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Lifestyles of a Mormon

Posted in Lifestyles of the Mormon, tagged Aaronic Priesthood, baptism for the dead, bible, false gospel, freedom, grace, Jesus, lds church, marriage by proxy, Melchezidek Priesthood, Mormon lifestyle, mormonism, Mututal in Action, peace, Priesthood Meetings, Primary, Relief Society, temple endowments, truth, Works for salvation, works vs. grace on 01/24/2011| Leave a Comment »

Mormon Lifestyles & Daily Routines

The Mormon life is beset with many activities they see as necessary in their ultimate goal towards salvation. Now while we can all be guilty of over scheduling our lives at times, we are assured by the Lord that we are never responsible for our own salvation – Ephesians 2:8-9 says; “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.” Good works are always a manifestation of our salvation; they never serve as a result of salvation. They are faith in action; never because we must earn our own place beside Him. Unfortunately for the Mormon this is not what they’ve been taught to believe.

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Holidays Celebrated by Mormons

Posted in Holidays Celebrated by Mormons, tagged bible, Christmas, false gospel, Good Friday, holidays, Jesus, lds church, Lent, mormonism, Pentecost, Redeemer, salvation, Savior, truth on 01/24/2011| Leave a Comment »

Holidays Celebrated by the Mormons

We receive a lot of requests asking if Mormons celebrate Easter, birthdays and other holidays that most Christians observe. When I was in the Mormon Church it didn’t occur to me that by not observing things like Good Friday would be looked upon as strange by those outside of our clan. Now that I’m a Christian I look with eager anticipation for Holy Week to come around every year. It’s hard to believe that I used to be so ignorant about such important items in life.

Mormons observe all holidays and birthdays that everyone else does in America. With the exception of Easter day they do not celebrate any days during Holy Week. They also don’t observe Ash Wednesday, Pentecost, Lent or Passover.

As my experience in the Christian lifestyle grew I came to realize just how empty my spiritual life was as a Mormon and how grateful I am now to the Lord for His awesome gift of salvation!

Please come alongside us to lift these dear people up in prayer for God to open their hearts and eyes to accept His free gift of love and salvation!

With Love in Christ

Michelle Grim

1 Cor. 1:18

Here’s the list of do’s and don’ts for major holidays and the Mormon Church.

Personal birthdays – yes

Christmas – yes

Easter – yes

Thanksgiving – yes

Memorial & Veteran’s Day – yes

President’s Day – yes

4^th of July – yes

Mother’s Day – yes

Father’s Day – yes

Palm Sunday – no

Maundy Thursday – no

Good Friday – no

Passover – no

Holy Saturday – no

Pentecost – no

Lent – no

Epiphany – no

Ash Wednesday – no

Advent – not typically

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Studying the Book of Mormon 11

Posted in Studying the Book of Mormon Introduction, tagged bible God, Book of Mormon, Ether, false gospel, freedom, Holy Spirit, Jesus, languages, Moroni, power, promise, Redeemer, Savior, Tower of Babel, truth on 01/23/2011| Leave a Comment »

Studying the Book of Mormon 11

“The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.” – Lord Macaulay

If I were to rank the books in the Book of Mormon on the level of the most nefarious and cockamamie stories, Ether would be at the very top of my list. It’s obvious from Joseph Smith’s paper trail that nothing was left to the imagination of what kind of man he was.

One of the main problems with this story is the timeline. According to reputable historians, the confounding of languages at the Tower of Babel took place circa 3,300 BC and through the Peleg continental division in 3006 BC. Ether supposedly took place in 2200 BC.

A very reliable and well written site on the historical, archaeological and biblical findings of this event in history can be found here:

http://ldolphin.org/babel.html

The book of Ether contains so many impossibilities, false prophecies, plagiarisms, contradictions and flat out lies that we’re just going to jump right into the list this week.

If the book of Mormon is true, it’ll hold up to the scrutiny and prove itself to be from God. Thus far, history has proven otherwise. If you’re a member of the LDS Church, do this for yourself; actually study it and see if I’m wrong. This isn’t a time for feelings – this is a time for truth.

We learn from scripture when we should and shouldn’t judge. I was reminded of this while doing some research for a friend about another subject matter. We are not to judge motives which are hidden because only God knows our hearts. According to Paul we are not to judge what others eat or drink because those things are between that person and God alone. Romans 14:1-4. We must, however, judge public teachings and commanded to do this as Paul advised Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:6.

False prophets teach messages that come from themselves, not from God. Jesus tells us in John chapter ten that He is the door and robbers never go through the door of Jesus. They always try to hoist themselves up through another way, to trick the sheep with another teaching and another belief. They always have a secret or exclusive doorway and teaching they’ve privately been shown by God.

We are to defend the gospel that has been delivered once to the saints (Jude 1:3) and hate even the garment that’s been tarnished (Jude 1:23).

Here’s what the LDS Church has to say about Mr. Smith’s teachings; as you can see, they obviously don’t have a problem with what he did or said.

“As guided by the Spirit, Joseph spent about three years going through the Bible, making thousands of corrections to the text and restoring information that had been lost. This restored information sheds marvelous light on many doctrines that are not clearly presented in the Bible as it exists today.”

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=c5a720596a845110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=da135f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Noteworthy teachings

Jared says you can read about Sodom and Gomorrah as well as Jericho in the Bible, why would the Mormons do this if the Bible is corrupt? – Ether 1:4

Everyone’s language confounded but Jared, his brother & friends – Ether 1:35-7

Jared and brother along with families and friends of friends and their families went to the valley to gather animals – Ether 2:1

Sailing crew commanded to go no further than America – Ether 2:7

Circa 2,200 BC even before there were Israelites, Gentiles told to repent – Ether 2:11

God leaves when you sin – Ether 2:15

God forgot they needed air in the barge so Jared instructs God on how to build a seafaring vessel – Ether 2:16

Barge built tight just like a dish – Ether 2:17

Built the boat so they wouldn’t drown in the flood – ??? – Ether 2:20

Brother of Jared saw the finger of Jesus and was afraid Jesus would smite him because he found out God has flesh and bones – Ether 3:8

No one has greater faith than brother of Jared – Ether 3:9

There are a couple of problems with the verse listed below.

Ether 3:13; “And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.”

This story contradicts the Bible – no man has seen God. Exodus 33:20

Knowing something doesn’t bring salvation – Eph. 2:8-9

How can God be the father and the son? – Ether 3:14

VERY confusing verse –

Ether 3:19; “And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.”

Why would God do this? Only priests were allowed behind the veil. What’s the deal with the faith statement?

Brother of Jared has perfect knowledge of God – Ether 3:20

Another VERY confusing verse –

Ether 3:22; “And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be read.”

Again, why would God do something like this? Why would he have something written in a language no one could understand?

Jesus shows the nameless brother of Jared every single person on earth that had lived before him and even those who will ever live on the face of the earth after him – Ether 3:25

God can’t withhold anything – Ether 3:26

Textual change – Mosiah was Benjamin in 1830 version – Ether 4:1

Moroni seals up the interpreters – Ether 4:5

Jesus curses anyone that doesn’t believe the Book of Mormon – Ether 4:8

Either God is talking about his father in heaven or Jesus is his own dad – Ether 4:12

Circa 2,200 BC, before there were Israelites, Jesus calls upon the Gentiles to believe – Ether 4:13

Only 3 uneducated men will know how to translate plates – Ether 5:2-4

Was Orihah a polygamist? He had 31 kids – Ether 7:2

Story of John the Baptist lifted with name changes – Ether 8:4

Why were these Jewish people eating pork? – Ether 9:18

Lots of big cities…no archaeological evidence – Ether 9:23

Many serpents poison lots of people – Ether 9:31

Poisonous serpents chase people – Ether 9:33

Oaths are bad – Ether 10:33

They rejected the prophets because of their secret societies (Mormons come to mind…) – Ether 11:22

In 2200 BC the Spirit of the Lord was inside of Ether – Ether 12:2

Christ showed himself after his resurrection to the fathers of Jaredites (remember this was written in 2200 BC) – Ether 12:7

By faith the Law of Moses was given – Ether 12:11

By faith the 3 disciples didn’t die – Ether 12:17

Many people saw beyond the veil because of faith – Ether 12:19

God can’t hide his finger from the brother of Jared – Ether 12:20

New Jerusalem in America – Ether 13:4

Wanted to write more but was forbidden – Ether 13:13

The curse of the vanishing tools – Ether 14:1

Fighting for the defense of his property and wives – Ether 14:2

One of the secret combinations murdered a high priest – Ether 14:10

Coriantumr invites Shiz to battle – Ether 14:28

2 million people died in war (this is 5x the number of Americans killed in WW2) – Ether 15:2

Headless Shiz rises up on his arms and breathes – Ether 15:31

Things not invented yet OR not in America at that time

Aquariums – Ether 2:2

Bees – Ether 2:3

Glass – Ether 2:23

Flocks & herds – Ether 6:4

Steel – Ether 7:9

Silks, grains – Ether 9:17-19

Flocks – Ether 9:31

Grains, flocks, gold – Ether 10:12, 23, 24

Greek & Latin words found (small list) in BC era

Apostles – Ether 12:41

Baptize – 4:18 (2x), 12:14

Christ – 4:1, 2, 3; 12:7, 16, 19, 38; 13:4

Cross – 2:6, 22, 25; 3:3, 4; 4:1; 6:3; 8:9

Disciples – 4:10; 12:17, 31

Epistle – 15:4, 5 (2x), 18

Exceedingly – This word was used 40 times in 15 chapters

2:17

3:1, 9

6:28

7:1, 4, 7, 11, 19

8:5, 7, 8, 9

9:15, 16 (3x), 23, 26, 30

10:3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 13, 22, 27

11:4

12:19

13:27 (2x)

14:4, 16, 29

15:8, 9, 16

Gentile – God had not formed the nation of Israel at this point in history, but Ether seems to have already separated the people and made reference to Gentiles 10 times.

2:11

4:6, 13

12:22, 23, 25, 28, 35, 36, 38

Gospel – 4:3, 18

Grace – 12:26, 27, 36, 41

Holy Ghost – 5:4; 12:14, 23, 41

Jesus – 3:17, 19, 20; 5:5; 12:39, 41

Jesus Christ – 2:12; 3:14, 19, 20; 4:7, 8; 12:22, 41

John – 4:16

Saint – 8:22

Son of God & variations – 4:7; 9:22; 12:18

Use of the phrase “and it came to pass”

Ether has 433 verses and this phrase showed up 167 times in 156 of the verses. That means 35% of the text contains this phrase. Questions for the Mormon: how does this glorify God and how did this phrase add to the storyline of the text?

