An Agglomeration Exposing the LDS Fraud

Most of these article are from the excellent site, Life After Ministry. I highly recommend this site for Mormons and those who seek to help Mormons leave that cult.

Interesting post about a book which “was a compilation of dozens of Mormon documents that are now out of print, or hard to find.” One of the claims exposed is that Joseph Smith and Jesus are both redeemers of mankind. Please show me from Scripture where anyone but Jesus is our redeemer.

Multi-level marketing seems to be a gateway to spiritual deception and Mormons dominate that industry.

Thirteen Lies One Apostle Told at Conference. Wow!

Crucifixion Lies Told to LDS Kids. A HUGE lie is telling them that Jesus’ atonement was made in the Garden of Gethsemane instead of the crucifixion. 

Why Mormons Can’t Observe Pentecost 2022. Or any other years’ Pentecost. Some great examples.

Get used to a Different Jesus. Examining the LDS in light of the TV series, The Chosen. Included in the article is an excellent condensed exposure of the unbiblical history and teachings of the Mormon church.

Anachronisms in Book of Abraham. In actuality, the whole Book of Mormon also is rife with anachronisms. This alone proves the books are frauds.

Jesus becomes our father?!?

Conference Quote: LDS Doctrine Doesn’t Change. Oh, really? The first thoughts which came to my mind were polygamy and racism. Michelle gives several more.

One of These Things is Not Like the Other. Joseph Smith said, “The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead.” Perhaps he needed to read Hebrews 9:27. After death comes judgement, period.

Adam’s Two Wives. The main question to refute this nonsense is, why did God say the TWO shall become one? This teaching was used to support the LDS doctrine of polygamy.

Communion Free For All? And here I thought it was reserved for Christians.

And, finally for today, “Investigating The Evidence For Mormonism In Six Steps” should be enough to convince of the fraudulent nature of the Mormon religion.

Good Stuff to Peruse

One of the best sites, and one of my favorites, for learning about the cultic nature and false belief system of the LDS is Life After Ministry. They often expose things even I haven’t previously known about. Today’s post is to lead you to some of their recent articles which I think should be thought-provoking for any Mormon, and which hopefully will get the reader to consider leaving the LDS false god-man and false Jesus for the true God and Jesus of authentic Christianity.

Doctrine & Covenants 129:1-9: Joseph Smith actual taught that one should shake hands with demons. The whole passage is unbiblical nonsense.

One of the many errors in the Book of Mormon—that most perfect book—which had to be “fixed” to avoid embarrassment; how could Jesus be his own son?

Just one of the many problems with the geography in the Book of Mormon.

While Christendom has traditionally observed Good Friday as the remembrance of Jesus’ crucifixion which paid for our sins, Mormons can’t observe it because they believe the atonement was in the Garden of Gethsemane.  This particular article also cites the lies of the LDS explanation about Easter being from paganism and at the same time obliterates the lies with truth. I also direct you to two articles by Answers in Genesis: Is the Date of Easter of Pagan Origin? and Is the Name “Easter” of Pagan Origin?

When Mormon leaders admit that the Book of Mormon isn’t true, shouldn’t that lead a member of the LDS to have second thoughts about his religious beliefs?

Please explain to me, dear Mormon, how Jesus could be a “white” man when Jews were all darker-skinned that Europeans?

The LDS has a theology which requires a “heavenly mother” and yet the leadership has to be sure to tell their followers not to pray to her!

These articles should give you a pretty good taste of what you will find at Life After Ministry.

Strange Things Mormons Say

You are an eternal being. Before you were born, you existed as a spirit. In the presence of a loving Heavenly Father, you trained and prepared to come to earth for a brief moment and, well, perform.

Gary E. Stevenson, Your Four Minutes

Where in the Bible can this man, or any person, find such nonsense? Nowhere in the Bible, or even in the Book of Mormon do we find that people existed before conception as “spirit children” sired by the LDS god-man and his many spirit wives and who are just waiting for human babies to occupy once they are conceived.

