The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints, Salt
Lake City, Utah. ‘The Mormons’7-29-07
Introduction
I. Contradictions in the Book
of Mormon with Other So-called
Scriptures
II. Contradictions between the Holy Bible and Joseph
Smith’s Scriptures
III. Scriptures
IV. Changes in the Book of
Mormon
V. Joseph Smith Jr
VI. Joseph Smith’s False
Teachings and False Prophecies
VII. Prophet Brigham Young
VIII.
You Too Can Be a God!
IX. Who is the Mormon Jesus?
X. More Mormon Theology
XI. Other Websites
XII. Questions for Mormons
XIII. Feelings – ‘The Burning
in the Bosom’
XIV. Biblical Salvation
Conclusion
Addendum
Additional Facts
Introduction
This Biblical study guide is not finished. It
is presented as a resource and a teaching tool for those who would like to
better understand the Mormons.
Mormons claim to send out 50,000 missionaries
per year. They claim to have the fastest growing religion.
I have toured their first temple in Kirtland, Ohio, plus touring their first settlement in Kirtland. Was
assigned my two elder missionaries and two more sister missionaries as guides.
Four missionaries were trying to convert one investigator, their spirits
against my spirit.
The Mormon scriptures quoted
in this study can be found at:Word
searches can be done at this site.
I. Contradictions in the Book of Mormon with Other So-called Scriptures
One
God
“And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest
there is a true and living
God? 27 And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God. 28 Now
Zeezrom said: Is there more than one
God? 29 And he answered, No.”Alma 11:26-29
“And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the away; and there is bnone
other way nor cname
given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom
of God. And now, behold, this is
the ddoctrine
of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the eFather, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, which is fone God, without end. Amen.”2 Nephi 31:21
“And he hath brought to pass the aredemption of the bworld, whereby he that is found cguiltless before him at the judgment day
hath it given unto him to ddwell in the presence of God in his
kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the echoirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy
Ghost, which are fone
God, in a state of ghappiness which hath no end.”Mormon 7:7
“And after this manner shall ye abaptize in my name; for behold, verily I
say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are bone; and I am in the Father, and the
Father in me, and the Father and I are one.”3 Nephi 11:27
Many Gods
“And the aGods formed man from the bdust
of the ground, and took his cspirit (that is, the man’s spirit), and
put it into him; and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man
became a living dsoul.”Abraham 5: 7
“Abraham received aconcubines, and they bore him children;
and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given unto
him, and he abode in my law; as Isaac also and bJacob
did none other things than that which they were commanded; and because they
did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their cexaltation, according to the
promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods.” D&C
132:37
Father
God is a Great Spirit
“And Ammon began to speak unto him with aboldness, and said unto him: Believest
thou that there is a God? 25 And he answered, and said unto him:
I do not know what that meaneth.
26 And then Ammon said: Believest thou that there is a aGreat Spirit? 27 And he
said, Yea. 28 And Ammon said: This is God. And Ammon said unto him again: Believest thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things
which are in heaven and in the earth? 29 And he said: Yea, I
believe that he created all things which are in the earth; but I do not know
the heavens. 30 And Ammon said unto him: The heavens is a
place where God dwells and all his holy angels.” Alma 18:24-30
Father God has a body of flesh &
bones
“The aFather has a bbody of flesh and bones as tangible as
man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones,
but is a personage of cSpirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could
not ddwell
in us.” D & C 130:22
God is in the heart of the righteou
“And this I know, because
the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in aunholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he
has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more
out; but their garments should be made white through the dblood of the Lamb.”Alma 34:36
God
doesn’t dwell in the heart
“John 14:23—The aappearing
of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal bappearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell
in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false.”D & C 130:3
No
laborer for Zion is
to be Paid
“But the alaborer in bZion shall labor for Zion;
for if they labor for cmoney they shall perish.”2 Nephi 26:31
“That they should let no pride nor
haughtiness disturb their apeace; that every man should besteem his cneighbor as himself, laboring
with their own hands for their support.
5 Yea, and all their priests
and teachers ashould
blabor
with their own hands for their support, in all cases save it were in
sickness, or in much want; and doing these things, they did abound in the cgrace of God.”Mosiah 27:4-5
Bishop
and Counselors are to be Paid
“And the elders
or high priests who are appointed to assist the bishop as counselors in all
things, are to have their families asupported out of the property which is bconsecrated to the bishop, for the good
of the poor, and for other purposes, as before mentioned;
72
Or they are to receive a just remuneration for all their services, either a
stewardship or otherwise, as may be thought best or decided by the counselors
and bishop.
73
And the bishop, also, shall receive his support, or a just remuneration for all
his services in the church.” D&C 42:71-73
“And this shall
be done through the bishop or the agent, which shall be appointed by the avoice of the church.
13
And again, let the bishop appoint a astorehouse unto this church; and let all
things both in money and in meat, which are more than is bneedful for the wants of this people, be
kept in the hands of the bishop.
14
And let him also reserve unto ahimself for his own wants, and for the
wants of his family, as he shall be employed in doing this business.” D&C
51:12-14
Joseph
Smith was Paid
“And if ye desire
the glories of the kingdom, appoint
ye my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and uphold him before me by the prayer of
faith. 13 And again, I say unto you, that if ye desire the mysteries
of the kingdom, provide for him food and raiment, and whatsoever thing he
needeth to accomplish the work wherewith I have commanded him; 14 And if ye
do it not he shall remain unto them that have received him, that I may
reserve unto myself a purepeople
before me.”D&C 43:12-14
NO,
to POLYGAMY!
“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.” Jacob 1:15
“Behold, David and Solomon
truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the
Lord.”Jacob 2:24
Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because
of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are
more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord,
which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were bone wife, and concubines
they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them.” Jacob
3:5
For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but
he did walk after the desires of his own heart. And he had many wives and aconcubines.
And he did cause his people to commit sin, and do
that which was abominable
in the sight of the Lord. Yea, and they did commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness.:” Mosiah 11:2
Yes, to polygamy!
“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—“
D & C 132:1
Polygamy is an everlasting covenant!
“For behold, I
reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that
covenant, then are ye damned;
for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to
enter into my glory.”D & C 132:4
“Abraham
received concubines,
and they bore him children; and it was accounted unto him for righteousness,
because they were given unto him, and he abode in my law; as Isaac also and Jacob
did none other things than that which they were commanded; and because they
did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered
into their exaltation, according to the promises,
and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods.
38 David also received many wives and concubines, and also
Solomon and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants, from the
beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin
save in those things which they received not of me.
39 David’s wives and concubines were given unto him of me, by the hand of
Nathan, my servant, and others of the prophets who had the keys of this power; and in none of these
things did he sin
against me save in the case of Uriah and his wife; and, therefore he
hath fallen
from his exaltation, and received his portion; and he shall not inherit them
out of the world, for I gave them unto another, saith the Lord.”
D&C 132:37-39
“And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law,
he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto
him; therefore is he justified.” D&C 132:61
Polygamy
allowed
“But the word of
God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the
Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the
scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which
were written concerning David, and Solomon his son. 24 Behold,
David and aSolomon
truly had many bwives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.”
Jacob 2:23-24
Polygamy
not allowed
“David also
received many wives and concubines, and also
Solomon and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants, from the
beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin save in
those things which they received not of me. 39 David’s wives and concubines were given unto him of me, by the hand of
Nathan, my servant, and others of the prophets who had the keys of this power; and in none of these
things did he sin
against me save in the case of Uriah and his wife; and, therefore he
hath fallen
from his exaltation, and received his portion; and he shall not inherit them
out of the world, for I gave them unto another, saith the Lord.”
D&C 132:38-39
Don't give money to be not burned!
“Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up that shall say: Come
unto me, and for your money you shall
be forgiven of your sins.”Mormon
8:32
Give
money or will be burned!
“Behold, now it is called today until the coming
of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of
my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming.” D&C 64:23
Forgiveness
for murder
“Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your clyings
and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and
your idolatries, and of your murders,
and your priestcrafts,
and your envyings, and your
strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and
be baptized in my name, that ye may
receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that
ye may be numbered with my people who are of the
house of Israel.” 3 Nephi 30:2
No
forgiveness for murder
“And now, behold, I speak unto the church. Thou shalt not akill; and he that kills
shall not have forgiveness in this world,
nor in the world to come.” D&C 42:18
“Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your clyings
and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and
your idolatries, and of your murders,
and your priestcrafts,
and your envyings, and your
strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and
be baptized in my name, that ye may
receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that
ye may be numbered with my people who are of the
house of Israel.” 3 Nephi 30:2
Water
baptism not required for all
“For behold that all little children are alive
in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned,
or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing— 23 But it is mockery before
God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and
putting trust in dead works.”
Moroni 8:22-23
Water
baptism is required for the death or you can’t be perfect
“You may think this order of things to be very particular;
but let me tell you that it is only to answer the will of God, by conforming
to the ordinance and preparation that the Lord ordained and prepared before
the foundation of the world, for the salvation
of the dead who should die without a knowledge of the gospel.” D&C 128:5
“And again, in connection with this
quotation I will give you a quotation from one of the prophets, who had his
eye fixed on the restoration
of the priesthood, the glories to be revealed in the last days, and in an
especial manner this most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting
gospel, namely, the baptism for the dead; for Malachi says, last chapter,
verses 5th and 6th: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of
the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the
fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest
I come and smite the earth with a curse.
18
I might have rendered a plainer
translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it
stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be
smitten with a curse unless
there is a welding clink
of some kind or other between the fathers and the children,
upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them
cannot be made perfect; neither
can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made
perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary
in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is
now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and
welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should
take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time.
And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been
kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes
and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times.” D&C
128:17-18
II.
