PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints (LDS) has completed the construction of its newest temple,

located in Philadelphia. Mormons believe that their temples are

the most sacred places on earth. They are only used for special

ceremonies, unlike the numerous neighborhood LDS chapels

which are utilized for Sunday worship and various other pro-

grams. There are now over 140 of these unique edifices through-

out the earth. According to the LDS Church, the purpose of the

temple is to enable one to "receive the ordinances that will

enable us to return to the presence of God" (Temple Preparation

Seminar, Teacher's Manual, p.15). The secret-sacred ceremonies

that are conducted within these walls are considered essential for

personal salvation.

TEMPLE RITUALS INCLUDE...

Washing & anointing

Clothing in temple garment

The Endowment ceremony/dramatic presentation & instruction.

Receiving of a new name

Giving of tokens (handshakes), oaths, and names at the veil

LDS Temple Opens in Philly

This is a non-Mormon

publication

Inside this Issue

Is Dark Skin a Sign of a Curse? Page 8

Questions to Ask on the Tour Page 11

Baptism for the Dead Page 15

Mission to Mormons P.O. Box 93 Nauvoo, IL 62354

Office: (217)453-2372

In PA.: (309)221-4050

mission2mormons.org

Dedication planned for Sept. 18

FAITH

WORKS

WORKS

FAITH

MAN-MADE RELIGION WON’T GET YOU FAR!

Trust only in Christ for salvation and good works will

naturally follow like the cart behind a horse. Man-made

religion always places the cart before the horse, placing

an emphasis on our own performance (rituals, keeping

commandments, doing charity etc.) instead of trusting

fully on Jesus Christ to save. (Phil 3:8)

©2016 Mission to Mormons

The new 61,466 sq. ft. Mormon Temple is open for public tours from Aug. 10 through Sept. 9.

The building, located at 1739 Vine Street, is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania.

Peace with God: Knowing you have eternal life “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of

God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the

name of the Son of God” (I John 5:13). It would be strange for the apostle John

to write the above words if it were not possible for people to know whether or

not they are truly on their way to heaven. Sadly, many do not.

Many have been led to believe that their own personal works will have some

bearing as to their obtaining eternal life; however, the Bible says that our own

righteousness is like filthy rags in God’s sight! (Isaiah 64:6) Do we dare think we

shall stand before an all holy God and place before Him such “good works”?

Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

The Bible also tells us in Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death; but the

gift of God is eternal life.”

Eternal life is a gift which God Himself paid for on the cross at Calvary. It was

never meant to be earned or worked for any more than you are expected to

pay for a gift given you on your birthday or at Christmas. The price was paid in

full when Jesus declared “it is finished” on that somber day at Golgotha.

Man’s salvation is not based on his own merit, but rather on the merit of the

Son of God, who led a sinless life and willingly gave His life for us. The Bible tells

us to trust in Him for our salvation. We are to trust in His righteousness, not our

own!

Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “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.” “Good works” do not earn us

salvation but instead are an evidence of our faith. Works of service should be

done with the proper understanding that they do not save us from sin. Works

of obedience to God and charity should be performed out of a grateful heart as

an expression of our love for the Lord.

Do you have the faith that should you die right now you would awaken in the

presence of our Heavenly Father? Do you know for sure if you have eternal life?

It is only when you place your total trust in Christ that you can answer yes to

both questions.

Biblical Christianity

Man’s Way

LDS & BIBLICAL TEMPLES COMPARED LDS: 150 temples & many more planned or under construction.

Jewish: Only one temple at a time built to represent the worship of the one true God. The Temple must be built on Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem.

LDS: Temple work in behalf of the dead.

Jewish: Temple work for the living only.

LDS: Baptisms for the dead.

Jewish: No baptisms of any kind in the temple.

LDS: Endowments for the living and the dead.

Jewish: No endowments of any kind.

LDS: Marriages for the living and the dead.

Jewish: No marriages of any kind.

LDS: Sealings for the living and the dead.

Jewish: No sealings of any kind.

LDS: No animals sacrificed.

Jewish: Sacrificing of animals on behalf of sinful people.

LDS: Many rooms. (Some have dozens)

Jewish: Two rooms: The Holy Place & the Most Holy Place.

LDS: Seating throughout the temple.

Jewish: No seats at all to illustrate the unending work of the priests until the time Christ finished the work and sat down at the right hand of the Father.

LDS: Both men & women permitted inside.

Jewish: Only male priests allowed inside.

LDS: Two priesthoods: Aaronic Priests (age 12 and up) and Melchizedek Priests (age 18 and up).

Jewish: One priesthood; Levitical Priests must be at least 30 years old.

LDS: Many High Priests.

Jewish: One High Priest at a time.

LDS: Priests from any background.

Jewish: Priests only from the tribe of Levi.

LDS: After dedication, only the "worthy" allowed inside.

Jewish: Priests made intercession for the unworthy and he first needed purification for himself.

LDS: All white garments worn (with Masonic markings stitched into the undergarments).

Jewish: High Priest's clothing was white, blue, purple, & red, decorated with pomegranates and bells on the hem.

LDS: Purpose of temples: to enable men to attain godhood.

Jewish: Purpose of the temple: A picture of Christ and His redeeming work.

As in Old Testament times, God still demands an atoning sacrifice for the sins

of mankind. Jesus Christ, the only High Priest, by virtue of His perfect sacrifice

of Himself on the Cross, paid that price in our place. We must humbly accept

the fact that the debt for our sins has already been paid at Calvary and that we

cannot work for or contribute anything toward our salvation.

