Why do you attack the history of Mormonism but not the history of Christianity?

We’ve seen this question in many different forms, but the bottom line for the asker is: “can’t you see the double standard?” Those who tend to see our program on Mormonism from this perspective tend to come from one of two perspectives… 1. Latter Day Saints who are offended at the negative (but true!) facts we expose about their faith. (This, by the way, is a quite natural and understandable response.) Or, 2. Agnostics or atheists who view all “religions” as generally unhealthy for society.

Of course, the response to this could be quite lengthy! Suffice it to say that, among other things, accusations of a double standard brings to light the lack of understanding people have for the differences between Mormonism and Christianity. Christian tradition rests on the Bible, a book which, whether you like it or not, has been criticized and scrutinized by scholars for centuries and yet has withstood the countless barrages against it’s credibility; while Mormonism rests on Christianity. In other words, Christianity came first and Mormonism claims to BUILD (or re-build) on that base.

The irony is that while Mormonism requires an acceptance of the truths taught in the Bible, it, nevertheless, rejects the authority of all other Christian churches to properly interpret the Bible. Mormonism sees itself as a restored and therefore correct version of Christianity, while all other churches, at best, teach an incomplete version of the Gospel.

So the Mormons who criticize us by attacking the credibility of the Bible are, at the same time, undercutting their own faith. (This is a more common occurence than you might think!) Mormonism takes the validity of Christianity as a given, but the converse is not true. Here is the key: If Christianity is invalid, so is Mormonism; but if Mormonism is invalid Christianity still stands.

Those who criticize us from the perspective of non-believers often simply lump Christianity and Mormonism into one basket and throw out the whole thing. This is certainly their prerogative, but, again, it illustrates an ignorance of the differences between Mormonism and Christianity. One can and should judge the validity of Mormonism on the basis of the credibility of its founders, doctrines and extra-biblical scriptures. Similarly, one can and should judge the validity of Christianity on the basis of the credibility of Jesus Christ, the Bible and the early Christian church leaders.

Again, whether or not you like the message presented in the Bible is not the issue. The important fact is that history, as presented in the Bible, has been verified time and time again. There really was a group of Hebrews who settled in the land of Canaan and eventually formed a kingdom under Saul, David and Solomon. The fall of that kingdom, as presented in the Bible, is historic fact. The other nations mentioned in the Bible were real nations and have been documented and verified as such by archeologists. Some of them exist today and their descendants still contend with Isreal. Jesus of Nazareth was a real person. Paul of Tarsus was a real person. Even some of the miracles presented in the Bible, such as the occurrence of Manna in the wilderness have been documented and still occur to this day. (This is certainly not to say that all biblical miracles have natural explanations!)

The point is, the history presented in the Bible, with few exceptions, has been proven and established as fact. By contrast, none of the historical data presented in the Book of Mormon, or for that matter the Book of Abraham, has ever been verified. In fact, through DNA research, science has now conclusively demonstrated how the Book of Mormon narrative, as it presents itself, cannot possibly be true; while Egyptologists have done the same for the Book of Abraham. The only possible conclusion, then, is that while he may indeed have been a fabulous writer of fiction, Joseph Smith was certainly not a prophet of God.

Certainly we are free to debate whether Jesus was who he claimed to be. We are free to examine the words that Jesus taught and decide for ourselves if they are true. But the spiritual claims of Mormonism have already been nullified since the foundation of it’s prophets, revelations and scriptures have proven false.

Can you see anything good about Mormonism?

This is an excellent question. As we point out in the program, more often that not, Mormons are wonderful people. In fact, they are often among the finest examples of human beings on the planet! That’s the real tragedy in the whole thing! If Mormons were a bunch of mean-spirited and nasty people we might simply say, well, let them believe whatever they want! But they’re not! They’re really a great group of people! The problem is we sincerely believe they are also deceived.

