By James Rochford

According to the official website of the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS), there are roughly 14 million Mormons on Earth today. Mormonism has rapidly spread throughout the United States and overseas due to the massive treasury that the Mormon Church has acquired through the financial giving of its members. Comparative religions expert Ron Rhodes writes, “The church has between $25 and $30 billion in assets and controls at least a hundred companies or businesses, including a $300-million-a-year media conglomerate… A great deal of this wealth comes from the $3 million a day generated by church tithes.”^[1] Ankerberg and Weldom add, “Perhaps the wealthiest per member in the world.”[2]

Mormons are highly moral people, placing a high value on family and marriage. While they do have their moral eccentricities (such as abstinence from caffeine and alcohol),^[3] they are extremely ethical individuals. I’ve been friends with several Mormons over the years, and in my experience, they are some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.

But is the Mormon Church a rapidly growing Christian group, or a non-Christian sect? The late Mormon President Ezra Taft Benson authoritatively stated, “The question is sometimes asked, Are Mormons Christians? We declare the divinity of Jesus Christ. We look to Him as the only source of our salvation. We strive to live His teachings, and we look forward to the time when He shall come again on this earth to rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.” All of this sounds perfectly in line with classical Christianity. In fact, recently evangelical preacher Billy Graham went so far as to remove Mormonism from his cult list—apparently identifying the church as Christian.

While I have the utmost respect and admiration for the life and career of Billy Graham, I cannot in good conscience agree with this classification of the LDS church. As biblical Christians, we should never look to Christian leaders as the ultimate authority in our beliefs. Instead, we should look to the Bible itself. What does the Bible teach in regards to Mormonism?

Let’s begin by looking at the history and foundation of this group.

Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith (1805-1844) founded the Mormon Church. He moved to New York in 1820 and began attending a Methodist church at age 15. Smith was confused at the differences in denominations—not sure who was right and who was wrong. But he received an answer to prayer after reading James 1:5 (“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…”). He went into the woods to pray, and he received a vision in which the Father and the Son appeared to him. Smith later wrote: “The Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight.”^[4] Take note of the fact that God did not tell Smith that the churches were an abomination; instead, he said their creeds were an abomination. Of course, I could see God having a problem with hypocritical church members, but their creeds? (“We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all that is seen and unseen…”) Clearly, Smith wasn’t simply breaking with Christian practice here; instead, he was breaking with the essential doctrines and core beliefs of Christianity. Because of this alleged vision, Smith didn’t join any of the Christian churches in the New York area.[5]

Three years passed. On September 21, 1823, Smith prayed that God would forgive his sins and give him another vision. As a response to this prayer, the angel Moroni told him that “there was a book deposited, written on gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent [America], and the source from whence they sprang.”^[6] Moroni also told him that the everlasting gospel was written on these plates, and Urim and Thummim were buried with the plates to interpret them. Moroni kept appearing to Smith, warning him not to reveal this to anyone. According to Mormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia, “Joseph Smith declined to explain the details of his method for translating the plates, other than stating that it was done by the ‘gift and power of God’ and through the instrumentality of ‘interpreters’ (later dubbed Urim and Thummim) that were included with the plates… The text… was dictated to scribes primarily during a three-month period in the spring of 1829.”[7]

Four years passed. In 1827, Smith was newly married. The angel Moroni appeared to him again and told him to find the golden plates and translate them from “Reformed Egyptian” into English. According to Mormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia, “The angel told him that he was not allowed to show the plates to anyone, not even Emma [his wife].”[8] This was a convenient command from Moroni, because this kept Smith’s claims from being open to verification. Boa comments,

Joseph Smith allowed only a few “witnesses” to see the alleged golden plates, which were then taken into heaven by the angel Moroni. There were two sets of witnesses, a group of three (Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris), and a group of eight. The people in the first group were later denounced by Smith as men of low character. Furthermore, their stories did not agree, and Harris admitted that he only saw the plates “by the eye of faith.” Of the second set of witnesses, four were Whitmers, the fifth was married to a Whitmer, and the remaining three were Smith’s father and two brothers. The Whitmers were later expelled from the church as apostates and repudiated by Smith. This leaves no reliable witnesses of the plates.^[9]

