Archeology

by

The Jesus of the Bible compared with the Jesus of Mormonism.

A former Mormon–one who came to a saving knowledge of the true, biblical Christ–penned the following piece found at Mormon Coffee:

This is the Christ of Mormonism:

1. He lives as a humanoid god on a star near Kolob along with his father god, bound by the physical world; he does not transcend the material.
2. He is the brother of satan.
3. He had to earn his own salvation while he was on earth.
4. He offers his “grace” only to those who work hard enough.
5. He is not from everlasting to everlasting, but was created a finite time ago by his father god, who in turn was also created by his own father god, who in turn was created by his own father god, so on and so forth
6. He is not the greatest being possible.
7. He is finite.
8. His blood is not powerful enough to wipe away any sin.
9. He aided his father in creating earth by organizing already existing matter; he is not capable of creating things out of nothing.
10. He must submit to a moral law that existed before he did.
11. You can one day become just like him.

This is the Christ of the Bible:

1. He is a spirit being that transcends space and time.
2. He is the brother of no creature; He is God, from everlasting to everlasting. No one can claim kinship with Him except those He purchased for Himself on the cross. And He is not the same type of creature they are. He is not a creature, He is God.
3. Jesus is the Author of Salvation; to say that He needed to earn His salvation is absurdity.
4. He offers His sovereign grace to whomever He sovereignly chooses; we are all tainted by sin and vile in His holy eyes. Therefore, no one is more worthy than any other human being. Thus, His grace that He offers is given unconditionally. His grace is true grace, a beautiful gift.
5. He is from everlasting to everlasting. He was never created, and Has been in relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever.
6. He is the greatest being possible, the Most High God. There is no one like Him and there is no one who will ever be anything like Him.
7. He is infinite, both in essence and in His divine perfections.
8. His blood is powerful enough to wipe away any sin, regardless of heinousness and duration. The only sin that cannot be forgive is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost; and this is not because the blood of Christ is not powerful enough to wash it away, but because God has so sovereignly decreed that all persons who blaspheme the Holy Ghost should not receive forgiveness.
9. He created everything that exists out of nothing by the mere word of His mouth.
10. There is no external law that He submits to; He is the Author and the Source of the Law.
11. No one can ever come near to obtaining the glory and excellency of Christ.

For another article comparing the true Jesus of Scripture to that of the many counterfeit Christs of the false cults and religions, see Which Jesus Do You Worship?

by

Dear Mormon, can you guess who said the following?

Dear Mormon, can you guess who said the following?

1).

I saw two spirits… One was God my maker, almost in bodily shape like a man… below him stood Jesus Christ my Redeemer, in perfect shape like a man…

2).

. . . the angel had made known to me in the vision, that all Churches and Denominations on the earth had became corrupt . . .

3).

He also told me, that every denomination of professing Christians had become extremely corrupt . . .

Answers:

Continue reading →

by

Examining the evidence of Mormonism.

Two former Mormons explain the evidence they discovered that led them out of Mormonism and into Christianity in this eleven-part video from the John Ankerberg Show.

One:

Continue reading →

by

Did King David have to pay for his sin in Hell?

In recent years Mormonism has been trying very hard to appear as if they are Christians (a far cry from historic Mormonism who openly opposed biblical Christianity), and due to Mormonism’s great PR, many folks have bought this lie, believing that Mormonism is just another branch or denomination of Christianity (a recent example can be seen here).

But anyone who takes the time to study what Mormonism actually teaches and believes (and who knows the biblical doctrines of the Christian faith) is well aware that nothing could be farther from the truth. Christianity and Mormonism are not compatible. Mormonism preaches another gospel with another Christ; neither of which can save.

There are many examples that can be cited of the great chasm of theology between biblical Christianity and Mormonism, but today I wanted to bring your attention to Mormonism’s version of the unforgivable sin, the concept of Mormon purgatory, and Mormonism’s doctrine of Blood Atonement.

Simply put, the LDS doctrine of Blood Atonement teaches that some sins a man commits cannot be cleansed by the shed blood of Christ and that man has to shed his own blood (die) in order to atone for that sin (as if man’s own blood is of greater value and is more efficacious in washing away sin than that of the Son of God).

Although this post is not primarily about Mormonism’s doctrine of Blood Atonement, being acquainted with it will help you better understand the concept of Mormon purgatory as well as their version of the unforgivable sin. You can find out more about the Mormon doctrine of Blood Atonement here: The Mormon doctrine of Blood Atonement as taught by Brigham Young and here: The Doctrine of Blood Atonement as taught by the Mormon organization.

