If your life is not in jeopardy for what you
believe, you’re probably on the wrong side!
“Indeed, all who want
to live a godly life united with the Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted.” (2Tim 3:12)
It is what you actually believe that determines how you walk out your faith,
“but avoid stupid controversies, genealogies,
quarrels and fights about the Torah; because they are worthless and
futile.” (Titus 3:9)
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Please Note: Nothing on this website should be taken as anti-Church. I am not anti-anything or anyone. I am only pro-Torah and pro-Truth. Sometimes the Truth upsets our long-held beliefs. Why isn’t my theology consistent throughout this website?
Cults and World Religions
The God of Mormonism: One God, or Many?
Polytheism Defined
“... the doctrine of, or belief in, a plurality of gods.” — Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, 1961.
“... belief in or worship of more than one god” — New York, Lexicon Publications, Inc. The New Lexicon Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, p. 779, 1990.
“... the doctrine of a plurality of gods. – polytheist, A person who believes in a plurality of gods. polytheistic, polytheistical, Pertaining to polytheism; holding a plurality of gods.” — The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, Vol. 1, 1965.
“... a belief in and worship of several gods, instead of belief in one God, which is called monotheism, ... Christianity and Islam followed Judaism in insisting that there is only one God.” — Polytheism,” The World Book Encyclopedia, Vol. 13, p. 6480f., 1956.
| MORMONISM TEACHES | THE BIBLE TEACHES |
|---|---|
| “I will teach on the plurality of Gods. I have selected this text for that express purpose. I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods. It has been preached by the Elders for fifteen years.” ‑ Joseph Smith, Jr., History of the Church 6:474 |
“Sh'ma, Yisra'el! ADONAI Eloheinu,
ADONAI echad [Hear, Isra'el!
ADONAI our God, ADONAI
is one].” — Deuteronomy 6:4 “Yeshua answered, ‘The most important [commandment] is, “Sh'ma Yisra'el, ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear, O Isra'el, ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one], …”’” — Mark 12:29 |
|
“How many Gods there are, I do not know. But there never
was a time when there were no Gods and worlds ...”
— Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses
7:333 |
“Thus says ADONAI, Isra'el's King and Redeemer, ADONAI-Tzva'ot: [God of Hosts] ‘I am the first, and I am the last; besides Me there is no God.… Don't be frightened, don't be afraid - Didn't I tell you this long ago? I foretold it, and you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me? There is no other Rock - I know of none.’” — Isaiah 44:6,8 |
|
“If we should take a million of worlds like this one and
number their particles, we should find that there are
more gods than there are particles of matter in those
worlds.” — Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses 2:345 |
“I am ADONAI; there is no other; besides Me there is no God. I am arming you, although you don't know Me, so that those from the east and those from the west will know that there is none besides Me - I am ADONAI; there is no other.” — Isaiah 45:5,6 |
| Here, then, is eternal life — to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you…” — Joseph Smith, Jr., History of the Church 6:305,306 |
“You are my witnesses,” says ADONAI,
“and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you can know and trust
me and understand that I am He. No god was produced before me, nor
will any be after me.” — Isaiah 43:10 |
|
“The heads of the Gods appointed one God for us; and when you
take that view of the subject it sets one free to see all the
beauty, holiness and perfection of the Gods ...”
— Joseph Smith, Jr., History of the Church 6:475,475 |
“… we know that, as you say, ‘An idol has no real existence in
the world, and there is only one God.’ For even if there are
so-called ‘gods,’ either in heaven or on earth — as in fact
there are ‘gods’ and ‘lords’ galore — yet for us there is one
God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we
exist; and one Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, through whom were
created all things and through whom we have our being.”
|
|
“God himself was once as we are now, and is
an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder
heavens! … 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 and take away the veil so that you may
see.” — Joseph Smith, Jr., History of the Church
6:305,306 |
“… I, ADONAI, do not change,
…” — Malachi 3:6 “God will hear and answer them — Even the One who sits enthroned from of old — Selah. With Whom there is no change, … ” — Psalm 55:29 (NASB) “Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father who made the heavenly lights; with Him there is neither variation nor darkness caused by turning. — James 1:17 |
|
“Many men say there is one God; the Father, the Son and the
Holy Ghost are only one God! I say that is a strange God
anyhow — three in one, and one in three! It is a curious
organization. … All are to be crammed into one God, according
to sectarianism. It would make the biggest God in all the world.
