Let it be known up front that I am not a Mormon, nor have I ever been a Mormon. I have created this blog solely for the purpose of keeping my notes on what I think Mormons believe and have compared what their Elders or preachers have told me and compared that with the Bible. Much of what they tell me, I could not find in the Bible. A good portion of the information found in this blog was gleaned from discussions I have had with two Mormon Elders from the Waialua Hawaii Ward. I have in my files, the original letters in their hand writing going back and forth from myself to these two Elders from the Waialua Hawaii Ward named John Alderich & Boyd Barney. The date of this writing began on August 20, 1984 and our conversations continued for about a month. I certainly hope nothing in these notes are taken out of context. I am writing for my own personal use and am not challenging any Mormon and certainly don't want anybody to read these notes as if they are an attack on the Mormon religion. I wish to compare the content of each literature and not the personalities of their respective authors. I do not include information here that comes from here-say or from what some disgruntled X-Mormon has to say about it. That being said, here are my notes. I encourage conversation and an interchange of encouragement on the facts.
The information listed in these pages are not listed in any particular order of importance. The information is organized as thoughts occur to me and time to investigate what I find is recorded. This first section 1. Preliminary information is just a collection of thoughts ready for research. As research is done, the information is distributed to its own section and titled. My introduction to this list of questions is based on discussions from Mormons and from my understanding after reading publications printed by Mormons. So let us see if the revelation of Joseph Smith is the same teaching as the apostle John. After all the truth is consistent and cannot be changed. There is only one truth and the rest is something else but certainly not truth.
So, what do Mormons really believe? Before I look into the Book of Mormon and their other publications to aid in that determination, let me mention that what I have heard and read about them is: they are diligent, care about family values and make attempts at financial and physical self-sufficiency and independence. It is because of this clean living and what I believe to be a sincere desire to serve their god that I often wonder how many of them actually know the deep things that are taught by the Mormon religion. They are often referred to as The Latter Day Saints (hereinafter LDS or Mormons). I have heard but have not as yet found evidence to the issue that some inner affairs sacred to the Mormons are hidden from outsiders. At the time of this writing, I don't know what inner affair would be sacred to them and maybe in time and with some due diligence, I will find out. The common response I get from a Mormon on a question I have about their belief, if they don't know the answer right then is "the answers to my questions involved mysteries that one day would be solved as the light became brighter," that I should "Pray about the matter."
My introduction to this list of questions is after reading publications printed by the Mormons. For now I am only researching the core beliefs of the Mormons as I understand their belief to be. Should I be in error in any part of my understanding, and you are a Mormon reading this blog, please do correct me so that I might remain impartial during the recording of my notes. Or if you are an individual reading this and claim to represent the Mormon religion, and items listed herein are incorrect, I do ask that you make notes on this document and contact me so that I can make the needed corrections. It is not my intention in this research to do anything other than examine and compare available documents. Let the reader of this research add to it anyway he can in support of another direction by simply documenting where a corrected statement is located ie: publication, page paragraph number etc. I will quickly make the necessary changes.
Basics that I have learned: They claim that there is no division between clergy and laity. The president of the Church is referred to as a prophet, seer and revelator. Two counselors from the Church's presiding authority, called the Quorum of the Presidency or the First Presidency. The temple endowment ceremony involves a series of covenants or promises and a special temple undergarment to be worn ever after as a protection from evil and as a reminder of the vows of secrecy taken. A Mormon couple may seal their marriage in a temple for time and eternity so that their family can remain intact in heaven, where the couple may continue to bear children.
A few things I will be discussing in this blog is some basic core teachings that I understand Mormons believe, where to find this in their "Holy" books and how to either agree or dispute those beliefs using the Bible, which I personally believe to be the only "Holy" book to be used as a reference in knowing the will & purpose of our God Jehovah.
Some of the Mormons points I plan to discuss: (and when I do find their belief on each of these subjects, the information will be posted to the bottom of this page under Mormon Points discussed. And the discussion will be in the form of their position vs. the statements from the Bible.
