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Posts Tagged ‘Jesus Christ’

Tip of the Day, February 27

Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged bible, blood atonement, Brigham Young, Brigham Young a god and savior, covenant, false church, false doctrines, false gospel, false prophets, freedom, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joseph smith, Joseph Smith a god to Mormons, keys of the kingdom, lds church, mormonism, none other name under heaven, salvation, truth, Wilford Woodruff on 02/27/2011| Leave a Comment »

February 27 – “Neither is salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

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AMEN! We must ask the Mormon what the phrase “none other name” means to them.

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“Some have said that I was very presumptuous to say that Brother Brigham was my God and Saviour, Brother Joseph was his God and the one that gave Joseph the keys of the kingdom was his God which was Peter. Jesus Christ was his God and (the) Father of Jesus Christ was Adam.” Journal of Wilford Woodruff, April 10, 1852.

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Tip of the Day, February 26

Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged ancestors, bible, blood relative, false gospel, freedom, genealogies, God, gospel, Isaiah, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joseph smith, Joseph Smith related to Jesus, lds church, mormonism, prophecy, Root of Jesse, salvation, Savior, truth on 02/26/2011| Leave a Comment »

February 26 – “Neither give heed to fables or endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.” 1 Tim. 1:4.

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Ask the Mormon if Joseph Smith had absolute proof that he truly was related to Jesus Christ then what good does it do him? What purpose does it serve to even mention something like this? Would it mean that he had a ticket to heaven because of it?

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D&C 113:5-6; “What is the root of Jesse spoken of in the 10^th verse of the 11^th chapter (Isaiah). Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days”.

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Tip of the Day, February 3

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).”

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Studying the Book of Mormon 12

Posted in Studying the Book of Mormon Introduction, tagged another testament of Christ, bible, Book of Mormon, Christianity, false gospel, false prophet, Jesus Christ, joseph smith, Lamanites, Moroni, Nephites on 02/01/2011| Leave a Comment »

Studying the Book of Mormon 12

“To generalize is to be an idiot” – William Blake

Mormon 5:7; “And it came to pass that we did again take to flight, and those whose flight was swifter than the Lamanites’ did escape, and those whose flight did not exceed the Lamanites’ were swept down and destroyed.”

With those two things in mind, let’s take a quick look at what other people have said and done in history.

389 AD – St. Patrick is born

400 AD – Niall is first man called king of Ireland

405 AD – Jerome completes the Vulgate

410 AD – Visigoths sack Rome

410 AD – trousers are introduced replacing togas and in China stirrups are invented making it easier to ride horses

413 AD – St. Augustine writes City of God

415 AD – Jews are expelled from Alexandria

September 30, 420 AD – Jerome dies peacefully in Bethlehem while working on his commentary of Ezekiel.

February 8, 421 AD – Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of Western Roman Empire

September 2, 421 AD – Constantius III dies

422 AD – The walls of The Colosseum crack during an earthquake

439 AD – Vandals conquer Carthage

These events in fifty years of history around the time of Moroni can be verified with the assurance they surely took place. Names of people, cities they lived in, inventions, and books they may have written can be verified through archaeological evidences or historical events documented through time. (1)

Why is it we can’t find any archaeological evidence from the Book of Mormon? Nothing, and I do mean nothing, has ever been found to authenticate the claims made by Joseph Smith.

The past few months have proven themselves to be an interesting time of discovery during our studies. What we have unearthed hasn’t cast a favorable light on the writings of Joseph Smith.

We’ve found that Nephi and Lehi’s claims of being persecuted by the Jews in Jerusalem in 600 BC were nothing more than a far-fetched story etched in the mind of Joseph Smith.

The probability of the Jaredites actually sailing across the Atlantic in 2200 BC is virtually incalculable and the Tower of Babel story was off by more than a thousand years.

One thing I wish I would’ve done is to count the number of false prophecies, alas; we’ll leave that for another day. Suffice it to say there are more than a few.

Moroni is the last prophet in the line of the Nephites and his book carries the title of his name. In essence he is sharing a letter his father wrote to him of a long drawn out farewell to his son and other Nephites clearly stating he knew no one would see the sacred writings of his forefathers in the centuries to come. It’s just a little too coincidental and convenient.

Smith has set up for himself a fail proof prophecy by trying to prove that he is the appointed one spoken of by Moroni some fourteen hundred years earlier.

The book of Moroni reminded me of a self pity party gone bad. Interspersed with the woe-is-me psyche, the first six chapters are filled with instructions of how to administer the elements, ordination procedures of priests/teachers, baptismal rituals and consequences for sin.

Chapters 6 through 8 are filled with half quotes lifted from the Bible and in chapter 9 we see one of the hallmarks in Smith’s thought process. It is clear after you’ve studied the Mormon religion that it’s been built upon two things. Those two indicating factors are sex and godhood status.

Moroni 9:9;

“…For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue—”

Aside from the racist view of non-whites, this is the most offensive teaching found in the Book of Mormon. How do you deprive someone of being chaste or virtuous? You can’t force someone to lie, nor can you force someone to be an honorable person. The only way one could interpret this verse is to understand your virginity is more important than all other things. You are ruined and worthless in the eyes of God if you’re a victim of rape. This is particularly bad for women in Utah. The rate of rape in Utah is always higher than the national average and it’s been that way for decades now. See our article on vital stats in Utah here http://www.lifeafter.org/stats2008a.asp

Imagine how 33% of the women in Utah feel while sitting in a Sacrament meeting reading that. Good job Mr. Smith.

I cannot understand how any Mormon could find hope for their tired soul anywhere in Moroni, let alone the Book of Mormon. Sadly, we’ve found that Mormons have a voracious appetite in defending this work and I’m left to wonder if they’ve even bothered to read it.

One of the main problems with the Book of Mormon is the glaring lack of a dictionary enabling us to gain a full understanding of Reformed Egyptian.

To complicate matters even further, the teachings from the last two chapters of Moroni don’t correspond with basic tenets found within Mormonism. Grace, the Trinity and final judgment after death are all foreign concepts to the Mormon. It’s obvious these teachings and words have been incorporated into the text to confuse members, making it sound biblical.

The infamous “burning in the bosom” passage is located in Moroni 10:3-5 which boldly contradicts what the Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9.

Moroni 10:3-5; “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. 4 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.”

Jeremiah 17:9; “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Below you’ll find basic statistics about the book of Moroni pointing out errors, false prophecies, grammatical problems, Greek and Latin words in the Book of Mormon and noteworthy teachings.

Think about this while you look at the statistical info below.

If God is perfect, why would he use poor grammar in the Book of Mormon?

If Joseph Smith was truly a prophet of God then why did he announce that he used no Greek or Latin words in the Book of Mormon?

If the Book of Mormon is true when it states God is the same from everlasting to everlasting, how do you explain that God was once a man?

If the Nephites truly lived in the fifth century, why were they using phrases from the Bible that was written on a different continent four hundred years earlier?

If you’re a member of the LDS Church, know that we pray for you every single day. My heart is heavy knowing the struggle it is to be a Mormon. I lived that life for 30 years. There are questions that need to be answered about the Book of Mormon and it’s your right to have your questions answered honestly.

If the Book of Mormon doesn’t line up with basic common sense regarding historical, grammatical and biblical investigation then you need to know so that you can make an intelligent decision in what you want to do. Worshipping the wrong god has serious consequences in the hereafter.

