What is
Mormonism?
A
Comparative
Analysis of
Mormonism
versus
Christianity
By
Mariah
Morrissey
Truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it and ignorance may deride
it, but, in the
end, there it
is.—Sir Winston
Churchill
Truth and the
Law of
Noncontradiction
The purpose of this essay
is to
demonstrate to
the reader that
the doctrines of
Mormonism and
those of
mainstream
Christianity are
mutually
exclusive, and
therefore
fundamentally
incompatible. I
will state this
up
front—Mormonism
and Christianity
cannot both be
true. According
to
Aristotle’s
Metaphysics,
truth conforms
to the laws of
logic. These
laws form the
very basis of
all rational
thought. These
laws are
referred to as
first
principles. One
of those
principles is
called the law
of
noncontradiction,
which states—something
cannot be both
true and not
true at the same
time when set
within the same
context. [i]
As a result of this mutual
exclusivity—this
fundamental
incompatibility
of doctrines,
Mormons cannot
be Christians,
and Christians
cannot be
Mormons.
Gordon B.
Hinckley, prior
President of The
Church of Jesus
Christ of
Latter-day
Saints
(1995-2008),
said:
We are
Christians in a
very real sense
and that is
coming to be
more and more
widely
recognized… He
[Jesus] is the
center of our
faith and the
head of our
Church. The Book
of Mormon is
Another
Testament of
Jesus Christ and
witnesses of His
divinity, His
life, and His
Atonement.[ii]
In response to
Fox News host
Ainsley Earhardt,
who made the
statement that
“Mitt Romney is
obviously not a
Christian,”[iii]
Joanna Brooks
wrote an
op-ed
piece for the
Washington Post,
in which she
states:
We Mormons view
ourselves as
Christians. Many
Christian
pastors and
scholars,
however, point
to theological
technicalities
that disqualify
us from the
mainline
tradition. Some
evangelicals do
not see us as
Christians for
reasons rooted
in antiquated
anti-Mormon
prejudice.[iv]
With all due respect to Ms.
Brooks, the
argument is not
caught up in
“theological
technicalities,”
nor is it
“rooted in
antiquated
anti-Mormon
prejudice.”
Mainstream
Christian views
are not intended
to be prejudiced
against, or to
malign Mormons,
or any other
faith for that
matter.
Mormons are wonderful
people. Their
family ethic is
admirable. They
make great
neighbors,
coworkers, and
friends. To say
that Mormons are
not Christians
is not
anti-Mormon, any
more than it
would be
considered
anti-Semitic to
say that Jews
are not
Christians. If
Christianity is
defined by its
doctrines—and it
is—then this is
simply a
statement of
fact.
And, it
is the duty of
every Christian
to point this
out, defend our
faith, and
proclaim the
true Gospel of
the Lord Jesus
Christ, as
commanded by God
(2 Cor 10:5).
The Holy Bible
for the
Christian versus
the Mormon
One of many unbridgeable
divides between
Christianity and
Mormonism is the
foundational
difference in
how we view the
Bible. The
entire Christian
faith is based
upon the
teachings of the
Bible, so, if
one rejects its
authenticity,
divine
inspiration and
inerrancy, one
is also
rejecting the
Christian faith.
Christians believe that the
Bible (39 Old
Testament and 27
New Testament
books), is the
inerrant word of
God, written my
men under divine
Holy Spirit
influence. We
believe the Holy
Bible is the
final authority
on all matters
of faith and
practice,
because God says
so. In other
words—it is
God-breathed (2
Tim 3:16; 2 Pet
1:20-21). The
Holy Bible also
teaches that if
anyone adds to
His Word, God
will add unto
him the plagues
of Revelation,
and if anyone
takes away from
His Word, He
will blot him
out of the Book
of Life (Rev
22:18-19).
Mormonism does
both. It takes
away from the
word of God and
also adds to it;
therefore, it is
a condemned
religious system
according to God
Himself. (Read
also Deuteronomy
4:2, 12:32;
Proverbs 30:5-6,
et al.)
