Mormonism,

A Polytheism of Corruptible Man



Mormonism, major world religion of close to ten million members, [was] founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith, known as the prophet. From a handful of members at the beginning, the movement has grown steadily through proselytizing and a relatively high birth rate. By the early 1990s there were four million Mormons in the United States and the number in other countries around the world totalled slightly more than that. Before World War II conversions had been most numerous in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia, but during recent years Mormonism has grown rapidly in Third World countries. In Mexico, for example, there were more than 600,000 Mormons in 1992, most of them converted since 1975. In South Korea, Mormonism had no adherents before 1950, but by 1990 there were more than 100,000. A vigorous missionary program-a rotating force of about 45,000 preaching Mormonism in missions in the U.S. and abroad-assures a steady influx of new members. ("Mormonism," Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2000. © 1993-1999 Microsoft Corporation.)

Millions of Mormons are on their way to eternal torments, because they follow not the Christ of Scripture, but the false religion of Mormonism (John 10:5; Revelation 21:8). "Latter-day Saints" (Mormons) are polytheists of corruption, and as such they are liars (Revelation 21:8). They lie about God, and they are idolaters (Revelation 21:8) who worship a false God (e.g. see below on their view of the Father).

I. Like Corruptible Man

Mormonism is a classic case of Romans chapter 1.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man - (Romans 1:20-23)

Romans 1 describes man's rejection of the true God and his fabrication of false Gods. One of the fabrications is described as "an image made like corruptible man." This is the God of Joseph Smith.

As the prophet Joseph Smith said, "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret!" (TPJS, p. 345). Thus, the Father became the Father at some time before "the beginning" as humans know it, by experiencing a mortality similar to that experienced on earth. (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism, Vol. 2, p. 549, edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, copyright 1992, Macmillan Publishing Company, NY; TPJS is Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith)

Here Mormons have "changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man" (Romans 1:23). The Father never became the Father. He has always been the Father. As it is written of our "one God, the Father, of whom are all things" (1 Corinthians 8:6),

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. (Psalm 90:2)

"From everlasting to everlasting," or in other words, "from eternity past to eternity future" He is God. "God the Father" (John 6:27) has always been "God the Father," and He is the "only true God" (John 17:3). God does not change (Malachi 3:6). He inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15). He has always been the "everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6). Yet, Mormon theology teaches not only the Father, but the Son as well has not always been the Son.

The Father existed prior to the Son and the Holy Ghost and is the source of their divinity. (ibid., 548) The Son and the Holy Spirit were "in the beginning, with God," but the Father alone existed before the beginning of the universe as it is known. (ibid.)

Not only do they make the Father like corruptible man, but they make the Son and the Holy Spirit like corruptible man by teaching they did not exist as such at some time in the past. Yet, this is against the Word of God. Speaking of the Son it is written,

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)

In Hebrews 7:3 the Son is identified as one who is without "beginning of days." Hebrews 13:8 declares,

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Son, being God (Hebrews 1:10), is likewise "from everlasting to everlasting" (Psalm 90:2) and does not change (Malachi 3:6), and has always been the same (Hebrews 7:3). Likewise, the Holy Spirit, being the Lord God as well (John 4:24; 2 Corinthians 3:17) is likewise from "everlasting to everlasting." And since "all the fulness of the Godhead" is in Christ (Colossians 2:9), and "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 7:3), then God has been "the same yesterday, today, and forever." But, Mormons deny this.

II. Polytheism From Corruption

Since Mormonism teaches neither the Father, the Son, nor the Holy Spirit are eternal in their very nature (i.e. they have not always been God), the polytheism of Mormonism is one from corruption to Godhood.

Joseph Smith taught, "If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves" (TPJS, p. 343). Gods and humans represent a single divine lineage, the same species of being, although they and he are at different stages of progress. This doctrine is stated concisely in a well-known couplet by President Lorenzo Snow: "As man now is, God once was: as God now is, man may be." (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism Vol. 2, p. 549)

God says,

"You are My witnesses," says the Lord, "And My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me." (Isaiah 43:10)

The Bible teaches there is only one God (Isaiah 44:6-8; Isaiah 45:5-6, 14, 21-22; 46:9-10). He alone is holy (Revelation 15:4), and as Isaiah 43:10 declares before Him "there was no God formed, nor shall there be after" Him. Scripture teaches He is the One and "only Potentate" who "alone has immortality" (1 Timothy 6:15-16). There is no other (Mark 12:32-34). Yet Mormons deny this, and reveal their God is a triad of false Gods.

On June 16, 1844, in his last Sunday sermon before his martyrdom, Joseph Smith declared that "in all congregations" he had taught "the plurality of Gods" for fifteen years: "I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods (TPJS, p. 370). (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism Vol. 2, p. 552)

These three Mormon Gods are Gods that progressed from corruption ("As man now is, God once was") into Godhood. Thus, as the above quotes reveal, they are three "distinct" Gods that are not One, as the God of the Bible has eternally been One (Deuteronomy 6:4), but three separate Gods, who came from corruption, who came into existence at different times, but now cooperate with each other. They are "Gods" from corruption like (according to Mormon theology) any human may become.

