For a while, TS Inc. has been discussing Mormonism with Mormons, and have come to a fair understanding of what they believe, despite common misconceptions and rumors. This frequently asked question list is a short synopsis of what they believe, using quote from either their past President prophets, or from their scripture. The doctrines that conflict with biblical teachings will be addressed with the Biblical answer. It is intended as a basic question, answer, and refutation, not for in depth studies on the subjects in question.
I would like to briefly give a short understanding of what Mormonism is, how it started, by who did it start with, et al. This will make it easier for those who are unfamiliar with Mormonism understand why we at TS Inc. have focused on it for the past months, and why Mormonism itself simply begs to be critiqued by Christianity.
The story goes that in the spring of 1820, a young man named Joseph Smith reported that he had received a vision from God in a small village called Manchester, in Ontario country, New York. This vision consisted of two main figures, Jesus Christ, and God the Father appearing at the same time to Joseph. After God introduced himself to Joseph, Jesus spoke to him about his plan to restore the supposed "true church" to the world. Later, An angel by the name of Moroni visited Joseph on September 21, 1823 instructing him where to find the golden plates spoken of by God. The Golden plates were found by Joseph, in a hill called Cummorah, along with the means in which to translate them, a pair of glasses called The Urim and Thummim. God explained to Joseph that he was to translate these plates because, "many plain and precious things" were "taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God" (1 Nephi 13:28).
In order to restore God's precious things, plainly, and to keep mankind from stumbling, this new scripture was needed. Joseph Smith's goal was to take these golden plates and translate them into what was later called, the Book of Mormon. This book was, and still is, the foundation and main means in which this new Church, a church started by Joseph Smith, would restore all the things that were "lost" to the world.
Bruce McConkie (an apostle of their church) relates the importance of the Book of Mormon when he wrote:
"… The book itself is an inspired history of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas. It was written by prophets and seers upon plates of gold and other metals in their own tongues and languages. The many prophetic records that came into being were condensed, abridged, and quoted by the prophet-historian Mormon as he wrote the book that now bears his name."
This record, the Book of Mormon, was supposed to contain "the fullness of the everlasting Gospel". In the front page of the Book of Mormon, this book is reported as a historical document, that is an " abridgment of the Record of the People of Nephi; and also of the Lamanites; written to the Lamanites ", who were "remnant of the House of Israel" (Preface of the Book of Mormon, 1830 edition). The Book of Mormon claims that these people had escaped their land to the New World, living in the America's, and writing their history upon the golden plates, which would later be found by Joseph.
The record itself was written in what is called "reformed Egyptian" (Mormon 9:32). At this point of time in history, Egyptian was an unknown language, and was a mystery to all scholars. Therefore no one could translate it except, as the story goes, for Joseph Smith.
This was how Joseph Smith set himself up as a prophet, and how the Book of Mormon began the church that was later called, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints".
There is a slight confusion as to what they actually believe concerning the Bible. This is quote from what they call the Articles of Faith (there are 13 in all, now)
Articles of Faith 8
"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."
This was extended to mean something wholly other than merely a translation from the Hebrew or Greek into English. Joseph Smith had this to say:
"I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers. Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors"
"I resumed the translation of the Scriptures. From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of men, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled"
Even the Book of Mormon places a prophecy about itself in order to prove itself needed:
1 Nephi 13:28-29
28 Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God. 29 And after these plain and precious things were taken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest--because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God--because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.
Thus three propositions are asserted, 1) that the Bible is not translated correctly, 2) that it was not passed down from the original authors correctly, 3) that many plain and precious things were taken from the Bible.
Assertion number 1 is absurd based on the amount of work that has been done concerning biblical translation. What modern scholars know concerning Hebrew and Greek has only improved over the years. There is absolutely no evidence to prove that the Bible is translated incorrectly.
Though complete manuscripts date in the 3rd century, it is only speculation to assume that there were any drastic message changes in the New Testament. All manuscripts that have been found seem to imply a unity and a basic message that is constant throughout, with exceptions of minor scribal errors. Any assumptions that state otherwise are unfalsifiable, and thus merely the Mormon churches subjective opinion. Joseph may assert that the Bible wasn’t translated correctly, or that it wasn’t passed down correctly from one generation to the next, but that’s all he can do. There is no proof that there is anything but minor scribal errors entered into our earliest manuscripts.
Assertion number 3 made way for another assertion made by Mormons. That other assertion is that the Book of Mormon is "the fullness of the gospel". This will be further addressed in question #3 "Does the Book of Mormon really contain the fullness of the gospel?"
Mormons will believe the Bible, it seems, only when it doesn’t conflict with their scriptures. That is actually their last resort, since the first resort they will use is to retranslate the Bible in order to prove their points. The above assertions mentioned are what Mormons will fall back on, if they need to discredit the Bible for one reason or another.
Yes, he did. His translation of the Bible, though similar in many ways, took the verses he translated further away from the original Greek or Hebrew manuscripts. Upon reading it, it sometimes seems to be a commentary, or explanation on what he felt the meaning of the verses were. Other times it is completely crooked from what the Bible says. Joseph sometimes added his own story line into his translation, also having nothing to do with the original biblical manuscripts. His translation of the Bible was never canonized. Check out some of his interesting translations of the Bible, in comparison to the NAS Bible:
JST Genesis 1:1, 2
1 AND it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, I reveal unto you concerning this heaven and this earth; write the words which I speak. 2 I am the Beginning and the End; the Almighty God. By mine Only Begotten I created these things.
(NAS Bible) Genesis 1:1, 2
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
JST John 1:1
1 IN the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God.
(NAS Bible).John 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
JST Hebrews 6:1
1 THEREFORE not leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ…
(NAS Bible) Hebrews 6:1
1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ…
Joseph’s personal translation of the Bible does conflict with the Bible, both in the manuscripts, in the English translation, and conflicts with later LDS Canon. How about that for "As long as it is translated correctly"?
