Mormonism

The purpose of this page is to provide quick cut and paste answers to common objections against Christianity. Each answer has been boiled down to a maximum of 255 characters, including spaces, to allow it to be pasted on all chat systems -- at least all that I checked. If you know of other basic questions, please let me know. Mormon Doctrines There are many gods, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163); There is a mother goddess, (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 443); God used to be a man on another planet, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 321); After you become a good Mormon, you have the potential of becoming a god, (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pages 345-347, 354); God resides near a star called Kolob, Pearl of Great Price, pages 34-35; Mormon Doctrine, p. 428.) The Bible says there is only one God (Is. 43:10; 44:6,8; 45:5). God is a trinity of persons, not three gods. God is eternally God (Psalm 90:2), therefore, He was never a man. God knows of no other gods (Is. 44:8). You cannot become a god (Is. 43:10). Mormonism is wrong. The Trinity is three separate gods, (James Talmage, Articles of Faith, p. 35); God is increasing in knowledge, (Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 120); God has the form of a man, (Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 3). God the Father has a body of flesh and bones, (Doctrine and Covenants, 130:22); God is married to his goddess wife and has spirit children, (Mormon Doctrine p. 516); We were first begotten as spirit children in heaven and then born naturally on earth, (Journal of Discourse, Vol. 4, p. 218). The Bible says that God is spirit (John 4:24) and that a spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). Therefore, God doesn't have a body of flesh and bones and he isn't married to a goddess wife. Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163); There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, p. 188); There are three levels of heaven: telestial, terrestrial, and celestial, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 348). The Holy Ghost is a male personage, (A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, p 118; Journal of Discources, Vol. 5, page 179); Baptism for the dead, (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. II, p. 141). This is a practice of baptizing each other in place of non-Mormons who are now dead. Their belief is that in the afterlife, the "newly baptized" person will be able to enter into a higher level of Mormon heaven. Joseph Smith boasted he did more than Jesus to keep a church together. Joseph Smith said, "I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam...Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet." (History of the Church, Vol. 6:408-9). Click here to see this quote in context. Mormonism condemns other religions (Joseph Smith's first vision) "...I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right — and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight. . ." (History of the Church, Vol. 1, page 5-6.) "But He did send His angel to this same obscure person, Joseph Smith jun., who afterwards became a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and informed him that he should not join any of the religious sects of the day, for they were all wrong." (Brigham Young, "Journal of Discourses," Vol. 2, page 171. - 1855) Mormons has a different Jesus "In bearing testimony of Jesus Christ, President Hinckley spoke of those outside the Church who say Latter-day Saints 'do not believe in the traditional Christ.' 'No, I don't. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times.'" (LDS Church News Week ending June 20, 1998, p.7) Book of Mormon Joseph Smith said, "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." (History of the Church, Vol. 4, page 461). If the book of Mormon is more correct than the Bible and you can get closer to God by following it (History of the Church, 4:461), why does it not mention plurality of Gods, Word of Wisdom, God is an exalted man, celestial marriage, men may become Gods; three degrees of glory; baptism for the dead; eternal progression, the Aaronic Priesthood, and the Melchizedek Priesthood? Changes in Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:18, (1830 edition) "And he said unto me, Behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of [. . . . ] God, after the manner of the flesh." VERSES (1981 edition) "And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh." 1 Nephi 13:40, (1830 edition)"...and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is [. . . . ] the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world..." VERSES (1981 edition) "...and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the World..." 1 Nephi 20:1 (changed in 1964 ed.) "Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah,[. . . . ] which swear..." VERSES (1981 EDITION) "Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism, who swear..." Alma 29:4, (1830 edition)"...yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills..." VERSES (1981 edition) "...yea, I know that he allotteth unto men [ . . . .] according to their wills..." 3 Nephi 22:4 (1830 edition) "...for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, [. . . . ] and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more." VERSES "...for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more." Questions for Mormons Why was Joseph Smith still preaching against polygamy in October 1843 after he got his revelation in July 1843 commanding the practice of polygamy? (Doc. & Cov. 132; and History of the Church Vol. 6, page 46, or Teachings of the Prophet, page 324). If the Book of Mormon is true, why do Indians fail to turn white when they become Mormons? (2 Nephi 30:6, prior to the 1981 revision). How did Joseph Smith carry home the golden plates of the Book of Mormon, and how did the witnesses lift them so easily? (They weighed about 230 lbs. Gold, with a density of 19.3 weighs 1204.7 lbs. per cubic foot. The plates were 7" x 8" by about 6". See Articles of Faith, by Talmage, page 262, 34th ed.) If Moroni devoutly practiced the Mormon Gospel, why is he an angel now rather than a God? (Doc. & Cov. 132:17,37) If Jesus was conceived as a result of a physical union between God and Mary, how was Jesus born of a virgin? (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, page 50). How did Nephi with a few men on a new continent build a temple like Solomon's while Solomon needed 163,300 workmen and seven years to build his temple? (1 Kings 5:13-18 and 2 Nephi 5:15-17). God rejected the fig leaf aprons which Adam and Eve made (Gen. 3:21). Why do Mormons memorialize the fall by using fig leaf aprons in the secret temple ceremonies?