FUNDAMENTALS: IS IT A LIE OR IS IT BIBLICAL?
[a] You can resign from the Church and still love Jesus
An ex-Mormon once told me that it didn’t dawn on her that she could love Jesus and leave the Church too. Hearing this broke my heart and prompted me to add a few sections to the mentoring program – so this particular segment is dedicated in her honor. The ministry was actually created because I am totally convinced the Mormon people love Jesus – it’s just the wrong jesus and I cannot in good conscience sit around knowing this without doing something about it!
This lovely woman was convinced by the Church that she was evil and there was no plausible way that anyone could love Jesus and go to heaven without being a member of the Church. It was only after she had resigned from the Church that she began thinking she could know about God!
I am absolutely appalled by the blatant lies the Church has either told or implied to these dear people. The most wonderful thing in my life that has ever happened to me was to begin my new life with Jesus! I never would have been able to have the relationship with Him by staying in the Church. Yes, I lost some friendships and relationships with family members but as the apostle Paul said;
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” – Philippians 3:7-8.
It didn’t take me long after I left the Church to realize that everything I knew was a lie. I’ve never found one LDS doctrine that is biblically correct. From the nature and character of God, salvation, our existence as humans to the war in heaven; all of it is a lie.
When we think of it in those terms it is quite overwhelming at times so I encourage the ex-Mormon to just focus on the things of today. (Depending on who the ex-Mormon; just one subject a week will be sufficient for study.)
What would Jesus want for you to learn today? Has there been something on your heart that keeps presenting itself to you? This is probably the Holy Spirit prompting you to learn more about Him and the truth!
Quite frankly, when I left and realized the enormity and magnitude of the consequences from being a Mormon, I walked around in a state of shock for almost five years. Literally.
For some ex-Mormons it won’t take five years. I’ve seen over the years of doing this that it hits harder the closer to Utah you are geographically speaking, and if you’re a convert versus a multi-generational, temple worthy or not, how many years spent active, etc.
[b] Getting Out and Taking Control
We highly encourage all people who want to disassociate themselves with Mormonism to officially resign and demand the Church send you the papers acknowledging that you have taken this action. For the sake of space and brevity you can see sample letters of resignation on the website so I’m not listing them here.
These papers serve two purposes for the ex-Mormon. 1-You are taking control of your life, you are no longer under their edict. 2-They are forced to claim one less person in their ranks. While the latter may not seem to make any type of impact upon the Church, let me say that if everyone who leaves would do this, the Church wouldn’t be able to claim half the numbers they do!
You’ll want to have three copies of the letter to send out. One copy goes to each of the following; the bishop, stake president and the headquarters for membership in Salt Lake City.
Two of the letters will probably come back to you unopened. Keep them for your verification they were sent. The other one will make it to one of the three with someone responding. You can find the addresses for your bishop and Stake President in your local yellow pages. The address for the Church headquarters is:
Presiding Bishop LDS Headquarters
50 East North Temple St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84150
You will then receive a form letter from your area representative informing you that you could “lose the blessings of baptism” if you continue your action. It will also say that per your request they will remove your name if they don’t hear from you within thirty days. After that time you will receive your letter signed and dated stating that your name has been removed and you are no longer a member of the Church.
Depending on how active you were at the time of your resignation, they may try to coerce you into a Church trial. DO NOT SUBMIT YOURSELF to this action. State politely but firmly in your letter the reasons why you want your name removed and give them thirty days from the day they receive the letter. By law they are required to follow your request.
Your letter can say anything you want it to! You will want to take your time to think about everything you want it to say – but now is not the time to be bashful!
[c] Doubting the Decision to Leave
From the time I graduated from high school to the time I accepted Jesus as my Savior I was a “jack-Mormon”; an inactive member of the LDS Church. Those thirteen years of thinking the Church was wrong, but not knowing how or why was lonely indeed. I could give no good excuse as to why I wouldn’t go to church other than to say that I didn’t like the restrictive ways.
By my mid twenties I still couldn’t articulate why I didn’t agree other than to say I didn’t want to be pregnant for all of eternity, nor did I believe people could become gods. That was the extent of my disagreement with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It was Palm Sunday of ’93 that I accepted Jesus into my life at a little church in the town I live. When people accept Jesus as Savior it is a life changing experience as Luke shares with us in the book of Acts at the first Pentecost. While our experience may not occur with the noise and miracles that took place that day in the Bible, it is still a life altering experience and a miracle in itself!
For the majority of Christians, their new lives will not include the drama of what takes place for the ex-Mormon or any other ex- cultist for that matter. The first few months, if not the first few years, the decision they made to leave the Church will encounter some bumps along the road and doubting their decision to leave Mormonism will make an appearance. You as a mentor will want to reassure the new Christian that this is a normal process that all Christians go through; it’s called spiritual warfare! The thoughts of “what if” came and went from my thoughts on a daily basis for what seemed like an eternity.
In the beginning I dismissed the thoughts without divulging my shame to anyone. I couldn’t go to my family because they had already begun the shunning process against me. I had no clue that I should ask for prayer from my new “family in Christ”. I chalked it up to my warped mind and not thinking godly things like other Christians thought. Then one blissful day while in a Sunday school class I learned about doubting, and discovered I wasn’t alone! What a glorious day it was to know I wasn’t the only one!
Mark 9:24 says;
“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
I went back and forth in my mind for quite awhile, but the one thing I did do faithfully was pray that scripture to Jesus. Intellectually I knew Mormonism was wrong. I saw time and again how it not only contradicted the Bible, but went so far as to even contradict itself. I stood on the promise of what Jesus told that doubting father in verse 23;
“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
The things I doubted were probably nothing more and nothing less than what every other ex-Mormon thinks. I thought, “If the Mormons are right and I’m wrong then I’ll make it
to the Telestial Kingdom and that’d be okay, it’s better than hell”. And then
the holidays came along with the beast of loneliness, but the most difficult times were when my father’s side of the family held their family reunions.
