The Mormon President Brigham Young said "Take up the Bible, compare the religion of the Latter-day Saints with it, and see if it will stand the test" (JD 16:46). This web site will compare LDS Church teachings to the Bible using the Catholic Church teachings to interpret the Bible. Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, claimed that the Lord told him that the churches "….were all wrong ...all their creeds were an abomination in his sight …” (JS-H 18-19). The Bible warns us to be watchful of false prophets that will enter in among us speaking perverse things to draw disciples after them (Acts.20:29-31), it is prophesied that some shall depart from the faith of the apostles by paying attention to deceitful spirits (1Tim.4:1). Pope St. Felix III said "An error which is not resisted is approved; a truth which is not defended is suppressed....". This web site will "mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned" (Rom.16:17) and will provide scriptures "for reproof, for correction" (2Tim.3:16). This web site has received the Fidelity Green Light Award for its Excellence in Catholic Fidelity from CatholicCulture.org.
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Ex-Mormon Testimonies:
Mormons will say they "are Christians in the truest sense. Like other Christians, Mormons believe Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God" (Mormon Web Site). Mormonism teaches "false Christianity ... believed that God was a being without form or substance" (LDS GP Chap 16). "Mormons are not Christians ... Those who deny the doctrine of the Holy Trinity deny that Christ is God. Now if one denies that Christ is God, he is denying an essential aspect of Christianity" (ETWN). "Although Mormons certainly consider themselves to be Christians, the Catholic Church does not consider them to be Christians, either sacramentally or theologically. The Church has ruled that Mormon baptism is not valid, which means that Mormons are not Christians by baptism. Since Mormons believe in a plurality of gods and do not believe in Christ's divinity (as it is understood by orthodox Christians), they are not theological Christians either." (ETWN). The Bible reveals Christians are disciples and disciples continue in the words of Christ (Acts 11:26; John 8:31). Mormon's are not Christians since they continue with Joseph Smith's teaching of "three Gods" instead of Jesus' teaching of "one God". Christians continue in the things which they have learned and have been assured of, knowing whom they learned it (2Tim 3:14). Several Christian denominations have made studies of Mormon teaching and come to the conclusion that there are irreconcilable differences between LDS doctrine and Christian beliefs based on the Bible (Institute for Religious Research).
Brad says, "Mormons ... vigorously claim to be Christians ... if one considers “Christian” to include following the teachings of God as revealed through Christ and handed on through the Church, then they are definitely not. ... They believe in Christ, but they believe some very different things about Him than most Christians do." (Are Mormons Christian?)
Mormonism teaches that non-Mormons do NOT have the "proper priesthood authority to baptize" (LDS GP Chap 20) and do NOT receive "the gift of the Holy Ghost" (LDS GP Chap 21). The Catholic Church has ruled that a Mormon baptism is not valid. The Catholic Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has stated that "The words Father, Son and Holy Spirit, have for the Mormons a meaning totally different from the Christian meaning. The differences are so great that one cannot even consider that this doctrine is a heresy which emerged out of a false understanding of the Christian doctrine. The teaching of the Mormons has a completely different matrix. ... Mormons hold that there is no real Trinity, no original sin ..." (EWTN). "Mormons ... are to be considered unbaptized ... the marriage of Mormons ... with a validly baptized person is not sacramental marriage" (EWTN). The Catholic Church teaches:
Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: "For men who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. Justified by faith in Baptism, [they] are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church." "Baptism therefore constitutes the sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn." (CCC1271)
Mormonism teaches the Mormon Church is "the only true and living church" (LDS GP Chapter 17). A convert from Mormonism to Catholicism writes, "I could no longer accept the Mormon view of a plurality of gods." He also writes "The more I researched, the more flaws I found with the Mormon doctrines I had been taught. ... The overwhelming historical evidence available supports the Catholic teaching on Apostolic succession. ... Another truth I discovered is that there is only one God ..." (ETWN). Another convert from Mormonism to Catholicism writes "I was born and raised in a Latter-Day Saints family ... As I read and studied ... Mormon teachings were often in direct conflict with the Bible ... it is my testimony that the Catholic Church is Christ's Church on earth. ... It is the Church Christ himself established, and its fundamental doctrines and creeds have not changed in two thousand years. They have remained constant, in harmony with the earliest Fathers of the Church ...." (Catholic Answers).
The Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley said "we do not believe in the traditional Christ of Christianity ... our knowledge comes of the witness of a prophet" (LDS General Conference Apr 2002). Mormonism teaches Jesus is "a God" of many Gods (LDS Bible Dictionary God). The Bible reveals Jesus is "God" (John1:1) and that "God was manifest in the flesh" (1Tim.3:16). Jesus is "my God" (John.20:28), "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col.2:9). The Catholic Church teaches "We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons. The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire." (CCC253).
David says, "The Bible clearly states in many passages that there is only one God. The standard explanation is that “well, that means that there is only one God 'for us/of our world'”. That explanation satisfies those who believe in Mormonism. Unfortunately, to make it true one has to make the Bible mean something other than what it actually says." (IRR.org)
Mormonism teaches Jesus was born of heavenly parents (LDS GP Chap 2). Jesus was not born of heavenly parents, Jesus was "the Word" in the beginning (John 1:1). The term "Word" (Greek logos) combines God's dynamic, creative word (Genesis), and personified preexistent Wisdom as the instrument of God's creative activity (Proverbs) (NAB for John 1:1). Jesus is called the "the firstborn of every creature" because he is "the beginning of the creation of God", he is "the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (Col 1:15; Rev.3:14; Rev.22:13). The word firstborn has different usages, David was made "my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth" (Psalm 89:27) and Jesus is called "the beginning, the firstborn from the dead" (Col 1:18). The early Christian bishop Irenaeus taught, "The Son ... the eternal Word of God ... coming into being in a manner like that of their own word" (Is Christ inferior to the Father? - CA). The early Christian bishops taught the following, Ignatius was a 1st century bishop who was appointed by the apostle Peter:
"the Word of God—indeed, the great God himself, since he is the Word" (Irenaeus - The Eternal Sonship of Christ - CA)
Mormonism teaches that Jesus is one of "three Gods" in the Godhead (LDS Bible Dictionary Godhead). Three Gods do not form the Godhead as Mormonism teaches, it is "three persons in which subsists the one Godhead" (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith). The Bible reveals in Christ "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily", meaning the "fullness of the deity: the divine nature, not just attributes" (NAB Col 2:9). Joseph Smith's teaching of "three Gods" is illogical because it is illogical to say that there is one God and three Gods. No matter how closely together three gods work, they remain three gods, not one. Jesus taught "the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he" (Mark.12:32). The apostle Paul taught "there is none other God but one ... to us there is but one God, the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ" (1Cor 8:4,6) and taught "there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1Tim.2:5). The Athanasian Creed says "... the Godhead of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is all One".
Mormonism teaches Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers who were born of a heavenly parents (LDS GP Chap 3). Jesus is not an angel like Satan. The Lord created Satan and all spirits with a command (Psalm 148:2-5; Neh.9:6), Satan was not born of heavenly parents like Mormonism teaches. The first man was not born of heavenly parents, his spirit was formed within his body of the dust, he became a living soul (Zech.12:1; Gen.2:7). The KJV of Isa.45:7,12 reveals The Lord says, "... I make peace, and create evil. ... I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded." The NAB translates verse 7 of Isa.45 as "create woe" instead of "create evil" with the footnote "God permits evil for the sake of a greater good". On day 1 God gave a beginning to all that exists, the totality of what exists is expressed by the words "the heavens and the earth". But on the other days He did not make out of nothing, but out of what He had made on the first day, by organizing (Gen.1:8). An angel of the LORD: the visual form under which God appeared and spoke to men is referred to indifferently in some Old Testament texts either as God's angel or as God himself." (NAB Exodus 3).
Mormon scripture reveals that the Father has a body of flesh and bones (D&C 130, LDS GP Chap 1). Mormons worship a different God. Mormons worship a man who became God instead of a God who is God from "from everlasting to everlasting". Mormons worship a Heavenly Father that has a body of flesh and bones instead of a Heavenly Father that is all spirit. Jesus tells us "God is a Spirit" (John.4:24) and that "a spirit hath not flesh and bones" (Luke.24:39), meaning that the Father is a spirit, not that the Father has a spirit (CA). "Mormons, have committed the error of saying that God the Father has a body ... they profoundly misunderstand Scripture ... such is metaphorical language concerning God’s power and knowledge ... What of Christ’s body? ... now glorified, continues to exist ... the Son to also take on a human nature" (God has No Body - CA). "When the Bible speaks of our being made in his image, then, it doesn't mean we're like him physically. It means that, like God, we possess a spiritual aspect to our being." (CA). Men are made "in our image", in the beginning the Son was with the Father (Gen 1:26; John 1:1). The image of the Son is a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). Like the Son, man is both spirit and body (1Thes 5:23). "I am come down" is a figure of speech signifying an extraordinary divine intervention in human affairs (NAB Exod 3:8). John.5:19 says "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do", this proverb or parable describes that the activity of a son is modeled on that of his father, God our Saviour (1Tim.1:1) sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world (1John.4:14).
Mormonism teaches "false Christianity ... believed that God was a being without form or substance" (LDS GP Chap 16). We can know if the LDS Church is true or false Christianity by comparing its teachings with the written and oral traditions of the apostles (Acts.17:1; 2Thes.2:15). The Bible reveals we are to "stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle" (2Thes.2:15). The 2nd century Christian Bishop Irenaeus taught:
"the Father of all ... is ... without structure ... all spirit" (CA - God has No Body).
Mormonism teaches "Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith." (LDS GP Chap 17). "The Church Fathers declared ... No one has at any time seen God ...God is incorporeal ... none of those persons saw the pure essence of God ... When the divine Scripture presents sayings about God and remarks on corporeal ... speaking of him in a human way .. each one of us is made as consisting of all, having an immaterial soul and a mind, which is the image of God." (God has not Body - CA). Joseph Smith could not have seen the Father, God told Moses no one can see me and live (Exod 33:20). Moses did not see God as a human form, Moses saw his glory pass by, Moses saw the "back parts" of his glory, the glory of the LORD is like devouring fire (Exod 33:18-23; Exod 24:17). When Moses and Jacob said they saw God they actually saw an angel of the Lord (Exod.3:2-6; Hosea 12:2,4). When the Bible says Moses spoke face to face with God, this does not mean that Moses saw our Heavenly Father's face, that is, God as he is in himself, but is a reference to the manner of speaking not to Moses seeing because we know that God told Moses "for there shall no man see me, and live" (Exod 33:11, 20). God can be seen in a vision. Acts 7:55-56 is a vision, in a vision the objects are not necessarily the actual items, for example the apostle John saw Jesus as a lamb and a right hand in his vision (Rev.5:1). If God has an actual right hand, then it is not like man’s for God says "my right hand hath spanned the heavens" (Isa 48:13,17). Acts 7:55-59 supports the doctrine of the Trinity, verse 7:56 supports the notion that the Son and the Father are distinct persons like the Trinity (in a vision Stephen saw the Son of man standing on the right hand of God) and verse 7:59 supports the notion Jesus is God like the Trinity (when Stephen called upon God he said Lord Jesus). In a vision of God, Ezekiel saw the appearance of a man, the glory of God was seen as a brightness (Ezek 1:1,26-28). "Numbers 23:19 proclaims, "God is not a man, that he should lie" ... Hosea 11:9 is equally blunt: "I am God, and not man." (The Mormon God - CA).
