Five Things You Should Know About Mormonism
By: Lavonne
1.) Early Mormon History.
The Mormons or the Latter-day Saints originated in the
states of New York and Pennsylvania and eventually migrated
to the valley of the Great Salt Lake in Utah in the year
1847. It all began one day in 1820 when a man, named Joseph
Smith, was praying in the woods and he saw a vision in which
God the Father and God the Son told him that he was the man
to restore Christianity. This was only the beginning of
Joseph Smith’s calling as a prophet. He became the author of
a variety of extra biblical sources, upon which Mormons rely
heavily. These are comprised of the Doctrine and
Covenants, the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of
Great Price, and the Joseph Smith Translation of the
Bible. They added these works to their canon and called
them authorized Scripture.
2.) The LDS view of Divine Revelation and the Priesthood.
The LDS assume that they
have been given the authority by God to reinstate both the
Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods by the authority
invested in their founders. The fundamental basis for the
Melchizedek Priesthood began on May 15, 1829 when heavenly
messengers, thought to be the apostles, Peter, James, and
John imparted the Melchizedek and Aaronic Priesthood upon
the founders, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. The
Melchizedek priesthood’s main purpose and role is believed
to be accomplished within the Mormon family by the righteous
father laying his hands on his family members to grant
blessings, direction, healing, and relief through their
priestly power. Mormons think that the highest form of
eternal life in the Celestial Kingdom reaches its ultimate
richness and fullness within the priesthood. Through the
priesthood, Mormons believe they become higher within the
level of spiritual advancement toward becoming as God is,
hence, reaching godhood. Those who reach the fullness of the
priesthood will become heir to the following: exaltation,
eternal life, and eternal joy, which entitles an eternal
union of husband and wife and an eternal family, eternal
increase, spirit children, and the creation, possession,
and control of worlds and universes.
3.) The Mormon view of Salvation.
Mormons believe that celestial exaltation is achieved
through a system of good works. On the contrary, biblical
Christianity embraces that salvation is a free gift of grace
to anyone who places their trust in Jesus Christ as their
Savior (Eph. 2:8-9, Rom. 6:23). Mormon theology redefines
“gift” to mean something that must be earned by strict
obedience to the law, instead of a gift that is freely
offered to those who believe. Mormons claim that what they
call exaltation cannot be found outside of their church, the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In a nutshell,
Mormon exaltation is earned
through zealous good works and perfectly keeping the law,
but salvation, as Christians generally know it, is neither
available nor necessary.
4.) The LDS and God.
Mormons embrace the theology that their particular god (also
named Elohim) has a material body of flesh and bones, just
as we have, and has now become an exalted
man. Furthermore, Mormons believe there are many gods and
that men have the ability to exalt themselves to the point
of becoming a god. The Scriptures very adamantly
affirm that there is no God besides the Lord. (Is.
43:10-11; 44:6, 8; 45:5, 21-22).
5.) The LDS and Jesus.
While there are some variations in their explanations, the
LDS suppose that Jesus was one of the many spirit children
created by the male earth god and his celestial wife through
sexual contact. In order to create the body of Jesus, the
Jehovah God had sexual intercourse with the virgin Mary,
thus eliminating the virgin birth. In other words, they
believe that Jesus is just like any other man. Jesus
attained Godhood, just as every Mormon is striving to
attain. Furthermore, Jesus is the older brother of Lucifer
(Satan) and referred to as a “common” god or one of many
gods. On the contrary, John
1:1-2 declares that Christ did not exist as a created being
or as a god among many gods. "In the beginning was the Word
(Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God." In other words, when the
world began, the Word, the Son of God, was already here. The
“Word" co- existed with God who predates time and creation.
(http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/organization/priesthood/Priesthood
EOM
Ankerberg, John & Weldon, John. Encyclopedia of Cults and
New Religions. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House
Publishers, 1996.
Martin, Walter. The Kingdom of the Cults.
Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House Publishers, 1997.
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2 Tim 4:2
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
KJV
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