I missed seeing everyone and feeling like I belonged. My children would never experience how warm and comforting it is to know you are surrounded by hundreds of relatives who love you just because you belong to their clan. To be honest, there are still times even now that I miss it, but there’s not a shred of doubt that I’ve done the right thing!
One time when I was going through a fair amount of spiritual warfare, a good friend of mine showed me 2 Cor. 10:5;
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
Now whenever I find myself in a not-so-nice of a mood I recite that verse aloud. It serves two purposes; Satan hears it and knows my thoughts are upon Jesus and it sets me straight spiritually. Through God’s omnipotent power when I speak that verse I can actually feel my mood lighten!
When an ex-Mormon expresses to me they doubt their decision to leave I share those three verses with them. Now you may have your own set of favorite verses that you rely upon and I encourage you to share those with the person you’re mentoring. Explain to them as I have here why you use the verses you do.
Leaving Mormonism is a huge thing to do in someone’s life! These beautiful people aren’t just finding another church to attend; they are leaving behind their entire heritage. Every fiber of their being is Mormon. The way they think, dress, shop for food, and behave defines who they are. Walking away from Mormonism demands that they reinvent themselves. The sooner they establish a daily routine with God, the smoother their transition will be.
[d] Discarding the hatred for non-Mormons
The LDS Church was given birth to by the inflated ego of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. From its inception the LDS Church and members’ attitude towards the non-Mormon has been filled with hatred. I’ve never found a word that could fully articulate the level of hatred and animosity I held towards anyone who wasn’t as good as I was being a Mormon.
I suppose the best description I could give for the reader is to think about the radical Muslims in the Middle East and their hatred towards you; the westerner. The only difference between the Muslim and the Mormon is the lack of violence the latter employs today towards the “infidel”. It must be understood that only a century ago the LDS Church held strongly to the beliefs of “blood atonement”, which they never hesitated to engage when and where needed. This animosity has left behind the physical manifestations of publicly avenging the Church; however the resentment is still inside of their hearts as they tutor the next generation.
It’s also important to understand they carry around an air of superiority. For the ex-Mormon to truly be set free they must claim the blood of Jesus upon themselves and ask God to forgive them for this grievous sin of hating His people. The Mormon truly believes their blood is Jewish blood; for they are the “true Jews”. Brigham Young’s statement is found in the Journal of Discourses, 2:269;
“Again, if a pure Gentile firmly believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and yields obedience to it, in such a case I will give you the words of the Prophet Joseph—“When the Lord pours out the Holy Ghost upon that individual he will have spasms, and you would think that he was going into fits.” Joseph said that the Gentile blood was actually cleansed out of their veins, and the blood of Jacob made to circulate in them…”
It’s no surprise the Biblical view of this is non-existent. God says nothing of the sort about blood being changed at the moment of conversion. However we have a true gem of a passage when the apostle John gave us the test of who our brothers are in Christ. It is very telling and clearly shows how the Mormon is exempt from being a true Christian. 1 John 2:9-11;
“He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”
The Book of Mormon is abundantly clear about their feelings towards the body of Christ. It is peppered with their utter disdain towards the true Christian church throughout its text and for the sake of brevity I am only listing one example. 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.”
Sadly the Mormon will usually go their entire life believing this lie! Believing this is what kept me in the Church for thirty years! I had done many things that weren’t holy but I certainly didn’t want to become a whore on top of everything else.
[e] What it means to be persecuted
Some of the best books I read about persecution when I got out of the Church were; Foxes Book of Martyrs; The Search for the Twelve Apostles and The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. The latter would be a great read for any ex-Mormon because it also serves as a humble example of how to forgive those who trespass against us.
Dictionary.com says this about being persecuted: “To oppress or harass with ill-treatment, especially because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs.”
It would also be beneficial for the ex-Mormon to learn that Joseph Smith disqualified himself from being a martyr when he shot and killed two people (History of the Church 6:607) as he himself was being attacked by an angry mob in Carthage, Illinois back in June of 1844. The definition of martyr is: “one who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty for refusing to renounce their religion”. Shooting someone in self-defense doesn’t sound like martyrdom to me. You can read about the events of Joseph and Hyrum’s arrest to the shootout in Carthage in History of the Church, 6:602-622.
The Mormon’s sense of being persecuted is usually well intact by the time they reach kindergarten. Every good Mormon knows the story of how Joseph Smith was tarred and feathered back in 1832 and they are religiously taught this same attitude will befall them as well just for being a “peculiar people”. In the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 1076 it says;
“Anti-Mormon literature has often incited and precipitated persecution, from early attempts to discredit Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, to recent films misrepresenting LDS doctrine. LDS missionaries have sometimes especially been persecuted.”
In Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie it goes on to say this about persecution on pg. 569:
“Persecution is the heritage of the faithful… Indeed, it is of the church of the devil which the revelation speaks when it says, she is “the great persecutor of the church”; she is “the apostate, the whore, even Babylon, that maketh all nations to drink of her cup, in whose hearts the enemy, even Satan, sitteth to reign”; she is the one, after the apostles were “fallen asleep,” who sowed the tares with the wheat. (D. & C. 86.)”
These two examples will give the non-Mormon a good idea of where the ex-Mormon is coming from. Show them Acts 5:41 but make sure that you read the whole passage in context as to why the disciples were persecuted. Also point out that the persecution the disciples went through was for the sake of the “true gospel” of Christ.
[f] The black clouds overhead are the demons of Mormonism
As we continue in our walk with Jesus we begin to see how the Bible is replete with reminders to us from the Lord that we need not walk in fear.
Paul shows us in 2 Tim. 1:7 that God has not given us a spirit of timidity and fear.
He gave us peace beyond understanding from Phil. 4:7
Our souls cling to Him – Ps. 63:8
In times of trouble He is there – Ps. 119:49, 58
Ps. 60 throughout history has lovingly been referred to as “The Golden Ode” for prayer. Ps. 61 is a prayer that I have used for my personal life on countless occasions for when I have no words for the pain in my heart, but I know that my Lord and God will understand it as He continues to uplift and hold me during the times of my distress.