He would be a wonderfully big God ‑ he would be a giant or a monster.” —
Joseph Smith, Jr., History of the Church 6:474,476 |
“Within the nature of the one God there are three distinct
Persons: God the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit.
This is the Christian Doctrine of the Trinity: tri-unity,
not tri-theism. … The Father is all the
fullness of the Godhead invisible (John 1:18); the Son is
all the fullness of the Godhead manifested (John 1:14-18);
the Spirit is all the fullness of the Godhead acting
immediately upon the creature (1 Cor. 2:9,10).” ‑ Boardman,
cited by William Evans, The Great Doctrines Of The Bible ,
p. 2
|
Apparently, Joseph Smith, the “author” of the Book of Mormon, remembered what he had written concerning the oneness of God. The Mormon “prophets” also, speaking as the direct “revelators” of their god, could not even keep their theology straight. Apparently, their god changes his mind rather frequently. All of the above quotations were given as direct revelation from the Mormon god; however, that same “god” also “inspired” the following Mormon “scriptures”:
“And now, behold, my beloved bretheren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen” — 2 Nephi 31:21
“And in this manner shall ye baptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one. … And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.” — 3 Nephi 11:27,36
“… but everything shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.” — Alma 11:44
“And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is a true and living God? And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God. Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? And he answered, No.” — Alma 11:26‑29
“Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father? And Amulek saith unto him: Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which in them are; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last;” — Alma 11:38,39
“And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son — And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth. And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, …” — Mosiah 15:2-5
The Adam-God Doctrine
“Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and Sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He is the Arch-angel, the Ancient of Days! about whom holy men have written and spoken — he is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do. Every man upon the earth, professing Christians or non-professing, must hear it, and will know it sooner or later. … the earth was organized by three distinct characters, namely, Eloheim, Yahovah, and Michael, these three forming a quorum, as in all heavenly bodies, and in organizing element, perfectly represented in the Deity as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” — Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, pp. 50-51, April 9, 1852
According to the above statement:
- Adam is Michael, the Archangel.
- Michael the Archangel is the Ancient of Days.
- Adam is God the Father.
- Elohim is God the Father.
- Yahovah is the Son.
- Michael is the Holy Ghost.
Therefore:
- Since Adam is Michael, and Adam is the Father, then Michael is the Father.
- Since Michael is the Father, and Elohim is the Father, then Michael is Elohim.
- Since Michael is the Father, and Michael is the Holy Ghost, then the Father is the Holy Ghost.
- Since Michael is the Ancient of Days, and Michael is the Holy Ghost, then the Holy Ghost is the Ancient of Days.
- Since the Father is the Holy Ghost, and Adam is the Father, then Adam is also the Holy Ghost
- Therefore, Adam and Michael and Elohim and the Father and the Holy Ghost and the Ancient of Days are all one person, and Yahovah is his son.
There are four important points that must be noted in relation to the Adam-God doctrine:
1. Adam was not created of the dust of this earth.
“When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden he came into it with a celestial body … he helped to make and organize this world.” — Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, p. 50 [Adam is the maker and organizer of this world.]
“You believe Adam was made of the dust of this earth. This I do not believe, though it is supposed that it is so written in the Bible; but it is not to my understanding. You can write that information to the States, if you please — that I have publically declared that I do not believe that portion of the Bible as the Christian world do. I never did, and I never want to. What is the reason that I do not? Because I have come to understanding, and banished from my mind all the baby stories my mother taught me when I was a child.” — Ibid., Vol. 2, p. 6 [The Bible is only a collection of “baby stories,” and should be banished from the minds of all those who have come to understanding.]