Smith translated the stones with Martin Harris “while Smith dictated behind a curtain.”[10] According to Mormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia,

With Smith’s reluctant permission, Harris borrowed the 116 pages and, while trying to satisfy his skeptical wife, had them stolen from his possession. Distraught, Smith lost the power to translate for a season. Harris’s turn as scribe was over. The translation started again when Oliver Cowdery, an itinerant school teacher, appeared in Palmyra.[11]

These Mormon authorities go on to state that Smith revealed the plates privately to only a few followers. They write:

The statements of these two groups of witnesses [of the plates], found today in the front of every copy of the Book of Mormon, are important to Mormons, for they constitute ‘proof’ that Smith was telling the truth. Although the plates are not available today for independent confirmation (Smith said he returned them to the angel after the job of translation was over), devout Mormons do not murmur. Religion requires faith, they say, and Jesus extolled believing over seeing (John 20:28).[12]

As to whether these witnesses “constitute proof” for the authenticity for the Book of Mormon, I will let the reader decide for him or herself. In this way, the Book of Mormon was published in 1830.

The Book of Mormon

According to the Book of Mormon, around 600 BC, a Jewish man named Lehi left Jerusalem and went to North America. His two sons—Nephi and Laman—got into a fight with one another and split apart. Nephi was good; Laman was not. Jesus appeared to both groups to convert them, but the Lamanites apostatized. The Book of Mormon goes on to tell of a massive battle in the state of New York where 230,000 Nephites died near the hill of Cumorah (Book of Mormon 6:10-15; 8:2) in A.D. 385. Mormon—the commander of the Nephites—wrote down all of this history and hid it in the hill (A.D. 421).[13] Thus the book of Mormon was named after its author. His son Moroni buried these plates, and 1,400 years later, he revealed them to Joseph Smith.

Later in 1835, Smith had published a book called the Doctrines and Covenants, which was an altered version of the suppressed book called the Book of Commandments. This book contained many “deletions and additions—to those original ‘revelations.’”^[14] He later discovered some Egyptian artifacts and papyrus fragments from some ancient mummies. He combined these new revelations with his book Joseph Smith—History, his translation of the gospel of Matthew, the Book of Moses—a lost Old Testament work, and the Articles of Faith. This amalgamation was called The Pearl of Great Price. This is the third book in the Mormon scriptures.

The Mormon Church spread quickly, and it took a lot of flak from the surrounding Christian community. In fact, Christians persecuted the Mormon Church in Missouri. Violence was committed on both sides of the battle. At one point, the governor of Missouri ordered, “The attitude of open and avowed defiance of the laws, and of having made open war upon the people of this state, …the Mormons must be treated as enemies and exterminated or driven from this state.”^[15] Smith moved the Mormon Church to Illinois where the Mormons built a new city called Nauvoo. There, Smith was the major of the city, general of the militia, and the head of the Mormon Church. At this time, Smith even ran as a candidate for President of the United States!

While Smith controlled this city in Illinois, polygamy was rampant. Rhodes writes, “Smith was definitely a polygamist. The actual number of his wives is not known for certain, but estimates range from 28 to 84. The most likely count is 33, most of whom were younger than Smith—one being a mere 14 years of age.”^[16] This is not slander against Smith in any way; this is simply history. Even Mormon authorities admit, “[Joseph Smith] started up again, eventually marrying more than 30 women, 10 of whom were already married to other men.”[17]

Joseph Smith’s wife, Emma, was greatly angered and hurt by Smith’s polygamy. However, Smith’s “holy book” The Doctrines and Covenants told Emma she would be killed if she didn’t remain faithful to Smith. Here we read, “And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law” (The Doctrines and Covenants 132:54).

Because of the report of gross immorality in Nauvoo, a group of angry Mormons published a newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor to expose Smith’s practices. It only released one printing in 1844. Smith and his city council destroyed the printing office. He was arrested for treason. On June 27, an angry mob stormed the jail and killed Smith. Before he died, Smith was able to shoot a few of the men in the mob during the gun battle.

