Basic Argument: Mormonism
Overview: The Modern Church of Latter Day Saints has grown a lot of following in the past decade. These people are known to be extremely friendly, and their attractive doctrine brings in thousands every year. Mormons believe that their prophet, Joseph Smith, found a set of ancient tablets that contained a new gospel of Jesus Christ. Smith then began to translate the tablets using “Seer Stones” that were found with the tablets and claimed that he alone with the power of God could translate them. Thus, the Book Of Mormon was formed. However, this doctrine founded by Smith has major contradictions with the Bible. Smith advocated the Book of Mormon (BoM) as a supplement to the scriptures of the Bible, but with these major contradictions and overall impossible doctrine, Mormonism runs into some serious problems.
The Argument: One particular argument that I have been using for a while is, in my opinion, one of the best and clearest ways to identify the difference between the Mormon Gospel and the True Christian Gospel found in the Bible. The problems appear in 2 Nephi 25:23 which states the following:
“For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”
When confronted with this verse, most Mormons usually respond with something like: “This verse is saying we need to constantly be working at our salvation to be viewed holy by God the Father to be saved.”
A huge problem with the above response is posed by a completely conflicting verse. Moroni 10:32 says:
“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.”
If we look at this verse in context, it follows a very clear pattern: “You are saved by grace through faith AFTER all you can do” but in order for the grace to even be sufficient for you (Moroni 10:32) you must deny yourself of ALL ungodliness–ONLY THEN the grace will be sufficient for you. Basically, you must be sinless (according to the BoM) to be saved. Most Mormons argue against this and say, “Well you can’t just be saved by doing nothing, you have to work at it"
However, this brings some huge problems for Mormons because they also believe in the doctrines in the Bible. Ephesians 2:8-9 says:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Notice the distinct difference the verses in the BoM have when contrasted with the Bible. The BoM states that, in order to be saved, you must cleanse yourself of all ungodliness. Only then is God’s grace sufficient for you. The Bible states that nothing you can do (works) can get you saved–it is a gift. Anyone who wholeheartedly repents of their sins and receives the gift from God may be saved. Mormons don’t respond well to these contradictions. They can’t accept that their religion faces some huge pitfalls. More often then not, they invite you to pray about your relation with God and to consider Mormonism.
Let’s backtrack a little. First of all, the clear distinction between Mormonism and Christianity is how you get saved. Mormons claim you must work and do all you can to be saved; Christians argue salvation is a gift that requires no work on your part to be saved. Mormons are mixing two very important terms from the Gospel.
Justification: Essentially, this is becoming saved. Once you are justified from your sins with God, you are saved. It doesn’t matter what you have done. If you repent of your sins, you receive this gift from God that requires no work to obtain.
Sanctification: This is where Christianity and Mormonism differ. Sanctification is constantly working to please God, but this can only be done AFTER you have been saved. This would include things like baptism, prayer, daily Bible reading, helping others, etc. The Bible states in James 2:14:
“14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
Notice the distinct phrase in the beginning. You must FIRST declare faith, meaning you already are saved by faith BEFORE you do the deeds. Basically, once you are saved, you work to keep your faith alive; not that it leaves you but, rather, BECAUSE you already are saved you work. Like Jesus said, “Man can’t live by bread alone,” meaning that in order to survive you need to continue fixing yourself simply to please God.
Mormons however, fail to recognize a very clear distinction. Sanctification IS NOT justification. 2 Nephi and Moroni both claim that in order to become justified (saved) you have to sanctify yourself. This is incorrect. The works that God encourages in James come as a RESULT of being saved. Works do not get you saved. Isaiah 64:6 says:
“We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”
Other translations say “works are like filthy rags.” Notice we have all become like the one who is unclean, we are all sinners “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Until you become saved, all works you do are meaningless; they don’t get you saved. Notice the difference? Mormonism readily claims in the BoM that you’re only saved AFTER you have worked at it, AFTER you have cleansed yourself of all ungodliness can you be saved by faith. This is wrong.
Mormonism runs into some serious problems. Usually in conversations with Mormons where we get into works and faith, I bring up a passage written in Joseph Smith’s memoirs: History of the Church Volume 6- Pgs 408-409 which says:
“God is in the still small voice. In all these affidavits, indictments, it is all of the devil–all corruption. Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet. You know my daily walk and conversation. I am in the bosom of a virtuous and good people. How I do love to hear the wolves howl! When they can get rid of me, the devil will also go. For the last three years I have a record of all my acts and proceedings, for I have kept several good, faithful, and efficient clerks in constant employ: they have accompanied me everywhere, and carefully kept my history, and they have written down what I have done, where I have been, and what I have said; therefore my enemies cannot charge me with any day, time, or place, but what I have written testimony to prove my actions; and my enemies cannot prove anything against me."
This is where Smith boasts that he was BETTER than JESUS at keeping the Church together. From this quote it becomes clear that Mormonism is just another cult, run and produced by Satan. I usually ask, "According to the doctrine of the BoM, wouldn’t Smith not have been saved? Because he committed the worst sin for Mormons: Blasphemy!”
I have never had a Mormon continue conversation with me after this verse has been presented, Mormons are like everyone else, blinded, sheep having gone astray. The reason Mormonism is so appealing to people is because it isn’t as “complicated” as Christianity: if you are a good person you go to heaven. This is wrong. The Bible says we can only be saved through God. Nothing we do can save us. Mormons claim to be Christians; however, this drastic distinction in how Mormons claim you gain salvation and the Bible written by the one true God, claim you gain salvation are on complete ends of the spectrum. Though this argument doesn’t go into some of the deeper issues of Mormonism, it is very strong on its own and difficult for Mormons to grasp.
The only way Mormons can see the truth is through prayer. I invite you all to pray fruitfully for the salvation of these people that they see the error of their ways. Jesus came to save the weak and the blind and as disciples of Jesus as Christians it is our job to pray and fight for the truth of the Bible and for the glory of God
“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
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