Many people rightfully wonder what the Book of Mormon actually is. It claims to be "the fullness of the everlasting Gospel", but what exactly does it contain that makes the Later Day Saints (from now on called LDS) different from Christians. It would interest the reader to note that many things found in the Book of Mormon are in line with biblical ideas (and are often contradictory to other LDS canon). The Book of Mormon itself believes in:
One God –1 Nephi 13:41, 2Nephi 31:21, Mosiah 15:4, 5, Mormon 7:7, Alma 14:5, Alma 11:27-29, 44,
3Nephi 3:21, The testimony of the three witnesses
The Trinity – Alma 11:44, Mormon 7:7, 3 Nephi 3:21, The testimony of the three witnesses
One Creator – 1Nephi 17:36, 2Nephi 2:14, 15, 2Nephi 29:7, Jacob 4:9, Mosiah 4:9, Mosiah 5:15, Alma
22:10, 11, 3Nephi 9:15, Mormon 9:11
One Savior – 1Nephi 10:4, 1Nephi 13:40, 1Nephi 21:26, 1Nephi 22:12, 2Nephi 6:18, 2Nephi 31:13,
2Nephi 31:21, 3Nephi 5:20, Mormon 3:14
That God and His word is unchangeable – Alma 41:8, Mormon 9:19, Moroni 8:18
Another thing that should be pointed out about this supposed "fullness of the gospel" is that all doctrines that are practiced by the Mormons that contradict the Bible are not found in the Book of Mormon. There is no polytheism, no polygamy, no celestial marriage, no godhood, no three levels of glory, no priesthood, and more. The only way we find out about these doctrines is from the other canon of the LDS church, the Doctrines and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. That is exactly one half of the canon, since the BOM and the Bible are fairly similar in doctrine throughout. It is often the case that the Book of Mormon takes an idea from the Bible, and merely rephrases it. For instance we read the following examples:
Bible Verse:
Gal 3:28
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (NKJ)
Book of Mormon Parallel:
II Nephi 26:33
"…he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female, and he remembereth the heathen, and all alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile." (1830 edition)
Bible Verse:
Matt 7:6
"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." (KJV)
Book of Mormon Parallel:
I Nephi 19:7
"For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at nought, and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel, do men trample under their feet…" (1830 edition)
The Book of Mormon contains many idea’s similar to the Bible (besides some ideas that seem to conflict with itself. See Mosiah 15:2-4 concerning a seemingly modalistic view of God). It doesn’t contain anything that is highly debated between Christians and Mormons. Simply put, the Book of Mormon can only contain "the fullness of the gospel" if the Bible contains the fullness of the gospel as well. If the Bible contains this fullness, then there really wasn’t a need for the Book of Mormon in the first place.
Absolutely not! Even though witnesses to the translation of the Book of Mormon claim that God was the translating force behind the Book of Mormon, it was far from perfect. The Book of Mormon has gone through some 4000+ changes from its original 1830 edition to its modern 1981 edition. Many of these changes dealt of grammar, and spelling, but some of them affected the meaning of the verse. Some of the changes in the Book of Mormon are as follows:
1 Nephi 11:18 (1830 edition)
"…Behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of God, after the manner of flesh."
1 Nephi 11:18 (1981 edition)
"…Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
2 Nephi 30:6 (1830 edition)
"and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and a delightsome people.
2 Nephi 30:6 (1981 edition)
"…and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and a delightsome people.
(emphasis mine)
The biggest problem that Christianity has with this practice is not the errors themselves, but the constant disregard for the original text. I would like to note that the goal of the Christian church is to find out what the original texts said, and get as close as possible to the original meaning. That could include difficulties, errors, or a change from modern English. The LDS church tries to get away from the original, changing the errors in the text as much as possible.
As I mentioned above, the witnesses to the translation and other important figures in Mormon history had this to say about the translation process:
The testimony of the Three Witnesses, The Book of Mormon, 1981 edition:
"And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true."
Brigham Young, Conference Report, October 1901, p.67
"… I hold in my hands the Book of Mormon. It was translated by the gift and power of God… Elders of Israel, read them, especially the Book of Mormon, which is a pure translation from the original. He who reigns above has said that it is true."
Orson Pratt, the Journal of Discourses, on August 11th, 1867:
"But God Himself is the author of the Book of Mormon. He inspired the ideas it contains, and gave them by the urim and thummim." (Vol.12, p.87 - p.88)
The Bible was not a translation of any ancient document. It was the inspired writings of men of history whom God guided by the Holy Spirit. The LDS authorities say that it was actually translated by "the gift and power of God", that "the work is true", that it "is a pure translation of the original", and that "God Himself is the author". I would like to note again that most of the errors were grammar and spelling concerning the English language. Thus, according to them, naturally all the errors (4000+) are the result of God’s mistakes.
Yes, the Later Day Saints are Polytheistic. Mormons often try to redefine the word polytheism, or add an explanation to their answer when they answer this question. For the sake of the readers, let us define polytheism:
polytheism - the doctrine of or belief in more than one god or in many gods.
Basically a polytheist is someone who has a belief that more than one God exist. There is no "and", "if", or "but" concerning how someone might want to classify a belief in a plurality of gods. If there are more gods than one, then there cannot only be one god, logically. Here are some passages from Mormon scripture that show a plurality of gods:
D&C 132:20
"(20) Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them."
Abraham 4:1
"(1) AND then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth." (The Book of Abraham is full of the actions of "the Gods")
And some words from the Apostle Bruce R. McConkie:
"There were many meetings, conferences, councils and schooling sessions held among the Gods and their spirit offspring in pre-existence."
As I mentioned before, Mormons will and have tried to redefine polytheism for one reason or another. Bruce R. McConkie, though obviously knowing their polytheistic belief (as seen above), went on to say this:
"The fact is, however, that monotheism did not grow out of polytheism, rather polytheistic concepts are apostate perversions of the original truth about God which was revealed to Adam and the ancient patriarchs. It should be remembered that polytheism has reference to pagan deities to whom reverence, devotion, and worship are given. It is not to be confused with the gospel truth that there are "gods many, and lords many, But to us there is but one God, the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 8:4-7.) The saints are not polytheists."
