accountability, they return without taint of earthly sin; but if they attain youth or maturity in the flesh, their responsibility increases with their development.” (Improvement Era, 1901 Vol. Iv. April, 1901. No 6)
I have a son that is almost two years old and I know that he is capable of sin! Whenever he doesn’t get his way he has a temper tantrum. Other times as I tell him not to touch something he will look right at me and touch or reach for the thing I told him not to. Children are not without sin. God has given to us the responsibility of teaching our children to obey. Proverbs 22:6 says:
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
God knows that we all of us are born with a sin nature. No one ever had to teach us to sin; it was in us from the very beginning having inherited our sin nature from Adam. Romans 5:12 states;
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savoir the Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in our body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says:
“What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your boys and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Many times you will hear LDS say that they can see or could see the “light of Christ” in an individual. They are referring to the “good works” that they see in this person and their personality. The truth is we are all sinners. Romans 3:23 says; “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. Once we are saved people can see the workings of God in us and this is known as the Holy Spirit. It is what attracts the unbeliever to us! Remember though that this is not us – it’s Him! In Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie states;
“The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a Personage of Spirit, a Spirit Person, a Spirit Man, a Spirit Entity. He can be in only one place at one time and he does not and cannot transform himself into any other form or image than that of the Man whom he is, though his power and influence can be manifest at one and the same time through all immensity.” (Mormon Doctrine pg 358-359)
God teaches us in the Bible that McConkie’s statement is wrong by showing us the Holy Spirit is in fact omnipresent, like in Psalms 139:7;
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”
Here’s what Ephesians 2: 17-18 and 1 Corinthians 12:13 say respectively about this subject;
“And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”
“For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond of free; and have been all made to drink into the one Spirit”.
The teaching of the “light of Christ” dwelling in us is not biblical. The things people see in you once you are saved comes from the Holy Spirit. These qualities are known as the “fruit of the Spirit”; Galatians 5:22-23. Additionally, Ephesians 5:18-19 shows that when a person is filled with the Spirit they have a joyous and cheerful attitude toward God.
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit: Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
I pray that if you are LDS and are reading this article you will come to know the true Jesus as your Savior. We’re praying for you.
In Christ,
Melissa Grimes
Posted in Greek in the Book of Mormon, tagged bible, Book of Mormon, false gospel, false prophecy, false prophet, gospel, Greek and Latin words, Jesus, joseph smith, salvation, truth on 01/17/2011| 5 Comments »
Greek and Latin Words and Other Problems in the Book of Mormon Part 1
This is the first of several articles dealing with the “Problems in the Book of Mormon”. Make sure you check back often to see other issues that we see as problematic for the Mormon Church.
Posted in Faith, tagged belief, bible, faith, false gospel, false teachings, gospel, grace, Jesus, mormonism, salvation, truth, work vs. grace on 01/17/2011| 1 Comment »
Faith
What is it? Where does it come from? How do we obtain it?
It has been a main source of topic for me as of late. Each Mormon I speak with tries to tell me it is from within us. That it is a work we perform with our own free will and we should try to have more faith.
They tell me that faith in Jesus comes into effect only after we have done good works. Then we can start thinking about faith. In the same breath, they claim that faith in Jesus is essential if you want to go to heaven.
Since there are people even in the Christian community who have some tendency towards works for salvation, me included at times, I have decided to explore this subject.
Hebrews 11:1 says ‘Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen’. The Greek word for this is pis’-tis. It is the reliance upon Christ for salvation. It is the reliance upon the truthfulness of God.
The Hebrew word for faith is emuwnah. It means steady or truth.
In Habakkuk 2:4 it says ‘Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith’.
In these two verses we see that truth is a key phrase here. Therefore, we believe that God is telling us the truth in His Word. That believing in His Son will save us. Our lives actually mean something not only to Jesus, but to God as well.
So where does this faith come from?
Go back into your memory banks and think about the day you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. I remember the overwhelming feeling of humbleness and brokenness I had in my heart. I could not fathom why I had not accepted Him sooner. What was I thinking before that time? I finally took comfort in knowing I was saved, born again by God’s mercy. I knew then that I loved Him.
Then there was the period that my quote, unquote, intelligence stepped in. Okay, I’m saved, I’m going to heaven and I was just living out the remainder of my days.
The more I studied, the smarter I thought I was. I had all this knowledge just floating around in my head and I could quote scripture, but there were still these lingering doubts in my head.
Why couldn’t I have faith in Him like all of the other Christians I knew? They seemed to have an endless wealth of it. They never questioned anything; they just took it all on faith. I asked God to show me where they got this. I thought that if I worked hard enough, or studied more I would have it nailed down, not realizing that I could not force myself have faith in Him.
