Today, August 18^th (8/18), is “We Agree with Moroni 8:18” Day. Every year since 2011 “We Agree with Moroni 8:18” Day has been promoted by Christians on social media as a day of focused outreach to Mormons using (you guessed it) Moroni 8:18 from the Book of Mormon:

“God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity.”

This passage from the Book of Mormon has a biblical parallel:

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2)

Therefore, Christians agree with this idea expressed in the Book of Mormon. The one true God has always been God – from all eternity to all eternity; from everlasting to everlasting.
But modern day Mormonism does not agree with Moroni 8:18 or Psalm 90:2. While professing to believe both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, Mormonism actually espouses something quite different about God.
In 1830 Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of Mormonism, published the Moroni 8:18 declaration that God was “unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity,” claiming to have received this information by revelation from God Himself. Fourteen years later this same prophet told his congregation,

“I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity, I will refute that idea, and will take away and do away the vail, so that you may see.” (King Follet Discourse, April 7, 1844)

In 1830 Joseph Smith (via the Book of Mormon) taught that God was an unchangeable being, unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity. Then in 1844 he refuted that idea, teaching instead that God was not always God, but had to become God. The prophet went on to explain,

“These are incomprehensible ideas to some; but they are simple. It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the character of God and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did; …
“Here, then, is eternal life–to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, – namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one, – from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power.”

Joseph Smith refuted Moroni 8:18. In other words, he sought to prove that the “unchangeable” God that Mormons believed in, the God who was “God from all eternity,” was in fact not “unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity.” And by insisting that this post-Book of Mormon doctrine of God was true, he disproved (refuted) the Book of Mormon itself.
Christians strongly disagree with Mormonism and view it as a non-Christian religion, yet we agree with Moroni 8:18 insofar as it agrees with the Bible. But Mormonism, the religion that professes the Book of Mormon as scripture, disregards this verse and promotes a different god.
The Bible says,

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

Knowing the only true God is crucial. If Mormons hope for a blessed eternal life, they must know the only true God. They must embrace the truth of the unchangeable, eternal God taught in Moroni 8:18 and Psalm 90:2.
Today, August 18^th (8/18), please join us in agreeing with Moroni 8:18 and Psalm 90:2.
May you know the only true God – the God who was and is and is to come (Revelation 4:8).

I have both Mormon and JW family members and have studied apologetics in that area for decades now. I appreciate that you try to reach them with the gospel and that you understand the JW’s are more likely to have a chip on their shoulder. I would say that with JW’s you must change your strategy. Trying to prove the trinity or divinity of Christ is a dead-end with the JW’s and it is the area they train for. Worst is that it doesn’t really get you to the gospel. Go for an area where they are less prepared and is essential to the gospel. They deny the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Push them to tell you their position that Jesus’ body was dissolved into gases and God recreated the archangel Michael again from His memories. Then get them to read through John 2:18-22. This outright contradicts their beliefs. Then go to the gospel definition in 1 Corinthians 15 and go through that slowly with lots of questions. Their rejection of Jesus’ resurrection is a rejection of a key and essential part of the gospel. Your time will be much more well spent there.

*****

Speaking as a former Mormon, I can tell you that it can be very difficult to get through the hard veneer of Mormon doctrine - especially since most of these young men have grown up in the Mormon faith and have been indoctrinated since birth with the false gospel of Mormonism. I’m sure you know that they do not hold a view of the Bible as inerrant and that their founder Joseph Smith re-translated many verses of the Bible to fit the doctrine they teach. They hold the Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants in much higher esteem and authority than the true Word of God and, for this reason, it can be difficult to point them to errors in their doctrine using the Bible alone. This is why praying for the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to them is so key. Also, it is important to know that terms we use and take for granted have very different meanings in the world of Mormonism (such as Jesus, salvation, & hell) so you can’t assume that you are all on the same page just because you are using the same terms.

