Understanding and Answering Mormons Larry King Interviews Mormon leaders — such as President Hinckley Steve Young Donny Osmond / Marie Osmond

Roseanne Barr Gladys Knight Glenn Beck

Harry Reid Mitt Romney Current Statistics on the Mormons

• Membership over 14 Million

• Take in $4.7 billion per year

• Investment portfolio — $1 billion.

• Land holdings - all 50 states.

• $550 million / year - missionary efforts.

• Today, 60,000 full time, converting 300,000 per year.

In The Beginning

• was born in 1805

• In 1820 he supposedly prayed for wisdom for which church to join

• Was answered in a vision – LDS position is: God & Son visited him (14 yrs old)

• The Son told him that all churches were wrong, corrupt, an abomination

• Joseph told nine conflicting accounts “diaries & journals of Joseph Smith”

In The Beginning

September 21, 1823 Moroni , a messenger from God, told him of a book written on . (Smith 17 yrs old)

• The book gave an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and it contained the gospel.

In The Beginning

• In 1823 Moroni directed him to a hill (Cumora) near Palmyra New York where he saw the stone box that the plates were buried in. He was directed there once a year for four years.

• In 1827 Moroni allowed him to retrieve the plates that were written in . (Smith now 21)

• Put the plates in pillow case and carried them home

• He supposedly receives the golden plates 7 yrs after the vision (1820), and 4 yrs after the 1st Moroni visit (1823) Hill Cumora

Translating the Book

• Smith used a seer stone to translate the book. It was a small stone placed in the bottom of the hat.

• He didn’t even use the plates to do the translation , but rather a magical stone

• He claimed to see a character from the plates with an English translation

• He would tell it to Cowdery the scribe who would record it.

In The Beginning

• After the translation, the golden plates were removed by Moroni and are unavailable for inspection. (no pictures)

• May 1829 (2 yrs later) John the Baptist appeared to Smith & Cowdery and conferred the Aaronic priesthood upon them.

• Later (1829) Peter, James and John appeared to them and conferred the Melchizedek priesthood upon them.

In The Beginning

• The was published in March 1830

• April 6, 1830 Joseph Smith and five others organized the “One True Church” in Fayette, New York.

• Joseph was called to be a seer, translator, a prophet, and an apostle.

Summary to point

• 1820 - 14 yrs old – In a Vision, God told him that all the churches were corrupt, abomination - He told nine different conflicting accounts of this story, vision - Said he saw God, yet in D&C 84:21,22 says you can’t W/O priesthood - said that only an angel appeared to Smith (one of these prophets is wrong)

• 1823 - 17 yrs old - Moroni showed him where golden plates were buried

• 1826 - Arrested for using seer (peep) stone to deceive Josiah Stolle looking for treasure

• 1827 - 21 yrs old - Moroni allowed him to retrieve and take the plates

• 1827 - Translation of plates – but did not use the plates. - Used magical stone (seer) stone that he had used before to look for treasure. Then the plates disappeared.

• 1829 - Aaronic priesthood conveyed on them by John the Baptist

• 1829 – Melchizedek priesthood conveyed on them by Peter, James & John

• 1830 – Church was founded and the Book of Mormon published

Summary Continued

• Joseph Smith, admitted to using a peep stone to find buried treasure and other lost items.

• He confessed that he sometimes pretended to see treasure while looking at his stone. (1826 arrest) This after he supposedly met Jesus & the father

• He was known and sought after as a money-digger/glass-looker.

• It was in this context that Joseph Smith announced he had found ancient plates of gold buried in the earth which contained the very words of God.

• Only Smith saw the golden plates – When pressed, the others said they only saw the plates through the eyes of faith

• He did it again! – 1835 - Kinderhook plates translation fraud

Troubles Necessitated Constant Traveling • Trouble followed them wherever they went • Fayette , New York - 1830 • Kirtland, Ohio - 1831 • Independence, MO - 1833 • Nauvoo, Illinois - 1838 • Trouble escalated – Dissident Mormons published grievances against Smith in the Nauvoo Expositor – Church finances – Polygamy

Trouble Continued

• Smith’s team retaliated

– Destroyed printing press

– Smith jailed!

