“I know the church is true. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.” These were elements of my personal testimony when I was LDS.

Baptized in 1973 at age 19, I invested ten years of my life as an active Mormon. After serving in the South Dakota-Rapid city Mission from 1975 to 1977, I married in the Los Angeles temple shortly afterward and graduated from Provo’s BYU in 1981. Indeed, during those early chapters of my life, borrowing parlance from the Doctrine and Covenants, my bosom burned within me, and I felt my beliefs were right (D & C 9:8).

But in 1984, after three years of diligent study and prayer, I resigned my LDS church membership. I was endeavoring to exercise faith in Christ’s saving truths. Grounding my beliefs on the Bible’s enduring word (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25), plus the Holy Spirit’s guidance into all truth (John 16:13–15), the Lord replaced my former LDS testimony with my current Evangelical Christian witness.

Yes, Evangelicals do have testimonies.

THE WORD “EVANGELICAL”

In the strictest sense, I don’t consider myself an “Evangelical Christian.” I use that phrase to differentiate myself from Baptists, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Word-Faith believers and other segmented Christians. As were ancient believers in Antioch, I’m simply a Christian (Acts 11:26). But like Christians who have adopted the rubric “Evangelical,” I wholeheartedly proclaim the biblical Jesus and endorse the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). Following Timothy’s example, I stand “ready in season and out of season [to] reprove, rebuke, exhort [and testify of Jesus] with great patience and instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).

TOOL OF THE TRADE

Early in my Mormon mission, I learned the importance of personal testimonies in recruiting—and retaining—LDS church members. Soon after placing a copy of the Book of Mormon in investigators’ hands, I urged them to seek a divine witness that the book is true. That challenge comes with a well-known promise in Moroni 10:4, 5.

Whatever their experiences or positions within the church, Latter-day Saints are commanded to bear “testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you” (D & C 84:61). In a comparable verse, LDS church members are urged: “Behold, I [the Lord] sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor” (D & C 88:81). Surely, a personal testimony is vital to every Mormon.

But how do five essentials of personal testimony among LDS church members, such as the divinity of the Book of Mormon, the Great Apostasy and Joseph Smith’s prophetic calling, compare with Evangelical Christian testimonies regarding the sufficiency of scripture, the continuous tenure of Christ’s church, and Christ’s status as the prophet of the latter days? Intriguing similarities and drastic differences exist between LDS and Evangelical testimonies. Within some issues, including the necessity of Christian love and prescriptions for sexual morality, common ground prevails. But Mormon and Evangelical testimonies pertaining to latter-day prophets, scripture beyond the Bible and other essential doctrines usually increase the division between both groups.

This paper, based on the Bible, LDS literature and my experiences, will briefly compare my former LDS testimony with my current Evangelical witness. Ideally, it will promote mature and truthful dialogue.

WHAT IS A TESTIMONY?

LDS VIEW

A Mormon testimony has been described as “knowledge revealed by the Holy Ghost of the divinity of Jesus Christ and of gospel truths” (Gospel Principles, 1997, p. 382). Gordon B. Hinckley put personal LDS testimony into perspective when he said, “ . . . Testimony is the great strength of the Church. It is the wellspring of faith and activity” (Ensign, May 1998, p. 69).

Latter-day Saints’ personal testimonies are ideally based on inner convictions, not on empirical evidence or other external sources. However, as I discovered during my decade of activity in the church, outward evidence can bolster inner conviction. Nobody can force a testimony on someone. Certainly God, whom the Book of Mormon describes as all-powerful (Mosiah 3:5, 17, 18, 21), could sovereignly compel all creation to have one, but he chooses otherwise. Instead, each Latter-day Saint must receive a personal witness from the Holy Ghost regarding the truth. A testimony of Mormonism can be shared but not humanly instilled.

When I was LDS, especially during my mission, some Mormons relied on their testimonies more than on scripture and church presidents’ statements as their standards of truth. These church members “knew” certain doctrines were true, even though the Lord has remained silent regarding these tenets.

