Are Mormons Christian?

I have a problem with Pew Research, a widely respected poll firm. In a study released in May of 2015, called “America’s Changing Religious Landscape,” they included Mormonism as a Christian Faith.  The problem is, this would lead people to believe that Mormonism is an orthodox Christian religion.  But the fact is, they began from an occult practice, and are widely unorthodox, or non-Christian, in much of their doctrine.  Having Jesus in their official name (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) is an affront to Christ, rather than honoring Him. 

The Latter Day Saints (LDS) got their start with Joseph Smith Jr.  Born in 1805, he published the Book of Mormon when he was 24, in 1830. It was based upon his many visions.   In one of them, in 1823, an angel named “Moroni” directed him to a buried book of golden plates, inscribed with a Judeo-Christian history of an American civilization, which included the idea that Jesus visited America while He was on earth.  Smith translated the golden plates into English.  In that same year he organized a religion, what he called a “restoration” of the early Christian church (he considered all denominations since then apostate, carrying the wrong gospel).  But his attempts to find gathering places for his believers came upon hard times.  He was driven from Kirtland, Ohio, on a charge of bank fraud.  At Nauvoo, Illinois, his followers destroyed a printing press shop which criticized his church’s beliefs, particularly the practice of polygamy.  He was jailed, and then killed when a mob stormed the jailhouse in 1844. 

That’s the “sanitized” story.  Now for the dark side of the truth.  In his earliest years, he and his family engaged in religious folk magic.  Both his parents, and his mother’s father, received visions, which they asserted were directly from God. The family, in dire need of money, hired themselves out as “treasure seekers.”   In 1820 (he was 14) he received a vision from God who told him that all contemporary churches had “turned aside from the gospel.” In the 1823 “visit by Moroni” (he was 17), he not only was directed to the golden plates, which were buried conveniently at the Hill Cumorah, near his New York home, but with it were a pair of seer stones (which he called the “Urim and the Thummim”) set in an eyeglass frame, that when put on, magically interpreted the strange symbols (which he called “Reformed Egyptian”) on the plates to English.  Smith had a history with seer stones.  He used them earlier in his treasure seeking career to try to “find lost items” for people who paid him a fee.   Those attempts were unsuccessful. He also had to appear before a Chenango County court in 1826 for con-artistry “glass looking.”

He put the golden plates in a locked chest, he says, and the angel told him not to show them to anyone.  But his “business” associates felt he had double-crossed them, and after ransacking his possessions and not finding them, he felt it was a good time to get out of town, with his now-pregnant wife.  So they moved, taking the plates with him, supposedly.  Starting in 1828, he got help cleaning up the abominable English grammar from a new associate, Martin Harris. Either he, or Oliver Cowdery, or Smith’s wife Emma wrote the English transcription--by sitting on the other side of a curtain while Smith dictated with golden plates and seer glasses.  But then Harris lost the original English partial manuscript.  As a punishment, Smith said, the angel took away the plates and his power to interpret.  In this low time in his religious career, he attended a Methodist church—until a relative complained about the inclusion of a “practicing necromancer” on the church roll--him.  (Necromancy is talking to the spirits of dead people—in other words, a sorcerer). So he was forced out.  Later he told his associates he got the plates back.  But they’ve never been found.  Smith said Moroni took them back when he was through using them.

Smith’s associates were questionable characters.  Cowdery was expelled from the fledgling Church later, supposedly for practicing counterfeiting.  But the real reason Smith threw him out, though, was that he began claiming that he also had received revelations from God.  Soon after, so did several other original church members.  But Smith then received a revelation that he was the only prophet and apostle, and only he could receive revelations from God.  To permanently disconnect Cowdery’s influence from everyone, Smith then dispatched him on a mission to proselytize Native Americans. 

Cowdery got back at him for this humiliation.  He had originally testified that a miraculous appearance by John the Baptist told them to baptize one another, which they did; but later admitted that the “voice” of John the Baptist “did most mysteriously resemble the voice of Elder Sidney Rigdon.”  Rigdon had a military background; during a Fourth of July celebration, he declared that Mormons would no longer tolerate persecution by the local Missourians and spoke of a "war of extermination" if Mormons were attacked. Smith implicitly endorsed this speech, and many non-Mormons understood it to be a thinly-veiled threat. They followed and hounded him even more.

