...INSTRUCTING THOSE WHO OPPOSE THEMSELVES... (2 TIMOTHY 2:25)

An Answer To The Anti-Anti-Mormon Book Take Heed That Ye Be Not Deceived, by Richard I. Winwood.

PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE

The Mormon Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, does not, in detail, defend itself against the claims of anti-Mormons. This is left to Foundation For Ancient Research & Mormon Studies (FARMS), with headquarters on the Brigham Young University campus, and private authors. A book by Richard I. Winwood, Take Heed That Ye Be Not Deceived, is one of the latter.

On page 19 Mr. Winwood said, "Anti-Mormon authors commonly print rumor or opinion, mixed with proven facts or truth...that truth, charity, and understanding - all necessary parts of a true Christian character - are not high priorities to them." On page 5 he said, "My purpose is simply to help clear up common misconceptions about the Church [the Mormon Church][1 - this is an endnote] and its doctrines and teachings."

Is Mr Winwood correct and does he "clear up common misconceptions about...its doctrines and teachings"? No, he is not correct, and he failed to give a clear statement of the major unique teachings of the Mormon Church. This booklet will show why this is so.

CHAPTER 1

THE MORMON CHURCH'S TEACHINGS AND DOCTRINE

What Was Not Said

On page 5 of his book Mr. Winwood says, "My purpose is simply to help clear up common misconceptions about the Church and its doctrines and teachings." Just before the Contents is a list of thirteen items called The Articles of Faith. These thirteen items are also found at the end of the Mormon scripture, the Pearl of Great Price. This LDS Scripture quotation does not give a complete review of the major doctrines and teachings that separate Mormonism from mainline Christianity. While some unique LDS teachings and doctrine are covered elsewhere in Mr. Winwood's book, the following significant ones are not clearly stated - and none are clearly summarized and located as The Articles of Faith were located - in the front of the book.

Today Mr. Winwood's church teaches that both God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, each have resurrected bodies of flesh and bones, but the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit [2]. In the pre-existence (a pre-mortal state) the spirit of the Son (called Jehovah in his pre-mortal life), was begotten and born of heavenly parents (God the Father and Mother in heaven), and reared to maturity. God the Father has a father and mother, and each father before him had a father and mother. God the Father was once a man, as we are now. He died, was resurrected and progressed to become a God, just as we may also [3], if we live all the teachings of the Mormon Church. Mormon teaching manuals say it this way:

President Joseph Fielding Smith said: "Our Father in heaven according to the Prophet, had a Father, and since there has been a condition of this kind through all eternity, each Father had a Father" (Doctrines of Salvation 2:47)...President Joseph F. Smith taught: "I know that God is a being with body, parts and passions...Man was born of woman; Christ, the Savior, was born of woman; and God, the Father was born of woman" (Church News, 19 Sept, 1936, p.2). (Search These Commandments, Melchizedek Priesthood Personal Study Guide, Copyright 1984 by Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, page 152)

As shown in this chapter, our Father in heaven was once a man as we are now, capable of physical death...he and our mother in heaven were empowered to give birth to spirit children... (Achieving a Celestial Marriage, Copyright 1976, 1992 by Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, page 132)

We can become Gods like our Heavenly Father. This is exaltation...They [people] will become gods...and will be able to have spirit children also. These spirit children will have the same relationship to them as we do to our Heavenly Father. They will be an eternal family...They will have everything that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have, all power, glory, dominion, and knowledge. (Gospel Principles, page 290, 1986 edition or older; copyright 1978 by Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

...Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal [physical] body" (Joseph F. Smith, "The Origin of Man," Improvement Era, Nov. 1909, pp. 78, 80).

Every person who was ever born on earth was our spirit brother or sister in heaven. The first spirit born to our heavenly parents was Jesus Christ (see D&C 93:21). He is thus our elder brother (see Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 26). Our spirits resemble our heavenly parents although they have resurrected bodies. We have inherited the potential to develop their divine qualities. If we choose to do so, we can become perfect, just as they are. (ibid, page 9)

...and yet they [Father, Son, Holy Ghost] are three separate and distinct entities. Each occupies space and is and can be in but one place at one time...The Holy Ghost as a personage of Spirit can no more be omnipresent in person than can the Father or the Son...[4] (Doctrines Of The Gospel, Student Manual, Religion 231 and 232, Copyright 1986 by Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pages 8 and 11)

Note that the above quotations are from the Mormon Church's teaching manuals. What they say is very clear. These are some of the teachings that create a major separation between them and historical Christianity (mainline Christianity). If the Mormon Church clearly and openly taught the above items to the general public there would be a lot fewer active anti-Mormons.

Mormons Are Living Another Gospel

On page 55 of his book, Mr. Winwood addresses the issue about Mormons having another gospel, as in Galatians 1:6-9. He goes on to say that it is the people who say this who are the ones who have another gospel, not the Mormons. I ask you to again read chapter 1 "What Was Not Said" (above) and then appendix 1 (at the end of this article). You decide who has another gospel, a non-biblical gospel. This does not mean Mormons are evil or immoral. It does mean that those who accept the Mormon gospel will not spend eternity with God. The Mormon Church clearly teaches and preaches another gospel and another God as warned in Gal. 1:6-9 and 2 Cor. 11:4. More details can be found in Mormons Answered Verse By Verse by David A. Reed and John R. Farkas, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1992.

Is It Important To Know The Attributes Of God?

The Bible tells us it is important to know God and there is a penalty for those who do not know Him.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ.... (John 17:3)

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (2 Thessalonians 1:8)

Joseph Smith presented a similar idea in the 1835 Doctrine & Covenants (a Mormon scripture) and at the April 1844 general conference:

Let us here observe, that three things are necessary, in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation....Secondly, A correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes. (1835 Doctrine and Covenants, Lecture Third of Faith, page 36, verses 2 and 4)

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... (Joseph Smith at April 1844 general conference - Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, by Joseph Fielding Smith, p. 345; History of the Church, 6:305; Journal of Discourses. 6:3)

From the above we learn that it is vital to our salvation, our spending eternity with God, to know his character, perfections and attributes. Why did Mr. Winwood leave out detailed discussion about this critical information? It is a subject many anti-Mormons cover. It is one of the major items that separates Mormonism from mainline Christianity.

Mr. Winwood's Errors - Adam-God Teachings

On page 53-55 Mr. Winwood discusses the Adam-God teachings of the second president and prophet of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young. On page 53 he says, "It is from these recordings [Journal of Discourses] that the 'Adam-God' charge is made." Mr. Winwood makes a significant mistake with this statement. The following resources make this clear.

- Adam-God, by Craig L. Tholson, Payson UT, Publishment, 1991, 378 p.

- "Adam-God Doctrine, The"; by David John Buerger; Dialogue, A Journal of Mormon Thought, Vol. 15, #1, Spring 1982, pages 14-58.

- Adam Is God???, booklet by Chris A. Vlachos, published by Utah Lighthouse Ministries, Salt Lake City, 27 pages

- Adam-God Maze, by Culley K. Christensen, Independent Publishers, 1981, 333 pages.

- Brigham Young Addresses, covering 1836-1869, 5 Vol., by Elden J. Watson; volumes 2-5 have Adam-God information.

- Michael Our Father And Our God, by Joseph W. Musser, Truth Publishing Co., Salt Lake City, UT, 1963, 139 pages.

- Mormonism - Shadow or Reality, by Jerald and Sandra Tanner; Salt Lake City, pp. 173-178-D.

-Notes, The, compiled by Robert R. Openshaw, The Bitterroot

Publishing Co., P.O. Box 1187 Hamilton, MT 59840. On pp. 1-61 218 sources on and related to Adam-God teachings are given in summary.