Roman Catholicism is credited with creating the  fictional place between Heaven and Hell called purgatory which they claim is where sinners burn off (atone for) their sins. In reality it was just a way to make more money for Rome. Mormonism, on the other hand, did not invent a new place of torment or suffering, they just employ Hell itself as the place where some sinners pay for their sins.

Where Mormonism’s Blood Atonement leaves off with the sinner paying for his sin on earth, Mormon purgatory picks up in the afterlife.

The following excerpts come from Spencer W. Kimball (the twelfth president, prophet, seer, and revelator of the Mormon church) from chapter nine of his book The Miracle of Forgiveness. After seeing what Mormonism teaches about forgiveness, you’ll wonder what’s so miraculous about it.

From Page 127:

The murderer denies himself salvation in the celestial kingdom, and in this sense he cannot be forgiven for his crime.

So there’s no forgiveness for murderers? Try to find that in Scripture.

From Page 128:

Another scriptural character responsible for murder-and this in conjunction with adultery-was the great King David. For his dreadful crime, all his life afterward he sought forgiveness. Some of the Psalms portray the anguish of his soul, yet David is still paying for his sin.

The Prophet Joseph Smith underlined the seriousness of the sin of murder for David as for all men, and the fact that there is no forgiveness for it. “A murderer, for instance, one that sheds innocent blood, cannot have forgiveness. David sought repentance at the hand of God carefully with tears, for the murder of Uriah; but he could only get it through hell: he got a promise that his soul should not be left in hell.”

Wow! According to Mormonism David is still paying for His sin and he’s in Hell clinging to the promise that eventually he’ll get out because God won’t leave him there forever?

From Page 129:

Man’s mortal life is given him in which to repent and prepare himself for eternity, and should one of his fellowmen terminate his life and thus limit his progress by making his repentance impossible, it would be a ghastly deed, a tremendous responsibility for which the murderer might not be able to atone in his lifetime.

Since when does man atone for any of his own sins? Atonement for sin is what Christ–the spotless Lamb of God–came to earth to accomplish. If man could do it then there would be no need for a Savior.

From Page 131:

Even unpardonable sins should be repented of. The murderer does not have eternal life abiding in him, but a merciful God will grant to every soul adequate rewards for every good deed he does. God is just. He will compensate for every effort to do good, to repent, to overcome sin. Even the murderer is justified in repenting and mending his ways and building up a credit balance in his favor.

Man does not build up his own credit balance. He is incapable of doing such a feat. This is why Christ died, in order to remove our sin and credit His righteousness to us (2 Corinthians 5:21).

As if this wasn’t enough to send you running, on this same page (131) Kimball quoted Joseph Smith when he said that murderers “could not be baptized for the remission of sins, for they had shed innocent blood.” Then Kimball quoted Doctrines & Covenants 42:18 when he said “Thou shalt not kill; and he that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come.“

So, according to Mormon theology, not only would King David have to suffer in Hell to atone for his sin of murder, but so would the likes of Moses and the Apostle Paul (and they still would not receive forgiveness). Apparently the Apostle Paul was unaware of this minor detail because he was under the (inspired) assumption that “to be absent from the body is to be with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8)
and “to live is Christ and to die is gain”  (Philippians 1:21).

And lest you think you’re safe because you’ve never murdered anyone, remember that Jesus equated being angry with your brother to that of murder; both being in danger of the judgment (Matthew 5:21-22).

The Mormon teaching that some sinners are outside the realm of Christ’s atonement and God’s forgiveness is not only completely foreign to the Bible but the Mormon doctrine of Blood Atonement and the idea that murderers cannot be forgiven but must seek repentance while in Hell is utterly blasphemous, for it ascribes to the sinner’s suffering and shed blood a purity and cleansing power that Christ’s suffering and shed blood was supposedly insufficient to provide.

There is only one transgression that the Bible clearly expresses that will not be forgiven, and it is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 12:31-32 says:


Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Notice the Bible says that “all manner of sin” will be forgiven except “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.” Mormonism has once again taken the liberty to add to and alter God’s perspicuous Word.

No sinner is ever justified before God or has their sins cleansed because they died or suffered for their own transgressions. Only sinners who have put their faith in Christ have had their sins removed by Him (Acts 10:43, Romans 5:2, 1 John 3:5), and they are saved from the wrath of God by the precious shed blood of Christ (Romans 5:9, 1 Peter 1;18-19) not by man’s shed blood nor by man suffering in purgatory or Hell.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

__________________________________________________________

You can read Kimball’s The Miracle of Forgiveness online here.


by

Mormon prophet lends credibility to a wild claim.

