iblical hristianity knowing you have eternal life lds...
TRANSCRIPT
PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints (LDS) has completed the construction of its newest temple,
located in Philadelphia. Mormons believe that their temples are
the most sacred places on earth. They are only used for special
ceremonies, unlike the numerous neighborhood LDS chapels
which are utilized for Sunday worship and various other pro-
grams. There are now over 140 of these unique edifices through-
out the earth. According to the LDS Church, the purpose of the
temple is to enable one to "receive the ordinances that will
enable us to return to the presence of God" (Temple Preparation
Seminar, Teacher's Manual, p.15). The secret-sacred ceremonies
that are conducted within these walls are considered essential for
personal salvation.
TEMPLE RITUALS INCLUDE...
Washing & anointing
Clothing in temple garment
The Endowment ceremony/dramatic presentation & instruction.
Receiving of a new name
Giving of tokens (handshakes), oaths, and names at the veil
LDS Temple Opens in Philly
This is a non-Mormon
publication
Inside this Issue
Is Dark Skin a Sign of a Curse? Page 8
Questions to Ask on the Tour Page 11
Baptism for the Dead Page 15
Mission to Mormons P.O. Box 93 Nauvoo, IL 62354
Office: (217)453-2372
In PA.: (309)221-4050
mission2mormons.org
Dedication planned for Sept. 18
FAITH
WORKS
WORKS
FAITH
MAN-MADE RELIGION WON’T GET YOU FAR!
Trust only in Christ for salvation and good works will
naturally follow like the cart behind a horse. Man-made
religion always places the cart before the horse, placing
an emphasis on our own performance (rituals, keeping
commandments, doing charity etc.) instead of trusting
fully on Jesus Christ to save. (Phil 3:8)
©2016 Mission to Mormons
The new 61,466 sq. ft. Mormon Temple is open for public tours from Aug. 10 through Sept. 9.
The building, located at 1739 Vine Street, is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania.
Peace with God: Knowing you have eternal life “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of
God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the
name of the Son of God” (I John 5:13). It would be strange for the apostle John
to write the above words if it were not possible for people to know whether or
not they are truly on their way to heaven. Sadly, many do not.
Many have been led to believe that their own personal works will have some
bearing as to their obtaining eternal life; however, the Bible says that our own
righteousness is like filthy rags in God’s sight! (Isaiah 64:6) Do we dare think we
shall stand before an all holy God and place before Him such “good works”?
Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
The Bible also tells us in Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death; but the
gift of God is eternal life.”
Eternal life is a gift which God Himself paid for on the cross at Calvary. It was
never meant to be earned or worked for any more than you are expected to
pay for a gift given you on your birthday or at Christmas. The price was paid in
full when Jesus declared “it is finished” on that somber day at Golgotha.
Man’s salvation is not based on his own merit, but rather on the merit of the
Son of God, who led a sinless life and willingly gave His life for us. The Bible tells
us to trust in Him for our salvation. We are to trust in His righteousness, not our
own!
Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them.” “Good works” do not earn us
salvation but instead are an evidence of our faith. Works of service should be
done with the proper understanding that they do not save us from sin. Works
of obedience to God and charity should be performed out of a grateful heart as
an expression of our love for the Lord.
Do you have the faith that should you die right now you would awaken in the
presence of our Heavenly Father? Do you know for sure if you have eternal life?
It is only when you place your total trust in Christ that you can answer yes to
both questions.
Biblical Christianity
Man’s Way
LDS & BIBLICAL TEMPLES COMPARED LDS: 150 temples & many more planned or under construction.
Jewish: Only one temple at a time built to represent the worship of the one true God. The Temple must be built on Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem.
LDS: Temple work in behalf of the dead.
Jewish: Temple work for the living only.
LDS: Baptisms for the dead.
Jewish: No baptisms of any kind in the temple.
LDS: Endowments for the living and the dead.
Jewish: No endowments of any kind.
LDS: Marriages for the living and the dead.
Jewish: No marriages of any kind.
LDS: Sealings for the living and the dead.
Jewish: No sealings of any kind.
LDS: No animals sacrificed.
Jewish: Sacrificing of animals on behalf of sinful people.
LDS: Many rooms. (Some have dozens)
Jewish: Two rooms: The Holy Place & the Most Holy Place.
LDS: Seating throughout the temple.
Jewish: No seats at all to illustrate the unending work of the priests until the time Christ finished the work and sat down at the right hand of the Father.
LDS: Both men & women permitted inside.
Jewish: Only male priests allowed inside.
LDS: Two priesthoods: Aaronic Priests (age 12 and up) and Melchizedek Priests (age 18 and up).
Jewish: One priesthood; Levitical Priests must be at least 30 years old.
LDS: Many High Priests.
Jewish: One High Priest at a time.
LDS: Priests from any background.
Jewish: Priests only from the tribe of Levi.
LDS: After dedication, only the "worthy" allowed inside.
Jewish: Priests made intercession for the unworthy and he first needed purification for himself.
LDS: All white garments worn (with Masonic markings stitched into the undergarments).
Jewish: High Priest's clothing was white, blue, purple, & red, decorated with pomegranates and bells on the hem.
LDS: Purpose of temples: to enable men to attain godhood.
Jewish: Purpose of the temple: A picture of Christ and His redeeming work.
