GLOBAL CHRISTIAN OUTREACH
Preaching the Gospel to All Creation
Mark 16:15
MORMON PROOF TEXTS
What the Bible Really Says About Mormonism
By Loren Franck and J. Dawn Pratt
WHO WERE CHRIST'S "OTHER SHEEP"?
BIBLE PASSAGE
“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16 KJV).
WHAT MORMONISM TEACHES
The LDS church claims the “other sheep” mentioned in John 10:16 were descendants of Jacob’s son Joseph. These offspring, which supposedly included the Nephites, Lamanites, Jaredites and other fictitious groups, allegedly migrated to ancient America, beginning as early as 1,000 B.C.
The citing of Christ’s “other sheep” was a popular LDS missionary strategy when the senior author of this article, Loren Franck, served honorably for two years in the LDS church’s South Dakota-Rapid City Mission. (Franck resigned his Mormon church membership in 1984, received the biblical Jesus in 2001, and currently heads Global Christian Outreach.) Most prospective Mormons are unfamiliar with John 10:16, so they’re ill-prepared to handle Mormonism’s self-serving claims regarding “other sheep.”
To document their assertions about Christ’s “other sheep,” Mormons cite the Book of Mormon, which they claim contains “the fulness [sic] of the everlasting gospel” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:9; 42:12). LDS church founder Joseph Smith hailed the Book of Mormon as “the most correct of any book on earth”
(History of the Church 4:461). In one of the book's major sections, 3 Nephi 15:13–19, the resurrected Lord allegedly assured the Nephites that they and others on the American continent were the “other sheep” of John 10:16.
Several verses later, as if addressing contemporary Bible-based Christians, Jesus purportedly explained, “And they understood me not that I said they shall hear my voice; and they understood me not that the Gentiles should not at any time hear my voice—that I should not manifest myself unto them save it were by the Holy Ghost. But behold, ye have both heard my voice, and seen me; and ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among those whom the Father hath given me” (3 Nephi 15: 23, 24).
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES
Disagreeing with the Book of Mormon and LDS apologists, Jesus doesn’t identify the “other sheep” mentioned in John 10:16. However, as established in the following paragraphs, these other sheep are Gentile believers of all nations, not merely ancient Americans of the Book of Mormon.
Unfortunately, 3 Nephi 15:23 and 24 don’t tell the complete truth about how Christ’s people hear his voice. As demonstrated in the following discussion, that interaction doesn’t have to be face-to-face. In fact, the Lord’s voice is also heard directly through communication from the Holy Spirit. For example, anyone under the Spirit’s influence who hears God’s word preached also hears Christ’s voice. This is even verified by Mormon “scripture.” It claims that when LDS priesthood leaders speak, “ . . . Whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation” (Doctrine and Covenants 68:4, italics added).
Similarly, in the opening section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord purportedly said, “For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear . . . ” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:2, italics added). This hearing of God’s voice must be accomplished through the Holy Spirit, not by Christ’s personal appearance.
One God, One Voice
Christians worship the only true God (John 17:3; Ephesians 4:6). He’s composed of three distinct personages—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14). Eternal, holy and sovereign, they are one God in perfect holy harmony with one another. What the Holy Spirit reveals is precisely what the Father and Son would say in similar circumstances, and vice versa. Consequently, when someone speaks and others hear by the power of the Holy Spirit, it’s the same as hearing the voice of God.
When Jesus gave his monumental discourse on the Good Shepherd and his sheep, he said all believers (his sheep) would hear his voice, even though they might live in different times and various locales. “But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep,” the Lord explained. “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:2–5, italics added).
Mormon doctrine agrees. A purported revelation from God to Joseph Smith recorded, “What I the Lord have spoken . . . whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:38, italics added).
Shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus introduced Pilate to the concept of hearing God’s voice. On that occasion, the Savior taught, “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). It follows that everyone who hears Christ’s voice will also hear the words of those he sends to preach his gospel (1 John 4:6). Similarly, Jesus told an ancient group of unbelievers, “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (John 8:47). And reassuring his apostles that their voice should be received the same as his, the Lord explained, “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me” (Matthew 10:40; also see John 13:20).
Accordingly, throughout history, when Gentiles hear God’s word spoken by the power of the Holy Spirit, and they’re listening by the power of that same Spirit, they’re hearing the voice of Christ.