- Unpublished Adam-God Discourses of Brigham Young, 1852-1877; Doctrine of the Priesthood, September 1974, Vol. 2, No.1, Collier's Publishing Co., 74 pages.

- Unpublished Revelations of the Prophets and Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, complied by Fred C. Collier, Vol 1, Collier's Publishing Co., P.O. Box 1866, Salt Lake City, UT 84110, 1981.

While all the above use quotes from the Journal of Discourses, they also use many other sources. Mr. Winwood could have considered some of the following, which are just a sample of the many available.

How much unbelief exists in the minds of Latter-day Saints in regard to one particular doctrine which I revealed to them, and which God revealed to me - namely that Adam is our father and God...Then he said, "I want my children who are in the spirit world to come and live here. I once dwelt upon an earth something like this, in a mortal state. I was faithful. I received my crown and exaltation...I want my children that were born to me in the spirit world to come here and take tabernacles of flesh that their spirits may have a house, a tabernacle..." (Brigham Young, Deseret Weekly News, June 18, 1873, page 308; Deseret Evening News, June 14, 1873.)

Who was the Savior begotten by?....Who did beget him? His Father, and his father is our God, and the Father of our spirits, and he is the framer of the body, the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ. Who is he? He is Father Adam; Michael; the Ancient of Days. (Pres. B. Young, Feb. 19, 1854; Brigham Young Collection, LDS Archives; ; Brigham Young Addresses, 1850-1854, Vol. 2, by Elden J. Watson, sheet 179 in chronological order, Historical Dept. Church, Ms d 1234, Box 48 Fd. 11; Adam Is God???, pp. 9-10; Adam-God Maze, p.101)

Some years ago I advanced a doctrine with regard to Adam being our Father and God...It is one of the most glorious revealments of the economy of heaven... (President Brigham Young, in the Tabernacle, General Conference, October 8, 1861, 10:30 a.m.; Brigham Young Addresses, 1860-1864, Vol. 4, by Elden J. Watson, sheet 134 in chronological order, Historical Dept. Church, Ms d 1234, Box 49 fd 8)

Consistent with Brigham Young's Adam-God doctrine is his teaching that Adam was made from the dust of another earth, not of this earth, and came into the Garden of Eden with a celestial body [5].

You believe Adam was made of the dust of this earth. This I do not believe, though it is supposed that it is so written in the Bible; but it is not, to my understanding...I do not believe that portion of the Bible.... (Pres. Brigham Young, October 23, 1853, Journal Of Discourses 2:6).

Adam was made from the dust of an earth, but not from the dust of this earth. He was made as you and I are made, and no person was ever made upon any other principle." (President Brigham Young, April 20, 1856, Journal of Discourses 3:319).

When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT of Days! about whom holy men have written and spoken - HE is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom WE have to do. (Brigham Young, April 9, 1852. Journal of Discourses 1:50)

These six sample references show that Brigham Young did indeed, on many occasions, teach Adam-God very clearly, and he called it doctrine and a revelation from God.

On page 54 of his book Mr. Winwood provides a quote from Mormon Apostle John A. Widtsoe in which Widtsoe admonishes the anti-Mormons for using "only a half dozen statements" in support of Adam-God teachings and for ignoring the hundreds that seemed to teach "the true nature of both God our Heavenly Father and Adam." The source of this quote is Widtsoe's book, Evidences and Reconciliations. Mr. Winwood used a 1987 edition of this book. What Mr. Winwood missed is that Apostle Widtsoe died in 1952 and first made his statements about Adam-God in the 1943 edition of his book, page 290. A great deal more about Adam-God has been made public since 1943, more than 50 years ago.

On page 289 of his 1943 book Apostle Widtsoe provides several statements by Brigham Young which he thinks show how Brigham Young did teach correct doctrine about the Father. These quotes are as follows:

I believe the Father came down from heaven, as the Apostles said he did, and begat the Savior of the World; for He is the Only Begotten of the Father, which could not have been if the Father did not actually beget him in person. (Journal of Discourses 1:238)

And what shall we say of our Heavenly Father: He is also a man in perfection, and the Father of the man Jesus Christ, and the Father of our spirits. (Journal of Discourses 2:42) [correction - this quote is really found at 11:42. The 2:42 is an error by Widtsoe.]

These statements in no way contradict or nullify the very many clear statements by Brigham Young that Adam is the father of our spirits and the father of Jesus Christ. These quotes by Widtsoe easily fit within the clear statements where Young did say that Adam is the Father, Heavenly Father.

Both present day Mormons and non-Mormons can agree that the Adam-God teachings by Brigham Young were wrong. They give the wrong attributes of God the Father. Why are the Adam-God teachings by Brigham Young critical? They are critical because they highlight the spiritual corruptness of this leader. Can a prophet of God remain a true prophet while teaching time and again the incorrect attributes and perfections of God? Based upon what Joseph Smith said (the quote is given above on page 4) Brigham Young did not have the necessary ingredients for "faith in God unto life and salvation." In other words he is a fallen prophet, if he was one in the first place.

One last point to be made is that Brigham Young did not have to submit Adam-God teachings formally to a Mormon Church membership vote because it was already in Mormon Scriptures!

And also with Michael or Adam, the father of all, the prince of all, the ancient of days. (D&C 27:11, August 1830)

...Adam shall come to visit his people, or the Ancient of Days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet. (D&C 116, May 19, 1838)

Both of these are reinforced in D&C 138:38.

Among the great and mighty ones who were assembled in this vast congregation of the righteous were Father Adam, the Ancient of Days and father of all. (October 3,1918)

From these we learn:

1) Adam/Michael is the Ancient of Days and the father referred to by Daniel the prophet (see Daniel 7:9, 22 shown below).

2) Adam is the father of all, the prince of all.

3) Adam has the title Father - Father Adam (from the 1918 revelation)

From Daniel 7:9, 13, 14, 22 we find:

9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

From these and the Doctrine and Covenants references we have:

a. From Daniel 7:9: Father Adam has a throne.

b. From Daniel 7:13-14: The "Son of Man," Jesus Christ , will come to and will be brought before Father Adam and Father Adam will give Jesus Christ dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him. [6] Only God the Father would have the authority to have Jesus Christ brought before him.

More details about Adam-God doctrine is available in my free 16 page booklet. Send $0.60 for postage and handling.

Mr. Winwood's Errors - Plural Marriage

On page 27 of his book Mr. Winwood says, "In Mormon doctrine plural marriage is not an essential principle of the gospel, nor is it preferable to monogamy." Yes, this is the case now. But, why was nothing said that plural marriage/polygamy was once a very necessary ingredient in the Mormon gospel for reaching exaltation, becoming a god. Is it unreasonable to think that if polygamy was again allowed and practiced openly that it would not again be an important doctrinal issue?

The Mormon practice of polygamy officially ended in 1890 with "Official Declaration - 1" which is found in the Doctrine and Covenants. Now let us see what past top LDS leaders and participants said about the need to practice it.

We formerly taught our people that polygamy, or celestial marriage, as commanded by God through Joseph Smith, was right; that it was a necessity to man's highest exaltation [becoming a god] in the life to come. (Messages of the First Presidency, Vol.3, p.230)

Plurality of wives is not designed to afflict you nor me, but is purposed for our exaltation [becoming a god] in the kingdoms of God. (Brigham Young, July 14, 1855; Journal of Discourses, 3:266,)

Being thoroughly convinced, as well as my husband, that the doctrine of plurality of wives was from God, and having a fixed determination to attain to Celestial glory, I felt to embrace the whole Gospel, and that it was for my husband's exaltation [becoming a god] that he should obey the revelation on Celestial Marriage [D&C 132], that he might attain to kingdoms, thrones, principalities and powers, firmly believing that I should participate with him in all his blessings, glory and honor. (Bathsheba Smith Autobiography, typescript, BYU­A, p.11)

Do any of these make it sound like plural marriage, polygamy, was not an essential part of Mormon doctrine?

