Witnessing to Mormons
Lesson 5
Occult Influences in Mormonism/Temple Ceremony excerpts
Scripture: Deuteronomy 18:10-11 "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead."
Occult Influence
Many uninformed mormons will say that there is no occultic influence in mormonism. When in actuality, Joseph Smith JR practiced astrology, seering(putting a crystal ball in a hat) and in fact the Book of Mormon as stated earlier was "translated" in a similiar way. The "revelations" in the Doctrine and Covenants, were recieved by a occultic way, through spiritism. Actually Joseph Smith used astrology so much that he had a magic dagger inscribed with Mars, the ruling planet of Joseph Smith as Dr. Michael Quinn(now excommunicated becuase of his research) discovered in his book, Early Mormonism. Many religions rely on the fact that we humans are on earth to be "schooled" on how to attain some other glory or knowledge, the same way mormons do. Mediumistic teaching is endorsed in later mormonism as well. Previous prophet/president of the LDS church taught "It is the destiny of men to come to this earth and travel a journey of indeterminate length... We understood also that after a period varying from seconds to decades of mortal life we would die, our bodies would go back to mother earth from which they had been created, our spirits would go to the spirit world, where we would further train forf out eternal destiny. After a period, there would be a resurrection or a reunion of the body and the spirit, which would render us immortal and make possible our futher climb toward perfection and godhood." (Kimball Miracle pg 1-5) Mediums claim to talk to dead people, the bible clearly states and renders this a sin. Talking to spirits and the dead is encouraged in Mormonism, why should it be wrong to talk to a god? This type of mind set will bring forth all sorts of twitch’s and snarls if one is not carefull. The 4th mormon prophet/president Wilford Woodruff in Journal of Discourses 21:317-18 states in 1880: "After the death of Joseph Smith I saw and conversed with him many times in my dreams in the night season... I have had many interviews with brother Joseph until the last 15 or 20 years of my life... I had many interviews with President(Brigham) Young, and with Herbert C. Kimball, and Geo A. Smith, and Jedediah M. Grant, and many others who are dead. They attended our conference, they attended our meetings." The bible teaches that when we die we are judged, thus we go to only one place or the other, Heaven or Hell and we can not communicate to people on earth no matter how much we would want to. This type of practice is condemned in scripture. No one can deny that the Mormon church deliberately seeks to be know as a christian religion. This is why they so desperatley changed the commericals on T.V. from offering the Book of Mormon to the Holy Bible. A salesman would call this "bait and switch". Mormon leaders when they are challenged and it is said that the LDS church is not christian respond like Jack Weyland a mission stake president "And every time it happens I’m astonished, I usually respond by saying ’but the name of the church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints."
Mormon Temple Ceremony
Mormons who are "worthy", may go to the temple and perform the temple ceremony or Temple Ordinaces. These ordinances were at one time in Joseph Smith’s time considered, "unchangeable" and sacred, Smith even declared that any man who changed them would "be sinning" and not become a god. In order to go to the highest level of glory the Celestial Kingdom, where a man and wife will have intercourse and produce spirit children, he and she must be sealed in the temple. The temple ceremony has been changed after a movie called "Temple of the God Makers" depicted the exact ceremony of the temple, in which a protestant minister is employed by satan. Actually one can get a good grip on mormon theology by reading the temple ceremony. Mormons who have been in the temple wear a undergarment that they believe protects them from evil. They wear it each day all day, some older mormons even wear them during intimate times. They purchase them from the temple, and some even go as far as taking one off while putting one on, so that it never comes off. Who wears them? Temple worthy members of the church, Elders(missionaries the ones at your door), Bishops, priests etc. They must carry a temple recommend card. This card gets authorized at the temple. Enclosed is the actual temple ceremony. This ceremony is similiar to the Mason’s. Smith used to be a mason and stole some of those "sacred ordinances". The ceremony is very strange and in my mind, satanic. Mormons who have gone through this go through one of two changes; stronger belief’s on mormonism or they leave the church. A priest of the Catholic church converted to Mormonism and was told that the temple ceremony would be the greatest event in his life, he was told that it would remind him of the mass he used to do, he left the church after going to the temple. Portions of it will be included in this lesson for the entire ceremony go to www.lds-mormon.com/veilworker/endowment.shtml for the whole ceremony. In the temple a ceremony called the "Endowment" is given. If a person represents a deceased person, then annointing of oil is done after baptism for the dead person. Once the initial washing’s etc is done the mormon then goes to a auditorium style place. All who attend are dressed in white. Here they hear the mormon version of the creation and Adams fall. They are also given tokens and signs. These are what you could consider a "secret handshake". Below is an excerpt from this ceremony:
Elohim: Jehovah, send down Peter, James and John to visit the man Adam in the telestial World, without disclosing their identity. Have them observe conditions generally, see if Satan is there, and learn whether Adam has been true tot he token and sign given to him in the garden of Eden. Have them return and bring me word.
Jehovah: It shall be done Elohim.(Jehovah turns from Elohim and walks to the edge of the platform upon which he stands. He meets Peter, James and John, who await his command. They are dressed like the jews in Jesus time on Earth.)
Peter: It shall be done, Jehovah. Come James and John, let us go down.
(The three turn and leave, and the scene turns to the lone and dreary world. Peter steps out from behind a large rock, followed by James and John; they approach Adam and Eve.)
Peter: Good Morning.
Lucifer: Good morning gentlemen.
Peter: What are you doing here?
Lucifer: Observing the teachings of these people.
Peter: What is being taught?
Lucifer: The philosophies of men, mingled with scripture.
Peter: How is your religion received by this community?
Lucifer: Very well, except this man does not seem to believe what is being taught.
What they are referring to is Protestant theology. In other words the religion being taught in the ceremony is Chrisitanity as we know it.
(Peter, James and John approach Adam and Eve.)
Peter: Good morning. What do you think of the preaching of these gentlemen?
Adam: I am looking for messengers from my father to teach me.
Peter: That is good.
Peter: Have you any tokens or signs? (Lucifer steps up to the side of Peter and interjects his query.)
Lucifer: Have you money?
Peter: We have sufficent for out needs.
Lucifer: You can buy anything in this world for money.
Peter: Do you sell your tokens and signs for money? You have them I presume.
Adam: I have them, but I do not sell them for money. I hold them sacred. I am looking for hte further light and kowledge father promised to send me.
Peter: That is right. We commend you for your integrity. Good day. We shall probably visit you again.
The ceremony at the veil is where these tokens and signs are given. The veil represents the Celestial kingdom. As you can see the theology represented here in this ceremony is very strange and occultic.
