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Defending Christianity against Mormonism

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“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (NIV 1 Peter 3:15).
In other words, LOVE THEM.
Mormons                                                             Biblical Truths
Mormons are monolaters, meaning, they believe in many gods, yet worship only one.


LDS believe that “As man is, God once was; and as God is, man may become.”


LDS do not believe in Hell.



LDS believe God is flesh and bones.


LDS believe in baptism for the dead.



LDS believe Jesus and Satan are created brothers.




LDS do not believe in the Trinity.





LDS believe that “it is by grace we are saved, after all we can do” (Nephi 25:23).
Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (See also Isaiah 43:11; Acts 5:4; 1 Timothy 2:5; Exodus 20:3; et. al.). God knows of no other God (Isaiah 44:8). Apart from Him, there is no other God (Isaiah 45:5; 45:14, 21, 22; 46:5, 9).

The Bible says that God never changes (Malachi 3:6), so He was never a man or mortal (Hosea 11:9; Numbers 23:19; see also Psalm 90:2). "I am He; before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me" (Isaiah 43:10).

The Bible says that everyone, when they die, will exist either in Heaven or Hell, for eternity (Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:14-15).

Matthew 16:17 shows that God is not flesh and blood. John 4:22-24 explains that God is a spirit, which Jesus defines in Luke 24:37-40).

They base an entire doctrine off of one verse (1 Cor. 15:29), which clearly shows how Paul is talking about pagans “they” as opposed to Christians “we.”

Jesus is eternally existent (John 1:1-2) and the creator and sustainer of all things (John 1:3, 10; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:3,10). Jesus is the ONLY son of God (John 3:16) and Jesus is not an angel, like Satan was (Hebrews 1:5-9; Job 1:6; Zech 3:1-2; Luke 10:18; Rev 12:9; Ezek 28:14).

Jesus says, “Go and baptize people...in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19), signifying equivalence. Jesus also says, “I and the Father are One” (John 10:30). Paul calls the Holy Spirit, “God” (Acts 5:3-4).

The Bible says that it is by grace that we have been saved, through faith, and that this is not from us, but is a gift from God, not by works, so that no one could boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The goal (at minimum) is to plant seeds of doubt
Try to get them to read the Bible. Reason with them that they should
be able to prove the validity of the Mormon church through the Bible.

Definitions:
LDS= “Latter Day Saints” or simply, “Mormons”
BoM= Book of Mormon
Nephites= Light skinned people, Hebrew descent
Lamanites= Dark skinned people, Hebrew descent; ancestors of American Indians

Other Facts:
                2 Nephi 25:23 in the book of Mormon says “For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” The Bible says that we are saved through grace alone and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). In other words, Mormons believe that salvation comes through works, but the Bible contradicts this and says that salvation is a free gift.
                Mormons believe that God lives on a distant planet called “Kolob.” This belief was taken from the book of Abraham, which Mormons believe that Joseph Smith translated from “Reformed Egyptian Hieroglyphics.” No non-Mormon scholar in the world recognizes “Reformed Egyptian” as a verifiable, legitimate, ancient or modern language. Reformed Egyptian Hieroglyphics has also never been found in archaeology.  
              