There will be those scriptures that you’ve held onto when there have been times of trouble so you’ll want to show the ex-Mormon how to look for comfort from God’s word and apply it to their own lives.
For the first twenty plus years of my life I had no idea there were stores that catered to the Christian world. When I got saved someone at my church told me there were Bible versions other than the KJV. This was new! “Wow, I thought, God doesn’t speak in 1611 English?” It was a totally new concept for me.
With a list of suggestions from a few people in the congregation I loaded my babies in the car and drove thirty miles north of the town I lived in at the time. I had searched for awhile in the yellow pages for one that was far enough away so there wouldn’t be any Mormons around that I might know. Ironically, the only people I knew in town were the Christians at my church because we were relatively new to the area. The fear I had inside ruled my world as I allowed the “scriptures” of Mormonism rule my thought life. I was sweating like a stuck pig and shaky by the time I got there and I truly thought I could have had a heart attack!
When I got in the store there were two ladies standing at the cash register and all I could do was frantically scan the signs hanging from the ceilings describing the goods for that section. Seeing the Bible section I ran with my baby girls in tow to quickly get something and get out fast. I knew enough in my young Christian life that I needed something easier to read, but just how to go about that was beyond anything I was able to handle at that point. I was obviously still suffering from panic attacks for fear of my life from my exodus from the Church. Going to a Christian bookstore was over the top in the area of rebellion.
While standing in the Bible section and feeling my chest tighten I almost jumped to the ceiling when one of the ladies from the front counter came up behind me and touched me on my elbow. After I answered her question about my apparent jumpiness she asked if she could ask me a question. She wanted to know if I was Mormon and if so, could she pray for me? I knew it. I knew they’d find me and here I was in the middle of nowhere and they still found me! These were my first thoughts.
It took her about five minutes to convince me she wasn’t Mormon, only that she recognized the look on my face from the other Mormons who had been saved. She in my opinion was sent there by God personally! I told her how long I’d been in the Church, and a little of my background for her to gain some insight. She picked out just one Bible she thought I’d be blessed with. Sadly, I couldn’t get out of there quickly enough.
The next week at my new church I sat in a Bible study that I had signed up for and realized for the first time in my life that God is sovereign. The Bible that woman had picked out for me was written for the series of the Bible studies I had signed up for and I hadn’t told her about them.
Now before we go any further let me take a side trip here and explain my position on different Bible versions. I hope it is apparent that I have nothing against the KJV. It is a beautiful version, and I feel content that I’ve explained all this well enough in the beginning stages of this workbook.
I am of the opinion that God speaks other languages and other variations of English in addition to 1611 English. In my personal life I use NASB for the easiness and flow in my studies. I do use the KJV when I want to use my Strong’s Concordance so it is always at hand as well. For the sake of the ministry and so as to not be offensive to the LDS community I use only KJV when I am with them. With that behind us…onward!
The only way I have found to be completely healed from Mormonism both inside and out is through the study of His word and companionship with Him and no one else around. Just you, your Bible and God.
Oh, there are many good counselors, mentors, psychologists, etc. and I am not advocating that you stop seeing professional doctors if you are doing that right now or later. I’m merely sharing what happened to me and the fact that God still performs miracles. In fact after I got saved I chose to see a reputable Christian psychologist who through prayer and Bible study gave me an objective point of view for something very personal. After years of prayer, work and gut-wrenching attempts and failures of eradicating Mormonism from my soul, I felt that there was just one other area that I couldn’t “clear out of me”. It was at the end of my visits with the counselor when God allowed a stretch of time that I had to stay home from anything outside the house because of my MS.
While flipping through the television stations one morning, I came upon a preacher who had just begun a four week study on the book of Ruth. I had never heard of him until then, but thought what he had to say was worth watching; it was Adrian Rogers.
It was during this time that the Lord, my Kinsman Redeemer healed what was still left broken inside of my heart through the book of Ruth. Just those four chapters held the most powerful “cure” of my entire life! I had searched for years to make the “ickiest” feeling inside of me go away, but it clung on and wouldn’t ever go away completely. No one knew my shame but me and Jesus. The demon wasn’t inside of me mind you; it just hung overhead reminding me of my past. It didn’t “rule” my entire life, but it did impact many things around me with its influence.
I took that lesson from Jesus and applied it to my mission of teaching ex-Mormons and Christians alike how to do word studies and how to lead “my people” out of the darkness. It changed my life forever. Jesus obviously used a godly man to speak to me through His word. I am convinced He’ll use His word again and again for you too; there is healing through the words in your Bible.
The easiest way to “find” a good scripture is to just look up the subject in the concordance and it will list all the verses where it’s located. If the ex-Mormon is crying a lot throughout this exodus you’ll want to look up the word “tears”. God tells us that He holds all our tears in a bottle – Ps. 56:8; Ps. 39:12. We’ve already talked about how to get the transliterations from these words, but for now you just want the location of the verse. If they don’t feel there is any peace in their hearts then look up peace, etc.
A good way for their minds to get off of themselves is to think of how great our God is! This helps them put things in perspective about God and draws them away from self-destructive thinking. Isaiah 40:12 is a great example of this. It asks the question; who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand? Continue along this line to teach them there are other things to think about now that they’re a Christian.
The Mormon has never heard that the Spirit of God was moving across the waters after He created them as His word tells us in Gen. 1:2. Engage them in conversation about this; ask them what their thoughts are when they think about the Spirit of God moving across the waters. What would that have looked like, what would it feel like to see something like that if we could see His Spirit?
Definitely show them Isaiah 41:10-16. This is God’s promise to His children that He will uphold them with His right hand and keep them safe from those who seek to fight with them. What an awesome promise that this is already done and we can take comfort in this!