1:35. 37, 38, 39, 40 – 5 verses

2:1, 4, 5 (2x), 6, 13, 14, 16, 18, 21 – 10x, 9 verses

3:1, 6, 21, 28 – 4 verses

6:2, 4 (2x), 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 18, 21, 22, 25 (2x), 26, 27, 29, 30 – 17x, 15 verses

7:1, 3 (2x), 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 24 (2x), 26 – 15x, 13 verses

8:1, 2, 4, 5, 6 (2x), 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 18, 25 – 13x, 12 verses

9:1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15, 23 (2x), 24 (2x), 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 – 21x, 19 verses

10:1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 29, 30, 32 – 15 verses

11:2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 (2x), 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23 – 15x, 14 verses

12:1, 5, 36, 37 – 4 verses

13:15, 18, 19, 22, 23, 27, 28 (2x), 29 – 9x, 8 verses

14:4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 26, 29 (2x), 30 – 16x, 15 verses

15:1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 – 23 verses

Poor grammar

Ether 3:2; “…and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually…”

Ether 7:16; “And he gave battle unto Shule, the king…”

Ether 7:17; “And it came to pass that he gave battle again unto Shule, the king…”

Ether 7:19; “…nevertheless they did not gain power any more over Shule the king…”

Ether 7:21; “And Cohor, the son of Noah, caused that his people should give battle unto Shule…”

8:3; “And when he had gained the half of the kingdom he gave battle unto his father…”

Ether 8:5; “…they did raise an army and gave battle unto Jared. And it came to pass that they did give battle unto him by night.”

Ether 8:8; “…daughter of Jared being exceedingly expert…”

Ether 10:9; “…Morianton, (he being a descendant of Riplakish) gathered together an army of outcasts, and went forth and gave battle unto the people…”

Ether 10:27; “…they did work all manner of work of exceedingly curious workmanship.”

Ether 10:34; “Now Com did fight against them much….”

Ether 11:15; “…and there arose a mighty man among them in iniquity, and gave battle unto Moron…”

Ether 12:6; “And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things…”

Ether 13:16; “…wherefore he gave battle unto them who sought to destroy him”

Ether 13:23; “…Shared, and he also gave battle unto Coriantumr; and he did beat him, insomuch that in the third year he did bring him into captivity.”

Ether 13:29; “…Shared gave him battle again upon the plains…”

Ether 13:30; “…Coriantumr gave Shared battle again…”

Ether 14:3; “…the brother of Shared and he gave battle unto Coriantumr…”

Ether 14:4 “…the brother of Shared did give battle unto him in the wilderness of Akish…”

Ether 14:7; “…which he did receive great strength to his army.”

Ether 14:8; “…Gilead, also received great strength to his army, because of secret combinations.”

Ether 14:10; “And it came to pass that one of the secret combinations murdered him in a secret pass…”

Ether 14:11; “…Coriantumr came up unto the land of Moron, and gave battle unto Lib…”

Ether 14:12; “And it came to pass that he fought with Lib, in which Lib did smite upon his arm that he was wounded…”

Ether 14:13; “…and Lib gave battle unto him upon the seashore.”

Ether 14:16; “And when he had come to the plains of Agosh he gave battle unto Lib, and he smote upon him until he died…”

Ether 14:26; “…and there he gave battle unto Shiz for the space of three days”

Ether 15:2; “He saw that there had been slain by the sword already nearly two millions of his people…”

Ether 15:6; “…the people of Shiz did give battle unto the people of Coriantumr.”

Ether 15:16; “…so great were their cries, their howlings and lamentations, that they did rend the air exceedingly.”

Ether 15:17; “…they did rend the air with their cries, and their howlings, and their mournings, for the loss of the slain of their people.”

False prophecies

Intro for Ether – God didn’t confound their language (Gen. 11:9)

Ether 1:35 – God didn’t confound their language (Gen. 11:9)

Ether 1:43 – This is a false prophecy. These folks were destroyed.

Ether 3:9-17 – Because of faith of Jared’s brother, God will become man & he showed himself unto the brother of Jared

Ether 4:6 – Gospel not given to Gentiles until they repent

Ether 4:15 – Those who don’t believe Book of Mormon are not saved

Ether 6:11; “And thus they were driven forth, three hundred and forty and four days upon the water.”

I have a few questions about the verse above. According to the website of Port World, sailing from Kuwait to Los Angeles is 11,551 miles. Sailing along at 4 knots would take 121 days. http://www.portworld.com/map

Most ships at the time of the Greco-Roman Empire could sail from 50-60 miles per day with 170 oarsmen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trireme

How many people were on that ship and why didn’t God know how to build the barge with the amount of people needed to properly navigate it? Why did it take them 3 times longer than it should have?

Ether 12:11 – By faith the Law of Moses was given and the Son came because of faith. Jesus came to pay the price for sin, not because people had faith.

Ether 12:19 – by faith the ancient fathers saw behind the veil

Ether 15:19 – Spirit of the Lord went away because of sin (the Bible tells us He will never leave once He comes to us in John 14:16-17)

Plagiarism

Ether 4:18-19 – See Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16-17; Matthew 25:34

Ether 8:10, 25 – See Matthew 14:6-11; John 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:3

Ether 12:4, 6, 8, 11, 17, 19, 22, 26, 28, 32-35, 37, 41 – See Heb. 6:19; 2 Cor. 9:8; Heb. 11:1 (Compare rest of this passage with all of Hebrews 11 – “The Hall of Faith”; Hebrews 6:4, 2 Cor. 12:31; Heb. 11:30, Heb. 11:5, 6:19, 11:33, 2 Cor. 12:9; 1 Cor. 13:13; John 14:2, 10:17; Matt. 25:28-29; 2 Cor. 13:14

Ether 13:9-10, 12 – See Rev. 21:1; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rev. 21:2, 7:14; Matt. 19:30

Greatness of America

America is great –

1:42, 43

2:7, 9, 10, 12, 15

America is the Promised Land –

2:7, 8, 9

6:5, 8, 12, 16

7:27

America is choice above all other lands –

2:7, 10, 12, 15

9:20

10:28

13:2

New Jerusalem in America –

3:3, 4, 5, 6, 10

America is land of inheritance –

13:8

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Mormonism vs. Islam

Posted in Mormonism vs. Islam, tagged Allah, bible, Carthage, false gospel, freedom, Freemasonry, God, gospel, Great Architect, Islam, Jesus, joseph smith, martyr, Masonic Logde, mormonism, Nauvoo, truth on 01/23/2011| 3 Comments »

Islam vs Mormonism

by Kirk Grim

The Islamic faith is centered on the belief in one God and in Arabic he is called Allah. The Muslims, followers of Islam, believe that Muhammad was visited by an angel of light from whom he received God’s final revelation. Muhammad claimed that this angel of light was Gabriel, the same Gabriel as the one from the Old Testament of the Bible. It was several years before these visions were recorded in what is called the Quran, the sacred scripture of Islam.

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Polygamy in Centennial Park

Posted in Polygamy in Centennial Park, tagged Arizona, bible, blasphemy, Book of Mormon, Centennial Park, Doctrine and Covenants, everlasting covenant, false gospel, FLDS, Fundamental Mormons, Jesus, joseph smith, mormonism, polygamist, polygamy, salvation, Savior, truth, utah on 01/20/2011| 4 Comments »

Centennial Park

Here we are in the twenty first century and still talking about polygamy. On Tuesday, February 13, 2007, ABC aired a program called “The Outsiders”. The focus was of course the polygamous community of Centennial Park, AZ that lies just two miles south of Colorado City, home to the infamous group of the Fundamental Latter-day Saints.

This particular group of polygamists wanted to make it clear that they are not part of the group in Colorado City. They claim they don’t have the problems of child sexual abuse and forced marriages that seem to plague Warren Jeffs group; although they did admit to having bouts of jealousy towards each other.

The main subjects of the interview focused on one young family within the clan. ABC was invited into the 1,400 sq. ft. home of a husband with two wives and their nine children. The polygamists wanted the world to see how they take care of their own and they portrayed this community effort of building an addition onto the home of the young family.

The husband, Ariel Hammon met both of his wives at school. He was the math teacher for both when they were in school. His first wife is now 30 years old and mother to seven of the children with another one on the way. His second wife is 20 and mother to the remaining two children. Mr. Hammon is roughly 35 years old.

At one point during the interview the reporter, John Quinonez gathered a group of about 15 teenagers to ask them some questions. He asked the girls what their dreams were for their lives. One girl answered that she is praying to be just one of her future husband’s wives, yet she had no idea who it was that she’d want to marry. She said that it was “up to the priesthood”. When asked how she’d feel if he had a lot of wives, she answered by saying; “If he has six or seven wives, I’d accept that. The man is not ours. We are given to the man but we can’t claim him. So as many wives as he would want, he can have. As long as it’s what God wants.” The young men in the group all claimed they had no problem with obeying the elders by having two to fifteen wives. If that is what God wanted, then so be it.

As I was watching the show it was so hard for me to sit still and keep my mouth shut as I listened to the lies they told and witnessed the obvious brain washing that has taken control of these beautiful people. However, out of all the lies they told and keep telling to the next generation, I was also very grateful for the invention of television. I’m not a big advocate for television, but there are times when God will use it for His purpose and I truly believe this is one of those times! The news reporter gave a short blip about Joseph Smith’s teachings of polygamy, godhood and salvation.

I would imagine that it’s incredibly difficult for the modern-day member of the LDS Church to reconcile the truth about Joseph Smith and the persona they are trying to portray in this, the twenty-first century. Their latest push of wanting to be included into the “mainstream” body of Christ has to be a hard sale when the truth of their doctrine is a glaring reminder of why they don’t belong. In contrast, the polygamist groups don’t feel the added pressure of wanting to fit in – they have purposefully kept themselves separated from the “secular world”.

The husband that the show focused on, Ariel Hammon, admitted they do believe Jesus was a polygamist and that black people are the curse of Cain.

Moses 7:22; “And Enoch also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam; and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam save it was the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, and had not place among them.”

I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it was reported on this show that Mr. Hammon is the first person to admit to the teachings of Jesus being a polygamist and the curse of Cain.

So for all those who write in to Life After Ministries and tell us we’re being sensationalistic, or that we’ve lied, you’ve now heard it from the “horse’s mouth” so to speak. We haven’t pulled some obscure teaching out of the annals of the LDS Church’s history to twist things around; these are the basic tenets of Mormonism.

