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Tip of the Day, December 28

Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , , on 12/28/2010| Leave a Comment »

December 28 – Isaiah 52:13; “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.”

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The Bible makes it very clear as to who is exalted and who shall be abased.  The theme throughout His word is the same; when you lift yourself up, He will make sure you don’t hold that position for long.  The Gnostics of the Biblical age were the group of Christians who had been expelled from the church.  They claimed they were the only true Christians and salvation came through intelligence gained by yourself which elevated and exalted you to a higher status than the rest of the believers.  They believed you received this intellectual status through secret teachings.  Hmm…this sounds very familiar with something else I know! 

There’s nothing new under the sun.  Ecc. 1:9-10.

Where is our Beloved Kinsman Redeemer in all this?  

Are the marks in His hands making a mark in your life?  If so, how?  

What do they mean to you personally?

When you think upon the baby in the manger can you lower yourself enough to bow at His holy bed?  Can you honestly believe in your heart that this isn’t about you?  Why does it always have to be about sex?  What does that have to do with being saved?

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“To Latter-day Saints, exaltation is a state that a person can attain in becoming like God-salvation in the ultimate sense (D&C 132:17). Latter-day Saints believe that all mankind (except the sons of perdition) will receive varying degrees of glory in the afterlife. Exaltation is the greatest of all the gifts and attainments possible. It is available only in the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom and is reserved for members of the Church of the Firstborn. This exalted status, called eternal life, is available to be received by a man and wife. It means not only living in God’s presence, but receiving power to do as God does, including the power to bear children after the resurrection (TPJS, pp. 300-301; D&C 132:19). Blessings and privileges of exaltation require unwavering faith, repentance, and complete obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ.”  Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1-4 vols, 479.

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Studying the Book of Mormon 7

Posted in Studying the Book of Mormon Introduction, tagged , , , , on 12/28/2010| Leave a Comment »

Studying the Book of Mormon 7

 Helaman, the Book of Questions

 Interpolate:  to alter (a text) by the insertion of new matter, esp. deceptively or without authorization.

 Many times in life we come face to face with God and still wonder why we never see Him.  God isn’t an exalted man as the LDS Church would have you believe, nor does He make personal appearances in human form like in the claims of Joseph Smith.  It’d be kind of difficult to do considering John 4:24 says He is spirit.  However, when people do meet Him it’s oftentimes in the form of a stranger, neighbor, loved one or even an enemy.

 That is what I learned when at the age of twenty, the words from a man I would soon consider an enemy challenged me and my heritage.  His name?  Ed Decker.  I’d never heard of him before that day, but his message stuck with me for another decade until I took him up on his challenge.

 His theory was that if the Book of Mormon didn’t hold up, the entire structure of Mormonism fell.  This beloved sacred cannon of the LDS Church was and still is so revered that young men and women are willing to drop everything for two years of their young lives to promote its message around the world.

 Part of their message is found in the book of Helaman, the seventh of twelve books in the Book of Mormon.  Overall, it’s filled with descriptions of unending wars and “contentions” that are much too vague, leaving their claims with no credibility.  The exposition in the prophecies of the unborn Messiah they mysteriously know about and the miraculous change in the hearts of the people are an obvious fabrication for the BC era.  The writings are proof that Smith was the epitome of an iconoclast.

 My major heartbreak as a teenager didn’t come as a result of a boy or not getting front row seats to my favorite band.  My heartbreak came from searching for the Jesus of the Bible in the Book of Mormon and never finding Him.

 I spent years trying to reconcile the non-descript Jesus in places like Helaman to detailed accounts found in the gospels.

 John 7:37-39;

 “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.  39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

 My efforts were met with personal disappointment and bewilderment and when I’d voice my frustrations with the bishop, seminary teacher or MIA leaders, I was told we’d find out about “those things when we get there”.  Today, my answer to that is “yes, you definitely will”.  An example of the elusiveness in LDS writings can be seen in Helaman 3:15-18;

 “But behold, there are many books and many records of every kind, and they have been kept chiefly by the Nephites.

 16 And they have been handed down from one generation to another by the Nephites, even until they have fallen into transgression and have been murdered, plundered, and hunted, and driven forth, and slain, and scattered upon the face of the earth, and mixed with the Lamanites until they are no more called the Nephites, becoming wicked, and wild, and ferocious, yea, even becoming Lamanites.

 17 And now I return again to mine account; therefore, what I have spoken had passed after there had been great contentions, and disturbances, and wars, and dissensions, among the people of Nephi.

 18 The forty and sixth year of the reign of the judges ended.”

 So did the records fall into transgression or did the people fall into transgression?

 How many wars and contentions took place before and during the time of Helaman?

 Specifically, what records had been passed down?

 How many people died and when did they die?

 What exactly was the aggravation for the wars?

 I only have one question for Helaman chapter 4.

 How in the world did these people walk from one ocean to the other in one day?  The shortest distance between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is 2,362 miles.  (San Diego, California to Jacksonville Beach, Florida.)  Helaman 4:7.

In Helaman chapter 5 we’re met with a myriad of questionable events that go beyond the subtlety of injecting the gospel into the BC era.  In this chapter it’s 30 BC and we’re told salvation is only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ; Jesus has been given power from the Father to redeem people from their sins; Jesus is the rock;  Christ is a sure foundation.

 Chapter 5 also includes the story of Helaman’s sons Nephi and Lehi preaching with great power and authority and to their astonishment 8,000 Lamanites were baptized.

 After this great scenario took place, they were imprisoned by the Lamanite army where they were subsequently encircled by fire.  When the Lamanites saw what happened, they were struck dumb, but Lehi and Nephi assured them it was safe when an earthquake struck.

 Along with the earthquake, came a dark ominous cloud and a voice emanating from it.  The voice “pierced” them to the soul telling people to repent and stop trying to destroy the servants of God who came to “declare good tidings”.  Immediately afterwards, another earthquake came along and for the third time the “still small voice” spoke.  Amazingly, the things God told everyone there cannot be uttered by man.

 The earth shook again, a natural born Nephite now dissenter, looked over and saw the missionaries who looked like angels.  They were “lifting their eyes to heaven and in the attitude as if talking or lifting their voices to some being whom they beheld”.  The one time dissenter, “Aminidab”, began telling those around him to repent while everyone stood looking at Nephi and Lehi who were by the way, still in the fire.

 We’re then told of how the Holy Spirit came down and entered the hearts of men as if they were “filled with fire”.  Just then another voice (a pleasant one this time) told them “peace” because of their faith in “my Well Beloved who was from the foundation of the world”.  It was at this time the heavens opened and angels came to minister to them.

 Three hundred people saw this and were told to go out and not doubt God.  The Lamanites went out and gave away their land to the Nephites because of their experience.

 So with all that behind us, my questions are many, as I’m sure yours are as well.

 Remember our grammar lesson from a few chapters ago?  “Good tidings” is an Old English term originating circa 1100 AD.

 Christ is a Greek word for Messiah…it’s 30 BC…I’m sure you’re also wondering why people who were speaking “Reformed Egyptian” in Mesoamerica were using this terminology.

 Why is this story of Nephi and Lehi so similar to that of Meshach, Shadrak and Abednego?

 Why was God’s voice in a dark and ominous cloud?

 Why was the Holy Spirit being poured out into people’s hearts before Jesus had appeared?

 Why are they told to lay up a treasure in heaven?  See Helaman 5:8 and Matthew 6:20.

 Why do they use the term “encircled about with fire”?  (5:23) This is what the Gentiles did when they sacrificed their children to their false god Molech.

 Why is the grammar in this “holy writ” so awful?  Helaman 5:36.

 Why were 8,000 people baptized in 30 BC?

 Why does it seem the Book of Mormon stories have to outdo the stories in the Bible?

 These tall tales say something about the god of the Book of Mormon.  His spirit isn’t very powerful if these guys can’t behave more than a few verses at a time.  I’ve had better luck with my Rottweiler behaving longer than these guys do.

 Helaman 5:32 claims the people need to repent for the “kingdom of God is at hand”.  The Kingdom of God is not a place or an entity of a ruler’s kingdom per se.  The Kingdom of God is not mentioned in the Old Testament.  In the New Testament it is referred to by Jesus for the first time in Matthew 13:24.  The kingdom of God is the rule or sovereignty of God.  It is not an organization, nor is it found exclusively within a predetermined denomination.

