(Your statement)
THE LDS TEACHES:
1. The universe is governed by a head god and his council. "The head God called together the Gods and sat in grand council to bring forth the world...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" (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, PP. 348-49).

(Your response)
THE BIBLE TEACHES
1. If there is somebody else up there managing things, the all-knowing God who created all things in the heavens doesn't know about it. Isaiah 42:5 defines Him as "God the lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein." In Isaiah 45:12 that same God says, "I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded."

(My response)
1. You quoted Joseph Smith above. First, let me say that there are many very strong reasons that I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet just as was Isaiah and other prophets in the scriptures that you quoted from.

I have absolutely no argument with the statements by Isaiah that God created the earth.  Allow me to point out that the New Testament clearly states that He created the earth by His son Jesus Christ.  (See Hebrews 1:1-3 and John 1:1-3)  (see the response on 4)

(Your statement)
THE LDS TEACHES
2. God has goddess wives. "This doctrine that there is a Mother in
Heaven was affirmed in all plainness by the First Presidency of
the Church" (Bruce R. McConkie, Apostle, Mormon Doctrine, p. 516).

(Your response)
THE BIBLE TEACHES
2. There is absolutely no mention of any wives of God. There will be no marrying in heaven (see Matthew 22:29, 30).

(My response)
2. I don't know of any scripture that indicates this either.  I do believe that God has the capacity to reveal his will and plan for us here on earth to prophets in this dispensation of time just as He did in ancient scriptures.  (Amos 3:7)  We also believe that marriage is a covenant restricted to this mortal life.  The marriage we call "temple marriage" or "eternal marriage" is performed by the authority that Christ gave Peter when he said "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."(Matthew 16:19)
 

(Your statement)
THE LDS TEACHES
3. God is limited by a physical body. "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's" (D&C, 130:22). "If God possesses a form, that form is of necessity of definite
proportions, and therefore of limited extension and space. It is impossible for Him to occupy at one time more than one space of such limits" (James E. Talmage, Articles of Faith, p.43).

(Your response)
THE BIBLE TEACHES
3. The one true God is infinite. Any other "god" is a false god (see 2 Chronicles 6:18; Psalm 139:4-8; Jeremiah 23:24).

(My response)
3. We agree with you and the scriptures you quote.  But God has a glorified, immortal body and the power and influence of God permeates all of his creations just like the light and warmth from the sun radiates through this entire solar system.  The fact that God has a body is scriptural.   See Genesis  1:26  - We are created in "his image and likeness",  Hebrews 1:1-3  His Son is in His "express image of his person". Acts 7:55 - Stephen saw  "Jesus standing on the right hand of God".

(Your statement)
THE LDS TEACHES
4. 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...In all congregations when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods" (Joseph Smith, Founder and First Prophet, History of the Church, vol. 6,pp.308,474).

(Your response)
THE BIBLE TEACHES
4. There was, is, and always will be only one God (see Isaiah 43:10,11; 44:6-8; 45:5,6,18-22; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:39; James 2:19).

(My response)
4. When God created Adam and Eve, he said, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:"  (note the word 'us')  (Old Testament | Genesis 1:26)

The scriptures are clear in teaching that Jesus and his Father were one, but we interpret that to means one in unity and purpose.  In Christ's prayer at the Last Supper he prayed for his disciples and all who would believe on him "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." (John 17:21)

(Your statement)
THE LDS TEACHES
5. Jesus and Satan are brothers. "The appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by one of the other sons of God--Lucifer. This spirit-brother of Jesus desperately tried to become the Savior of mankind" (Milton R. Hunter, First Council of Seventy, The Gospel Through the Ages, p. 15).

(Your response)
THE BIBLE TEACHES
5. The real Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. He is God's son (John 1:1-14). Satan was a created angel--not a son of God (Isaiah 14:12). Jesus created all things, and in Him the fullness of God dwells! (see Colosians 1:15-20; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:1-13).

(My response)
5. I'm a little confused here.  If there is only one God, and you agree that Jesus is God's son, then is the resurrected Christ a God?

I am not sure what you mean by a created angel.  We just believe that "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ...".  (Romans 8:16 - 17)  in the book of Revelation we read that Lucifer was a "created angel" because he was one of the sons of God like you and me but he rebelled "Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:7 - 9)

(Your statement)
THE LDS TEACHES
6. Mary was not a virgin. Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers...Christ was born into the world as the literal Son of this Holy Being; He was born in the same personal, real, and literal sense that any mortal son is born to a mortal father" Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.547,742).

(Your response)
THE BIBLE TEACHES
6. Jesus was begotten by the Holy Ghost. Mary was indeed a virgin
see Matthew 1:19-23; Luke 1:35).

(My response)
6. Are you saying that Jesus was the son of the Holy Ghost?  Luke's version describing Mary being "overshadowed by the Holy Ghost" we believe was certainly necessary for her to be able to conceive a son of our Heavenly Father.  Hers was a virgin birth from our earthly understanding.  The divine nature of her conception is not really clear in the scriptures.