Mormonism teaches "our Heavenly Father became God ... He was once a man like us; . . . God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did" (LDS GP Chap 47). Joseph Smith said "I will prove that the world is wrong, by showing what God is ... God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man ... if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form ... God came to be God." (Joseph Smith's King Follett Sermon, LDS Ensign, Apr 1971, 13-14). Our Heavenly Father did not became God, God is "eternal", God is God from "from everlasting to everlasting" (1Tim.1:17; Psalm.90:2). The Son of God did not become God through progression, He was God from the beginning (John 1:1). The Son of God has the "fullness" of the divine nature (Col.2:9). The Holy Ghost is God without a perfected, resurrected body (Acts 5:4).
Mormonism teaches "a plan for our progression ... He is a creator. We can become like our Heavenly Father" (LDS GP Chap 47). Men cannot obtain a "fullness" of the divine nature like Christ because men can only have a part since they can only "partake" of the divine nature according to God's divine power (2Pet.1:3,4). The Catholic Church teaches, "The Word became flesh to make us "partakers of the divine nature": [2 Pt 1:4] "For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God." "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God." "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods" (CCC460).
Mormonism teaches Jesus is Jehovah and the Father is Elohim and that they are two separate Gods (LDS Bible Dictionary God). Jehovah and Elohim are NOT two separate Gods, Jehovah is our God and our father, he made us and established us, Jehovah is the most High (Deut 32:3-9). Jehovah is God Almighty, the LORD our God (Exod 6:2-6). The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, the God of our fathers glorified his Son Jesus (Acts 5:30; Acts 3;13). Jesus is "I AM", the Son of God and God himself (CCC653; John.8:58; John.20:28,31). God was manifest in the flesh, the Word was God and become flesh, the only begotten Son (1Tim.3:16; John1:1,14). "The Yahwist prefers the name Yahweh (represented in translation as Lord) by which God revealed himself to Israel; the Elohist prefers the generic name for God, Elohim." (NAB preface). The word "Jehovah" arose from a false reading of this name as it is written in the current Hebrew text. (NAB Exodus 3). "Genesis 1:26 stated, "And God said, Let us ... the Hebrew word for God here is Elohim, which is a plural form ... three Persons exist ... Catholics are not modalists" (The Mormon God - CA). Gen 1:26 expresses a plurality which refers to God himself since God was "alone" at the time of creation (Isa 44:24). Catholic Church teaches that the Father and the Son "are really distinct from one another. God is one but not solitary" (CCC254). The Bible reveals this distinction, Jesus tells us "I and my Father are one" (John.10:30:38) and "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand" (Luke.20:42; Pss.110:1).
The Book of Mormon reveals "we are saved, after all we can do” (2Nephi 25:23). The Book of Mormon reveals a perverted gospel when compared to the Bible. The Bible reveals “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph.2:8-10), "if by grace, then is it no more of works" (Rom 11:6). The Bible reveals we are saved "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost ... being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Tit.3:5-8). Read the Book of Mormon, read 2Nephi 25:23, and you will discover that the Book of Mormon is false because it contains “another gospel” (Gal.1:6). When asked to pray about the Book of Mormon simply reply with "Why would I pray about a book that I know has a perverted gospel when compared to the Bible?" The Book of Mormon is not the faith that "was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude.1:3), it’s restored gospel perverts the gospel of Christ. The Book of Mormon comes from the alleged prophet Joseph Smith, he was given gold plates by an angel and he translated them by putting a "seer stone into a hat and put his face in the hat" (LDS Ensign, Sep 1977). The Bible reveals that we are not to believe “every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1John 4:1). Mormons have deserted the gospel of Christ for "another gospel" which perverts the gospel of Christ (Gal.1:6). The Mormon restored gospel is contrary to what Paul taught, God has " saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace" (2Tim.1:9). Those who believe "are careful to maintain good works because these things are good and profitable unto men" (Titus 3:8) and they "keep his commandments" because they love God (1John 5:2). Paul said "by the grace of God I am what I am ... I laboured ... yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1Cor.15:10).
Mormons believe they "may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel" (LDS A/F 3). Mormonism teaches "each of us has been commanded to marry and have children" (LDS GP Chap 36). Mormons believe marriage is necessary for the highest degree of exaltation (Covenants). Mormonism teaches "our exaltation depends on marriage" (LDS GP Chap 38) and that "exaltation is eternal life, the kind of life God lives" (LDS GP Chapter 47). Paul did not teach we are "saved, by obedience" like Mormonism's Third Article of Faith. Paul taught “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph.2:8-10), "if by grace, then is it no more of works" (Rom 11:6). Being saved is through faith, faith is the "fruit of the spirit" (Gal.5:22). Faith alone "is dead" (James 2:17) if it is without charity, "though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing" (1Cor 13:2). Confessing "Lord, Lord" is not enough, we are to do the will of the Father (Matt 7:21,22). When we do the will of the Father, "it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil 2:12,13), "we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Eph.2:8-10). Faith leads to salvation (1Pet.1:5,9). Salvation is through "sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (2Thes.2:13). God works in us as we work out our own salvation (Phil 2:12,13). We "are sanctified by God the Father" (Jude.1:1). We can choose to believe or not believe the gospel (Mark.16:15,16; Luke.8:12,13; John 3:36). "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James.2:24). We are under grace, we yield ourselves servants to obey, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus (Rom.6:1-23). Living faith is not faith only it involves charity, we are doers of the word not hearers only (James 2:14-26; James 1:22). We can follow Christ by humbling ourselves and becoming obedient unto death (Phil.2:7-9). Those who humble themselves shall be exalted (Luke.18:14).
Loren, an Ex-Mormon missionary, says "Mormons usually equate salvation with resurrection. Likewise, they refer to eternal life as "exaltation." ... Trying to bridge the doctrinal divide between Mormons and Christians, I emphasized that salvation is by grace "after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23). ... I stressed that eternal life is earned by perfect obedience to all gospel laws and ordinances. " (mrm.org - Ten Lies I Told as a Mormon Missionary)
Mormons believe in a "conditional atonement ... our works of righteousness are essential" (LDS Ensign, Apr. 1981, 17). Mormonism is contrary to the Bible. The Bible reveals we are not saved "by works of righteousness which we have done" (Tit.3:5-8). Salvation is conditioned on belief, those who "believeth not shall be damned" (Mark.16:16) and those who "believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John.3:15,16). "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness", the story of Abraham shows that faith in God brings righteousness (Rom.4:2,3). In the end we are judged "according to their works" (Rev.20:12-13), the Son of man shall reward every man according to his works, those who love their enemies and do good will have a great reward (Luke.6:35,36; Matt.16:27). All will be physically resurrected to stand in judgment before God (Acts 24:15), "he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark.16:16). Those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment (John.5:29). "he that endureth to the end shall be saved" ( Matt.10:22). "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark.16:16). Peter said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts.2:38). Christ taught "repent" (Matt.4:17), moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high, the Bible reveals when they heard the gospel "they were pricked in their heart ... what shall we do?... Peter said ... repent and be baptized ... you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:37,38). Christ taught "keep the commandments" (Matt.19:17), his commandments are "that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another" (1John 3:23). We are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus ... a man is justified by faith" (Rom.3:24,28). "being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ... being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Rom.5:1,9). "sanctification and justification aren’t just one-time events, but are ongoing processes in the life of the believer" (CA - Grace).
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi - "Almighty, eternal, just, and merciful God, grant us in our misery to do for You alone what we know You want us to do, and always to desire what pleases You. Thus, inwardly cleansed, interiorly enlightened, and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit, may we be able to follow in the footprints of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And, by Your grace alone, may we make our way to You, Most High"
Mormons "reject the doctrine of salvation by grace alone" (LDS Ensign, Mar 1988, 7). Mormonism teaches "One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God." (Book of Mormon Student Manual for 2Nephi 25:23). Mormons believe "We cannot be saved by grace alone, for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” (LDS Ensign - Nov 2001, 18). Ask a Mormon if he believes we are saved by grace alone or if he believes we are saved after all we can do like the Book of Mormon reveals (LDS 2Nephi 25:23)? "Catholics believe in salvation by grace alone ... we cannot earn God's unmerited favor by our good works, we can reject his love by our sins (that is, by our evil works) and thereby lose the eternal life he freely offers us in Christ" (Catholic Answers). Catholics do not believe "one must do good works to come to God and be saved ... for if it is by grace, it is not now by works; otherwise, as the Apostle [Paul] says, grace is no more grace (Rom. 11:6)" (Catholic Answers). The Bible does not reveal "we are saved after all we can do" like the Book of Mormon, the Bible reveals "we are careful to maintain good works because these things are good and profitable unto men" (Titus 3:8). The Catholic Church teaches "for it is by grace that we are saved and again it is by grace that our works can bear fruit for eternal life" (CCC1697). The Joint Declaration between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation says,
"By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works ... God forgives sin by grace ... The exhortation to do good works is the exhortation to practice the faith. The good works of the justified should be done in order to confirm their call, that is, lest they fall from their call by sinning again ... In the final judgement, the justified will be judged also on their works ... believers should do good works which the Holy Spirit works in them." (The Doctrine of Justification).
As Christians we are to "stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle" (2Thes.2:15; 2Tim.2:2), we are to continue in the things which they have learned and have been assured of, knowing whom they learned it (2Tim 3:14). Clement, a first century bishop who was ordained by the apostle Peter, taught:
Mormons will say that "God’s method is simple: we read the Book of Mormon, we pray and ask Him to tell us that what we’ve read is true and He answers us through the Holy Ghost." (Mormon Web Site). Deception is possible in spiritual phenomena and may be tested by its relation to Holy Scripture, the Bible reveals that we are not to believe “every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1John 4:1). Jesus taught that we can know the truth by continuing in his words (John.8:31-32). In the Bible "they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts.17:11). As we search the Holy Scriptures to determine whether things are so we can “ask of God” if we "lack wisdom" (James.1:5), “the Holy Ghost … shall teach you all things” (John.14:26). The Book of Mormon comes from the alleged prophet Joseph Smith, he was given gold plates by an angel and Joseph Smith translated them by putting a "seer stone into a hat and put his face in the hat" (LDS Ensign, Sep 1977). The Bible warns us that an angel from heaven can preach a different gospel than what the apostles preached (Gal.1:6-8). The Bible reveals that “many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many” (Matt.24:11). The Bible warns that “false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt 7:15) and that these grievous wolves enter in to the flock “speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts.20:29-30).
