Expose' by Rev. Hayes K. Minnick
ITS FOUNDER: Joseph Smith, born of rather notorious parents in Sharon, Vermont, December 3, 1805. It is reported that his "father sold blessings, and his mother was a fortune-teller." The following quotation by Dr. Edmund B. Fairfield, late President of Michigan College, throws light upon the character of Joseph Smith: "It was in August, 1850, that I found myself spending a week in the immediate vicinity of Palmyra and Manchester (U.S.A.). Three men were mentioned to me who had been intimately acquainted with Joseph Smith from the age of ten years to twenty-five and upwards. The testimony of these three men was given under no stress of any kind. It was clear, decided, unequivocal testimony, in which they all agreed. 'Joseph Smith is simply a notorious liar.' 'We never knew another person so utterly destitute of conscience as he was.' 'The thing for which Joseph was most notorious was his vulgar speech and his life of unspeakable lewdness.'" (This quotation is from a booklet, The Mormons or Latter-Day Saints, by Rev. D. H. C. Bartlett) See Matthew 7:15-20.
ITS "BIBLE": Smith, who was extremely superstitious, became known for his strange dreams of which he spoke freely. He claimed to have seen a vision of an angel during the night of September 21-22, 1823, who gave his name as Moroni, and who is said to be "the last of a long line of prophets whose translated writings constitute the Book of Mormon." Moroni told Smith to go to a hill near his home in the vicinity of Palmyra, N.Y., where he would find engraved plates of gold. Smith claims to have found the plates but was not permitted to take them until four years later, September 22, 1827, when they were placed in his custody by the angel Moroni. Together with the gold plates, Smith says, he found a sort of wonderful pair of spectacles--two crystals set in a silver bow--which he called Urim and Thummin. When the illiterate Smith put on these super natural spectacles he found he could not only read, but could translate the mystic writing. Concealed then behind a curtain, he dictated to Martin Harris and Oliver Cowdery in turn, the contents of these golden plates. The result, says Smith, was the Book of Mormon, which is the sacred book of the Mormons. In order to complete the fraud, Smith declared that the golden plates and the spectacles were carried away again by the angel as soon as he had dictated their contents. Article 8 of the Articles of Faith of the Mormon cult says: "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God." Thus Mormons hold the Book of Mormon to be of equal authority with the Bible. Brigham Young, who succeeded Joseph Smith, declared of the Book: "Every Spirit that confesseth that Joseph is a prophet, and that the Book of Mormon is true, is of God, and every Spirit that does not is of Antichrist."
What blasphemy! Our answer to the claim of Joe Smith to special Divine revelation is that he was eighteen centuries too late. The canon of Scripture was completed with the Book of Revelation given to John, the last of the apostles, on the isle of Patmos. A special warning is given to all who add to or take away from the Word of God, Revelation 22:18-19. See also Galatians 1:8-9. Incidentally, Mormon and his son Moroni make a rather significant father and son combination. Take the second "m" out of Mormon, and the "I" out of Moroni and you have the same word, "Moron." It appears to be a very moronish system!
The contents of the Book of Mormon may be summed up as follows: "It gives the history of two races, the first springing from a colony brought upon this land at the time of the dispersion from the Tower of Babel; the second descending from the families directed to this continent from Jerusalem six hundred years before the Christian era, at the time when Zedekiah was king of Judea. It relates the wars, travels, religion, progress and decadence of those races -- the progenitors of the American Indians, describes their cities, temples, forts, etc., and contains an account of the visit to this land of Jesus Christ, after His resurrection and ascension with particulars of His ministry in establishing His Church here with the same principles, precepts, ordinances, Priesthood and blessings as in the Church on the Asiatic continent." (What The "Mormons" Believe, by President Charles W. Penrose) To the fantastic claim that Jesus Christ, after His resurrection and ascension, appeared to the progenitors of the American Indians on the American continent we simply state that the last human eye to see the risen Christ was that of the apostle John on the isle of Patmos. Christ is not floating around in space making special appearances to certain people, but throughout this present age is seated at the right hand of God in the Heavens, Hebrews 1:3; 10:12. As to the claim that the book of Mormon is supported by scientific facts regarding the origin of the American Indian, the following letter from M. W. Stirling, Chief, of the Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology, Washington 25, D. C., written to Rev. Harry A. McGimsey, P. 0. Box 1311, Phoenix, Arizona, under the date of December 1946, may he quoted as refutation: "Dear Sir -- Your letter of December 12th to the Smithsonian institution has been referred to this bureau. We have received numerous inquiries concerning the use of the Book of Mormon as a true history of the American Indian. The Smithsonian has never used the Book of Mormon in any way. There is no correspondence whatever between archeological sites and the cultures as revealed by scientific investigations, and as recorded in the Book of Mormon. The interpretations of archeological and ethnographic data, moreover, are quite unlike the American prehistory which the Book of Mormon describes."
