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Mormonism |
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Mormonism, major world religion of close to ten million members, [was] founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith, known as the prophet. From a handful of members at the beginning, the movement has grown steadily through proselytizing and a relatively high birth rate. By the early 1990s there were four million Mormons in the United States and the number in other countries around the world totalled slightly more than that. Before World War II conversions had been most numerous in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia, but during recent years Mormonism has grown rapidly in Third World countries. In Mexico, for example, there were more than 600,000 Mormons in 1992, most of them converted since 1975. In South Korea, Mormonism had no adherents before 1950, but by 1990 there were more than 100,000. A vigorous missionary program-a rotating force of about 45,000 preaching Mormonism in missions in the U.S. and abroad-assures a steady influx of new members. ("Mormonism," Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2000. © 1993-1999 Microsoft Corporation.)
Millions of Mormons are on their way to eternal torments, because they follow not the Christ of Scripture, but the false religion of Mormonism (John 10:5; Revelation 21:8). "Latter-day Saints" (Mormons) are polytheists, and as such they are liars (Revelation 21:8). They lie about God, and they are idolaters (Revelation 21:8) who worship a false god (e.g. see below on their view of the Father). They do not believe what even demons know to be true, that there is one God.
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble! (James 2:19)
Mormons do not do as well as the demons, and the demons are headed for perdition (Matthew 25:41)!
I. A Plurality of Gods
Latter-day Saints believe in God the Father; his Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost (A of F 1). These three Gods form the Godhead, which holds the keys of power over the universe. (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism, edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, copyright 1992, Vol. 2, p. 552, Macmillan Publishing Company, NY)
As can be seen from the above quote, Mormons ("Latter-day Saints") believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit do not make up the one true God, as it is in truth (Isaiah 43:10; Matthew 28:19), but believe that they are "three Gods."
Although the three members of the Godhead are distinct personages, their Godhead is "one" in that all three are united in their thoughts, actions, and purpose, with each having a fulness of knowledge, truth, and power. Each is a God. (ibid.)
Mormons reject a very basic truth of reality - that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Kings 8:60; Mark 12:32-34; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy 2:5).
"You are My witnesses," says the Lord, "And My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me." (Isaiah 43:10)
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God. (Isaiah 44:6)
Do not fear, nor be afraid; have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one. (Isaiah 44:8)
I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. (Isaiah 45:5)
For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:18)
Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:22)
Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. (Isaiah 46:9)
Mormonism is a classic case of Romans chapter 1.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:20-21)
This is exactly what Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, did. Although He knew God, "even His eternal power and Godhead" (Romans 1:20), he did not glorify Him as God, nor was he thankful, but became futile in his thoughts, and his foolish heart was darkened. The following exemplifies this.
On June 16, 1844, in his last Sunday sermon before his martyrdom, Joseph Smith declared that "in all congregations" he had taught "the plurality of Gods" for fifteen years: "I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods (TPJS, p. 370). (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism Vol. 2, p. 552, TPJS is Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith abbreviated)
Smith did not "glorify Him as God", i.e. the one and only true God (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6, 8; 45:5, 18, 22; 46:9), but became futile in his thoughts and declared "the plurality of Gods."
II. Like Corruptible Man
Romans chapter one continues,
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man-(Romans 1:22-23)
This also applies to Mr. Smith.
Latter-day Saints believe that God achieved his exalted rank by progressing much as man must progress and that God is a perfected and exalted man: "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret." (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism, Vol. 2, p. 554, quoting Joseph Smith from Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345)
Here, Smith "changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man" by teaching that God was a man "as we are now" and then achieved his exalted rank. This "achievement" is so profound that the Father was not always the Father, but became the Father.
As the prophet Joseph Smith said, "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret!" (TPJS, p. 345). Thus, the Father became the Father at some time before "the beginning" as humans know it, by experiencing a mortality similar to that experienced on earth. (ibid., p. 549)
Also, this Mormon "God" has a name that is nowhere found in Holy writ (The Bible).