As McConkie tried to explain, polytheism is only polytheism if you have reference to pagan deities "to whom reverence, devotion and worship are given". Since Mormons do not worship more than one God, they are naturally not polytheistic, right? Wrong. Unfortunately for McConkie the additional clauses added on to polytheism do not exist anywhere else but in his writings.
Not only do Mormons believe that "the Gods" created all things, they believe that all men and women can become gods as well by adhering to certain laws given in Mormonism. This doctrine is often called the doctrine of Godhood.
(McConkie didn’t read his Bible good enough, or he would have realized that Paul wasn’t admitting, or preaching the plurality of Gods. This was what was left out in his partial quote of the Bible in 1 Cor. 8:4-5, "(4)…there is no God but one. (5) For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth…". It is obvious that Paul is practicing what is called "for the sake of argument". As Paul says, even if there are more than one God, there is only one God in which we have to do with. In this way, Paul keeps to his monotheistic belief, only allowing the contradictory point of view to surface to make a point. For more information, read 1 Corinthians 8:4-6.)
Contrary to what many have been told, Mormons do believe in Jesus Christ. Their Jesus Christ is a little different, though, in several ways. For instance, what His sacrifice on the cross achieved. Christians will remember that Jesus only required mankind to believe in Him, and accept Him as their personal savior. The Jesus described in Mormonism does not require any acceptance or belief in Him. While the Christian Jesus proclaimed that "whoever believes in Him should not perish", but receive eternal life (John 3:16), The Jesus of Mormonism contradicts that. Mormons believe that all people will go to a degree of glory because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They believe that all that is required of a person is that they don’t commit the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit. Only those who do this sin will go to hell forever.
Though that might be a slight judgment call, there are actually a lot of points of differences between the two Jesus’. Sometimes Mormons will give the impression that there is no difference between their Jesus and the Jesus of Christianity. This is often their lure in witnessing to Christians, that they have another revelation about Jesus in the New World (America). The problem is that while they are using the same name (Jesus the Christ), He is definitely not the same person. Thus their claims concerning the BOM being another testament of Jesus Christ, and that they worship Jesus, is a half truth. A simple answer would be, no. The Jesus of Christianity is not the same as the Jesus in Mormonism
You might be are aware of God’s name in the Old Testament, Jehovah (or Yahweh, which is thought to be a better translation). Mormons believe that God is not Jehovah, but rather, Jesus Christ is Jehovah. The name Elohim (also found in the Bible as a name of God) is attributed to God the Father. The largest difference in Jesus of Mormonism and Jesus of Christianity is that there is no trinity, since Jesus and God the father are different beings with different bodies, and different names. God the Father and Jesus are naturally considered different Gods.
Beginning with what they call the pre-existence, we find out that Mormons do not believe that Jesus is the only begotten of God. Joseph F. Smith wrote "Among the spirit children of Eloheim, the first-born was and is Jehovah, or Jesus Christ, to whom all others are juniors…." What is emphasized in Mormon theology is not that Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, but that He was the only begotten son of God in the flesh. Joseph F. Smith had this to say, "Our Savior is the Firstborn in the spirit, the Only Begotten in the flesh." Based on this same belief that Jesus is merely our older spirit brother, it is also believed that Lucifer is the brother of Jesus Christ, and thus Lucifer is also a literal son of God. (Lucifer fought with God because he wanted to be the savior of the world, instead of Jesus).
People who are familiar with the gospel of John know that Jesus is the creator of all things (John 1:1-3). Mormons have another idea. Elohim (God the Father), Jehovah (Jesus Christ) and Michael (Adam) were responsible for the creation of earth:
"Eloheim, Jehovah and Michael, were engaged in the construction of this globe. Jehovah, commanded by Eloheim, went down to where there was space, saying to Michael: "Let us go down, for there is space there, and we will organize an earth whereon these [the spirits that are around us] may dwell, and we will prove them herewith to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them." "
The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is another difference. As I mentioned before, Mormons often redefine words, and the word virgin is another word they have redefined. For instance, they believe that God the Father literally had sexual relations with Mary. It is this reason they consider Jesus "The Son of God in the flesh". Thus we see that "Son of God" is not a title, as it is used in the Bible, but an actual relationship as we see in humankind.
"the birth of the Saviour was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood--was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers".
Yet they also believe in the virgin birth. Bruce McConkie describes it as this:
"Our Lord is the only mortal person ever born to a virgin, because he is the only person who ever had an immortal Father."
The dictionary definition does not include any special clauses concerning immortal Fathers, as McConkie would have us believe. I believe it is time for Mormon theologians to pay a little closer attention to their dictionaries.
The gospels never told whether Jesus was married or not. It would seem that he was not because no one made mention of it. Regardless, it obviously wasn’t important towards our salvation, and Christians have no reason to believe that Jesus was married. Mormons do believe that Jesus was married. Worse yet, they believe that Jesus was a polygamist:
"Next let us inquire whether there are any intimations in the Scriptures concerning the wives of Jesus. One thing is certain: that there were several holy women who greatly loved Jesus, such as Mary and Martha, her sister, and Mary Magdalene; Jesus greatly loved them and associated with them much; and when he arose from the dead, instead of first showing himself to his chosen witnesses, the apostles, he appeared first to these women, or at least to one of them, namely, Mary Magdalene. Now it would be very natural for a husband in the resurrection to appear first to his own dear wives, and afterwards show himself to his other friends. If all the acts of Jesus were written, we no doubt should learn that these beloved women were his wives."
"I discover that some of the Eastern papers represent me as a great blasphemer, because I said, in my lecture on Marriage, at our last Conference, that Jesus Christ was married at Cana of Galilee, that Mary, Martha, and others were his wives, and that he begat children. All that I have to say in reply to that charge is this--they worship a Savior that is too pure and holy to fulfil the commands of his Father. I worship one that is just pure and holy enough "to fulfil all righteousness;" not only the righteous law of baptism, but the still more righteous and important law "to multiply and replenish the earth." Startle not at this! for even the Father himself honored that law by coming down to Mary, without a natural body, and begetting a son; and if Jesus begat children, he only "did that which he had seen his Father".
