Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

By Mormon Readers

Q: Latter-day Saints worship God, believe in Jesus Christ, and try to keep the Lord's commandments. Aren't such things good? Why don't you spend your time opposing that which is truly evil in our world? Why are you anti-Mormon?

A: I am not anti-Mormon people, but anti-Mormonism. I love Mormon people and want them to be saved. This is the very reason that I oppose LDS teachings; because it prevents people from being willing to receive the forgiveness of all their sins forever by grace alone through faith alone. This position of complete legal righteousness before God can only come by this forgiveness through this grace and this faith, trust, belief:

(Romans 10:1-4) Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for [Mormons] is, that they might be saved. {2} For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. {3} For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. {4} For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

God is holy and altogether righteous. This means that He must punish sin. The wages of sin is death. Not only physical death (separation from the body), but spiritual death (separation from Heavenly Father). Even an ounce of sin means certain condemnation at the great judgment day. Since "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," every human being alive is headed towards this condemnation. Everyone. Including the best of Mormons. The only hope is to be granted God's pardon of all sin forever. Mormons are not in danger of hell because they are less righteous than others. Even the best of men do not measure up to God's holy standard. You are in danger of hell because you are like a drowning man who will not grab the life-ring. Until you choose to trust in Christ alone and stop depending upon your own worthiness to earn the atonement, you are still in your sins. You may not be as bad a person as a drug addict in the gutter, or a murderer on death row, but you are headed for the same eternal separation from Heavenly Father as these, because God cannot have unjudged sin in His holy presence. You are a sinner like the rest of us, and you are going to hell everyone else, unless you are willing to let Him forgive you of all your sins forever by trusting His promise. He is offering you that gift of love. It is far too precious for you to ever pay for. You don't deserve it, as I didn't. But I received it by faith as you can--because He loves you that much.

I don't oppose your desire to do good works, nor do I oppose the LDS Church encouraging you to do good works. But you must understand that Satan wants you to be destroyed, to spend eternity separated from the Most High God. The devil knows that if he can keep you away from the pardon of God and the cross of Jesus, that you will be judged like he will be judged. He knows that you have no interest in murdering people and robbing banks, so he is using your desire for righteousness against you, attempting to get you to trust in your own righteousness as a substitute for trust in the righteousness of Jesus, and the blood of his cross to pay your debt. He wants you to keep your debt. He does not want Jesus to pay it for you. I encourage you to do good deeds, but I urge you to absolutely not trust in those good deeds to somehow earn the atonement. Those deeds will never be enough to pay for what Jesus is offering you freely by His unlimited graced. Satan is using this emphasis on families and good works to trick you into hell. It is Satan's trickery that I am fighting.

Mormonism teaches "another gospel" that is contrary to the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone as found in the Bible.

(Galatians 1:6-9) I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: {7} Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. {8} But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. {9} As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

These are strong words, but they apply precisely to Mormonism. Mormons believe that forgiveness through Christ must be earned by permanently stopping sin. Since we know that all sins must be forgiven in order to dwell in the presence of a holy God, their doctrine necessitates that a person must permanently stop all sin in order to receive enough grace to be able to dwell with Heavenly Father. This is a works-based gospel that cannot save anyone, because no one has ever been able to meet its requirements for obtaining the atonement of their sins. It is a powerless gospel, and all who depend upon it will be eternally separated from their Heavenly Father. Striving to keep God's commandments is a good thing, but depending upon one's own goodness to satisfy God's perfect standard brings damnation. This means that they will go to hell, not because they are worse people than evangelical Christians, but because they are refusing to receive the forgiveness of sins that Jesus Christ is offering them by grace alone through faith in His promise. As it is written:

(Matthew 7:22-23) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? {23} And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

In that same context a few verses earlier, Jesus had warned that many prophets and teachers will appear to be harmless and good, but are actually tricking people. It is amazing that so many folks assume that Mormonism cannot be bad because it looks so good. This can be a fatal error, and Jesus warned us about it:

(Matthew 7:15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

(Matthew 24:24-25) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. {25} Behold, I have told you before.

There is another monstrous problem within Satan's tricky deception in Mormonism. Mormonism teaches well-meaning people to believe in many gods, none of whom can be called "the Most High God." It teaches that one of their gods, called Elohim or "the Father," was once a man like us and progressed to become a god, presumably under the guidance of another god before him. Jesus is a separate lesser god (whom Mormons are not permitted pray to, let alone have a relationship with). It teaches that the goal of human beings is to progress until they become gods, as well. This is polytheism (the worship of many gods). Since none of these gods are the Most High God, this can be called nothing less than idolatry. Idolatry was condemned by the Most High God in the Bible as among the most evil of all sins, and worthy of the severest punishment, beyond even murder and sexual sins. The God of the Bible hates idolatry, and calls it "evil." Part of this blaspheme is to teach that Jesus is the product of a sexual relationship between Elohim and Mary. Only rarely will a Mormon admit this teaching, yet it is well documented. Since all members of the LDS Church must semi-annually sustain the leaders of the church that teach such blaspheme, you cannot escape this evil if you are a part of this church. Moral practices in other areas of life are good, but such morality does not begin to offset these heinous teachings in the eyes of God.

(Exodus 34:14) For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

(Deuteronomy 13:1-5) If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, {2} And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; {3} Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. {4} Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. {5} And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

There is only one God, manifesting Himself in three persons, but there is only one God. He is the Most High God. I urge you to worship no other.

(Isaiah 43:10-11) Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. {11} I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

(Isaiah 44:8) ... Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

(1 Kings 8:60) That all the people of the earth may know that Jehovah is Elohim, and that there is none else.

Your friend,

Mark Champneys