As in Old Testament times, God still demands an atoning sacrifice for the sins
of mankind. Jesus Christ, the only High Priest, by virtue of His perfect sacrifice
of Himself on the Cross, paid that price in our place. We must humbly accept
the fact that the debt for our sins has already been paid at Calvary and that we
cannot work for or contribute anything toward our salvation.
While hanging on the Cross Jesus cried out,
“’It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up
His spirit.” (John 19:30)
2
Oliver B. Huntington, who was a Latter-day Saint in Joseph Smith’s time, claimed that
Smith gave the following information concerning the inhabitants of the moon:
“The inhabitants of the moon are more uniform size than the inhabitants of the earth,
being about 6 feet height. “They dress very much like the quaker style and are quite
general in style, or the fashion of dress. “They live to be very old; coming generally, nearly
a 1,000 years.” This is the description of them as given by Joseph The Seer, and he could
“see” whatever he asked the father in the name of Jesus to see. (Journal of Oliver B. Hun-
tington, vol. 2 p. 166 of typed copy at the Utah State Historical Society)
Brigham Young, the second Mormon prophet, believed the moon was inhabited too —but
went even further by teaching that the sun was also inhabited! “So it is with regard to the
inhabitants of the sun. Do you think it is inhabited? I rather think it is. Do you think there is
any life there? No question of it; it was not made in vain. It was made to give light to those
who dwell upon it, and to other planets...” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 13 p. 271) If the
Mormon prophets were wrong about these issues, how can you trust that they knew
the truth about God, Christ and salvation? 15
Understanding Temples The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(LDS, Mormon) teaches that God commanded
man to always build temples “for the glory,
honor, and endowment” of the Saints.
(Mormon scripture, Doctrine and Covenants
Section 124:39-40) It claims temples have
always been built, even in America by the Indi-
ans, since the days of Adam. It maintains these
holy sanctuaries are used for the same pur-
poses as the Biblical temple of Israel. Mormon
Apostle Mark E. Peterson wrote, “In Biblical
times sacred ordinances were administered in
holy edifices for the spiritual salvation of
ancient Israel. These buildings were not syna-
gogues, nor any ordinary places of worship.
Following the pattern of Biblical days, the Lord
again in our day has provided these ordinanc-
es for the salvation of all who will believe, and
directs that temples be built in which to
perform those sacred rites.” (Why Mormons
Build Temples, pg. 2) Despite the claim by
Mormons that their temples are a restoration
of Old Testament temple worship, there are
many important differences:
The practice of baptism for the dead is very
significant within the Mormon Church and one of
the important purposes for LDS temples. Mor-
mons point to 1 Corinthians 15:29 as proof that
baptism for the dead is biblical and was done in
the early Christian church. Here the Apostle Paul
wrote, “Else what shall they do which are
baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all?
Why are they then baptized for the dead?”
Paul was teaching about the doctrine of
resurrection. In verse 12 he pointed out that
there were some people who
did not believe the dead
would be raised. In presenting
his argument against this false
teaching, Paul referred to a
group of people who apparently prac-
ticed baptism for the dead, using them as
an example.
It is noteworthy that the Apostle Paul did not
associate himself or his fellow believers with the
practice of baptism for the dead. Throughout
chapter 15, both before and after verse 29, Paul
used inclusive first-person pronounces: “we,”
“us,” “your,” and “you” (KJV: ye). In verse 29 Paul
switched to the third person, “they,” clearly
speaking of “others” of which he was not a part.
Paul merely used these people as an example to
illustrate his point.
First Corinthians 15:29 does not teach that
followers of Christ are to baptize the living as
proxy for the dead. On the contrary, the Bible
teaches there is no chance for conversion after
death, for it is “appointed unto men once to die,
but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
Baptism for
Do men live on the Moon? Sun?
the Dead
The LDS temple baptismal font is modeled after Solomon’s brazen sea (depicted above). The brazen sea was used by priests to wash their hands after offering sacrifice to the Lord in the temple court—it was not used for baptisms!
Changing Ceremonies
1840’s LDS Temple:
Many of the LDS temple rituals which started in the old Nauvoo, Illinois temple have evolved dramatically over the years. Parts of the early
temple ceremonies, which were later considered offensive, are not mentioned or discussed today. Therefore, many Temple Mormons may be
unaware of certain ceremonial changes —even though these have been well-documented. The following table reflects some of the significant
changes that have been made.
Vowed to accept graphic penalties for revealing the
“secrets” of the rites: “We agree that our throats be
cut from ear to ear and our tongues torn out...”
“...our breasts cut open and our hearts and vitals
torn from our bodies…”
Oath of Vengeance: agreeing to “avenge the blood
of the Prophet, whenever an opportunity offered,
and to teach their children to do the same.”
Non-Mormon church clergy represented as
“hirelings of Satan” teaching traditional Christian
doctrine; paid a salary of $4,000.
Sealing of men to men, called the Law of Adoption.
This was to make “perfect the chain of the Priest-
hood” and, according to Brigham Young, was the
“means of salvation.”
Women vowed obedience to their husbands as their
gods; men vowed obedience to God.
Participants handed wine by the person repre-
senting the Devil and told, “this is my kingdom; here
you may eat, drink and be merry.”
People of African descent barred from the temple.
Masonic “Five Points of Fellowship” hugging
embrace required.
Public Open House admission charged.
Design of undergarments for Temple Mormons: one
piece, to wrists and ankles, tied closed.
Social activities in the temple: celebrations including
dancing and overnight stays.