There is absolutely no proof that Lucifer was the brother of God in the bible. According to the creation accounts, God created all things, specifically Jesus, and nothing was created that wasn’t created by Jesus. That would include the Devil, who is a fallen angel. (See Genesis chapter 1 and 2, and John chapter 1:1-3). I would also like to note the following verses: John 1:14, 18, John 3:16, 18, 1 John 4:9. These verses have to do with Jesus being the only begotten son of God (Jesus was born by the power of the Spirit, and by Mary. It is only in this way that Jesus is the son of God. This is in direct contrast with Jesus being the son of man, being the son of Mary, who is human. Notice that these titles, though true, do not take away from the simple fact that Jesus is also the image of God and creator of all things). For references concerning the virgin birth, see question #9, "Is God the Father any different in Mormon theology than in Christian theology?". Polygamy will be dealt with in another question #11, "How do we know Jesus and God the Father weren’t polygamists?"
I do not believe it is hard to conclude that Jesus is not the same, and that Mormons worship another Jesus, not the one that is described in the Bible.
Just as with the Mormon version of Jesus Christ, God the Father is actually quite different in Mormon theology as well. We have already found out that the actual name (to separate him from Jesus) is Elohim, while Jesus’ name is Jehovah, but that is only the beginning.
God the Father is not part of a trinity in Mormon theology. He is actually a separate being of his own, having his own body, and is not spirit:
Doctrine and Covenants 130:22
"The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us"
In Mormonism, God the Father is the father of all spirits on earth, either the devil and his demons, or the humans. He was the commanding force behind the creation of all things, and was the actual father not just creator of the spirit of humans. Bruce McConkie said it best when he wrote that the God the Father is "the Father of all spirits, Christ's included; none were fathered or created by anyone else".
LDS believe that God the Father had physical relations with Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Mary is also the wife of God the Father:
"… Mary the wife of Joseph had another husband. On the manger, was begotten, not by Joseph, the husband of Mary, but by another Being. Do you inquire by whom? He was begotten by God our heavenly Father"
God the father also has a wife that LDS call "Our Mother in Heaven". Since Mary was a human, she was most likely not God’s original wife. God’s wife, the "Mother in Heaven", is already a goddess, and thus did not need to become human again. This means that Mary was a new wife, and most likely a sign that God the Father was a polygamist in Mormon theology. This is what President/prophet Lorenzo Snow had to say about the Mother in Heaven and Mormon women:
"Women can become like our mother in heaven. You sisters, I suppose, have read that poem which my sister composed years ago, and which is sung quite frequently now in our meetings. It tells us that we not only have a Father in "that high and glorious place," but that we have a Mother too; and you will become as great as your Mother, if you are faithful
Joseph Fielding Smith even asked this question, "Is it not feasible to believe that female spirits were created in the image of a "Mother in Heaven"?"
Compare the D&C 130:22 revelation, given to Joseph Smith, with John 4:23-24. There are also other verses dealing with God’s nature. See these verses concerning his omnipresence: Job 11:7-9, Ps 139:7-8, Jeremiah 23:24, 1 Kings 8:27, 2 Chr 2:6, 2 Chr 6:18. If He is omnipresent, He cannot have a body, or everything would be inside his body (remember it is tangible as man’s, flesh and bones). It seems that would hint towards pantheism. See these verses on how no man has ever seen God: John 1:17-18, Matt 11:27, Romans 1:20, 1 Tim 1:17. (On a side note, if no man has seen God, probably because they can’t, then Joseph Smith probably didn’t see Him either, especially since he’s invisible). See these verses on how Jesus is the image and revelator of God: Matt 11:27, John 1:17-18, John 12:49, John 14:8-10, John 17:26, Colossians 1:15, Colossians 2:9, 2 Corinthians 4:4. Because God is invisible, the only way we knew about god is through His image, Jesus Christ. This extends from the OT to the NT.
God the Father was not the specific creator of the world, Jesus was, according to John 1:1-3. Also, God the Father wasn’t married to Mary, nor did he have any sort of physical relationship with her. See Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18, 20, 21-23, 25 Luke 1:34, 35. Also the BOM affirms a virgin birth, and that it was the power of the Holy Spirit who made Mary pregnant. See 2 Nephi 17:14, and Alma 7:1. Lastly, God the Father didn’t need a wife, and marriage is unnecessary for those who are in heaven. See Luke 20:34-36, Matthew 22:29.30, Mark 12:24-25, concerning the status of marriage in heaven. Much speculation is given to this "Mother in Heaven" idea, yet no substantial evidence is seen in the Bible to support it. There are evidence that seem to say that there is not a Mother in heaven. The best evidence for there not being a Mother in Heaven is the fact that man and women are only in the image of God when they are combined, not individually. That is, man is not in the image of God the Father, and women is the image of Goddess the Mother. Humans are in the image of God, both man and women as one. See Genesis 1:26-27, and Genesis 2:23-24.
Polygamy will be dealt with in another question #11, "How do we know Jesus and God the Father were not polygamists?"
Yes. Though the Holy Spirit is not spoken of much in Mormon theology, He has nonetheless gone through some changes of His own in their theology.
The first thing I would like to note is that the LDS believe that spirits are lesser beings than those with bodies, since having a body is the only way that one can become a god and increase their own glory. The problem that Mormons run into is that they believe that the Holy Spirit is a god already, and did not need to have a body in order to do that. This instantly conflicts with their own doctrines.
This is what the Mormons believe concerning the Holy Spirit. Joseph Smith taught the following:
"I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods. If this is in accordance with the New Testament, lo and behold! we have three Gods anyhow, and they are plural; and who can contradict it?"