Mr. Winwood and the Browns: On page iii of his book Mr Winwood speaks of his friends Robert and Rosemary Brown and then says "They are heroes to me." The Browns are known for a series of books titled They Lie In Wait To Deceive. Mr. Winwood's practice of primarily attacking the bearer of the "bad news," with not much aimed at the "bad news" might have been learned from the Browns. There is more on this in chapter 2 below. Will Mr. Winwood accuse the Browns (and himself) of being liars and fabricators when their errors are identified?

For example, in volume 2 of their book, They Lie In Waite To Deceive, the Browns, on pages 221 and 225, speak about their search to confirm the existence of certain named people, "...the eight witnesses in Conneaut [Ohio]." These eight people, in the 1809-1812 time period, were said to have been living in Conneaut (New Salem) and personally heard the text of "Manuscript Found," a book by Solomon Spaulding. Later they recognized the similarity of this book to the Book of Mormon.

In their efforts to refute the testimony of the eight people the Browns searched for their presence in United States census records. On page 221 we find, "This author checked the United States census records for Conneaut, Ashtabula County, Ohio, from 1810 to 1860 and 1880 in an effort to verify the existence of the eight witnesses in Conneaut." On page 225 is a table labeled "Source: U.S. Census Records" and under the year 1810 the word "none" is next to the names of each of the eight people. In other words, the 1810 census had no record of the eight named people. Mr. Winwood uses this error on page 88 of his book.

What is unusual about this is that there was no 1810 census in Ohio. The U.S. government did not take a census in Ohio in 1810 according to the two following books: "Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy," by Val D. Greenwood, 2nd edition, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., page 193. According to this book the first census in Ohio was in 1820. A second book says the same thing, "Federal Population Censuses 1790-1890," National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, Washington, 1971, page 3. There is no Ohio census listed for 1810.

Now, at this point should I accuse the Browns of lying or just being poor scholars? If I used Mr. Winwood's approach I would condemn all of the Browns's work based on this one error. This is what he did to the Tanner's based on one perceived error in their work (pages 102-103). I will do none of the above. Until there is some evidence to the contrary, I will assume a mistake was made. The kind of mistakes that creeps in, no matter how much care is taken.

CHAPTER 2

ANTI-MORMONS

On page 102-103 of his book Mr Winwood points out what he thinks is one of the Tanner's misquotes and uses it as an example "To refute the truthfulness of the Tanners' product and scholarship of their research...." He uses a quote from page 154 of Mormonism-Shadow or Reality? by Heber C. Kimball from the Journal of Discourses, 1:29. Mr. Winwood on page 103 says, "And the topic of the speech was not the First Vision, but Kimball was referring to a principle of divine delegation - an entirely different subject." Mr. Winwood is correct in saying the subject of Kimball was divine delegation, he is totally wrong in saying it was "an entirely different subject." Kimball's quote is clearly applicable to the visitation of God the Father in the First Vision Story. Yes, the Tanner's could have, on page 154, added a sentence acknowledging that while Kimball was speaking about divine delegation it also applied to the alleged visitation of God the Father to Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove. This would have taken away a source of criticism. If people like Mr. Winwood can't use their heads then the Tanner's would better have spelled it out to make it as clear as possible.

To test Mr. Winwood's idea that Kimball's quote was an example of the Tanner's "truth and scholarship" Scott Urbanski, a friend of mine, and I tried to look up every reference used in chapter 8, The First Vision, in Mormonism-Shadow and Reality. We had 51 of the references of the total of about 148 sources used in this chapter, for a sample size of about 35%. In none of the 51 samples did we find an outright misuse of the quote or its context. Two of the references we believe needed additional information. One is the Kimball quote covered above. The second one is the use of Mosiah 15:1, 2 and 5 on page 153. With this quote we believe the Tanner's would better have also used verse 4, which has "And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth." The use of "they" in this verse puts a different light on the subject, and even though verse 4 makes verses 1-3 and 5 harder to understand, it must be used to give the full story. We think Alma 11:28-29 and 44; 2 Nephi 31:21 and the end of the prayer of the three witnesses are clearer and should also have been used. On page 153 is a typo in the very last reference, in Ether 3:14, "light" should be "life."

In summary, we found nothing in our 35% sampling of the references in chapter 8 that would change the conclusions reached. What we found is the kind of very minor problems that will get into any long and detailed work.

CHAPTER 3

THE GREAT APOSTASY?

The Great Apostasy

On page 56 Mr. Winwood says, "After Paul [the Apostle] and the other apostles were killed, none was left to make such corrections, and people fell away from the teachings of Christ." On page 7 he says,

...sacred authority to administer the ordinances of the gospel were taken from the earth shortly after the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostasy, or 'falling away' (see 2 Thess. 2:3) from the true teachings of Jesus Christ is a matter of biblical prophecy and historical record.

This is a significant assertion that ignores biblical references on the subject.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 in context is speaking about what events must happen before our Lord's second coming [7]. There is no evidence that these events have happened. There are many verses in the Bible that speak of an apostasy, but none of them say the apostasy would be complete. There is no clear, reliable and sound evidence of a complete apostasy.

The Mormon Church teaches that shortly after the Lord died a universal apostasy resulted in the loss of "the gospel" of Jesus Christ on earth. The teachings lost were allegedly restored by Joseph Smith starting with the Book of Mormon and the founding of the Church of Christ in 1830.[8] In support of this they will point to biblical verses like Acts 20:29-30; Matthew 24:11; Amos 8:11; Romans 16:17-18; 2 Peter 2:1 and 1 Timothy 4:1. What Mormons fail to point out is that none of these verses, or any others, say the apostasy would be 100%, universal. Mormons also fail to point out the many Bible verses that assure Christians that such a 100% apostasy would not happen. For example, we have our Lord's promise in the following:

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. (John 17:20)

In this last reference note that our Lord is praying for us, those who would believe in him through the word of his apostles and disciples. If the teachings of the Mormon Church are correct then this prayer of our Lord for us was ignored for almost 1,800 years. In addition the apostles, disciples and those they appointed to replace then, along with the Holy Ghost (John 14:26, 16:13; Acts 1:8), bungled the job, they were complete failures. I cannot believe this. Can you?

Mormons also ignore their own Doctrine and Covenants 7:1-8, which says the Apostle John would not die. If this is the case, then he had all the necessary authority to continue the Lord's church. Brigham Young said that so long as one person with authority was alive the Lord's church would also be.[9]

Mr. Winwood speaks about an apostasy in the church (page 56) and the lack of agreement in the church's teachings (pages 7-11). He fails to point out that since 1830 there have been over 100 off-shoots from the church Joseph Smith founded. All of them claiming to be the one true church and use the Book of Mormon (Divergent Paths of the Restoration, by Steven L. Shields, Restoration Research, P.O. Box 547, Bountiful, UT 84010). Some are still active.

Wide Spread Disagreement?

Mr. Winwood on pages 1 and 8-10 dwells on the "widespread disagreement over points of doctrine" between Christian churches. On page 1 he says, "Even within our respective church organizations, little agreement on important issues could be found." Why is he not specific as to what the differences are? Why is he so vague? Yes, there are churches that teach a false gospel. Yes, there are widespread differences between Christian denominations on peripheral issues like music, use of instruments, speaking in tongues, liturgy, facilities, method of baptism and similar. But salvation does not hang on these issues. For many denominations there is no disagreement on the important critical issue - the biblical attributes of God, the role of faith and grace in our salvation (spending eternity with God), the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and who he is. These are the items that effect our salvation, whether a person will spend eternity with God or Satan. These same denominations agree on the gospel as summarized in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.