The truth is Joseph Smith did teach that Jesus was a polygamist and Joseph Smith did in fact teach that black people are cursed. Let us pray for these people! Of course they also claimed that sex has absolutely nothing to do with polygamy, but we already know the truth to that story. We’ll have more on these topics in the near future on our website so stay tuned.

Mr. Hammon claimed the Bible commands polygamy to be practiced, but nowhere in the Bible have I ever seen such a commandment. I’m certain that if he truly believes in the teachings of Joseph Smith he’d also claim the Bible isn’t translated correctly either. How is it they can claim the Bible commands something if they don’t actually believe the Bible to be correct?

While trying to portray the wonderful attributes of polygamy, the women of this particular group have gathered together to fight what they call the “injustices” they face because of their religion. They said that by living in America they should be able to worship the way they see fit without being persecuted.

They’ve dubbed themselves the Centennial Park Action Committee and have begun pushing their agenda for “religious tolerance”. Following in their mother’s footsteps are the children of not only these multiple wives, but others as well who are speaking out, publicly demanding respect and tolerance from mainstream society in both Arizona and Utah.

Funny, the term “tolerance” sounds eerily familiar when you listen to the groups that want same-sex marriages to be legalized. Isn’t this also what the ACLU tries to impose upon the citizens of America today when they want the Ten Commandments ripped from all public buildings and when they fight to have Christmas trees taken down from airports like they did here in Seattle this past Christmas season?

The mainstream LDS Church can claim they don’t believe these doctrines any longer, but in reality they still do. The Doctrine and Covenants still contains section 132 which warns members they cannot be saved without having multiple wives and women will be damned if they reject it.

D&C 132:4; “For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory.” Also see D&C 132:51-56.

They still teach that you must be married in order to gain exaltation and they still teach they will become gods and goddesses someday with their own earths. (D&C 132:19-20.)

When you witness to a Mormon whether it be a missionary or a close friend or relative, they may try and tell you that they don’t personally believe in the section of D&C that commands polygamy. If this is the case ask them if they’ve denounced Joseph Smith for their as well. After all, the teachings mentioned here originated with none other than Smith himself.

Deut. 18:20-22 says that we are to disregard any prophet who gives a false prophecy.

Because the “everlasting covenant” of having multiple wives was outlawed by the US government and subsequently abandoned by the mainstream LDS Church, it can’t possibly be qualified as everlasting, but qualifies as a false prophecy.

I have always maintained that Mormonism is based upon two principles. Sex and godhood; you can’t get one without the other. You can’t be truly saved (godhood status) if you’re not married; i.e. polygamy. You can’t be married without taking oaths in the temple to pledge loyalty to the Mormon god who is a polygamist. (In reality yes, you can be married outside of the temple. However if you’re a TBM (true blue Mormon) and truly love your Heavenly Father you’ll be needing that temple marriage.)

When the younger sister wife of the host family being interviewed was asked how she would get to heaven, her response made me cringe. She answered by stating that being married and following Jesus’ example to bring children here to earth, obeying the commandments (D&C 132) and having a happy family is the way she can go to heaven.

Where is the gospel in this? Where is there any hope provided by a Savior? Now whether or not she articulated the proper tenets of that particular sect is irrelevant. Her understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ is totally warped! This is the “fruit” of true Mormonism. While I know she’s only twenty years old and still very young, this is what she will be passing on to her children.

Think about it, she’s twenty and has two kids.

As an example I was born and raised in mainstream Mormonism and lived with the average thought process of any average Mormon for thirty years. The young woman’s thought process mentioned here isn’t any different than mine was before I got saved and I wasn’t a polygamist. The last polygamist in my family was alive three generations ago. My parents were 16 and 18 when they got married and I was born a day before their first anniversary. My mother hadn’t finished 9^th grade when she dropped out of school to be married. The similarities are striking and sadly enough my experience is typical of Mormon behavior patterns.

My parents weren’t married in the temple and while my mother did become active in her twenties, my father only on rare occasions would go to church. They did however pass down the “heritage and culture” of being active in the Church as a youngster, thus my brothers and I were summarily dropped off at the ward building when the schedule demanded we be there.

The residual effects of polygamy are far reaching and when the members of the LDS Church went into their temple one hundred years ago they took oaths upon themselves and the heads of the next third and fourth generations. Don’t think those oaths are just some silly rituals they go through that don’t carry a spiritual price to pay. Temple-worthy members of today are still taking those oaths. Although they have changed the ceremonies drastically since the days of the early church, the oaths and effects are the same.

The residual effects of polygamy can also be seen in the vital statistics of life in Utah today. Every 18 months or so I write an article on the statistics of various subjects for the state of Utah – you can read the latest one here: http://www.lifeafter.org/vitalstats2006.asp

The findings are remarkable to say the least. Suicide, rape, and incest are higher there than the national average and they can’t figure out why. The studies for trying to understand these phenomena have been ongoing since the mid-fifties. They have been quoted as saying they are positive that religion has absolutely nothing to do with it. One “expert” even said he felt the rates are that high because the Intermountain west has easy access to guns. Yeah, okay…

Here is what part of my article says about Utah stats: “Another comparison that I found to be very telling is from the Utah Department of Health. It says that in Utah 1 out of 3 girls and 1 out of 5 boys will be sexually assaulted by the age of 18. Nationally the rates are 1 out of 6 women (17%) and 1 out of 33 men (3%) will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lives.”

In other words you’re twice as likely to be raped in Utah if you’re a female and if you’re a male it’s six times higher than the national average. Pretty scary if you ask me. Let’s face it; this is the residual effect of polygamy.

This is the legacy the early pioneers have left for the “Land of Zion”. Now I’m not stating that the rest of the nation or the world for that matter is any better. Goodness this world is filled with evil people who commit evil sins. However, when the “prophets of God” proclaim something to be a direct revelation from the Almighty you’d think that the fruit of such an act would produce godly legacies, not bad ones. Yet here is this “holy land” that is continually suffering a worse record of sexual crimes than the rest of the nation and I’m sure I’m not the only person who can figure this out.

The biggest impression I was left with after watching that show was the sadness I felt for those women and girls. I’m not a feminist mind you, but I cannot imagine living another day like that. I love my husband and I know how blessed I am that God gave me two daughters, but without Jesus and His spilled blood I am nothing and have nothing. It’s been almost 14 years since I accepted Jesus into my heart and working in this ministry reminds me of what He saved me from. This show is a great reminder of just how desperate the situation is for those caught in the trap of the evil one. Help us won’t you to reach out to them through prayer and witness? May God bless you for your willingness and love!

With Love in Christ;

Michelle Grim

1 Cor. 1:18

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Greek in the Book of Mormon, pt. 4

Posted in Greek in the Book of Mormon, tagged 1847, angel of light, bible, Book of Mormon, Brigham Young, cannon, false gospel, false teacher, grace, Greek and Latin in Book of Mormon, hancart pioneers, Jesus, joseph smith, laws, lds church, mormonism, Pioneer Days, Redeemer, Salt Lake City, salvation, Savior, truth, utah, works on 01/19/2011| Leave a Comment »

Greek and Latin Words in the Book of Mormon Part 4

As promised, here are the updated and revised results from our research of Greek & Latin Words in the Book of Mormon. Our most significant finding is the realization that the more we studied the Book of Mormon; the heavier our hearts became as the list of words became endless.

Our main concern and the reason we did this wasn’t for some vindictive purpose. It’s motivated out of a deep concern for the Mormon people. (As a personal side note here – each time I publish anything like this I do it out of the heartache I carry for my own mother. The Lord has taken that concern for her and expanded it to include all the Mormon people.)

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Greek in Book of Mormon, pt. 3

Posted in Greek in the Book of Mormon, tagged angel of light, bible, Book of Mormon, false gospel, false teacher, friend, grace, Greek, Jesus, joseph smith, Latin, Redeemer, salvation, Savior, truth on 01/19/2011| Leave a Comment »

Greek and Latin Words in the Book of Mormon Part 3

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 299; “To the Editor of the Times & Seasons: Sir:—… There was no Greek of Latin upon the plates from which I, through the grace of God, translated the Book of Mormon. Let the language of that book speak for itself.”

With your endless patience in the past five or six months here we are to present to all of you our findings regarding Joseph Smith’s claims and the Book of Mormon! To recap, Smith made the bold claim there were no Greek or Latin words in the translation of the Book of Mormon. He claimed the Book of Mormon was originally etched onto brass and golden plates in a language called “Reformed Egyptian”.

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Greek in the Book of Mormon pt. 2

Posted in Greek in the Book of Mormon, tagged bible, Book of Mormon, false gospel, false prophet, Greek, Jesus, Jesus the way truth light, joseph smith, Latin, Redeemer, salvation, Savior, truth on 01/19/2011| Leave a Comment »

Greek Words in the Book of Mormon Part 2

Several months ago we published an article on our site focusing on the Greek words in the Book of Mormon. After we published it we received more than a handful of inquiries about the numbers for each word.

In light of your requests I enlisted a devoted partner of LAM to double check my work. Thanks to Alice’s kindness, here is the final tally! I chose to only count the Greek words up to the end of Helaman as that takes the reader up to circa 1 BC to 1 AD.

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Light of Christ

Posted in Light of Christ, tagged bible, Book of Mormon, false gospel, false teachers, gospel, James Talmadge, Jesus, joseph smith, lds church, lies, light of Christ, mormonism, Redeemer, salvation, Savior, truth on 01/17/2011| 1 Comment »

LIGHT OF CHRIST

As of late the Mormon term “Light of Christ” has been on my mind. As a member of the LDS Church, I heard this used many times in reference to an individual possessing it. It’s amazing how differently I think about things now versus a year ago when I was newly out of the LDS church. Back then I never would have contemplated what the word “light” meant from a biblical point of view.

I’ve discovered several passages and examples in the Bible where God teaches us who He is and how He manifests Himself to us through His word.

The first mention of “light” is in Genesis 1:3, when God says “let there be light”. Then in Psalms 119:105 it says “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”. Another example is found in 2 Samuel 22:29 which says; “For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness”. The “light” mentioned in the latter verses are referring to the Word of God.

We learn from John 1: 1-5, 7 that Jesus is the Word of God, that he is the light. In John 12:16 Jesus says, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” As I will explain later, the “light” that people see in us is the Holy Spirit that dwells in us when we are saved. Before we are saved we are in darkness. In the hymn Amazing Grace we sing “…Was blind, but now, I see…” Jesus tells us about this “light” in Luke 11:34-36.

