Spiritual Warfare 9 The Maze of Mormonism Family Worship Center Rev. Mark Schwarzbauer, Ph.D.

Galatians 1:6-9 6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,

7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

Part One: The Maze of Mormonism

Sincerity Individuals are usually very sincere. Tend to live good lives. Live in a maze of deception and deceiving.

Joseph Smith, visions. 1.All religions and creeds were wrong a. They attack all others. b. Persecution complex. 2.Totally based upon existential theology. 3.Their own special revelation.

Mormonism vs.Christianity 1.Trinity- they call three gods and are polytheistic. 2.All men can be gods and God was once a man. 3.Jesus was Lucifer’s brother and a polygamist.

Mormonism, slight of hand 1.Use Christian terminology to appear Christian in nature. 2.Spin-doctors of theology 3.Deceptive claims knowing they have totally different meanings.

Kept in the Dark 1.Not allowed, afraid to hear non-Mormon material 2.Controlling because so many leave 3.Controlled by family and doctrine- see “God Makers”

Part Two: The Deception of Mormonism

Christian Foundations vs. Mormon Mysticism Christianity is a religion of history, archeology, evidence Mormon belief system is not rooted in any reality but mysticism

Mormon Scriptures Bible (escape clause= insofar as it is correctly translated) Book of Mormon Pearl of Great Price Doctrine and Covenant

Ignoring Historical evidence

FRAUD! The Book of Abraham a HOAX Based on Egyptian Papyri they bought. Smith “translated” as Book of Abraham Egytologists pronounce fraud Originals conveniently lost and therefore thought “unverifiable.”

FRAUD! The Book of Abraham a HOAX One of Smith’s wives sold to NY Metro. Museum of Art. Found in Shown to be common Egyptian funerary texts and had nothing to do with Abraham. Still trying to cover the fraud.

Joseph Smith and Brigham Young the false prophets

Ignoring archeologica l evidence

Ignoring Biblical evidence What is the Gospel? They often respond… “The gospel is the laws and ordinances of the Mormon church.”

I Corinthians 15: Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

II Corinthians 4:3-4 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

How do you blind minds??? Base it on emotion

Based upon existential emotion and not verifiable truth Their challenge to read the book of Mormon and pray about whether it’s true- you’re heart will tell you.

Jeremiah 17:9 9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

Part Three: The Call to Truth

God Doesn’t Call Us to Pray About Truth God calls us to search the Scriptures for truth

Acts 17:11 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

2 Timothy 3:16 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

Galatians 1:6-9 6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,

7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

Come to the Biblical Christ