"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6:46

Contents: Overview of Mormon Beliefs Introduction to Joseph Smith & The LDS Secrets of the Gold Plates Translation or Divination? Archaeology vs The Book of Mormon The Bible vs The Book of Mormon LDS Heresies & False Doctrine The Blind Eye-Witnesses Other Facts About Mormonism Testimonies from Ex-Mormons How to Talk With Mormons

This PDF is a printable tract to hand out to Mormons. One side is simply the Book of Mormon vs Doctrine and Covenants contradictions; the other side is the law and gospel message. Can print and fold, or print double sided and cut in half for two tracts per page.

Mormons today are mostly personified by two young men, dressed in white shirts, ties, and slacks, going door to door to hand out Mormon literature, telling people about Joseph Smith, a man who they say is a prophet of God. They often seem very kind and gentle, but the Lord Jesus Christ told us:

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
-John 7:24

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
-Matthew 23:27

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
-Matthew 15:8

This article will be a beginner's guide for those of you who may be familiar with Mormons, but know very little about what they really believe.

mormon: the popular name given to a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith
(See 'mormon', Random House Dictionary, Random House Inc, 2015; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2012)

Brigham Young, President of the LDS (Mormon) Church from 1847-1877, told his church how to identify fanatics in a cult:

"I will tell you who the real fanatics are: they are they who adopt false principles and ideas as facts, and try to establish a superstructure upon a false foundation. They are fanatics; and however ardent and zealous they may be, they may reason or argue on false premises till doomsday, and the result will be false." -Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13-14, 1871, p. 271

The evidence that the Latter-Day Saints (i.e. Mormon or LDS) Church is founded upon false principles and ideas is overwhelming. Most of the documentation you will see in this teaching is not taught to young Mormons, but please keep in mind that this is not an issue of intelligence as much as it is blindness based on emotion in combination with seducing spirits of devils. The reason for these things is the same as all other religions falsely claiming to be Christian (e.g. Catholicism, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc): they do not base their doctrines on the foundation of the Word of God.

LeGrand Richards, 7th Presiding Bishop over the LDS Church from 1938-1952, is a highly revered author and authority among Mormons. He said:

"The position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be discussed from the point of view that it is the only Christian church that does not depend entirely upon the Bible for its teachings." -LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Kessinger Publishing, 2004, p. 1, ISBN: 9781417975730

Putting aside that his statement is false because Catholicism also states they are not based on Scripture, the fact is that their church is based on applying their earthly/fleshly traditions into a quasi-bible context. In other words, they adopt some doctrines of Scripture, but they hold first the doctrines of the LDS Church over the Bible.

Gordon Hinckley, 15th President of The LDS Church from 1995-2010, admits this:

"As a Church we have critics, many of them. They say we do not believe in the traditional Christ of Christianity. There is some substance to what they say. Our faith, our knowledge, comes of the witness of a prophet [i.e. Joseph Smith] in this dispensation," -Gordon B. Hinckley, Conference Report, April, 2002, p. 107-108; See also LDS Church, Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121-122, David Van Leeuwen, 2009, p. 95, ISBN: 9781592976652

Based on my experience in talking with Mormons, I do not believe that any practicing Mormon would be willing to sit down and read this article in its entirety (though the Lord Jesus Christ can make it happen despite my lack of confidence). The purpose of my writing on this subject is to educate born-again Christians about the LDS cult, what they believe, the dangers of it, and why it is one of the craziest religions on the planet. Saying these things would certainly upset a large number of Mormons, but according to Joseph Fielding Smith, 10th President of the LDS Church from 1970-1972, Mormons should be willing to read this article in its entirety and research the information provided to prove the truth:

"Mormonism must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a Prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground. If Joseph was a deceiver who willfully attempted to mislead people, then he should be exposed. His claims should be refuted, and his doctrines shown to be false," -Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation: Sermons and Writings, Vol. 1, Bookcraft, 1972, p. 188-189

Hinckley also said:
"I plead with you, my brothers and sisters, that if you have any doubt concerning any doctrine of this Church, that you put it to the test."
-Gordon B. Hinckley, quoted by LDS Church, Ensign: The Ensign of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Vol. 35, Issue 1-6, LDS Church, 2005, p. 32

Well said. Let's get started.



 

This is an overview of what one will learn when studying the doctrines of the Latter-Day Saints Church. Many Christians don't have any idea about how to talk to a Mormon because many of them don't fully understand what they believe.

Mormon Belief:

There are countless gods in the universe.

Quoting from the 10th President of the LDS Church:
"Joseph Smith the Prophet taught a plurality of Gods, and moreover, that man, by obeying the commandments of God and keeping the whole law will eventually reach the power and exaltation by which he also will become a God."
-Joseph Fielding Smith, Origin of the Reorganized Church and the Question of Succession, Deseret News, 1909, p. 99, [New York Public Library]

This Mormon author states a few more interesting details:
"Mormons believe that every human being is a God in 'embryo' form, or childlike form. Just as a boy becomes a man or a girl becomes a woman, we believe men and women become Gods and Goddesses. We believe the purpose of this life is to move us along that path, and that this life is one of multiple steps in that direction. Of course if this is what we believe, then yes, we believe there are multiple Gods. In fact, there must be billions, trillions, or even more Gods."
-Joshua Steimle, "Do Mormon[s] Believe In Many Gods?" Mormon DNA: What Mormons Are Really Made Of, Sept 7, 2010, retrieved Nov 17, 2015, [mormondna.org/mormon-beliefs/mormon-many-gods.html]

Elohim was created. Jesus and Lucifer are brothers.

Mormon doctrine teaches that "Elohim" was just a created god born to a couple of other gods in some distance planet across the universe. They teach that Christ is a god, Lucifer is also a god, and both are brothers created by the same father.

Jess Christensen, Mormon director of the Institute of Religion at Utah State University, said: "On first hearing, the doctrine that Lucifer and our Lord, Jesus Christ, are brothers may seem surprising to some—especially to those unacquainted with latter-day revelations. But both the scriptures and the prophets affirm that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are indeed offspring of our Heavenly Father and, therefore, spirit brothers."
-Jess L. Christensen, "How can Jesus and Lucifer be spirit brothers when their characters and purposes are so utterly opposed?" Ensign, June, 1986, retrieved Jan 2, 2015, [lds.org/ensign/1986/06/i-have-a-question?lang=eng]

Spencer Kimball, 12th president of the LDS Church, said:
"Similarly Satan had contended for the subservience of Moses. Satan, also a son of God, had rebelled and had been cast out of heaven and not permitted an earthly body as had his brother Jehovah. Much depended upon the outcome of this spectacular duel."
-Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, Deseret Book Company, 1972, p. 87, ISBN: 9780877477433

Adam never sinned.

Sterling Sill, a general authority in the LDS Church, First Quorum of the Seventy (i.e. Mormon Priesthood) from 1954-1976, and served as a bishop in the LDS for ten years, says that the fall of mankind was not a negative, but a positive falling in the right direction (i.e. mankind is naturally "good" inside):
"This old sectarian doctrine, built around the idea of man's natural depravity and weakness inherited from Adam, is at the root of innumerable problems among us. Adam was one of the greatest men who has ever lived upon the earth... Under Christ Adam yet stands at our head... Adam fell, but he fell in the right direction. He fell toward the goal... Adam fell, but he fell upward. Jesus says to us, 'Come up higher'"
-Sterling W. Sill, quoted by Deseret News (LDS-owned News Publication), "Church Section," July 31, 1965, p. 7

Joseph Fielding Smith also said Adam was in sinless perfection:
"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,"
-Joseph Fielding Smith, quoted by Randal S. Chase, Pearl of Great Price Study Guide, Plain & Precious Publishing, 2014, p. 70, ISBN: 9781937901134

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
-Romans 3:23

Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
-Romans 5:12

According to LDS doctrine, Adam was elevated to the level of godhood, and so too was Jesus Christ. Jesus, according to the LDS Church, was not God, but a man, created by Elohim, and then ascended to godhood through sinless perfection.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last... I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.
-Revelation 22:13-16

God lives on a planet/star named Kolob.

Mormons believe Elohim lives on a planet or star named "Kolob."
"I saw the Stars, that they were very great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God; and there were many great ones which were near unto it; and the Lord said unto me, These are the governing ones, and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me, for I am the Lord thy God:"
-Joseph Smith, The Pearl of Great Price, Latter-Day Saints' Printing and Publishing Establishment, 1878, p. 30


Mormons believe Elohim lives on Kolob with many goddesses who serve as his wives, and he has sexual intercourse with these goddesses, they conceive, and then they give birth to spirit babies that go to earth and become humans. This is what supposedly happens for all the trillions of gods and goddess across the universe. The following author summarizes the confusion surrounding this story:
"Strangely enough, the children which the gods give birth to are not gods themselves. According to Joseph Smith's 'revelation,' the explanation for this is stranger yet: 'Gods' have bodies, but their children don't. For some peculiar reason that Joseph Smith didn't divulge, the physical womb of a mother goddess made pregnant by her god husband produces babies that are composed only of 'spiritual substance'... So although one must have a physical body to be a god, the gods can only get their bodies from humans; for it is humans, not gods, who give birth to children with bodies. Although this may sound contradictory, this is why the Church believes that every 'god-to-be' must come to an earth and take on a human body in order to become a god."
-Ed Decker & Dave Hunt, The God Makers, Harvest House Publishers, 1984, p. 25-26, ISBN: 0-89081-402-3

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
-John 4:24

In a council of gods on Kolob, it was decided that Jesus would be savior of man over Lucifer. Lucifer, being upset with this decision, convinced a third of spirits destined for earth to come to his side, and they became "black" or bad spirit babies, which is the Mormon explanation for dark-skinned people.

Elohim had physical sex with Mary. Not a virgin birth.

The Biblical doctrine of Christ being born of a virgin is not accepted in the LDS Church. Joseph Fielding Smith said:
"The birth of the Savior was a natural occurrence unattended with any degree of mysticism, and the Father God was the literal parent of Jesus in the flesh as well as in the spirit."
-Joseph Fielding Smith, Religious Truths Defined, Pesliding Bishopric, 1961, p. 44

That's right, Mormons believe that Elohim came to earth and had sexual intercourse with Mary. Bruce McConkie, highly respected in Mormon circles and an LDS Priest from 1972-1985, said: "Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers," -Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, Bookcraft, 1966, p. 547

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
-Matthew 1:23

Brigham Young said the same thing:
"The birth of the Saviour was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood--was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers,"
-Brigham Young, The Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8, published D.H. Well, 1956, p. 115

Jesus had multiple wives and children.

Orson Hyde, original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (i.e. Mormon priesthood) and president of the Twelve Apostles from 1847-1875, said:

"If, at the marriage of Cana of Galilee, Jesus was the bridegroom and took unto him Mary, Martha, and the other Mary, whom Jesus loved, it shocks not our nerves... We say it was Jesus Christ who was married, whereby he could see his seed before he was crucified. I shall say here that before the Savior died he looked upon his own natural children as we look upon ours."

-Orson Hyde, Sermon given Oct 6, 1854, quoted by The Homiletic Review, Vol. 66, Funk & Wagnalls, 1913, p. 129

Orson Pratt, original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, said the same thing:
"One thing is certain, that there were several holy women that greatly loved Jesus--such as Mary, and Martha her sister, and Mary Magdalene; and Jesus greatly loved them, and associated with them much... Now, it would be very natural for a husband in the resurrection to appear first to his own dear wives, and afterwards show himself to his other friends. If all the acts of Jesus were written, we no doubt should learn that these beloved women were his wives."
-Orson Pratt, The Seer, Vol. 1-2, published S.W. Richards, 1853, p. 159

Hyde also said:
"It will be borne in mind that once on a time, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and on a careful reading of that transaction, it will be discovered that no less a person than Jesus Christ was married on that occasion. If he was never married, his intimacy with Mary and Martha, and the other Mary also whom Jesus loved, must have been highly unbecoming and improper to say the best of it."
-Orson Hyde, quoted by Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, [Oxford University], 1857, p. 259

If it was improper for Christ to have sex with these women and not be married to them, then it was certainly improper for Elohim to have sex with Mary without being married to her. There are many things about this that don't make sense, especially that there is no place in Scripture that describes any lewd interactions between these women and Christ that gives justification to call it "unbecoming and improper."

Mormons are descended from the offspring of Jesus.

Hyde continues to teach:
"If God be not our Father, grandfather, or great grandfather, or some kind of a father in reality... why are we taught to say, 'Our Father who art in heaven?' How much soever of holy horror this doctrine may excite in persons not impregnated with the blood of Christ, and whose minds are consequently dark and benighted, it may excite still more when they are told that if none of the natural blood of Christ flows in their veins, they are not the chosen or elect of God... your life also (which is the blood) is hid with Christ in God."
-Orson Hyde, quoted by Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, [Oxford University], 1857, p. 260

That leaves us with an interesting question: What about the Jews, who are also called the elect of God?

Rudger Clawson, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for 45 years, wrote:
"President Snow read Sec. 86, Book of D.&C. Said, we are the sons and daughters of God, and descendants of the prophets and apostles... Pres. Geo. [George] Q. Cannon [son-in-law of Brigham Young] also spoke upon the law of tithing. Among other things [Cannon] said, 'there are those in this audience who are descendants of the old 12 Apostles and, shall I say it, yes, descendants of the Savior himself. His seed is represented in this body of men.'"
-Rudger J. Clawson [entry dated July 2, 1899], Waiting for World's End: The Diaries of Wilford Woodruff, Signature Books, 1993, p. 71, ISBN: 9780941214926

After Christ's resurrection, Mormons believe that He went to the Americas and preached to the Natives, who Mormons believe are actually Israelites far removed. They believe Christ setup a separate church there apart from Syria, and that many centuries later, Joseph Smith was selected by God to reveal this to the world.

Keep in mind that some Mormons will object to what we've just covered, claiming that these are not the "official" doctrines of the LDS Church. I once read a response to one of these objections from a man who said he was an ex-Mormon in Utah, and he explained that discussions with his Mormon friends in other states ended in shock many times as they compared the differences in what each LDS Church teaches, or in other words, many of the LDS churches disagree on "official" doctrine. That's why some Mormons will object to what I've quoted here, and others will declare that Mormons should embrace the doctrines I've quoted here. The main point we need to recognize is that I just quoted the authority in their own religious leadership, so there really is no room for argument, but if there is a question or disagreement about what a religious cult teaches, we only need to go back to their foundation to get a final answer, and the ultimate LDS/Mormon authority is the founder of Mormonism: Joseph Smith.