Mormonism is known for its tall tales: Claims of Quaker-like people living on the moon, people living on the sun, God living on the planet Kolob, spiritual vegetables, black skin being a sign that you’re cursed of God, or Joseph Smith’s claim that he was visited by two members of the Trinity in the secluded woods (depending, of course, on which version of his vision you actually believe).  

Then there’s this doosey from Spencer W. Kimball, the twelfth president, prophet, seer, and revelator of the Mormon church writing in his book The Miracle of Forgiveness (pages 127-128) about an encounter a fellow Mormon had with a still-living biblical character.

Meet 6,000+ year-old Cain:

On the sad character Cain, an interesting story comes to us from Lycurgus A. Wilson’s book on the life of David W. Patten. From the book I quote an extract from a letter by Abraham O. Smoot giving his recollection of David Patten’s account of meeting “a very remarkable person who had represented himself as being Cain.”

“‘As I was riding along the road on my mule I suddenly noticed a very strange personage walking beside me—. His head was about even with my shoulders as I sat in my saddle. He wore no clothing, but was covered with hair. His skin was very dark. I asked him where he dwelt and he replied that he had no home, that he was a wanderer in the earth and traveled to and fro. He said he was a very miserable creature, that he had earnestly sought death during his sojourn upon the earth, but that he could not die, and his mission was to destroy the souls of men. About the time he expressed himself thus, I rebuked him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by virtue of the Holy Priesthood, and commanded him to go hence, and he immediately departed out of my sight . . . .”

by

How an LDS faction is born.

In light of the question posed in Coram Deo’s recent post, and in light of this fictional article about a Mississippi farm boy claiming revelation that the LDS church is apostate, I offer for your listening pleasure an audio piece that you can stream (for free) or download (for a small fee) from the podcast This American Life about how a real faction/split from Mormonism occurs with all sides claiming inspiration, revelation, and heavenly visitations (just like Joseph Smith).

You can find the podcast here. (The part of interest is the first 22 minutes of the hour-long podcast.)

The reason this piece is relevant is because we so often hear the mantra from the Mormon camp that Christianity is false as evidenced by its denominations, while Mormonism is true because they’re one and united, without any splits, divisions, or denominations.

This, like so many other LDS claims, is simply not true. Mormonism is rife with splits and divisions. You can see them chronicled here: The Lie of LDS Unity.

by

Did God sin?

This video portrays why my heart grieves for these precious souls and why Mormonism and Christianity never has and never will be compatible.

Source: GodNeverSinned.com

by

The lie of LDS unity.

If I had a nickel for every time a Mormon cited Christendom’s presence of denominations as proof that Christianity is apostate while citing their Mormon unity as proof that they’re the one true church, I’d have . . . well, an awful lot of nickels.

Chances are, if you’ve ever engaged Mormons in a debate you too have experienced this erroneous LDS apologetics tactic. But do not feel at a loss on how to cut through this smokescreen, for below is a list posted by 4 Mormon.org citing the plethora of Mormon splits, divisions, and denominations.

______________________________________________________

MORMON SPLINTER GROUPS

Sects that broke away from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Proponents of the Salt Lake City based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as LDS or Mormons) boast of the alleged “unity” of their 12 million membership. Pointing to multiple denominations of Christian churches, Mormons attribute their “unity” (i.e., uniform church structure and belief) to latter-day revelation and to additional books they regard as Scripture.

They challenge the potential convert to read and pray about the Book of Mormon in order to gain a “testimony” of the truthfulness of the book. This “testimony” (consisting of a “burning in the bosom” sensation) is alleged to be the main test for determining whether the potential convert should become a member of the LDS Church. Given the fact that over 100 splinter groups have developed on the foundation of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, we question the validity of the Mormon “testimony” in solidifying the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the sole possessor of the “restored gospel.” Since all of these movements base their authority on the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith, how can a “testimony” gained through praying about the Book of Mormon be sufficient to prove which church of all of these movements one should join? The following list of dissident groups is taken from the book Divergent Paths of Restoration:

FOUNDED BETWEEN 1830 AND 1844

  • Pure Church of Christ, Wycam Clark, 1831
  • The Independent Church, Hoton, 1832
  • Church of Christ, Ezra Booth, 1836
  • Church of Christ, Warren Parrish, 1837
  • The Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride, The Lamb’s Wife, George M. Hinkle, 1840
  • Church of Christ, Hyrum Page, 1842
  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, F. Gladden Bishop
  • True Church of Jessu Christ of Latter Day Saints, Law, Foster, Higbee, 1844
  • Church of Christ, William Chubby

