Major Conflicts

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• Major Conflicts
• Examining Mormonisms Rejection of the historic
  Christian Faith

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• Major Conflict

Major Conflicts Examining the LDS Church's
Rejection of Christianity
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• LDS Sources of Reference

• The Standard Works (Bible, BoM, DC, Peal of
  Great Price)
• Current LDS magazines (Ensign, New Era or
  Liahona) , Church Manuals or information
  presented on the LDS Website (www.LDS.org)
• Information presented at General Conference
• Statements made by the LDS President or General
  Authorities

Major Conflicts Examining the LDS Church's
Rejection of Christianity
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• Nature of God Mormonism

• God the Father is an exalted man
• The Godhead A perfect unity between the
  Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. They preside
  over this world and all other creations of our
  Father in Heaven.
• Multiple Gods exist
• Jesus is the literal off-spring of God the
  Father

Major Conflicts Examining the LDS Church's
Rejection of Christianity
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Nature of God Mormonism

• AS MAN IS, GOD ONCE WAS AS GOD IS, MAN MAY
  BE." (Fifth LDS President Lorenzo Snow, June
  1840)
• He directed the Creation of this earth on which
  we live. In His image man was created. He is
  personal. He is real. He is individual. He has a
  body of flesh and bones as tangible as mans
• (DC 13022) (quoted by Gordon B. Hinckley, In
  These Three I Believe, Liahona, Jul 2006, 28)

Major Conflicts Examining the LDS Church's
Rejection of Christianity
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Joseph Smith The First Vision
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• Nature of God Mormonism

• ...you have got to learn how to be gods
  yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God,
  the same as all gods have done before you,
  namely, by going from one small degree to
  another,... from exaltation to exaltation, until
  you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and
  are able to dwell in everlasting burnings. and to
  sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in
  everlasting power" Joseph Smith, Jr., History of
  the Church, Vol.6, Ch.14, p.305-6
• "2. They will become gods." Blessings of
  Exaltation, Gospel Principles p.302

Major Conflicts Examining the LDS Church's
Rejection of Christianity
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• Nature of God Historic Christianity

• God is a trinity of persons Father, Son and
  Holy Spirit.
• Monotheism Only belief that there is only one
  God. (Isa. 4310 446,8 455,14,18,21,22 469)
• Attributes of God omniscient omnipresent
  omnipotent never changing
• The Father is spirit and can not be seen.
  (Exodus 3320 John 118 1 Tim. 616 John 646)
• Jesus is God in human flesh. (John 11,14)
• Holy Spirit, is the third person of the Trinity

Major Conflicts Examining the LDS Church's
Rejection of Christianity
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Logical Result, if God is a Man

• Men can become a god (polytheism)
• Heavenly mother
• Marriage in heaven
• Pre-existence
• Jesus with a wife
• Confusion about the omnipresence of God
• God has a father
• God can sin, thus ceasing to be god.
• Works oriented salvation

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• Salvation Mormonism

• Salvation has two meanings, General Salvation
  (Resurrection) or Exaltation
• Righteousness comes from obedience to the laws
  and ordinances of the Gospel.
• Grace must be earned.
• Grace can be lost.
• There is no assurance that you will live in the
  presence of God when you die.

Major Conflicts Examining the LDS Church's
Rejection of Christianity
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• Salvation Mormonism

• James Talmage said "A self-suggesting
  interpretation of history indicates that there
  has been a great departure from the way of
  salvation as laid down by the Savior, a universal
  apostasy from the Church of Christ". (A Study of
  the Articles of Faith, p.182)
• President George Q. Cannon said "If we get our
  salvation, we shall have to pass by him Joseph
  Smith if we enter our glory, it will be through
  the authority he has received. We cannot get
  around him Joseph Smith" (as quoted in 1988
  Melchizedek Priesthood Study Guide, p. 142).

Major Conflicts Examining the LDS Church's
Rejection of Christianity
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• Salvation Historic Christianity

• Grace cannot be earned through Works (Titus
  34-5, 2 Timothy 19, Ephesians 28-10, Romans
  116, Romans 44-5, Matthew 722-23)
• We are justified by Grace through Faith. (Isaiah
  4325, Ephesians 17, Ephesians 28-10, 1 John
  19, Galatians 312-25, Romans 109-11)
• The law cannot make us righteousness (Hebrews
  101-4, Galatians 216, Galatians 221, Ephesians
  28-10, Romans 320, Galatians 311-14)
• God saves the sinner not the righteous (Romans
  310, John 318, Romans 58, Galatians 310,
  James 210, 2 Cor. 521, Ephesians 23-7, 1 Cor.
  69)
• Salvation comes at a single point in time
  (Hebrews 1010,14, 1 Peter 318, Romans 519)

Major Conflicts Examining the LDS Church's
Rejection of Christianity
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• Questions?