 Christians step into the kingdom of God and live under His rule when we belong to Him.  We cannot add to His kingdom – only He does that – and we cannot make any better or worse.  God rules the kingdom.  We are either subjects in His kingdom even here on earth or we are not.

 What exactly were the Nephites doing to become so hardened and entangled with the Lamanites and what did the Lamanites do to become worthy as it states in Helaman 6:2-3?  And why were there churches in 25 BC?

 “For behold, there were many of the Nephites who had become hardened and impenitent and grossly wicked, insomuch that they did reject the word of God and all the preaching and prophesying which did come among them.  3 Nevertheless, the people of the church did have great joy because of the conversion of the Lamanites, yea, because of the church of God, which had been established among them. And they did fellowship one with another, and did rejoice one with another, and did have great joy.”

 The exchanges of power from one leader to another are rather meaningless and less than memorable when you factor in there were no less than 4-5 authors of Helaman.

 In Helaman 6:22 Smith showed us what he was personally involved with when he says the following;

 “And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs, and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band, who had taken this covenant.”

 This is part of the oaths a mason takes.

 Helaman 6:26 should be a real eye-opener for every single Mormon alive.  Pray that my mother sees it won’t you?  It says;

 “Now behold, those secret oaths and covenants did not come forth unto Gadianton from the records which were delivered unto Helaman; but behold, they were put into the heart of Gadianton by that same being who did entice our first parents to partake of the forbidden fruit—”

 Compare this with Moses 5:11; “And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.”

 So Satan is the one that convinced Adam and Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit and Satan is bad, but in the Pearl of Great Price we see that Adam and Eve praised God they committed a sinful act.

 How can they both be right?

 On my Gospelink program it says this at the end of Helaman Chapter 6;

 “God threatens the people of Nephi that he will visit them in his anger, to their utter destruction except they repent of their wickedness. God smiteth the people of Nephi with pestilence; they repent and turn unto him. Samuel, a Lamanite, prophesies unto the Nephites. Comprising chapters 7 to 16 inclusive.”

 Where in the Bible does God ever threaten His people?  God does not threaten.  www.dictionary.com says this about the word threaten:  “to utter a threat against; menace, to be a menace of source of danger to, to offer a punishment, injury by way of a threat, to give an ominous indication of…”

 The website also listed antonyms and synonyms of the word threaten.  Synonym:  endanger.  Antonym:  protect, defend.

 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/threaten

 Is your god a source of danger to you or is he a protector and defender?  I always taught my kids that the book of Deuteronomy is a love letter from God to man.  He gives us the very best paths and ways to stay safe, both spiritually and physically.

 I don’t want my children to be so afraid of God they won’t go to Him for comfort and/or advice.  The Mormons have done this to their people.  How very, very sad.

 In Old Testament times the Israelites sacrificed through various blood atonements to make amends with God.  The sacrifices were a covering for their sin.  They repented corporately through the rituals of wearing sackcloth and spreading ashes or everyone participating in a fast.  God’s desire was for them to have a contrite heart during these times which would show they had a willingness to proceed in a new direction for their lives.  Typically just repenting as the New Testament portrays is something the Israelites in the BC era were not accustomed to.

 Where in the Book of Mormon does it give these descriptions of how to repent in the BC era?

 Chapter seven is a story of Nephi crying because he wasn’t born in the days his father was, he calls people out to repent (it’s now 23 BC).  His sermon on the tower is a lot like what John the Baptist did when he told people to repent for the time was at hand.  He used the word repent 8 times in 15 verses.  He also took the liberty to paraphrase heavily from the New Testament on several occasions through his lamentation on the tower.  Helaman 7:23 is another example of how the Book of Mormon is a fraud.  He quotes a  little from Jesus but changes the names and places around in his warning of destruction to the Nephites passing by on the highway.

 Helaman 7:23; “For behold, thus saith the Lord: I will not show unto the wicked of my strength, to one more than the other, save it be unto those who repent of their sins, and hearken unto my words. Now therefore, I would that ye should behold, my brethren, that it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you except ye shall repent.”

 Luke 10:13-14; “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.”

 Chapter 8 tells us Nephi spoke many things which couldn’t be written in verse 3 and in verse 14 he’s telling them that Jesus would be lifted up as Moses lifted up the brazen serpent.

In verse 17 he’s quoting Jesus when He was chastising the Pharisees.  Compare Helaman 8:17 to John 8:56.  It’s here Jesus told them that Abraham rejoiced to see his day, yet here is Nephi saying the same thing 20 years before Jesus was even born.  Then we see in verse 25 he warned them again about their “treasures in heaven”.

 In chapter nine he’s arguing with the people and said to them “o ye fools, ye uncircumcised of heart,,,”   The Jews had not been told of this yet – it’s 20 BC.

Helaman chapter 10 says that Nephi prayed long and hard to ask God to smite the earth with famine, pestilence and destruction.  This is what God told Jeremiah to warn the Israelites about when Jerusalem was about to be destroyed by the Babylonians.

 Jeremiah 24:10; “And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.”

 So God did this twice?

 Chapter ten is rather interesting.  Nephi was given power to smite the earth with famine, pestilence and destruction and then he was allowed to “rent the temple in twain”.

 It’s really too bad Smith didn’t study the Bible…the veil of the temple was rent in twain, not the temple itself.  Matthew 27:51.

 In chapter eleven Nephi plays a little bit of the part in the weeping prophet Jeremiah while pleading with God and takes a little bit of Peter asking God to “stir them to remembrance” and not smite the people, just starve them to death in 11:4.  See 2 Peter 1:13.  He used the phrase again in 11:34 after describing how the contentions were stopped except for when they went out to look for the band of Gadianton robbers on the hill.

 Helaman 12:3 serves as the theme for the entire Book of Mormon and the Mormon god.

 “And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him.”

 Helaman 12:7 serves as an example of what the Church thinks of their people and how their god thinks of the Lord’s creation.

 “O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth.”

 An obvious false prophecy takes place in Helaman 13:17, 18, 23 when it claims God will curse the earth.  God promised Noah in Genesis 8:21 that He would never curse the earth again.

 Helaman 13:37 says they were surrounded by demons and angels of Satan.  I just can’t imagine why this would be a part of Holy Scriptures or how this could happen to a true believer.

 In chapter fourteen we find out the prophet Samuel the Lamanite also prophesied about things that couldn’t be written.

 This happened ONE TIME in the New Testament with the apostle Paul when God showed him a vision in the third heaven.  He was told he couldn’t even describe what he had seen.  The other allusions to this type of saying came in the gospel of John 21:25 when he said that if they wrote all the miracles of Jesus the world could not contain all the books.

 Yet, nothing is too grandiose with the people in the Book of Mormon is it?  How many times was this phrase used is a mystery to me at this point.

 Helaman 14:2-3 is one of two things.  It’s either the most precise prophecy of when Jesus would be born or this is just another outrageous lie of Joseph Smith.  How could they possibly know that five years from that day Jesus would be born?

 Do their past writings give this prophecy credibility?

 Was the night before Jesus’ birth completely light outside as if there was no night?

 Helaman 14:12 makes no sense at all.  How can Jesus be the Son of God and the Father of Heaven?

 Helaman 14:22 seems to have copied itself from a previous verse when the temple was rent in twain again.  And just three verses later they’re using the words of Matthew telling people how many will raise up out of their graves and everywhere there will be great destruction.  14:27 is a sign to the reader this is a false prophecy.  They say that there will be darkness over the whole earth for three days.  The Bible says it was three hours.

 Helaman ends his writings by sharing with us who they really believe in.  Helaman 16:23 says Satan got hold of their hearts.

 Unfortunately, that is the one verse I believe is true in the Book of Mormon.

 With Love in Christ; Michelle Grim

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Tip of the Day, December 24

Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , on 12/24/2010| Leave a Comment »

December 24 – Hebrews 11:6; “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

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Like little children on Christmas Eve, we are restless when we are not rewarded by the Lord.  We become anxious when we don’t get a quick return after witnessing or volunteering at the bake sale at our church.  We don’t stop to realize that our reward is already here.  Yes, there is a bigger reward in heaven awaiting us, but how much time is wasted while we wait for something better when all we have to do is to look back at history and to Him! 