 

The LDS Church was formed based on the visions of their prophet, Joseph Smith. Smith's claimed visions began in 1820, and today, there are four books Mormons use for Scripture, and I've numbered them based on order of importance in the LDS Church:

1. The Book of Mormon 2. The Doctrine and Covenants 3. The Pearl of Great Price 4. The King James Bible

Some church-goers think they have some sort of connection with the LDS because they use the King James Bible (and Mormons often use this as bait), but it's important to understand and remember the Bible takes a back seat in the LDS Church. Jeffrey Holland, 9th President of Brigham Young University and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said:

"[The Book of Mormon] should be considered the most remarkable and important religious text to be revealed since the writings of the New Testament were compiled nearly two millennia ago. Indeed, in its role of restoring plain and precious biblical truths that had been lost, while adding scores of new truths about Jesus Christ and preparing the way for the complete restoration of his gospel and the triumphant day of his millennial return, the Book of Mormon may be considered the most remarkable and important religious text ever given to the world."

-Jeffrey R. Holland, quoted by LDS Church, Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121-122, published David Van Leeuwen, 2009, p. 4, ISBN: 9781592976652

The LDS Church believes that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, and that the Book of Mormon is God's revelation inspired and written by God through Smith. Smith claims he had an encounter with Elohim and Jesus when he was 14 years old, during which Jesus told him none of the other Christian churches were correct, and that Jesus would give him the truth.

Joseph Smith claims he was able to translate the Book of Mormon that he found when he was 17 years old, and that an angel named Moroni appeared to him and gave him the location of golden plates that supposedly had the record of lost American history and Jesus Christ. These dug-up plates were supposedly written in a language Smith referred to as "reformed Egyptian." "And now, behold, we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech." -Joseph Smith, Book of Mormon, Mormon 9:32

The plates Smith claims to have translated have never been seen by anyone, except Smith and eleven other people who have claimed to have seen them. We will discuss more about these witnesses later, because none of the witnesses ever actually saw the plates with their own eyes, but rather they claimed to have seen them in a vision.

The LDS Church gives some descriptions of Smith, saying he was six feet tall, muscled, handsome, and any other flattering description you can think of that would make him sound pleasant in the public eye, but they don't talk about the other descriptions that raise suspicion:
"He was a literate, but unschooled, lad from a large family, and his neighbors at Palmyra, N.Y. remembered him as a diviner who dug for buried treasure."
-The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, listed under "Joseph Smith," Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc, 1991, ISBN: 9780852295298

divination: the practice of attempting to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means
(See 'divination', Random House Dictionary, Random House Inc, 2015; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2012)

Mormons typically scoff at or shrug off Smith's ties to the occult, but there is a substantial amount of documented eye-witness accounts that tell of his use of soothsaying to fool people into thinking he could locate buried gold and silver. This means Smith was skilled at manipulating other people.

"In his official history, Joseph Smith downplayed his experience as a money-digger and sought to cast this activity in the context of manual labor. However, Smith was involved in such endeavors for years in two widely separated areas and enjoyed an established reputation as a gifted seer. He was thought to be able to locate lost goods with a special seer stone and magical religious ceremonies."
-Wayland D. Hand, "The Quest for Buried Treasure: A Chapter in American Folk Legendry," in Folklore on Two Continents: Essays in Honor of Linda Degh, Trickster Press, 1980; See also H. Michael Marquardt, The Rise of Mormonism, Xulon Press, 2005, p. 53, ISBN: 9781597814706

Joseph Smith had come from a family involved in digging for treasure. A family friend, Willard Chase, gave his testimony:
"I became acquainted with the Smith family... in the year 1820. At that time, they were engaged in the money digging business."
-Affidavit of Willard Chase, before Justice of the Peace, Dec 11, 1833, Mormonism Unvailed, p. 240; See also H. Michael Marquardt, The Rise of Mormonism, Xulon Press, 2005, p. 56, ISBN: 9781597814706

Alva Hale, Joseph Smith's brother-in-law, gave his testimony about the money digging expeditions, long before Smith translated the alleged plates:
"Joe Smith never handled one shovel of earth in those diggings. All that Smith did was to peep with stone and hat, and give directions where and how to dig, and when and where the enchantment moved the treasure. That Smith said if he should work with his hands at digging there, he would lose the power to see with the stone."
-Alva Hale, quoted by David Persuitte, Joseph Smith and the Origins of The Book of Mormon, 2nd Edition, McFarland, 2000, p. 38, ISBN: 9780786484034

There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
-Deuteronomky 18:10-12

They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.
-Ezekiel 13:6

Another man who knew the Smiths gives a more detailed account:
"The family of Smiths held Joseph Jr. in high estimation on account of some supernatural power, which he was supposed to possess. This power he pretended to have received through the medium of a stone of peculiar quality. The stone was placed in a hat, in such a manner as to exclude all light, except that which emanated from the stone itself. This light of the stone, he pretended, enabled him to see anything he wished. [i.e. divination/witchcraft] Accordingly he discovered ghosts, infernal spirits, mountains of gold and silver, and many other invaluable treasures deposited in the earth. He would often tell his neighbors of his wonderful discoveries, and urge them to embark in the money digging business. Luxury and wealth were to be given to all who would adhere to his council... I will mention one circumstance... The sapient Joseph discovered, northwest of my house, a chest of gold watches; but as they were in the possession of the evil spirit, it required skill and stratagem to obtain them. Accordingly, orders were given to stick a parcel of large stakes in the ground, several rods around, in a circular form... over the spot where the treasures were deposited... Samuel F. Laurence, with a drawn sword in his hand, marched around to guard any assault which his Satanic majesty might be disposed to make. Meantime, the rest of the company were busily employed in digging for the watches. They worked as usual till quite exhausted. But, in spite of their defender, Laurence, and their bulwark of stakes, the devil came off victorious, and carried away the watches."
-Joseph Capron, quoted by David Persuitte, Joseph Smith and the Origins of The Book of Mormon, 2nd Edition, McFarland, 2000, p. 38-39, ISBN: 9780786484034

It was this very devilish spirit of divination that Paul rebuked out of the damsel in Acts 16:

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
-Acts 16:16-20

Smith wasn't as skilled in his witchcraft as the damsel because he was tried and found guilty of fraud by the State of New York. He was accused of being a "glass looker" because he would put a seer stone into a hat and read it. (Written by Justice Albert Neely, From the discovery of two bills in Chenango County, showing officials who participated in the arrest and trial of Joseph Smith, South Bainbridge, 1826)

If you would like to read the full account, you can click THIS LINK. It is an excerpt from A Religious Encyclopaedia that has the combined eye-witness testimonies against Smith in the trial.
-Phillip Schalff & Samuel M. Jackson, A Religious Encyclopaedia, Vol. 3, Funk & Wagnalls, 1891, p. 1576

"The peep-stone story can no longer be set aside as a vicious story circulated by those who wished to persecute the budding Prophet [i.e. Joseph Smith], for this new evidence, dating four years before he founded his church, witnesses incontrovertibly to Joseph's early ‘glass-looking’ activities."
-Wesley P. Walters, Joseph Smith's Bainbridge: N.Y. Court Trials, published Modern Microfilm Co, 1974, p. 131

When a young sorcerer, trying and failing to use occultic power in his search for wealth, is convicted of fraud by the state, and then a few years later comes to us and tells us he's a prophet, chosen by God, to give a new revelation of Jesus Christ that he found out in the woods on golden plates, without any evidence of his claims, are we to take his word for it? Sadly, many have been led astray, putting their faith into a man instead of the Lord God.

Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
-Jeremiah 17:5

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
-Psalm 118:8

 

The following is a testimony given by Joseph's mother, Lucy Smith; the story which she was told by her son. Please note the highlighted sections because we will be addressing those in a moment:

"The plates were secreted about three miles from home... Joseph, on coming to them, took them from their secret place, and, wrapping them in his linen frock, placed them under his arm and started for home. After proceeding a short distance, he thought it would be more safe to leave the road and go through the woods. Travelling some distance after he left the road, he came to a large windfall, and as he was jumping over a log, a man sprang up from behind it, and gave him a heavy blow with a gun. Joseph turned around and knocked him down, then ran at the top of his speed. About half a mile further he was attacked again in the same manner as before; he knocked this man down in like manner as the former, and ran on again; and before he reached home he was assaulted the third time."

-Lucy M. Smith, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, published S.W. Richards, 1853, p. 104-105

Joseph claimed to have run nearly three miles at the top of his speed. As someone who used to run cross country meets in high school, which are roughly three miles, I can tell you that it will wear you out, even under regular training. However, not only was Joseph allegedly able to run this three mile distance at his top speed, but he also was able to knock down three men who were attacking him in the process, all without any evidence or eye-witnesses to these events.

Next, let's look at the testimony of Joseph's brother William:
"I was permitted to lift them [the golden plates] as they laid in a pillow case; but not to see them, as it was contrary to the commands he had received. They weighed about sixty pounds according to the best of my judgement."
-William Smith, Joseph Smith's brother, quoted by W. Jeffery Marsh, The Eyewitness History of the Church, published Cedar Fort, 2005, p. 143, ISBN: 9781555178451

Let's recap again with this new information. Joseph claimed to have run nearly three miles, at the top of his speed, while taking hits, knocking down three men, all with 60 lbs of gold under one arm. Ed Robertson tried to pick up 60 lbs of gold with one arm and walk a few feet with it, and not only did he fail, but the mine manager said no one has ever been able to do it.

(Ed Robertson trying to pick up 60 lbs of gold on Ed's Up TV Show)

ED: "I'm guessing it can't be done, or you wouldn't have offered it to me." MANAGER: "Hasn't been done yet."

Of course, the argument from a Mormon would be that their "Elohim" gave Joseph the power to do this, but there are a number of problems with that explanation:

Smith never claimed to have power from God for this task. It doesn't match the testimonies. There were no eye-witnesses to this event.

Martin Harris, who claimed to have seen the plates in a vision (we'll cover more on him later), said:
"While at Mr. Smith's, I hefted [those] plates. I knew from the heft that they were lead or gold."
-Martin Harris, quoted by John Heinerman, Hidden Treasures of Ancient American Cultures, published Cedar Fort, 2001, p. 48-49, ISBN: 9781555175191

Certainly, Christ and His apostles healing the sick was a miracle wrought in the Lord God, but this is stated as the healing power of God in Scripture, and there were many eye-witnesses. There are thousands of eye-witnesses to the miracles of healing, and hundreds that saw Christ after he raised himself from the dead, but no eye-witness accounts to seeing the actual gold plates, nor to Joseph's cross-country strong-arm football story.

But the problem gets so much worse when we read about injury and surgery when Joseph was a child. This is from the LDS Church's own records:
"Evidence of the Prophet’s extraordinary character emerged early in his life. The Smiths were living in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, when a deadly epidemic of typhoid fever attacked many in the community, including all the Smith children. While the other children recovered without complication, Joseph, who was about seven years old, developed a serious infection in his left leg. Dr. Nathan Smith of Dartmouth Medical School at nearby Hanover, New Hampshire, agreed to perform a new surgical procedure to try to save the boy’s leg. As Dr. Smith and his colleagues prepared to operate, Joseph asked his mother to leave the room so she would not have to witness his suffering. Refusing liquor to dull the pain and relying only on his father’s reassuring embrace, Joseph bravely endured as the surgeon bored into and chipped away part of his leg bone. The surgery was successful, although Joseph walked the next several years with crutches and showed signs of a slight limp the rest of his life."
-LDS Church, "The Life and Ministry of Joseph Smith," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 2011, xxii–25, retrieved Nov 19, 2015, [lds.org/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/the-life-and-ministry-of-joseph-smith?lang=eng]

Let's do another recap:

Running full speed for three miles Taking hits and knocking down attackers as he runs Carrying 60 lbs of gold Running on an injured leg from his childhood

And this is all coming from a man who was already known to be a fraud in divining for gold.

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
-2 Timothy 3:13

Please keep in mind, these gold plates, along with this story, are the foundation for the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith is now going to translate the alleged gold plates.



 

"BYU historian Marvin S. Hill has... observed: 'Now, most historians, Mormon or not, who work with the sources, accept as fact Joseph Smith's career as village magician.'"
-D. Michael Quinn, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View: 2nd Edition, Signature Books, 1998, p. 59, ISBN: 9781560850892

Despite what Mormons may wish to believe, the fact is that Joseph Smith was involved in what the Bible calls witchcraft, and now he is going to use that witchcraft in his translation process. Smith's method of translation of the gold plates was laid out clearly by David Whitmer (another man we'll learn more about later):
"I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated. Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine... Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man."
-David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, self-publishedr, 1887, p. 12

Smith claimed to have discovered different stones with the plates (more weight for him to carry), and called them "Urim" and "Thummim," which he copied from the Bible in Exodus:

And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
-Exodus 28:29-30

Urim and Thummim The Bible does not make it clear to us what the Urim and Thummim are. Many people have said they are stones, and that's a reasonable guess, but that may not be the case since the Bible does not specifically say they are stones. And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. -1 Samuel 28:6 Apparently, Urim was used occasionally by the Lord God to communicate with the high priest who would wear the breastplate. There is not much information in the Bible on this process, and it's not very relevant to Christians today, but because the Bible does not give much detail, pagans (especially Jewish mystics) have jumped on this concept in effort to justify divination in witchcraft. Witches refer to this as "scrying." We talk about this more in "Video Games: Causing Witchcraft to Prosper" here at creationliberty.com.

The seer stone Smith used and the "Urim and Thummim" were used in on separate occasions for translation. Brigham H. Roberts, a Mormon historian, investigated the eye-witness accounts and found the following:

"The 'Seer Stone' referred to here was a chocolate-colored, somewhat egg-shaped stone which the Prophet found while digging a well in company with his brother Hyrum. It possessed the qualities of Urim and Thummim, since by means of it... Joseph was able to translate the characters engraven on the plates."