A less ambiguous term for God the Father in LDS parlance might be "Ahman" (cf. D & C 78:15, 20), which, according to Elder Orson Pratt, is a name of the Father (JD 2:342) (ibid., p. 548)
This false god, "Ahman," that Mormons worship (ibid., 554) not only became the Father, but existed before the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Father existed prior to the Son and the Holy Ghost and is the source of their divinity. (ibid., 548)
The Son and the Holy Spirit were "in the beginning, with God," but the Father alone existed before the beginning of the universe as it is known. (ibid.)
Not only do they make the Father like corruptible man, but they make the Son and the Holy Spirit like corruptible man by teaching they did not exist at some time in the past (Micah 5:2; Psalm 90:2; Hebrews 7:3). Therefore, not only is the Mormon "Father" a false god, but the Mormon Christ (the Son) and Holy Spirit are false gods; and are therefore demons (Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 32:17; 2 Chronicles 11:15; Psalm 106:37; 1 Corinthians 10:20; Revelation 9:20).
Furthermore, Mormonism has "changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man" so much so that they teach that "Gods" and humans are the "same species of being."
Joseph Smith taught, "If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves" (TPJS, p. 343). Gods and humans represent a single divine lineage, the same species of being, although they and he are at different stages of progress. This doctrine is stated concisely in a well-known couplet by President Lorenzo Snow: "As man now is, God once was: as God now is, man may be." (ibid., p. 549)
The important points of the doctrine for Latter-day Saints are that Gods and humans are the same species of being, but at different stages of development . . . (ibid.)
This doctrine puts man and "God" on the same plain. The true God is Holy (Isaiah 6:3), set apart, and as God He is unlike any other.
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding? [i.e. God did not "progress."] Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales; look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless. To whom then will you liken God? (Isaiah 40:12-18a)
The true God (that is, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Isaiah 48:16) compares Himself with the "nations," mankind, and "all nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless." The one and only true God is infinitely greater than men (Isaiah 55:8-9; 57:15; Psalm 90:2, for a proper view, see our article The Lord Is A Man). Yet, Mormons teach that God is like corruptible man, and as such, He even has a wife (Matthew 22:23-30)!
III. A Mother God
The important points of the doctrine for Latter-day Saints are that Gods and humans are the same species of being, but at different stages of development in a divine continuum, and that the heavenly pattern Father and Mother are the heavenly pattern, model, and example of what mortals can become through obedience to the gospel (see MOTHER IN HEAVEN). (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism, Vol. 2, p. 549)
Latter-day Saints infer from authoritative sources of scripture and modern prophecy that there is a Heavenly Mother as well as a Heavenly Father. (ibid., p. 961)
Latter-day Saints believe that all the people of earth who lived or will live are actual spiritual offspring of God the Eternal Father (Num.16:22; Heb. 12:9). In this perspective, parenthood requires both father and mother, whether for the creation of spirits in the premortal life or of physical tabernacles on earth. A Heavenly Mother shares parenthood with the Heavenly Father. This concept leads Latter-day Saints to believe that she is like him in glory, perfection, compassion, wisdom, and holiness. (ibid., p. 961)
In other words, Mormons believe not only in "Gods" (the Godhead being "three Gods"), but a goddess as well ("she is like him in glory, perfection, compassion, wisdom, and holiness").
As early as 1839 the Prophet Joseph Smith taught the concept of an eternal mother, as reported in several accounts from that period. Out of his teaching came a hymn that Latter-day Saints learn, sing, quote, and cherish, "O My Father," by Eliza R. Snow. President Wilford Woodruff called it a revelation (Woodruff, p. 62).
In the heav'ns are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me I've a mother there.
When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high? [Hymn no. 292] (ibid., p. 961)
Today the belief in a living Mother in Heaven is implicit in Latter-day Saint thought. Though the scriptures contain only hints, statements from presidents of the church over the years indicate that human beings have a Heavenly Mother as well as a Heavenly Father. (ibid.)
Some might argue that Genesis 1:26-27 indicates that God created man and woman (Adam and Eve) in His image according to His likeness, therefore this may justify this "Mother in heaven" idea. But, note the wording in Genesis 1:27.
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Note it says, "in the image of God He created him." It says, "him," not "them." 1 Corinthians 11:7 says,
For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.