When they arrive on Saturday, you can expect them to be prepared to present to you an overview of the gospel as they understand it. They have been trained to basically ignore any objections and deflect any questions you might have. It is an excellent move to request that they listen to what you have to say in exchange for listening to their message but don’t expect too much. As I said, these are young men who have been heavily indoctrinated, have never seriously investigated the claims of their church, and rely heavily on well-practiced, canned presentations to make their point. Any veering off-script tends to be met with a deer-in-the-headlights look and an exhortation to read a highlighted passage in the Book of Mormon they will leave with you and to be on the watch for a “burning in your bosom” that will testify of the “truth” they are sharing. I pray, Tim, that the Holy Spirit will give you wisdom, discernment, and the right words to say that will at least get them questioning their beliefs and set them on a journey of discovery that will set them free from the falsehoods and imprisonment they are living under.****

Appreciated your recent article on Mormonism and agree with what you say. One thought, though: I have shared the gospel with Mormons, and they will agree with everything I say. This is because of the language barrier. Every important word has been redefined by the LDS church such that you must slowly define every term carefully or else what you’re saying and what they’re hearing are two different things. I try to be intentional about defining my terms so that they will know that terms like “God”, “Jesus”, and “grace” mean something different than what the LDS church has taught them. Blessings to you.

Pastor and the LORD's prayer

Let me tell you a personal experience story here, and then I'll get back to the review (if you actually want to know more than just it being a "turd"). In May, I participated in a National Day of Prayer event with about a dozen other pastors in my community. Each one of us was designated to pray before the congregation over a particular subject or issue. (Mine was for the media. I was appointed that because of my background in radio. I posted my prayer here.)

Before taking the stage, we realized that a pastor had not yet been appointed to close with the Lord's Prayer. One pastor was approached, and he declined: "No, I don't have it memorized," he said. He straight-up admitted that like it was no big thing. Another pastor was asked. Same thing. "I don't do anything without a script," he said. Um, open your Bible then? Another pastor said, "There's just so many versions of it -- you know, trespasses, debts and debtors -- I'd rather not."

Pastors. Who either couldn't or wouldn't recite the Lord's prayer. And that was funny to them. They stood in their circle and laughed about not having it memorized.

God, help us.

So no, the average three-Bible carrying church-goer is not automatically going to understand the difference between Exodus and Exodus. Not when Christian leaders are calling the Bible movies of atheist filmmakers "Brilliant." Take my word for it though and avoid this film. Do not wast your money. (Fortunately, I didn't waste mine, either. I'll share how that worked out at the end.)

  

“Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.” The terms of grace and peace are common terms with Paul and are now pretty well understood. But since we are explaining this epistle, you will not mind if we repeat what we have so often explained elsewhere. The article of justification must be sounded in our ears incessantly because the frailty of our flesh will not permit us to take hold of it perfectly and to believe it with all our heart. The greeting of the Apostle is refreshing. Grace remits sin, and peace quiets the conscience. Sin and conscience torment us, but Christ has overcome these fiends now and forever. Only Christians possess this victorious knowledge given from above. These two terms, grace and peace, constitute Christianity. Grace involves the remission of sins, and peace involves a happy conscience. Sin is not canceled by lawful living, for no person is able to live up to the Law. The Law reveals guilt, fills the conscience with terror, and drives men to despair. Much less is sin taken away by man-invented endeavors. The fact is, the more a person seeks credit for himself by his own efforts, the deeper he goes into debt. Nothing can take away sin except the grace of God. In actual living, however, it is not so easy to persuade oneself that by grace alone, in opposition to every other means, we obtain the forgiveness of our sins and peace with God. The world brands this a pernicious doctrine. The world advances free will, the rational and natural approach of good works, as the means of obtaining the forgiveness of sin. But it is impossible to gain peace of conscience by the methods and means of the world. Experience proves this. Various holy orders have been launched for the purpose of securing peace of conscience through religious exercises, but they proved failures because such devices only increase doubt and despair. We find no rest for our weary bones unless we cling to the word of grace.

When we look at Mormon teachings in comparison to the teachings of Christianity, we find that Mormonism truly is the religion of NO! Christianity states truths about the teachings of the Bible, and Mormonism says NO! In my book When Salt Lake City Calls, I compare Mormonism to the Eight Essential Fundamentals of Christianity, let’s begin looking at the Religion of NO there and then look at some of the other teachings of NO in Mormonism.

