Mormonism

by R Philip Roberts                                                                              Vol. XIII, No. 9, Nov/Dec 2000
 

"I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man who has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I."

-- Joseph Smith, History of the Church

Is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a true movement of God? The answer is to be found in the character and credibility of its founder and first president Joseph Smith. If Smith was truly a prophet of God, then all non-Mormons should acknowledge the movement's claim to be the one true church of God. If Smith, however, was not a true prophet, then the movement is built on a foundation of sand.

Mormons, in speaking of Smith, often rush to say they do not worship him as deity or an incarnation of God. When one scratches below the surface of such comments, startling facts are known about Smith. For instance, hymns are sung to him. One of the best known is titled "Praise to the Man." It reads:

"Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!

Jesus anointed that Prophet and Seer.

Blessed to open the last dispensation,

Kings shall extol him, and nations revere.

Great is his glory and endless his priesthood.

Ever and ever the keys he will hold.

Faithful and true, he will enter his kingdom,

Crowned in the midst of tire prophets of old."

Other words of adoration follow, including references to his ascension to heaven and his "Mingling with Gods." Clearly the role of Smith, in the eyes of Mormons, goes beyond that of an historical founder. He is apparently viewed as a virtual co-mediator and co-regent with Jesus Christ in the LDS kingdom. What are the facts about his life?

Born in Sharon, Vermont, Dec. 23, 1805.

Family had no definite denominational affiliation.

He and his family were involved in folk magic, often using seer stones and divining rods.

Smith's real claim to fame comes from a direct visitation from God in a body of "flesh and bones" along with Jesus Christ. In answer to his query about which church he should join, Jesus told him -- "join none of them, for they are all wrong -- all their creeds are an abomination -- those professors (members) were all corrupt . . .° (Religious History of Joseph Smith).

Smith claimed he was later visited by an angel Moroni -- who eventually led him to gold plates from which he translated the Book of Mormon -- or as he claimed -- "the fullness of the Gospel." He produced additional books or "sacred scripture," including the majority of Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, which the LDS church endorses as inspired and authoritative writings.

The initial visit from God in the spring of 1820 contradicts the Bible at several points including:

God is not confined to a physical body.

Man cannot look fully at any manifestation of God's glory and presence and live.

Christ's promise to his church failed. (Matt. 16:13)

As well, historians have shown historical flaws in Smith's retelling of this event, including the fact that

he claimed in one account to be 14 and in another 15 years of age.

he claimed that "many angels" were with God and Jesus in one account and none in another.

church records show he attempted to join a Methodist church in 1828, eight years after Jesus told him to join no church.

Other key issues could be delved into, however, suffice it to say Smith's credibility is impugned by his own recountings of the major events in his life.

Along with his involvement in the occult, Smith repeatedly had failed prophecies. Included among them were:

that the Civil War, a popular projection in the 1830s and 40s, would destroy the United States and lead to world war.

that Jackson County, Mo. was to be the place God had "consecrated for the gathering of the saints."

that an LDS temple would be built at a specific lot in Independence, Mo. "in this generation."

that the Book of Abraham, the Mormon sacred scripture -- Pearl of Great Price was dated from the time of Abraham and told the story of Abraham's sojourn in Egypt.

All of the prophecies proved to be false. Deuteronomy 18:22 gives an inerrant guide for identifying false prophets -- "When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken."

Smith's character consistently violates the principles that identify a man of integrity. Not only was he involved in occultic practices (see Deut. 18 forbidding sorcery as well as Gal. 5:20), but he was a flagrant adulterer having married at least 33 wives. Additionally while in Kirtland, Ohio he opened a bank without a state charter and oversaw the issuing of $3 bills with no collateral to support them. Settling in Nauvoo, Ill. towards the end of his life, he encouraged the destruction of a newspaper office -- The Nauvoo Expositor -- for reporting on his polygamous activity.

Smith was certainly in many ways an imaginative creative person. Before people invest their lives in the movement called Mormonism, however, they should follow the injunction of the New Testament to "examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;" -- I Thess. 5:21. A careful review of the life of Joseph Smith reveals that Mormonism is obviously a non-prophet organization.

R. Philip Roberts is director of the interfaith witness department of the North American Mission Board. Reprinted from the BAPTIST MESSENGER, APRIL 27, 2000  [Note: Roberts is now President of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.]