Scripture teaches that man is created in the image of God. Nowhere does Scripture teach that woman was created in God's image. In fact, as the above says, "he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man."
IV. Many gods
With a Father "God" and a Mother goddess, the Mormons believe also in many gods besides the three (or four) in their "Godhead".
In 1909 the first presidency, under Joseph F. Smith, issued a statement on the origin of man that teaches that "man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father," as an "offspring of celestial parentage," and further teaches that "all men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity" (Smith, pp. 199-205). (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism, Vol. 2, p. 961)
Logically and naturally, the ultimate desire of a loving Supreme Being is to help his children enjoy all that he enjoys. For Latter-day Saints, the term "godhood" denotes the attainment of such a state - one of having all divine attributes and doing as God does and being as God is. Such a state is to be enjoyed by all exalted, embodied, intelligent beings (see Deification; Eternal Progression; Exaltation; God; Perfection). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that all resurrected and perfected mortals become gods (cf. Gen. 3:22; Matt. 5:48). They will dwell again with God The Father, and live and act like him in endless worlds of happiness, power, love, glory, and knowledge; above all, they will have the power of procreating endless lives. Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus Christ attained godhood (see Christology) and that he marked the path and led the way for others likewise to become exalted divine beings by following him (cf. John 14:3). (ibid., 553)
The above quote not only reveals some of the polytheism of Mormonism, but also the false Christ in which Mormons believe. The true Christ never "attained godhood." He has always been the one and only true God, as God warns,
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. (Hebrews 13:8-9a; see also John 1:1; John 8:58; Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:6; 1 Timothy 6:14-16; 1 John 5:20).
Mormon doctrine is strange indeed.
Most people are accustomed to using the term "God" to identify only one being, the Father. But the scriptures sometimes use the term to designate others as well. In this sense, while the faithful worship only one God in spirit and in truth, there exist other beings who have attained the necessary intelligence and righteousness to qualify for the title "god." Jesus Christ is a god and is a separate personage, distinct from God the Father (see Godhead).
People qualify themselves for this rank and degree of exaltation by bringing themselves fully in line with all that God has commanded them to do: "Here, then, is eternal life - to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, . . . (TPJS, p. 346, Encyclopedia Of Mormonism, Vol. 2, p 554)
V. Pre-gods
Besides attaining godhood, "premortal life" "is a central doctrine of the theology" of the Mormon Church (ibid., Vol. 3, 1125). Mormonism teaches preexistence prior to this life.
Prior to mortal birth individuals existed as men and women in a spirit state and thus coexisted with both the Father and the Son. That period of life is also referred to as the First State or Preexistence. (ibid., Vol. 3, p.1123)
There is indeed indication that the Intelligence dwelling in each person is coeternal with God. It always existed and never was created or made (D & C 93:29). In due time that intelligence was given a spirit body, becoming the spirit child of God the Eternal Father and his believed companion, the Mother in heaven. The spirit, inhabited by the eternal intelligence, took the form of is creators and is in their image (Ballard, p. 140).
To the Prophet Joseph Smith it was revealed that we are all literal spirit sons and daughters of heavenly parents. He received a revelation of information once made known to Moses: "I [God] made the world, and men before they were in the flesh" (Moses 6:51). (ibid., p. 1123-1124)
Mormonism not only teaches the preexistence of men, but the preexistence of everything!
Out of preexisting chaos, matter unorganized, the Father created an orderly universe. Out of preexisting intelligence, he begat spirit children. (ibid., Vol. 2, p. 549)
Revelation indicates that all things, even the earth itself, had a spirit existence before the physical creation. (ibid., 1124)
. . . The fish, the fowl, the beasts of the field lived before they were placed naturally in this earth, and so did the plants that are upon the face of the earth. (ibid.)
Contrary to the above, the first man and the first woman had their first day of existence on the sixth day of creation (Genesis 1:24-31; 2:7), and likewise plants, fish, fowl, and the beasts of the field had their first day of existence on the third, fifth, and sixth day of creation respectively (Genesis 1:9-13, 20-25). Contrary to Mormon doctrine, 1 Corinthians 15:46 says, "the spiritual is not first, but the natural."