Mormons will say that "the truth of the Book of Mormon comes when God sends His Spirit to confirm the truth of what we read. We can feel this confirmation when we study the Book of Mormon with diligence and faith" (Mormon Web Site). Jesus did not teach us to use feelings to know if something is true but taught that we can know the truth by continuing in his words (John.8:31-32). The Bible reveals some will give "heed to seducing spirits (1Tim.4:1), "for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2Cor.11:14). A testimony is based on personal revelation which is subjective, scripture tells us that "the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets" (1Cor.14:32). Feelings are not based on scripture, using scripture is greater than using "feelings", "the witness of God is greater" than the witness of a man (1John.5:9). Holy Scripture is the inspired word of God (2Tim.3:16). Mormons testify that the Book of Mormon is true; the Bible testifies that the Book of Mormon is false since it "pervert the gospel of Christ" (Gal.1:7).
David says, "What happens when your feelings say one thing and the Word of God says another? Which is more reliable and which do you believe? Don't you think the Bible is a much more reliable standard than my 'feelings' or 'testimony' or your 'feelings' or 'testimony'?”" (IRR.org)
Mormonism teaches "The Book of Mormon ... is the keystone of our religion.” (LSD GP Chap 10). Mormonism teaches that Book of Mormon is a fulfillment of Revelation 14:6-7 (LDS GP Chap 41). Revelation 14:6-7 is not describing the angel Moroni bringing the gospel to Joseph Smith as Mormonism teaches but is describing angels proclaiming imminent judgment, the everlasting gospel is the good news that God's eternal reign is about to begin (NAB Revelation 14:6-7). Ezekiel 37 is not a prophecy about the Book of Mormon as Mormonism teaches (LDS Ensign, Feb 1987). The symbolic action of joining two sticks into one signifies the future union of Israel and Judah under one messianic King (NAB Ezekiel 37). Joseph translated the Book of Mormon by "put the seer stone into a hat and put his face in the hat" (LDS GP Chap 10; LDS Ensign, Sep 1977). The Bible reveals that a false prophet can come in sheep's clothing and can show a great sign like the Book of Mormon to deceive many (Matt 24:11,24; Matt 7:15). Mormons say that John 10:16 refers to Jews who allegedly migrated to South America around 600 B.C.. " Most Catholic biblical scholars, following the teaching of the early Church Fathers, agree that the "other sheep" are the Gentiles, to whom the gospel was sent after the Jews rejected Christ (Rom 11:11-12)." (Catholic Answers)
Joseph Smith taught "three Gods" (Joseph Smith Teachings - Ensign, Mar 2008, 68-73 -- Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 370). The Mormon Bible Dictionary reveals that each person is "a God" (LDS BD God). Neither Jesus nor the apostles taught "three Gods" like Joseph Smith taught. Jesus taught "the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he" (Mark.12:32). The apostle Paul taught "there is none other God but one ... to us there is but one God, the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ" (1Cor 8:4,6) and taught "there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1Tim.2:5). In 1Cor 8 verse 6 rephrases the monotheistic confession of v 4 in such a way as to contrast it with the polytheism of v 5 "gods many". The Bible reveals "one God" (Mark.12:32) and three persons (Matt.28:19). The Father and the Son are distinct persons, Christ did not pray to himself (Luke.22:41,42). Jesus is not "God the Father" (Eph.6:23), the Bible reveals "God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ:" (Eph.1:3). When John 1:1 says "was with God" it reveals the Son of God is not "God the Father" (Eph.6:23). When John 1:1 says "was God" it signifies predication rather than identification, it signifies his "divine nature" (2Pet.1:4). The Father and the Son are two distinct persons (John.10:30) but they are not two separate Gods, the apostle Paul taught "to us there is but one God, the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ" (1Cor 8:4-6). The Bible reveals each person is God (Gal.1:1; John 1:1;.Acts 5:4). Like Thomas we call Jesus "our God" and we "believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (John.20:28.31), "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col.2:9).
The Catholic Church teaches:
Catholics believe:
Mormonism teaches that the "Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are called the Godhead. They are unified in purpose" (GP Chapter 7) and that there are "three Gods" in the Godhead (LDS BD Godhead). There are not "three Gods" in the Godhead, in Jesus "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily", meaning the "fullness of the deity: the divine nature, not just attributes" (NAB Col 2:9). The Father and the Son are unified in purpose, the Son does the will of the Father (Luke.22:42). Jesus tells us that "I and my Father are one", the Father dwelt in the Son and did the works, the Father and the Son are distinct persons and are one (John 10:30,38; John 14:10,11,23; John 17:21). Jesus could say "my Father is greater than I" (John.14:28) because the man Jesus "took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Phil.2:7), a "servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him" (John.13:16). Jesus could say "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God" (John.20:17) because the Father is "God of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph.1:17). A person can "be one in" the Father and the Son (John 17:21) if the Son gives them glory, "he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit" (1Cor.6:17). Those who keep the Son's words the Father and the Son we will come unto them, and make their abode with them (John 14:23).
The Catholic Church teaches:
Mormon scripture reveals "the Gods, organized and formed the heavens ... they (the Gods) said: Let there be light" (Abr 4:1-3). Modern Mormon revelation (Abr 4:1-3) reveals "Gods" and the Bible reveals "God" (Gen 1:3). Joseph Smith's modern revelation is contrary to the revelation found in the Bible. Mormon scripture reveals "the Gods, organized and formed the heavens ... they (the Gods) said: Let there be light" (Abr 4:1-3). The Bible reveals something different than Mormon scripture, the Bible reveals "God said, Let there be light" (Gen 1:3) and that "... there is no God beside me ... I form the light ... stretched out the heavens" (Isa 45:5-12) and that "God ... stretcheth forth the heavens alone ... by myself" (Isa 44:2,24). The Bible reveals his Word (John1:1) and his Wisdom (Prov.8:12-27) were with God in the beginning when He stretched out the heaven (Jer.51:15). Our God is God of gods (Deut.10:17), gods or angels are not with God when He "commanded the light to shine out of darkness" (2Cor.4:6) but gods are with God after He creates them (Psalm 148:2-5; Neh.9:6). Psalm 82 reveals "God arises in the heavenly assembly (Psalm 82:1) to rebuke the unjust "gods" (Psalm 82:2-4), who are stripped of divine status and reduced in rank to mortals (Psalm 82:5-7)". Psalm 89 reveals "The gods: literally, "the sons of gods," "the holy ones" and "courtiers" of Psalm 89:6, 8. These heavenly spirits are members of God's court." Psalm 8 reveals "Little less than a god: Hebrew 'elohim is the ordinary word for "God" or "the gods" or members of the heavenly court".
The Catholic Church teaches:
Catholics believe:
God was alone at the time of creation with no other gods, when Gen. 1:26 says "Let us make man in our image" it expresses a plurality which refers to God himself (Isa. 44:24, Neh. 9:6). Gen 1:26 expresses a plurality which refers to God himself since God was "alone" at the time of creation. (CA).
Mormons "reject the doctrines of the Trinity as taught by most Christian churches today" (LDS Ensign, Mar 1988). The apostle Paul tells us "without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh" (1Tim.3:16). Jesus said, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now" (John 16:12). The Trinity is consistent with the Bible, the Bible reveals one God (Mark.12:32; 1Cor 8:4,6), the Bible reveals three distinct persons (Matt.28:19), the Bible reveals "I and my Father are one" (John.10:30). The Trinity is consistent with the Bible and holds to the apostolic traditions (2Thes.2:15). Jesus is "I AM", the Son of God and God himself (CCC653; John.8:58; John.28,31). The 1st and 2nd century Christian Bishops taught the principles of the doctrine of the Trinity (Ignatius was a 1st century bishop who was appointed by the apostle Peter, Irenaeus was a 2nd century bishop).
Mormonism teaches Joseph Smith is a prophet (GP Chapter 17). We can know a false prophet because they "shall bring in damnable heresies" (2Pet.2:1). A heresy is a teaching that conflicts with what Jesus and his apostles taught. Joseph Smith's teaching of "three Gods" is heretical because neither Jesus nor his apostles taught "three Gods". We can test a prophet by comparing their words to the inspired word of God (1John.4:1; Acts.17:2,11; 2Tim.3:16). The Bible warns that “false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt 7:15) and that these grievous wolves enter in to the flock “speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts.20:29-30). We can learn if Joseph Smith is true or false prophet by searching the Bible and allowing the Spirit of Truth to lead us to all truth, God will give wisdom to those who ask him (Acts.17:11; John.16:13; James.1:5). As we search the Holy Scriptures to determine whether things are so we can “ask of God” if we "lack wisdom" (James.1:5), “the Holy Ghost … shall teach you all things” (John.14:26).
Melissa says, ""Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1) For those of you who are members of the LDS faith; as I once was, please......please listen. Listen to what God is trying to tell you. Let Him in. Think for yourselves. Put your religion to the test." (IRR.org)
The Mormon President Hinckley said "... we do not believe in the traditional Christ of Christianity ... our knowledge comes of the witness of a prophet ... I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet ... I know that this Church is the work of God ... Of these things I testify in solemnity ..." (LDS General Conference Apr 2002). Mormons testify that Joseph Smith is a prophet; the Bible testifies that Joseph Smith is a false prophet because a false prophet brings forth “heresies” (2Pet.2:1). A Mormon's testimony is based on personal revelation which is subjective, scripture tells us that "the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets" (1Cor.14:32). Feelings are not based on scripture, using scripture is greater than using "feelings", "the witness of God is greater" than the witness of a man (1John.5:9). Deception is possible in spiritual phenomena and may be tested by its relation to Holy Scripture, the Bible reveals that we are not to believe “every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1John 4:1). False prophets like Joseph Smith can deceive many (Matt.24:11) and many shall follow the pernicious ways of a false prophet (2Pet.2:2). Joseph Smith is one those grievous wolf that enters in among us and speaks perverse things to draw disciples after himself, we are told to be watchful (Acts.20:29-31). A false prophet like Joseph Smith can show a great sign like the Book of Mormon to deceive many (Matt 24:11,24; Matt 7:15). For Mormons the Book of Mormon is a sign he is a prophet can show, for non-Mormons the Book of Mormon is evidence “that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1Tim.4:1).