“He [Adam] was the person who brought the animals and the seeds from other planets to this world, and brought a wife with him and stayed here. You may read and believe what you please as to what is found written in the Bible. Adam was made from the dust of AN earth, but not from the dust of THIS earth. He was made as you and I are made, and no person was ever made upon any other principle.” — Ibid., Vol. 3, p. 319 [Adam and Eve were extraterrestrials who brought all life to this planet in a cosmic “ark.” Adam-God was conceived and born of a woman just “as you and I are made,” and no person, including Jesus Christ, was ever born in any other manner.]
“Apparently President Young means that Adam was provided with a physical body through the normal pattern of conception, embrionic development, and birth, since that is [the] method by which ‘you and I are made’” — Rodney Turner, The Position of Adam in Latter-day Saint Scripture and Theology, p. 20
2. Adam is the only God with whom we have to do.
“He [Adam] is our father and our god, and the only god with which we have to do.” — Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, p. 50
“Eving I attendd Prayer meeting & instruct the Saints on the points of Doctrine refered to by the true Latterday Saints Herald & their Bombarding Pres. B. Young for Saying that Adam is all the god that we have to do with & to those that know no better, it is quite a stumbling Blick …” — John D. Lee, A Mormon Chronicle: The Diaries of John D. Lee, Vol. 1, p. 293
“When Brigham Young proclaimed to the nations that Adam was our Father and God, and Eve, his partnerm the Mother of a world — both in a mortal and celestial sense — he made the most important revelation ever oracled to the race since the days of Adam himself.” — Women of Mormondom, page 196
“The doctrine preached by Prest Young a few years back wherein he says that Adam is our God — the God we worship — that most of the people believe this … we should not suffer ourselves to suffer one doubt — we are not accountable on points of Doctrine if the President makes a statement it is not our prerogative to dispute it.” — Minutes of the School of the Prophets, Provo, Utah 1868-1871, p. 38 of typed copy at the Utah State Historical Society
3. Adam is the father of our spirits.
“Father Adam came here and helped to make the earth. … The he said, ‘I want my children who are in the spirit world to come and live here. … I want My children that were born to me in the spirit world to come here and take tabernacles of flesh …” Brigham Young, Deseret News, June 14, 1873
“Brigham Young said … that Adam and Eve were the natural father and mother of every spirit that comes to this plannet, or that receives, tabernacles on this plannet, … and that Adam was God, our eternal Father, …” — Joseph Lee Robinson, personal journal and autobiography
“Adam and Eve are the nakes of the fathers and mothers of worlds … These were the father and mother of a world of spirits who had been born to them in heaven.” — Women of Mormondom, p. 180
4. Adam is the Father of Jesus Christ.
“When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by the Holy Ghost. And who is the Father? He is the first of the human family; … I could tell you much more about this; but were I to tell you the whole truth, blasphemy would be nothing to it in the estimation of the superstitious and over-righteous of mankind. However, I have told you the truth as far as I have gone. … Jesus, our elder brother, was begotten in the flesh by the same character that was in the garden of Eden, and who is our Father in Heaven. Now let all who may hear these doctrines, pause before they make light of them, or treat them with indifference, for they will prove their salvation or damnation.” — Brigham Young (April 9, 1852), Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, pp. 50-52 52 [Jesus of Nazareth is an illegitimate son who was conceived of an incestuous sexual relationship between Mary and her great, great, etc. grandfather Adam. If you refuse to believe this abomination you will be eternally damned.]
“Adam is our father and God. He is the God of the earth. So says Brigham Young ... He is the father of our elder brother, Jesus Christ — the father of him who also come as Messiah to reign. He is the father of the spirits as well as the tabernacles of the sons and daughters of man. Adam!” — Women of Mormondom, p. 179
“I have learned by experience that there is but one God that pertains to this people, and he is the God that pertains to this earth — the first man. That first man sent his own son to redeem the world. …” — Heber, C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 1
Is “Adam-God” Really Satan?