NON-EXTANT MOVEMENTS FOUNDED 1844-1860

  • Church of Christ / Church of Jesus Christ of the Children of Zion, Sidney Rigdon, 1844
  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, James Emmett, 1844
  • Church of Christ, S. B. Stoddard, Leonard Rich, James Bump, 1845
  • Indian Mormon, 1846
  • Church of Christ, William McLellin, David Whitmer, 1847
  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, William Smith, 1847
  • Congregation of Jehovah’s Presbytery of Zion, Charles B. Thompson, 1848
  • Church of Christ, James C. Brewster, 1848
  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Lyman Wight, 1849
  • The Bride, The Lamb’s Wife or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Jacob Syfritt, 1850
  • Church of Christ, Hazen Aldrich, 1851

EXTANT MOVEMENTS

Splinter Groups and Sub-movements of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, James J. Strang, 1844

  • Church of Christ, Aaron Smith, 1846
  • Church of the Messiah, George J. Adams, 1861
  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)
  • Holy Church of Jesus Christ, Alexandre R. Caffiaux
  • House of Ephraim and House of Manasseh of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Jerry Sheppard
  • The True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, David L. Roberts
  • Marriage Counseling Group
  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, John J. Hajicek
  • Strangite Believers in Pennsylvania

Splinter Groups and Sub-movements of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brigham Young, 1847

  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or Church of the First Born, Joseph Morris, 1861
  • The Prophet Cainan or Church of Jesus Christ of the Saints of the Most High God, George Williams, 1862
  • Morrisite Group, John Livingston, 1864
  • Church of Zion, William S. Godbe, 1868
  • Church of the First Born, George S. Dove, 1874
  • Priesthood Groups (Fundamentalists), 1890
  • United Order of Equality, Ephraim Peterson, 1909
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Israel, J. H. Sherwood
  • Order of Aaron, Maurice L. Glendenning
  • Church of Freedom of Latter Day Saints, 1950s
  • Zion’s Order of the Sons of Levi, Marl V. Kilgore, 1951
  • The Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times, Joel F. LeBaron
  • The Church of the Firstborn, Ross W. LeBaron, 1955
  • Perfected Church of Jesus Christ of Immaculate Latter Day Saints, William C. Conway, 1958
  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, John Forsgren, 1960
  • Church of Jesus Christ, William Goldman, 1960
  • LDS Scripture Researchers/Believe God Society, Sherman Russell Lloyd, 1965
  • The Church of the Body and of the Spirit of Jessu Christ, Max Powers, 1965
  • United Order of the Saints of Guadeloupe, Michel Gamiette, 1966
  • United Order of the Family of Christ, David E. Desmond, 1966
  • Split from Zion’s Order of the Sons of Levi, Eldon Taylor, 1969
  • Homosexual Church of Jesus Christ, Denver, Colorado, 1972
  • Latter Day Saints Church, N.S. Park, 1972
  • The Church of the Lamb of God, Ervil M. LeBaron, 1972
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Mikhail Krupenia, 1972
  • The New Jerusalem Group, Kathryn Carter, 1972
  • The Watchmen on the Towers of Latter Day Israel, Miltenberg, Braun, 1973
  • Church of Jesus Christ in Solemn Assembly, Alexnader Joseph, 1974
  • Evangelical Church of Christ, Church of the New Covenant in Christ, John W. Bryant, 1974
  • Split form Zion’s Order of the Sons of Levi, Barton Kilgore, 1975
  • Affirmation, 1975
  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Robert Simons, 1975
  • Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times, Bruce Wakeham, 1975
  • Aaronic Order Break-off, 1977
  • Christ’s Church, Inc., Gerald Peterson, 1978
  • Church of Jesus Christ, Art Bulla, 1978
  • The Restorers or School of the Prophets, Robert C. Crossfield, 1979
  • Zion’s First International Church, LeeAnn Walker, 1980
  • The Free Will Mormon Church, Franklin Lee Coleman, 1980
  • Church of Jesus Christ, Jorge Mora, 1981
  • Sons Ahman Israel, Davied Israel, 1981
  • Samoan LDS Church, New Zealand, 1981
  • The Millennial Church of Jesus Christ, Leo P. Evoniuk, 1981
  • Peyote Way Church of God, Immanuel P. Trujillo, 1981
  • The Chruch of Jesus Christ of the Saints in Zion, Ken Asay, 1984
  • Break from the Church of Jesus Christ in Solemn Assembly, 1984
  • Church of Jesus Christ of All Latter-day Saints or Restoration Church of Jesus Christ, Antonio A. Feliz, 1985
  • Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints, Robert P. Madison, 1985
  • Church of Christ the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times, Siegfried J. Widmar, 1985
  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Fundamentalists, Wight Family, 1985
  • Mormon Fundamentalists, England, Alan and Marian Munn, 1986
  • Churchof Jesus Christ Omnipotent, 1987
  • Community of Zion, Central Utah Division
  • Church of the First Born, General Assembly

