Understanding
Mormonism
Pastor David Sims
The average Mormon has never been
confronted with truth of biblical
Christianity. They assume they are right
with the Bible and God.
Mormon Scripture includes the Book of
Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price,
Doctrine and Covenants, and the King
James Bible.
I am amazed that you are so quickly
deserting Him who called you by the
grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
which is really not another; only there are
some who are disturbing you, and want
to distort the gospel of Christ. But even
though we, or an angel from heaven,
should preach to you a gospel contrary
to that which we have preached to you,
let him be accursed (Gal. 1:6-8).
Mormons claim the Book of Mormon,
The Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and
Covenants, and the words of their living
prophet will in no way contradict the
Holy Bible. After all, according to
Mormons, God is the author of this
continual revelation, therefore it is
considered Scripture. Mormons claim
they represent authentic Christianity:
“Mormons take every honorable opportunity
to herald the views of Mormonism to the
world. For they are the pure, unadulterated
Christianity of old. Mormonism is
Christianity, Christianity is Mormonism.
They are one and the same and they are not
to be distinguished from each another in the
minutest detail.”
– Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 513.
Mormon Doctrine of God
1. God evolved from mortal man to his
present state. He was just a man but has
become / changed into a god.
Joseph Smith, giving a sermon heard by
over 18,000 people and recorded by 5
Mormon scribes two months before his
assassination said:
“God was once as we are now, an
exalted man and he sits enthroned in
yonder heavens. I say if you were to see
him today, you would see him like a man
in form like yourselves in all the person
image and very form of man. I am going
to tell you how God came to be God. We
have imagined that God was God from
all eternity. I will refute that idea and
take away the veil.
God was once a man like us and dwelt on
an earth the same as Jesus Christ did and
you have got to learn to be gods
yourselves, the same as all gods before
you, namely by going from one small
degree to another, from a small capacity
to a greater one.”
– Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, vol.
5, p. 613; Mormon Doctrine, p. 321; and
History of the Church, vol. 6, April 1844,
p. 305.
Brigham Young, the successor of Joseph
Smith and the one who brought the
Mormon Church to Utah, was documented
as saying,
“The Lord created you and me for the
purpose of becoming gods like himself.
We are created to become gods like unto
our Father in heaven.”
– Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses
(JD), vol. 3, p. 93.
“As man is, God once was. As God is,
man may become.” – Lorenzo Snow, past
president of LDS in LDS Church News,
Jan. 16, 1983, p. 14.
“ . . . God our heavenly father was once a
child and mortal like we are - and rose
step by step in the scale of progress in
the school of advancement and has
moved forward and overcome until he has
arrived at the point where he is now.”
– JD, vol. 1, p. 123.
Are you sure we cannot distinguish between
Christianity and Mormonism?
Mormon doctrine claims that God evolved
from mortal man. He was just a man but has
changed into a god. Yet the Bible clearly
opposes this:
- Numbers 23:19: "God is not a man . . . nor is He
the son of a man"
- Hosea 11:9: "I am God and not man"
- Malachi 3:6: "I do not change"
- Psalm 90:2: "From everlasting to everlasting,
thou art God"
2. Polytheism – Mormons believe in hundreds of
thousands of gods in the universe.
“Man is the king of kings and the lord of
lords in embryo . . . gods exist and we had
better strive to become one with them. A
plurality of gods exist. Indeed, this
doctrine of plurality of gods is so
comprehensive and glorious that it reaches
out and embraces every exalted personage.
Those who obtain exaltation are gods.”
– B. Young, JD, vol. 10, p. 223.
But the Bible clearly condemns polytheism!
Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel …
“I am the First and I am the Last; besides
Me there is no God. And who can proclaim
as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in
order for Me . . . Do not fear, nor be afraid;
Have I not told you from that time, and
declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there
a God besides Me? Indeed there is no
other Rock; I know not one (Isa. 44:6-8)
I am the LORD, and there is no other;
There is no God besides Me. I will gird
you, though you have not known Me, that
they may know from the rising of the sun
to its setting that there is none besides
Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other
(Isa. 45:5-6).
For thus says the LORD, Who created the
heavens, Who is God, Who formed the
earth and made it, Who has established it,
Who did not create it in vain, Who formed
it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and
there is no other. Who has declared this
from ancient time? Who has told it from
that time? Have not I, the LORD? And
there is no other God besides Me, a just
God and a Savior. There is none besides
Me” (Isa. 45:18, 21).
“To whom will you liken Me, and make Me
equal … that we should be alike? … for I
am God, and there is no other; I am God,
and there is none like Me” (Isa. 46:5, 9).
