In the last couple of days there’s been a lot of talk about Mormons. In a recent article in USA Today Cindy Packard, an LDS Church spokeswoman said about the “I am Mormon” campaign “These are real people. There are no scripts, no fake stories, no wardrobes, just real people talking about their lives.” So what do they believe then? Mormons claim to believe Jesus is their Lord and Savior so are they Christians or are they a cult? What do Mormons really believe?
If you have ever spoken with a Mormon then you know they believe in Jesus. What you may not know is that the Jesus they believe in is not the Jesus of the bible. In fact, Mormons believe Jesus to be the “spirit brother” of Satan. Of course they try to resolve the issue by saying “If we are all God’s children, then we are siblings to every child of God. It no more demeans Jesus to be Satan’s spirit brother than it does for any of us to be related to evil people who have lived here on the earth." a
In addition to this, Mormons believe Jesus to have been created by God. This is in direct contrast to John’s description of Jesus as the self-existent creator of all things. “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:3 So from all this we can gather that the Jesus Mormons put their faith in is far different from the Savior we trust in. “’I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.’” Isaiah 43:11 We do not simply believe in a man named Jesus. We believe that Jesus is fully God and fully man.
Jesus, in the Mormon belief system, is not God but a god. We, according to Mormon teaching, can also become gods. “Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.” Doctrine and Covenants 132:20b This again is in stark contrast to the teaching of the bible. “’You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.’” Isaiah 43:10
So, are Mormons Christians? Well, a Christian is someone who is not just a follower of Jesus Christ, but the real Jesus Christ. It is of immense importance that we believe the true gospel and not “Another Testament of Jesus Christ”. Scripture is crystal clear on that. “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” Galations 1:8
Are Mormons a cult? Well, I guess that depends on what definition of the word cult you go by. That is definitely something that can be debated. However, the nature and authenticity of God cannot be. “Virtually every heresy begins with the misconception of the nature of God.” ~ Hank Hanegraaff
a: mormonchurch.com b: Doctrine and Covenants is "Revelation" given to Joseph Smith
No comments:
Post a Comment