Mormons: An American Fairytale
The true religion should have laws and doctrines which do not change according to the times. Mormonism fails this test. There is nothing in Mormonism which could possibly entice any rational person to believe in its tenants. The Book of Mormon cannot be read by many, simply because it is too dull, complicated, and with no clear meaning.
It seems like everything happens in America - that's where aliens come and abduct humans, rock stars die only to reappear in shopping malls, and that's where the world began - or so the Mormons would have you believe.
You've seen them swarming around train stations, shopping centres and Hyde Park, wearing their white top and black pants, and preaching a religion known as the Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS), otherwise known as the Mormons. Although they are world's apart from the main Christian groups (they refute the Bible on grounds that it is corrupted, and say the Christians will go to Hell), they possess similar characteristics to Christians. Their Book of Mormon and ideology is littered with contradictions, their belief has conveniently changed according to the times, and they are attracting new adherents solely on the basis of emotion, or as they would put it, a "burning in the bosom."
The founder of the Mormons was Joseph Smith. He claimed that he had a series of revelation, beginning in 1823, in which he was visited by an angel Moroni. He was informed of some golden plates buried on a hill, which contained important writings. After finding the golden tablets and translating them (this became known as the Book of Mormon), these Golden Tablets were taken back to heaven.
The LDS suffered numerous persecutions and internal conflict. Many of its members split away to form their own religious group, and it wasn't until the LDS moved into the Great Salt Lake that they finally began to prosper.
Read : The Doctrine of Original Sin
A Prophet or Fraud?
There is nothing in Mormonism which could possibly entice any rational person to believein its tenants. The Book of Mormon cannot be read by many, simply because it is too dull, complicated, and with no clear meaning. Their ideology is racist, unbalanced and a clear forgery. The following should suffice any reader to believe the same.
An American Storytale
Joseph Smith taught that the Garden of Eden was in America, or Daviess county, Missouri to be precise. He also taught that Adam will come once again to visit this site, and that Noah built his ark nearby [Journal of Discourses 8:195].
In fact, every important event seemed to occur in America. That is where the so-called Lamanites and Nephites resided, where they waged wars for centuries, until only the Nephites survived. If this is all true however, there is absolutely no single shred of evidence to prove any of this did occur. Although extensive archeological work has been undertaken, there is nothing to prove the history the Mormons claim occurred. No Mormon cities, Book, person, place, nation, artifacts or inscriptions have been discovered. For a history which claimed to have supported numerous nations, fought numerous wars, and lived a civilised lifestyle, this is extremely peculiar.
It all leads us to logically surmise that the Book of Mormons was the invention of Joseph Smith, not a revelation from God. That is why we find references that the Nephites had a brass ball with two spindles to direct their sailing - a 19th Century invention, not a 1st Century one. Or that the Nephites produced wheat and barley (crops common at the time of Joseph Smith), rather than the maize and potato of native Americans.
The confusion gets worse when we look into the religious texts of the Mormons. For example, in an account of the First Vision which was recorded in Joseph Smith's "1835-36 Diary", he claims that he saw "many angels" in the vision. Yet, neither the official account nor the version written in 1832 mentions that angels were present. Joseph Smith's mother reported that Joseph saw one angel, while later on, the word angels was completely left out "..I received my first vision..." [History of the Church, vol. 2 p 312].
Religion of Convenience
The true religion should have laws and doctrines which do not change according to the times. Mormonism fails this test. The practice of adoption was repudiated by President Woodruff in 1894, even though past Mormon presidents, like President Bringham Young (the second 'prophet' of the Church), called the law of adoption as "a great and glorious doctrine."
Polygamy was also a firm tenant of Mormonism. John Taylor, who became the third 'prophet' of the Mormon church, once declared "we are firm, conscientious believers in polygamy... it is part and parcel of our religious creed" [Life of John Taylor, p 255]. Bringham Young also stated that "if any of you will deny the plurality of wives and continue to do so, I promise you will be damned.." [Deseret News, Nov. 14, 1855]. The Mormons however succumbed to civil law and gave up this practice in October 1890. This is the same religion which Dr. Hugh Nibley boasted that "of all churches in the worlds, only this one (Mormon church) has not found it necessary to readjust any part of its doctrine in the last hundred years."