In 1909 the first presidency, under Joseph F. Smith, issued a statement on the origin of man that teaches that "man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father," as an "offspring of celestial parentage," and further teaches that "all men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity" (Smith, pp. 199-205). (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism, Vol. 2, p. 961)

Nowhere does the Bible teach that "man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions." This is a fable (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Scripture clearly teaches the origin of the human race (Acts 17:26) and notes the exact day (Genesis 1:26-31) in which the first man became "a living soul" (Genesis 2:7, נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה [nephesh châyyah] my translation). But Mormons have been turned aside to fables.

Logically and naturally, the ultimate desire of a loving Supreme Being is to help his children enjoy all that he enjoys. For Latter-day Saints, the term "godhood" denotes the attainment of such a state - one of having all divine attributes and doing as God does and being as God is. Such a state is to be enjoyed by all exalted, embodied, intelligent beings (see Deification; Eternal Progression; Exaltation; God; Perfection). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that all resurrected and perfected mortals become gods (cf. Gen. 3:22; Matt. 5:48). They will dwell again with God The Father, and live and act like him in endless worlds of happiness, power, love, glory, and knowledge; above all, they will have the power of procreating endless lives. Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus Christ attained godhood (see Christology) and that he marked the path and led the way for others likewise to become exalted divine beings by following him (cf. John 14:3). (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism, Vol. 2, p. 553) Most people are accustomed to using the term "God" to identify only one being, the Father. But the scriptures sometimes use the term to designate others as well. In this sense, while the faithful worship only one God in spirit and in truth, there exist other beings who have attained the necessary intelligence and righteousness to qualify for the title "god." Jesus Christ is a god and is a separate personage, distinct from God the Father (see Godhead). People qualify themselves for this rank and degree of exaltation by bringing themselves fully in line with all that God has commanded them to do: "Here, then, is eternal life - to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, . . . (TPJS, p. 346, Encyclopedia Of Mormonism, Vol. 2, p 554)

So we see Mormonism is a polytheism from corruption, where not only is the Mormon "Father" a false God, but the Mormon Christ (the Son) and Holy Spirit are false Gods; and Mormons themselves hope to become Gods in the same kind of way as their "Father" and "Son" and "Holy Spirit." Thus, they have "changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man" (Romans 1:23) and worshipped this image to their own destruction. For such false Gods are idols and demons (Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 32:17; 2 Chronicles 11:15; Psalm 106:37; 1 Corinthians 10:20; Revelation 9:20).

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:21)

Mormons are partakers with demons.

III. Pre-gods

Besides attaining godhood, "premortal life" "is a central doctrine of the theology" of the Mormon Church (ibid., Vol. 3, p. 1125). Mormonism also teaches the fable (2 Timothy 4:3-4) of preexistence prior to this life.

Prior to mortal birth individuals existed as men and women in a spirit state and thus coexisted with both the Father and the Son. That period of life is also referred to as the First State or Preexistence. (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism, Vol. 3, p.1123) There is indeed indication that the Intelligence dwelling in each person is coeternal with God. It always existed and never was created or made (D & C 93:29). In due time that intelligence was given a spirit body, becoming the spirit child of God the Eternal Father and his believed companion, the Mother in heaven. The spirit, inhabited by the eternal intelligence, took the form of is creators and is in their image (Ballard, p. 140). To the Prophet Joseph Smith it was revealed that we are all literal spirit sons and daughters of heavenly parents. He received a revelation of information once made known to Moses: "I [God] made the world, and men before they were in the flesh" (Moses 6:51). (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism, Vol. 3, p. 1123-1124)

Mormonism not only teaches the preexistence of men, but the preexistence of everything!

Out of preexisting chaos, matter unorganized, the Father created an orderly universe. Out of preexisting intelligence, he begat spirit children. (Encyclopedia Of Mormonism, Vol. 2, p. 549) Revelation indicates that all things, even the earth itself, had a spirit existence before the physical creation. (ibid., 1124) . . . The fish, the fowl, the beasts of the field lived before they were placed naturally in this earth, and so did the plants that are upon the face of the earth. (ibid.)

Contrary to the above, the first man and the first woman had their first day of existence on the sixth day of creation (Genesis 1:24-31), and likewise plants, fish, fowl, and the beasts of the field had their first day of existence on the third, fifth, and sixth day of creation respectively (Genesis 1:9-13, 20-25). Contrary to Mormon doctrine, 1 Corinthians 15:46 says, "the spiritual is not first, but the natural."

IV . Doctrines of Men

A. Alcohol

As an example of the doctrines of men (Matthew 15:8-9), the Mormon church teaches to abstain from alcohol. In The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in section 89 they write,

5 That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him. 7 And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies.

This is entirely against Scripture. Jesus made and drank wine (John 2:1-11; Luke 7:33-34). God makes and drinks wine (Psalm 104:14-15; Judges 9:13). In the worship of Him, the Lord told the Israelites to buy whatever they wanted, which included wine and strong drink (KJV שֵּׁכָר [shêchâr] "strong drink"). For more, see our report on alcohol.

B. Sabbath

The Mormon church is also under the delusion of a perverted Sabbath observance.

29 And the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy. (ibid., section 68)

Paul said,

let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths. (Colossians 2:16)

For more, please see our article on the Sabbath.

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