February 18, 2007

What They Believe: Mormons

1 Timothy 1:1-7

Opening Words: In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote, “Theology is practical: especially now...If you do not learn theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones.” Perhaps, that quote is for our age? Our theology is extremely poor. The Biblical standard has been replaced by personal opinions and ideas. The end result is we live in a time of spiritual impotency. People who look sincere can tell us anything and we believe it. Why? Because, we just don’t know any better. We don’t even know what we believe. I believe that is why cults are growing in our area and I have grown tired of it. The time has come to do something before one more soul is lost. But, what can be done?

We have reached the end of the sermon series I have called What They Believe. To date we have looked at four different cults that exist with the Mahoning Valley, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha’i and Christian Scientists. We end with the Mormons. Do you know anyone who is a Mormon? Some are nice and sincere. They have some admirable treats. Family is very important to them. Their problem is not their behavior. Their problem is their theology. It is flawed. This morning’s scripture lesson exposes their theological imperfection. Let us look at 1 Timothy 1:1-7.

1 Timothy 1:1-7 ¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

²To Timothy my true son in the faith:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³As 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 ⁴nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work-which is by faith. ⁵The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. ⁶Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. ⁷They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

In the year A.D. 303, the Roman Emperor Diocletian issued a decree which he hoped would extinguish the spreading flames of Christianity. One of his primary objectives was the seizure and destruction of the Christian Scriptures. Later that year, officials enforced the decree in North Africa. One of the targets was Felix, Bishop of Tibjuca, a village near Carthage. The mayor of the town ordered Felix to hand over his Scriptures. Felix refused to surrender the Word of God at the insistence of mere men, he resisted compromise. Roman authorities finally shipped Felix to Italy where he paid for his stubbornness with his life. On August 30, as the record puts it, "with pious obstinacy," he laid down his life rather than surrender his Gospels.

Felix knew what we often forget. The Bible is valuable. Within the life of the church we do not worship then Bible, but we understand the Bible to be the window into eternity. The Bible holds divine truths on how to live today and promises of what will come in the future. Without the Bible the church has no rudder, we would travel in any direction that public opinion would take us. However, with the Bible we have a true bearing. When you hold your Bible in your hand you are holding the truth. Felix was right. The Bible is valuable. If you have ever found the Bible to be valuable in your life then say, “Amen!” Our understanding of the Bible is just one of the things that separate us from the Mormons. They believe the Bible is flawed.

Does anyone here know the name Joseph Smith Jr.? If you were a Mormon you would know his name and his story. He was born in Sharon, Vermont in 1805. In 1816 his family moved to Palmyra, New York. His parents joined the local Presbyterian Church but young Joseph remained undecided. He saw the tension between the various denominations and began to question the church, itself.

In the spring of 1820 historians tell us a spiritual revival broke out in the area surrounding Palmyra, New York. Joseph is fourteen years old. According to his own reports God spoke to him in a vision. God told Joseph to rebuild the one true church. This “First Vision” is one of the most important claims in Mormonism. He reported a “Second Vision” in 1823. This time an angel named Moroni came to him and told him the location of secret golden plates buried in the ground near his home. In 1827 he unearthed those plates and translated that ancient language. We understand that translation to be the Book of Mormon. Later that same year the Mormon Church was founded. The future looked bright for him but he died at the age of 39, surrounded by controversy in Missouri. Within Mormon circles he is considered a martyr. He was replaced by Brigham Young who moved the Mormons westward.

Do you know anyone who is a Mormon? There are more then four million Mormons in the world today. Their home office is in Salt Lake City, Utah. There are several Mormon congregations within the Mahoning Valley. To be completely honest it is hard to imagine there could be any controversy surrounding them. They are known for their outstanding choir, pro-family advertising and clean-cut missionaries. Their problem is not their behavior. They problem is their theology. No cult does a better job of disguising themselves as mainline Protestants as the Mormons. They look like us but their beliefs are not close to our beliefs. I will look at some of their beliefs in a few moments.

Before I tell you some basic Mormon beliefs let me give you my Biblical response first. We are in the very first chapter of Paul’s first letter to Timothy, verses one through seven. The apostle Paul wrote this letter about the year 65 to a young preacher by the name of Timothy. A little bit of background would be helpful. Timothy is the pastor of the congregation in Ephesus. Paul, himself, founded the church at Ephesus during his forth missionary journey. Paul stayed in Ephesus for eight years with this new congregation. However, the times when Paul moves to a new church in Macedonia. It is Timothy who replaces Paul as the pastor at Ephesus. The letter of First Timothy instructs the young pastor on how to care for the church. Paul knows the problems facing the church at Ephesus because he was their pastor for eight years. He knows the biggest problem facing that congregation is poor theology. There are people in that congregation who are trying to muddy the water and confuse good people. If you look at the text with me you find quite a list. There are those that are promoting false doctrine, in the form of Old Testament myths, laws, are genealogies. Good people who are hungry for the truth are lost in the lies. They are confused. I believe there are many good people within Mormonism today who are lost in the confusion. They want the truth but they only get lies.