-Brigham H. Roberts, New Witness for God, published The Deseret News, Vol. 2, 1909, p. 108; Picture is Smith's seer stone taken by David Whitmer and stored in the LDS archives

Though many Mormons believe (and teach) that the Book of Mormon was translated using the Urim and Thummim (because Smith said he was commanded by God to translate with those special stones), but that's not what happened. Oliver Cowdery (another "eye-witness" we will look at in more depth later), stated:
"Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated, with the Urim and Thummim... the history, or record, called 'The book of Mormon.'"
-Oliver Cowdery, quoted by The Latter-Day Saint's Millennial Star, Vol. XLIV, 1882, p. 719; See also Saint's Herald, published Herald House, Vol. 23, 1876, p. 73

Yet, when we look at an interview with Martin Harris, he said Smith used his seer stone:
"He said that the Prophet possessed a seer stone, by which he was enabled to translate as well as from the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience he then used the Seer Stone. Martin said further that the Seer Stone differed in appearance entirely from the Urim and Thummim that was obtained with the plates..."
-Brigham H. Roberts, interview with Martin Harris, The American Historical Magazine, published National Americana Society, Vol. 4, Issue 1-3, 1909, p. 808

Joseph's wife Emma told her son:
"In writing for your father I frequently wrote day after day, often sitting at the table close by him, he sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it..." [i.e. Not the Urim and Thummim.]
-Emma Smith, quoted by David Persuitte, Joseph Smith and the Origins of the Book of Mormon, published McFarland, 2000, p. 82, ISBN: 9780786408269

Multiple eye-witness accounts of the translation process say Smith read the translation of the gold plates via his seer stone in a hat, but the typical images produced by the LDS Church are pure propaganda. They portray Joseph sitting out in the open with the stone, reading to Harris directly from the plates. Of course, they have to paint the picture this way, because if they actually portrayed Smith's face in a hat with magic light seeping through the cracks, it might look absurd to the rest of the world.

During the first session, Smith and Harris produced 116 pages from what Joseph called "The Book of Lehi." Harris requested to borrow the 116 pages, and though Smith said he had been instructed not to let anyone take them, he allowed Harris to borrow them. However, Harris lost the first 116 pages. (How this happened is unknown; some say that Martin's wife Lucy took the pages and hid them because she was skeptical of Smith, but there isn't much evidence to back up those claims.) So after praying, Smith said he had a revelation that he had lost the ability to translate from the The Book of Lehi, he would have to translate from a different account, and the new translation would be the same thing, just worded a little differently.

A deception-alert should be resonating very loud in your mind right now. Just like with most things Mormon, when you think it can't get any more absurd, it does.

Remember earlier when we read that Joseph Smith claimed he translated "Reformed Egyptian" into The Book of Mormon? Not only was Smith using occultic divination practices for his translation method, but was also unable to even recognize the Egyptian language under close examination.

"The Rev. H. Caswell, an Episcopal clergyman and professor of a college, paid a visit to Nauvoo (the city of the Mormons), to obtain information respecting the people. In the course of the interview with the prophet, he produced an ancient book, in a strange language, which excited much interest among the assembled Mormons, who were eager to know its contents. The book was handed to Smith, who, upon examination, pronounced it to be a 'Dictionary of Egyptian Hieroglyphics.' Mr. Caswell then coolly informed the company that the volume was a Greek Psalter!" [i.e. Psalms in Greek]

-T.W.P. Taylder, The Mormon's Own Book; or Mormonism Tried by Its Own Standards, published Partridge and Co., 1857, p. 23

So not only could Joseph Smith not even recognize Egyptian hieroglyphics, it has recently been shown that he didn't understand one word of it. A papyrus was found and placed in the Metropolitan Museum of New York, which was later donated to the LDS church once it was confirmed to be the papyrus Joseph Smith used to "translate" the Book of Abraham, which is part of The Pearl of Great Price.

"An episode that occurred over thirty years ago offered a very rare opportunity to confirm Joseph Smith's God-given translating abilities. In 1967 some of the original papyrus pieces used by Smith to 'translate' the Book of Abraham surfaced in a New York City museum. In what must have been a heartbreaking discovery to many Mormons at the time, modern Egyptologists' translation showed that the documents had nothing whatsoever to do with biblical patriarch Abraham. The implications for Smith's 'translating' of the Book of Mormon should be obvious... Today most Mormons deny that the Book of Abraham is a translation (in the word's normal sense) of the Engyptian papryi."
-Francis J. Beckwith & Richard J. Mouw, The New Mormon Challege: Responding to the Latest Defenses of a Fast-Growing Movement, Zondervan, 2010, ISBN: 9780310873419

Though it had always been taught in the LDS Church that Smith had translated the The Pearl of Great Price by this text, once it was discovered to be fraudulent, they changed their position. Now they simply claim that Smith only used the text as a method to channel the knowledge of his translation, or that it's just a cipher with hidden messages from God that can only be seen by Smith.

The following image is a piece of Smith's papyrus, referred to as Facsimile #1:
There is Egyptian text attached to this drawing, and though Smith claimed it was an account of Abraham, it actually says:
"Osiris shall be conveyed into the Great Pool of Khons -- and likewise Osiris, born to Tikhebyt, justified -- after his arms have been placed on his heart and the Breathing Permit (which [Isis] made and has writing on its inside and outside) has been wrapped in royal linen and placed under his left arm near his heart; the rest of his mummy-bandages should be wrapped over it. The man for whom this book has been copied will breathe forever and ever as the bas [Egyptian aspect of the soul] of the gods do."
-Christopher Welde, The Esoteric Codex: Ancient Egyptian Texts I, Lulu.com, 2015, p. 117, ISBN: 9781312945029

This documents a pagan Egyptian ritual in honor of false gods for a burial rite that they hoped would gain them eternal life. This has nothing to do with the Abraham in the Bible, and certainly nothing to do with Mormonism.

Samuel Mercer, professor and author on many books concerning Egyptian Hieroglyphics and history, said the following:
"All the scholars come to the same conclusion, viz.: That Smith could not possibly translate any Egyptian text, as his interpretations of the facsimiles shows. Any pupil of mine who would show such absolute ignorance of Egyptian as Smith does, could not possibly expect to get more than a zero in an examination in Egyptology."
-Samuel A. Mercer, quoted in The Improvement Era, Vol. 16, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, 1913, p. 1083

If a Mormon wants to argue that the Book of Abraham was simply "revealed" to Smith without the need of the papyrus (despite that Smith claimed to translate the papyrus itself), then why don't they accept scientology when L. Ron Hubbard claims it was "revealed" to him? They have nothing to justify their beliefs except the claims of a con-artist.

The King James Bible can be verified from tens of thousands of sources in many different languages (that's the Textus Receptus -- see "Why I Use The King James Bible" for more details). However, the only source we have to verify the Pearl of Great Price written by Joseph Smith is this one piece of papyrus that doesn't have any of the information Smith wrote down in his so-called "translations."

It's interesting that some parts of phrasing in the Book of Abraham's translation have a near-perfect match to the King James Bible, word-for-word. Though the LDS Church claims this proves his translations to be correct, it reality, it conclusively proves Smith made it up.

For example, this is an excerpt from The Pearl of Great Price:
"And I, Abraham, arose from the place of the altar which I had built unto the Lord, and removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel,"
-Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 2:20, retrieved Nov 19, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/pgp/abr/2?lang=eng]

And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel...
-Genesis 12:8

The words "removed from thence" is an English phrase used in a writing style from the 16th century. So why does Smith's translation of "Reformed Egyptian" use a phrase from a writing style 300 years earlier? Obviously, Smith was simply quoting the phrasing he was famliar with, learning from the King James Bible in church buildings he was used to attending.



 

Joseph Smith said to the members of his new religion:
"I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book."
-Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 4, p. 461; See also John A. Tvedtnes, The Most Correct Book, published Cedar Fort, p. 44, ISBN: 9780882907567

The Book of Mormon and the LDS Church teaches that huge cities with millions of people existed in North America, even though no archaeological evidence has ever been found for any of these claims. Most of the places mentioned in the Bible can be found geographically, based on the descriptions provided, even if they are called by different names today. So many mountains, valleys, and cities in the Bible have been verified via archaeological investigation that entire websites and magazines are continually devoted to the subject. For example:
"In 'Archaeology Confirms 50 Real People in the Bible' in the March/April 2014 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Purdue University scholar Lawrence Mykytiuk lists 50 figures from the Hebrew Bible who have been confirmed archaeologically. The 50-person chart in BAR includes Israelite kings and Mesopotamian monarchs as well as lesser-known figures."
-Lawrence Mykytiuk, "50 People in the Bible Confirmed Archaeologically," Biblical Archaeology Society, Oct 31, 2015, retrieved Nov 24, 2015, [biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/50-people-in-the-bible-confirmed-archaeologically]

Even archeological finds, such as chariot wheels from the proper historical era at the bottom of the Red Sea, have been found.
(See also Wyatt Archaeological Research & Museum, 2502 Lynnville Hwy, Cornersville, TN, 37047, (931) 293-4745, [www.wyattmuseum.com])

Though I don't endorse all the places I just mentioned, the fact of the matter is that people are finding the archeological evidence of Biblical people and places. In an interview, a professor of textual criticism was asked the question: How do you know that the Roman Empire existed?
"The Romans left marks everywhere they went. They left large roads, they left coins, and they left written records."
-Dr. Peter Williams, interviewed in The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon, Living Hope Ministries, [http://sourceflix.com/the-bible-vs-the-book-of-mormon]

Without the roads, coins, buildings, and records, we would have no evidence that the Roman Empire existed. So if the Book of Mormon is the most perfect book ever written, as Joseph Smith claimed it to be, we should be able to find archaeological evidence of the its claims.

According to the Book of Mormon, two tribes, the Lamanites and the Nephites containing hundreds of thousands of people, fought a war down to the last man standing (whose name was Moroni) on a hill called Cumorah. Today, the LDS Church has built a visitor's center and statue in Manchester, NY, where Joseph Smith claimed to have found the golden plates, and where Oliver Cowdery (one of the eye-witnesses that said he saw the plates) claimed that the battle of Cumorah took place.
The visitor's center in Manchester is where an annual pageant is held by the LDS Church:
Just to make sure we verify the claims of the LDS Church, here is a letter sent by their Office of the First Presidency, which states:
"The Church has long maintained, as attested to by references in the writings of General Authorities, that the Hill Cumorah in western New York state is the same as referenced in the Book of Mormon."
-Letter from Office of the First Presidency to Darrel Brooks, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Oct 16, 1990

A very simple way to prove the Book of Mormon has some merit of truth is to excavate the Hill Cumorah. They should be able to dig into the ground and find archeological evidence of their claims. Since this is a battle where hundreds of thousands (if not millions) died, then we ought to find a few swords or shield; something to verify their claims, but to this day, the LDS Church has refused to excavate Cumorah.

Recently, due to pressure from skeptics, and even from those in the Mormon religion, the LDS Church has decided to change their long-held position. They decided not to take an "official" stance on whether or not the location in New York is actually the Hill Cumorah, even though it had been since the inception of their religion, and even though the prophets and apostles of their religion said so from the beginning. Out of fear, they're now claiming that Cumorah may be somewhere in Mexico.

"As Sorenson has demonstrated, there have been two major models for the macrogeography of the Book of Mormon. The Hemispheric Geography Model places the 'narrow neck of land' at the isthmus of Panama, with the 'land northward' being North America and the 'land southward' being South America. The Limited Geography Model places the 'narrow neck of land' at the isthmus of Teohuantepec, with the 'land northward' being central Mexico and the 'land southward' being generally Guatemala and southeastern Mexico."
(See William J. Hamblin, "Basic Methodological Problems with the Anti-Mormon Approach to the Geography and Archaeology of the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Maxwell Institute, 1993, Vol. 2, Issue 1, p. 161-197; See also [publications.maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/2/1/S00011-50aa647b4598211%20Hamblin.pdf] p. 171)

If the LDS Church wants to claim there is another Hill Cumorah in a far-away land, this means:

Their prophets and apostles have been wrong about its location for over a century. They must find some explanation of why and how Moroni left his homeland and traveled 3,000-4,000 miles away to a remote location to bury his testimony despite the fact that contradicts the Book of Mormon's testimony. The LDS Church still has no archaelogical evidence for their claims; it's just begging the question.

The Bible has, time and time again, been used as a map to lead archaeologists to findings, but the Mormon books have never been used by archaeologists. At one time, Mormons commonly made the claim that the Smithsonian Institute had officially recognized the Book of Mormon as a record of value that had also helped the government:
"The inquiry you made regarding the Book of Mormon is a commendable one and I will be pleased to mention the part which it has played in helping the government to unravel the problem of the aborigines... it was 1920 before the Smithsonian Institute officially recognized the Book of Mormon as a record of any value. All discoveries up to this time were found to fit the Book of Mormon accounts and so the heads of the Archaeological Department decided to make an effort to discover some of the larger cities described in the Book of Mormon records."
-LDS Church, letter to Earnest L. English, May 3, 1936, Letter was distributed to Mormon leaders in Ohio in 1959; See also Jerald Tanner & Sandra Tanner, Mormonism-Shadow or Reality?, Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1987, p. 97

However, that's a lie. After this letter was duplicated and spread out to Mormon leadership, word started to spread about the claims of evidence made, to the point that the Smithsonian Institute had to make an official announcement deny the claims of the LDS Church:
"In reply to your letter of February 11, 1951, permit me to say that the mistaken idea that the Book of Mormon has been used by scientific organizations in conducting archeological explorations has become quite current in recent years. It can be stated definitely that there is no connection between the archeology of the New World and the subject matter of the Book of Mormon. There is no correspondence whatsoever between archeological sites and cultures as revealed by scientific investigations and as recorded in the Book of Mormon, hence the book cannot be regarded as having any historical value from the standpoint of the aboriginal peoples of the New World. The Smithsonian Institution has never officially recognized the Book of Mormon as a record of value on scientific matters, and the Book has never been used as a guide or source of information for discovering ruined cities."
-Frank H.H. Roberts Jr., Official Statement from the Smithsonian Institute, Feb 16, 1951; See also John Haynes, The Book of Mormon Examined: An Examination of the Book of Mormon Comparing the 1830 Original Edition with Later Editions, Revealing the Many Changes that Have Been Made, Utah Christian Tract Society, 1959, p. 37

No one, not even the LDS Church, can claim any historical and archaeological value from the Book of Mormon. If Mormons don't like that, they can whine about it until they're blue in the face, but until they step up and provide something substantial, there is not a single reason to believe anything they, or the Book of Mormon, says.

