.:WHY DO YOU HATE MORMONS? Didn’t Jesus Teach Us to LOVE Our Neighbors?
A MORMON RESPONSE TO OUR WEBSITE:
“Out of curiosity, I am wondering, do you have nothing better to do with your time? Why do you hate the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and take your time to select random quotes from Joseph Smith to attack the Mormons. Jesus Christ did not vehemently attack the Pharisees. You seem to go against the very basic teachings of Christ by not LOVING your neighbor into your religion instead of trying to deceive them with selected quotes from Mormon literature. Now, I’m not saying you’re trying to be mean, but I am saying don’t be a hypocrite by attacking someone that Christ would love into His Gospel. Jesus Christ is about bringing people together, not tarring them apart over beliefs.
I believe that God is a God of mercy and second chances. He will provide a way for all of his children to return and live with him; if not in this life, the next. I also believe that God will judge us according to our consciences; that is to say that He will judge us according to the laws and ways we have been taught. If we live the ways we believe to be correct, then that will be pleasing unto Him. I mean, how can he punish us for something we didn’t know was wrong? That just doesn’t seem just.
Now, as to people falling away from the LDS Church, every EX-member who is writing will have a problem with the standards of the Church and that is why they are Ex-members. The standard was too high for them. Much is given; much is expected. So, why don’t you leave the Mormons alone and find something better to do with your time? May your hate for Mormons and Mormonism will be replaced with true tokens of worship and the fruits of the love of Jesus Christ.”
OUR RESPONSE:
- The Accident and Spiritual Warnings
- Did Jesus Attack The Belief System Of The Pharisees?
- How Did Jesus “Love” People Into His Religion?
- How Did John The Baptist Show Love To His Neighbors?
- Did Jesus Tear People Apart Over Beliefs?
- Is God A God Of Second Chances?
- Why Do Ex-Mormons Leave?
- Do We Have Nothing Better To Do With Our Time?
We can hear the hurt in your voice as you wrote this letter to us. We can tell that you care very much about the religion you have chosen to commit your life to, and you feel “hated” and personally “attacked” when something as dear to your heart is exposed as being a lie. We don’t blame you for being upset. Although truth hurts, it is a necessary requirement for liberation as Christ promised: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)** Indeed, devotion and faith are honorable traits, but they are only as good as the objects in which they are placed, in this case, your religious beliefs. Consider this:
You’re driving down the road going 65 miles an hour. You pass a speed sign that says, “Speed limit 50.” You think to yourself, I “know” I can safely go 65 on this road. So, you disregard the warning sign and continue on at your current pace. Next thing you know, flashing lights appear in your rearview mirror. You have been caught and the policeman is now on your tail, lights and sirens blaring.
“What a hateful person!” you think to yourself. “Who is he to question what speed I KNOW I can safely drive down this road?” Although the policeman is warning you to stop, you ignore him. After all, you think, “He is just persecuting me because he doesn’t like the way I’m driving. He needs to learn how to LOVE people into his ways instead of ATTACKING his neighbor’s driving skills! Why else would he be bothering me if he doesn’t HATE people who know how to drive better then him? He should just mind his own business and leave me alone. Doesn’t he have anything better to do with his time?”
You continue on. Next thing you see is a flashing yellow light that warns that the upcoming stoplight is about to change red. “I can’t stop now. The policeman will catch me!” you think. So, you glance both ways to see that the traffic is still stopped at the light. Then, you floor the gas pedal in hopes of blitzing through the light before the traffic enters, but you missed seeing an oncoming semi-truck in the other lane that wasn’t stopped at the light and quickly entered the intersection as you floored the gas-pedal to get through. The head on collision was unavoidable.
Who is to blame for the accident? The speed sign, the policeman, the flashing warning light, the red light, the truck driver, or your own self-deceiving thoughts and excuses? We’re sure you would agree that if you were the person involved in the account above, the honest thing would be to admit that your compromise with lying thoughts led to these tragic consequences, not only for yourself, but those around you.
Now, you’re probably thinking: “That was a stupid illustration! I would NEVER do anything like that as to ignore road signs, stoplights, and police officers.” That may be true in your physical life, but this is EXACTLY what you are doing in your spiritual life when you ignore the spiritual road signs that God has led you to view on our website.
