Lifting The Veil

If you thought the origins of Mormonism were surprising, wait until you hear about the secret doctrines and temple rituals that keep members deeply invested in the faith. From a Christian perspective, these practices raise serious concerns because they replace or obscure the centrality of Jesus Christ and Scripture. Joseph Smith introduced temple ceremonies in the 1840s, long after the church was founded. Members enter these temples for rituals such as washings, anointings, and endowments, which are designed to prepare them for exaltation. One of the striking features is the secrecy—members are instructed not to reveal details of these ceremonies to outsiders, even family. This level of secrecy is unusual for a Christian faith, where transparency and shared teaching of Scripture are central. Another critical element is the Mormon doctrine of eternal marriage and exaltation. Members are taught that only through temple sealing can families be united for eternity, and that faithful adhere...

Let’s be perfectly clear: claiming moral or spiritual superiority because of warm feelings toward every religion is not only misleading—it is spiritually dangerous. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) presents itself as tolerant and universally benevolent, but tolerance without truth is moral relativism. Warmth toward error is not love; it is deception. Scripture repeatedly warns that the world hates Christ and His followers because of truth, not because of coldness (John 15:18). If friendliness toward falsehood were proof of holiness, the Bible itself would be irrelevant—and that is the lie the LDS Church propagates. The Book of Mormon presents itself as a “second testament” of Jesus Christ, claiming equal authority with the Bible (Mosiah 18:9). This is blasphemous. The Bible is clear: God’s Word is complete, sufficient, and final. Deuteronomy 4:2 commands, “You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it.” Revelation 22:18–19 repeats th...

The LDS Church claims it is “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:30) and teaches that “all men must come unto this church or be damned” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 136). That’s not a casual statement—it’s a bold, dangerous claim. By saying this, the Church places itself above Christ, above the Bible, and above every faithful Christian who has followed God for centuries. But the Bible is clear: God alone has ultimate authority. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Salvation is through Christ alone—not any human institution. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16–17 that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” The Bible alone is sufficient for faith, doctrine, and living a righteous life (Grudem, 1994; E...

Within Mormonism, a striking double standard is evident: while the movement criticizes Christianity for having tens of thousands of denominations, it overlooks the fact that Mormonism itself has splintered into numerous factions, each claiming exclusive authority from Joseph Smith. From the mainstream LDS Church to the Community of Christ, Fundamentalist LDS groups, and other smaller sects, the pattern is clear—authority is claimed, fractured, and disputed. This raises a simple question: if Mormonism’s critique of Christianity’s diversity is valid, shouldn’t it apply equally to the movement itself? For a faith that claims to restore the “true church of Jesus Christ,” how can internal divisions be reconciled with the idea of divine guidance and unity? The inconsistency is glaring. While Mormon leaders emphasize obedience to the chain of authority, they ignore the historical fact that these very claims have led to dozens of competing organizations, each asserting their version of Smith’s...

I have often encountered members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who speak passionately about a “Great Apostasy” — the belief that the true Church of Christ completely fell away from the earth after the time of the apostles, leaving a void that necessitated a restoration through Joseph Smith. This teaching, I have learned directly from my Mormon friends, is central to their faith. Yet it is a misunderstanding that twists the clear testimony of Scripture and misrepresents the enduring faithfulness of God’s covenant people. Let me be clear from the outset: I am not claiming there was a full apostasy in the sense of a complete, universal falling away from the true Church. According to Scripture, apostasy means a willful rebellion against God, a renunciation of the faith once delivered to the saints. The Bible warns us about this kind of apostasy: “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God” (2 Thessal...

I’m a Bible-believing Christian and was recently challenged by a dyed-in-the-wool Mormon to prove some things about the Book of Mormon to him. I accepted his challenge, and here are the results of my research. When it comes to eternal matters—who Jesus is, how salvation works, and whether God’s Word can be trusted—we need to be willing to examine what we believe and why. The conversation began with a simple but serious challenge: Show that the Book of Mormon teaches a different Jesus, promotes exaltation to godhood, and emphasizes salvation through works. I took each point in turn, matching the Book of Mormon and LDS doctrine with what the Bible clearly teaches. And, as the great entertainer, Jackie Gleason used to say, "And away we go!" 1. “Show me a different Jesus in the Book of Mormon.” The Jesus of the Bible is eternal, uncreated, and fully God (John 1:1; Colossians 1:15–19). He has always existed, coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Book of Mormon refers of...

