The Mormon Message

Greg Gwin

Have you ever studied with any of the Mormon "missionaries" that come calling at your door? Most of these young men carry the title "elder", and they have devoted themselves to a two year period of spreading their message door-to-door. Their zeal and dedication are commendable, but their message is full of error (Rom. 10:1-3).

As you probably know, the Mormons base their religion principally upon the teachings of Joseph Smith. He was a man who lived in New York during the first half of the 19th century. He claimed to have received special revelations from God. The far-fetched details of how Smith supposedly received these revelations are much debated. Nonetheless, Smith produced several books, the most famous of these being the Book of Mormon. While the Mormons say they believe the Bible, they argue that it has been corrupted over the centuries. The writings of Joseph Smith, they contend, represent a more accurate "latter day" revelation from God.

It seems obvious that there is a huge burden of proof that accompanies these claims. If the Book of Mormon and its companion writings are from God, then those who believe in them ought to be able to provide compelling evidence of their authenticity. This, of course, is what we do when we meet someone who does not believe the Bible. In fact, we put a good deal of emphasis on studying ‘evidences’ so that we can be prepared to answer those who question us about our faith (1 Peter3:15).

When asked to produce the evidence for their documents, Mormons usually respond by suggesting that one pray to God for an answer as to whether or not their teachings are true. They promise that God will answer by way of a "warm feeling" in the heart. This is the wrong approach. If the Mormons won't (can’t) supply their ‘evidence’, we have no ‘common ground’ and there is no hope of reconciling our significant and essential differences.