Interim: LDS Temples Today
Covenants and obligations of “secrecy” with the
same penalties represented by pantomimed
actions, but the words changed to merely, “Rather
than do so I would suffer my life to be taken.”
Taking an oath agreeing to pray that God would
avenge the death of the Prophet.
Same ridicule of Christianity, but the minister’s
salary raised to $5,000.
Sealing of men to men abandoned and repudiated
by the First Presidency (highest LDS leaders) in
1894.
Women vowed to obey the law of their husbands;
men vowed to obey the Law of the Lord.
Drinking with the Devil eliminated.
People of African descent barred from the temple
until 1978.
Five Points of Fellowship embrace required.
Public Open House admission free.
Design of undergarments for Temple Mormons:
one piece, to elbow, below knee, buttoned closed.
Temple social activities eliminated.
Covenants and obligations, but no mention of
“secrecy.” No penalties indicated or implied.
Oath of Vengeance omitted.
“Sectarian minister” and unflattering portrayal of
traditional Christianity removed completely.
Women and men vow to obey the Law of the Lord.
People of African descent allowed free access to
the temple (if worthy).
Five Points of Fellowship embrace modified to be
less intimate.
Public Open House admission free.
Design of undergarments for Temple Mormons:
two piece, short sleeve or sleeveless, above the
knee, slip-on.
No social activities in the temple.
Should these changes bother the faithful temple-going Mormon? Will these changes continue? What will the next changes be? 14 3
For more information, please visit mission2mormons.org
The LDS endowment ritual was introduced by
Joseph Smith in the upper room of his Red Brick
Store in Nauvoo, Illinois during the early 1840’s.
An endowment ceremony was also practiced by
Mormons at their first temple located in Kirtland,
OH (near Cleveland).
The first temple in Nauvoo was the
Masonic Temple (now referred to as the
“Cultural Hall”), built under the direction
of Joseph Smith. Smith joined the Ma-
sons in 1842 while living in Nauvoo.
The original Nauvoo temple was used for a
short time before Brigham Young led the
Mormons out west. (above is the rebuilt
Nauvoo Temple that opened in 2002) The
original “endowment” ritual lasted 6 hours.
The new LDS temple in Philadelphia
represents a modern, streamlined ritual
believed to provide salvation for both the
living and dead. Endowment ritual has been
shortened to approx. 2 hours 15 minutes.
The Tabernacle (above) was used by the Hebrews during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness.
Later David made plans for a temple, which his son Solomon began to build in Jerusalem in 965 B.C..
“But will God indeed dwell
on the earth? Behold,
heaven and the highest
heaven cannot contain You,
how much less this house
which I have built!”
-Solomon (I Kings 8:27)
4
Joseph Smith’s “First Vision” account set Mor-
monism on an immediate path of hostility toward
those of other faiths. In regard to Christian
churches Joseph Smith said God revealed to him
some amazing things -- “they were all wrong ...all
their creeds were an abomination in his
sight...those professors [those who profess the
creeds] were all “corrupt” (The Pearl of Great
Price, Joseph Smith —History 1:19).
Smith went on to ridicule the Triune God of the
Christian Churches, “Many men say there is one
God; the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost are only
one God. I say that is a strange God anyhow-there
in one, and one in three! It is a curious organiza-
tion… All are to be crammed into one God, ac-
cording to sectarianism. It would make the big-
gest God in all the world. He would be a wonder-
fully big God– he would be a giant or a mon-
ster” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings, pgs. 370-
74).
Following Smith’s lead, many subsequent LDS
leaders have continued the attacks:
“The Devil could not invent a better engine to
spread his work than the Christianity of the nine-
teenth century” (John Taylor, 1858 Journal of Dis-
courses 6:167).
“But to return to the Christian’s idol...Their god is
overlaid with gilt and tinsel...Yet this loathsome,
filthy, debauched, degraded monster is held up
for our veneration and worship by its corrupt
Christian devotees…” (John Taylor, 1882 Journal
of Discourses 23:36).
“I do not but [traveled] hundreds of thousands of
miles, and mingled with all classes and creeds and
conditions of men, religious and irreligious...But I
never found anywhere, wherever I went, any per-
son holding the doctrines of Christ as taught by
Him…” (John Taylor, 1884 Journal of Discourses
25:263).
“...when we come and tell you that if you do not
repent of your sins—you Catholics, Protestants,
and all other denominations—and receive the
message that God has commissioned his servants
[The Latter-day Saints] to declare in your hearing
that everyone will be damned” (Orson Pratt, 1880
Journal of Discourses 23:164)
“The Christian world, so called, are heathens as to
their knowledge of the salvation of
God” (Brigham Young, 1860 Journal of Discourses
8:171).
“In large part the worship of apostate Christen-
dom is performed in ignorance, as much so as
was the worship of the Athenians who bowed
before the Unknown God…” (Mormon Doctrine,
Bruce R. McConkie, Second Edition pgs. 374-375).
The official LDS Church magazine stated in 1984
that “Satan sits in place of God in Christianity
after the time of the Apostles” (Ensign, Dec. 1984,
pg. 9). Mormon authorities have never issued an
apology for these attacks against the faith of
traditional Christians.
Mormon View of Other Churches
“The Christian world, so
called, are heathens as to
their knowledge of the
salvation of God”
—Brigham Young
Are Christian creeds an abomination?