Two thousand years ago our Promise was delivered.  We have an advantage that Abraham never had.  He obeyed out of faith, never receiving the promises but believing God would provide for him. Hebrews 11:13. 

The Mormons are working themselves to death and for what?  Nothing.  They are rewarded with nothing but the devastating news they weren’t worshipping the right Jesus that was born in Bethlehem.  Even their own books say He wasn’t born in Bethlehem.  If that simple thing is wrong, what else in their writings could be wrong as well? 

What are you waiting for?  Tell them the Promise is already here!

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“And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.”  Alma 7:10.

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Tip of the Day, December 15

Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged , , on 12/15/2010| Leave a Comment »

December 15 – Revelation 2:17; “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”

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Manna is one of the key words in this verse.  What is the hidden manna?  God supplied the Israelites daily needs for 40 years.  Day in, year out, He was there to make sure they had all they needed!  John 6:49-51 is where Jesus told us that He is the Bread of Life, the hidden manna John mentions again here in Revelation.  

Also, the stone signifies approval towards you.  The Bible is replete with rich meanings which He wants for us to know.  Share this with a Mormon during this holiday season and give them the gift of knowing the real Jesus! 

What the Mormon won’t tell you is that when you go into the temple for “holy endowments”, everyone doing temple work that day gets the same “secret name”.  They change the name for the next day’s participants and so on.  They believe the “white stone” is the secret name.  Ask them why the temple worker would know his/her secret name and why the husband would know his wife’s secret name if only Jesus was supposed to know it.  This continues to give them something to think about.

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Doctrine and Covenants 130:9-11; “This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ’s.  Then the white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known; And a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word.”

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Tip of the Day, December 14

Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged , , , , , on 12/14/2010| Leave a Comment »

December 14 – Revelation 1:18; “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

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The resurrected Jesus is where I personally hold my hope.  The God I worship raised His Son from the dead and is in full control and has all the power.  The Mormons say they worship God and Jesus; however they pay an unholy and unwarranted homage to Joseph Smith by believing the teachings he spewed forth from his mouth.  You can stand next to his grave in Carthage, Illinois where he is still there.  Joseph “worked to go to the celestial kingdom”, something that doesn’t exist.  Compare that with Jesus who paid the ultimate price for our freedom!

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“Highest among the kingdoms of glory hereafter is the celestial kingdom. It is the kingdom of God, the glory thereof being typified by the sun in the firmament.  An inheritance in this glorious kingdom is gained by complete obedience to gospel or celestial law. (D. & C. 88:16-32.)”  Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 116.

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Tip of the Day, December 13

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

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

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

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

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

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Tip of the Day, December 12

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

December 12 – 1 John 1:1; “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.”

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One of the myriads of Jesus’ names is the Word.  We see it here in the epistle of first John and in the gospel of John as well; “In the beginning was the Word…”

In the Greek, “Word” is logos.  It tells us that Jesus was with God before time came to be.  The following definition of “Word” comes from Holman Bible Dictionary; “Jesus Himself is the Word—the living Word. The preexistent Word who was with God “in the beginning” has now become flesh (John 1:1-18). Scholars have frequently claimed that John used logos in a philosophical sense to refer to the world’s controlling rational principle (Stoicism) or to the created intermediary between God and His world (Philo). However, John’s word is not a principle or divine characteristic. It is a preexistent, life-giving person. John opposed Greek philosophy by arguing that salvation comes not by mankind’s escape from this world but by God entering and redeeming creation.”

See here how Joseph Smith has changed the translation.  He did this in an attempt to strip the Deity of power.

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 “In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God.” Joseph Smith Translation – John 1:1. (emphasis mine)  

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Tip of the Day, December 4

Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , , on 12/05/2010| Leave a Comment »

December 4 – John 1:3; “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

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We see from scripture that Jesus is the Creator, nothing was made without Him.  Once again the LDS Church has tricked their followers into believing a lie.   Understanding the Church has changed the meanings of basic English words is one of the keys to remember when witnessing to your Mormon friends and relatives.  Continue to have a dictionary on hand for reference.  It’s easier to control the masses when you keep them confused; thus you have groups such as Mormonism.

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“To create is to organize. It is an utterly false and uninspired notion to believe that the world or any other thing was created out of nothing or that any created thing can be destroyed in the sense of annihilation. “The elements are eternal.” (D. & C. 93:33.)”  Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 169.

 

Doctrine and Covenants 93:29, 33; “Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.” “For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy.”

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Studying the Book of Mormon Part 5

Posted in Studying the Book of Mormon 5, tagged , , , , , , , on 12/04/2010| Leave a Comment »

Studying the Book of Mormon Part 5

The Rise and Death of King Mosiah

Instead of listing a verse from the text we have a question for the Mormon people to ponder.

Why would the Israelites choose to write in their enemies’ tongue and not use Hebrew?

One of the main problems in the Book of Mormon is how the repeated phrase of the “language of my fathers” is used and the reminder for the next generation that if it weren’t for the writings on the plates they wouldn’t have known God.  The Encyclopedia of Mormonism (pg. 1006) says it was the tradition of the Nephites to keep diligent records, but what do the records say?  These mysterious records are mentioned quite frequently, yet there are no absolutes regarding their context or location.

Being a history buff prompts me with a desire to dig into what was going on socially, economically, militarily and spiritually with the people group I am studying.  The stories in the Book of Mormon leave my heart sad with the continual need of wanting something more.  Something’s always missing. 

For instance I can go to libraries, encyclopedias, newspapers, living witnesses or military museums to further my studies about WW2.  Or I can go to Josephus’, Suetonius’ or Pliny’s writings to retrieve information about the socio-economic conditions in ancient Israel. 

Can we do this with the Book of Mormon?  No.  The Mormon Church is the only resource outside of the Book of Mormon itself to which we can turn for information.  That’s not exactly an independent resource now, is it?

Surprisingly, I’ve had Mormons tell me the Nephites weren’t a tribe of Israel, but followed the laws of their fathers in the “land of Jerusalem”.  I find this interesting because I grew up believing the Nephites were originally from one of the “lost ten tribes” of Israel or that they’re from the tribe of Ephraim – sigh – that’s a story for another time…if these guys weren’t Jewish what were they?  What laws were they following and to which god were they sacrificing to? 

The language of the fathers in the Nephite community supposedly spoke “Reformed Egyptian”.  To date no reputable Egyptologist has acknowledged such a language.

This is the scenario we encounter as we begin reading the story of Mosiah.  King Benjamin was delivering words of warning to his sons Mosiah, Helaman and Helorum.  King Benjamin writes that because he had been taught in the language of the Egyptians, he could read and understand what the plates said.  Oddly enough, the Book of Mormon never expounds on what the plates said.  

And again, with a heavy emphasis for his sons to obey what was written on the plates, he called for everyone to gather around for the next day he was going to crown Mosiah king over the land.  Now it would be Mosiah’s turn to tell everyone he had read the plates and remind people to obey the teachings on the plates.

I believe Mosiah 2:21, 24-25 gives us valuable insight as to how the Mormon god looks upon his people.  They in turn have no clue who the real God is and how much He loves them.  

“I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.  24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?  25 And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you.” 

Sadly, the Mormon teachings don’t promote this theology.  Brigham Young taught that he believed the story in the Bible about the beginning of man was a baby story created for childish minds.  (Journal of Discourses 2:6-7) 

King Benjamin also told the people in 2:39 that if they die before they repent then they would live in a “never-ending torment”.  What about baptisms for the dead?  Further on in chapter three, the king tells his subjects about an angel that appeared to him.  This angel told him how God would come to earth in a tabernacle of clay and be called Jesus Christ and his mother would be called Mary.  The problem with this scenario?  It’s 124 BC.

This isn’t the first, nor is it the last story in the Book of Mormon that tells of an event which rivals the same kind of scenario in the Bible.  The Bible “merely” tells of a prophecy Isaiah gave to the people in Isaiah 7:14 which is a glorious foretelling of what God would do seven hundred years in the future.  King Benjamin has an angelic being appear to him and gives him exact names of people involved, in addition to the Biblical information.  Shockingly, the Mormon people buy into this with no questions asked (Mosiah 3:8).