Then God, in His bountiful grace showed me through His Word that He was the provider of my faith.
Hebrews 12:2a says; ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.’
The key words here are author and finisher. In the Greek the word for author is archegos, the transliteration being; the chief leader or captain. The Greek word for finisher is teleiotes meaning the state of completion or perfection. Now read with me in Hebrews 5:9; ‘And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.’ The word author in this verse is aitios; meaning the causer. He is the giver of all good things and the constant provider for us all!
Ephesians 2:8 says; ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God’
I am constantly using this scripture with the Mormons in telling them that it is faith, not works which saves them. So not only is salvation a gift but your faith as well. The LDS Church says in 2 Nephi 25:23; ‘For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.’
The problem that I’ve noticed over the years is that after being told all your life that you’re not going to heaven if you don’t have faith and you can’t have faith if you don’t have works, then my friend you soon believe that you’ll never be good enough! In Mormonism this is true; you’ll never be good enough for the Mormon god. You’re never told where the faith you need comes from, just that people have it and you need it as well.
The LDS Church has made it their job to sound Christian. This type of grammar to the untrained Christian or non-Christian alike is why the church claims so many converts into their fold each year. We need to be aware of what Jesus says so that we are not deceived!
Take a moment here and read between the lines of the verse from Nephi. We labor diligently; we are saved only after all we can do. In other words from the mouth of a Mormon, ‘we are worked unto death’. It completely takes away the meaning of grace. There’s no reason for grace if you need to work for everything.
Furthermore, there is no reason for God to intervene.
We have this ministry to point to the glory of God and His great mercy upon us. We want you to know that if you’re a member of the LDS faith we love you deeply and we’re fully aware of how much you love Jesus. But my friend, you’ve been deceived and want to encourage you to think upon the simple things of the Bible. The things mentioned here are great places to begin!
One other thing to think about is this; with the Bible we can go to the original Greek and Hebrew to see what the full transliteration of every single word used. Because the Book of Mormon claims the original text was written in ‘Reformed Egyptian’ and has since been lost, we have nothing to go to for the definitions to back it up. This is problematic for two reasons.
The first reason being is that the Book of Mormon keeps changing. The changes are not typographical in nature but grammatical; therefore the whole meaning of the text changes along with it. Secondly, which book are you going to place your faith into?
When the meaning of a sentence changes, the understanding of who God is must change as well.
If we can’t trust God to be the same all the time, then how do we know with certainty that we are saved, how do we know what to expect from Him and what does He expect from us collectively as well as individually?
As always I ask the Mormon to take an objective look at this. Can you go back to the original “Reformed Egyptian” to gain a deeper understanding of God’s word and to know that what is being said matches up with the rest of this work? If not then why keep trusting in this god?
We’re praying diligently for the Mormon people and hope they will come to know the truth.
With Love in Christ;
Michelle
1 Cor. 1:18
Posted in 13 Articles of Faith vs 13 Principles of Faith, tagged 13 Articles of Faith, 13 Principles of Jewish Faith, bible, false gospel, false prophet, gospel, Jesus, joseph smith, mormonism, Pearl of Grreat Price, Redeemer, salvation, Savior, truth on 01/16/2011| Leave a Comment »
13 Articles of Faith in Mormonism AND 13 Principles of the Jewish Faith Compared
For those who are students of Mormonism, including me, it is interesting to take note of “coincidences” that present themselves for comparison. What I find fascinating is how many times Joseph Smith came up with the idea of incorporating so many genres of religions and ideologies into what we know today as Mormonism.
Belief in a pre-existence reminds me of Hinduism and re-incarnation. You can essentially make yourself over, so to speak, and try the best you can to become a god. In Mormonism we see the temple oaths which obviously come from Masonry; Mormonism mimics Catholicism by having to repent to man for forgiveness. It is very much like Islam by the way they worship the founders, Muhommad and Joseph Smith. Not to mention the way they both treat women by subjugating them to a class just under cow status.
I don’t know how many times I’ve been reminded that Mormonism is nothing more than modern day Gnosticism. Or how they seem to be like the early Israelites when Moses went up to Mt. Sinai to speak with God and receive the Ten Commandments; remember how they worshipped around the golden calf and forgot the promises they made to God? And let us not forget the modern-day custom of bigotry and slavery based on skin color.
The subject of this article is one of those examples as I’m having a difficult time believing this is a “coincidence”. So come along with me as we look at the Thirteen Articles of Faith in Mormonism and the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith.