EVANGELICAL VIEW

Like Latter-day Saints, Evangelical Christians bear their testimonies. In fact, as I’ve discovered during my eight years in Evangelical Christianity, personal testimony is important to Mormons and Evangelicals. Scripture clearly affirms that “no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). Accordingly, the Apostle John taught, “By this you may know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God . . . ” (1 John 4:2).

John also affirmed that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). Paul seemed elated that the “testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in [believers at Corinth]” (1 Corinthians 1:6). And the Apostle Peter boldly maintained:        “ . . . [Christ] ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10: 42, 43). The words of these apostles are fundamental to Evangelical Christian testimonies.

Unquestionably, speaking truth is among the Holy Spirit’s most important functions. As mentioned earlier, Jesus told the apostles, “ . . . When . . . the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth . . . ” (John 16:13). Unfortunately, “all the truth” can differ radically between Evangelicals and Mormons. In my experience, most Evangelical Christians base their testimonies on personal conviction that the Bible and its “good news” about Jesus Christ are true. As in Mormonism, biblically based Christians must receive their own personal witness to the truth. It can be shared but not humanly instilled.

Unlike my experience in the LDS church, personal testimony cannot override scripture within Evangelical Christianity. Regarding truth, the Bible takes precedence over good feelings. Rather than use a burning in the bosom to establish truth among unbelieving Jews in Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul reasoned from the scriptures (Acts 17:2). Likewise, the Bereans “received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether [Paul’s teachings were true]” (Acts 17:11).

In fact, centuries earlier, God censured the Israelites for relying on feelings instead of his word. “ . . . They have forsaken My law which I set before them,” the Lord explained, “and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it, but have walked after the stubbornness of their heart . . . ” (Jeremiah 9:13, 14). How many of the ancient Israelites—and how many people today—live by the words, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool . . . ” (Proverbs 28:26)?

Indeed, true Evangelical testimony speaks only of biblical truth. Even contemporary believers claiming the gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:10; 14:1) must subordinate their utterances to the written word (Isaiah 8:20; 1 Corinthians 14:32).

FIVE ELEMENTS OF AN LDS TESTIMONY

When I was LDS, five aspects of personal testimony were foundational:

1. God the Father lives.

2. Jesus is the Christ.

3. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.

4. The Book of Mormon is scripture.

5. The LDS Church is God’s only true church on earth.

Let’s briefly compare how Mormons and Evangelicals might view these five elements of testimony.

God Lives—Mormon Testimony

Perhaps unique among professing Christians, Mormons testify that “the Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” (D & C 130:22). Furthermore, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are separate and distinct personages—and three separate Gods (History of the Church 6:473–479). They constitute one “Godhead” instead of one God. Mormon prophets have emphasized that the Father is a created being who lived as a mortal man on an earth like ours. Joseph Smith’s King Follett Sermon verifies this teaching (History of the Church 6:302–317). So, when Mormons testify that God lives, they’re witnessing about this heavenly Father.

God Lives—Evangelical Testimony

Evangelicals testify about a different heavenly Father. Like Latter-day Saints, we praise him as “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 1:3), but we agree with the Bible that “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). When I was a Mormon missionary and was confronted with this verse to prove the Father lacks a physical body, I responded that “man is spirit” (D & C 93:33), so since man is spirit and has a physical body, the same is true of the Father. Now, after eight years as an Evangelical, I realize the weaknesses of that argument.

Basing their beliefs on John 10:30, John 14:9 and similar passages, some Evangelicals believe the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one being or one entity. Most Evangelicals I know, however, testify the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three separate personages but one God (Matthew 28:19; John 12:27, 28; 2 Corinthians 13:14). We don’t subscribe to Joseph Smith’s polytheism that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost constitute three Gods. Rather, our testimonies are based exclusively on the Bible, which relentlessly asserts there is only one God (Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; 6:4; Isaiah 44:8; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:4). This one God is not merely the God pertaining to this earth or the God of Adam and Eve’s descendants. He is the only true God for all time, for all eternity and throughout all existence.