Brigham Young

Brigham Young became the senior Mormon apostle immediately after Smith’s death. He led an exodus from Illinois to the Great Salt Lake City in July of 1847. Like Smith, “Young ruled the people with an iron hand and both practiced and encouraged polygamy for the rest of his life. He himself had some 20 wives by the time he died, and he fathered 57 children by 16 of these wives.”^[18] Mormon authorities openly admit, “[Brigham Young] married more than 40 additional women in the first few years after Smith’s death… With 16 wives, Young fathered children—nearly 60 in all—until 1870, when he was 68 years of age.”[19] Because of Brigham Young “sowed his seed” so abundantly, it is estimated that there are roughly 5,000 of his direct descendents alive today. In fact, even NFL quarterback Steve Young (formerly of the San Francisco 49ers) is the great-great-great grandson of Brigham Young. It has even become a running joke amongst some Mormons that anyone with the last name “Young” in the Utah area is most likely related to Brigham Young.

Critique of Mormonism

1. The Book of Mormon has been changed.

There have been 3,913 changes in the Book of Mormon since it was published in 1830.^[20] Rhodes writes that many are inconsequential; however, 1 Nephi 11:21 was changed from the Lamb of God being “the eternal Father” to the modern rendering “the son of the eternal Father.” However, according to Smith, the Book of Mormon was dictated from the golden plates. Therefore, no errors would have been possible as he dictated this to Oliver Cowdery who recorded them. This serves as an insuperable problem for the believer in the Book of Mormon’s divine inspiration.

2. The Book of Mormon plagiarizes the King James Bible.

CLAIM: Smith claimed that the Book of Mormon was written in ancient times (sometime between 600 BC and AD 421), and he claimed that this book preceded the KJV translation of 1611.

RESPONSE: The Book of Mormon has 25,000 words taken verbatim from the King James Bible.^[21] The Book of Mormon contains entire chapters from the book of Isaiah, and it is written in King James English. If this book was actually written in ancient times, why would it use archaic English from the Elizabethan era? Rhodes adds, “Even the italicized words from the KJV were plagiarized.”^[22] Boa adds, “Smith even copied translation errors of the King James Version as he was plagiarizing verses.”^[23]

3. There is no archaeological support whatsoever for the claims in the Book of Mormon.

CLAIM: The Book of Mormon claims that the Nephite and Lamanite nations battled with each other in large-scale warfare in present-day New York State (AD 385).

RESPONSE: No evidence has ever been found for these supposed battles or any other historical claim in the Book of Mormon.

Michael Coe (Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Curator Emeritus of Anthropology at the Peabody Museum): “The bare facts of the matter are that nothing, absolutely nothing, has ever shown up in any New World excavation which would suggest to a dispassionate observer that the Book of Mormon, as claimed by Joseph Smith, is a historical document relating to the history of early migrants to our hemisphere.”[24]

Michael Coe: “I have seen no archaeological evidence… which would convince me that it [The Book of Mormon] is anything but a fanciful creation.”[25]

Dr. Bradley Lepper (Curator of Archaeology at the Ohio Historical Society, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Denison University): “There is no archaeological evidence for Old World culture in the Americas. Where the Book of Mormon makes specific claims around that, it’s found water.”[26]

Dee F. Green (Mormon scholar): “The first myth we need to eliminate is that Book of Mormon archaeology exists… no Book of Mormon location is known with reference to modern topography. Biblical archaeology can be studied because we do know where Jerusalem and Jericho were and are, but we do not know where Zarahemla and Bountiful (nor any other location for that matter) were or are. It would seem then that a concentration on geography should be the first order of business, but… years of such an approach has left us empty-handed.”[27]

Richard Abanes: “A similar conclusion forced two of the most prominent LDS scholars, B.H. Roberts (1857-1933) and Thomas Stuart Ferguson (1915-1983), to abandon their faith in the Book of Mormon. This shocking turnabout in their perspectives still haunts LDS church officials who adamantly declare that the two icons of Mormon scholarship never repudiated their testimonies. But private letters and various other manuscripts written by Roberts and Ferguson indicate otherwise.”[28]

Smithsonian Official Statement: “The Smithsonian Institution has never used the Book of Mormon in any way as a scientific guide. Smithsonian archeologists see no direct connection between the archeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book.”