The phrase “light of Christ” doesn’t appear in the Bible, but is used often in the LDS community. They believe that we are all born with “the light of Christ” in us. Neal Maxwell said;

“It is possible for all to develop such love, because carried within each soul born on this planet is the Light of Christ, which can illumine the landscape of life, even if the carrier does not understand that light within (D&C 93-2)( All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience pg 51-70)

What the Mormon Church isn’t telling you in the above reference is their belief that being born with “light of Christ” goes hand in hand with their belief about original sin. The Church teaches that everyone is literally a child of God, born without sin.

A couple of years ago I recall being in a meeting with a group of Christian ladies (I was LDS at the time) and somehow we got on the topic of sin and children. When I said, “How can babies sin? They are perfect” the ladies just kind of stared at me. I obviously hadn’t been taught and didn’t understand the doctrine of “Original Sin”!

I was taught that we would “be punished for our own sins not for Adam’s transgressions” (The Articles of Faith #2).

In the Improvement Era, Dr. James E. Talmage said:

“The Church holds that children are born to earth in a sinless state, that they need no individual redemption; that should they die before reaching the years of accountability, they return without taint of earthly sin; but if they attain youth or maturity in the flesh, their responsibility increases with their development.” (Improvement Era, 1901 Vol. Iv. April, 1901. No 6)

I have a son that is almost two years old and I know that he is capable of sin! Whenever he doesn’t get his way he has a temper tantrum. Other times as I tell him not to touch something he will look right at me and touch or reach for the thing I told him not to. Children are not without sin. God has given to us the responsibility of teaching our children to obey. Proverbs 22:6 says:

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

God knows that we all of us are born with a sin nature. No one ever had to teach us to sin; it was in us from the very beginning having inherited our sin nature from Adam. Romans 5:12 states;

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savoir the Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in our body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says:

“What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your boys and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Many times you will hear LDS say that they can see or could see the “light of Christ” in an individual. They are referring to the “good works” that they see in this person and their personality. The truth is we are all sinners. Romans 3:23 says; “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. Once we are saved people can see the workings of God in us and this is known as the Holy Spirit. It is what attracts the unbeliever to us! Remember though that this is not us – it’s Him! In Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie states;

“The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a Personage of Spirit, a Spirit Person, a Spirit Man, a Spirit Entity. He can be in only one place at one time and he does not and cannot transform himself into any other form or image than that of the Man whom he is, though his power and influence can be manifest at one and the same time through all immensity.” (Mormon Doctrine pg 358-359)

God teaches us in the Bible that McConkie’s statement is wrong by showing us the Holy Spirit is in fact omnipresent, like in Psalms 139:7;

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”

Here’s what Ephesians 2: 17-18 and 1 Corinthians 12:13 say respectively about this subject;

“And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

“For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond of free; and have been all made to drink into the one Spirit”.

The teaching of the “light of Christ” dwelling in us is not biblical. The things people see in you once you are saved comes from the Holy Spirit. These qualities are known as the “fruit of the Spirit”; Galatians 5:22-23. Additionally, Ephesians 5:18-19 shows that when a person is filled with the Spirit they have a joyous and cheerful attitude toward God.

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit: Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

I pray that if you are LDS and are reading this article you will come to know the true Jesus as your Savior. We’re praying for you.

In Christ,

Melissa Grimes

melissa@lifeafter.org

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Greek in the Book of Mormon

Posted in Greek in the Book of Mormon, tagged bible, Book of Mormon, false gospel, false prophecy, false prophet, gospel, Greek and Latin words, Jesus, joseph smith, salvation, truth on 01/17/2011| 5 Comments »

Greek and Latin Words and Other Problems in the Book of Mormon Part 1

This is the first of several articles dealing with the “Problems in the Book of Mormon”. Make sure you check back often to see other issues that we see as problematic for the Mormon Church.

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Faith

Posted in Faith, tagged belief, bible, faith, false gospel, false teachings, gospel, grace, Jesus, mormonism, salvation, truth, work vs. grace on 01/17/2011| 1 Comment »

Faith

What is it? Where does it come from? How do we obtain it?

It has been a main source of topic for me as of late. Each Mormon I speak with tries to tell me it is from within us. That it is a work we perform with our own free will and we should try to have more faith.

They tell me that faith in Jesus comes into effect only after we have done good works. Then we can start thinking about faith. In the same breath, they claim that faith in Jesus is essential if you want to go to heaven.

Since there are people even in the Christian community who have some tendency towards works for salvation, me included at times, I have decided to explore this subject.

Hebrews 11:1 says ‘Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen’. The Greek word for this is pis’-tis. It is the reliance upon Christ for salvation. It is the reliance upon the truthfulness of God.

The Hebrew word for faith is emuwnah. It means steady or truth.

In Habakkuk 2:4 it says ‘Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith’.

In these two verses we see that truth is a key phrase here. Therefore, we believe that God is telling us the truth in His Word. That believing in His Son will save us. Our lives actually mean something not only to Jesus, but to God as well.

So where does this faith come from?

Go back into your memory banks and think about the day you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. I remember the overwhelming feeling of humbleness and brokenness I had in my heart. I could not fathom why I had not accepted Him sooner. What was I thinking before that time? I finally took comfort in knowing I was saved, born again by God’s mercy. I knew then that I loved Him.

Then there was the period that my quote, unquote, intelligence stepped in. Okay, I’m saved, I’m going to heaven and I was just living out the remainder of my days.

The more I studied, the smarter I thought I was. I had all this knowledge just floating around in my head and I could quote scripture, but there were still these lingering doubts in my head.

Why couldn’t I have faith in Him like all of the other Christians I knew? They seemed to have an endless wealth of it. They never questioned anything; they just took it all on faith. I asked God to show me where they got this. I thought that if I worked hard enough, or studied more I would have it nailed down, not realizing that I could not force myself have faith in Him.

Then God, in His bountiful grace showed me through His Word that He was the provider of my faith.

Hebrews 12:2a says; ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.’

The key words here are author and finisher. In the Greek the word for author is archegos, the transliteration being; the chief leader or captain. The Greek word for finisher is teleiotes meaning the state of completion or perfection. Now read with me in Hebrews 5:9; ‘And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.’ The word author in this verse is aitios; meaning the causer. He is the giver of all good things and the constant provider for us all!

Ephesians 2:8 says; ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God’

I am constantly using this scripture with the Mormons in telling them that it is faith, not works which saves them. So not only is salvation a gift but your faith as well. The LDS Church says in 2 Nephi 25:23; ‘For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.’

The problem that I’ve noticed over the years is that after being told all your life that you’re not going to heaven if you don’t have faith and you can’t have faith if you don’t have works, then my friend you soon believe that you’ll never be good enough! In Mormonism this is true; you’ll never be good enough for the Mormon god. You’re never told where the faith you need comes from, just that people have it and you need it as well.

The LDS Church has made it their job to sound Christian. This type of grammar to the untrained Christian or non-Christian alike is why the church claims so many converts into their fold each year. We need to be aware of what Jesus says so that we are not deceived!

Take a moment here and read between the lines of the verse from Nephi. We labor diligently; we are saved only after all we can do. In other words from the mouth of a Mormon, ‘we are worked unto death’. It completely takes away the meaning of grace. There’s no reason for grace if you need to work for everything.

Furthermore, there is no reason for God to intervene.

We have this ministry to point to the glory of God and His great mercy upon us. We want you to know that if you’re a member of the LDS faith we love you deeply and we’re fully aware of how much you love Jesus. But my friend, you’ve been deceived and want to encourage you to think upon the simple things of the Bible. The things mentioned here are great places to begin!

One other thing to think about is this; with the Bible we can go to the original Greek and Hebrew to see what the full transliteration of every single word used. Because the Book of Mormon claims the original text was written in ‘Reformed Egyptian’ and has since been lost, we have nothing to go to for the definitions to back it up. This is problematic for two reasons.

The first reason being is that the Book of Mormon keeps changing. The changes are not typographical in nature but grammatical; therefore the whole meaning of the text changes along with it. Secondly, which book are you going to place your faith into?

When the meaning of a sentence changes, the understanding of who God is must change as well.

If we can’t trust God to be the same all the time, then how do we know with certainty that we are saved, how do we know what to expect from Him and what does He expect from us collectively as well as individually?

As always I ask the Mormon to take an objective look at this. Can you go back to the original “Reformed Egyptian” to gain a deeper understanding of God’s word and to know that what is being said matches up with the rest of this work? If not then why keep trusting in this god?

We’re praying diligently for the Mormon people and hope they will come to know the truth.

With Love in Christ;

Michelle

1 Cor. 1:18

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Denouncing Mormonism

Posted in Denouncing Mormonism, tagged assurance of salvation, denouncing Mormonism, false gospel, false prophet, false teacher, freedom, grace, Jesus, joseph smith, lds church, Redeemer, salvation, truth on 01/17/2011| Leave a Comment »

DENOUNCING THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

First of all we must tell you congratulations on getting out of the Mormon Church! We are celebrating your new found freedom and rejoice with the angels as you begin your new walk with the Lord Christ Jesus! Please keep us updated on your progress so we may be blessed by continuing to pray for you and your loved ones.

We have found over the years that it is in the best interest of the new ex-Mormon if they go out and find a Bible believing church which they feel comfortable in attending and get re-baptized into the Lord Jesus Christ. If you’ve been married in the temple or by a Mormon bishop or chaplain you might think about renewing your wedding vows as well.

It’s vitally important to denounce any of the vows that you’ve taken in the temples or ward meetings to help free yourself from the Mormon way of thinking. This is a step which separates you spiritually from the Church and gives Jesus the power to do His work in you. You might want to pray something like this:

“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the authority I possess as a believer in Him, I rebuke any and all lying and deceitful spirits of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which may still think that they have a claim on me or my family. In Jesus’ name, I renounce the spirits of priestcraft, the spirits of Moroni and Mormo and declare that you have no power over me any more, for I am bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus of Nazareth who died for me on Calvary.

I renounce any covenants made by me at my baptism into the LDS Church and any priesthood or Bishopric blessings given to me. (If a former Temple Mormon: I renounce any and all covenants made in the LDS temple— especially those placing my family and children under bondage to demonic principalities and powers!) By the power of the blood of Jesus, I also renounce any generational sin or hereditary bondage which may be oppressing me or my family through covenants made by my parents or ancestors; and I nail all these things to the cross of Christ, “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil.3:13-14) In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

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After Mormonism

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

After Mormonism

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

Jesus or Mormonism?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With Love in Christ;

Michelle

1 Cor. 1:18

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Christian or Cult?