One Fold, One Shepherd
Admittedly, throughout his 33 years in mortality, Jesus limited his ministry to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6; 15:24). Shortly after his ascension, however, he opened the gospel message to people of all nations (Matthew 28:19: Mark 16:15). Worldwide evangelism began with Peter’s vision, which featured a large sheet and four-footed animals (Acts 10:9–16; 11:1–18). Acts 11:18 says God “granted to the Gentiles . . . the repentance that leads to life.” Christ’s taking the gospel to his “other sheep” was purely an act of sovereign grace.
Paul, the “apostle to the Gentiles” (Acts 9:15; Romans 11:13; 15:16), wrote of their conversions to Christ that would occur in the early New Testament era. In fact, the apostle described the linking of Jew and Gentile as “the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:5).
Outlining the Mosaic Law’s fulfillment in Christ—that is, legalism gave way to justification by faith—Paul explained that, through the Savior’s sacrifice on the cross, Christ destroyed the former barrier between Jewish and Gentile believers. “Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ,” Paul said of Gentile converts, “excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He . . . made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances . . . ” (Ephesians 2:12–15).
One Shepherd, One Voice
How fitting that Christ, the Good Shepherd, described his followers as sheep. Unlike various other animals, sheep rarely (if ever) survive on their own. Each needs a caretaker, someone to feed, groom, protect and otherwise provide for them. As Christ explained, sheep hear their shepherd’s voice, and they follow it. They know that’s the safest path.
Likewise, Christ made it clear that, like sheep, all of his true followers hear his voice and recognize him as the Messiah. “When [the Good Shepherd] puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice” (John 10:4, italics added).
Those not numbered among Christ’s sheep don’t recognize his voice and therefore can’t follow him. That explains the many major disagreements among religions. Most people, however religious and whatever their good works, simply can’t hear the Savior’s voice. Jesus explained: “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:26–29, italics added).
No Evidence for Mormonism’s “Other Sheep”
Since the Book of Mormon’s initial publication in 1830, scholars have sought archaeological evidence for the book’s characters, events and geographical locations. The result? There simply is no such evidence. Clearly, the Book of Mormon is fiction. Exhaustive scientific research has failed repeatedly to verify the book is a historical record.
Throughout the past four decades, the world-renowned Smithsonian Institution has received numerous requests regarding archaeology and the Book of Mormon. According to the institute’s most recent statement about the Book of Mormon: “The Smithsonian considers the Book of Mormon a religious document and not a scientific guide. The Smithsonian Institution has never used it in archaeological research and has found no archaeological evidence to support its claims” A copy of the full statement is in the Global Christian Outreach files.
An earlier, more detailed statement, which was issued in 1980, elaborates; for instance, that the ancient Americans descended from eastern central and northeastern Asia, not from the Middle East. The 1980 statement also confirms that ancient Americans had no wheat, barley, cattle or horses, as the Book of Mormon claims. It further reports that “no reputable Egyptologist or other specialist on Old World archaeology, and no expert on New World prehistory, has discovered or confirmed any relationship between archaeological remains in Mexico and archaeological remains in Egypt,” as would fit the Book of Mormon scenario.
If Christ’s “other sheep” lived en masse in the Americas, there would be ample physical evidence to prove it. But that evidence doesn’t exist.
The Only Way to Eternal Life
The ever-changing doctrines of Mormonism don’t lead to forgiveness of sins or eternal life. Only the Savior can bestow those precious gifts. He promised that “whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:15, 16 ESV).
In conclusion, consider these additional statements from Christ, found in the sixth chapter of John, regarding how belief in Jesus ensures everlasting life:
•
“Therefore they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent’” (v. 28).
“Therefore they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent’” (v. 28).•“ . . . I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst” (v. 35).
“ . . . I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst” (v. 35).•“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (v. 40, italics added).
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (v. 40, italics added).•“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life” (v. 47).
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life” (v. 47).•“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever” (vv. 53–58).
“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever” (vv. 53–58).In short, Jesus’ “other sheep” were the Gentiles. The way to eternal life and God’s full blessings is belief in and acceptance of Jesus Christ, not Joseph Smith and the teachings of Mormonism.
Mormonism is not Christ’s true church. How to tell? Compare Mormonism’s fundamental doctrines with the teachings of the New Testament. The mission of Global Christian Outreach is to expose the errors of Mormonism and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. For more hard-hitting truth, contact info@gco4lds.org.
LDS CHURCH PRESIDENTS
Prophets? Or Impostors?