• Mob formed

– Stormed jail

– Smith was shot and killed. June 1844 – 14 years after the church was founded Brigham Young Takes Over

• Young assumed command as prophet

• Led 80,000 Mormons on horseback, in covered wagons, and on foot to Salt Lake City

• 6,000 died en route

• Arrived 1847 Book of Mormon Story

• BOM is an abridged account of God’s dealing with the original inhabitants of the American Continent from 2247 BC to AD 421

• 2247 BC - After the tower of Babel, Jared and his brothers family sailed from middle east to America. 1st migration

• Prepared eight vessels/barges and in 344 days they arrived in the promised land, the American continent.

• They multiplied and covered the face of the land, but disputes and wars broke out and eventually “everyone” was killed. (These battles took place in Palmyra, NY)

Book of Mormon Story

• Second Migration

• 600 BC the Jewish prophet Lehi had a vision from God of the pending captivity. He preached to his countrymen, but was ignored.

• Seven years later he and his brothers (Laman, Lemuel, and Sam) were instructed to build a ship and with the help of a heavy wind arrived at the promised land, the American continent in about 589 BC

Book of Mormon Story

• In this second migration they multiplied and split into two nations, Nephites and Laminites.

• They had huge populations that lived in large fortified cities.

• BOM mentions 38 Nephite cities alone and the buildings covered the face of the earth.

Book of Mormon Final War

• They waged large scale wars for hundreds of years.

• Tens of thousands killed in a final conflict in A.D. 385 near Hill Cumorah in Palmyra New York. Mormon 6:9-15. Same place as the 1st migration final war.

• Only the Laminite nation survived Book of Mormon History Problem

• No Archeological evidence from any of these cities or wars has every been discovered. These wars were fought for hundreds of years and the final battle killed tens of thousands near Palmrya New York, but there is no evidence of this to be found.

• The BOM discusses: metals used in weapons, coins, buildings, chariots, swords, breastplates. Why is there not even one piece of archaeological evidence supporting the Book of Mormon? Compare to the Bible, there are millions.

• During the time period described in the BOM the America’s did not have the ability to produce the metal weapons described

• The Laminites were said to be dark skinned and the ancestors of today’s Indians, which would make the Indians of Jewish decent.

• Problem: There is no Jewish / middle eastern DNA in today’s Indians, just an Asian DNA connection.

DNA – video clip

Book of Abraham

• Go to web to watch the you tube video

Archeology – video clip

Character of Joseph Smith

• Video Clip

Contradictions in BOM

• BOM – One God -Alma 11:27-39,44; Nephi 31:21; Mormon 7:7 • D&C – Plural gods – Section 121:32; 132:18-20,37

• BOM – God is Spirit – Alma 18:26-28; 22:8-11 • D&C – God has a body – Section 130:22

• BOM – Polygamy Condemned – Jacob 1:15,2:24,3:5, Mosiah 11:2; 2 Nephi 26:31; Mosiah 27:5 • D&C – Polygamy Commanded - Section 132:1, 37-39,61 BOM Insurmountable Problems

• First vision credibility – 9 different versions – 14 yrs old

• Golden plates authenticity – no plates, no witnesses –Weight of the plates - Magical stone to translate

• Kinderhook plates- Smith’s character, treasure hunter

• Over 4,000 changes in the BOM between 1830 edition and today’s edition. Can’t be “the most correct book”

• Massive plagiarisms from the A.D. 1611 KJV (27,000 words) KJV - Even KJV italicized words plagiarized

• BOM plates were from 600 AD yet they contain word for word plagiarisms from the 1611 AD KJV

• proven to be a fraud – what about BOM ?