For Evangelicals, who invariably confess that “all scripture . . . is profitable for doctrine” (2 Timothy 3:16, King James Version), God is not a created being. To the contrary, through the Lord Jesus Christ, God created all things (John 1:3; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16). Eternally supreme, God has reigned as deity from all eternity past and will do so throughout all eternity to come (Psalm 90:2; 93:2; 102:24–27;103:17; 2 Timothy 1:9). So, when Evangelical Christians testify of the Father, we’re bearing witness of the eternal God who never had a beginning and will never have an end.

Jesus is the Christ—Mormon Testimony

During my ten years in Mormonism, I testified that Jesus was the firstborn spirit offspring during the pre-existence of God the Father and our heavenly Mother. Reiterating statements of Mormon apostles and prophets, I bore witness that Jesus is the literal physical Son of our heavenly Father and the Virgin Mary (see Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 1:50; First Presidency Statement, “The Origin of Man,” Improvement Era 13:1, 1909, pp. 75–81).

During the pre-existence, without possessing a physical body, Christ received his exaltation and became a God (2 Nephi 11:7; Mosiah 7:27). Perhaps eons before his mortal birth, Jesus vowed to execute the Father’s plan of salvation for mankind and become our Savior (Moses 4:1, 2; Abraham 3:22–27). In Mormonism, the atonement of Jesus Christ enables humanity to gain eternal life if we continually keep all of God’s commandments (2 Nephi 25:23; D & C 1:31; 25:15). This concept of Christ and his atonement was foundational to my LDS testimony.

Jesus is the Christ—Evangelical Testimony

Like millions of Bible-based Christians worldwide, I praise and worship Jesus as the firstborn of the Father in preeminence, not in birth order (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:6). No Evangelicals I know believe in a heavenly Mother or concede God was ever married. The Bible teaches neither doctrine. Most Evangelicals reject the notion that the Father literally sired Jesus in the spirit or in flesh. Holding fast to the Bible, we testify Mary was “found with child by the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18, italics added). We take the following words to Mary literally: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy child shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

The Bible does teach that Jesus lived in a pre-mortal past with the Father (Psalm 90:2; 93:2; 103:17; John 1:1; 17:5). For Evangelicals, Bible verses endeavoring to establish mankind’s pre-existence, including Job 38:4–7, Ecclesiastes 12:7 and Jeremiah 1:5, fail to prove the point. Evangelicals testify that Jesus never became a God. Although a separate personage from the Father, Jesus has always been the God (Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 1:8; 13:8). We also testify Christ has always been perfect, that he doesn’t progress in any way.

Christ’s finished work on Calvary’s cross paid for all believers’ sins (John 3:15, 16, 18). This is pivotal to my Evangelical testimony. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians, “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in [Christ], and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20, italics added). Indeed, Evangelicals testify that Christ has reconciled believing Jews and Gentiles “in one body to God through the cross . . . ” (Ephesians 2:16, italics added). The author of Hebrews affirmed: “By [God’s] will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all . . . Now where there is forgiveness of [our sins], there is no longer any offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:10, 18).

Those who truly trust the biblical Jesus receive the gift of eternal life regardless of our works (Ephesians 2:8, 9; Romans 11:5, 6; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5). Christ imputes his perfect righteousness to them, simultaneously cleansing them of all sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). If human works were required to gain eternal life, that indescribable blessing would not be a gift but God’s payment of a debt (Romans 4:4–12).

When I was LDS, I dismissed one of Paul’s most imperative statements as “sectarian nonsense.” He assured the Romans: “ . . . The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation . . . for whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:8–10, 13, italics added).

Joseph Smith as a Prophet of God—Mormon Testimony

Faithful Mormons revere Joseph Smith. Consider this eminent verse of LDS scripture: “Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it . . . He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people . . . ” (D & C 135:3).

Similarly, Brigham Young declared, “ . . . No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of all things, every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are” (Journal of Discourses 7:289). Joseph Fielding Smith agreed: “If Joseph Smith was verily a prophet . . . this knowledge is of the most vital importance to the entire world. No man can reject that testimony without incurring the most dreadful consequences, for he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (Doctrines of Salvation 1:189, 190, italics added).