Thomas Stuart Ferguson spent his entire adult life trying to prove the BOM was true. He founded the New World Archaeology Foundation at BYU. At the end of his life (1975) he wrote, “With all of these great efforts, it cannot be established factually that anyone, from Joseph Smith to the present day, has put his finger on a single point of terrain that was a Book-of-Mormon geographical place. And the hemisphere has been pretty well checked out by competent people… I must agree with Dee Green, who has told us that to date there is no Book-of-Mormon geography. I, for one, would be happy if Dee were wrong.”[29]

There are a number of anachronisms and historical blunders in the Book of Mormon. A few will be considered here:

1. Horses and Elephants: Horses (Alma 18:9, Alma 18:12, Alma 20:6, 3 Nephi 3:22) and elephants (Ether 9:19) are mentioned throughout the several thousand year history in the book of Mormon, but horses did not make it over to the Americas until the Spaniards brought them. Both of these species went extinct thousands of years before the history recorded in the book of Mormon.^[30]

2. River Laman does not empty into the Red Sea: 1 Nephi 2:5-8 states that the river Laman emptied into the Red Sea. But there has never been any such river that emptied into the Red Sea –either in historic or prehistoric times.

3. Christians BEFORE the time of Christ: Alma 46:15 states that believers were called “Christians” back in 73 BC—fully seven decades before Jesus was even born!

4. Compasses existing in 73 BC: Alma 37:38 speaks of compasses, but these wouldn’t be invented for over a thousand years.

5. The use of the word “Bible”: 2 Nephi 29:3 uses the term “Bible” and this portion of the Book of Mormon dates to the sixth century B.C. The word “Bible” comes from the Greek word biblos, which wouldn’t exist for another 1,500 years.

6. There is no genetic similarity between the Native Americans and ancient Jews: The Book of Mormon states that Lamanites (a lost tribe of Israel) settled in America during this time, which developed into the Native Americans. However, even Mormon researchers have demonstrated that there is no genetic influence from any group from the ancient Middle East.^[31]

4. Joseph Smith stole his fanciful ideas from contemporaneous authors.

We might ask: Where did Joseph Smith generate this “history” about Jews coming over to the New World and becoming Native Americans? Richard Abanes writes, “According to Joseph’s mother, her son skillfully composed yarns about Native Americans while still just a teen; long before any golden plates had been found.”[32] Abanes also traces this notion of Jewish tribes in America to the notion of “British-Israelism.”[33] This was a growing and popular idea at the time (1837-1901) that British people were descendents of the Jews. Abanes writes, “By the late 1870s it was firmly established throughout America as a viable alternative to more orthodox views of Jewish history… Joseph Smith was the first person to blend both theories into one grand scenario that neatly addressed the concerns of his day.”[34] Abanes also cites many books that had espoused this view long before Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon:[35]

Thomas Thorowgood Jews in America (1650)

James Adair The History of the American Indians (1775)

Charles Crawford Essay Upon the Propagation of the Gospel (1799)

Elias Boudinot A Star in the West; or, a Humble Attempt to Discover the Long Lost Tribes of Israel (1816)

In fact, parts of the Book of Mormon are directly copied from these sources:

The Book of Mormon plagiarized from other sources as well. Abanes writes, “More striking are the parallels between the BOM and Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews, published in 1823. Both books share the same basic storyline and premise—i.e., that a large contingency of Israelites arrived in the New World and separated into warring factions, the more savage of which prevailed after annihilating ‘their more civilized brethren’ until all were left in a ‘savage state.’”[37]

This evidence (comparing Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews with the Book of Mormon) led Mormon scholar B.H. Roberts to lose his faith.[39]

5. The Book of Mormon was not predicted in the Bible.

The OT and NT never predict an additional source of revelation as seen in the Book of Mormon (see comments on Isaiah 29:4). In fact, the NT is emphatic that the final revelation is found in Christ (Heb. 1:1-3), and anyone contradicting his gospel should be “anathema” (Gal. 1:6-9). The Bible warns us of people preaching “another Jesus whom we have not preached” (2 Cor. 11:4), and it also warns us not to add or take away from the words of Scripture (Rev. 22:19; Deut. 4:2; 12:32). The Church of Latter-Day Saints is unfortunately guilty of ignoring these dour biblical warnings.