Mormons believe
the Holy Bible
has been
corrupted. They
believe that it
has been
mistranslated,
and also that it
is incomplete.
Because Mormons
do not believe
the Bible to be
the inerrant and
divinely
inspired word of
God, they rely
upon additional
writings, which
they consider to
be equal to, or
superior to, the
writings of the
Bible.
These additional
writings
include:
The Book of
Mormon,
which they
believe to be “another
testament of
Jesus Christ,”
the
Doctrine and
Covenants: A
compilation of
revelations and
writings given
since the
restoration of
the Church
began, and
The Pearl of Great Price, a selection
of revelations,
translations,
and writings of
Joseph Smith.
According to the
8th
Article of Faith
by Joseph Smith:
We believe the
Bible to be the
word of God
as far as it
is translated
correctly;
we also believe
the Book of
Mormon to be the
word of God.[v] (Emphasis
added).
Consider these
key passages
from
The Book of
Mormon:
Wherefore, thou
seest that after
the book hath
gone forth
through the
hands of the
great and
abominable
church, that
there are many
plain
and precious things
taken away from
the book, which
is the book of
the Lamb of God.
(1 Nephi 13:28)
And because my
words shall hiss
forth—many of
the Gentiles
shall say:
A Bible! A
Bible! We have
got a Bible, and
there cannot be
any more
Bible...Thou
fool, that shall
say a Bible, we
have got a Bible
and we need no
more Bible. Have
ye obtained a
Bible save it
were by the
Jews?...Wherefore,
because ye have
a Bible ye need
not suppose it
contains all my
words; neither
need ye suppose
that I have not
caused more to
be written. (II
Nephi 29: 3, 6,
10)
Joseph Smith
himself stated:
Upon my return
from Amherst
conference, I
resumed the
translation of
the Scriptures.
From sundry
revelations
which had been
received, it was
apparent that
many important
points touching
the salvation of
man had been
taken from the
Bible, or lost
before it was
compiled.[vi]
And also this:
I believe the Bible as it read when it
came from the
pen of the
original
writers.
Ignorant
translators,
careless
transcribers, or
designing and
corrupt priests
have committed
many errors.
[vii]
Ezra Taft, while president of the
Mormon Church,
had this to say:
Unlike the
Bible, which
passed through
generations of
copyists,
translators, and
corrupt
religionists who
tampered with
the text, the
Book of Mormon
came from writer
to reader in
just one
inspired step of
translation.[viii]
James E. Talmage, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of
The Church of
Jesus Christ of
Latter-days
Saints
(1911-1933)
states:
There will be,
there can be, no
absolutely
reliable
translation of
these or other
scriptures
unless it be
effected through
the gift of
translation, as
one of the
endowments of
the Holy
Ghost... Let the
Bible then be
read reverently
and with
prayerful care,
the reader ever
seeking the
light of the
Spirit that he
may discern
between truth
and the errors
of men.
[ix]
Finally, Orson Pratt, an
original member
of the Quorum of
the Twelve
Apostles of the
church
(1811-1881), and
one of the most
outspoken
critics of the
Holy Bible said
this:
Who in his right
mind could for
one moment
suppose the
Bible in its
present form to
be a perfect
guide? Who knows
that even one
verse of the
Bible has
escaped
pollution, so as
to convey the
same sense now
that it did in
the original?
Who knows how
many doctrines
and ordinances
necessary to
salvation may be
buried in
oblivion in some
of the lost
books.
[x]
Mormons believe that when their founder, Joseph Smith, was just
21-years-old,
an angel named
Moroni gave him
ancient records,
written on
sheets of gold,
much like the
tablets of
Moses, when
given the Ten
Commandments.
However, Smith
was unable to
interpret these
writings,
apparently due
to his
illiteracy, and
lack of
education, so
they believe God
intervened,
giving Joseph
the ability
translate the
message to his
scribes. After
the encounter
with the angel
Moroni, Joseph
did just that,
and
The Book of
Mormon was
written over a
period of about
three months.
[xi]
The great
Apostle Paul in
his letter to
the Galatian’s
warns:
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.
(Galatians
1:6-9) (Emphasis
added).