We are always praying the Mormon people will stop and think about these things in addition to holding Joseph Smith to his word.  Smith emphatically claimed there was no Greek or Latin upon the plates from which he translated the Book of Mormon (Times and Seasons, vol. 4 (November 1842-November 1843): pg. 194).  We found at least twenty Greek and Latin words just in Mosiah chapter three alone.  I wrote an article on this subject and found there are more than 7,000 Greek and/or Latin words in the Book of Mormon.  http://www.lifeafter.org/greeklatin.asp 

Mosiah 3:17-19 is one of the most confusing set of verses in the Book of Mormon.  I’m convinced this is one of the ways Satan keeps a blindfold over the spiritual life of the Mormon people.  In verse seventeen Benjamin says there will be no other name given whereby salvation can come other than “Christ”.  Never mind that Christ isn’t a name but a title, the following verses go on to say the natural man is an enemy to God and will continue to be an enemy unless you respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s unpack this section.  The LDS Church emphatically teaches all other churches but their own are the whores of Babylon (1 Nephi 14:10) – there is no salvation outside of Mormonism.  (Ensign, July 1973, pg. 108)  If that’s true, their claim above is a lie.  (We’ll also forego the argument that he’s plagiarizing Luke in Acts 4:12 some two hundred years before it was written.)

The next problem is the claim that the natural man is an enemy to God.  How can they be an enemy to God if they don’t believe sin is automatically transmitted to mankind when they’re born?  (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 1052 & 2nd Article of Faith)  One more thing – how can you respond to promptings of the Holy Spirit if He hasn’t been given to mankind yet?  See John chapters 14-17. 

In chapter five King Benjamin tells the people because of their faith they are now spiritually begotten sons and daughters of Christ.  (vs. 5-7)  Ask your Mormon friend/loved one if we’re begotten of God or begotten of Christ.  Be sure you have a good verse to back up the truth when you share it with them.

In chapter nine we are reminded how the Lamanites are lazy, filthy, blood thirsty people always wanting a fight and looking for things to steal from the Nephites.  In chapter ten we’re told of another continual peace in the land, but then King Laman died and all bets were apparently off. 

In chapter twelve Abinadi is captured and taken before the king where he summarily begins quoting Isaiah 53 (vs. 21) and the Nephites confess to Abinadi they know the Law of Moses, but don’t obey it.   

Chapter eleven reveals to us that King Zeniff “conferred the kingdom upon Noah, one of his sons…who did not walk in the ways of his father”.  King Noah caused a myriad of problems for the Nephites and people of Zarahemla throughout the years.

When we get to Mosiah chapters thirteen, fifteen and sixteen we see again how the Book of Mormon claims that Christ is the Eternal Father. My question for these claims is why does the text keeps saying this?  If the LDS Church does not believe in the Trinity why does it say this?  If they believe they are three separate gods, then they must admit they are polytheists. 

In chapter seventeen the story of Alma fleeing for his very life comes into play and we’re told the righteous prophet Abinadi died in the fire King Noah’s priests had prepared for him.  King Noah was the father of Limhi and son of Zeniff who died off sometime earlier – the text is not clear when or how Zeniff died. 

Chapter eighteen opens up with Alma still on the run and secretly teaching the Nephites about the coming of Christ as he institutes the very first church.  Interestingly enough, he was baptizing people and we’ve gone backwards in time by about twenty years.  It’s now 147 BC.  In chapter nineteen we find Gideon climbing a tower to kill King Noah, but backs out when the king falsely claims he’s worried for his people.  Gideon’s men finally caught up to King Noah and burned him alive. (19:20) 

Two chapters later we see that the Lamanites were cruel task masters to the Nephites and would “smite them on their cheeks” to keep them in line (21:3).  With no other viable info on that subject I have to wonder why it’s there at all.  Verse four tells us these things were done “so the word of the Lord might be fulfilled”.  What did God say and why did he say it? 

By the end of chapter twenty one the people of Limhi were at war with the Lamanites.  In 21:33 we’re told Limhi and “many of his people were desirous to be baptized”, but no one had authority to do such a thing and Ammon refused because he considered himself to be unworthy. 

Because of the fervent prayers of others, Ammon had a conversion experience much like the Apostle Paul did in Acts chapter nine – the problem here is that it’s about 165 years before Paul and still 120+ years before Jesus was even born.  I find it interesting this Ammon fellow would have the same humble attributes our beloved Paul had in addition to having an eerily similar experience…could that really have happened in 122 BC?

In chapter twenty two the people of Limhi escaped into the wilderness “and joined Mosiah’s people and became his subjects”.  (22:13) 

In chapter twenty three Alma refuses to be the king and instead taught the people they should love their neighbors as they love themselves.  Isn’t this Shema, the two greatest commandments that Jesus spoke of in Mark 12:29 when He quoted from Deuteronomy 6:4?  (Also notice the BoM doesn’t offer any scripture from Torah to refer the readers to.)  This took place in 145 BC and within a few more verses into chapter twenty four, the righteous people were being threatened with death if they were found praying. 

By chapter twenty five the Mulekites of Zarahemla became Nephites.  The two clans joined forces because there weren’t very many Nephites and the people of Zarahemla who originally came from Mulek outnumbered them.  These two groups combined didn’t make up half of the number of Lamanites.  When King Mosiah explained to the people of Zarahemla the great affliction the Nephites had gone through at the hand of the Lamanites their hearts were troubled.  (25:9) It was at this time King Mosiah instructed Alma to institute another church.  By now it was 120 BC.

Not a lot of time passed by before many of the church members fell into apostasy and King Mosiah handed the judgment of those who were sinning into the hands of Alma.  (26:12) 

After a little confusion of whose side the sons of Mosiah and Alma the younger should be on, they finally came to their senses and supposedly dedicated their life to God.  They preached that mankind must be born again to be saved and by the end of the chapter was publishing good tidings of the Redeemer to all the people.  It was 92 BC. 

Chapter twenty seven begins by telling us none of the sons of Mosiah want to take over the kingdom, instead they have chosen to go and preach salvation by grace to their “brothers”, the Lamanites.  

In light of this new situation, King Mosiah took the plates of brass and the plates of gold and translated by the “power of the two stones which were fastened into the two rims of a bow”, the records of their fathers.  (28:13) After he translated the plates and shared his information with the people he announced in chapter twenty nine because no one was available to take over the kingdom he would be their king till he died.  After that time a panel of judges would watch over the people, the first of which was Alma the younger.  When Mosiah was 63 years old he died, as did “Alma the elder, the founder of their church”. 

I’m not sure what spiritual comfort any of these stories could bring to the Mormon people.  I realize they think highly of Ammon and Abinadi, but when I read their hero stories I can’t help but wonder why it doesn’t make them think of the true life heroes in the New Testament.

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Tip of the Day, December 3

Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , , on 12/03/2010| Leave a Comment »

December 3 – Matthew 1:19-20; “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”

_____

For a moment today take a break in solitude and think upon these two verses.  Think about the significance of what the Lord God has set into motion here.  Conceived of the Holy Ghost…what a holy, pure and perfect God we serve!  Fear not dear ones in sharing the truth with the Mormons.  God will not disappoint you.  If He can perform a miracle such as this, imagine what else He is able to do!  The LDS Church has tried to bring this event down to the level of evil that resides in their hearts.  Unwilling to accept that we have an omnipotent God; heretical ideas run rampant.

_____

“The question has been, and is often, asked, who it was that begat the Son of the Virgin Mary. The infidel world have concluded that if what the Apostles wrote about his father and mother be true, and the present marriage discipline acknowledged by Christendom be correct, then Christians must believe that God is the father of an illegitimate son, in the person of Jesus Christ! The infidel fraternity teach that to their disciples. I will tell you how it is. Our Father in Heaven begat all the spirits that ever were, or ever will be, upon this earth; and they were born spirits in the eternal world.”  Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 1:50 – 51.

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Studying the Book of Mormon 2

Posted in Studying the Book of Mormon 2, tagged , , , , , , , , on 12/03/2010| Leave a Comment »

Nephi & Jacob

     In the first part of this study we looked at the reign of Lehi and his son Nephi.  This time we’ll look a little longer at Nephi and then switch over to studying the works and wanderings of his younger brother Jacob who was born in the years of Lehi’s journeys.

     The more I read the Book of Mormon, the more fallacies I see throughout its text.  For the second part of this short study I had originally planned to go straight to the legacy of Nephi’s younger brother Jacob.  However, after thumbing through the text of Second Nephi to convince myself to skip it, I became convicted it needs attention.