Contradictions between the Holy Bible and Joseph Smith’s Scriptures
Holy Bible
Joseph Smith’s Scriptures
“And he called upon our father Adam by his own voice,
saying: I am God; I made the world, and menbefore
they were in the flesh.”Moses 6:51
Father
God is a Spirit without a body
“God is a
Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and
in truth.” John 4:24
“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle
me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”Luke 24:39
“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of
every creature:”Colossians 1:15
“Now unto the King eternal,
immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be
honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17
“Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no
man can approach unto; whom no man
hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting.
Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:16
“By faith he forsook Egypt,
not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”Hebrews 11:27
“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another,
God dwelleth in us, and his love
is perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12
“Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth
on also, but I perceive him not.”Job 9:11
“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou
hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting,
thou art God.”Psalms 90:2
Father
God has a body of flesh and bones
“The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as
man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and
bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost
could not dwell
in us.” Doctrines and Covenants 130: 22
Only
one God
“As concerning therefore the eating of those things that
are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing
in the world, and that there isnone
other God but one. 5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in
heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)” 1 Corinthians
8:4-5
“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer
the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”Isaiah 44:6
“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there
isno God beside me: I girded
thee, though thou hast not known me:” Isaiah 45:5
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as
his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was
found with child of the Holy Ghost”. Matthew 1:18
Many
Gods
“I’m going to tell
you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was
God from all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil so you
may see … he was once a man like us: yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as
Jesus Christ himself did.” Pg. 345, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith
Many
Gods in Mormonism
Mormons teach Father God in an actual physical body mated
with a physical God, Mary, to produce their first born, Jesus. Jesus is now a
God.
Father is a separate God. Jesus is a separate God. Holy
Spirit is a separate God.
Correct
translation
“Because strait (4728) is the gate, and narrow is
the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew
7:14
‘strait’ means ‘narrow’
G4728 στενός stenos
Thayer Definition: 1) narrow, strait
Part of Speech: adjective
Joseph
Smith’s mistranslation
“because, straight is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” 3 Nephi 14:14
The spirit or Joseph
Smith didn’t know the true meaning of the old English word ‘strait’.
Joseph
Smith’s Scriptures are forbidden!
"Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you,
neither shall ye diminish [ought] from it, that ye may keep the commandments
of the LORD your God which I command you."(Deut.12:32)Deuteronomy 4:2
"Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee,
and thou be found a liar."Proverbs 30:6
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God, which
liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass,
and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the
flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the
word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the
gospel is preached unto you.”1 Peter
1:23-25
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:”2 Timothy 3:16
“According as his divine power hath given unto us all
things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of
him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” 2 Peter 1:3
Claims Bible may not contain all of God’s
Words“Thou fool,
that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need
no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?” 2 Nephi
29:6
“Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all
my words;
neither bneed ye
suppose that I have not caused more to be written.”2 Nephi 29:10
1 Nephi
13:26-29 (found below)
God will punish lying!
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.”
Exodus 20:16
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part
in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second
death.” Revelation 21:8
Since God will punish those who lie in the
Lake of Fire, will he tell someone to lie? NO!
“And it came to
pass when I was come near to enter into Egypt, the Lord said unto me:
Behold, Sarai, thy wife, is a very fair woman to look upon; 23
Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see her, they will
say—She is his wife; and they will kill you, but they will save her alive;
therefore see that ye do on this wise: 24 Let her say unto the Egyptians, she is
thy sister, and thy soul shall live. 25 And it
came to pass that I, Abraham, told Sarai, my wife, all that the Lord had said unto me—Therefore say
unto them, I pray thee, thou art my asister,
that it may be well with me for thy sake, and my soul shall live because of
thee.” Abraham 2:22-25
Christian
Men and Women are of the Priesthood!
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual
house, an holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5
“But ye are
a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out
of darkness into his marvellous light:” 1 Peter 2:9
Another non-Biblical teaching"The
Melchizedek priesthood was then (June 4, 1831) for the first time introduced,
and conferred on several of the elders." (John Corrill, Brief History
of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1839, Chapter 10)
The
TrueChurch
“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. 19 And I will give unto thee
the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven.”Matthew 16:18-19
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God,
which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as
grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth,
and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the
word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”1 Peter 1:23-25
The
Questionable Church
”And after they
go forth by the ahand
of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews bunto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great
and abominable church,
which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb
many parts which are plain
and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away. 27 And all this have they done that they might
pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden
the hearts of the children of men. 28 Wherefore, thou seest that after the
book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church,
that there are many plain and aprecious things taken away from the book,
which is the book of the Lamb of God. 29 And after
these plain and precious things were ataken away it goeth forth unto all the
nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the
Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the
Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest--because of the many plain and precious
things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the
understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in
the Lamb of God—because of these things which are taken away out of the
gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that
Satan hath great power over them.”1 Nephi 13:26-29
“Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham,
the aintelligences that were organized before
the world was; and among all these there were many of the bnoble and great ones;
23 And God saw these souls
that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I
will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw
that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou
wast achosen before thou wast born.
24 And there stood aone
among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him:
We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these
materials, and bwe
will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
25 And we will aprove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their
God shall command them;
26 And they
who keep
their first estate shall be
added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in
the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep
their second estate shall
have glory
added upon their heads for ever and ever.
27 And the Lord
said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son
of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I,
send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.
28 And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed
after him.”Abraham 3:22-28
“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. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven:
and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew
16:18-19
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:18
For there is one God, and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus;”1
Timothy 2:5
Does
Joseph Smith really hold the keys to the kingdom? By whose authority?
“Verily I say unto
you, the keys of this kingdom shall never be taken from you, while
thou art in the world, neither in the world to come;”Doctrine and Covenants 90:3
“… that no man or woman in this dispensation will ever
enter into the celestial kingdom of
God without the consent of Joseph
Smith.” Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, Pg. 289.
Polygamy
is Sin!Polygamy is Adultery!
“When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God
giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I
will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about
me;”Deuteronomy 17:14
“Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his
heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and
gold.”Deuteronomy 17:17
“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother,
and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are
no more twain, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath joined together, let
not man put asunder.” Mark 10:7-9
“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife,
vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;” 1
Timothy 3:2
“Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their
children and their own houses well.” 1 Timothy 3:12
“If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having
faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.”Titus 1:6
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou
shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto
you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart.”Matthew 5:27-28
Polygamy
“But if she will not abide this
commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he
hath said; and I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an ahundredfold in this world, of fathers and
mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children, and crowns
of eternal
lives in the eternal worlds.
61 And again, as pertaining to the law of
the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent,
and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no
other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given
unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and
to no one else.
62 And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law,
he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given
unto him; therefore is he justified.” Doctrine and Covenants 132:55, 61-62
“The only men who become Gods, even the
Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy.” Prophet Brigham Young,
Journal of Discourses Vol. 11 Pg 269.
So, polygamy equals eternal marriage.
The
New Jerusalem
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of
my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my
God, and the name of the city of my God, which isnew Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I
will write upon him my new name.” Revelation 3:12
“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband.”Revelation 21:2
God builds the New Jerusalem then brings it to earth.
The devil wants to build copies of God’s plans on earth,
but the prayers of Christians may prevent his plans!
The
New Jerusalem
“A revelation of
Jesus Christ unto his servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and six elders, as they bunited
their hearts and clifted their
voices on high. 2 Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his
church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has
spoken by the mouth of his bprophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem.
3
Which city shall be abuilt, beginning at the btemple lot, which is appointed by the
finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and cdedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith,
Jun., and others with whom the Lord was well pleased. 4
Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the
gathering of the saints,
beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which btemple shall be creared in this dgeneration.”Doctrine and Covenants 84:2-4
False
Prophets
A False Prophet may
get a prophecy right once in awhile.
“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of
dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee,
saying, Let
us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve
them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or
that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye
love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 Ye shall
walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and
obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.”Deuteronomy 13:1-4
“And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the
word which the LORD hath not spoken? 22 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, butthe prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid
of him.”Deuteronomy 18:21-22
One
of Joseph Smith’s false prophesies
“Verily
thus saith the Lord: It is wisdom in my servant David W. Patten, that he settle up all his business as soon as he
possibly can, and make a disposition of his merchandise, that he may perform a mission unto me next spring,
in company with others, even twelve including himself, to testify of my name
and bear glad tidings unto all the world.
2 For verily thus saith the
Lord, that inasmuch as there are those among you who deny
my name, others shall be planted
in their stead and receive their bishopric. Amen.” Doctrine and Covenants
114
David W. Patten died in battle that fall, consequently he
didn’t go on his mission as prophesied by the prophet Joseph Smith. He died
from a bullet to the chest while chasing the enemy. He died in good standing
with the Mormon church.
“Search these bcommandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and dpromises
which are in them shall all be fulfilled. 38 What I
the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the
heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all
be fulfilled,
whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.”
Doctrine and Covenants 1:37-38
Obviously, Joseph Smith gave a false
prophesy. Since he didn’t hear from God this time, did he really hear from
God the other times?
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not
the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”Matthew 24:36
All of the Holy Bibles prophesies are true and have been
or will be fulfilled.
Another
false prophesy by Joseph Smith
“President Smith then stated that the meeting had been
called because God had commanded it: and it was made known to him by vision
and by the Holy Spirit… it was the will of God that they should be ordained
to the ministry and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, for the
coming of the Lord, which was nigh… even fifty-six years should wind up the
scene.” History of the Church Vol 2, Pg 182
1891 marked the 56th year. Jesus hadn’t
returned. Another false prophesy by Joseph Smith?
“And for this cause ye shall have afulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in
the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father
hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as
the Father; and the Father and I are bone;”3 Nephi 28:10
Archaeological
Proofs
Many, many archaeological
proofs!
Supported by cities,
weapons, artifacts, coins, bodies, etc.
Archaeological
Proofs
None, zero archaeological proofs!
Not supported by any cities, weapons, artifacts, no coins,
bodies, etc. Thirty-eight huge cities located in America,
so says the Book of Mormon, proof? –NO!