Early Christians used the above diagram to explain
the Trinity
God
Father
Son Holy Spirit
Is Is
Is
Is Not Is Not
Is Not
13
of God is the Son of the Eternal Father” vs. “the
Lamb of God is the Eternal Father” 11:18, 21, and
32 have been similarly changed). One is left to
ponder why a book produced “by the gift and
power of God” would required such corrections
and alterations.
OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE
The stories related in the Book of Mormon talk
about civilizations including millions of people
who lived in large cities and built magnificent
structures. Their industry was quite advanced in
the areas of agriculture and metallurgy. Yet, even
with concerted effort by LDS archaeologists, no
artifacts have been found and officially accepted
—even by the LDS Church—as being traceable to
these cultures.
Additionally, many things mentioned in the Book
of Mormon are out of place for the time and area
in which they purportedly occurred. Some ex-
amples of these anachronisms include refer-
ences to iron and steel tools (2 Nephi 5:5),
linen and silk clothing (Alma 1:29), and domesti-
cated animals such as cows, pigs and horses
(I Nephi 18:25; 2 Nephi 17:21; 3 Nephi 7:8).
According to the Smithsonian Institution, none of
these things existed in the New World during the
Book of Mormon times (approximately 600 B.C.
to A.D. 400).
CONTENT
The Book of Mormon claims it contains “the full-
ness of the everlasting Gospel,” Joseph Smith said
it was the “keystone” of his religion and people
“would get nearer to God by abiding by its pre-
cepts, than by any other book.” (Book of Mor-
mon, Introduction) Yet much of what Mormon-
ism promotes about God and insists is necessary
to achieve one’s full spiritual potential cannot be
found in the Book of Mormon. For instance,
important in the LDS faith but missing from the
Book of Mormon are: temple endowment cere-
monies; Melchizedek and Aaronic Priesthood as
presently understood in the LDS Church; plurality
of Gods; God the Father as an exalted man; three
degrees of heavenly glory; the preexistence of
human souls; man’s eternal progression to God-
hood; a Heavenly Mother; and an evil person’s
assignment to hell as temporary.
BIBLE COMPANION?
The LDS Church looks at the Book of Mormon and
the Bible as companion volumes, both important,
both scripture. However, the Book of Mormon is
not kind to the Bible, making a point of proclaim-
ing the Bible to be both corrupted and incom-
plete. The Book of Mormon states, “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” (I Nephi 13:26). Later the book says any-
one who thinks the Bible is sufficient is a fool
(2 Nephi 29:6).
Even though the LDS Church claims the Book of
Mormon is entirely consistent with the Bible
(Church News, 1/1/00. pg. 16), this is not the
case. For example, the Bible teaches about the
grace of God, which is given as a gift; the Book of
Mormon teaches this grace is, in a sense, earned
through obedience (Ephesians 2:8-9 vs. 2 Nephi
25:23, Moroni 10:32). The Bible speaks of the
events surrounding the death and resurrection of
Christ, describing His plea from the cross for the
Father to forgive those who crucified Him. Tombs
were opened and the dead raised. The Book of
Mormon speaks of the same occasion, but in this
account, taking place in the New World, Christ
brings judgment on the people, destroying entire
cities, bringing about the deaths of “our mothers
and fair daughters and our children…” (Luke
23:34; Matthew 27:50-54 compare to 3 Nephi 8:6
-9; 15).
The Book of Mormon has a distinct biblical sound
to it, stemming from the fact that it is written in
an Elizabethan King James style. Also contributing
to the biblical flavor are the multiple chapters
and verses straight out of the Bible which are
included in the Book of Mormon text. There are
over eighteen chapters from Isaiah reproduced in
the Book of Mormon, some verbatim, some with
minor changes, and some with extensive changes
not supported by ancient biblical documents.
One of the more blatant alterations made to Old
Testament text recorded in the Book of Mormon
is found in a prophecy which Isaiah originally
gave predicting the destruction of Jerusalem. It
has been rewritten in the Book of Mormon as an
alleged prophecy portraying the coming forth of
that very book (Isaiah 29 vs. 2 Nephi 27).
CHANGED
We have prayerfully examined the Book of Mor-
mon and discovered it is not what The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims. We invite
you to examine the evidence and reach your own
conclusion. People all through the ages have
regarded numerous and varied texts as scripture.
Men have copied and even changed the Word of
God to achieve their own ends, but only the true
Word of God, the Holy Bible, can succeed in
changing men.
The Bible says all people are sinful—enemies of
God—and must be changed in order to be
acceptable to Him (Romans 3:23, John 3:3). But
we cannot change ourselves. This is a work of
God, a gift given to us by His grace, through faith
(Ephesians 2:4-10). This precious, life-giving faith
is brought to us through the Word of God
(Romans 10:17) which says:
“If you confess with your
mouth the Lord Jesus and believe
in your heart that God has raised
Him from the dead, you will
be saved”
(Romans 10:9)
Many do not realize that until 1978 the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) did not permit racial
intermarriage or allow black men to serve within their
priesthood. Author and journalist William Lobdell explains:
“In the not-too-distant past, the Mormon faithful were rou-
tinely taught that blacks were an inferior race, the color of
their skin linked to curses from God recounted in Hebrew
and Mormon scriptures. Besides being barred from the
priesthood, black males couldn’t serve on missions or be
married in the temple—though they could become church
members and be baptized. The Mormons’ historic position
on race wasn’t much different from that of many other U.S.
denominations; it just last longer. It took until 1978—14
years after the Civil Rights Act—before the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints lifted the ban following what
leaders said was a revelation from God to make the priest-
hood available to “every faithful, worthy man.” The new
doctrine came without an apology or repudiation of the
church’s past doctrine…” (William Lobdell, “New Mormon
Aim: Reach Out to Blacks,” Los Angeles Times, Sept. 21,
2003).