While hanging on the Cross Jesus cried out,

“’It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up

His spirit.” (John 19:30)

2

Oliver B. Huntington, who was a Latter-day Saint in Joseph Smith’s time, claimed that

Smith gave the following information concerning the inhabitants of the moon:

“The inhabitants of the moon are more uniform size than the inhabitants of the earth,

being about 6 feet height. “They dress very much like the quaker style and are quite

general in style, or the fashion of dress. “They live to be very old; coming generally, nearly

a 1,000 years.” This is the description of them as given by Joseph The Seer, and he could

“see” whatever he asked the father in the name of Jesus to see. (Journal of Oliver B. Hun-

tington, vol. 2 p. 166 of typed copy at the Utah State Historical Society)

Brigham Young, the second Mormon prophet, believed the moon was inhabited too —but

went even further by teaching that the sun was also inhabited! “So it is with regard to the

inhabitants of the sun. Do you think it is inhabited? I rather think it is. Do you think there is

any life there? No question of it; it was not made in vain. It was made to give light to those

who dwell upon it, and to other planets...” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 13 p. 271) If the

Mormon prophets were wrong about these issues, how can you trust that they knew

the truth about God, Christ and salvation? 15

Understanding Temples The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

(LDS, Mormon) teaches that God commanded

man to always build temples “for the glory,

honor, and endowment” of the Saints.

(Mormon scripture, Doctrine and Covenants

Section 124:39-40) It claims temples have

always been built, even in America by the Indi-

ans, since the days of Adam. It maintains these

holy sanctuaries are used for the same pur-

poses as the Biblical temple of Israel. Mormon

Apostle Mark E. Peterson wrote, “In Biblical

times sacred ordinances were administered in

holy edifices for the spiritual salvation of

ancient Israel. These buildings were not syna-

gogues, nor any ordinary places of worship.

Following the pattern of Biblical days, the Lord

again in our day has provided these ordinanc-

es for the salvation of all who will believe, and

directs that temples be built in which to

perform those sacred rites.” (Why Mormons

Build Temples, pg. 2) Despite the claim by

Mormons that their temples are a restoration

of Old Testament temple worship, there are

many important differences:

The practice of baptism for the dead is very

significant within the Mormon Church and one of

the important purposes for LDS temples. Mor-

mons point to 1 Corinthians 15:29 as proof that

baptism for the dead is biblical and was done in

the early Christian church. Here the Apostle Paul

wrote, “Else what shall they do which are

baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all?

Why are they then baptized for the dead?”

Paul was teaching about the doctrine of

resurrection. In verse 12 he pointed out that

there were some people who

did not believe the dead

would be raised. In presenting

his argument against this false

teaching, Paul referred to a

group of people who apparently prac-

ticed baptism for the dead, using them as

an example.

It is noteworthy that the Apostle Paul did not

associate himself or his fellow believers with the

practice of baptism for the dead. Throughout

chapter 15, both before and after verse 29, Paul

used inclusive first-person pronounces: “we,”

“us,” “your,” and “you” (KJV: ye). In verse 29 Paul

switched to the third person, “they,” clearly

speaking of “others” of which he was not a part.

Paul merely used these people as an example to

illustrate his point.

First Corinthians 15:29 does not teach that

followers of Christ are to baptize the living as

proxy for the dead. On the contrary, the Bible

teaches there is no chance for conversion after

death, for it is “appointed unto men once to die,

but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Baptism for

Do men live on the Moon? Sun?

the Dead

The LDS temple baptismal font is modeled after Solomon’s brazen sea (depicted above). The brazen sea was used by priests to wash their hands after offering sacrifice to the Lord in the temple court—it was not used for baptisms!

Changing Ceremonies

1840’s LDS Temple:

Many of the LDS temple rituals which started in the old Nauvoo, Illinois temple have evolved dramatically over the years. Parts of the early

temple ceremonies, which were later considered offensive, are not mentioned or discussed today. Therefore, many Temple Mormons may be

unaware of certain ceremonial changes —even though these have been well-documented. The following table reflects some of the significant

changes that have been made.

Vowed to accept graphic penalties for revealing the

“secrets” of the rites: “We agree that our throats be

cut from ear to ear and our tongues torn out...”

“...our breasts cut open and our hearts and vitals

torn from our bodies…”

Oath of Vengeance: agreeing to “avenge the blood

of the Prophet, whenever an opportunity offered,

and to teach their children to do the same.”

Non-Mormon church clergy represented as

“hirelings of Satan” teaching traditional Christian

doctrine; paid a salary of $4,000.

Sealing of men to men, called the Law of Adoption.

This was to make “perfect the chain of the Priest-

hood” and, according to Brigham Young, was the

“means of salvation.”

Women vowed obedience to their husbands as their

gods; men vowed obedience to God.

Participants handed wine by the person repre-

senting the Devil and told, “this is my kingdom; here

you may eat, drink and be merry.”

People of African descent barred from the temple.

Masonic “Five Points of Fellowship” hugging

embrace required.

Public Open House admission charged.

Design of undergarments for Temple Mormons: one

piece, to wrists and ankles, tied closed.

Social activities in the temple: celebrations including

dancing and overnight stays.

Interim: LDS Temples Today

Covenants and obligations of “secrecy” with the

same penalties represented by pantomimed

actions, but the words changed to merely, “Rather

than do so I would suffer my life to be taken.”