Before we begin let me clarify one major point. I am not well versed in the Jewish faith. It was only a few short weeks ago that I learned of the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith! I’ve never seen this in the Bible and have been unaware. Since then I have tried to learn as much as possible about it, but by no means am I an expert. If you are intimate with these Thirteen Articles of the Jewish Faith and have more insight to share, please write to us! Please forgive me if I have sounded ignorant enough to offend and know that is not my intention. I e-mailed a friend of mine who is a director for Chosen People Ministries and asked him to give me a short synopsis of these Thirteen Principles so my thanks go out to Daniel! He shared with me that the “wording varies in the different ways the articles are enunciated”.
Because there are various sets of these “principles” that have been adapted by different sects within Judaism, I am using what seemed to be the most common. I’ve listed another set at the end of this article.
Below are side by side comparisons of the LDS Thirteen Articles of Faith and the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith. The LDS’ version won’t be in order as this makes it easier to show the similarities. The Jewish Principles are in order.
You can also find a copy of the Thirteen Articles of Faith in order at the back of any Pearl of Great Price, or on the Mormon website here: http://scriptures.lds.org/en/a_of_f/1
This particular version of the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith used was taken from the website of Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_principles_of_faith and are listed at the end of this article as well.
You the reader may find that you would have placed the LDS Articles of Faith with a different Jewish Principle of Faith, so please share your ideas. My purpose in putting this on the site is to show the members of the LDS faith how similar Smith’s “revelation” was to something that had been created by a Jewish rabbi who lived from 1135 to 1204 AD. The Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon formulated the principles while studying at the University of Fes in Morocco. It wasn’t until after the “Enlightenment Period” that his teachings were widely accepted by a large majority of the Jewish believers. They now serve as part of their daily prayers. You can learn more about Rabbi Maimon at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maimonides
Again, the reason we write these articles and share them with you the reader, is to plant the idea that it’s okay to ask questions. It’s all right if you want further clarification on the doctrines of the Church or any church for that matter! Your eternal soul is at stake and I would hope this fact would mean more than the fear you may harbor inside.
If you’d like more information on Mormonism or would like to add someone to our prayer list, send us an e-mail!
With love in Christ;
Michelle Grim
1 Cor. 1:18
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the Creator and Guide of everything that has been created; He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.”
LDS – “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.”
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is One, and that there is no unity in any manner like His, and that He alone is our God, who was, and is, and will be.”
LDS – “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.”
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is not a body, and that He is free from all the properties of matter, and that there can be no (physical) comparison to Him whatsoever.”
LDS – “We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.”
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the first and the last.”
LDS – “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that to the Creator, blessed be His Name, and to Him alone, it is right to pray, and that it is not right to pray to any being besides Him.”
LDS – “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.”
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that all the words of the prophets are true.”
LDS – “We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.”
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy of Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him, was true, and that he was the chief of the prophets, both of those who preceded him and of those who followed him.”
LDS – “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the entire Torah that is now in our possession is the same that was given to Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him.”
LDS – “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that this Torah will not be exchanged, and that there will never be any other Torah from the Creator, blessed be His name.”
LDS – “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.”
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, knows all the deeds of human beings, and all their thoughts, as it says: “Who fashioned the hearts of them all, Who comprehends all their actions.” (Psalm 33:15)
LDS – “We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.”
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, rewards those that keep His commandments and punishes those that transgress them.”
LDS – “We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.”
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah; and even though he may tarry, nonetheless I wait every day for his coming.”
LDS – “We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.”
Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that there will be a revival of the dead at the time when it shall please the Creator, blessed be His name, and His mention shall be exalted for ever and ever.”
LDS – “We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”
Maimonides’ 13 Principles of Faith
From the website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_principles_of_faith
1 I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the Creator and Guide of everything that has been created; He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.”
2 I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is One, and that there is no unity in any manner like His, and that He alone is our God, who was, and is, and will be.
3 I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is not a body, and that He is free from all the properties of matter, and that there can be no (physical) comparison to Him whatsoever.
4 I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the first and the last.
5 I believe with perfect faith that to the Creator, blessed be His Name, and to Him alone, it is right to pray, and that it is not right to pray to any being besides Him.
6 I believe with perfect faith that all the words of the prophets are true.
7 I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy of Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him, was true, and that he was the chief of the prophets, both of those who preceded him and of those who followed him.
8 I believe with perfect faith that the entire Torah that is now in our possession is the same that was given to Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him.
9 I believe with perfect faith that this Torah will not be exchanged, and that there will never be any other Torah from the Creator, blessed be His name.
10 I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, knows all the deeds of human beings, and all their thoughts, as it says: “Who fashioned the hearts of them all, Who comprehends all their actions.” (Psalm 33:15)
11 I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, rewards those that keep His commandments and punishes those that transgress them.
12 I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah; and even though he may tarry, nonetheless I wait every day for his coming.
13 I believe with perfect faith that there will be a revival of the dead at the time when it shall please the Creator, blessed be His name, and His mention shall be exalted for ever and ever.