This whole idea is not only ludicrous, but it totally illogical. How can we possibly have existed eternally”!?!  In accordance with this theology, everyone on earth are brothers and sisters in the spiritual realm—and so when they become physical humans and marry they are committing incest!

H/T: Life After Ministry.

Journal of Discourses and Mormon Doctrine

I have often been told by Mormons, in their defense of contradictory or denied teachings, that citing from the Journal of Discourses is just citing opinions, that the cited teachers are just expressing their own opinions without any backing from God.

Well, let’s just see what the Publisher’s Prefaces say about the JoD:

Volume 1: “purity of doctrine…theological truth”

Volume 2: “fountain of eternal truth”

Volume 3: “containing the principles of the Gospel of salvation…by the power of the Holy Ghost”

Volume 4: “their words are as the words of God”

Volume 8: “reflector of ‘the light that shines from Zion’s hill’…important instructions”

The Deseret News said the JoD contained “the clear and vigorous exposition of Latter-day Saint doctrine” and “unmistakable authority of divine inspiration.”

D&C 68:4 says, “And whatsoever they [LDS elders] shall speak when moved by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.”

The Encyclopedia of Mormonism says, “The inspired utterances of the President of the Church become binding upon members of the Church whether formally accepted as part of the written canon or not. The living prophet’s inspired words supersede and become more important to Latter-day Saints than the written canon or previous prophetic statements.”

Of course Mormons can always revert to saying that not all the utterances are by being “moved by the Holy Ghost” or “inspired utterances,” but then that begs the question as to how they can determine whether they are or not!

Oh, and then there is the claim that some things taught are not “formal doctrine,” and for that I refer back to what the Encyclopedia of Mormonism says.

More Challenges to the Mormon Faith

The lies from the Mormon Church never cease.  They can’t exist without lies.

Of course the LDS also can’t exist without their continued focus on sex.  Notice that the only modesty comments are about females.

If the Temple ceremonies were given by God, as I understand Mormons to teach, then why do they keep being changed by Mormons to be more politically-correct?!? Here is a summary of the changes. Here is an excellent, short commentary on the problem of making such changes.

Joseph Smith is known to have plagiarized not only the Bible for writing the Book of Mormon, but other books as well.  Here’s an excellent examination of how he used The Late War Between the United States and Great Britain.  The “coincidences” are just too many to have just happened bye chance.

In my series on the false prophecies of Joseph Smith in October and November 2014, I examined about 50 prophecies. Michelle has 120+ false prophecies!!

Interesting examination of Orson Pratt and BOM lies about the birth and death of Jesus.

Joseph Smith’s polyandrous marriages.

I agree with Michelle — If the [Book of Mormon] plates were real, why would it take faith to see them?

Here’s an interesting anachronism in the Book of Mormon which I’ve never previous read about! Just another proof that the BOM is a fake.

Joseph Smith’s Questionable Activities

Why You Can’t Get to Heaven Through the Mormon Faith.

Book of Mormon Geography doesn’t exist, because the BOM is a fake story.

A Mormon is never sure of his salvation.

Did you know that Jesus’ return depends on us, that he can’t return without our help?!?

Odds and Ends

There are a lot of articles I really intend to write, but it seems time has a way of getting away from me.  However, I have come across several articles which I think are important and informative enough to direct my readers to them.  I’m really disappointed, though, that I don’t seem to have any Mormons reading my blog, or, if they are, perhaps they have either been challenged to do their own research to learn the truth about the fraud of Mormonism, or perhaps they have no argument with my articles (snark).

Anyway, here are some articles I’ve read recently:

Firstly, this one gives links to numerous topics which are discussed.  You can read about Mormons in general, their history, their beliefs, the Book of Mormon, other Mormon “Scripture, and a whole lot more just by going to the titled links.