Back to the premise of the
law of
noncontradiction—either
the Bible is the
inerrant word of
God, the final
authority on all
matters of faith
and practice, as
Christians
maintain, or, it
has been
corrupted by
men, is
unreliable, and
requires
supplemental
texts, as
Mormons
maintain. Those
texts, according
to Mormons, are
equal to—or
superior to—the
Bible, and were
written by
Joseph Smith,
and various
members of the
Mormon Church.
Both positions
cannot be true
at the same
time. That would
defy logic.
Is the Bible
Reliable?
Since we have established
the fact that
Mormons believe
the Bible has
been corrupted
by transmission
errors and
errors of
omission, I
think it
appropriate to
briefly address
this concern
with a
discussion on
the manuscript
evidence for the
Bible, including
some information
on the methods
of transcription
and textual
criticism in
producing God’s
love letter to
mankind.
What will not be included
in this essay,
in the interest
of time, is the
archeological
evidence,
historical
evidence,
eyewitness
testimony, the
unity of Bible
narrative
amongst its more
than 40 authors
from wildly
different
backgrounds and
circumstances,
written over a
span of 1400
years, nor the
literal
fulfillment of
Bible prophecy
with 100%
accuracy, which
is
well-documented,
even by secular
sources.
Instead, all of
these topics,
which further
support the
divine origin of
the Bible, the
true word of
God, and it’s
perfect
accuracy, will
be set aside,
for now.
Manuscript Evidence
There is more evidence for
the authenticity
of the Bible
than for any
other work of
antiquity in
human history.
There are more
than 20,000
manuscripts,
written in the
first century
A.D., that are
still in
existence today.[xii] There is
nothing from the
readily accepted
works of the
ancient world
that even
compares to this
level of
evidence. The
closest work,
advocated by
secularist and
Christian
historians
alike, is that
of Homer’s
Iliad, authenticated with a mere 643 manuscripts.[xiii]
There are numerous writings
of the Church
Fathers, in the
form of books
and letters,
with over 38,000
quotations of
Scripture. From
those writings
we could
reconstruct the
entire New
Testament with
the exception of
about 11 verses.[xiv]
Countless hours
have been spent
in
cross-checking
the manuscripts
using the
methods of
textual
criticism—an
analytical
method used by
scholars to
determine the
authenticity and
reliability of
ancient
manuscripts. The
New Testament
has been
verified as
being 99.33%
pure, by
theologians and
secular
historians
alike, with all
inconsistencies
deemed
inconsequential
to the teachings
therein.[xv]
The Old Testament was
originally
written in
Hebrew, with the
exception of a
few chapters,
which were
written in
Aramaic, the
native tongue of
Christ Jesus. It
was written from
about 1400-400
B.C.[xvi] It was
copied and
preserved by the
Jewish scribes
who developed
very strict,
numerical
systems, to
ensure the
accuracy of the
text. After
completing each
page, the
numbers of
lines, letters,
and words were
counted, then
compared to that
of the original.
Should any
discrepancy be
noted, the
entire page was
destroyed and
the scribe had
to start the
entire page all
over again.[xvii]
Finally, the Dead Sea
Scrolls,
discovered in
the caves at
Qumran in 1947,
contained a full
copy of the Book
of Isaiah (among
many other
discoveries),
and that
manuscript, the
one of Isaiah,
was dated to 150
B.C. This is
significant in
that the
previous
manuscript of
Isaiah in our
possession at
the time dated
to 900 A.D.
These two
manuscripts,
dated about 1000
years apart are
identical!
Therefore, the
Dead Sea Scrolls
testify to the
authenticity and
accuracy of Old
Testament
manuscript
transmission.[xviii]
The Book of Mormon – Manuscript
Evidence
Mormons believe that
The Book of
Mormon
contains the
history of
people living in
the America’s
between about
600 B.C. and 400
A.D, which was
recorded by the
prophets. This
history was then
compiled by a
prophet named
Mormon,
transcribed onto
gold plates and
given to Joseph
Smith at the age
of twenty-one.[xix] Although
Joseph couldn’t
read the plates,
and
incidentally,
those plates
have yet to be
found, he was
able to
translate them
through divine
intervention,
and those words
were written
down by at least
three scribes.