(Your statement)
THE LDS TEACHES
7. Jesus was married. "Jesus was the bridegroom at the marriage of Cana of Galilee. We say it was Jesus Christ who was married, to be brought into relation whereby he could see his seed" (Orson Hyde, Apostle, Journal of Discourses, vol.2, p.82).

(Your response)
THE BIBLE TEACHES
7. Jesus and His disciples were guests a Cana (John 2:2). Read John 2:1-12. This Mormon doctrine is generally not taught openly today. Marriage in a Mormon temple (called celestial marriage) is mandatory to progress to becoming a god in Mormonism. To fit the theology of Mormonism, the Mormon "Jesus" has to be married--or He would only be a ministering servant to those in Mormonism's heaven who have "celestial marriage."

(My response)
7. I'm not sure what prompted Orson Hyde to write this.  I personally know of nothing in our church doctrine that teaches that Jesus was married in Cana.

I do know that we are here to learn and to follow Christ's teachings and even to strive to become perfect even as our Father in Heaven. (see Matthew 5:48).  I have no difficulty believing that God is the Father of our Spirits like the Scriptures make clear.  (see Romans 8:16-17, Hebrews 12:9, John 20:17, Matthew 6:9 Acts 17:29)  As a father, myself, I feel I am beginning to understand Heavenly Father's love for us, his children.  I want every happiness for my children.  Why is it so difficult for some people to believe that Heavenly Father wants us to have everything he has and be "glorified with him."   As his offspring, what do you imagine our future is?  Do you think we have the potential to ever become like him? Christ even said "be perfect even as my Father is perfect".   This may be hard for some to accept who have been taught all their lives the idea that God is some mysterious spiritual essence out there, but when we understand that he is literally the Father of our Spirits and that he created our bodies in His likeness and image, and by studying and learning to follow the gospel perfectly, we can (not likely in this life but after the resurrection) someday become perfect like him, just like the Lord commanded us. This truth gives us real purpose for this earth life.  It gives us a true understanding as to who we really are, where we came from, etc.  To me, this is absolutely precious knowledge.  It comes by seeking, asking and knocking (see Matthew 7:7) and he promised to answer (see also James 1:5).  Anyone who is honest in their search can and will receive this understanding.

I look forward to being with my family in the presence of God for all eternity.  This is Eternal Life.  This will require that I keep the commandments that He has given and the covenants that I have made with him through baptism as well as the covenants and promises that are given in the sacred temples.

This is why we build temples.  Some of these Temple Covenants have to do with the "binding on earth that which shall be bound in Heaven" which can only be performed by the authority of some one who has those "Keys of the Kingdom". The same keys that were given to Peter. (see Matthew 16:19) Families have this promise of being together for eternity, or in other words "bound forever",  if they keep their covenants.   This hope gives me great purpose and joy.

(Your statement)
ATTAINING "GODHOOD"
THE LDS TEACHES
8. "God himself was one as we are now, and is an exalted man...I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form...like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man...he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth" (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 305).

(Your response)
THE BIBLE TEACHES
8. God was never a man. He created man! God has been God from all
eternity to all eternity (see Psalm 41:13; 90:2; 102:25-27; Romans 1:22,23).

(My response)
8. My feelings on this is partially answered in the previous response, but let me add:  If we are the children of God and his plan is for us to learn and live His gospel, be resurrected unto immortality, to become His heir, to be glorified with Him, to become perfect even as He is perfect, why is it so difficult to understand that he had a Father who gave him the same opportunity in some distant eternal past?  Do you think it impossible that family life here, one generation after another, is a prototype of eternal generations?  It makes so much sense to me and puts everything in place.  Besides, and it all gets down to this, I have a personal conviction that Joseph was a prophet of God called to usher in this last dispensation of the gospel (see Ephesians 1:10) prior to the Second Coming of Christ and the beginning of the millennium and that many of the "mysteries of Godliness" (1Timothy 3:16) were revealed to him.
 

(Your statement)
THE LDS TEACHES
9. Man may become god. "Here then is eternal life...to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you...To inherit the same power, the same glory and the same exaltation, until you arrive at the station of God" (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 306).

(Your statement)
THE BIBLE TEACHES
9. The great lie of Satan from the beginning was that man may become a god (see Genesis 3:1-5; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:1-10).

(My response)
9. I believe the previous two responses expresses my thoughts on this statement.  When Satan was conversing and tempting Eve, I don't recall him saying that we could never mature to become like our Heavenly Father. Quite the contrary. In fact when Adam did partake of the fruit they did lose their innocence and began to understand right from wrong.  Satan's goal was to bring about the fall of man because he had no faith that Christ would actually redeem us from that fall.