With Love in Christ;

Michelle Grim

1 Cor. 1:18

FALSE PROPHECIES

5:2

8:10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 22

9:4

10:3, 4, 5, 26

Noteworthy teachings

Moroni 5:1 – elements are of wine, not water like the Church serves today

Moroni 6:6 – Wine served in communion – not water

Moroni 7:22 – God is everlasting to everlasting (contradictory to God once being a man)

Moroni 7:26 – saved by faith in God (this is not taught in Mormonism)

Moroni 8:8 – Christ is God, kids can’t sin, Jesus takes away Law of circumcision

Moroni 8:18 – God doesn’t change (contradictory to God once being a man)

Moroni 8:23 – Mockery before God to trust in dead works

Moroni 9:4 – Holy Spirit ceases to strive amongst men

Moroni 9:9 – rape victims are not worthy in God’s eyes (see commentary by Ezra T. Benson in New Era, Jan ’88, pg.4, BYU Devotional of 10/87)

Moroni 10:26 – no need for baptisms for the dead

Moroni 10:29 – Moroni doesn’t lie

Plagiarism

Moroni 6:1, 2, 4, 7 are lifted from Matt. 3:8; Ps. 51:17; Heb. 12:2 and Rev. 3:5 respectively

Compare Moroni 7:1 & 1 Cor. 13:13

Moroni 7:6 and 1 Cor. 13:13

Moroni 7:7 and Romans 4:3

Moroni 7:16 and 1 Cor. 12:7

Moroni 7:17 and Romans 3:12

Moroni 7:18 and Matthew 7:2

Moroni 7:26 and John 16:23; Matthew 21:22

Moroni 7:34 and Acts 2:38

Moroni 7:39 and Hebrews 6:9

Moroni 7:43 and Matt. 11:29

Moroni 7:44 and 1 Cor. 12:3, 13:2

Moroni 7:45 and 1 Cor. 13:4, 5, 6, 7

Moroni 7:46 and 1 Cor. 13:2, 8, 13

Moroni 7:47 (Charity is an old English word for love. It seems odd that Smith would find it necessary to explain this)

Moroni 7:48 and 1 John 3:1, 2, 3

Moroni 8:3 and Acts 4:30

Moroni 8:4 and 1 Cor. 1:11

Moroni 8:6 – chastisement of the people like Paul in Corinthians

Moroni 8:8 and Matt. 9:12-13

Moroni 8:14 and Acts 8:23; 1 Cor. 13:13

Moroni 8:16 and Acts 13:10; Luke 13:3; 1 John 4:18

Moroni 8:26 and John 14:16, 26 (the word Comforter is a Middle English word originating in 1300 AD. Why is this word in the BoM if it wasn’t a word in 421 AD and in the KJV but wasn’t in the Vulgate? – also see our article about Greek and Latin words in the BoM here http://www.lifeafter.org/greeklatin.asp)

Moroni 9:6 and Acts 13:10

Moroni 9:22 and Luke 13:3

Moroni 10:8 and 1 Cor 12:4-7

Moroni 10:9 and 1 Cor. 12:8

Moroni 10:10 and 1 Cor. 12:8

Moroni 10:11 and 1 Cor. 12:9

Moroni 10:12 and 1 Cor. 12:10

Moroni 10:13 and 1 Cor. 12:10

Moroni 10:14 and 1 Cor. 12:10

Moroni 10:15 and 1 Cor. 12:10

Moroni 10:16 and 1 Cor. 12:10

Moroni 10:17 and 1 Cor. 12:11

Moroni 10:19 and Heb. 13:8

Moroni 10:20 and 1 Cor. 13:13

Moroni 10:25 and Romans 3:12

Moroni 10:38 and Zech. 12:10

Moroni 10:31 and Isaiah 52:1

Moroni 10:32 and 2 Cor. 12:9

Moroni 10:34 and Acts 10:42

Grammar Problems

Moroni 1:4; “Wherefore, I write a few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more; but I write a few more things…”

Moroni 9:24; “…write somewhat a few things, if thou art spared and I shall perish and not see thee…”

Moroni 10:1; “…and I would that they should know that more than four hundred and twenty years have passed away…”

Not Inspired

Moroni 1:1; “Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished…”

Moroni 7:1; “And now I, Moroni, write a few of the words of my father Mormon…”

Moroni 8:1-2; “An epistle of my father Mormon, written to me, Moroni; and it was written unto me soon after my calling to the ministry. And on this wise did he write unto me, saying: 2 My beloved son, Moroni, I rejoice exceedingly that your Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful of you…”

Moroni 9:24; “…write somewhat a few things, if thou art spared and I shall perish and not see thee…”

Moroni 10:1; “Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good; and I write unto my brethren, the Lamanites…”

Greek and Latin Words in Moroni

35 words used 250 times

1. http://www.christianhistorytimeline.com/DAILYF/2001/09/daily-09-30-2001.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sack_of_Rome_(410)

http://www.enotes.com/peoples-chronology/year-5th-century-d

http://www.historyworld.net/timesearch

http://www.wordiq.com/definition/421

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Birth of Jesus; Philosophical or Divine?

Posted in Birth of Jesus; Philosophical or Divine?, Mormon Jesus, tagged brith of Jesus, Calvary, crucified, Father in Heaven, freedom, grace, Heavenly Father, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lds church, Mary, mormonism, Only Begotton Son, sacrifice, salvation, virgin birth on 01/24/2011| Leave a Comment »

Birth of Jesus; Purely Philosophical or Purely Divine?

Christmas 2007

Gal. 5:24; “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

While doing some research for a project I came across the following statement made by the Prophet Brigham Young in Journal of Discourses 8:115-116;

“While brother Joseph was referring to the providences of God, I was led to reflect that there is no act, no principle, no power belonging to the Deity that is not purely philosophical. The birth of the Saviour was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood—was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers.”

This quote was one of those that made me stop in my tracks. How pathetically disgusting the thoughts was of this man to say such a thing! I’ve always said that you can worship the rocks in your back yard and call them “god”, but that doesn’t make it any truer than calling my car “god”.

Mankind has learned a lot about the Lord over the past 6,000 plus years, but that is only because God has revealed these things to us. How could anyone believe the birth of Christ is purely philosophical? We only know what we do about Him because of what He’s revealed to us and nothing more. If His Son’s conception and birth could be found out through philosophical means, why pray tell are you worshipping a god that can only be as good as you are?

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can assure you that I am grateful I worship the Only God of the Universe. I am assured success at the end of each day knowing that I can find comfort, rest, forgiveness and safety in His arms. I can still have bad days here on earth, but one thing is certain – my concerns for tomorrow lay in His Sovereign Hands.

Debasing the Father and Son brings no comfort to my soul. I don’t find any peace in thinking that He had to make the same stupid mistakes I go through here on earth. My question to those who believe this – how could you?

Gal. 6:7; “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Here are the definitions of a few words taken from the American Heritage Dictionary and Random House Unabridged Dictionary at www.dictionary.com –

Philosophy – “Investigation of the nature, causes, or principles of reality, knowledge, or values, based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods.”

Virgin – “A person who has not experienced sexual intercourse”

Incest – “The crime of sexual intercourse, cohabitation, or marriage between persons within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity wherein marriage is legally forbidden.”

* [see reference at end of article]

Now read what the Apostle Orson Pratt had to say about the Heavenly Father and His daughter Mary:

The Seer, pg. 158; “The fleshly body of Jesus required a Mother as well as a Father. Therefore, the Father and Mother of Jesus, according to the flesh, must have been associated together in the capacity of Husband and Wife; hence the Virgin Mary must have been, for the time being, the lawful wife of God the Father: we use the term lawful Wife, because it would be blasphemous in the highest degree to say that He overshadowed her or begat the Savior unlawfully….But God having created all men and women had the most perfect right to do with His own creation, according to His holy will and pleasure: He had a lawful right to overshadow the Virgin Mary in the capacity of a husband, and beget a Son, although she was espoused to another, for the law which He gave to govern men and women was not intended to govern Himself, or to prescribe rules for his own conduct. ..Inasmuch as God was the first husband to her, it may be that He only gave her to be the wife of Joseph while in this mortal state, and that He intended after the resurrection to again take her as one of his own wives to raise up immortal spirits in eternity.”