Taking an oath agreeing to pray that God would

avenge the death of the Prophet.

Same ridicule of Christianity, but the minister’s

salary raised to $5,000.

Sealing of men to men abandoned and repudiated

by the First Presidency (highest LDS leaders) in

1894.

Women vowed to obey the law of their husbands;

men vowed to obey the Law of the Lord.

Drinking with the Devil eliminated.

People of African descent barred from the temple

until 1978.

Five Points of Fellowship embrace required.

Public Open House admission free.

Design of undergarments for Temple Mormons:

one piece, to elbow, below knee, buttoned closed.

Temple social activities eliminated.

Covenants and obligations, but no mention of

“secrecy.” No penalties indicated or implied.

Oath of Vengeance omitted.

“Sectarian minister” and unflattering portrayal of

traditional Christianity removed completely.

Women and men vow to obey the Law of the Lord.

People of African descent allowed free access to

the temple (if worthy).

Five Points of Fellowship embrace modified to be

less intimate.

Public Open House admission free.

Design of undergarments for Temple Mormons:

two piece, short sleeve or sleeveless, above the

knee, slip-on.

No social activities in the temple.

Should these changes bother the faithful temple-going Mormon? Will these changes continue? What will the next changes be? 14 3

For more information, please visit mission2mormons.org

The LDS endowment ritual was introduced by

Joseph Smith in the upper room of his Red Brick

Store in Nauvoo, Illinois during the early 1840’s.

An endowment ceremony was also practiced by

Mormons at their first temple located in Kirtland,

OH (near Cleveland).

The first temple in Nauvoo was the

Masonic Temple (now referred to as the

“Cultural Hall”), built under the direction

of Joseph Smith. Smith joined the Ma-

sons in 1842 while living in Nauvoo.

The original Nauvoo temple was used for a

short time before Brigham Young led the

Mormons out west. (above is the rebuilt

Nauvoo Temple that opened in 2002) The

original “endowment” ritual lasted 6 hours.

The new LDS temple in Philadelphia

represents a modern, streamlined ritual

believed to provide salvation for both the

living and dead. Endowment ritual has been

shortened to approx. 2 hours 15 minutes.

The Tabernacle (above) was used by the Hebrews during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness.

Later David made plans for a temple, which his son Solomon began to build in Jerusalem in 965 B.C..

“But will God indeed dwell

on the earth? Behold,

heaven and the highest

heaven cannot contain You,

how much less this house

which I have built!”

-Solomon (I Kings 8:27)

4

Joseph Smith’s “First Vision” account set Mor-

monism on an immediate path of hostility toward

those of other faiths. In regard to Christian

churches Joseph Smith said God revealed to him

some amazing things -- “they were all wrong ...all

their creeds were an abomination in his

sight...those professors [those who profess the

creeds] were all “corrupt” (The Pearl of Great

Price, Joseph Smith —History 1:19).

Smith went on to ridicule the Triune God of the

Christian Churches, “Many men say there is one

God; the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost are only

one God. I say that is a strange God anyhow-there

in one, and one in three! It is a curious organiza-

tion… All are to be crammed into one God, ac-

cording to sectarianism. It would make the big-

gest God in all the world. He would be a wonder-

fully big God– he would be a giant or a mon-

ster” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings, pgs. 370-

74).

Following Smith’s lead, many subsequent LDS

leaders have continued the attacks:

“The Devil could not invent a better engine to

spread his work than the Christianity of the nine-

teenth century” (John Taylor, 1858 Journal of Dis-

courses 6:167).

“But to return to the Christian’s idol...Their god is

overlaid with gilt and tinsel...Yet this loathsome,

filthy, debauched, degraded monster is held up

for our veneration and worship by its corrupt

Christian devotees…” (John Taylor, 1882 Journal

of Discourses 23:36).

“I do not but [traveled] hundreds of thousands of

miles, and mingled with all classes and creeds and

conditions of men, religious and irreligious...But I

never found anywhere, wherever I went, any per-

son holding the doctrines of Christ as taught by

Him…” (John Taylor, 1884 Journal of Discourses

25:263).

“...when we come and tell you that if you do not

repent of your sins—you Catholics, Protestants,

and all other denominations—and receive the

message that God has commissioned his servants

[The Latter-day Saints] to declare in your hearing

that everyone will be damned” (Orson Pratt, 1880

Journal of Discourses 23:164)

“The Christian world, so called, are heathens as to

their knowledge of the salvation of

God” (Brigham Young, 1860 Journal of Discourses

8:171).

“In large part the worship of apostate Christen-

dom is performed in ignorance, as much so as

was the worship of the Athenians who bowed

before the Unknown God…” (Mormon Doctrine,

Bruce R. McConkie, Second Edition pgs. 374-375).

The official LDS Church magazine stated in 1984

that “Satan sits in place of God in Christianity

after the time of the Apostles” (Ensign, Dec. 1984,

pg. 9). Mormon authorities have never issued an

apology for these attacks against the faith of

traditional Christians.

Mormon View of Other Churches

“The Christian world, so

called, are heathens as to

their knowledge of the

salvation of God”

—Brigham Young

Are Christian creeds an abomination?

