Mormonism
Comparison of Mormonism to our Beliefs
Brief History
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), commonly referred to as Mormons, began in 1823 as a young Joseph Smith believed he received divine revelation of the future Church from an angel named Moroni. This angel helped Smith translate “golden plates” into the Book of Mormon. Smith was previously given a theophanic visit from both God (Elohim) and his son Jesus. It was then that Jesus shared his displeasure about the current Church and instructed Smith, according to LDS teaching, to restore the “true church” on earth and subsequently replace all other Christian practices. Thus, Mormons teach that Smith became a modern day Moses who would lead his people according to divine revelation from Elohim himself. His instructions were written in the Book of Mormon before he was killed by an angry mob in 1844. The mantle of leadership then fell upon Brigham Young who took the followers of Smith to modern day Utah.
Today the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is found worldwide with membership of over twelve million. Its doctrine is non-Trinitarian as Jesus was created; Elohim created the population of earth through heavenly relations with his many wives, man can obtain deity and the performance of secret religious rituals within the closed environment of its many temples.
It is important to note that LDS doctrine is contrary to the Bible for many reasons. It adds to the Word of God with other writings that take a higher position in LDS tradition. This is strictly forbidden in scripture.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. - Rev. 22:18-19
Though specifically speaking about this particular book, most Christians apply this verse to the entire Bible, given its position in the Bible. Therefore, new general revelation is not warranted. Smith is speaking as a prophet of God and the LDS church must see the seriousness of what happens to a presumptuous man whose prophecies have not come true.
Also, in claiming to be a prophet, Joseph Smith must abide by the Biblical definition of a prophet. No prophet ever removed portions of Scripture. Though Jesus radically reinterpreted many Scriptures, neither he, nor any Prophet, or Apostle ever changed or removed Scripture.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. - Matthew 5:17-18
One common accusation by those who wish to discredit the Bible is the claim that it is "corrupt" and only they possess the true "word of God". They usually point to periods of time in church history where the Catholic Church persecuted those who differed in belief and practice. Though many sad events have occurred throughout history, these conspiracy theorists offer little evidence for this supposed corruption on the massive and complete scale they propose. The Bible itself holds the opposite to be true.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. - Isaiah 40:8
Additionally, archeologists continue to unearth new finds that support the accuracy and reliability of the Bible as we have it today. One of the largest and most well known are the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered this century.
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The Trinity
Mormonism teaches that the Trinity consists of three separate Gods: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. "That these three are separate individuals, physically distinct from each other, is demonstrated by the accepted records of divine dealings with man." (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 35.)
The Godhead, commonly known as the Trinity, consists of three persons that are equal to each other. (John 1:1-5, Matt. 3:16; 28:18-19; Luke 1:35; John 20:21-22).
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - John 1:1-5
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; - Matthew 3:16
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, - Matthew 28:1-19
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. - Luke 1:35
21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. - John 20:21-22
God
"And they (the Gods) said: Let there be light: and there was light” (Book of Abraham 4:3) "How many Gods there are, I do not know. But there never was a time when there were not Gods.” (Brigham Young-Journal of Discourses 7:333)There is only one God – (Deut. 6:4; 33:26-27; Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:6,8; 45:5; 1 Tim. 2:5) any discussion of multiple gods is contrary to the Bible and deserves a reprove.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. - Deuteronomy 6:4
26 “There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. 27 The eternal God is your dwelling place,and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, Destroy. - Deuteronomy 33:26-27
10 “ You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “ and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. 11 I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. - Isaiah 43:10-11
6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “ I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. 7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. 8 Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! - Isaiah 44:6-8
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, - Isaiah 45:5
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, - 1 Timothy 2:5
"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!!! . . . We have imagined that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil, so that you may see" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345).The Incarnation is an elemental part of Christian doctrine. Jesus, as the second person of the Godhead, became man in order to be a propitiation for the sin problem of the world (Heb. 9:11-14; 1 John 1:7; 2:2).