Why would you want to believe in a god that is your “father” knowing that in heaven you’d be married to him for eternity? As a female, the thought of sleeping with your father typically makes you shutter. I can only imagine that any decent man would have the same reaction.

I was a sixth generation Mormon from Utah and in the Church for thirty years. For the last couple or so years of my Mormon life I began giving some serious attention and purposeful thoughts to the subject of “religion”. I wasn’t so sure that I could stomach another religion per se; however I had a deep desire to read more about Jesus and find the truth. There were just too many teachings in Mormonism that overshadowed the basics.

In those last couple of years before I accepted the truth, my heart began to panic when I thought of the implications. I couldn’t stand the thought of being eternally pregnant and began telling God that I wanted to go to hell so I didn’t have to be married for eternity. Then there were many times I’d have an overwhelming urge to sit and read the Gospels, knowing in my heart that I wanted to be in heaven someday. As those times of study began more frequent, it occurred to me one day that I should probably read up on my Book of Mormon to see why I had such an aversion to it. So I studied.

The truth is this: no where in the Bible does it say that God had sex with Mary. No where in the Bible does it say that Jesus was “the only begotten according to the flesh”; no where in the Bible does it say that Jesus was married. The Bible doesn’t condone polygamy, nor does it intimate that God is an exalted man. On the contrary the Word of God is consistently consistent!

The entire Old Testament points to and prophecies about the coming Messiah. I’ve never counted the number of verses in the Bible that describes God and/or Jesus. I do know there are 333 prophecies in the Old Testament about Jesus Christ (all were fulfilled). The point being I’d be here forever making sure I listed all of them. For now, let’s take a look at just a handful of places we can “gain knowledge” about our God in order to worship Him the way we are meant to! I’ve listed several scriptures identifying the reality about the God of the Universe and His Beloved Only Begotten Son, Jesus.

And please, if you’re LDS, pray about these and ask God to give you clarity of mind when you do.

With Love in Christ;

Michelle

Jude 24-25

Hebrews 1:5; “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?”

Is. 55:8-9; “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Ps. 111:2-4; “The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. 3 His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.”

Numbers 23:19; “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

Isaiah 7:14; “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Luke 1:31-35; “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

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.”

Acts 3:15; “And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.”

Isaiah 46:4-5; “And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. 5 ¶ To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?”

Ex. 3:14; “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

John 8:58; “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

Isaiah 53:7; “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

John 1:29; “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Psalm 27:1; “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

John 8:12; “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Deut. 10:17; “For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.”

1 Tim. 6:16; “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”

Gal. 4:6; “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

Nahum 1:3-5; “The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers…5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.”

Matthew 8:25-27; “And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”

Eph. 3:9; “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.”

I pray that during this Christmas season the Mormon people will take more than just a few minutes to think about whom they are worshipping. The Jesus of the Bible is not a created being, but in fact is the Creator; He is God Incarnate; Redeemer; Prince of Peace; Light of the world; Son of God; and last but not least;

Jude 1:24-25; “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

* The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

* Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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After Mormonism

Posted in After Mormonism, tagged After Mormonism, bible, body of Christ, Christianity, grace, Jesus Christ, leaving the Church, peace, salvation, truth, Works for salvation on 01/17/2011| 6 Comments »

After Mormonism

So you’re thinking about leaving Mormonism, the only thing you’ve known in your life and now what? That thought goes through every single person’s mind when they come to this crossroad in life.

Jesus or Mormonism?

It’s scary, I know. The doubts for me began stacking up with constant regularity. All I knew at the age of 30 was that I loved Jesus. I was looking for a way to know more about the man I’d read about in the Bible and every time I opened my Book of Mormon I became even more confused and concerned.

I wanted to read stories of Him walking alongside the people in a village or the times He would gently touch someone to cure them of an infirmity. I wanted to read about the socio-political climate of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus and found nothing in my Book of Mormon about it. I wanted those things and I wanted for them to fit in with my cultural heritage of Utah Mormonism.

The more I read in the Bible and compared it to the teachings of the LDS Church the more I realized those two things were incompatible. I began writing down my doubts on one side of a paper and reserved the other side for what the Bible had to say about it. Godhood, other worlds, the color issue, eternal pregnancy, temple marriage and marriage in heaven were the items on my primitive list.

As I was studying these things in the privacy of my home I met a Christian woman named Nancy and that encounter changed my life. She invited me to her church and I accepted, thinking whatever they believed in was going to be heretical. No other church or system was going to have the things I knew and held dear.

As it turned out I ended up leaving Mormonism that day; it was Palm Sunday of ’93.

The next day was filled with panic from what I had done. How would I ever tell my family? Would I have to go to the bishop’s office? What would my family and friends back in Utah think? The questions and bad scenarios in my head were relentless. At the time I didn’t know enough about the Bible to sit down and begin reading it so I could be comforted. I had never been taught that is what it’s for.

The first thing I did in my new life was to sign up for a Bible study my church was offering. It seemed innocuous enough and something I didn’t think would bring much attention to me. Someone there handed me a pamphlet of activities the church offered and the idea of actually studying the Bible in-depth was very appealing. And the rest as they say is history.

If you’re wondering what there is after Mormonism you’re going to be happy when I tell you that this big wide world God created has some pretty amazing things to offer!

Accept Jesus into your heart. There is a simple way to do this! Sit down in the private moment of your day and tell Him what’s on your mind. Talk out loud so you can hear yourself. Accept and admit that you’re a sinner in need of forgiveness and then ask Him to come live inside of you. Tell Him you are in need of a loving Redeemer. Above all else, know that He is there waiting for you. Luke 11:9.

Read through the Romans Road. You can access it here. http://lifeafterministry.com/2011/01/14/romans-road

This is a simple list of verses from the Bible to read through and pray as you accept Jesus into your heart.

Tell someone of your decision today! Rejoice with other Christians in your decision to not only believe in Jesus, but your decision to follow Him!

Find a church. There are many good Christian churches out there to attend. If you don’t know where to begin you can ask friends or co-workers or feel free to call us too!

At Life After Ministries we do not advocate one denomination over another. We are an evangelical, para-church ministry. We are not a church and we do not belong to one denomination. We are a group of Christians who each belongs to a different Protestant church. We are all members in the church of Jesus Christ. Some of us live in the Seattle area, others in Pittsburgh, Miami, Atlanta, Oklahoma, Ohio, Arizona, Idaho, California, Utah, etc. Some of us are Baptists; some belong to Calvary Chapel, while others are Lutheran, etc.

We believe in the promise Jesus gave to the apostle Peter in Matthew 16:18 when He said; “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

If you’d like help finding a church we can do that! We can call the churches in your city and begin the search for you if that makes the transition easier for you.

Attending a certain church and becoming a member is not the same as it is in the Mormon Church. You’re a Christian first and foremost. Where you attend church doesn’t make you who you are. You are not the doctrines of that particular denomination any more than you are a duck. Becoming a Christian means you are part of the body of Christ!

Ministries in the local body of Christ are filled by people who’ve been called on by the Lord in a personal way to fill a need in that church. Activities in a Christian church are endless! If you know you like working with kids then you can volunteer with the Children’s programs or if you enjoy helping others with your carpentry or computer skills, I know the church and the Lord will find the place for you.

There are Bible studies, sometimes there are fishing and hunting clubs, running/exercise groups, art and cooking classes, tea parties, or helping shut-ins and the homeless. There are also worship teams so if you’re musically inclined you can join the choir or the worship team if that’s the way the Lord has blessed you.