Early Christians used the above diagram to explain

the Trinity

God

Father

Son Holy Spirit

Is Is

Is

Is Not Is Not

Is Not

13

of God is the Son of the Eternal Father” vs. “the

Lamb of God is the Eternal Father” 11:18, 21, and

32 have been similarly changed). One is left to

ponder why a book produced “by the gift and

power of God” would required such corrections

and alterations.

OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE

The stories related in the Book of Mormon talk

about civilizations including millions of people

who lived in large cities and built magnificent

structures. Their industry was quite advanced in

the areas of agriculture and metallurgy. Yet, even

with concerted effort by LDS archaeologists, no

artifacts have been found and officially accepted

—even by the LDS Church—as being traceable to

these cultures.

Additionally, many things mentioned in the Book

of Mormon are out of place for the time and area

in which they purportedly occurred. Some ex-

amples of these anachronisms include refer-

ences to iron and steel tools (2 Nephi 5:5),

linen and silk clothing (Alma 1:29), and domesti-

cated animals such as cows, pigs and horses

(I Nephi 18:25; 2 Nephi 17:21; 3 Nephi 7:8).

According to the Smithsonian Institution, none of

these things existed in the New World during the

Book of Mormon times (approximately 600 B.C.

to A.D. 400).

CONTENT

The Book of Mormon claims it contains “the full-

ness of the everlasting Gospel,” Joseph Smith said

it was the “keystone” of his religion and people

“would get nearer to God by abiding by its pre-

cepts, than by any other book.” (Book of Mor-

mon, Introduction) Yet much of what Mormon-

ism promotes about God and insists is necessary

to achieve one’s full spiritual potential cannot be

found in the Book of Mormon. For instance,

important in the LDS faith but missing from the

Book of Mormon are: temple endowment cere-

monies; Melchizedek and Aaronic Priesthood as

presently understood in the LDS Church; plurality

of Gods; God the Father as an exalted man; three

degrees of heavenly glory; the preexistence of

human souls; man’s eternal progression to God-

hood; a Heavenly Mother; and an evil person’s

assignment to hell as temporary.

BIBLE COMPANION?

The LDS Church looks at the Book of Mormon and

the Bible as companion volumes, both important,

both scripture. However, the Book of Mormon is

not kind to the Bible, making a point of proclaim-

ing the Bible to be both corrupted and incom-

plete. The Book of Mormon states, “they have

taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many

parts which are plain and most precious, and also

many covenants of the Lord have they taken

away” (I Nephi 13:26). Later the book says any-

one who thinks the Bible is sufficient is a fool

(2 Nephi 29:6).

Even though the LDS Church claims the Book of

Mormon is entirely consistent with the Bible

(Church News, 1/1/00. pg. 16), this is not the

case. For example, the Bible teaches about the

grace of God, which is given as a gift; the Book of

Mormon teaches this grace is, in a sense, earned

through obedience (Ephesians 2:8-9 vs. 2 Nephi

25:23, Moroni 10:32). The Bible speaks of the

events surrounding the death and resurrection of

Christ, describing His plea from the cross for the

Father to forgive those who crucified Him. Tombs

were opened and the dead raised. The Book of

Mormon speaks of the same occasion, but in this

account, taking place in the New World, Christ

brings judgment on the people, destroying entire

cities, bringing about the deaths of “our mothers

and fair daughters and our children…” (Luke

23:34; Matthew 27:50-54 compare to 3 Nephi 8:6

-9; 15).

The Book of Mormon has a distinct biblical sound

to it, stemming from the fact that it is written in

an Elizabethan King James style. Also contributing

to the biblical flavor are the multiple chapters

and verses straight out of the Bible which are

included in the Book of Mormon text. There are

over eighteen chapters from Isaiah reproduced in

the Book of Mormon, some verbatim, some with

minor changes, and some with extensive changes

not supported by ancient biblical documents.

One of the more blatant alterations made to Old

Testament text recorded in the Book of Mormon

is found in a prophecy which Isaiah originally

gave predicting the destruction of Jerusalem. It

has been rewritten in the Book of Mormon as an

alleged prophecy portraying the coming forth of

that very book (Isaiah 29 vs. 2 Nephi 27).

CHANGED

We have prayerfully examined the Book of Mor-

mon and discovered it is not what The Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims. We invite

you to examine the evidence and reach your own

conclusion. People all through the ages have

regarded numerous and varied texts as scripture.

Men have copied and even changed the Word of

God to achieve their own ends, but only the true

Word of God, the Holy Bible, can succeed in

changing men.

The Bible says all people are sinful—enemies of

God—and must be changed in order to be

acceptable to Him (Romans 3:23, John 3:3). But

we cannot change ourselves. This is a work of

God, a gift given to us by His grace, through faith

(Ephesians 2:4-10). This precious, life-giving faith

is brought to us through the Word of God

(Romans 10:17) which says:

“If you confess with your

mouth the Lord Jesus and believe

in your heart that God has raised

Him from the dead, you will

be saved”

(Romans 10:9)

Many do not realize that until 1978 the Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) did not permit racial

intermarriage or allow black men to serve within their

priesthood. Author and journalist William Lobdell explains:

“In the not-too-distant past, the Mormon faithful were rou-

tinely taught that blacks were an inferior race, the color of

their skin linked to curses from God recounted in Hebrew

and Mormon scriptures. Besides being barred from the

priesthood, black males couldn’t serve on missions or be

married in the temple—though they could become church

members and be baptized. The Mormons’ historic position

on race wasn’t much different from that of many other U.S.

denominations; it just last longer. It took until 1978—14

years after the Civil Rights Act—before the Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints lifted the ban following what

leaders said was a revelation from God to make the priest-

hood available to “every faithful, worthy man.” The new

doctrine came without an apology or repudiation of the

church’s past doctrine…” (William Lobdell, “New Mormon

Aim: Reach Out to Blacks,” Los Angeles Times, Sept. 21,

2003).