Furthermore, I found some fascinating details when comparing the Book of Mormon to the general area where Joseph Smith was raised:
"Born on December 23, 1805, in Sharon, Vermont, to Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith, Joseph Smith Jr. grew up on a series of tenant farms in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York."
-American Prophet Biography, "Joseph Smith 1805-1844," PBS, retrieved Sept 14, 2011, [http://www.pbs.org/americanprophet/joseph-smith.html]

From the LDS Church website:
"I was born... in the town of Sharon, Windsor county, State of Vermont... My father, Joseph Smith, Sen., left the State of Vermont, and moved to Palmyra, Ontario (now Wayne) county, in the State of New York, when I was in my tenth year, or thereabouts. In about four years after my father’s arrival in Palmyra, he moved with his family into Manchester in the same county of Ontario—"
-Joseph Smith, "Extracts from the History of Joseph Smith: The Prophet," History of the Church, Vol. 1, v. 3, retrieved Sept 24, 2015, [https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng]

The following charts I've made compare real towns and cities across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Vermont, and Michigan, all the places Joseph Smith was quite familiar with growing up. Notice the similarities between the names in the Book of Mormon (in parentheses on the chart) and the names of the actual towns and cities.

U.S. Name	Angola	Moraviantown	Oneida	Kishkiminetas
Mormon Name	Angola	Morianton	Onidah	Kishkumen
Chapter/Verse	Mormon 2:4	Alma 50:35	Alma 47:5	Nephi 9:10

Jacobsburg	Shiloh	Minoa	Hellam	Lehigh
Jacobugath	Shilom	Minon	Helam	Lehi
Nephi 9:9	Mosiah 9:8	Alma 2:24	Mosiah 23:25	Alma 51:26

There are many more names than I have listed here. In fact, if you check some of the names of the lands referred to by Joseph Smith as the "lands northward," you'll find that they replicate names and locations in Canada:

Sainte-Agathe	Saint-Ephrem-de-Beauce	Morin-Heights	Ramara	Tecumseh
Ogath	Ephraim	Moron	Ramah	Teancum
Ether 15:10	Ether 7:9	Ether 14:6	Ether 15:11	Mormon 4:7

(Some names may have been taken from the Bible, and attributed by Joseph Smith to certain locations near the area he grew up.)

The Mormon who reads this may write this off as coincidence, but that simply demonstrates cultic faith. They have no solid archeological records to fight the argument that Joseph Smith made all this up. Though the story is already extremely far-fetched, let's take a look at the doctrine of the books of Joseph Smith, and see if he matches the teachings in the Word of God.



 

Again, Joseph Smith said to the members of his new religion:
"I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book."
-Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 4, p. 461; See also John A. Tvedtnes, The Most Correct Book, published Cedar Fort, p. 44, ISBN: 9780882907567

One of the very first things a Christian ought to do when analyzing the message of any preacher is their doctrine.

Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them... How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
-Matthew 16:6-12

It is the doctrine which deceives people and leads them astray, so we should be cautious of false doctrine. We need to compare doctrine with the Word of God to make sure it is correct, and discern between good and evil.

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
-Hebrews 5:14

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
-Acts 17:11

The Book of Mormon says:

Jesus was not born in Bethlehem.

First, we look at the Book of Mormon, and it tells us Jesus would be born in Jerusalem.
"And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers..."
-Book of Mormon, Alma 7:10

But the Word of God tells us that Jesus would be (and was) born in Bethlehem.

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
-Micah 5:2

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem... To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
-Luke 2:4-5

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem... And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
-Luke 2:15-16

Joseph Smith says Jesus was born in Jerusalem. The Word of God says he was born in Bethlehem. For Mormons, the question is: "In whom do you put your trust?"

Jesus's name was revealed 90 years before Mary.

According to Mormon scholars, the events of Alma chapter 19 in the Book of Mormon took place "About 90 B.C."
(See The Book of Alma: the Son of Alma, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, retrieved Nov 24, 2015, [http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/19?lang=eng])

"And it came to pass that she went and took the queen by the hand, that perhaps she might raise her from the ground; and as soon as she touched her hand she arose and stood upon her feet, and cried with a loud voice, saying: O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God, have mercy on this people!"
-Book of Mormon, Alma 19:29

How could this woman have cried the name of Jesus almost a hundred years before the angel had revealed the name to Mary?

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
-Luke 1:31

The Church of Christ was started 200 years before Acts.

According to Mormon scholars, the events of Mosiah chapter 18 in the Book of Mormon took place "About 147–145 B.C."
(See The Book of Mosiah, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, retrieved Nov 24, 2015, [http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/18?lang=eng])

"And they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that time forward."
-Book of Mormon, Mosiah 18:17

Christ had not yet fulfilled the prophecies of His coming, nor had he yet sent the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2 - 33 A.D.) How can the Church of Christ be founded without the foundation of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit first? How can the Church of Christ be founded without the saving grace He offered with the sacrifice of His own blood?

The Church of Christ began here, almost 200 years after the Book of Mormon dates:

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers... Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
-Acts 2:41-47

Christ said he would build (future tense) His church on faith in the Son of God:

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
-Matthew 16:18

God has flesh and blood like a man.

The Book of Mormon tells us that God has flesh and blood like a man:
"And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood. And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger."
-Book of Mormon, Ether 3:8-9

But the Bible tells us God is a Spirit, and must worship Him in spirit and truth:

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
-John 4:24

Darkness after Christ's crucifixion was three days long.

The Book of Mormon says that darkness would be over the whole earth for three days after Christ was crucified:
"Behold, in that day that he shall suffer death the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you; and also the moon and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for the space of three days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead."
-Book of Mormon, Helaman 14:20; See also v. 27

But the Bible says it was only three hours:

And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
-Luke 23:44

Gentiles were being saved by Christ 600 years before He was born.

The Book of Mormon says that Gentiles were believing on and being saved by Christ "About 559–545 B.C."
"For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God... For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."
-Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:19-23

But the Bible says none believed on Christ or were saved in any time before the death and resurrection:

If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery... Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
-Ephesians 3:2-6

Zedekiah's son lived and went to America.

The Book of Mormon teaches that one of the sons of Zedekiah escaped death and fled to the America:
"And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek?"
-The Book of Mormon, Helaman 8:21, retrieved Nov 25, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/bofm/hel/8.21?lang=eng]

"Now the land south was called Lehi, and the land north was called Mulek, which was after the son of Zedekiah; for the Lord did bring Mulek into the land north [i.e. North America], and Lehi into the land south."
-The Book of Mormon, Helaman 6:10, retrieved Nov 25, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/bofm/hel/6.10?lang=eng]

However, the Bible teaches that all the sons of Zedekiah were slain:

Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.
-Jeremiah 39:6

When Mormons claim they believe the Bible (KJB), they're liars in part because they don't fully believe it. Again, their faith is in Joseph Smith and his "most correct book ever written," not in the Word of God, as Gordon Hinckley (15th President of the LDS Church) so accurately said, quoted at the beginning of this article.

The Book of Mormon's Self-Contradictions:

Precious ore was commonplace, but they couldn't find any.

These are just a few basic examples, but when we look deeper into the Book of Mormon, we find many more strange self-contradictions. For example, 2 Nephi talks of steel, brass, gold, silver, and other precious ores:
"And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance."
-Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 5:15

Notice it says they "were in great abundance." In the next verse, it says they constructed a temple, but did not use precious ores because they couldn't find any:
"And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s temple."
-Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 5:16

Did Joseph Smith not know what "abundance" means? I highly doubt that. I would suspect that he contradicted himself because he was a man making up a story to build a religion, not a prophet of God.

Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
-Jeremiah 14:14

There is only one God, but many of them.

The Book of Mormon says there is only one God:
"And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is a true and living God? And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God. Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? And he answered, No. Now Zeezrom said unto him again: How knowest thou these things? And he said: An angel hath made them known unto me."
-The Book of Mormon, Alma 11:26-31, retrieved Nov 25, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/11.27-29?lang=eng]

Earlier in this article, we mentioned The Doctrine and Covenants, and how the Mormons hold it in high esteem, much higher than the Word of God. The introduction states:
"The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and regulation of the kingdom of God on the earth in the last days... the Doctrine and Covenants is unique because it is not a translation of an ancient document, but is of modern origin and was given of God through His chosen prophets for the restoration of His holy work and the establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth in these days."
-Doctrine and Covenants, Introduction, retrieved Nov 25, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/introduction?lang=eng]

So the Book of Mormon says there is only one God, but the Doctrine and Covenants says there are many gods:
"According to that which was ordained in the midst of the Council of the Eternal God of all other gods before this world was, that should be reserved unto the finishing and the end thereof, when every man shall enter into his eternal presence and into his immortal rest."
-Doctrine and Covenants, Section 121, v. 32, retrieved Nov 25, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/121.32?lang=eng]

God's decreeds cannot be changed, until they are changed.

The Book of Mormon says God's decrees cannot be altered in any way:
"Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore, the way is prepared that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved."
-The Book of Mormon, Alma 41:8, retrieved Nov 25, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/41.8?lang=eng]

But Doctrine and Covenants says God's decrees can be altered:
"Wherefore I, the Lord, command and revoke, as it seemeth me good; and all this to be answered upon the heads of the rebellious, saith the Lord. Wherefore, I revoke the commandment which was given unto my servants..."
-Doctrine and Covenants, Section 56:4, retrieved Nov 25, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/56.4?lang=eng]

revoke (v): To recall; to repeal; to reverse. A law, decree or sentence is revoked by the same authority which enacted or passed it.
(See 'revoke', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Nov 25, 2015 [webstersdictionary1828.com])

God condemns multiple wives, and approves multiple wives.

The Book of Mormon says the desiring of many wives is wicked:
"And now it came to pass that the people of Nephi, under the reign of the second king, began to grow hard in their hearts, and indulge themselves somewhat in wicked practices, such as like unto David of old desiring many wives and concubines, and also Solomon, his son."
-The Book of Mormon, Jacob 1:15, retrieved Nov 25, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/bofm/jacob/1.15]

But the Doctrine and Covenants says the desiring of many wives is justified:
"Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines."
-Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132:1, retrieved Nov 25, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/132]

The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
-Psalm 12:6

As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
-Psalm 18:30

For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
-Psalm 33:4

These are only a few of the many contradictions littered throughout Mormon documents, but there are also many grammatical errors in the "most correct book." The LDS church has made a lot of effort to edit and correct the Book of Mormon, so let's look at a few examples from the original publication: "But behold, for none of these I cannot hope," -Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 33:9, photo by John Hajicek, Original Book of Mormon from John Hajicek's personal library, retrieved Sept 16, 2011, [www.inephi.com]

"And now behold the Lamanites could not retreat neither way" -Book of Mormon, Helaman 1:31, photo by John Hajicek, Original Book of Mormon from John Hajicek's personal library, retrieved Sept 16, 2011, [www.inephi.com]

"yea, if my days could have been in them days" -Book of Mormon, Helaman 7:8, photo by John Hajicek, Original Book of Mormon from John Hajicek's personal library, retrieved Sept 16, 2011, [www.inephi.com]

"and the one who was the most foremost among them" -Book of Mormon, Alma 32:5, photo by John Hajicek, Original Book of Mormon from John Hajicek's personal library, retrieved Sept 16, 2011, [www.inephi.com]

"that there might not be no more sorrow upon all the face of the earth." -Book of Mormon, Alma 29:2, photo by John Hajicek, Original Book of Mormon from John Hajicek's personal library, retrieved Sept 16, 2011, [www.inephi.com]

Joseph Fielding Smith responded to the growing concerns about the errors in the Book of Mormon:
"During the past week or two I have received a number of letters from different parts of the United States written by people, some of whom at least are a little concerned because they have been approached by enemies of the Church and enemies of the Book of Mormon, who have made the statement that there have been one or two or more thousand changes in the Book of Mormon since the first edition was published. Well, of course, there is no truth in that statement. It is true that when the Book of Mormon was printed the printer was a man who was unfriendly. The publication of the book was done under adverse circumstances, and there were a few errors, mostly typographical"
-Joseph Fielding Smith, Semi-annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Vol. 130-133, LDS Church, 1960, p. 18

The printing press errors (i.e. typographical) that Smith is claiming to have been inserted by a man who hated the Book of Mormon is not true. When a printer sees the word "any," it is not an accidental (typographical) mistake to put in the exact opposite word, "none," so he's accusing the printer of altering the text.

Mormon historian Brigham Roberts also noted these are not typical printing press errors, but full grammatical sentence structure mistakes. He goes on to point out that the evidence shows that the original documentation had these errors (i.e. it wasn't the fault of the printing press):
"That errors of grammar and faults in dictation do exist in the Book of Mormon (and more especially and abundantly in the first edition) must be conceded; and what is more, while some of the errors may be referred to inefficient proof-reading, such as is to be expected in a country printing establishment, yet such is the nature of the errors in question, and so interwoven are they throughout the diction of the Book, that they may not be disposed of by saying they result from inefficient proof-reading or referring them to the mischievous disposition of the 'typos' or the unfriendliness of the publishing house. The errors are constitutional in their character; they are of the web and woof of the style, and not such errors as may be classed as typographical. Indeed, the first edition of the Book of Mormon is singularly free from typographical errors."
-Brigham H. Roberts, Defense of the Faith and the Saints, Vol. 1, Deseret News, 1907, p. 280-281

Roberts summarizes:
"But after due allowance is made for all these conditions, the errors are so numerous, and of such a constitutional nature, that they cannot be explained away by these unfavorable conditions under which the work was published."
-Brigham H. Roberts, Defense of the Faith and the Saints, Vol. 1, Deseret News, 1907, p. 295

John Gilbert was one of the men who helped print the Book of Mormon, and when he pointed out the grammatical errors, he was told to print it as it was:
"When the printer was ready to commence work, [Martin] Harris was notified, and Hyrum Smith brought the first installment of manuscript... On the second day--[Martin] Harris and [Hyrum] Smith being in the office--I called their attention to a grammatical error, and asked whether I should correct it? [Martin] Harris consulted with [Hyrum] Smith a short time, and turned to me and said, 'The Old Testament is ungrammatical, set it as it is written.'"
-John H. Gilbert, quoted by Dan Barker, Mormon History 101, Cedar Fort, 2011, p. 160, ISBN: 9781462100682

The errors Gilbert referred to are found in almost every single chapter in the Book of Mormon. Again, Joseph Smith said:
"I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book."
-Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 4, p. 461; See also John A. Tvedtnes, The Most Correct Book, published Cedar Fort, p. 44, ISBN: 9780882907567

Because of the railing accusations I have received in email from Mormons, I believe it's necessary for me to remind everyone: I didn't say that; Joseph Smith said that. The Bible is the only perfectly inspired and preserved (in the KJB) Word of the Living God, and the only document in history to be without error, but Joseph Smith's cult is full of errors and heretical doctrine.



