Comparative Theology, Part 8

Servants Preparation Curriculum

Lecture 39, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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Comparative Theology, Part 8 – �Non-Christian Religions: Mormonism

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Objectives:

1. To study the Mormon religion

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Lecture 39, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Mormons

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church)

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• They are not Christians, but softly attach themselves to Christ and The Bible

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Joseph Smith (1805–1844) AD

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Joseph Smith Cont.

• He was born to a poor and non-religious New York family
• His father was a farmer and lost his farm

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• So, they started digging in the ground looking for pirate treasures
• He claimed to find the hidden Mormon Book in 1823 by the vision of an angle named “Moroni” (Mormon’s Son)

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Joseph Smith Cont.

• Joseph Smith claimed to see God The Father and Jesus Christ in a vision

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• He asked them what is the true religion and they answered him saying none of the current religions are true or acceptable and that he should NOT join any church

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Joseph Smith Cont.

• Three years later, he claims to have had a vision from an angel named Moroni who guided him to The Holy Mormon Book which was a book made of golden plates buried in Hillside NY (1823)

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• In 1827, he claims to have dug it up, taken it to his home in Harmony, PA and translated it from an Old Ancient Egyptian language to the English language

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Joseph Smith, Cont.

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Joseph Smith translating the book from Old Hieroglyphics into English

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Joseph Smith, Cont.

• Joseph Smith’s Home in Harmony PA where he translated the Mormon Book

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

• In 1840, Joseph Smith was told in a revelation that the Church should be called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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• The members of the early Christian Church were called “former –day Saints” (Andrew, Peter, James, John, etc.)

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• Now we are the latter-day saints - It is that simple

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The Book of Mormon

• The story is about a person named Mormon who lived in 400 AD - He claimed to be a prophet on the American continent, and the one who took all the writings of the prophets before him, added to it the life and miracles of Christ to compile together The Book of Mormon which was written two golden plates

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• It was buried in upstate New York
• He had a son Moroni

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The Book of Mormon Cont.

• Joseph Smith gave the book, 216 pages, to a Martin Harris

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• Martin Harris was a supporter of Joseph Smith who sold his farm to sponsor the translation which angered his wife who burned the book - so he rewrote it again from his own memory

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The Mormons and The American Indians

• Joseph Smith claimed that American Indians are descendants of the lost tribes of Israel, who travelled west and settled in United States circa 600 BC

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• They were categorized into 2 groups:
1. Righteous/Nephites = White
2. Evil/Lamanites = Dark Skinned

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Objections

• A Golden Plated Book would be very heavy to carry by a Joseph Smith (around 200lbs)

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• He translated from Ancient Egyptian language, which he did not know, and The Book was burned by the wife

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• He mentioned that American Indians planted wheat and had horses/camels which was proven wrong by historians

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Mormon Movements

• Started in New York and was rejected by the local churches

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• Moved to Ohio and was rejected by the local churches

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• Moved to Missouri and was rejected by the local churches

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• Moved to Illinois where Joseph Smith was killed
• In Illinois, he affiliated himself with The Mason, shared their signs, and practiced polygamy with single and married wives so riots arose, and he was arrested, jailed, and died (Nauvoo exposition)

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• Moved to Utah and lead by Brigham Young

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Joseph Smith and His Family

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Brigham Young

• Brigham Young took over and moved to Utah which was Mexican territory

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Mormon Doctrine

1. God has many wives and begot many spirit sons
• God practices polygamy
• Eve and Adam’s sin was to be like God and have a family with many sons
• They do not acknowledge The Original Sin

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Mormon Doctrine Cont.

• There are many gods
• There are many gods (Mormon Doctrine, pg 163)
• "And they (the Gods) said: Let there be light: and there was light" (Book of Abraham 4:3)

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• The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit are three separate gods

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Mormon Doctrine Cont.

• There are many gods
• There are many gods (Mormon Doctrine, pg 163)
• "And they (the Gods) said: Let there be light: and there was light" (Book of Abraham 4:3)

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• The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit are three separate gods

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Mormon Doctrine Cont.

• God the father used to be a man on another planet (Mormon Doctrine, pg 321)

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• There is a mother god/goddess (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, pg 443)

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• God is married to his goddess wife and has spirit children (Mormon Doctrine, pg 516)

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Mormon Doctrine Cont.

• The first spirit to be born in heaven was Jesus (Mormon Doctrine, pg 129)

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• The second spirit to be born in heaven is Devil

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• They all came to live down on earth

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Mormon Doctrine Cont.

• Jesus offered a plan of salvation to the Father and Satan also offered a plan, but Jesus' plan was accepted

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• Jesus is not the creator

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• Atonement was done at Gethsemane by Jesus’ prayer and NOT on The Cross

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Mormon Doctrine Cont.

• Baptism
• At 8 years old, but not for the remission of The Original Sin since they do not consider it a sin to start with
• For the dead to save them

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Mormon Doctrine Cont.

• Salvation
• There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God (Doctrines of Salvation, volume 1, pg 188)
• The Mormon book is more correct than The Bible
• Must be an active Temple Member

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Mormon Doctrine Cont.

• Exclusion of black men from priesthood because they are inferior to others

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• Believe the native Americans are descendants from lost Jewish Tribes

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• Polygamy/Plural Marriage

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• There is no Cross on Top of The Temple

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Mormon Doctrine Cont.

• The Garden of Eden was in North America

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• New Jerusalem will be built in Missouri

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Mormon Temple in Utah

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Mormon Doctrine Cont.

• The Mormon Temple
• No Cross on top of The Temple
• You need a recommendation to be a member
• You must believe in Joseph Smith & The Mormon Book
• Baptism and Marriage at the Temple
• Put on temple garment with masonic signs
• Square, ruler, and compass
• Pay 1/10 of income to the Temple
• Members should attend regular weekly meeting
• Members should abstain from smoking, tobacco, alcohol

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Mormon Doctrine Cont.

• There are Three Heavens and One Hell/Outer Darkness

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• Three Heavens:
1. Top = Celestial = Good Mormons
2. Middle = Terrestrial = Good Christians, but non-Mormons
3. Lower = Telestial = thieves, adulterous, sinners, etc.

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• Hell/Outer Darkness = Devil, demons, apostate Mormons

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Three Heavens and One Hell

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Mormon Doctrine Cont.

• After Death
• The righteous Mormon Spirits go to the prisons and preach to the spirits of the non-Mormons who can be saved if someone who lives on Earth gets baptized on their behalf!

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Mitt Romney��Utah Senator

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Mormons are NOT Christians

• They do not believe in The Holy Trinity as one God

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• They believe god married a goddess and had children gods

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• They believe Jesus and The Devil are brothers

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• They do not accept The Creed

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• They do not honor The Bible

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• They do not have a priesthood

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• They do not have sacraments, except baptism

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Mormons are NOT Christians

• No sacraments except baptism

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• No Churches and instead they build temples

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• No Bible

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• No Creed

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They are NOT a Christian church by any means

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Warning Against Fake Gospels

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8)

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Memorization Verses

1. “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:16)

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