According to Brigham Young
(Second LDS Prophet)
“You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth,
uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly
deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is general-
ly bestowed upon mankind...Cain slew his brother...and the Lord put
Is Dark Skin a Sign of a Curse?
a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin...How long is that race to endure the dreadful curse that us upon them? That curse
will remain upon them, and they never can hold the Priesthood or
share in it until the other descendants of Adam have received the
promises and enjoyed the blessings of the Priesthood and the keys
thereof. Until the last ones of the residue of Adam’s children are
brought up to that favourable position, the children of Cain cannot
receive the first ordinances of the Priesthood” (Journal of Discourses,
vol. 7 pp. 290-291).
The Current LDS Prophet
Thomas Monson
“In about 1956 we recognized that our neighborhood was deterio-
rating. We observed this one Halloween by the nature of the people
who came in the guise of ‘Trick or Treat.’ The minority elements were
moving into the area where we lived, and many of the old-time fami-
lies had long since moved away. Seeking counsel, I visited Mark E.
Peterson, who for many years had been the General Manager of the
Deseret News. O. Preston Robinson, my former professor of marketing
at the University of Utah, had succeeded Brother Peterson as the
General Manager at the News. As I mentioned to Mark my dilemma,
wondering if it would be unfair for me to move, he said simply, ‘Your
obligation to that area is concluded. Why don’t you build a house in
my ward?’” (Thomas Monson, On the Lord’s Errand: Memoirs of
Thomas S. Monson, 1985 p. 184).
What Has Mormon Doctrine Taught?
“Racial degeneration, resulting in differences in appearance and
spiritual aptitude, has arisen since the fall. We know the circumstances
under which the posterity of Cain (later of Ham) were born with the
characteristics of the black race...The Book of Mormon explains why
the Lamanites (editor’s note: ie. Native Americans) received dark skins
and a degenerate status...If we had a full and true history of all races
and nations, we would know the origins of all their distinctive charac-
teristics. In the absence of such detailed information, however, we
know only the general principle that all these changes from the physi-
cal and spiritual perfections of our common parents have been
brought about by the departure from gospel truths...The race and
nation in which men are born in this world is a direct result of their pre
-existent life (editor’s note: Mormons teach that all people lived with
their Heavenly Father in heaven prior to being born on earth —and
some were unfaithful to God during their past life) (Mormon Doctrine,
Bruce R. McConkie, p. 616 1979 edition).
Statements Concerning Race
Within LDS Scriptures
The Book of Mormon:
I Nephi 11:13 (Mary, mother of Jesus) “...she was exceedingly fair and white”
I Nephi 12:23 (Regarding “Lamanites” Native Americans) “...became dark,
and a loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of
abominations.”
I Nephi 13:15 (regarding Gentiles) “...they were white, and exceedingly fair
and beautiful, like unto my people (Nephites) before they were slain.”
2 Nephi 5:21 “...a sore cursing...as they were white, and exceedingly fair and
delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God
did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.”
2 Nephi 30:6 (Regarding “Lamanites” Native Americans) “...scales of darkness
shall begin to fall...they shall be a white and delightsome people.” (Changed
to “pure and delightsome” in 1981 edition)
Jacob 3:5 (“Lamanites” Native Americans cursed) “...whom ye hate because
of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins…”
Jacob 3:8-9 “...their skins will be whiter than yours...revile no more against
them because of the darkness of their skins…”
Alma 3:6 “... skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which
was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their
transgression and their rebellion…”
8
(Continued on next page)
“The minority elements were moving into the area where we lived…” —Thomas Monson
9
Alma 3:8 (Cursed) “...that their seed might be distinguished from the seed of
their brethren...that they might not mix…”
Alma 3:9 “...whosoever did mingle his seed with that of the Lamanites did
bring the same curse upon his seed.”
Alma 3:14 (Lamanites cursed) “...set a mark on them that they and their seed
many be separated from thee and thy seed…”
Alma 3:19 (Amlicites cursed) “...brought upon themselves the curse…
Alma 23:18 “…(Lamanites) did open a correspondence with them
(Nephites) and the curse of God did no more follow them.”
3 Nephi 2:14-16 “...Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were
numbered among the Nephites, And their curse was taken from them,
and their skin became white like unto the Nephites...became exceed-
ingly fair…”
3 Nephi 19:25, 30 (Disciples of Christ) “...they were as white as the
countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the white-
ness thereof did exceed all the whiteness...nothing upon earth so
white as the whiteness thereof...they were white, even as Jesus.”
Mormon 5:15 (Lamanites) “...shall become a dark, a filthy, and a
loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath
been amongst us...”
Mormon 5:17 “They were once a delightsome people…”
The Pearl of Great Price:
Moses 7:8 “...a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan…”
Moses 7:12 “...Enoch continued to call upon all the people, save it
were (except) the people of Canaan, to repent...”
Moses 7:22 “...for the seed of Cain were black and had not place
among them.”
Abraham 1:21 “...king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of
Ham, and was a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth.”