From the same site you have, A Mormon bears witness of Joseph Smith.  A pretty good article showing a short encounter with a Mormon and how the Mormon has no clue about what Scripture actually says. This dialog should give you some ideas.

Who Is the God of Mormonism? It certainly isn’t the God of the Bible.

Mormons find ways to excuse away facts so as to not lose their faith.  It’s called “deception by investment” — they remain deceived by their investment in their religion — to admit they are wrong is something they just cannot do.

The Mormon View of God and Christ.  Very well explained, demonstrating their God and Christ are not those of the Bible, rather they have been made up out of Joseph Smith’s imagination.

The purpose of polygamy is for salvation? In reality the purpose of polygamy to cover up serial adultery.

And of course Adam had to sin to help God accomplish his purposes!  Um, except that is about as unbiblical as it gets!

Technology and Mormon Missionary Work.

Just for some humor, perhaps there should be a Book of Mormon sequel!

Did They Really Say That?!?

And after the flood we are told that the curse [black skin] that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued through Ham’s wife, as he had married a wife of that seed.  And why did it pass through the flood?  Because it was necessary that the devil should have a representative upon the earth as well as God. . . .

Why is it, in fact, that we should have a devil?  Why did the Lord not kill him long ago?  Because he could not do without him.  He needed the devil and a great many of those who do his bidding to keep men straight, that we may learn to place our dependence upon God, and trust in him, and to observe his laws and keep his commandments.  When he destroyed the inhabitants of the antediluvian world, he suffered a descendant of Cain to come through the flood in order that he might be properly represented upon the earth.

LDS President John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 22:304, 23:336

Where oh where to begin!  

Firstly, we are not told in Genesis 4:15 exactly what was the mark that God gave Cain, but it certainly wouldn’t have been black skin color or it would have said God gave him more than a “mark.”  

Secondly, the mark wasn’t a curse — it was a mark of protection!!  Thirdly, there is no evidence from Scripture that Ham’s wife was a descendant of Cain—that is just a made up idea by the Mormons.

Thirdly, nowhere in Scripture does it say that Cain was representing the devil, or that his offspring were representatives of the devil.  This, again, is an idea totally made up by the Mormons.

Fourthly, the idea the God can’t do without the devil certainly puts limits on God and His sovereignty!  The Mormon god proves to be incompetent.

Fifthly, how is it that the devil can do God’s bidding “to keep men straight”?  Isn’t that the work of the Holy Spirit in believers?

Lastly, explain why the devil needed “to be properly represented upon the earth”?

All this unbiblical nonsense comes about in order to shore up the false teachings of Joseph Smith.  These teachings include the lie that Satan is a brother of Christ rather than a being created by Christ (as the Bible teaches), that spirits in the pre-existence were all brothers and sisters (the Bible teaches NO pre-existent spirits); that these spirits chose to follow Christ or Satan and those who remained neutral received the curse of dark skin when they come to earth (pure racist ideology), and that Cain was apparently the first earthbound soul to have this curse (which begs another question about when this so-called rebellion took place); and that those who followed Satan became demons (whereas the Bible teaches that the demons are fallen angels, which are a different created being than are humans).

Mormons, you’ve been fed a lot of science-fiction fairy tales which totally contradict the truth of the Bible.  Learn the truth and leave Mormonism.

Mormon History Matters!

I maintain that any Mormon who spent time actually studying the history of the Mormon Church rather than the LDS version of their history, will, like me, leave the Mormon Church behind.  There are just too many frauds/lies behind their history, too many contradictions as to what God and Jesus supposedly told Joseph Smith, too many changes in their holy books, etc, to ignore.  It was my research into their history which led me to leave the LDS church; I saw how fraudulent it was from the beginning!

Well, I read this article at Mormonism Research Ministry and felt it needs to be shared in as many places as possible.  Perhaps Mormons reading it will realize that they are in a false belief system, proven by their history, and will seek the truth with the true Christ and God of the Bible. (For convenience, I will not change the text to blue as I usually do for articles/quotes which aren’t mine.)