BIBLE PASSAGE
“As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began” (Luke 1:70 KJV).
WHAT MORMONISM TEACHES
Mormon leaders claim Christ’s church will always have living prophets like Moses, Isaiah and Ezekiel. Mormons frequently cite Amos 3:7, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 2:20 and Ephesians 4:11–14 to support that assertion. But context, cross-referenced Bible passages and careful study prove the opposite. Amos 3:7 merely says God wouldn’t judge ancient Israel before a prophet warned them. The verses in 1 Corinthians and Ephesians refer to New Testament prophets (see “The Nature of New Testament Prophets” below), not to a succession of modern-day spokesmen.
A recent lesson on the official LDS Web site explains Mormonism’s position on their church’s modern-day prophets. . Directed at children, whom Mormon leaders desperately want to grow up active in the LDS church, the tutorial presents essential doctrines about Mormon church presidents. Mormons consider these men prophets, seers, revelators and translators (Doctrine and Covenants 107:91, 92; 124:125). The lesson says the current prophet, Thomas S. Monson, relays messages from God at LDS General Conferences, held twice yearly in Salt Lake City. It also claims Mormon prophets will never “tell us the wrong things to do.” Mormons assert their living prophet’s counsel is always right.
The lesson concludes with examples of alleged revelation from LDS church presidents. These purported rays of light include Family Home Evening (each church member spends an early evening one night weekly with family), the need to study the scriptures, the importance of daily prayer, and the significance of loving one another.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES
We note two imperatives from the outset. First, God has never—and will never—bless anyone for following false prophets or false doctrine. The Lord made this clear in Jeremiah 23:9–40 when denouncing Israel’s false prophets and their teachings. Verse 32 of that scathing rebuke reads: “‘Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,’ declares the Lord, ‘and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,’ declares the Lord” (italics added).
Second, advice to spend more time with family, study the scriptures, pray daily and love one another is hardly the caliber of modern-day revelation. All these activities are obvious in the Bible, and family activities have long been part of most world cultures. Despite work, recreation, entertainment and other 21st-century strains on the family, it remains the basic unit of most societies. And it’s paramount in virtually all religions.
So let’s briefly examine what the Bible teaches about living prophets.
Luke 1:70 Revisited
It’s spiritually misleading and intellectually dishonest for Mormons to use Luke 1:70 as proof for living prophets. The verse’s correct context is established in Luke 1:67–74, which reads: “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant—as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; to show mercy toward our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to Abraham our father.”
Within that perspective, the passage clearly proves that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah, not that there would be prophets like Moses in the Christian church throughout the ages. In Luke 1:70, Zacharias is simply stating that, before the Savior’s birth, Israel’s prophets had foretold the blessed event.
No Need for “Living” Prophets
Mormonism assumes Christians need a prophet to direct their actions and teach them divine doctrine. Recall that the LDS lesson cited above claimed these were major functions of Mormon church presidents. But that tenet makes two false assumptions—first, that good works lead to eternal life rather than vice versa; and second, that the Bible and Holy Spirit are insufficient guides for Christian doctrine and conduct.
Bear in mind that Christians are forgiven and declared righteous only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by their works (Romans 4:2–6; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:3–7). Unlike ancient Israel, who tried but failed to live a severely legalistic religion, Christians are under grace, not under law (Romans 6:14, 15). We’re free from legalistic requirements regarding God. “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,” Paul explained, “He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13, 14).
A second pivotal point? When one believes in Jesus, receives the Holy Spirit and studies the Bible, he doesn’t need a Mormon prophet’s modern-day “revelations.” Instead, as the apostle John explained: “ . . . You have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him” (1 John 2:27).
Christ’s followers who study the word and are guided by the Holy Spirit will understand what to believe and how to live their lives.
Two Great Epochs
Daniel, Noah and other prophets played important roles in the pre-Christian Old Testament era. For millennia, many of these men foretold two pivotal appearances of the Messiah—one as the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53:1–12), the other as coming King (Jeremiah 23:3–8; Daniel 7:13, 14).
Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension ushered in the era when his gospel would eventually be proclaimed “to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Before issuing the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 and 20, he said, “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it” (Luke 16:16).
Believers now preach “the gospel of the kingdom” (Matthew 4:23; 24:14). Proclaimed during the time between the resurrection and the Second Coming, it’s the same “good news” of Christ’s atonement Jesus and his apostles taught (Acts 2:42). It’s identical to the biblical gospel (Galatians 1:6–9).