We have clearly shown that Brigham Young taught that the god of the Mormons is Adam, and that Adam-God is the god of this earth.
We have also shown in this and other handouts that the key doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that of eternal progression, or that good and faithful Mormons can achieve deity for themselves:
“Here, then, is eternal life — to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you …” — Joseph Smith, Jr., History of the Church 6:305,306
The obvious question to be asked is, “What is the source of that doctrine?” to which every faithful Mormon will answer that the doctrine came from their god, as revealed through the Church’s Living Prophets. Instead of attempting to refute that belief, perhaps Christians should simply accept that statement, and evaluate what it really means.
Brigham Young taught that their god — that is Adam‑God — “is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do”, and that “He is the God of the earth.”
What does God have to say, in the Bible, about “the god of this world”?
“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.” (John 12:31, NAS)
“I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and has nothing in Me;” (John 14:30, NAS)
“And He [the Holy Spirit], when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment, … and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.” (John 16:8,11)
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4, NAS)
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2, NAS)
“Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firms against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:11,12)
“You are from God, little children, and you have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them.” (1 John 4:4,5, NAS)
“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 john 5:19, NAS)
The “God of This World” Teaches “The Lie”
“Asserting to be wise they became foolish, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into a likeness of an image of corruptible man … therefore God gave them up in the desires of their hearts to uncleanness, their bodies to be dishonored among themselves, who changed the truth of God into THE LIE, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the One who created, Who is blessed forever: Amen.” (Romans 1:22‑25, literal translation)
“Not anyone may deceive you in any way; because unless the departure comes first and the man of lawlessness — the son of perdition, the one setting against and exalting himself over everything being called God or an object of worship — is revealed, so as to sit in the temple of God, showing himself that he is [as to his nature] a god. … And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy by the breath of his mouth, and bring to nothing by His outshining presence, of whom the presence is according to the operation of Satan with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness in the perishing ones, because they did not receive the love of the truth for them to be saved. And therefore God sends to them an operation of error for them to believe THE LIE in order that all the ones may be judged who have not believed the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2: 3,4,8-12, literal translation)
In Romans 1 and 1 Thessalonians 2, quoted above, most English translations do not translate the definite article associated with the word “lie” — it does, however, appear in the original, and to fail to properly translate it causes some minor confusion in the text. When used the definite article “the” causes its associated noun to refer to a very specific item, in this case the intent of the writer could be well paraphrased as “the one very specific lie to which I am referring.” Note the context of the two texts:
In the Romans passage they chose to worship the image of a corruptible man, believe THE LIE, and worship that which was created rather than He who created. Does this fit the Adam-God doctrine of the Mormons? The Mormon god is a resurrected, glorified man; Adam was created [Genesis 1:25,26; 2:7; 1 Timothy 2:13]; Brigham Young taught that Adam, a created being, was to be worshipped as god instead of giving worship to of Adam’s Creator. [We will examine THE LIE in a moment.]
In the Thessalonians passage, one who exalts himself above God and above every other object of worship will appear in the temple and show himself to be in the nature of a god. He will apparently teach THE LIE, because those who hear it will reject the truth because they take pleasure in unrighteousness.
“You are of [your] father the Devil and you wish to do the desires of your father. {‘He is our Father and our God, and the only god with which we have to do!’} That one was from the beginning a murderer, and stood not in the truth because the truth is not in him. When he speaks THE LIE, he speaks out of his own things because he is a liar and the father of it [the lie].” (John 8:44, literal translation)
What is the Lie?
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made, And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?”’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.”’ And the serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” (Genesis 3:1‑5, NAS)
The Lie is what got Satan in trouble in the first place.
“How you are fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” (Isaiah 14:12, NAS)
Apparently there have been others before Joseph Smith and Brigham Young to believe the Lie.