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. - Hebrews 9:11-14
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. - 1 John 1:7
2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. - 1 John 2:2
Simply put, God became man, not man became God. The latter is neither biblical nor factual. His Ascension (Acts 1:9-11) was a return to His Father in heaven (John 3:13; Heb. 10:10-13), not an exaltation of a man into heaven.
11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” - Acts 1:9-11
13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. - John 3:13
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. - Hebrews 10:10-13
Joseph Smith stated, "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. He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did" (LDS History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 305). "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's" (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22. Compare with Alma 18:26-27; 22:9-10)God is a spirit without flesh and bones (John 4:24; Luke 24:39).
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” - John 4:24
39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” - Luke 24:39
However, Jesus Christ came as God in the flesh to carry forth the mission of His Father (John 3:16-17).
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. - John 3:16-17
That is, all might be saved through His sacrifice (Heb. 10:12). Nowhere in scripture does it teach that the Father is a man like Jesus, although it does speak of Him in anthromorphic language.
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, - Hebrews 10:12
"Therefore we know that both the Father and the Son are in form and stature perfect men; each of them possesses a tangible body . . . of flesh and bones." (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 38).If God the Father is a spirit (John 4:24) then how can he possess a tangible human body as LDS doctrine alleges?
Mormonism teaches that God the Father is an exalted man (called Elohim), with a body (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22), and that men can become gods (D&C 88:107; 132:20).Nowhere does the Bible teach this. This teaching is entirely foreign and contrary to what the Bible teaches.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, - Romans 3:23
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Jesus
"The birth of the Saviour was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood - was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8: p. 115)Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary in a supernatural manner (Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:30-35).
Isaiah 7:14
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.Matthew 1:23
23 “ Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
"Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers" (Mormon Doctrine," by Bruce McConkie, p. 547) Jesus is the literal spirit-brother of Lucifer, a creation. (Gospel Through the Ages, p. 15)Luke 1:30-35
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.Jesus is the eternal Son of God and the second person of the Godhead. He has two natures and is fully God and fully man. He is God in flesh and man (John 1:1, 14; 10:30) and the creator of all things (Col. 1:15-17). Lucifer, a created being, does not share heavenly stature as a sibling with the only Son of God.
John 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:14
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.John 10:30
30 I and the Father are one.”Colossians 1:15-17
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. -
God the Holy Spirit
Mormonism distinguishes between the Holy Spirit (God's presence via an essence) and the Holy Ghost (the third god in the Mormon doctrine of the trinity). "He [the Holy Ghost] is a being endowed with the attributes and powers of Deity, and not a mere force, or essence” (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 144).
The Holy Ghost functions as a servant to the Father and Son (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 160).
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is not a force. He is a person. (Acts 5:3-4; 13:2) and is eternal (Heb. 9:14) also teaches (John 14:26).
Acts 5:3-4
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”Acts 13:2
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”Hebrews 9:14
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.John 14:26
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Bible
The Mormon Church has four standard works that are considered authoritative: The Bible (as far as it is translated correctly), the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. Speeches and writings of the current president of the church are also authoritative as it gives revelation. The Bible is below the other standard works because it is full of errors (wherever it disagrees with Mormon doctrine). Therefore, the Bible supplements the other “authoritative” writings but is a good source to initiate discussion with non-Mormons.
Mormonism teaches that the Bible has been corrupted, and that vital portions have been lost, deleted, or distorted, and that the LDS scriptures are a restoration of what was lost in the Bible. This quote adds a caveat to any genuine endorsement of the Bible.
"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.(8th Article of Faith of the Mormon Church).
The Bible is considered “usable”, but suspect due to its many errors and missing parts (Articles of Faith No. 8, Ensign January 1989, pp. 25, 27).
Most Christians agree that the Bible, all 66 books, is the Word of God. This came about by an almost universal recognition by the world wide church as whole over a period of time. The earliest books recognized as Scripture were the first books in the Bible known as the Law, beginning with Genesis. This occurred long before the times of the New Testament. Jesus and New Testament writers quote almost every book of the Old Testament and reference them as Scripture. The last books included were books such as Revelation, most likely written in the last part of the first century AD.