And when you think about it… really think about it…  the scale of the deception begins to become clear. It comes down to this… if Christianity is true but Mormonism is a lie (and we are convinced that is the case) , over 11 million souls and counting who believe they have found salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ, have in fact been greatly deceived.  Harsh as it may sound, if Mormonism is true, there’s still hope for those of us who just didn’t get it in this life. But if Christianity is true, Mormons are in danger of hearing the words: “Depart from me, I never knew you” coming from the Jesus Christ they claim to know and serve! A grand and tragic deception indeed!

This is why, during my research into Mormonism, I became convinced that there’s something more to this than meets the eye.

I tend to be analytical. By nature I gravitate toward those things that are natural and concrete rather than esoteric and mysterious. I like facts, so I studied the “facts” about Mormonism which, in turn, convinced me intellectually that Mormonism does not rest on a foundation of truth. Yet under the surface, a bigger picture began to become clear as well… a picture I was not looking for… a darker picture. Sound corny? That’s what makes it so dangerous!

To faithful Mormons it is a way of life; to the disenchanted, a failed religion; to Christians, just another cult; and to the rest of society it’s just no big deal. But is that really all there is to Mormonism? What other “cult” has claimed over 12 million members who sincerely believe they are trusting in the Biblical Jesus? What other “cult” controls the political, economic and social climate of an entire state? What other “cult” has noteworthy influence in Washington not to mention worldwide? What other “cult” owns major secular corporations and controls billions of dollars?

The Bible warns us that our adversary prowls about like a hungry lion seeking whom he may devour. As I studied Mormonism I discovered more than historical facts. I discovered more than a man-made religion; more than an account of the Nephites and Lamanites; more than a history of western pioneers. I discovered an ingenious, intricate and supernaturally disguised trap built on a foundation of lies dissected from the truth; set by an adversary who seeks to deceive, ensnare and ultimately, destroy.

Let’s think logically here… if we hated Mormons, why would we try to warn them that they might not be following the truth? We’re convinced they have been deceived. We care about them, so we attempt to warn them. We do not attack Mormons; we attack the deception of the Mormon system.

Consider this scenario... imagine you were allowed to go back in time to 1912 and were given the opportunity to speak to everyone as they were boarding the Titanic. Knowing what lies in store for them, I'm sure you would feel obligated to warn them of the impending danger. As you tell people you are from the future and you know the truth about Titanic you would probably get a lot of different responses. Don't worry about him (or her), he/she just hates the White Star Line! He's a crack-pot! She's crazy! In fact, you might even eventually be escorted off the premises! But that wouldn't change the reality that Titanic was going to the bottom of the Atlantic in a matter of hours.

You probably wouldn't worry too much about offending those who had put their faith and ultimately their lives in Titanic. Your concern, rather, would be to reach any of those who were open-minded enough to listen to the truth. Even if you only managed to save one life, wouldn't it be worth it?

Mormonism is a far greater tragedy than the Titanic because those who put their trust in Mormonism will one day discover they are on a sinking ship that will ultimately cost them the very eternal life they thought they had found in Mormonism! It is our hope that many Mormons will come to the knowledge of this truth before it's too late.

In short? Nope! The DNA evidence is very straightforward and clearly disproves the Book of Mormon. No objective scientist would disagree with that. What you do have is Latter-day Saint apologists trying to hang on to the Book of Mormon at all costs. For an excellent analysis of this please visit Living Hope Ministry’s web-page and check out their excellent video DNA vs The Book of Mormon. Here’s the link.

Excellent question! Study this for themselves! Educating oneself unlocks the door to truth. Think about it… isn’t it odd that those of us who are NOT Mormons are the ones encouraging Mormons to study their own history while the church does not encourage it? If you’re a Mormon, the best thing you can do for yourself is to study your own material. But you also have to know what to look for… so I recommend starting with the Tanner’s website: Utah Lighthouse Ministry. Simply pick whatever topic you want to learn about, click and you’re on your way!

At the same time, you need to study the Bible and see if you can reconcile what it teaches with Mormon doctrines. For example, how can Isaiah 43:10 be compatible with the Mormon concept of a plurality of “gods”?