6. Joseph Smith made false prophecies.

CLAIM: Mormons claim that Joseph Smith accurately could predict future events (like the Civil War). Thus he was an authentic prophet.

RESPONSE: Even this central Mormon prophecy turned out to be false on various levels. Joseph Smith wrote,

At the rebellion of South Carolina… the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain… and then war shall be poured out upon all nations. And… slaves shall rise up against their masters… and that the remnants… shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation (Doctrines and Covenants, Section 87).^[40]

This prediction never came to fruition. The “remnants” were the Native Americans, and they were put on reservations; they didn’t “vex” anyone. They were swiftly defeated. Moreover, the slaves never rebelled, as Smith claimed. Instead, they were freed. And most importantly, the Civil War never erupted into a world war including “other nations” and “Great Britain.”

Of course, the Bible gives us a means of identifying false prophecies. Deuteronomy records, “You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord? ²² If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken” (Deut. 18:21-22 NIV). Of course, according to this law, if a prophet made false predictions, they were to be put to death (v.20; c.f. Deut. 13:5). While OT laws like these might seem extreme, at least we wouldn’t be plagued with religious hucksters under this method. I would be very cautious to speak authoritatively for God if these were the consequences! For more comments on OT law, see my earlier article titled, “Tips for Interpreting OT Law.”

7. The Mormon Church is not the only true church of God.

CLAIM: The LDS church believes that it is the only true church on Earth:

Joseph Smith: “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.”[41]

Joseph Smith: “There was a complete and universal apostasy… the church then established was destroyed.”[42]

Bruce McConkie (Mormon theologian): “All other systems of religion are false.”[43]

Bruce McConkie: “Every basic doctrine of the gospel… has been changed and perverted by an apostate Christendom.”[44]

“If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the restoration, there would be no salvation. There is no salvation outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” (Mormon Doctrine, 1979, p. 670)

“[The LDS church] is the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:30).

RESPONSE: Our problem with these claims is not that they are exclusive truth claims. Jesus was exclusive in his claims to salvation (Jn. 14:6). So were the apostles (1 Tim. 2:5; Acts 4:12). But these exclusive claims are centered around doctrine—not a church organization. Whenever a supposed “church” says that you need to belong to their organization for salvation, this is aberrant and anti-biblical teaching.

In addition, it is odd that the LDS church teaches that Christianity ceased to exist for 1,800 years until Joseph Smith restored it. Protestant Christians believe that the church has gone through reformations, but not restorations. Jesus said, “The gates of Hades will not overpower [the church]” (Mt. 16:18). If Mormonism is true, then the church was overpowered for 1,800 years without an authentic Christian witness on Earth. Moreover, Boa notes, “It is interesting that during the time when Smith said all the churches were apostate they were actually going through one of the greatest periods of revival in church history.”^[45]

8. The Bible teaches grace—not works—for salvation.

CLAIM: The LDS church teaches that salvation is by works.

Bruce McConkie: “Salvation in the kingdom of God is available because of the atoning blood of Christ. But it is received only on condition of faith, repentance, baptism, and enduring to the end in keeping the commandments” (What Mormons Think of Christ, B.R. McConkie).^[46]

Brigham Young: “Some of our old traditions teach us that a man guilty of atrocious murderous acts may savingly repent on the scaffold; and upon his execution will hear the expression ‘Bless God! He has gone to heaven, to be crowned in glory, through the all-redeeming merits of Christ the Lord!’ This is all nonsense. Such a character will never see heaven” (Brigham Young, “Instructions to the Bishops, Etc.,” Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3 (London: Latter-Day Saint’s Book Depot, 1856) 8:61).^[47]

“The Lord will not forgive us unless our hearts are fully cleansed of all hate, bitterness, and bad feelings against our fellowmen” (Gospel Principles p. 84).

