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#8 The Facts On The Mormon Church
8. How does Mormonism view the Christian
religion?
The Mormon Church teaches that shortly after the time of the
disciples, the Christian church apostatized and was not restored until Joseph
Smith's "first vision" in 1820. Therefore, Mormonism considers Christianity an
enemy because it teaches "false" doctrines. Because Mormonism holds that
Christian doctrines lead men astray spiritually, the Mormon Church views
Christians as deceived people.
Second president Brigham Young taught that Christians were unbelievers;
they may falsely claim to believe in Christ, but the truth is "not one of them
really believes in Him." Further, Joseph Smith emphasized that Christian pastors
"are of their father, the devil" and they and all who follow them "without one
exception {will} receive their portion with the devil and his angles." Smith
avowed they will "all be damned together."
In Journal of Discourses, a 27-volume set of authoritative
speeches by early Mormon presidents and leaders, we find the following. Brigham
Young taught that concerning true theology, "a more ignorant people never lived
than the present so-called Christian world." He also believes that Christians
were "heathens as to their knowledge of the salvation of God." John Taylor, the
third president of the Church, believed that Christianity was a "perfect pack of
nonsense...as corrupt as hell" and an invention of the devil. He taught that
Mormons were "the saviors of the world" and the entire Christian world knew
nothing about God-that as far "the things of God are concerned, they are the
veriest fools...
The apostle Orson Pratt, another leader in the early Church, declared, "The
whole of Christendom is as destitute of Bible Christianity as the idolatrous
pagans." In his 1854 article "Repentance," he asked, "How long will the heavens
suffer such wickedness to go unpunished?" According to Pratt:
{Christians} will, every soul of them, unless they repent
of these false doctrines, be cast down to hell...Every one of you will, most
assuredly, be damned.
The tenth president of the Mormon Church, Joseph Fielding
Smith, claimed that the supposed apostasy of Christianity had caused it to
become a pagan "abomination."
Nor has modern Mormonism change its mind. Leading Mormon theologian Bruce
McConkie referred to Christian churches as "churches of the devil."
In another book, McConkie alleged that Christians are enemies of God, because
God's plan of salvation "has been changed and perverted by an apostate
Christendom." Modern Christians are not only ignorant of God's true purpose,
their doctrines are "the doctrines of devils," and the Christian church is part
of the "great and abominable church" of the devil preparing men "to be doomed."
All this is proof that the Mormon Church views the Christian faith as its
enemy and individual Christians faith as its enemy and individual Christians as
spiritually deceived people.
Taken from The Facts On The Mormon Church, by John Ankerberg
and John Weldon, published by Harvest House Publishers.
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