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Ephesians 2:1–10
“But God … even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (Eph. 2:4–5a).
In this week’s studies, we will briefly examine five major cults. The first of these is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the Mormons. In this cult we find “the crassest distortion and most severely corrupted form of Christianity that we would ever find in a cult,” according to Dr. R.C. Sproul.
The Latter-day Saints were founded by Joseph Smith, who was born in 1805 and raised in Palmyra, N.Y. He claimed that when he was a teenager, angels told him that all branches of Christianity were corrupt. Later, an angel named Moroni allegedly told him of an ancient book written on a golden tablet and buried nearby. In 1827, he found the tablet and translated it, publishing the results as The Book of Mormon. He also published other revelations as The Book of Doctrine and Covenants and revised the King James Version of the Bible. In time, Smith felt God wanted him and his followers to go west, so they traveled to Independence, Mo., and then to Nauvoo, Ill., where Smith was killed by a mob of opponents. Soon after that, the state of Illinois expelled the group, and they moved on to Salt Lake City. There the cult began the rapid growth that continues today.
Mormonism is far outside the historic Christian mainstream. Its highest authority is The Book of Mormon. The Bible is seen as authoritative, too, but only Smith’s revision, which includes material found in no known ancient manuscript. Smith denied the Trinity, teaching that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three gods. The church also has said that there are many other gods in the universe and that human beings, who exist as spirits before birth, can become gods. The fall of man, according to Mormonism, was a good thing, because Adam and Eve could not procreate before they sinned. When they fell, they became able to “ ‘Be fruitful and multiply,’ ” and thousands of preexisting human spirits could then be born. As for Christ, the Mormons teach that He did not exist from eternity but was begotten by the supreme god, Elohim. He died to provide the basis for all men to live forever as spiritual beings, but individual salvation depends on belief in Mormonism, obedience to church rules, and submission to church ordinances. The Latter-day Saints teach salvation by works, a clear denial of justification by faith alone, the heart of the Gospel.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Have you been visited by Mormon missionaries? Do you know any Latter-day Saints? If you ever have contact with Mormons, strive to press home Scripture’s teaching about itself, about the oneness of the Triune God, and about the eternality of Christ. Show that Christ had to die a horrible death because mankind’s sin was so heinous.
For Further Study
- Deuteronomy 6:4
- Matthew 1:21
- John 1:1–2
- Romans 3:21–22