Anti-Black Doctrine
Prior to 1978, the Mormon leaders taught that blacks were cursed by God and inferior to whites. Black skin is supposed to be a sign of God's displeasure. Joseph Smith taught that a group of Jewish people came to the New Worlds in about 600B.C. The good people were the Nephites, and were white-skinned, and the evil ones the Laminites (or today's American Indians). He taught that "Negroes" are the "sons of Cain" [History of the Church, vol.4 p.501], and that "as a result of his rebellion, Cain was cursed with a dark skin; he became the father of Negroes.." [Mormon Doctrine, 1958, p 102].
As such, a black or dark-skinned Mormon could not hold the priesthood, participate in the sacred temple ceremonies, or live in God's presence. The 'Apostle' Mark E Petersen banned inter-marriage and enforced segregation. Bringham Young went to the extent to say that intermarriage would result in death on the spot as a penalty, and that "this will always be so" [Journal of Discourses, vol.10, p.110].
It wasn't until the pressure mounted in the 1960's and 70's, that on June 9, 1978 the 'prophet' Spencer W Kimball received a 'revelation' from God that Blacks could enter the priesthood, intermarry and receive the same religious privileges as other members. How anyone could follow a religion which sternly degraded the rights of Blacks, and furthermore to compromise on its very teachings a century later, even though its own doctrine allows no lee way with regards to blacks, is amazing. In fact, revelation seems to come down every time the Church is in need of revamping. The passage from the Mormon scripture (quoted by Mormons as being the "most correct book on earth") which once read "their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and a delightsome people" was changed in 1981 so that "white" became "pure".
The Mormons also hold the following incredulous beliefs:
1. There are still prophets (American, of course) till this day, joining the LDS. All Mormon stalkers carry a photo of the latest 10 or so apostles. Next time you meet one, ask them if you can see them. You'll find out that they look nothing like prophets. They live in luxury, wear clean new suits and ties, and are blindly given money by their followers
2. God was once a man who walked and lived upon the Earth, who died and then became God. Bringham Young declared: "He (God) is our Father - the Father of our spirits, and was once a man in mortal flesh as we are, and is now an exalted being... there was never a time when there were no Gods" [Journal of Discour, vol. 7, p 333]. Following from this, Mormons believe that it is possible to become a god.
3. It is forbidden to drink anything hot [Doctrine and Covenants, section 89, no. 9].
The next time you come across a Mormon, throw these questions at them. It's sure to get them into a corner:
1. If the Book of Mormon is true, why do Indians fail to turn white when they become Mormons? [2 Nephi 30:6, prior to the 1981 revision].
2. If the Book of Mormon is true, then why has the Mormon church changed it? Examples are: 1 Nephi 11:21; 19:20; 20:1 and Alma 29:4. Compare these with the original Book of Mormon (there have been around 3913 changes to the book so far).
3. How did Joseph Smith carry home the golden plates of the Book of Mormon, and how did the witnesses lift them so easily? (They weighed about 230 lbs. Gold, with a density of 19.3 weighs 1204.7 lbs. per cubic foot. The plates were 7" x 8" by about 6". See Articles of Faith, by Talmage, page 262, 34th ed.]
4. If Moroni devoutly practiced the Mormon Gospel, why is he an angel now rather than a God? [Doctrines. & Covenants 132:17,37]
5. Why do Mormons emphasize part of the Word of Wisdom and ignore the part forbidding the eating of meat except in winter, cold or famine? [Doc. & Cov. 89:12,13].
6. Joseph Smith said that there are men living on the moon who dress like Quakers and live to be nearly 1000 years old. Since he was wrong about the moon, is it safe to trust him regarding the way to Heaven? [The Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 3, pages 263-264].