It’s one thing to have religious differences—it’s another to stake your soul on teachings that contradict the very Word of God. As someone deeply committed to biblical Christianity, I believe it’s time we stop tiptoeing around the hard questions when it comes to the claims of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Behind the clean-cut missionaries and wholesome family image lies a theology that diverges from the gospel of Jesus Christ in dangerous, damning ways. Here are ten questions every Mormon—and every Christian being courted by Mormon doctrine—should confront honestly and biblically: 1. If Scripture warns not to add to God’s Word (Revelation 22:18–19), why did Joseph Smith claim new scripture like the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price? God’s Word is sufficient. Yet Mormonism builds its entire theology on revelations given over a thousand years after Christ. That’s not restoration—that’s reinvention. 2. Jesus said God is spirit (J...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), commonly known as the Mormon Church, teaches that after a temple endowment ceremony, faithful members must wear special undergarments—known as temple garments—daily. These garments are considered sacred and symbolic, reminding wearers of the covenants they've made and offering spiritual protection. However, while these may be meaningful within the LDS context, they do not align with biblical Christianity. Nowhere in the New Testament does God command His people to wear religious clothing as a sign of spiritual standing. In fact, the New Testament radically shifts the focus from outward religious symbols to inward transformation. Paul writes in Romans 14:17 (NLT), “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink [or wear], but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” In the Old Testament, under the Mosaic Covenant, priests did wear symbolic garments (see Exodus 28). But even those were s...

Mormon doctrine doesn’t reflect the heart, character, or justice of the true God of the Bible. The idea that God is a polygamist with multiple wives—and that women are eternally bound to men in a hierarchy where they have no equal standing or freedom—is not just troubling. It’s completely foreign to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), and He is not an exalted man with celestial wives. He is eternal, unchanging, holy, and complete in Himself (Malachi 3:6; Isaiah 44:6). Nowhere in Scripture do we see God portrayed as a polygamist. In fact, biblical marriage consistently points to one man and one woman in covenant love, reflecting Christ’s love for His Church (Ephesians 5:31–32). That’s the true pattern—not Joseph Smith’s manipulative vision of celestial polygamy. You're absolutely right—Doctrine & Covenants 132, which lays out eternal polygamy, has never been renounced. It’s still canonized LDS scripture. And leaders like Nelson ...

To justify the racist priesthood ban in the LDS Church by appealing to the Levitical priesthood or the hardness of men's hearts is not only theologically flawed—it is a direct insult to the nature and character of God, who shows no partiality (Acts 10:34–35). The argument attempts to whitewash decades of racial discrimination under the banner of supposed divine patience, while ignoring the unbiblical foundations of the ban altogether. The Levitical priesthood, as outlined in the Old Testament, was never based on race. It was based on tribal assignment, not skin color. And even then, it was part of a temporary covenant fulfilled in Christ (Hebrews 7:11–12). Once Jesus inaugurated the New Covenant, the priesthood was made spiritually accessible to all who are in Him—male, female, Jew, Gentile, Black, or white (Galatians 3:28). To compare this to the LDS priesthood ban, which was based on race, is to misapply the biblical text in a dangerous way. Jesus never established or endorsed an...

In conversations with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have encountered arguments that reveal deep misunderstandings and dangerous distortions of biblical truth. Mormonism, far from being aligned with biblical Christianity, is a man-made religion rooted in false prophecy and unbiblical doctrines that threaten the foundation of the gospel. One commonly stated Mormon teaching is that only “a few” face eternal punishment while most receive some degree of glory, even if imperfectly. This teaching fundamentally misrepresents Scripture. Jesus plainly teaches that “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14, NLT) and warns, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Furthermore, Revelation 20:10 describes the eternal torment of Satan, the beast, and the false prophet in the lake of fire, but it does not give Mormon-style “degrees of glory” or soften et...