• No DNA or Archeological support despite cities & wars

• Current Mormon doctrine contradicts BOM

Mormon Recognized Authority

• King James Version of the Bible

• The Book of Mormon

• Doctrine and Covenants – 138 revelations

• Pearl of Great Price – Smiths religious history, the Articles of Faith, Book of Abraham, and the book of Moses.

The Bible is the Word of God, but only insofar as it is translated correctly – Mormons say:

• Faulty transmission

• Large portions lost

• Errors introduced by unscrupulous scribes

• Mormon apostle Orson Pratt once went so far as to ask, “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?” So why the Mormon Church?

• Joseph Smith said the church went into total apostasy after the death of the apostles.

• “Without the apostles revelation to guide the Lord’s church, it ceased along with authority to operate it” So, from 90 A.D. to 1830 the church ceased to exist

• The Bible became corrupt, was not translated correctly

• Joseph Smith provided the revelation to guide this Restored Church

Bible Corrupted?

• Per Smith the Bible became corrupt only after all the apostles died (approx 90 A.D)

• The dead sea scrolls were discovered in 1947 and were written (100-200 BC) long before the apostles died, so according the BOM , these scrolls had not been corrupted yet , they were accurate. And, these dead sea scrolls agree with the OT Bible we have today. Therefore the OT we have today is accurate , is not corrupted. (Even by Smith’s own std’s)

• NT writings were completed within the lives of the apostles, by 70 AD. The eyewitnesses were still alive then and could see if the manuscripts were incorrect and call for their correction. No need, they were accurate.

• We can recreate the entire NT except for 11 verses just from the writings of the early church fathers, and these agree with the early manuscripts

• We have 5,000 Greek NT that agree with one another! Evidence shows that the Bible is NOT corrupted! If the bible is not corrupted , we don’t need Joseph Smith.

The Mormon Church is the Restored Church • Total apostasy in early church.

• Claims to be the restored church.

• Has restored the priesthoods.

• Has restored prophets and apostles.

• Has restored the true gospel.

• “Nothing less than a complete apostasy from the Christian religion would warrant the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS. There was no other possible excuse for the introduction of a new Christian sect ”.

• No evidence of total apostasy of early church

The Priesthood • Along with this “restoration of the church”, came the restoration of the priesthood -1829 (Aaronic and Melcheizedek) as mentioned earlier.

• With the sacrificial death of Jesus there was no need for a priest to approach God.

• Smith rejected this and established himself as a priest or mediator between God and his church. Priesthood Per the Scripture

• Christ is the only one of the order of the Melchizedek priesthood (Heb 5-8) Peter, James and John never held the Melchizedek priesthood to be able to confer it to others

• Christ’s priesthood is unchangeable and can’t be transferred – Heb 7:24 – holds his priesthood permanently

• To be under the Aaronic priesthood of the OT you had to be a descendant of Aaron (Num 3:6-12). Smith was not a descendant of Aaron.

• Aaronic priesthood served the one true God of the Bible – They were monotheists, not polytheists like the Mormons.

Prophets

• Was Joseph Smith a Prophet?

• Did his prophesies come true?

• What does the scripture say about prophets?

Temple lot

• http://www.mapquest.com/embed?hk=Soo9 O0 Mormon View of God

• God was once a mortal man just like us. (D & C 130) He continually progressed to become a god – and the rest of us, too, can become gods like him by adhering to Mormonism.

• As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become.

• They believe God, the eternal father, is an exalted, perfected, and glorified personage having a tangible body of flesh and bones.

• Mormons use Genesis 1:26-27: “Let us make man in our image” to support that he has a physical body like ours.

• The image is that man has intellect, emotion and will, just as God does.

What does the Bible Say about God?

• God is a spirit (Jn 4:24), and a spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39)

• The Bible says that God is not a Man (Hosea 11:9, Numbers 23:19)

• Even the book of Mormon denies that God is a glorified man (Alma 22:10,31:15; Mormon 9:9-11; Moroni 7:22, and 8:18. Yet the D&C says he has a body.