David says, "What happens when your feelings say one thing and the Word of God says another? Which is more reliable and which do you believe? Don't you think the Bible is a much more reliable standard than my 'feelings' or 'testimony' or your 'feelings' or 'testimony'?”" (IRR.org)
Mormonism teaches "We should do those things the prophets tell us to do." (LDS GP Chap 9). Mormonism teaches "a prophet will never be allowed to lead the Church astray" (LDS GP Chap 9). Joseph Smith's heretical teaching is the evil fruit where we know he is a false prophet in sheep's clothing (Matt.7:17), he has distorted some of things that are hard to understand to his own destruction (2Pet.3:16). Christians are disciples and disciples continue in the words of Christ (Acts 11:26; John 8:31). The Christian faith "was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude.1:3). As Christians we are to "stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle" (2Thes.2:15). We are to "continue in the things which we have learned and have been assured of, knowing whom we learned it" (2Tim 3:14). The apostolic faith was committed to faithful men who taught others (2Tim.2:2). Those who hear the word of God but do not understand fall away, those who understand the word of God bring forth fruit to perfection (Luke.8:11-15). Mormon's continue with Joseph Smith's teaching of "three Gods" instead of Christ's teaching of "one God".
Mormonism teaches "The Church was organized with the same offices as were in the ancient Church. That organization included Apostles, prophets ..." (GP Chapter 17). Mormonism teaches "We have a prophet ... the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." (LDS GP Chap 9). The Mormon Church does not have the same organization as the Church established by Jesus, in the New Testament Church prophets are secondary (1Cor.12:28). Prophets were secondary when there was a dispute in the New Testament Church, prophets exhorted the exhorted the brethren after "much disputing" by the church council (Acts.15:7,32). The Church established by Jesus has many prophets in the church and these prophets judged other prophets (Eph.4:1,11; 1Cor.14:26-37). Prophets like Judas and Silas exhorted the brethren after a council settled a dispute (Acts.15; 2Pet.1:19-21; John.14:16-26; Acts 13:1). The Bible warns us not to believe prophets but to test them, we can test them by comparing their words to the inspired word of God (1John.4:1; Acts.17:2,11; 2Tim.3:16). A prophet like Barnabas was sent away and preached (Acts 13:1-5). Mormons have "gone astray" by following the false prophet Joseph Smith, they are entangled after they have "escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2Pet.2:15-20).
The Pope
Mormons
believe that there was no one left on earth with the power and
authority to lead the Church or perform sacred ordinances such as
baptism, conferral of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the saving
ordinances of the temple... the world fell into spiritual darkness
(What is the
Fulness of the Gospel?). The apostles took care
to appoint successors to pass on authority. The historical
writings reveal that the apostles meet to choose and ordained men to
replace them. Clement,
a first century bishop of Rome who was ordained by the apostle Peter,
wrote "if they should die, other approved men should succeed to
their ministry". The Apostles appointed bishops as their
successors to pass on authority. Peter's successor was the Bishop
of Rome, the Pope. Ignatius,
a 1st century bishop who was appointed by the apostle Peter, wrote
that the church at Rome "holds the presidency" and "with
the bishop presiding in the place of God". The second
century bishop Irenaeus
wrote ""Rome ... has the tradition and the faith which
comes down to us after having been announced to men by the
apostles". There can be only one bishop of Rome at
one time.
"Peter went to Rome ... he left successors there ... Peter’s successors shared in his special authority" (Catholic Answers)
As Peter's successor, the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, has the power of the keys. The power of the keys designates authority to govern the house of God. Apostolic authority continued with the apostle's successors, the writings of the early Christian leaders shows that the apostle's choose bishops as their successors. The second century bishop Irenaeus wrote "The blessed apostles [Peter and Paul], having founded and built up the church [of Rome] . . . handed over the office of the episcopate to Linus" and wrote "the ancient organization of the Church ... the succession of bishops". The unbroken succession of bishops transmits the apostolic authority. Ignatius, a 1st century bishop who was appointed by the apostle Peter, wrote "For what is the bishop but one who beyond all others possesses all power and authority, so far as it is possible for a man to possess it" and wrote "Wherever the bishop appears, let the people be there; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church". The early Christians wrote "Polycarp ... bishop of the Catholic Church ... combined both apostle and prophet in his own person" and "many brethren in the Church who possess prophetic gifts ... declare the mysteries of God".
"the bishop of Rome—the pope—continued to serve in Peter’s role" (Catholic Answers)
Apostles or
Bishops
Mormonism teaches
"Apostles could not meet to choose and ordain men to replace
those who were dead." (LDS
GP Chap 16). Mormonism teaches "a
pattern for twelve Apostles to govern the Church ... was to continue
(LDS
GP Chap 16). The office of Apostle cannot continue
because the twelve chosen by Christ had the requirement of being an
eye witness to Christ's life on earth. The church contains those who
have the vocation of apostle to edify the church, apostles like
Barnabas continue but the apostle Barnabas was not part of the twelve
apostles, the original twelve apostles were the foundation of the
church. Polycarp, a 2nd century bishop, combined both apostle and
prophet in his own person. Jesus was called an apostle.
The Bible reveals that before the apostles died they ordained
bishops, these bishops could then ordain others like they were
appointed. While the apostles were alive bishops were local
leaders, when the apostles died the bishops continue to be overseers,
made overseers by the holy Ghost to protect and feed the flock.
Bishops are not apostles, bishops are the apostle's successors.
Bishops are proved, they receive the gift that is given with the
laying on of hands, they are the stewards of God, they take care of
the church of God, and they hold fast to the faithful word that
the apostles taught. Bishops fulfill the pastoral mission
entrusted to the apostles and have all the powers which this mission
entails. Bishops as the successors of the apostles hand apostolic
line through ordination, the physical laying on of hands by someone
of authority. All Catholic bishops are part of a lineage that goes
back to the time of the apostles.
"the bishop of Rome is the successor of Peter" (Catholic Answers)
Revelation
Mormonism teaches "Because of
apostasy, there was no direct
revelation from God. … For many
years people lived in spiritual darkness. . . . there was no
revelation ..." (LDS
GP Chap 17). Catholics do not believe revelation
stopped when the apostles died, they don't believe the heavens were
closed. The Catholic Church teaches "The Father's
self-communication made through his Word in the Holy Spirit, remains
present and active in the Church: God, who spoke in the past,
continues to converse with the Spouse of his beloved Son."
(CCC79). The
Bible reveals that the faith was once delivered to the saints, once
the apostles delivered the faith to the saints public
revelation or revelation for the whole church stopped
since it was delivered. After the apostles died private
revelation continues, private revelation is revelation that
is judged by other prophets because there are many false
prophets. With the help of the Spirit of Truth the Church of
the living God cannot teach error or heresy otherwise it would
not be the pillar and foundation of truth as the Bible reveals.
"public revelation ... was concluded, with the death of the last apostle ... private revelation never did stop" (Catholic Answers)
Prophets
Mormons
believe at the head of the church is the prophet. The prophet is the
only person who can receive revelation for the entire church.
Although anyone who is worthy may receive personal revelation. (What
is the Difference Between the Pope and the Prophet?). Mormons
believe faith in and obedience to the current prophet of the Church
is essential (ExMormons).
Modern Mormon revelation takes precedence over ancient revelation
(Why
Mormons don’t Debate Doctrine). After the death of Jesus
Christ, and the death of His apostles, there were no further
prophets. This led to the Great Apostasy, in which many conflicts
over doctrine arose and the people floundered as they tried to find
truth. A prophet gives us the assurance we are doing what God wants
us to do in a complex world. (Mormon
Prophets). A prophet is not head of the church
like the Mormon President, the Bible reveals prophets are
secondary. We can know a false prophet because they bring forth
heresies. Joseph Smith is an example of a false prophet
because he brought the heresy of "three Gods". Joseph
Smith did not restore truth, Joseph Smith teaching "three Gods"
is not the truth that Jesus revealed. The Bible tells us that false
prophets can show great signs and wonders. The alleged prophet Joseph
Smith brought forth the Book of Mormon, the Book of Mormon is a sign
to Mormons that Joseph Smith is a prophet and many Mormons wonder how
a young farm boy with limited education could have brought forth the
Book of Mormon and they wonder about the archaeological evidence to
support the Book of Mormon since there is no archaeological evidence
to support the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon comes from the
alleged prophet Joseph Smith, he was given gold plates by an angel
and he translated them by putting a seer stone into a hat and putting
his face into the hat.
"Christian faith cannot accept ‘revelations’ that claim to surpass or correct the revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions" (Catholic Answers)
Celibacy
Mormonism teaches "each of us has been commanded to
marry and have children" (LDS
GP Chap 36) and that "the goal of
every Latter-day Saint" is an "eternal marriage" in a
Mormon temple (LDS
GP Chap 38). Mormons believe marriage
is necessary for the highest degree
of exaltation (Covenants). Mormonism
teaches those "who become gods, must also have been married for
eternity in the temple" (LDS
GP Chap 46). Mormonism teaches "our
exaltation depends on marriage" (LDS
GP Chap 38) and that "exaltation is
eternal life, the kind of life God lives" (LDS
GP Chapter 47). The Mormon commandment of marriage is contrary to
what the Bible reveals. Both Christ and the apostle Paul taught
celibacy and marriage. Jesus taught some choose to voluntarily
renounce marriage for the kingdom of heaven's sake. Jesus
says that celibacy is not for all but only for those to whom that is
granted by God. Jesus says those who can accept celibacy ought to
accept it. In Matt
19:12, Jesus describes a class of eunuch who have voluntarily
renounced marriage (literally, "have made themselves eunuchs")
for the sake of the kingdom, i.e., to devote themselves entirely to
its service. The NAB
Footnote for Matt 19:12 says "Some scholars take the last
class to be those who have been divorced by their spouses and have
refused to enter another marriage. But it is more likely that it is
rather those who have chosen never to marry, since that suits better
the optional nature of the decision: whoever can . . . ought to
accept it.". In Matthew 19 Jesus supports the celibate
life, advocates marriage, and denouncing divorce just like the
Catholic Church. The fact that the apostle Peter was married is
not contrary to the Catholic Church teachings on celibacy, celibacy
is not an unchangeable dogma but is a disciplinary rule. Some,
like Adam and Eve, are called to be man and wife.