     When I go out to speak to youth groups in churches I typically begin my lecture by reading Isaiah 40:8 and then having the students repeat the verse after me.

Isaiah 40:8; “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”

     The one thing above all else I want those kids to remember is that one verse.  If they don’t remember anything that I taught them about Mormons, my goal is to have them memorize Isaiah 40:8.  Sure, I personally feel that it’s important everyone know the dangers of Mormonism.  However, as a Christian I am indebted to God that I teach on the infallibility of His word and His unchangeable ways.  Next year, or maybe in the next century there may not be any Mormonism, but rest assured there will certainly be another “ism” of some kind.

     When we as the body of Christ allow ourselves to slide into an existence of spiritual complacency we will also begin to rearrange and change the meaning of the word of God.  It’s our duty to teach the next generation of His ways else we are held responsible.  It’s also imperative that we “hold fast to that which is good” and remember the Apostle Peter’s exhortation from his second letter to the Jewish believers in Christ:

2 Peter 1:20-21; “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

     With all that in mind let’s open the Book of Mormon to 2 Nephi 1:1 and take a good hard look at what Joseph Smith had to say.  This man is someone to take seriously and I mean that with every fiber of my being.  If we are to ignore or simply brush off someone like this then we endanger not only our eternal lives with God but the whole as well.  The following is what Joseph claims was on the plates of brass hidden in the hills of Cumorah. 

     In the beginning stages of this book we see that Nephi is praising the Lord that he and his family have made it safely to the Promised Land.  In 1:4 he says something that I find truly amazing.  It says; “For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished.”

     The reason this is fascinating is because of what we studied earlier – the reality of what happened to the Jews who did flee to Egypt.  The majority did indeed perish because of their disobedience.  God had issued His commandment through the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 42 verses 7 through 22.  There were only a few that went back to Jerusalem and they were the poorest of the poor Israelites.  None of them had the money that Lehi had. 

And why did Lehi need money if he was going to a place that didn’t have anyone else there, let alone someone who would consent to his form of money and goods?

     What is even more fascinating is what Lehi says in verse five;

“But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.”

     Because they aren’t in Jerusalem anymore, this has to mean that God has changed His mind again or He has lied to all the Israelites, not to mention the rest of the world.  After more than 400 years of captivity and another 40 years wandering in the wilderness, God led His chosen people to the choicest of lands in Canaan.  He gave that land to them as their inheritance for their children’s children.  I dare any Mormon to go tell a Jew that God says the new land of His children is in Mesoamerica and see what kind of reaction you get. 

     I don’t mean any disrespect at all to the Jewish community, please understand.  I am good friends with many Messianic Jews and practicing Orthodox Jews and wouldn’t dream of such a thing.  I personally feel that it’s insulting to God’s chosen people!  This is just one example of why the story that Joseph Smith concocted is a lie. 

     As we go further into this study, we see that Lehi is teaching his son Jacob something that is diametrically opposed to LDS theology.  In 2 Nephi 2:21 it says;

“…For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.” 

     According to LDS doctrine this is what it says in the Second Article of Faith:

“We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.”

     So if you’re witnessing to a Mormon or if you are LDS I truly pray that you would see things like this and ask God to clear the mind of the Mormon.  God loves the Mormon people, of this I am sure!  The heart of the average Mormon loves Jesus, but it’s death to the soul because it’s the wrong Jesus.  The two examples I’ve just listed above are simple and straightforward.  You don’t have to hold a PhD in anything to understand those two things are contradictory to each other.  And to further confuse the Mormon here is what it says just four verses later in 2 Nephi 2:25;

“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”

     Of course we know this is a lie because of what the Lord tells us in Gen. 1:27-28 and 2:24-5;

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

     And then we see that it isn’t until Genesis chapter three when Adam and Eve have sinned.  God had sanctioned for the couple to become one flesh and multiply before they had been booted out of the Garden of Eden.  The above LDS doctrine is nothing but a hoax and made something that was created by God Himself into something that could only happen if we’re sinning!

If procreating could only take place while man was in a state of sin, why is it that salvation for the LDS comes only through the new and everlasting covenant of eternal marriage and having babies?

     As we dig still deeper into the cavern of lies, Joseph has revealed to people what was to become of the “Jaredites”.  Beginning in chapter five we’re told that righteous Nephi took a few of his siblings and in-laws with him to escape to the wilderness.  Never mind that God had promised him that particular spot of land forever if he was righteous, he has now packed up his things and they’re leaving.

     This chapter is when the people are separated into the two major people groups that being the Nephites and the dark and loathsome Lamanites.  Nephi’s brothers that continually railed against him were stricken with a “sore cursing” which turned their skin dark.  In addition to this development Nephi was also crowned as king against his own wishes.  2 Nephi 5:18, 21-24;

“And it came to pass that they would that I should be their king. But I, Nephi, was desirous that they should have no king; nevertheless, I did for them according to that which was in my power.”

“And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.  And thus saith the Lord God: I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities.  And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing. And the Lord spake it, and it was done.  And because of their cursing which was upon them they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey.”

     My list of questions and thoughts over the years about this particular passage is extensive as I’m sure the reader’s is as well.  However, I am mostly compelled to ask just one question for now:

Where in the span of the thirty years since they left Israel did the Nephites turn white?

    Generally speaking people from the Middle East aren’t white and delightsome.  Let me rephrase that, they’re usually not white.  And generally speaking from first hand experience, people who aren’t white and delightsome usually aren’t loathsome.  I’ve always been a hard worker, polite and giving to others.  The dictionary says the definition of loathsome is offensive, repellent, detestable, abhorrent and abominable.   I’ve known people much whiter than myself who could use a good scrub brush.  The inference of such remarks is nothing less than racist.  And I really don’t think making excuses for Joseph Smith being raised in the era of slavery is a good enough excuse in God’s eyes for clinging to that character flaw.

     Many times I’ll receive phone calls and/or e-mails chastising me for not understanding the social and political climate of the nineteenth century.  Actually I do understand it; it’s still alive and well in many places throughout the world.  Utah comes to mind pretty fast for me.  When people try to cover for Smith, I introduce them to my husband Kirk.  During the Civil War one of his ancestors took his wife and kids and fled for the north because he knew slavery wasn’t proper.  After settling in and changing his surname he fought for the north.  Don’t tell me Smith did it because he was from the “old school”.  Sin is sin.  It’s without excuse. 

     Moving along, we come upon another direct contradictory teaching within the doctrines of the LDS Church.  You see, I can’t stress enough to those who are investigating the Church for membership that it is vital you check these things out!  The Church has 124 operating temples on the day of this writing, April 27, 2007 –   

http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/operating  There are also six more under construction and another five that have been announced.  My question is:

Why? 

2 Nephi 9:38 says; “And, in fine, wo unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins.”

     Why would you need temples if Nephi is exhorting his brothers to be righteous before they die so they can receive salvation?  Also read 2 Nephi 9:15-16 which says the same thing! 

Does this mean the Book of Mormon has been mistranslated?

Which book is correct – D&C or Book of Mormon?

 

     More importantly why do the Mormons go to the temples to be baptized for the dead if there are no second chances?  D&C 124:29-30 says that the saints have to baptize their dead.  If the saints have to do this but not the people before Jesus’ time then why didn’t God just say that to Nephi?

 For the following ten chapters you will notice that Nephi has written down the words of Isaiah.  Why Joseph Smith thought this would fit in with the agenda of LDS doctrine is beyond me, but it is what it is.  In Chapter 19:6 he has quoted verbatim what is in 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, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

  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.”

     Here is where I think the LDS member should look very closely.  In our last look at the life of Nephi we read about Jesus telling the disciples that the Father would send them the Comforter in John 14:16-17.  Now take a good look at all the names given to that one “being” in Isaiah. This is obviously the Trinity, plain and simple.  Now why would Joseph Smith use a scripture out of Isaiah if he didn’t ascribe to the traditional Judeo-Christian view of that particular verse?  The answer is very simple my friends; to deceive.  The report from Nephi telling the people that God is coming in the flesh can also be seen in  2 Ne. 25:12-13.

     Those of us who have witnessed to the Mormon people will tell you that 2 Nephi 25:23 is one of the most contradictory statements in all of the Book of Mormon.  It says;

“For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved; after all we can do.”

