Mormonism (Its Dark History And Corrupt Beliefs)

Below is another chapter from my book, Study On Cults And False Religions.

In this chapter, we examine the Mormon religion. We will see its dark history and then navigate their corrupt beliefs. Hope you enjoy!

The History:

The Mormon religion since its founding date over 196 years ago, has over sixteen million followers. And we can trace their start from a man by the name of Joseph Smith Jr.

Joseph Smith was born in Vermont in the year 1805. His father was known in the community as a mystic individual mainly due to his arrest for making counterfeit bills. Joseph Smith’s early life consisted of treasure seeking and magic. He was very much involved with seer stones, ritual magic, and divining rods as noted by the Mormon historian Michael Quinn in his book, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View.

It can also be noted in the book Mormonism Unveiled, the author E.D. Howe obtained a statement by sixty-two residents living near Jospeh Smith that both him and his father were, “entirely destitute of moral character and addicted to divination habits.”

Joseph Smith's early life involved activities related to treasure seeking and the practice of dark magic. All of these peculiar practices led up to 1820, when Joseph Smith apparently saw a vision from God. He was in the woods and suddenly, Joseph was seized upon by some power and surrounded by thick darkness" that threatened him with sudden destruction. This account can be verified in Joseph Smiths 1838 account of this vision.

“During the 1820 vision, Joseph Smith reported that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him, with the Father pointing to Christ and saying, "This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"   In response to Joseph’s question about which church to join, Jesus told him to join none of them, stating that all existing denominations were "all wrong" and their creeds were an "abomination" in His sight   Additionally, Joseph was told that his sins were forgiven.”-LDS Church Website

Then, apparently God told him in this vision, that he would be giving a new and revelation through Joseph Smith. He was told that Christianity needs a restoration.

From this, a discerning Christian might suspect it wasn’t a vision from God but rather from Satan.

Galatians 1:8 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.

Because of this warning from Apostle Paul, any claim of a later message, especially one delivered by an angel that introduces new doctrines or corrects the original gospel must be rejected.

 

This vision did not apparently have a great effect on the young Joseph Smith because soon after, he was once again seeking treasures by means of peep stones and divining rods.

 Peep or seer stones are supposed to be magical rocks that summon supernatural abilities. Divining rods are also supposedly able to point in the direction of treasure. Joseph Smith was an avid partaker in seer stones, divining rods, talismans, and other forms of magic. This knowledge is greatly verifiable from:

A) Joseph Smith’s own writings.

B) Countless historians such as Michael Quinn, Dallin Oaks, and James Kennedy.

C) His mother Lucy, in her own book Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith.

D) Authentic photos of Joseph Smith’s personal seer stones.

E) His father’s words in an interview from Historical Magazine, published later in 1870, where his dad called him a “peep-stone addict.”

 

The use of Peep Stones were one of several occult practices deemed illegal in the 1820s.This led to Joseph Smith at one time being arrested for conning  people by peep-stone gazing. You can even find a copy of the original court bill in Walter Martins book, The Maze of Mormonism.

 

In 1823, Joseph Smith allegedly had another vision from the angel Moroni.

Moroni told Joseph that God wanted him to do something important. He said there were gold plates hidden in a hill nearby. These golden plates included the “restored and updated” message of Jesus Christ that was given to them.

At the end of this vision, Joseph Smith also received special spectacles to translate the golden plates. These miraculous spectacles are called the Urim and the Thummim. There is an entire account in the book Pearl of Great Price History 1:29-54.

In 1827, Joseph Smith claimed to have gotten the golden tablets. He would later allegedly translate the Book of Mormon from these tablets. Soon, Joseph Smith apparently began translating the golden tablets into English by means of the Urim and Thummim.( supernatural spectacles)

In 1829, Oliver Cowdery, a schoolteacher was “converted” to Joseph Smiths religion. Very soon after, Oliver began working with Joseph Smith in the translation process.

However the entire translating process was suspicious to say the least. When Joseph Smith would allegedly translate, he would go behind a curtain and use a seer stone placed in a hat to aid him in translating the golden tablets.

This fact was finally admitted by the Mormon church in 2015. They even published a photo in the Mormons official magazine Ensign of the brown seer stone placed in a hat that Joseph Smith used when translating.

