This document provides an overview of Mormonism as a competing religious worldview. It discusses key aspects of Mormon theology such as Joseph Smith's founding of the religion, the Book of Mormon, and distinctive Mormon teachings like humans becoming gods, polygamy, and Jesus visiting North America. The document also examines criticisms of Mormonism regarding historical and archaeological issues with its founding claims and compares it to a Christian worldview based on Jesus' statements about the exclusive truth and narrow path to salvation.

1. Competing Religious Worldviews:Competing Religious Worldviews:
MormonismMormonism
APOL 6543APOL 6543

2. Jesus Christ: “I came to testify to the truth.”
Pontius Pilate: “What is truth?”
Context firstContext first
Why Compare religions?Why Compare religions?

3. One Point of View:
“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.” -Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew
7:13-14)
I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me. Jesus of Nazareth (John 14:6)

4. God
Islam
Buddhis
m
Mysticism
Ba’hai
Another Point
of View:
Different
Paths to the
Same Goal?

5. are all religions on the sameare all religions on the same
path?path?
• There is some similarity between most or all religions
• But…. On the most basic level of theology, all other
religions (except Judaism?) are incommensurate with
Christianity
• If Mormonism is right, then Jesus Christ is utterly
misunderstood by Christians and we are not pursuing
the ultimate path to heaven

6. Comparing worldviewsComparing worldviews
• James Sire in The Universe Next Door (1997) defines a
worldview as “a set of presuppositions which we hold about
the basic makeup of our world”
• A “Good” worldview
A) It is true (how do we determine that again?)
B) It answers satisfactorily questions we need answers
(What types of questions again?)
C) It causes believers to be better than they would
otherwise be
• Now, let’s explore our next competing world religion

7. worldview #4worldview #4
mormonismmormonism
• Is the Church of Ladder-Day Saints just another
testament of Jesus Christ?
• Joseph Smith (Founder)
– Diviner, Treasure Hunter, Religious Fraud issues

8. early Historyearly History
• 1823 A visit by the angel Moroni
– You will be given golden plates on the hill Cumorah
• 1827 Dug up golden plates. Written in “Reformed Egyptian.”
• Used the “Urrim and the Thummim” with his head in a hat to
translate the Book of Mormon.
• Conveniently, God took the golden plates back to heaven.
The Hill Cumorah

9. • “His translation complete, Joseph had one further use for the golden
plates. To assure skeptics that the plates did, indeed exist, he
showed them to several trusted witnesses, who signed statements
affirming that they had beheld the plates. In preparation for viewing
the plates, the chosen witnesses prayed for several hours. After
lengthy praying, one witness reported that he saw only an empty
box. Joseph sent him out for additional prayer, after which the
golden plates were fully visible to the witness.”
• Later, all these witnesses became apostate to Mormonism.

10. Understanding mormonismUnderstanding mormonism
• This is my testimony…..
• Emotion-based religion.
• Mormons are, arguably, the most Christian-like group
around, and they know it, and they use it in their
evangelistic enterprises

11. DiD Jesus come to the New worlD?

12. Statements by the Smithsonian Institution and the National
Geographic Society:
•"The Smithsonian Institution has never used the Book of Mormon
in any way as a scientific guide. Smithsonian archaeologists see no
connection between the archaeology of the New World and the
subject matter of the Book.“ Official Statement, 1979
•"Neither representatives of the National Geographic Society nor, to
my knowledge, archaeologists connected with any other institution
or equal prestige have ever used the Book of Mormon in locating
historic ruins in Middle America or elsewhere." Dr. Neal Judd

13. MORMON TEACHINGSMORMON TEACHINGS
• The Latter Day Saints
• Modern-day revelation
• We are all gods
• Polygamy
• Racism
• Baptism for the dead
• Scriptures to bear in mind: Galatians 1:6-9, 2
Thessalonians 2:5-12, 1 John 2:18-23.

14. the latter Day saiNtsthe latter Day saiNts
• The original church completely fell away with the death
of the original apostles. There was no legitimate church
for about 1700 years.
• “This is my testimony, Joseph Smith is a prophet and the
Book of Mormon is the Word of God.”

15. we are all goDswe are all goDs
• The Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are three
separate gods.
• Mormonism is polytheism.
– “I will preach on the plurality of gods. I have always declared God to be a
distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from
God the Father, and the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit:
and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods.”
Teachings of Joseph Smith, p. 370.
– From Joseph Smith’s most famous sermon: “God himself was once as we
are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!... I
am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and
supposed that God was God from eternity. I will refute that idea, and take
away the veil so that you may see… He 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.

16. PolygamyPolygamy
• A new revelation against polygamy by the Utah church 1890
• Joseph Smith had at least 30 wives, some less than 15 yrs. old and
took many other women as well.
• Celestial marriages.
• When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a
celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to
make and organize this world. He is Michael, the Ancient of Days! About
whom holy men have written and spoken—He is our Father and our God,
and the only God with whom we have to do.” Journal of Discourses vol 1, p
50.
• “The grand reason why the Gentiles and philosophers of his school
persecuted Jesus Christ, was because he had so many wives; there were
Elizabeth, and Mary, and a host of others who followed him.”

17. The
SalT
lake
CiTy
TemPl
e

18. engaging wiTh mormonS inengaging wiTh mormonS in
aPologeTiCS…aPologeTiCS…
• Emotion vs. reason (responses)
• Attacking Joseph Smith probably not a winning
solution (responses)
• Issues with archaeology (responses)
• Is this worldview a good one?
• Class discussion