The Mormons believe that the early Church quickly fell away from what Jesus really taught and became apostate until Joseph Smith received a revelation from God. So all other churches are seen as apostate. Yet Jesus promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against his Church. See Matthew 16:13-18.

We know from Church history that the events in the Book of Mormon are nowhere to be found. Christians acknowledge that there have been times of corruption and apostasy within the Church, but believe there has always been a remnant that held fast to the biblical essentials. The Mormons try to show themselves as a unified church, however this is far from the truth. There are many Mormon groups with each seeing themselves as the only true church and others as apostate. There is for example:-

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Utah).
• The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Missouri).
• The Church of Christ – Temple Lot (Missouri).

Mormons will tell you that the Bible has become corrupted and has to be understood by the Book of Mormon and prophetic revelation given to the Mormon leaders.

Yet the book of Mormon itself borrows heavily from the King James Version and contains many inaccuracies. You will struggle to find the doctrines and temple practices of the Mormon Church in the Bible or the Book of Mormon.

The Old Testament and New Testament writers all claim that their message was from God. See Peter 1:20-21 – “No Scripture is of private interpretation; for prophecy never came by will of man, but men spoke as moved by the Holy Spirit.”

For the Mormon everything hinges on whether Joseph Smith was a true prophet or not. See Jeremiah 14:14 – If a man speaks as though he has a message from God when God really did not speak to him and the message is just his own idea, that man is a false prophet and deserves to be punished and rejected as a prophet.

Mormons will ask you to pray to God for faith to understand if he was a false prophet or not. However, it should not be left to feeling. Joseph Smith calls all other Christians apostates and creates a different Gospel from that in the Bible.

There is plenty of evidence of the ridiculous prophecies that Joseph Smith made which show that he was a false prophet. Yet Mormons have swept these under the carpet and accept that he was not infallible in all things.

In essence, Christ’s death means nothing more to a Mormon than the gaining of the ability to be resurrected so that their works may be judged (3 Nephi 27:13-21; D&C 39:5-6). Beyond that it is all about works and some sins cannot be covered even by these!

In the Mormon gospel we see belief + repentance + baptism + laying on of hands (to receive the Holy Ghost) + temple work + mission work + church ministry + tithing 10% of your income + ceasing from sin + abstaining from the use of intoxicants and strong drinks and tobacco and caffeine + confessing Joseph Smith as Prophet + temple marriage + baptism for the dead + genealogy research and the list could go on and on and on. Only upon completion of all these things may Mormons attain to the third and highest level of heaven thus achieving the ultimate goal of the Mormon gospel – godhood.

The true Christian gospel can be summed up in this verse: “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

“Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose on the third day and because of this we can be saved (if we believe).” 1 Corinthians 15:1-17. “righteousness based on faith speaks thus…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” See Romans 10:6-9.

Similar passages are found in the following verses, and many other besides (Matthew 10:32-33; Acts 16:31; Romans 4:20-25; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 5:11-13 etc.). Anything added to belief in Christ as the Son of God who died for our sins is blasphemy.