Dear XXXXXXX,
XXXXX asked me to write you this Email to answer the question you asked, “Why we don’t believe that Mormons are Christian”. I hope that looking at the bible and LDS scriptures; I can explain the differences between our two very different religions.
God
The first theological difference that separates us is God. To be clear, we have two different Gods. We believe in the trinity that states that God is one but is also 3 beings. The father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit make up the Trinity.
I hope that this explains it a little better. I know that this doctrine may seem a bit hard to understand but we need to remember that God is bigger and we are not to understand all elements of Him but we need to have faith. But in answering your question, this is one of the major points that evangelical Christian look and sees that Mormons don’t believe in this and call LDS non-Christians.
Another point is the belief that God was once a man and that there are more than one God and that man may become a God.
· “We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see. These are incomprehensible ideas to some, but they are simple. It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God, and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us; yea, that God the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did, and I will show it from the Bible” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 345-346. Italics in original. See also Gospel Principles, 1997, p. 305).
· “As man is now, God once was; as God is now, man may be” (The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p. 2. Italics in original. See also The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles manual, 1979, p. 59).
The Issue is that Christians believe that God is eternal and there is only one God. This is a major point in the Book of Isaiah chapter 45.
· 5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. Isaiah 45:5 (HCSB)
· 22 Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:22 (HCSB)
Before the world there was God and no other. Evangelical Christians believe that God is God and there is no other God. We do not believe that God was once a man but that He has eternally been God. When I have read the Book of Mormon, I have seen this belief as well in verses like;
· “For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity” (Moroni 8:18)
· “And the king said: Is God that Great Spirit that brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem? And Aaron said unto him: Yea, he is that Great Spirit, and he created all things both in heaven and in earth. Believest thou this? And he said: Yea, I believe that the Great Spirit created all things, and I desire that ye should tell me concerning all these things, and I will believe thy words” ( Alma 22:9-11).
So this is where Evangelical Christians stand on God. As we both know, Mormons have a different believe on whom God is and therefore it is easy to see that we have two different Gods.
Jesus
· 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. John 1:1-5 (HCSB)
This is the best verse to understand who Christians believe Jesus is. In this verse you are to see that the word, Word and Him are used for Jesus. This says that Jesus is God in the flesh and again is eternal. But the idea of Jesus in the eyes of the LDS is that He was the first born son of God and that Jesus was not God in the flesh.
“Jesus was born of heavenly parents in a premortal world—he was the firstborn of our Heavenly Father” (Robert D. Hales, “Your Sorrow Shall Be Turned to Joy,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 1983, p. 67)
But the bible makes it clear that the father and Jesus are one. We believe that God became flesh in the forum of the Son to die for the sins of man.
· The Father and I are one. John 10:30 (HCSB)
· 36 He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all. Acts 10:36 (HCSB)
Salvation
According to the bible, salvation comes from God as a gift through the Son Jesus Christ.
· 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. Eph 2:8-9 (HCSB)
· 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (HCSB)
We believe that salvation come to us when we seek God’s forgiveness and repent of our sins and put our faith in Jesus Christ. Again this is another point that Christians and Mormon have a difference on. Christians believe, once again, that salvation is a free gift and we can do no works to earn or keep our salvation. It is a onetime thing that happens when we call on the name of the Lord.
· 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13
But this is something different that is talked about in Mormon scripture. From what I understand and what I have read of the Mormon faith, there is an aspect of work that has to be done to earn and keep your salvation.
· “For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (The Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:23)
· “I do not believe that a man is saved in this life by believing, or professing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, but that he must endure to the end and keep the commandments that are given” (Joseph F. Smith, Conference Reports, April 1915, p. 119).
We believe that one is saved by grace and faith alone. God understood that man could not save ourselves and God, being a loving God, sent His Son to die on the cross and that anyone who puts their faith in Him and lives for Him will be saved.
An idea I always ask members of the LDS church is, “How much works do you have to do to pay off your sins?” If we sin everyday and have to work it off, then will anyone have salvation? This is why salvation is a gift, because God know that there was not the number of animals on the earth that could pay for everyone’s sin. He sent is Son to earth to be the perfect Lamb of God and by the spilling of Him blood on the cross, we are saved.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; but it is the gift of God; 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
I know I have used this verse before in this letter but I thought I would use it out of the Joseph Smith Inspired Version of the Bible to show that Joseph Smith did not change Ephesians 2:8-9 showing that salvation is a gift from God.
