[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Part 4:
MORMONISM:
THE WORD & WISDOM OF MAN
-MORMON TEMPLES-
AND
-TEACHING MORMONS THE GOSPEL-
Continued from Part 3....
G. Temples And Mormonism.
"In order really to understand present-day Mormonism and the hold it has upon its people it is necessary to know about the work that goes on in Mormon temples." -(The Changing World of Mormonism, Jerald & Sandra Tanner, 512.)
1. The importance of temples in the LDS Church. (Chart 34)
a. What are they? "The house of the Lord."
"Holy sanctuaries wherein sacred ordinances, rites,
and ceremonies are performed which pertain to salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of
God are called temples. They are the most sacred places of worship on earth; each is
literally a House of the Lord, a house of the great Creator, a house where he and his
Spirit may dwell, to which he may come, or send his messengers, to confer priesthood and
keys and to give revelation to his people." (Mormon Doctrine, McConkie,
779-780).
b. How important are they?
(i) Necessary to do the Lord's work.
"The inspired erection and proper use of temples is one of the great evidences of the divinity of the Lord's work. Without revelation they can neither be built nor used. Where there are temples, with the spirit of revelation resting upon those who administer therein, there the Lord's people will be found; where these are not, the Church and kingdom and the truth of heaven are not." (Ibid., 781)
(ii) Temple work mandatory for full salvation.
"If you want salvation in the fullest, that is exaltation in the
kingdom of God, so that you may become his sons and daughters, you have got to go into the
temple of the Lord and receive these holy ordinances which belong to that house, which
cannot be elsewhere." (Doctrines Of Salvation, Joseph Fielding Smith, II:44).
c. All Mormons are not allowed to do temple work.
-Temple recommend required: A certificate is issued identifying
person as a member of the Church worthy to enter the temple to do temple work. One is
interviewed by his bishop to insure his "worthiness" before the temple recommend
is issued.
d. Worldwide temple building program (47 operating & 15 in planning/building stage, September, 1995).
The Bible:
- Chart 35 -
1) God does not dwell in houses made with hands - Acts 7:44-50.
2) God no longer specifies the place of worship, but rather, the heart & the how of worship - Jno. 4:20-24.
3) God's temple is His church - Eph. 2:19-22.
4) Made up of Christians who offer spiritual service to God - 1 Pet. 2:5.
5) We are God's temple - God dwells with His people - 2 Cor. 6:16.
6) We must serve God in the true temple (church), not the man-built temples of Mormonism!
* Noteworthy: Book of Mormon Does Not Contain Any Teaching On Current LDS Temple Work.
1. Claimed that BOM contains "the fulness of the everlasting gospel" (JS Hist.1:34; D&C 42:12).
2. Yet, BOM never mentions:
a. Doctrine of baptism for the dead.
b. Doctrine of temple marriages.
c. LDS temple ceremonies.
3. Amazing how much of the "fulness of the everlasting gospel" has had to be amended since it "came forth" through Joseph Smith, Jr.!!
-The temple of Mormonism is NOT the temple of the Bible!
-"No Mormon truly believes the Bible, and a true Bible believer cannot be a Mormon!"
H. LDS Temple Ordinances.
1. Baptism for the dead.
a. Explanation of the doctrine.
(i) Those without an opportunity to hear the fulness of the gospel in this life will have the gospel preached to them in the next life. Vicarious baptism provides these people with an opportunity to accept salvation for themselves.
(ii) Appeal to 1 Cor. 15:29; Mal. 4:5-6; 1 Pet. 3:18-20; 4:6; Heb. 11:39-40 for Biblical support.
b. Importance of baptism for the dead.
(i) Saving their ancestors. "The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead." (J. Smith, Jr., The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 356)
(ii) Saving themselves (D&C 128:15, 18). "...our salvation and progression depends upon the salvation or our worthy dead with whom we must be joined in family ties. This can only be accomplished in our temples." (Doctrines of Salvation, Joseph F. Smith, II:147)
c. Reason for such emphasis on genealogical work in the LDS Church.
The Bible:
1) As to genealogies: 1 Tim. 1:3-4; Titus 3:9 (Don't produce faith, unprofitable, vain - shun).
2) Chart 20 - One baptism - Eph. 4:5.
3) 1 Cor. 15:29 - Context of resurrection nullifies vicarious baptism application.
4) Heb. 9:27 - Gospel is for the living.
5) If people can be saved in the next life by not hearing the gospel in this life, then do not preach the gospel to them! (Mk. 16:15)
6) All men everywhere are under God's call to repent - Acts 17:30-31.
-The baptism of Mormonism is NOT the baptism of the Bible!
-"No Mormon truly believes the Bible, and a true Bible-believer cannot be a Mormon!"
2. Temple Marriage / Sealings (D&C 132).
a. Marriage for time and for all eternity.
(i) To receive exaltation.
"...a man must have a wife, and a woman a husband, to receive
the fulness of exaltation. They must be sealed for time and for all eternity in a temple;
then their union will last forever, and they cannot be separated because God has joined
them together, as he taught the Pharisees." (Doctrines Of Salvation, Joseph F.
Smith, II:43-44)
"No man shall receive the fulness of eternity, of
exaltation, alone; no woman shall receive the blessing alone; but man and wife, when they
receive the sealing power in the temple of the Lord, if they thereafter keep all the
commandments, shall pass on to exaltation, and shall continue and become like the Lord.
And that is the destiny of men; that is what the Lord desires for his children." (Ibid.)
(ii) Done for the dead, too.
b. Sealings: Families are united through temple ceremony for all of eternity. ("Families are forever")
c. D&C 132, which teaches eternal marriage, also teaches plural marriage (polygamy)! Chart 18
[Point: LDS expect plural marriage in their
"celestial kingdom!"]
The Bible:
1) Marriage ordained for this life - Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:39.
2) No marriage in the resurrection - Lk. 20:34-36.
3) This LDS doctrine has tremendous emotional appeal &
persuasion over people!!
-The marriage of Mormonism is NOT the marriage of the
Bible!
-"No Mormon truly believes the Bible, and a true
Bible believer cannot be a Mormon!"
IV. REACHING MORMONS WITH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
-(They need to hear "the word of the truth of the gospel,"
for they have not heard it from the LDS Church! - Col. 1:5).
A. Preliminary Pointers. Chart
36
1. Become informed -- Read the Book of Mormon.
a. Take away their quibble! (Chart 39)
b. Jno. 7:14-17 - A desire to obey truth plus a hearing of Christ's
words results in understanding (Rom. 10:17).
-[LDS say a desire to know truth plus prayer results in obtaining a
knowledge of truth.]
2. Be bold!
3. A choice must be made: One cannot
accept Mormonism and the Bible -- they are incompatible!
B. Teach Them The Gospel That Everyone Needs To
Hear! (Chart 37)
Conclusion
1. We have discovered:
a. Bible doctrine is NOT Mormon doctrine, and Mormon doctrine is NOT Bible doctrine -- They are NOT one and the same!
b. "No Mormon truly believes the Bible, and a true Bible believer cannot be a Mormon!"
2. We call upon every Mormon to repent of the error of Mormonism and urge them to obey the simple and complete gospel of Jesus Christ (which is found in the New Testament).