Abraham 1:27 “...Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could
not have the right of Priesthood...”
What Does the Bible Teach?
Some Mormons will argue that in the Bible there were certain racial
restrictions related to the preaching of the Gospel. For example, the
disciples of Jesus were initially instructed by Christ to only preach to
fellow Jews. It is true that Jesus focused His earthly ministry on the
Jewish people out of respect for the covenant God made with
Abraham, but this did not mean that others had a special curse upon
them. God always had a plan that was global in scope. Just prior to His
death, Jesus commanded His followers to “Go ye therefore, and teach
all nations, baptizing them…” (Matthew 28:19). There were no
restrictions given related to this great international missionary work!
Also, consider the following Bible passages:
Acts 10:28 “...But God has shown me (The Apostle Peter) that I should
not call any man common or unclean.”
Acts 8:26-39 Philip baptized the Ethiopian and place no restrictions
on him.
Acts 10:34-35 “God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he
that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
Galatians 3:28 “...there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond
nor free, there is neither male or female: for ye are all one in
Christ Jesus.”
If Mormonism was a restored Christianity (as it claims) we would
expect it to reflect the teachings of the Bible and to be the moral lead-
er in the area of race relations—not among the last of the religious
institutions to open their doors to those of African descent.
10 7
The eighth LDS Article of Faith says the Bible can be trusted only “as
far as it is translated correctly.” Translation means to take words from
one language and put them into the words of another. We agree that
a correct translation of the Bible—which was written in Hebrew and
Koine Greek 2,000-4,000 years ago—is necessary for proper under-
standing.
Anytime the words from one language are put into another—whether
it is Spanish into English or French into Arabic—there is always the risk
of losing something in the translation. It is doubtful that our many
modern-day translations were produced by unprincipled people who
wanted to keep God’s truths hidden. In actuality, quite the opposite is
true. The motivation behind a new translation is, in most cases, to give
a clearer understanding of what God wants to reveal to His people.
Granted, some translations do a better job than others.
Although some Mormons believe that the King James Version of the
Bible was a translation of another Bible translation, thus producing
errors, this is absolutely not true because the KJV translators utilized
the best manuscripts available to them in the 17th century. They did
not depend on other translations. In fact, while translators will differ,
the goal of Bible translators is to utilize the most accurate manuscripts
and then attempt to put the words of the Bible into an understanda-
ble language for the audience it addresses.
Certainly two transla-
tors of any written
piece will differ in the
choice of words, verb
tense, and style. But if
two good Spanish trans-
lators independently
translate this morning’s
paper, you would have
to say that the basic
message would be the
same despite their nu-
merous differences.
Truly there is no such
thing as a perfect translation. LDS Church leaders must certainly be
aware of this since their translators have often had to revise not only
their English edition of The Book of Mormon but several foreign edi-
tions as well.
Perhaps LDS leaders would say that the transmission, or the copying
and handing down of the biblical manuscripts, is why they believe the
Bible has errors. Yet Biblical scholars have carefully sorted through the
tens of thousands of biblical manuscripts to determine the earliest
and most reliable texts. In addition, not having the original manu-
scripts of the Bible should not be a problem to the Mormon who real-
izes that there are no original manuscripts for The Book of Mormon.
In conclusion, consider the comments of BYU professor Richard L. An-
derson on the accuracy of the New Testament at the 14th Annual
Symposium of the Archaeology of the Scriptures: “For a book to un-
dergo progressive uncovering of its manuscript history and come out
with so little debatable in its text is a great tribute to its essential au-
thenticity. First, no new manuscript discovery has produced serious
differences in the essential story. This survey has disclosed the leading
texual controversies, and together they would be well within one
percent of the text. Stated differently, all manuscripts agree on the
essential correctness of 99 percent of all the verses in the New Testa-
ment.” Truly the Bible is a very special book. —Eric Johnson
Is the Bible Translated Correctly?
“...shall become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people...” (Mormon 5:15)
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
DICTIONARY A look at how Latter-day Saints & traditional Christians define terms differently... Atonement
LDS: Believe Christ’s death brought release from the grave and brought universal resurrection, also known as salvation by grace.
Bible: Salvation is not universal but based on belief of each individual (John 3:16; Romans 1:16; Hebrews 9:28; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Godhead
LDS: Father God is a resurrected man with a physical body. Christ is a separate res-urrected god with a physical body. The Holy Ghost is a separate god with a spiritual body. Three totally separate and distinct Gods.
Bible: God is not a man (Numbers 23:19). There is only one God (Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:6; 45:21-22) The Father is Spirit and invisible (John 4:24; I Timothy 1:17).
Jesus Christ
LDS: A created being, he is the first spirit child of Elohim and one of his wives, and is the spirit-brother of Lucifer.
Bible: He is the eternal God manifested in the flesh and the One that created all things (John 1:1-3; 14).
Virgin Birth
LDS: Believe God, as a resurrected physical man, is the literal father of Jesus. He was conceived in the same manner in which men are conceived on earth (Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie, second edition, p. 742).
Bible: Mary was with child of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:18).
Scripture
LDS: Has additional revelation from God in The Book of Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants and from a living prophet. The Bible is considered untrustworthy.
Bible: The Bible is infallible and without error and is the sole authority for all matters of Christian belief and practice (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3).
Gospel
LDS: Mormon Church system and doctrines.
Bible: Message of Christ’s death and resurrection as atonement for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Colossians 1:22-23).
