Category: Christianity
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Modalism in the Book of Mormon
Does the Book of Mormon teach a Trinitarian concept of God? Some have assumed so because certain verses taken separately do seem to use Trinitarian language. However, taken as a whole, the Book of Mormon lends itself more to a modalistic understanding of God rather than Trinitarian. Modalism is an old heresy that attempts to…
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Evangelicals’ Favorite Heresies
The November 2014 Christianity Today (CT) magazine described a poll of Evangelical Christians and their beliefs about essential teachings of Christianity. Topics include the nature of Jesus and the Holy Spirit as well as issues involving salvation. What do Evangelical Christians believe about these teachings? Could heresy be creeping into the church?
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Mormons Don’t Believe In the Trinity
In an October (2014) blog, Latter-day Saint Greg Trimble sought to explain “Why Mormons Don’t Believe In the Trinity.” As Mr. Trimble pointed out, it is imperative that we “know who and what God is,” for Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom…
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Who Is Your Proxy?
Mormons believe in doing baptisms for the dead for a number of reasons. Primary to these is the belief that people must be baptized in order to be saved. According to Mormonism, baptism was not an option to many of history’s populations; they were utterly unable to fulfill this requirement. In life they did not…
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Should the cross just be an afterthought?
How one viewed the historical events remembered over the past week makes all the difference in the world. Yesterday some families woke up and had the kids hunt for Easter eggs before putting the ham in the oven and driving to a local church for the semiannual visit. At the end of the day, everything…
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60+ Books That Ought To Be in Every Christian’s Library
Occasionally I am asked which books I recommend for the Christian who is interested in doing apologetics. Owning your faith is important, for sure, and certainly all serious apologetics ought to start with the Bible itself. However, with just a few dozen books as a foundation, every layperson can be “thoroughly equipped unto every good…
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Matthew 3:15-17: Are there three gods?
The nature of God is often debated by other religions and cults. Thus, when the issue of the Trinity comes up, many point to this verse as evidence that this is not a biblical teaching. After all, it is argued, there are three gods referenced here: the Father, whose voice comes out of heaven; the…
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Equal Pay for LDS Bishops!
A Latter-day Saint bishop typically has a full-time job. And then he is supposed to handle a congregation of some 500 members. Talk about impossible! But while the many bishops work very hard managing their flock by (among other things) managing the church services, applying church discipline, interviewing members for temple recommends, visiting the sick…
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Trinity (Defined)
Trinity. In Mormonism the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost make up the Godhead. They are “one God” only in the sense that they are united in the attributes of perfection.” LDS Apostle Bruce McConkie called the Christian view of the Trinity “the chief and greatest heresy of Christendom” (Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie ,…
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Paid Ministry (Defined)
Paid Ministry. The criticism Mormons have toward any local religious leader or pastor to receive a salary for their labors. According to Apostle Franklin Richards, “One of the important and distinguishing features of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that its affairs are administered by the lay members of the Church rather…
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Unpaid Mormon Leaders Get a Pretty Sweet Deal
Late last year (2012) a copy of the 2006 Mission President’s Handbook was posted on an individual’s blog site. This document, produced by the Mormon Church as a practical instruction manual for mission presidents, “contains basic policies and guidelines established by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to help you lead…
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Testimony of Artie Garner
I was “adopted” into the LDS faith. My biological mother was an unwed young woman at 16 years of age when I was born. She faced a very difficult decision to give me up for adoption, and decided to let me be adopted by her aunt and uncle… who were converts to the LDS faith.…
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What Does “Unpaid Ministry” Look Like? A Look at the Compensation of Mission Presidents
One of the criticisms many Mormons have about Evangelical Christian churches is their perception of a “paid” clergy. However, Bible and even the D&C are very specific that leaders, such as bishops, ought to be paid. However, an LDS Mission President’s Handbook was released on the Internet by a private individual. In this current handbook,…
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Testimony of Pam Miller
Pam Miller: A Princess of the KING! I am a seventh-generation Mormon. My ancestors go back to the days of Joseph Smith; one was his personal body guard. Many Latter-day Saints think that anyone that leaves the Church must have had a bad experience, or want to sin–otherwise why would anyone leave? I left when…
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Christianity (Defined)
Christianity. In biblical times, the church as described in the Bible. However, because of the Great Apostasy, Christianity in its full form can be found on the earth since the founding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sixth President Joseph F. Smith explained, “…for I contend that the Latter-day Saints are the only…
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The Trinity: Mormonism’s Rejection of God’s Highest Revelation
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) proclaims that they are a church that embraces ongoing or continual revelation. This primarily means that they view the canon of Scripture as not being closed. Christianity affirms that the canon of Scripture is closed in that God has given His Word that encompasses all…
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Do Mormons and Christians Share the Same Gospel?
LDS Professor James Faulconer recently posed and answered the question, “How Do Mormons Understand the Gospel?” After exploring a few ideas, he concluded, “Mormons differ from other Christians in significant ways, but there is little difference between us in our understanding of the gospel.” I won’t speak to how Mormons-in-the-pew “understand the gospel,” but regarding…
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Many Mormons Mistake the Trinity for Modalism
By Aaron Shafovaloff1. *Modalism* teaches that the Father and the Son are one God and one person. In this model, Jesus essentially prays to himself.2. *Tritheism* teaches that the Father and the Son (and Spirit) are three different Gods. In this model, Jesus prays to not only a different person, but a different God-being.3. *Trinitarianism*…
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What Happened to the Trinity in Mormonism?
I often wonder about certain teachings in the Mormon Church that sort of ‘fell by the wayside’ so to speak. One of those was the doctrine of the Trinity. Once, it seems, Mormons believed in the doctrine of the Trinity, which then changed to a Modalistic version of the Godhead until about the time that…
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Gospel Questions
This may seem like a silly question, but can anyone tell me what comprises “the Gospel” according to Mormonism? I ask because I recently came across a video on You Tube titled “Sharing the Gospel with Elder Hartman Rector Jr., A Missionary Tool.” In this video Mr. Rector, emeritus General Authority of the LDS Church,…
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