The original
manuscript was
written down by
Oliver Cowdery
in 1829.[xx]
A copy of the original was
made by Cowdery
and two other
scribes for the
purpose of
printing, and
was completed in
1830.
According to the
Harold B. Lee
Library at
Brigham Young
University:
The printer's
manuscript is
not an exact
copy of the
original
manuscript.
There are on the
average three
changes per
original
manuscript page.
These changes
appear to be
natural scribal
errors; there is
little or no
evidence of
conscious
editing. Most of
the changes are
minor, and about
one in five
produce a
discernible
difference in
meaning. Because
they were all
relatively
minor, most of
the errors thus
introduced into
the text have
remained in the
printed editions
of the Book of
Mormon and have
not been
detected and
corrected except
by reference to
the original
manuscript.
About twenty of
these errors
were corrected
in the 1981
edition.[xxi]
A second
addition was
produced in 1837
where “hundreds
of grammatical
changes and few
textual
emendations were
made” in the
print version of
the manuscript.
This edition was
eventually sold
to the
Reorganized
Church of Jesus
Christ of
Latter-day
Saints.
According to
Mormon
historians,
today, is it
“wholly extant
except for two
lines at the
bottom of the
first leaf.”
[xxii]
The original
manuscript was
placed in the
“cornerstone of
the Nauvoo
House” where it
suffered water
damage,
destroying 75%
of the text. The
remainder is now
owned by the
University of
Utah.[xxiii]
The Essentials
of the Christian
Faith.
There are a variety of
Creeds and
Confessions to
describe the
essentials of
the Christian
faith which have
come into
existence over
periods of time
for a variety of
reasons.
Although they
may not be 100%
in accordance,
they all give an
accurate account
of the
essentials.
Foundationally,
it is the Holy
Bible, the
inerrant word of
God that has
revealed to
Christians the
Essentials of
the Faith. We
believe that all
Scripture is
self-attesting,
and being truth,
requires
our unreserved
submission in
all areas of
life. The
infallible Word
of God, the
sixty-six books
of the Old and
New Testaments,
is a complete
and unified
witness to God's
redemptive acts
culminating in
the incarnation
of the Living
Word, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
The Bible,
uniquely and
fully inspired
by the Holy
Spirit, is the
supreme and
final authority
on all matters
on which it
speaks. It is on
this sure
foundation that
we affirm the
Essentials of
our faith.[xxiv]
The Articles of Faith of Mormonism
Two years before Joseph
Smith died, he
wrote a letter
to the editor of
a local
newspaper, John
Wentworth, in
response to Mr.
Wentworth’s
query about the
Mormon faith.
That letter has
since been
adopted and
re-written into
the Thirteen
Articles of
Faith of
Mormonism,
taught to Mormon
children
beginning at the
age of eight.
Are these
Articles, Creeds
and Confessions
Reconcilable?
Again, the
purpose of this
essay is to
demonstrate the
fundamental
incompatibility
of Mormon and
Christian
doctrine.
I am a born again believer in Jesus
Christ (John
3:3), so I am
writing from
that
perspective,
therefore I will
not be giving an
apologetic for
the Mormon
faith. I often
think, when
hearing my
Mormon friends
speak, “We use
the same
dictionary, but
have an entirely
different
definition on
matters of
spirituality.” I
encourage the
reader to look
up the
Essentials of
the Christian
Faith, and
compare them to
the Articles of
Faith of
Mormonism, and
come to your own
conclusion. I
submit to you,
the differences
are
irreconcilable.
Mutually
Exclusive
Doctrines: The
Trinity, the
Deity of Christ,
and Salvation by
Grace
The Trinity
Christians believe in one God, the
sovereign
Creator and
Sustainer of all
things,
infinitely
perfect and
eternally
existing in
three Persons:
Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit.
Mormons reject
this doctrine in
its entirety.