Splinter Groups and Sub-movements of The Church of Jesus Christ, Alpheus Cutler, 1853

  • Church of Jesus Christ, Clyde Fletcher, 1953
  • The Restored Church of Jesus Christ, Eugene O. Walton, 1979

Splinter Groups and Sub-movements of The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1851-1860

  • Church of the Christian Brotherhood, Richard C. Evans, 1917
  • The Church of Christ, the Order of Zion, John Zahnd, 1918
  • The Church of Jesus Christ, Thomas W. Williams, 1925
  • Church of Jesus Christ Restored, Stanley M. King, 1970
  • New Jerusalem Church of Jesus Christ, Barney Fuller, 1975
  • Church of Christ Restored, Paul Fishel, 1976
  • True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Forrest Toney, 1980
  • Church of the Restoration or Churches of Christ in Zion, Robert Chambers, 1981
  • Lamanite Ministries for Christ or New Covenant Ministries for Christ, 1984
  • Restoration Branches Movement, 1984
  • Church of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, A. Lee Abramson, 1985
  • Church of Jesus Christ, Zion’s Branch, John Cato, 1986
  • Church of Christ, David Clark, 1986
  • Independent Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Christopher C. Warren, 1986
  • Native Indian Church

Splinter Groups and Sub-movements of The Church of Jesus Christ, William Bickerton, 1862

  • Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ, Allen Wright, 1907
  • Primitive Church of Jesus Christ, James Caldwell, 1914

Splinter Groups and Sub-movements of Church of Christ (Temple Lot), Granville Hedrick, 1863

  • Church of Christ, Independent, Informal, Frank F. Wipper, 1927
  • The Church of Christ, Otto Fetting, 1929
  • Church of Christ, P.A. Ely, 1929
  • Church of Christ, C.W. Humphrey, 1929
  • Church of Christ, Samuel Wood, E.J. Trapp, 1930
  • Church of Christ (Restored), A.C. DeWolf, 1936
  • Church of Christ, E. E. Long, Thomas Nerren, 1936
  • Church of Christ, Paul Hilgendorf, 1942
  • The Church of Christ With the Elijah Message, W. A. D. Draves, 1943
  • Church of Christ, Pauline Hancock, 1946
  • Antarctica Development Interests or the New American’s Mount Zion, John Leabo, 1955
  • Church of Christ at Zion’s Retreat, Gerald Hall, 1973
  • The Church of Israel, Dan Gayman, 1973
  • Break from the Church of Christ (Hancock), Davison, Michigan, 1973
  • The Church of Christ, Restored Gospel 1929, 1985
by

Is Joseph Smith the gateway to heaven?

Joseph Fielding SmithAbsolutely amazing blasphemies from the Mormon church:
“[There is] “no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith. If Joseph Smith was verily a prophet, and if he told the truth…no man can reject that testimony without incurring the most dreadful consequences, for he cannot enter the kingdom of God” -Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p.190
George Q. Cannon
“If we get our salvation, we shall have to pass by Joseph Smith; if we enter our glory, it will be through the authority he has received. We cannot get around him.” -1988 Melchizedek Priesthood Study Guide, p. 142, Apostle George Q. Cannon
Brigham Young

“He that confesseth not that Jesus has come in the flesh and sent Joseph Smith with the fullness of the Gospel to this generation, is not of God, but is anti-christ.” -Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 9, p.312

“No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith…every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are… [Joseph Smith] reigns there as supreme a being in his sphere, capacity, and calling, as God does in heaven. Many will exclaim—”Oh, that is very disagreeable! It is preposterous! We cannot bear the thought!” But it is true.” -Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p.289-91

Gordon B. Hinckley

“Our entire case as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rests on the validity of this glorious First Vision. … Nothing on which we base our doctrine, nothing we teach, nothing we live by is of greater importance than this initial declaration. I submit that if Joseph Smith talked with God the Father and His Beloved Son, then all else of which he spoke is true. This is the hinge on which turns the gate that leads to the path of salvation and eternal life.” -Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign Mag., Nov. 1998, pp.70-71

