Ten Reasons Why Not to be a Mormon (Latter Day Saint)
1. Mormonism does not teach that the Bible is the infallible
Word of God.
"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is
translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be
the word of God" (Articles of faith, No. 8).
As Christians we believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final
authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings,
infallible and God-breathed (Matt. 5:18; II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet.
1:20-21).
2. Mormonism teaches that God is an exalted man and has a
physical body.
"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted
man" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 345).
"The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as
man's..." (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 130:22).
The Bible says, "God is not a man..." (Num. 23:19).
"God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him
in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). "A spirit hath not
flesh and bones..." (Luke 24:39).
3. Mormonism teaches that Christ and the devil are brothers
"...that Lucifer, the son of the morning, is our elder
brother and the brother of Jesus Christ" (Mormon Doctrine by
Bruce McConkie, pp. 163-4).
The Bible says the devil is a created being, created by God.
"Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast
created, till iniquity was found in thee" (Ezek. 28:15).
"For by Him (Christ) were all things created, that are in
heaven, and that are in the earth, visible and invisible, whether
they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all
things were created by Him and for Him..." (Col. 1:15-17).
4. Mormonism Teaches that Jesus Christ Was Married and That He Is
Polygamous.
"We say it was Jesus Christ who was married at Cana of
Galilee" (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 2, p. 80).
Mormonism teaches that Jesus was the natural child of Adam and
Mary. "When the Virgin Mary
conceived the Child Jesus... He was not begotten of the Holy
Ghost. And who is his Father? He is the first of the human
family" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, pp. 50-51).
The Bible says, "In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and
the Word was with God;...The Word was made flesh and dwelt among
us..." (John 1:1, 14). "Then Mary said unto the angel,
How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel
answered...The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee..." (Luke
1:34-35).
5. Mormonism teaches that the true church ceased to exist until
it was restored to Joseph Smith.
The church (LDS) was restored April 6, 1830 by Joseph Smith (Doc.
& Cov., 20:1).
Jesus Christ said, "I will build my church and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18).
"For other foundation can no man lay than that which is
laid, which is Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 3:11). "...And are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Eph. 2:20).
6. Mormonism teaches another (perverted) gospel than that of the
Bible.
The gospel to Mormonism is, "Faith, Repentance, Baptism,
Receiving the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands, Morality,
Loyalty, Tithing, Word of Wisdom, Duty, Celestial Marriage (for
eternity)" (LDS chart on FREE AGENCY and Articles of Faith,
No.4).
The Bible says, "Moreover brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel... how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the
third day according to the scriptures" (I Cor. 15: 1, 3-4).
"If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye
have received, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:9).
7. Mormonism Teaches Salvation For the Dead By Proxy Water
Baptism.
This doctrine is based on one misunderstood Scripture: "Else
what shall they do which are baptized for the dead?" (I Cor.
15:29).
Paul did not practice baptism for the dead. He excluded himself
by using the pronoun "they" rather than "we"
or "ye". He is asking a question rather than making a
statement. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after
this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27).
8. Mormonism teaches genealogical research for the dead.
"Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as
Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord an offering in
righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple, when it is
finished, a book containing the records of our dead, which shall
be worthy of all acceptation" (Doc. & Cov., Sec.
128:24).
The Bible says, "Neither give heed to fables and endless
genealogies" (I Tim. 1:4). "But avoid foolish questions
and genealogies..." (Titus 3:9).
9. Mormonism teaches that there are modern day prophets and
modern day revelations from God.
Mormonism claims that Joseph Smith received the Aaronic
Priesthood from John the Baptist. The
Melchizadek Priesthood and Apostleship was restored by Peter,
James and John shortly afterwards in 1829 (Doc. & Cov., Sec.
13).
The Bible says, "God...hath in these last days spoken unto
us by hisSon, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom
also he made the worlds" (Heb. 1:1-2). The test of a prophet
is given in Deut. 18:20-22.
10. Mormonism teaches that salvation depends upon good works and
acceptance of Joseph Smith.
"No man who rejects the testimony of Joseph Smith can enter
the kingdom of God" (Doctrines of
Salvation, Vol. 1, pg. 190). "Men have work to do if they
would obtain salvation" (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 3, pg.
91).
The Bible teaches that salvation is provided by Jesus Christ
alone, "for there is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:10-12).
"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man
should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).
My friend, the Bible clearly states the way for a person to
escape the wrath of God and enjoy the blessings of eternity in
God's presence. Jesus said, "He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall
not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John
3:36). In God's way of salvation a person must accept certain
facts about God, about himself, and about Jesus Christ.
He must understand that God in love provided the method by which
men may come to Him. "For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
This God is not limited by a body of flesh and bones.
Man must also acknowledge that he has fallen short of God's
standard and so deserves eternal punishment and separation from
God. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God" (Rom. 3:23). "For the wages of sin is death; but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord" (Rom. 6:23).
An individual must realize that Jesus Christ is fully God and
fully man and that He paid the price for each man's sin.
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for
the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in
the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (I Pet. 3:18).
In God's plan each individual must personally received God's gift
in order to be saved. "But as many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on his name" (John 1:12).
Salvation comes not through man's works, proxy water baptism, or
a belief in Joseph Smith, but by
accepting the finished work of Jesus Christ. "Not by works
of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
he saved us" (Titus 3:5).
Are you a Christian? Have you come to God in God's way as
described in the Bible?