It hasn't approached me that I should in any way beseech the paper or school administration to censor such an article. In a very real sense, it is a brief synopsis of what makes the lives of these mormon students unique. My sole intention is to, yes, focus on a few small parts of the article, but nevertheless parts that in their shortness, contradict what I argue to be eternal truths. This being said, let the examination follow.
First thing's first: Mormonism's impossible Gospel
The fourth indention begins the trouble: "One common misconception is that [the Latter-Day Saints'] members are not Christians," (Assistant Editor). It goes on to defend with testimony, "...'I just clarify to them that we are Christian,' [a student] said. 'Other churches don't always believe in the same thing, so it doesn't make us any different.' Many of the core beliefs of the Mormon church are similar to other Christian churches. They believe in a Godhead and that Jesus Christ died for the sins of humanity and rose again," (Assistant Editor).
Let us not tell half-truths. It is very true that language of mormons can often sound highly similar to common Biblical, christian language. However, a definitive point of Christianity vs. non-Christianity is the Gospel. I concede that many modern churches have gone away from the true Gospel, but it is a weak defense to say that just because orthodox christianity has its own internal differences, mormonism is equally Christian, when in fact mormonism perverts the Gospel. Even mormon.org, the official church website designed for the curious to learn about basic beliefs, states this:
"To make His Atonement fully effective in your life, you need to:
- Exercise faith in Him.
- Repent.
- Be baptized.
- Receive the Holy Ghost.
- Choose to follow His teachings for the rest of your life."
(http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation)
One must understand that although these are good things that follow personal salvation, they are in no way a means of "making His atonement fully effective in your life." You may say that they are merely demonstrating that these things are signs of salvation, but this heresy actually stretches further back into mormon teaching. The Book of Mormon says, "And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins..." (Alma 11:37), which, upon further reading, comes to mean that one must clean themselves before coming to Christ. And, yes, I mean further reading. 2 Nephi 25:23 says, "...for we know it is by grace we are saved, after all we can do."
Christian, or person with a basic understanding of christian justification, do you see the contradiction yet? Have you not read the apostle Paul who says, "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace,"? Duh. That's pretty simple. But hear me out: works do justify (Romans 2:13), but not in excusing one's own sin or as a prerequisite to Christ's righteousness. And yes, every real Christian who has been redeemed bears fruit and inevitably does good instead of evil as a result. But! this is not the power by which they were saved. It was Christ alone in his sacrifice of his own life, bearing their sin and pardoning them before the holy judge that is God. I'm starting to think that the reason false religions hold to works salvation is that they've already denied so much truth about God that they lose the power of regeneration and need some way to make works inevitable.
The Gospel is more than a benefit of salvation, but an essential component of the Gospel is this: Christ saves rebels by grace, through Him, and gives them a new heart to do righteousness. Mormonism says: we must do our best to cleanse ourselves and we will be saved.
Second: the "Similar" Godhead of Mormonism and Christianity
As was quoted before, the article presents the Mormon students' claim that they hold similar christian beliefs, one of which is the Godhead. As Christians believe in a trinity, where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all equally God but three distinct persons who are eternal, a "godhead" is used to describe Mormonism's differing view of the hierarchy of God.
Let us be very clear: Mormons believe that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three separate Gods, and that God the Father was once a man who had to work his way up to being a God.
For the first heresy, let us go no deeper than the words of the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, “I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods,” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 370). Given that the concept of one God should be common knowledge to anyone who knows about orthodox Christianity, I will simply provide Biblical texts such as Deuteronomy 6:4 and Isaiah 44:6.
For the next, we'll start with what the Bible says instead. Isaiah 43:10 contains the words of God, "Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me." Also in Psalm 90:2 is the beauty of God's eternal nature reiterated, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."
Mormon history has a strong disagreement. Joseph Smith's lengthy King Follett Sermon says things like, "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!" and "It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God...that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did; and I will show it from the Bible."
(http://www.lds.org/ensign/1971/05/the-king-follett-sermon)
I hope this contradiction is clear. (Oddly enough, it is even an internal contradiction within Mormon scriptures, as Book of Mormon verses like Moroni 8:18, Moroni 7:22, Mormon 9:9, and Mosiah 3:5 speak of the eternal nature of God. I remember Jesus saying something about a house divided against itself, etc.)