Orson Hyde

“I tell you, Joseph holds the keys, and none of us can get into the celestial kingdom without passing by him. We have not got rid of him, but he stands there as the sentinel, holding the keys of the kingdom of God; and there are many of them beside him. I tell you, if we get past those who have mingled with us, and know us best, and have a right to know us best, probably we can pass all other sentinels as far as it is necessary, or as far as we may desire. But I tell you, the pinch will be with those that have mingled with us, stood next to us, weighed our spirits, tried us, and proven us: there will be a pinch, in my view, to get past them. The others, perhaps, will say, If brother Joseph is satisfied with you, you may pass. If it is all right with him, it is all right with me. Then if Joseph shall say to a man, or if brother Brigham say to a man, I forgive you your sins, “Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them;” if you who have suffered and felt the weight of transgression—if you have generosity enough to forgive the sinner, I will forgive him: you cannot have more generosity than I have. I have given you power to forgive sins, and when the Lord gives a gift, he does not take it back again.” -Apostle Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p.154-155

But what saith the eternal Word of God?

1 Timothy 2:5

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Source: MormonWiki

by

Mark Hofmann’s parole board letter released.

The handwritten letter by Mormon forger and bomber, Mark Hofmann, to his parole board in 1988 has finally been released.

For those not familiar with Hofmann and the great Salamander Letter controversy, here’s a synopsis:

Mark Hofmann fooled the prophets and leaders of his church in the 1980s when he began making a lucrative living by selling them forged (fake) documents that were damaging to Mormonism. These documents were purchased by the Mormon church and archived away (or destroyed) so that no one would ever see them.

(The fact that LDS prophets were so easily fooled by forgeries is telling, as well as the fact that the LDS leadership–thinking the documents were genuine–were willing to pay a lot of money to procure them from Hofmann to keep the world from seeing them. These two facts alone speak volumes about Mormonism . . . but I digress.)

Once Hofmann’s scam began to unravel he resorted to bombs. In the end, two people were killed and Hofmann was seriously injured when one of the bombs detonated prematurely.

For a more detailed examination of the incident, I highly recommend the book The Mormon Murders.  It is a riveting page-turner investigated and written by two secular (non-Mormon, non-Christian) authors.

Hofmann opened his letter to the Utah parole board with this amazing statement:

“These are some of my thoughts concerning my crimes and how I became what I am. As far back as I can remember I have liked to impress people through my deceptions. In fact, some of my earliest memories are of doing magic and card tricks. Fooling people gave me a sense of power and superiority. I believe this is what led to my forging activities.”

You can read the whole letter (in PDF format) here.

For those of you who have studied early Mormon history (pre-revisionism), I am certain that you find the same irony in this quote as I did: This quote could easily be ascribed to Mormonism’s founder, Joseph Smith, and it would be just as accurate and apropos.

It’s true that the fruit never falls far from the tree.

(FILE | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mark W. Hofmann, left, and LDS Church leaders N. Eldon Tanner, Spencer W. Kimball, Marion G. Romney, Boyd K. Packer and Gordon B. Hinckley examine the Anthon transcript April 22, 1980.

by

Old Mormon vs New Mormon: Celestial Marriage.

DefCon presents another installment of Old Mormon vs New Mormon.

See our previous installment Old Mormon vs New Mormon: The Missouri Prophecies here.

by

Of temples and bookstores.

I wouldn’t have bothered posting this video but I found the second half of it very interesting. They take a video camera into a Mormon bookstore (Deseret Books) and show us some of the items being sold. You may be surprised at what you see.

by

“Bible vs Joseph Smith” DVD outreach opportunity.

For those who are interested, here’s a great evangelistic opportunity from Tri-Grace Ministries:
LAST CHANCE – BIBLE vs JOSEPH SMITH DVD OUTREACH

Dear FPW’s (Faithful Prayer Warriors),

This will be very short. Several people have contacted us about the possibility of purchasing THE BIBLE vs JOSEPH SMITH DVD at the discounted price of $1.75 ea. If you are still thinking about ordering, the time to act is NOW because we are ready to place our order.So far 46 people from all over the country (plus one from Africa) have ordered the DVD and plan to distribute over 10,000 of these  DVD’s. This will surely create a ripple effect that will be felt world-wide by the LDS community. 

The LDS community is a tight knit, very well connected subculture. If only a few Mormons are saved as a result of this outreach, the impact will reach deep into the Mormon community. We are praying that outreach opportunities like this one will eventually become the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Not by power, nor by might, but my His Spirit!!!