• God the Father is invisible (1 Timothy 1:17, Colossians 1;15 and John 1;18 indicate that God is invisible and can’t be seen and no one has ever seen him.)

• God is unchangeable and does not “progress” to exaltation. Malachi 3:6 quotes the words of God this way: I am the Lord , I change not.”

Plurality of god’s

• Per Mormon’s the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are 3 separate God’s. These are the main God’s but everyone can attain to being a God, and there are innumerable god’s besides these

• The lie of the serpent was that you can become a God. Brigham Young said that the serpent told the truth!

• Even the BOM itself states plainly that there is only one God. Alma 11:22-31; Alma 11:44; Mormon 7:7. Remember, per Joseph Smith: “the BOM is the most correct book on earth.”

• Isaiah 44:8 say’s, ‘Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I Know not any.” If that verse is true, then God could not have had a Father and a Grandfather who were gods in their own rights (as Mormon’s believe)

• In Isaiah 43:10 God says, “Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me” Since no god’s will come after God, this means that none of his children will become God’s. (This from OT written before Smith said corrupted)

The Person of Jesus

• Jesus – not eternal – created, first born spirit child of God

• Lucifer – second born – Jesus’ brother.

• Jesus was later physically begotten on earth – God had relations with Mary. Virgin birth?

• “Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers.” (Mormon apostle Bruce McConkie) The Person of Jesus

• Mormons use Psalm 2:7 to teach that Jesus was born a spirit, came into existence, was not eternal.

• Psalm 2:7 “This day have I begotten thee” refers to his resurrection not a physical birth.

• God the son , Jesus, created all things Jn 1:3 and referred to himself as “I am” in Jn 8 as God the father did which indicates his eternal existence.

• Matthew 1:20 clearly says that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, not from relations God had with Mary as the Mormon Doctrines of Salvation claims.

Mormon Doctrine of Man

• Heavenly Father once lived on an earthlike planet and had many wives. He proved himself worthy to his Father-god.

• Eventually he, his wives, and children died and were resurrected. Because he lived a righteous life on earth he reached godhood.

• He was given the space to create his own heaven where he, along with his wives, would sexually procreate children in spirit-form.

• All men and women are literally the sons and daughters of Deity, the offspring of celestial parentage, just as we are.

Adam and Eve

• LDS believe that it was only after Adam and Eve sinned that they were able to bear children. So, from a Mormon perspective the Fall was good and they are commended for what they did to cause the fall. That’s because spirit-children need bodies (physical birth) before they can progress toward godhood.

• We know this is not biblical because immediately after God created Adam and Eve he commanded them to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). This was prior to the Fall.

• Mormon authorities go so far as to say that Adam and Eve really didn’t sin. Bruce McConkie argues that it is possible to transgress a law without committing a sin as in the case of Adam and Eve.

The Role of Grace

• In Mormon theology, grace is simply God’s enabling power that allows people to “lay hold on eternal life and exaltation” (become god’s) after they have expended their own best efforts. “

• Mormonism requires that the believer engage in good works: “There must be works – many works – and an all-out, total surrender, with a great humility and ‘a broken heart and contrite spirit, keeping all his commandments’” (Bruce McConkie)

• Spencer W. Kimball ( the 12th president) said that “one of the most fallacious doctrine’s originated by Satan and propounded by man is that is that man is saved by faith alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation.”

• By contrast the New Testament repeatedly states that salvation is by grace & not works. Eph 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, Rom 3:20, Gal 2:16.

Salvation in Mormonism

• General salvation – everyone is resurrected – Mormons and non Mormons

• Individual salvation – that which you can merit • Before Birth - Pre–mortality - What spirit children do affects if they are born • After Birth - Mortality - Must face and overcome physical temptations & trials • After Death – Post Mortality - Can still make progress after death

• Individual salvation in its true and full meaning is obtaining godhood (exaltation / eternal life) That is what they are working towards. God is an Exalted man!