LDS 13 Articles of Faith
1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2 We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.
3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5 We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
8 We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. –10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11 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.
12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
http://www.moshiach.com/discover/articles/thirteen_principles_of_faith.php
1. Belief in the existence of the Creator, be He Blessed, who is perfect in every manner of existence and is the Primary Cause of all that exists.
2. The belief in G-d’s absolute and unparalleled unity.
3. The belief in G-d’s noncorporeality, nor that He will be affected by any physical occurrences, such as movement, or rest, or dwelling.
4. The belief in G-d’s eternity.
5. The imperative to worship Him exclusively and no foreign false gods.
6. The belief that G-d communicates with man through prophecy.
7. The belief that the prophecy of Moses our teacher has priority.
8. The belief in the divine origin of the Torah.
9. The belief in the immutability of the Torah.
10. The belief in divine omniscience and providence.
11. The belief in divine reward and retribution.
12. The belief in the arrival of the Messiah and the messianic era.
13. The belief in the resurrection of the dead.
Posted in Atonement of Jesus Christ, tagged atonement, Calvary, crucifixion, false gospel, freedom, Garden of Gethsemane, gospel, grace, Jesus Christ, mormonism, penalty for sin, repugnant cross of Christians, sacrifice, salvation on 01/14/2011| Leave a Comment »
THE ATONEMENT
Answers to Gospel Questions 4:17; “To many, like the writer, such a custom is repugnant and contrary to the true worship of our Redeemer. Why should we bow down before a cross or use it as a symbol? Because our Savior died on the cross, the wearing of crosses is to most Latter-day Saints in very poor taste and inconsistent to our worship.”
For many of us there has been a time or two in life when we knew things were about to change. This happened to me several years ago as I sat listening to a pastor challenge his audience about their personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. Life as I knew it up to that point was radically different than what I was about to embark upon!
Posted in Interesting Facts of the 3-in-1, Uncategorized, tagged angel of light, baptisms for the dead, bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, false gospel, false prophecy, false prophet, gospel, Jesus, joseph smith, Pearl of Great Price, salvation, Savior, truth on 01/12/2011| Leave a Comment »
Interesting Facts about the 3-IN-1 – Part 2
A few years ago I wrote an article pointing out a few discrepancies in the writings of LDS doctrines. My purpose in this is to lovingly point out some items that are indeed confusing. I had someone e-mail a few weeks ago that told me she is “Mormon doctrine” so it was always going to be insulting when I write things that are “anti”.
There are two things I have to say about that comment. 1 – People are not a rule written down on a piece of paper. You are a human being whom God loves and who He has created. 2 – The materials that I use for information on this website are not written out of maliciousness towards the Mormon people. The information gathered is taken directly from the writings of the LDS Church making it impossible to be “anti”.
FALSE PROPHECY ABOUT DARKNESS AT CRUCIFIXION
1 Nephi 19:10 says there would be three days of darkness on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.
The Bible says there were three hours of darkness at the time of the crucifixion: Mark 15:33 says; “And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.”
NEPHI SAYS WOE TO THEM WHO DIE IN SINS; BIBLE ASKS WHY ARE YOU BAPTIZING DEAD PEOPLE; D&C SAYS IT IS GOD’S ORDINANCE TO BAPTIZE THE DEAD
2 Nephi 9:38; “And, in fine, wo unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins.”
D&C 124:29-30; “For a baptismal font there is not upon the earth, that they, my saints, may be baptized for those who are dead— For this ordinance belongeth to my house, and cannot be acceptable to me, only in the days of your poverty, wherein ye are not able to build a house unto me.”
1 Cor. 15:29 says; “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?”
The question begs to be asked; what is going on here? The apostle Paul was asking the Corinthians why they were practicing a pagan cult ritual when they didn’t even believe in the resurrection. Nephi says there are no second chances in heaven; once you’re dead, that it folks, your time to obey and believe is done. And lastly we see how Joseph has said that God demands we baptize our dead relatives so they may be saved as well. This is a classic example of how the LDS doctrine confuses people.
THE COLOR ISSUE
2 Nephi 26:33 says; “… for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men… and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female…”
Answers to Gospel Questions, 2:188; “Kindly see chapters 15 and 16, in The Way to Perfection, for further light in relation to the reason why the Negro cannot receive the priesthood. In brief, it is as follows: Because of transgression in the first estate which deprives him in this second estate. Since Cain slew his brother… the children of Cain should not have the privilege of bearing the priesthood until Abel had posterity who could have the priesthood and that will have to be in the far distant future. When this is accomplished on some other world, then the restrictions will be removed from the children of Cain…”
The following passages of LDS “scripture” further explain why God turned people dark after they were here on earth and why they were not allowed to hold the priesthood until 1978: Abraham 1:21-7; Moses 7:7-8; 2 Nephi 5:21-4.