We could have an entire workshop on the Mormons. Their history is fascinating. However, their theology is both disturbing. On the surface they sound like Christians but below the surface the water is muddy. The words they use sound like Christian theology but they are redefined by Mormon teachings. The end result is confusion. They are nothing like us. So what do they believe? Today let me just touch on four shocking Mormon teachings. So if you are ready say, “Amen!”

1. Mormons believe in many gods, who were once men. Their teachings on God sound Biblical one the surface but nothing could be farther from the truth. They believe there are many gods. This collection of minor gods, small “g,” is referred to as God, capital “G.” It is like when we call our country America, which is a collection of hundreds and millions of peoples. It even gets more confusing when you consider this. They believe that every minor god was once a human male, who lived a good life in this world. It is the goal of every Mormon male to become a god. That is what they believe.

What do we believe? We believe in the doctrine of the Trinity. In other words, there is only one God who manifests himself in three ways, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. There are three manifestations but only one God. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

2. Mormons have no understanding of eternal punishment. What do they believe? There is no concept of hell within their teachings. When they die, they go to one of three levels of glory. The highest level is the celestial kingdom, which is reserved for men who will become a god. The second level is the terrestrial kingdom, which is for those who have failed to meet the requirement for exaltation. The lowest level is the telestial kingdom, which is for those who have lived poorly in this world. That is what Mormons believe.

What do we believe? We believe heaven and hell are both a reality. We believe heaven is reserved for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We are saved by grace and by grace alone. Hell is the place where none believers go to spend eternity in punishment, completely isolated from God. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

3. Mormons believe the preexistence of souls. Mormons believe in the preexistence of souls. Your soul exists before you come into the world. These preexisting souls are created by their many gods. These gods have sexual relationships and procreate. Their off springs are souls, which are placed into babies at birth. Children are valuable to the Mormons because their soul is divine. You have been entrusted to care for a god. That is what they believe.

What do we believe? We believe a soul is created at conception. We believe every person is valuable because every person is made in the image of God. Mormons bless and curse various races because of the behavior of their god parents. For example, they bless the Native Americans because they believe they are really Jewish. They curse the dark skin races and see their color as a curse. We understand that God loves everyone. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

4. Mormons believe in four sacred texts. Mormons believe in four sacred texts. They believe in the Bible but they believe the Bible is flawed. They believe the Roman Catholic Church distorted it for their own gain. They have demoted the Bible and draw heavy upon the other three. They ultimate trust is in the Book of Mormon, those translated golden plates. It tells how Jesus came to North America before the ascension and worked with the Native Americans. No scientific studies have found any proof of that visit. They also find value their other sacred scriptures, Doctrines and Covenants and The Pearls of Great Price. That is what they believe. WE believe in the Bible.

The greatest Sunday School teacher I ever had was the only Sunday School teacher I ever had, Rose Parker. I have mentioned her in the past. She was a little stout woman with bright red hair that came out of a bottle. She wasn’t the most beautiful woman I have ever known but she had one of the best hearts I have ever experienced. She was the only one who agreed to teach my class of rowdy boys. She wasn’t really much of a teacher. The only thing she knew to do was make us memorize Bible verses. We did it alphabetically. I still remember some of them. A: All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. B: Be ye kind one to another. C: Cast your cares upon God and he will care for you. We learned a new Bible verse every week but that was about it. I really didn’t think much about it at the time but it is amazing how often in my life I have recalled them.

Several years ago I sat near my mother’s bed. It was a day or two before she died. My sister and I were taking turns being with her. She had always been there for us. We wanted to be there for her. On that night it was my turn. She lay in her bed motionless, just a shell of her former self. Her breathing was shallow, her color was gray. Television grew old so I sat in the dark silence of her room. With the entire world to think about that evening I thought about Rose Parker. I found myself reciting those scriptures. A: All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. B: Be ye kind one to another. C: Cast your cares upon God and he will care for you. As I think back on that lonely night I am so thankful I was not a Mormon. I needed the Bible to calm me. I needed the Bible to comfort me. I needed the Bible to give me strength that I didn’t know existed. I need the Bible and I still do! Felix was right. The Bible is valuable. There is an old traditional saying that goes like this: Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them. There is some truth in those words. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” I end with this simple story.

It is said that when the famous missionary, Dr. David Livingstone, started his trek across Africa he had 73 books in 3 packs, weighing 180 pounds. After the party had gone 300 miles, Livingstone was obliged to throw away some of the books because of the fatigue of those carrying his baggage. As he continued on his journey his library grew less and less, until he had but one book left--his Bible. The most valuable book in your library is the Bible, the inspired word of God. Isn’t time to start reading it? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”