Martin Harris (the transcript-loser) was also expelled from the Mormon church.  His reason for expulsion was that he supported a young lady “seeress” who claimed she could see the future through a black stone.  The truth in this decision was, simply, that Smith again showed that he wanted idolization focused on him, and to be the only one with supernatural power.  Harris had signed a paper saying that he had seen the golden plates. But as with Cowdery, when kicked out of the Mormon church, another piece of the truth came out—he later admitted that he only saw them “by the eye of faith.”    As a matter of fact, of the 11 people who had signed a document saying they had seen the plates, all those witnesses (except Joseph’s father and two brothers) had been expelled as apostates or had left of their own accord.  I suspect there were various reasons that covering for Smith’s lies wasn’t worth it.

Smith gained other followers by preaching to people who were emotionally inclined—he went to areas that had campmeetings which previously had reports of people having fits and trances, speaking in tongues, and rolling on the ground.  He told open-air crowds that they would soon receive an endowment of heavenly power, that he would lead them to a new Millennial kingdom, and he was going to find a site for the New Jerusalem.  But as the church grew, its leadership was constantly in dispute.  To distract attention, Smith spoke frequently of persecution and he threatened military reaction.  At one time, he led a paramilitary group which shot two of their persecutors to death, and lost one of their own.  There were later intense gunbattles in Missouri, where he was arrested, brought before the court on a charge of treason, but escaped custody in 1839.  Smith lamented that his Mormons were an “oppressed minority” and petitioned the federal government for reparations. Some of the government in Illinois felt sorry for him. He was allowed to legally found the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, with city-charter power to fend off extradition to Missouri.  The Nauvoo Mormons also formed a militia, granting them the power to arm the largest body of men in Illinois. He was now “Lieutenant General” Smith.  That’s when he began teaching plural marriage to his closest associates, and he raised the doctrine of baptism for the dead.  (His book Doctrines and Covenants reveal most of his theology—not the Book of Mormon)  

But Missourians kept hounding him, so in 1843 he petitioned Congress that Nauvoo would be an independent territory, and could call out federal troops to defend him. When neither Congress nor Presidential candidates listened to him, his huge ego caused him to declare a third party campaign for president—which went nowhere.  He also formed a secret council to help decide which state or national laws Mormons should obey. (As with most cults, they wanted to do anything they wanted, break any laws they want, without government restraint).

He was accused of having a sexual relationship with his servant girl in 1831, but she was probably the first of his estimated 46 plural wives (many of those marriages occurred after his death--by proxy, a part of Mormon doctrine).  He took many of these wives privately, but still denied it publicly, where he claimed not to teach or practice polygamy.  But after his 1844 death, Brigham Young (who followed him into presidency) made a startling public statement in 1852.  Young produced a paper, in Smith’s handwriting, that in 1843 Smith had a revelation from God.  A revelation from a Prophet means that it was “legal” for the whole church (though later illegal in civil law).  The revelation legalized polygamy.  In the text of the revelation, it also states that the first wife's consent should be sought before a man marries another wife--but also declares that Christ will "destroy" the first wife if she does not consent to the plural marriage!  If consent is denied the husband is exempt from asking his wife's consent in the future.  The revelation states that plural wives "are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth…and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men.”  

After this revelation was published, 20-30% of the church’s families became polygamous, and remained so even when the federal government declared an Anti-Bigamy law in 1862, but it was not outlawed by Mormons until 1904, with ex-communication if they didn’t obey.  The impression I get is, they were forced to give up polygamy. (But it’s still in their Doctrine & Covenants). A small part of rogue Mormons are still polygamous.  