ITS DOCTRINES: 1.) Concerning the Bible, "Add all this imperfection to the uncertainty of the translation and who in his right mind, could for one moment, suppose the Bible in its present form to be a perfect guide," (Apostle Pratt, in Divine Authority of the Bible, page 218) "No book can be the sole and sufficient guide. We must have the Priesthood to pilot us." (Apostle Whitney, in News, May 27, 1924.) Shades of Romanism! It is clear from the foregoing statements that Mormons do not regard the Bible as a full, complete, final, authoritative revelation of God to man. But see, II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Romans 10:17.
2.) Concerning God, "Adam is God, the Supreme God, the Creator of this world, our God, and the only God with whom we have to do. He is our Father and our God. Who is the Father The first of the human family." Brigham Young, quoted in Heresies Exposed, page 134, by William C. Irvine. If, as Mormonism claims, Adam be God, then the blasphemous conclusion would have to be reached that God is the one through whom sin entered into the world, Romans 5:12. Such false doctrine must fall by its own weight. "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." (Sermon, by Joseph Smith) This is polytheism! "Now hear it, 0 inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, saints and sinner! When our father ADAM came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize the world. He is Michael, the Arch-angel, the Ancient of days! About whom holy men have written and spoken -- He is our Father and our God." (Sermon, Brigham Young) But see I Corinthians 8:4-6; Isaiah 44:6; 45:5; Genesis 3:17-19.
3.) Concerning Jesus Christ, "When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in His own likeness. He was not begotten of the Holy Ghost. And who is the Father? He is the first of the human family." See Luke 1:35. They blasphemously teach that Jesus was married to a number of wives. "One thing is certain, that there were several holy women that loved Jesus -- such as Mary, and Martha her sister, and Mary Magdalene; and Jesus greatly loved them, and associated with them much; and when He rose from the dead, instead of first showing Himself to His chosen witnesses, the Apostles, He appeared first to these women, or at least to one of them --- namely, Mary Magdalene. Now, it would be very natural for a husband in the resurrection to appear first to his own dear wives, and afterwards show himself to his other friends. If all the acts of Jesus were written, we no doubt should learn that these beloved women were his wives." (The Seer, by the apostle, Orson Pratt) "We say it was Jesus Christ who was married, (at Cana of Galilee, to both the Marys and to Martha -- see John 2:1-11 for the Bible account) whereby he should see his seed before he was crucified." (Apostle 0. Hyde) He ought to hide after a statement like that. Think what this does to the person of Christ whom the Bible declares to be God in the flesh. See I Timothy 3:16. Making the Christ of God a polygamist to justify their own sin! Christ had no physical posterity, Isaiah 53:8.
4.) Concerning salvation, "The Sectarian Dogma of Justification by Faith alone has exercised an influence for evil since the early days of Christianity." (The Articles of Faith, by apostle James E. Talmage) "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is called a plan of salvation. It is a system of rules by complying with which salvation may be gained." (The Scrap Book, by E. F. Perry) "Redemption from personal sins can only be obtained through obedience to the requirements of the Gospel, and a life of good works." (A Compendium, by apostle F. D. Richards and Elder J. A. Little) "The young people of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints should learn that marriage, as it is prescribed by the Lord, is one of the saving ordinances of the gospel without which we cannot attain to exaltation in the celestial kingdom. It is as much a saving ordinance as baptism, confirmation, ordination to the priesthood, or any of the other ordinances of the gospel." It is clear from the foregoing quotations that the Mormon system is a system of salvation by works. But see Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-7; Romans 4:4-5; 11:5-6; Acts 13:39. We are not saved by our own obedience, but by the obedience of Christ, Romans 5:18. And since when is marriage, or any other ordinance a condition of salvation.
5.) Concerning polygamy, "And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood -- If any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery, for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else. And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified." (Doctrines and Covenants, Section 132:61-62) But this is in flat contradiction to the Book of Mormon itself! "Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord...Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none; For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women, And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts." (The Book of Mormon, Jacob, Chapter 2, verses 24,27,28, page 111, 1920 edition.) It was after Joe Smith had more than one wife that he had a convenient vision and wrote section 132 of the Doctrines and Covenants to justify his sin. "And let Mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those (other wives) that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me." Poor Emma! See Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:3-9; I Corinthians 7:2; 1 Timothy 3:2,12; Deuteronomy 17:17; Hebrews 13:4.
6.) Baptism for the dead: "The living may be baptized for the dead. One who has received the ordinances of the Gospel can stand proxy for departed ancestors who will receive the benefit of the earthly ordinances on obedience to the gospel in spirit....Thus the living become saviors to the dead under Jesus Christ the Captain of their salvation." This involves the doctrine of a second chance: "Persons who have died after reaching years of accountability without an opportunity of receiving it (the Gospel), will hear it in the spirit world, and may there obey or reject it." (What The "Mormons" Believe, President Charles W. Penrose, page 7) Hellish nonsense, every word of it! The preaching of Christ to the spirits in prison, I Peter 3:19-20, was a pronouncement of doom, not of second chance at salvation. The rich man in Hades had no second chance, Luke 16:19-31.
7.) The Holy Spirit: "Ethereal substance diffused through space. The purest, most refined of substances." (The Spirit of Truth and The Spirit of Error) Constantly referred to as it in their writings, failing to recognize the Divine Personality of the Holy Spirit.
Paper written by Rev. Hayes K. Minnick