Mormonism — notes & resources

Submitted by Suchi Myjak on

Class date: 6/3/18

Brief history

Founded: 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr.

Background: As a young man, Smith was confused by all the competing varieties of Protestantism (apparently Catholicism was out of the question for him).

Founding:

  • Smith claimed that in 1820, in immediate response to prayer, he saw a great darkness but was delivered out of it by a pillar of light. Following this, he saw a vision of two bright and glorious persons in the air, telling him not to join any existing church because “all of their creeds were an abomination.”
  • Three years later, he said, he saw a vision of an angel named Moroni who told him where to find some golden plates containing a history of the “former inhabitants of this continent” and the “fullness of the everlasting gospel … as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants.”
  • The box also was to contain some special stones (the “urim” and “thummim”) which would help him to translate the plates from “reformed Egyptian,” a language known to no one outside Mormonism.
  • An eyewitness account tells us that Smith would place a special stone in his hat and looked into it, covering his face, and proceed to dictate the “translation” thus.
  • After it was done, he said, he returned the plates to their hiding place in the hill. They have never been recovered.
  • Smith also claimed that God continued to speak to him, revealing various things from the very earthly (and sometimes amazingly convenient) to arcane doctrine.
  • Intriguing: Lost 116 pages. Book of Abraham. Solomon Spaulding.
In common with Protestants
  • Mormons hold that there was a general apostasy of the Church. Various churches give various dates for this; Mormons claim it happened in the 2nd or 3rd century. (In addition, their claim is that the restoration didn’t happen until the 19th century!)
  • Use Protestant canon of Scripture.
  • The founders of Mormonism especially reviled the Catholic Church (although they had harsh words for Protestant denominations as well).
In common with Catholics
  • They do believe in an authoritative Church, not sola scriptura.
Some distinctive beliefs of Mormonism

NB: Mormonism is an esoteric religion, meaning that many of their teachings are saved for the specially initiated alone. So their evangelists are taught to gloss over, hide, redirect, and otherwise avoid the stranger items.

Authorities

  • Besides the Bible (KJV), they hold that the Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price are inspired scriptures.
  • As mentioned, Mormons do believe in an authoritative church. They also believe in ongoing public revelation via their “apostles” and “prophets.”

God in Mormonism

  • God, called "Heavenly Father," was once a man who was judged worthy to be “exalted” and still has a body.
  • Eternal progression - read all about it at Mormonism’s God(s)
    • God was not God from all eternity.
    • He is now a divinized / exalted version of his former self -- still a man, but now glorified.
    • God is changeable, eternally evolving into a more exalted being
    • God has a god above him, who has a god above him, who has a god above him, ad infinitum.

Creation

  • God “created” the world only means that He “organized” eternally preexisting matter. (So God had a beginning in time, but matter existed eternally.)
  • Angels and human souls are formed from preexisting “intelligences” by Heavenly Father and (one of) his heavenly wives.

Jesus, Holy Spirit

  • Jesus is considered to be the “Son of God” but by that they mean something totally different from what orthodox Christians mean. (1) That he was the first spirit child of “Heavenly Father,” and (2) That he is also somehow bodily, “literally,” the son of God the Father.
  • They do not pray to Jesus. They do not worship the Holy Spirit but do accept his inspirations.

Purpose of life

  • The purpose of life is to raise a new generation of “righteous” (Mormons), obey LDS dictates, and spread the faith.
  • The reward for men is to become “exalted,” like “Heavenly Father.” Women get to be queens to their husbands.

Odds & Ends

  • Souls in “spirit prison” can still have another chance to be saved after death
  • Eternal families -- see the articles below.

Resources for details on the above and more information:

Articles:

Audio:

  • Mormonism, with Thomas Smith (former 6th generation Mormon)
Two big problems with Mormon theology about God

  1. The doctrine of eternal progression means that the gods of Mormonism are all contingent beings, meaning that they did not have to exist.

  2. One God vs many gods. One of the major themes of the OT is precisely that there is only one God, cf. Isaiah 44-46.

Also see: Three Simple Ways to Show Contradictions in the Mormon Belief of God by Karlo Broussard

A more general problem is that their theology is terribly inconsistent, which is not surprising since it keeps changing. Examples include:

  • The nature of God -- originally a form of Modalism, they now teach a plurality of gods
  • Polygamy or "plural marriages" -- was once taught as an important part of a good Mormon life, but later was not allowed
  • Abortions -- were totally forbidden as the moral equivalent of murder, but now are allowed under rather broad and subjective conditions. However, coffee and tea continue to be forbidden.

Former Mormons say that the attraction of Mormonism is definitely not logical consistency or intellectual conviction but instant community, eternal families, wholesome living, and other emotional or practical draws. Also see: Mormon Stumpers from Catholic Answers.

Is the Mormon church Christian?

That depends on what you mean by the word "Christian." Historically, a Christian affirms the historical creedal statements of Christianity, e.g. the Nicene Creed, which Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox can affirm.

The Trinity and the Incarnation are two key beliefs from the Creed, and the Mormon church rejects both. Therefore, by the clear and meaningful historic definition, it is not Christian.

However, a significant number of people today use the word "Christian" to mean someone who believes in or follows Christ in some rather more nebulous way, so bear that in mind the next time you meet a Mormon who says his is a Christian church.

Resources for evangelizing Mormons

Conversion stories:

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