They claim this
is a man-made
false teaching
and use as their
evidence that
the Bible never
uses the word
“trinity.” We
must gently
remind the
Mormon that the
Bible also never
uses the word
Mormon, it also
never uses the
word Bible, and
it never
mentions the
Americas (where
all of Mormon
history is said
to occur), or
the prophet
Joseph Smith, or
the angel
Moroni. I find
this argument to
be very weak.
Although the word trinity is never used
in the Bible,
the doctrine is
clearly taught.
Just like I am a
daughter, a
wife, and a
mother; a woman
with a body, a
soul, and
spirit, so is
there one God,
who has chosen
to reveal
Himself and His
ministry to the
world in the
form of a
Father, a Son,
and a Holy
Spirit. I won’t
belabor the
point here, as a
cursory search
of the
Scriptures will
point the reader
to dozens of
Scriptures that
support the
doctrine of the
trinity. Here is
just one:
Go ye therefore,
and teach all
nations,
baptizing them
in the name of
the Father, and
of the Son, and
of the Holy
Ghost. (Matthew
28:19)
The Deity of
Christ
Nothing will get
under the skin
of Mormon more
than a Christian
telling him or
her that they
deny the deity
of Jesus Christ.
Again, same
dictionary,
different
definition.
To the
Christian, Jesus
is
God. We say
this, because
Jesus said so
Himself (John
1:1, 14; 8:58;
10:30, 33). To
the Mormon,
Jesus is “a”
god.
Irreconcilable
differences, in
the view of a
mainstream
Christian.
To the Christian, Jesus Christ is the
living Word, He
became flesh
through His
miraculous
conception by
the Holy Spirit
and His virgin
birth. He who is
the true God
became true man
united in one
Person forever.
He died on the
cross, a
sacrifice for
our sins
according to the
Scriptures. On
the third day,
He arose bodily
from the dead,
ascended into
heaven, where,
at the right
hand of the
Majesty on High,
He now is our
High Priest and
Mediator.[xxv]
In Mormonism, Jesus is a created being,
a product of
procreation
between God the
Father and His
goddess wife,
both of whom, by
the way, used to
be flesh and
blood people
from another
world. Mormonism
also teaches
that Jesus is
literally the
spirit brother
of Lucifer, and
also of you and
me.[xxvi]
That is a false
teaching, in the
view of
mainstream
Christianity,
and the Mormon
Jesus is not the
Jesus of the
Bible.
Salvation by
Grace alone—not
by works
The Christian
believes that
salvation is by
grace alone, and
not by works,
lest anyone
boast. We
believe this,
because the Lord
our God, through
his great
Apostle Paul
tells us so.
For by grace are
ye saved through
faith; and that
not of
yourselves: it
is the gift of
God: Not of
works, lest any
man should
boast.
(Ephesians
2:8-9)
The last words,
spoken by our
Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ,
while he was
perishing under
the brutal
crucifixion on
that old rugged
cross were—
Tetelestai!
Those words echo
in the hearts
and minds of
born again
believers of
Jesus Christ
(John 3:3). This
was spoken in
His native
tongue, the
Aramaic
language, which
literally
translates to
“it is
finished!”
Christians not
only believe the
last words of
the Christ, we
cling to that
promise from God
the Son.
Sadly, Mormons
believe that the
work of Jesus
Christ on the
cross was not
enough to save
them. Mormons
believe that to
gain eternal
life, they must
add to that
atonement by
earning their
salvation
through works.
For we labor diligently to
write,
to persuade our
children, and
also our
brethren, to
believe in
Christ, and to
be reconciled to
God; for we know
that it is
by grace that we
are saved,
after all we
can do.
(II Nephi 25:23)
(Emphasis
added).
Conclusion
My purpose in writing this
essay, as
previously
stated, was to
demonstrate to
the reader that
the Christian
faith, just like
our Lord and
Savior—is the
same yesterday,
today, and in
the future;
Jesus is the
same, in season,
out of season,
and forever more
(2 Timothy 4:2).
There has been
no new
revelation as
Mormons contend.
Mormon doctrine
is fundamentally
incompatible
with Christian
doctrine.