• Mormons speak more about having “eternal life” and an “eternal family” than they do about godhood. But, only a “god” can have eternal life and an eternal family

• In Mormonism, Perfection is what moves people closer to godhood

After Death

• The moment a person dies, they enter the spirit world

• Mormons go to a place called “paradise”, to await kingdom assignment

• Non-Mormons go to “spirit prison”, where Mormon spirits “evangelize” them through missionary activities.

• A (non Mormon) spirit can leave that spirit prison and enter paradise so long as they accept the Mormon gospel and a living relative has been baptized on his or her behalf . (Baptism by proxy – Baptism for the dead) Salvation - three kingdoms of glory

• The celestial kingdom is the highest degree of glory and is inhabited by righteous, obedient Mormons who have been sealed in marriage in a temple ceremony. Godhood / exaltation celestial Marriage are in this kingdom only. They live with father & Son

• The terrestrial kingdom is for non-Mormons who live moral lives as well as “less than obedient” Mormons. They see Jesus, but not the father. (No Marriage, no godhood)

• The telestial kingdom is reserved for those who have been carnal and sinful throughout life, after 1,000 yrs in spirit prison. Can’t see father or son (No Marriage, no godhood)

After Life Summary - Mormons

• All Mormons, will go to either the first or second heaven. (Celestial or Terrestrial)

• There is no chance to become a god if you go to the second heaven (Terrestial) because there is no marriage allowed there, and celestial marriage is required to become a god.

• Apostate Mormons – Sons of Perdition - go to the Outer Darkness

After life Summary – Non Mormons

• When non Mormons die they go to “Spirit Prison” and remain there until:

• They accept the Mormon gospel from spirit missionaries and • A family member is baptized in proxy for them in a temple

• When this takes place they can enter the Terrestial (2nd) Kingdom, if lived moral life

• If a family member is baptized in proxy for them but they don’t accept the Mormon gospel they go to the Telestial (3rd) kingdom

• Most non Mormons will be go to the Telestial kingdom because of carnality. McConkie

• During the millennium Mormons will make sure that all non Mormons will have proxy baptism, hear the Mormon gospel to leave spirit prison.

• Joseph Smith said that if you neglect proxy baptism for your deceased relatives your salvation is in peril. (ie, won’t get into Celestial kingdom) no godhood.

After Life Summary • Everyone will go to one of the three heavens, except apostate Mormon’s, who go to the outer darkness.

• Mormons - go to either the Celestial or Terrestrial

• Non – Mormons to either the Terrestrial or Telestial

• There is happiness in all three kingdoms, Joseph Smith said that even the lowest kingdom (Telestial) is better than the earth.

After Life Summary

• Why wouldn’t a Mormon just be satisfied with going to the Terrestrial Kingdom instead of doing all these good works to get in the Celestial?

• Each kingdom is progressively better and if you don’t go to the Celestial Kingdom you can’t become a god ,have a wife and procreate spirit children

• If you want to keep your family together and create spirit children after the resurrection, you want to work hard to get to the Celestial Kingdom.

• Exaltation / Salvation is what they call being in the Celestial Kingdom, with wife and becoming a god. They call that having god’s kind of life.

Mormonism is not the “restored church.” • No total apostasy in early church.

• If no apostasy, the Bible is not corrupted and don’t need Smith

• We have a precise history of 1st century Christianity.

• If Mormonism was the “restored church,” we’d expect to see Mormon doctrines in the 1st century (plurality of gods, men becoming gods, the Father once having been a man) The Book of Mormon is not the Word of God. • Over 4,000 changes between 1830 edition and today’s edition.

• How can it be the “most correct book on earth”?

• Massive plagiarisms from the KJV (27,000 words).

• Even italicized words from KJV are plagiarized.

• Book of Mormon – No genuine archeological support, only speculations of The Bible is utterly trustworthy

• Over 25,000 archeological discoveries support the accuracy of the Bible. • The Bible enjoys massive manuscript support, many of which manuscripts date very early. • This is unlike the Book of Mormon, regarding which not even a photograph of the alleged golden plates exists. • The Dead Sea Scrolls prove the accuracy of manuscript transmission. • Predictive prophecy proves the Bible is the Word of God. • Challenge the Mormon: “Show me which verses are inaccurate.” There is only one true God.