That’s rather shocking considering the verse below.

 Deuteronomy 18:10-12 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

 

Regardless of the process, the Book of Mormon was finished in April of 1830. Upon completion, the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) was founded. In 1844, a mob of people murdered Joseph Smith. Brigham Young was the next leader of the Mormons and led them to Utah. Now in Mormon history, there are many examples of questionable events and actions. But I will give you three major ones below.

 

A. Joseph Smiths Polygamy

It has indeed been proven that Joseph Smith and the later leader Brigham Young were well-known polygamists.

 

B. Joseph Smiths Dishonesty

In the book Pearl of Great Price History 1:63-65, this is stated about the golden tablets which were apparently verified as true by Professor Charles Anthon.

I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct.

 

The problem is that Charles Anthon claimed never to of wrote that!

He wrote this letter below:

“…The whole story about my having pronounced the Mormonite inscription is perfectly false….Upon examining the tablets, I soon came to the conclusion that it was all a trick, perhaps a hoax….The tablets consisted of all kinds of crooked characters… I began to regard it as a part of scheme to cheat the farmer out of his money…”

He ended this letter by saying:

“…I must beg you as a personal favor to publish this letter immediately, should you find my name mentioned again by these wretched fanatics.

 

C. The Mountain Meadow Massacre

In September 1857, John Lee and a group of Mormon accomplices ambushed a group of unarmed and traveling immigrants murdering 120 of them. John Lee, a Mormon leader was executed by the government.

soon after. The terrible part is that in the book, The Confessions of John D. Lee, he confessed to murdering the immigrants but insisted that this act was under the approval of Brigham Young.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their Beliefs:

The Mormon theology is rather confusing as it blends Christianity with dark doctrine that distorts God, the Bible, and people.

God:

Mormon theology does acknowledge the Christian God but rejects the trinity. (three in one) Instead, they believe that God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons.

*I would encourage one looking deeper into the cult of Mormonism to visit their official website and look under their theology section.

A. God the Father. They believe He was once a man who lived on a planet, died, and was eventually exalted to Godhood. In the Mormons many websites, a phrase is often repeated by Mormon leader Lorenzo Snow. “As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be". As it turns out, the Mormon concept of God is essentially an exalted and perfected version of a human. They believe that God began as a man and, like all gods had done before him, became a god.

“It is a Mormon truism that… as man now is, God once was...-Brigham Young

“God is a personal Being, a holy and exalted man… Bruce R. McConkie

B. Jesus Christ in the Mormon religion is the firstborn son of God the Father and one of His celestial wives. In this marriage also apparently came another son Lucifer. In their beliefs, God called a counsel in Heaven to discuss the plan of salvation. Allegedly, Jesus offered to be the sacrifice for sins and wanted free will in humans while Lucifer wanted people to be forced into salvation. God the Father chose Jesus’s plan which led to the outcast of Lucifer.

C. The Holy Spirit in Mormon theology is directed by God the Father to convict sinners, indwell believers, and to spread the Mormon religion.

 

The Mormons theology on God is very much corrupt for these reasons.

A. There is only one God that works in three persons, not many Gods.

Isaiah 43:10 – “…before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.”

Isaiah 44:6 – “…beside me there is no God.”

Deuteronomy 6:4 – “The Lord our God is one Lord.”

Our God is one God but works in 3 different persons. These three are God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, He is still one God but he operates in 3 distinct persons. Lastly, it is very terrible to believe that Lucifer was Jesus’s brother. Jesus is not an angel but rather God.

 

B. God does not change from human to God.

Numbers 23:19 – “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent…”

Malachi 3:6 – “For I am the Lord, I change not…

 He’s the only God. There’s no line of gods before Him and no future gods coming after Him.

 

C. Jesus Christ and God the Father are one.

John 10:30 – “I and my Father are one.”

John 14:9 – “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…”

The deity of Christ is such an important belief. Jesus Christ is God!

 

Scripture:

Mormons believe in four books that are inspired by God. The Bible was the first and the other three are continuing revelations that are also inspired.