The body of Christ is not a denomination or church, it is those people who have accepted the biblical Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, no matter what denomination they belong to. This is what the "church" is. It is not a facility or organization. The following verses give some light to this idea.

For by one Spirit are we all baptized [10] into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many...Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (1 Corinthians 12:13-14, 27)

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: (Colossians 1:24)

Ephesians 4:4-5 and Matthew 18:20 have a similar message.

CHAPTER 4

BE YE PERFECT

Be Ye Therefore Perfect Even As Your Father In Heaven Is Perfect?:[11] On page 33-36 Mr. Winwood uses Matthew 5:48 to support the LDS teaching that each person has the opportunity to reach exaltation, i.e. to become a God (or Goddess) with all the "power, glory, dominion and knowledge" the Father and Son have [12]. Their approach is usually similar to the following: "Would God give us a commandment we could not keep? The answer is 'No' [13]. Let us look at a commandment in Matthew 5:48: 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.'" They then go on to argue that "perfect" means to have all the attributes that make God the Father God.

From a Mormon's point of view there should be no question what this means. Joseph Smith in his Joseph Smith Translation has Matt 5:48 (it is numbered 5:50) as a commandment. It has: "Ye are therefore commanded to be perfect, even as your father who is in heaven is perfect". This is a far cry from become perfect. But we should not end the study of being perfect with this one verse. The Bible also says:

Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. (Matthew 19:21)

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:4 [14])

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.....For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:10, 14[15])

From the following we learn that Biblical prophets were perfect:

...Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God. (Gen 6:9)

There was a man...whose name was Job and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. (Job 1:1)

But yet we know from 1 John 1:7-10 that we are all sinners, this includes these prophets and the other Bible authors. So the word perfect as used in the Bible must mean something different from having the attributes of God, or being a God. The church I go to sings a short hymn:

To be like Jesus, all I ask is to be like him,

All through life's journey, from earth to glory,

All I ask is to be like him.

We are not asking to take on all the attributes the Lord has, even his glory and Godhood. We are asking to have the attributes we humans can have, but we will still remain human.

Yes, Romans 8:17 does say we can be "...heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." On page 34 Mr. Winwood speaks as if this means we will be on the same level as Jesus Christ. Mr. Winwood inserts a meaning that is not there and which is refuted by other verses, as shown below. When a cat or dog is an heir of its owner does that mean the dog or cat become a human? When I became a joint-heir of my father's estate with my brother and two sisters I only received a fraction of the total estate, and none of us received any of the mental, physical and other attributes of our father. We each only received a portion of his possessions. But, we can be perfect, so how does it happen?

Before answering this let us look at what some Bible verses say about men and women having the opportunity, as the Mormon Church claims, to become a God, as God the Father did.

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. (Isaiah 43:10)

Here we have God telling us that there would be no Gods formed before or after Him. There are more verses on this subject in Appendix 1, page 30, items 1-7. Now for information on how we can be perfect.

The Grace Of God

On page 8 Mr. Winwood ridicules the Christian concept of salvation (spending eternity with God) by grace alone. He says, "...being saved wholly by the grace of God...were not the contributions of Jesus Christ, but of Augustine." Let us see what the Scriptures say about this.

The Bible: For Mormons biblical grace is a difficult idea to grasp. Most believe they have to work their way to spend eternity with God. The Bible says otherwise.

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)...For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:5, 8-10) [16]

The following biblical verses express similar ideas: John 1:17; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24, 5:15, 17, 20, 21, 6:1, 14, 15; Ephesians 1:7; 2 Timothy 1:9. Pay special attention to "not of works least any man should boast." Yes, works are an important part of a Christian's salvation, but they are works which are a result of our salvation. The works do not earn us grace. Grace and salvation come first and then the works follow, as an evidence of our salvation. Because of our love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we want to please him.

The Book of Mormon: Mormons frequently say they believe in the grace of God and works. They then quote James 2:17, 26 in their attempt to refute Ephesians 2:5, 8-9.

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead,...For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

All this verse is saying it that works are an evidence of our salvation, not the means. In saying works and grace are the means of salvation Mormons ignore "not of works, lest any man should boast..." in Ephesians 2:9 (it is the same in the Bible and the JST) and accept what their Book of Mormon says.

...for we know that it is by grace we are saved, after all we can do. (2 Nephi 25:23)

And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. (2 Nephi 9:23)

And may God grant, in his great fulness, that men might be brought into repentance and good works, that they might be restored into grace for grace, according to their works. (Helaman 12:24)

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. (Moroni 10:32)

These Book of Mormon verses [17] (an LDS scripture) make salvation a "do it yourself" activity. Note the bold text above: after all we can do; having perfect faith; restored into grace for grace, according to their works; if ye deny yourselves of all ungodliness and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient. These seem to say a person must become sinless on his own, with no help from God, and only then will God grant his grace. If a person can do all of these things without God why does he need the grace of God? It is an impossible task. We all need the grace of God. None of us can be good enough on our own.

Can any of us always do all we can? Do we always have perfect faith? Can we deny ourselves of all ungodliness and love God with all our mind, might and strength day after day, year after year and decade after decade without slip up? Yet this is what Mormonism requires before God's grace is given.

None of us should forget 1 Timothy 1:15, "...Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners..." and 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Do We Only Have To Just Say The Words "We Believe"?

Not understanding grace, some will be incredulous, and maybe even ridicule the idea. They might say: "You mean all you have to do is say the right words, and then it is okay to live a life of sin?" The Apostle Paul experienced the same question. He answered it in his epistle to the Romans:

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:14-17)

The apostle expands on this in Romans 10:9-10. Paul makes it clear that not only must each of us tell people that Christ is our Lord and Savior, we must also believe it in our heart. The belief in our hearts with the grace of God will then lead us to live the Savior's commandments out of gratitude for his priceless gift of eternal life. (1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11; Jude 1:1; Acts 26:18).

We Cannot Be Righteous On Our Own

The Bible shows it abundantly clear that on our own we cannot be righteous enough for God. Our works will not save us, see Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10, 23; 1 John 1:10.

For Mormons, obtaining their salvation is going to be a very tough job. They had better not stumble too many times, for it appears that the Mormon God has a limited supply of mercy and grace. A Mormon scripture says:

And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge; go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God. (D&C 82:7)

A Mormon prophet explains:

We can hardly be too forceful in reminding people that they cannot sin and be forgiven and then sin again and again and expect repeated forgiveness... (The Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1969, page 360)

The Bible and the Book of Mormon have nothing that says the faithful and honest confessed and repentant sinner will eventually be ignored by God. In fact the Bible says God will not remember our sins. Also see Isaiah 43:25; Psalms 103:12 and Jeremiah 31:34. There is a case where there is no forgiveness:

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, (Heb. 10:26)

We Can Be Perfect In The Sight Of Our Father!