My former Mormon testimony involving Joseph Smith was based largely on three presumptions: 1) that total apostasy occurred after Christ’s resurrection; 2) that scripture foretold the gospel’s restoration; and 3) that Joseph Smith was the prophet through whom this restoration would occur.

Joseph Smith as a Prophet of God—Evangelical Testimony

As an Evangelical, I believe an apostasy occurred after Christ’s resurrection, but it was partial, not complete. So my testimony is that Christ’s church has been on earth since its establishment some 2,000 years ago. Evangelicals base this testimony on the Bible. For example, the Lord told the Apostle Peter, “ . . . I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). The Master further promised his disciples, “ . . . I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Additional biblical evidence ensures that Christ’s church was to persevere throughout the ages. For instance, centuries before the Savior’s birth, the psalmist declared, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever” (Psalm 125:2, italics added). And Paul testified that from about A.D. 60 onward, God would receive “glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever” (Ephesians 3:21, italics added). Paul refers to an earthly church here, not to one in heaven.

The Bible does not say Joseph Smith would help restore the gospel and usher in the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. Admittedly, it mentions a “restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21), but Evangelicals maintain this a worldwide renewal during Christ’s millennial reign (Isaiah 11:4–12; 35:4–10; Revelation 21:5).

Evangelical Christians I know see no need for latter-day prophets like Moses, Elijah and Isaiah. Instead, we testify 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 . . . ” (Hebrews 1:1, 2). The Bible says Christ will remain in heaven “until the period of restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21), but the next two verses attest that the latter-day prophet is Christ himself. So, when Evangelicals testify concerning the great prophet of our dispensation, we bear witness that it’s none other “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

The Book of Mormon is Scripture—Mormon Testimony

When I was an LDS missionary, Joseph Smith’s testimony of the Book of Mormon fascinated me. He claimed it’s “the most correct book of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book" (History of the Church 4:461). LDS scripture says the Book of Mormon contains “the fulness of the gospel” (D & C 20:9; 27:5; 42:12; Joseph Smith—History: 34).

Latter-day Saints testify that the Book of Mormon was written by inspired men who lived anciently in the Western Hemisphere. Alongside the Bible, it’s “another testament of Jesus Christ,” a subtitle added to the Book of Mormon in 1982. In Latter-day Saint testimony, the Bible predicted the Book of Mormon’s emergence. For example, Isaiah 29:4, 11, 12; Ezekiel 37:15–19; Revelation 14:6 and other Bible passages serve as proof texts. When Mormons bear witness for this other testament, which I did for a decade, they’re essentially testifying of Mormonism itself.

Emphasizing the Book of Mormon’s importance, Joseph Smith said: “Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations, and where is our religion? We have none” (History of the Church 2:52). And Ezra Taft Benson explained: “Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon” (A Witness and a Warning, p. 19).

The Book of Mormon is Scripture—Evangelical Testimony

Evangelical Christians reject the Book of Mormon as scripture and as a historical record, believing instead it’s fiction based on the King James Version of the Bible plus other resources available to Joseph Smith. Consequently, Evangelicals testify that, except when quoting the Bible, the Book of Mormon is not scripture and not “another testament of Jesus Christ.”

Furthermore, we differ from Latter-day Saints when interpreting Bible passages used to bolster testimonies of the Book of Mormon. For instance, Evangelicals testify that Isaiah 29 relates to Jerusalem and to Israel’s future restoration (29:22–24), not to the Book of Mormon. Similarly, we bear witness that Ezekiel 37 affirms Judah and all other tribes of Israel will become one nation (Ezekiel 37:21, 22), not that the Bible and Book of Mormon would become one in the hands of Latter-day Saints. And Revelation 14:6, a favorite proof text during my LDS mission, is not related to Nephi, Moroni or other Book of Mormon characters. Rather, as the context of Revelation 14 demonstrates, the coming of “another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on earth” (v. 6) awaits fulfillment.

My Evangelical testimony is that the Bible is God’s word (2 Peter 1:21), which is perfect, pure and sure (Psalm 19:7). God’s word brings joy and is always right (Psalm 19:8; Proverbs 30:5). It endures forever (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25). Most Christians I know testify of “the sufficiency of scripture.” That is, the Bible meets all our scriptural needs (John 20:30; 2 Peter 1:3). The Apostle Paul assured the Corinthians that believers have learned “not to exceed what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6).