                No city in the book of Mormon has ever been located archaeologically. Not one speck of evidence. The cities mentioned in the Bible however, can be visited today.
                No ancient inscriptions in Hebrew or "reformed Egyptian" that predate Columbus have ever been found in America. No copies of the book of Mormon have ever been found that predate 1830 when Smith "found" and "interpreted" the tablets. In any event, no archaeological evidence exists that demonstrates that the book of Mormon is true.
                In Mormon, chapter six, “hundreds of thousands are slain with the sword,” in Manchester, New York. If this were true, there would be millions of weapons, coins, shields, swords, etc., but nothing has been found.
                Lamanites are the principle ancestors of the American Indians, according to the book of Mormon. In other words, you have to believe that the Native Americans living among us are actually Jewish. So, if the BoM is true, Native Americans have to be of Hebrew descent. This goes against DNA test results.
                Mormons will suggest that you read Deut. 4:2 “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you” when you ask them about the verses in Revelation 22:18-19, which says, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” The idea behind the Mormon motive is that you can’t write anything after Deut. 4:2, even though the rest of the Bible exists. Clearly these are talking about two different subjects; commandments and prophecies.
                In other words, there are 613 commandments up until the end of the book of Deuteronomy, and there are never any commandments added to them in the entire Bible. In the book of Revelation, however, Mormons are adding to the prophecies of “this scroll” because the prophecies in the BoM come after the book of Revelation.
                It is good to ask them who Jesus is in order to get their definition exposed. Likely, they will tell you that He is the savior of the world, but will refrain from telling you that he is Satan’s spirit brother.
                Mormons will frequently tell you that you need to read the BoM and pray that God reveals the truth about it to you (or something of that nature). They will show you James 1:5, which explains that God will give you wisdom if you simply ask for it. One problem with this is that the book of James is written to people who are already believers (James 1:1), therefore they knew the truth from the Word of God. The Bible is truth; therefore we go to it for answers, not to our feelings. Jeremiah 17:9 explains that the heart is deceitful above all things! We cannot trust it! If we could trust our hearts, then everyone would be correct. This is clearly not the case.


The BoM in a nutshell:
Mormon tells his son, Moroni (a Nephite) to bury the record of their people in the ground. Centuries later, Moroni appears to Joseph Smith and tells Joseph that he recorded the events of his people on golden plates and where he buried these plates. Joseph Smith then “translates” the plates and that is how the BoM came to be.

Dos and Don’ts:
Most Mormons are unfortunately victims of deception. They think in their mind that they are doing well, but in reality, they are spreading lies and teaching a false gospel (see Galatians 1:6-9!). With this in mind, be gentle and respectful when confronting Mormons.
Do begin by being pleasant, maybe asking them what they like to do for fun. This helps them see that you are human and not some kind of enemy.
Don’t attack Joseph Smith. He is held dearly by them and telling them that he is a false prophet will just make them angry or frustrated.
Be loving and gentle. Try to create an inviting and comfortable atmosphere.
Be prepared for their visit. Try reading over this information and the Bible references that are mentioned, in order to be familiar with the material.
Don’t tell them that you are “protestant” or “Baptist,” etc., but instead, tell them that you are “a believer in the biblical and historical Jesus.”
Do take control of the conversation. Maybe you could ask them if they would set the BoM aside for a week or so and let God talk to them through the Bible exclusively.
Do invite them into your home. They are very nice and professional people that can be trusted. They are just severely misled.
Don’t be afraid that they will take over your life. They will usually only stay for a few minutes to a half an hour at the most. Invite them back to talk.
Do remember that telling them that you would like to learn more about the Mormon religion would cause them to return.
Do remember, YOU are the boss. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to (like, giving them your phone number or email address or go to their church). Just kindly tell them that you are not ready to give out your information yet.
Do remember that if you don’t feel comfortable having them back again, you can gently make them leave and not come back if you say something like, “I feel that we have exhausted our conversations in our debates but I want to thank you for your respect.”
Do try to plant a seed of doubt.
Do remember that this is only a small portion of information regarding the refutation of and defense against Mormonism. I encourage you to study further, starting with reading the Word of God.

See also:
In John 10:34, Jesus says “Is it not written in your law, I have said you are Gods?” Jesus is quoting Psalm 82:6, which Mormons might take you to, thinking it is evidence for their claims of mankind being able to become gods. But Psalm 82:7 says about these “gods” that they will “die like mere mortals; [they] will fall like every other ruler.”
Link: So... Joseph Smith had several wives... now what?

Questions to ask Mormons (Questions are a great way to plant seeds of doubt and also to begin conversation):

Can you show me proof from non-Mormon sources that the cities and towns and people groups existed historically and archaeologically? They might try to dance around the subject, but gently try to get them to answer this question directly.