Also we find this from Bruce McConkie:
"The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a Personage of Spirit, a Spirit Person, a Spirit Man, a Spirit Entity. He can be in only one place at one time and he does not and cannot transform himself into any other form or image than that of the Man whom he is…"
The Encyclopedia of Mormonism had this to say about the Holy Spirit:
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that the Holy Ghost is a spirit man, a spirit son of God the Father…In a figurative sense, the Holy Ghost dwells in the hearts of the righteous Saints of all dispensations (D&C 20:18-21)"
Thus we have a Holy Spirit who can only be at one place at one time, and is a god himself, but not being one person of a three person being (a trinity). Since the Holy Spirit is confined to one place at one time, they logically cannot believe He lives in the hearts of all believers.
One of the aspects well attributed to the spirit aspect of God is his omnipresence. This omnipresence was spoken of in these verses: Job 11:7-9, Ps 139:7-8, Jeremiah 23:24, 1 Kings 8:27, 2 Chr 2:6, 2 Chr 6:18. One important thing that relies on the spirits omnipresence is his ability to live in the hearts of all those who accept Jesus Christ, which Christians believe based on the Bible:
John 14:16-17
16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--
17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
Rom 8:9
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
Gal 4:6
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"
(see also John 20:22, I Jn 4:4, and more that I haven’t list)
There is no figurative nature about the Spirits indwelling. Those who believe in Jesus Christ receive the Holy Spirit into their hearts, and to the Bible is quite clear.
The only problem Mormons have with the Spirit is that he is not a spirit man, or a god, nor is He merely a ministering spirit. The Spirit is united with Father and Son as God, and is one of the three persons of the trinity. He is a co-equal with the other two persons of the trinity, equaling one God.
I mentioned before that the Bible only contains negative evidence concerning the existence of God’s wife, "our mother in heaven". It is also silent about Jesus’ love life, and contains no evidence that He was ever married. There are reasons to believe that God, whether God the Father or Jesus Christ, is not a polygamist based on God’s creation of humankind.
God’s understanding of mankind is shown in the relationship manifest through the marriage of a man and women. In Genesis we read:
Gen 2:22-24
22 And the LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 And the man said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of Man." 24 For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
(NAS Bible)
The importance of the Genesis account of the creation of women is great concerning the relationship that man and women have towards one another. In verse 22-23, we find that though man was completely in the image of God, women was taken out of him, making him incomplete. In verse 24 we come to realize that the relationship between man and woman is to complete, or unite once more what which was missing from the first man Adam, when Eve was created from him. Man and woman together are in the image of God. Man is not in the image of God the father, while woman is in the image of Goddess the Mother. Man and woman together are in the image of God. We read a parallel in the first chapter creation account in Genesis 1:27, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them". If it is in the combination of one man and one woman that God’s image is reunited, then how much sense is it to say that Jesus had more than one wife?
I would like to stress the phrase, "For this cause a man shall leave…and cleave to his wife" (notice it does not say wives), "and they shall become one flesh" (not one flesh with a couple of spares). The New Testament parallel to this is found in Matthew 19:5-6, Mark 10:6-8, 1 Corinthians 6:16. I will only quote the following:
Matthew 19:5-6
5 and said, 'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh? 6 "Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."
(NAS)
You will notice that the gospel accounts, as well as Paul’s epistle, stress the numbers. "Consequently they are no longer two", meaning a man and a woman, "but one flesh", meaning the combination of one man and one woman equals one flesh, which is the image of God. In Mark 10:6, we read that "from the beginning of creation, {God} made them male and female." The importance is obvious, in context with what the unity of man and woman represents. God didn’t make them Adam, Eve, Julie, Cindy, and Debbie. He made them Adam and Eve, the image of God. Since the combination of one man and one woman is the image of God, it isn’t likely that God has a wife, since he is both male and female, or simply, without sex. Based on the evidence of what the marriage of a man to a woman represents, God’s intended order is obvious. To say that God is a polygamist is to ignore what a man and woman united are, and what God’s intended order is.
Yes, very much so. Besides what we have already seen concerning the Bible and God, there are many practices that Mormons have that differ greatly from what Christians practice. Obviously, Mormons have a lot of similar beliefs as Christians, but they tend to put their own spin on it. As I mentioned with Jesus Christ, earlier, we saw that much of it was similar, but some crucial facts was drastically changed (enough to change the person Mormons believe in). Every Mormon doctrine is somehow spoken of in some way in the Bible. LDS theologians merely took those things and made them doctrines. Thus the differences can be from changing existing doctrines slightly or drastically, or accepting doctrines that the Bible strictly says not to (like following after false prophets).
The next couple of questions we will address many of those doctrines
Celestial Marriage is a Mormon doctrine where a man and a woman are married not only on the earth, but for all eternity. It is explained as follows:
"Marriages performed in the temples for time and eternity, by virtue of the sealing keys restored by Elijah, are called celestial marriages. The participating parties become husband and wife in this mortal life, and if after their marriage they keep all the terms and conditions of this order of the priesthood, they continue on as husband and wife in the celestial kingdom of God"
Surprisingly, Celestial Marriage began by including Polygamy as the natural order that the Mormon god commanded of them. It was recorded in their canon, The Doctrines and Covenants:
Doctrine and Covenants 131:2
"131:2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];"
(emphasis in the original)
And is continued later in:
D&C 132:61-62, 64
"61 And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood--if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else. 62 And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified… 64 And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, if any man have a wife, who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches unto her the law of my priesthood, as pertaining to these things, then shall she believe and administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord your God…"
The United States Government would not hear of them practicing polygamy, and the LDS church soon struck it from their doctrine, and thus it was taken out of Celestial Marriage. Wilson Woodruff, the President of the church at that time, had this to say:
"I, therefore, as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, do hereby, in the most solemn manner, declare that these charges are false. We are not teaching polygamy or plural marriage, nor permitting any person to enter into its practice"
The date this was issued was September 24, 1890, while the revelation given to Joseph Smith was given on July 12, 1843. Thus Celestial Marriage retained its permanence, but lost it’s polygamous origin.