To the mentor: help the ex-Mormon break the chain! Ideas to help them refocus their attention:
Volunteer to take them to the Christian bookstore in their local town, pray with them before and after the visit to help ease their fears. While there, explain a few of the differences in Bibles, music, study guides, etc.
Play Christian hymns and songs while they are in your presence; give them the Christian radio station numbers on the FM and AM stations.
Tell them about the “powerhouses” of Christian evangelists. Adrian Rogers, J. Vernon McGee, David Jeremiah, Hudson Taylor, George Muller, Oswald Chambers, et al.
[g] Necromancy – the other oppression
Explain to the Mormon why it’s important to know about “familiar spirits”. Deut. 18:11 tells us that we are not to consult with familiar spirits and this is what is taking place when they are performing works for the dead in the temple. God calls it necromancy.
It’s a part of their heritage they must leave behind. They will know what this “feels” like when you begin studying this. It is commonly referred to as the “feeling you get when you go to temple”. They need to ask God to forgive them for these practices and then ask Him to come and indwell them so that no other “familiar spirit” can be there. There are other examples in the Bible that refer to “familiar spirits”; make sure you look up a good deal of them so they can begin learning how to ask for discernment.
One of the most common forms of this is seen quite often with LDS members who have lost a close relative; child, parent, spouse, et al. Many Mormons believe their relatives can visit them after they are dead to give them special messages from God or another loved one. In the gentlest way possible show them how this can’t be. Luke 16:19-31 is a good example to share with them what Jesus says about this
Going back to our word studies; remind them of the witch Endor in 1 Sam. 28:7-14. Saul had entreated the witch to bring up the spirit of the deceased prophet Samuel. In verse thirteen the word “gods” is used. That word in the Hebrew is “elohim”.
After our daughter Mallory died my mother gave me a book called “Angel Children”. It was written by a well meaning LDS woman who had lost her son in infancy and his supposed visits to her after he died. I think I scared my mother when I told her in no uncertain terms that Mallory was gone forever and wouldn’t be making any visits to me anytime soon. I realize that at times like these emotions run high and because of this it’s important to always turn to what God says and not what we feel or think is right.
1. Why would consulting with dead relatives be spiritually harmful? __________________________________________
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2. What did Jesus tell the Pharisees about necromancy in Luke 16:19-31? __________________________________________
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[h] You’re not as old as you think
By now, you the mentor know enough about Mormonism that I’m certain you are aware of the “pre-existence” doctrine of LDS theology! While there are many things in the exodus process that “shock” the ex-Mormon, the subject of the pre-existence is typically at or near the top of everyone’s list.
The first time I found out I hadn’t lived before I came here to earth was after I had been married for six or seven years. My husband Kirk and I were driving home from town one day when the subject of pre-earth life came up; keep in mind neither of us was saved at the time. Try as I might, God could go around the many obstacles I kept throwing in His way!
I must have said something about our lives before we came here and Kirk asked me to explain myself. It was at that time he told me he didn’t believe in a pre-existence! I sat in stunned silence the rest of the way home and tried to imagine being created only a handful of years previously. What should have been shocking was that after seven years of marriage I didn’t know this about my husband! That aside, it was the catapult to get me studying. Up until that time I had always assumed everyone pre-existed.
The Bible is very clear in regards to when God created us with countless examples of our creation in the womb from the Psalms, Jeremiah, Isaiah 45:7 (one of my favorites to show Mormons) and on it goes! We also see Paul tell the Corinthian church that God created Adam from the earth and then mankind was created spiritually – 1 Cor. 15:44-48.
Show the ex-Mormon another proof of no pre-existence with the term “being born again”. John 3:3-5;
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
In this passage, verse four is the key verse! Nicodemus asked Jesus if a man could enter his mother’s womb a second time… Now, if you’re a Mormon you would have to look at this passage and wonder why Nicodemus didn’t say “three times”.
The Mormon believes their first birth took place in the pre-existence as a spirit baby; the second time was here on earth; and the third time would be when they are baptized. By believing that man’s spirit is eternal we are stripping away one of God’s attributes that places Him above us. The Pharisees tried to do this with Jesus as well when they accused Him of blasphemy as He told them they did not know their own father, Abraham. If they had known Abraham they obviously would have known not to accuse Him of this in
John 8:55-58;
“Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
This infuriated the Pharisees! By claiming His name as “I am”, the Jews knew instantly He was calling Himself God because this is what God told Moses His name is in Exodus 3:14!
Not only does this show the Mormon that no one but the Deity of God was in heaven before the earth was created, it also shows them that Jesus is God!
Whereas, here is what the Church says about the pre-existence of man and his eternal nature;
“To understand the doctrine of pre-existence two great truths must be accepted: 1. That God is a personal Being in whose image man is created, an exalted, perfected, and glorified Man of Holiness (Moses 6:57), and not a spirit essence that fills the immensity of space; and 2. That matter or element is self-existent and eternal in nature, creation being merely the organization and reorganization of that substance which “was not created or made, neither indeed can be.” (D. & C. 93:29.) Unless God the Father was a personal Being, he could not have begotten spirits in his image…” – Mormon Doctrine, pg. 589.
[i] Being the color you are is not a choice you’ve made
LDS doctrine leads the members to believe they are a certain color because of the way they behaved before they were born. Mormons believe they were spiritually begotten by God and their Heavenly Mother before they came here to earth. After their birth, came a war in heaven and they either took sides with Satan or Jesus. If you sided with Satan, you would be cursed here on earth with dark skin and/or dark hair and dark eyes. You would be known as “dark and loathsome”. If you sided with Jesus, you were blessed with being “white and delightsome”.
With this in mind it is easy to figure out that if you are a Mormon and dark there was a price to pay. That price is called shame. Since we’ve already addressed this issue let’s take another look at how this can be exposed. I’ve never counted the number of verses in the Bible that talk about our creation, but I know there are many. Begin in Isaiah 44:2 where it says that God formed you in the womb. There is also Ps. 139:14 and then show them 1 Cor. 15:44-9 again. Paul told the Corinthians that man was first made from the earth and the spirit comes next.