The Religion of NO, and the Eight Essential Fundamentals of Christianity
On page 49 of When Salt Lake City Calls, I list the The Eight Essential Fundamentals of Christianity:

The Deity of Christ
The Trinity
Bodily Resurrection
Salvation by Grace
Sufficiency of Scripture
Universality of Sin
The Atonement
The Virgin Birth
Mormonism says NO to all of these fundamental teachings of Christianity.
The Deity of Christ

1. CHRISTIANITY: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, an the Word was God.” (John 1:1) “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
MORMONISM: “Jesus is man’s spiritual brother. We dwelt with Him in the spirit world as members of that large society of eternal intelligences, which included our Heavenly Parents and all the personages who have become mortal beings upon this earth or who ever shall come here to dwell. In that spirit-creation, when we became children of God, Jesus was the “first born,” and so He is our eldest brother.” (The Gospel Through the Ages, pg 21.)
So, the Religion of NO says Jesus isn’t God, he’s our elder brother. Really?

The Trinity
2. CHRISTIANITY: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name [singular] of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”. [bracketed word added] (Matthew 28:19)
MORMONISM: “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22)
So, the Religion of NO says the Trinity can’t be true because God isn’t Spirit, God has a body, and the Holy Spirit is a “personage of Spirit.” Seriously?

Bodily Resurrection
3. CHRISTIANITY: “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40)
MORMONISM: “Contrary to the views found in the uninspired teachings and creeds of modern Christendom, there are in eternity kingdoms in glory to which all resurrected persons (except the sons of perdition) will eventually go. These are named: celestial, terrestial, and telestial—the glory of each being beyond comprehension.” (Mormon Doctrine, pg 420).
So, the Religion of NO says the view of the resurrection as taught by Christianity, as found in the Bible, is uninspired and they must add a man-made, non-Biblical definition to it. They’re joking right? Sadly, they’re not.

Salvation by Grace
4. CHRISTIANITY: “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.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
MORMONISM: “One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation.” (Mormon Prophet Spencer W. Kimball in The Miracle of Forgiveness, pg 206)
So, the Religion of NO says that “Salvation by Grace” is a fallacious doctrine from Satan.” Ridiculous!

Sufficiency of Scripture
5. CHRISTIANITY: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)
MORMONISM: “Who, in his right mind, could, for one moment, suppose the Bible in its present form to be a perfect guide? Who knows that even one verse of the Bible has escaped pollution?” (Mormon Apostle Orson Pratt in Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon. From a series of pamphlets. Liverpool, England: np., 1851)
So, the Religion of NO says that the Bible cannot be trusted; in fact, no one knows that even a single verse has been transmitted to us in our day without being polluted. Jesus says His words shall not pass away; the Religion of NO says they did. They can’t possibly believe this – oh, but they do!



Universality of Sin
6. CHRISTIANITY: “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” (Ephesians 2:3)
MORMONISM: “Some may regret that our first parents sinned. This is nonsense. IF we had been there, and they had not sinned, we should have sinned. I will not blame Adam or Eve, why? Because it was necessary that sin should enter the world; no man could ever understand the principle of exaltation without its opposite; no one could ever receive an exaltation without being acquainted with its opposite. How did Adam and Eve sin? Did they come out in direct opposition to God and His government? No. Dut they transgressed a command of the Lord, and through that transgression sin came into the world. The Lord knew they would do this, and He designed that they should.” (Brigham Young in Journal of Discourses, Vol 10, pg 312.)
So, the Religion of NO, says that the sin in the Garden of Eden was not “in direct opposition to God and to His government;” NO – “it was necessary that sin should enter the world.” The Religion of NO says it was God’s plan for Adam and Eve to sin. In fact in this quote, Brigham Young says one cannot be exalted without knowing sin; so, Jesus was a sinner? Only in the Religion of NO! Blasphemous!

The Atonement
7. CHRISTIANITY: “But if we walk in the light, as his is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
MORMONISM: “Joseph Smith taught that there were certain sins so grievous that man may commit, that they will place the transgressors beyond the power of the atonement of Christ. If these offenses are committed, then the blood of Christ will not cleanse them from their sins even though they repent. Therefore, their only hope is to have their own blood shed to atone, as far as possible, in their behalf. This is scriptural doctrine, and is taught in all the standard works of the Church.” (italics in the original, 10th Mormon Prophet, Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, Vol 1, pg 135)
So, the Religion of NO, says that the Blood of Jesus Christ does not cover all sin – in fact, the Religion of NO, says that the blood of the sinner has more cleansing power than the blood of the unblemished Lamb of God! Double Blasphemy!!

