What Do You Believe? Mormons Part 3

What Do You Believe?

Mormons

Open with a

(It is a funny video)

Introduction

A. Today we are continuing our series called “What do you believe?” We

are talking about some of the major false religions that we are faced

with today such as Jehovah Witnesses, the Mormons, Scientology and Islam

and why Christianity is different from them.

B. Many Christians today are confused about what they believe. They are

not sure if other religions are okay or if they are the same as

Christianity. Many Christians have bought into the lie that there are

many ways to God and Christianity is just another one of those ways.

C. We started by talking about three signs of all false religions. I call

them the three “S’s.” They stand for Savior, Salvation, and Scripture.

All false religions differ from the Christian view on these three major

issues.

1. Savior: All false religions change who Jesus really was. They do not

believe that He is the ‘only way’ to heaven.

2. Salvation: All false religions teach that a person must ‘earn’ their

way to heaven. They don’t believe we are saved by grace, God’s gift.

3. Scripture: All false religions teach that the Bible is ‘incomplete’

and there are ‘other’ holy books.

D. Last week we looked at the beliefs of the Jehovah Witnesses. Next

week, I have invited a Moslem lady to come and visit with us. It is

going to be a very interesting service. You don’t want to miss it. Today

we shall look at the beliefs of the Mormons or Latter Day Saints as they

like to be called.

E. One of the candidates for the Republican primary for the President of

the United States, was Governor Mitt Romney from Massachusetts who was a

Mormon. This caused a lot of discussion on TV and among Christians about

whether Mormons are Christians or a false religion. Then we had the

government raid on the Mormon group down in Texas and the 400 children

that were taken away amid allegations of abuse and then returned. There

is a lot of confusion about what the Mormon church really teaches and

stands for.

F. The Mormon Church is doing a fantastic job of marketing itself right

now. They are doing everything they can to present themselves as a

Christian Church. They have hired some of the best marketing firms in

the US to do so. They have taken the “Mormon Church” and put it right

beside the major Christian denominations. They don’t want to be seen as

some weirdo group of people. They are going mainstream. If I asked you

to describe a Mormon man, for example, twenty years ago, you would

say, “A guy from Utah who doesn’t drink coffee and has a bunch of

wives.” But today you might say, “A good Christian family man.” Now that

is what you call marketing!

G. Many people, Christians and non-Christians believe that Mormons are

just another Christian denomination. Hopefully today you will see that

they are not Christian at all. This is a totally different religion all

together.

H. Why am I doing this teaching? I am not teaching this series so you can

argue with the Mormons when they come to your door. The main reason I am

teaching this is to help you establish what it is that you believe so

that you are not lead astray and deceived. Sooner or later every

Christian has to come to grips with what it is that they really believe

and if it is really different than other religions. To help you to see

the ‘distinctives’ of your faith. The second reason to equip you so that

you can help others, friends, relatives, co-workers, who are open and

looking for truth.

How does God speak today?

A. The Bible clearly teaches that in times past the main method of God

speaking to men was through prophets, but now the main method for God to

speak is ‘directly through Jesus.” This is the problem with all false

religions. They always put someone else up on the platform with Jesus.

They always come up with another prophet and he claims to be the ‘main’

voice of God to the people now.

B. With the Mormons it started with Joseph Smith, who claimed when he was

15 years old while living in Palmyra New York, he had a vision of God

which told him he was to be the ‘prophet’ to the people, that he was to

be the ‘voice’ of God to the people. He said that God told him all the

other churches were deceived and only he had the true understanding of

God.

C. Several years later, Smith said an angel Moroni, showed up and pointed