"the vocation of celibacy is explicitly advocated—as well as practiced—by both Jesus and Paul ... celibacy "for the sake of the kingdom" is a gift, a call that is not granted to all, or even most people, but is granted to some. Other people are called to marriage. ... "Be fruitful and multiply" is not binding upon every individual; rather, it is a general precept for the human race." (Catholic Answers)
Celibacy is not "unnatural". The apostle Paul also supported the celibacy that Jesus is describing. Jesus and Paul taught celibacy is a gift that is granted to some. The apostle Paul encouraged celibacy in order to free a man to be anxious about the things of the Lord and to serve him undividedly. The apostle Paul viewed marriage and being unmarried as a particular spiritual gift from God. The Apostle Paul associated being unmarried with a calling. The apostle Paul endorses celibacy for those who care for the things the belong to the Lord, those who are celibate are able to attend upon the Lord without distraction. The apostle Paul says the celibate life is good and that the celibate life pleases the Lord. Paul’s conclusion is that the one who does not marry will do better. Paul in his words, "... to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I . . . . I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. ... I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. . . .he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better." (1 Cor. 7:8, 32-35, 38). The NAB Footnotes for 1 Corinthians 7 says "... marriage and celibacy may be viewed in the light of Paul's theology of spiritual gifts ... Paul was obviously unmarried when he wrote this verse. Some interpreters believe that he had previously been married and widowed; there is no clear evidence either for or against this view". The New American Bible (NAB) is "is the achievement of some fifty biblical scholars, the greater number of whom, though not all, are Catholics." (Preface to the New American Bible).
"The decision to remain celibate is freely chosen by seminarians, and it is not the Church that is forbidding them to marry. They may choose married or celibate life according to where the Lord is calling them." (Catholic Answrs)
Infant Baptism
The
Book of Mormon reveals "Infant baptism is an evil abomination"
(Book of Mormon Moroni
8). Mormons believe little children need no
repentance, neither baptism (What
do Mormons think of infant baptism?). Mormonism teaches "it
is mockery before God to baptize little children" (LDS
GP Chap 20). Mormonism teaches "the prophet Alma taught
that faith and repentance are steps that prepare us for baptism"
(LDS
GP Chap 20). The Book
of Mormon reveals "Infant baptism is an evil abomination".
Jesus teaches that baptism is necessary to enter the kingdom of
heaven. Apostolic tradition teaches infants are reborn. A
person is reborn through baptism . Infants do not need to
repent because they have no personal sin. Infants have what
Catholics call original sin which is transmitted with human nature,
the Bible reveals all have "sinful flesh". Those baptized
as infants can consent or reject to their infant baptism later in
life. Infants who have died without Baptism are entrusted to God's
mercy.
"the early Church practiced infant baptism" (Catholic Answers)
Baptism by immersion
Mormonism teaches "Baptism by
immersion by a person having the proper authority is
the only acceptable way of being
baptized" (LDS
GP Chap 20). Mormons believe baptism
by immersion, mainly because it is the only form of baptism the
gospels tell us about and the only form Christ himself participated
in and subsequently approved of (Why
do Mormons believe in baptism by immersion?). The word
baptism often means immersion but it can also refer to a figurative
"baptism". Catholics practice baptizing by pouring and
immersion. Catholics hold to the apostolic tradition of pouring
as taught in the Didache which is an early Christian manual
written around A.D. 70 it says:
"baptize ... in living [running] water ... If you have no living water, then baptize in other water ... If you have neither, pour water three times on the head" (CA - The Didache).
Baptism for the
Dead
Mormons believe baptism for the
dead has been performed since the early days of the Church (LDS
GP Chap 40). Mormonism does not teach the same ordinances as were
performed in the days of Jesus. The early
apostles did not perform baptism for the dead, in 1Corinthians 15:29
it is certain that Paul wasn't referring to orthodox
Christians baptizing the dead. In 1Corinthians
15:29 Paul cites it as something in their experience that
attests in one more way to belief in the resurrection, it is not
mentioned with approval by the apostle Paul. There were some who
practiced baptism for the dead during the time of the apostles but
the apostles did not. John the Baptist is the prophet that would
"turn the hearts of the fathers to the children", he would
"to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke.1:17).
"... baptism--the only kind mentioned in the Bible--is for the living, not for the dead ... Once we've died, there is no chance to be baptized." (Catholic Answers).
Original sin
Mormons
believe " ... original sin ... false doctrine ... men will be
punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.”
(A
of F 1:2)" (LDS
Ensign, Apr 1977). Mormons
believe the atonement compensates for the Fall of Adam and obviates
original sin. (The
Plan of Salvation). Joseph Smith taught that it was not a
“sin,” because God had decreed it ... Joseph Fielding Smith said:
“I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I
accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a transgression of the law, but
not a sin … for it was something that Adam and Eve had to do!”
... We believe that men will be punished for their own sins,
and not for Adam’s transgression”
... the act that produced the Fall was not a sin-inherently wrong-but
a transgression-wrong because it was formally prohibited. (What
Do Mormons Believe About Adam and Eve). Original sin is
transmitted with human nature, the Bible reveals all have sinful
flesh. All men are implicated in Adam's sin, the Bible
reveals all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The
apostle Paul taught original sin, the apostle Paul taught "Wherefore,
as by one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon
all men, for that all have sinned
... For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made
righteous" (Rom
5:12, 19). Little children are an example of humility,
little children are not an example of one not having original sin.
Adam's Fall
The
Book of Mormon reveals "Adam fell that men might be"
(2 Nephi
2:25). Mormonism teaches that the fall of
Adam "was a necessary step in the plan of life and a great
blessing to all of us" (LDS
GP Chap 6). Mormons believe Adam fell
that men might be and that they might have joy (Transgression
And The Fall reference). The Bible does not reveal Adam's
disobedience to God's commandment was a necessary step in the plan of
life like Mormonism teaches. The Bible reveals obedience is a
necessary step in the plan of life. The Bible does not reveal the
fall was a great blessing to all of us like Mormonism teaches. The
Bible reveals that the fall brought suffering and sin to all. It
was not necessary that Jesus disobey God's commandment and fall like
Adam to have joy and to know good and evil. It was not Adam's
transgression that brought great blessings like Mormonism teaches, it
was Jesus' obedience that brought great blessing to all of us, Jesus
turned the fault into happiness. God has foreknowledge, He knew
Adam and Eve would disobey His commandment, he promised a Redeemer
for fallen mankind. Eve disobeyed God's commandment because she
wanted to be wise. Eve could have asked God for wisdom instead of
disobeying His commandment.
God's plan is for his children to obey His commands, not to disobey them like Adam. Adam had the choice to obey or disobey God's commandment. If Adam had trusted God he would have had eternal life. It was not necessary for Adam to fall to have joy, before the fall Adam and Eve had fullness of joy being in the presence of the Lord. It was not necessary for Adam and Evil to disobey God's commandment to know good and evil, Adam and Eve could have asked God for wisdom instead of disobeying their Father's commandment "thou shalt not eat of it" of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Jesus did not have to disobey his Father's commandment to know good and evil. It was not necessary for Adam and Eve to disobey God to have children, before the fall they were not mature enough to have children, they were like innocent children who "were not ashamed" that "they were both naked". Adam and Eve could have had children in the Garden of Eden once they matured, once they matured then they could have been "fruitful, and multiply", before the fall Adam and Eve were blessed by God to be fruitful and multiply.
"it was necessary that they first come to maturity before beginning to multiply" (Against Heresies 3:22:24 [A.D. 189] - CA).
The Gift
of the Holy Ghost
Mormonism teaches
"Cornelius did not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost until
after he was baptized" (LDS
GP Chap 21). Mormons believe the gift
of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands (Mormon
Rites). The Bible reveals the gift of the Holy Ghost
can be received before or after baptism.
"Acts 10:45–47 demonstrates unambiguously God giving Cornelius the Holy Spirit (that sanctifying grace necessary for salvation) before Cornelius received baptism." (Catholic Answers).
Apostolic Tradition
Mormonism teaches "error crept
into Church doctrine, and soon the destruction of the Church was
complete."
(LDS
GP Chap 16). Mormons believe modern
revelation takes precedence over ancient revelation (Why
Mormons don’t Debate Doctrine). The Mormon President Hinckley
said "... we do not believe in the traditional Christ of
Christianity ... our knowledge comes of the witness of a prophet ...
I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet ... I know that this Church is
the work of God ... Of these things I testify in solemnity ..."
(LDS
General Conference Apr 2002). Apostolic
tradition is tradition that comes from the apostles of Christ orally
or by the written word. Catholics continue in the Biblical concept to
stand fast and hold to the traditions which we
have been taught by word or epistle and continue in the things
which we have learned and have been assured of, knowing of who we
learned them from. Catholics maintain the traditions as
delivered by the apostles. Catholics traditions are not by
committees of churchmen and are not mere opinion. Catholics
are not Bible only, some
parts of Catholicism are not explicit in Scripture but at the same
time these parts are not in contradiction to Scripture. The
apostolic Catholic Church holds to the
apostolic traditions which have been taught by word and orally.
The apostolic Church continues in the
things which it learned from Jesus and his apostles. The
apostles of Christ taught other faithful men. The early Church
Fathers are the links that hand down the traditions of the apostles
and guards them. The Catholic Church has undergone changes and
development of doctrine but these changes are not contrary to the
apostolic traditions which have been taught by word and orally.
"the Bible contains numerous references to the necessity of clinging to apostolic tradition" (Catholic Answers)
The Eucharist (the
Sacrament)
Mormons do not believe in
the literal transubstantiation of the Sacrament. They see the
reference symbolically. (Do
Mormons have Communion?).
Catholics hold to the apostolic tradition that the Eucharist
is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ. Catholics hold to what
Jesus, his apostles, and the early Christians taught about "take,
eat this is my body”. Catholics believe Jesus when he said "take,
eat this is my body”. Jesus tells us "Except ye eat the flesh
of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life ... This is
an hard saying; who can hear it? ... there are some of you that
believe not". The apostle Paul taught, “The cup of
blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of
Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body
of Christ? ... drink the cup of the Lord”. The Early
Christians believed in the real presence, Ignatius,
a bishop of Antioch who was appointed by the apostle Peter, wrote:
"the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ." (Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6:2–7:1 [A.D. 110])
Mormons believe the purpose of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is to look back and remember Jesus the Christ and what He has done for each of us. (The Law of Sacrifice Part III – In Remembrance). Mormonism claims that the LDS church "teaches the same principles" as in the days of Jesus (LDS GP Chap 17). Mormonism does not teach the same principles as in the days of Jesus. Mormons are like some of the followers of Jesus who did not believe Jesus when he told them about "take, eat this is my body”. Catholics are like the followers who believed Jesus because he has the words of eternal life. The apostle Paul told the Corinthians, "keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you". The Catholic Church continues in the words of Jesus. The Catholic Church keeps the ordinances as they apostles delivered them. The Catholic Church holds to the to the apostolic traditions which have been taught by the apostles through the written word or orally. Christ DID NOT say remember this my flesh and my blood. Christ DID NOT say these are symbols of my flesh and my blood. Jesus and his apostles said "take, eat this is my body”. The bread and wine are the true Body of Christ and his true Blood, it is something that cannot be apprehended by the senses. Saint Cyril says: 'Do not doubt whether this is true, but rather receive the words of the Savior in faith, for since he is the truth, he cannot lie'".