The Virgin Birth
8. CHRISTIANITY: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 1:18)
MORMONISM: “I have given you a few leading items upon this subject, but a great deal more remains to be told. Now remember from this time forth, and for ever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost.” (Brigham Young in Journal of Discourses, Vol 1, pg 51) “These name-titles all signify that our Lord is the only Son of the Father in flesh. Each of the words is to be understood literally. Only means only; Begotten means begotten; and Son means son. Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers.” (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 546-547)
So, the Religion of NO, says that God being an exalted man with a body of flesh and bones fathered Jesus’ body the same way as all mortal men are fathered. The ultimate blasphemy!!


Other Statements of NO from Mormonism
Mormonism so strays from the teachings of the Bible that many unique teachings of Mormonism will be presented here, adding to the comparison between Mormonism and the Eight Essential Fundamentals of Christianity.

Jesus Died on the Cross for Our Sins
9. CHRISTIANITY: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” (Col 2:14). “Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye where healed.” (1 Pet 2:24)
MORMONISM: On page fourteen of his book, “Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson,” the Thirteenth Prophet of the LDS Church stated it was in the Garden of Gethsemane that Christ “suffered as only God would suffer, bearing our griefs, carrying our sorrows, being wounded for our transgressions, voluntarily submitting Himself to the iniquity of us all, just as Isaiah prophesied.” He further states on the next page: “It was in Gethsemane that Jesus took on Himself the sins of the world, in Gethsemane that his pain was equivalent to the cumulative burden of all men, in Gethsemane that He descended below all things so that all could repent and come to Him” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pg 15).

So, the Religion of NO says NO to the Cross and moves the Atonement to the Garden of Gethsemane.

There is only one God
10. CHRISTIANITY: 4. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (Deut 6:4)
MORMONISM: “I will preach on the plurality of Gods. I have selected this text for that purpose. I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 370)
So, the Religion of NO says that there isn’t one God, rather there are a plurality of Gods. The pagans of the world teach the same thing. Birds of a feather, flock together.

Creation Ex-Nihilo
11. CHRISTIANITY: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Heb 11:3
MORMONISM: “You ask the learned doctors why they say the world was made out of nothing; and they will answer, ‘Doesn’t the Bible say He created the world?’ And they infer, from the word create, that it must have been made out of nothing. Now, the word baurau, which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize; the same as a man would organize materials and build a ship. Hence we infer that God had materials to organize the world out of chaos—chaotic matter, which is element, and in which dwells all the glory. Element had an existence from the time he had. The pure principles of element are principles which can never be destroyed; they may be organized and reorganized, but not destroyed. They have no beginning, and can have no end.” (The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 350-352)
So, the Religion of NO says that God did not create the heavens and the earth from nothing. Instead Mormonism teaches that elements always existed and God only had the power to organize that which was already there. In Mormonism God is not all powerful!

by Rocky Hulse
© Copyright 2002, Mormon Missions Midwest Outreach—Permission is granted to reproduce, provided content is not changed and this copyright notice is included.

Some of Rome's rejections of Scriptural truth are more clear than others. One particularly clear set of examples comes from the dogmatic Constitution, "Unigenitus,"dated Sept. 8, 1713, and authorized by Clement XI. I've previously posted a full list of the 101 "errors" condemned

There many alleged errors identified. I've taken the liberty to highlight a few of them. Remember, these are what the Roman church has officially proclaimed to be errors.

Scripture

79. It is useful and necessary at all times, in all places, and for every kind of person, to study and to know the spirit, the piety, and the mysteries of Sacred Scripture.
80. The reading of Sacred Scripture is for all.
81. The sacred obscurity of the Word of God is no reason for the laity to dispense themselves from reading it.
82. The Lord's Day ought to be sanctified by Christians with readings of pious works and above all of the Holy Scriptures. It is harmful for a Christian to wish to withdraw from this reading.
83. It is an illusion to persuade oneself that knowledge of the mysteries of religion should not be communicated to women by the reading of Sacred Scriptures. Not from the simplicity of women, but from the proud knowledge of men has arisen the abuse of the Scriptures, and have heresies been born.
84. To snatch away from the hands of Christians the New Testament, or to hold it closed against them by taking away from them the means of understanding it, is to close for them the mouth of Christ.
85. To forbid Christians to read Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is to forbid the use of light to the sons of light, and to cause them to suffer a kind of excommunication.
The Power of God in Salvation