Historians have discovered lists of books recognized as Scripture by the early church dating to the early third century that include all of the books we have today. Though some lists differed, the church as whole was in general agreement with a few exceptions where small groups held additional books as authoritative. This was long before any Catholic hierarchy or any Episcopal machinery was in place. There was never a vote, meeting or council that authorized these books. Though later in history church leaders met to discuss and officially recognize the books we have today as inspired by God, they did so only after the church as a whole did so unofficially throughout the world. Though they apparently used various criteria in accepting writings as Scripture, such as known authorship by eyewitnesses of Jesus' or his disciples, consistent use by all churches, and orthodoxy (containing writings consistent with the Gospel message), ultimately they kept certain writings and excluded others because they heard God speaking to them through them.
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.This may seem strange to the modern mind, yet logically the process of recognition could not have occurred any other way. If man had the authority to approve Scripture, he would stand above Scripture. This would make man equal with or greater than God, which is contrary to Scripture itself. God's word is self-evident. It stands on its own.
The inspired and inerrant word of God is authoritative and sufficient for all life and godliness (2 Tim. 3:16). It can be trusted to give correct and biblical teaching (Rom. 15:4; 16: 25-27). To state that the Bible is corrupt is to do it harm for it is given from God Himself.
2 Timothy 3:15-17
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.Romans 15:4
4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.Romans 16:25-27
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.Man
Mormonism teaches than humans are incarnated "spirit children" of God the Father (Elohim), as is Jesus and Lucifer, and we existed in Heaven prior to our birth on earth. (D&C 93:23 & 29; 138:56) God created man and woman (Gen 1:26-27) and there is no scripture that teaches about “spirit children.” Neither does scripture teach about Jesus sharing His Sonship with another.
Genesis 1:26-27
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.Mormonism teaches that God the Father has a wife, through whom he procreates spirit children on the planet Kolob (Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, p. 402).
"Implicit in the Christian verity that all men are the spirit children of an Eternal Father is the usually unspoken truth that they are also the offspring of an Eternal Mother. An exalted and glorified Man of Holiness (Book of Mormon: Moses 6:57) could not be a Father unless a Woman of like glory, perfection, and holiness was associated with him as a Mother" (Mormon Doctrine, 1977 ed., p. 516)
All men and women who have ever lived on Earth are the spirit offspring of a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother. Every person was conceived and born in a pre-existent spiritual realm (Mormon Doctrine, p. 589).
The Bible does not teach of a “pre-existence” prior to human conception. It does speak of God's foreknowledge (Jer. 1:5). It does teach that God is not a man (Num. 23:19; Hos. 11:9) and is certainly an eternal Spirit (Isaiah 55:8-9; Psalms 90:2; 113:5-6; John 4:24). Nowhere does scripture teach about an “Eternal Mother” or a heavenly wife.
Jeremiah 1:5
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”Numbers 23:19
19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?Hosea 11:9
9 I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.Isaiah 55:8-9
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.Psalm 90:2
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.Psalm 113:5-6
5 Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, 6 who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?John 4:24
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”Salvation
Salvation has a double meaning in Mormonism: a universal resurrection and “exaltation” (D&C 88:107). "The first effect [of the atonement] is to secure to all mankind alike, exemption from the penalty of the fall, thus providing a plan of General Salvation. The second effect is to open a way for Individual Salvation whereby mankind may secure remission of personal sins (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 78-79).
Salvation is a free gift from God (Eph. 2:8-9) which saves the sinner from an eternal punishment (Matt. 25:41, 46; 2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 19:20) and cannot be earned through human efforts (Rom. 11:6).
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.Matthew 25:41
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.Matthew 25:46
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”2 Thessalonians 1:9
9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,Revelation 19:20
20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.Romans 11:6
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace."As these sins are the result of individual acts it is just that forgiveness for them should be conditioned on individual compliance with prescribed requirements -- 'obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.'" (Articles of Faith p. 79)
Jesus death reconciles all men to God (Rom. 5:10) as all were born sinners (Rom. 3:23) and all deserve death as punishment for that sin (Rom. 6:23).