Satan coveted the throne and the power to rule. We find this same power hungry spirit within our history books.  This isn't the same spirit as following Christ in humility, faith, repentance, baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands; the basic steps needed to inherit the "mansions of [our] Father". (see John 14:2)

(Your statement)
THE LDS TEACHES
10. Total perfection is demanded. "We also have to forsake the sin and never repeat it, not even in our minds...In order to remain forgiven, we must never commit the sin again" (Discussion F, Uniform System for Teaching Families, pp. 35-36).

(Your response)
THE BIBLE TEACHES
10. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God: (Romans 3:23); "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12); and Galatians 2:21: "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

(My response)
10. To me, the definition of repentance is to stop doing something that is sinful and never go back to it.  If we do it again, did we really repent? I don't think that's a complete and full repentance.   I will be the first to admit that I am not without sin. I do, however, try to honestly strive to rid my life from sin. I'm not always successful at it but thanks to the grace of Christ, He offered to do away with the consequences of sin for the repentant by virtue of the Atonement.

Please don't tell me that it doesn't really matter what we do, that if we merely confess a belief in Christ we are saved from the consequences of our unrepentant or recurring sins.  That is carefully choosing the wonderful scriptures on the Grace offered by the Lord and ignoring the rest of the teachings of Christ to promote an easy way to salvation.

I must correct you on one thing here. The scripture you quoted, "if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain", Paul is talking about the Law of Moses which Christ came to fulfill.  He taught that righteousness did not come by the Law (it was only a schoolmaster) but that he had brought a higher law which included his suffering for the redemption from sin of those who have faith in Him, repent, are baptized for a remission of their sins and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands then endure to the end following Jesus Christ.
 

(Your statement)
THE LDS TEACHES
11. The black race is a cursed people. "Not only was Cain called upon to suffer, but because of his wickedness, he became the father of an inferior race. A curse was placed upon him and that curse has been continued through his lineage and must do so while time endures. Millions of souls have come into this world cursed with a black skin and have been denied the privilege of Priesthood and the fullness of the blessings of the Gospel" (Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection, p. 102). (Although it became expedient for the Mormon church to open the Priesthood to blacks in 1978, the alleged revelation did not change Mormon doctrine regarding the penalty of being black. This revelation also directly contradicted established Mormon doctrine.)

(Your response)
THE BIBLE TEACHES
11. The color of a person's skin has no merit with God: "For there is no respect of persons with God" (Romans 2:11); and "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but to have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, father" (Romans 8:15). That includes all of us here on earth--black, white, red, or yellow, king or slave. All of us are made in God's image.

(My response)
11. I agree with you when you state that we are all in God's image, that we are all his children and that he loves all of us unconditionally regardless of race.   I do know that one of the fastest growing areas of the LDS church is in Africa. These faithful members are enjoying full fellowship in the church.  They are very devout and faithful followers.

The statements made by Joseph Fielding Smith was based on the accounts in the Old Testament and the disposition of the Lord on his priesthood authority at that time.  The advantage of having living prophets is that in God's own due time, he can direct his prophets on earth. The fact that the Lord would direct the prophets and apostles of the church to offer the Priesthood to all races, is a tremendous honor and has been accepted as such by the wonderful black members of our church.

Now, if you read and study the Bible, you would understand that anciently, there was a time when the Priesthood authority was withheld from everyone except the sons of Levi.  Through time, and at the Lords will, it has been offered to others as only God determines.

"And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.   So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.   As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec".  (Hebrews 5: 4-6)

Even today, a very small percentage of people on this earth have been ordained as priests after the order of Melchisedec and most are not even aware that these keys of authority have been restored to the earth. I personally have many African/American friends whom I love and respect.  Some of them happen to be members of the church who live in many places all over the world. Our faith teaches that we are all  brothers and sisters. I firmly believe that.

(Your statement)
THE LDS TEACHES
12. The Bible is incomplete and has serious errors. "Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors--many plain and precious things were deleted, in consequence of which error and falsehood poured into the various churches. One of the great heresies of modern Christendom is the unfounded assumption that the Bible contains all of the inspired teachings now extant among men" (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 82, 83).

(Your response)
THE BIBLE TEACHES
12. The Bible is God's Word; and the word of God will stand forever (see Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25).

(My response)
12. It is a known fact that the Bible we use today, whether the King James version, the New Standard version or other versions, has been through many different translations from its original text.  Any time a translation is made, the words enter the mind of the translator and then written or spoken in their own language.  Unless each one of these translators were totally inspired, it's not hard to understand that personal interpretation was interjected into the translation. To not acknowledge this is to ignore what actually took place.

We do believe that many plain and precious truths were lost leading to much confusion and misunderstanding. Over a thousand different Christian churches exist today, all basing their different doctrines on the Bible.

Here is what Nephi, an Ancient American prophet wrote:  "...there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.  ...because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble... (Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 13:24, 29)

...These last records [The Book of Mormon], which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.  (Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 13:28 - 29)

I have studied the Bible and the Book of Mormon most of my life and I have a very strong conviction that both contain the word of God.

CONTINUED HERE...

Sincerely,

Donny Osmond


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