Joseph Smith (Born December 23, 1805).

1. Received Revelation at 15 years of age that the church was not preaching the gospel and so was called to restart the right church and preach the gospel.
2. He Taught:

-Plurality of God’s

What The Bible Teaches:

"‘You are My witnesses,’ declares Yehovah, ‘And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am Yehovah; and there is no Savior besides Me.’" (Is 43:10-11)  See my link:  Only One God

Imperfect having lost many great truths.

1. King James equal to three Mormon books.

-They explain Contradictions as errors in the King James

What Is True:

Jesus said in Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My Words shall never pass away."

The science of Textual Criticism and archaeology completely refute these claims and I document this in the following links:  Bible Textual Criticism and Absolutely Reliable After Two-Thousand years of Transmission

Jesus and the Father are the same person. (Mosiah 15:1-5, 7:27; Ether 3:14)

The Bible Teaches:

That God is One manifested in three Persons:  the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  See the following links for documentation on this:  Trinity, Only One God, The Holy spirit

All Mormon Males can become gods.

What The Bible Teaches:

"‘You are My witnesses,’ declares Yehovah, ‘And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am Yehovah; and there is no Savior besides Me.’" (Is 43:10-11)

Adam and Eve tried to become gods and as a result of this sin God separated Himself from them and removed them from the garden (Genesis Chapter 3).  This was Satan's first lie and is still a lie.  There is only One God.

A man is allowed as many wives as he wants.

What the Bible Teaches:

The Bible teaches one wife and one husband and that to marry another is to commit adultery and the bible is plain:  unless repented of adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God:

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, Nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) (See this link for further Scriptures on the subject:  Adultery)

based on plates supposedly Joseph Smith found.

1. Was actually written by Solomon Spalding, a minister, as a fictional novel.

What The Bible Says:

"For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. . . . For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan transforms himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also transform themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds." (2 Corinthians 11:4-15)

"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-9)

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world." (1 John 4:1-3)

"And when they say to you, 'Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,' should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn." (Isaiah 8:19-20)

"He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God." (John 8:47)

1. It does not agree with what the Bible teaches.
2. Internal inconsistencies, thousands of changes.
3. Third, The inconsistencies allowed us to discover it was taken from Solomon Spalding’s Novel.

*Christian Response

Often times Mormons will say to me, "Don't You believe God speaks to us today."  Yes I do, but not contrary to what is written.  The Bible is the basis for what is true and what we believe, not what we think or how we feel.  The Apostle John told us in 1 John 4:1-4 that we are to test the spirits to see if they are from God.  If a spirit comes to you and tells you he is God, how do you test that spirit to see if it is God or not?  By asking yourself "Does what this spirit teach me line up with or contradict the Bible?"  Jesus said, "He who is of God hears the Words of God."  God speaking through the prophet Isaia said in Isaiah 8:19-20,

"And when they say to you, ‘Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn." (Isaiah 8:19-20)

God tells us in His word, the Bible, if it isn't according to the Bible, it isn't from Him, it is of demons, you are to reject it!

1. Second sacred book of Mormonism giving instruction of the Mormon church, written by Joseph Smith.
2. Originally The Book of Commandments. Over 65,000 changes made when it became Doctrines and Covenants.
3. It teaches polygamy which the Book of Mormon clearly condemns (Jacob 2:24).

-When the federal government threatened to exile Mormons over this issue, the then president Wilford Woodruff received a revelation from god saying polygamy was only for the after life, not now.

A compilation of several different types of work from several different time periods. It Teaches:

1. The Bible can only be trusted so far as it is translated correctly (meaning in conformity with the Book of Mormon).
2. The Book of Mormon is the word of God without reservation.

"Historic Christian Theology has always affirmed that `Within the nature of the one Eternal God there are three Persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!" (pp. 74-75)  Trinity

Deuteronomy 4:6 "Hear, O Israel! Yehovah our-Elohim, Yehovah is one!"

1 Chronicles 17:20 "Yehovah, there is none like You, neither is there any Elohim besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears."

Isaiah 43:10-11 "‘You are My witnesses,’ declares Yehovah, ‘And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no El formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am Yehovah; and there is no Savior besides Me.’"

1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

Isaiah 45:5-6 "I am Yehovah, and there is no other; besides Me there is no Elohim. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am Yehovah, and there is no other."

Isaiah 45:18 "For thus says Yehovah, who created the heavens (He is the Elohim who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), "I am Yehovah, and there is none else."

Isaiah 45:21-22 "Declare and set forth your case; indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, Yehovah? and there is no other Elohim besides Me, a righteous Elohim and a Savior; there is none except Me. Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am Elohim, and there is no other."

Mark 10:18 "And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.’"

Ephesians 4:4-6 "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:4-6)

Psalm 86:10 "For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are Elohim."

Deuteronomy 32:39 "See now that I, I am He, and there is no Elohim besides Me; it is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I who heal; and there is no one who can deliver from My Hand."

Deuteronomy 5:7 "You shall have no other Elohims before Me."

