Ask a Mormon
I’m sure you’ve all heard one of these at one time or another. They’re the rumors, myths and sometimes outright lies that surround the the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). While I don’t think we hold the absolute monopoly on weird rumors regarding our faith, the arguments for our being a “peculiar people” certainly seem persistent. So, let me join in a long chorus of other proud sons and daughters of the church in addressing some of the more egregious errors.
1. Do Mormons practice Polygamy?
Not anymore. Yes, the church officially practiced plural marriage from the 1840′s until the release of Official Declaration 1 in 1890, by President Wilford Woodruff. As of this point the church officially discontinued the practice, applying disciplinary action to members who refused to comply with this decision since 1906. The current church position on Polygamy, as stated on the church website is as follows: “…any member adopting this practice is subject to losing his or her membership in the Church.”
2. Do Mormons believe in the Trinity?
No, we do not believe in the Trinity, we believe that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct beings. The Father presides and has absolute authority, the Savior is our advocate with the Father. We interpret references in the scriptures about the “oneness” of the Godhead to refer to the unity of purpose and opinion between the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Scriptural examples of the distinctness of the members of the Godhead may be seen in the events of the Savior’s baptism and the vision of the martyr Stephen. We furthermore cite the example of the vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who saw God the Father and Christ the Savior as two distinct personages in his vision of 1820.
Joseph Smith’s recounting of the First Vision (v 14-20)
3. Do Mormons believe their leaders are Prophets?
Yes, we do. We believe that following the murder of the original 12 Apostles the Christian church fell into apostasy, being led by uninspired leaders without the spirit of revelation, and having doctrine twisted and altered according to the will of secular leaders and political expediency. Such a falling away was spoken of by the Apostle Paul as occurring prior to the Second Coming of the Savior. In order to restore the truth to the earth, we believe that God resorted to a method which he has used throughout human history, appointing a Prophet to act as his mouthpiece and restore an understanding of his will to men here on earth. We believe that this Prophet was Joseph Smith, and that each of his successors as head of the Church have inherited his prophetic calling. Hence, it is the position of practicing Mormons (like myself) that the current President of the Church, Thomas S. Monson, is a Prophet, Seer and Revelator.
4. What is the Book of Mormon and do Mormons really consider it as scripture?
To take from the introduction of the Book of Mormon:
“The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel.”
Yes, we believe the Book of Mormon to be scripture, an addition to the word of God as revealed in the Bible. This is admittedly a controversial belief, as some interpretations of scripture in the “Book of Revelation” seem to forbid any possible further scripture beyond that within the Bible. However, such an argument discounts several facts about the assembly of the Bible, most notably that it was not a single book until nearly a century after the “Book of Revelation” was written. Hence Latter-day Saints believe in an open canon and continuing revelation.
Introduction to the Book of Mormon
5. Do Mormons wear “special underwear”
If I had a dollar for every time I’d read the “magic underwear” crack on the internet, I’d be writing this from a mansion, not an apartment. There are numerous discussions about Garments on the internet and in the printed word, and I have yet to read one that was true, much less accurate. Suffice it to say that yes, worthy members wear a special set of undergarments which are reminders to us of promises we have made to God. (If you think this is a strange way to remember a promise, consider how effective a reminder an extra layer of clothes is on a hot day…) There is nothing particularly mystical or mysterious about these clothes, we wash them and wear them like anyone else wears underwear, we just hold them sacred as they are a reminder of sacred promises, and therefore do not show them off.
6. Do Mormons believe that they will actually become Gods and have their own worlds?
We believe that we are the literal spiritual children of God. As our physical children are expected to grow into adults like their parents, it is logical that spiritual children of God should progress into exalted beings like their spiritual parents. Besides, doesn’t it sound more interesting than sitting on a cloud, playing a harp for the rest of eternity?
For more information: mormon.org
Further Reading:
“Five Myths About Mormonism” by Joanna Brooks, Washington Post
“Myths About Mormonism” by Joanna Brooks, Washington Post
Hi, I would like to ask you a couple of questions. From reading what you wrote, you look to be a person who has taken some time to try and understand what you believe. In that respect I am not pursuing this just for fun or to try and provoke you. There are some things that I cannot resolve that the LDS believe: 1. If Mormons believe the Bible to be true as long as it is translated correctly, what scripture in the Bible is not true and what Mormon writings are used to refute these scriptures and explain the truth. 2. As I read the Book of Mormon and the D & C I came across quite a few prophecies that were made that never came to pass. How do you deal with these when you read them. The Bible says something on this, see Duet. 18: 20-22. Thanks
Thank you for your comment. You have raised two excellent questions to which I will do my level best to answer.
1. Believing the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly… this does not mean that we necessarily find any part of the Bible to be untrue, or incorrect, but garbled or incomplete. As an example, one may look at such verses such as John 1:18 which argues decisively that no one has ever seen God, when the Bible also asserts that at the very least Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Stephen all did see him. Furthermore there are numerous books mentioned within the Bible which are currently not within the canon, indeed, for a number of these we do not know what happened to them. Hence while we revere the Bible as the revealed will and commandments of God, we accept that it has passed through many hands and do not see it as either the final, nor the only source of such information.
2. It would be a little helpful here if you could give me a few examples of these prophecies, so that I might be able to answer them in particular. Lacking that, I would have to agree with the words written in the book of Deuteronomy, that a prophet who prophesies things that do not happen is no prophet. Lacking however direct context for your answer I can only reply that so long as neither of us can see the Savior descending from heaven, the expiration date for prophecy cannot be supposed to be reached.
Donnie is probably referring to Adam-Ondi-Ahman and Missouri. They didn’t build a temple and consequently they were driven out: “And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”
Otherwise, no expiration date on prophecy is known. Imagine living a hundred or so years after Isaiah but several hundred years (even millenia) before some of his prophecies came to pass.
I started reading a biography of Joseph Smith, and thought it was quite interesting. It’s called Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Lyman Bushman, and it came out a few years ago. I’d recommend it.
Mormons will not become Gods. In the bible, God stated, “I am the only one. There were none before me and there will be none after.”
I feel sorry for many Mormons. And for things I’ve learned recently about LDS, I really feel sorry for many of them. Especially a friend I grew up with. He believes he is found. I believe he and others are lost in the beliefs.
Tom
And yet the Apostle Paul states that we will become “Joint-Heirs with Christ” so who’s telling the truth?
Where in the bible are the Mormons?Where did your book come from. God said their will be no other books but the bible
We do not call ourselves Mormons, that is a name given to us by the Protestants. I use it here for the sake of familiarity alone. We are indeed in the Bible, we are the “saints” the followers of Christ, except we would argue that we are those saints in the Latter-Days.
As to where our book of scripture came from Brother Young, I would refer you to the following:
An Introduction to the Book of Mormon
As to your final question regarding Revelations 22:18-19,
“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
Does this scripture refer to the Bible as a whole, or only to the Book of Revelation? And if to the Bible as a whole, how do you justify the removal of the Apocrypha from the Bible at the beginning of the Protestant Reformation? Furthermore, how do you explain Deuteronomy 4:2?
“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.”
Either everything after Deuteronomy is an abomination, or perhaps the scripture in Revelation is a bit more specific than you would like to believe.