Mormonism (G.G.)

This is an opinion article from a user of WikiChristian.

By Graham Llewellyn Grove, February 2006, Original Copy

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I had two young Mormon men knock on my door the other day. I realised that I didn't know much about Mormonism so I invited them in and listened to what they had to say. I've done a little research on the topic, and I've written about my understanding of the formation of the Mormonism and some of its doctrine taught over the last century. If I've made any factual errors let me know. If you don't like my slant, then feel free to write another opinion article on the topic. G. G.

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The founder of the Mormon religion was Joseph Smith. He was born in 1805 and grew up in New York state. He claimed that at age 14, after reading James 1: 5, that God and Jesus came to him in a vision. He asked them which church was the true Church. God replied that all existing religions had been corrupted from Jesus Christ's teaching.

Smith claimed he was later visited by Moroni. He said that Moroni was the last in a long line of prophets who was now a resurrected being (angel). Moroni's father was, according to Smith, a prophet named Mormon]] who compiled the story of the ancient Americans, the Nephites and Lamanites. Smith claimed that Moroni gave him the plates of Mormon and he translated these into the book of Mormon. He called the book “Another testament of Jesus Christ”. It tells the story of Lehi and his family and followers who lived in Ancient Jerusalem (600 BC). They build a boat and traveled to America. Some generations later the resurrected Jesus appears to the Americans after leaving Jerusalem and preached the gospel to them, but over time this got forgotten by the American people.

Smith’s ideas weren’t popular and he suffered persecution and moved to Illinois. Here he was also unpopular and was arrested (charged with destroying a local printing press). A mob broke into the jail and murdered him. After this, the church split into two groups

• One led by his widow, now known as the Reorganized Church of the Latter Day Saints
• The other led by Brigham Young and are known as The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints. They went to Utah and founded Salt Lake City

Some of the teaching of The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints includes

• "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. . .“
• The book of Mormon is more correct than the Bible
• The true gospel was lost from the earth. Mormonism is its restoration
• "We accept Christ's atonement by repenting of our sins, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and obeying all of the commandments"
• Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both
• God used to be a man on another planet
• God had sexual relations with Mary to make the body of Jesus
• After you become a good Mormon, you have the potential of becoming a god, “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”

( There are many gods – “And they (the Gods) said: Let there be light: and there was light”

• God is married to his goddess wife and has spirit children
• The trinity is three separate Gods
• There are three levels of heaven: telestial, terrestrial, and celestial
• Jesus' sacrifice was not able to cleanse us from all our sins (murder and repeated adultery are exceptions)
• If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the restoration, there would be no salvation
• We were first begotten as spirit children in heaven and then born naturally on earth
• We need prophets today, the same as in the Old Testament
• "One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation."
• (The Church of Latter Day Saints now prohibits polygamy however once it encouraged it)

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