This is in direct opposition to what the ex-Mormon has always believed. While some of the passages I am using may sound redundant they all relate to each other and shows the ex-Mormon how detailed the lies of Joseph Smith really were.
Ask the ex-Mormon what color they think Jesus may have been. If they’re not “white and delightsome” ask them if they still have any shame in their coloring and why. Remind them to ask the Lord to forgive them if they’ve looked down on others for being dark or if they’ve believed the lie and known shame for being dark, they need to repent of that as well. Remind them again that God remembers their sin no more once they’ve repented – Isaiah 43:25.
1. Do you feel shame because of your coloring? If so what does Genesis chapter six mean to you?
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2. Noah had three sons. What is the Hebrew transliteration of each? ______________________________________________
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[j] Man is inherently evil
Another vital subject to look at is the nature of man. LDS doctrine teaches that children cannot sin – sad but true. They teach that everyone goes to heaven because of being born perfect until the age of accountability at the age of eight. Then suddenly when people turn eight years old they need to repent of their sins and be baptized to be forgiven.
The depravity of man is the entire reason we need a Savior. The Law had lived out its useful life and when the time was right, God provided the perfect Lamb to be sacrificed for our sinful existence.
1. As an ex-Mormon what goes through your mind when you see that scenario mentioned above written down? _________________________________________________
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It is at this time the person being baptized also become official members of the Church. There are countless scriptures that talk about the evil of man’s nature so I would spend a good deal of time in this area.
2. Give at least five examples of the sin nature in man. Use scripture to define your examples.
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From the words of James Talmage in his book, Articles of Faith, pg. 63 it says;
“It has become a common practise [sic] with mankind to heap reproaches upon the progenitors of the family, and to picture the supposedly blessed state in which we would be living but for the fall; whereas our first parents are entitled to our deepest gratitude for their legacy to posterity— But for the opportunity thus given, the spirits of God’s offspring would have remained forever in a state of innocent childhood, sinless through no effort of their own; negatively saved, not from sin, but from the opportunity of meeting sin.”
3. What does the above LDS teaching do to the status of God? Share an example (scripture) of what God says about Himself.
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4. What does the LDS scripture do for the status of man? Is this okay or not and explain why. ____________________________________________
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Moses 5:10-11; “And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God. And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed…”
5. Compare the false teaching above with the true chronology of events taken from the scriptures listed here; Gen. 1:26-8 and
Gen. 2:18-25.
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6. Don’t forget your key words and word study in this little section! Look up the Hebrew word for “one” in Gen. 2:25 and define it.
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The clincher to this whole subject…they are still in the Garden of Eden at this point. The Bible says nothing of having to leave the Garden of Eden if they have babies.
Then we come to chapter three and the serpent starts tricking Eve into sin. Observe how she is still in the Garden of Eden while being fully aware she was not to eat of the tree of knowledge and being fully aware they were to procreate. This will be a “biggie” for the ex-Mormon. They have always believed that Adam and Eve needed to sin in order to have babies. God didn’t say that sex is sinful; He actually sanctioned it by giving them the command to become one flesh!
Think about it. What parent needs to teach their kid how to have a temper tantrum and to be selfish? I don’t know about your kids, but you should’ve been here to see mine. While they were pretty good kids, I don’t recall ever having to teach them how to have a temper tantrum or how to steal a toy or cookie from their sibling.
[k] No, you won’t become a god
Before we begin this section I want to share an experience with you that I had right after I accepted the Lord. This story serves as an example that there is no need to be embarrassed or ashamed of any question that is asked by the ex-Mormon; or any of us for that matter!
I was so hungry for God and would do anything I could to just sit with the pastoral staff at our church to soak up their knowledge of the Bible. I don’t recall now how long Kirk and I had been going to church when we invited one of the senior pastors over for dessert so that we could just sit and ask stupid questions while in the privacy of our home instead of the “watchful eyes” of seasoned Christians. (Pride, pride, pride was still reigning in our veins!)
So Pastor Ben and his wife graciously became the guinea pigs for our experience. Pastor Ben had been retired from the ministry for over 10 years by the time we met him, but he still held the most endearing, patient look in his eyes that I’ll never forget.
I sat directly across from him and told him up front that I didn’t know the names of all the apostles; I wasn’t real clear on where Jesus was born; I had never heard of Abraham; wasn’t sure who Noah was and other miscellaneous things. Then I asked him if John the Baptist and the apostle John was the same person.
This dear older man placed his hands down on his knees and said; “I don’t think I’ve ever been asked that question, but I’m sure glad you asked!” Mind you, he’d been in ministry for over 60 years…leave it to me to show him something new! He went on to tell us the difference of John the Baptist and the apostle John and their parts in the history of the gospel. I learned the greatest lesson that day; and it had nothing to do with scripture. I was on my way to a whole new world!
One of the most significant discoveries the ex-Mormon will make is finding out they won’t become a god. Every time I speak to an ex-Mormon they all tell me the greatest scripture they ever found was Isaiah 43:10-11. Here it is:
“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.”
Some other verses to compare this with are as follows: Is. 44:6, 8; Is. 45:5, 14, 21-2; Is. 46:5, 9; Is. 48:11; Deut. 6:4; Deut. 4:35, 39; Deut. 32:39; John 10:30; 1 Cor. 8:4; Eph. 4:6; Is. 9:6.
The other greatest discovery for the ex-Mormon is accepting that Jesus is God! I once mentored an ex-Mormon who told me she had been saved for almost three years before someone in her Bible study at her church said something in regard to Jesus being God. She had never heard this before.
She came over to visit so that we could go through scripture and to place one more nail in the coffin of Mormonism for her when she began explaining her day to me. I had wrongly presumed she had been taught this from the very beginning.
