1. Welcome! We are glad you are here!

2. Exposing Counterfeit Faiths and Cults

3. Part 2: Mormonism Why do this message series? We live in a great country where people are given the freedom to believe whatever they want to. Evergreen Church is not in any way advocating the discrimination of a faith group with beliefs different from our own. Instead, we are using this message series to bring to light differing views of God and comparing them to what the Bible says about God in order to more effectively pray for others and address their extra-Biblical beliefs.

4. Part 2: Mormonism Why do this message series? Scriptural warnings against false teachers: Matthew 7:13-15 (NIV) “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

5. Mormonism Why do this message series? Scriptural warnings against false teachers: 2 Tim. 4:3-5 (NIV) “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

6. Mormonism Why do this message series? Scriptural warnings against false teachers: Galatians 1:6-8 (NIV) “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 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!”

7. Mormonism Ding Dong: Your Introduction to Mormonism Two Mormon missionaries ring your doorbell. They are clean cut, polite, well spoken young men who want to talk with you about the Church of Jesus Christ, Latter Day Saints. They use religious words that you have probably heard in church and offer you a Book of Mormon, telling you it is another testament of Holy Scripture that accompanies the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. How many of you have had this introduction? What did you do?

8. Mormonism Ding Dong: Your Introduction to Mormonism Like many Biblical Christians, Mormons tend to be family oriented, hardworking, generous, caring, community involved, etc. That’s why there are over 12 million Mormons worldwide today. (And they are very evangelistic!) But what makes Mormons different from Biblical Christians?

9. Mormonism Beneath the Surface Origins of the Book of Mormon and the Mormon Church Founder, Joseph Smith (1805-1844) claimed - Angel Moroni visited him - Golden Plates and Spectacles (Urim and Thummim) - Book of Mormon is Smith’s translation of the ancestry, history and revelation of Jesus to Native Americans (DNA analysis proved him wrong) - Golden Plates/Spectacles given back to the Angel Moroni - Shortly afterwards, Joseph Smith formed the LDS church. They had to move often because its founder’s fanciful claims and polygamy - Brigham Young became the Mormon leader following Smith’s death at a prison shootout and moved the group to Utah.

10. Mormonism Beneath the Surface Sample of extra-Biblical teachings of the Mormon Church God has not always been God: “I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see… [H]e was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did.” Joseph Smith as quoted in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg 370

11. Unlike Mormons, Biblical Christians believe God has always been God! Isaiah 40:28 (NIV) “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” Psalm 90:2 (NIV) “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.”

12. Mormonism Beneath the Surface Sample of extra-Biblical teachings of the Mormon Church Polytheism (many Gods): “Here, then, is eternal life; to know the only wise and true God, and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you" Teachings of Joseph Smith, pg 346 “As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become.” Prophet Lorenzo Snow, The Gospel Through the Ages

13. Unlike Mormons, Biblical Christians are Monotheistic! (Believers in one God) Isaiah 43:10 (NIV) “You are my witnesses, declares the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

14. Unlike Mormons, Biblical Christians are Monotheistic! Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV) “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

15. Mormonism Beneath the Surface Sample of extra-Biblical teachings of the Mormon Church Celestial marriage and spirit children: “Our Heavenly Father and mother live in an exalted state because they achieved a celestial marriage. As we achieve a like marriage we shall become as they are and begin the creation of worlds for our own spirit children.” (Mormon resource, Achieving a Celestial Marriage, p. 1).

16. Unlike Mormons, Biblical Christians believe that there will be no marriage in Heaven In Mark 12:25 (NIV) Jesus says, “When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.”

17. Mormonism Beneath the Surface Sample of extra-Biblical teachings of the Mormon Church The Mark and Curse of Cain: “What chance is there for the redemption of the Negro? The Lord had cursed Cain's seed with blackness and prohibited them the Priesthood.” quote from Brigham Young, Mormonism’s second prophet, 1845 Until 1978, African Americans were not allowed full participation in the LDS church.

18. Unlike Mormons, Biblical Christians believe in equality of race Galatians 3:28 (NIV) “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 3:11 (NIV) “Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

19. Conclusion Be respectful! Pray for Mormons to have ears to hear the Truth! Most Mormons have no idea that their views of God and man are so basically different from what the Bible teaches. Offer to go over some of those differences with them.

20. See you next Sunday!