John Ankerberg - The Facts on the Mormon Church

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Verses marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphasis (italics) in Scripture quotations has been added by the authors.

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Cover photos Paul Chesley / Photographers Choice / Getty; iStockphoto.com; back-cover photo of Dillon Burroughs Goldberg Photography

THE FACTS ON THE MORMON CHURCH

Updated edition

Copyright 1991/2009 by The John Ankerberg Theological Research Institute

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ankerberg, John, 1945-

The facts on the Mormon Church / John Ankerberg, John Weldon; updates by Dillon Burroughs.[Updated & rev. ed.].

p. cm.(The facts on series)

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-0-7369-2216-6 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-3911-9 (eBook)

1. Mormon ChurchControversial literatureMiscellanea. 2. Mormon ChurchDoctrinesMiscellanea. I. Weldon, John. II. Burroughs, Dillon. III. Title.

BX8645.A683 2009

289.3dc22

2008020713

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Contents

Mormonism is a religion founded upon the teachings of Joseph Smith (18051844). Although some 100 Mormon sects have existed historically, the two largest divisions are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah LDS for short) and the Community of Christ (headquartered in Independence, Missouri, and formerly called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).

The subject of Mormonism is important because of the Mormon Churchs influence, power, and evangelistic operations. For example, it maintains over 60,000 missionaries who actively engage in proselytizing activities throughout the world. Further, Mormonism is also the fourth-largest religion in the United States, with more than 6 million claimed adherents; worldwide, it boasts a membership of 13 million.

The New Mormon Challenge, a scholarly critique of recent LDS apologetics, extrapolates current growth rates to 580 million by the end of this century. Although the LDS Church doesnt release financial records, in 1997 the leadership granted Time magazine unusual cooperation, and in Time s August 4, 1997, issue, LDS assets were valued at a minimum of $30 billion. The same article estimated an annual gross income of $5.9 billion.

No one can doubt the power and influence of Mormonism.

Like almost all religions, Mormonism claims divine inspiration as its source. Mormons argue that their religion was divinely instituted in 1820 when God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith Jr. in a dramatic vision. Jesus told Smith that Christianity was in complete apostasy and that he, Smith, would be guided into the truthfor the reestablishment of true Christian faith.

This crucial first vision of Joseph Smith is the official account of Mormon beginnings. Although it is said to establish the Churchs divine origin, there are at least six contradictory versions of this key event (see question 15). A summary of the Churchs current officialand the least likelyversion follows.

Joseph Smith said that when he was 15 and living in Manchester, New York, a religious revival of significant proportions took place and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties. Smith said that the strife among these parties was so great as to confuse a person as to which one was correct in its teachingsPresbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, or some other denomination. Because of this strife, Smith determined to privately seek Gods counsel as to which of the various denominations he should join.

In his own words

One day while reading James 1:5 (which refers to asking God for wisdom), Smith was greatly moved. In his own words,

Never did any passage of scripture come home with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine[Smith then retired to a secluded place in the woods to seek Gods counsel]I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.

But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon mejust at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared when I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound.

When the light rested upon me, I saw two Personages whose brightness and glory defy all description standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the [religious] sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was rightand which I should join.

I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the Personage who addressed me [presumably Jesus Christ] said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight: that those professors were all corrupt; that: they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof. He again forbade me to join with any of them: and many other things did he say.

Although Smiths claims were considered impossible by the Christian community, he remained true to his vision. His mind [was satisfied] so far as the sectarian [Christian] world was concernedIt was not my duty to join with any of them, but to continue as I was until further directed.

Later revelations

Smith was convinced he had been called by God and, though in the next three years he confesses he frequently fell into many foolish errors (see James 1:20-22,26), he waited patiently for the next revelation.

A matter of authority

If Joseph Smith had truly believed in the authority of the Bible and had really studied it, he could have determined for himself that the various Christian denominations were not all corrupt with abominable creeds, but held to similar biblical teachings on key doctrinesand that his initial vision was, therefore, a false one.