Ezekiel
37:16-28
“And when the children of thy people shall speak unto
thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us
what thou meanest by these?” Ezekiel 37:18
“And I will make them one nation in the land upon the
mountains of Israel;
and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two
nations, neither shall they be divided
into two kingdoms any more at all:” Ezekiel 37:22
The purpose of the
writing on the sticks was to unite the kingdoms; it sticks had nothing to do
with the Book of Mormon.
Similar to Numbers 17:1-3,
where names of the tribes were written on a stick, symbolically.
In
Ezekiel 37, the Book of Mormon is definitely not mentioned.
Why? The Hebrew word for ‘stick’ never means book or
scroll. The Book of Mormon was written on Gold plates. The entire Book of
Mormon was not written on a stick.
Is Lehi the son of Ephraim or Manasseh?
Ezekiel 37Ephraim
Alma
10:2-3Manasseh
“2 I am Amulek; I am the son of Giddonah,
who was the son of Ishmael, who was a descendant of Aminadi; and it was that
same Aminadi who interpreted the awriting which was upon the wall of the
temple, which was written by the finger of God.
3 And Aminadi was
a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of Lehi, who came out of the land of
Jerusalem, who was a descendant of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph
who was sold
into Egypt by the hands of his brethren.” Alma 10:2-3
The
original Holy Bible has not been changed!
“But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” 1 Peter 1:25
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
Isaiah 40:8
God has preserved the Hebrew and Greek texts composing the
Holy Bible without errors. It never needed to have corrections, because it is
inspired of God.
3,913
changes were made to the original Book of Mormon
Why? Because the Book of Mormon is
uninspired, not from God.
Original 1830http://www.carm.org/lds/1830_BOM/intro.htm
A. Joseph
Smith, Jr. the author and proprietor of this work
B. 1 Nephi 13:40‘the lamb of God is the Eternal Father.’
C. 1 Ne 11:21 ‘the Eternal Father’
D. 1 Ne 11:32 ‘the Everlasting God’
Etc.
Edition 1837
A. Joseph
Smith, Jr. the translator of this work
B. ‘the lamb of
God is the son of the Eternal Father’
C. ‘son of the
Eternal Father’
D. ‘son of the
Everlasting God’
Etc.
The facts are that the Book of Mormon has had thousands of
corrections. Do these facts prove the Book of Mormon is not inspired? YES!
Jesus
the Christ is the Head of the Church
“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of
every creature: 16 For by him 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: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the
church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things
he might have the preeminence.”Colossians 1:15-18
Joseph
Smith is the Head of the Church
“But, behold, verily, verily, I say unto
thee, ano one shall be appointed to receive
commandments and revelationsin this church excepting my servant Joseph
Smith, Jun., for he receiveth them even as Moses.
3 And thou shalt be obedient
unto the things which I shall give unto him, even as Aaron,
to bdeclare
faithfully the commandments and the revelations, with power and authority unto the church.” Doctrine
& Covenants 28:2-3
Gospel
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be
accursed.”Galatians 1:8
“For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God: 9 Not
of works, lest any man should boast.”Ephesians 2:8-9
Please read the Biblical Gospel section
Gospel
Plan to be another God by
being a good Mormon.
Three
hours of darkness
“And it was about the sixth
hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.”Luke 23:44
They
can’t both be right. You must choose your authority. Which book is God’s
Word? Too many contradictions for them both to be God’s Word!
Three
days of darkness
“And he said unto me that while the thunder and the
lightning lasted, and the tempest, that these things should be, and that darkness
should cover the face of the whole earth for the space of three days.”Helaman 14:27
III. Scriptures
Warnings to those who tamper with God's
Words
"Ye shall not add unto
the Word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish [ought] from it, that
ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command
you."(Deut.12:32)Deuteronomy 4:2
"Add thou not unto his
words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."Proverbs 30:6
"For I testify unto
every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this Book, If any man shall
add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in
this Book: (19) And if any man shall take away from the Words of the Book of
this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of
the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this Book."Revelation 22:18-19
The promised preservation of God’s Words
"The Words of the LORD [are] pure Words: [as] silver tried
in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (7) Thou shalt keep them, O LORD,
thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."Psalm 12:6-7
"He hath remembered His covenant for ever, the Word
[which] He commanded to a thousand generations."Psalms 105:8
"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the Word
of our God shall stand for ever."Isaiah 40:8
God is not concerned
with original Scripture. Moses destroyed tablets written by God. God simply
replaced them. God commanded Jeremiah to toss original Scripture in a river
(Jeremiah 51:63).
"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
"But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. And
this is the Word which by gospel is preached unto you."1 Peter 1:25
The Word of God
equals Scripture"...unto whom the Word of God came, and the Scripture cannot
be broken;"John 10:35
"Which things also we speak, not in the words which
man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual
things with spiritual."1 Corinthians 2:13
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my Words
shall not pass away."Matthew 24:35
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my Words
shall not pass away."Mark 13:31
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my Words
shall not pass away."Luke 21:33
Do you believe that
God can keep His "Word"?
"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom; ..."Colossians 3:16
“But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And
this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” 1 Peter 1:25
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
Isaiah 40:8
God’s Word is preserved in
the Hebrew Messoretic Old Covenant and the Greek Orthodox New Covenant
“Now, the decrees of God are aunalterable; therefore, the way is prepared
that bwhosoever will
may cwalk
therein and be saved.” Alma 41:8 God’s Word whether Old Testament or New Testament
cannot be altered. Meaning it is preserved some place!
The terms ‘Passover’ and
‘Passovers’ are never mentioned in the Book of Mormon, why? These terms are
used many times in the Old and New Covenant, but missing in the Book of Mormon.
The Passover is the bases for Christianity!
The Introduction to the Book of Mormon
reads:
‘The Book of Mormon is a
volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. … and contains, as does the
Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel.’
The Holy Bible is not equal with the
Book of Mormon says the LDSChurch.
Mormons are taught and
believe the Book of Mormon is the Word of God whereas the Holy Bible is full of
corruptions. Which would you read a book of corruptions or the uncorrupted Word
of God?
The Book of Mormon claims to
be ‘Another Testament of Jesus Christ’ if this were to be true why are there so
many contradictions with the Holy Bible? Mormons would answer by stating that
the Holy Bible is the one in error stating it has not been preserved, yet the
Holy Bible under God’s inspiration clearly stated Its preservation.“Being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh
is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass
withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word
which by the gospel is preached unto you.”1 Peter 1:23-25
“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 Berean’s were more noble
because they searched the existing Scriptures to see if the missionaries’
teaching was truth. They didn’t just accept new revelation they searched the
Holy Bible to see if it was from God.
Satan’s deception spoken in the Garden of
Eden was that Adam and Eve could have become as God. Joseph Smith says all can
become a God.
So, Joseph Smith is in effect
saying the lie of the serpent is really the truth! Where does this doctrine of
devils come from?
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some
shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils;”1 Timothy 4:1
“And the angel spake unto
me, saying: These last records which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall
establish the truth of the first, which is of the twelve apostles of the Lamb,
and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away
from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father
and the Saviour of the world; and that all men must come unto Him, or they
cannot be saved;” 1 Nephi 13: 40
Revised Book of Mormon -
Off the present LDS website
“And the angel spake unto me,
saying: These alast records, which thou hast seen among
the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve
apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which
have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues,
and people, that the Lamb of God is the
Son of the Eternal Father, and the eSavior of the world; and that all men must
come unto him, or they cannot be saved.” 1 Nephi 13:40
B. 1 Nephi 11:21
Original 1830
“And
the angel said unto me, behold the Lamb
of God, yea, even the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree
which thy father saw?” 1 Nephi 11:21
Revised Book of Mormon -
Off the present LDS website
“And the angel said unto me:
Behold the Lamb
of God, yea, even the Son
of the Eternal Father!
Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?” 1 Nephi 11:21
C. 1 Nephi 11:32
Original 1830
“And
it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying, look! And I looked
and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Everlasting God, was judged of the
world; and I saw and bear record.” 1 Nephi 11:32
Revised Book of Mormon -
Off the present LDS website
“And it came to pass that the
angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of
God, that he was taken
by the people; yea, the Son of
the everlasting God was bjudged
of the world; and I saw and bear record.” 1 Nephi 11:32
V. Joseph Smith Jr.
Joseph Smith, Jr. was born December 23,
1805, died June 27, 1844
Some reports say he had only
a third grade education.
He died in a two way gun battle
in Carthage, IL. He was on trial for the destruction of a printing
press thathad printed facts he didn’t want printed. He
died having just fired his gun into the hallway. His Jupitertalisman was in his pocket – it failed to
protect him!
A. The start of Joseph Smith’s
revelations
–
History 1:15-16(This is a book believed to be inspired as
written by Joseph Smith.)
Joseph Smith himself decides
on a spot in the woods in which to pray. A demon or Satan indwells him, ‘I was
seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me’.‘I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered
around me, … the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such
marvelous power …’
Then
Joseph Smith says, ‘I saw a
pillar of light …’So, the
‘angel of light’ reveals himself.
Joseph Smith like Mohammed
called on god and the god of this world – Satan responded as an angel of light.
Since God has a name and His
name is Jesus, one must pray to God not an abstract god.
B. Did Joseph Smith Jr. have an occult background that
would have caused him to be cursed?
“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,
11 Or a
charmer, or a consulter with
familiar spirits, or a wizard,
or a necromancer. 12 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.”Deuteronomy 18:10-12
“But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of
the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes
which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and
overtake thee: 16 Cursedshaltthou be in the city, and cursed shaltthou be in the field.”Deuteronomy 28:15-16
Having learned
‘treasure witching’ from his dad, Joseph Smith Jr. at an early age had contact
with evil spirits. He eventually learned how to use a peep stone, etc. He
eventually became a Mason and connected with the Kabbalah. These facts are
documented by the Mormon’s websites.
