TEN REASONS WHY I CANNOT BE A MORMON by Rev. John Hornok 1. ÿMORMONISM DOES NOT TEACH THAT THE BIBLE IS THE INFALLIBLE WORK OF GOD. ÿÿ"We ÿbelieve the Bible to the the Word of God as far as it ÿis translated ÿcorrectly; ÿÿwe also believe the book of Mormon to be ÿthe word of God" (Articles of Faith, No. 8). As ÿChristians we believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old ÿand ÿNew Testaments ÿto ÿthe ÿthe verbally inspired Word ÿof ÿGod, ÿÿthe ÿfinal authority ÿfor ÿfaith and life, ÿinerrant in ÿthe ÿoriginal ÿwritings, infallible and God-breathed (2 ÿTim. ÿ3:16-17; ÿ2 Pet. ÿ1:20-21; ÿMatt 5:18). 2. ÿÿMORMONISM TEACHES THAT GOD IS AN EXALTED MAN AND HAS A ÿPHYSICAL BODY. ÿÿ"God himself was once as we are now, ÿand is an exalted ÿman" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, ÿpg. 345). ÿ"The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's..." ÿ(Doc. ÿ& Cov., ÿSec. 131:22) The Bible says, ÿ"God is not a man..." ÿ(Num. ÿ23:19). ÿ"God is a Spirit; ÿÿand they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and ÿin truth" ÿÿ(John 4:24). ÿ"A spirit hath not flesh and ÿbones..." ÿÿ(Lk. 24:39). 3. MORMONISM TEACHES THAT CHRIST AND THE DEVIL ARE BROTHERS. "...that Lucifer, ÿthe son of morning, ÿis our elder brother and the brother of Jesus Christ" (Mormon Doctrine by Bruce McConkie, pp. 163-4). The Bible says that the devil is a created being, ÿcreated by God. "thou ÿwast ÿperfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast ÿcreated, till ÿiniquity ÿwas found in thee" ÿ(Ezekiel 28:15). ÿÿ"For ÿby ÿHim (Christ) ÿwere all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, ÿvisible and invisible, whether they be thrones, ÿof dominions, or principalities, ÿor powers; ÿall things were created by Him and for Him..." (Col. 1:15-17). 4. MORMONISM TEACHES THAT JESUS WAS MARRIED AND THE HE IS POLYGAMOUS. "We ÿsay ÿit ÿwas ÿJesus Christ who was married at ÿCana ÿof ÿGalilee" (Journal of Discourses, ÿVol 2, p. 80). ÿMormonism teaches that Jesus was ÿthe ÿnatural ÿchild ÿof Adam and Mary. ÿ"When ÿthe ÿVirgin ÿMary conceived ÿthe Child Jesus....He was not begotten by the ÿHoly ÿGhost. And who is his Father? ÿHe is the first of the human family" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, pp. 50-51). The Bible says, ÿ"In the beginning was the Word (Christ), ÿand the Word was with God, and the Word was God;...The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us..." ÿ(John 1:1, 14). ÿ"Then Mary said unto the angel, How ÿshall ÿthis ÿbe, ÿseeing that I know not a man? ÿAnd ÿthe ÿangel answered... The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee..."(Lk. 1:34-35). 5. ÿÿMORMONISM TEACHES THAT THE TRUE CHURCH CEASED TO EXIST UNTIL ÿIT WAS RESTORED TO JOSEPH SMITH. ÿThe church (LDS) was restored April 6, 1830 by Joseph Smith (Doc. & Cov., 20:1). Jesus ÿChrist said, ÿ"I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" ÿ(Matt. ÿ16:18). ÿ"for other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11). ÿÿ"...And ÿare built upon the foundation of the ÿapostles ÿand prophets, ÿÿJesus ÿChrist himself being the chief cornerstone" ÿÿ(Eph. 2:20). 6. ÿÿMORMONISM TEACHES ANOTHER (PERVERTED) ÿGOSPEL THAN THAT ÿOF ÿTHE BIBLE. ÿÿThe gospel to Mormonism is: ÿ"Faith, ÿRepentance, ÿBaptism, Receiving the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands, ÿMorality, ÿÿLoyalty, Tithing, ÿWord of Wisdom, Duty Celestial Marriage (for eternity)" (LDS chart of FREE AGENCY and Articles of Faith, No. 4). The Bible says, "Moreover brethren, I ÿdeclare unto you the gospel that he was buried, ÿand that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" ÿ(1 ÿCor. 15:1, ÿ3-4). ÿ"if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:9). 7. ÿÿMORMONISM ÿTEACHES ÿSALVATION FOR THE THE DEAD ÿBY ÿPROXY ÿWATER BAPTISM. This doctrine is based on one misunderstood Scripture: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, ÿif the dead ÿrise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 Cor. 15:29). Paul ÿdid not practice baptism for the dead. ÿHe excluded himself by using the pronoun "they" rather than "we" ÿor "ye". He is asking a question ÿrather than making a statement. ÿ"It is appointed unto ÿman once to die, but after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27). 8. ÿMORMONISM TEACHES GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH FOR THE DEAD. ÿ"Let ÿus, therefore, ÿas a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, ÿoffer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; ÿand let us present in his holy temple, when it is finished, a book containing the records of our dead, ÿwhich shall be worth of all acceptation" ÿ(Doc. ÿ& ÿCov., ÿSec. 128:24). The ÿBible ÿsays, ÿÿ"Neither ÿgive ÿheed ÿto ÿfables ÿand ÿendless genealogies" ÿÿ(1 ÿÿTim. ÿÿ1:4). ÿ"but ÿavoid ÿfoolish ÿquestion ÿand genealogies..." (Titus 3:9). 9. ÿÿMORMONISM TEACHES THAT THERE ARE MODERN DAY PROPHETS AND ÿMODERN DAY REVELATIONS FROM GOD. Mormonism claims that Joseph Smith received the ÿAaronic ÿPriesthood ÿfrom John ÿthe ÿBaptist. ÿÿThe ÿMelchizedek Priesthood and Apostleship ÿwas ÿrestored ÿby Peter, ÿÿJames ÿand John shortly afterwards in 1829 (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 13). The Bible says, ÿ"God...hath in these last days spoken unto us ÿby his ÿSon, ÿwhom he hath appointed heir of all things, ÿby whom also he made ÿthe worlds" ÿ(Heb. ÿ1:1-2). ÿThe test of a prophet is given ÿin Deut. 18:20-22. 10. ÿÿMORMONISM ÿTEACHES THAT SALVATION DEPENDS UPON ÿGOOD ÿWORKS ÿAND ACCEPTANCE ÿOF ÿJOSEPH SMITH. ÿ"No man who rejects the ÿtestimony ÿof Joseph ÿSmith can enter the kingdom of God" ÿ(Doctrines of ÿSalvation, vol. 1 pg. 190). "Men have work to do it they would obtain salvation" (Doctrines of Salvation. vol. 3, pg 91). The ÿBible ÿteaches ÿthat salvation is provided ÿby ÿJesus ÿChrist alone, ÿÿ"for ÿthere is none other name under heaven given among ÿmen, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:10-12). ÿ"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). 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