 

The following are a few of the many strange heretical doctrines taught by the LDS Church.

Mormon Doctrine:

God was once human.

"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man... That is the great secret."
-Joseph Smith, sermon given to the LDS Church in a conference, "King Follett Sermon," April 7, 1844; See also Rulon T. Burton, We Believe: Doctrine and Principles of the Church of Latter-day Saints, Tabernacle Books Inc, 2004, p. 351, ISBN: 9780974879031

"God, our Eternal Father, is an immortal exalted Man, with a body of flesh and bones and eternal spirit, inseparably connected that cannot be divided and cannot die."
-Joseph Fielding Smith, Man: His Origin and Destiny, Deseret Book Co., 1986, p. 50-53 ISBN: 9780877471561

"As man now is, God once was... We are the offspring of God, begotten by Him in the spirit world, where we partook of His nature as children here partake of the likeness of their parents."
-Lorenzo Snow, elder of the LDS church, at Brigham City Tabernacle, prior to being sentenced by Judge Powers in the First District Court, Jan 10, 1886; See also Rulon T. Burton, We Believe: Doctrine and Principles of the Church of Latter-day Saints, Tabernacle Books Inc, 2004, p. 351, ISBN: 9780974879031

This may be the biggest heresy ever produced by the LDS Church. Mormons attempt to bring God down to the filthy wretchedness of man.

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
-Numbers 23:19

These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
-Psalm 50:21

There is no hell.

John Widtsoe, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said:

"The meanest sinner will find some place in the heavenly realm... In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is no hell. All will find a measure of salvation... The gospel of Jesus Christ has no hell in the old proverbial sense." -John A. Widtsoe, Joseph Smith: Seeker After Truth - Prophet of God, Deseret News Press, 1951, p. 177-178; See also LDS Church, Improvement Era, Vol. 54, Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, 1951, p. 15

Kevin Barney, Mormon lawyer and author that sits on the board of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought magazine, said:

"Mormons reject the classical conception of Hell: a pit of fire and brimstone and place of eternal torment. Although Mormons do sometimes use the word "hell," it is usually in one of two much more limited senses. First, when you die your spirit goes to a sort of waiting room called the Spirit World. The righteous go to Paradise, but those who died without a knowledge of the Gospel or who were wicked go to Spirit Prison. [i.e. Mormon version of purgatory]

The suffering they experience there is more mental than physical, consisting of guilt and anguish over their misdeeds in mortality. Sometimes this state is referred to as 'hell,' but it is only a temporary state. Upon the final judgment, the soul will be assigned to one of three heavens, or "degrees of glory" (called the Celestial, Terrestrial and Telestial Kingdoms). Having a variegated heaven means that people will receive their just reward for their lives here on earth, but even the lowest of these heavens is still a heaven, not a place of eternal torment."
-Kevin Barney, "Hell Hath No Fury for Mormons," Apr 14, 2011, retrieved Nov 25, 2015, [newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/religion_theseeker/2011/04/hell-hath-no-fury-for-mormons.html]

This is exactly the same as the Catholic heresy of purgatory, claiming that you go to a place to work out your sin until you go to heaven, and that some people will have to work more than others. The bottom line is that this is a works-based false doctrine that leads people into cults like Mormonism and Catholicism, where they will not learn the truth of the Word of God.
(Read "Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism - Purgatory, The Magic Safety Net" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
-Daniel 12:2

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
-Matthew 7:13-14

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
-Matthew 25:46
(Read "Does Hell Exist in the Bible?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)

Bruce McConkie said:
"That part of the spirit world inhabited by wicked spirits who are awaiting the eventual day of their resurrection is called hell... Hell will have an end."
-Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, published Bookcraft, 1958, p. 320

And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt [lame] into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
-Mark 9:45

Murder is an unforgivable sin.

"And now, behold, I speak unto the church. Thou shalt not kill; and he that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come."
-Doctrine and Covenants, Section 42:18, retrieved Nov 25, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/42.18-29?lang=eng]

According to Mormon beliefs, if you have ever killed anyone, even in self-defense, God will never forgive you, which is a contradiction to God's Word. This makes even less sense when we consider that if there is no real hell, and that all will eventually be forgiven in heaven, what happens to the killers?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
-1 John 1:9

Black people are cursed.

From the Pearl of Great Price:
"For behold, the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof shall go forth forever; and there was a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people."
-Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:8, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/pgp/moses/7?lang=eng]

The "children of Canaan" here are referring to black-skinned people. Mormons believe they are children of Cain, and that curse of Cain is black skin:
"And Enoch also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam; and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam save it was the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, and had not place among them."
-Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:22, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/pgp/moses/7?lang=eng]

The Bible does NOT say Cain was cursed with black skin. The curse Cain received was that he could no longer grow crops; he had to stay on the move and eat what grows naturally.

And now art thou cursed from the earth... When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
-Genesis 4:11-12

When Mormons say "curse," they're actually referring to the mark God put on Cain:

And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
-Genesis 4:15

No one knows what kind of mark was put on Cain, but it certainly doesn't say it was black skin. This mark was meant to identify him as Cain for protection so no one would kill him. The LDS Church was founded on racist/evolutionary doctrines of superiority of "races" (i.e. skin colors), and all black-skinned people were rejected from the Mormon temples because, according to Mormon doctrine we mentioned earlier in this article, blacks are bad spirit babies and are cursed.

The Book of Mormon says that those who are in unbelief have their skin turned dark and filthy, which automatically implies that if you're black, you can't be saved, and it even describes them as lazy (i.e. full of idleness):
"And the angel said unto me: Behold these shall dwindle in unbelief. And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations."
-The Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 12:23, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/12?lang=eng]

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.
Acts 17:26

Mark Petersen, Member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said:
"If there is one drop of Negro blood in my children, as I have read to you, they receive the curse."
-Mark E. Petersen, Race Problems as they Affect the Church, published Modern Microfilm Co., 1963, p. 7

Bruce McConkie said:
"Negroes in this life are denied the Priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty. (Abraham 1:20-27) The gospel message of salvation is not carried affirmatively to them... negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain spiritual blessings are concerned, particularly the priesthood and the temple blessings that flow therefrom, but this inequality is not of man’s origin. It is the Lord’s doing, is based on his eternal laws of justice, and grows out of the lack of Spiritual valiance of those concerned in their first estate."
-Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Apostle, Mormon Doctrine, Bookcraft, 1958, p. 527-528

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
-Matthew 23:15

McConkie references to the Book of Abraham (the document claimed to be translated from the Egyptian Papyrus mentioned earlier), which says that the sons of Ham are the black people who are idolaters automatically simply because of the color of their skin:
"Now this king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of Ham [i.e. blacks], and was a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth. From this descent sprang all the Egyptians, and thus the blood of the Canaanites was preserved in the land... Now, Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could not have the right of Priesthood, notwithstanding the Pharaohs would fain [i.e. gladly] claim it from Noah, through Ham, therefore my father was led away by their idolatry;"
-Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 1:26-27, retrieved Nov 25, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/pgp/abr/1.20-27?lang=eng]

It had already been revealed to the LDS Church by revelation that no blacks were allowed, but in 1978, Bruce McConkie claimed to have a "revelation" from God that allowed blacks to be Mormons:
"It was during this prayer that the revelation came... From the midst of eternity, the voice of God, conveyed by the power of the Spirit, spoke to his prophet. The message was that the time had now come to offer the fullness of the everlasting gospel, including celestial marriage, and the priesthood, and the blessings of the temple, to all men, without reference to race or color, solely on the basis of personal worthiness."
-Bruce McConkie, quoted by Spencer W. Kimball, Priesthood, Deseret Book Co., 1981, p. 128, ISBN: 9780877478591

I find it fascinating that the "revelation" the LDS Church claimed to receive was in 1978. The official claim of the LDS Church was that they had previously made plans to build a temple in Brazil, and it would be too difficult to build one there while rejecting racial traits, but I don't believe that for a second because we just read McConkie and others state that the decrees of God through Joseph Smith distinctly said blacks cannot be Mormons and that would never change.

Brigham Young himself said:
"Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so."
-Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, [Oxford University], 1865 p. 110

If you have black skin, and you come in repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, you are part of Abraham's seed in the spirit:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
-Galatians 3:28

However, there was something else rather important for the black community that took place that same year the LDS made that decree in 1978: The Supreme Court case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. During this period in American history, black men and women were being rejected from university-level education based on color of skin, which Allan Bakke took to the Supreme Court and won, and that effort paved the way for colleges to be sued if they denied enrollment based on racial traits.


That left a very serious problem for Brigham Young University, because rejecting blacks out of their temple and colleges was a core dogma of their religion. Then, by some miraculous coincidence, the priests of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had a "revelation" that blacks should be accepted, which was also during a time that the LDS Church was suffering low numbers in membership.

The fact of the matter is that after the 1978 Supreme Court ruling, it left the door open for many major lawsuits against BYU. Losing the cases would have been bad publicity in the media, and serious financial losses, which the LDS Church could not afford at the time, but as they learned from their cult leader Joseph Smith, a "revelation" is a much more convenient excuse.

Jesus and Satan are brothers.

Another quote from Bruce McConkie:
"Hence, there is -- and must be -- a devil, and he is the father of lies and of wickedness. He and the fallen angels who followed him are spirit children of the Father. As Christ is the Firstborn of the Father in the spirit, so Lucifer is a son of the morning, one of those born in the morning of preexistence. He is a spirit man, a personage, an entity, comparable in form and appearance to any of the spirit children of the Eternal Father."
-Bruce McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, Vol. 1, p. 407-408

Mormons believe that Satan is a bloodline relation to Jesus Christ. Brigham Young said:
"'Who will redeem the earth, who will go forth and make the sacrifice for the earth and all things it contains?' The eldest son said: 'Here am I;' but he did not say 'send me.' But the second one, which was 'Lucifer, son of the morning' said, 'Lord, here am I, send me, I will redeem every son and daughter of Adam and Eve that lives on the earth, or that ever goes on the earth.'"
-Brigham Young, President of the LDS Church, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13-14, 1871, p. 282

"Lucifer, son of the morning... strove to gain the birthright of his Elder Brother, Jesus the Christ."
-John A. Widtsoe, Mormon Author, Evidences and Reconciliations: Aids to Faith in a Modern Day, Vol. 1, published Bookcraft Co., 1943, p. 209

Thou Satan art the anointed cherub angel that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Ezekiel 28:14-15

The Bible says Satan was created as an angel, not that he was a child born of God through God's sexual relations with "spirit wife goddesses." The Lord Jesus Christ was not created as Mormons believe, but rather He IS God, the creator of all things.

For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
-Colossians 1:16

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
-Revelation 1:8

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last... I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.
-Revelation 22:13-16

This is yet another instance where we can see that Mormons do not really care what the Word of God says; the Book of Mormon is what they really follow. Jess Christensen, Mormon director of the Institute of Religion for Utah State University, was asked "How can Jesus and Lucifer be spirit brothers when their characters and purposes are so utterly opposed?" In Ensign Magazine, an LDS publication, he responded:
"On first hearing, the doctrine that Lucifer and our Lord, Jesus Christ, are brothers may seem surprising to some—especially to those unacquainted with latter-day revelations. [i.e. Joseph Smith] But both the scriptures and the prophets affirm that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are indeed offspring of our Heavenly Father and, therefore, spirit brothers. Jesus Christ was with the Father from the beginning. Lucifer, too, was an angel 'who was in authority in the presence of God,' a 'son of the morning.' (See Isa. 14:12; D&C 76:25–27.) Both Jesus and Lucifer were strong leaders with great knowledge and influence. But as the Firstborn of the Father, Jesus was Lucifer’s older brother. (See Col. 1:15; D&C 93:21.)"
-Jess L. Christensen, "Contrast Between Jesus and Lucifer," Ensign (LDS Magazine), Vol. 16, No. 6, June 1986; See also "I Have a Question," LDS Church, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [lds.org/ensign/1986/06/i-have-a-question?lang=eng]

Neither of the two verses in the Bible Christensen referred to says that Lucifer is a son of God and brother of Christ. It makes even less sense after we just read that Jesus Christ IS God, and thus Lucifer would have to be both son and brother to Christ.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times [i.e. "latter-day" saints] some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
-1 Timothy 4:1-2

Man can become God.

Doctrine and Covenants says:
"Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them."
-Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132:20, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/132.20?lang=eng]

Lorenzo Snow, 5th President of the LDS Church, said:
"As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become."
-Lorenzo Snow, The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow: Collector's Edition, Deseret Book Company, 1996, ISBN: 9781570082887; See also "Lorenzo Snow: Quotes," LDS Church, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [lds.org/churchhistory/presidents/controllers/potcController.jsp?leader=5&topic=quotes]

McConkie said:
"Thus those who gain eternal life receive exaltation ... They are gods."
-Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, Bookcraft, 1958, p. 237

Milton Hunter, famous Mormon author and member of the First Council of the Seventy, said:
"No prophet of record gave more complete and forceful explanations of the doctrine that men may become Gods than did the American Prophet. [i.e. Joseph Smith]"
-Milton R. Hunter, The Gospel Through the Ages, Deseret Book Company, 1958, p. 115

Those who believe they can become gods typically refer to Psalm 82:

I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
-Psalm 82:6

But they never quote the verse after that:

But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
-Psalm 82:7

This is another instance of people cherry-picking a verse and creating a doctrine far out of its context. In our article "Does the Bible Say 'Ye Are Gods?'" we show that the term "gods" in this passage is used to refer to the judges in Israel, who were called "gods" among the people because they were judging in the place of God over civil matters. There isn't any place where this passage says that men become gods with the power of God Himself.