We’ve written articles on this topic before and will happily continue to do so in order for those in Mormonism to see the problems within their own doctrine and allow the Lord to speak to them through this. There is absolutely nothing in the Bible suggesting we are a certain color because of some supposed past behavior.
In addition, the Bible clearly proclaims that we were first created in the womb, not spiritually created first; 1 Cor. 15:46; “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.” Also see Jer. 1:5 which say God formed us in the belly.
Why do the doctrines of Mormonism vary?
If you’re a member of the LDS Church have you ever wondered why the writings of the Church haven’t changed in regards to this kind of thing? If the doctrines of God change, shouldn’t your published lesson books change as well to ensure that no one gets confused? And why did God change his mind anyway?
One more thing…if those who are dark sinned in the pre-existence, why was Jesus dark here on earth? He’s from the Middle East!
LANGUAGE OF THE JEWS?
There are many complex problems within the books of Ether and Mormon. First in the writings of the prophet Mormon, we see that God’s chosen people have changed their native tongue. By the time they got on a ship to sail for the Americas, they are speaking and writing in a language not spoken by anyone else on earth. They’ve called it “reformed Egyptian”.
If that wasn’t bad enough, when they begin to write their story down, the plates aren’t big enough to write out all the things God wanted them to write.
Then we move on to the next book, Ether, and it tells the readers that he is writing a synopsis of what it was like at the tower of Babel. Here is when God destroyed the tower and confounded everyone’s language, forcing people to scatter with their own languages. Now the Bible says everyone’s language was changed. Ether says that everyone’s language changed but Jared, Jared’s brother and just their friends.
So in Mormon it says they (the Nephites), changed the language before they got to the Americas and they were speaking the language of their fathers; that being reformed Egyptian.
Then in Ether we read how God answered their prayers and didn’t change a thing about their language. Way back in Mosiah 1:6 it says they were speaking the language of their fathers (reformed Egyptian) when they left Jerusalem.
So were all the Jews speaking reformed Egyptian in Israel?
Why did they alter their language after asking God not to confound or change it?
Mormon 9:32-4 says; “And now, behold, we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech. And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record. But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language….”
Ether 1:34-7; “And the brother of Jared being a large and mighty man, and a man highly favored of the Lord, Jared, his brother, said unto him: Cry unto the Lord, that he will not confound us that we may not understand our words. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon Jared; therefore he did not confound the language of Jared; and Jared and his brother were not confounded. Then Jared said unto his brother: Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language… and the Lord had compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded.”
Gen. 11:7-9; “Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.”
NEPHITES BELIEVE IN CHRIST BUT KEEP LAW OF MOSES
Jacob 4:5; “Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness...”
Hebrews 9:14-5; “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”
ALMA, ALMA, ALMA… JESUS BORN IN JERUSALEM; MEN WASHED WITH BLOOD OF LAMB IN 82 BC; PEOPLE BAPTIZED, WOMAN SAVED BY JESUS, CHURCH ESTABLISHED IN 90 BC.
Throughout the first 600 years of the story in the Book of Mormon there are countless examples of people and places named that qualify the Book of Mormon as a false prophecy. The last 421 years have their own set of problems, but for now we’ll just be listing a few examples of the BC era for our proof, taken from the book of Alma.
Alma 7:10; “And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.”
Matthew 2:1; “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.”
Alma 13:11; “Therefore they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb.”
Alma 19:29, 35; “And it came to pass that she went and took the queen by the hand, that perhaps she might raise her from the ground; and as soon as she touched her hand she arose and stood upon her feet, and cried with a loud voice, saying: O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God, have mercy on this people!”
“And it came to pass that there were many that did believe in their words; and as many as did believe were baptized; and they became a righteous people, and they did establish a church among them.”
HOW TO BECOME SONS AND DAUGHTERS UNTO GOD
Moroni 7:48; “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.”
D&C 11:30; “But verily, verily, I say unto you, that as many as receive me, to them will I give power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on my name. Amen.”
Moses 3:5, 7; “…For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth… And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth….”
“And I, the Lord God, formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul, the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also; nevertheless, all things were before created; but spiritually were they created and made according to my word.”
The last set of LDS “scripture” can be confusing to those who aren’t acquainted with Mormonism. The passage from Moses is located in the Pearl of Great Price and refers to the period of time the Mormons know as the “pre-existence”. They believe that all mankind was spiritually begotten by God (Heavenly Father) through a sexual union with a “Heavenly Mother”. When the time came for God to create mankind, He breathed “life” into Adam to live here on earth. Thus, man’s spirit is waiting for an earthly “tabernacle” to reside in so they can earn their way to godhood themselves.