Why Does Mormon History Matter?

By Sharon Lindbloom

2 December 2016

Though the LDS Church claims disillusioned members are not “leaving [the Church] in droves,” talks and articles about stemming the exiting tide continue to appear in the news. This week, Mormon-themed Meridian Magazine published “8 Things That Can Pull You Away From the Church” by Gary and Joy Lundberg. In this article, the Lundbergs explain,

“All around us we hear of friends and loved ones who are falling away from the Church. It breaks our hearts because we know of the incredible blessings they will be missing. We love them. With all our hearts we want them to enjoy all the blessings of the gospel and be with us throughout all eternity.

“We may ask, how does it happen? Some who once were faithful are now doubting and leaving the Church. It rarely suddenly happens; it’s usually a gradual process. It’s a process we all must guard against. Here are 8 things that ever so carefully pull people away.”

The Lundbergs’ list reflects the typical old-school ideas on why people leave Mormonism: these people aren’t doing enough to maintain their faith. They leave the Church because: “They stop reading the Book of Mormon… They forget their covenants… They listen to those who have left the Church… They cease praying to stay strong and faithful… They stop going to Church… They don’t listen to General Conference… They listen to the philosophies of men above the teachings of the prophets… They fail to acknowledge the Lord’s blessings.” The list does not leave room for anyone who comes into contact with disparate facts that raise doubts or questions about the LDS Church. In fact, the Lundbergs seem to suggest that if one has doubts, it’s because that person has failed to fully live his faith with real intent.

It is no small thing, yet unfortunately all too easy, to drift away from spiritual moorings. And surely this happens in all religions, Mormonism included. But, as noted in the results of a 2012 survey of disbelieving Mormons/former Mormons, a high percentage of those who lost their faith “were active and highly involved with the Church before losing belief.” As one commenter on the “8 Things” article wrote,

“the kinds of reasons the Lundbergs list here have little, if any, to do with people leaving. The Lundbergs may have observed these behaviors in those who leave, but these kinds of behavior, from what I have observed, typically *follow after* a person’s faith crisis and do not necessarily *precede* it (although it may vary some in each person’s case).” (wv549, November 28, 2016)

In fact, the Understanding Mormon Disbelief survey revealed that 70% of respondents listed historical issues as a major factor leading to their loss of faith. A reader of the Lundbergs’ article expressed concern and confusion about her friends who left Mormonism over the Church’s history:

“I have several friends who have left the church because of ‘things in the history’ that they didn’t know before. I, too have read the [LDS] gospel [topic] essays. Yes, there are items in there I hadn’t heard. Also items I hadn’t considered before. I hope you can answer the question none of my friends have been able to…. how does learning a new historical fact change the doctrine? How does it make the BOM untrue? How are you able to throw out all of the good, and all of the truth, because something ugly/hard/uncomfortable (whatever word you want to use) came to light? This is what I don’t understand, and I’m hoping that maybe you can enlighten me how something newly uncovered in the history can change every single good thing. Thanks!!” (Debbie, November 28, 2016)

I’d like to address Debbie’s question. A past president of the LDS Church said,

“I am grateful for my membership in the Church, and my testimony of its divinity hinges upon the simple story of the lad under the trees kneeling and receiving heavenly visitors–not one God, but two separate individual personages, the Father and the Son, revealing again to the earth the personages of the Godhead. My faith and testimony hinges upon this simple story, for if it is not true, Mormonism fails. If it is true–and I bear witness that it is– it’s one of the greatest single events in all history” (Howard W. Hunter, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter, 2015, 96-97).