The Christian church does not have “callings” like the LDS Church does. There are all types of programs offered in the Christian church, but whether or not you volunteer or participate is a personal thing between you and the Lord.

The holiday season seemed to be the most interesting for us in that first year of leaving Mormonism. I found the Christians celebrated Christmas with an enthusiasm I’d never expected. For the first time I celebrated the birth of Jesus without including the birth of Joseph Smith. Not only do the Christians read the New Testament about the birth of Christ, they actually go back to the Old Testament and learn how the birth of the Messiah was foretold by Malachi, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others. The biggest shock for me personally was the way Christians celebrate Easter.

I didn’t know they actually begin the observances of this sacred holiday the week before Easter on Palm Sunday. Then every day thereafter is another day of reflection on what Jesus had done the week leading up to His death. Talk about culture shock!

As for tithing, well this is a personal affair between you and God. The pastor won’t call you in for a yearly tithing settlement. Church members won’t know how much money you made last year unless you’ve openly shared the information with someone and even if you do, there is no one who will call to ask why you didn’t give a full ten percent of your income.

Not long after Kirk and I got saved we were struggling with this issue. Belonging to the Mormon Church made us leery of giving money away to a “man-made” organization. All that changed one day when a friend we had met at church gave us his opinion about tithing when we asked what he did about this issue.

He told us he had the same trepidations in the beginning and then one day the Lord laid it on his heart that the money he gave at the collection plate each week wasn’t about people. It was a personal sacrifice on your part to God.

Do you believe God gave you all that you have? Why not give Him back ten percent of what He gave to you? Those are the questions we had to ask ourselves. Were we putting our trust in man or Him? I can’t explain why, but when it was presented that way we had no problem giving it back to the Lord.

It was the beginning or our understanding that everything about Christianity is a personal relationship between you and Jesus and not between you and a church.

What I can tell you is that now we give more than ten percent. The Lord has blessed us through Kirk’s work and it seems the more we give away, the more we receive.

Jesus gave the members of His church two ordinances to follow; baptism and communion. With that in mind let’s begin with the ordinance of baptism.

Now many churches will want for you to be baptized when you join them in membership. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change that’s taken place within you.

You are making a public announcement that you’ve aligned yourself to Jesus Christ, the One True God of the Bible. As you are dunked into the water you’ve made a proclamation that your present sinful life is dead and buried with Him. You are admitting that you are dead in your sins. Being brought up out of the water signifies you have a new life that’s been resurrected from your previous way of life. Romans 6:3-7.

Now let’s look at communion. Some churches serve communion every week while others serve it once a month and I’ve heard of some serving it only once a year.

The significance of communion mustn’t be overlooked. I’ve never attended a biblically sound Christian church that serves water and Wonderbread©. And I do mean never. The LDS Church is the only place I have seen this practiced.

The elements used in communion are emblems of two things. The wine (or juice in most Protestant churches) is emblematic of the blood Jesus shed for you personally while He hung on that cross to pay for your sins.

The unleavened piece of bread represents His sinless life. Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:51) and we are told by Him to partake of His life. When He broke the unleavened bread to give to His disciples He was showing them that His body would be broken so they (we) might have life. Just as the Passover is a symbol of the Old Covenant so is communion to the New Covenant. 1 Cor. 11:23-27.

When we partake of the elements we are proclaiming the Lord’s death until He returns. It’s an acknowledgement that He died and was resurrected and you believe His promise to return. You are also proclaiming He is your only hope for salvation and He is your God and Savior.

With all that being said let me also point out that unbelievers and children should not be participating in communion. The scriptures are clear when the apostle Paul stated anyone partaking of the elements unworthily is bringing damnation upon his head. Also see Hebrews 10:29-31.

Will your life change when you leave Mormonism? Absolutely! Will there still be the everyday struggles of kids bickering and the dog barking incessantly while the phone is ringing as you’re making dinner? Yep. Those little things don’t go away when you become a Christian.

You won’t be living in a plastic world of “everybody’s happy”. Real life still happens, people die, people are born, cars break down and jobs are gained and lost.

BUT – the Holy Spirit is living inside of you; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19. Wherever you go, whatever you do, God is there with you.

What does change is the way those things are handled by you. Your focus will be on Him and the relationship you have with Him (Romans 12:2)! He is your helper (Deuteronomy 31:6). He is the One that will come and make His abode within you (John 14:23). He is the One that gives you hope during the crazy day that never seems to end (Romans 8:6) – He is the Lord of hosts, meaning He is Jehovah Sabaoth – the Lord over everything (Isaiah 6:1-8).

Gone are the thoughts of having to make sure you have your food storage up to date and worrying over the upcoming interview by the bishop for your worthiness. If you believe in Jesus and His spilled blood for you on the cross, God sees you as worthy.

The only “meetings” you have in your future are the precious and private prayers with God the Father and His Son Jesus who died for you. You are a new creature in Him – (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Welcome my friend, to the life of Christianity! It is lovely to know you are free and it is peaceful beyond description. Never in a million years would I have thought it could be this good.

With Love in Christ;

Michelle

1 Cor. 1:18

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Being “Reverent” in Mormonism

Posted in Mormon Meetings, tagged Jesus Christ, Mormon dress code, reverence, Sacrament Meeting, worship on 01/14/2011| 1 Comment »

How to behave “reverently” in a Mormon Sacrament Meeting

I can clearly remember the Sunday Morning I walked into the Christian church that would become my church family for the next two years of my life. It was the middle of February, my family and I had officially left the Mormon religion and we were looking for a new church to call home. As we walked into the sanctuary we could hear the happy chatter of people talking and visiting with one another which was quite a shock to me.

As I witnessed what was going on around me my mind flashed back to the Mormon Sunday meetings were everyone was expected to take their seats and sit quietly, without whispering to each other as we waited for the meeting to begin. We were told by our Bishop to do this to “keep the reverence” of the meetings so that everyone could “feel” the spirit as they mentally prepare themselves to partaking of the sacrament.

However the voices of people talking didn’t distract, or drown out the spirit of worship I found in this church meeting. As the music began playing everyone quieted down, the worship leader asked all of us to rise as we began with our opening song. After we sang a couple of songs we had a chance to greet each other with a hug or hand shake, followed by more singing as we praised God in song. I think at this point you probably could’ve knocked my over with a feather. What I was experiencing was so foreign to me, and yet so wonderful at the same time. I was amazed at how every song we sang was about Jesus. The songs gave me the feeling of coming home, and I thought to myself “so this is what it’s all about”.

For the first time in my life I witnessed people raising their hands in praise and worship to God, which was something that never happens in the Mormon Church. Not only did these people clap during a song, but they clapped after the organist was finished playing their solo during the offering. Clapping in any Mormon meeting is a huge no-no. If you’re the only one clapping in a meeting they know you’re new, and need to be educated as to how to behave.

As I sat in the worship service I looked at the faces around me, everyone seemed so happy to be there, which was such a contrast to what I witnessed in the Mormon Church. As I looked more closely at those around me I noticed not only were the expressions on their faces different, but their manner of dress was as well. Of course there were a few ladies, and men dressed in their “Sunday best”, but many were dressed in jeans, pull over shirts, or dress pants.

As a Mormon it would have never crossed my mind to wear jeans to church, or even dare to wear dress pants for that matter. This way of thinking came from the countless lessons in Relief Society I had on the proper way to dress for church. Dressing for a Mormon Church service didn’t include anything less than a dress, or a skirt & blouse, and dress shoes (jean skirts, flip-flops, or sandals were definitely out). Males young and old were expected to dress in a suit, or a white shirt, and tie. I was told dressing this way helped keep everyone “reverent”.