The Fall
LDS: Teach it brought mortality and physical death, not fallen nature. Believe Adam was given two conflicting commandments and was suppose to fall (Gospel Principles, p. 29).
Bible: God tempts no one (James 1:13-14). Man is basically sinful (Romans 8:5-8; 1 Corinthians 2:14).
Born Again
LDS: Baptism into the LDS Church.
Bible: We are spiritually dead until our spiritual rebirth (1 Peter 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
12
LDS “Milk Before Meat” Principle: Concealing doctrines? Some find it quite offensive that we, as non-Mormons, would
stand in front of Mormon temples and pass out information
challenging the beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). The reason that we do so
is not to purposefully offend, but to help the public have a
more accurate understanding of the Mormon temple and the
LDS religion. The primary purpose of an LDS temple open
house is to recruit new members, but will the average person
really know what they are getting themselves into? Mormon
Church members will tell you that you should get your infor-
mation directly from them or LDS church representatives —
instead of from those outside their religion. That certainly
makes some sense, but this is why I have stood in front of
dozens of LDS temples handing out information since 1989.
The reason is the “milk before meat” principle. Unlike the typi-
cal church where you can easily discover the basic doctrines of
the group prior to membership or baptism, Mormon leaders
make great effort to conceal all of their controversial teachings
from the public (meat), teaching their missionaries to only
provide the prospective convert with simple, incomplete,
watered down LDS beliefs. “Meat” doctrines are the deeper
teachings that only worthy members are to know about. This
is justified by leaders who say some doctrines are “too sacred”
to be discussed publicly. To us it is a dishonest means of gain-
ing converts. Would you like proof of this LDS “milk before
meat” principle? You can view a video on YouTube which
contains a talk by BYU Professor, Robert L. Millet. In this video
he is seen instructing soon-to-be LDS missionaries on how to
answer uncomfortable questions. (Video was still available for
viewing at the time of this printing 8/22/16). —Steve Dealy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMJvqBq_Qa8
The Book of Mormon Keystone of Mormonism On average, fifteen thousand copies of The Book
of Mormon are printed each day. They are given
away at LDS visitor centers and historic sites,
freely offered in television commercials, given as
gifts by Latter-day Saints to friends and relatives,
and distributed by LDS missionaries as they go
door-to-door around the world. So important is
The Book of Mormon to The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints that its founding prophet
Joseph Smith said, “Take away the Book of Mor-
mon and the revelations, and where is our reli-
gion? We have none” (Teachings of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, pg. 71).
Smith also said, “I told the Brethren that the Book
of Mormon was the most correct of any book on
earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man
would get nearer to God by abiding by its pre-
cepts, than by any other book.” (History of the
Church 4:461).
Mormons accept the Book of Mormon as scrip-
ture, believing it to be “Another Testament of
Jesus Christ.” Yet it is no secret that historical
Christianity rejects the book and its claims. Former
LDS Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley said, “I don’t un-
derstand why those of other faiths cannot accept
the Book of Mormon. One would think they would
be looking for additional witnesses to the great
and solemn truths of the Bible” (The Ensign, 6/00,
pg.18).
Clearly, a book revered by millions of people
across the globe as a companion to the Bible
deserves examination.
HISTORY Though no objective evidence has ever been
produced by non-LDS scholars to substantiate the
story, the Book of Mormon text is said to have
come from a set of gold plates Joseph Smith
received at the hands of an angel in 1827. The
engraved text, “Reformed Egyptian.” was translat-
ed by Smith into English “by the gift and power of
God” (Book of Mormon, Introduction)
The official story supplied by the Church is that
Smith, though poorly educated, viewed the gold
plates and was ale to miraculously translate them.
However, friendly eyewitness accounts indicate
Smith actually used a “seer stone” - a stone with
magical powers. English words purportedly
appeared when Smith placed this stone in a hat
and blocked out the light with his face (David
Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, 12;
Martin Harris, quoted in B. H. Roberts, Compre-
hensive History of the Church 1:129)
Whatever the process, the resultant manuscript
was printed as the Book of Mormon in Palmyra,
New York in 1830, the title page Joseph Smith’s
name and identifying him as author (Smith’s desig-
nation as “author” was removed from subsequent-
ly editions). Eleven men stepped forward to act as
witnesses, stating they had seen the gold plates.
Some even claimed to have been told by God Him-
self that the work Smith produced was true. Inter-
esting, four of these eleven witnesses were related
to Smith, five were brothers from the Whitmer
family, and two were married to Whitmer sisters.
Great American humorist Mark Twain found this
situation amusing and quipped, “I could not feel
more satisfied and at rest if the entire Whitmer
family had testified” (Roughing It, 105).
By 1838, of the eleven witnesses, only Smith’s
father and two brothers remained in the LDS
Church; two were dead and six others had fallen
out of favor with the Prophet and left the faith.
Some of these later returned.
In 1841 Smith proclaimed the Book of Mormon to
be “the most correct of any book on earth,” yet
today’s edition contains about four thousand
changes from the first edition text. The nature and
number of these revisions go well beyond what
were required to correct transmission and printer
errors. Not even considering spelling and punctua-
tion corrections, these four thousand-plus changes
are historical (e.g., Mosiah 21:28: “king Mosiah”
vs. “king Benjamin”), grammatical (e.g., Alma 9:32:
“they were angry” vs. “they was angry”), and
doctrinal in nature (e.g., I Nephi 13:40: “the Lamb
In August 2015, the LDS Church released images of one of Smith's seer stones in a volume of the Joseph Smith Papers Project.