President Hunter’s testimony – the testimony of a Mormon prophet – hinged on historical fact. If the specific historical facts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision didn’t actually happen – and happen in the detailed way that the official version tells the story – President Hunter said “Mormonism fails.” Therefore, when a Mormon learns the uncomfortable truth that there are many versions of Joseph Smith’s First Vision story, and that the Father and the Son aren’t even in some of them, this is a big deal. This uncomfortable historical fact changes the Church’s doctrine in several ways. Christian authors Eric Johnson and Bill McKeever note,

“This [official version of the First] vision is significant to a Mormon for a number of reasons. First, it has been used to support the notion that God the Father and Jesus Christ, as two separate and distinct personages, are also two distinct and separate gods. And two, it gives the Mormon justification to believe Christianity had fallen into a complete apostasy and needed to be restored to earth.”

A fundamental belief of Mormonism — its doctrine on the very nature of God and Christ – has its roots in the official version of Joseph Smith’s First Vision. If the story is not true history, this important LDS doctrine has lost its foundation. Likewise, the historical truth of the alleged complete apostasy of Christianity is of great importance to Mormonism. An LDS Apostle once explained,

“The restored Church affirms that a general apostasy developed during and after the apostolic period, and that the primitive Church lost its power, authority, and graces as a divine institution, and degenerated into an earthly organization only. The significance and importance of the great apostasy, as a condition precedent to the re-establishment of the Church in modern times, is obvious. If the alleged apostasy of the primitive Church was not a reality, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not the divine institution its name proclaims.” (James E. Talmage, The Great Apostasy, iii)

Historical evidence speaks against the LDS doctrine of the complete apostasy of the Christian church. The historical facts confirm that the apostasy as taught by LDS leaders never happened; this uncomfortable truth undermines the whole reason for the Restoration and the LDS Church’s existence, and demonstrates it “is not the divine institution its name proclaims.”

Marlin K. Jensen, then an LDS Seventy serving as the official Church Historian and Recorder, once instructed his Mormon audience,

“It is important that we become familiar with our Church’s history, especially with its founding stories. These stories—Joseph Smith’s First Vision, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, angelic visitations by John the Baptist, Peter, James, John, Elijah, Elias, and others—contain the foundational truths upon which the Restoration is based.” (“Stand in the Sacred Grove,” Ensign, December 2014)

These things are all understood within Mormonism to be historical events. The Church teaches that they really happened; and because they really happened, the LDS Church is true. But every one of these founding stories have historical problems – problems of fact, not of faith. According to LDS leaders themselves, if the history isn’t true, the Church isn’t true.

“If Joseph Smith did not have that interview with God and Jesus Christ the whole Mormon fabric is a failure and a fraud. It is not worth anything on earth.” (LDS President Heber J. Grant, Conference Reports, April 1940, 128)

“Our whole strength rests on the validity of that vision. It either occurred or it did not occur. If it did not, then this work is a fraud… upon that unique and wonderful experience stands the validity of this church.” (LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Marvelous Foundation of our Faith,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2002, 80. Ellipsis mine.)

President Hinckley elsewhere explained,

“I would like to say that this cause is either true or false. Either this is the kingdom of God, or it is a sham and a delusion. Either Joseph talked with the Father and the Son, or he did not. If he did not, we are engaged in blasphemy.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Conference Reports, October 1961, 116)

Debbie asked, “enlighten me how something newly uncovered in the history can change every single good thing.” Remember the words of LDS prophets. Historical facts that controvert the teachings of Mormonism prove that the Church is “a failure and a fraud,” “a sham and a delusion…blasphemy”; a church wherein, spiritually speaking, there is no “good thing.” As President Grant said, such a church “is not worth anything on earth.”

An official newspaper published by the LDS Church said this:

“In the Latter-day Saint faith, doctrine and history are so intertwined as to be inseparable; one sustains and gives meaning to the other.” (R. Scott Lloyd, “‘Good as old’: Conservators’ gentle handiwork preserves Church history in documentary artifacts,” Church News, July 5, 2008, 9)

I have used the LDS assertions of the First Vision and the Great Apostasy as examples of how this inseparable intertwining of history and doctrine works in Mormonism, but there are many other examples that could be discussed. My goal here is to help Mormons understand why their friends leave the Church over “things in the history.”