Finally
There are other issues in the article, such as one of the students' presentation of Mormon eternal marriage, which contradicts Christ's teaching that in eternity "they neither marry nor are given in marriage," (Matthew 22:30).
I would like to close with a clarification and two pleas. My clarification is this: I do not write to offend, hurt, or annoy. Nor do I even expect this to be widely read or passed around. What platform do I have? What influence do I have? My prediction based on my own understanding is that, at best, 2 or 3 people may consider this in depth. But I write to ask the readers of the article not to be deceived into thinking that the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ is in any way that of the Mormons. It is not. Mormonism claims to exalt Christ but asks the sinner to trust in his own effort in fulfilling the law, while Christ bids the sinner to repent, take up his cross, and follow Him, that he may then learn righteousness and have life. This is why I write.
My plea to Mormons is that you would consider my words with an open heart. I have spoken to your brothers many times and I hear them say they know the church is true. But consider the revealed Lordship of Christ in the Bible, and compare it with the teachings of the LDS establishment. Come to know Christ and his grace. Repent and trust in him alone. I have had dear mormon friends since elementary school whose families have lovingly welcomed me into their home. I love you all, and this is why I speak the truth to you.
My plea to Christians is to contend earnestly for your faith. You don't need to know every detail of Mormonism to test it according to the knowledge of Christ. Reason with your friends when it comes up. Boldly declare the Gospel.
If you do not know Christ, I urge you to consider the message of salvation I attempted to present in contrast with that of Mormonism, and to put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ the righteous one alone, and to seek his kingdom and righteousness. Call upon him and turn from your sin, for he will not cast you out.
-
"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13
For the next, we'll start with what the Bible says instead. Isaiah 43:10 contains the words of God, "Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me." Also in Psalm 90:2 is the beauty of God's eternal nature reiterated, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."
Mormon history has a strong disagreement. Joseph Smith's lengthy King Follett Sermon says things like, "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!" and "It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God...that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did; and I will show it from the Bible."
(http://www.lds.org/ensign/1971/05/the-king-follett-sermon)
I hope this contradiction is clear. (Oddly enough, it is even an internal contradiction within Mormon scriptures, as Book of Mormon verses like Moroni 8:18, Moroni 7:22, Mormon 9:9, and Mosiah 3:5 speak of the eternal nature of God. I remember Jesus saying something about a house divided against itself, etc.)
Finally
There are other issues in the article, such as one of the students' presentation of Mormon eternal marriage, which contradicts Christ's teaching that in eternity "they neither marry nor are given in marriage," (Matthew 22:30).
I would like to close with a clarification and two pleas. My clarification is this: I do not write to offend, hurt, or annoy. Nor do I even expect this to be widely read or passed around. What platform do I have? What influence do I have? My prediction based on my own understanding is that, at best, 2 or 3 people may consider this in depth. But I write to ask the readers of the article not to be deceived into thinking that the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ is in any way that of the Mormons. It is not. Mormonism claims to exalt Christ but asks the sinner to trust in his own effort in fulfilling the law, while Christ bids the sinner to repent, take up his cross, and follow Him, that he may then learn righteousness and have life. This is why I write.
My plea to Mormons is that you would consider my words with an open heart. I have spoken to your brothers many times and I hear them say they know the church is true. But consider the revealed Lordship of Christ in the Bible, and compare it with the teachings of the LDS establishment. Come to know Christ and his grace. Repent and trust in him alone. I have had dear mormon friends since elementary school whose families have lovingly welcomed me into their home. I love you all, and this is why I speak the truth to you.
My plea to Christians is to contend earnestly for your faith. You don't need to know every detail of Mormonism to test it according to the knowledge of Christ. Reason with your friends when it comes up. Boldly declare the Gospel.
If you do not know Christ, I urge you to consider the message of salvation I attempted to present in contrast with that of Mormonism, and to put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ the righteous one alone, and to seek his kingdom and righteousness. Call upon him and turn from your sin, for he will not cast you out.
-
"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13
