Before you listen to Mormon missionaries, let me give a few reasons to not do so. They may seem innocent, but their message is not of God. See below for details…
#1, They teach a false atonement. Where Jesus suffered for our sins in the garden and ended the suffering on the cross.
#2, They teach that the Father has a body and that He was exalted to Godhood like His Father.
#3, They teach that you must be baptized in their church to be saved. How God’s true church has been restored through Joseph Smith.
#4, They teach you that after you are baptized, you must be worthy to enter the Mormon Temples, in order to do the works for exaltation.
#5, They teach eternal marriage in heaven. It may sound good on paper, as most people would want this.
#6, They teach that temple buildings are necessary in order to do works for dead people, and ordinances for those who are alive.
#7, They teach that only their church has the proper authority to baptize and more, being ordained to the priesthood.
#8, That teach that they are led by prophets, who speak for God to mankind like in times past.
Before you get the Mormon discussions, let me help you understand how these beliefs are false according to the Bible. See what the Bible actually teaches below…
#1, Jesus suffered and died for our sins on the cross. In no other location did the atonement take place.
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:6-11)
#2, God is Spirit, and we are to worship Him in spirit and truth. He is omnipresent, and His Spirit can be in any place and at any time.
“Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24)
#3, Baptism is not necessary for salvation; our faith alone in Jesus saves us. Look at the thief on the cross. He went to paradise and was waved without being baptized.
“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)
#4, Only Jesus is exalted, not us. We will never become a God in heaven, but like unto angels. There are mansions prepared for us in heaven.
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
#5, There is no marriage in heaven. Marriage ends when we die. Jesus said there is no marriage in the resurrection.
“The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matthew 22:23-32)
#6, God’s presence dwelled in temples until Jesus’s crucifixion. But the veil was rent and now everyone can enter God’s presence. We are now the temple of the living God now. God no longer dwells in temples made with hands.
“But Solomon built him an house. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?” (Acts 7:47-49)
#7, Only Jesus has the priesthood now. He is our High Priest. All believers are under His royal priesthood. The time for human priests, from the tribe of Levi, was done away with, with Christ’s atonement.
“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:11-14)
#8, God used prophets as His mouthpiece until John. Prophesy is a gift of the Holy Spirit from God and still exists. However, prophets are not over the church. Jesus is leading us, and we are to follow Him.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” (Hebrews 1:1,2)
Another amazing devotional by Paul Gee, the effort he put into this one is amazing! Keep up the great work!
What a helpful list. TY Paul.
I agree with everything said in this message except for the part about the church being restored through Joseph Smith. I believe that he did in fact restore the church but that it went into apostasy again after his death.