jehovah’s witness and mormons - clover...
TRANSCRIPT
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Jehovah’s Witness and
Mormons How to reach them for Christ
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Jehovah’s Witnesses Today
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Jehovah’s Witnesses Today
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Charles Taze
Russel Founder of the Jehovah’s
Witnesses
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Russel’s Founding of JW’s
Raised Presbyterian, Eastern
Religions, old SDA teachings.
1870’s: Started Bible studies.
1881: Formed Zion’s Watch Tower
Tracts Society.
1906: Divorced.
Sold mysterious “Miracle Wheat.”
Declared and proven a fraud.
Lost libel case against opponents.
Claimed to know Greek, but
didn’t.
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Failed Predictions
1914: End of human rulership
1918: God’s vengeance against Christianity.
1925: Resurrection of the patriarchs
1975: The worldwide jubilee
“True” church in possession of JS’ original temple site.
2000: Battle of Armageddon before end of 20th century.
“I said it from the platform! We told everyone the end was near. When I became
a Witness I gave up my insurance policies, I cancelled all my insurance
endowments, I never bought a house because I knew I wouldn't need one, we
didn't even want to put the kids' names down for school.”
1976: 5,000 JW’s leave the movement in Netherlands. JW government since
then demands greater loyalty and discipline from members.
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JW Doctrine
Denies Trinity, divinity of Jesus Christ, and
divinity of the Holy Spirit. God’s name is
Jehovah (though proper pronunciation is
Yahweh).
Christ: Jehovah created Jesus. Jesus is
really archangel Michael. Jesus died on a
stake, not on a cross. He was spiritually, not
physically, resurrected.
No hell, no punishment for sin.
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Sharing With JW’s
Establish Christ’s divinity: Heb. 1:8-12;
Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 14:33; 28:9; John 1:1
(w/Luke 3:2); 8:58; Acts 7:59.
Point out their unfulfilled prophecies, and
thus their interpretation of Scripture must be
wrong.
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Mormonism Today
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Mormonism Today
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Joseph Smith Founder of the “Mormons”
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Smith’s Founding of LDS
1820: Claimed to receive vision to
restore the gospel.
1823: Angel Moroni told him about
golden plates, i.e. the Book of
Mormon.
1827: Found the plates in
“reformed Egyptian
hieroglyphics.”
1827-29: Translated plates using
magic glasses – the “Urim and
Thummim.”
1829: Founded LDS.
1830: Published Book of Mormon.
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Church Growth and Splits
Brighamites (14 million)
1000’s led by Brigham Young
Instituted polygamy
“Church of Jesus Christ of LDS”
Josephites (250,000)
Led by Emma Smith, w of Joseph
Only descendants of JS can be pres.
“Reorganized Church of JC of LDS”
Hedrickites
“True” church in possession of JS’ original temple site.
Bickertonites
“True” church led by JS’ theologian
Cutlerites
“True” church led by Alpheus Cutler, who received a revelation that he would
lead.
Strangites
“True” church led by James Strang, who claimed Smith appointed him as
next president.
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Five Stages of Man (& God)
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Five Stages of Man (& God)
Celestial
Kingdom
Terrestrial
Kingdom
Telestial
Kingdom
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Mormon Gospel
• We existed with God as a society of intelligences.
• God evolved into a man and later an exalted man.
• God created his spirit-children – Jesus, Lucifer, us.
• God created the world.
• God created Adam and Eve, so they could produced bodies for us
spirit-children.
• 600 BC -- Jews migrated to North America. Good Jews became
“Nephites.” Bad Jews becames “Lamanites” and were cursed with
dark skin, equated with Native Americans.
• Jesus Christ came to earth twice – first to Bethlehem, then to America
after His resurrection.
• 428 AD – Lamanites killed all Nephites. Mormon wrote about this
history on golden plates. His son, Moroni, buried the plates, and later
became an angel.
• 1820 -- The angel Moroni led Smith to the plates.
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How to Share With Mormons
Joseph Smith