"Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints."
(Jude 3)
Today I walked into the centre of Palmerston North to do some errands. As I was nearing the square I saw from afar two Mormon Missionaries who were handing out tracks and engaging with people. Now if you are like me then you probably feel a bit of dread and frustration as alarms bells go off in your head as you think, "oh no Mormons" as happened to me. Not because of any fear necessarily but of having to speak to people who have no desire to hear what the other side has to say. The term "flogging a dead horse" comes to mind. But on this occasion as I strode into the square I formulated in my mind what I was going to say. In the square I was approached and had a brief discussion with a Mormon missionary. I learnt the following from our discussion:
1) Mormons believe in more than one God in fact they believe every person has the potential of becoming a God if they live a life in obedience to the law of God although how much obedience I am not exactly sure. Heaven then for the Mormon is to attain Godhood.
Therefore for the Mormon to say that he believes in one God, God the Father, is completely contradictory as they believe not in one God but a plurality of Gods of which God the Father for the Mormon is just one.
2) Mormons believe that God the Father and Jesus were once spirit children who then came to earth as human beings, lived a life in obedience to the law so that they merited Godhood and entrance into heaven.
3) Mormons believe in the death of Jesus as the means by which God forgives sins. Through Jesus God forgives sins and graciously allows a person to then live an obedient life that will prove their worthiness to enter into one of the three kingdoms of heaven (celestial, terrestrial, and telestial) and attain Godhood.
4) Mormons do not believe in Christ's active obedience on behalf of believers which is imputed to them as their righteousness such that they are now declared to be the righteousness of God. Nor do they believe that Jesus bore the wrath of God on the cross for any who would believe in him thereby satisfying God's righteous judgement towards sinners.
5) Mormons really have no idea if they are saved. They can have no confidence that they have done enough (as if they ever could since God demands perfect obedience and holiness). The Mormon cannot say I am saved as the Christian can who trusts in Christ as his all sufficient Savior can. He can only say, "I hope I will be saved."
Now why am I writing all this? I so want my dear Christians to see the absurdity of Mormonism. That it has nothing whatsoever to do with the bible and is totally alien to Christianity. Today Mormonism is trying to bridge the gap between itself and mainline Christianity by adopting the same theological language and by concealing some of its more hard to take teachings. But Mormonism is even further from the teachings of Christianity found in the New Testament then Buddhism. It is a cult that has teachings that are not found even in the King James bible which it espouses but have been brought in from heretical writings such as the book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
But I also want my dear Christians to know how great a message we have in the gospel compared to the ludicrous teachings of Mormonism. God enabled me to share the gospel with that lost Mormon today. How hopeful the true gospel is and what salvation Jesus offers through its message. As Christians we have a faith and gospel that is worth contending for. It is far superior to what any Mormon or anyone else has to offer for it is the only message that God uses to save. For in it is the finished work of Christ that is able to save all who would believe in him. Dear Christian never be ashamed of it. Never be backed into a corner by a Mormon or anyone else. Be encouraged for it is by the same gospel that you have been saved that God will bring salvation often to the most unlikeliest people in what often seem to be hopeless situations.
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