     When we read the words of Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9 we are comforted by his words about salvation and reminded of our blessings from the release of the Law;

 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

     In the LDS doctrine listed above, the last part of the sentence is in bold type to point out the discrepancy between it and what the Bible says.  I implore the members of the Church to analyze that doctrine.  What does it mean to you?  Why does grace play a part in your salvation if you have any part in it?  It’d be like having to invite you to your own birthday party!  Grace is unmerited favor.  We receive grace even though we’re not worthy of grace or salvation for that matter but God in His mercy and love for us grants us that unearned favor.  It’s like a get out of jail free card!

     In 2 Nephi 26:32-33 Nephi is giving his people a list of commandments they are to obey.  Interestingly enough one of those commandments is to not murder because as he states, it is never from God.  Nephi said that God is plain in his commandments and easy to understand.

Why did God tell Nephi to kill Laban but give a commandment at a later time to say that it is a sin and you will die for it?

 

     The Bible is very clear about lies and God’s faithfulness.  In Malachi 3:6 it says that God doesn’t change; and in Titus 1:2 it says God cannot lie.  My last issue with this chapter has to do with the very last sentence.  It says;

“…and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female…”

      While that in and of itself sounds great and lines up with the Bible, what about chapter five of this second book of Nephi?  Smith just got done telling us the Lamanites were cursed.  How are they able to approach the throne of God with a clear conscience if they’re cursed? 

     In 2 Nephi 30:6 we see one of the grammatical changes that have been made to the Book of Mormon.  In all there have been over 4,000 grammatical changes made.  Here is the 1980 and later version of this verse: 

“And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and delightsome people.”

     In sharp contrast here is what it says prior to the change in 1980;

“And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and delightsome people.”

     Since we’ve already discussed the color issue let’s forego that part of it and focus on what the Bible says in regards to this type of thing.  In Deut. 18:20-22 God tells the Israelites that in order to trust a prophet there is a test the prophet must pass.  If that prophet gives even one prophecy that doesn’t come true you are to ignore him because he will die and he has not spoken for God.

     Now from the example above:

Since when does the word white also mean pure?

 

If the Lamanites were supposed to believe in Christ then why are there still dark Native Americans?

 

     One chapter later we have Nephi preaching the gospel; keep in mind Jesus hasn’t been born yet let alone crucified and resurrected – that’s another five and a half centuries away!  The Greek words are also of interest considering Jacob and Nephi were living on a different continent, separated by an ocean, and they weren’t speaking Greek or Hebrew.  Joseph claims they had been speaking “Reformed Egyptian” (which to this day has never been authenticated by any reputable outside Egyptologist.). 

Why were words such as baptized, baptism and Holy Ghost used some 550 years before it actually occurred?

 

Why did Nephi say virtually the same thing that Luke did in Acts 4:10 almost 600 years before Luke was born?

 

2 Nephi 31:21; “And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.”

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

And finally my dear friends from 2 Nephi 31:10 and 33:4;

 

How did Nephi know the name of Jesus before He was born?

 

Please know that if you’re a member of the LDS Church we are here not to bash you or any of the Mormon people.  Our hearts go out to you and we pray you will be set free from the confusion and lies of the doctrines of Joseph Smith.  We are convinced the Mormon people love Jesus and fear for them because this is truly not the Jesus of the Bible.  If you’d like more information you can contact us at Life After Ministries

www.lifeafter.org

Key words:  Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, Nephi’s brother, Lamanites, Nephites, Jaredites, Laban, Laman, Lemuel, Articles of Faith, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Joseph Smith.

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Studying the Book of Mormon 1

Posted in Studying the Book of Mormon 1, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 12/02/2010| Leave a Comment »

Nephi’s Reign

     The twenty-fifth Psalm of David is a heart cry to the Lord to forgive him of his sin as well as a profession of his faith in the Lord who always gives comfort and direction.  King David obviously made some mistakes in life, of this there is no doubt.  However, we also see there is hope in his life story because of the mercy of God, His forgiveness and the timeless lesson of obedience for us.  The main lesson I got out of this Psalm was to wait upon the Lord no matter how long I think its taking.  Our God doesn’t work in the manner of timelines.  He is not bound by the secondhand on the clock that ticks away at our very lives.  He’s not bound by the laws of man that have mostly been self-inflicted; much like a wound we won’t lance for fear of the initial pain.  We keep applying more laws to cover the mess of not upholding the ultimate of laws; that being the Law of God.

     When I say this to people many of them will say “but Michelle, Jesus did away with the Law of Moses”.   My response is always the same; “He did”?  I thought Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not get rid of it.  Jesus told the Pharisees on many occasions that while they were busy making their laws of not having extra-marital affairs they were already found guilty by just thinking of it.

     Jesus’ message of salvation should be a welcome relief to those who live to be right.  Your struggle is over my friend!  He came and did the job for you because whatever task you’ve imposed upon yourself is now accomplished thanks to our Lord.  Psalm 25 can be used as a comfort to us that while we are worshipping this Almighty God, He is ever faithful to show us how He loves and cares for us.  The main theme to this life:  wait on the Lord.

     I’m at the end of a Bible study that began last fall on the book of Jeremiah.  Never had I imagined how good of a study this was going to be!  I signed up on the premise that it would be good for me to learn more about Old Testament times and learn which order the books of the Old Testament are in.  Oh I know there is always something God wants us to learn and I don’t recall a time that He hasn’t provided that way.  This study though was one of the best Bible studies I’ve been in since I was saved 14 years ago.

     We begin learning about Jeremiah by reading that He’s been called by God to proclaim instructions to the Israelites during the takeover and captivity.  The Babylonian Empire was sweeping through countries and continents, plundering everything and everyone in its vicious path.  The Israelites had broken into two kingdoms that being Judah in the south and Israel in the north.  The Kingdom of Israel had already been taken captive by the Assyrians in 722 BC and dispersed.  By the time 612 BC came rolling around with the takeover of Nineveh by the Babylonians, the marching of the soldier’s feet became louder by the moment for the Kingdom of Judah.  The Israelites begged Jeremiah to go and receive instruction from the Lord so they would know what to do; stay in Jerusalem or flee to Egypt where it seemed there would be peace (Jer. 42:1-6).  The year was 605 BC.

     God’s word to Jeremiah came back with the explicit order to stay put.  The Israelites were not to move an inch, but to wait upon the Lord.  He was tired of having to punish them and wanted to just love them with blessings of comfort and sustenance, yet once again they would have nothing of it.  He promised them that the King of Babylon while being ruthless would have mercy upon the Israelites and allow them to live and stay where they were.  Instead the majority of Israelites packed their camels and headed south.  The consequence of their move was what God had promised – annihilation.

     With this story in mind let’s open the Book of Mormon to the very first book they call 1st Nephi.  The date and place are supposedly the same.  It was circa 600 BC and the first scene opens up in Jerusalem where the prophet Lehi has lived all of his life.  In the first chapter we read that Nephi being born of Lehi and Sariah; was living in war-torn Jerusalem and has become fearful.

     Now in order to understand who these people are let’s take a look at what the doctrines of the LDS Church have to say about them.  These particular people are supposedly part of the “ten lost tribes of Israel”.  When the tribes of Israel split in two, ten of the twelve tribes moved north.  The two remaining tribes, that of Benjamin and Judah, stayed in the south and the city of Jerusalem was in this region.

     LDS scholars have said Lehi and his family were part of these ten tribes that were scattered but they aren’t sure where they went initially- they claim Lehi’s an Ephraimite.  For the sake of the argument let’s say he fled from the north and settled in Jerusalem with his family.  Why then didn’t he obey the words of Jeremiah?

     Nephi tells us his father Lehi went to the Lord in prayer to seek guidance from God as to what he should do.  After witnessing a pillar of fire and “seeing many things” he went home to lie down on his bed.

     While lying in bed from being overcome by the Spirit, Lehi had a vision.  In his vision he saw the heavens open and “he thought he saw God sitting on His throne”, in addition to a “concourse of angels”. Then “he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.”  All of this is in 1 Nephi 1:7-9.