• “Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any” (Isaiah 44:8).

• “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God” (Isaiah 45:5). God is not an exalted man or a physical being. • God is not a man (Hosea 11:9). • He is spirit (John 4:24). • Luke 24:39 — A Spirit has no flesh and bones. • God is Creator of man (Genesis 1). • God did not “progress” but is eternal (Psalm 102). • God did not progress but is unchanging (Malachi 3:6). Human beings do not become gods.

• “Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me” (Isaiah 43:10).

• There can be NO OTHER GODS than the one true God.

Jesus is eternal deity. • Jesus did not progress to deity. • Jesus is eternal (John 1:1; Col. 1:17). • Jesus is absolute deity (John 8:58). • Jesus is the Creator (Colossians 1:16). Jesus’ atonement provided not just resurrection but a full salvation.

• Unconditional salvation, that which comes by grace without obedience to gospel law, consists in the mere fact of being resurrected (Bruce McConkie) • Jesus died for the sins of the whole world 1 Jn 2:2 • Isaiah 53:6: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” • We are forgiven and redeemed in Christ (Eph. 1:7). • We are justified in Christ (1 Cor. 6:11). • We are reconciled in Christ (Col. 1:20). • We are saved in Christ (Heb. 7:25). There are only two possible destinies in the afterlife — heaven or hell.

• All people fall into one of two classes – saved or unsaved. • All people will spend eternity in one of two destinies – heaven or hell. • 3 Kingdoms of glory has no biblical support. Key Witnessing Tip: Salvation cannot be attained by perfectionism, but rather is a free gift received by faith in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:48 — Misunderstood.

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Better today than yesterday…

“It is our duty to be better today than we were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today. Why? Because we are on that road to perfection.” — Joseph Fielding Smith Mormon Training Manuals Teach:

“Salvation does not come all at once. We are commanded to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. It will take us ages to accomplish this end. For there will be greater progress beyond the grave.” Spencer Kimball Asserted:

“Progress toward eternal life is a matter of achieving perfection.

Living all the commandments guarantees total forgiveness of sins

and assures one of exaltation (becoming a god) through that perfection which comes by complying with the formula the Lord gave us.” Despair

“Perhaps no idea creates more emotional stress for some of us than the idea that we need to be perfect right now—or soon!… And when we fail to achieve perfection in some area, we criticize ourselves harshly, even to the point of despair.”

— Ensign Magazine Discouragement

“When I was a bishop, it was my privilege to counsel with many faithful members like Janet who were struggling, often valiantly, to escape soul-destroying cycles of discouragement and despair that came when they failed to overcome their imperfections.”

—Bishop Jeffrey Jacob No Rest

“As soon as we believe it is possible for man to become God, we can really never rest for long, never say, ‘OK, my job is finished, my work is done.’ We must constantly push ourselves to greater and greater wisdom, greater and greater effectiveness.”

—Sanity Strategies for Everyday Mormons FULL Obedience Required “That transgressor is not fully repentant who neglects his tithing, misses his meetings, breaks the Sabbath, fails in his family prayers, does not sustain the authorities of the Church, breaks the Word of Wisdom, does not love the Lord nor his fellowmen.” S You Are Accountable!

“Those who receive forgiveness and then repeat the sin are held accountable for their former sins.”

—Gospel Principles Romans 3:12

“There is no one who does good, not even one.” Galatians 3:10 “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” James 2:10

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

Just as all mankind cannot be good enough to get into heaven, neither can they be good enough to become god’s. Mormon teaching on attaining perfection does not agree with scripture

Ephesians 2:8-9

“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” Joy through Forgiveness!

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). Glorious Good News

• “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

– “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17).

• “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered” (Psalm 32:1).