These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
-Psalm 50:21

The Lord God was not saying that they are divine beings of power, but was quoting him when he told them they were the judges and his chosen people, but in Psalm 82, he is rebuking them for their lack of righteous judgment, living in wickedness and sin.

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
-Numbers 23:19

There are many more strange heretical doctrines beyond these few I've mentioned, but this ought to be more than enough to keep any Bible student sanctified from the Mormon cult. As we will see next, many have been woken from slumber and come out of the LDS Church, including the eye-witnesses who helped Joseph Smith start up his religion.



 

From Dallin Oaks, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on the LDS Church official website:
"The three men chosen as witnesses of the Book of Mormon were Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris. Their written 'Testimony of Three Witnesses' has been included in all of the almost 100 million copies of the Book of Mormon the Church has published since 1830. These witnesses solemnly testify that they 'have seen the plates which contain this record' and 'the engravings which are upon the plates.'"
-Dallin H. Oaks, "The Witness: Martin Harris," LDS Church, April 1999, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [lds.org/general-conference/1999/04/the-witness-martin-harris?lang=eng]

The testimonies of Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer, are a big part of what Mormons use to say the Book of Mormon is truth, and are commonly known as "The Three Eye-Witnesses." What's really interesting about this is that Mormons, when going door to door and talking about these witnesses, almost never mention that they only saw the golden plates in a vision, and that no one but Joseph Smith ever saw the plates.

"Martin was in the office when I finished setting up the testimony of the three witnesses... I said to him, 'Martin, did you see those plates with your naked eyes?' Martin looked down for an instant, raised his eyes up, and said, 'No, I saw them with a spiritual eye.'"
-John Gilbert talking with Martin Harris, Joseph Smith Begins His Work, published Literary Licensing LLC, Vol. 1, 2011, ISBN: 9781258006495; See also Bill McKeever & Eric Johnson, Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints, Baker Books, 2000, p. 111, ISBN: 9780801063350

According to Doctrine and Covenants, Harris was commanded to keep his mouth shut about that detail:
"And I the Lord command him, my servant Martin Harris, that he shall say no more unto them concerning these things, except he shall say: I have seen them, and they have been shown unto me by the power of God; and these are the words which he shall say."
-Doctrine and Covenants, Section 5:26, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/5.26?lang=eng]

In Dallin Oaks' article, he goes on to say:
"As is well known, because of disagreements or jealousies involving other leaders of the Church, each one of these three witnesses was excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by about eight years after the publication of their testimony. All three went their separate ways, with no common interest to support a collusive effort. Yet to the end of their lives—periods ranging from 12 to 50 years after their excommunications—not one of these witnesses deviated from his published testimony or said anything that cast any shadow on its truthfulness."
-Dallin H. Oaks, "The Witness: Martin Harris," LDS Church, April 1999, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [lds.org/general-conference/1999/04/the-witness-martin-harris?lang=eng]

So the official position of the LDS Church is that the eye-witnesses were removed from the LDS Church, but their testimony was never contradicted. Yet, none of these eye-witnesses ever actually saw the golden plates, so their testimony doesn't help in the first place.

First, looking at Martin Harris:

"We received yesterday a visit from Martin Harris, formerly of Palmyra, who was concerned with Joe Smith in originally proclaiming the Mormon faith... But he no longer goes with the Mormons, saying that they 'have got the devil just like other people.' He abandoned them fifteen years ago, when they assumed the appellation of 'Latter-Day Saints,' and bore his testimony against them by declaring that 'Latter Day Devils' would be a more appropriate designation."

-Martin Harris, interview with Joseph Gales, National Intelligencer, Vol. 50, No. 7321, Washington D.C., Nov 22, 1849, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/19CMNI&CISOPTR=10815&CISOBOX=1&REC=19]

I find it amazing how many people in the LDS Church look for ways to re-interpret Harris's words, but it's very hard to misinterpret "Latter-Day Devils." There is also contradiction in how Harris gained his "vision" of the plates, because according to Joseph Smith:
"I now left David and Oliver, and went in pursuit of Martin Harris, whom I found at a considerable distance, fervently engaged in prayer. He soon told me, however, that he had not yet prevailed with the Lord, and earnestly requested me to join him in prayer, that he also might realize the same blessings which we had just received. We accordingly joined in prayer, and ultimately obtained our desires, for before we had yet finished, the same vision was opened to our view, at least it was again opened to me, and I once more beheld and heard the same things; whilst at the same moment, Martin Harris cried out, apparently in an ecstasy of joy, ‘’Tis enough; ’tis enough; mine eyes have beheld; mine eyes have beheld;’ and jumping up, he shouted, ‘Hosanna,’ blessing God, and otherwise rejoiced exceedingly."
-Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, LDS Church, 2002, p. 32-34, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual/sections-10-to-20/section-17-revelation-to-the-three-witnesses?lang=eng]

But Harris says he saw the plates while he was praying alone in the woods:
"I never saw the gold plates, only in a visionary or entranced state... In about three days I went into the woods to pray that I might see the plates. While praying I passed into a state of entrancement, and in that state I saw the angel and the plates."
-Martin Harris, quoted by Dan Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, Vol. 2, Signature Books, 1999, p. 347, ISBN: 9781560850939; Vogel is a Mormon award-winning author and documentary film maker.

You can't have it both ways; either Martin saw the plates or he didn't. Either he was alone or he was with Smith. Either the LDS Church has the truth, or it doesn't. Someone is lying, and I leave that to the reader's judgment based on what we've read so far.

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
-John 7:24

"And now... David Whitmer, by the way of commandment; for, behold, I command all men everywhere to repent, and I speak unto you, even as unto Paul mine apostle, for you are called even with that same calling with which he was called."
-Doctrine and Covenants, Section 18:9, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/18.9?lang=eng]

David Whitmer is another man who claimed he saw the golden plates, but later in his life, in an interview with Zenas Gurley, he admitted, "I saw the 'Interpreters' in the holy vision," which means his testimony is worthless as well because he never actually saw the golden plates.
(See Dan Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, Vol. 5, Signature Books, 2003, p. 135 ISBN: 9781560851707)

However, Whitmer is highly esteemed in the LDS Church, just as Martin Harris, but Whitmer later said:

"If you believe my testimony to the Book of Mormon; if you believe that God spake to us three witnesses by his own voice, then I tell you that in June, 1838, God spake to me again by his own voice from the heavens, and told me to 'separate myself from among the Latter Day Saints, for as they sought to do unto me, so should it be done unto them.' In the spring of 1838, the heads of the church and many of the members had gone deep into error and blindness. I had been striving with them for a long time to show them the errors into which they were drifting, and for my labors I received only persecutions."

-David Whitmer, one of the Three Eye-witnesses of the Book of Mormon, An Address to All Believers in Christ, published David Whitmer, 1887, p. 27

How could one organization have so many apostles and prophets contradict one another? Their own Doctrine and Covenants mention these eye-witnesses being on equivalent level with Paul in the New Testament, but we don't see Paul leaving the Body of Christ, cursing them as devils on his way out.

"And now, Oliver Cowdery... I speak unto you, even as unto Paul mine apostle, for you are called even with that same calling with which he was called."
-Doctrine and Covenants, Section 18:9, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/18.9?lang=eng]

Brigham Young gave the following account from Oliver Cowdery:
"When Joseph got the plates, the angel instructed him to carry them back to the hill Cumorah, which he did. Oliver says that when Joseph and Oliver went there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave, in which there was a large and spacious room. He says he did not think, at the time, whether they had the light of the sun or artificial light; but that it was just as light as day. They laid the plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room. Under this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and there were altogether in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads; they were piled up in the corners and along the walls."
-Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 19, 1877, p. 38

However, after all these visions and supposed commandments from God, in 1844, Cowdery left the LDS Church and joined the Methodists:

"Minutes of a meeting of the Male Members of the Methodist Protestant church of Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio, held pursuant to adjournment. The meeting came to order by appointing Rev. Thomas Cushman Chairman, and Oliver Cowdery Secretary. [Signed] Oliver Cowdery, Secretary, Jan. 18, 1844" -Oliver Cowdery, minutes of Methodist church meeting, quoted by Charles A. Shook, The True Origin of the Book of Mormon, Standard Publishing Co., 1914, p. 59-60

I've had some Mormons tell me it's not true that Cowdery left the LDS Church, but I find it the peak of hyprocrisy for Cowdery's signature and multiple eye-witnesses to NOT be enough for Mormons to believe Cowdery joined the Methodists.

"Mr. Cowdery opened a law office in Tiffin, and soon effected a partnership with Joel W. Wilson. In a few years Mr. Cowdery expressed a desire to associate himself with a Methodist Protestant church of this city. Rev. John Souder and myself were appointed a committee to wait on Mr. Cowdery and confer with him respecting his connection with Mormonism and the Book of Mormon... We then inquired of him if he had any objection to making a public recantation. He replied that he had objections; that, in the first place, it could do no good; that he had known several to do so and they always regretted it. And, in the second place, it would have a tendency to draw public attention, invite criticism, and bring him into contempt. 'But,' said he, 'nevertheless, if the church require it, I will submit to it, but I authorize and desire you and the church to publish and make known my recantation.' We did not demand it, but submitted his name to the church, and he was unanimously admitted a member thereof. At that time he arose and addressed the audience present, admitted his error and implored forgiveness, and said he was sorry and ashamed of his connection with Mormonism. He continued his membership while he resided in Tiffin, and became superintendent of the Sabbath-school, and led an exemplary life while he resided with us."
-G.J. Keen, affidavit testimony concerning Oliver Cowdery, April 14, 1885, quoted by Charles A. Shook, The True Origin of the Book of Mormon, Standard Publishing Co., 1914, p. 58-59

These eye-witnesses were supposedly hand-picked by God, but Joseph Smith later said:
"David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery, and Martin Harris are too mean to mention; and we had liked to have forgotten them."
-Joseph Smith, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Deseret Book Co., Vol. 3, p. 232

I have the same question for Mormons that I have for Muslims:

What does a prophet have to do before you become suspicious that he's a fraud?

Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
-Jeremiah 23:32

 

These are an assortment of other interesting facts that most Mormons don't know about their religion. First, most Mormons don't know that Joseph Smith said: "I prophesy in the name of the Lord God, and let it be written: The Son of Man will not come in the clouds of heaven till I am eighty-five years old." -Joseph Smith, quoted by Andrew Jenson, The Historical Record, Vol. 7-9, 1888, p. 511, [University of California]

What's interesting about this is that Smith prophesied this in 1843, but he died the following year in 1844. This very clearly proves he was a false prophet, and this is simple-to-understand Scripture which indicates that all people should immediately leave the LDS Church and Mormonism:

But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
-Deuteronomy 18:20-22

Since Smith has been proven a false prophet long ago, the following information will help portray a more accurate picture of who Joseph Smith really was, and why he started the LDS Church.

Joseph Smith had roughly 40 wives.

I've listened to a surprising number of ex-Mormon testimonies in which they said they were never once educated by the LDS Church that Joseph Smith had multiple wives. More specifically, Smith had somewhere between 34-47 wives, some as young as 14-years-old, and many of which were already married. (i.e. He stole or co-married other men's wives.)
"Mormon leaders have acknowledged for the first time that the church’s founder and prophet, Joseph Smith, portrayed in church materials as a loyal partner to his loving spouse Emma, took as many as 40 wives, some already married and one only 14 years old."
-Laurie Goodstein, "It’s Official: Mormon Founder Had Up to 40 Wives," New York Times, Nov 10, 2014, retrieved Dec 2, 2015, [nytimes.com/2014/11/11/us/its-official-mormon-founder-had-up-to-40-wives.html?_r=0]

(Click image for larger view.)

Mormons wear Masonic underwear.

Mormons who have gone through an "endowment" ceremony (i.e. the ceremony that allows them to become gods and goddesses in the afterlife) receive "holy" underwear that they must wear at all times, except when taking a bath. The LDS Church tells them it is a reminder of their commitment and a protection against evil, which sounds very much like witchcraft -- and that's because it is; it's witchcraft out of Freemasonry. The right and left breast symbols are the SQUARE and COMPASS symbols of the Freemasons.
(We are still developing our expose on Freemasonry; link not yet available.)
Chanting blessings and oaths through rituals is how the Mormons believe this underwear becomes "sacred." Witches and Masons do the same thing. Although the Mormons will claim there are separate meanings

Joseph Smith was a member of the Freemasons.

Joseph Smith documents his entrance into Freemasonry:
"I officiated as grand chaplain at the installation of the Nauvoo lodge of Free Masons, at the Grove, near the Temple. Grand Master Jonas of Columbus being present, a large number of people assembled on the occasion; the day was exceedingly fine, all things were done in order, and universal satisfaction was manifested. In the evening I received the first degree in Free Masonry in the Nauvoo Lodge assembled in my general business office."
-Joseph Smith, quoted by The Latter Day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 19, P.P. Pratt, 1857, p. 152

B.H. Roberts, highly revered in the LDS Church as a Mormon historian, documented Joseph's Smith advance in Freemasonry:
"Wednesday, March 16. -- I was with the Masonic Lodge and rose to the sublime degree."
-Joseph Smith, quoted by Brigham H. Roberts, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Vol. 4, Deseret News, 1908, p. 552

The only place it remains a secret that Joseph Smith was a Master Mason (i.e. "sublime degree") is in the LDS Church. Most Mormons are completely unaware of this fact, and unaware that the Masonic symbols adorn their "holy" underwear.