Joseph Smith
Jr.’s antagonism toward the traditional church seems to have come from his dad,
addendum c. Visions of Joseph Smith Sr.
C. Did Joseph Smith give proof that he
did not see Father God or Jesus? Yes!
“And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority
of the priesthood, the power of godliness is bnot manifest unto men in the flesh; 22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the
Father, and live.”Doctrine and
Covenants 84:21-22Written by Joseph
Smith who in his History 1:15-16 had not received the ‘authority of the
priesthood’ which he gained later. Since Joseph Smith could not have seen God,
who did he see?
One must discern ones experiences based on the
Holy Bible. All doctrines must agree with the Holy Bible. Of course the devil
wishes to confuse everyone, like he perverted the Word of God with Adam and
Eve. He tried to pervert the Word of God with Jesus. He did pervert the Word of
God with Joseph Smith.
D. Joseph Smith Jr.’s occultic possessions
Joseph
Smith’s religious understanding started with the occult and the Masons.
1.Joseph Smith’s Jupiter Talisman
The day of Joseph Smith’s
murder he had a Jupiter talisman on him. The Jupiter talisman is to bring
fortune and the favor of people to the barer. It is a definitely an occultic
item.
Another interesting article:
“1826 TRIAL & SMITH'S
MAGIC TALISMAN
Answering
Dr. Clandestine:
A Response to the Anonymous
LDS Historian
Pages 31-33 -- Joseph Smith's 1826 Trial and His Magic Talisman”
The following website also includes pictures of the Jupiter Talisman
Joseph Smith used his peep/seer stone to
find the gold plates.
“These plates were found at
the north point of a hill two miles north of Manchester village. Joseph had a stone which was dug from the
well of Mason Chase, twenty-four feet from the surface. In this stone he could
see many things to my certain knowledge. It
was by means of this stone he first discovered these plates.”Tiffany’s Monthly, Martin Harris, August,
1859, Pg. 163-170, http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/harris_1.htm
Joseph Smith used his peep/seer stone to
translate the gold plates.
David Whitmer (one of three
secretaries who wrote down what was seen in the hat) states that Joseph Smith
used the peep stone to write the Book of Mormon. He says this is what happened:
There were three secretaries, I was one. Joseph Smith would put his peep stone
into a hat then place his face over the opening. He would see parchment appear
then an unknown language. Under the unknown language would be written the
English translation. Joseph Smith would read the English. Once a secretary had
the English translation written, the parchment would disappear and a new
parchment would appear with the unknown language and its translation. This method
of translation continued until the Book of Mormon was translated.
More information on Joseph
Smith’s use of the peep stone:
http://www.lds-mormon.com/transltn.shtml
Christians who know their Holy Bible would
wonder if a demon or the devil was showing Joseph Smith what to write.
“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, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar
spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.”Deuteronomy 18:10-11
E. Joseph Smith and the Masons
Joseph Smith had been a Mason before starting
the Church of the Latter Day Saints.
Being a Mormon and being a
Mason go hand in hand in Nauvoo, IL. Mormons were instructed to join the local Masonic
Lodge. The local lodge was one of the largest if not the largest in IL because
of the Mormons!
- Used his peep stone to find
the gold plates containing the Book of Mormon
- Used his peep stone to
translate the gold plates without looking at the plates, than why were the gold
plates preserved over a 1,000 years if he was not going to need them. Did they
ever really exist?
- Used a Jupiter Talisman
VI. Joseph Smith’s False Teachings and False
Prophecies
A. Moon MenThe following is from:http://www.lds-mormon.com/moon.shtml
This is the exact (though not complete) text of an
article in "The Young Woman's Journal", an LDS magazine of the 1890s.
The article is dated "Feb
6, 1892".
I present it without comment, but you might safely
predict my feelings, as an ex-mormon, towards this article, and its
implications.
"Nearly
all the great discoveries of men in the last half century have, in one way or
another, either directly or indirectly, contributed to prove Joseph Smith to be
a Prophet.
As
far back as 1837, I know that he said the moon was inhabited by men and women
the same as this earth, and that they lived to a greater age than we do - that
they live generally to near the age of a 1000 years.
He
described the men as averaging near six feet in height, and dressing quite
uniformly in something near the Quaker style.
In
my Patriarchal blessing, given by the father of Joseph the Prophet, in
Kirtland, 1837, I was told that I should preach the gospel before I was 21
years of age; that I should preach the gospel to the inhabitants upon the
islands of the sea, and - to the inhabitants of the moon, even the planet you
can now behold with your eyes.
The
first two promises have been fulfilled, and the latter may be verified.
From
the verification of two promises we may reasonably expect the third to be
fulfilled also."
B. Joseph
Smith’s teaching on the earth not being round
Can be found at the same
website as the preceding.
"The
inspiration of God caused men to hunt for a new continent until Columbus
discovered it. Men have lost millions of dollars and hundreds of lives to find
a country beyond the north pole; and they will yet find that country - a warm,
fruitful country, inhabited by the ten tribes of Israel, a country divided by a
river, on one side of which lives the half tribe of Manasseh, which is more
numerous than all the others. So said the Prophet. At the same time he
described the shape of the earth at the poles as being a rounded elongation,
and drew a diagram of it in this form: "
_____
_/\_
[__]
\_____/
[very
approximate ASCII]
C.Joseph Smith
taught that American Indians are decedents of the Hebrews.
Every tribe of American Indians have had
their DNA tested. They are of Asian descent not Hebrew. Is this than another of
Joseph Smith’s deceptions?
VII. Prophet Brigham Young
"I believe in sisters marrying brothers, and
brothers having their sisters for wives. . . ." "In
our marriage relations here we are marrying our brothers, and our sisters."
"The whole world will think what an awful thing it is. What an
awful thing it would be if the Mormons should just say we believe in marrying brothers
and sisters. Well, we shall be under the necessity of doing it, because we
cannot find anybody else to marry."http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/pub1.htm
Obviously, Brigham Young’s statements were not of God.
God does not contradict Himself.
“None of you shall approach
to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am
the LORD.” Leviticus 18:6
“Thou shalt not uncover the
nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's
daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they
are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.”Leviticus 18:17
VIII. You Too Can Be a God!
Here is how
according to Mormon theology:
“And again, verily I say
unto you, if a man marry a wife, and
make a covenant with her for time and for all eternity, if that acovenant is not by me or by my word, which
is my law, and is not sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, through him whom I
have anointed and appointed unto this power, then it is not valid neither of
force when they are out of the world, because they are not joined by me, saith
the Lord, neither by my word; when they are out of the world it cannot be
received there, because the angels and the gods are appointed there, by whom
they cannot pass; they cannot, therefore, inherit my glory; for my house is a
house of order, saith the Lord God.
19
And again, verily I say unto you, if a
man marry
a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting
covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, and it shall be said unto them—Ye
shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; it be after
the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and
powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the
Lamb’s Book of
Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and
commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in
all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all
eternity; and shall be of full force
when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the
gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things,
as hath been sealed upon their heads, which
glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds
forever and ever.
20
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 132:18-20
You too can be like God!
You too can be equal to God! (Mormon Theology)
“They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen,
and know as they
are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace; 95 And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in
dominion.”Doctrine
and Covenants 76:94-95
“And then shall the angels be crowned with the glory
of his might, and the saints shall be filled with his glory, and receive their inheritance and be made equal with him.” Doctrine and
Covenants 88:107
According to these doctrines and covenants,
Satan was telling the truth in the Garden of Eden. Men can become as God! Of
course, this is all a lie! The devil has deceived those in Mormonism! If one
believes these lies, they too will be gods in Hell!
Why wait? Why not sign up
for Hell today!
Mormons believe man as a spirit was not
created or made,but a spirit waiting to earn the right to be a God.
“Man was also
in the beginning with God. Intelligence,
or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.”Doctrine and Covenants 93:29
“Howbeit that he made the
greater star; as, also, if there be two spirits,
and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits,
notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end,
they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal.”Abraham
3:18
The Mormon Church teaches that we are spirit babies
from a Father and Mother God.
The Mormon hymn ‘O My Father’
was written by Eliza R. Snow, a plural wife of both Joseph Smith and Brigham
Young. This hymn is a prayer to Father and Mother in Heaven. So prayer can be
offered to Mother God, the neo-Mormons don’t accept this old doctrine.
He is the first born spirit
baby of the Mormon God of this planet, Elohim.
Mormons are very happy that their spirit brother Adam
and their spirit sister Eve fell/sinned in the garden which was located in Missouri.
“And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of
Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send
me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.
28
And the second was angry,
and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed
after him.” Abraham 3:27-28
Verse :28 is referring to Satan’s failurel to become
an accepted spirit brother.
Joseph
Smith teaches that he and Jesus are the same in many ways.
Joseph Smith
Jesus the Christ
Was
a spirit baby
Was
a spirit baby
Will
be a God of His own planet
Will
be a God of His own planet
Was
a prophet
Was
a prophet
Obviously, Joseph Smith taught a
different Jesus then the Holy Bible!
X. More Mormon Theology
A. The true Mormons of today
Warren Jeffs is following Joseph Smith’s
teachings. The neo-Mormons have left Joseph Smith’s teachings such as polygamy.
Why have they left the so-called inspired writings of their so-called prophet
Joseph Smith? Did their god make a mistake? Did their god deceive them?
B. Kingdoms
The TelestialKingdom – lowest kingdomDoctrine and Covenants 76:103
The TerrestrialKingdom - died w/o law, deceived by menDoctrine and Covenants
76:72-75
The CelestialKingdom – the highest kingdom, for GodsDoctrine and Covenants
76:58
God will dwell with all of His people. There are not
different levels of contact with God.
“And I saw a new heaven and a
new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there
was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down
from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I
heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be
their God.”Revelation 21:1-3
C. Maps
Finding Biblical maps with
real locations based on the Holy Bible readily available.