Spencer Kimball: “Even though forgiveness is so abundantly promised, there is no promise nor indication of forgiveness to any soul who does not totally repent. … We can hardly be too forceful in reminding people that they cannot sin and be forgiven and then sin again and again and expect forgiveness” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 353, 360).

Brigham Young: “If you want to know what to do with a thief that you may find stealing, I say kill him on the spot, and never suffer him to commit another inequity” (Journals of Discourses, Vol. 1, page 108).

Brigham Young: “Suppose you find your brother in bed with your wife, and put a javelin through both of them, you would be justified, and they would atone for their sins, and be received into the kingdom of God. I would at once do so in such a case; and under such circumstances, I have no wife whom I love so well that I would not put a javelin through her heart, and I would do it with clean hands… There is not a man or woman, who violates the covenants made with their God, that will not be required to pay the debt. The blood of Christ will never wipe that out, your own blood must atone for it; and the judgments of the Almighty will come, sooner or later, and every man and woman will have to atone for breaking their covenants” (Brigham Young, “Instructions to the Bishops, Etc.,” Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3 (London: Latter-Day Saint’s Book Depot, 1856), 247)

RESPONSE: Of course, this would completely contradict Jesus’ claim that the thief on the Cross would be with him in Paradise (Lk. 23:42) because of his deathbed confession! Moreover, this contradicts the Bible’s claim that we are forgiven and accepted by God by pure grace—not works. For a defense of the Bible’s position on grace, see my earlier article “Do Good People Go to Heaven?”

9. There is only one God—not many.

CLAIM: Mormon apologists appeal to NT Scriptures to argue that the Bible teaches polytheism (see comments on Jn. 10:34-36; 1 Cor. 8:5).

Joseph Smith: “I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations where I have preached on the subject of deity, it has [been on] the plurality of Gods.”[48]

Bruce McConkie: “To us speaking in the proper finite sense, these three are the only Gods we worship. But, in addition, there is an infinite number of holy personages, drawn from worlds without number, who have passed on to exaltations and are thus Gods… This doctrine of plurality of Gods is so comprehensive and glorious that it reaches out and embraces every exalted personage. Those who attain exaltation are Gods.”[49]

Joseph Smith: “In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods; and they came together and concocted a plan to create the world and people it” (Brigham Young, “Instructions to the Bishops, Etc.,” Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6 (London: Latter-Day Saint’s Book Depot, 1856), p. 5).

Orson Pratt (Mormon apostle, 1853): “Each God, through his wife or wives, raises up a numerous family of sons and daughters… As soon as each God has begotten many millions of male and female spirits… he, in connection with his sons, organizes a new world, after a similar order to the one which we now inhabit, where he sends both the male and female spirits to inhabit tabernacles of flesh and bones… The inhabitants of each world are required to reverence, adore, and worship their own personal father who dwells in the Heaven which they formerly inhabited.”^[50]

RESPONSE: The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God (Isa. 43:10; 44:8; Jn. 5:44; Rom. 3:29-30; 16:27; 1 Cor. 8:4; Gal. 3:20; Eph. 4:6; 1 Thess. 1:9; 1 Tim. 1:17; 2:5; Jas. 2:19; 1 Jn. 5:20-21; Jude 25). Moreover, Paul was shocked that the men at Lystra would worship him as a god (Acts 14:14-15). This is in stark contrast to Herod Agrippa who was struck down for permitting worship of himself (Acts 12:21-23).

10. God does not have a physical body.

CLAIM: The LDS church teaches that God is a physical, humanoid and Caucasian being, who stands roughly six foot tall with a big white beard:

Mormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia: “God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared simultaneously to Smith as discrete corporeal [physical] beings.”[51]

Joseph Smith: “[God] once was a man like us, and the Father was once on an earth like us” (Smith, Words of Joseph Smith 344).[52]

Joseph Smith: “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens… I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form… yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did” Joseph Smith History of the Church, Volume 6, p. 305).[53]

“The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22).