30. All whom God wishes to save through Christ, are infallibly saved.
31. The desires of Christ always have their effect; He brings peace to the depth of hearts when He desires it for them.
Particular Redemption

32. Jesus Christ surrendered Himself to death to free forever from the hand of the exterminating angel, by His blood, the first born, that is, the elect.
Justification by Faith that Works through Love

51. Faith justifies when it operates, but it does not operate except through charity.
Faith as the Gift of God

69. Faith, practice of it, increase, and reward of faith, all are a gift of the pure liberality of God.
The Church

72. A mark of the Christian Church is that it is catholic, embracing all the angels of heaven, all the elect and the just on earth, and of all times.
73. What is the Church except an assembly of the sons of God abiding in His bosom, adopted in Christ, subsisting in His person, redeemed by His blood, living in His spirit, acting through His grace, and awaiting the grace of the future life?
74. The Church or the whole Christ has the Incarnate Word as head, but all the saints as members.
75. The Church is one single man composed of many members, of which Christ is the head, the life, the subsistence and the person; it is one single Christ composed of many saints, of whom He is the sanctifier.
Total Depravity

38. Without the grace of the Liberator, the sinner is not free except to do evil.
39. The will, which grace does not anticipate, has no light except for straying, no eagerness except to put itself in danger, no strength except to wound itself, and is capable of all evil and incapable of all good.
40. Without grace we can love nothing except to our own condemnation.
41. All knowledge of God, even natural knowledge, even in the pagan philosophers, cannot come except from God; and without grace knowledge produces nothing but presumption, vanity, and opposition to God Himself, instead of the affections of adoration, gratitude, and love.
42. The grace of Christ alone renders a man fit for the sacrifice of faith; without this there is nothing but impurity, nothing but unworthiness.
48. What else can we be except darkness, except aberration, and except sin, without the light of faith, without Christ, and without charity?
The Absolute Necessity of Grace

1. What else remains for the soul that has lost God and His grace except sin and the consequences of sin, a proud poverty and a slothful indigence, that is, a general impotence for labor, for prayer, and for every good work?
2. The grace of Jesus Christ, which is the efficacious principle of every kind of good, is necessary for every good work; without it, not only is nothing done, but nothing can be done.
5. When God does not soften a heart by the interior unction of His grace, exterior exhortations and graces are of no service except to harden it the more.
9. The grace of Christ is a supreme grace, without which we can never confess Christ, and with which we never deny Him.
The Irresistibility of Grace

10. Grace is the working of the omnipotent hand of God, which nothing can hinder or retard.
11. Grace is nothing else than the omnipotent Will of God, ordering and doing what He orders.
12. When God wishes to save a soul, at whatever time and at whatever place, the undoubted effect follows the Will of God.
13. When God wishes to save a soul and touches it with the interior hand of His grace, no human will resists Him.
14. Howsoever remote from salvation an obstinate sinner is, when Jesus presents Himself to be seen by him in the salutary light of His grace, the sinner is forced to surrender himself, to have recourse to Him, and to humble himself, and to adore his Savior.
15. When God accompanies His commandment and His eternal exhortation by the unction of His Spirit and by the interior force of His grace, He works that obedience in the heart that He is seeking.
16. There are no attractions which do not yield to the attractions of grace, because nothing resists the Almighty.
17. Grace is that voice of the Father which teaches men interiorly and makes them come to Jesus Christ; whoever does not come to Him, after he has heard the exterior voice of the Son, is in no wise taught by the Father.
Unjust Excommunication

91. The fear of an unjust excommunication should never hinder us from fulfilling our duty; never are we separated from the Church, even when by the wickedness of men we seem to be expelled from it, as long as we are attached to God, to Jesus Christ, and to the Church herself by charity.
92. To suffer in peace an excommunication and an unjust anathema rather than betray truth, is to imitate St. Paul; far be it from rebelling against authority or of destroying unity.
Yes, folks, those are things that Rome has officially taught are errors - yet many of these teachings are the truth, as I think will be obvious to most of those reading.

- TurretinFan