According to Brigham Young

(Second LDS Prophet)

“You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth,

uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly

deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is general-

ly bestowed upon mankind...Cain slew his brother...and the Lord put

Is Dark Skin a Sign of a Curse?

a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin...How long is that race to endure the dreadful curse that us upon them? That curse

will remain upon them, and they never can hold the Priesthood or

share in it until the other descendants of Adam have received the

promises and enjoyed the blessings of the Priesthood and the keys

thereof. Until the last ones of the residue of Adam’s children are

brought up to that favourable position, the children of Cain cannot

receive the first ordinances of the Priesthood” (Journal of Discourses,

vol. 7 pp. 290-291).

The Current LDS Prophet

Thomas Monson

“In about 1956 we recognized that our neighborhood was deterio-

rating. We observed this one Halloween by the nature of the people

who came in the guise of ‘Trick or Treat.’ The minority elements were

moving into the area where we lived, and many of the old-time fami-

lies had long since moved away. Seeking counsel, I visited Mark E.

Peterson, who for many years had been the General Manager of the

Deseret News. O. Preston Robinson, my former professor of marketing

at the University of Utah, had succeeded Brother Peterson as the

General Manager at the News. As I mentioned to Mark my dilemma,

wondering if it would be unfair for me to move, he said simply, ‘Your

obligation to that area is concluded. Why don’t you build a house in

my ward?’” (Thomas Monson, On the Lord’s Errand: Memoirs of

Thomas S. Monson, 1985 p. 184).

What Has Mormon Doctrine Taught?

“Racial degeneration, resulting in differences in appearance and

spiritual aptitude, has arisen since the fall. We know the circumstances

under which the posterity of Cain (later of Ham) were born with the

characteristics of the black race...The Book of Mormon explains why

the Lamanites (editor’s note: ie. Native Americans) received dark skins

and a degenerate status...If we had a full and true history of all races

and nations, we would know the origins of all their distinctive charac-

teristics. In the absence of such detailed information, however, we

know only the general principle that all these changes from the physi-

cal and spiritual perfections of our common parents have been

brought about by the departure from gospel truths...The race and

nation in which men are born in this world is a direct result of their pre

-existent life (editor’s note: Mormons teach that all people lived with

their Heavenly Father in heaven prior to being born on earth —and

some were unfaithful to God during their past life) (Mormon Doctrine,

Bruce R. McConkie, p. 616 1979 edition).

Statements Concerning Race

Within LDS Scriptures

The Book of Mormon:

I Nephi 11:13 (Mary, mother of Jesus) “...she was exceedingly fair and white”

I Nephi 12:23 (Regarding “Lamanites” Native Americans) “...became dark,

and a loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of

abominations.”

I Nephi 13:15 (regarding Gentiles) “...they were white, and exceedingly fair

and beautiful, like unto my people (Nephites) before they were slain.”

2 Nephi 5:21 “...a sore cursing...as they were white, and exceedingly fair and

delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God

did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.”

2 Nephi 30:6 (Regarding “Lamanites” Native Americans) “...scales of darkness

shall begin to fall...they shall be a white and delightsome people.” (Changed

to “pure and delightsome” in 1981 edition)

Jacob 3:5 (“Lamanites” Native Americans cursed) “...whom ye hate because

of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins…”

Jacob 3:8-9 “...their skins will be whiter than yours...revile no more against

them because of the darkness of their skins…”

Alma 3:6 “... skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which

was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their

transgression and their rebellion…”

8

(Continued on next page)

“The minority elements were moving into the area where we lived…” —Thomas Monson

9

Alma 3:8 (Cursed) “...that their seed might be distinguished from the seed of

their brethren...that they might not mix…”

Alma 3:9 “...whosoever did mingle his seed with that of the Lamanites did

bring the same curse upon his seed.”

Alma 3:14 (Lamanites cursed) “...set a mark on them that they and their seed

many be separated from thee and thy seed…”

Alma 3:19 (Amlicites cursed) “...brought upon themselves the curse…

Alma 23:18 “…(Lamanites) did open a correspondence with them

(Nephites) and the curse of God did no more follow them.”

3 Nephi 2:14-16 “...Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were

numbered among the Nephites, And their curse was taken from them,

and their skin became white like unto the Nephites...became exceed-

ingly fair…”

3 Nephi 19:25, 30 (Disciples of Christ) “...they were as white as the

countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the white-

ness thereof did exceed all the whiteness...nothing upon earth so

white as the whiteness thereof...they were white, even as Jesus.”

Mormon 5:15 (Lamanites) “...shall become a dark, a filthy, and a

loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath

been amongst us...”

Mormon 5:17 “They were once a delightsome people…”

The Pearl of Great Price:

Moses 7:8 “...a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan…”

Moses 7:12 “...Enoch continued to call upon all the people, save it

were (except) the people of Canaan, to repent...”

Moses 7:22 “...for the seed of Cain were black and had not place

among them.”

Abraham 1:21 “...king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of

Ham, and was a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth.”

Abraham 1:27 “...Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could

not have the right of Priesthood...”

What Does the Bible Teach?