We do not care how many DVDs you order – we just want to touch Mormons all across the world. So if you know any Mormons… order the DVD and drop one on their doorstep. Then pray and see what God will do.

Contact T.G.M at trigrace@gmail.com for more information or to place your order, but hurry, they will be placing this one-time large order very soon.

by

LDS: “But that was just his opinion.”

If you’ve ever been in a discussion with a Mormon and you’ve quoted one of their prophets or church leaders (and that quote was not favorable to their organization’s current position on any given matter), then you no doubt have received the following response:

“But that was just his opinion.”

So, is this a valid response or is this simply a dishonest retort which completely evades the issue?

Using only Mormon published materials, I will prove to you in this post that it’s the latter.

Please read the following 23 quotes very carefully.

01

We do not wish incorrect and unsound doctrines be handed down to posterity under the sanction of great names, to be received and valued by future generations as authentic and reliable . . . .  Errors in history and in doctrine, if left uncorrected by us who are conversant with the events, and who are in a position to judge of the truth or falsity of the doctrines, would go to our children as though we had sanctioned and endorsed them.– Brigham Young, Millennial Star, Volume 27, Page 659, 1865

02

I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call scripture. Let me have the privilege of correcting a sermon, and it is as good Scripture as they deserve.  The people have the oracles of God continually. – Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Volume 13, Page 95

03

I will commence by saying to the Latter-day Saints and to all the inhabitants of the earth that I am responsible for the doctrine I teach; but I am not responsible for the obedience of the people to that doctrine. – Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Volume 13, Page 1, 1869

04

I will take up my text again—I am responsible for the doctrine I teach. – Brigham Young Journal of Discourses, Volume 13, Page 4, 1869

05

Brigham Young has said “when he sends forth his discourses to the world they may call them Scripture.”  I say now, when they are copied and approved by me they are as good Scripture as is couched in this Bible, and if you want to read revelation read the sayings of him who knows the mind of God. – Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Volume 13, Page 264, 1870

06

What man or woman on the earth, what spirit in the spirit-world can say truthfully that I ever gave a wrong word of counsel, or a word of advice that could not be sanctioned by the heavens?  – Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Volume 12, Page 127, 1867

Continue reading →

by

Old Mormon vs New Mormon: The Missouri Prophecies

Another DefCon exclusive:

What happens when a 19th century Mormon meets a 21st century Mormon? Find out in the first installment of the new series: “Old Mormon vs New Mormon.”

And when we get into Jackson county to walk in the courts of that house, we can say we built this temple; for as the Lord lives we will build up Jackson county in this generation.

Brigham Young

Times & Seasons

Volume 6 Page 956

April 06, 1845

To be in readiness to move into Jackson county in two years from the eleventh of September next, which is the appointed time for the redemption of Zion.

Joseph Smith

History of the Church

Volume 2 Page 145

August 16, 1834

The day is near when a Temple shall be reared in the Center Stake of Zion, and the Lord has said his glory shall rest on that House in this generation, that is in the generation in which the revelation was given, which is upwards of thirty years ago.

George Q. Cannon

Journal of Discourses

Volume 10 Page 344

October 23, 1864

Continue reading →

by

Reinventing themselves . . . once again.

Ever-reinventing and re-polishing themselves till they get it right, the LDS church is back at the drawing board once again. This news article from BNet highlights the latest product of the LDS propaganda machine: Pathetic pandering to the culture.

Notice how he claims the LDS church “teaches good principles?” Since when do “good principles” save a man? Did you also notice how he said the LDS church makes a bad person good and a good person better? This is just further proof that this organization doesn’t preach the Gospel, nor even remotely understands it. True Biblical Christianity does not make a bad person good and a good person better, it takes a dead man and makes him alive; it takes an enemy of God and makes him an heir.

But being a cult does have its benefits though, because since truth to a Mormon is subjective and ever-changing, what was “truth” yesterday, is now relegated to:

We have new revelation.

We don’t teach that anymore.

We don’t believe that anymore.

That was just that prophet’s personal opinion.

You’ve taken that LDS teaching out of context.

A new prophet supersedes anything a previous prophet says.

You misunderstood what the LDS church was trying to say back then.

Just try to nail us down on something, you’d have better results trying to nail Jello-O to the wall.

In other words, “forget what our history and our doctrine say, this is what we want you to think of us now.”

HT: UTLM.org via Facebook

by

Cultoons: A dying man on a Mormon’s doorstep.

DefCon is pleased to introduce its first ever Cultoon. If the dialogue in this Cultoon sounds familiar, it was loosely derived from an actual debate featured on this previous post. Enjoy.

by

A Mormon explains the LDS gospel (or the lack thereof).