•What are Mormon Holy writings
•That man should be involved in American politics and should defend America to death
•That man pre-existed in another life before becoming a man
•God is an exalted, perfected human
•God has a physical body
•There is more than one God
•Human beings have the potential to become like God and/or even another God
•Mormons are here to restore Christianity
•The Trinity
•The purpose of the Mormon ministry - Is it to preach the word of God?
•Tithing is a scriptural requirement
•Who was Lucifer
•What happens to you when you die?
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1. MORMON DATA
The Mormon story tells of a vast settlements across the North American continent. Helaman 3:8 reads: "and it came to pass that they did multiply and spread… To cover the face of the whole earth." According to Mormon 1:7 the land had become covered with buildings. In my research I wondered where the remains of these sprawling civilizations are? Where are the Nephite artifacts? Such as gold coins, swords and shields or breastplates? Alma 11:4, 43:18-20
Although the exact site is unknown, the Garden of Eden was probably in the Mesopotamian region by the Euphrates River (Genesis 2:11-14). Doctrine and Covenants 57: Garden of Eden was in Jackson County, Missouri. Ezekiel 18:4 and Acts 3:23 say that the soul dies. The Book of Mormon Alma 42:9 says that the soul could never die. The Bible says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem - Matthew 2:1-6. Alma 7:10 says Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem. The Bible says Jesus is begotten by Holy Spirit Matthew 1:20. Journal of Discourses volume 1 pages 50-51 says, "Jesus was not begotten by Holy Spirit. He was begotten in the flesh by Adams having intercourse with Mary." The Bible and Revelation 21:2 says that the new Jerusalem was to be in heaven. The Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 1:2-3; Jacob 7:26 says, its prophets are said to have written according to their own knowledge.
Some find it difficult to reconcile that about 20 Jews were said to have left Jerusalem for America 600BCE but that no less than 30 years they have multiplied and split into two nations of people 2Nephi 5:28. Within 19 years of their arrival the small band supposedly built a temple "after the manner of the Temple of Solomon … And the workmanship zero was exceedingly fine" 2Nephi 5:16. A formidable task indeed. The seven-year construction of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem occupied nearly 200,000 laborers craftsman and overseers 1Kings chapters 5-6. While I do not like doing research using newspaper articles because of they are often inaccurate on their reports I have found it is better to go straight to the source of the investigation. Although in an article published in a magazine or newspaper I might put that out for quote from and ask a person who might be familiar with the subject of the article to verify whether a particular article that was written is biased or not. One such article was taken from the January 11 1998 Honolulu advertiser on island life - "On a mission from God" Here it was stated that The Mormon Church claims to have some 10,000,000 members stating that of those members some 56,000 engage in the preaching work in the 161 countries or about 350 +/- in each country. The missionaries pay the church $375 each month for this experience. (True or False? I have no idea, this is just what the article said).
It is also rumored that the church also directs its members to stockpile a years worth of groceries but abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee is to be total. It should also be noted that abstinence from alcohol is not unique to Latter-day Saints.
Do the Mormons support using guns in self-defense? Early Mormon history provides some interesting examples. Although Joseph Smith originally restrained the Saints from using violence in self-defense, he rescinded that counsel when the persecutions became more severe. (The Words of Joseph Smith, p. 225.) The Nauvoo Legion, with General Joseph Smith at its head, along with legendary gun toters like Porter Rockwell and the Danites, demonstrate that early Mormons became theologically comfortable with wielding guns in their defense.
Joseph Smith even taught that it was sometimes necessary for men to take up arms because of their religious obligation to defend their families: It may be that the Saints will have to beat their ploughs into swords, for it will not do for men to sit down patiently and see their children destroyed. (HC 6:365.)
There is one principle which is eternal; it is the duty of all men to protect their lives and the lives of the household, whenever necessity requires, and no power has a right to forbid it, should the last extreme arrive, but I anticipate no such extreme, but caution is the parent of safety. (HC 6:605.)
Or my personal favorite quote by Joseph Smith on the subject: Peace be still, bury the hatchet and the sword, the sound of war is dreadful in my ear. [But] any man who will not fight for his wife and children is a coward and a bastard. (An American Prophet’s Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith, p. 298.)
Some notable Mormon dates
•1805: Founder: Joseph Smith Jr. was born
•1820: Joseph Smith’s alleged “First Vision” = Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Smith and told him not to join any of the churches for they were “all” wrong.