While it was nice having only one person give the message, it was different experience for me as well. In the Mormon Church I was used to at least three people giving a message on Sunday. The subject topics varied, but were usually about food storage, temple work, keeping the Sabbath day holy, obeying the Word of Wisdom, and tithing to name a few. When I explained this to a family member who’s a born-again Christian he told me it sounded like there were one too many chefs in the kitchen. J I had never heard a message from a Mormon pulpit that was about the biblical Jesus, so you can imagine my surprise when the message the pastor gave was all about Jesus and the grace He offers everyone.

At the end of the meeting an altar call was given to those who wanted to accept Jesus as their Savior, or for those who just wanted to pray. This is another Christian practice unknown to me until that day. By the end of the meeting I knew I belonged; it’s something I never experienced in all my years as a Mormon. It made me reflect on what I used to think about Christians before coming to know Jesus. I hated the way I used to look down my nose at the way they worshipped, believing they were mocking God. I learned that day it wasn’t mockery, but a total surrendering of one’s self to God in complete worship.

It was such a joyful yet unbelievable surprise to me to attend a church meeting where everything was about Jesus. This is a joy you don’t see within Mormonism. Most Mormons are dreading teaching or speaking that day. Moms of young children aren’t looking forward to dealing with their young children during sacrament meeting. This is especially worse for those who have husbands in the Bishopric; the mothers are left to tend to the kids by themselves while their husbands sit on the stand with the rest of the Church leadership.

A few years ago Mormon Church leaders came out with a statement telling members not to ask the congregation to turn with them in their scriptures to a specific verse while they were giving their talks. The reason for this they said, was to maintain the spirit of reverence in their meetings. I just have to wonder what “spirit” they are trying to maintain in their meetings if they can’t clap, raise their hands in praise to God, or even turn in their Bible while the word of God is being read.

In Christ,
Melissa Grimes (melissa@lifeafter.org)

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Atonement of Jesus Christ

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!

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Tip of the Day, December 23

Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged false gospel, Jesus Christ, Miracle of Forgiveness, mormonism, Redeemer on 12/23/2010| Leave a Comment »

December 23 – 1 John 2:1; “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

_____

Our advocate is forever with us; He promised to never abandon us in John 14:23 so we take that promise for ourselves and hold it dear to our hearts. There is absolutely nothing we could ever do to establish our own righteousness. Nothing.

The Greek work for advocate is parakleôtos. Para in the Greek means to come alongside, the whole word means intercessor, or consoler. He’s not going to keep reminding us of our old sin that we’ve already repented of! Jeremiah 31:31-34 tells us that He will remember it no more.

The “authorities” in the LDS Church are laying an undue guilt trip upon its people.

_____

““And again, “. . . Unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God.” (D&C 82:7.) Would this mean that the person who has returned to the sins he has professedly abandoned must start the process of repentance again from the beginning? that one cannot return to sin and then start repentance from where he left off?

To return to sin is most destructive to the morale of the individual and gives Satan another hand-hold on his victim. Those who feel that they can sin and be forgiven and then return to sin and be forgiven again and again must straighten out their thinking. Each previously forgiven sin is added to the new one and the whole gets to be a heavy load.” Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, pg. 170.

Doctrine and Covenants 82:7; “And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge; go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God.”

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Tip of the Day, November 20

Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged bible, false gospel, false prophet, Jesus Christ, joseph smith, lds church, martyr, martyrdom of Joseph Smith, Mormon Church, mormonism, Nauvoo, test of a false prophet, truth on 11/21/2010| Leave a Comment »

November 20 – Hebrews 11:36-38; “And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”

_____

The above scriptures are a classic example of what it means to be a martyr. It means that you don’t fight back; you don’t have the mentality of “kill or be killed”. You die willingly for the sake of the gospel. Notice how Joseph and Hyrum Smith died and see if they qualify.

I’ve had people in the LDS Church tell me that Joseph died for the Mormon people and my question is always the same. What did Joseph’s death personally do for you?

_____

“I shall never forget the deep feeling of sympathy and regard manifested in the countenance of Brother Joseph as he drew nigh to Hyrum, and, leaning over him, exclaimed, ‘Oh! my poor, dear brother Hyrum!’ He, however, instantly arose, and with a firm, quick step, and a determined expression of countenance, approached the door, and pulling the six-shooter left by Brother Wheelock from his pocket, opened the door slightly, and snapped the pistol six successive times; only three of the barrels, however, were discharged. I afterwards understood that two or three were wounded by these discharges, two of whom, I am informed, died.” Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7: 102 – 103. The 3^rd President of the Church, John Taylor made the above statements.

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King and Queens in Embryo

Posted in Heavenly Mother, tagged Book of Mormon, Brigham Young, eternal, false gospel, godhood, Jesus Christ, kings and queens in heaven, Mormon doctrine, mormonism, Orson Pratt, priest, priestess, priesthood on 11/17/2010| 2 Comments »

Kings and Queens in Embryo

By Melissa Grimes

In the May 2010 General Conference Dieter F. Uchtdorf told the women of the Mormon Church-

“Sisters, we love you. We pray for you. Be strong and of good courage. You are truly royal spirit daughters of Almighty God. You are princesses, destined to become queens. Your own wondrous story has already begun. Your ‘once upon a time’ is now.” (May 2010 Ensign, page 127)

The first time I was told I would became a “queen” was during a Mormon temple ceremony when I was washed and anointed to become a queen and priestesses to my husband in the eternities. At this time I had only been a member of the Mormon Church for a little over a year, and the thought of becoming a queen in heaven was a very foreign concept to me.

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Tip of the Day, November 11

Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged bible, good news, gospel, Jesus Christ, joseph smith, lie, mormonism, Sharing your faith, truth on 11/11/2010| Leave a Comment »

November 11 – Genesis 1:27; ‘So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.’

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It may seem redundant at times to go over the same scriptures that are simple to you and me, but whenever you’re dealing with a Mormon these things are the hardest for them to grasp. Look up the word created from a Webster’s dictionary and share your findings with them today.

_____

“In 1833 the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that “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.) Several years later, with the publication of the book of Abraham, additional information about the immortality of the soul of man came to light. Abraham says that he was shown by the Lord “the intelligences that were organized before the world was” (Abr. 3:22). The Lord also told Abraham that these intelligences or spirits “have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal” (Abr. 3:18).’ Brent L. Top, The Life Before [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], 39.

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Jesus According to the Book of Mormon and the LDS Church

Posted in Mormon Jesus, tagged atonement, blood of Jesus, Book of Mormon, Garden of Gethsemane, godhood, Heavenly Father, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, lds church, Mormon, mormonism, only begotten in the flesh, polygamy on 10/23/2010| Leave a Comment »

As is usually the case, I came across something interesting in the Book of Mormon while looking for something else. This time I was reminded of what the Nephites thought of Jesus and His skin color in 3 Nephi 19:30;

“And when Jesus had spoken these words he came again unto his disciples; and behold they did pray steadfastly, without ceasing, unto him; and he did smile upon them again; and behold they were white, even as Jesus.”

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Mentoring Handbook Chapter 20

Posted in Mentoring Handbook, tagged freedom, grace, Jesus, Jesus Christ, leaving Mormonism, love of God, Romans Road, salvation, salvation through Jesus on 10/22/2010| Leave a Comment »

ROMANS ROAD

The ROMANS ROAD is a pathway you can walk.

It is a group of bible verses from the book of Romans in the New Testament.

If you walk down this road you will end up understanding how to be saved.

Romans 3:23

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

We all have sin in our hearts. We all were born with sin. We were born under the power of sin’s control.

Admit that you are a sinner.