It’s bad enough the Mormons aren’t taught this all important truth about Jesus, but the Christian Church isn’t proclaiming it everyday their doors are open! What has happened here? Let’s begin by reading 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.”
Ask the ex-Mormon why they believe everyone was always so angry with Jesus. They usually won’t have an answer for you or if they do, it’s usually wrong. That’s okay though because they are with you to learn…remind them the only dumb question is the one not asked!
1. In your own words (no theologians allowed) explain the passage of scripture listed above. The only one grading the paper you’re writing on is you – no one else. _________________________________________________
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2. Write down at least three other times that Jesus was ridiculed for claiming He was God; the Bread of Life.
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Jesus was always being yelled at because He claimed to be God as we well know. Remind them of John 8:58. There are going to be many verses that are your favorites so share with them what those are and teach them how to look up references to Jesus being God in their concordance.
[l] Sandals are scriptural/shorts are optional
Part of leaving Mormonism behind is finding the strength in disrobing. While I understand that sounds horribly ungodly, stick with me here for a moment to understand the mindset of the Mormon. The Mormon is taught that in order to truly be saved they must make it to the Celestial Kingdom – the highest level of heaven. There is no true salvation outside this level. In order to get there you must be temple worthy and once you’re temple worthy you are awarded the “honor and blessing” of purchasing temple garments. The Encyclopedia of Mormonism says this about the Celestial Kingdom on page 260;
“Celestial glory comes to those “who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial,…and who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true” (D&C 76:51-53). Within the celestial glory are three levels, and to obtain the highest requires a temple marriage or sealing.”
Temple garments are a thin layer of plain white clothing that is worn next to your skin and under your “street clothing”. The “TBM” (true blue Mormon) wouldn’t be caught dead without their garments on and after they’ve worn them awhile they become “a part of them”. In other words, they feel as if they’re naked without them; be patient but firm in this area; in order for them to be truly free from the Church they must discard these items of clothing.
Make sure they don’t go through the rituals of what the Church tells them they must do when getting rid of them. The Church instructs its members to burn them so “outsiders” won’t have the chance of mocking them. Suggest they simply throw them away without burning them. Reassure the ex-Mormon they are not under the edict of the Church; but under the counsel of Jesus now!
It’s going to take some time before the ex-Mormon feels all right about this monumental decision, but it is necessary they take this important step. I was speaking at a church once when a woman approached me to say she was an ex-Mormon, but just couldn’t ever feel as if she’d been freed from the daunting spirit of Mormonism. After looking at her clothing while she was speaking to me I could see that she was still wearing her temple garments. I took her to the women’s restroom and waited outside the bathroom stall while she took them off to hand them over. We ended up throwing the garments away and from what I understand now she has lived a Spirit filled life being set free from the hold of Mormonism! Paul tells us in Col. 2:16-7;
“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the abbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
Because we have been set free in Christ we are no longer under the Law. There is no dietary Law now that Jesus has paid the price for us! I’ve searched the Bible front to back and have never found a scripture that tells the believers to wear garments like the Mormon Church tells its members they must do. This would also be a good time to insert a word study on garments! In the Greek this word is “himation”; the transliteration for this word is cloak, clothes, robe, raiment, or vesture. Nowhere in the NT does it say we must wear this type of apparel. The time it does talk about garments is in Rev. 3:4 and 16:15. In this sense the garments of righteousness are the inner man.
They are white robes of justification because of the blood of the Lamb. Not because they’ve been washing them in a Maytag! Also remind them of the era that John was writing in. The “garment” was worn by soldiers who were serving as guards for the governor or king. If they were caught sleeping during their shift, their garments were taken away to shame them, thereby leaving them naked and disgraced. The analogy was made to show that we didn’t want to be caught off guard ourselves at the end and be ashamed that we hadn’t followed Him.
The following definition of temple garments is taken from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 534;
“The white garment symbolizes purity and helps assure modesty, respect for the attributes of God, and, to the degree it is honored, a token of what Paul regarded as taking upon one the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:13; cf. D&C 27:15). It is an outward expression of an inward covenant, and symbolizes Christlike attributes in one’s mission in life. Garments bear several simple marks of orientation toward the gospel principles of obedience, truth, life, and discipleship in Christ….A biblical tradition teaches that Adam and Eve, prior to their expulsion from Eden, wore sacred clothing.”
The significance of the lie in that last statement is incredible! They wore clothing because they were hiding their shame caused by their sin! Incredibly the LDS Church has taught their members that original sin was sanctioned by God. As a mentor I would take the above reference from EM, pg. 534 and pick it apart scripturally speaking. Have the ex-Mormon read, study and see how many lies he/she can pull out of that one paragraph. For example: how does wearing garments show respect for the attributes of God?
2 Nephi 2:25 says; “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”
Times have certainly changed over the past twenty-five years and with it so have the styles in clothing. While growing up in Utah as a Mormon the dress code I experienced was much stricter than what the non-Mormons experienced. Having said this, keep in mind that with the Mormons here and now, not a lot has changed for them because of the dress code and dietary laws they must follow. While the Church has changed the style of the temple garments somewhat over the years, they are still cumbersome and not always conducive to the clothing you or I might enjoy.
Summer shorts for women are usually frowned upon because they come up over the knee. Sleeveless blouses were an absolute no-no, the temple garments usually only come in short-sleeve lengths. It is my understanding they have since changed this in the past couple of years, but don’t expect the Mormons to be changing the way they dress anytime soon.
Keep in mind also the further away you are from Utah, the more watered down the religion becomes. Not all Mormons think that shorts and sandals are a bad thing. I wouldn’t have dreamt of wearing anything of the sort even though I wasn’t a temple Mormon, but I grew up being taught Utah Mormonism. I bought my first pair of shorts and sandals when I was 32 years old. Ironically enough, the Bible talks about sandals throughout its text.