•1827: Smith allegedly received the “Gold Plates” from the Angel Moroni from which the Book of Mormon was translated.
•1830: Book of Mormon was published and the Church was organized with the help of Sidney Rigdon and Parley P. Pratt under the name the “Church of Christ.”
•1834: Church name was changed to “Church of the Latter Day Saints.”
•1838: Church name changed to its final form, “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
•1831-1838: Church operated from Kirtland, Ohio and built its first temple there.
•1831-1838: Mormons settled in Independence (Jackson Country) and Far West (Caldwell County), Missouri. In 1838, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon relocated church headquarters from Kirtland to Far West, but their stay was short-lived as many conflicts with non-Mormon residents led to their expulsion from the state by Governor Bogg’s Extermination Order against them.
•1839-1844: Church headquarters operated from Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph Smith was appointed Mayor of the city until his death in 1844.
•1843: Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 was recorded. This revelation authorized the taking of “virgins” in plural marriage. Many believe that in addition to his wife Emma, Joseph Smith married 33 additional wives, one as young as 14 years old.
•1844: Joseph Smith taught his famous “King Follett” discourse on the nature of God as an “exalted man.” When the first edition of the Nauvoo Expositor paper exposed Joseph Smith’s teachings on the plurality of gods and polygamy, Joseph ordered the destruction of the press and was quickly arrested. As a mob stormed the Carthage jail, Smith died in a gun battle in which he killed two men and injured another.
•1847: Mormon Pioneers under the leadership of 2nd LDS Prophet Brigham Young’s leadership arrive in the Salt Lake Valley.
UNIQUE LDS PRACTICES:
•Emphasis on obtaining genealogical records so that current LDS members may perform baptism by proxy in LDS temples for dead non-Mormon relatives.
•Marriage for eternity in LDS temples – Non-LDS relatives or friends are not allowed to attend temple wedding ceremonies. How does a Mormon wedding work? The Temple Ceremony. Only faithful members of the Church are allowed to attend. All your guests must have a temple recommend issued by their bishop to enter the temple, which means your ceremony will likely be smaller than it would be in a non-temple wedding (usually it's just family and close friends that are Mormons in good standing with the Church).
•LDS Sacrament (communion) consists of water and leavened bread, instead of the Biblical pattern of wine and unleavened bread.
•Annual Tithing Settlement meetings where Mormons state whether or not their 10% tithe has been paid to the LDS Church. The tithe is a necessary requirement for entrance into the Mormon temple.
•Word of Wisdom: Mormons abstain from coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco. I have heard that tea & soft drinks are acceptable.
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OTHER CONTROVERSIAL BELIEFS:
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•JESUS HAD MANY WIVES: LDS Apostles Orson Hyde, Orson Pratt and Jedediah M. Grant claimed that Jesus was a “Polygamist” who married several women. (The Seer, p. 172; Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p. 346; vol. 4, p. 259) The LDS Church of today seeks to distance itself from the polygamist views of early Mormon leaders and thus does not adhere to this view today.
•THE FATHER PROCREATED JESUS’ HUMAN BODY: LDS authorities and church manuals have taught that Jesus is the “literal” Son of God whose fleshly body was physically “conceived” and “begotten” by Heavenly Father and Mary in the same way that children are begotten. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 742; Family Home Evening, 1972, pp. 125-126) Although LDS leaders today tend to de-emphasize this belief, it has never been (at least as of the date of this writing) denounced officially by the LDS Church.
•BLOOD ATONEMENT: The Prophet Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Joseph Fielding Smith and LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie all claimed that there are “certain sins” which the blood of Christ cannot cover and that one must have his “own blood shed” to atone for those sins. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp. 134-135, Journal of Discourses, vol. 4, pp. 53-54, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 92-93) This doctrine, known as the “blood atonement” doctrine, is not emphasized today, but it has never been denounced by the LDS Church.