Posted in Christian or Cult?, tagged bible, Book of Mormon, Brigham Young, false gospel, false prophecy, Inhabitants of the moon, Jesus, Joseph Smith is a god, Joseph Smith's consent, lies, mormonism, Redeemer, salvation, truth, whore of Babylon on 01/17/2011| 2 Comments »

Christian or Cult?

This is one of the handouts we provide at our workshops. It’s a simple side-by-side comparison of Mormonism vs. Christianity.

Who is God?

Bible: John 4:24; “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

LDS: D&C 130:22; “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.”

Who is Jesus?

Bible: John 1:1, 14; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

LDS: Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 724; “Jesus Christ, whose main title was Jehovah, was the firstborn spirit child of God the Father and thus the eldest brother and preeminent above all other spirit children of God.”

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Bible: John 14:17; “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

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

Salvation

Bible: 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.”

LDS: D&C 1:30; “And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth…”

Other teachings of the LDS Church

All churches but the LDS Church are the whores of the earth

1 Nephi 14:10; “And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.”

Jesus said this about His Church – Matthew 16:18; “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Joseph Smith is god to the Mormons

“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.” – Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 363.

God said this about other gods – Isaiah 43:10-11; “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.”

No Need For LDS Members to Think

In the June 1945 issue of Improvement Era Magazine, pg. 345 it says; “When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done”.

Paul tells us this about thinking – 2 Tim. 3:16; “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

Joseph’s Consent Needed for Entrance to Heaven

From Journal of Discourses 7:289 it says; “…that no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith.”

Book of Mormon Most Correct Book

Joseph Smith in History of the Church 4:461; “I spent the day in the council with the Twelve Apostles at the house of President Young, conversing with them upon a variety of subjects. Brother Joseph Fielding was present, having been absent four years on a mission to England. I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

By the late 1980’s there had been 3,913 changes made to the Book of Mormon that changed either the doctrine, the meaning or the full message of what was originally said. These changes are not of the typographical sort.

False Prophecies

God tells us in Deuteronomy 18:20-22; “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”

No river has ever emptied into the Red Sea, yet it says the following in the Book of Mormon:

1 Nephi 2:8 says; “And it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman, and it emptied into the Red Sea; and the valley was in the borders near the mouth thereof.”

Joseph Smith prophesied the following

“Inhabitants of the Moon are more of a uniform size than the inhabitants of the Earth, being about 6 feet in height. They dress very much like the Quaker Style and quite general in style, or the one fashion of dress. They live to be very old; coming generally near a thousand years. This is the description of them as given by Joseph Smith the Seer.” – The Oliver Huntington Journal, Book 14; also found in The Young Woman’s Journal, published by the Young Ladies’ MIA, 1892, 3:263-4.

Jesus was married

Journal of Discourses 4:259-60 says; “It will be borne in mind that once on a time, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and on a careful reading of that transaction, it will be discovered that no less a person than Jesus Christ was married on that occasion. If he was never married, his intimacy with Mary and Martha, and the other Mary also whom Jesus loved, must have been highly unbecoming and improper to say the best of it.”

Jesus and Lucifer are brothers

From the book Gospel Through the Ages, pg. 15, it says; “The appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by one of the other sons of God. He was called Lucifer, son of the morning.”

God had sex with Mary

Journal of Discourses 4:218 says; “When the time came that His first-born, the Saviour, should come into the world and take a tabernacle, the Father came Himself and favoured that spirit with a tabernacle instead of letting any other man do it. The Saviour was begotten by the Father of His spirit, by the same Being who is the Father of our spirits, and that is all the organic difference between Jesus Christ and you and me.”

Pre-existence & Heavenly Mother

From the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 1123 it says; “There is indeed indication that the intelligence dwelling in each person is coeternal with God. It always existed and never was created or made (D&C 93:29). In due time that intelligence was given a spirit body, becoming the spirit child of God the Eternal Father and his beloved companion, the Mother in Heaven. This spirit, inhabited by the eternal intelligence, took the form of its creators and is in their image (Ballard, p. 140).”

No cross, just Moroni, an angel of light

Bible:

1 Cor. 1:18 says; “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

Mormon:

“…the cross, with its focus on the death of Christ, does not symbolize the message of a living, risen, exalted Lord who changes the lives of his followers. Thus, President Gordon B. Hinckley, counselor in the First Presidency, stated that the lives of people must become a “meaningful expression of our faith and, in fact, therefore, the symbol of our worship” (p. 92).” Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 345.

Bible:

2 Cor. 11:14; “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

Gal. 1:6-8; “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

Mormon:

Introductory page of D&C (1976) says; “…In September, 1823, and at later times, Joseph Smith received visitations from Moroni, an angel of light, who revealed the resting place of the ancient record from which The Book of Mormon was afterward translated.”

True Salvation to the Mormon

Gospel Through the Ages, pg. 116, 119; “Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you… namely, by going from one small degree to another…” (Also see Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 346).

“Marriage is not only a righteous institution, but obedience to this law is absolutely necessary in order to obtain the highest exaltation in the Kingdom of God.”

Bible – Isaiah 45:22; “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”

What is “scripture”?

Members of the LDS Church have what they call the “Standard Works”. This compilation of four books constitutes their scripture. These four books include the Bible (as far as it is translated correctly), the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. This is what they’ve said about the Bible:

Doctrines of Salvation 3:190; “We are informed in the Book of Mormon that the Hebrew scriptures went “forth from the Jews in purity unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God,” and after they went forth from the Jews many changes were made, and “many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.” (Also see 1 Nephi 13:23-32).

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

If this doesn’t look or sound like the God of the Bible that you’ve been taught; you’re not alone! The reason we have written this paper is to warn as Jude 3 tells us to do and because our hearts are broken over the false doctrine of the LDS Church. After being a Mormon from Utah and spending 30 years in the Church I can assure you that everything we’ve presented is indeed truth. We’ve checked and double checked to make sure all of our research is well documented for the investigator to review on their own.

If you’re a Mormon, our first concern is that you know we’re not here to bash you or to make you feel as if we’re out to get you. Our concern for your salvation is so heavy on our hearts that we have provided this information for you. Please keep in mind that it’s not the Mormon people we have an issue with; it’s the doctrine of the LDS Church and you are not a church! Please know also that there are thousands of people in the body of Christ who pray for you every single day!

If you have a burden to reach those lost in the Mormon Church, we could use your help! Please write to receive materials that you can share with your friends.

If you’ve never asked Jesus to be your Savior and God it is easy to do! Just sit for a moment and ask Him to come live in your heart. Tell Him you’re in need of a Savior, you’re a sinner and you want a relationship with Him. Next thing to do…share your news!

You can reach us at:

Life After Ministries

PO Box 901

Woodinville, WA 98072

Phone: 425-939-6013 or 877-362-2751

Email: www.lifeafter.org

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Studying the Book of Mormon 10

Posted in Studying the Book of Mormon 10, tagged bible, Book of Mormon, false gospel, false prophet, freedom, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, joseph smith, Lamanites, Lehi, Mormon, Moroni, Nephites, salvation, truth on 01/17/2011| Leave a Comment »

Studying the Book of Mormon 10

http://www.sidneyrigdon.com/dbroadhu/NE/miscne01.htm

Boston Courier.
Vol. VI. Boston, Ma., Thursday, March 17, 1831. No. 545.

DELUSION. There is no end to trickery and imposture in our land. “Fools are the game which knaves pursue,” and until the people in some sections of the country become more enlightened, there will be plenty of game.

The newspaper headline above provides insight to what most people thought of Joseph Smith and his shenanigans. This edition of the Boston Courier was fascinating. We are able to see how the early Mormon Church was able to grow and to what extent the surrounding townsfolk tolerated this movement. Most didn’t put up with it, while others were able to be tricked into their schemes. At one point a Methodist church had Rigdon and a few others come in and actually preach at the pulpit – the entire congregation left God and signed up to become Mormon.

Mormon 9:32-33; “And now, behold, we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech. 33 And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record.”

The passage above is a good example of how the Church makes excuses for the way they believe. Does it make sense they’ve altered the Hebrew or Reformed Egyptian? His explanation reminds me of what the con artist tries to pull off at carnivals. He puts the prize under the shell and mixes them around; if you find it, you win.

Tragically, the unfound prize in this game is the salvation in Jesus that Mormons are so desperately seeking. The Mormon god keeps changing the rules; the people writing the story changed the language and the members won’t change their minds about whom they hold allegiance to.

The entire Book of Mormon (not just this particular book) is difficult to follow or assign a central theme to because of the miserable way it’s been written. The writing of Moroni in the Book of Mormon is no exception to this finding. They purposely introduce off topic items in order to confuse. Because of this, I’ve chosen to list several items of interest that actually hurts the storyline instead of adding to the message it was originally intended to convey. If it’s to be a cohesive piece of work why is there so much garbage in its text?

I’ve not written my analysis this way to confuse, but to spark an objective thinking process about Joseph Smith and his claim about the characters in this book.

If you’re LDS, know that we pray for you each and every day. We so want for you to know the Jesus in the Bible and dedicate your passion to Him who holds the truth.

With Love in Christ;

Michelle Grim

1 Cor. 1:18

There are 227 verses in the Book of Mormon

Verses with the phrase “And it Came to Pass”: 61x in 57 verses

Mormon 1:6; “And it came to pass that I, being eleven years old…”

1:6, 8, 10, 11 (2x), 12, 19 – 7x, 6 verses

2:1, 2, 3, 4 (2x), 7, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 20 (2x), 21, 22, 23, 25, 26 – 18x, 16 verses

3:1, 2, 4, 5, 7 (2x), 11, 16 – 8x, 7 verses

4:1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 15, 19, 22 – 10 verses

5:1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 20 – 7 verses

6:1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15 – 9 verses

8:2 – 1 verse

Verses describing years that have passed: 18

2:3, 9, 16, 22, 28

3:1, 4, 7, 8

4:1, 7, 10, 15, 16

5:5, 6

6:5

8:6

Verses with False Prophecies: 9

1:17

5:8

7: intro

8:1, 32

9:6, 9, 32, 33

Verses with grammar problems: 4

4:21

6:10, 11, 16

Verses with No Contentions/Peace: 2

1:12

4:16

Verses with Wars: 11

1:8, 13

2:1, 15

4:10, 18

5:6

6:2, 15

8:2, 8

Verses with partial sentences/phrases from the Bible: 30

2:14

3:2, 15 (2x), 20, 22

5:14, 16, 18

6:21 (2x)

7:5 (2x), 7, 8 (2x), 9, 10

8:17, 20, 29, 30, 31

9:2, 7, 9 (2x), 13 (2x), 14, 22, 23, 24 (2x), 27, 28 (2x), 29 (2x)

Main Events in Mormon

1:7; “The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea.”