(KJV For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;)

Romans 6:23a

“…The wages of sin is death…”

Sin has an ending. It results in death. We all face physical death, which is a result of sin.

But a worse death is spiritual death that alienates us from God, and will last for all eternity.

The Bible does plainly teach that there is a place called the Lake of Fire where lost people will be in torment forever.

It is the place where people end up that remain spiritually dead.

Understand that you deserve death for your sin.

Romans 6:23b

“…But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Salvation is a free gift from God to you! We can’t earn this gift, but we must reach out and receive it.

Ask God to forgive you and save you.

^(KJV23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.)

Romans 5:8

“God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!”

When Jesus died on the cross He paid sin’s penalty. He paid the cosmic price for all sin, and when He took all the sins of the world on Himself on the cross, He bought us out of slavery to sin and death! The only condition is that we believe in Him and what He has done for us, understanding that we are now joined with Him, and that He is our life.

Because He loved us and gave Himself for us!

Give your life to God… His love poured out in Jesus on the cross is your only hope to have forgiveness and change. His love bought you out of being a slave to sin. His love is what saves you. Not religion, or church membership.

God loves you! And reaches you right where you are.

Romans 10:13

“Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!”

Call out to God in the name of Jesus!

Romans 10:9,10

“…If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

If you know that God is knocking on your heart door,

ask Him to come into your heart.

Jesus said,

Revelation 3:20a

“Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him…”

Is Jesus knocking on your heart’s door?

Believe in Him. Ask Him to come in to your heart by faith, and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Open the bible to the gospel of John and read what God says about Jesus, about you, and about being born again.

God will help you. Just talk to Him. He loves you.

You need to look for a local church where God’s word is preached. The bible says that we are to desire God’s word like a newborn baby desires mother’s milk.

Aren’t you hungry to know the truth?

Water baptism is one of the ways you first show that you have been joined to Jesus. The symbolism is this: When you go down in the water you show that you have been crucified and buried with Him, And when you come up out of the water you show that you have been raised to walk with Him in newness of life. (See Romans chapter 6)

You have been born again. (See John chapter 3) Your body has become God’s temple. Your heart is where He lives. Forgiveness is yours in Jesus. And you belong to Him. You were sin’s slave. But now…You are a child of GOD!

John 1:12

“As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,

even to those who believe in His name.”

Well dear ones, that’s it! We are praying for each of you and our hearts go out to all those who are ensnared in the lies of Mormonism. I am sure you the mentor, as well as the ex-Mormon, will have thought of subjects we didn’t touch on. In that regard we would love to hear from you! Also keep in touch to let us know how your new lives in the Lord are coming along!

We praise our God for you the mentor and express our deepest gratitude for your undying service to Him!

Jude 1:24-25; “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

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.”

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Mentoring Handbook Chapter 18

Posted in Mentoring Handbook, tagged covenant, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, Jospeh Smith, Levitical, Melchezidek, Mormon, mormonism, Oliver Cowdery, priesthood, priesthood authority, sacrifice on 10/22/2010| Leave a Comment »

The Authority & Priesthood Issue

Who Holds the Keys of Authority?

If you were to ask a Mormon the question listed above, they would tell you that only the LDS Church holds the proper authority to preach, baptize and be called the children of God. The following is a synopsis of why. They believe that it was absolutely necessary a “restoration” take place. This means it is their belief that all of Christianity was wrong and therefore needed to be brought back from whence it came. In order to do this, God needed a “chosen prophet” whom he authorized to carry out his “plan of salvation”.

Because God does not vary, nor does He change His order of things, it is understood by the LDS members there must be ordinances performed and rituals observed to gain true salvation which to the Mormon is godhood.

Smith taught that just as in all the ages before Christ, there would be a “chosen people” to whom the gospel was given. According to Smith it had been pre-determined and foretold this last dispensation was to take place through Joseph Smith. He in turn would “ordain” members of the Church with the priesthood, which is what carries the authority to preach and administer the laws of God. The Encyclopedia of Joseph Smith’s Teachings, pg. 56 says;

“We believe that no man can administer salvation through the gospel, to the souls of men, in the name of Jesus Christ, except he is authorized from God, by revelation, or by being ordained by some one whom God hath sent by revelation, as it is written by Paul, Romans 10:14, “and how shall they believe in him, of whom, they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” and I will ask, how can they be sent without a revelation, or some other visible display of the manifestation of God.”

Smith received a revelation from God in Kirtland, OH on March 8, 1833 telling him that he (Smith) would hold the keys to the kingdom of heaven and hold all authority for all time and eternity. History of the Church 1:329-31 and in D&C 90:1-4;

“Thus saith the Lord, verily, verily I say unto you my son, thy sins are forgiven thee, according to thy petition, for thy prayers and the prayers of thy brethren have come up into my ears. Therefore, thou art blessed from henceforth that bear the keys of the kingdom given unto you; which kingdom is coming forth for the last time. Verily I say unto you, the keys of this kingdom shall never be taken from you, while thou art in the world, neither in the world to come; Nevertheless, through you shall the oracles be given to another, yea, even unto the church.”

Here’s what Doctrines of Salvation 3:80 has to say in regards to authority:

“Man cannot act legally in the name of the Lord unless he is vested with the priesthood, which is divine authority. No man has the power or the right to take this honor to himself. Unless he is called of God, as was Aaron…The Lord has said his house is a house of order….”

It is vital that the ex-Mormon understands he/she is not under this “authority” any longer, but has been commanded by Jesus to go out to the nations and spread the gospel as Jesus told us to do in Matthew 28:18-20. While not everyone is going to become preachers or

oversee ministries, it is important the authority topic is acknowledged. It serves its purpose in placing the spiritual loyalty where it belongs; that being Jesus of course! Notice also how they’ve stripped Jesus’ authority of being God from His very hands.

Addressing this issue emphasizes that the One True God has been in control of the church throughout the last 20 centuries and isn’t in “need” of anyone or anything! It also helps the new Christian to understand that they, along with the true God, are the ones in charge of their lives, not the church. The authority the early Christian church received came from four sources.

1-The Old Testament (keep in mind it was referred to as scripture then). It was their ultimate authority in all matters and they also learned by seeing Jesus use scripture to correct and teach. Paul and Peter both quoted from the Hebrew “Bible” in their epistles to the churches.

2 – The early church treated Jesus’ words, parables and everything He said with absolute authority. His words outweighed everything and everyone. Yes, Jesus accepted the Hebrew Scriptures as having absolute authority, but His power extended beyond that.

3 – The apostles’ teachings held authority. Proof of this is found throughout the book of Acts. The amount of people that listened and believed because of the power of the Holy Spirit manifested through them was a miracle. Acts 5:11-14. This shows they had received authority to preach Jesus’ name and build the church. They were able to give a full explanation of Jesus’ teachings after He had been crucified.

4 – The letters of the apostles and disciples. There is absolute authority in the written letters by the apostles and they hold as much authority as their oral teachings. No one disputed any of the writings when the letters were written and were being passed around from one church to the next. The witnesses of the events they wrote about were still alive and could attest to the validity of them!

In the first chapter of Acts we can see with clarity the instructions and promises that Jesus gave to the Apostles. Acts 1:8 serves as both a promise and instruction! It is with authority that we are expected to preach the word of God because of the power we have received from the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8; “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

While I don’t wish to belabor this topic I truly feel this handbook wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t have the help of some good friends of mine. The following contribution came from my dear friend Ed Decker.

Ed Decker

Joseph Smith & his priesthoods

Mormonism’s Claim to have the full and only authority to act in the name of God on Earth needs to be looked at, not only from the revelation of it from LDS scripture, but also from the Bible.