However, it doesn't stop at Smith because MANY of the founding members of the LDS Church were Masons. This encyclopedia documents over a thousand of Illinois LDS men who joined the Freemasons:
"When Illinois Grand Master Abraham Jonas visited Nauvoo on March 15, 1842, to install the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge, he inaugurated an era of difficulty with other Illinois Masons and introduced to Nauvoo ancient rituals bearing some similarity to the LDS temple ordinances. That evening, with the Masons assembled in his office, the Prophet [i.e. Joseph Smith] received the first degree of Freemasonry. Approximately three hundred Latter-day Saints had become Masons during the brief existence of the lodge. Eventually nearly 1,500 LDS men became associated with Illinois Freemasonry, including many members of the Church's governing priesthood bodies--this at a time when the total number of non-LDS Masons in Illinois lodges barely reached 150. Neighboring Masons feared and resisted Mormon domination of Freemasonry. Charging the Nauvoo Lodge with making Joseph Smith a Master Mason on sight in 1843, The Nauvoo Lodge was suspended."
-Kenneth W. Godfrey, "Freemasonry in Nauvoo," Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 1-4, Macmillan, 1992, p. 522, ISBN: 9780028796031

Recently, the LDS Church has been more open about their Masonic foundations. Since most people don't know how wicked the Freemasons are, and the demonic worship involved in it, then they also won't know how wicked the LDS temples are.

Mormon institutions have Masonic and Satanic symbols.

As we will cover more in a future article, Joseph Smith stole the secrets of Freemasonry during his time in the Masonic Lodge. He used their secrets to found the LDS Church, which is why so many Freemason symbols can be found throughout their religion, from temples to underwear.

The LDS Church teaches that Adam is God.

The LDS Church has taught, not that Adam was A God, but that Adam was the God. Brigham Young said:
"Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT of Days! about whom holy men have written and spoken -- He is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom we have to do. Every man upon the earth, professing Christians or non-professing, must hear it, and will know it sooner or later."
-Brigham Young, sermon given April 9, 1852, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 12, 1852, p. 50, [Harvard University]

This has been a Mormon doctrine since 1852, when their prophet, Brigham Young, declared it a fact of truth that all Christians would have to eventually accept. The LDS Millennial Star also published this teaching:
"Some of them are ready to do all that they are requested, while others, who watch with an evil eye, are not in possession of much information... They are lacking faith on one principle--the last 'cat that was let out of the bag.' Polygamy has been got over pretty well, that cloud has vanished away, but they are troubled about Adam being our Father and God."
-LDS Church, "Minutes of the Special General Council," Millennial Star, Vol. 16, No. 31, Aug 5, 1854, p. 482, [Princeton University]

The LDS Church took great pains to hide this teaching from the public, and as we'll see in the next section with ex-Mormon testimonies, a man in high station in the LDS Church left when he discovered this hidden doctrine.



 

Since I have no experience in the LDS Church, and because the Lord Jesus Christ gave me the discernment to stay far away from it, I can't give a full description of the depths Mormons go to in their cult. If you want a deeper understanding of what goes on behind the pressed shirts and ties, take it from people who've been there.

Former Mormon Stake Mission President, Randy Gavin:

The following events from his testimony take place in 1980, and Gavin was friends with the Bruce McConkie's family (president of the LDS Church at that time):

GAVIN @31:57 - "I had a friend, Randy... comes to me because I'm stake mission president... and he says to me, 'There's a guy on the radio, and he's challenging the Mormons, and you should know about this... he's saying that Brigham Young taught that Adam was God; not only that, he'll give a thousand dollars to anyone who can prove that he didn't say it.' So I thought to myself, yeah, you know what, I've dealt with this before, let's do it. Let's take this guy's money and shut him up. [listening audience laughing in background] So we divided up the work. He had the Journal of Discourses in his home; beautiful set of bound volumes sitting on the shelf, and what happened next made me know that he had never opened them before because within two days he called me and said, 'I'm out of it, I'm not going to deal with it, I'm not doing it.' Yeah, it scared him. Now, for me, my job was to go to the church and get something current and up to date; you know, from the brethren. I think because there was stuff going on right then, I think the [LDS] Church was well-aware of this, with stuff buzzing out there, they went ahead and came out with a statement, and Spencer Kimball, the prophet at that time, went ahead and made a flat-out statement in the church news and said that Brigham Young never taught that Adam was God; never. So I realized I couldn't collect my thousand dollars based on that, so I continued to dig, and what I found was things that were-things that I could try to ignore like I had ten years earlier... I went to the basement of the old Salt Lake City library, which was the new Salt Lake City library back then, and they had all the Deseret Newses, and that were Brigham Young's articles corrected for publication. It [Young's testimony that Adam was God] was there. I was troubled, but nothing like that was enough for me to question the church... There came a time when I--in this process I visited with my neighbor across the street... he was a high councilman in our stake; he was editor, off and on, of the Sun Stone magazine, which I knew very little about. I said, 'Allen, I'm working on shutting this guy up... a former Mormon is challenging the church, and I'm going to shut him up.' And Allen says to me, 'Randy, there's something I think you ought to see.' And so he goes and gets me a letter. [Randy holds up the letter] Now, this letter has 'DO NOT REPRODUCE' stamped on all nine pages; LDS Church letterhead: Do not reproduce. It is addressed to Mr. Eugene England... he is a professor at Brigham Young University, and in this letter, Bruce McConkie admits to Mr. England that yes, Brigham Young did teach that Adam was God, and all the other things that cultists ascribe to him. Now, he wasn't addressing anti-Mormons per se, he was addressing the fundamentalists [i.e. fundamentalist Mormons], because Mr. England was going around Utah Valley giving fire-sides, laying out the idea that was taught early in the Mormon church that God is still growing and progressing in knowledge. And so McConkie makes a very good case that, oh, so is he going to find out tomorrow that salvation isn't quite right and he's going to change the system? So he comes up with this statement; it's actually a pretty good defense of the omniscience of God, until he says 'Our God has graduated.' [i.e. the Mormon god eventually reached knowledge, but was never all-knowing] Anyway, I read this letter, and I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to take it as the final word because if I did, what this meant is that I had just caught the prophet in a lie... because this letter, which Eugene England tucked into his drawer in his bishopic office, as I understand it... one of his counselors had saw it, and said oh wow, I've got to make a copy of that. [laughter from audience]... I can truthfully say it was an answer to prayer because I was in torment about it... I went to the McConkie family and asked them if it was real. I didn't dare approach Bruce. And I went to the England family, and asked them--it took that for me to say okay it was real. And then it was time to weep; I had been lied to."

-Randy Gavin, "I Was a Mormon," Mormon Info, retrieved Dec 15, 2015, [youtube.com/watch?v=V33Hk1gSH4o]

Randy goes on to tell his story about still being involved in the LDS Church as a missions leader, and told his students that they needed to stay away from preaching about the prophet Joseph Smith, and more to just preaching Christ. He got called into the state president's office of the LDS Church to be disciplined, losing his position as mission president, simply because he was instructing young Mormons to preach Christ instead of Joseph Smith.

Later, learning that there were nine different accounts of the "first vision" of the plates and prophecy given by Joseph Smith, and a few other incidents, Randy left the Mormon Church and was born-again in Christ.

Ex-Mormon (born into Mormonism) Ralph from California:

"If you haven't heard by now I've removed my web page. I've chosen an alias because I'm still trying to find a way to bring my page back. It was my mistake for using my real name, I felt that to do otherwise would be cowardly. I guess the joke's on me. I was born and raised a Mormon in Southern California. My ancestors crossed the plains in covered wagons, and I have ancestors who were married to both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.
To be a Mormon takes a lot of dedication and time. The average service on Sunday is over three hours, and that's not counting other activities during the week. The Church makes sure its members are always involved, which is one of its selling points. Mormons are made to feel important. Ever since I can remember, Mormonism just didn't seem right to me.... Everyone around me was so sure Mormonism was the right religion. I felt that I was just a bad person who wasn't 'getting it'.
These feelings continued to grow as I did. I tried to believe. I read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it. I never received the 'burning in the bosom' talked about by Mormons. This was supposed to be a signal from God that the individual had found the true Church. This made me feel even worse. I was a rebellious child, and Mormonism isn't the ideal religion for that. It's very structured with clean-cut boundaries as to behavior and status. Needless to say, my activities put me near the bottom of the pecking order... As time passed, and it was clear I wasn't going on a mission, people's attitudes towards me changed. Conversations stopped when I came near, and everyone always had something to do and left. My social life was finished because Mormon girls are taught that their prime duty in life is to marry a returned missionary and raise children... I drifted further and further away from even the most basic Mormon beliefs; however, I still had to attend while living with my parents. Seeing everyone believing and content just pushed me further into depression and confusion. I joined the Air Force at age 21 and left for basic training. While there, I once again tried to return to Mormonism. I reread the Book of Mormon and prayed, but it didn't help... Leaving the Church was easy, and I didn't miss it at all. I was always told that I'd feel an emptiness in my life without it, but I didn't.
Mormons are very tenacious people and don't like the idea that one of their members is back-sliding. Since I was still on the membership rolls, I could be tracked down. Men from the Church would come to my home and ask me to come back. Their visits would average about once every 4 to 6 months. I would get phone calls both at work and home for the same purpose. I was considered an 'inactive' member by this time.
I left for Korea for a 1 year tour and wasn't there two months before they found me again! I had to live in a dormitory and my neighbors would tell me about missionaries knocking on my door and asking about me. I worked rotating shifts and was seldom home. The visits had gotten so frequent that my neighbors taped a sign to my door saying 'Mormons, go away!' Religious recruitment is forbidden on military installations. How did they get in? How did they keep on finding me? As a result, I had my dog tags changed for religious preference.
After my return to the U.S., I started doing my own research into the history and doctrine of the Mormon Church. As stated earlier, I required three independent sources of information to confirm a belief or event. The reason for this is while the Mormons were starting their religion, they were persecuted. While some anti-Mormon literature was written, there was also a great deal of objective and firsthand accounts as well. If three different sources agreed on an event, it was unlikely to be pure hate literature. What I found out was very different from what I was taught growing up. The Church version of Mormon history is a heavily doctored one designed more for the raising up of faith than recording accurate history.
Independent research is highly discouraged. Members are told to view, read, and listen only to Church approved sources. The more I learned on my own, the more I believed that Mormonism is not the true religion of God. I was no longer bothered by the thought that I was going to the Telestial kingdom (the lowest of three worlds Mormons believe will exist in the afterlife) for casting away the true gospel. The discrepancies between the historical and Church versions were so wide that I started to get angry. All my life, I was taught to believe that Mormonism developed in a certain way, and now it was all wrong."

I want to pause this man's testimony for just a moment to comment that I have been accused by Mormons of just using "anti-Mormon" literature in this article. I challenge anyone to go look because you will find over 90% of the sources I use are directly from the LDS Church. Even if a non-Mormon uses Mormon sources to prove the error and contradictions, they still accuse people like me of using "anti-Mormon" sources because they are so brainwashed, they can't handle something being true outside the LDS Church. (i.e. It's a cult.)

"It got to the point that I wanted to sever every tie with the Church that I could. I called the local bishop and asked him to forward a letter to Salt Lake City, Utah. In that letter I stated that I wanted my name removed from the records of the Church. He sounded very distressed. He stated that he didn't even know I was in his boundary (I guess the dog tags was how they kept finding me). He asked to meet with me, but I declined. I told him that I didn't want to talk to anyone, no one was to come to my home, and no one was to call. He was agitated and somewhat dumb-founded. He asked me if I had sinned against the Church, and, if I had, that I must go through a bishop's court. In this court I'd be judged as to whether I warranted excommunication, in other words, cut from the Church on their terms. I told him that I wouldn't attend any court because I no longer recognized his authority (he didn't like that). After some more discussion, he agreed, and I mailed him my letter.
About two weeks later, I was away for the evening. When I returned, my wife told me that the bishop had come over. He told her that he needed my phone number and priesthood records. After she let him in, he immediately started looking around for me. He asked her if she was Mormon (she isn't). He told her all the horrible things that would happen to me in the afterlife if I continued with this process. After getting his information, he left. I was furious when I found out. The only reason he was there was to get my phone number (it's unlisted). I clearly told him I wasn't to be contacted at home, and he disregarded my wishes.
About two months passed without any progress. I received a phone call one evening from the bishop. He asked me to meet with him at the Church next Sunday. My initial thought was that he had my membership cancellation notice. But as I thought about it, it didn't make sense. It would've been mailed to me. I asked him what he wanted to talk to me about. There was silence for about twenty seconds before he spoke. He said that the Lord had a calling for me. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. I asked him to repeat what he said, and he did, adding that we needed to talk about it. I told him I wasn't an active member and wasn't interested. He turned nasty then, mocking my voice and started pronouncing doom on my head if I refused the Lord. I hung up the phone. This happened in Jan. '95. By this time I knew that he wasn't going to honor my request. I started to look for another way out. I couldn't believe the trouble I was having getting out of a church! If I had gone ahead with a bishop's court, it would've already been over. The Mormon Church doesn't like people leaving on their own. It makes them look bad. But if the person has been excommunicated, they can say that the person was a sinner and didn't deserve to be a Mormon.
I contacted a lawyer and told him what had happened. At first he looked at me a little strange but as he got the full story, decided to help me. He told me he would call Salt Lake and advise them to release me. If they didn't, then I was going to sue the Church for harassment. In addition, he wanted the records to reflect that the only reason I was removed was because I had requested it.
I went home and just shook my head. I was amazed at this whole thing. If it wasn't so pitiful, it would've been funny.
The next day, I came home from work and checked the mail. In it was a package sent overnight express. Inside was my records cancellation letter from the local bishop. It was a Xerox and written in the top right-hand corner was 'Nov. 94'. I just laughed, they were fighting to the end. I decided to develop a Web page to express my opinions and become a point of contact for others who had gone through the same experiences I did. It got pretty popular, receiving over 31,000 hits in seven months. I was helping people who've had their lifes thrown into turmoil by leaving the Mormon church. As my page received more exposure, the members in my parents area started to mobilize. My parents were harrassed by people they've gone to church with for over 20 years. Instead of exhibiting Christian-type values such as comforting them for the loss of a son from Mormonism, they received emotional blackmail instead. My father's health started to suffer as a result of it.
I was forced to remove my page from the Internet because I was stating my opinion and it scared them. Mormons have long cried 'Persecution! The world won't let us believe what we want and publish/think what we want.' Well, that same attitude has been used on me. Since they couldn't get to me they turned on my parents. Another example of a repressive, closed-minded church that will work tirelessly to stop anyone who dares express an opinion of Mormonism that hasn't been through the Church's sanitation machine. I've had many people tell me I should write a book, I'm in process of doing that"
-Ralph, "An Ex-Mormon Who Got Harassed Off the Internet," Recovery from Mormonism, retrieved Nov 27, 2015, [exmormon.org/d6/drupal/exmorm1]

