Lifting The Veil

There is one thing in this article that I completely agree with: the discussion should ultimately come back to Jesus Christ and the gospel preached by His apostles. That is where every Christian discussion about Mormonism ought to begin and end. The question is not whether Mormon people are sincere, moral, hardworking, or devoted to their families, because many certainly are. Sincerity, however, has never been the biblical test of truth. A person can sincerely believe something and still be sincerely wrong, which is why Scripture tells us to examine what we believe rather than simply trusting our feelings, traditions, or religious authorities. That principle applies just as much to Mormonism as it does to every other religious system. The real question is not whether Joseph Smith believed he was a prophet. The real question is whether the message attributed to Joseph Smith agrees with the revelation God has already given through Jesus Christ and His apostles. Scripture tells us to “...

When the differences between Mormonism and historic biblical Christianity are examined carefully, the disagreement goes far beyond different traditions, worship styles, or interpretations of secondary doctrines. At the heart of the matter are fundamentally different teachings about who God is, who Jesus Christ is, what Scripture is, how salvation is received, and what the gospel actually means. Those are not minor differences, because the answers to those questions determine what kind of God we worship and what kind of hope we place in Christ. This is why Christians should approach the subject seriously but also with love. Mormons are not being criticized because they are insincere or because they do not care about Jesus. Many sincerely believe that they are following Him, and many live lives marked by admirable qualities such as family devotion, moral discipline, service, and religious commitment. Sincerity, however, does not establish the truth of a doctrine. The question that ultima...

One of the most important questions that comes up when Christians and Mormons discuss theology is where the line should be drawn between a legitimate doctrinal disagreement and a difference so fundamental that the teaching becomes another gospel. That question deserves a biblical answer, because simply saying that the Trinity is the line in the sand does not really explain why Christians regard certain differences as essential while treating other disagreements as secondary. The better question is whether the doctrine in question preserves the God, the Christ, and the gospel that were proclaimed by the apostles. Scripture does not teach that every disagreement between Christians creates another gospel. Believers have disagreed about baptism, church government, spiritual gifts, prophecy, and many other subjects without necessarily abandoning the gospel. Paul, however, makes it clear in Galatians 1:6–9 that there is a point at which a doctrinal change becomes something much more serious ...

Mike Jensen wrote an article about Mormon theology and seemed very impressed with the Mormon idea of a war in heaven over free agency and liberty. But just because something sounds good doesn't mean it is biblical. Mormonism teaches that we all lived with God before we were born, that Jesus and Lucifer were spirit brothers, and that Jesus and Lucifer presented different plans for saving us. But where does the Bible actually teach that? The Bible never says Jesus and Satan are brothers. It never says we all lived with God before coming to earth. It never says Jesus and Lucifer presented two different plans of salvation. And it never says the war in heaven was a battle over human freedom. The Bible gives us a very different picture of Satan. Isaiah 14:13–14 says: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God... I will be like the most High.” And Jesus said about Satan:  “He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth” (John 8:44). That...