Most Holy Bibles have
Biblical maps as their last pages. Why doesn’t the Book of Mormon have maps as
their last pages? Finding Book of Mormon maps that agree is impossible. No one
knows where the mentioned cities are located. There is no historical or
archeological proof for the mentioned cities in question.
There is no proof that the
events ever took place. Is the Book of Mormon another book of fiction?
D. Elohim – the
name of the Mormon god of this planet, earth.
In the KJV the Hebrew word
‘elohim’ is translated ‘God’ 2366 times. So like with Satan’s brain child Islam
which calls its god ‘Allah’ which is simply the Arabic word for ‘god’, the
Mormons call their god ‘Elohim’. Their no name god is really who? Yes, Satan.
H430'ĕlôhîymelohimאלהים
BDB
Definition:
1) (plural)
1a) rulers, judges
1b) divine ones
1c) angels
1d) gods
2) (plural intensive -
singular meaning)
2a) god, goddess
2b) godlike one
2c) works or special
possessions of God
2d) the (true) God
2e) God
Part of Speech: noun masculine plural
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s
Number: plural of H433
Same Word by TWOT Number: 93c
The Holy Bible teaches:
“Therefore the Jews sought
the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making
himself equal with God.”John 5:18
“For by him 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
“Before the mountains were
brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from
everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”Psalms 90:2
Not all history of the Mormon
Church should be given, because the truth may hurt the Church:
http://www.lds-mormon.com/censors.shtml
E. Mormon women as priests: NOT
http://www.lds-mormon.com/01220259.shtml
F. Caution
I remember seeing Ed Decker’s
‘The God Makers’ in a Baptist church. I would not recommend anyone to see this
video. What is the truth in this video? Difficult to find the truth in ‘The God
Makers’.
G. Recommended Videos – Great for showing students as
a class
‘Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith’
is very informative video.
1. How do you respond to the
fact that the Book of Mormon by
Joseph Smith and the View of the Hebrews by Ethan Smith were very close
in content and order? The View of the Hebrews was published 1923. The Book of Mormon was published in 1930. View
of the Hebrews was published less than 100 miles from Joseph Smith Sr.’s
home. You can see where many questions should be asked? The fact that Joseph
Smith didn’t have look at lying as sin has been shown.
2. If the Book of Mormon is
inspired of God, why are there almost 4,000 changes – deletions and additions,
since the original? Why is the same true for the Doctrine and Covenants? Why
must these supposedly inspired books be changed? Is it because changes must be
made to make the doctrines agree?
The Holy Bible is inspired of
the one and only true God whose name is Jesus. Man translated the Holy Bible
from Hebrew and Greek to English. None of the translators claim to be inspired.
Meaning of all the English translations available none of them claim to be
inspired.
Joseph Smith, Jr. claimed to
be inspired as he translated the gold plates. If he was given the translation
by using the peep stone and a hat, then he was not translating, he was simply a
reader of words as a spirit medium.
3. Why does the Book of
Mormon use King James Version English when in 1830 KJV English was archaic? Was the Book of Mormon written 1,200 to 2,000
years before the Book of Mormon? Then why are there almost direct quotes from
the KJV Bible which of course was much more recent?
XIII. Feelings – ‘The Burning in the Bosom’
Should one use feelings to
determine truth?
Can a demon give false
feelings? Yes
Why should the real God
answer you?
Secular pop music gives
feelings.
‘The Burning in the Bosom’
When I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
with the evidence of speaking in tongues, I had a holy burning in my bosom
provided by the Holy Spirit. The burning lasted for about three days. It was a
great feeling of Jesus’ love and warmth. I wish it would have continued.
Can you
read about this kind of experience in the Holy Bible? Yes
“And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while
he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”Luke 24:32
Many get
married based on feelings to discover their feelings were wrong!
Mormon missionaries’ favorite verse:
“And when ye shall receive
these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in
the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a
sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the
truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost?”Moroni 10:4
You may wish to ask the real God, whose name
is Jesus to reveal truth to you.
Jesus is God:
“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
“And Thomas answered and said
unto him, My Lord and my God.”John 20:28
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son
is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be
called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty
God, The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace”. Isaiah 9:6
XIV. Biblical Salvation
Who is Jesus? Most respond
by saying He is the ‘Son of God’, which is true. But, what else is Jesus?
Jesus is God.
"For
unto us a child is born, unto us a
son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall
be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
"Behold,
a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."Matthew
1:23
"In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."John
1:1
“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.” John 20:28
“God was
manifest in the flesh, ... ."1 Timothy 3:16
Plus: 1 John
5:20; Phil. 2:7-8; 1 Tim.1:16-17; John 5:18; John 14:20; Hebrews 1:8-9; Col.
2:8-9; Tit. 2:13
One must believe that Jesus is God! The
phrase ‘Son of God’ refers to Jesus’ humanity. God came to earth born with an
actual human body.
There are
basically 3 plans of salvation in the United
States:
Roman Catholics – a system of works
based on the 7 sacraments and man’s tradition.
Protestants -pray the sinner’s prayer, and you go to
heaven. Never does the Holy Bible give an example of praying a sinner’s pray for salvation!
Christians – follow Jesus’ Words &
example
“And
Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the
heavens were opened unto
him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon
him:”Matthew 3:16
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (HEAVEN). 6
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit.” John 3:5-6
1. Born of water- Water baptism
2. Born of the Spirit– Holy Spirit baptism
3. Born of the flesh– Your physical birth
What is the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit?The
Baptism of the Holy Spirit is God entering into a person.
Believers have the Holy Spirit and Jesus in them!
“… he dwelleth
with you, and … shall be in youI am
in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”John 14:15-20
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the
Spirit, if so be that theSpirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.[10] And ifChrist
be in you, the body is dead
because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [11] Butif the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,
he that raised up Christ from
the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his
Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:9-11
"Know
ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of
God dwelleth in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the
faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how thatJesus Christ is in you,
except ye be reprobates?”2
Corinthians 13:5
Plus: 2 Corinthians 6:16; 2 John 1:9;
Ephesians 3:19, 4:6; 1 John 4:2
Are you a Believer?
“And he said unto
them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.17 And these signs shall follow
them that believe; In my
name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;” Mark 16:15-17
You have just read where the Bible says a
believer shall speak in tongues. Why don’t you speak in Tongues?
Tongues is the evidence a believer is really a believer/Christian!
What does
Christ mean?What is a Christian?
‘Christ’ is Greek;‘Messiah’ is Hebrew;‘Anointed’ is English ; ‘Christ’ and
‘Messiah’ mean ‘Anointed’
So, a Christian is someone
who has been anointed like Jesus the Christ.How was Jesus anointed?
“How God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went
about doing
good, and
healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”Acts 10:38
What is Water Baptism?
John the Baptist’s water
baptism
“And he came into all the
country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of
repentance for the remission of sins;” Luke 3:3
What Jesus said about water
baptism
“He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned.”Mark 16:16
What Peter said about water
baptism
“Then Peter
said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost.”Acts 2:38
What Paul said and did with
water baptism
“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 19:5
“And now why tarriest thou?
arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the
Lord.” Acts
22:16
What Peter added to the
teaching on water baptism
“Which sometime were
disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah,
while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved
by water. The like figure whereunto [even] baptism doth also now save
us
(not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good
conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”1 Peter 3:20-21
Notice:
This verse reads ‘baptism doth also now save us’.
Holy
Spirit cleanses of sin, water cleanses of sin, and Jesus’ blood cleanses of sin
“And there are three that bear witness in
earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in
one.”1 John 5:8
Water BaptismHoly Spirit
Baptism
“Except a man be born of water -and [of] the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God”John 3:5
“by the washing of regeneration,-and renewing of
the Holy Ghost;”Titus 3:5
“baptized ... you ... for the remission
of sins,-and ye shall receive ...
Holy Ghost.”Acts 2:38
“our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and
our bodies washed with pure water.”Hebrews 10:22
“...ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,
but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and
by the Spirit of our God.”1 Corinthians6:11
One must be water baptized
in the name of Jesus for the washing away of sin, for His name is the name of
the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. There is only one God. God’s name
is Jesus!
Please contact me if you would like in-depth
details on any of these points. May Jesus bless you!Bibleteach@hotmail.com
My website with more information on
salvation is found at:http://www.atseminary.weebly.com
Conclusion
“Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel,
whom I have chosen: 2 Thus saith the
LORD that made thee, and formed thee
from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant;
and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour water upon him that is
thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed,
and my blessing upon thine offspring: 4 And they shall spring up as
among the grass, as willows by the water courses. 5 One shall say, I am
the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and
another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself
by the name of Israel. 6 Thus saith the
LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am
the last; and beside me there is no God. 7 And who, as I,
shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed
the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them
shew unto them. 8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from
that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there
is no God; I know not any. 9 They that make a graven image are
all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are
their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. 10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a
graven image that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his fellows
shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are
of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they
shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. 12 The smith with
the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and
worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength
faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretcheth out his
rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh
it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to
the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. 14 He heweth him down
cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself
among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm
himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a
graven image, and falleth down thereto. 16 He burneth part thereof in the fire;
with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he
warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: 17 And
the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth
down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith,
Deliver me; for thou art my god. 18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut
their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot
understand. 19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is
there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the
fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted
flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an
abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? 20 He feedeth on ashes:
a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor
say, Is there not a lie in
my right hand? 21 Remember these, O Jacob and Israel;
for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant:
O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. 22 I have blotted out, as a thick
cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I
have redeemed thee. 23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it:
shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O
forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified
himself in Israel.
24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer,
and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things;
that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by
myself; 25 That frustrateth the
tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men
backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; 26 That confirmeth the word of
his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to
Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be
built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: 27 That saith to the
deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: 28 That saith of Cyrus, He is
my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou
shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.”Isaiah 44:1-28
Joseph Smith used his peep
stone to divine for hidden monies, the gold tablets, and the translation of the
gold tablets.