It was two years ago (July 2008) that a Mormon named Keith visited us on a post regarding Faith and Works. During this discussion I tried to get Keith to explain how I could be saved if I only had a few minutes to live. Keith did a lot of talking (including changing the conversation, accusing me of trying to manipulate him, and accusing me of asking a trick question), but he never answered the question.

I decided to publish this discussion (with all of our typos) in this post to show you exactly how Mormonism advances “another” gospel; one that gives false hope to a dying man, if any hope at all.

You can check out the entire conversation (and how it began) by checking on the comments section of this post from December of 2007.

When you get to the end of the discussion, if you are still perplexed as to what one has to do to “be right with God” according to Mormonism, the answers are actually listed here: Requirements for Mormon salvation.

Enjoy the conversation.

_________________________________

Ok, Keith, here it goes:

It’s late at night.

You hear something at your front door.

You investigate.

You find me laying on your porch step covered in blood.

You see a blood trail where I dragged myself which leads to the street where fresh skid marks are present on the asphalt.

I was just hit by a car that sped off.

You call to your wife to dial 911 and you kneel down to offer any assistance that you can.

I only have a few minutes left to live (and by your estimation of my condition you know it’s true).

I’m in fear of facing God and I ask you one simple question.

“How do I get saved?”

You’ve got five minutes.

The clock is ticking . . .

– The Pilgrim

Keith says:

Ok, this is a trick question for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but this is what I will say. My dear friend you are not lost because God in his wisdom has made a plan for every one of his children. Your acceptance of Jesus Christ at this time will be to your great advantage and your sorrow and asking for forgiveness for your sins will be of merit for you. When you get to other side you will find that you still have an opportunity to learn of his work. Through the miracle of the restoration of the Gospel the Lord has made it possible that your baptism can still be done and you can upon meeting the requirements have the blessings of the Gospel in your life. Now Pilgrim, rejoice in the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ because it is through him that you will live again and receive his great blessings. I love him and I want you to know that I know that he lives and that through him you will be resurrected and can receive forgiveness of your sins and be accepted into his presence. Now should we pray together and ask for God to hear your plea.

As you know Pilgrim your understanding of the term of salvation and mine are different and just because we understand the same scriptures differently does not make me wrong and you right. I am interested in your reply.

Continue reading →

by

Mormon church releases statement on Blood Atonement.

The ever-changing mainstream Mormon church has taken yet one more step to distance themselves from the original teachings of their church. This is just another step to appear more “Christian” as they reject the doctrinal roots of their founders. Can anyone recognize Mormonism anymore?

Here’s the very brief article:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released this statement Wednesday:

In the mid-19th century, when rhetorical, emotional oratory was common, some church members and leaders used strong language that included notions of people making restitution for their sins by giving up their own lives.

However, so-called “blood atonement,” by which individuals would be required to shed their own blood to pay for their sins, is not a doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe in and teach the infinite and all-encompassing atonement of Jesus Christ, which makes forgiveness of sin and salvation possible for all people.

Source: Deseret News

Could the timing of this press release have anything to do with this week’s execution by firing squad of Ronnie Lee Gardner in Utah?

<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>


Find out more about the truth of Mormonism’s doctrine of Blood Atonement from these previous DefCon posts:

The Mormon doctrine of Blood Atonement as taught from the mouth of (Mormon Prophet) Brigham Young.

The Doctrine of Blood Atonement as taught by the Mormon organization.

by

Film review: The Bible vs. Joseph Smith.

Joel Kramer and Sourceflix have hit another home run with their latest release, The Bible vs. Joseph Smith.

DefCon has been pleased to feature Joel Kramer’s past documentaries DNA vs. the Book of Mormon, The Bible vs. the Book of Mormon, and Lifting the Veil on Polygamy, and now The Bible vs. Joseph Smith continues in the excellence of quality, production, and product.

Joel Kramer sits down with a lifelong Mormon and puts Bible prophets and Mormon prophets to the Deuteronomy 18 test “to see which prophets are truly speaking for God.”

This video not only deals with such problems as the Book of Mormon error of stating that Jesus was born in Jerusalem, but it also deals with Joseph Smith’s problems of false prophecy, so clearly in fact, that I suggest to you that this video conclusively proves that Joseph Smith was a false prophet.

“In a conversation between a Christian and a Mormon, the prophets of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon are put head to head in a test to see which prophets are truly speaking for God. If even one prophecy fails to come true, that prophet is a false prophet, and must be put to death.”