Some Mormons will argue that in the Bible there were certain racial

restrictions related to the preaching of the Gospel. For example, the

disciples of Jesus were initially instructed by Christ to only preach to

fellow Jews. It is true that Jesus focused His earthly ministry on the

Jewish people out of respect for the covenant God made with

Abraham, but this did not mean that others had a special curse upon

them. God always had a plan that was global in scope. Just prior to His

death, Jesus commanded His followers to “Go ye therefore, and teach

all nations, baptizing them…” (Matthew 28:19). There were no

restrictions given related to this great international missionary work!

Also, consider the following Bible passages:

Acts 10:28 “...But God has shown me (The Apostle Peter) that I should

not call any man common or unclean.”

Acts 8:26-39 Philip baptized the Ethiopian and place no restrictions

on him.

Acts 10:34-35 “God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he

that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”

Galatians 3:28 “...there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond

nor free, there is neither male or female: for ye are all one in

Christ Jesus.”

If Mormonism was a restored Christianity (as it claims) we would

expect it to reflect the teachings of the Bible and to be the moral lead-

er in the area of race relations—not among the last of the religious

institutions to open their doors to those of African descent.

10 7

The eighth LDS Article of Faith says the Bible can be trusted only “as

far as it is translated correctly.” Translation means to take words from

one language and put them into the words of another. We agree that

a correct translation of the Bible—which was written in Hebrew and

Koine Greek 2,000-4,000 years ago—is necessary for proper under-

standing.

Anytime the words from one language are put into another—whether

it is Spanish into English or French into Arabic—there is always the risk

of losing something in the translation. It is doubtful that our many

modern-day translations were produced by unprincipled people who

wanted to keep God’s truths hidden. In actuality, quite the opposite is

true. The motivation behind a new translation is, in most cases, to give

a clearer understanding of what God wants to reveal to His people.

Granted, some translations do a better job than others.

Although some Mormons believe that the King James Version of the

Bible was a translation of another Bible translation, thus producing

errors, this is absolutely not true because the KJV translators utilized

the best manuscripts available to them in the 17th century. They did

not depend on other translations. In fact, while translators will differ,

the goal of Bible translators is to utilize the most accurate manuscripts

and then attempt to put the words of the Bible into an understanda-

ble language for the audience it addresses.

Certainly two transla-

tors of any written

piece will differ in the

choice of words, verb

tense, and style. But if

two good Spanish trans-

lators independently

translate this morning’s

paper, you would have

to say that the basic

message would be the

same despite their nu-

merous differences.

Truly there is no such

thing as a perfect translation. LDS Church leaders must certainly be

aware of this since their translators have often had to revise not only

their English edition of The Book of Mormon but several foreign edi-

tions as well.

Perhaps LDS leaders would say that the transmission, or the copying

and handing down of the biblical manuscripts, is why they believe the

Bible has errors. Yet Biblical scholars have carefully sorted through the

tens of thousands of biblical manuscripts to determine the earliest

and most reliable texts. In addition, not having the original manu-

scripts of the Bible should not be a problem to the Mormon who real-

izes that there are no original manuscripts for The Book of Mormon.

In conclusion, consider the comments of BYU professor Richard L. An-

derson on the accuracy of the New Testament at the 14th Annual

Symposium of the Archaeology of the Scriptures: “For a book to un-

dergo progressive uncovering of its manuscript history and come out

with so little debatable in its text is a great tribute to its essential au-

thenticity. First, no new manuscript discovery has produced serious

differences in the essential story. This survey has disclosed the leading

texual controversies, and together they would be well within one

percent of the text. Stated differently, all manuscripts agree on the

essential correctness of 99 percent of all the verses in the New Testa-

ment.” Truly the Bible is a very special book. —Eric Johnson

Is the Bible Translated Correctly?

“...shall become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people...” (Mormon 5:15)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

DICTIONARY A look at how Latter-day Saints & traditional Christians define terms differently... Atonement

LDS: Believe Christ’s death brought release from the grave and brought universal resurrection, also known as salvation by grace.

Bible: Salvation is not universal but based on belief of each individual (John 3:16; Romans 1:16; Hebrews 9:28; Ephesians 2:8-9).

Godhead

LDS: Father God is a resurrected man with a physical body. Christ is a separate res-urrected god with a physical body. The Holy Ghost is a separate god with a spiritual body. Three totally separate and distinct Gods.

Bible: God is not a man (Numbers 23:19). There is only one God (Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:6; 45:21-22) The Father is Spirit and invisible (John 4:24; I Timothy 1:17).

Jesus Christ

LDS: A created being, he is the first spirit child of Elohim and one of his wives, and is the spirit-brother of Lucifer.

Bible: He is the eternal God manifested in the flesh and the One that created all things (John 1:1-3; 14).

Virgin Birth

LDS: Believe God, as a resurrected physical man, is the literal father of Jesus. He was conceived in the same manner in which men are conceived on earth (Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie, second edition, p. 742).

Bible: Mary was with child of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:18).

Scripture

LDS: Has additional revelation from God in The Book of Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants and from a living prophet. The Bible is considered untrustworthy.

Bible: The Bible is infallible and without error and is the sole authority for all matters of Christian belief and practice (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3).

Gospel

LDS: Mormon Church system and doctrines.

Bible: Message of Christ’s death and resurrection as atonement for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Colossians 1:22-23).