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS SECTION 13

Ordination of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to the Aaronic Priesthood along the bank of the Susquehanna River, near Harmony, Pennsylvania, May 15, 1829. HC 1: 39–42. The ordination was done by the hands of an angel, who announced himself as John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament. The angel explained that he was acting under the direction of Peter, James, and John, the ancient apostles, who held the keys of the higher priesthood, which was called the Priesthood of Melchizedek. The promise was given to Joseph and Oliver that in due time the Priesthood of Melchizedek would be conferred upon them. See also Section 27: 7, 8, 12.

Keys and powers of Aaronic Priesthood are set forth.

Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.

Later, in Chapter 27, we read:

8 Which John I have sent unto you, my servants, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Oliver Cowdery, to ordain you unto the first priesthood which you have received, that you might be called and ordained even as Aaron;

9 And also Elijah, unto whom I have committed the keys of the power of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, that the whole earth may not be smitten with a curse;

10 And also with Joseph and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, your fathers, by whom the promises remain;

11 And also with Michael, or Adam, the father of all, the prince of all, the ancient of days;

12 And also with Peter, and James, and John, whom I have sent unto you, by whom I have ordained you and confirmed you to be apostles, and especial witnesses of my name, and bear the keys of your ministry and of the same things which I revealed unto them;

Joseph himself described the visitation of John the Baptist in the Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith History, verse 72 when he said:

“The messenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which Priesthood, he said, would in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first Elder of the Church, and he (Oliver Cowdery) the second. It was on the fifteenth day of May, 1829, that we were ordained under the hand of this messenger, and baptized.”

Now, let’s step away from what the LDS Scripture and Joseph himself, has said and look at it a bit more carefully, from a Biblical perspective.

Joseph’s claim that John the Baptist descended and restored the Levitical priesthood of Aaron can only lead one to believe that he had little or no knowledge of the Bible or Jewish tradition at the time.

John the Baptist never held the Levitical priesthood, and could not restore something he never had, even in Mormon theology. John wore the skins of an animal and ate food that was considered unclean to the Levitical priesthood. He functioned in the streets and by-ways, proclaiming Jesus Christ, calling people to repent and be baptized. The priesthood functioned within the temple at the altar. It doesn’t match up.

If he were a member of the priesthood of his day, its leaders knew nothing of it. When challenged by Christ regarding this very subject, they were ignorant of John’s authority

23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority? 24 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25 The baptism of John — where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. Matt 21:23-27 NKJV

Further, the Mormon priesthood that Joseph Smith claimed was a restoration does not deal with the key functions of the early Aaronic priesthood, the offering of gifts according to the law.

3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. 4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; 5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. Heb 8:3-6 NKJ

Jesus has given us a better Covenant, established upon better promises and has made the old to vanish away. Why would Jesus want to restore what He had come to put an end to?

Joseph Smith claimed that Peter, James and John came and restored the Melchizedek priesthood. This declaration, like each before it, cannot meet the test of Scripture, or logic.

In Mormonism, no man can hold the Melchizedek priesthood without first holding the Aaronic priesthood. Those great Apostles of the Lord most obviously were not operating as Levitical priests. Everything they did within the record of the Word of God places them totally outside that dead priesthood.

The true Melchizedek priesthood was always a priesthood of only one! It existed before the law was given (Genesis 14:18) and after the law was ended (Hebrews 7:11-17). It sprang forth with the first offering of bread and wine. (Genesis 14:18) It reappeared only when the final offering of the broken body of Christ and His shed blood ended the penalty of the law as He became our sin offering by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:12-14).

Link for Chapter 19:

Chapter 19. The Influence of Joseph Smith

http://lifeafterministry.com/2010/10/22/mentoring-handbook-chapter-19/

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Mentoring Handbook Chapter 6

Posted in Mentoring Handbook, tagged body of Christ, Christian, Christianity, ex-Mormon, Jesus Christ, lies, Mormon, mormonism, One True Church, truth, whore of Babylon on 10/22/2010| Leave a Comment »

WILL THE ONE TRUE CHURCH PLEASE STAND UP?

The one thing I always believed as a Mormon was that I belonged to the “only true church on the face of the earth”. By birthright alone I was “special” and had advantages that no one else did. By birthright alone I would be in heaven and by birthright alone I was a superior being. All other churches were the whores of Babylon and only thought they knew God.

The Presbyterians, Lutherans, Catholics, Baptists, Nazarenes and yes, even the Pentecostals were all going to the Telestial kingdom (lowest kingdom) because they weren’t members of the LDS Church. They were going to be serving those of us in the highest kingdom of heaven (Celestial Kingdom) because they either didn’t understand or chose not to be a part of the one true Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To understand why there is such a huge stumbling block in the mind of the Mormons on this topic, we need to take a look at what causes it to begin with.

Joseph Smith maintained the body of Christ could no longer be found on earth. He claims he went to the grove of a forest near his home in Palmyra, NY to ask God which church he should join and God told him to join none of them, that every single church on the face of the earth was wrong. (Joseph Smith’s Testimony chapter 1.) He was then told he must wait to receive the golden or brass plates which held the story of a forgotten people from Jerusalem that came here to the Americas to escape persecution.

It was also at this time Smith claims to have been told by God to translate some old papyrus that a traveling salesman sold to him. This papyrus supposedly held the story of the creation and the pre-existence that we read in the book of Abraham. In reality, the papyrus is what Egyptologists call a “funerary breathing”. (How to perform ceremonies at mummification.) As time went by the Church continued to evolve, but already the heresies had been born.

While the vast majority of the public believed Smith was a false prophet, there were on the other hand, those who believed his story. The little group of believers grew as they continued to believe that God Himself had actually visited Smith and revealed to him the new commandments and the way to salvation. After all, assurance of salvation is much easier to achieve and believe if you took care of things yourself; and Joseph had them convinced this was the “only true way to salvation”. This was the mindset needed for the LDS Church to flourish and indeed it did!

The other mindset needed for a vulnerable flock, is for the belief that you are being persecuted all for the sake of the Lord. From the beginning the Church has insisted this has been their lot in life, thus the need to continually flee to the next town while at the same time the warrants for Joseph Smith’s arrest began to stack up. For a chronological detailed account of Joseph Smith’s life, be sure to visit the website of www.josephsmith.net to find an abundance of informative stories, historical documents and pictures to keep anyone occupied for a long time! Keep in mind this website is a “pro-Mormon” site and you will not find all of his arrest records or complaints filed against him at this site. (1)

The LDS have always held a very strong position in asserting their civil rights and pointing out their patriotism for America. They are defensive when someone brings up religion in conversation and they will inevitably bring their rights as Americans into the equation every time.

Granted, it’s not against the law to invoke your First Amendment Rights to worship as you please. However, it is unlawful to practice polygamy, to create and distribute your own monetary system; invoke Martial Law based on your own whims; and to arbitrarily burn down buildings when newspapers publish the details of charges that are being brought against you.

These charges, amongst others, were just the tip of the iceberg for the communities the LDS Church had invaded and subsequently fled from in its early years. As of today the LDS Church now claims, as it always has, that it is the “only true church on the face of the earth”, (D&C 1:30). They believe the power of the priesthood was not handed down as it should have been, thus the apostasy. The Church members will become immediately defensive when asked about the history of the LDS Church, so expect some resistance to your message even after they get out of the Church.

When a Mormon gets out of the Church they are not accustomed to the vocabulary that Christians employ. An example of this is the phrase “The church of Jesus Christ” – meaning the body of Christ – the Christians. I would use this phrase with the new Christian as much as possible to get them used to the idea that this phrase has been in use since the inception of the true Christian church circa 33 AD. The Christians belong to The Church of Jesus Christ. It is His church; it belongs to Him, not the Christians.