Why do you baptize for the dead when the Bible (Heb. 9:27) and Mosiah 3:25 both state that there is absolutely no chance of salvation after death? They might try to say that God can’t be that unjust as to condemn people to hell if they have never heard of Jesus. The problem with this is, it is not up to us to save people, and it is only in God’s hands. Romans 1:20 explains that mankind is without excuse in believing in the existence of God. In other words, we see that there is a designer when we observe trees and birds, etc. With this in mind, knowing that there is a designer because the earth and the things in it are a witness to the designer, Matthew 7:7-8 explains that all we have to do is ask, seek and knock, and He will provide a way for this person to learn of Jesus. To sum this all up, the person living in a remote area who does not know Christ, will see the witness of God’s beautiful creation, then question, “how did this all get here?” and when he seeks with all his heart, God might bring a missionary to him or something of that nature.

How do you explain psalm 90:2? God was never a man, but was always God.
Malachi 3:6 explains that God does not change and Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever. How was God once a man? How was Jesus created?

Why did Joseph Smith translate the plates into the King James language when it was not common for people to speak that way during Joseph’s life?

Have you studied the material that opposes Mormonism so you can make a discerning and intelligent conclusion for yourself?

_____________________
Feel free to reply or ask questions to this post, or on the A&E Facebook page.

For more, see my book on Mormonism: 


https://www.amazon.com/Mormonism-Refuting-Fundamental-Apologetics-Latter-Day/dp/1662885377/ 

Written by Nace Howell through the grace of the Lord Jesus
© Nace Howell, 2022
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Comments

  1. BrianSeptember 10, 2013 at 10:38 PM

    Lot's of false information on this post...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dr. Nace HowellOctober 11, 2013 at 5:01 PM

      That's not very convincing. I suggest that you read information for and against Mormonism so you can see the truth for yourself. Here is a good place to start seeking the truth about Mormonism: http://www.utlm.org/index.htm

      Delete
    2. John Gilchrist LodgeJune 25, 2016 at 6:12 AM

      And you've provided it, Brian.

      Delete
  2. UnknownAugust 11, 2014 at 12:47 AM

    Why bother bro. Even if mormons had all the right answers you would never believe anyway. Did jesus go out of his way trying to convince others not to join other religions? Just live your life the way you feel god wants you too, dont misconstrue what you trully dont know

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dr. Nace HowellAugust 11, 2014 at 8:26 AM

      If Mormons had undeniable truth (historically, archaeologically, logically, etc.), then I would not be able to deny Mormonism. Unfortunately, Mormonism falls completely short as you find by thoroughly reading this very post.

      Jesus' concern was that He was the truth. It was the one thing on the minds of the people who witnessed His life and followed Him. They took their beliefs about Him to the death. It would be absurd for you to deny witnessing a murder. Depending on how important it was to you, you might take that truth to your death. Jesus' goal was for people to know Him; not that He aimlessly wanted followers. 2 Timothy 4:2 says to "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season. Correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and long suffering." In other words, We are to guide people to the truth by correcting them, rebuking them and encouraging them (with great patience and long suffering). 1 Peter 3:15 explains that we should always be ready to give an answer for the hope that we have in Him but do so by gentleness and respect. Again, this shows that we are to guide others to the truth. Finally, Jude 3 speaks of contending for the faith. What is a contender? I think elaboration would be an insult here.

      If I live my life the way God wants me to and leave it at that, then I am living a life of works, which will not gain me the free gift of salvation through Jesus. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." --Romans 6:23
      I know the Bible is the truth. Logically, historically and archaeologically, it makes perfect sense. That is infinitely more than one could ever say about Mormonism.
      I hope you take this post and the considered blog post seriously and I hope that you see the Truth as well (see John 14:6).