Containing 66 complete books of testimony about Jesus Christ, some written by men who personally witnessed the Lord’s majesty (2 Peter 1:16), the Bible eliminates the need among Evangelicals for “another testament of Jesus Christ.”

The LDS Church is God’s Only True Church on Earth—Mormon Testimony

Founded on April 6, 1830, the LDS church arose “out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth . . .” (D & C 1:30). Mormonism claims to be a restoration—not a reorganization—of Christ’s church that functioned in the meridian of time. A contemporary LDS study manual and teacher guide emphasizes, “The Savior promised to restore his church in the latter days . . . The church was organized with the same offices as were in the ancient church . . . ” (Gospel Principles, 1997, pp. 110, 112).

During and after Joseph Smith’s lifetime, says LDS testimony, the Mormon church has been directed on earth by a living “prophet, seer and revelator” (D & C 107:92). However, it's claimed that the Lord ultimately heads the LDS church (Gospel Principles, 1997, pp. 111). It possesses the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods, the authority required within the true church (Preach My Gospel, 2004, p. 83). I bore that witness when I was LDS.

The LDS Church is God’s Only True Church on Earth—Evangelical Testimony

My understanding of Jesus Christ and his church is now based exclusively on the Bible. Like most Evangelicals, I consider the church of Jesus Christ to be the worldwide spiritual body of Christians, regardless of denominational divide (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 13; Ephesians 1:22, 23).

Because of uncompromising doctrinal differences with Evangelicals—including the nature of God, the fundamentals of Christ’s atonement, the operational aspects of divine grace plus the role and sufficiency of scripture—most Evangelicals exclude Mormons from the worldwide body of Christ.

The Lord does head his church (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18), and he positions biblically named officers within it (Ephesians 4:11–14; 1 Timothy 3:1–13). Of particular interest here, Evangelicals believe the apostles and prophets mentioned in Ephesians 2 and 4 are those during Christ’s earthly ministry, not men of our day.

Evangelicals testify of a God-given priesthood that differs markedly from LDS authority. Clearly, the Bible teaches the Aaronic priesthood will operate in the Lord’s millennial temple. However, Ezekiel 40–48 reveals that its structure and rites do not resemble the edifices and temple ordinances of Mormonism. Additionally, God has promised to “purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness” (Malachi 3:3).

Under the New Covenant, though, made operational after the Lord’s resurrection (Hebrews 7:22; 8:6–13), Christ has been the only legitimate priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 7:17, 23–28). Under Christ, our great High Priest, all males and females who believe in the biblical Jesus constitute “a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5; also see verse 9; Hebrews 13:15; Revelation 1:6; 20:6). As a result, Evangelicals and their church leaders possess Christ’s full authority under this New Covenant priesthood.

CONCLUSION

I’ve been fortunate to experience two testimonies: one LDS, the other Evangelical. When a Mormon, my testimony was based on good feelings mingled with scripture. As an Evangelical, my testimony is rooted in the Bible, the Holy Spirit guiding me “into all the truth” (John 16:13).

The Apostle Paul advised, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:17). So, in closing, I’ll share my Evangelical Christian witness in Christ’s name:

—I testify God lives, that he was never created and will endure forever;

—That Jesus is the Christ, that he has risen from the grave, and that on Calvary’s cross he paid for every sin of all who believe in him from the heart and confess his name (Romans 10:8–10; 1 John 1:7–9); that he saves by sovereign grace through faith, not because of our works (Romans 4:2–8; 9:15–18; Ephesians 2:8, 9);

—That Christ is the only prophet on whom our salvation depends (Acts 3:22, 23);

—That the Bible is God’s word, and that we need no other scripture;

—And that the Church of Jesus Christ is true; that it’s composed of all believers in Christ whom the Father has given him (John 17:2).

My testimony echoes these words from the Apostle John: “ . . . God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 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 many know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11–13, italics added).