7. If Jesus was conceived as a result of a physical union between God and Mary, how was Jesus born of a virgin? [Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, page 50].
You've seen them swarming around train stations, shopping centres and Hyde Park, wearing their white top and black pants, and preaching a religion known as the Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS), otherwise known as the Mormons. Although they are world's apart from the main Christian groups (they refute the Bible on grounds that it is corrupted, and say the Christians will go to Hell), they possess similar characteristics to Christians. Their Book of Mormon and ideology is littered with contradictions, their belief has conveniently changed according to the times, and they are attracting new adherents solely on the basis of emotion, or as they would put it, a "burning in the bosom."
The founder of the Mormons was Joseph Smith. He claimed that he had a series of revelation, beginning in 1823, in which he was visited by an angel Moroni. He was informed of some golden plates buried on a hill, which contained important writings. After finding the golden tablets and translating them (this became known as the Book of Mormon), these Golden Tablets were taken back to heaven.
The LDS suffered numerous persecutions and internal conflict. Many of its members split away to form their own religious group, and it wasn't until the LDS moved into the Great Salt Lake that they finally began to prosper.
Read : The Doctrine of Original Sin
A Prophet or Fraud?
There is nothing in Mormonism which could possibly entice any rational person to believein its tenants. The Book of Mormon cannot be read by many, simply because it is too dull, complicated, and with no clear meaning. Their ideology is racist, unbalanced and a clear forgery. The following should suffice any reader to believe the same.
An American Storytale
Joseph Smith taught that the Garden of Eden was in America, or Daviess county, Missouri to be precise. He also taught that Adam will come once again to visit this site, and that Noah built his ark nearby [Journal of Discourses 8:195].
In fact, every important event seemed to occur in America. That is where the so-called Lamanites and Nephites resided, where they waged wars for centuries, until only the Nephites survived. If this is all true however, there is absolutely no single shred of evidence to prove any of this did occur. Although extensive archeological work has been undertaken, there is nothing to prove the history the Mormons claim occurred. No Mormon cities, Book, person, place, nation, artifacts or inscriptions have been discovered. For a history which claimed to have supported numerous nations, fought numerous wars, and lived a civilised lifestyle, this is extremely peculiar.
It all leads us to logically surmise that the Book of Mormons was the invention of Joseph Smith, not a revelation from God. That is why we find references that the Nephites had a brass ball with two spindles to direct their sailing - a 19th Century invention, not a 1st Century one. Or that the Nephites produced wheat and barley (crops common at the time of Joseph Smith), rather than the maize and potato of native Americans.
The confusion gets worse when we look into the religious texts of the Mormons. For example, in an account of the First Vision which was recorded in Joseph Smith's "1835-36 Diary", he claims that he saw "many angels" in the vision. Yet, neither the official account nor the version written in 1832 mentions that angels were present. Joseph Smith's mother reported that Joseph saw one angel, while later on, the word angels was completely left out "..I received my first vision..." [History of the Church, vol. 2 p 312].
Religion of Convenience
The true religion should have laws and doctrines which do not change according to the times. Mormonism fails this test. The practice of adoption was repudiated by President Woodruff in 1894, even though past Mormon presidents, like President Bringham Young (the second 'prophet' of the Church), called the law of adoption as "a great and glorious doctrine."
Polygamy was also a firm tenant of Mormonism. John Taylor, who became the third 'prophet' of the Mormon church, once declared "we are firm, conscientious believers in polygamy... it is part and parcel of our religious creed" [Life of John Taylor, p 255]. Bringham Young also stated that "if any of you will deny the plurality of wives and continue to do so, I promise you will be damned.." [Deseret News, Nov. 14, 1855]. The Mormons however succumbed to civil law and gave up this practice in October 1890. This is the same religion which Dr. Hugh Nibley boasted that "of all churches in the worlds, only this one (Mormon church) has not found it necessary to readjust any part of its doctrine in the last hundred years."