Like with Mohammed, Satan
came to Joseph Smith offering a great deception.
Since Joseph Smith and his followers teach a different
gospel than the Holy Bible are they cursed? Will they all be in the eternal Lake of Fire?
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you
than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”Galatians 1:8
“I marvel that ye are so soon
removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert
the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any
other gospel unto you than that which we
have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I
now again, If any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”Galatians 1:6-9
Joseph Smith
If one were to model their life after Joseph
Smith, he or she would have to lie, deceive, lust, etc. Why was Joseph Smith in
jail so many times? Why was Joseph Smith in trouble with the law before his
death? He had destroyed a newspaper
press, because he didn’t like what it had printed about him. Is this law
abiding, of course not! Is this revenge?”Dearly beloved, avenge not
yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay,
saith the Lord.”Romans 12:19
The questions are:
Was Joseph Smith a deceiver?
Was Joseph Smith a liar?
Was Joseph Smith a false
prophet?
Have you followed Joseph
Smith being deceived?
Have you followed Joseph
Smith being lied to?
Final Points
Many have left the LDS church
to follow the Holy Bible! The choice is yours. If you would like my help, please call or email me. There are
churches in Utah composed of ex-Mormons who have found and obeyed the
truth.
At the judgment seat of Jesus Christ your
eternal destination has been decided by what you did here on earth. What is the
true plan of salvation based on the Holy Bible? In other words, what does Jesus
Christ want you to do in obedience to Him? He is God. You must please Him.See XIV. Biblical Salvation
“Jesus saith unto him, I am
the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
John 14:6
“And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.”John 8:32
Addendum
A. Treasure
Hunting and Magic From:http://www.lds-mormon.com/bookofmormonquestions.shtml#JS1
Why was Joseph Smith arrested for "money
digging" and convicted of being a disorderly person? He admitted to
being a money digger, though he said it was never very profitable for him
(History of the Church, V. 3, p. 29). He and his father's money digging
continued until at least 1826. On March
20th, 1826, Joseph was arrested, brought before a judge, and
charged with being a "glass-looker" and a disorderly person. The
laws at that time had what was known as the "Vagrant Act." It
defined a disorderly person as one who pretended to have skill in the
areas of palmistry, telling fortunes or discovering where lost goods might
be found. According to court records Justice Neely determined that Joseph
was guilty, though no penalty was administered, quite possibly because
this was a first offense (Inventing Mormonism,
Marquardt and Walters, pp. 74-75).
Why did Joseph Smith have to use a seer stone
both before and after being called as a prophet?
Why did the Book of Mormon have to be translated
while he looked into the seer stone placed in a black top hat? D. Michael
Quinn writes: "During this period from 1827 to 1830, Joseph Smith
abandoned the company of his former money-digging associates, but
continued to use for religious purposes the brown seer stone he had
previously employed in the treasure quest. His most intensive and
productive use of the seer stone was in the translation of the Book of
Mormon. But he also dictated several revelations to his associates through
the stone" (Early Mormonism and the Magic World View
P. 143). Richard S. Van Wagoner writes: "This stone, still retained
by the First Presidency of the LDS
Church, was the vehicle
through which the golden plates were discovered and the medium through
which their interpretation came" (Sidney
Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess, p. 57).
Why would a prophet need to send members to
seek for treasure seen in a vision? See D&C 111. Why wasn't any found
when the revelation states they would?
Why does the Book of Mormon discuss "slippery treasure" (and other
similar fascinations with stones and riches) so much?
B. The Peep/Seer Stone Method of Translation
From:
http://www.lds-mormon.com/transltn.shtml
It is interesting to note
that in a 25 June 1992 seminar for new mission presidents, Elder Russell M. Nelson said,
"The details of this miraculous method of translation are still not fully
known. Yet we do have a few precious insights." (Ensign, July 1993,
p. 62.) Then he quoted from David Whitmer's 1887 account in which Joseph Smith
"would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the
hat...."
Several witnesses claimed
that Smith saw English words or letters appear before his eyes. However, other
statements by some of the same men, other witnesses, and revelations (D&C
8,9) infer the translation process was not automatic and mechanical. Supporting
this are the thousands of corrections and textual revisions made to the
original manuscript by Joseph Smith. The third or 1840 edition of the Book of
Mormon was printed with this statement, "Carefully Revised by the
Translator." B.H. Roberts concluded,
"The translation of the
Book of Mormon by means of the "Interpreters" and "Seer
Stone," was not merely a mechanical process, but required the utmost
concentration of mental and spiritual force possessed by the prophet..." (Young
Men's Manual, 1903-4, p. 69)
"This view of the
translation of the Nephite record accounts for the fact that the Book of
Mormon, though a translation of an ancient record, is nevertheless, given in
English idiom of the period and locality in which the prophet lived; and in the
faulty English, moreover as to composition, phraseology, and grammar, of a
person of Joseph Smith's limited education; and also accounts for the sameness
of phraseology and literary style which runs through the whole volume." (Young
Men's Manual, 1903-4, p. 71)
C. Visions of Joseph Smith, Sr. – Joseph
Smith, Jr.’s Dad
Biographical Sketches of
Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for many Generations by Lucy Smith, Mother of the Prophet, 1853 Edition,
Pg. 56-59
One night my husband retired to his bed, in a very thoughtful state of
mind, contemplating the situation of the Christian religion, or the confusion
and discord that were extant. He soon fell into a sleep, and before waking had
the following vision, which I shall relate in his own words, just as he told it
to me the next morning:--
"I seemed to be travelling in
an open, barren field, and as I was travelling, I turned my eyes towards the
east, the west, the north, and the south, but could see nothing save dead
fallen timber. Not a vestige of life, either animal or vegetable, could be
seen; besides. to render the scene still more dreary, the most death-like
silence prevailed, no sound of anything animate could be heard in all the
field. I was alone in this gloomy desert, with the exception of an attendant
spirit, who kept constantly by my side. Of him I inquired the meaning of what I
saw, and why I was thus travelling in such a dismal place. He answered thus:
'This field is the world, which now lieth inanimate and dumb, in regard to the
true religion, or plan of salvation; but travel on, and by the wayside you will
find on a certain log a box, the contents of which, if you eat thereof, will
make you wise, and give unto you wisdom and understanding.' I carefully
observed what was told me by my guide, and proceeding a short distance, I came
to the box. I immediately took it up, and placed it under my left arm; then
with eagerness I raised the lid, and began to taste of its contents; upon which
all manner of beasts, horned cattle, and roaring animals, rose up on every side
in the most threatening manner possible, tearing the earth, tossing their
horns, and bellowing most terrifically all around me, and they finally came so
close upon me, that I was compelled to drop the box, and fly for my life. Yet,
in the midst of all this I was perfectly happy, though I awoke trembling."
From this forward, my husband
seemed more confirmed than ever, in the opinion that there was no order or
class of religionists that knew any more concerning the Kingdom of God, than those of the world,
or such as made no profession of religion whatever.
In 1811, we moved from Royalton, Vermont, to the town of Lebanon, New Hampshire. Soon after arriving here,
my husband received another very singular vision, which I will relate :--
"I thought," said he,
"I was travelling in an open, desolate field, which appeared to be very
barren. As I was thus travelling, the thought suddenly came into my mind that I
had better stop and reflect upon what I was doing, before I went any further.
So I asked myself, 'What motive can I have in travelling here, and what place
can this be?' My guide who was by my side, as before, said, 'This is the
desolate world; but travel on.' The road was so broad and barren, that I
wondered why I should travel in it; for, said I to myself, 'Broad is the road,
and wide is the gate that leads to death, and many there be that walk therein;
but narrow is the way, and straight is the gate that leads to everlasting life,
and few there be that go in thereat.' Travelling a short distance further, I
came to a narrow path. This path I entered, and, when I had travelled a little
way in it, I beheld a beautiful stream of water, which ran from the east to the
west. Of this stream I could see neither the source nor yet the termination;
but as far as my eyes could extend I could see a rope, running along the bank
of it, about as high as a man could reach, and beyond me, was a low, but very
pleasant, valley, in which stood a tree, such as I, had never seen before. It
was exceedingly handsome, insomuch that I looked upon it with wonder and
admiration. Its beautiful branches spread themselves somewhat like an umbrella,
and it bore a kind of fruit, in shape much like a chestnut bur, and as white as
snow, or, if possible, whiter. I gazed upon the same with considerable
interest, and as I was doing so, the burs or shells commenced opening and
shedding their particles, or the fruit which they contained, which was of
dazzling whiteness. I drew near, and began to eat of it, and I found it
delicious beyond description. As I was eating, I said in my heart, 'I cannot
eat this alone, I must bring my wife and children, that they may partake with
me.' Accordingly, I went and brought my family, which consisted of a wife and
seven children, and we all commenced eating, and praising God for this
blessing. We were exceedingly happy, insomuch that our joy could not easily be
expressed. While thus engaged, I beheld a spacious building standing opposite
the valley which we were in, and it appeared to reach to the very heavens. It
was full of doors and windows, and they were all filled with people, who were very
finely dressed. When these people observed us in the low valley, under the
tree, they pointed the finger of scorn at us, and treated us with all manner of
disrespect and contempt. But their contumely we utterly disregarded. I
presently turned to my guide, and inquired of him the meaning of the fruit that
was so delicious. He told me it was the pure love of God, shed abroad in the
hearts of all those who love him, and keep his commandments. He then commanded
me to go and bring the rest of my children. I told him that we were all there.