The Word Through Christ
The Bible says God has revealed his word to mankind in two major ways. First, throughout the Old Testament, he divulged truth through prophets. And second, beginning at Christ’s mortal ministry 2,000 years ago, God has revealed his will through the Savior. Many of his words and experiences are recorded in the Bible.
Scripture affirms that “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world” (Hebrews 1:1, 2, italics added). Jesus Christ is the personification of God’s word. “In the beginning was the Word,” John testified regarding the preincarnate Christ, “and the Word was with God, and the word was God” (John 1:1). How appropriate that the Father chose the Son to be the “Word of Life” (1 John 1:2), since God speaks exclusively to his church through Christ in our day.
Jesus—the Prophet of the Last Days
Scripture tells us a prophet will guide God’s people in the last days. But this divine mouthpiece won’t be a frail, fatherly old man, as most Mormon prophets have been. The mighty prophet of the last days will be the Messiah himself.
As recorded in the English Standard Version, Acts 3:22–26 reads: “Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people' [Deuteronomy 18:18, 19]. And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
The bottom line? If you’re searching for a latter-day “living” prophet, look to Jesus, the Lord of Life. He’s the prophet of the last days.
The Nature of New Testament Prophets
It’s a mistake to assume New Testament prophets functioned exactly as Moses, Isaiah and Jeremiah did. We read in Hebrews 1:1 and 2 that Jesus now performs this function through his only canonized word, the Bible. For example, when scripture says “there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets” (Acts 13:1), it describes Christians who possessed the gift of prophecy, not men like Jacob and Malachi (Romans 12:6; Revelation 19:10).
Unlike Mormonism, the ancient church of Christ had numerous simultaneous prophets. For instance, the Bible confirms, “Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch” (Acts 11:27). Women also exercised the gift of prophecy in the New Testament church—as they do in the body of Christ today. “And [Philip] had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses,” wrote Luke, who also documented the calling of the prophet Agabus (Acts 21:10). And Paul warned Christian prophetesses that “every woman who has her head uncovered while . . . prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved” (1 Corinthians 11:5).
Through the consummate compassion, dominion and wisdom of God, Christians have all the revelation necessary for salvation. You can be sure the Great Shepherd will save all his sheep. Not one will be lost (John 6:29; 18:9). “Truly, truly, I say to you,” the Lord promised, “he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24).
When you love Christ and believe the biblical gospel, those are all the prophetic words you’ll ever need.
Mormonism is not Christ’s true church. How to tell? Compare Mormonism’s fundamental doctrines with the teachings of the New Testament. The mission of Global Christian Outreach is to expose the errors of Mormonism and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. For the hard-hitting truth, contact info@gco4lds.org.
JESUS AS THE FIRSTBORN
Was Christ the Father’s first begotten Son in the preexistence?
BIBLE PASSAGES
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
Colossians 1:15
“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Romans 8:29
WHAT MORMONISM TEACHES
More than a century ago, the Mormon church First Presidency issued a statement regarding Jesus as the firstborn spirit Son of God: “The Father of Jesus is our Father also,” it said. “Jesus himself taught this truth, when He instructed His disciples how to pray: ‘Our Father which art in heaven,’ etc. Jesus, however, is the firstborn among all the sons of God—the first begotten in the spirit, and the only begotten in the flesh. He is our elder brother, and we, like Him are in the image of God.” (The First Presidency [Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, Anthon H. Lund], “The Origin of Man,” Improvement Era, November 1909, 75–81, italics added).
Recent Mormon church statements confirm this doctrine. For example, the LDS church’s official Web site claims, “Jesus is the firstborn of the spirit children of our Heavenly Father, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, and the first to rise from the dead in the resurrection, 'that in all things he might have the preeminence' (Col. 1:13–18). (Online LDS Bible Dictionary, http://lds.org/scriptures/bd/
firstborn.p3?lang=eng&letter=f, accessed on 20 December 2010, italics added.)
