GRACE ANSWERS 20

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Are Mormons Christians?

QUESTION: Former President Jimmy Carter recently said that Mormons should be considered part of the Christian community. Do you agree? Are Mormons Christians? I thought they were a cult.
ANSWER: Your question comes in two parts: (1) Should Mormons be considered part of the Christian community, and (2) Are Mormons Christians?
Let me begin with the second question: Are Mormons Christians? A Christian is someone who has "believed" on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31). Christians are formerly unsaved people who have been "saved" by grace through faith. Salvation is a gift of God, "not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) Salvation is Christ's righteousness imputed to us from God. It comes to us apart from obedience to any law. "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." (Romans 3:21-22) "Faith" in Jesus Christ is the key to salvation. A person must believe to be saved. A person who believes in Christ, has placed their faith and trust in Christ, is saved. A person who has not believed in Christ is not saved.
A question for a Mormon, or anyone else for that matter, is whether they "believe" in the Lord Jesus Christ. What are they depending on for their salvation? Do they believe they are saved because of the church they attend? Or the denomination? Do they believe they're saved because of laws they obey or a creed they keep? That's not salvatio. The "righteousness from God" that saves people "comes through faith Jesus Christ to all who believe." Salvation comes by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. God knows what Mormons are saved or not saved, just like He knows what Baptists, Methodists, or other denominationalists are saved or not saved. God is our Judge.
The guideline God gives us in His Word is what someone "believes" in for their salvation. Ask and listen to answers to that basic question. That should help you know whether an individual is saved or not.
Christians who grow correctly in Christ, meaning they learn and practice God's Will for their lives, should agree on most basic Truths about Christ. However, a Christian who holds to a different view of Christ and Christianity than the majority of believers because of some difference in their growth process does not necessarily mean they were never saved. Salvation is a matter of faith in Christ. Growth as a Christian is a matter of a series of beliefs and practices in spiritual, physical and emotional areas. The Apostle Paul often shared his concern about how Christians were not growing properly or a behaving as they should, but he did not say they had lost their salvation because of it. Paul's letters to the Corinthian and Galatian Christians are examples of that. We should be cautious in judging someone's salvation on the basis of anything other than what God has given us for discernment of spiritual matters.
As for whether Mormons should be considered part of the Christian community, we can look at the history and teachings of the Mormons to see if they agree with the Bible's basic teaching about Christianity. Christians don't agree on every point of interpretation of every Scripture, but most agree that the Bible is God's Word and as such is the final Authority for Spiritual Truth.
The Mormon Church began with Joseph Smith. He was born in Vermont in 1805. Smith's family moved to New York when he was 11. He said he went into the woods alone when he was 15 to seek God's guidance about spiritual truth. Smith said God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to him and told him not to join any church and to prepare for important work. Smith wrote in the Pearl of Great Price: "I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the personage who addressed me said that all their creds were an abomination in his sight; and those professors were all corrupt." Smith said the angel Moroni visited him three years later (1823) and told him he would receive gold plates with God's truth written in a strange language. Smith said he received the plates four years later (1827). He published his translation of the writings in 1830. He called it "Book of Mormon." It's a history of early peoples of the Western Hemisphere. Smith and his followers believed the book was divinely inspired and held it to be Scripture.
Smith and five other believers founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fayette, New York on April 6, 1830. Smith was the first president. He moved to Kirtland, Ohio, in 1831. Smith wrote "Pearl of Great Price" in 1830 and "Doctrine and Covenants" in 1835 based on his revelations.
Smith had many troubles after starting the Mormon Church. Smith started a bank in Kirtland, but it failed in 1837. The Kirtland Mormon community had internal disputes and broke up. Smith moved to Missouri to join with other Mormons in 1838. Problems with non-Mormons led to armed conflict. 20 Mormons were killed and Smith was imprisoned. He escaped after several months and moved to join with Mormons in Illinois. He started a Mormon community called Nauvoo. It had about 20-thousand people at one time. Smith was the mayor and a successful businessman. He instituted the doctrine of polygamy in 1843. Most people, including some Mormons, disagreed with Smith about the belief of a man having more than one wife. Smith became a candidate for President of the United States in 1844. Some of his enemies started a newspaper to fight Smith. The paper was destroyed. Smith was blamed for it. He was arrested on charges of rioting and treason. Smith and his brother were placed in jail at Carthage, Illinois. A mob attacked the jail and shot and killed Smith and his brother on June 27, 1844.
Brigham Young became the leader of the Mormons after Smith's death. Young was a few years older than Smith. He had studied Smith's teachings and was baptized into the Mormon Church in 1832. He joined the Mormon community in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1833. He served as a Mormon missionary to Great Britain from 1839 to 1841. He rallied the church members after Smith's death and became the Mormon leader until his death.
The Mormons called non-Mormons "gentiles." Non-Mormons eventually forced the Mormons to leave Illinois. Young believed that Mormons could not live at peace until they were separated from the "gentiles." He led thousands of Mormons from Illinois in 1846 and headed west. Young and the Mormons settled in the Great Salt Lake valley, which is now Utah, in 1847. He was elected president of the Mormons that year. Young upheld the teachings of Jospeh Smith, including the controversial ones. Young practiced polygamy and had 27 wives. The Mormons applied for admission to the Union in 1849 under the name of "State of Deseret." However, Congress created the Territory of Utah and appointed Young as the first governor in 1850. Troubles with "gentiles" who moved into Utah and with the U.S. Government led to Young losing his position as governor in 1857. Young and the Mormons fought a bloodless war with the U.S. Army and were at odds with the government from 1857 to 1858. Young accepted the "gentile" governor and President Buchanan pardoned the Mormons. Young continued as leader of the Mormons and of Utah until his death in 1877. Utah became the 45th state in 1896.