This idea will be incomprehensible to most Mormons (and some Christians). All their life they have been taught they can become a God, but not in this life. It will take an eternity, and will occur after they are resurrected. Matthew 5:48 is the most quoted reference. A Mormon prophet said:

We are gods in embryo, and the Lord demands perfection of us. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1969, page 286)

A training manual published by the Mormon Church says:

MEN ARE GODS IN EMBRYO We Have the Potential to Become like Our Heavenly Parents 'Man is the child of God, formed in the divine image....is capable, by experience through ages of aeons, of evolving into a God.' (The First Presidency [Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, Anthon H. Lund], 'The Origin of Man,' Improvement Era, Nov. 1909, p. 81). (Achieving A Celestial Marriage, copyright 1976 Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, page 130)

There is a long list of items a Mormon must obey in this life before this can happen, one such list has:

Latter-day Saints are taught that now is the time to fulfill the requirements for exaltation [18] (see Alma 34:32-34). President Joseph Fielding Smith said, "In order to obtain the exaltation we must accept the gospel [19] and all its covenants; and take upon us the obligations which the Lord has offered; and walk in the light and understanding of the truth; and 'live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God'" (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:43). (Gospel Principles, published by the Mormon Church, copyright 1978 Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, page 291-292)

This quotation is then followed by four ordinances and 22 "laws" that have to be performed and obeyed. The quotation closes with this admonition:

In other words, each person must endure in faithfulness, keeping all the Lord's commandments until the end of his life on earth. (ibid)

Notice the bold face type words which say: "...now is the time...keeping all the Lord's commandments until the end of his life on earth". A Mormon who is honest with himself will have to admit that he can achieve, at best, only partial compliance with these requirements. Christians, too, experience many failures in areas they share as goals - speaking the truth, praying regularly, regular scripture study, do good for others, honoring our parents and so on - but happily, we do not depend on these works for our standing with God. However, a Christian's work will earn him rewards (1 Cor. 3:14; Matt. 6:19-21, 16:27; 2 John 1:8).

We Are Justified By Jesus Christ

Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie makes it clear that the burden is all on the Mormon:

What then is the law of justification?...... As with all other doctrines of salvation, justification is available because of the atoning sacrifice of Christ, but it becomes operative in the life of an individual only on conditions of personal righteousness. (Mormon Doctrine, by Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, on page 408, under "Justification")

Thankfully the Bible has a different message! We are justified by the death and blood of Jesus Christ. In other words we are found "not guilty," we are acquitted, declared righteous, and made sinless and holy before God. (New Bible Dictionary, Tyndale House, Wheaton, Il., 1962, page 646-647). The Bible says:

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:24, 28)

A Mormon scripture also has a similar message, but for some reason it is ignored.

For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified (Moses 6:60)

Acts 13:39; Romans 5:1, 9, 8:30, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Galatians 2:16, 17, 3:11, 3:24; Titus 3:7 also say the same thing.

We Are Sanctified By Jesus Christ

Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie in speaking about sanctification continues to place the burden on Mormons.

...a state attained only by conformity to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. The plan of salvation is the system and means provided whereby men may sanctify their souls and thereby become worthy of a celestial inheritance....Those who are faithful in magnifying their callings in the Melchizedek Priesthood "are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies." (D. & C. 84:33.)...Sanctification is a personal reward that follows personal righteousness. (Mormon Doctrine, by Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, on page 675-676, under "Sanctification")

The biblical message again is different. Sanctification "concerns the moral and spiritual transformation of the justified believer who is regenerated, given new life by God". (New Bible Dictionary, page 1069, Tyndale House, Wheaton, Il., 1962, page 1069). The Bible teaches that perfection, now, in this life, is possible through the sanctification of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours (1 Corinthians 1:2)

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)

Also see 1 Corinthians 6:11 and Acts 20:32, 26:18; Jude 1:1. Only one conclusion is possible.

We Are Perfect Before The Father

The Bible is telling us we can be perfect in this life, in the eyes of God, because of our faith in Jesus Christ and his grace. We are sinners, but because of the blood of Jesus Christ - through our confession, repentance and faith in him - our sins are not seen by the Father. We have been justified (found not guilty) and sanctified! Our sins are cleansed (1 John 1:7, 9) by the blood of Jesus Christ; therefore we are perfect now in the sight of God!

Mormons need to recognize that it is impossible for them to obey all the laws of Mormonism in this life. LDS teaching, as shown above, makes it clear that they had better not stumble too often, otherwise they will be carrying all their sins - past, present and new ones - all at once, all alone.

Yes, Mr. Winwood, we are "saved wholly by the grace of God." You only need to reject the false teachings of the Mormon Church, turn your heart to the biblical Jesus Christ and place your faith in Him. Please give God's free grace a chance to work in your heart. You too can be perfect in the eyes of the Father!

CHAPTER 5

SCRIPTURES

Is The Bible Reliable?

On page 41- 42 Mr. Winwood questions the reliability of the Bible by giving what appears to be contradictions. With just a little study of the subject he would find that many, of what appear to be contradictions, are explainable. Of the many books on this subject, the one I use the most is, When Critics Ask, A Popular Handbook On Bible Difficulties, by Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, Victor Books. The questions Mr. Winwood raises on page 42 about Paul's conversion and the death of Judas Iscariot have reasonable explanations, one has only to search for them, instead of using them to pull the Bible down.

When first discussed, some LDS will profess full acceptance of the Bible and say it ranks on the same level as their other scriptures. However, do Mormon leaders agree with this idea? It is important to know the true position of the Mormon Church relative to the confidence you can have in the Bible. You are not likely to find out clearly from its missionaries that come to your door, or your Mormon friend or relative if you ask about their view of the Bible. But their view will become obvious when you start to challenge LDS teachings and the reliability of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price (there is more on this below). The Mormon Church in its general public statements about the Bible today usually cites its own Articles of Faith.

We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly;... (Articles of Faith, #8, in the Pearl of Great Price).

Christians should not have any difficulty with this statement, as there are indeed some truly poor and bad translations. The Jehovah's Witness's New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is one example.[20] But is this what the Mormons really have in mind? Speaking more frankly to their own members, Mormon leaders have expressed themselves this way:

The most reliable way to measure the accuracy of any biblical passage is not by comparing different texts, but by comparison with the Book of Mormon and modern-day revelations. (Church News, June 20, 1992, page 3, a letter from the First Presidency (Presidents Benson, Hinckley, and Monson) dated May 22, 1992, to all members of the Church)

Thus, instead of using the Bible to evaluate Mormonism they would reverse this and use Mormonism to judge the Bible. When speaking frankly, Mormon leaders view the Book of Mormon as more reliable than the Bible:

Unlike the Bible, which passed through generations of copyists, translators, and corrupt religionists who tampered with the text, the Book of Mormon came from writer to reader in just one inspired step of translation. ("The Keystone of Our Religion", Ensign, by President Ezra Taft Benson, January 1992, page 5)

The Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi 13:26, 32, 34 itself claims important parts of the Bible have been removed. From these we can see the true opinion of the Mormon Church about the Bible. However, there is no sound clear evidence to support the Mormon position that the Bible is not reliable.

Is the Bible reliable? The answer is "yes" but it is out side the scope of this booklet to go in to the details.

Is The Book of Mormon Reliable?

On page 45 Mr. Winwood tries to defend the charges that the Book of Mormon has been changed. A comparison of the first edition (1830) of the Book of Mormon with a current edition will show many changes. A full analysis has been completed in the book 3913 Changes in the Book of Mormon by Jerald and Sandra Tanner. The Tanner's book, on page 17 of their text and page 26 of the photocopy of the Book of Mormon, discusses the change made to what is now 1 Nephi 11:32 (Chapter 3, page 26 of the original Book of Mormon). Using a photocopy of the original handwritten manuscript, they clearly demonstrate that the original manuscript and the first edition agreed. In this case the printer of the first edition did not introduce changes that needed correction. It was the changes introduced later by the LDS Church that were significantly different from the handwritten manuscript.

Many of the changes made to the original edition of the Book of Mormon were corrections in spelling, grammar and arranging the book into chapter and verse. Several of the early witnesses [21]to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon said the translation was done by the power of God. If they are correct, then one has to wonder why even these changes were needed.