–That is GLORIOUS GOOD NEWS!!! Summary

• Smith’s Vision – 14 yrs old – told 9 different conflicting accounts • BOM Translation -Magical stone – no plates to verify – weight • Over 4,000 changes in the BOM between 1830 edition and today’s edition. So it can’t be “the most correct book” ever written • The BOM story – no archaeology , despite cities, wars, ten’s of thousands of death’s near Palmyra NY. DNA does not support that Indians came from Hebrew decent as Smith claimed. • BOA story – Translation of Egyptian scrolls are proven fraud • Kinderhook plates translation are proven fraud. • Conflicts in the BOM vs the Doctrines & Covenants • Re-translated the KJV adding to 19 books, prophecy of his coming • Smith’s character–treasure digger, story teller, polygamy • The prophecies of Smith and leadership – Did not come true

Summary Continued • Smith said apostasy of the church took place when apostles died, approx 90 A.D., and the scripture became corrupted after that. • Discovery of the dead sea scrolls proved scripture was not corrupt • If the Bible is not corrupt we don’t need Smith to restore anything • View of God, Was once a man, multiple gods. Isaiah 43:10 “Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me • View of Jesus–Not eternal, was created, brother of Satan • God the father had sexual relations with Mary to conceive Jesus • View of Man – Can become a god by works • General Salvation – The fact that everyone is resurrected • Individual salvation – Obtaining godhood via Mormonism, good works and perfection • Three heavens: 1) Celestial (worthy Mormons) 2) Terrestrial (less than perfect Mormons & moral non-Mormons who accepted Mormon gospel after death 3) Telestial – (immoral non Mormons) Summary Continued • Only Mormons in the Celestial kingdom can become gods, they must have kept all the commandments, be married in a temple ceremony, be baptized in the temple – perfection is required. • After life kingdoms – accepting the gospel after death - Spirit missionaries share the gospel with dead non Mormons – If they accept and living relative does proxy baptism for them they can leave spirit prison – go to Terrestrial or Telestial heaven • Everyone goes to one of these three kingdoms except apostate Mormons, who go to the outer darkness. • Per church, most non-Mormons go to lowest heaven - Telestial • Per Smith, even the lowest kingdom is better than earth • Per Smith, if you don’t do proxy baptism then Mormons cannot achieve godhood – (individual salvation) • Mormons speak of Eternal life and Eternal families but that cannot happen without godhood- gods kind of life=Eternal life

Lost book of Abraham full video - 57 minutes

First video has subtitles, the second video does not.

Go to Discovertbc.com click on “Connect” then click on “Adult Bible fellowships” Scroll down to and click on Understanding Mormons to download this power point presentation

Web Link

• http://www.discovertbc.com/

Prophets / Presidents

• Joseph Smith Jr. (April 1830-June 1844) Brigham Young (Dec. 1847 - Aug. 1877) John Taylor (Oct. 1880 - July 1887) Wilford Woodruff (April 1889 - Sept. 1898) Lorenzo Snow (Sept. 1898 - Oct. 1901) Joseph F. Smith (Oct. 1901 - Nov. 1918) Heber J. Grant (Nov. 1918 - May 1945) George Albert Smith (May 1945 - April 1951) David O. McKay (April 1951 - Jan. 1970) Joseph Fielding Smith (Jan. 1970 - July 1972) Harold B. Lee (July 1972 - Dec. 1973) Spencer W. Kimball (Dec. 1973 - Nov. 1985) Ezra Taft Benson (Nov. 1985 - May 1994) Howard W. Hunter (May 1994 - March 1995) Gordon B. Hinckley (March 1995 - Jan. 2008) Thomas S. Monson (Jan. 2008 - Present) Leadership Structure • The LLS Church is led by the living prophet. has two counselors to assist him, and together they comprise the First Presidency. The prophet is succeeded at death by the most senior apostle. Apostles and the presidency are the only paid positions.

• First Presidency • Quorum of the Twelve • Area Presidencies • Stake Presidency • Bishop / Branch President • Families