Mormons regard the Bible as the Word of God, but they do not believe it is the complete record of what God said. They believe God completed His Word when He revealed it to Joseph Smith. Mormons believe that Smith's writings, "Book of Mormon," "Doctrine and Covenants," and "Pearl of Great Price," are divinely inspired.
Mormons believe that the Church Jesus Christ established did not survive in its original form. They believe God restored the church through Joseph Smith. Mormons believe their church is the true and complete church of Jesus Christ restored on earth. That's why they use the name "Latter-day Saints." Mormons believe they preach and practice the gospel taught by Jesus Christ and His disciples.
Here are some basic doctrines from the writings of Joseph Smith and other Mormon leaders. Mormon writings are in "quote marks."
- God the Father began as a man and is now an exalted man. He once lived on earth. "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's."
- God is limited by a physical body and cannot "occupy at one time more than one space of such limits."
- God has goddess wives.
- 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."
- A head god and his council created and govern the universe.
- Gods and goddesses had sexual relations that led to spirit-children: pre-existent, unformed intelligences.
- Jesus was one of those spirit-children. He was the Elohim of the Old Testament. He went to an earth similar to ours to become a god. Elohim became a god and moved to a planet near the star Kolob. Elohim had sex with his goddess wives and they gave birth to spirit-children. God the Father and the heavenly council approved of our Earth as a home for the spirit-children.
- Mary was not a virgin. "Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten to mortal fathers."
- Jesus was married while on Earth. "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."
- Man may become god. "As man is, God once was, and as God is, man may become." Spirit-children go to Earth through physical birth where they gain bodies and the knowledge of good and evil. The spirit-children on Earth do good works and obey the teachings of Joseph Smith and other Mormon prophets. They can gain celestial, telestial or terrestrial glory. The Mormons who gain celestial glory become gods and goddesses, have sex in the heavens and produce new spirit-children who are sent to an earth to gain physical bodies, do good works, obey the teachings of Joseph Smith and Mormon prophets and gain celestial, telestial or terrestrial glory, have sex in the heavens to produce spirit-children who are sent to an earth, and on and on.
- Jesus and Satan were brothers. Lucifer was a spirit-brother of Jesus and tried to become the Savior of mankind. "The appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by one of the other sons of God--Lucifer."
- The Bible is incomplete and has serious translation errors. Mormons believe its teachings about salvation are wrong. "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...Many plain and precious things were deleted, in consequence of which error and falsehood poured into the various churches."
- The Mormon Church is the only True Church. All other churches are false. "This Church is the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth...There is no salvation outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
- Joseph Smith was the holiest prophet and will be our final judge. "I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam...Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I." "No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith."
- Mormon prophets are above Scripture. "The living Prophet is more vital to us than the Standard Works. The living Prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet."
- Mormons are saviors. They are baptized for the dead in earthly temples so the deceased can become believers during their existence between life and the resurrection of the body. "We are the people God has chosen by whom to establish his kingdom and introduce correct principles into the world; and that we are in fact the saviours of the world."
- Mormons must be perfect. "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."
- Mormons believe black people are cursed. "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 fulness of the blessings of the Gospel."
These are some of the main teachings of the Mormon Church. As you can see, Mormons and Christians have some major theological differences. We may agree about the importance of family and being good citizens, but we disagree on the vital theology of the Gospel of Christ.
The Bible you and I read every day is the Infallible Word of the Almighty God. No one is above the Word of God. The God you and I love and pray to every day is Eternal, All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Everywhere Present at the same time, Unlimited, without beginning or end. God is not limited by a body. He is Spirit and does not have a body. He was never a man. God does not have a god over Him. He does not have wives. God alone created the heavens and the earth. Jesus is God and was always God. He was with God in the beginning. Jesus created the heavens and the earth. He holds all things together by His Eternal Power. Jesus is not a spirit-child. He is God Who became flesh and died for our sins. Jesus was never married. Mary was a virgin. The Holy Spirit is God. Satan is a fallen angel and is the god of this world, not a spirit-brother of Jesus. Man cannot become a god. Joseph Smith was not a prophet and will not be our judge. Christ alone will judge the world. Mormons are not the saviors of the human race. Jesus is the Only Savior.
Did Joseph Smith speak with God the Father and Jesus Christ? If he did, the message he preached would be the same as the message God gave to Paul. It isn't. Did Joseph Smith meet with an angel named Moroni? Did Moroni give Smith some golden plates that contained the Book of Mormon? Some people believe Smith made up the whole thing and that Mormonism is a hoax. Maybe it is. However, it may be something else. Consider that Moroni may have been a real angel. If he was, from where did he come? Why would an angel give Joseph Smith a gospel message at odds with the Gospel Jesus Christ revealed to the Apostle Paul? Why would an angel want to lower Jesus Christ from the position of "being in very nature God" to being just an exalted human being? Why would an angel want Mary to not be a virgin? Why would an angel want the human race to believe they could become gods by doing good works and earning their way into heaven?