Jesus is Michael the Archangel the first and greatest creation of Jehovah God, who became a man, died and rose spiritually (not bodily) from the dead.

Also the teaching of the Unity School of Christianity, Metaphysics, Religious Science, Divine Science, and most of the other "mind science" groups:

1. Jesus being the illusion of physical or material reality as manhood,
2. Christ being the true divinity of all men. The same is true with

1. Jesus is specifically identified as God
2. But all true believers goal is to becomes God!

1. Christ "cosmic consciousness" existed in all ages as the "Christ,"
2. but as Jesus in only the so-called Christian era.

1. Jesus: an advanced medium in the sixth sphere
2. Unitarians regard Jesus as merely an extremely good man whom His mistaken followers unfortunately deified after His alleged resurrection.

1. Jesus was supposed to start a perfect family the first time, but unfortunately committed errors which led to His crucifixion.

1. Jesus is a second god created by Eloheim (their spelling) and that Michael or Adam is god separate from him.
2. Historic Mormonism called Jesus, Jehovah, but not the Eternal God.
3. Brigham Young taught about Jesus:

1A. Adam:

• Michael the Archangel, ancient of days.
• Father, our God, is Adam.
• Was Fathered, created by Eloheim.
• He was the first man on earth
• He pre-existed in the spirit world
• Eve was one of his celestial wives
• Adam is the father of all the spirits of the earth
• Adam originated from another earth where he was fathered by Eloheim (Deseret News 6-18-73)

2A. Virgin Mary:

• Adam had relations with Mary and conceived Jesus, thus Adam the father of Jesus.
• Jesus was not begotten of by the Holy Spirit (From Journal of Discourses 1:50-51).

3A. Eloheim:

• Had a father and his father had a father.
• Eloheim created Adam and he is the father of his spirit.

4A. Jesus Christ:

• Jesus is the product of Adam and the Virgin Mary having sex together.
• Jesus is "the spirit brother of Lucifer" (Journal of Discourses 13:282)
• Jesus has many wives: Mary Magdalene (Jedediah Grant, Journal of Discourses 1:246)

4. Joseph Smith taught concerning Adam:

• "Commencing with Adam, who was the first man, who is spoken of in Daniel as being the `Ancient of Days' or in other words, the first and oldest of all. . . ." (Millennial Star 18:164; History of the Church 4:207; teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 167)
• Adam:
  • First of the human family
  • A god who came from another planet
  • Was a polygamist before he arrived. (Doctrine and Covenants 84:16. See also Abraham 1:3, Moses 1:34)
  • Immortal being, Eloheim, Jehovah, Michael, the Father.
  • He and Eve begot all spirits that ever became humans on the earth (L. John Nuttall Journal, Feb. 7, 1877, 1:19, as recorded in Michael/Adam by Ogden Kraut)
• 3A. God the Father:
  • Adam, who is also Eloheim, Jehovah, Michael the Arch angel. (p. 124, according to Brigham Young) (L. John Nuttall Journal, Brigham Young's Secretary) (Feb 7, 1877, 1:19, as recorded in Michael/Adam by Ogden Kraut)

5. Jesus' Birth according to Mormonism: "Adam,. . . a god by resurrection, . . . fathered Jesus Christ though sexual relations with Mary. It does not teach that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit."

What the Bible teaches:

The Bible teaches us that there is only ONE God, that there was never one before or after Him and never will be.  John 1:1 tells us "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."  John 1:14 tells us "And the Word became Flesh."  Mormonism teaches that Jesus was first a man who was exalted as a god.  The Bible teaches us that there is only One God and that the only true God in time became flesh--Man.  Jesus Christ is the only true God who in time added a human nature to his divine nature.

How We Know That The Mormon Teaching is Wrong:

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world." (1 John 4:1-3)

The Levitical Priesthood restored by a visit of Peter, James and John.

1. The Book of Commandments (now called Doctrine and Covenants) in the 1833 edition did not mention any where the appearance of peter, James and John; or the priesthood. When changed to Doctrine and Covenants, Joseph added this information in the 1835 edition. (Section 27 of Doctrine and Covenants) (p. 132)
2. One cannot be part of the priesthood unless baptized by a priest. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowardery baptized each other, unauthorized because they were not priests. (pp 133-134)

When a Mormon asks you where you get your authority to speak and baptize in Jesus' name, quote John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

Can be Mormons, but only as servants, never as priests.

When Blacks can receive Priesthood:

1. When all children of Adam receive priesthood
2. When all the other children of Adam have been resurrected.

The Mormon Church denied the Adam-God revelation of Brigham Young in 1976. The Mormons received a revelation on June 9, 1978 to ordain blacks to the Priesthood. This came about before Adams children were resurrected (they still are not).

The Mormon Church has already denied the Adam-God revelation of Brigham Young, calling it "false doctrine," (in 1976) and now they must also deny Brigham Young's revelations concerning "when the curse would be lifted" from the black man. They must also deny President Joseph Fielding Smith's present-day revelations on this subject. If the Mormons deny that the revelations were true, they must also deny that their former prophets were inspired by God, but if they admit this, the whole structure of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Utah) collapses.