      Delete
  3. Norton NowlinJuly 23, 2016 at 11:11 AM

    Norton R. Nowlin, M.A.
    571-398-7149

    There is irrefutable smoking-gun published proof of the polytheistic theology of Mormonism. It is "Lesson 21-Man May Become Like God," from the 1984 LDS Melchizedek Priesthood Study Guide, "Search These Commandments."

    "Lesson 21" is a concise restatement of Joseph Smith's 1844 "King Follett Discourse" and Mormon Prophet Lorenzo Snow's refinement of it in the late 1890s. "Lesson 21" was the last time that the Mormon Church placed into print its literal predicate of Mormon polytheistic theology for their Melchizedek Priesthood to standardly study, and it is verified, in "Lesson 21" as canonized LDS scripture and commandments by the LDS First Presidency comprised of Mormon Prophet, Seer, and Revelator Spencer W. Kimball and his three apostle counselors, N. Eldon Tanner, Marion G. Romney, and Gordon B. Hinckley. It is the smoking-gun evidence of 19th Century Mormon polytheism venerated and practiced in the 20th and 21st Centuries. The Mormon Church never expected it to be used against them, which clearly illustrates their demonic arrogance.

    Anyone reading "Lesson 21," especially struggling Christians who will, no doubt, come into contact with Mormon full-time missionaries at some point, will immediately realize that Mormonism is not Christian; and keeping Christians away from Mormonism proves much simpler than trying to convert true-blue Mormons from the error of their ways, even though some of them eventually come to Christ.

    Any reader of this commentary who desires to receive a PDF copy of "Lesson 21,"please contact me at the email address nrnowlin@yahoo.com. I will send out copies of "Lesson 21" within 8 hours after requests are received. Us the copies to mass-produce to send to all struggling Christians you know who will inevitably come into contact with lying full-time Mormon missionaries during some portion of their lives.

    I sincerely believe that sincere Christians realize that the fulfillment of prophecy is the primary reason that millionaire Franklin Graham has publicly proclaimed on the BGEA website that "Mormonism is Christian and not a cult." The New Testament clearly states that in the latter-days the very elect will be deceived, and Franklin Graham was speaking for his father, the noted evangelist Billy Graham, when he made his absurd proclamation. Please contact me for a free copy of "Lesson 21."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mrs. WatsonNovember 14, 2016 at 5:01 AM

    Norton, please do not twist Franklin Graham's words. He is uncomfortable with the word cult altogether and has removed it from his site. Also, you say there is smoking gun evidence for LDS but you have given no proof outside of LDS literature alone. Hmmmmm.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BenLoMarch 25, 2021 at 7:30 AM

      Outside of the "LDS (CJCLDS) LITERATURE?" That "ALONE" speaks volumes...

      Delete
  5. Norton R. Nowlin, M.A.March 24, 2017 at 1:27 PM

    Norton R. Nowlin, M.A.
    12807 Cara Drive
    Woodbridge, VA 22192
    571-398-7149

    When I was a Mormon stake missionary in California, the Newport Beach Stake, in 1974-76, I witnessed full-time Mormon missionaries performing the orders of their mission president to check-out anti-Mormon books and publications from the public libraries in the cities and towns in their mission areas and destroy them. They were then told to lie to the libraries that the books had been lost. The Mormon Church would then pay the library for the cost of the books and replace them with brand new Mormon books and materials. I was privy to information from the Mission Home that Mormon missions all over the USA were removing and destroying books. The objective was to keep Christian investigators from researching the truth about Mormonism from local libraries. The great increase in fraudulent convert baptisms during the years 1975 through 1985 can be predicated on these facts. The lies and misrepresentations mouthed by the full-time Mormon missionaries in their 6 scripted discussion presentations about misrepresented Mormon theology, doctrine, and history led millions of unwitting Christians to be duped into joining Mormonism. The Internet has allowed truth to be found by Christians about Mormonism in their homes through the use of their personal computers. Thank God for the Internet!