Romans 5:10
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.God’s forgiveness of sins is found in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:9; Acts 10:43) and His work on earth (John 17:3-4). It is available to all who call upon His name and place their trust and life in Him. (Rom 10:13)
Romans 10:9-10
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.Acts 10:43
43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”John 17:3-4
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.Romans 10:13
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Heaven
Mormonism teaches that there are three levels of Heaven; the Celestial (which itself has three degrees, see D&C 131), Terrestrial, and Telestial. The Celestial is reserved for faithful Mormons (and the highest degree for those married in the temple). The terrestrial is reserved for those who were decent people who rejected the Mormon gospel, and the telestial for those who are wicked. (D&C 88:21-24)
Heaven has always been a destination of hope for the believer who places their faith in the work of Christ (John 14:1-3; Col. 1:4-5). At some point in the future known only to God there will be a new heaven and new earth. (Rev. 21:1-4)
John 14:1-3
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”Col 1:4-5
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,Revelation 21:1-4
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”“Lorenzo Snow, fifth prophet of the LDS Church stated, "As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be" (Ensign, February 1982, pp. 39-40). This means that every worthy male, according to the standards of Mormonism, will become a god and rule over their own planet. But what about the women? That question was answered by Joseph Fielding Smith, tenth prophet of the Church, when he spoke of Man's salvation or exaltation as it is called in Mormonism. "The Father has promised us that through our faithfulness we shall be blessed with the fullness of his kingdom. In other words we will have the privilege of becoming like him. To become like him we must have all the powers of godhood; thus a man and his wife when glorified will have spirit children who eventually will go on an earth like this one we are on and pass through the same kind of experiences, being subject to mortal conditions, and if faithful, then they also will receive the fullness of exaltation and partake of the same blessings. There is no end to this development; it will go on forever. We will become gods and have jurisdiction over world, and these world will be peopled by our own offspring. We will have an endless eternity for this" (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 2, 48).
Heaven is a place where God dwells along with those who put their faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:1-4). Jesus clearly stated that marriage is not present in heaven (Matt. 22:30) as Mormonism teaches. However, Mormon teachings have heaven redefined as where a faithful Mormon finds his own planet to populate.
John 14:1-4
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”Matthew 22:30
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.Hell & Judgment & Eschathology
Hell is a place reserved only for punishing the “sons of perdition” and not for humans. All those who have a disbelief in Mormonism are to be purged and presented clean through the “Baptism of the Dead”, a major Mormon doctrine (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 148). This, by default, becomes a type of universalism, which is unbiblical.
This Mormon doctrine is contrary to the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:12-15). It is unbelief in Jesus Christ, and His atonement, that is to be judged, not belief in religious ritual. The Bible says; “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9).
Revelation 20:12-15
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.Death and sin came through the fall of Adam and Eve. But their deed was not actually a "sin." Ironically, LDS theology teaches that it was really a blessing because it enabled man to continue progressing on toward eternal life. "They (the Christian world) have been long taught that Adam and Eve were great transgressors...We, the children of Adam....should rejoice with them, that through their fall and the atonement of Jesus Christ, the way of eternal life has been opened up to us" (Articles of Faith, p. 476)
Scripture does not teach that men should “rejoice” in their sin in order to enable God to save them. God accomplished all that was necessary for the redemption of fallen man through Jesus Christ and Him alone (John 5:24; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:13-14). One should rejoice, not because of the transgressions of Adam and Eve, but the efficacious atoning work of Jesus Christ.
John 5:24
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.Ephesians 1:7
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,Colossians 1:13-14
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.Mormons learn that certain eschatological events about the overcoming of Satan, and his armies, are to be defeated by Michael and his armies as they fight for God. (D & C 88:110-115).
Jesus Christ, not Michael the archangel, has the power and authority to overcome Satan, defeat him along with his armies, and cast them into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:11-16; 20:10).
Revelation 19:11-16
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.Revelation 20:10
10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