•GARDEN OF EDEN IN MISSOURI: Joseph Smith taught Jackson County is where the Garden of Eden was located and that when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden, they moved to Caldwell County and Daviess County of Far West, Missouri. LDS believe Far West is the location where Cain killed Abel. The “Adam-ondi-Ahman” valley in Daviess County is thought to be the location where Adam will visit prior to the second coming of Christ. While this view is still held by LDS, it has no support with the Biblical text. Since Genesis 2:10-14 mentions the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flowing from the Garden of Eden, many speculate that if these rivers are in the same location as they were before the flood, the Garden of Eden was located somewhere in the Middle East, possibly in Iraq.
•CREATION NOT OUT OF NOTHING: Mormons believe that God did not create the world “ex nihilo” (out of nothing), but merely organized matter already in existence. This view is not unique to Mormonism, for it grew out of second and third century Greek Gnosticism and Aristotelian and the Platonic views of the world. Early Church Fathers such as Irenaeus and Tertullian argued strongly for the Christian belief that God created the world out of nothing and this has been the historic Christian position for centuries. While the Bible does not specifically state that God created all things “out of nothing,” it is significant that Scripture uses language that leads to this view. At Hebrews 11:3 and Romans 4:17 we see that God created the visible world out of the invisible, and that He “calls into being that which does not exist.”
A point of interest is that Joseph Smith had 27 or 33 or 34 wives depending on which accounts you read and to all the public records I have found, there have been -0- children proven to have this man's DNA. Of those documented children born to Joseph Smith they were still born and died within hours of being born. In other documents, it is claimed that Joseph Smith had 11 children through his wife Emma, but only 5 lived to adulthood (one of which was adopted). There is ongoing genetic research to determine if any of these alleged children have Smith's genetic markers, but all tests have been negative.
Many historians claim that Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805–1844), the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, taught and practiced polygamy during his ministry, and married multiple women during his lifetime. Smith, and the leading quorums of his church, publicly denied he taught or practiced it.
Why do Mormons wear white shirts? It is claimed that the white shirt shows your obedience and your willingness to submit to God.
Statements made by Joseph Smith was that "he was better than Jesus Christ in that he would be able to keep the Church together!"
Mormon points Discussed:
•What happens to you when you die?
According to the Mormon website www.mormon.org/ a parallel was drawn between a hand in a glove to life. It was said that when you take off the glove the hand does not cease to exist but continues on.
On this site Mormons say: Death is the separation of your body from your spirit. Unlike your physical body, which eventually stops functioning and dies, your spirit will continue to exist. After death your spirit will reside in a temporary afterlife while you await resurrection. When you are resurrected, as Jesus Christ was, your spirit will be reunited with your own perfected, immortal body. Then you will be judged by God and live forever according to your eternal reward. Where do Mormons say a spirit goes after death? The Book of Mormon, a (professed) Christian book of scripture from ancient America, explains that “the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life” (Alma 40:11). But this is not the end. Rather, after death, your spirit goes to a designated place to await resurrection: “There is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery” (Alma 40:21).
However, the Bible clearly says that death was a punishment for disobedience and that because of that disobedience, man would die and all his offspring then having inherited that original sin also would die. We get this understanding from Genesis 3:1-5 which says, vs.1 "Now the serpent was the most cautious of all the wild animals of the field that Jehovah God had made. So it said to the woman: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” 2 At this the woman said to the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. 3 But God has said about the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden: ‘You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it; otherwise you will die.’” 4 At this the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die. 5 For God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.”
The Bible says: “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5; Psalm 146:4) Therefore, when we die, we cease to exist. The dead can’t think, act, or feel anything. Death is not necessarily the end of everything. The Bible often compares death to sleep. (Psalm 13:3; John 11:11-14; Acts 7:60) A person who is fast asleep is unaware of what is happening around him. Likewise, the dead are not conscious of anything. Yet, the Bible teaches that God can awaken the dead as if from sleep and give them life again. (Job 14:13-15) For those whom God resurrects, death is not the end of everything. It was Satan or the original serpent that said "you positively will not die" not God. An extension of that reasoning shows that any entity that supports the teaching that "you positively will not die" must be an agent of that original serpent.
THIS RESEARCH IS STILL ONGOING. I HAVE NOT FINISHED IT. MUCH OF IT WILL BE EDITED AND UPDATED IN THE DAYS TO COME. So I believe that information written herein is accurate as of 1986. THIS SITE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
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