There is the story of Boaz taking off his sandal when telling his relative that he would be the “kinsman redeemer” for Ruth, to the gospels mentioning John the Baptist saying he wasn’t worthy enough to unlatch the strings on Jesus’ sandals. If sandals were good enough for Jesus I can’t imagine they wouldn’t be good enough for me. The reason why sandals are frowned upon is because it serves as yet another way to bare oneself. As I mentioned before, times have changed and it seems the Church’s idea of modesty is evolving as well. Never mind those teachings were originally placed upon the members as a direct revelation from God.
[m] Signs of a cult
I was all of 19 years old when I heard the word “cult” for the first time. Someone in Oklahoma, where I was living at the time, asked me if Mormonism was really a cult. Of course I denied it even though in my heart I hated my heritage and knew something was drastically wrong. To admit that you’re in a cult is a very humiliating experience. I’ve always suggested that when you’re witnessing to a Mormon you try to avoid using that phrase with them. If you don’t want to witness to them anymore then by all means it would be the way to get rid of them!
The ex-Mormon is going to be able to figure this out on their own as they go through this exodus process. In time the Lord will reveal it to them and it will settle itself as truth in their hearts; also know that I never advocate lying so if they do ask you must be truthful. Mormonism is indeed a cult.
Several years ago I wrote a paper that lists several “signs of a cult”. For your convenience I’ve listed some of those signs here, but for the full list you can read it on the website. A cult won’t necessarily have all the attributes listed, but there will be several indicating factors. A cult is a group that deviates doctrinally from a parent or host religion. Cults would include Mormonism, JW’s, Christian Scientists, etc.
1-Group members give many superficial answers to direct questions
2-Group doesn’t divulge monetary history or constitution of beliefs. The average member usually isn’t privy to this information.
3-No sign of the cross.
4-They take oaths or there are ‘swearing in’ at induction ceremonies. Hosea 10:4 tells us people worship false gods by taking oaths. Example: Masons call Jesus the Great Architect of the Universe. But how great can He be if only the lodge, through the Worshipful Master, can take you from darkness to light?
5-Person shuns family or close friends for no apparent reason.
6-Group stands on 1 or 2 verses as the basis for their entire belief.
How many of the examples listed above matched the LDS Church? Which ones and why? ___________________________________________________
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[n] Why Moroni 10:4-6 is Wrong
The Bible is very clear about the evil in a man’s heart. We have touched on it briefly in an earlier section under “Man is inherently evil”. This means the evil in your heart is a hereditary condition. One of the main reasons the mother is in pain while giving birth to adorable Timmy is to remind her that she is bringing another sinner into the world. Jeremiah 17:9 warns us;
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Proverbs 28:26 says; “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”
Now compare these with Moroni 10:4-6;
“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.”
How is it that you can ask God for anything with a sincere heart when you’re not “saved” to begin with? Man is born knowing how to sin; not to honor or to love God. It wasn’t a gift given to us the moment we were conceived, it was a curse. While we’re born with a knowledge that God does exist (Ro. 1:17-25); we are also born a very selfish ambition.
We want our bottle and clean diaper now; we want little Timmy to give us back the truck even though we already have all the other toys on our side of the room and our checkbooks are plagued with evidence of the second mortgages we beset ourselves with because we had to have something now. We’re all guilty of it to some degree; from your pastor to the nice young couple that just moved in across the street. We all have our weak points and our second mortgages don’t necessarily have to do with the Bank of the USA.
In our rationalizations it seemed good to us to have ________ or do_________; and therefore we just had to have it because _______ (you fill in the blanks). As the saying goes; “The road to hell is full of good intentions”. Other LDS doctrinal statements compared to the Bible:
D&C 9:8; “But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”
Proverbs 6:27; “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?”
Lesson Plan for Chapter 14 – section n
1 – Besides Jeremiah 17:9 listed above, name three other scriptural reasons why Moroni 10:4-6 is wrong.
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2. In Mormonism what part does the “Holy Ghost” play in praying Moroni 10:4-6 for the active or soon to be Mormon?
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3. What part does the Holy Ghost play in the lives of an active Christian in regards to Moroni 10:4-6? Does He play a part at all?
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4. In your opinion, who is the Holy Ghost of Mormonism? Use scripture to back it up. ___________________________________________________
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[o] The Elements
Exodus 12:5, 7, 12-15; “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: v. 7; And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. v. 12-15; For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.”
From Strong’s Concordance:
Leaven: H#7603 – sha’ar – to swell up, make redundant, residue
Leavened: H#4682 – matstsah – not soured with yeast
Leavened: H#2557 – chametz – extortion, to ferment, pungent, sour
Leaven: G#106 – azumos – uncorrupted, unleavened
From the time of Moses and the first Passover we have been instructed as to how to behave and the importance of staying in close contact with God more than anything or anyone else in this world. Our very lives depend on His sustenance; our food, drink, shelter and even our breathing are completely dependent upon our Creator.
Growing up in Utah Mormonism, I don’t recall a time when I sat through a Sacrament Meeting hearing or learning about Passover. As a matter of fact, I hadn’t heard of Passover until after I got out of the Church.
This section of the outline is bittersweet in my heart, as I’m sure it is for many of you reading this. Mind you, I am so very grateful for what my Lord has done for me! However, another part of me grieves deeply for people like my mother. The very core of me is shaken when I stop to think of what the above passage of scripture says to all of us – even her.
Each week as the LDS Church goes to their Sacrament Meetings, the 12 year old “deacons” take turns praying over the leaven filled bread and water – in Mormon terminology, the “Sacrament”. Their “communion” consists of Wonder-bread® and water. Everyone at the service is invited to partake as the elements are passed around the pews – this includes babies and toddlers. The prayer is said before the elements are passed around; thereby making it a ritual that is easily contained and done with quickly.
Today when I think of it I still cannot get over the blatant lies that Satan has spewed forth from his mouth into this group of people! It took me awhile to connect the dots after I left the Church to put the two incidents together; the wine and the bread with the Passover…I was helping to serve and prepare for a Seder meal when it finally clicked: Jesus’ provision, the wine, the unleavened bread, the Wonderbread®, and the water all flooded my brain at once. The longer I thought about the scenario, the bigger the overall picture fell into place.