'No,' he replied, 'look yonder, you have two more, and you must bring them
also.' Upon raising my eyes, I saw two small children, standing some distance
off. I immediately went to them, and brought therm to the tree; upon which they
commenced eating with the rest, and we all rejoiced together. The more we eat,
the more we seemed to desire, until we even got down upon our knees, and
scooped it up, eating it by double handfulls. After feasting in this manner a
short time, I asked my guide what was the meaning of the spacious building
which I saw. He replied, 'It is Babylon, it is Babylon, and it must fall. The people in the doors
and windows are the inhabitants thereof, who scorn and despise the Saints of
God, because of their humility.' I soon awoke, clapping my hands together for
joy."
Joseph Smith incorrectly included Matthew's
"Sermon on the Mount" in 3 Nephi when Luke's more accurately
portrays what Jesus may have said. Words such as "mammon",
"synagogues", and "raca" were also taken straight from
Matthew. These words would have had no meaning to the Nephites. (See Ronald
V. Huggins' "Did the Author of 3 Nephi Know the Gospel of
Matthew" from Dialogue
Fall 1997 for a more detailed discussion of these issues and for an
excellent introduction to the Gospel of Q.)
Why is it that of the 350 names in the Book
of Mormon, 100 are found in the Bible, others are place names found on
early 19th century maps, and the rest are
derivatives of Bible names?
Why were the following phrases used out of
the New Testament supposedly before the New Testament was even thought
of--much less written?
1."oh wretched man that I am" Romans
7:24 / 2 Nephi 4:17
2."earthquake, rocks rent" Matt 27:51 / 1 Nephi 12:14
3."old serpent, which is the devil" Rev 20:2 / 2 Nephi 2:18
4."one faith, one baptism" Ephesians 4:5 / Mosiah 18:21
5.one man perish instead of a nation - John 11:50 / 1 Nephi 4:13
Why is a Greek word like "Christ"
used throughout the Book of Mormon?
Why don't the Book of Mormon quotes from out
of the Old Testament agree to earlier Latin, Syriac, Coptic, or Patristic
texts?
Example: Matthew 5:27 and 3 Nephi 12:27 "by them of old time"
not included in earliest Greek (should have said "to them of
old")
Matthew 6:4, 6, 18 and 3 Nephi :4, 6, 18 "openly" added later
Matt 6:13 and 3 Nephi 13:13 "lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil" should have said, "and do not bring us to the time
of trial, but rescue us from the evil one".
Why does the phrase "the lamb of
God" appear only in the New Testament portion of the Bible yet it
appears in the Book of Mormon over 30 times--28 times in 1 Nephi alone?
Why do so many stories seem like exaggerated
borrowings from the Bible?
Examples:
Ammon killed six sheep rustlers with a sling (Alma
17:36) vs. David's killing of
Goliath. (1 Samuel 17:50)
Pillar of Fire. (Exodus 13:21) vs. (1 Nephi 1:6)
Lord instructs Noah to build the Ark
(Genesis 6:14) / Lord instructs
Nephi to build ship (1 Nephi 17:8) / Lord instructs Jaredites to build
barges (Ether 2:16)
Jaredites brought flocks, two of a kind, seeds. (Ether 2:1) vs. Noah doing
the same in (Genesis 7:9)
Raising dead. (Matthew 10:8) vs. (3 Nephi 19:4)
Temple of Solomon supposedly took 180,000 people seven and a half years to
build (1 Kings 5, 6) / The few in number Nephites supposedly did it in
less than 20 years after arriving (2 Nephi 5).
Calming Storm (1 Nephi 18:8-21) vs. (Matthew 8:23-27).
Men in Fire (Helaman 5:22-24)
vs. (Daniel 3).
Feeding Multitude (3 Nephi 20:3-7) out of nothing / In Bible, Christ
multiplied existing food (Matthew 14).
Christ heals masses in Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 17:9) / in Bible Jesus
healed as he encountered (Luke 9:42).
Multitude feels wounds in Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 11:13) / In Bible, Thomas felt wounds (John 20:27).
Book of Mormon prophecies of Christ specific / Bible prophecies veiled
(actually non-existent unless scripture misquoted
or "prophecies" stretched to have two meanings).
Book of Mormon Christ is completely accepted / In Bible he is rejected.
Aminadi deciphered writing on the wall (Alma
10:2-3) like Daniel (Daniel 5).
Daughter of Jared danced before the king (Ether 8) like the daughter of
Herodias (Matthew 14) (decapitation followed in both cases).
Daughters of Lamanites abducted like the daughters of Shiloh.
Jews of Old Testament were monotheists / Pre-Christ Jews of Book of Mormon
were not.
Why did the angel take Nephi Plates back to
heaven? Do they not belong with man? Would not their existence prove once
for all that Mormonism is truth? God allowed the Jews to carry the 10
commandments for several centuries in their original physical form,
written by the finger of God Himself!
"Will you, as a Mormon, please read the
Bible cover to cover and ask God to reveal to you that it contains all of
God's message to man and that parts are not lost or altered and that the
Book of Mormon is false?"
If the original 1830 Book of Mormon was
inspired than why were there so many errors and changes and additions and
deletions, when compared to current editions?
How can we be assured that the translation of
the B of M into French or any other language is correct? Only the English
translation is claimed to be inspired!
How do you account for the stunning parallels
in both content and order between the B of M and the View of the Hebrews,
by Ethan Smith? Published in 1823 (7 years before the B of M) less than
100 miles from the Joseph Smith's parents home.
Mormon Article of Faith #8: "We Believe
the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we
also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God." Why do you
only add the phrase, "as far as it is translated correctly" to
describe the Bible and not after the book of Mormon when in fact there are
far more translating errors in the Book of Mormon than the Bible?
If the Book of Mormon is true, then why has
the Mormon church changed it? Examples are: 1 Nephi 11:21; 19:20;
20:1 and Alma 29:4. Compare
these with the original Book of Mormon. (Gerald and Sandra Tanner have
counted 3913 changes in the book of Mormon, excluding punctuation
changes.)
How did Joseph Smith carry home the golden
plates of the Book of Mormon, and how did the witnesses lift them so
easily? (They weighed about 230 lbs. Gold, with a density of 19.3 weighs
1204.7 lbs. per cubic foot. The plates were 7" x 8" by about
6". See Articles of Faith, by Talmage, page 262, 34th ed.)
If Moroni
devoutly practiced the Mormon Gospel, why is he an angel now rather than a
God? (Doc. & Cov. 132:17,37)
Why do Mormons emphasize part of the Word of
Wisdom and ignore the part forbidding the eating of meat except in winter,
cold or famine? (Doc. & Cov. 89:12,13).
When Christ died, did darkness cover the land
for three days or for three hours? (Luke 23:44
and 3 Nephi 8:19, 23).
Joseph Smith said that there are men living
on the moon who dress like Quakers and live to be nearly 1000 years old.
Since he was wrong about the moon, is it safe to trust him regarding the
way to Heaven? (The Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 3, pages 263-264. See
repreint in Mormonism --Shadow or Reality? by Jerald and Sandra Tanner,
page 4.)
Joseph Smith prepared fourteen Articles of
Faith. Why has the original No. 11 been omitted? (Joseph Smith Begins His
Work, Vol. 2, three pages after page 160, among the photos.)
Why did the Nauvoo House not stand forever
and ever? (Doc. & Cov. 124:56-60).
How can a man who is not a descendant of
Aaron hold the Aaronic Priesthood? (Numbers 16:40; Heb. 7:13,14).
Since Mormonism teaches that only God the
Father had a physical body at the time Adam was created, why did God say,
"Let us make man in OUR image"? Why didn't He say, "Let us
make man in MY image?" (Gen. 1:26).
If Jesus was conceived as a result of a
physical union between God and Mary, how was Jesus born of a virgin?
(Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, page 50).
How did Nephi with a few men on a new
continent build a temple like Solomon's while Solomon needed 163,300
workmen and seven years to build his temple? (1 Kings 5:13-18 and 2 Nephi 5:15-17).
Why was Joseph Smith still preaching against
polygamy in October 1843 after he got his revelation in July 1843
commanding the practice of polygamy? (Doc. & Cov. 132; and History of
the Church Vol. 6, page 46, or Teachings of the Prophet, page 324).
God rejected the fig leaf aprons which Adam
and Eve made (Gen. 3:21). Why do Mormons memorialize the fall by using fig
leaf aprons in the secret temple ceremonies?
How do you explain the fact that 2 Nephi 16:2
is copied from an older version of the KJV of the Bible in Isa 6:2? This
is proven because this older KJV (the mistake is corrected in current
versions) made a rare gramatical error by using the incorrect plural form
of "seraphims" rather than "seraphim".
Why are Greek names such as Lachoneus, Timothy,
Jonas, and Alpha & Omega in a book that should have absolutely no
Greek influence?
Why aren't there other examples of
"Reformed Egyptian" in Ancient America?
Why doesn't a linguistical relationship exist
between any native American language and ancient Egyptian or Hebrew?
How did the Book of Mormon language evolve so
rapidly into non-related Indian languages? Indo-European is much older
than the Book of Mormon time period, yet vestiges of Indo-European exist
through all of Europe and parts of Asia.
Why are only four main types of Mesoamerican
writing systems known (and none in pre-Columbus North America):
(Aztec, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Maya)?
Why can't the Anthon transcript (which
contains copies of the supposed Reformed Egyptian characters) be identified
with any forms of Egyptian? The only three Egyptologists that have looked
at it say it does not contain any Egyptian (Ferguson Collection, BYU)
If the Book of Mormon took place outside of Mesoamerica
(like in New York where the
Hill Cumorah supposedly is), why are written languages of ancient America
only found in Mesoamerica?
Why haven't any of the Book of Mormon proper
names such as Nephi, Laman, Zarahemla, etc. been found in all of the many
writings that have been found in Mesoamerica?
Why isn't the Elohim (God) being the father
of Jehovah (Jesus) and being once a mortal man discussed? (In fact, God
and Jesus appear to be one in the same being in the Book of
Mormon--especially in the first edition).