30,000+ Nephites gathered to fight – Mormon 1:11

Hidden treasures become slippery – Mormon 1:18

Why did Jesus die if the “Day of grace is gone”? – Mormon 2:15, 26

Bodies piled up like dung on earth – 2:15

Lamanites sent epistle to warn of battle – Mormon 3:4

Mormon refuses to lead in battle – Mormon 3:11

Strange – “…Without calling upon that Being who created them…” – Mormon 5:2

Invitation to fight at Cumorah – Mormon 6:2

100,000 die in battles – Mormon 6:14

110,000 die in battles – Mormon 6:15

Trinity teaching – Mormon 7:7

If you’ll believe this story, you’ll believe the Bible – Mormon 7:9

Scriptures not inspired; Moroni commanded by his father to write scripture – Mormon 8:1

Scriptures not inspired; Moroni would write but he’s run out of materials – Mormon 8:5

Those 3 disciples disappear – 8:10

Pardon all the mistakes in the sacred cannon – Mormon 8:12

Person who discovers the hidden books is blessed, yeah, that means Joe Smith – Mormon 8:14-16

If you doubt the book you are damned – Mormon 8:17-20

Saints could remove mountains – Mormon 8:24

Modern day Mormon theology – Mormon 8:32

“…happy to dwell with that holy Being…” – Mormon 9:3

The righteous are pure, fair and white – Mormon 9:6

God doesn’t change – Mormon 9:9, 10, 19

Jesus doesn’t do miracles anymore because everyone stopped believing – Mormon 9:20

Explanation of reformed Egyptian – Mormon 9:32-33

Events Worth Questioning

1:7; “The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea.”

Think about the above scenario for a moment. The entire face of the land was covered with buildings – and they still haven’t found even one piece of archaeological evidence…

If there were almost as many people on the face of the land as there were grains of sand, how did they all fit? As a side note, there are approximately 10,000 grains of medium-coarse sand per cubic inch…

God wouldn’t let Mormon preach

When has God ever told people not to speak about Him?

Mormon 1:17; “But I did remain among them, but I was forbidden to preach unto them, because of the hardness of their hearts…”

Fighting for Democracy and Liberty

Modern democracy like America knows it didn’t come about until the Declaration of Independence in 1776. While forms of living in a “free world” made half hearted attempts and brief appearances as early as the Greco-Roman Empire and again in 1215 with the advent of the Magna Carta, this thought process and governmental system wasn’t in existence until centuries after the Book of Mormon was supposed to have taken place.

Mormon 2:23; “And it came to pass that I did speak unto my people, and did urge them with great energy, that they would stand boldly before the Lamanites and fight for their wives, and their children, and their houses, and their homes.”

If you believe in God why are you without hope?

Mormon 5:2; “But behold, I was without hope, for I knew the judgments of the Lord which should come upon them; for they repented not of their iniquities, but did struggle for their lives without calling upon that Being who created them.”

Were the Nephites evil?

Mormon 6:7; “And it came to pass that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them.”

If you believe in God, why are you using the terminology of witches?

Mormon 6:15; “…and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them to molder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth.”

Why is the destruction of the Nephites “great and marvelous”?

Mormon 8:7; “And behold, the Lamanites have hunted my people, the Nephites, down from city to city and from place to place, even until they are no more; and great has been their fall; yea, great and marvelous is the destruction of my people, the Nephites.”

Modern day Mormon theology

In order to receive a full and true salvation members of the LDS Church must subject themselves to a bishop’s interview. It is there the bishop will ask the member if their spiritual lives are in order and that means paying a full 10% tithe of your gross income. You turn in your W-2 and if you don’t comply, you don’t receive the coveted Mormon temple recommend. The end of each year brings with it a “tithing settlement” you make with the ward (congregation) you belong to.

Mormon 8:32; “Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up that shall say: Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins.”

Incorrect teaching in Mormon

The Mormon teaching below is disingenuous. Yes, we can be resurrected because Jesus was resurrected after His death. However, Jesus’ death brought about forgiveness of our sins, alas, that is something the Mormons don’t like to talk about.

Romans 4:25; “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

Mormon 9:13; “…because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection…”

Not enough room to tell whole story because they’ve changed the languages

I’ve often wondered why they didn’t just write in Hebrew to begin with. Where did this “Reformed Egyptian” stuff come from anyway? Who told them to write in this manner? Who taught the Nephites this language if they didn’t go into Egypt in their exodus from Jerusalem? Why did the author(s) waste so much space on their plates with nonsensical information like the examples above? (Number of years passed, bad grammar, “and it came to pass” phrases used repetitively, plagiarisms from the Bible, et al.)

No one but Smith knows Reformed Egyptian

How convenient…

Mormon 9:34; “But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language; and because that none other people knoweth our language, therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof.”

How do you rid your clothes of the blood of unbelievers?

Mormon 9:35; “And these things are written that we may rid our garments of the blood of our brethren, who have dwindled in unbelief.”

And finally – if there were so many Nephites in this army of 42,000 and 30,000, etc., what in the world happened to all of them? Where are they, how did they die, where are their families….where is the archaeological evidence of these people?

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Families are Forever

Posted in Families are Forever, tagged bible, Ensign, false gospel, false prophet, families are forever, freedom, grace, Jesus, mormonism, truth on 01/16/2011| Leave a Comment »

ARE FAMILIES REALLY FOREVER?

I was reminded of a familiar phrase well known by church members this past week when I received my LDS-Gems e-mail of the day. The topic was about the Families are Forever plan the LDS Church promotes to its members.

While I have entertained many questions about this doctrine throughout the years, I was saddened and perplexed by the content of the message that had originated from an article in the November 1996 issue of the Ensign. The message was delivered by Robert D. Hales, one of the apostles for the LDS Church.

The very first line of the e-mail said the following: “While our individual salvation is based on our individual obedience, it is equally important that we understand that we are each an important and integral part of a family and the highest blessings can be received only within an eternal family.”

“Wow”, I thought to myself, “am I ever thankful this isn’t truth”! It reminded me of what it says in 2 Nephi 25:23; “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” Just those two teachings from the Church have me exhausted already! It is certainly all about mortal man and his obedience to perform good works and then if he got anything wrong, Jesus will be the sweep-up man “just in case”.

In contrast, here is what Paul said in Romans 2:12; “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.”

If I am the one responsible for making sure I get to heaven then I am doomed from the get-go. I am unworthy to live under the Law of Moses. I do want to obey; the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak – Matthew 26:41. I am unworthy because of my sin. I am absolutely certain I would not go to heaven if my salvation was dependent upon the Law.

The first thing that comes to mind is that I am without a temple to perform sacrifices unto God. The LDS temples we see dotting various landscapes throughout the world are not patterned after the specifications of what our Holy and Righteous God commanded the Israelites must build when He gave them the Law.

Next, I am without a proper sacrifice to offer to God. Now I could probably come up with enough money to purchase a sacrifice outside the walls of the temple from those who sell that commodity. But where am I going to find a temple? Would I even know which sacrifice to purchase to give to the priests inside the temple so they could sacrifice in my name? There are 613 laws in the Old Testament. If I am to live by obedience to get me into heaven, I have a lot of studying and behavior modification to take into consideration and get performing!

Then and only then, I see in 2^nd Nephi that I have the privilege of looking to Jesus and honoring his name by knowing he died after I did all my duties to obey the Law of Moses. It reminds me of a friend of mine. She was expecting company to come in from out of town that she hadn’t seen in years. She wanted everything to be perfect for the visit so she invested almost $500 to have a cleaning brigade come in and help her in advance. Before they got there she spent an entire week bleaching walls, scrubbing floors and washing windows so no one would see the “real Janet”. I felt so badly for her. She was in a complete mess by the anticipated arrival of family members. They stayed for a few days, but most of their time was spent site-seeing and very little time was spent in her ultra-clean home.

To the members of the LDS Church: are you racing around like Janet trying to clean things up before Jesus’ arrival? I guarantee you; it’ll never be enough when you don’t believe your salvation is free! Hebrews 10:5-6 tells us that God isn’t interested in your sacrifices. “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.”

The other part of that first sentence in the e-mail I received gave me more things to think about as well. “…, it is equally important we understand that we are each an important and integral part of a family and the highest blessings can be received only within an eternal family.”

For those who are not intimately aware of what this really means, here’s the translation: If you do not go to the temple and take oaths to be sealed to your family for eternity you will not be going to the highest level of heaven, the Celestial Kingdom. For the Mormon, this is where “true salvation” is found.

The Teachings of Joseph Smith, pg. 300 says this; “Except a man and his wife enter into an everlasting covenant and be married for eternity, while in this probation, by the power and authority of the Holy Priesthood, they will cease to increase when they die; that is, they will not have any children after the resurrection. But those who are married by the power and authority of the priesthood in this life, and continue without committing the sin against the Holy Ghost, will continue to increase and have children in the celestial glory.”

Here’s reality with the family I was born into – my parents are divorced – an eternity for them is being in the same room together for longer than five minutes. I am fully aware I am not the only person that has been Mormon with this situation.

So – if I were still a member of the LDS Church, with whom would I be spending eternity with? My father isn’t active and my step-mother is; while my mother is very active, but my step-father isn’t active at all. Let’s complicate the matter a little further by imagining that my husband and I were active, as well as his parents. Do we live with his family or mine? What if our kids get married and have a family – if they decide not to reside with us wouldn’t that negate the phrase “Families are Forever”?

Tired yet? I know I am and I also know that this must be what goes on in the minds of many Mormons. Just think of all the time wasted on the “I wonder if’s” in life instead of the one sure thing – that being Christ Jesus! 2 Cor. 10:5 tells us to hold all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. Philippians 4:8 says whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good repute and worthy of praise; these are the things that we are to have our minds dwell upon. Does the scenario of possibilities with my family exemplify these admonitions from Paul?

When I presented my mother with her reality, she told me it wasn’t for her to worry about here on earth; she’ll be getting all those answers after she dies. I’ve no doubt she will and it’s what makes me so sad for her.