Brigham Young, LDS president of the time, was tired of sneaking around and wanted this out in the open; he ended up with about 55 wives.  But many of these women were already married when they took up religious sexual union with Young and Smith—in at least one case, the husband knew about it—and approved!—saying the prophet could do whatever he wanted to do.  They married some young girls—a 14-year old, for instance—and married some in their 50s.  Smith’s first wife, Emma, remained a dyed-in-the-wool LDSer who claimed the first she ever heard about all this was 9 years after he died, even though she was shown of his 1843 revelation establishing polygamy at the time.  There have been studies and witnesses which conclude that from the 1830s to 1904, much seduction, rape, adultery, bigamy, and some abortions went on for practicing Mormons. 

The reason for Smith’s death was a hard act to follow.  He fell into a dispute with two of his associates in 1844, presumably over leadership, but the truth was more likely that he had allegedly proposed to "celestially" marry their wives!  When they gave him a hard time, he excommunicated them.  But they turned on him; going to civil authorities, they procured indictments against Smith for perjury.   They even made a newspaper decrying his doctrine of many Gods, and saying he used polygamy to seduce unassuming women.  Non-Mormons got heated up, and state militias were called up by Smith and by local citizenry.  Smith was jailed, facing charges of inciting a riot, and later treason.  It was there that he was shot by a jailhouse mob.  He is buried in Nauvoo, Illinois. 

Well, this is the real story about the glorious founder of the Mormon church.  Now let’s talk about their doctrines not being orthodox.  Keep one important thing in mind:  Prophets, the presidents of the Church, can receive revelations for Church life and rules. These come from God.  (But God changes his mind).  At the beginning, it was Smith only.  Later the president of the Quorum of the Twelve, was the prophet who could hear changes in doctrine from God.   This means their “Word” is not infallible, and can be changed whenever another vision visits a prophet.  As Doctrines & Covenants  21:1,2, and 5 says (they’re allegedly quoting God):

Behold, there shall be a record kept among you; and in it thou shalt be called a seer, a translator, a prophet… 2 Being inspired of the Holy Ghost to lay the foundation thereof… thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; 5 For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.

Cristian orthodoxy:  Marriage is between one man and one woman, and is for life on earth.  In heaven, there is no marriage.  Start with Gen2:22-24:

Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. ²³ And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” ²⁴ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Now Matthew 22:30, the words of Jesus:

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God[a] in heaven.

Mormon doctrine (has been remitted by manifest, but doctrine unchanged):  Doctrine on Sealed marriage often led to plural marriage—This means multiple marriages in heaven.  D&C 132:19-20:
(PS:  Note a couple other strange doctrines).

…if a man a marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is  sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise…they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the  seeds forever and ever. Then shall they be gods. 

An explanation of sealing:  A couple who has been sealed in a temple will be married beyond physical death into the afterlife.  In the marriage ceremony performed in LDS temples the words "until death do us part" are replaced with "for time and all eternity".  Civil marriages will not continue after death, but "eternal marriages" must be performed by priesthood authority. Eternal marriages are also performed vicariously for the deceased, by proxy.  Keep in mind that if a man’s wife dies, or is divorced, and he marries another, if both are sealed, he will be with both of them in heaven.  Thus, if the Mormons have their way, heaven will be populated with polygamy.  Thus they obtain those extra wives in the next life, if not in this one.  Brigham Young had the audacity to say:  "The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy" (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, p. 269, August 19, 1866).

Christian orthodoxy:  There is One God Who has Three Persons (the Trinity):  I John 5:7-8:

 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word (ie, Jesus, see John 1:1,14), and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.

John 10:30, a quote from Jesus:  I and My Father are one.

Mormon doctrine:  Maybe there are three Gods, maybe not:  Per the General Authority, Quorum of the 12 Apostles of 1972-1985:

Page 43:  "So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not Three Gods.  (But on Page 194, it says this):  As pertaining to this universe, there are three Gods: the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. All other supposed deities are false gods.  (And on Page 227): There are three Gods - the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost - who, though separate in personality, are united as one in purpose, in plan, and in all the attributes of perfection. (Some confusion here, obviously).

Christian orthodoxy:  God dwells in the hearts of believers.  See John 14:23:

 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

 .