Anti-Black Doctrine
Prior to 1978, the Mormon leaders taught that blacks were cursed by God and inferior to whites. Black skin is supposed to be a sign of God's displeasure. Joseph Smith taught that a group of Jewish people came to the New Worlds in about 600B.C. The good people were the Nephites, and were white-skinned, and the evil ones the Laminites (or today's American Indians). He taught that "Negroes" are the "sons of Cain" [History of the Church, vol.4 p.501], and that "as a result of his rebellion, Cain was cursed with a dark skin; he became the father of Negroes.." [Mormon Doctrine, 1958, p 102].
As such, a black or dark-skinned Mormon could not hold the priesthood, participate in the sacred temple ceremonies, or live in God's presence. The 'Apostle' Mark E Petersen banned inter-marriage and enforced segregation. Bringham Young went to the extent to say that intermarriage would result in death on the spot as a penalty, and that "this will always be so" [Journal of Discourses, vol.10, p.110].
It wasn't until the pressure mounted in the 1960's and 70's, that on June 9, 1978 the 'prophet' Spencer W Kimball received a 'revelation' from God that Blacks could enter the priesthood, intermarry and receive the same religious privileges as other members. How anyone could follow a religion which sternly degraded the rights of Blacks, and furthermore to compromise on its very teachings a century later, even though its own doctrine allows no lee way with regards to blacks, is amazing. In fact, revelation seems to come down every time the Church is in need of revamping. The passage from the Mormon scripture (quoted by Mormons as being the "most correct book on earth") which once read "their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and a delightsome people" was changed in 1981 so that "white" became "pure".
The Mormons also hold the following incredulous beliefs:
1. There are still prophets (American, of course) till this day, joining the LDS. All Mormon stalkers carry a photo of the latest 10 or so apostles. Next time you meet one, ask them if you can see them. You'll find out that they look nothing like prophets. They live in luxury, wear clean new suits and ties, and are blindly given money by their followers
2. God was once a man who walked and lived upon the Earth, who died and then became God. Bringham Young declared: "He (God) is our Father - the Father of our spirits, and was once a man in mortal flesh as we are, and is now an exalted being... there was never a time when there were no Gods" [Journal of Discour, vol. 7, p 333]. Following from this, Mormons believe that it is possible to become a god.
3. It is forbidden to drink anything hot [Doctrine and Covenants, section 89, no. 9].
The next time you come across a Mormon, throw these questions at them. It's sure to get them into a corner:
1. If the Book of Mormon is true, why do Indians fail to turn white when they become Mormons? [2 Nephi 30:6, prior to the 1981 revision].
2. If the Book of Mormon is true, then why has the Mormon church changed it? Examples are: 1 Nephi 11:21; 19:20; 20:1 and Alma 29:4. Compare these with the original Book of Mormon (there have been around 3913 changes to the book so far).
3. How did Joseph Smith carry home the golden plates of the Book of Mormon, and how did the witnesses lift them so easily? (They weighed about 230 lbs. Gold, with a density of 19.3 weighs 1204.7 lbs. per cubic foot. The plates were 7" x 8" by about 6". See Articles of Faith, by Talmage, page 262, 34th ed.]
4. If Moroni devoutly practiced the Mormon Gospel, why is he an angel now rather than a God? [Doctrines. & Covenants 132:17,37]
5. Why do Mormons emphasize part of the Word of Wisdom and ignore the part forbidding the eating of meat except in winter, cold or famine? [Doc. & Cov. 89:12,13].
6. Joseph Smith said that there are men living on the moon who dress like Quakers and live to be nearly 1000 years old. Since he was wrong about the moon, is it safe to trust him regarding the way to Heaven? [The Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 3, pages 263-264].
7. If Jesus was conceived as a result of a physical union between God and Mary, how was Jesus born of a virgin? [Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, page 50].
By Br. Khalid Saifullah & Hamza Qassem
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