Ask the Mormon how many times they really need to be born to be a son of God. Nicodemus asked Jesus in the gospel of John how many times he needed to be born and Jesus told him that he had to be born of the spirit. Mormons already did this in the pre-existence according to the book of Moses.
WHERE WERE MY SINS PAID FOR?
1 Nephi 11:33 says; “And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.”
D&C 19:18-9; “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.”
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 542; “Modern LDS leaders have emphasized that Jesus’ most challenging experience came in Gethsemane. Speaking in a general conference of the Church in 1982, Marion G. Romney, a member of the First Presidency, observed that Jesus suffered “the pains of all men, which he did, principally, in Gethsemane, the scene of his great agony” (Ensign 12 [May 1982]:6). Church President Ezra Taft Benson wrote that “it was in Gethsemane that Jesus took on Himself the sins of the world….”
1 Corinthians 1:18-19; “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
BIBLE IS ETERNAL, BUT THEN AGAIN…
2 Nephi 9:16 says; “And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word, which cannot pass away, that they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still; wherefore, they who are filthy are the devil and his angels; and they shall go away into everlasting fire, prepared for them; and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end.”
Articles of Faith, pg. 214; “The historical and other data upon which is based the current Christian faith as to the genuineness of the Biblical record are accepted as unreservedly by the Latter-day Saints as by the members of any sect; and in literalness of interpretation this Church probably excels.”
Doctrines of Salvation 3:191; “We are all aware that there are errors in the Bible due to faulty translations and ignorance on the part of translators; but the hand of the Lord has been over this volume of scripture nevertheless, and it is remarkable that it has come down to us in the excellent condition in which we find it. Guided by the Books of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Spirit of the Lord, it is not difficult for one to discern the errors in the Bible…”
Isaiah 40:8 says; “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
2 Nephi 10:3; “Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name—should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.”
Matthew 1:20-1 says; “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
While it may seem this isn’t all that important, let me expound a moment. Whenever a member of the LDS Church refers to the Lord they only refer to Him as Christ, never by His given name of Jesus. While that in itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, His name is not Christ. Christ is a Hebrew title for Messiah or anointed one. It’s as if they’ve stripped Jesus of His personal identity by calling Him by His title only.
For instance, my name is Michelle Grim. Now if everyone referred to me by Mrs. Grim all the time, including my family, friends, and business associates, etc. it places a wall or barrier between them and me. I’m Michelle to my husband, close friends, acquaintances and relatives. Of course I’m mom to my children and finally I’m Mrs. Grim to those whom I interact with at the bank, grocery store, or the schools that my children attend.
Our first name is what helps identify us and personalizes our relationships with other people. When I hear the name Kirk, I think of my husband; if I hear the names Jacqui or Axi, I immediately think of my daughters.
When the Mormons refer to any of the apostles in the Bible they refer to them by their first names, why not Jesus? Could it be they do not want members of the Church to be on a personal basis with Jesus?
Mormon Doctrine, pg. 392 says this about using the name “Jesus”;
“Though it was a common name anciently, its use by the Lord God Omnipotent as his personal name has given it a sacred connotation for all succeeding generations. (Acts 2:36.) Accordingly its profane and repetitious use is not in keeping with the true spirit of reverence and worship.”
FATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST ARE ONE GOD
D&C 20:28 says; “Which Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one God, infinite and eternal, without end. Amen.”
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 548; “Yet God the Father is not one in substance with the Son or the Holy Spirit, but is a separate being. The Father existed prior to the Son and the Holy Ghost and is the source of their divinity. In classical terms, LDS theology is subordinationist; that is, it views the Son and the Holy Ghost as subordinate to and dependent upon God the Eternal Father. They are his offspring. Thus Joseph Smith referred to the Father as “God the first” to emphasize his priority in the Godhead (TPJS, p. 190). The Son and the Holy Spirit were “in the beginning, with God,” but the Father alone existed before the beginning of the universe as it is known.”
Joseph Smith’s Testimony 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!”
Isaiah 9:6; “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
These are just a handful of examples you can read in the doctrines of the Church and compare them with the true scripture; that being the Bible. We pray the Mormon people will look for themselves and go to the Heavenly Father to ask Him if these things are true.
With Love in Christ;
Michelle Grim
1 Cor. 1:18
Posted in Joseph Smith & Lucifer Compared, Joseph Smith and Jesus Compared, tagged bible, false gospel, false prophet, gospel, History of the Church, Jesus, joseph smith, mormonism, salvation, truth on 01/11/2011| Leave a Comment »
Joseph Smith and Jesus Compared
Luke 22:54-23:33 is the focus of this article and for the sake of space we ask that you open your own Bibles to read along as we point out the significant events that took place in Jesus’ last few days of life here on earth.
