The Christian Arsenal

Christianity, Cults & World Religions
Mormonism

  1. ✦Agnosticism

  2. ✦Armstrongism

  3. ✦Atheism

  4. ✦Baha'i World Faith

  5. ✦Buddhism

  6. ✦Christian Science

  7. ✦Evolutionism

  8. ✦Hare Krishna

  9. ✦Hinduism

  10. ✦Humanism

  11. ✦Islam

  12. ✦Jehovah’s Witnesses

  13. ✦Freemason

  14. ✦Materialism

  15. ✦Mormonism

  16. ✦New Age Movement

  17. ✦Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism

  18. ✦Scientology

  19. ✦Secularism

  20. ✦Spiritism

  21. ✦Taoism

  22. ✦Transcendental Meditation

  23. ✦Unification Church

  24. ✦Unity School of Christianity

  25. ✦Way International

  26. ✦Wicca



Mormonism (Latter-Day Saints)

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Religion:  Mormonism (Latter-Day Saints)

Category: Cult


Founder/Leader:

The founder is Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844). The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints was founded in 1830 in New York. The present day headquarters is in Salt Lake City, Utah.


Foundational Documents:

The Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants, the Bible (King James Version only or Smith's "Inspired Version") are the basis of the LDS sacred library. There are also authoritative teachings of Mormon prophets and other LDS "general authorities" that are considered sacred to the members of the LDS.


God is...

God the Father was once a man, but became God. He has a physical body, as does his wife (Heavenly Mother). No Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate gods. Worthy men may one day become gods themselves. They live on a planet called Kolab.


Jesus is...

Jesus is a separate god from the Father (Elohim). He was created as a spirit child by the Father and Mother in Heaven, and in the "elder brother" of all men and spirit beings. His body was created through sexual union between Elohim and Mary. Jesus was married. His death on the cross does not provide full atonement for all sin, but does provide everyone with resurrection. Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer, in other words he has the same status of sonship with God as did Jesus.


The Holy Spirit is... 

"The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a personage of spirit, a spirit person, a spirit man, a spirit entity. He can only be in one place at one time, and he does not and cannot transform himself into any other form or image than that of the man who he is, though his power and influence can be manifest at one and the same time through all immensity." According to Mormon scholar Bruce R. McConkie


Method of Salvation:

A person is resurrected by grace, but saved (exalted to godhood) by works, including faithfulness to church leaders, Mormons practice baptism, tithing, ordination, marriage, and secret temple rituals. There is no eternal life without Mormon membership.


Death and Beyond...

Eventually nearly everyone goes to one of three separate heavenly "kingdoms," with some achieving godhood. Apostates and murderers go to "outer darkness."


Other Beliefs:

No alcohol, tobacco, coffee, or tea. Baptism on behalf of the dead. Two-year missionary commitment encouraged. Door-to-door proselytizing. Secret temple rituals available only to members in good standing. Extensive social network. People of African ancestry not granted full access to Mormon priesthood and privileges until 1978. See 2 Nephi 5:21. It is to be noted that Mormons will claim to believe everything that an evangelical Christian would believe. They do however, there is a unique Mormon definition to nearly every term. An excellent resource to become familiar with this is "Decker's Complete Handbook on Mormonism" by Ed Decker, published by Harvest House Publishers. A must for anyone who is seeking to study Mormonism!


Recommended Bibliography

Decker's Complete Handbook on Mormonism by Ed Decker - Probably one of the best works in print on the subject of Mormon doctrine and what the Latter Day Saints believe. This book provides over 150 articles on various aspects of what the Latter Day Saints believe and a Biblical response to each. This book contains a massive amount of documentation and provides plenty of references for further research.

Mormonism 101: Examining the religion of the Latter-day Saints by Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson - This book is written in a very clear and concise manner and is very easy reading. It lays out the history and teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was extensively researched and respectively differentiates between Mormonism and Christianity. This book is current and up to date since it mostly quotes from LDS leaders over the past 10 years.


Links  on Mormonism

  1. ✦Mormon Challenge - Included here are some short clips from the scientists that were interviewed for the video DNA vs. The Book of Mormon.  Also included (on the bottom half of the page) are these same scientists addressing related arguments that have come up regarding the DNA issue.


  1. ✦A Close Look at Mormonism - A look at controversial topics within the Mormon Church.


  1. ✦Archaeology of the Book of Mormon - The Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institute speaks on the Book of Mormon's reliability and accuracy in the area of history and archaeology. The results may surprise you. A must read!


  1. ✦Information for Mormon's - Little-known facts about Joseph Smith, Jr. and the Book of Mormon.


  1. ✦Is Mormonism Christian? - This is a series of documents about Mormonism, written by a Christian professor who is an ex-Mormon. It compares essential Mormon and Christian doctrines.


  1. ✦Joseph Smith's Statements About Himself - Joseph Smith boasted that he was greater than or equal to Jesus Christ and the original apostles.


  1. ✦LDS Arguments: Leaders Not Speaking for God - Mormon arguments about Christians deriving LDS doctrine from statements by church leaders. How Mormons explain their leaders were not always speaking for God.


  1. ✦LDS:The Only True Church - Mormon leaders have stated that their church is the only true church, that all other Christians are apostate since the first century.


  1. ✦The Massive Mormon Scripture Mess - Trying to sort out the massive complexities of the Mormon scriptures is somewhat akin to the frustration one might feel trying to rewind a pickup load of tangled fishing line. Every time you feel like you have made some headway, another mess pops up.


  1. ✦The Mormon Missionaries tell the People How Unreliable the Bible is - Now that the Mormon Church is offering free Bibles in public advertising, will the missionaries tell people about the defects in it?


  1. ✦Mormons in Transition - Mormon beliefs - history of Mormonism: 100s of pages of documented articles on the Mormon Church, Book of Mormon, changes in Mormon history, Mormon polygamy and temples.


  1. ✦Problems With the Book of Mormon -If the Book of Mormon is false, then Joseph Smith was obviously a false prophet.  If Joseph Smith was a false prophet, then millions of decent people have been deceived away from the truth.


  1. ✦Saints Alive - We are a Christian nonprofit corporation founded upon the call of God to witness Jesus to those lost in Mormonism and other cults.


  1. ✦Utah Lighthouse Ministry - Utah Lighthouse Ministry provides research comparing Mormon claims with Christianity as well as documentation on historical problems in LDS History.


  1. ✦What Mormons Don't Say - We have never been given or heard of any official Mormon tract or booklet that openly and briefly summarizes all of their major teachings. In fact, I believe such a document does not exist. What are these teachings? By way of example, what follows is a list of those not found in the Book of Mormon.