Former Mormon Elder Todd Olson:

"I spent my church life as a Mormon before I knew the Lord’s grace... When I was 16 years of age, on my own I read the entire Holy Bible in 1 year. But my Mormon background deceived me for years. I thought I was following God. I served a two-year mission for the Mormon Church. I was a District Missionary for about a year of my 2-year mission. I was an Elder and served as the director of reaching out to backslidden members of the Mormon faith for about two years. I taught Sunday school to 7-8 year old children for 1 year. I taught college group Bible study for 1 year. I was District Home Teacher-Leader while attending B.Y.U. Idaho...
Make no mistake about this. Mormonism is a cult. Masonic traditions fill the Mormon temples. Cultic symbols referring to Satan are engraved on the outside of the Salt Lake Temple. Mormon missionaries teach from the Bible to persuade new converts to join. But after joining they are taught to study The Book of Mormon and other Mormon books with less emphasis on the Holy Bible. I know the Holy Bible is a decoy to the Mormon faith. If the Holy Bible contradicts the Mormon scriptures, the Holy Bible is wrong!
I came out of Mormonism through a faithful Christian co-worker who wrote Bible verses on small pieces of paper and would hand them to me for over 5 years. I became really mad at this co-worker. I was going to prove him wrong! I studied Mormon doctrine versus the Bible, and I saw my Mormon testimony crumbling before my eyes. I got on my knees and asked God to forgive me! By His word and the Blood of Jesus of the Bible I knew God had forgiven me!
I discovered, contrary to what I believed as a Mormon, that there is only one God who is the creator of all (Isaiah 43:7, 10-12, 21, 25, Isaiah 44:6-8, Isaiah 45:5-8, Isaiah 46:9).
I incorrectly believed that Joseph Smith was a true prophet. As a Mormon, I understood that the fulfillment of the return of Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6) was Joseph Smith. But Jesus clearly taught that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of this prophecy (Matthew 11:13-15, 17:10-13, Mark 9:11-13, Luke 1:13-17)...
Matthew 6:33 teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God. Mormons do not seek the kingdom of God first! They seek their own understanding or the understanding of their Prophet. Mormons do not believe they need God's righteousness and they believe that people are basically good, which is in direct contradiction to what Christianity teaches!"
-Todd Olsen, "Ex-Mormon Testimony," Faith Facts, retrieved Dec 1, 2015, [faithfacts.org/world-religions-and-theology/ex-mormon-testimony]

Former Mormon Bishop Earl & Karla Erskine:

Earl Erskine (who founded the ministry "The eX-Mormon Files") was a former Mormon bishop, and he and his wife Karla give their testimony about leaving the LDS Church. Earl first, then later Karla, both began to realize that they had testimonies about Joseph Smith, but they had no testimony concerning Jesus Christ, after whom the LDS Church was named. This interview was given a short time after they had officially been excommunicated from the LDS Church in 2012:

EARL @8:45 - "If there was ever any question, it was kinda of put it on the shelf, I'll deal with it later, I'll understand it when I go through the millennium and return to God; I'll figure it out later... being as busy as a person is in the [LDS] church, and raising a family, and having a career... being busy, you just don't really spend a lot of time studying details and anything that was kind of an off-ish nature, you just really didn't spend any time studying it... and I think that is one of the problems with the LDS people, not only do they have a comfort level with their religion, they don't want to rock the boat, but they really are busy and don't have, or don't take, the time to spend any extra time studying something that's beyond just the basics. Anytime anything comes up that looks suspicious, or makes them think a little bit beyond the normal kind of shallow thinking they do, it just isn't--they just don't go much beyond that, and find out real details... A situation came up in 2005, president Hinckley [Gordon Hinckley, 15th President of the LDS Church mentioned earlier in this article] challenged us all to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year, and this was in August or September... I got through the Book of Mormon in October or November that year, and I'd always carried around... this 1830 copy of the Book of Mormon... I pulled up this 1830 Book of Mormon and decided to read it--read the Book of Mormon twice by the end of the year. So I started reading it, and got into the first few chapters in 1st Nephi... and I noticed that the wording was different than what I'd just read because I had read the Book of Mormon many times, so it caught my eye... it says in the 1830 Book of Mormon that Mary was the mother of God. In our current Book of Mormon, it says Mary is the mother of the son of God. So they changed this mother of God to son of God. There were a couple of other places, it says Jesus is the everlasting Father. I read that, and then I flip over to my current Book of Mormon, and it says Jesus is the son of the everlasting Father. Well, obviously that's a conflict. And why did it get changed? Because I believed the Book of Mormon had been translated word-for-word by the power of God, and that Joseph couldn't move from one word to another without [the power of God]... I mull this over because this just doesn't make any sense. Well, I did end up picking up some other scriptures that are in the Book of Mormon now, Mosiah 15, and Alma 11, where it talks about there only being one God, and that God himself would come down and take flesh upon himself, and because he did that, he'll be called the son of God. So I started looking at other things, like the first vision, and I thought that will answer the question of what Joseph Smith thought, and so I looked at the accounts of the first vision, and all the sudden realized there are many accounts of the first vision, and the one that's actually in Joseph Smith's own handwriting, which is also the earliest, was dated 1832, and it just says that he saw one person. Well, that was confusing... then I went to the Lectures of Faith that was part of the Doctrine and Covenants 'til 1926 or something, it also had some significant things there. It said that God was a spirit, that Jesus was in the bosom of the father, that he came and took on a tabernacle, that he, the father, and the Holy Spirit are one God. Again, a real conflict with what the [LDS] church teaches now, but what I had always believed... Over a period of time, [I] became more and more upset and miserable... your turn..." KARLA: "He just was discontented... I knew something was wrong, and I questioned him and he would say, oh, no there's nothing, and I said but you're not bearing your testimony in church like you used to... I just couldn't imagine what was wrong, and I pestered him for about six or seven months... this was in 2010... what is wrong and when are you going to tell me?... he said, well, there is something but it's life altering, and I just don't care to share... A morning in February, we kind of had talked the night before, so I thought he was going to tell me what was wrong, and he came into the living room, and I was sitting there like a good person, I'd just taught a lesson in relief society how you need to read your Book of Mormon every day, so there I was sitting and reading the Book of Mormon I loved so much, and when he came in... he said, I'm not sure that Joseph Smith was truly a prophet. Well that just, it didn't even blow me away... it was just so surreal. He gave me a list of a few things that he was questioning in the church, and I just held my Book of Mormon to my chest and I said, Earl, I know that the church is true, I really did have a testimony. I just bore my testimony about the Book of Mormon, and about the prophet Joseph--that's really hard to say now--and how much I loved him, and all the sacrifices that he had made for us, and that he truly was martyred. This was the testimony I bore to Earl, and then one more thing... a couple of months later [after I came out of the church], all of the sudden I realized, here I bore him a testimony, of the Book of Mormon, of the prophet Joseph Smith, and never said a word to him about my testimony of Jesus. That was a very 'ah-ha' profound moment. " Concerning being excommunicated from the LDS Church, they talked about their experience being judged by the LDS Court: EARL @32:00 - "A few weeks later, we sat there thinking, ya know, we've been excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and they didn't ask us one question about our relationship with Jesus Christ. I thought that was so interesting that they would be concerned about our testimony of Joseph and the church and president Monson [16th President of LDS Church], and not about our relationship with God or Jesus." EARL @1:07:30 - "Then I started finding out that Joseph Smith didn't sit there with his finger and translate; that he had his head in a hat." KARLA: "I didn't know about that until a year or so ago... I never knew that."

All these testimonies support everything I've written in this article. The LDS Church hides many things I've documented here, and there are Mormons out there in desperate need of a Christian to hand them some literature that will help them to study the Book of Mormon and compare it to the Word of God.



 

Please don't misunderstand, for Christians talking with Mormons, either on the street or if they come knocking on your door, you do not need intimate knowledge of the deeper levels of Mormon doctrine. What we need to remember is that Mormonism is a works-based doctrine just like any other false religion out there (Catholicism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islam, etc.)

From the LDS's Ensign magazine, Gerald Lund quotes from the LDS's Articles of Faith:
"We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel."
-Gerald N. Lund, "Salvation: By Grace or by Works?" The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, April, 1981, retrieved Jan 30, 2016, [lds.org/ensign/1981/04/salvation-by-grace-or-by-works?lang=eng]

Robert Parsons, professor at BYU, answers question about salvation:
"Are we saved through Christ’s grace by merely confessing him as our Savior? Or are we saved through his grace after doing all we can—both in confessing his name and in keeping his commandments? Both reason and scripture loudly proclaim the latter,"
-Robert E. Parsons, "I Have a Question," The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, July, 1989, retrieved Jan 30, 2016, [lds.org/ensign/1989/07/i-have-a-question?lang=eng]

The LDS Church teaches that you must do works prescribed, otherwise you aren't saved, and as all false religions and cults, they never say exactly how much work you have to do in order to receive God's grace. The reason the ex-Mormons you've seen in the testimonies above realized they had no testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ is because Mormons believe you cannot have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
"There are yet others who have an excessive zeal which causes them to go beyond the mark. Their desire for excellence is inordinate. In an effort to be truer than true they devote themselves to gaining a special, personal relationship with Christ that is both improper and perilous. I say perilous because this course, particularly in the lives of some who are spiritually immature, is a gospel hobby which creates an unwholesome holier-than-thou attitude. In other instances it leads to despondency because the seeker after perfection knows he is not living the way he supposes he should. Another peril is that those so involved often begin to pray directly to Christ because of some special friendship they feel has been developed. In this connection a current and unwise book, which advocates gaining a special relationship with Jesus, contains this sentence, quote: 'Because the Savior is our mediator, our prayers go through Christ to the Father, and the Father answers our prayers through his Son.' Unquote. This is plain sectarian nonsense."
-Bruce R. McConkie, "Our Relationship with the Lord," Brigham Young University, Mar 2, 1982, retrieved Dec 15, 2015, [speeches.byu.edu/talks/bruce-r-mcconkie_relationship-lord]

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
-1 Timothy 2:5

Saying there is no relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ would make being called "the sons of God" a contradiction.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
-1 John 3:1

But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
-Matthew 12:48-50

We are part of the family of God. No child does any work to become a part of the family; we are simply born into it.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
-John 3:3

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
-1 Peter 1:23

All any Christian needs to do is handle a Mormon in the same way we would handle anyone who believes they're getting to heaven by the works: We give them the law of God. The many ex-Mormon testimonies I've read and listened to all say one thing in common: What a relief it was to put away the unattainable works and vague hope that they would make it to heaven on their own merits, and instead turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and His grace for salvation to do what the law could not.

If you visit Mormon websites, read Mormon materials, and listen to Mormon evangelists, they will tell you that salvation is grace through faith. However, if we look at the Book of Mormon, we find a different message:
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."
-Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:32, retrieved Dec 15, 2015, [lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10.32?lang=eng]

Mormons believe they cannot gain the grace of God without getting rid of all sin in their lives. Orson Hyde said:
"Is there no way provided for those to come into this covenant relation who may not possess, in their veins, any of the blood of Abraham or of Christ? Yes! By doing the works of Abraham and of Christ in the faith of Abraham and of Christ; not in unbelief and unrighteousness, like the wicked world who have damned themselves in their own corruption and unbelief. If thou wilt believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and repent of thy sins, and put them all away, and forsake them for ever, and turn unto the Lord our God, and serve Him with all thy might, mind, and strength, the Holy Ghost will change thy vile body, quicken and renew thy spirit and natural system, so that thou shalt lay off or overcome that fallen nature which is in the body with its sins, and be created anew in Christ Jesus, with a new heart and a new spirit, even the Holy Ghost;"
-Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, George D. Watt, 1857 p. 260, [Oxford University]

Mormons believe you cannot receive the Holy Spirit and have your spirit cleansed by Christ unless you first put away all sins, or in other words, you have to work out your own salvation before Christ will give you his "grace." If you have Mormons knocking on doors in your area, and they are frequent, keep on hand some of the quotes and verses listed out in this section, for example, verses on the grace of Christ:

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
-Romans 11:6

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
-Romans 4:5-7

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
-Galatians 2:16

As we just read from the testimonies of ex-Mormons who later became Christians, their journey began when they realized that had all these "testimonies" about Joseph Smith, but none about the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, Joseph Smith boasted that he did more than the apostles of Christ, and more than Christ Himself:
"I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam... Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I."
-Joseph Smith, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Vol. 6, Deseret News, 1912, p. 408-409

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
-Ephesians 2:8-9

How could a Mormon hope to do
more than Christ or His apostles?

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
-Matthew 11:28

Most Mormons will reject this Scripture, clinging to Joseph Smith and to the Book of Mormon, which we read earlier, they believe (as Smith stated) that the Book of Mormon is the most perfect book ever written. I would encourage Christians to print out a copy of the tract we have made (top of this article, PDF download), which is a free download, which has a list of many contradictions in the Book of Mormon with all the references.

Many Mormons have testified that someone handing them a tract showing the contradictions in the Book of Mormon was what led them out of the LDS Church. The tract made them angry at first, so you may find some irritated Mormons, and most are even taught not to read any materials not published by the LDS Church, but their investigation and study to prove the tract wrong ended up bringing them to their knees in repentance before Christ.

Though they are indoctrinated and brainwashed by the LDS Church, there are a small number of Mormon people who are seeking the truth of the Word. Most will reject the Scripture and the facts, but some look it over. Pray for those few who will hear, that the Lord Jesus Christ would lead them out of bondage so they can be born-again.

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
-2 Timothy 2:24-26

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