As we read further into the “Gem” of the day we see the following:

“It is not enough just to save ourselves. It is equally important that parents, brothers, and sisters are saved in our families. If we return home alone to our Heavenly Father, we will be asked, ‘Where is the rest of the family?’ This is why we teach that families are forever. The eternal nature of an individual becomes the eternal nature of the family.””

Again, all I can say is “wow” as I shake my head in bewilderment. If you choose to believe you must work your way to heaven, so be it. I’d never say that I agree with your precepts; however you’re free to worship as you see fit. The issue I have is with the doctrines of the LDS Church. They are in exact opposition to the most basic teachings of historical Judeo-Christian theology.

My heart is sad all over again not just for my mother, but for all Mormons as well when I read statements like the one made by Mr. Hales, the LDS apostle. What a burden it must be for the Mormon believing they are responsible for the salvation of those in their family as well as for themselves. Talk about a guilt trip!

In the Encyclopedia of Joseph Smith’s Teachings it says; “The question is frequently asked “Can we not be saved without going through with all those ordinances, &c.?” I would answer, No, not the fullness of salvation. Jesus said, “There are many mansions in my Father’s house, and I will go and prepare a place for you.” House here named should have been translated kingdom; and any person who is exalted to the highest mansion has to abide a celestial law, and the whole law too. (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 6:184).”

To show that I am not taking things out of context let’s take a look at yet another doctrine of the LDS Church. It’s fascinating, the more I read about the necessity of being sealed to family members, the more incredible the story becomes.

The Doctrines of Salvation 2:173-5 says; “When everything gets finished, we will all be one family…And we will all be subject to our first progenitor, Adam, Michael, the archangel, who has been appointed and given authority under Jesus Christ to stand at the head and preside over all his posterity….There will be cases where some of our ancestors will not be worthy and will drop out, but the links will have to be joined without them…And, therefore, when the Prophet says we cannot be exalted without them, he is thinking of the family connections-generation to generation. And if we are going to sit down and do nothing…we are just setting ourselves off on the side.”

Let’s take a good look at what God says in the Bible about works and our salvation. Galatians 2:20-1 says; “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

It wouldn’t matter where you turn in Mormonism, the message is pretty clear. Sure, they say that they believe Jesus is the Son of God; why yes, they also say He was crucified for man’s sin and then resurrected on the third day so that we can live forever with Him.

Tell me though my friend, where in the above LDS teachings did you see anything said about the cross? I saw they exalted Adam and named him as Michael the archangel, which of course isn’t true either. They exalted man, a created being, and tried lowering the status of Jesus. His blood means nothing according to what Paul says if living by righteousness is needed.

There’s something else that needs attention to this matter. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 22:23-29; “The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.”

Obviously the Sadducees had a few issues and Jesus answered them plainly letting everyone know the ways of the Lord God in heaven. Isn’t it interesting that when we have our minds set on earthly things we cannot, or will not, believe there are other things possible that man cannot imagine?

This is another example of what happens when man exalts himself and chooses to de-glorify Christ Jesus. How much of a “coincidence” do you think it is that this passage of scripture is in the Bible? It’s just like what Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 1:9-10; “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.”

The real New and Everlasting Covenant is Christ Jesus, God’s perfect Sacrificial Lamb provided for you. You can read about it in the book of Hebrews chapters 7-10; Jesus is the only one who holds the priesthood now. The New and Everlasting Covenant is not that of marriage in the LDS temple. You’ve been lied to my friend and we are praying that you know the truth because we are convinced that in your hearts you truly want to know and love the Jesus of the Bible!

With Love in Christ;

Michelle Grim

1 Cor, 1:18

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13 Articles of Faith and 13 Principles of Faith Compared

Posted in 13 Articles of Faith vs 13 Principles of Faith, tagged 13 Articles of Faith, 13 Principles of Jewish Faith, bible, false gospel, false prophet, gospel, Jesus, joseph smith, mormonism, Pearl of Grreat Price, Redeemer, salvation, Savior, truth on 01/16/2011| Leave a Comment »

13 Articles of Faith in Mormonism AND 13 Principles of the Jewish Faith Compared

For those who are students of Mormonism, including me, it is interesting to take note of “coincidences” that present themselves for comparison. What I find fascinating is how many times Joseph Smith came up with the idea of incorporating so many genres of religions and ideologies into what we know today as Mormonism.

Belief in a pre-existence reminds me of Hinduism and re-incarnation. You can essentially make yourself over, so to speak, and try the best you can to become a god. In Mormonism we see the temple oaths which obviously come from Masonry; Mormonism mimics Catholicism by having to repent to man for forgiveness. It is very much like Islam by the way they worship the founders, Muhommad and Joseph Smith. Not to mention the way they both treat women by subjugating them to a class just under cow status.

I don’t know how many times I’ve been reminded that Mormonism is nothing more than modern day Gnosticism. Or how they seem to be like the early Israelites when Moses went up to Mt. Sinai to speak with God and receive the Ten Commandments; remember how they worshipped around the golden calf and forgot the promises they made to God? And let us not forget the modern-day custom of bigotry and slavery based on skin color.

The subject of this article is one of those examples as I’m having a difficult time believing this is a “coincidence”. So come along with me as we look at the Thirteen Articles of Faith in Mormonism and the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith.

Before we begin let me clarify one major point. I am not well versed in the Jewish faith. It was only a few short weeks ago that I learned of the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith! I’ve never seen this in the Bible and have been unaware. Since then I have tried to learn as much as possible about it, but by no means am I an expert. If you are intimate with these Thirteen Articles of the Jewish Faith and have more insight to share, please write to us! Please forgive me if I have sounded ignorant enough to offend and know that is not my intention. I e-mailed a friend of mine who is a director for Chosen People Ministries and asked him to give me a short synopsis of these Thirteen Principles so my thanks go out to Daniel! He shared with me that the “wording varies in the different ways the articles are enunciated”.

Because there are various sets of these “principles” that have been adapted by different sects within Judaism, I am using what seemed to be the most common. I’ve listed another set at the end of this article.

Below are side by side comparisons of the LDS Thirteen Articles of Faith and the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith. The LDS’ version won’t be in order as this makes it easier to show the similarities. The Jewish Principles are in order.

You can also find a copy of the Thirteen Articles of Faith in order at the back of any Pearl of Great Price, or on the Mormon website here: http://scriptures.lds.org/en/a_of_f/1

This particular version of the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith used was taken from the website of Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_principles_of_faith and are listed at the end of this article as well.

You the reader may find that you would have placed the LDS Articles of Faith with a different Jewish Principle of Faith, so please share your ideas. My purpose in putting this on the site is to show the members of the LDS faith how similar Smith’s “revelation” was to something that had been created by a Jewish rabbi who lived from 1135 to 1204 AD. The Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon formulated the principles while studying at the University of Fes in Morocco. It wasn’t until after the “Enlightenment Period” that his teachings were widely accepted by a large majority of the Jewish believers. They now serve as part of their daily prayers. You can learn more about Rabbi Maimon at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maimonides

Again, the reason we write these articles and share them with you the reader, is to plant the idea that it’s okay to ask questions. It’s all right if you want further clarification on the doctrines of the Church or any church for that matter! Your eternal soul is at stake and I would hope this fact would mean more than the fear you may harbor inside.

If you’d like more information on Mormonism or would like to add someone to our prayer list, send us an e-mail!

With love in Christ;

Michelle Grim

1 Cor. 1:18

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the Creator and Guide of everything that has been created; He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.”

LDS – “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.”

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is One, and that there is no unity in any manner like His, and that He alone is our God, who was, and is, and will be.”

LDS – “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.”

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is not a body, and that He is free from all the properties of matter, and that there can be no (physical) comparison to Him whatsoever.”

LDS – “We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.”

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the first and the last.”

LDS – “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that to the Creator, blessed be His Name, and to Him alone, it is right to pray, and that it is not right to pray to any being besides Him.”

LDS – “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.”

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that all the words of the prophets are true.”

LDS – “We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.”

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy of Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him, was true, and that he was the chief of the prophets, both of those who preceded him and of those who followed him.”

LDS – “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the entire Torah that is now in our possession is the same that was given to Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him.”

LDS – “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that this Torah will not be exchanged, and that there will never be any other Torah from the Creator, blessed be His name.”

LDS – “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.”

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, knows all the deeds of human beings, and all their thoughts, as it says: “Who fashioned the hearts of them all, Who comprehends all their actions.” (Psalm 33:15)

LDS – “We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.”

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, rewards those that keep His commandments and punishes those that transgress them.”

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

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah; and even though he may tarry, nonetheless I wait every day for his coming.”

LDS – “We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.”

Judaism – “I believe with perfect faith that there will be a revival of the dead at the time when it shall please the Creator, blessed be His name, and His mention shall be exalted for ever and ever.”

LDS – “We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”

Maimonides’ 13 Principles of Faith

From the website:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_principles_of_faith

1 I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the Creator and Guide of everything that has been created; He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.”

2 I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is One, and that there is no unity in any manner like His, and that He alone is our God, who was, and is, and will be.

3 I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is not a body, and that He is free from all the properties of matter, and that there can be no (physical) comparison to Him whatsoever.

4 I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the first and the last.

5 I believe with perfect faith that to the Creator, blessed be His Name, and to Him alone, it is right to pray, and that it is not right to pray to any being besides Him.

6 I believe with perfect faith that all the words of the prophets are true.

7 I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy of Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him, was true, and that he was the chief of the prophets, both of those who preceded him and of those who followed him.

8 I believe with perfect faith that the entire Torah that is now in our possession is the same that was given to Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him.

9 I believe with perfect faith that this Torah will not be exchanged, and that there will never be any other Torah from the Creator, blessed be His name.

10 I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, knows all the deeds of human beings, and all their thoughts, as it says: “Who fashioned the hearts of them all, Who comprehends all their actions.” (Psalm 33:15)

11 I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, rewards those that keep His commandments and punishes those that transgress them.

12 I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah; and even though he may tarry, nonetheless I wait every day for his coming.

13 I believe with perfect faith that there will be a revival of the dead at the time when it shall please the Creator, blessed be His name, and His mention shall be exalted for ever and ever.

LDS 13 Articles of Faith

1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

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

3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

5 We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

8 We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. –10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

http://www.moshiach.com/discover/articles/thirteen_principles_of_faith.php

1. Belief in the existence of the Creator, be He Blessed, who is perfect in every manner of existence and is the Primary Cause of all that exists.