5
Founding prophet of the Mormon Church
Amazing Quotes of Joseph Smith
HIS HUMILITY
“I have more to boast of than ever any man
had. I am the only man that has ever been
able to keep a whole church together since
the days of Adam. A large majority of the
whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John,
Peter nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no
man ever did such a work as I. The followers
of Jesus ran away from him; but the Latter-
day Saints never ran away from me yet.”
May 26, 1844 (History of the Church 6:408-
409)
“I combat the errors of ages; I meet the
violence of mobs; I cope with illegal pro-
ceedings from executive authority; I cut the
Gordian knot of powers, I solve the mathe-
matical problems of universities, with
truth—diamond truth; and God is my ‘right
hand man.’” (HOC 6:78)
God made Aaron to be the mouth piece for
the children of Israel, and He will make me
be god to you in His stead, and the Elders to
be mouth for me; and if you don’t like it, you
must lump it.” (HOC 6:319-320)
“I am learned, and know more than all the
world put together.” (HOC 6:308)
“If the want a beardless boy to whip all the
world, I will get on top of a mountain and
crow like a rooster; I shall always beat
them.” (HOC 6:408)
GOD IS AN EXALTED MAN?
“God himself was once as we are now, and is
an exalted Man, and sits enthroned in yon-
der heavens...I say, if you were to see him to
-day, you would see him like a man in
form—like yourselves, in all the person,
image, and very form as a man...it is neces-
sary that we should understand the charac-
ter and being of God, and how he came to
be so; for I am going to tell you how God
came to be God. We have imagined and sup-
posed that God was God from all eternity, I
will refute that idea, and will take away and
do away the veil, so that you may see...and
that 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.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 5).
THERE ARE MANY GODS?
“In the beginning, the head of the Gods
called a council of the Gods; and they came
together and concocted a plan to create the
world and people it,” (Journal of Discourses,
vol. 6, p. 5).
UNFULFILLED PREDICTIONS
“I prophesy in the name of the Lord God of
Israel, unless the United States redress the
wrongs committed upon the Saints in the
state of Missouri and punish the crimes
committed by her officers that in a few years
the government will be utterly over-thrown
and wasted, and there will not be so much
as a potsherd left…” (History of Church,
5:394)
Joseph Smith claimed to be a prophet of
God. We are told in the Bible that we may
know a prophet by his prophecies. In 1832
(Doctrine and Covenants 84) Smith prophe-
sied a temple would be built at Independ-
ence, Missouri within that generation. To
this day no temple stands there. A few
months later (Doctrine and Covenants 87)
Smith prophesied that all nations would
enter into the Civil War. This, too, did not
happen. According to the Bible, false proph-
esies identify false prophets. (Deuteronomy
18:20-22)
6 11
Questions to Ask on Your Tour LDS Temple tours are usually “silent tours,” meaning visitors are asked to be reverently quiet during their time in the
temple. After the tour, people are invited to ask questions. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:
1. Do Mormons really believe they can work to become worthy, go to the temple, and become gods?
2. Why do Latter-day Saints perform marriages “for time and eternity” in their temples when Jesus clearly taught there is no marriage in heaven, but we
shall be as the angels? (See Matthew 22:30 and Mark 12:25)
3. Why has the Book of Abraham not been removed from the Pearl of Great Price (LDS scripture) since it has been proven to be fraudulent?
4. Why do you suppose Joseph Smith said an angel named Nephi appeared to him in 1823 but later, while reporting on the same event, said the angel’s
name was Moroni?
5. Why have more than 4,000 grammatical and punctuation errors, and later doctrinal changes, been made in The Book of Mormon if it is from God and is
the “most correct book on earth”?
6. If Lucifer (whom the LDS Church teaches is the spirit brother of Jesus) cannot tempt a child to sin before the age of 8 years, what are LDS children
suppose to repent of in order to be baptized?
7. How can the teachings of LDS prophets, which do not agree, be reconciled? For example, Brigham Young taught that Adam was God and that Blacks were
never to partake of the priesthood— but these doctrines were refuted or changed by later LDS prophets.
8. How is one supposed to know which LDS scripture to believe when they disagree? For example, The Book of Mormon and the Bible both teach there is
only one God, but the Doctrine and Covenants states there are many gods.
9. If the Bible was corrupted in the early centuries as the LDS Church teaches, why did Joseph Smith not correct the errors and replace the books it claims are
missing, instead of removing the Song of Solomon in his translation?
10. Why do Latter-day Saints continue to rely on the uncertainty of laws and ordinances and works for their eternal destiny when the Bible says there is
certainty for those who trust in Jesus? These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have
eternal life. (I John 5:13)
Secret Rituals on YouTube A few years ago a member of the LDS Church in Utah became
disillusioned with his faith and began to enter Mormon temples
to secretly film the secret rituals. Now the public can view the
temple rites that were shrouded in mystery for generations.
Some of the videos, which are now available to view on
YouTube, feature live actors (The Salt Lake Temple and Manti,
Utah Temple). The rest of the LDS temples utilize a film during
the ceremony that portrays the creation of the world and Adam
and Eve in the Garden of Eden etc.
See Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony (With Movie)
Newnamenoah www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VrsFEiTpsQ