WHAT THE MORMONS DON'T SAY!
We frequently hear from people who have spoken with the Mormon missionaries. Many of them have come from such discussions feeling the LDS Church was just another Christian church, with perhaps some minor unique aberrations (baptism for the dead for example). At the Mormon Church's visitor centers (Hill Cumorah, just south of Palmyra, New York, to name one) a handout, the Thirteen Articles of Faith, is presented as if it summarized the teachings of the Mormon Church. At the same centers films are shown projecting a similar idea. We have frequently been asked to read the Book of Mormon as if it contained most or all LDS teachings, the fulness of the gospel. Each year the Mormon Church presents nine pageants throughout the United States. I have personally closely observed two of these (one at Hill Cumorah, New York, the largest and the other at Nauvoo, Illinois) and I have received reports on two others. Like the other examples above, the pageants do not contain even a few of the very unique LDS teachings as listed below. We have never been given or heard of any official Mormon tract or booklet that openly and briefly summarizes all of their major teachings. In fact, I believe such a document does not exist. What are these teachings? By way of example, what follows is a list of those not found in the Book of Mormon.
1. God the Father has a body of flesh and bones. In truth the Book of Mormon teaches that God is a spirit (Mosiah 15:1-5; Alma 18:26-29, 19:25-27, 22:8-11, 31:15-38). Note in Alma 31 that the speaker who says God is a spirit is not corrected by the alleged prophet involved.
2. The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are separate and distinct Gods.
3. They are one God in that they are "one in purpose."
4. God the Father was once a man like us and progressed until he became God. In reality the Book of Mormon says God has always been God from eternity to eternity (Mosiah 3:5; 2 Nephi 27:23, 29:9; Moroni 7:22, 8:18; Mormon 9:9, 19).
5. There are three levels in heaven.
6. We can progress and become Gods with "all the power, glory, dominion, and knowledge" the Father and Son have.
7. The elaborate priesthoods and organization in present day Mormonism. For example, there is no mention by name of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood, there are no deacons mentioned at all, there are no ordinations to any priesthood and in Moroni 6:1 those who appear to hold a priesthood office (by the present day criteria) are baptized after they show works worthy of it.
8. Our spirits and the spirit of Jesus Christ were born in the pre-existence (a pre-mortal life).
9. The "new and everlasting covenant", temple marriage and the practice of polygamy, as taught in D&C 132. In fact the practice of polygamy is condemned by the present day Mormon Church and by the Book of Mormon (Jacob 2:24, 27; Mosiah 11:2; Ether 10:5).
10. The teaching that matter is eternal and all Jesus Christ did in his creation was to organize and form it.
11. Vicarious work for the dead as now done in Mormon temples. In reality the Book of Mormon rules out such a practice (2 Nephi 26:11; Alma 5:28, 34:31-35; Mosiah 16:5, 11, 26:25-27).
12. God is married and there is a mother in heaven.
13. The sacred (to the Mormons) temple endowment ceremonies that Mormonism teaches are needed to pass through the veil to spend eternity with God.
14. That Jesus Christ atoned for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane. In fact the Book of Mormon does not even mention the Garden of Gethsemane. It says Jesus Christ died for all men on the cross (see 2 Nephi 9:5 1 Nephi 11:33; 3 Nephi 27:14).
Many of the above are needed, according to an official Mormon Church publication (Gospel Principles, pre-1986 editions, pages 291-293), to allow a person who accepts and lives them, to reach exaltation (becoming a God) in the Celestial Kingdom of God. Is it unreasonable to expect these ideas to be clearly taught prior to baptism?
A review of the six LDS missionary discussions (Each has a different title, the subtitle on each is "Uniform System For Teaching The Gospel.") shows a similar problem. These are published by the Mormon Church and Copyrighted 1986 by Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Except for items 1, 5 and 11 above, they also do not clearly teach the items in the above list. Discussion #4 is titled Eternal Progression, but it only gives an incomplete sketchy description. Perhaps the gospel of the Mormon Church excludes, or does not contain, the items not taught? But this is not the case. Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie said:
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the plan of salvation. It embraces all [bolding by this author] of the laws, principles, doctrines, rites, ordinances, acts, powers, authorities, and keys necessary to save and exalt men in the highest heaven hereafter...In the broadest sense, all truth is part of the gospel; for all truth is known to, is ordained by, and comes from Deity...(Mormon Doctrine, pages 331-332)
There are many countries in the world where the Mormon missionaries are present on a full time basis and two of the LDS scriptures (Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price) are not available in the language of that country (Church Almanac, Deseret News, 1989-1990 edition, page 202; 1993-1994 edition, pages 306, 390-395, 401). Perhaps this is just following the ideas in the direction given by Joseph Smith in June 1837.
My instructions to the brethren were, when they arrived in England, to adhere closely to the first principles of the Gospel, and remain silent concerning the gathering, the vision, and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants [the Pearl of Great Price did not exist in 1837], until such time as the work was fully established, and it should be clearly made manifest by the Spirit to do otherwise. (History of the Church, 2:492).
What are the "first principles of the gospel" mentioned by Joseph Smith? In 1842, in The Articles of Faith, he said:
We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Pearl of Great Price, page 60).
But on April 6, 1844, at general conference he said:
It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the character of God and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did...(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, compiled by Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith, page 345; Journal of Discourses 6:3; Gospel Principles, pre-1986 editions, pages 291-293).
Shouldn't the LDS missionaries be teaching all of the "first principles?" Why would Joseph Smith instruct the missionaries to remain silent about certain events and teachings? We are not only judged by what we say and do, we may also be evaluated by what we don't say or do, when that is appropriate. One has to wonder why the full LDS gospel is not proudly and loudly proclaimed everywhere in every country the Mormons are allowed. Why do they hold back on clear public statements on all their teachings? Some would say they first have to teach the milk of the Mormon gospel and then the meat would follow at a later date. If this is the case then why do they baptize a person into the Mormon Church before all the meat is clearly presented? Is it even fair and honest to do other wise? Mormon writer Robert J. Matthews in a different context said:
Even sharing the truth can have the effect of lying when we tell only half-truths that do not give a full picture. We can also be guilty of bearing false witness and lying if we say nothing, particularly if we allow another to reach a wrong conclusion while we hold back information that would have led to a more accurate perception. In this case it is as though an actual lie were uttered. ("`Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness'", Ensign, October 1994, page 54)
Why is the Mormon Church's leadership afraid to publicly and openly teach ALL Mormon doctrine prior to baptism? Are they fearful some of it will be labeled non-Christian and people would not join? I think this is the case.
John Farkas
Berean Christian Ministries, P.O. Box 1091, Webster, NY 14580
1-15-95
Rev 5-22-96