Campus Bible Fellowship

Mormonism: Problems

Historical Problems

First Vision conflicting accounts

While I gave the official account earlier, there are actually several different accounts of the First Vision. Most are “second-hand” accounts, either by an interview of Joseph Smith or through an interview of someone who Smith told of the account. Almost all have major variations, with Joseph’s Smith’s age going between 14 and 17, with the account of Moroni and the first vision being combined into one account, from the revival causing Joseph to seek for the truth because of the conviction of his sin to Joseph out money digging and coming across the tables. Also, it seems that in reality there was no revival in the area of his hometown during the time that he claimed there was.

Changed “eternal” truths

Because the leaders of the church are considered prophets and apostles, their teachings are considered to be divine eternal truth. However, many of their teachings contradict each other, or they have gotten rid of some of their “eternal” teaching, including:

1. polygamy: this was “revealed” in 1890 when the U.S. would not allow Utah to join the union unless they stopped the practice of polygamy
2. the curse of Canaan (on black people; 2 Nephi 5:21): which precluded them from being part of the Aaronic priesthood. This was changed in 1978, which also changed the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 30:6) from Mormons becoming “white and delightsome” to “pure and delightsome”
3. The Adam-God doctrine (stating that God was Adam.

Failed prophecy

Deuteronomy 18:22 states: “When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”

That means if someone says that they are a prophet of the Lord, and what they prophecy does not come true, then they are a false prophet. Joseph Smith once prophesied that the Lord would return in the year 1891, which did not happen. He also prophesied that a person would take a missionary journey in a year, but the person died 6 months later and never took the journey. He also prophesied twice that the U.S. Government or Congress would be broken up in a few years, but it is still around today. In his First Vision account he states that the angel Moroni told him that judgment was coming in his generation, but that never happened.

Translation problems

Although most Mormons believe that Smith used the Urim and Thummim glasses to look at the plates to translate them, several eyewitnesses stated a completely different account. These were not eyewitnesses trying to show Smith as false, but rather as true. Apparently the Urim and Thummim were taken away from Joseph as punishment for losing part of the manuscript he had translated, but he was allowed to continue the translation using the “seer” stone that he previously used to find treasure buried in the earth. He would place the stone in his hat, and then cover his face with his hat. Then, a line of the ancient text would appear before him and the translation underneath. He would read what he saw, and someone else would write it down. Once they had written it down correctly, then another line would appear. If they didn’t get the words right, or misspelled the words, then the line would remain until they corrected the problem. Also, although Smith’s translation of the Book of Mormon was supposedly perfect, it has had some modifications through the years.

Archeological Problems

The Book of Mormon presents a highly civilized society with many  amenities that did not exist in the Americas before 1492, including iron, steel, glass, silk, horses, donkeys, and elephants. The vast buildings that were mentioned have never been found either.

Scientific Problems

The Book of Mormon claims that Native Americans are descendants of the Lamanites, the evil group that was cursed by God with dark skin. The Lamanites were Semitic in origin (Mediterranean Caucasoid), but genetic and anthropological studies show the Native Americans to be Mongoloid.

Biblical Problems

• Bible
  • The Mormons believe that the Bible is God’s Word, but has been corrupted through the apostasy. Whenever their other religious teachings contradict the Bible, they are to follow their other religious teachings. But God’s Word teaches it is sufficient and will remain.
  • “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17)
  • “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” (2 Pet 1:3)
  • “but the word of the Lord remains forever .” (I Peter 1:25)
• Is the Book of Mormon in the Bible?
  • Mormons claim that John 10:16 is a reference to the lost tribes of Israel in the Americas that Jesus had to go visit.
    • “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
  • However, nothing in the context even remotely hints of a group of Jews halfway around the world. In the context of the passage and the rest of the New Testament, Jesus is referring to the Gentiles who would believe on His name and become part of the “flock,” who are not currently in the “fold” of the nation of Israel.
• God
  • Though Mormons often claim to believe in one God, they really believe in many gods, which contradicts the Bible
  • “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Dt 6:4)
  • The Bible also clearly teaches that God is a spirit and does not have flesh and bones
  • “for I am God and not a man” Hosea 11:9
  • “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24)
  • “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Ps. 90:2)
• Jesus Christ
  • Jesus is not a separate God from the Father. “I and the Father are one.” Jn 10:30
  • Jesus was not a spirit child of God, but has always been God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jn 1:1
• Baptism
  • Baptism is never given as necessary for salvation, but as an act of obedience and an outward sign of salvation.
  • “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.  (Acts 2:41)
  • It is not possible to be baptized for someone else, nor is it possible to be saved after you die.
  • “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life.” (Ps 49:7)
  • “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Heb 9:27)
• Priesthood
  • The Mormons falsely limit the priesthood to males and ignore the New Testament teaching that all believers are priests
    • “But you are…a royal priesthood” 1 Pet 2:9
    • “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father (Rev. 1:5-6)
  • They also misunderstand the Melchizedek Priesthood, which the Bible gives to Jesus alone (and permanently), and removed the need for the Aaronic Priesthood.
    • “Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well” (Heb 7:11-12)
    • “but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever” (Heb 7:24)
• Atonement
  • Christ’s death was not merely for Adam’s sin, but was for our sin as well.
    • “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Co 15:3)
    • “Who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” (Ga 1:4)
    • “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 Jn 4:10)
• Salvation
  • Salvation does not depend on the good works we do, but on the good works Jesus Christ did. It is not earned, but given by grace through faith in Christ.
    • “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” Tit 3:5
    • “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (Ga 2:16)
  • Though the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints claims to have a restored gospel, it does not match up with the original gospel. Even though Smith claims it was revealed to him by an angel and supported by “Apostles”, it is a false gospel and therefore under God’s curse.
    • “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Gal 1:8)

Conclusion

1. Mormonism dresses a false gospel in Christian terms, which can deceive many.
2. Most Mormons are not evil people, but people who have believed a lie and need to be told the truth.
3. Be willing to share the true gospel with them and to share how God has changed your life.

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