1. Book of Mormon received and translated by Joseph Smith by looking into a crystal.
2. Astral projection practiced by Mormons.
3. Automatic writing practiced by Mormons.

Spirits of the departed dead (Doctrine and Covenants 129:1)

1. "Salvation in Mormonism is realized by faith, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, good works, and obedience to the Laws and ordinances of the gospel as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints. There is no room for salvation by grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ (see my link Jesus' Salvation Received Through Faith Alone). Quoting Brigham Young:

`Some of our old traditions teach us that a man guilty of atrocious and murderous acts may savingly repent when on the scaffold; and upon his execution will hear the expression, "bless God! He has gone to heaven, to be crowned in glory, through the all-redeeming merits of Christ the Lord." This is all nonsense. Such a character never will see heaven!'" [Brigham Young; discourses of Brigham Young; by John A. Widtsoe, p. 157. Also Journal of Discourses 8:61]

Salvation comes through obedience to the Laws and ordinances of the Gospel. [Joseph Fielding Smith, doctrines of Salvation 1:1-34]

There is no salvation outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. [Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine (1966 edition), p. 670].

What The Bible Teaches:

See my links:  Creation, Constitution & Fall of man, Jesus' Full Salvation for Man, Jesus Our Final & Only High Priest.

Joseph Fielding Smith taught that if a man is not saved in this life, he can be saved in the after life if he receives the Gospel [Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:182] The unrighteous will be tormented for a 1000 years for salvation, then released. [(same) Doctrines of Salvation 3:60]

The Book Of Mormon teaches eternal Punishment [Mosiah 2:38-39, Alma 34:32-35; 2 Nephi 28:22; 1 Nephi 15:35; Alma 42:27-28; 1 Nephi 10:21; Alma 30:60b]

What the Bible Teaches:

"It is appointed unto man to die once and then comes the judgment."  (Hebrews 9:27)

"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries." (Hebrews 10:26-27)

"And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power." (2 Thessalonians 1:9)

1. Spirit Children, pre-existing, are born into the world.
2. Those that are white can attain to the celestial kingdom.
3. Those who are black cannot until the revelation of June 9, 1978.

What the Bible Teaches:

"Then Yehovah God formed man of dust from the-ground, and breathed into his-nostrils the breath of lives; and man became-a-living soul." (Genesis 2:7)

Jesus said "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world." (John 8:23)

Capital punishment, the shedding of the blood of the person being killed, atones for the sins of the person being killed. Christ's blood does not atone for man's sins, only the blood of the guilty atone's for their own sins. [Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 3:24:7; 4:219, 220; 4:53-54; 4:49-51: Pres J.M. Grant]

What The Bible Teaches:

Ephesians 1:7 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace."

1 John 1:7 "The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

Revelation 1:5 "To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood."

Romans 5:8-10 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son much more,having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."

"And without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:22)

1 Peter 1:18-19 "Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."

1. Point out that the Levitical-Aaronic priesthood has been changed (Heb 7:12)
2. That the Melchizedek priesthood is an office held only by Jesus (Heb 7:11-17) our final and only high priest (Heb 7:24)
3. The Christian can then conclude that he has a priesthood far superior to the Mormon priesthood based on John 1:12. Jesus makes those who believe on him his sons and daughters. The Word in the Greek is exousia meaning authority, not power. He gives us authority to operate as His sons and daughters.

• As Christians, we have the right to proclaim what Jesus commanded us to proclaim according to Matthew 28:18-20 which Paul defined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-3 and Galatians 1:8-10, and what Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would teach us in John 14:25-26.
• Finally, we Christians have Jesus promise that the gate of hell cannot overcome our message (Matt 16:18). The Mormons do not since their authority rests on the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods which the Scripture clearly indicates was done away with Jesus.

See my link:  Jesus Our Final & Only High Priest

1. Book of Mormon teaches only 1 God.
2. Only the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price teach polytheism.

They have a memorized presentation they are encouraged to keep to and not deviate from. They are taught also to never give dogmatic answers to touchy questions, but to answer question with question. This way he never has to commit himself.

Mormons used the same words we use when talking about their faith, but they have completely different meanings and definition.  Ask them to define what they mean by Jesus Christ, the Trinity, Salvation, etcetera.  In their speech they sound the same as you but are completely different.  They are sheep in wolves clothing who use our words deceptively to deceive and entrap.

What the Bible Says About This:

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44)

"But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men, who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer." (1 Timothy 4:1-5)

"Sanctify them in the truth, Your word is truth." (John 17:17)

"But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions." (1 Timothy 1:5-7)

1. Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
2. Others: Strangites, Bickertonites, Fettingites, Church of the Firstborn, Cutlerites. . .

Martin, Walter. The Maze of Mormonism. Ventura: Vision House, 1978.

Martin, Walter.  Kingdom of the Cults