"Transubstantiation means that the bread and wine presented on the altar at the Mass become the the Body and Blood of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit at the consecration. The consecration is the time when the priest calls upon the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine into Christ's Body and Blood. However, the Body and Blood retain the appearance of bread and wine." (therealpresence.org)
Purgatory
Mormons
believe the children of God will be assigned to a kingdom of glory
for which their obedience has qualified them (Apostasy
And Restoration) and that those who can dwell in God’s kingdom
will be good and valiant people (What
are the Mormon Beliefs About Heaven?). Purgatory is a
doctrine that is supported by the Bible. The Bible reveals there are
natural bodies and there are spiritual bodies. The natural
(terrestrial) bodies are on earth and the spiritual (celestial)
bodies are those who have died and who are the justified spirits in
the heavenly city. Before Final Judgment the spiritual
(celestial) bodies in the heavenly city differ in glory (the filthy
have glory like the stars, the righteous have glory like the moon,
the holy have glory like the sun). At Final Judgment all these
spiritual (celestial) bodies in the heavenly city who are not perfect
are made perfect or purified so they can enter the kingdom of God.
All the justified spirits will have the glory of the sun. All the
justified spirits will all be in the kingdom of their Father and they
will all dwell with God.
"The doctrine of purgatory, or the final purification, has been part of the true faith since before the time of Christ." (Catholic Answers)
Mormonism is contrary to the Bible, the Bible does not reveal multiple kingdoms after the Final Judgment like Mormonism teaches. the Bible reveals only the kingdom at Final Judgment. In John.14:2 mansions does not mean kingdoms since the Bible reveals there is only one kingdom. Mansions in John 14:2 refers to different degrees of rewards in heaven, the Bible reveals that Christ shall reward every man according to his works, those who love their enemies and do good will have a great reward. Before the "new heaven", there is a "third heaven" or paradise. Before Final Judgment there are some spirits who hear the gospel "in prison", which is neither heaven nor hell. Before Final Judgment the spirits of justified men are made perfect and purified. By one offering Christ has perfected for ever them that are sanctified, the blood of Jesus cleans us from all sin. Some sins can be forgiven "in the world to come". Some shall suffer loss but they "shall be saved; yet so as by fire". Nothing unclean can enter in to heaven, only those names "written in the Lamb's book of life". At Final Judgment everyone is resurrected to to be judged, but not everyone is saved even though all will be resurrected, those who do evil come forth in the resurrection of damnation, he that believeth not shall be damned. Either a person is in the book of life or they are not, those not in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire with the devil and those in the book of life will dwell with the Father.
"Mormons ... modified the doctrine of hell so radically that it is no longer a serious threat" (Catholic Answers)
Pray to Mary
Mormons do not pray to Mary, Mormons
believe their relationship with God is a direct one. Mormons don’t
feel the need to ask someone else to intervene on their behalf,
because they believe God loves them enough to hear them. While they
might ask friends to pray for them, this does not replace praying to
God themselves. (Why
Don’t Mormons Pray to Mary or Have Statues of Her?). Mormons
believe Mary is not an intercessor, they pray directly to God the
Father in the name of Jesus Christ. He alone is our Advocate with the
Father. (Do
Mormons say the rosary?). Catholics pray to our Father.
Catholics also practice the biblical concept of intercessory prayer,
the saints on earth and in heaven pray for each other, the prayers of
the saints go to God. The prays of the blessed Mary are very
powerful, she is highly favored. Catholics ask Mary to pray for them,
Jesus is the only one mediator between God and men. The
wedding feast at Cana illustrates how Mary tells Jesus the needs of
others. The Blessed Mary takes our request, our prayer, to her son
Jesus and Jesus will turn that request into a miracle. God sent the
angel Gabriel to the virgin Mary, the angel said to Mary "Hail,
thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou
among women". Catholics worship the one God and Catholics
honor Mary because she is the mother of Jesus and the Bible reveals
all generations shall call her blessed.
CoRedemptrix
Mormons
believe Jesus alone is our Advocate with the Father. (Do
Mormons say the rosary?). Jesus is the only one
mediator between God and men. Mary is called CoRedemptrix, Catholics
hold to the apostolic tradition taught. The second
century bishop Irenaeus
wrote:
"Mary the Virgin ... by yielding obedience, become the cause of salvation, both to herself and the whole human race." (Adv. haeres. 3, 22, 4).
The Rosary
Mormons don’t use a rosary (Do
Mormons say the rosary?) and they avoid “vain repetitions”
(Prayer). The
rosary is a meditation of the Gospel, it is not a prayer said in vain
repetitions. The Stations of the Cross are a devotion that offer a
way for the faithful to enter more fully into the passion and death
of the Lord.
"The rosary is a devotion in honor of the Virgin Mary. It consists of a set number of specific prayers. First are the introductory prayers: one Apostles’ Creed (Credo), one Our Father (the Pater Noster or the Lord’s Prayer), three Hail Mary’s (Ave’s), one Glory Be (Gloria Patri). ... When Catholics recite the twelve prayers that form a decade of the rosary, they meditate on the mystery associated with that decade. If they merely recite the prayers, whether vocally or silently, they’re missing the essence of the rosary. It isn’t just a recitation of prayers, but a meditation on the grace of God. Critics, not knowing about the meditation part, imagine the rosary must be boring, uselessly repetitious, meaningless, and their criticism carries weight if you reduce the rosary to a formula. ... With the exception of the last two, each mystery is explicitly scriptural." (Catholic Answers)
Saints
Mormons
don’t designate certain people as having attained Sainthood.
Instead, each person works hard to be a true Saint-a follower of the
Savior. (Do
Mormons Canonize Saints?). Mormons do not beatify (call blessed
in a formal sense) or canonize (declare a higher state of sainthood)
anyone who is a member of the Church. Nor do they pray through or to
others who have passed through this life and entered the spirit
world, awaiting the resurrection. While they, like Catholics, do
believe that those who have passed on are greatly interested in what
happens in our lives, they do not petition that intercession
directly; they do not have what Catholics might call “patron
saints. (What
do Mormons believe about Sainthood?). The saints on earth
recognize some the holy saints that have died so that they may
imitate them and ask them to pray form them, the prayers of a
righteous person are very powerful. Jesus is the only one mediator
between God and men.
Idolatry
Mormons
do not pray to statues or make use of them as part of their services
(Why
Don’t Mormons Pray to Mary or Have Statues of Her?).
Catholics bow down for reverence, the Catholic Church condemns the
sin of idolatry.
"Any time a Catholic utters a petition to a saint, it is taken for granted that it is a request for that saint to pray to God for them. For example, the "Hail Mary" contains the request, "pray for us sinners." If you ask a person to pray for you, it proves that you do not think that he is God. What needs to be stressed here is that none of our prayers terminate in the saints, as if they had the power in and of themselves to answer prayers." (Catholic Answers)
God
the Father is all spirit
Mormonism
teaches "false Christianity
... believed that God was a being without form or substance" (LDS
GP Chap 16) and that the Father of
Jesus' has a body of flesh and bones (LDS
GP Chap 1). Mormon scripture reveals
that the Father has a body of flesh and bones
(D&C
130). Mormonism teaches
"Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph
Smith." (LDS
GP Chap 17). God the father does not have a body of
flesh and bones like Mormonism teaches. Jesus tells us God is a
Spirit and that a spirit has not flesh and bones, meaning that
the Father is a spirit, not that the Father has a spirit. The
2nd century Christian Bishop Irenaeus
taught "the Father of all ... is ... without structure ... all
spirit". Joseph Smith could
not have seen God the Father, God told Moses no one can see me and
live. Moses did not see God as a human form, Moses saw his glory pass
by, Moses saw the "back parts" of his glory, the glory of
the Lord is like devouring fire. When the Bible says Moses spoke face
to face with God, this does not mean that Moses saw our Heavenly
Father's face but is a reference to the manner of speaking. God can
be seen in a vision. In a vision Stephen saw the Son of man standing
on the right hand of God, in a vision the objects are not necessarily
the actual items, for example the apostle John saw Jesus as a lamb
and a right hand in his vision. If God has an actual right hand, then
it is not like man’s for God says my right hand has spanned the
heavens. Men are made in our image, the Son was with the Father in
the beginning, men are made in the image of the Son, the risen Son
has a glorified body of flesh and bone, the Son like man is both
spirit and body.
"The Church Fathers ... loudly declared the fact that God is an unchangeable, immaterial spirit" (Catholic Answers)
Pre-existence
Mormons
believe in a life preceding our existence on earth. Mormons
call this the “pre-existence,” “pre-earth-life,” or
“premortal existence.” Before we were born on the earth, we lived
in the presence of our Heavenly Father as His spirit children. In
this premortal existence, we attended a council with Heavenly
Father’s other spirit children. (The
Pre-existence). The spirit of man did not pre-exist like
Mormonism teaches. The Bible reveals God is the Father of spirits
because God forms the spirit of man within him, He makes the soul, He
has makes us from the womb. God has foreknowledge, he knew us before
we are formed in the belly. Prophets like Jeremiah and John the
Baptist are sanctified and ordained a prophet before they came forth
out of the womb because they are filled with the Holy Ghost from
their mother's womb. The Lord created Satan and all spirits with a
command.
Creation out of
Nothing
Mormons believe that
the earth was created out of unorganized matter and not created ex
nihilo, or out of nothing. Mormon scripture reveal that the Lord
organized elements that had already existed. He did not create the
world “out of nothing,” as some people believe. Mormons believe
the word create came from the word baurau,
which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize;
the same as a man would organize materials and build a ship. (The
Creation). "
... the word create came from the word baurau,
which does not mean to create out
of nothing; it means to organize ... God had materials to organize
the world out of chaos ... The pure principles of element ... had no
beginning and can have no end" (Joseph
Smith's King Follett Sermon, LDS Ensign, Apr 1971, 13-14).
Scripture and the writings of the early Christians affirm that
God created out of nothing. God is before all things. On the first
day he created matter itself, on the remaining days he organized that
matter. God created everything good, God did not create evil. God
created Satan good and with the free will to choose or reject God,
Satan rejected God and became evil by his own free will. Scripture
(2 Maccabees 7:28) supports that God created out of nothing.
The early Christians taught God created out of nothing. The
early Church Fathers are the links that hand down the traditions of
the apostles. Catholics continue in the Biblical concept to
stand fast and hold to the traditions which we
have been taught by word or epistle and continue in the things
which we have learned and have been assured of, knowing of who we
learned them from. Catholics maintain the traditions as
delivered by the apostles.