     Now I am a regular, ordinary mom of two teen daughters, a housewife, and your average, everyday type of person.  I haven’t graduated from any Bible Seminary, nor have I engaged in any profoundly deep theological studies of Christian church history.  I’m all the things I listed above, but more than that, the most important of all is that I’ve been adopted by God as His child.  Because of this I know His voice and through study, I can discern when others are telling me something that isn’t true.  Case in point – the story about Lehi in Jerusalem circa 600 BC.

     The first thing I would have to question is the claim that this is a true account of historical facts that God has kept hidden until the 19th century when He revealed it to Joseph Smith.  Is it really a true word from God?  Throughout the Old Testament up until that time God had meticulously shared with His people who He was.  He had gone to great lengths to prove Himself time and again and really left no doubt as to how He would righteously judge and the consequence if they were to disobey.  God never beat around the bush; He didn’t give one rule to one child and another rule to the other son.  That’s not how our Father operates.  It might be how you and I as a parent or a boss might operate in life, but not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  I don’t know about you, but the older I get the more comforting this is to me!

     Now historically speaking, we have verifiable proof and evidence the King of Babylon began showing dominance over Judah (the southern kingdom) in 605 BC.  He took many Israelites captive at that time and sent them to Babylon on three different captures before the final destruction of Jerusalem in BC 586.  Still there were was a remnant God had intentionally left in Jerusalem that survived.  We see this in Jeremiah 42:7-22 when Jeremiah delivers the word of God to the Israelites after they had asked him to inquire of the Lord’s direction on their behalf.

     Remember, God said don’t move.

     In the book of Nephi it is written that Lehi, the patriarch of the family, received many visions and words from God, but Nephi said he wasn’t going to write down all of his father’s dreams.  He did however state he had received many visions and visits from angels as well and in fact would go ahead and write those things down.   It says in 1 Nephi chapter one those writings are an abridgement to the work of his father’s writings.

     We’re never told exactly how the Israelites sinned or what they were guilty of except they had committed abominations and would be destroyed if they didn’t escape.  When we make it to chapter two we read that Lehi had received another vision telling him that he needs to pack up the family and leave.  While wandering for a few days in “the wilderness” they come upon the river of Laman which supposedly emptied into the Red Sea.  While camping there Lehi has yet another dream and he instructs his sons to go back to Jerusalem and retrieve the brass plates which contain the writings of the Law and their family history as well as all the gold and other valuables they had left behind in their rush to escape.

     While on their journey to retrieve these items and after a few mess ups, Nephi encounters a drunken man sleeping on the ground outside the city walls named Laban.  Before Laban can wake up Nephi is instructed by the “Spirit of the Lord” to remove the sword of steel from Laban’s sheath and chop his head off.  After obeying this spirit he dresses in Laban’s clothing and then goes into the place where Laban kept the plates of brass that this Jewish family is after.  He tricked the servant into believing he was Laban and took the plates to give to his father.

     After they returned to the tent of their father he began to read all the stories that had been written by the holy prophets and even up to the time of Jeremiah.  1 Nephi 5:13.  It says that he also read about the genealogy of his father which told him they were related to Joseph who had been thrown into a well by his brothers and then sold to the Egyptians.  The sad part about this story…none of it is true.

     There are many things within the first five chapters of the Book of Mormon that give us warnings of impending danger when you place it as an addendum to the Bible.  If you’re a member of the Church I simply encourage and challenge you to look these things up for yourself.  Below is a chart that consists of dates, places, people and their references.  Now the Book of Mormon says in 1 Nephi 5:13 that even the records of Jeremiah are imprinted upon the plates so we can obviously say with a fair amount of certainty they’ve heard about him and acknowledge they are in the same vicinity at the same time.

Bible Book of Mormon
God said: Don’t go to Egypt. –Jer. 42:1-22 Escape to Egypt – 1 Ne. 2:2
Israelites actions: Left for Egypt –Jer. 43:1-7 Left for Egypt – 1 Ne. 2:3-6
Consequences: Most were killed –Jer. 43:8-44:14 Blessed/ obedience 1 N 5:20-22
Northern tribe lived: Nineveh/scattered Jerusalem/scattered
Southern tribe lived: So. Israel/Jerusalem Jerusalem 
Timeline: 605 BC Circa 600 BC

     Pressing forward we read in 1 Nephi chapter seven that Lehi thinks his boys should go back into Jerusalem and get themselves some wives.  They do as their father commands and go back to of all places, Ishmael’s house.

     Now regardless of what the Book of Mormon says, it was never a good idea to hang out with people named Ishmael.  Worshipping the god of Ishmael is what got the Kingdom of Israel taken into captivity by the Assyrians and scattered more than a century beforehand.  They were worshipping the god Milcom that Solomon had eventually built altars for because of his bad habit of liking women from the stranger’s tribes.  Nonetheless, here is Lehi receiving revelations from his god to send his sons to marry the girls of Ishmael and that’s exactly what they did.

     The Ishmael mentioned in Jeremiah 40:13 – 41:18 is one of the sons of the king and he went about making much trouble not only for the Jews, but for the Chaldeans as well.  The Bible tells us In Jeremiah 41:2 that Ishmael, along with his friends, murdered Gedaliah the governor of the Israelites, who were the leftover poorest of the poor that stayed behind in Jerusalem.  He also murdered ten others that were supping at a banquet that Gedaliah had invited him to that day in addition to the Chaldeans.

     Having an uncontrollable hatred for the Israelites, Ishmael and friends went out the next day to greet a company of eighty Jews, weeping as they approached the men.  These eighty men were bringing offerings for the Lord with shaven faces and torn clothing; a sign of submission.  Ishmael and his men bemoaned the horrible death of Gedaliah saying they had found him dead and led the group into the city.  When they all got inside the city walls Ishmael and his team slaughtered the eighty men and threw their corpses into the cisterns.  The news of his evil deeds spread throughout the region quickly and people began to get nervous.

     The few remaining Israelites begged Jeremiah to speak to God on their behalf – Jer. 42:1-7 which takes us back to the beginning of this article.  Did God really tell Lehi to leave and go to the wilderness or Egypt or stay where he was at?

     After all that, let’s skip on over to 1 Nephi 17 to see some of the workings of Nephi and company.  In this chapter there are many reasons to question and ask why Nephi, if he was born of godly Israelites, would say and do the things written about here.

     In this chapter there is the problem of how they are to eat meat.  The Bible tells us in Lev. 7:25-6; “Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.  Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.”

     In contrast 1 Nephi 17:2 says;  “And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.”

      Further down in verse 12 we see that God reassures Nephi that He would make the meat sweet so there was no reason to cook it.  In verse 3 it said they obeyed the commandments of God, but which commandment is true; the commandment from the god of the Jaredites or the God of the Israelites?

     1 Nephi 17:44 reiterates that their god told them to leave Jerusalem; “Wherefore, the Lord commanded my father that he should depart into the wilderness; and the Jews also sought to take away his life; yea, and ye also have sought to take away his life; wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them.”

Why would the Jews be after him if he was an Israelite?

     The next area a problem arises is in verse forty-seven.  Nephi is having trouble with his brothers who are questioning his authority since he is younger than they are, just like the story we see in the Bible with Joseph and his older brothers in Gen. 37:1 – 45:28.  He tells his brothers not to do harm to him because he is filled with the Spirit of God.

     The reason we know this is a problem is because of what it says in the Bible.  In the three chapters of the gospel of John fourteen through seventeen we are taken to the last teachings of Jesus.  In John 14:16-17 Jesus was telling His disciples that if they love Him and keep His commandments then He will ask the Father and He will give them another Helper so that they would never be alone.

This had never happened before.

     In verse twenty Jesus tells them and us what it will be like when they are truly saved; “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”  In fact He goes on to tell them this in verse 26; “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

     Now if the Holy Spirit had never been in anyone why was Nephi the only person to ever have this happen?  Again, something’s fishy in Denmark!  After they had made it over the “great waters” and into the “promised land” the small group of adherents began their new lives, build great cities, fight in massive wars and eventually die out as a people altogether.

     This my friend is how the Book of Mormon begins.  There are many more facts throughout the rest of the Book of Mormon that cry out lies, false prophecies, absolute impossibilities and contradictions.  But we don’t want you to take our word for it, instead take it slowly, look at the evidence and determine for yourself what is right.  Your decision shouldn’t be based upon Moroni 10:4-6 alone.  That is no test at all; it’s subjective reasoning and futile.