The difference between Mormonism and
Christianity is the difference between
polytheism and monotheism! God
consistently condemns polytheism
throughout the Bible!
3. Mormon males striving to be gods.
- The reason why Mormons will never make it
to godhood is because God says so.
- Gen. 3:4-5: The same lie told by the serpent
in the Garden of Eden is the same lie that will
keep Mormons out of heaven.
- Who was that messenger of light telling
Joseph Smith that all the creeds of
Christendom were an abomination? (2 Cor.
11:14 - Satan as a messenger of light).
Who is the Mormon Jesus Christ?
According to Mormon Doctrine:
1. Jesus is the brother of Satan. Jesus
was a polygamist, marrying (2) Marys
and Martha.
2. Jesus was not conceived by Holy Spirit:
According to Mormon doctrine:
“When the Virgin Mary conceived the
child Jesus, the father had begotten him
in his own likeness. He was not
begotten by the Holy Ghost. And who
was the father? He was the first of the
human family. Jesus our elder brother
was begotten in the flesh by the same
character who was in the Garden of
Eden and who is our father in heaven.
Now remember from this time forth and
forever that Jesus Christ was not
begotten by the Holy Ghost. When our
father Adam came into the Garden of
Eden he came into it with a celestial body
and brought Eve, one of his celestial
wives with him. He is our father and our
god and the only god with whom we have
to do.”
– B. Young, JD, vol. 1, p. 50-51.
This contradicts the Bible (Matt. 1:18), but
Brigham Young is their Prophet and
mormons cannot deny him and stay in the
Mormon Church. Young gave this sermon
on April 9, 1852. It was printed in JD vol. 1,
p. 50-51. Again reprinted 19 months later
in Millennial Star no. 48, vol. 15, Nov. 26,
1853. Young further declared:
“I have never yet preached a sermon and
sent it out to the children of men that they
may not call it Scripture.” – B. Young, JD,
vol. 13, p. 95.
3. The blood of Christ is not sufficient to
atone for all sin.
– B. Young, JD, vol. 4, p. 385.
“There is not a man or a woman who
violates covenants made with their God
that they will not be required to pay the
debt. The blood of Jesus Christ will never
wipe that out. Your own blood must atone
for it. The judgment of the Almighty will
come sooner or later and every man and
woman will have to atone for their own sin.
. . . I could refer you to plenty of instances
where men have been righteously slain in
order to atone for their own sin. This is
loving our neighbor as ourselves. If he
needs help, help him. If he wants
salvation and it is necessary to spill his
own blood on earth in order to be saved,
then spill it.”
– McConkie’s Mormon Doctrine, p. 92-93.
What does the Bible say about the blood
of Christ?
But if we walk in the light as He is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanses us from all sin (I John 1:7-9).
Mormon Doctrine of Salvation:
Salvation comes through immersion
baptism in the Mormon Church, obedience
to the commandments of God, membership,
and good works.
“If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the
restoration there would be no salvation.
There is no salvation outside the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.”
– Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, Mormon
Doctrine, p. 670.
Mormon Doctrine of Salvation:
“Salvation is a process of self-perfection
in and through the Mormon Church. You
must earn and work for your salvation
through membership in the Mormon
church.”
– Howard W. Hunter, Oct. 3, 1976, SemiAnnual Convention in Salt Lake City. He
was one on the Council of 12 Apostles.
Mormon Doctrine of Salvation:
The Mormon understanding of salvation
is contrary to orthodox Christianity’s
understanding of salvation. These
contradictions are found throughout the
Bible, for examples see Gal. 2:16; Eph.
2:8-9; 1 John 5:11-13; Romans 10:9; Acts
4:12, 16:31; John. 5:24 and 6:47.
Biblical View of Salvation:
For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God, not of works, lest
anyone should boast (Eph. 2:8-9).
He who has the Son has life; he who does
not have the Son of God does not have
life. These things I have written to you
who believe in the name of the Son of
God, that you may know that you have
eternal life (I John 5:12-13).
Closing Thoughts:
There is much more about the LDS that
has not been covered in this brief study
from its beliefs and statements on
African-Americans, polygamy, and
celestial wives for the men who become
gods. The multiple edits and translation
issues about the Book of Mormon and the
documented stories of Joseph Smith
reveal further dangers of this false belief
system. Yet we must remember that
those in this deceitful and false religion
Closing Thoughts:
Mormons are not the enemy, but they are
deceived by the enemy. Pray for them
and attempt to share the gospel with
them. Point our the inconsistencies in
their beliefs without bashing them!
Test all things; hold fast what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil (I Thess.
5:21-22).