The Fall

LDS: Teach it brought mortality and physical death, not fallen nature. Believe Adam was given two conflicting commandments and was suppose to fall (Gospel Principles, p. 29).

Bible: God tempts no one (James 1:13-14). Man is basically sinful (Romans 8:5-8; 1 Corinthians 2:14).

Born Again

LDS: Baptism into the LDS Church.

Bible: We are spiritually dead until our spiritual rebirth (1 Peter 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

12

LDS “Milk Before Meat” Principle: Concealing doctrines? Some find it quite offensive that we, as non-Mormons, would

stand in front of Mormon temples and pass out information

challenging the beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). The reason that we do so

is not to purposefully offend, but to help the public have a

more accurate understanding of the Mormon temple and the

LDS religion. The primary purpose of an LDS temple open

house is to recruit new members, but will the average person

really know what they are getting themselves into? Mormon

Church members will tell you that you should get your infor-

mation directly from them or LDS church representatives —

instead of from those outside their religion. That certainly

makes some sense, but this is why I have stood in front of

dozens of LDS temples handing out information since 1989.

The reason is the “milk before meat” principle. Unlike the typi-

cal church where you can easily discover the basic doctrines of

the group prior to membership or baptism, Mormon leaders

make great effort to conceal all of their controversial teachings

from the public (meat), teaching their missionaries to only

provide the prospective convert with simple, incomplete,

watered down LDS beliefs. “Meat” doctrines are the deeper

teachings that only worthy members are to know about. This

is justified by leaders who say some doctrines are “too sacred”

to be discussed publicly. To us it is a dishonest means of gain-

ing converts. Would you like proof of this LDS “milk before

meat” principle? You can view a video on YouTube which

contains a talk by BYU Professor, Robert L. Millet. In this video

he is seen instructing soon-to-be LDS missionaries on how to

answer uncomfortable questions. (Video was still available for

viewing at the time of this printing 8/22/16). —Steve Dealy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMJvqBq_Qa8

The Book of Mormon Keystone of Mormonism On average, fifteen thousand copies of The Book

of Mormon are printed each day. They are given

away at LDS visitor centers and historic sites,

freely offered in television commercials, given as

gifts by Latter-day Saints to friends and relatives,

and distributed by LDS missionaries as they go

door-to-door around the world. So important is

The Book of Mormon to The Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints that its founding prophet

Joseph Smith said, “Take away the Book of Mor-

mon and the revelations, and where is our reli-

gion? We have none” (Teachings of the Prophet

Joseph Smith, pg. 71).

Smith also said, “I told the Brethren that the Book

of Mormon was the most correct of any book on

earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man

would get nearer to God by abiding by its pre-

cepts, than by any other book.” (History of the

Church 4:461).

Mormons accept the Book of Mormon as scrip-

ture, believing it to be “Another Testament of

Jesus Christ.” Yet it is no secret that historical

Christianity rejects the book and its claims. Former

LDS Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley said, “I don’t un-

derstand why those of other faiths cannot accept

the Book of Mormon. One would think they would

be looking for additional witnesses to the great

and solemn truths of the Bible” (The Ensign, 6/00,

pg.18).

Clearly, a book revered by millions of people

across the globe as a companion to the Bible

deserves examination.

HISTORY Though no objective evidence has ever been

produced by non-LDS scholars to substantiate the

story, the Book of Mormon text is said to have

come from a set of gold plates Joseph Smith

received at the hands of an angel in 1827. The

engraved text, “Reformed Egyptian.” was translat-

ed by Smith into English “by the gift and power of

God” (Book of Mormon, Introduction)

The official story supplied by the Church is that

Smith, though poorly educated, viewed the gold

plates and was ale to miraculously translate them.

However, friendly eyewitness accounts indicate

Smith actually used a “seer stone” - a stone with

magical powers. English words purportedly

appeared when Smith placed this stone in a hat

and blocked out the light with his face (David

Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, 12;

Martin Harris, quoted in B. H. Roberts, Compre-

hensive History of the Church 1:129)

Whatever the process, the resultant manuscript

was printed as the Book of Mormon in Palmyra,

New York in 1830, the title page Joseph Smith’s

name and identifying him as author (Smith’s desig-

nation as “author” was removed from subsequent-

ly editions). Eleven men stepped forward to act as

witnesses, stating they had seen the gold plates.

Some even claimed to have been told by God Him-

self that the work Smith produced was true. Inter-

esting, four of these eleven witnesses were related

to Smith, five were brothers from the Whitmer

family, and two were married to Whitmer sisters.

Great American humorist Mark Twain found this

situation amusing and quipped, “I could not feel

more satisfied and at rest if the entire Whitmer

family had testified” (Roughing It, 105).

By 1838, of the eleven witnesses, only Smith’s

father and two brothers remained in the LDS

Church; two were dead and six others had fallen

out of favor with the Prophet and left the faith.

Some of these later returned.

In 1841 Smith proclaimed the Book of Mormon to

be “the most correct of any book on earth,” yet

today’s edition contains about four thousand

changes from the first edition text. The nature and

number of these revisions go well beyond what

were required to correct transmission and printer

errors. Not even considering spelling and punctua-

tion corrections, these four thousand-plus changes

are historical (e.g., Mosiah 21:28: “king Mosiah”

vs. “king Benjamin”), grammatical (e.g., Alma 9:32:

“they were angry” vs. “they was angry”), and

doctrinal in nature (e.g., I Nephi 13:40: “the Lamb

In August 2015, the LDS Church released images of one of Smith's seer stones in a volume of the Joseph Smith Papers Project.