Just as the policeman in the illustration above is not to blame for being “hateful” in trying to warn you, neither should you accuse our ministry of being “hateful” when we issue a genuine warning for your spiritual health and safety. We send this warning out of love and concern for your eternal destiny. We don’t want to see you eternally condemned because of the heresies you believe in Mormonism. The consequences of your rejection of the truth presented in God’s Word will certainly affect not only your life, but the lives of those under your care.
Just as you must take note of the warnings issued by the road signs in your physical life, the documentation and quotes from Joseph Smith and other Mormon leaders are given so that you can take note and research the accuracy of the claims made on our website to ensure your spiritual road is correct. Although, you may not agree with the conclusions we draw from our assessment of the facts, we do not question your right to believe what you want to believe. Our only desire is to present the truth as we have found in God’s Word and experienced within Mormonism, so that you will have the opportunity to make your own decision by hearing all sides of the story, not just the sugarcoated version given by the LDS Church.
The messages displayed on physical road signs are equally true for all people, regardless of who does and who does not accept the messages. In the same way, the warnings displayed in God’s spiritual road map, the Bible, are validly true for all people, regardless of who does or does accept them. Failure to conform to God’s spiritual warning signs will result in tragic consequences for one’s eternity, no matter how sincere that person is in following what he “thinks” or “feels” is right. The Bible warns:
“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” —Proverbs 16:25
Can you think of a single consequence that is worse than being separated from God for all eternity? Indeed, it was out of love and concern for people’s eternal state that Jesus warned:
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 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? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” —Matthew 7:21-23
What did Jesus say was the “will” of His Father that those who claim to represent Christ will be judged by?
“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”—John 6:40
“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”—John 6:28-29
“BUT,” you may be saying, “I already believe in Jesus Christ, so what’s the problem?” The problem isn’t that you claim to believe in Jesus Christ. The problem is that the Jesus your Church teaches is not the Jesus of the Bible. So, if you trust your eternal destiny to the Jesus of Mormonism, you cannot be saved. You must have the right descriptions concerning Jesus or you are placing your faith in a false Jesus. Christ Himself warned:
“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”—Matthew 24:24
“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”—John 8:24
Likewise, the Apostle Paul warned against those who would preach “another” Jesus:
“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or is ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” —2 Corinthians 11:3-4
For more information on why the Mormon “Jesus Christ” is different from the Biblical Jesus, see the following link on our website:
DID JESUS ATTACK THE BELIEF SYSTEM OF THE PHARISEES?
You claimed, “Jesus Christ did not vehemently attack the Pharisees” who were the religious leaders of His day. Instead, you assert that Jesus “loved” the Pharisees into His religion. If it is true that Jesus’ “love” for His neighbors (the Pharisees) compelled Him not to “attack” their belief system, then what do you call this?
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. …Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. …Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” —Matthew 23:15, 27, 33
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.” —John 8:44-45
HOW DID JESUS “LOVE” PEOPLE INTO HIS RELIGION?
“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.” —Luke 6:26-27
HE “LOVED” HIS “ENEMIES” BY SPEEKING THE TRUTH, CALLING THEM…
- HYPOCRITES: “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” —Matthew 23:13
- CHILDREN OF HELL: “…to make one proselyte… ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” —Matthew 23:15
- BLIND GUIDES: “Woe unto you, ye blind guides…” —Matthew 23:16
- FOOLS: “Ye fools and blind…” —Matthew 23:17
- WASHED TOMBS: “ye are like unto whited sepulchers…full of dead men’s bones” —Matthew 23:27
- FULL OF INIQUITY: “within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” —Matthew 23:28
- CHILDREN OF MURDERERS: “…ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.” —Matthew 23:31
- SNAKES: “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers…” —Matthew 23:33
- UNDER THE DAMNATION OF HELL: “…how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” —Matthew 23:33
Was Jesus LOVING? YES! Does love always speak things that tickle the ears and make the hearer feel good? NO! But it DOES speak the TRUTH to warn those who are on their way to eternal death!