“The word of the LORD came again to me saying, ‘Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, “Thus says the LORD God, ‘Because your heart is lifted up and you have said, “I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas”; Yet you are a man and not God, Although you make your heart like the heart of God — … Because you have made your heart like the heart of God, therefore, behold, I will bring strangers upon you, the most ruthless of the nations. And they will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor. They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die the death of those who are slain in the heart of the seas. Will you still say, “I am a god,” in the presence of your slayer, although you are a man and not God, in the hands of those who wound you? You will die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers, for I have spoken!” declares the LORD God!’”’” (Ezekiel 28: 1,2,6-10, NAS)
Brigham young preached that the god of the Mormons is “... the same character that was in the garden of Eden, and who is our Father in Heaven.” — Brigham Young (April 9, 1852), Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, pp. 50-52 [The Serpent was in Eden tempting Adam and Eve.]
And God speaks to Lucifer through the prophet Ezekiel:
“Thus says the LORD God, ‘You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; You were blameless in all your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.… Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you. … All who know you among the peoples are apalled at you; You have become terrified, and you will be no more.’ “ (Ezekiel 28:12,13,15,17,19, NAS)
From Whence Did Joseph Smith’s Revelation Come?
The Bible says: “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14, NAS)
The current version of Joseph Smith’s “vision” (it has changed numerous times over the course of Mormon history) describes the event this way.
“… I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. … at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction — not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being — just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.” — Joseph Smith 2:15,16
“My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than [sic.] I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong) — and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” (Joseph Smith 2:18-19)
“… I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness, It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so, also, were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bear. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom. Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around this person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me. He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the Presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; … He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, … He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; …” — Joseph Smith 2:30-34
The Bible warns us: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:6-12, NAS)
This “angelic messenger” of light than commenced misquoting the written word of God to Joseph.
“After telling me these things, he commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted it thus:
“For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” ‑ Joseph Smith 2:36,37
[“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn
as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall
be stubble: and the day that
cometh shall burn them up,
saith the Lord of hosts, that it
shall leave them neither root nor branch.” (Malachi 4:1,
“And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. — Joseph Smith 2:38
[Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” (Malachi 4:5, KJV)]
“He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.” — Joseph Smith 2:39
[And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. — Malachi 4:6, KJV]
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob says: “And when they say to you, 'Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,' should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. (NAS) [“… because there is no light in them” (KJV) — “… they have no light of dawn” (NIV)] (Isaiah 8:19-20)
Brigham Young’s Authority
“In all fairness to the Mormon Church it should be stated that they no longer teach the Adam-God doctrine, even though some members of the Church believe it.” — J&S Tanner, op. cit., p. 178
Whether or not the Mormon Church presently is teaching the Adam-God doctrine is totally irrelevant. What is relevant is that Brigham Young taught it, and the Mormon is left with only one of two choices: either
a. Brigham Young was a true profit, and all he said is true, and the Mormon-God doctrine it is therefore irrevocably part of the “everlasting gospel” and forever part of the doctrine of the church; or
b. Brigham Young was a false profit, and therefore all that he taught is false, and the church that he led is false.
“Have we not a right to make up our minds in relation to the things recorded in the word of God, and speak about them, whether the living oracles believe our views or not? We have not the right. … God placed Joseph Smith at the head of this Church; God has likewise placed Brigham Young at the head of this Church; … We are commanded to give heed to their words in all things, and receive their words as from the mouth of God, in all patience and faith.” — Apostle Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, pp. 374-375
Joseph Smith once said, “God made Aaron to be the mouthpiece for the children of Israel, and He will make me to 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!” — Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 363; also found in the History of the Church, Vol. 6, pp. 319-320
“I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call Scripture.” — Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, p. 95
According to Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons), he speaks to the Mormons with the full authority of his god, and that authority was passed on to his successor, Brigham Young. Whatever Joseph and Brigham ever taught is therefore the true doctrine of the Mormon church, and “if you don't like it, you must lump it.”
ANXIOUSLY WATCHING FOR MASHIACH’S RETURN,
SPEEDILY AND IN OUR DAY. MARANA, TA!