RESPONSE: The Bible teaches explicitly that God is spiritual and immaterial (Jn. 4:24). While some passages refer to God with anthropomorphic language (see comments on Exodus 31:18), these narrative passages should be interpreted in light of the clear, didactic portions of Scripture. In Hosea, God says, “I am God and not man” (Hos. 11:9), and he says elsewhere, “God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind” (Num. 23:19). Romans 1:22-23 states, “Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man…” Moreover, the Bible also teaches that God is invisible (Jn. 1:18; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:16). These passages would deny the fact that God could be a humanoid being. Moreover, Isaiah is clear that there is only one God and there has never been one before him or after him. He writes, “Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me” (Isa. 43:10; c.f. 44:6, 8; 45:5, 21).

11. African-Americans are equal with everyone else. They are not cursed with dark skin.

CLAIM: The LDS church originally believed that African-Americans (and other “dark-skinned” people) were under the curse of God. Therefore, they were not allowed to become ordained ministers in the LDS church.

RESPONSE: The Bible teaches that all people are equal regardless of race, gender, or social status (Gal. 3:28; 1 Cor. 12:13; Col. 3:11). While the Bible has always taught this, the LDS church taught discrimination up until social pressure forced them to repeal these edicts in 1978. According to Mormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia, “Spending countless hours in prayer, Kimball became sure that a change in policy was the ‘will of the Lord.’ Details of how Kimball arrived at this assurance are unclear, but words like ‘impression,’ ‘inspiration,’ and ‘clear in Spencer’s mind’ have been used by historians and Kimball himself to describe the revelation’s reception.”[54] Bruce McConkie said, “Forget everything that I have said… in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world. It doesn’t make a particle of difference what anybody ever said about the Negro matter before the first day of June 1978. It is a new arrangement, and the Lord has now given the revelation that sheds light out into the world on this subject” (McConkie, “All Are Alike unto God”).[55]

12. Polygamy is not biblical.

As I pointed out above, the founders of Mormonism (Smith & Young) were polygamists. However, Mormon leaders have ceased this practice in the church for over a century. Rhodes writes, “The practice of polygamy would ‘officially’ end, however. On September 24, 1890, a ‘manifesto’ was issued by Wilford Woodruff, fourth president of the Mormon Church, declaring his advice that Mormons give up the practice.”^[56] However, apostle Orson Pratt argued that Jesus had many wives. He said that Jesus “was a Polygamist” who demonstrated this by “marrying many honorable wives.”[57] For an explanation of polygamy, see my earlier article, “What About Polygamy?” Regarding Jesus having a wife, see comments on John 20:17.

13. There is no such thing as “celestial marriage.”

CLAIM: Since polygamy was banned in 1890 by the LDS leadership, Mormons have replaced this idea with “celestial marriage.” In this view, Mormon males procreate billions of babies with their goddess-wives in the afterlife. Of course, this would make one tired goddess! (But then again, what else would we have to do in eternity?)

RESPONSE: This passage goes directly against Matthew 22:30 where Jesus states: “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.”

14. Jesus was born from Mary who was a virgin.

CLAIM: Because Mormons are materialists (they deny the spiritual realm), the picture God as a humanoid being with a physical body. Thus when Mary was found with child, this was not a miracle. Instead, God came down and had sex with Mary.

Brigham Young: “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 was the Father? He is the first of the human family; and when he took a tabernacle [body], it was begotten by his Father in heaven, after the same manner as the tabernacles of Cain… 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. (Journal of Discourses, 1:50-51).^[58]

RESPONSE: For an explanation of the virgin birth, see comments on Matthew 1:23.