Mormon Apostle James E. Talmage agreed when he said:

...we make no reservation respecting the Book of Mormon on the ground of incorrect translation...Joseph Smith...expressly avers that the translation was effected through the gift and power of God... (The Vitality of Mormonism, Apostle James E. Talmage, c1919, p. 127)

One set of Book of Mormon changes can be found in 1 Nephi 11:18, 21, 32, 13:40. The phrase "the Son of" is not found in the 1830 edition. In Mosiah 21:28 and Ether 4:4 the name "Mosiah" was Benjamin" in the 1830 edition. In Alma 37:21, 24 "interpreters" was "directors." In 2 Nephi 30:6 "pure" was "white."

Are The Other LDS Scripture Reliable?

The Book of Mormon is not the only Mormon Scripture that has been tampered with. Some revelations have been changed after they were first published as scripture. One set to look at is a comparison of some revelations first published in the 1833 Book of Commandments with how the same revelations are worded in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants. One example, of the many, is Chapter VI (6), page 18 in the 1833 Book of Commandments to Section XXXIII (33), page 160, in the 1835 D&C. This alleged revelation is about the Apostle John. Another example is Chapter IV (4), verse 2, page 10, in the 1833 Book of Commandments to Section XXXII (32), verse 1, page 158, in the 1835 D&C. This alleged revelation is about gifts Joseph Smith was to have and not have. [22]

A second set is a comparison of some revelations that were first published in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants to how the same revelations reads in the current Doctrine and Covenants. Both sets of comparisons will show scores of significant changes to revelations allegedly from God. My booklet, Alterations To Mormon Revelations covers some of the changes. Mormonism - Shadow or Reality?, by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, pages 14-32, has pages of examples.

CHAPTER 6

MORMON PERSECUTION

On page 16 Mr. Winwood says, "He [Joseph Smith] was beaten, tarred and feathered..." as an example of the persecution of Mormons. There is no doubt in my mind that the Mormons were persecuted. At this point let me clearly say that the persecution of anyone is sinful and evil (see Lev. 19:18; Matt 5:43, 19:19, 22:39). I do not condone nor support the persecution of any people or group. It is also wrong and dishonest to claim persecution when calm, quiet and honest disagreement is voiced.

In the case where Joseph Smith was beaten, tarred and feathered it was linked to disgruntled ex-members and Eli Johnson. Johnson suspected that Joseph was being too intimate with his sister. [23]

In examining Mormon persecution there are at least three considerations:

1) Many LDS claim that the Mormon Church has been persecuted almost from its beginning in 1830. Is this the case?

2) What is not usually addressed is the opposite situation? Have Mormons persecuted others?

3) Were there extenuating circumstances that motivated persecution by both?

To the best of my knowledge no in depth study has been completed on these subjects as a whole. There have been many good books on some aspect of items 1-3. Listed in appendix 2, page 32, is a list of these sources.

Points To Consider

A hint of the complexity of this subject can be found in the so called persecution of Mormons that led to their communities leaving the Palmyra, New York area; Kirtland, Ohio area; Independence, Missouri area; Nauvoo, Illinois area and almost leaving their final settlement in the Salt Lake City area. Can any person not even be suspicious that perhaps there might be some other reason(s) than to say each and every one of the areas the Mormons left had a large enough population of evil persecutors to force the move? How about a consideration of what the common denominator was in each of the widely separated geographical areas the Mormons lived in, the Mormons.

Persecution in Kirtland, Ohio is usually mentioned but they fail to mention the illegal and fraudulent banking practices there and how the top leadership left the area and just escaped being arrested. Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in speaking about the mistakes of Mormons said:

Similarly, some mistaken decisions on Kirtland banking policies plagued the Saints for more than a decade. These financial difficulties were perhaps portended in the Lord's warning to the Prophet Joseph Smith that 'in temporal labors thou shalt not have strength, for this is not thy calling' (D&C 24:9). (The Ensign, October 1996, p. 63)

Mormons are quick to point to Missouri Governor Boggs' Mormon "Extermination [24] Order" but fail to consider Sidney Rigdon's (a top Mormon leader) "Salt Sermon" about trampling and hanging dissenters and opposers, the role of slavery, the historical events that led to Boggs' order and the later attempt on his life. They are quick to claim persecution in Nauvoo, Illinois but fail to recognize the help non-Mormons gave to the Mormons when they left Missouri and moved into the Nauvoo area, how Mormons stole from the non-Mormons, their counterfeiting of money and the political and economic issues between both groups. They are quick to claim persecution in the present day, but fail to consider:

1) The very bad things their own scriptures now say about non-Mormons and the Bible.[25] These scriptures are distributed by the millions every year.

2) The terrible things past Mormon leaders have said about non-Mormons and the Bible. [26]

They would deny anti-Mormons the right to defend themselves from these attacks.

Probably few Mormons consider that what they call persecution was, for some, punishment from the Lord (Doctrine and Covenants 101:2-7; 103:1-4: 105:2-5) Overshadowing all of these is the way frontier societies handled serious conflict.

Those who point to religion as the only reason for the persecution of the Mormons ignore the peaceful existence with their neighbors of the Harmonists in Pennsylvania and Indiana, the Shakers, the Wallingford Community in Connecticut and the Oneida Community in New York. Both of these last two practiced free love. Yet none of these received persecution to the degree experienced by the Mormons.

For many Mormons, without their even being aware of it, persecution has reached the status of a myth. Frequently the accusation of persecution is given emotionally, but with little or no factual basis. It is all emotion and frequently used as a response to any information that is con-Mormon (as in pro and con), whether it is really persecution or not.

The best conclusion I have been able to arrive at (so far) is that both Mormons and non-Mormons were seriously guilty of persecution. Persecution, has on both sides been driven by economic power, political power, evil people, retaliation, religion and the way the frontier society of the day handled problems. It is a complex issue that one cannot begin to understand without a great deal of study. I do not claim to fully understand it.

CHAPTER 7

THE FIRST VISION STORY AND FALSE PROPHECY

The First Vision Story

On page 41 Mr. Winwood speaks of the First Vision story of Joseph Smith as if it had no significant flaws. He says, "However, the basic truths disclosed in each account are in complete harmony." There are significant differences between the various accounts. While there is not enough space to go into all of them, what follows demonstrates two major differences.

Gleanings By The Way, by Rev. John A. Clark (published in 1842) has some of his first hand observations of the early days of Mormonism while he was living in Palmyra, NY. On pages 222-228, Rev. Clark describes an interview he had with Martin Harris, early in the autumn of 1827. In the interview Harris told the story of how a "Golden Bible" had recently been dug from the earth and how a visit of an angel to Joseph Smith had occurred. The angel had told Smith where the "Gold Bible" was deposited, which Smith would get after three years. But first he would have to marry a lady that lived in Pennsylvania.

What is interesting about this story is that nothing is said about Joseph Smith's First Vision story in which Smith was allegedly visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ in the spring of 1820. Those who know the history of this alleged event know that it did not reach its final description until 1838. Martin Harris was a very close confidant of the Smiths and funded the printing of the first edition of the Book of Mormon in the Grandin Bldg. in Palmyra, NY. If the First Vision had really happened Harris was in a position to know it. The other details covered in the Clark - Harris interview makes one wonder why Harris said nothing about it.

