Great danger in doctrines that are close to the truth, but not the truth
•Circumcision
•Faith only
•Personal relationship with Jesus

Other doctrines laughable, but still widely accepted
•Jehovah’s Witnesses
•Roman Catholicism
•Mormon

Validity rests with Joseph Smith, Jr.
•Claimed to see God & Christ in 1820
•Prior to 1820
-Treasure hunter
-Mystical objects: peep stones
•Involved in counterfeiting money
•Continued pursuing treasure after 1820

Validity rests with Joseph Smith, Jr.
•62 neighbors signed statement against
“destitute of moral character and addicted to vicious habits”
•Tried and convicted of fraud in
Bainbridge, NY in 1826
•Known to have 27 wives

Smith claimed to be led by angel Moroni to discover golden plates of BOM
•Special reading glasses provided -
Reformed Egyptian
•No such language
•Fraud not as easy today

The BOM was first published in 1830
•By 1965 over 3,900 changes documented
•BOM bolsters its claim of divine origin
“Testimony of the Three Witnesses”
“Testimony of the Eight Witnesses”

The BOM was first published in 1830
•Bible claim based on internal evidence,
2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Jn. 20:30, 31
•BOM revelation to one man over short time
•Bible series of revelation
To at least 40 men
Over more than 1,400 years

Smith gained followers & troubles
•From NY to OH to MO to IL
•In IL Smith ordered destruction of printing press
•Arrested, jailed, killed – June 27, 1844

Struggle for power after Smith’s death
•Joseph Smith, III VS. Brigham Young
•Smith’s group
-Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
-HQ in Independence, MO

Struggle for power after Smith’s death
•Brigham Young’s group to UT
•Other groups
-Strangites (Wisconsin)
-Bickerton Branch (Kansas)
-Temple Lot (Independence, MO)
-Fundamentalists (UT & AZ)

Brigham Young: driven out of IL, 1846
•Ended in UT in 1847
•UT territory in 1850; state 1896
•1882 US Gov’t acted to stop polygamy
•1890 Mormons officially stopped polygamy

Mormon authority
•KJV of Bible
• Book of Mormon
• Doctrine and Covenants
• Pearl of Great Price
•On-going with “Living Prophet” (president)

Smith’s prophecies failed
•Civil War predicted on Dec. 25, 1832, begin in SC & Great Britain involved
Doctrines and Covenants 87:1-4
-Rebellion in SC in 1832
-Civil War in 1860s
-Great Britain not involved

Smith’s prophecies failed
•Temple Prophecy – Independence, MO
Doctrines and Covenants 45:64-67;
84:3-5
-No temple on the lot today
-Temple Lot group offered $5 million for lot by UT Mormons – refused

Smith’s prophecies failed
•1835-return of Christ in 56 years (1891)
-If killed before, return in 1881
-Smith killed in 1844
-Christ did not return in 1881, 1891 or
2001

Smith’s prophecies failed
•Joseph Smith was a false prophet,
Deut. 18:22

Priesthoods
•Melchizedek (higher), cf. Heb. 6:20; 7:15
•Aaron (lower), cf. Heb. 7:11-14

Leadership
•First Presidency
-Three high priests
-President & two others
-Final authority: spiritual & temporal

Church organization
•Areas
•Regions
•Stakes
•Wards (local churches)

Enterprises
•BYU
•Missionaries: elders & sisters
•Businesses