The reason that this doctrine doesn’t fit within Christian theology is because of these verses: Luke 20:34-36, Matthew 22:29.30, Mark 12:24-25. I will only quote Jesus’ answer in Luke, in full context:
Luke 20:28-36
28 and they questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife and raise up offspring to his brother. 29 "Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died childless; 30 and the second 31 and the third took her; and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. 32 "Finally the woman died also. 33 "In the resurrection therefore, which one's wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife." 34 And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage; 36 for neither can they die anymore, for they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
(NAS)
Many Mormons try to take this verse and add their own spin to it. The key in correcting their personal interpretation is by sticking to the context. The question asked in these verses was concerning marriage in the afterlife. Not what kind of marriage, by God’s law or without, or whatever they might try to add. In answer to the Sadducees’ question about whose husband she would be in heaven, Jesus says, "the sons of this age marry and are given in marriage" (The term "this age" refers to the living world) "but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage". This meant that those who are resurrected from the dead do not marry, nor are they given in marriage. Once in heaven, things are changed, there is no marriage, there is no death, but everyone is like the angels. Once you die, you are not given to the woman that you lost in life, nor is the woman given back to the man. There is no need for it.
Some Mormons try to say "they don’t have to marry in heaven, they were married on earth already", so "of course they won’t "marry" again". They will continue to say that if you don’t marry before death, you are not able to marry in heaven, based on the verses I listed. The context of Luke only supports a negation to marriage in the afterlife. If Jesus was merely saying that marriage was only done on earth, and not in heaven, but that marriage continued in the afterlife, then the question "who’s wife would she be" was not answered. Jesus actually told them in Mark 12:24, "Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures, or the power of God?". The Sadducees in the verses mentioned already believed that marriage continued in heaven, as the Mormons do. The only thing that they could have mistaken was the status of marriage in heaven. Because of this negation of marriage in the afterlife, Jesus was obviously pointing out that the woman would not be the wife of any of the men.
Because marriage ends once you die (ergo the phrase "to death do we part") the doctrine of Celestial Marriage conflicts with what Jesus told concerning marriage in the afterlife.
The Doctrine of Godhood is actually tied in with Celestial Marriage. Mormons believe that the only way to "increase your Kingdom" is to produce spirit offspring, just as their god did. Thus Celestial Marriage is a law decreed by their God and is a step in which one needs to take in order to be a god:
D&C 132:19-20
"19 And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them--Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths--then shall it be written in the Lamb's Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. 20 Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them."
This doctrine is also connected with the teaching that humans are the "same species" as God. It was originally taught by Joseph Smith, but said "best" by B. H. Roberts:
"What is God? He is a material intelligence, possessing both body and parts. He is in the form of man, and is in fact of the same species; and is a model, or standard of perfection to which man is destined to attain…"
Another way of saying this is that we man is "god in embryo", as said constantly by President John Taylor (the 3rd President of the Church).
The Bible has another perspective. It says that man is made from dust (Genesis 2:7), and that we are only related to God because He adopted us (Romans 8:15) as His sons (even women are "sons"). The Bible also says that our future with God (be it the people under the first covenant, or the second) is going to be in perfect unity with God, as a man to a wife in marriage (Jeremiah 3:14, Hosea 2:19, 2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelations 19:7-9, and more unlisted). (The marriage of God to His people, a sign of perfect unity and intimacy, is another reason why marriage is unneeded in the afterlife). Simply put, God’s plan concerning our relationship with Him is far more unity based than the idea that everyone who adheres to certain Mormon laws will be the gods of their own planet, able to reproduce for eternity. There is simply no room for such an idea in Christian theology. Just as in the case of other Mormon doctrine, one would have to actually rewrite the scriptures in order to support this sort of idea, godhood, and that is exactly what Mormons have done.
The burning bosom is a concept in Mormon theology where the Holy Spirit comes upon a person a creates a strong feeling inside their body. This feeling is supposedly taken as an affirmation to a prayer, especially those prayers that deal with the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
"having a burning in the bosom as an indication of the will of God, as in the explanation given to Oliver Cowdery (D&C 9:8)"
D&C 9:8
8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
This "burning in the bosom" is supposedly backed up with the Bible in Luke 24:32, which says "And they said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?". What is often never mentioned is the Bibles constant stress on testing the truth of something, judging right from wrong, none of which solely relies on an affirmative feeling. The first case of this is located in Luke 12:57, which says, "And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right?". Paul tells us to "…examine everything {carefully} hold fast to that which is good" (1Thes 5:21). Earlier in Paul’s ministry, we learn that he went to a place called Berea, and that these people were "more noble-minded…for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, {to see} whether these things were so". We also hear this advice from Paul, that says "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent" (Phil 1:9-10). There really is no short cut for finding out truth. God says that the only way to know the truth is to study scripture, and discern (or judge) the truth of what is being said. The scriptures are thus the objective standard in which one must work.
I would like to note that the men and women mentioned didn’t allow a feeling to convince them, even if it was a feeling they believe from God. The question that comes to mind is this. Why don’t the Biblical people merely accept a feeling as a means for truth, and save themselves the trouble of examining the scriptures to judge the truth of what they were being told? The answer is explained in the following by Paul, who said in 2 Cor 11:14, "And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light". Even the evil one has power to manifest himself in any fashion he chooses, especially for those who are not truly filled with the Holy Spirit of Christianity. We also learn this, by John, who said "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (I Jn 4:1). As mentioned before, the only way to rightfully discern truth is by the scripture, which is the written truth of God. God’s prophecy never fails, and His word never stops speaking to His people, but if a spirit or feeling tries to convince anyone of things opposite of God’s word, then it is false. It is by this that God assures we will not go astray by false prophets, and spirits.
The Luke passage is simply taken out of context. There is no evidence that what the men felt was an assurance from the Holy Spirit concerning the truth of what Jesus told them. In context, it would seem more appropriate to assume that they were convicted of their own wrong doing (see Luke 24:25-27). They did not trust in what God had told them in scripture. Jesus spoke to them concerning scripture, which is the truthful word of God, and their hearts burned. We still find that scriptures are the basis of truth concerning God, not a burning bosom. See Rom 15:4, Heb 4:12, 2 Tim 3:16 concerning the importance of scripture, and Matt 16:19, Matt 18:18, Matt 28:18-20, Mark 1:17, Luke 6:13, Acts 22:21 for verses concerning God’s call on the Apostles to minister the word of God. This is their authority, and the authority of the Bible as the scripture.