When writing you this letter to answer your question, I hoped I have showed you that we belong to two very different religions. Being an evangelical Christian and other Evangelical, we do not see members of the Mormon faith to be Christians because of these points. There are other points as well but for this letter I thought that these were some of the main ones I wanted to point out.
I pray that you read these and pray about them, understanding that God loves you and has a plain and place for you in His kingdom. But I also want you to understand that only one of our religions can be right. According to the Mormon belief, if I die tonight not being Mormon I would go to the Terrestrial Kingdom. But according to the Bible if one dies and he or her name is not written in the book of life, then one will be cast into the lake of fire.
I would love to meet with you face to face and we can talk more. You are always welcome to come to a service at First Baptist Duchesne and know that I keep you in my prayers.
Thank you for your time and God Bless,
Rev. Wil R. Hoffmann
Great post. I always enjoy reading others’ beliefs. While many of the alleged Latter-day Saint doctrines in this post are inaccurate, it at least explains what you *think* the Church of Jesus Christ teaches, which is a good start.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, your diagram of the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is probably the best representation of Latter-day Saint doctrine I’ve ever seen, which is particularly confusing since you seem to be saying that it contradicts our beliefs.
Of course, I could spend hours going down the various points in this post, explaining why each statement is inaccurate. However, I think the bigger question goes back to your initial treatise. Even if everything you’ve said about Latter-day Saint beliefs were accurate, what makes you think that any of them disqualify us as Christians? And do you also disqualify the early Christian fathers (e.g. Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Justin Martyr, etc.) as non-Christian, for holding the same beliefs?
Thank you.
You say that my "Alleged" LDS Doctrine is inaccurate but I used every quote from LDS works that Memebers of the church should count as scripture.
ReplyDelete“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accepts four books as scripture: the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. These books are called the standard works of the Church. The inspired words of our living prophets are also accepted as scripture” (Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 45).
“In addition to these four books of scripture, the inspired words of our living prophets become scripture to us. Their words come to us through conferences, the Liahona or Ensign magazines, and instructions to local priesthood leaders” (Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 48. Italics in original).
When a leader of the LDS says something, it becomes the word of God and must be followed. so i don't see what is inaccurate with what I think the Church thinks because I used quotes from LDS leaders. this is what they believed so Mormons must believe them as well.
24 False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
ReplyDeleteMatt 24:23-24 (HCSB)
To be a Christian one has to meet a core belief of Christianity that can be found in the bible. To follow the teaching of Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible is to be a true Christian. I understand that Mormons believe they are Christians because they are told that they;
ReplyDelete“However, true Christianity, so far as the latter days are concerned, is very young, less than one hundred years of age, for it has only been since the year 1830 that the Church of Jesus Christ has been organized in the earth, and the gospel restored, containing the gifts and the blessings and the graces that existed in the Church in primitive days, and that Church with its doctrines of the gospel of Christ, shall grow” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Reports, April 1924, p. 41).
But most evangelical Christians do not believe in this fact because we have two different Gods. We believe in the bible and the Jesus and God of the bible and Mormons do not.
Greetings Pastor Wil
ReplyDelete"We believe in the trinity that states that God is one but is also 3 beings. The father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit make up the Trinity."
On the subject of the Trinity,
I recommend this video:
The Human Jesus
Take a couple of hours to watch it; and prayerfully it will aid you to reconsider "The Trinity"
Yours In Messiah
Adam Pastor
PS I am not a Mormon!
The Father and I are one. John 10:30 (HCSB)
ReplyDeleteJesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:58 (HCSB)
22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
Matt 1:22-23 (HCSB)
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the One who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty.” Rev 1:8 (HCSB)
We believe that Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. this may be hard to understand but remember that God is God and is Bigger then us. also there are verses that say that Jesus forgive sins and only God can forgive, no man can.
8 Right away Jesus understood in His spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He told the paralytic, 11 “I tell you: get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” Mark 2:8-11 (HCSB)
39 Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at Him: “Aren’t You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!”
40 But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? 41 We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”
43 And He said to him, “I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.”
Luke 23:39-43 (HCSB)
Jesus Is God