The Bible is full of analogies comparing sin and leaven; and for those of you who have watched yeast eat the sugar in a bowl of warm water you know what I’m saying. The yeast needs something to eat so you give it a little sugar with warm water. It takes on a shape and life of its own right before your eyes. God says that this is what sin does when we allow it into our daily routines and thought life.
Use scripture to fill in the chart below from both the Old and New Testament.
At the original Passover, the blood over the doorposts from the unblemished lamb was a symbol of God’s future provision – the unblemished sacrifice of His Only Son who was sinless. For the Israelites at that time it was a sign for them the angel of death wouldn’t be visiting their home. He would “pass over” the house if the blood of the lamb was over the doorposts. It served as a symbolic mantel for the covering and protection over their very lives.
When God passed over the Israelites in Egypt the unleavened bread and bitter herbs were used as a remembrance each year of how pure and holy He is and how bitter their sin was to Him. He is without blemish, (unleavened bread) and they would sacrifice their first fruits to Him to thank Him for the provision of their daily sustenance.
During Jesus’ time the Israelites would go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the temple for the “covering” of the family’s sin and to praise God that He had spared them from the wilderness and Egypt.
The fullness of what Jesus gave is so incredible and so very simplistic at the same time. He was upstairs with His disciples at the Last Supper; remember it was Passover in Jerusalem. He passed around the bread and wine, showing the disciples what to do and how to remember Him in our taking of the bread and wine and in remembrance of the real Passover. See what He says in Matt. 26:17-28;
“Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Oh friends, how could bread with leaven (a sign of sin) be taken as an element when it’s taken to remember the significance of His sinless life? He wasn’t full of sin – He was clean and unblemished – unleavened. Leaven (yeast/sin) permeates everything you put it in. It goes into every little nook and cranny, thereby making your loaf of bread big and poofy (New teen slang). Sin digs deep into the heart and mind. It can and will permeate every fiber of your being if you allow it.
The unleavened bread is to remind us of how useless and tasteless our lives are and that we are desperately in need of His grace for our salvation and mercy for our daily lives. Joseph Smith didn’t want to pay homage to the life that is given to us through Jesus. When we refuse to look to and thank God for the blood of Jesus, then by default we are committed to being judged by the Law that He established with Moses.
What Does It Take?
| Moses |
Jesus |
| Sermon on the plain: Deut. 4 |
Sermon on the Mount: Luke 6 |
| Law received by: Ex. 20 |
Law fulfilled by: John 19 |
| Came down from mountain |
Went up the mountain |
| Crowd stayed away |
Crowd pushed to touch Him |
| 3,000 die at Mt. Si |
3,000 saved at temple |
Sadly enough the elements that are taken at an LDS Church for the sacrament are the same elements given to people in prison; bread and water. They will indeed be in a real prison for eternity. The irony of this is almost unbelievable! I pray all the time that they would see their “Sacrament” as a sign of what’s to come.
As for the wine (most Protestant churches use grape juice); it is a symbol of His blood. It’s so that I can be reminded that His shed blood is why I’m seen as clean. The water in the LDS sacrament is colorless and tasteless; holding no meaning at all.
In an LDS Sacrament Meeting the kid in diapers two rows up just grabs a handful of the elements and splashes water around while his frantic mother tries to tackle the tray away because he wants another cup of water…this is what most of my Sacrament Meetings were like.
My LDS congregation would actually have conversations about the bread. On one occasion I can still see a few of my classmates standing in the rows of coat racks one week saying that his dad got him to the store too late the night before and they were out of Wonderbread®. They had to get what was left and it ended up being the store brand so that week’s Sacrament wasn’t so great. Then they began talking about the best time of day to get the “fluffy kind of bread”.
Jesus became sin while hanging on that cross. He became every transgression you and I committed this week, last month and next year so that we could live in heaven with Him for eternity. His blood was shed to wash away our sin and God raised Him on the third day to show us His power and that we too will live forever with Him!
The blood over the doorposts was a sign of the sacrifice of a perfect lamb that needed to be shed for the sins of Israel. If there was blood over the doorposts it stood as a sign of obedience. The wine/juice in the cup is a sign of sweet Jesus’ blood He shed for you and me. We partake of the cup as a personal token that we are acknowledge our sin and the need for His cleansing blood and that we belong to Him.
The arrogance in the heart of those who designed the LDS sacrament is difficult to imagine. The sad part about it is that the people have just “followed the leader” all these years instead of stopping themselves to ask why.
Speaking of leaven, you can find the following speech given by Hyrum Smith in a Conference Report, April 1909, second day morning session, pgs. 88-89. It is chilling;
“No, we do not hear any more damnation, hell fire, and infant burning, or everlasting or never ending punishment. No more predestination, and total depravity of the human heart. The topless throne and bottomless pit are things of the past. Those doctrines are done away with; they are not believed, or at least, if they are believed, they are not preached. I assure you, my brethren and sisters, they are not believed by hundreds of thousands of people whose minds have been enlightened by the preaching of the Gospel by the servants of God… Thus the leaven is working, and the people of the world are coming to see the truth. They are abandoning some of their false doctrines. They are preaching many of the truths that we preach and which were not known to be true, in fact, they were looked upon as the greatest of heresy when Joseph Smith introduced them…”
I am sure there is some validity to what Mr. Smith shared regarding the churches not teaching the truths about the Bible as we march down the hallways of time. However, he obviously peppered his opinion of what they taught with false doctrine. Be that as it may, the last thing the body of Christ needs is the leaven of Mormonism permeating the pulpits of orthodox Christianity.
© 2010 Life After Ministries, Inc.
Link for Chapter 15:
Chapter 15. They Need a Church
http://lifeafterministry.com/2010/10/22/mentoring-handbook-chapter-15/
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