    After my conversion to true Christianity and my acceptance of the grace of my Savior Jesus through faith in his redeeming blood in the year 2000, I discovered the smoking gun of 19th, 20th, and 21st Century Mormon polytheistic theology, incontrovertible evidence that the official theology of Mormonism is not what is taught by full-time Mormon missionaries, but, rather, what is hidden from Christians by those missionaries. It was "Lesson 21- Man May Become Like God," from the 1984 LDS Melchizedek Priesthood Personal Study Guide, "Search These Commandments," which was declared by the 1984 LDS First Presidency of Mormon Prophet Spencer W. Kimball and his three Mormon Apostle counselors, N. Eldon Tanner, Marion G. Romney, and Gordon B. Hinckley as canon LDS scripture and commandments. The "ultimate destiny" of all worthy Mormon elders was stated in "Lesson 21" to be become as "great as the Mormon father-god, with a capital G, by becoming, each and every one of them, Mormon father-gods, with a capital G, and their wives Mormon-goddesses, with a capital G. The objective of this ultimate destiny is stated to do everything that the Mormon father-god of this earth has done (creation of an earth-like planet, procreation of spirit children to populate the planet, and the procreation of a "savior" just like the Mormon Jesus). The whole essence of Mormon polytheism is based upon the refined statement, couplet, of Lorenzo Snow, "As Man is, God once was, and as God is, man may become." "Lesson 21" is a restatement of Joseph Smith, Jr.'s 1844 "King Follett Discourse" and Lorenzo Snow's refinement of it in the late 1890s. "Lesson 21" states that "God the father" of this earth began as a mortal man on some planet in the cosmos and changed, and changed, and changed to become a Mormon father-god with a capital G.

    In essence, Mormons believe in "as many gods, with a capital G," as there are stars, and in as many saviors as their are Gods." This was stated by Brigham Young in 1865 in Mormon General Conference. All a Christian has to do is read "Lesson 21," and he, or she, will know that Mormonism is pagan and not a bit Christian. I have sent Hans Mattsson, converted Swedish Mormon General Authority, a PDF copy of "Lesson 21," and he had thankfully read it. He had never seen of heard of it before I sent it to him. So, if anyone reading this commentary would like to receive a PDF copy of "Lesson 21," please send me an email to and I will send the copies out with a few hours.

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownJune 9, 2017 at 5:48 PM

    hello Norton R. Nowlin. I am from Medellin, Colombia. I also give thanks for the internet. To know how is the behave of people in USA about the gospel. But I see even you live in USA , you lost your testimony of the tru church of Jesus or maybe you never had ant testymony. But I testify the the Mormon Church is the True Church of Christ.
    No one Church like the Mormon Church. Josepph Smith was a true prophet of God. Even so many garbage that is written in internet against the Tru Church,the true shines for people around the world in these last days.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Timothy R. BermanAugust 13, 2021 at 7:13 AM

    You challenge 6 different topics and attempt to compare them to supposed Biblical truths and teachings. My objective is to expand and expose the misinterpretations and errors of your interpretations

    To each response, I attached a link to respective and appropriate articles and studies that do well in responding and rebutting such pedestrian arguments and comparisons. Please read each linked article to further understand.

    Nace Howell is more than welcomed to respond to over at the article's comment section. https://mormonapologia.org/2021/08/08/defending-restored-gospel-truths-from-arrogant-christian-ignorance-and-scripture-illiterate-apologists/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ShrubberyNovember 10, 2022 at 12:38 PM

      Timothy Berman, I tried to visit that site, but perhaps someone didn't pay the bill to upkeep it?
      "This site can’t be reached
      Check if there is a typo in mormonapologia.org.
      DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN"

      Delete

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Baptism is Not Necessary for Salvation According to the Early Church

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Let’s dive right in. The Bible says in Acts 2:37-41,    Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.   The phrase in Acts 2:38 that reads, “for the forgiveness of your sins” modifies the word repentance, not the word baptism.  See more about this Here .   What is interesting is that those who translate the above verse as meaning that baptism is a requ...
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