Abortion
Mormons
are opposed to abortion in all but a very few limited circumstances.
Abortion is permitted-but
should not be an automatic choice-in cases of rape and incest, danger
to the life of the mother according to a responsible and qualified
doctor, and defects that would cause the child to be unable to
survive following birth. ... The church agrees that women
have a right, within the bounds of
health and science, to control what happens to their bodies. This is
one reason abortion is permitted in cases of rape-the
woman’s right to choose what would
happen to her body was stolen from her (What
Do Mormons Believe About Abortion?). Catholics hold to the
apostolic tradition of not procuring an abortion., the first-century
Didache taught "... You shall not murder ...You shall not
procure [an] abortion, nor destroy a newborn child".
"Christian writers from the first-century ... have maintained that the Bible forbids abortion, just as it forbids murder." (Catholic Answers)
Apostasy
Mormons
believe after the death of the apostles, the church entered into a
lengthy apostasy. This apostasy had been prophesied by many Biblical
prophets. (How
can Mormons have authority when the unbroken line of succession comes
from Peter?). Mormonism is example of the apostasy
described in the Bible. The Bible prophesized that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. Mormonism does not
continue in apostolic traditions which have
been taught by word and orally. Mormonism does not
continues in the things which we have learned from Jesus and his
apostles. Mormons have gone astray and entangled by following the
false prophet Joseph Smith after they have escaped the pollutions of
the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Spirit warned the church in Thyatira of the consequence of
following a false prophet even thou they had works. Joseph Smith, the
founder of Mormonism, taught the heresy of "three Gods". Joseph
Smith did not restore the truth that there is one God, Joseph Smith
taught "three Gods". Jesus taught the truth is that there
is one God. Some things are hard to understand, those who hear
and understand the word can bring forth more fruit.
Church History
Mormonism teaches "the true
Church no longer existed" and that "the destruction of the
Church was complete" (LDS
GP Chap 16). The Bible reveals that the Lord set up a kingdom on
earth that will never be destroyed, it shall stand for ever.
The Bible reveals that the Church of the living God is the pillar of
truth which is built on the rock of the faith confessed by the Peter.
Our Lord declared to Peter "That thou art Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it." The inquisition, the crusades, and the
inappropriate behavior of some priests reveal that some men in the
body of Christ are not perfect. Christ is the head of the body
of Christ. God's people are not perfect sometimes they sin, King
David sinned against God. King David was a man after God's own heart
who fulfilled God's will but yet he displeased the Lord when he
ordered Joab to murder Uriah for him. Even though there are terrible
episodes in the history of the Catholic Church these acts are the
results of imperfect individuals.
The inquisition, the crusades, and the inappropriate behavior of some priests are not events that characterize the apostasy described in the New Testament. The apostasy that is prophesied by the New Testament is that some will depart from the doctrine of the apostolic Church. Mormonism is an example of the apostasy described in the New Testament. Mormonism has departed from the doctrine of the apostolic Church with Joseph Smith's teaching of "three Gods" and the Book of Mormon's perverted gospel which says "we are saved, after all we can do”. Joseph Smith is an example of a ravenous wolf that comes in sheep's clothing to draw disciples after him which the Bible warns Christians of. Some people try to blame events such the inquisition, the crusades, and the inappropriate behavior of some priests on an entire religion but it is not proper to conclude from these events that the Catholic Church is not the Church of Christ. These episodes shouldn't affect our faith in the Catholic Church because our faith is based on Jesus Christ, not on any person in the Church. As Christians we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed. We ask God to forgive the priests who act inappropriate because they know not what they do. God will judge those who do good and evil.
Councils and Creeds
Mormons reject of all postbiblical
creeds. Mormon believe God the Son told the boy prophet that all the
“creeds” of the churches of that day “were an abomination in
his sight” (The
Great Apostasy and the Restoration). Joseph Smith said "I
cannot believe in any of the creeds of the different denominations,
because they all have some things in them I cannot subscribe to"
(Joseph
Smith Discourse, LDS Ensign Jun 1973, 40). The early
apostolic church used creeds to summarize essential doctrines. Creeds
summarize what the Bible reveals. A Creed is a profession of faith.
Creeds clarify the mystery of godliness that God was manifest in the
flesh. Jesus told his apostles that he had many things to say but
that they could not bear at that time. Like
Thomas we call Jesus our God and we believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God. In Jesus dwells the whole fullness of the
deity bodily. "The Apostles' Creed is so called because it is
rightly considered to be a faithful summary of the apostles' faith."
(CCC194).
Creeds are consistent with the doctrine of the Bible and are
consistent with the teachings of the early apostolic church.
In order to articulate the dogma of the Trinity, the Church had to
develop her own terminology with the help of certain notions of
philosophical origin: "substance", "person" or
"hypostasis", "relation" and so on. In doing
this, she did not submit the faith to human wisdom, but gave a new
and unprecedented meaning to these terms. In the Gospel of John, the
apostle John used Greek philosophical concepts to describe the
concept of "the Word" (Greek logos) that was God that
became flesh.
The Apostles Creed "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. I believe in the Holy Spirit ..."
Mormons believe confusion and false doctrines about the Godhead were fashioned out of the Nicene Creed and Constantinople councils, where men declared that instead of three separate beings, the Godhead was three persons in one God, or the Trinity. (LDS Ensign May 2007, 92–94). Mormons believe after the death of Jesus Christ, and the death of His apostles, there were no further prophets. This led to the Great Apostasy, in which many conflicts over doctrine arose and the people floundered as they tried to find truth. (Mormon Prophets). Councils are used to clarify doctrine. A council was used by the apostles to clarify doctrine. At the council of Jerusalem there was much disputing by men, after the council prophets exhorted others. During the council of Nicaea, Constantine took no part in the deliberations of the Council; it was entirely an affair of the Church’s bishops. The Pope sent priests to represent him. The Council came to be recognized as ecumenical council when it received papal approbation later. The Church took advantage of the opportunities afforded by Constantine to develop doctrine. Development of doctrine defines, sharpens, and interprets the faith that was once delivered by the apostles. The council had the assistance of the Holy Spirit just like the council at Jerusalem during the time of the apostles.
The First Council of Nicaea (From Wiki) "In 325 A.D. the Roman Emperor Constantine convened a council of Christian bishops. Constantine wanted a unified church for political reasons. This was the first general council in the history of the Church since the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem. Constantine organized the Council. He was present as an observer, and did not vote. In the Council of Nicea, the Church had taken her first great step to define doctrine more precisely in response to a challenge from a heretical theology. For about two months, the two sides argued and debated, appealing to Scripture to justify their respective positions. One of the projects undertaken by the Council was the creation of a Creed, a declaration and summary of the Christian faith. Several creeds were already in existence, for example, the Apostles' Creed. The Creed was accepted by the council as an expression of the bishops' common faith and the ancient faith of the whole Church. The Emperor carried out his earlier statement: everybody who refused to endorse the Creed would be exiled. Arius, Theonas, and Secundus refused to adhere to the creed, and were thus exiled to Illyria, in addition to being excommunicated. The works of Arius were ordered to be confiscated and consigned to the flames while all persons found possessing them were to be executed."
The Nicene Creed "We believe in one God, the Father Almighty ... We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father... We believe in the Holy Spirit ..."
Three Gods
Joseph
Smith taught "three Gods" (LDS
Ensign Magazine, Mar 2008, 68-73 --- Teachings
of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p370).
The Mormon Bible Dictionary reveals that there are three Gods in the
Godhead [God the Father (Elohim), God the Son (Jehovah), and God the
Holy Ghost] (LDS BD -
Godhead). The Mormon Bible Dictionary reveals that each is "a
God" (LDS BD - God).
Mormon scripture reveals "The Gods plan the creation" (The
Book of Abraham 4:1-3). Mormons believe there are three
Gods, but who function as an
entirely unified body. Mormons teach there are three
Gods, these are Gods working in
perfect harmony (Are
Mormons Polytheists?). The Godhead ... three Gods (God
And The Holy Trinity 2). It must be confusing for Mormons
because Joseph Smith's taught "three Gods" and the Book of
Mormon reveals "one God". Neither Jesus nor his
apostles taught "three Gods" like Joseph Smith, they taught
"one God". In Christ dwelt the fullness of the
Godhead. It is illogical to say that there is one God and three Gods.
No matter how closely together three gods work, they remain three
gods, not one. The Mormon doctrine of
"three Gods" does NOT come from the Bible and does NOT hold
to apostolic tradition. Joseph Smith's teaching of "three
Gods" is contrary to the Bible, contrary to apostolic tradition,
and is not logical (it is illogical to say that there is one God and
three Gods). Jesus is not a God among many Gods like
Mormonism teaches, Jesus is God, in Jesus dwelt the fullness of
the Godhead. The Bible reveals God was manifest in the flesh.
Like Thomas, Catholics call Jesus "our God" and we "believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God".
The Athanasian Creed "... the Godhead of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is all One, the Glory Equal ... the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not Three Gods, but One God ... our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man. ... God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the substance of His mother, born into the world. ... Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His Manhood. ...
The Trinity
Mormons
don’t teach the trinity ... (Do
Mormons Believe in the Athanasius Creed?). Mormons teach
there are three Gods,
these are Gods working in perfect harmony (Are
Mormons Polytheists?). The Godhead ... three Gods (God
And The Holy Trinity 2). Joseph Smith taught Jesus is one of
"three Gods" (LDS
Ensign Magazine, Mar 2008, 68-73 --- Teachings
of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p370).
The Mormon Bible Dictionary teaches that there are three Gods in the
Godhead [God the Father (Elohim), God the Son (Jehovah), and God the
Holy Ghost] (LDS BD -
Godhead). The Mormon Bible Dictionary reveals that each is "a
God" (LDS BD - God).
Mormon scripture reveals "The Gods plan the creation" (The
Book of Abraham 4:1-3). Joseph Smith's teaching
of "three Gods" is contrary to the Bible,
contrary to apostolic tradition, and is not logical ( it is illogical
to say that there is one God and three Gods). Jesus taught "the
truth: for there is one God; and there is none other
but he" (Mark.12:32).
The apostle Paul taught "there is none other God but one
... to us there is but one God,
the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ" (1Cor
8:4,6) and taught "there
is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus" (1Tim.2:5).
The apostle Paul said "there be that are called gods", here
he is contrasting polytheism (v5) with monotheism (v4) (1Cor
8:4-6). The three distinct persons were never understood by
the disciples of Jesus to be Gods, the apostle John understand the
Son to be God, Paul wrote that God was manifest in the flesh. Jesus
quoted Psalm 110 that revealed two distinct person who were each
Lord, the Psalm did not reveal two Gods. The Bible reveals God was
manifest in the flesh, the Word was God and become flesh.