Mormons try to say that a burning bosom is so much more than just a feeling, that somehow it is without a shadow of a doubt the answer of God. What they don’t seem to realize is that all things felt by the body is a feeling. In this way they try to elevate the burning bosom past feeling, and again attempt to redefine a word to satisfy their personal opinions. The simple facts are this, many false prophets, manifestations of supernatural things, or anything else should never be trusted without guidance from the Bible. The Spirit of God will not reveal something that is contradictory to God’s word (Num 23:19, Hebrews 13:8). Thus God’s word should be the judge as to whether or not some sort of prophecy or revelation, or burning bosom is actually from God. Again I repeat the words of Jesus, "And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right?"
The Mormons have established a ruling hierarchy which is closely intertwined with their doctrine of the Priesthood. The Priesthood consists of two orders. The Order of Melchizedek is the higher order. Those who have attained the Order of Melchizedek receive the oracles of God and have fellowship with God. It is from this order that the President is drawn. The second order, which is a lower level than the Melchizedek Priesthood is a serving order which is called the Aaronic Priesthood.
D&C 107:18
18 The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church--
D&C 107:19
19 To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.
D&C 107:20
20 The power and authority of the lesser, or Aaronic Priesthood, is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels, and to administer in outward ordinances, the letter of the gospel, the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, agreeable to the covenants and commandments.
It should be noted that only men can hold the Priesthood.
Joseph Smith intended that women would receive ordinances promising them that they would be queens and priestesses in eternity. Moreover, Joseph Smith conveyed the impression that husbands and wives would receive the fulness of the priesthood blessings, through which they would be promised life as long as it would be desirable to them (see 5 October 1840, note 13 13). That the conferral of these ordinances would not be a conferral of priesthood is expressed best by Elder James E. Talmage in this classic and ever-timely statement:
In the restored Church of Jesus Christ, the Holy Priesthood is conferred, as an individual bestowal, upon men only, and this in accordance with Divine requirement. It is not given to woman to exercise the authority of the Priesthood independently; nevertheless, in the sacred endowments associated with the ordinances pertaining to the House of the Lord, woman shares with man the blessings of the Priesthood. When the frailities and imperfections of mortality are left behind, in the glorified state of the blessed hereafter, husband and wife will administer in their respective stations, seeing and understanding alike, and co-operating to the full in the government of their family kingdom. Then shall woman be recompensed in rich measure for all the injustice that womanhood has endured in mortality. Then shall woman reign by Divine right, a queen in the resplendent realm of her glorified state, even as exalted man shall stand, priest and king unto the Most High God. Mortal eye cannot see nor mind comprehend the beauty, glory, and majesty of a righteous woman made perfect in the celestial kingdom of God (James E. Talmage, "The Eternity of Sex," Young Woman's Journal 25 [October 1914]: 602-3).
The Mormons have not shown that they are qualified to say how and what the future state of women will be. It is ironic that they would note their own unfairness to women promising them something more in the hereafter. Here again promising something they cannot not deliver and what they have no basis for stating.
President Joseph F. Smith
Burton, ed., We Believe, Priesthood: Authority and Power
What is the Priesthood? It is nothing more nor less than the power of God delegated to man by which man can act in the earth for the salvation of the human family, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, and act legitimately; not assuming that authority, nor borrowing it from generations that are dead and gone, but authority that has been given in this day in which we live by ministering angels and spirits from above, direct from the presence of God. . . . It is the same power and Priesthood that was committed to the disciples of Christ while he was upon the earth, that whatsoever they should bind on earth should be bound in heaven and whatsoever they should loose on earth should be loosed in heaven. CR1904Oct:5; DGSM:67Elder John Taylor
Burton, ed., We Believe, Priesthood: Authority and Power
What is priesthood? . . . [I]t is the government of God, whether on the earth or in the heavens, for it is by that power, agency, or principle that all things are governed on the earth and in the heavens, and by that power that all things are upheld and sustained. It governs all things—it directs all things—it sustains all things—and has to do with all things that God and truth are associated with. It is the power of God delegated to intelligences in the heavens and to men on the earth. (Millennial Star, Nov. 1847, 1:321) DGSM:67
Christ alone is our salvation. He alone atoned for our sins.
Acts 4:12 12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." (NAS)
There is no name given under heaven whereby we must be saved. Neither the Mormon church nor the Mormon priesthood can "act for the salvation of the human family". Basically, we see from the above texts, the Mormon church attributes to the priesthood what rightly belongs to Christ.
Isa 9:6-7 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of {His} government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. (NAS)
Now the church is going to rule and reign with Christ. It must be remembered that Christ alone is Lord and King. Anything we receive is because of Christ, not because of the priesthood.
Elder Wilford Woodruff
Burton, ed., We Believe, Priesthood: Authority and Power
Our Heavenly Father performs all His works—the creation of worlds, the redemption of worlds—by the power of the Eternal Priesthood. And no man on the earth, from the days of Father Adam to the present time, has ever had power to administer in any of the ordinances of life and salvation only by the power of the Holy Priesthood. You will find this to be the case in the whole history of the Prophets of God. (In Tabernacle, July 20, 1883, JD24:242) TLDP:500President Brigham Young,
Burton, ed., We Believe, Priesthood: Authority and Power
quoted by John A. Widtsoe
Burton, ed., We Believe, Priesthood: Authority and Power
The Priesthood of God, that was given to the ancients and is given to men in the latter days, is co-equal in duration with eternity—is without beginning of days or end of life. It is unchangeable in its system of government and its Gospel of salvation. It gives to Gods and angels their supremacy and power, and offers wealth, influence, posterity, exaltations, power, glory, kingdoms and thrones, ceaseless in their duration, to all who will accept them on the terms upon which they are offered. (In Bowery, Sept. 28, 1862, JD10:5) DBY:49
The priesthood has no power to sustain anything. Here again, it is Christ who sustains:
Heb 1:3 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; (NAS)
As can be seen from these passages, the Mormon Priesthood arrogates to itself power and authority other than what the Bible reveals. "Co-equal in duration with eternity?" "Without beginning of days or end of life?" This last part applies to Jesus Christ, not to any man. Last I looked all Mormons of the Melchizedek priesthood suffer mortality, so this last part doesn't apply to them either. The fact of the matter is that the Mormon Priesthood is in contradiction to Priesthood as understood by the Bible. First off, Christ did not establish a hierarchial priesthood. Instead, the Bible declares the Priesthood of all believers.