5

Founding prophet of the Mormon Church

Amazing Quotes of Joseph Smith

HIS HUMILITY

“I have more to boast of than ever any man

had. I am the only man that has ever been

able to keep a whole church together since

the days of Adam. A large majority of the

whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John,

Peter nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no

man ever did such a work as I. The followers

of Jesus ran away from him; but the Latter-

day Saints never ran away from me yet.”

May 26, 1844 (History of the Church 6:408-

409)

“I combat the errors of ages; I meet the

violence of mobs; I cope with illegal pro-

ceedings from executive authority; I cut the

Gordian knot of powers, I solve the mathe-

matical problems of universities, with

truth—diamond truth; and God is my ‘right

hand man.’” (HOC 6:78)

God made Aaron to be the mouth piece for

the children of Israel, and He will make me

be god to you in His stead, and the Elders to

be mouth for me; and if you don’t like it, you

must lump it.” (HOC 6:319-320)

“I am learned, and know more than all the

world put together.” (HOC 6:308)

“If the want a beardless boy to whip all the

world, I will get on top of a mountain and

crow like a rooster; I shall always beat

them.” (HOC 6:408)

GOD IS AN EXALTED MAN?

“God himself was once as we are now, and is

an exalted Man, and sits enthroned in yon-

der heavens...I say, if you were to see him to

-day, you would see him like a man in

form—like yourselves, in all the person,

image, and very form as a man...it is neces-

sary that we should understand the charac-

ter and being of God, and how he came to

be so; for I am going to tell you how God

came to be God. We have imagined and sup-

posed that God was God from all eternity, I

will refute that idea, and will take away and

do away the veil, so that you may see...and

that he was once a man like us; yea, that

God himself the Father of us all, dwelt on an

earth the same as Jesus Christ himself

did.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 5).

THERE ARE MANY GODS?

“In the beginning, the head of the Gods

called a council of the Gods; and they came

together and concocted a plan to create the

world and people it,” (Journal of Discourses,

vol. 6, p. 5).

UNFULFILLED PREDICTIONS

“I prophesy in the name of the Lord God of

Israel, unless the United States redress the

wrongs committed upon the Saints in the

state of Missouri and punish the crimes

committed by her officers that in a few years

the government will be utterly over-thrown

and wasted, and there will not be so much

as a potsherd left…” (History of Church,

5:394)

Joseph Smith claimed to be a prophet of

God. We are told in the Bible that we may

know a prophet by his prophecies. In 1832

(Doctrine and Covenants 84) Smith prophe-

sied a temple would be built at Independ-

ence, Missouri within that generation. To

this day no temple stands there. A few

months later (Doctrine and Covenants 87)

Smith prophesied that all nations would

enter into the Civil War. This, too, did not

happen. According to the Bible, false proph-

esies identify false prophets. (Deuteronomy

18:20-22)

6 11

Questions to Ask on Your Tour LDS Temple tours are usually “silent tours,” meaning visitors are asked to be reverently quiet during their time in the

temple. After the tour, people are invited to ask questions. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

1. Do Mormons really believe they can work to become worthy, go to the temple, and become gods?

2. Why do Latter-day Saints perform marriages “for time and eternity” in their temples when Jesus clearly taught there is no marriage in heaven, but we

shall be as the angels? (See Matthew 22:30 and Mark 12:25)

3. Why has the Book of Abraham not been removed from the Pearl of Great Price (LDS scripture) since it has been proven to be fraudulent?

4. Why do you suppose Joseph Smith said an angel named Nephi appeared to him in 1823 but later, while reporting on the same event, said the angel’s

name was Moroni?

5. Why have more than 4,000 grammatical and punctuation errors, and later doctrinal changes, been made in The Book of Mormon if it is from God and is

the “most correct book on earth”?

6. If Lucifer (whom the LDS Church teaches is the spirit brother of Jesus) cannot tempt a child to sin before the age of 8 years, what are LDS children

suppose to repent of in order to be baptized?

7. How can the teachings of LDS prophets, which do not agree, be reconciled? For example, Brigham Young taught that Adam was God and that Blacks were

never to partake of the priesthood— but these doctrines were refuted or changed by later LDS prophets.

8. How is one supposed to know which LDS scripture to believe when they disagree? For example, The Book of Mormon and the Bible both teach there is

only one God, but the Doctrine and Covenants states there are many gods.

9. If the Bible was corrupted in the early centuries as the LDS Church teaches, why did Joseph Smith not correct the errors and replace the books it claims are

missing, instead of removing the Song of Solomon in his translation?

10. Why do Latter-day Saints continue to rely on the uncertainty of laws and ordinances and works for their eternal destiny when the Bible says there is

certainty for those who trust in Jesus? These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have

eternal life. (I John 5:13)

Secret Rituals on YouTube A few years ago a member of the LDS Church in Utah became

disillusioned with his faith and began to enter Mormon temples

to secretly film the secret rituals. Now the public can view the

temple rites that were shrouded in mystery for generations.

Some of the videos, which are now available to view on

YouTube, feature live actors (The Salt Lake Temple and Manti,

Utah Temple). The rest of the LDS temples utilize a film during

the ceremony that portrays the creation of the world and Adam

and Eve in the Garden of Eden etc.

See Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony (With Movie)

Newnamenoah www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VrsFEiTpsQ