Many lifelong Latter-day Saints have grown up hearing comforting references to “Heavenly Parents.” For years, the idea floated quietly, wrapped in poetic hymns and soft teachings. But recent statements by LDS apostle Dallin H. Oaks have removed any ambiguity. While speaking in Belgium, he plainly declared: “We are children of heavenly parents.” Not metaphorical. Not symbolic. Plural. And if LDS leaders truly speak by the Holy Spirit—as Mormon doctrine claims—then this is not merely a cultural teaching. It’s doctrine. The implications are staggering. If there is more than one heavenly mother, then according to Mormon theology, God is a polygamist. This is not a fringe interpretation. The foundation was laid by Joseph Smith, who claimed to restore “eternal truths” that had supposedly been lost. Among them was polygamy, or “plural marriage,” codified in Doctrine and Covenants 132, which states that God gave multiple wives to Abraham, David, and others as a model (Doctrine and Covenants 13...

Let’s be clear: the atonement of Jesus Christ—the once-for-all sacrifice that paid for the sins of the world—happened on the cross. It was not some quiet, inner spiritual event in a garden. It was public, bloody, brutal, and final. That’s what the Bible teaches plainly. That’s what Christians have believed for 2,000 years. So how did the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) come to teach that the atonement happened primarily in the Garden of Gethsemane? The answer lies not in Scripture, but in the theological inventions of Joseph Smith and later LDS leaders who reinterpreted the events of the Passion week to fit a different gospel. While Mormons do not deny the cross outright, they shift the focus to Gethsemane as the location where the “real” suffering for sins took place. This is deeply problematic, not only because it contradicts the biblical record, but because it distorts the very heart of the gospel: the cross of Christ. According to the Bible, Jesus Himself cons...

The gospel of Jesus Christ is too precious, too essential, and too clear in the Bible to allow it to be confused with the teachings of the Book of Mormon. The gospel is not just any message; it is the power of God for salvation. It is not something to be tampered with, reinvented, or diluted by new revelations or works-based theology. And yet that is exactly what Mormonism does—subtly at times, but undeniably. At its core, the biblical gospel proclaims that salvation is by grace through faith, and not by works. Ephesians 2:8–9 spells this out plainly: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” This message is consistent throughout the New Testament—whether in Romans 5:1, Galatians 2:16, or the words of Jesus Himself in John 3:16. Salvation is not something we earn by doing all we can; it is something we receive by trusting in what Christ has already done. The Book of Mormon, however, offers a different version. In 2 Nephi ...

You might hear Mormons point to some early church scriptures that say slavery is wrong—like Doctrine and Covenants 101:79, which says it’s “not right that any man should be in bondage,” or D&C 134:12, which calls slavery “dangerous to the peace of every government.” Those verses sound pretty good, especially for the 1800s when slavery was still common in the U.S. But the story doesn’t end there. Despite these statements, the LDS Church actually kept some pretty racist policies for a long time. For over 100 years, Black men were not allowed to hold the priesthood, and Black members couldn’t participate in important temple ceremonies until 1978. That’s a huge deal because it basically meant Black members were excluded from full participation in the faith (Bringhurst). Even worse, the Church taught that Black skin was a curse from God, linked to stories like the curse of Cain. This wasn’t just an old rumor—it was official teaching that justified racial discrimination. On the other han...

Mormonism often markets itself as the restoration of true Christianity, but when you dig a little deeper, it starts sounding more like a revival of ancient philosophy than the gospel Jesus actually preached. Let’s take a look at Neoplatonism—a philosophical system that began with Plotinus in the 3rd century—and how much of it overlaps with Mormon theology compared to biblical Christianity. Neoplatonism teaches that everything flows from a single divine source called “The One.” It emphasizes the preexistence of souls and a spiritual journey back to divinity through knowledge, purification, and personal elevation. Sounds kind of familiar, right? That’s because Mormonism teaches that all human beings lived in a premortal state with God, that we are divine in origin, and that we can progress to godhood ourselves through obedience, ordinances, and personal righteousness. Now, contrast that with Christianity. The Bible teaches something totally different. In Ephesians 2:8–9, it says, “God sa...