The ignorance, of the First Vision story is not unique to Harris. Oliver Cowdery, another early close confidant of the Smiths, the second in command behind Smith, also did not make reference to it when he was the editor of the Mormon newspaper Messenger and Advocate, published in Kirtland, OH. In an article about the early full history of the Mormon church Cowdery writes:

You will recollect that I mentioned the time of a religious excitement in Palmyra and vicinity to have been in the 15th year of our brother J. Smith Jr's, age - that was an error in the type - it should have been in the 17th - you will please remember this correction as it will be necessary for the full understanding of what will follow in time. This would bring the date down to the year 1823. (Messenger and Advocate, Vol. 1, No. 5, February 1835, page 78)

Oliver Cowdery continues the full history in the Messenger and Advocate on pages 78-79. He relates how on the evening of the 21st of September 1823 a personage sent by the commandment of the Lord visited Joseph Smith in his bedroom. Nothing is said about Joseph's praying outdoors in the sacred Grove and being visited by the Father and Son. The full history places the revival in 1823, not 1820 as in the official version (Mormon scripture, Joseph Smith-History 1:1-20). The lack of confirmation by both Harris and Cowdery points to the conclusion that today's official version of the First Vision story was a later invention by Joseph Smith.

There is more evidence to demonstrate the revival was in 1823 and not in 1820 as Smith claimed. It can be found in Inventing Mormonism, by H. Michael Marquardt and Wesley P. Walters, Smith Research Associated, 1994, p. 15-41. Other problems with the First Vision can be found in Mormonism - Shadow or Reality, by Gerald and Sandra Tanner, pp 143-162D and Mormons - How to Witness to Them, by John Farkas and David Reed, Baker Book House, 1997, pages 94-105 and question 17 on pages 139-142.

False Prophecy

False prophecy is another error by Mr. Winwood. On page 50-51, in speaking about Joseph Smith's civil war prophecy, he says, "...Joseph Smith correctly predicted these events nearly thirty years before they happened..." But did he really, or did he just voice what the general public was talking about three months before Joseph Smith's alleged revelation on the subject?

Joseph Smith's alleged civil war prophecy (December 25, 1832) is usually used by Mormons to demonstrate his prophetic skills. But, a close examination of this alleged prophecy and its history shows a different story. As Mr. Winwood did not use the main revelation on the subject let us first read what it says.

Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls; And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place. For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations. And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war. And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation. And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations; (Doctrine & Covenants 87:1-6; December 25, 1832)

First note the date of this revelation, December 25, 1832. The potential of a civil war was general knowledge at the time this alleged revelation was given. The State of South Carolina had passed a tariff nullification ordinance on November 24, 1832. This and northern anti-slavery agitation [27] led to talk of armed conflict at this time. Newspapers, some as early as September 1832, quickly carried the unsettling news and speculation as to where events might lead. An example of how fast the news spread can be found in the Painesville Telegraph, dated Friday December 21, 1832, four days before Smith's alleged revelation. The Painesville Telegraph, Painesville, Ohio, less than 15 miles from Kirtland, Ohio, the new Mormon community where Joseph Smith lived, quoted from the (Week) New York [city] Courier and Enquirer, no date given. [28] It reported the potential problems with South Carolina's nullification ordinance, the use of the militia, its effect on the government, concerns for disruption and civil war. Even a Mormon newspaper, The Evening and Morning Star of January, 1833, page 64, (published in Independence, MO) featured an article heading "Rebellion In South Carolina". It described the political problems then occurring in South Carolina. So Joseph Smith's predictions were neither new nor original.

Note that Smith's prophecy says that war would be poured out on all nations. This did not happen in the Civil War nor in any of the wars that followed for many decades. There also has not been "a full end of all nations" as Smith predicted.

It is interesting to note that this revelation, which is dated December 25, 1832, was not made scripture until after the Civil War (1865). It was not published in the Book of Commandments (1833) or in the 1835 and 1844 editions of the Doctrine and Covenants. It finally appeared in the 1876 edition. (However it was also included in the first publication of the Pearl of Great Price, by F.D. Richards in England in 1851.) The "revelations" proved to be only partially correct - like the frankly labeled speculation of other observers.

More can be found about the false prophecy of Joseph Smith in Mormonism - Changes, Contradictions and Errors, By John R. Farkas and David A. Reed, pp. 166-173 and Mormonism - Shadow or Reality, by Gerald and Sandra Tanner, pp. 186-195H.

SUMMARY

On page 5 Mr. Winwood said, "My purpose is simply to help clear up common misconceptions about the Church [the Mormon Church] and its doctrines and teachings." Is Mr Winwood correct? Does he "clear up common misconceptions about...its doctrines and teachings"? No, he is not correct and he failed to give a clear statement of the major unique teachings of the Mormon Church. I believe the materials presented in this booklet have shown Mr. Winwood's case against the anti-Mormons to be a hollow shell. They may appear sound to those who don't know Mormon history and doctrine, but in reality they have no substance.

APPENDIX 1 - KEY VERSE ON WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE FATHER AND SON

1. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" 1 Timothy 2:5

2. "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD [29], and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." Isaiah 43:10

3. "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God ...Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any." Isaiah 44:6, 8

4. "Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;" [30] Isaiah 44:24

5. "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else...Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me." Isaiah 45:5-6, 21

6 "For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself," Hebrews 6:13

7. "Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee." [31] Nehemiah 9:6

8. "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:" Colossians 1:16

9. "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;" Hebrews 1:2

10. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." [32] Psalms 90:2

11. "Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting." Psalms 93:2

12. "But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting ....." Psalms 103:17

13. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24 [33]

14. "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." Luke 24:39

15. "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect." Genesis 17:1 [34]

16. "Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him." Deuteronomy 4:35

17. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:" Deuteronomy 6:4

18. "Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else." Deuteronomy 4:39

19. "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;" Deuteronomy 7:9

20. "And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them." Exodus 6:3

APPENDIX 2 MORMON PERSECUTION

Sources Of Information On What Is Called "Persecution" Of Mormons And The Mormon Church In New York, Ohio, Missouri and Illinois

1. Nauvoo - Kingdom On The Mississippi, by Robert Bruce Flanders; Un. of Ill. Press; 1975; p. 1-22.

2. Nightfall At Nauvoo, by Samuel W. Taylor; Avon; 1971; p. 388-399.

3. The 1838 Mormon War In Missouri, by Stephen C. LeSueur; Un. of Missouri Press, 1987, all of it.

4. Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, by Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippets Avery; Doubleday: 1994: p. 62-94

5. Article: "Multiple Factors Led To Woes In Missouri;" Church News (by Mormon Church); p. 14; July 31, 1993.

6. Mormon Scriptures:

- Book of Mormon: 1 Nephi 14:10, 13:26-29

- Joseph Smith - History 1:18-20 (in the Pearl of Great Price)

- Doctrine and Covenants 101:2-7; 103:1-4: 105:2-6.

7. Women of Mormondom, by Edward W. Tullidge; 1877, 1975 printing; p. 289f, 376, 381, 395, 404.

8. Joseph Smith and The Beginnings of Mormonism, by Richard L. Bushman; Un. of Ill. Press; 1984; p. 159f.

9. The Mormon Hierarchy, by D. Michael Quinn; Signature Books; 1994; p. 88-89, 92-103, 469f, 620, 636.

10. Address To All Believers, booklet by David Whitmer in Richmond, Missouri; 1887; p. 27-28, 54-55.

11. The example of what was done to David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery by Mormons; p. 37-39 of item 3 above.

12. A Scarter Man Than One of Them Was I Never Saw, booklet by Stephen C. LeSueur; Mormon Miscellaneous, Sandy, UT.

13. Sidney Rigdon, by Richard S. Van Wagoner; Signature Books; 1994; p. 143-145, 192-208, 213-241.

14. The Mountain Meadows Massacre, by Juanita Brooks; Un. of OK Press; 1950; p. 3-9, 13-19.

15. The Journals of William E. McLellen; Ed. by Jan Shipps and John W. Welch; Un of Ill. Press; 1994; p. 9.

16. Salt Lake City Messenger (Tanner's newsletter); Issue #88, 4/1995; p. 6-10.

17. The Story of The Mormons, by William Alexander Linn; Macmillan Co.; 1902; p. vi, 122, 134-136, 154, 162-222, 258-261.