2. The belief in G-d’s absolute and unparalleled unity.

3. The belief in G-d’s noncorporeality, nor that He will be affected by any physical occurrences, such as movement, or rest, or dwelling.

4. The belief in G-d’s eternity.

5. The imperative to worship Him exclusively and no foreign false gods.

6. The belief that G-d communicates with man through prophecy.

7. The belief that the prophecy of Moses our teacher has priority.

8. The belief in the divine origin of the Torah.

9. The belief in the immutability of the Torah.

10. The belief in divine omniscience and providence.

11. The belief in divine reward and retribution.

12. The belief in the arrival of the Messiah and the messianic era.

13. The belief in the resurrection of the dead.

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Praying to Jesus

Posted in Praying to Jesus, tagged bible, Bruce McConkie, false gospel, false prophet, grace, Jesus, lds church, mormonism, Prayer, Redeemer, salvation, truth on 01/15/2011| Leave a Comment »

Mormons Told Not to Pray to Jesus

Our relationship with Jesus Christ must be the most important relationship that we ever have. In addition, the most important avenue we have in cultivating any relationship is through communication. On March 2, 1982 Bruce McConkie delivered a ‘Fireside and Devotional Speech’ at BYU on the correct protocol for having such a relationship with the ‘godhead’. Today we’re looking at what McConkie said and comparing it with what God says about a relationship with Him.

“There are yet others who have an excessive zeal that causes them to go beyond the mark. Their desire for excellence is inordinate. In an effort to be truer than true they devote themselves to gaining a special, personal relationship with Christ that is both improper and perilous.”

Get ready…he’s going to tell us that having a personal relationship with Jesus is a hobby that is unholy.

“I say perilous because this course, particularly in the lives of some who are spiritually immature, is a gospel hobby that creates an unwholesome holier-than-thou attitude. In other instances it leads to despondency because the seeker after perfection knows he is not living the way he supposes he should. Another peril is that those so involved begin to pray directly to Christ because of some special friendship they feel has been developed. In this connection a current and unwise book, which advocates gaining a special relationship with Jesus, contains this sentence – ‘Because the Savior is our mediator, our prayers go through Christ to the Father, and the Father answers our prayers through His Son.’ This is plain sectarian nonsense.” –Bruce McConkie, March 2, 1982

Shocking isn’t it? I found this to be one of the top ten most heretical teachings of the Church. All throughout scripture we read that God wants nothing more than for us to have a personal relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. The apostle John goes into great detail on how to achieve this and what it means to know and love Him in 1^st John, in fact the letter was directed to the saints to beware of the Gnostics. The theme for chapter one is fellowship with Christ. Then Peter tells us in his second epistle how important it is to know Jesus Christ.

As you’re aware, there are different kinds of knowledge. I know President Bush. I’ve seen him on television and heard him speak. And then there’s the knowledge that is on the more intimate level. I know my good friends; I’ve shared meals and prayed with them. Most importantly I know Jesus Christ.

In 2^nd Peter 1:8; it says; “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He’s telling us that we need to know Him, really know Him. Our salvation is dependent upon this knowledge of the Lord and He wants nothing less than for us to be with Him.

In vs. 8 the word knowledge in the Greek is epignosis. It means the full discernment or recognition of. This is the same type of knowledge as found in 1 Peter 3:7; having the experience of knowing someone very well.

Let’s look at 2 Peter 1:5; “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge.” The word knowledge here is gnosis. This means the act of knowing (as by science). This type of knowledge enables us to avoid error. We see this example again in 2 Peter 3:18; “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

The next example is the word gnosko. It means to know experientially, to be sure of.

1 John 2:13-14; “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.”

Hebrews 3:10; “Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, they do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.”

Oh dear ones don’t be tempted or fooled by statements such as the ones given by McConkie. It is vital and necessary to really know Jesus Christ. Your relationship with Him can and should be the most important relationship you’ll ever have in your life. It should be above your relationship with your spouse, your children and your friends. No one can compare with Him!

Here are some other things said by McConkie in this speech:

“I shall speak of our relationship with the Lord and of the true fellowship all saints should have with the Father. I shall set forth what we must believe relative to the Father and the Son in order to gain eternal life…

There is no salvation in believing any false doctrine, particularly a false or unwise view about the Godhead or any of its members. Eternal life is reserved for those who know God and the One whom He sent to work out the infinite and eternal atonement…”

I pray the Mormons think about the statement by McConkie and sincerely contemplate the following things;

Why isn’t it arrogant to believe you can become a god?

What is so improper and perilous about having a relationship with Jesus Christ?

If the verses I used are mistranslated, what are the correct translations?

Why does the Bible have so many references to having a relationship with His Son if we aren’t supposed to do that?

Why is praying to Jesus wrong?

My heart is so sad over this speech. I think of all the blessings that are missed out on by not having a deep relationship with Jesus and cannot imagine what it would be like to live like that again. The main blessing of course is our salvation. This subject is far more important than just the ‘little red school house’ or ‘mother love’. I don’t get my feathers ruffled over such trivial things. The truth is that he is lying about God and Jesus Christ. The truth is that we are told by God to love and know Jesus Christ and not to be tricked into believing that knowledge will gain our salvation. You can read about all these things from the epistle of second Peter of being diligent, to John’s first epistle teaching us about the love of God and how to abide in Him; these are the quintessential truths of His Word.

The basics of Christianity are to know and worship God. We do this by accepting His Son as the atoning sacrifice on the cross. We also worship Him by knowing that having a true relationship can only be done through communication. My husband and I have a strong marriage because we have an open line of communication at all times. I can’t imagine not talking with my husband each day of my life. It would be no relationship at all. Prayer is and must be the necessary element of any Christian’s life!

Being a Christian also means knowing our position within the boundaries of the relationship, being a follower of the Lord and knowing His Word. I’m not bringing God down to my level by worshipping His Son. I’m worshipping God the Father by worshipping His Son.

I’ve been in ministry work for over ten years now and each time I quote McConkie I am told that his writings, etc., are not what the church believes. To this I say; hogwash! This is what the church believes, they do listen to him and they do obey his council, even since his death in 1985. His writings and speeches are listed all over their products and still sold in their bookstores.

He didn’t teach anything that the church didn’t already teach. I would encourage the Mormon to visit the website of BYU to see the speech in full. You can read it for yourself and then read what Jesus has to say about a relationship with Him!

www.byu.edu You’ll find his speech under ‘Devotionals’. The title of the speech is; ‘Our Relationship with the Lord’.

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Praying to Jesus

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged 1982 BYU speech McConkie, bible, Bruce McConkie, Christianity, false gospel, freedom, grace, Jesus, Mormon doctrine, mormonism, Prayer, Prayin to Jesus, relationship with Jesus, salvation, truth on 01/15/2011| Leave a Comment »

Mormons Told There is No Salvation in Praying to Jesus

Get ready…he’s going to tell us that having a personal relationship with Jesus is a hobby that is unholy.

In 2^nd Peter 1:8; it says; “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He’s telling us that we need to know Him, really know Him. Our salvation is dependent upon this knowledge of the Lord and He wants nothing less than for us to be with Him.

The next example is the word gnosko. It means to know experientially, to be sure of.

Hebrews 3:10; “Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, they do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.”

Here are some other things said by McConkie in this speech:

I pray the Mormons think about the statement by McConkie and sincerely contemplate the following things;

Why isn’t it arrogant to believe you can become a god?

What is so improper and perilous about having a relationship with Jesus Christ?

If the verses I used are mistranslated, what are the correct translations?

Why does the Bible have so many references to having a relationship

with His Son if we aren’t supposed to do that?

Why is praying to Jesus wrong?

www.byu.edu You’ll find his speech under ‘Devotionals’. The title of the speech is; ‘Our Relationship with the Lord’.

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DVD Distribution near Mormon Temple

Posted in DVD Distribution in Arizona, tagged bible, false gospel, false teacher, grace, Jesus, joseph smith, Joseph Smith vs. Bible, mormonism, perfection, salvation, truth on 01/15/2011| Leave a Comment »

This morning I awoke to a news alert from Google directing me to a story in the Salt Lake Tribune. The headlines of the story read like a Mormon probably picked the title and if not Mormon, then they’ve been in Utah too long and picked up the lingo of the locals.

Concerned Christians produced and distributed 5,000 DVDs (The Bible vs. Joseph Smith) showing the contradictions between the Bible and Mormonism.

The problem I have with all this is the way even the liberal Salt Lake Tribune arbitrarily decided what’s good and what isn’t.

You’d think they might find a problem with their grammatical choices by the response the Church gave out. The Church hasn’t seen it but they know it’s a lie. So because the Church says that Concerned Christians is lying and the Church says it’s “Anti-Mormon”, they’re right and no further investigation is needed? Why didn’t they question the spokeswoman of the Church about her statement?

Whatever happened to good journalistic skills?

For the record – we’re praying for Andy and the entire staff at Concerned Christians. Experience has taught me personally with handing out DVD’s and other informative materials in bulk like this, there will indeed be Mormons who come to know the truth. Praise God!

Michelle Grim

Concerned Christians website:

http://www.concernedchristians.com/index.php?limitstart=4

You can see the Trib’s article here:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/world/51053212-68/dvd-ariz-bible-church.html.csp

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Mormonism

Recent Posts

Remembering 9-11 25 Years Later

Internet and Computer Invented for Mormons

LDS Apostle: Do Your Best to Keep Holy Ghost

Activity Rate, Retention, & Growth Rate of Mormonism

Amazing Facts About God

Anti-Mormon? How Mormons View the Body of Christ

The Bible & Mormonism

Bible is Reliable Scripture Database

Blood Atonement

600 BC Jerusalem & America

And It Came to Pass

Book of Mormon

Book of Mormon Artifacts & Smithsonian’s Response

Book of Mormon Basics

Book of Mormon; Fullness of the Gospel?

Book of Mormon Research Pages

Book of Mormon Witnesses

Demonic & Ungodly Names in the Book of Mormon

Foundation of the Book of Mormon

Έλληνες (Greek) in the Book of Mormon

Burning in the Bosom

Christianity & Christian Ministries

Coincidences in Mormonism

False Prophecies of the Mormon Church

Contradictions & Interesting Facts about the 3-in-1

Creeds of Christianity

Cross of Christ; Why do Mormons Hate It?

Discourses and Lectures of LDS Leaders

Easter & Holy Week

Essays of the LDS Church

Faith

Follow the Prophet

Foundation of Mormonism

Galaxy Teachings of the LDS Church

General Conferences