Examining Mormon Beliefs

Mormonism, formally represented by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), is a religious movement founded by Joseph Smith in the United States in 1830. Smith claimed that God called him as a prophet to restore the true Church of Jesus Christ after Christianity had fallen into a widespread apostasy.

Alongside the Bible, they accept additional scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, and believe in continuing revelation through living prophets.

1️⃣ Their View Of God

Latter-day Saints teach that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three distinct beings, rather than one God eternally existing as three persons. They also teach that the Father and Jesus Christ possess glorified physical bodies of flesh and bone, while the Holy Ghost is a spirit being? This might sound confusing but there are differences.

The bible teaches there is one God!

📖 Deuteronomy 6:4 (KJV) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

📖 Isaiah 43:10 (KJV) Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

We believe there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Being answers WHAT; person answers WHO. I am one human being and one person. God, however, is one divine Being who exists as three distinct Persons. So we do not believe in three Gods we believe in one God in three Persons.

In their premortal theology, Jesus is the Firstborn spirit Son of the Father, while Lucifer was another spirit son who rebelled.

2️⃣ Their View Of Jesus

The mistake they make is the word “firstborn”

📖 Colossians 1:15 (KJV) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

At first glance, someone could interpret that as “Jesus was the first creature God created.” But the immediate context argues strongly against that interpretation:

📖 Colossians 1:16-17 (KJV) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

The problem with firstborn is what it is referring to, if your a novice of the bible or unsaved you would automatically think firstborn child but if we read the bible and its meaning of the use we will see something different, look at verse 18:

📖 Colossians 1:18 (KJV) And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

The word firstborn is relating to resurrection first from the dead.

📖 Revelation 1:5 (KJV) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Jesus wasn’t created by God he was one with God.

📖 John 17:5 (KJV) And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Jesus created everything.

📖 Colossians 1:16-17 (KJV) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Jesus is called God.

📖 1 John 5:20 (KJV) And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

If the bible stated that there is only one God, why would the apostles be calling Jesus God?

📖 John 20:27-28 (KJV) Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

This would be blasphemous to call Jesus God if God the Father was only God, but the fact is, Jesus is one with God in Being but separate in person.

3️⃣ Humans can become like God

Latter-day Saints teach that before human beings were born physically, they existed as spirit children of Heavenly Father.

The issue is people think that we can become God-like just as Jesus because they believe that Jesus is another God but the bible is clear that there is only one God.

📖 Isaiah 44:8 (KJV) Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

📖 Isaiah 45:5 (KJV) I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

It’s clear that there is only one God and that no one else can become God, the issue is a misunderstanding of scripture.

📖 John 10:34-36 (KJV) Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

The problem is understanding why Jesus is quoting this, he is directing a quote:

📖 Psalms 82:6-7 (KJV) I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

This is not saying that “You’ll become gods” this is saying “you are gods” in the sense you are kings and rulers, because then in the next part it says you’ll die like men? This takes away the true nature of a real God-like being and nature.

Jesus is only using scripture to cover him from the Jews trying to trap him in words. The Jews are making him out as blasphemous so they can find a reason to kill him but Jesus turns the tables when he quotes this, so this idea of humans becoming gods is misguided.

📖 Genesis 2:7 (KJV) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

This shows that we was created during the creation of the world and that we didn’t exist before that because what we have here is God is creating our body = dust, our spirit = God breathed into man the breath of life and we became a living soul. Our triune nature was all created in Genesis 2.

4️⃣ Their view of Salvation

LDS teaching places baptism, confirmation, priesthood for men, temple endowment and temple sealing within ordinances necessary for salvation and/or exaltation. Their current General Handbook explicitly lists ordinances necessary for salvation and exaltation.

We all know that this is wrong, as salvation is once saved always saved by faith alone on the finish work of Christ, it’s a gift and its eternal life, but lets look at some of the ordnances.

Baptism for the dead

Latter-day Saints perform baptisms in temples, where a living member is baptized on behalf of someone who has died. They appeal particularly to 1 Corinthians 15:29 for this practice.

📖 1 Corinthians 15:29 (KJV) Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

Notice Paul says “they”, not we, so then this passage isn’t saying “we” will be baptized for the dead, this passage is actually saying “If the dead rise not again, “they” are baptized for nothing and their faith is meaningless.

📖 Hebrews 9:27 (KJV) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

So you can’t baptist people to change any outcome in the afterlife.

Eternal/temple marriage

LDS doctrine teaches that a man and woman may be sealed for eternity in a temple and that eternal marriage is necessary for the highest exaltation. Their official material explicitly states: “The covenant of eternal marriage is necessary for exaltation.”

📖 Matthew 22:30 (KJV) For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

So it’s foolish to think that there is marriage in the afterlife. But these should be clear a sign to not take take this group seriously.