     Above all know that we pray for the Mormon people daily.  We know that you love Jesus in your hearts and believe you are doing the right thing.  If you’ve been praying about what to do I’m here to tell you there is a way out!  If you’d like more information or simply want prayer, don’t hesitate to let us know!

With Love in Christ; Michelle Grim …

1 Cor. 1:18

    Overview and Facts to Consider from First Nephi

If it wasn’t the Spirit of God with and in Nephi then who might it be?

Why would everyone but Lehi’s group be killed for fleeing to Egypt?

Why would anyone who is following the original Law not abide by all of its commandments?  1 Nephi 17:2, 12.

Why did the sons of Lehi marry the daughters of Ishmael when God told His children not to mingle with the Egyptians and other foreigners?

Is it reasonable that Lehi and his family could have left Jerusalem and walk 210 miles in three days to get to the Red Sea?  1 Nephi 2:4-7.

Why would the destruction of Jerusalem be marvelous as Lehi said in 1 Nephi 2:18?

Key words to use in study and research:  Nephi, Lehi, Jaredite, Laban, Laman, Gedaliah, Milcom, Ishmael, brass plates, Joseph Smith, Mormon, LDS, Bountiful, Zoram, Zenock, Reformed Egyptian

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Tip of the Day, December 2

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December 2 – John 3:16-17; “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

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John 3:16 is always a favorite for Christians, but many times we overlook the very next verse.  Today pray for the Mormons and the immense amount of pressure they put themselves under by believing they’ll never be good enough to be saved.  As if teaching you have to save yourself isn’t bad enough, notice here today what else they believe about Jesus.

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  “Only Begotten Son; Only Begotten in the flesh, meaning in mortality. This designation of our Lord signifies that he was begotten by Man of Holiness as literally as any mortal father begets a son. The natural processes of procreation were involved; Jesus was begotten by his Father as literally as he was conceived by his mother.”  Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols., 1: 144.

 Also see:

 “And the great and wonderful love made manifest by the Father and the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world; That through his atonement, and by obedience to the principles of the gospel, mankind might be saved.”  Doctrine and Covenants 138:3-4.

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Tip of the Day, December 1

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December 1 – Hebrews 2:17-18; “Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”

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This month we’re going to be looking at the person of Jesus Christ.  We’ll be investigating the prophecies in the Old Testament, His earthly ministry and the crucifixion.  Use these as ways to witness to your Mormon friends. 

 Today we learn from His holy word that He makes intercession for us to reconcile us to God, but the Mormons would have you believe Jesus had to earn His way to the priesthood.

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“If a man gets a fullness of the priesthood of God, he has to get it in the same way that Jesus Christ obtained it, and that was by keeping all the commandments and obeying all the ordinances of the house of the Lord.”  Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 vols., introduction and notes by B. H. Roberts, 5: 424.

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Tip of the Day, November 30

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November 30 – Philippians 4:8; “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

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I had never heard this of this verse in the 30 years I was a Mormon.  It wasn’t until I had been saved when a dear Christian friend of mine showed me this verse and would remind me of it time and again during the first few years of my walk with the Lord.  I don’t know of any true Christian who gets inspiration from anyone other than the Lord Jesus.  The Mormon writings today are another example of what they really think of the body of Christ.

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“What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world.”  Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 vols., introduction and notes by B. H. Roberts, 5: 218 – 219.

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Tip of the Day, November 28

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November 28 – Romans 8:15; “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

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Strong’s says this about the word adoption from Romans 8:15; “the placing as a son, that is, adoption (figuratively Christian sonship in respect to God):—”

 Adoption in Biblical times meant that when you adopted someone, by law, you could never disown them; whereas you could legally disown your own flesh and blood, this was not a possibility with adopted children.  What a relief this verse and others like it bring to us!  Knowing there is nothing we could do now or in the future, our placement is certain with Him!  Read today how complicated the Mormon Church has made it for their followers to understand such a simple truth as adoption.

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“By the law of adoption those who receive the gospel and obey its laws, no matter what their literal blood lineage may have been, are adopted into the lineage of Abraham. (Abra. 2: 9-11) “The effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile,” the Prophet says, “is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham.” Such a person has “a new creation by the Holy Ghost.” (Teachings, pp. 149-150.)…Indeed, the faithful are adopted to the family of Christ; they become “the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters”; they are “spiritually begotten,” for their “hearts are changed through faith on his name,” thus being “born of him,” becoming “his sons and his daughters.”  (Mosiah 5:7.)”  Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 23.

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Tip of the Day, November 27

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November 27 – Jude 1:21; “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

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Today we’re looking at the word eternal to see what it means. The Greek word for eternal from this verse is; aioônios.  The transliteration for eternal from the Strong’s Concordance is:  “perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well):—eternal, for ever, everlasting, world (began).” 

So today ask your Mormon friend what his understanding is of this word when Milton Hunter and Joseph Smith says that God is eternal, yet he was once a man like us and then became a god himself.

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“God Himself was once as we are now…It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us, yea, that God Himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did.”

Milton R. Hunter, The Gospel through the Ages, 105.

 The meaning of the word eternal from the Webster’s 1828 Dictionary as found in the Gospel Link Dictionary; “Without beginning or end of existence.  The eternal God is thy refuge. Deuteronomy 33.”

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Tip of the Day, November 26

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November 26 – Romans 14:17-20; “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.”

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Again, we need to make sure all things are looked at in context, therefore, we look at and read all historical and geographical materials we can, as well as using dictionaries and concordances.  This way we have assurance we’ve exhausted all venues.  A great example is Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance; here’s what it says about the word kingdom:  in the Greek, the word is basileia. 

The transliteration for this is:  properly royalty, that is, (abstractly) rule, or (concretely) a realm (literally or figuratively):—kingdom, + reign.” 

Nowhere does it say in the actual text (or the concordance) anything about an organization being the kingdom of God.  In fact, when we research these verses, along with reputable commentaries, they all say the kingdom is where the Christian is living a life acceptable to God, living righteously and not causing others to stumble. 

According to the Holman Bible Dictionary it means it is the rule or sovereignty of God.

 It is not a “geographical area, nor is it a political entity such as the nation of Israel…  The establishment of the kingdom is a work of God.  God will reign, and people can contribute nothing to that reigning of God.” – Holman Bible Dictionary.

 Since the kingdom of God is not the nation of Israel, that would also include the Mormon Church.  If it’s not a nationality, not an organization and not a political entity, where does that leave the people of Mormonism?  I always think of my mother when I see things like this. 

 They claim it is the duty of the Church to prepare man to live with God.  However, Jesus says otherwise.  Jesus told everyone they are welcome to enter the kingdom and to have the heart of a child.  (Mark 10:14)

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“The church is a kingdom; it is God’s kingdom. . .and as such is designed to prepare men for an inheritance… which is the celestial kingdom. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Eternal King; his representative on earth is the President of the church…Where there is no kingdom of God there is no salvation.” Without the church, man cannot be saved.  “Whenever men can find out the will of God and find an administrator legally authorized from God, there is the kingdom of God; but where these are not, the kingdom of God is not. All the ordinances, systems, and administrations on earth are of no use to the children of men, unless they are ordained and authorized of God; for nothing will save a man but a legal administrator; for none others will be acknowledged either by God or angels.” Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 271-72, 274.”  Bruce R. McConkie, New Witness for the Articles of Faith, 326- 337. The Church-Its Nature and Purpose

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Tip of the Day, November 21

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November 21 – 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.”

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We all have our own favorite scriptures that we lean on for our strength when nothing else better could be said.  These two in Jude are some of my personal favorites.  Thank You Jesus for Your words, Your comfort, the salvation You gave to me and separating me from the LDS Church.  Thank You for forgiving me when I believed the atrocities spoken here by Joseph Smith.

Ask the Mormon in your life what they think of Joseph Smith stating that he is their god.  From what he said, it is clear they are not worshipping the One and Only True God of the Bible.

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“God is not willing to let me gratify you; but I must teach the Elders, and they should teach you. God made Aaron to be the mouthpiece for the children of Israel, and He will make me be god to you in His stead, and the Elders to be mouth for me; and if you don’t like it, you must lump it. (April 8, 1844.).”  Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 363.

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Tip of the Day, November 20

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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.”

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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?

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“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 3rd President of the Church, John Taylor made the above statements.

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