Through Jesus’ death God manifested His great love for us and introduced to mankind that grace was available to all – no matter the tribe or race you belonged! The grace of God brought with it a new lifestyle that was freer than anyone had previously known.
Works became an outward expression of our love for God and the concept that we had to work for salvation was nailed to the cross Jesus hung upon.
With these things in mind we turn our attention to what mankind can do in the name of God when he chooses to pervert truth and attempts to take the focus off the Creator.
At the time of this writing it is December 2005. During this great season of looking to God who gave us His Son, we are also striving to keep the LDS Church’s focus placed in the right direction.
Posted in Burning in the Bosom, tagged bible, Burning in the bosom, Doctrine and Covenants, false gospel, false prophecy, false prophet, gospel, Jesus, joseph smith, lds church, mormonism, salvation, truth on 01/11/2011| 7 Comments »
This article came about because of an e-mail I received last month (November 2008). Someone wrote in to comment about another article I wrote called “Mormon Lifestyles”.
The person who wrote in kept telling me they “feel” that my article wasn’t telling the whole truth. That part of his e-mail led into the subject we’re discussing now; feelings.
The LDS Church has taught and continues to teach it is important to rely upon your feelings to know if something is from God or if it’s not from God. They get this from Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-9. We want to know – is this really biblical? It is from verse eight they get the phrase “burning in the bosom” so let’s look at this in context.
“Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. 8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. 9 But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.”
The above passage is part of a supposed revelation from God to Joseph Smith meant for Oliver Cowdery. In Latter-day Prophets and the Doctrine and Covenants 1:85 it tells us that Cowdery didn’t have sufficient faith to translate the symbols with the Urim and Thummim, thus the chastisement from the Lord.
The “commentary” on this part of Doctrine and Covenants goes into detail describing how Cowdery didn’t know his place as being a scribe and should seek out God by paying attention to the feelings in his heart. But what of our passage mentioned above? Are we really expected to “study it out in our minds” and then wait for a “burning in the bosom”? If this is really the case then certainly we can find evidence of such an important subject in the Bible, right?
Oswald Chambers once talked about “taking possession of our own soul”. His message was taken from Luke 21:19. He was describing the new life we live when we first get saved and as time goes by slipping back into our old selves again. The one thing that caught my attention was when he said we shouldn’t always be blaming Satan for circumstances around us as they are usually a result of actions we take because of our moods. Here’s an excerpt from that sermon;
“There are certain things in life that we need not pray about—moods, for instance. We will never get rid of moodiness by praying, but we will by kicking it out of our lives. Moods nearly always are rooted in some physical circumstance, not in our true inner self.”
So are the “feel good feelings” from reading the Book of Mormon because it’s true, or because as my mother pointed out one day it reminds her of grandpa? I am led to believe it’s the latter; and this of course is spiritual suicide.
In addition to this passage the Mormon missionaries will also tell you to pray about Moroni 10:4-6;
“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.”
Again, how can we trust our own heart? What if we’re just not in the mood to go to church and worship God or do good things for those around us? What if the feeling for being obnoxious was strong in our hearts? These two examples are ways of denying Christ so how can you be sure of what to do without the word of God who has already established what is holy and righteous? Proverbs 28:26 says;
“He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”
We must distinguish nice memories in our childhood from truth and sadly enough the truth is that grandpa wasn’t leading his family into the arms of Jesus Christ. For this topic the four key words to look at in this verse would be “trusteth”, “heart”, “fool” and “wisely”.
“Trusteth” in the Hebrew is “baòtÖach” (pronounced baw-takh’) means to “hie for refuge”.
(Isn’t it just like our Lord to place this particular word here to firmly remind us that our refuge is found in His word and absolutes?)
The Hebrew word for fool is “kesŒòyl” (pronounced kes-eel). It means stupid or silly.
The word for heart is “leòb” (pronounced labe). It can literally mean your physical heart or in this case, your mind or intellect.
The last word is wisely. The Hebrew word is “chokmaòh” (pronounced khok-maw’). In the English this means wisdom or wit.
So this verse means “those who takes refuge in his own mind/intellect is stupid or silly, but those who follow with wisdom will be saved”. Imagine; it has nothing to do with your mood, a feeling or a physical sensation!
What if the burning in the bosom is a result of hanging out with friends who are supportive when you’re following their agenda? Dr. Walter Martin once said; “Don’t explain Christianity by experiential reasoning but through demonstrative explanation”. I can personally vouch that goose-bump moments come and go with the wind; God’s truth stands forever.