The Trinity is consistent with teaching of the early Christians
The principals of the doctrine of the Trinity are revealed in the Bible; the Bible reveals one God, three distinct persons, and that God was in Christ. "without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh" (1Tim.3:16). The Trinity has been at the very root of the Church's living faith, principally by means of Baptism, Christians are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The 1st and 2nd century Christian Bishops taught the principles of the doctrine of the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is a developed doctrine. The doctrine of Trinity is "one God in three persons". Each of the persons is God (the divine substance or nature). Jesus was God and man, in the man Jesus dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Jesus did not pray to himself, the Father and the Son are distinct persons. When the Son prayed to the Father that makes two persons, not "two Gods" because we know that Jesus and his apostles taught "one God". Catholics do not believe in modalism, God does not have three "faces" or "masks". Gen 1:26 expresses a plurality which refers to God himself since God was "alone" at the time of creation (Isa 44:24). The Bible supports the doctrine of the Trinity, Acts 7:56 supports the notion that the Son and the Father are distinct persons like the Trinity (in a vision Stephen saw the Son of man standing on the right hand of God) and Acts 7:59 supports the notion Jesus is God like the Trinity (when Stephen called upon God he said Lord Jesus) (Acts 7:55-59). The Trinity is not "three persons in one God", the Trinity is "one God in three persons ... each of them is God ... each of the persons is ... divine ... nature" (CCC253), "they are really distinct from one another" (CCC254), "three persons ... one nature or substance" (CCC255). The Godhead of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal (CCC266). "... the entry of God's creatures into the perfect unity of the Blessed Trinity [Jn 17:21-23] ... we are called to be a dwelling for the Most Holy Trinity ... [Jn 14:23]" (CCC260). The Catholic Church teachings on the doctrine of the Trinity are consistent with the Bible (see below):
The Catholic Church teaches "the three divine persons act together as one". The Athanasian Creed teaches that the three distinct persons are not three Gods, but One God (one divine nature or substance) and that the three persons are in unity. Jesus said him and the Father were one, the Father dwelt in the Son and did the works. The Son is one with the Father in that the Son does the will of the Father. By committing ourselves to Christ we can become one spirit with him and thereby accomplish his will. We can become one with him, for he enables us as the members of his Body. God the Father is our loving Father who teaches and guides us, we can know our Heavenly Father. The Son one in being (consubstantial) with the Father, Jesus said him and the Father were one, the Father dwelt in the Son and did the works.
The Trinity is logical - The word Trinity is not in the Bible but neither are Joseph Smith's words of "three Gods" in the Bible.
This is a personal web site and all rights are reserved (Copyright 2002-2011 by http://comparing-views.com ). This web site is meant to be a resource to assist the reader in their own comparison of Mormonism to the Bible so it contains many quotes and links to external sources. This web site uses quotes and links from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and from Catholic Answers to better explain what the Bible reveals. This web site also quotes from Gospel Principles since it is a Mormon "personal study guide and teacher's manual" and it quotes from Ensign since it is one of the official publications of the LDS Church. Please note that most of the bible verses on this site will be from the King James Version Bible since this is the principal Bible of the Mormon Church.
My name is John (Johnny) Romero. I have no formal religious training, but I love to read God's word. My other interests include rock climbing, skiing, sailing, and running. I was baptized as an infant by the Catholic Church and was raised in a loving Catholic home in Wyoming. I attended the University of Wyoming where I obtained a BS in Electrical Engineering. After college my beautiful and loving Catholic wife and I moved to Seattle, Washington where I enjoyed lots of rock climbing and sailing. Life was good. Six years later I moved to Denver, Colorado where I had a born again experience where I came to God in humility. After this experience my life and heart has never been the same. The Holy Spirit showed me that Jesus is the Christ and God's grace and mercy turned me away from sin. I believe in Jesus Christ and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy. I testify that Jesus Christ is the Savior of all, and I put my trust in Jesus. The gifts of the Holy Spirit have given my life meaning and purpose and the strength to face the trials and temptations of this life.
While living in Denver I volunteered at Mother Theresa's AIDS hospice caring for those dying of the AIDS virus. I came close to meeting Mother Theresa when she visited her sisters of Charity in Denver. During this time I became involved in a discussion group that involved a Mormon, a Protestant, and a Jehovah Witness. The goal of the discussion group was to learn about each other's faith. This discussion was my beginning of understanding what Mormonism taught. I learned from the Mormon that we can ask God for wisdom. After this discussion group, I began to read the Bible more deeply. As I read the Bible I would ask God for wisdom to understand what I was reading. The Spirit of truth guided me and the Holy Ghost taught me. The more I read the Bible, the more I realized that the teachings of the Catholic Church were consistent with the Bible and that the Catholic Church is an institution of men some who are not perfect.
Five years later, Mormon missionaries came knocking at my door in Fort Collins, Colorado. We met a number of times. I read the passages they had selected from the Book of Mormon and I prayed about the Book of Mormon. I asked God with a sincere heart and real intent in the name of Christ if these things were true. My heart and mind were open to where God would take me with the answer. God did not manifest that the Mormon things were true but instead the power of the Holy Ghost lead me to passages in the Bible that revealed Mormonism was wrong. The power of the Holy Ghost was so strong that it led me to copyright an article saying how Mormonism was false, the U.S. Copyright number is TXu000876176 dated 1998-10-05.
The visit by the Mormon missionaries started me investigating Mormonism more deeply and comparing its teachings with what the Bible revealed. During my comparison I used the teachings of the Catholic Church to better understand what the Bible revealed. To better understand Mormonism from a Mormon perspective, I talked with my Mormon co-workers at Hewlett-Packard. One Mormon co-worker named Chris gave my a copy of the Mormon Standard Works. I asked him questions as I read these Mormon Scriptures. Another female Mormon co-worker invited me to a Mormon Sunday service. I went to the Mormon Sunday service. After the service we went to pick up her kids and all the little Mormon kids were singing a song about following the prophet, I thought to myself I thought we are suppose to follow Jesus and not a man.
So I could learn more about Mormonism directly from Mormons, I joined an internet Mormon Apologetic & Discussion Board. I was active on the Mormon discussion board for a number of years. During this time, I learned a lot about Mormonism. I learned that Joseph Smith attacked my Catholic faith when he said the churches "….were all wrong ...all their creeds were an abomination …” and that the Mormon Church teaches that Catholicism is "false Christianity" because it believed God was a being without form. I learned that Joseph Smith taught "three Gods". I learned that the Mormon restored gospel was a perverted gospel. I learned the Mormon Church was not the restored Church as it claimed to be. As I studied the writings of the early Christian leaders to see if this Mormon claim was true the more I realized that the teachings and the traditions of the Catholic Church were the same as the first and second century Apostolic Church. The more I studied the teachings of the Mormon Church the more I realized how contrary the Mormon teachings were to the Bible and to traditions of the apostles, especially Joseph Smith's teaching of "three Gods". As I learned more about Mormonism, I kept this information on a personal web page so I could easily search for items as I talked with Mormons on the internet.
Through study and prayer, I realized and knew that the creeds of the Catholic Church were consistent with the Bible. During my exchange with Mormons I used the Bible for reproof and correction. I used the Catholic Catechism to interpret the Bible and to show Mormons what the Catholic Church taught. I used the writings of the early apostolic church to show that the Catholic Church teachings are consistent with the oral and written traditions of the apostles. I used articles from Catholic Answers to expand and clarify what the Bible and what the Catholic Church taught. My experience with Mormons is that they will begin to attack Catholic teachings (e.g. Mary, infant baptism, celibacy) and Catholic history (inquisition, inappropriate priestly behavior) when they are not able to defend the teachings of Mormonism using the Bible. Mormons will try to paint the Catholic Church as something evil, repressive, and abominable - something that wasn’t a Christian Church at all. By believing this Mormons can then believe Joseph Smith's teachings that the teachings of non-Mormon churches are an abomination and the Mormon teaching of a great apostasy.
One day while searching on the internet I learned that the Mormon President Brigham Young said "Take up the Bible, compare the religion of the Latter-day Saints with it, and see if it will stand the test". I took Brigham Young's challenge and Mormonism failed the test. Mormonism does not continue with the doctrines revealed in the Bible. Later the Spirit led me to place my personal web page on a public web site (http://comparing-views.com) so that I could share my findings with others and help others understand that Mormonism is contrary to the teachings of Jesus and his apostles. This web site would "mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned" (Rom.16:17) and would provide scriptures "for reproof, for correction" (2Tim.3:16). This web site would warn Christians that Mormonism is not just another Christian denomination. In the Bible, the Spirit warned the church in Thyatira of the consequence of following a false prophet.
I feel sorry for Mormons because they don't know the truth that there is "one God", Jesus told us that the truth will set us free. I feel sorry for Mormons because they don't know the joy that comes from believing the gospel of Christ which says “by grace are ye saved through faith”. Instead Mormons believe the Mormon restored gospel which is found in the Book of Mormon which says "we are saved, after all we can do”. I feel sorry for Mormons because they follow the teachings of the false prophet Joseph Smith instead of the teachings of Jesus and his apostles, especially the Bible teachings on eternal life. I feel sorry for Mormons because they are not able to experience the communion of the body of Christ when they break the bread because they don't believe Jesus when he said "take, eat this is my body.” I feel sorry for Mormons because they are unable to experience the peace and love of having the mother of Jesus pray for them, the prayers of Blessed Mary are very powerful because she is highly favored by God. I feel sorry for all the African Americans that have been discriminated by Mormons because Mormon Scripture speaks of dark skin as a curse for sins, African Americans were denied the priesthood until 1978. I feel sorry for all the women who were the wives of Mormon men because polygamy was an important part of the Mormon Church teachings till 1890. Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, had 27 wives besides Emma Smith. One of Joseph Smith's many wives was fourteen years old, and some wives already had another husband. I feel sorry for the unborn because Mormonism permits abortion.
I feel compassion toward Mormons and want to teach Mormons because they are as sheep without a shepherd. Mormons have gone astray by following the false prophet Joseph Smith, and they have become entangled in many false doctrines after they came to the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Mormonism does not continue with the teachings of Jesus, such as Jesus' teaching of one God. Mormonism does not hold to the apostolic traditions, which have been taught by the written word and orally, such as "take, eat this is my body”. Ask a Mormon, "Do you believe Christ or Joseph Smith?" I believe Christ. These days I am active in sharing my findings of Comparing Mormonism to the Bible with others as I joyfully share life with my three precious kids and with my incredible wife in Denver, Colorado. My prayer is that Mormons can grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever.
If you have any questions on Mormonism or Catholicism please feel free to contact me, Johnny, at c.view@comcast.net .