1 Pet 2:9 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for {God's} own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (NAS)
In saying this, we do not limit the Priesthood to men only. The Bible tells us there is no distinctions made in Christ on the basis of culture or sex:
Gal 3:28 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (NAS)
The Mormon doctrine of Priesthood reveals a fundamental lack of knowledge as to what the Priesthood's role was under the levitical system. They had no special powers. They did not automatically receive oracles from God. God told Israel that he would raise up Prophets from among their brothers. Most of the Prophets came from tribes other than the Levites. Furthermore, neither leadership nor prophecy was restricted to men. There are numerous examples of both men and women who were prophets and rulers who were not priests
The Mormons also fail to understand the person of Melchizedek and the analogy concerning Melchizedek, found in the book of Hebrews. There is very little said in the Old Testament about Melchizedek. Scholars and theologians have been fascinated by the account of him given in the book of Genesis. He is worthy of note because of the respect paid him by Abraham and that he was Priest to the God Most High:
Gen 14:17-20 17 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tenth of all. (NAS)
There is only one other Old Testament reference to Melchizedek found in the Psalms:
Ps 110:4 4 The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, "Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." (NAS)
What the Bible has to say about Melchizedek is found in the book of Hebrews. Mormons fail to understand that Melchizedek is used by the writer as a analogy for Christ. As stated above, there is no other Biblical reference to Melchizedek. The writer actually uses the paucity of information regarding Melchizedek to show the superiority of Christ to the old priesthood.
Heb 7:3 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually. (NAS)
This passage is basically a statement of the account given in Genesis. It is the fact that the Genesis account leaves out anything regarding the lineage of Melchizedek, and that it does not state anything regarding Melchizedek's origin or demise. Remember, there is only one Son of God. The Greek text of the first chapter of John's gospel tells us that Jesus is the monogenes, the only-begotten. Melchizedek is not the only-begotten. In his interpretation of the Genesis account, the writer is says that Melchizedek in regards to what the text did not report, is "made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually." Melchizedek is not Christ. He did not die for our sins. He is not perpetually offering sacrifice for our sins. This is what Christ does.
The Psalms passage quoted above is a Messianic passage. The writer uses it in referring to Christ:
Heb 5:5-10 5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee"; 6 just as He says also in another {passage} "Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." 7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (NAS)
The order of Melchizedek referrs to what the writer understood of Melchizedek based on the above exposition. So, in actuality, there is only one man who ever held the order of Melchizedek in this sense, that was not even Melchizedek himself, it was Jesus Christ and him alone. The point being that we no longer have an order of priests to make atonement for our sins, we have just one High Priest, Jesus Christ:
Heb 6:19-20 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a {hope} both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (NAS)
It is clear from the Old Testament that only one man served as the High Priest at a time. Now, Christ is that High Priest and He holds that office forever. Therefore, there can be no other High Priest. The writer of Hebrews makes it clear that there were only other Priests because of their mortality:
Heb 7:23-27 23 And the {former} priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers, because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but He, on the other hand, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the {sins} of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. (NAS)
Whatever the Mormons claim about their priesthood, it is evident that it makes no sense in light of our understanding of the Death an Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ is both atoning sacrifice and our High Priests. The text above says that Christ holds his priesthood permanently. As there is only one at any given time, there is no room for mortal, fallible Mormon men to hold such an office. So, to say such a priesthood is given to Mormon men is to contradict the Bible.
It is clear from this, that Christ is our only High Priest. The writer also makes it clear that the Levitical (Aaronic) Priesthood has also been done away:
Heb 8:6-10 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first {covenant} had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says, "Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will effect a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; 9 Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not care for them, says the Lord. 10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them upon their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (NAS)
With Christ death and resurrection, a new covenant was ushered in which supplanted the Old Covenant. Here again, we see the Old Covenant along with it observances and priesthood are done away. The new priesthood that Christ instituted was his own. He became our high priest. He made a way for us to enter figuratively in to the Holy of Holies through his sacrifice, all believers are now priests.
Heb 9:15-17 15 And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were {committed} under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid {only} when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. (NAS)
Heb 10:14-22 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, and upon their mind I will write them," {He then says} 17 "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer {any} offering for sin. 19 Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since {we have} a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled {clean} from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (NAS)
The Levitical order was but a shadow of things which were to come. The Old, which was the shadow, now gives way to the new which is the real. Those things which the Levitical sacrifices pointed to have become real in the atonement of Christ.
Heb 10:1-4 1 For the Law, since it has {only} a shadow of the good things to come {and} not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in those {sacrifices} there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (NAS)
Because the old sacrifices were but a shadow of the real, they did not remove sins. The efficacy of those sacrifices relied upon the real, Christ's crucifixion, which was to come. Now that it has occurred, there is not more need for these kinds of sacrifices.
Heb 9:11-12 11 But when Christ appeared {as} a high priest of the good things to come, {He entered} through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (NAS)
Heb 9:24-26 24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a {mere} copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 nor was it that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own. 26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. (NAS)
From these passages found in Hebrews, that the Mormon understanding of priesthood is in stark contradiction to the Bible. All believers are priests. Men do not hold the Melchizedek priesthood, only Jesus Christ holds that title. The Levitical Priesthood was only a shadow of the High Priest to come, Jesus Christ. Because the shadow has given way to the real, the Levitical Priesthood has been done away. All believers are priests both men and women. There is no special priesthood nor is there any power conferred on such a priesthood. The power and authority given to the church is not bound up in any hierarchial priesthood.