Therefore,
Mormons are not
Christians.
If you are a Mormon and
want to be a
Christian, all
you have to do
is accept the
free gift of
grace through
faith in the
Lord Jesus
Christ (the
Christian
Jesus), and you
will be redeemed
and have eternal
life. I pray you
do.
[i] Legacy of
Truth
Ministries.
Aristotle’s
1st
Principles.
By Peter
Bocchino,
President.
http://www.legacyoftruth.org/read.asp?document=8
[ii] http://www.mormon.org/faq/mormon-christian
[iii] Fox
Host:
Mitt
Romney
Obviously
Not a
Christian.
By
Anugrah
Kumar.
July 18,
2011.
http://www.christianpost.com/news/mitt-romney-obviously-not-a-christian-fox-news-host-says-52430/
[iv] The
Washington
Post.
Five
myths
about
Mormonism.
By
Joanna
Brooks.
August
5, 2011.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-mormonism/2011/08/03/gIQAyIhTwI_story.html
[v] The Church
of Jesus
Christ
of
Latter-day
Saints.
Articles
of
Faith.
Thirteen
basic
points
of
belief
to which
Mormons
subscribe.
http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/articles-of-faith
[vi] The
Church
of Jesus
Christ
of
Latter-day
Saints.
The
Doctrines
and
Covenants.
Section
76.
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/76.94?lang=eng
[vii] BYU.
Harold
B. Lee
Library.
Joseph
Smith
Translation
of the
Bible
(JST).
By
Robert
J.
Matthews.
http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Joseph_Smith_Translation_of_the_Bible_(JST)
[viii] The
Church
of Jesus
Christ
of
Latter-day
Saints.
The Book
of
Mormon –
Keystone
of Our
Religion.
By Ezra
Taft.
October,
1986.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1986/10/the-book-of-mormon-keystone-of-our-religion?lang=eng
[ix] We
Believe:
Doctrines
and
Principles
of The
Church
of Jesus
Christ
of
Latter-day
Saints.
By Rulon
T.
Burton.
Tabernacle
Books,
Inc.,
January
1, 2004.
Page 73.
[x] The
Mormons
and
their
Bible.
By
Thomas
Lamb.
Griffith
&
Rowland
Press,
1901.
Page 84.
[xi] The
Church
of Jesus
Christ
of
Latter-day
Saints.
The Book
of
Mormon.
[xii] Christian
Apologetic
and
Research
Ministry.
Manuscript
evidence
for New
Testament
superiority
and
reliability.
By Matt
Slick.
http://carm.org/manuscript-evidence
[xiii] Ibid.
[xiv] Christian
Apologetic
and
Research
Ministry.
Mormonism
and the
Corruption
of the
Bible.
By Ryan
Turner.
http://carm.org/mormonism-and-the-corruption-of-the-bible
[xv] A Note on
the
Percent
of
Accuracy
of the
New
Testament
Text. By
Norman
Geisler.
http://www.normangeisler.net/articles/Bible/Reliability/NoteOnPercentAccuracyOfNT.htm
[xvi] Biblica.
When was
the
Bible
written?
http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/bible-faqs/when-was-the-bible-written
[xvii]
Bible.org.
Transmission.
https://bible.org/seriespage/transmission
[xviii]
Christian
Apologetic
and
Research
Ministry.
Has the
Old
Testament
been
corrupted?
By Ryan
Turner.
http://carm.org/old-testament-corrupted
[xix] Ibid.
[xx] BYU.
Harold
B. Lee
Library.
Book of
Mormon
Manuscripts.
By Royal
Skousen.
http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Book_of_Mormon_Manuscripts
[xxi] Ibid
[xxii] Ibid
[xxiii] Ibid
[xxiv] Center
for
Reformed
Theology
and
Apologetics.
The
Westminster
Confession
of
Faith.
http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/
[xxv] Ibid
[xxvi]
Christian
Apologetic
and
Research
Ministry.
Hinckley
says
Mormons
Believe
in a
Different
Jesus.
By Matt
Slick.
http://carm.org/hinckley-says-mormons-believe-different-jesus
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