Application

As we conclude, let’s consider several key aspects in dialoguing with Mormons:

First, recognize the differences between Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Many Christians lump Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses together; however, these are very different groups:

Second, realize that they have A LOT at stake if they decide to leave Mormonism. Consider if your wife was Mormon, your kids were Mormon, your boss was Mormon, and all of your friends were Mormon. Consider how difficult this would be to walk away from! In order to reach Mormons with the love and message of Christ, we need to help them work through the sociological aspects of their faith—not just the doctrinal issues. For instance, at some point, it might be appropriate to ask them:

“What would you miss the most about the LDS church if you left?”

“What would be the consequences socially or personally for you if you left the LDS church?”

Third, read the other books besides the Book of Mormon. Mark Twain referred to the Book of Mormon as “chloroform in print. If Joseph Smith composed this book, the act was a miracle — keeping awake while he did it was, at any rate.”[59] Not only is the Book of Mormon difficult to follow, it is also the least representative of Mormon beliefs. Moreover, Mormons distribute the Book of Mormon because it is most congruous with Christian doctrine. If they distributed the Doctrines and Covenants or The Pearl of Great Price, Mormon doctrine would clearly rise to the surface.

Fourth, make sure to define your terms. Mormons will often use Christian terms (e.g. grace, God, forgiveness, etc.), but they don’t mean what we mean by these terms. Therefore, it is wise to have the person carefully define what they mean by these stock Christian terms.

Fifth, make sure to distinguish what the Mormon believes from what the Mormon Church teaches. Often when confronted with a false teaching of Mormonism, a Mormon will say, “I don’t believe that!” And very often, they’re telling the truth. Mormon leaders will often not reveal core doctrines to new converts until they are firmly established in the sect. When they do hear the entire theology, the member has a wife, kids, and job with a Mormon boss. It makes it much more difficult to leave the group. So, very often, new believers of Mormonism aren’t even aware of what their church formally believes. Therefore, instead of engaging with what they believe, explain that these are the teachings of the Mormon Church. This will help from going on rabbit trails.

Additional Reading and Resources

Here is a list of good sources for further study:

Best critique of Mormonism available

Abanes, Richard. One Nation under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church. New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 2002.

Richard Abanes’ book was the most well documented title on the subject of Mormonism that I’ve read or seen. This book is written from a classical Christian perspective, and it is a massive 500 page critique of Mormonism.

General Introductions to Mormonism

Ankerberg, John, and John Weldon. Cult Watch. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1991.

Boa, Kenneth. Cults, World Religions, and the Occult. Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1990.

Martin, Walter, and Ravi Zacharias (General Editor). The Kingdom of the Cults. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 2003.

Rhodes, Ron. The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions: The Essential Guide to Their History, Their Doctrine, and Our Response. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001.

All of these books proved invaluable in the writing of this article.

Audio and video sources

I am greatly indebted to the audio lectures of Dr. Phil Fernandes, Clark Berryman, and Robert Bowman which were found on the Apologetics 315 audio page.

Consider watching this youtube video (after studying the sources) to see how well it represents the Mormon religion. After thoroughly studying the Mormon faith, I find this short animation to be an accurate representation of the Mormon faith. It also mentions peculiar and non-biblical doctrines that I didn’t specifically address in this article—so that I could keep it short.

Additional Sources

Decker, Ed, and Dave Hunt. The God Makers. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House, 1984.

McKeever, Bill, and Eric Johnson. Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2000.

Scott, Latayne Colvett. The Mormon Mirage: A Former Mormon Tells Why She Left the Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1979.

Spencer, James R. Beyond Mormonism: An Elder’s Story. Grand Rapids, MI: Chosen, 1984.

I haven’t read these titles, but they were frequently cited in the literature. I would assume that these would make for good supplementary reading.

Mormon Sources

Mormon Holy Books: (1) The Bible, (2) The Book of Mormon, (3) Doctrines and Covenants, and (4) The Pearl of Great Price.

Reeve, W. Paul, and Adris E. Parshall. Mormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2010.

Ludlow, Daniel H. Latter-day Prophets Speak: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of the Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [Salt Lake City]: Bookcraft, 1951.

This book is an out of print title by a Mormon scholar. It advances Mormonism, and it contains all of their doctrines in a crystal clear fashion. For those wanting an authoritative and well-cited source on what Mormons believe, consider reading this book.