18. "Saints Given Relief", Times and Seasons (LDS newspaper); by Joseph Smith; Jan. 15, 1841; Vol 2, p. 273-277.

19. Cultures In Conflict, by John E. Hallwas and Roger D. Launius; Utah State Un. Press; 1995; p. 1-165.

ENDNOTES

1) Bold face type, underlining and words in bracket in quotes are by this author, John Farkas

2) Doctrine and Covenants 130:22.

3) Mr. Winwood covers the progression of man to Godhood on pages 33-35.

4) This contradicts the "Lecture Second of Faith," in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, page 12, verse 2.

5) Charles Penrose, an early LDS leader said: " Jesus Christ's body was put in the sepulcher a natural body; it was raised a spiritual body....it was in the fashion and likeness of the glorious body of His Eternal Father. It was a celestial body quickened by the celestial glory...." (Charles W. Penrose, November 16, 1884, Journal of Discourses, 26:22­23)

6) The 1979 edition of the Mormon Church's King James Bible also supports this statement in note 113a at the bottom of page 1112 of the text of this Bible. It has: "Rev. 11:15, TG [Topical Guide - notes in the back of the Bible] Jesus Christ, Second Coming of; Jesus Christ, Son of Man."

7) In the LDS edition of the Bible, the heading of 2 Thess. 2 says "Apostasy to precede the Second Coming...".

8) Mormon Doctrine, by Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, pages 42-46; Joseph Smith - History 1:18-20; Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1:56-58; The Church As Organized by Jesus Christ, 1982; The Falling Away and Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Foretold, 1972; Which Church Is Right, 1982, pages 9-18. All three booklets (tracts) were published by "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

9) History of the Church, August 15, 1844, 7:250.

10) Not by water, but by the Spirit of God.

11) Credit for the general approach that follows belongs to author Mark J. Cares who discussed it in his book Speaking The Truth In Love To Mormons, pages 170-184, (Northwestern Publishing House, Milwaukee, 1993).

12) Gospel Principles, page 290; Achieving a Celestial Marriage, pages 129-132.

13) See 1 Cor 10:13; 1 Nephi 3:7

14) The same idea is in the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of this verse. Another example is: "Brethren, I beseech you to be perfect as I am perfect; for I am persuaded as ye have a knowledge of me, ye have not injured me at all by your sayings." JST Galatians 4:12.

15) The same idea is in the JST of this verse.

16) The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) Eph. 2:5, 8-10 has the same idea.

17) The following Book of Mormon verses do seem to teach salvation by grace only, 2 Nephi 10:24 and Moroni 8:3; 10:33 but these are nullified by the ones given in the text.

18) That is "eternal life," becoming a God, having spirit children, and a planet whose people worship you as we do God the Father. (Gospel Principles, page 290).

19) The word gospel has a different meaning to most Mormons. Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie said: "The gospel of Jesus Christ is the plan of salvation. It embraces all of the laws, principles, doctrines, rites, ordinances, acts, powers, authorities, and keys necessary to save and exalt men in the highest heaven hereafter. It is the covenant of salvation which the Lord makes with men on earth." Mormon Doctrine, page 331. To a main-line Christian the gospel is much simpler and is summarized in 1 Cor. 15:1-4 and Eph. 2:8-10. It is the "good news" that the Messiah (Savior) came, died, and was resurrected for us!

20) See Jehovah's Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse, by David Reed, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1992 and The Jehovah's Witnesses' New Testament, by Robert Countess, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., Phillipsburg, NJ, 2nd Ed.

21) An Address To All Believers In Christ, David Whitmer, Richmond, Missouri, 1887, page 12; The Word of God, chapter 8 "The Translation of the Book of Mormon", James E. Lancaster, Signature Books, 1990, pp. 98-99; This book uses as their references: Saints' Herald, 1 Oct. 1879, pages 289-290; also in History of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Independence, MO, Herald House, 1952, page 356)

22) In the current D&C see all of Section 7 and 5:4 respectively.

23) No Man Knows My History, by Fawn M. Brodie, p. 119. Smith at this time was living in Hiram Ohio and the attack occurred March 24, 1832; Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 4, Appendix 2, page 1653.

24) What many miss is that part of the definition of "extermination" in the 1835 time period did not mean to kill and destroy. Webster's Dictionary of 1828 under "exterminate" has: "Literally, to drive from within the limits or borders. Hence, 1. To destroy utterly; to drive away...." The 1806 edition of this dictionary has, "...to root out, to drive".

25) 1 Nephi 14:10 and 13:26-29 in the Book of Mormon; Joseph Smith - History 1:18-20 in the Pearl of Great Price. Anti-Mormons do not believe these words are from God and are offended by them.

26) Rays of Living Light - Divine Authority by C. W. Penrose, page 1; and Rays of Living Light - Apostasy, by C. W. Penrose, page 3; published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, no date given; Journal of Discourses, 16:175-176, by Apostle Orson Pratt; Mormon Doctrine, 1958 edition, by Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, page 314-315; The Seer by Orson Pratt, page 205, 255.

27) Encyclopedia Britannica, 21:86-87, 1956 edition; History of The Church 1:301.

28) The Painsville newspaper gave no date for its source. Three (Week) New York [city] Courier and Enquirer, publications covering this subjected were dated September 8, December 8 and 22, 1832. Micro film of these papers are in the New York City Library, at 42nd St. and 5th Ave., near Grand Central Station.

29) The King James edition of the Old Testament, as others, follows the tradition that the Hebrew word "Yahweh" (YHWH), frequently given as Jehovah, is shown as LORD, in small capital letters (The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Holman Bible Publishers, 1989, in the preface called "To The Reader," p. 3). Mormon teachings say this is the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, the Lord before he came to earth (The Holy Bible, published by the Mormon Church, at the back is the Bible Dictionary, p. 710-711 under "Jehovah" and Mormon Doctrine, p. 392 under "Jehovah"). This should be kept in mind as you read the Old Testament verses. For example, LDS should view items #2, 3 and 5 as follows: here we have the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, who would not lie to us and knows everything, saying he does not know of any other God, before him or after him. This also means the LORD is saying he knows nothing about his father, grandfather, great grandfather and so on.

30) Here we have, based upon Mormon Church teachings, the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ saying he created the universe by himself. This contradicts the LDS temple endowment ceremony which shows three persons involved in the creation: Elohim (the Father), Jehovah (the Son) and Michael (Adam).

31) Items 7-9 make it clear that God is the creator of the whole universe, the whole creation, not just this earth.

32) Items 10-12 show that God has always been God from eternity.

33) The Mormon God the Father has a resurrected body of flesh and bones (D&C 130:22).

34) In item 15-20 we are told that the LORD (Yahweh in Hebrew, also call Jehovah) is God (Elohim in Hebrew) and God is the LORD. Elohim an Yahweh (Jehovah) are one in the same God. They are names/titles for the same one true God Almighty of the Bible, not two separate Gods as taught by the Mormon Church. According to them Yahweh (Jehovah) is the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ and Elohim is God the Father (The Holy Bible, published by the Mormon Church, at the back is the Bible Dictionary, p. 681 under "God"; Mormon Doctrine, p. 224 under "Elohim").

John Farkas, P.O. Box 1091, Webster, NY 14580

E-mail: bcmmin@frontiernet.net

Web page: http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin

web/winwood; 3-21-97