What about God having a body of flesh and
bones, God being married, men becoming Gods, temple participation
necessary for exaltation, baptism for the dead, Aaronic and Melchizedek
Priesthood, word of wisdom, and 3 degrees of glory?
Why is polygamy condemned in the Book of
Mormon, but condoned in the D&C and still believed to be necessary in
church doctrine for exaltation in the after-life?
Where are such doctrines as a man having to
marry in order to be exalted, member having to wear sacred undergarments,
official doctrine being voted upon by the general membership, God being
the offspring of another God, etc.?
Treasure Hunting and Magic
Why was Joseph Smith arrested for "money
digging" and convicted of being a disorderly person? He admitted to
being a money digger, though he said it was never very profitable for him
(History of the Church, V. 3, p. 29). He and his father's money digging
continued until at least 1826. On March
20th, 1826, Joseph was arrested, brought before a judge, and
charged with being a "glass-looker" and a disorderly person. The
laws at that time had what was known as the "Vagrant Act." It
defined a disorderly person as one who pretended to have skill in the
areas of palmistry, telling fortunes or discovering where lost goods might
be found. According to court records Justice Neely determined that Joseph
was guilty, though no penalty was administered, quite possibly because
this was a first offense (Inventing Mormonism, Marquardt and Walters, SLC:
Signature Books, 1994, pp.74-75).
Why did Joseph Smith have to use a seer stone
both before and after being called as a prophet?
Why did the Book of Mormon have to be
translated while he looked into the seer stone placed in a black top hat?
D. Michael Quinn writes: "During this period from 1827 to 1830,
Joseph Smith abandoned the company of his former money-digging associates,
but continued to use for religious purposes the brown seer stone he had
previously employed in the treasure quest. His most intensive and
productive use of the seer stone was in the translation of the Book of
Mormon. But he also dictated several revelations to his associates through
the stone" (Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, D. Michael
Quinn, Signature Books, SLC, 1987, p. 143). Richard S. Van Wagoner writes:
"This stone, still retained by the First Presidency of the LDS
Church, was the vehicle
through which the golden plates were discovered and the medium through
which their interpretation came" (Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of
Religious Excess, Signature Books, SLC, 1994, p.57).
Why would a prophet need to send members to
seek for treasure seen in a vision? See D&C 111. Why wasn't any found
when the revelation states they would?
Did the Jaredites magic stones have anything
to do with Joseph's acquaintance with magic stones?
Why does the Book of Mormon discuss
"slippery treasure" so much?
First Vision
Why do the accounts differ with respect to
who was in the vision? See "The New Mormon History : Revisionist
Essays on the Past " for more on this.
Why doesn't Jesus show up (separate from God)
until after the God doctrine had evolved into a plurality of Gods? (i.e.,
after 1835)
Why don't the early "prophets" even
know the story accurately? "The Lord did not come with the armies of
heaven...But he did send His angel to this same obscure person, Joseph
Smith jun...and informed him that he should not join any of the religious
sects of the day, for they were all wrong" (B. Young - JOD Volume 2
p.171 1855).
"How did it (the organization) come? By
the ministering of an holy angel from God, out of heaven, who held
converse with man, and revealed unto him the darkness that enveloped the
world...He told him the Gospel was not among men, and that there was not a
true organization of His kingdom in the world." (Wilford Woodruff -
JOD Volume 11 p.196 1855).
"How did the state of things called
Mormonism originate? We read that an angel came down and revealed himself
to Joseph Smith and manifested unto him in a vision the true position of
the world in a religious point of view. He was surrounded with light and
glory while the heavenly messenger communicated these things to him."
(John Taylor - JOD Volume 10 p.127 1863).
"When the holy angel appeared, Joseph
inquired which of all these denominations was right and which he should
join, and was told they were all wrong." (George A. Smith - JOD
Volume 12 p.334 1863).
Why doesn't any published source mention the
"official" first vision account until 1842--22 years after the
"official" event supposedly happened?
Why doesn't the 1st vision play an important
role in Mormon history until the 1860s? No one seems to mention it before
then even though it is now deemed by Mormons to be the most important
event in almost 2,000 years.
Why isn't there evidence to support the
revival described by Joseph Smith in early 1820--yet there is evidence to
support revivals several years later? Joseph Smith's neighborhood
experienced no revival in 1820 such as he described, in which great
multitudes joined the Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches.
According to early sources, including church conference reports,
newspapers, church periodicals, presbytery records and published
interviews, nothing occurred in 1820-21 that fits Joseph's description.
There were no significant gains in church membership in the
Palmyra-Manchester, New York
area, during 1820-21 such as accompany great revivals. For example, in
1820, the Baptist Church in Palmyra only received 8 people through
profession of faith and baptism, the Presbyterian church added 14 members,
while the Methodist circuit lost 6 members, dropping from 677 in 1819 to
671 in 1820 and down to 622 in 1821 (see Geneva area Presbyterian Church
Records, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, PA; Records for
the First Baptist Church in Palmyra, American Baptist Historical Society,
Rochester, NY; Minutes of the [Methodist] annual Conference, Ontario
Circuit, 1818-1821, pp. 312, 330, 346, 366).
Why does Lucy Smith (his mother) indicate
that the revival occurred around 1824? Her son, Alvin died on November 19,
1823, and following that painful loss Lucy Smith reports that, "about
this time there was a great revival in religion and the whole neighborhood
was very much aroused to the subject and we among the rest, flocked to the
meeting house to see if there was a word of comfort for us that might
relieve our over-charged feelings" (First draft of Lucy Smith's
History, p. 55, LDS Church Archives). Church records from that time period
show outstanding increases in membership due to the reception of new converts.
The Baptist Church
received 94, the Presbyterian 99, while the Methodist work grew by 208.
"You will recollect that I mentioned the time of a religious
excitement, in Palmyra and vicinity to have been in the 15th year of our
Brother J. Smith Jr's, age that was an error in the type- it should have
been the 17th...This would bring the date down to the year 1823."
(Oliver Cowdrey - Times & Seasons Vol. 2, p. 241 1840). For further
details see, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Spring 1969, pp. 59-100.
Why does his first autobiography not even
mention the "first vision"?
Why does Joseph Smith have Lehi make such a
statement as 1 Nephi 8:2? Is he equating a dream to an actual, physical
vision or visitation from God?
F. Proof that Joseph Smith died in a two way gun
battle
"Immediately there was a little rustling at the outer door of
the jail, and a cry of surrender, and also a discharge of three or four
firearms followed instantly. The doctor glanced an eye by the curtain of
the window, and saw about a hundred armed men around the door." ...
"In the meantime Joseph, Hyrum, and Elder Taylor had their coats off.
Joseph sprang to his coat for his six-shooter, Hyrum for his single
barrel, Taylor for Markham's large hickory cane,
and Dr. Richards for Taylor's cane. All sprang
against the door, the balls whistled up the stairway, and in an instant
one came through the door. (History of the Church, Vol.6, Ch.34, p.617)
"Joseph reached round the door casing, and discharged his six
shooter into the passage, some barrels missing fire. Continual discharges
of musketry came into the room Elder Taylor continued parrying the guns
until they had got them about half their length into the room, when he
found that resistance was vain, and he attempted to jump out of the
window, where a ball fired from within struck him on his left thigh,
hitting the bone, and passing through to within half an inch of the other
side. He fell on the window sill, when a ball fired from the outside
struck his watch in his vest pocket, and threw him back into the
room." (History of the Church, Vol.6, Ch.34, p.618)
"When Hyrum fell, Joseph exclaimed, "Oh dear, brother
Hyrum!" and opening the door a few inches he discharged his six
shooter in the stairway (as stated before), two or three barrels of which
missed fire." (History of the Church, Vol.6, Ch.34, p.618)
[John Taylor testified that Joseph Smith] "snapped the pistol
six successive times; only three of the barrels, however, were discharged.
I afterwards understood that two or three were wounded by these
discharges, two of whom, I am informed, died, I had in my hands a large,
strong hickory stick, brought there by Brother Markham, and left by him,
which I had seized as soon as I saw the mob approach; and while Brother
Joseph was firing the pistol, I stood close behind him. As soon as he had
discharged it he stepped back, and I immediately took his place next to
the door, while he occupied the one I had done while he was shooting.
Brother Richards, at this time, had a knotty walking-stick in his hands
belonging to me, and stood next to Brother Joseph, a little farther from
the door, in an oblique direction, apparently to avoid the rake of the fire
from the door. The firing of Brother Joseph made our assailants pause for
a moment; very soon after, however, they pushed the door some distance
open, and protruded and discharged their guns into the room, when I
parried them off with my stick, giving another direction to the
balls." (History of the Church, Vol.7, Ch.9, p.103)
Additional Facts
“Behold, this body,
which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit;
and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto
thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh.” Ether 3:16
“Three years previous to the death of Adam,
he called Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, who
were all high
priests, with the residue of his posterity who were righteous, into the valley
of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon
them his last blessing. 54 And the Lord appeared
unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam,
and called him Michael, the prince, the archangel.”D & C 107:53-54
“Hear the word of the LORD,
ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out
for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to
your joy, and they shall be ashamed.”Isaiah 66:5
53
The Prophet Joseph Smith, and my father, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, John
Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and other choice spirits
who were reserved
to come forth in the fulness of times to take part in laying the foundations
of the great latter-day work,
• • •
56
Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons
in the world of spirits and were prepared
to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of
men.
5
And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the
field before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created
all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally
upon the face of the earth. For I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon
the face of the earth. And I, the Lord God, had created
all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heavencreated
I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water,
neither in the air;
11
And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him
as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew
that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with
another.
1
When the Savior shall appear
we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is a man like ourselves.
• • •
22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as
man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but
is a personage of Spirit. Were
it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell
in us.
4 He may enter
into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.
“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 121:32
Apostolic Theological Seminary and Bible College
Dr. Bruce A. Klein M.A., M.Div., Th.M., Th.D. – Founder and President