Compare that to the Mormon’s church which is called The Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints.

They believe the body of Christ originated with Adam as Joseph Smith taught (DS 3:82). People were baptized for the remission of sins, received the gift of the Holy Ghost and men held the priesthood. Now with the short story of the LDS Church out of the way, let’s take a look at what God tells us about His church – from the Bible!

We see in the book of Acts how God built up His church to lay the foundation for the rest of time. I have been of the opinion lately that if the LDS Church really wanted to say there are no inconsistencies in their doctrine they should have changed the text in the book of Acts in the JST.

The entire book of Acts of the Apostles is just that; an account of how it all began. If the so-called church at the time of Christ died with the last apostle, then why keep their stories in scripture? What purpose does that serve the Mormon community?

For the first time in history the Holy Spirit poured Himself upon a group of people – it’s called Pentecost. Acts chapter two tells us that men from every single country were represented in that room on that day. They had all come to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the first-fruits and many ended up being a witness to the ultimate Passover Sacrifice – Christ Jesus. They waited as Jesus instructed them to do (Acts 1:8) to receive the Promise that He had spoken to them about earlier.

Be sure to share with them some interesting facts about this event and the entire book of Acts! For example: at the time Luke wrote this no one objected to his writings or the authenticity of events that took place. The witnesses of these events were still alive and they most certainly would have said something if he had any of it wrong. Luke was a well respected doctor in that region and was known to be meticulous about the minutest of details.

Matthew Henry said this in his introduction commentary on the book of Acts;

“Now this book gives us an account of the framing and rearing of that tabernacle. The four gospels showed us how the foundation of that house was laid; this shows us how the superstructure began to be raised…”

Luke was with the apostle Paul on many of the missionary journeys, and therefore knew about the dreadful prisons mentioned in Acts, as well as the “prison letters” Paul wrote known as the book of Colossians, Philippians, Ephesians and Philemon. From what the majority of respectable theologians have surmised, it is probable that Dr. Luke was also one of the original “seventy” the apostles ordained to look over the church. The “authority” to preach the gospel, establish churches in the world and baptize believers did not die when the last apostle died.

On the contrary, the church of Jesus Christ thrived as promised by Jesus Himself. Believers withstood persecution because of the stand they took for Jesus everywhere they lived. Rome was notorious for the atrocities that took place in the first 300 years of Christianity. The Romans would wrap the skins of dead animals around the Christians in the Coliseum and open the gates to let out the lions. They were burned at the stake while those in charge would wait for them to denounce the Lord. Nero used the Christians as human torches to light his world famous gardens in 64 AD. By 100 AD 25,000 people became martyrs for Jesus.

As for today? There were more Christians killed in the 20^th Century for the Lord than there were in the past 19 centuries combined! The LDS Church will reply by stating these facts do not prove anything and they do not believe the doctrines of the “Christian church” are correct, thus the need for a complete restoration. Keep in mind this “Restoration” isn’t anything similar to what Martin Luther did some 500 years ago with the Reformation! Many Mormon missionaries explain to the unsuspecting public that the “Restoration” and the Reformation were very similar.

Joseph Smith took every doctrine, every principle of Judeo-Christian theology and turned it upside down and sideways. There is not one single doctrine that he left untouched in regards to the precepts of what you or I know as Christianity. In fact the more I know about Joseph Smith the more he reminds me of Simon the great magician spoken of in Acts 8:9-24; believing that he could buy the power of the true Holy Spirit to baptize people who were seeking the God of the Bible.

Simon was also known as the “father of Gnosticism”; those who believed you are saved by what you know. Simon didn’t care about the believers or the things they did while worshipping God. His goal was strictly focused on one thing only – he wanted the believers to think he was a divine person. Take notice also that he didn’t go to the unbelievers. His mission was to go to the Christians; just like Joseph Smith. The LDS’s biggest “pool of converts” comes from the Baptist church in the United States.

The LDS Church will tell everyone the fact that people apostatized proves the original church of Christ left the earth. To this, our reply is hogwash! Jesus warned there would be false christs; John spoke of the people who would sneak in a side-door in his first epistle. The apostle Paul spoke of the elect being tricked into believing a lie in his letter to the Thessalonians. There will always be someone who will present a false product to the masses but it doesn’t mean the entire church is gone!

Jesus’ church has withstood 2,000 years of persecution and she is still alive and well. She is awaiting the return of her Beloved Bridegroom and will continue to wait. The LDS Church can say what they want, but to the rest of the world and most importantly, God, the church is still in operation.

There are many churches and denominations out in the world today. Life After hasn’t been called to examine each church’s by-laws and constitution. What we have been called to do however is to encourage the body of Christ to stand up to the grossly inaccurate doctrine of the LDS Church that says they believe in the God of the Bible. Come alongside us in unison with thousands of others to stand for the truth!

Life After Ministries also wants to make sure it’s understood that we don’t do this out of any animosity or revenge to bash the Mormon people. We’ve been in the shoes of the Mormon people and our hearts are broken for the souls who truly believe they are worshipping the right Jesus.

Things to think about:

If you (the LDS Church) are so positive that your message of the gospel is absolute truth then why bother with the “whore of Babylon” when we have websites or ministries that tell the other side of the story?

If lies about the Bible and Jesus are exposed and set straight then why are you offended?

Why has the LDS Church spent millions of dollars and 170 – plus years in proselytizing the “Christian” nation of America instead of focusing on the areas of the 10/40 or the 10/70 window of the world?

Why are families torn apart and shunned when they decide to leave the Church? What happened to the “Families are Forever” plan?

1. LAM had an ongoing e-mail debate with one of the designers of www.josephsmith.net when it first came into existence in 2005. For months we went back and forth…we are still praying for “J” that he would come to know the real Jesus.

Link for Chapter 7:

Chapter 7. The Truth about the Bible

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Mentoring Handbook Chapter 4

Posted in Mentoring Handbook, tagged bible, Christ, ex-Mormon, freedom, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LDS, Mormon, truth 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)

_________________________________________________

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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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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The Testimonies of Mormonism

Posted in Foundation of Mormonism, tagged bible, Book of Mormon, false gospel, freedom, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joseph smith, lds church, Mormon testimonies, Mormon testimony, mormonism, Moroni, salvation, truth on 10/19/2010| 1 Comment »

Many new ideas stemmed from the visions of Joseph Smith. As we begin our foundation series I felt it was better to begin here with testimonies.

If it weren’t for the tesitmony of Smith, everything in Mormonism is all for naught.

“No testimony is more significant to us in our time than the witness of Joseph Smith.” – Robert Hales, Ensign, Nov. 2009, pg. 30.

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The Jesus of Mormonism

Posted in Foundation of Mormonism, tagged false gospel, godhood, Jesus Christ, mormonism on 10/19/2010| 5 Comments »

“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:15-16

Those two verses captured my attention as a teenager growing up in Utah Mormonism. I didn’t understand the meaning of the word Christ, but instinctively knew it had to mean more than what I was being taught.

Today whenever I meet a Mormon missionary, my question is always the same;

Whom do you think Jesus is?

Not surprisingly, I get a different answer from each and every Mormon I encounter. When I think of the missionaries who come to my door I can’t help but think of a song by Hillsong called “Inside Out”. One of the lines says “…the art of losing myself in bringing You praise…” It never would’ve crossed my mind to do such a thing as a Mormon, and the way the missionaries talk about Joseph Smith, I’m convinced it doesn’t for them either. So again, I am asking:

What did Jesus do in your life today?

Do you even know?

Have you even stopped to think of it?

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Leading Mormons to the REAL Jesus Christ

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How to behave “reverently” in a Mormon Sacrament Meeting

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