A. Scripture

B. Book of Mormon

C. Pearl of Great Price

D. Doctrines and Covenants

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accepts four books as scripture: the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. These books are called the standard works of the Church.”- churchofjesuschrist.org/

The Mormons theology on Scripture is very much corrupt for these reasons.

A. God said never to add to his words.

Revelation 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

God’s word is a complete and finished work. It does not need an update. God does not change.

 

 

B. God has no ongoing scripture.

 “We believe in continuing revelation. We believe in living prophets. They guide us today. The Lord does not reveal everything at once.”         -Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley(Ensign, Oct. 1994)

Jude 1:3“…earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

Notice that it was delivered once. Not slowly over time, not added to later. That means we’re not waiting on new prophets to finish the job. It’s already been given.

 

Salvation:

Mormons teach that salvation is a process, not a finished work.

For a Mormon to achieve salvation they must do the following:

Believe in Jesus Christ.

Be baptised into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost through the laying on of hands by a person with priesthood authority.

 Follow the teachings of Christ and his Apostles.

Keep God’s commandments.

Repent of their sins.

To reach the highest level of glory, a person must also have been sealed in an eternal marriage in a Mormon temple.

- churchofjesuschrist.org/

So in essence, they believe that faith is the beginning of salvation but the means of salvation is by works.

Once a person dies, Mormons believe they enter the “spirit world.” In this spirit world, there is a jail and a paradise. The paradise is sort of a waiting room for the Mormons. The jail is for non-Mormons. This jail supposedly gives them a second chance at salvation.

But where do you go if you earn salvation?

They believe there are three levels of Heaven known as the degrees of glory.

A. Celestial Kingdom

Reserved for the bets and most faithful Mormons who have kept ordinances, rituals, and eternal marriage.

 

 

B. Terrestrial Kingdom

For honorable and moral people who rejected Mormonism on earth but accepted it in the spirit jail

C. Telestial Kingdom

Wicked people on earth who in the spirit world, eventually accept Mormonism.

D. Outer Darkness

A place where wicked people who rejected Mormonism  both in earth and in spirit jail. This is a place described as darkness and eternal punishment.

 

Their doctrine of salvation and eternal life is corrupt for these reasons.

 1. Salvation is by grace alone, not works.

Ephesians 2:8–9 – “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.”

2. Salvation cannot be earned through ordinances or rituals.

Romans 3:28 – “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

3. There is no spirit world or lower levels of Heaven.

Hebrews 9:27  “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

Judgment is final, not a multi-stage process with second chances or tiered heavens. The Bible never teaches that some souls go to a lower kingdom to later be “promoted.”

 

Becoming Gods:

Mormons teach that the those in the Celestial Kingdom can be exalted and become a God that has control over a world and has an eternal wife that produces spirit children. Once again, we can draw from the common quote used by Mormons.

“As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be.”

Their beliefs on men becoming God is corrupt for this reason.

 

 

1. Men don’t become Gods.

Isaiah 43:10  Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.”

 

 

 Corrupt Mormon Ordinances:

1. Temple Endowment – A secret ceremony in the temple giving knowledge and covenants for higher blessings. This is also for the gaining of the Celestial Kingdom.

2. Eternal Marriage (Sealing) – Marriage in the temple that lasts forever; required for the highest level of heaven.

3. Temple Garments: Wearing garments is seen as a requirement for spiritual safety and eventual exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom.

4. Priesthood Leaders: Only male members can hold the priesthood in the LDS Church.

Elders perform key ordinances like baptism, confirmation, and temple ceremonies.

Their authority is required for salvation in Mormon teaching, making obedience to men an essential part of reaching heaven.

5. Missionary Work / Proselytizing Mormons are taught that spreading their religion is essential for God’s plan. Biblical concern: While sharing the gospel is biblical, Mormonism adds works-based pressure and “saving others” through their rituals.

6. Baptism as part of salvation.

 

*You can find their entire lists of ordinances at  fairlatterdaysaints.org under their ordinances section.

 

Now I’m not going to go into why every single ordinance is unbiblical. But instead, I challenge you to look at each of the 6 Mormon ordinances and produce a reason of why their unbiblical.

I’ll help you get started. The last one (6) is wrong because Ephesians 2:8-9 says: “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.”