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES
The assertion that Christ was born as a spirit child of the Father in preexistent life is purely the imagination of Mormon leaders. The teaching flatly contradicts the Bible. To understand Jesus as the firstborn Son of God, we must consider the following four biblical facts:
1. Jesus is the God, not a God.
Contrary to Mormon teachings, Jesus isn’t merely our elder brother, the first to be born of a heavenly Father and heavenly mother in the preexistence. Rather, Christ has always been the one true God. The Bible proclaims Jesus Christ as the God over all creation. For example, Psalm 86:10 says, speaking of the Lord, “For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.” Similarly, 2 Samuel 7:22 declares, “ . . . You are great, O Lord God; for there is no God besides you . . . ” And it was revealed through Moses, “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39). Many other Bible verses, including Isaiah 45:5 and 6, and Ephesians 4:6, establish beyond question that there’s only one God. Furthermore, scripture boldly testifies that Jesus is God (John 1:1, 18 ESV; 20:28; Acts 20:28; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8).
The Savior was indeed the first being to be resurrected (Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5), but he was not born as a spirit in the preexistence. The Bible maintains that Jesus wasn’t born in a preexistent life, and he didn’t earn Godhood. Instead, many passages confirm that Jesus is God, even God the Son. For example, Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:21–23 refer to Jesus as Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Likewise, Isaiah 9:6 refers to Christ as the “Mighty God, the Eternal Father.” Matthew 28:18 says the Savior possesses “all authority in heaven and earth,” a position exclusive to God. And 1 Timothy 3:16 explains that Jesus is God “revealed in the flesh” (KJV).
2. Christ is the Creator, not Among the Created.
Scripture affirms that Jesus is the great Creator. Therefore, he’s not a created being, but rather, the eternal architect of all existence. “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16, italics added). Referring to Christ, John reiterates the doctrine in these words: “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:3). In the same fashion, the apostle Paul was well aware that Christ is the Creator, not among the created. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:36).
3. Jesus, who is God the Son, Didn’t Have a Beginning.
The Bible undeniably teaches that Jesus didn’t become a God. He’s always been a separate and distinct personage in the one triune God. “ . . . From everlasting to everlasting, You are God,” Psalm 90:2 asserts. This crucial doctrine is reaffirmed in Psalm 93:2, which says of God, “Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.” David further testified that Christ didn’t have a beginning when he explained, “But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him” (Psalm 103:17). All of this agrees with the description in Job 36:26, which affirms that Christ couldn’t have been born as a spirit in the preexistence. “Behold, God is exalted,” the verse explains. “The number of His years is unsearchable.” These verses explain why “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
4. Jesus is the Firstborn by Preeminence, Not by Birth Order.
The Bible reveals Christ’s position as the preeminent one among mankind. We previously cited Romans 8:29, which affirms Christ’s supremacy “among many brethren.” And we’ve already established that Jesus has always been God, that his spirit has existed forever as God, so he was not born as a spirit Son of the Father in the spirit world. Consequently, Colossians 1:15 can only mean the Savior is “the firstborn of all creation” in terms of preeminence.
Bible expert John MacArthur provides a helpful explanation of this foundational tenet. Concerning Christ’s status as the firstborn, MacArthur writes, “[Jesus is] the preeminent one, the only one who is the rightful heir (cf. Psalm 89:27; Col 1:15–18; Rev. 1:5). Jesus Christ is the most notable among those who have become “brethren” by being made like Him” (The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition, 2006, p. 1676).
Contrary to assertions of Mormon leaders, Christ isn’t preeminent because he was born first among the Father’s preexistent spirit children. As we’ve established, Jesus has always been God. That’s why the Son of Man is supreme; he’s God. By prayerfully studying the Old and New Testaments, the truth about the Savior is unmistakable.
“And this is eternal life,” Jesus proclaimed shortly before his crucifixion, “that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:3). You certainly don’t know Christ if you believe he’s merely our elder brother, the alleged firstborn in the spirit during a premortal existence. And Jesus says if you don’t know him, you don’t have eternal life.
Are Mormons trying to convince you the Bible justifies their religion? Do you want a saving relationship with Jesus Christ? Write info@gco4lds.org.
©2011 Global Christian Outreach, Inc. All Rights Reserved
NEED PRAYER?
Contact our prayer team to receive one-on-one prayer for all your needs.
WANT TO KNOW?
1. The Great Apostasy: Fact or Fiction? Find the truth here.
2. Did Elijah give sealing power to Joseph Smith? The answer is here.
3. What are the seven best biblical reasons to leave Mormonism? Click here to find out.
4. Was Christ the Father’s first begotten Son in the preexistence? The truth may surprise you.
5. What’s on our readers’ minds concerning Christ, his gospel and the false teachings of Mormonism? Our e-mails and letters column tells you.
SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY
Global Christian Outreach needs your financial support. Please visit our donate page today! Your gifts are completely tax deductible.
AWARD-WINNING BLOG
Christians are to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and . . . take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV).
A great place to do it? GCO’s award-winning Blog. Click here to visit.
READY FOR BLESSINGS?
The Lord wants you to help the poor (Mark 14:7), and here’s a wonderful way to do it. You’ll be greatly blessed. Visit www.wshola.org for details.
IN-DEPTH EXPOSÉ
The Bible and Holy Spirit are Global Christian Outreach’s greatest way to proclaim Christ’s truth and expose the errors of religious cults such as Mormonism. Our articles page provides thorough, biblical and cutting-edge articles about what God wants you to know. Visit it today.
“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God . . . He would have given you living water.’”
John 4:10
PROPHETS OF GOD?
How to detect false prophets? Jesus tells us. We’ll know false prophets by what they say and what they do.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
. . . Thus you will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15–20 ESV).
Let’s look at a teaching from three well-known Mormon church presidents. Will their words expose these men as wolves in sheep’s clothing?
Joseph Smith
False Doctrine: “I am 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 . . . ” (King Follet Sermon, History of the Church 6:302–317).
Bible Doctrine: “Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting” (Psalm 93:2).
Brigham Young
False Doctrine: “How much unbelief exists in the minds of the Latter-day Saints in regard to one particular doctrine which I revealed to them, and which God revealed to me—namely that Adam is our father and God” (Deseret News, June 18, 1873, p. 308).
Bible Doctrine: “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7; see Genesis 1:27–2:25).
Spencer W. Kimball
False Doctrine: “Repentance means not only to convict yourselves of the horror of the sin, but to confess it, abandon it, and restore unto all who have been damaged to the total extent possible; then spend the balance of your lives trying to live the commandments of the Lord so he can eventually pardon you and cleanse you” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 200).
Bible Doctrine: “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8, 9).
You Have the Power
When you’re ready to improve your life, empowerment is paramount.
Empowerment is especially important in your relationship with God. For instance, you need God-given power to understand Christ’s saving truths, to separate yourself from Mormonism and other religious cults, to receive forgiveness of all your sins, and to possess the gift of eternal life. Speaking of Christ’s loving outreach to “those in opposition,” Paul wrote, “ . . . God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25, 26).
When God grants repentance to unbelievers, plus through the Bible and Holy Spirit escorts them to the truth, they obtain God’s power to escape the adversary.
How to obtain that power? Ask God for it. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,” Jesus instructed, “how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13). Paul explained the process in these words: “For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:11–13 ESV).
With the Lord’s help, you have power to leave the Mormon church—or any other manmade religion. You have the power to avoid their meetings, to stop tithing, and to quit obeying their leaders. You can stop believing their foolish, damning doctrines and begin to believe in Jesus as revealed in the Bible. Paul said you can call upon the name of the Lord and be saved—no tithing, no temple, no Mormon “prophet.”
You don’t need religion or its leaders. All you need is a new life in Christ. And with God on your side, you have the power to receive it.
—Loren Franck
A New Creation
Officially leaving the LDS church broke my heart—just as it has been heartbreaking for many others who’ve discovered the biblical Jesus Christ. His body of saving truths is not found in Mormonism.
So, despite hardships it could cause in my job, among my friends and with my LDS family members, I had to be true to myself—and true to the Lord. I resigned my LDS church membership.
When you come to the Christ of the Bible, you become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Self-righteousness and other demonstrations of piety mean nothing. The new creation is all that matters (Galatians 6:15).
Since leaving Mormonism and fellowshipping with a New Testament–based Christian church, I’ve never looked back because I was too busy looking forward—and upward. Jesus said, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Sure, I remember being a Latter-day Saint—the endless meetings, duties, tithes, Sunday school and Relief Society lessons (which were merely LDS indoctrination sessions). In those days, I wondered if I could ever be good enough to merit eternal life according to my works. Now I know better. I don’t need to rely on what I do to be saved.
The Savior offers a better way. John wrote, “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:12, 13).
I know I’m a new creation through Christ’s work in me, and I know I have eternal life. It’s not a reward that awaits me. The Bible says believers have it now. When we believe in the biblical Jesus, we pass out of death into life (John 5:24).
Mormonism offers nothing of the kind. And I thank God he led me out of Mormonism and brought me to the biblical Jesus.
— J. Dawn Pratt