Mormon doctrine:  Again, they seem to contradict themselves.  In the Book of Mormon, Alma 34:36: 

36 And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell

But in the Doctrines & Covenants, 130:3 has a comment about the Bible’s John 14:23 (above):

The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false

So the D&C (from God, remember) comes right out and says that a Bible verse is old, sectarian, and false.  This is antichrist.

Christian orthodoxy:  One’s salvation is originally by God’s grace:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Mormon doctrine: Salvation is by works.  Book of Mormon, Moroni 8:25:

…baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins

Christian orthodoxy:  Jesus is God and eternal.  In the beginning, He created an angel, Lucifer, who went bad.  God’s children, though, are only those who follow Him; those who don’t, remain in their state of sin.

 Let’s begin with  John 1:1,3,14 about Jesus:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory…(And Lucifer was part of creation).

Observe how Jesus speaks to unbelievers, John 8:44:

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it

Lucifer’s pride took him to evil deeds, and he became later known as the devil.  Isaiah 14:12-15:

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! ¹³ For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.. I will be like the Most High.’ ¹⁵ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

Mormon doctrine:  God’s many children include Jesus and Satan, suggesting they were equal.  Jesus only became God through effort.  Jesus and Lucifer vied for God’s honor.   Satan is not presented as evil; he is presented as offering himself to be our Savior, and existing, as God, “from the beginning.”

This quote is from the Mormon’s official organ; online it’s lds.org.  Again, notice another strange doctrine there:

 “According to official Mormon teaching, Jesus Christ is the first spirit child conceived and begotten by Heavenly Father and one of Heavenly Father’s many wives (commonly referred to as “Heavenly Mother”). Just as Heavenly Father before him progressed to godhood, so Jesus progressed through obedience to the status of a god (prior to his incarnation on earth).”

In the words of the late Mormon Apostle and General Authority Bruce McConkie, Jesus Christ “by obedience and devotion to the truth… attained that pinnacle of intelligence which ranked him as a God. As such, according to LDS authorities, Jesus is not to be worshiped or prayed to as one would worship or pray to Heavenly Father.”

This is a total denial that Jesus is equal to God. 

More from lds.org:

Mormons teach that “Heavenly Father subsequently had many more spirit children…thus refer to Jesus as our “elder brother.” Moreover, Mormons believe that even Satan (Lucifer) is a spirit brother of Jesus.”

According to Mormons, Satan was willing to be our Savior!   As explained in their Gospel Principles:

We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father. Our Father said, “Whom shall I send?” (Abraham 3:27). Two of our brothers offered to help. Our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said, “Here am I, send me” (Abraham 3:27)….Satan, who was called Lucifer, also came, saying, “Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor”

Satan is even presented as existing “from the beginning,” a claim that only God can make!  From Selections from the Book of Moses (copied from LDS.org, chapter 4, 1830):

 1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning…

Christian orthodoxy:  Man is born with a tendency to sin, inherited from Adam. By God’s grace, disciples of Jesus can enjoy God’s favors in heaven, under His sovereignty.  Romans 5:12:

…just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned

Revelation 22:1,3:

And he showed me a pure  river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb…was the tree of life…The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ³ And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants (us) shall serve Him.

Mormon doctrine: Men are inherently divine, and can become gods, or equal with God

This quote begins from Mormon official publication, lds.org.  It quotes specific Doctrines and Covenants.

“Latter-day Saints see all people as children of God in a full and complete sense; they consider every person divine in origin, nature, and potential…Each possesses seeds of divinity …In 1832, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon experienced a vision of the afterlife. In the vision, they learned that the just and unjust alike would receive immortality through a universal resurrection, but only those “who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise” would receive the fulness of God’s glory and be “gods (D&C 76:53,58)” Another revelation soon confirmed that “the saints shall be filled with his glory, and receive their inheritance and be made equal with him.”(D&C 88:107)

There are other doctrines that contradict God's Word, are un-Christian, such as a heavenly mother (see their quote above) and others.  But this is 7 pages already.  There is no way their Doctrines and Covenants come from God, as they claim, and no way are they Christian.

Sources:  Book of Mormon, Facts on Mormonism (Ankerberg), Is Mormonism Christian (Fraser).