"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!"
Galatians 1:8-9

What Happened to Paul?

QUESTION: I just finished a Bible Study Course pertaining to the book of Acts. After reading and participating in the discussions that followed the question asked was "What happened to Paul afterward?" No one knew. Would anyone be able to fill me in?
ANSWER: Here's how Luke, Christian historian, wrote the end of the Book of Acts. We'll begin with Paul's famous words.

"'Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!' For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hinderance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."
Acts 28:28-31
Paul spoke these words to a group of Jews shortly after he arrived in Rome. He had traveled to Rome to plead to Caesar about charges against him. The trip from Jerusalem to Rome took many months. Luke was with him.

"When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him."
Acts 28:16

Paul called together the leaders of the Jews in Rome three days after he arrived. The leaders had not received any letters from Judea about Paul and no one had said anything bad about him to them. However, they did know about Christianity.

"But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect."
Acts 28:22

They returned a short time later with large numbers of Jews to hear what Paul had to say. "Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe." (Acts 28:24)
Paul continued to live in his own rented house and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is where Luke ends his historical record we know as "Acts." We have no other historical document that gives us the same kind of insight to Paul's later travels.
However, we do have Paul's Church and Pastoral letters. Paul speaks about writing from prison in his letters to churches in Ephesus, Philippi, and Colosse and to his friend Philemon. Luke wrote about Paul spending extended time in two prisons: Caesarea and Rome. Paul spent about two years in each prison. If we use the date of A.D. 30 for Christ's death and resurrection and A.D. 35 for Paul's conversion, then Paul was probably arrested in Jerusalem in A.D. 58, in prison at Caesarea from A.D. 58-60, traveling from Caesarea to Rome from A.D. 60-61, and under guard in his own rented house at Rome from A.D. 61-63.
Students of Biblical history seem to agree that Paul died sometime between A.D. 64 and A.D. 68. Some Bible students believe Paul wrote his Prison letters from Caesarea and his Pastoral letters from Rome. That would account for Paul's death about A.D. 64. Other Bible students believe Paul wrote his Prison letters from Rome and his early Pastoral letters from Macedonia and his last Pastoral letter from a later imprisonment in Rome.
My own study of Paul's writings has led me to believe he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus from Macedonia or some other location "after" he was released from "prison" in Rome. Paul had written about a plan to travel to Spain (Romans 15:24-28) and may have done that after leaving imprisonment in Rome. Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus as a person who was "free" from encumberment of any kind. He did not mention being a "prisoner" in his letters to them as he did clearly in his Prison letters. He wrote to Timothy and Titus as a missionary who was still traveling freely and preaching the Gospel.
Here are some clues to what Paul did after Acts 28:30 from his first letters to Timothy and Titus. I estimate that Paul wrote these letters between A.D. 64 & 66.

"As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies."
1 Timothy 1:3-4

"Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth."
1 Timothy 3:14-15

"Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching."
1 Timothy 4:13

"The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you."
Titus 1:5

"As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there."
Titus 3:12

The tone of 2 Timothy is different. Paul is no longer a free man. He recalled Timothy's tears and asked him not to be ashamed of his being a prisoner. Paul wrote about suffering in his current situation. He wrote about everyone in the province of Asia deserting him, "including Phygelus and Hermogenes." Paul mentioned Onesiphorus, "because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me." I doubt Onesiphorus would have had trouble finding Paul during his first Roman imprisonment since he rented his own house for two years. He wrote about being "chained like a criminal." He wrote "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure." Paul asked Timothy to do his best to visit him "quickly." He wanted Timothy to visit "before winter." He wrote that only Luke was with him. He asked Timothy to bring Mark with him when he came. He also asked for the cloak he had left with Carpus at Troas and his scrolls. He wrote about leaving Trophimus sick in Miletus, which gives us another insight into his travels between A.D. 63 and 67. Paul probably wrote 2 Timothy in A.D. 67 or 68. He probably died in A.D. 68.
That's a long answer to your question, but I wanted to show you how I came to the conclusion that Paul probably traveled and preached for a few years between Acts 28:30 and 2 Timothy. He may have visited Spain. He certainly visited Macedonia, Nicopolis and Miletus during his final missionary journey because he mentions them by name.
The Apostle Paul was a man on a mission. He never gave up and never quit. He kept preaching, teaching and writing until his last breath. Paul is an example to us all.