Loren Franck, president and executive director of Global Christian Outreach, Inc., presented this paper at the Salt Lake City Sunstone Symposium on August 14, 2009.

Questions or Comments? Write loren@gdo4lds.org.

©2011 Global Christian Outreach, Inc. All Rights Reserved

GLOBAL CHRISTIAN OUTREACH

Preaching the Gospel to All Creation

Mark 16:15

“YOUR BOSOM SHALL BURN WITHIN YOU”

An Evangelical Christian Examination of the LDS Testimony

By Loren Franck

Loren Franck (above) regrets the false doctrine he taught when a Mormon. He resigned his LDS church membership in 1984 and received the biblical Jesus Christ in 2001.

LIFE-GIVING STEPS

Ready to take two liberating, life-giving steps?

First, begin your new life—an incredible spiritual journey—with Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). After your required rebirth in Christ (John 3:3, 5; 1 Peter 1:23), your life will abound in his consummate grace, forgiveness and inner peace (John 10:10).

Second, remove your name from Mormon church records. Stop attending. Stop giving Mormonism your money. The Lord wants you to leave that "domain of darkness" and enter the "kingdom of His beloved Son" (Colossians 1:13), which is composed of those who strictly believe in the biblical Jesus.

You can’t transition if you remain in Mormonism. God asks people who worship him in “spirit and in truth” (John 4:23) not to bind themselves to unbelievers, join the lawless or fellowship with those in darkness

(2 Corinthians 6:14).

Through the biblical Jesus, God has reconciled believers to himself and at the appropriate time will present us "holy and blameless and beyond reproach" in his presence (2 Corinthians 5:18–21; Colossians 1:21, 22).

Take comfort in God’s word: “ . . . If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation . . . for whosoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:9, 10, 13).

SAMPLE RESIGNATION LETTER

Dear Bishop:

Effective immediately, I hereby resign my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Throughout all relevant LDS church records, you are to designate that this action is at my own request. I simply want my name removed from the records of the church.

I will not attend or participate in church courts, hearings or other disciplinary action. Neither will I speak with home teachers, members of bishoprics, members of stake presidencies or with other church officials unless I initiate contact.

Please notify me in writing when my name has been removed.

Yours truly,

[your name and address]

To leave the Mormon church formally, send a letter like this to your bishop and stake president. Click on FAQs for further details.

Mormons believe marriage in a temple like this one in Los Angeles is essential to eternal life. However, the Bible says belief in Christ is what's essential to eternal life (John 3:16, 36; Acts 16:31).

“I’ve been fortunate to experience two testimonies: one LDS, the other Evangelical. When a Mormon, my testimony was based on good feelings mingled with scripture. As an Evangelical, my testimony is rooted in the Bible, the Holy Spirit guiding me “into all the truth” (John 16:13).”

Loren Franck

Mormon temples like this one in La Jolla, Calif., feature hundreds of “eternal marriages” annually. But marriage isn’t relevant when seeking eternal life and a reconciled relationship with God. You gain everlasting life only by trusting in Jesus Christ and his good news of grace (John 3:15, 16, 36; 6:47; Romans 10:9, 10, 11, 13).

TRUE TESTIMONY

"The Apostle Paul advised, 'Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father' (Colossians 3:17).

So . . .  I’ll share my Evangelical Christian witness in Christ’s name:

—I testify God lives, that he was never created and will endure forever;

—That Jesus is the Christ, that he has risen from the grave, and that on Calvary’s cross he paid for every sin of all who believe in him from the heart and confess his name (Romans 10:8–10; 1 John 1:7–9); that he saves by sovereign grace through faith, not because of our works (Romans 4:2–8; 9:15–18; Ephesians 2:8, 9);

—That Christ is the only prophet on whom our salvation depends (Acts 3:22, 23);

—That the Bible is God’s word, and that we need no other;

—And that the Church of Jesus Christ is . . . composed of all believers in Christ whom the Father has given him (John 17:2; Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14).

—Loren Franck

THE SAVIOR SAYS . . .

“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return”       

(Luke 6:38).

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Luke 9:23, 24

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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