“When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.” —Ezekiel 3:18-19
HOW DID JOHN THE BAPTIST SHOW LOVE TO HIS NEIGHBORS?
If Jesus’ example was insufficient to demonstrate love to His neighbors, let’s consider God’s prophet, John the Baptist. How did he “love” his neighbors?
“Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” —Luke 3:7-9
That was a great “loving” and “seeker-sensitive” message wasn’t it? Not! Yet, John saw more people baptized into his faith because HE TOLD THEM THE TRUTH than any of the false prophets who “loved” their neighbors with sweet talk right into Hell!
DID JESUS TEAR PEOPLE APART OVER BELIEFS?
You claimed, “Jesus Christ is about bringing people together, not tarring them apart over beliefs.” If this is true, why did Jesus say:
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”—Matthew 10:34-37
IS GOD A GOD OF SECOND CHANCES?
You stated: “I believe that God is a God of mercy and second chances. He will provide a way for all of his children to return and live with him; if not in this life, the next.” This is a hopeful thought that many in false religions hold onto—the idea that if they are wrong, God will give them a second chance to learn the correction and make things right, but let me ask you this:
Did God give the spirits that rebelled and followed Satan a second chance? According to Mormon theology, they are “God’s children” too, aren’t they? Why did Heavenly Father not give them a second chance? Would it be “just” for Heavenly Father to give you a second chance when He didn’t give his other spirit children a second chance either, but instead damned them for eternity? Do you see anything in this next Scripture that indicates that God will give you (and them) a second chance?
“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment …The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” —2 Peter 2:4, 9
You claimed that: “If we live the ways we believe to be correct, then that will be pleasing unto Him. I mean, how can he punish us for something we didn’t know was wrong? That just doesn’t seem just.” First of all, to claim ignorance on your part is not valid because, not only do you hold in your hand the Word of God as it is contained in the King James Bible published by your Church, but you are staring at our website that provides ample evidence against the false doctrines and claims of Mormonism.
To say that God would not be “just” to punish you “for something” you “didn’t know was wrong” would be like arguing with the policeman above that you didn’t know that you were breaking the law because you didn’t see the speed sign. You are responsible to know the laws of God’s spiritual road map, just as you are responsible to know the laws of the physical roads in your life. If you’re not paying attention to God’s warning signs, you have no excuse on Judgment Day. Furthermore, the Bible warns that if “we live the ways we believe to be correct” we will not be pleasing to God because: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Likewise, when “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25) God brought judgment upon Israel.
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” —Matthew 7:13-14
You expressed dismay in your letter over the Ex-Mormon testimonies given on our site because you said, “…every EX-member who is writing will have a problem with the standards of the Church and that is why they are Ex-members.” If we may be so bold, your answer is a lame excuse for why people leave the LDS Church. True, some have left over not being able to handle the workload, but if you think this is the ONLY reason people leave the Mormon Church, you are greatly mistaken.
Take the time to read ALL of the testimonies on our site and you will learn that several have left over other very valid reasons, like discovering that Joseph Smith was a fraud, that the Church lied to them and misrepresented the Gospel, and that Mormonism isn’t what it claims to be. Serious matters like these are often grossly overlooked by blind members who have not taken the time to thoroughly investigate the Mormon religion from both a historical and doctrinal standpoint.
DO WE HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO WITH OUR TIME?
Honestly, we can’t think of anything better to do with our time than to spend our lives reaching out to our Mormon friends, relatives, and neighbors in love with the truth and freedom we have found in a personal relationship with the REAL Jesus of the Bible. If we “hated” the Mormon people, this would be the very last place we would spend our time, researching Mormonism to reach out by “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Indeed, we picture ourselves “holding forth the word of life” (Philippians 2:6) to those who are perishing in the darkness of spiritual deception. This is not Mormon bashing. This is LOVING people into the Truth (John 14:6). We do what we do because we LOVE Mormons!
“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” —Galatians 4:16
FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE:
THE HIDDEN DOCTRINES OF MORMONISM – What the Mormon Church HIDES from Potential Converts
===========
** All Scriptures are quoted from the King James Bible Version.
This post is also available in: Spanish