It takes a strong person to face hard truths like these and choose the path that releases them from being “engaged in blasphemy,” comfortable though that may be. My hope is that these once-believing Mormons who have shown that they care about truth, will not discard faith altogether. I hope they will fully investigate Christianity and, upon finding it trustworthy, will turn to the One Who Himself is the truth (John 14:6).

Mormonism Is Still Heretical!

Thus we see that the LDS Church still teaches the following:

1. God has not always been God, but achieved this position after years of self-effort.

2.  Heavenly Father and his wife, Heavenly Mother, were once mortals on another world, ruled by yet a different “god.”

3.  Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother are resurrected mortals who have achieved godhood.

4.  The goal of the LDS couple is to achieve godhood and become a Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother to their posterity.

5.  God, men and angels are the same species, just in different levels of achievement.

In other words, Mormonism is still a heretical offshoot of Christianity.

Cited from the article, “Is There a Mother God?” in the Salt Lake City Messenger, May 2016, Issue 126, pg.14

The Real Threat of Mormonism

Over the years I have encountered many misperceptions that Mormons have about Christians and Christianity. One of note is found in a little book published in 1998 by LDS author Scott Marshall. In an effort to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, Mr. Marshall wrote,

“THE TRINITY CREATION. They believe in the trinity creation. The trinity was voted on in the Council of Nicene hundreds of years after Christ’s death. A bunch of church leaders and govern­ment officials got together and voted on ‘who God was?’, and it wasn’t even a unanimous vote. There were about four different versions of God that they voted on. The version that is used by Catholics and Protestants today only won by about a 40 percent margin. Their view of God, as you may know, is that He is like a formless mass of spirit that fills the whole universe and when He comes to earth, part of it breaks off and forms itself into Jesus.” (Scott Marshall, Tracting and Member Missionary Work, 73)

Both historically and doctrinally, this teaching on the Trinity and its “creation” is atrocious. Yet at least one Mormon (the author) believes it.

Another idea – and one that is long-lived and widely embraced among Mormons – is that Christians “fight” against the LDS Church out of a fear of “member poaching” that results in lower salaries for individual Christian pastors. This misperception is being promoted in a brand new book by LDS author Christopher C. Sheldon, Donning the Armor of God: The Saint’s Guide to Defending the Faith. Mr. Sheldon encourages members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to read his book to find facts and information that will prepare them for encounters with critics of the LDS Church.

In Chapter 2 (“Anti-Mormon Thinking and Tactics”) Mr. Sheldon explains why critics “would go through all the trouble” of arguing against Mormonism. After stating that Christians believe Mormonism is “a twisting of Christianity,” Mr. Sheldon writes,

“Another reason as to why Christians fight against the Church is a two-part problem. First, they are upset with the fact that we believe ours to be the one and only true church of Christ and that all other Christian teachings are wrong. In this respect it is understandable why Christians are upset with the Church. This statement and belief is threatening to the Christian community. It brings into question and threatens the credibility of Christianity. This leads us to the second problem for Christian denominational leaderships, because preaching is their job and sole source of income. Aside from tithing[,] ministers, pastors and preachers are paid so much money per seat filled in their congregations… Thus, every member lost is money lost.” (8-9)

Continue reading at Mormonism Research Ministry

The threat from Mormonism is summed up in this paragraph:

Mormonism threatens the eternal hope of millions of people. It proclaims a false god. It proclaims a false gospel. It proclaims an unattainable eternal future, making spiritual promises that it cannot fulfill. Those who place their faith and hope in Mormonism will never see Heaven because they have rejected God’s merciful and gracious offer of redemption in Christ alone. Often unaware, they have turned from the narrow gate that leads to eternal life, choosing instead the wide gate that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).