You can read more of my “proof” on this subject in my own testimony. It stands as a clear example that our behaviors can and do change. In April of 1984 I actually spat on Ed Decker. Besides being very unladylike, not to mention gross, God still performs miracles. I hadn’t been active in the Church for two years at the point I made a lame attempt at defending Mormonism and I didn’t even agree with half of what they taught by that time. I couldn’t articulate why I didn’t agree with it; I just knew something was wrong and I wasn’t looking forward to being eternally pregnant. For thirty years the “burning in the bosom” fueled my behavior in defending a lie.
Christians live out their faith based on what is known, not by what they feel is right.
Here is an excerpt from my response to the person who e-mailed us.
“We make a confession of faith based on the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came here to die for our sins and then was resurrected on the third day so that we may have eternal life. People aren’t given a “general salvation” because He died. Those who believe are seen as pure and clean because of His death and our subsequent individual commitment made on decisions, not feelings.
Faith is different from feelings. Faith is based upon what you know to be true. The old adage of knowing the chair is going to withstand your weight when you sit in it is a classic example of faith. Feelings change from day to day because of human emotions and cannot, nor should they, be trusted.”
A few questions for members of the LDS Church:
If you trust the burning in the bosom theory how do you feel about polygamy today?
How are you going to feel about it when/if you are in heaven?
How’s your spouse going to feel about it?
How do you feel knowing Joseph Smith wouldn’t be receiving a temple recommend if he was alive today?
What about blacks?
Should they be in the Church?
How do you feel with a black president?
You see, the “feeling good” standard has no standing in God’s righteous holy ways. God is unchanging. Now the Church members all say the same thing; “Oh the “anti’s” all beat on the same topics all the time, they can’t come up with anything new…” The reason we “anti’s” do this is because God hasn’t changed. His plans haven’t changed, His righteous ways haven’t changed, but mankind has changed.
Where in the Bible does God condone polygamy?
Where in the Bible does God condemn the black race?
Where in the Bible did God say it was okay to murder babies?
Abortion is murder so why is it acceptable in this world and even in Mormonism?
Ensign, November 1998, pg. 71; “Abortion is an ugly thing, a debasing thing, a thing which inevitably brings remorse and sorrow and regret…While we denounce it, we make allowance in such circumstances as when pregnancy is the result of incest or rape, when the life or health of the mother is judged by competent medical authority to be in serious jeopardy, or when the fetus is known by competent medical authority to have serious defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.”
If by this standard I had followed the counsel of doctors and the leaders in my church (LDS), my kids wouldn’t be here. In the summer of 1990 military doctors told me to abort my oldest daughter Jacqui, she’s seventeen years old now. They were convinced they couldn’t find a steady heartbeat for two appointments in a row. They felt that something could be wrong with her future health. Jacqui was born with her father’s engineering mind, graduates from high school this year and is planning on attending college in Germany to become a missionary for troubled teens. She is working towards her pilot’s license, plays violin and the guitar. She started a Bible study at the public school she attends after years of it being non-existent. I cannot imagine my life without her presence each day and aside from an occasional cold, she’s in perfect health.
Axi, my sixteen year old would also be dead. She gets straight A’s, sings in choir at school, sings and plays piano for the youth group at church, attends Bible studies and is a source of joy every day of my life. Her crime? In 1992 Axi was born with a cleft lip and palate and a slight heart murmur. The doctors told me it’d be understandable if I chose to abort and would arrange for my wishes to be carried through. Because a test for Lyme disease came back with a false positive they were convinced she’d have horrible birth defects and serious problems.
God tells us in Exodus 20:13 “Thou shalt not kill”; this of course is the sixth commandment! By the way, the Lyme disease test showed a false positive because I have Multiple Sclerosis.
What if I had felt it’d be too much for me to bear?
What about Axi?
What about God?
God knows and understands the daily emotional mountains we face each day, that’s why He gave us His word. Psalm 119:105 says; “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (The first verse Jacqui memorized.) His promises are meant to be a constant source of comfort to us when life presents us with new emotions or questions. The Bible isn’t just a source of mistranslated old works. God has given you a gift and the Mormon Church has tricked you into believing it’s a mistake!
You must test the Mormon “scripture” and see if it lines up with what God says in the Bible. If it doesn’t then you must walk away, as difficult as that may be and usually is, God will give you peace that passes understanding; I’m living proof! Phil. 4:7.
Now even more important than our mortal life is the eternal life that’s at stake when we place our trust in our own heart. While murder is obviously a horrible sin it pales in comparison to living outside of God’s presence for eternity just because you trusted in your own feelings.
If you’re LDS please know that we’re praying for you and know also that you’re not alone!
With Love in Christ;
Michelle
1 Cor. 1:18
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