Get Affidavit Form For Teen Age 16 And 17: Fill & Download for Free

Initial Licensing Phase — Drivers Age 16-17Parent/legal guardian must certify that a minimum of 50 hours of practice driving, including 10 hours at night, has been completed.Parent/legal guardian must accompany teen to provide written consent to obtain a driver’s license, OR complete and notarize an Affidavit/Consent for Minor to Drive form.Must have completed a state-approved driver education course.Nighttime driving restrictions — Sun.-Thurs., 10 p.m.-6 a.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 p.m.-6 a.m. (local curfews may differ).Must maintain a conviction-free driving record for six months prior to turning 18 before moving to the Full Licensing Phase. A traffic conviction during the Initial Licensing Phase may extend restrictions beyond age 18.All occupants must wear safety belts.For the first 12 months of licensing, or until the driver turns 18, whichever occurs first, the number of passengers is limited to one person under age 20, unless the passenger(s) is a sibling, stepsibling, child or stepchild of the driver. After this period, the number of passengers is limited to one in the front seat and the number of safety belts in the back seat.Cell phone use while driving including a hands free device, is prohibited for drivers under age 19, except in the case of an emergency.Texting while driving is prohibited.YOU MUST COMPLETE A STATE APPROVED DRIVERS ED COURSE.This information was sourced from The Official Website for the Illinois Secretary of State

Joseph Smith practiced polygamy and polyandry (marrying other men’s wives while they were alive and married to other men). Joseph Smith publicly denied his polygamy practice for most of 10 years, while he was practicing polygamy.The Mormon Church published a statement on marriage in 1835 as D&C Section 101 and also in 1844 in D&C Section 109, which reads:“Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: “we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again” (Joseph Smith Papers: D&C. p. 251).1835 D&C 13:7 reads:“Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shall cleave unto her and none else” (Joseph Smith Papers).1835 D&C 65:3 reads:“Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation” (Joseph Smith Papers).The 1835 edition of the 101st Section of the Doctrine and Covenants was written before the doctrine of plural marriage began to be largely practiced. The Church publicly condemned polygamy at this time. However, Joseph Smith was married to 16-year-old Fanny Alger in early 1833, two years prior to this publication. Thus, Joseph and the Church were not honest with this publication (Marriage to Alger). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now confirms this marriage in its essay on Plural Marriage (LDS.org: Plural Marriage).This claimed revelation on monogamy remained in the D&C in every edition for 31 years until 1876, when it was replaced with Section 132 (the new section justifying plural marriage). Joseph was actively practicing polygamy with some 27 to 33 wives up until his death (Joseph Smith Papers, D&C 1835, p. 251). D&C 101 and (later) D&C 109 were dishonest and misleading, contrary to the actual polygamy practice of Joseph Smith and other Mormon apostles. Joseph and many of the Church’s highest ranking leaders practiced polygamy during this time period. This has been confirmed by virtually all credible LDS polygamy scholars and recently was confirmed by the Church itself in its essay on this topic (LDS.org: Plural Marriage).The apostles of the Mormon Church also repeatedly lied about their practice of polygamy. For example, in a public debate with Protestant ministers at Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, in 1850, John Taylor (then an apostle, later to become the third president of the Church), said, “We are accused here of polygamy, and actions the most indelicate, obscene, and disgusting, such that none but a corrupt and depraved heart could have contrived. These things are too outrageous to admit of belief; therefore... I shall content myself to reading our views of chastity and marriage, from a work published by us, containing some of the articles of our Faith. "Doctrine and Covenants" page 330 (Section 101) ... "We declare that we believe that one man should have one wife, and one woman but one husband" (Three Nights' Public Discussion, published by John Taylor, Liverpool 1850, photocopy in Sharon Banister, For Any Latter-day Saint, Fort Worth, 1988, p. 289). At the time of this discussion, John Taylor was married to at least seven wives (listed in D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Vol. 1, Salt Lake City 1994, p. 597). This can be verified through the LDS Church's online genealogy records for John Taylor at Free Family History and Genealogy Records.The current heading of D&C 132 states: "Although the revelation was recorded in 1843, it is evident from the historical records that the doctrines and principles involved in this revelation had been known by the Prophet since 1831." This statement in the D&C effectively admits that the Declaration on Marriage (in the D&C from 1835 to 1876) was dishonest and was misleading, yet it remained as scripture in the D&C for 40 years.How could Joseph and the church publish this monogamy claim in the D&C while he was actively practicing polygamy? Why did the church publish this, then practice polygamy prior to this publication and from this time until the end of his life?In a January 21, 1838, letter, Oliver Cowdery, Joseph Smith's right hand man from the early beginnings of the Church, accuses Joseph of having an illicit affair with Fanny Alger: “When he [Joseph Smith] was there we had some conversation in which in every instance I did not fail to affirm that what I had said was strictly true. A DIRTY, NASTY, FILTHY SCRAP (AFFAIR written in after) OF HIS AND FANNY ALGER'S was talked over in which I strictly declared that I had never deviated from the truth in the matter, and as I supposed was admitted by himself” (emphasis added) (Letter written by Oliver Cowdery; The Mormon Kingdom, Vol. 1, p. 27) (Wikipedia.org: Fanny Alger). Joseph married Alger in 1833, three years before the claim in 1836 that the prophet Elijah delivered those keys back to earth (D&C 110) and ten years before the revelation in D&C 132. At this time, there was no claim by the Church of any revelation on polygamy. Church leaders withheld information about this marriage for many decades. Recently, the Church admitted to this marriage. (Wikipedia: Fanny Alger).The revelation on polygamy (D&C 132) occurred in approximately 1843, after Joseph had been practicing polygamy for 10 years (since early in 1833) (Wikipedia: Joseph Smith Wives). The Church has recently confirmed in its essay on polygamy that Joseph Smith was married to many teens, with many of those not being merely “spiritual wifes” (LDS.org: Plural Marriage). Joseph did not tell Emma before marrying most of his wives, which runs contrary to the revelation in D&C 132 that requires the husband to ask for the first wife’s permission before taking another wife (D&C 132). Joseph also married Mary Elizabeth Lightner, another man’s wife, while she was pregnant (Wikipedia: Joseph Smith Wives).Joseph Smith’s polygamy included not just eternity sealings, but also having sexual relationships with multiple wives, including 14-, 16-, and 17-year-old girls. Through Joseph’s public lying about practicing polygamy during the ten years that he was practicing it, a Church culture of dishonesty on this topic developed.Joseph Smith had some 27 to 33 (or more) wives and married seven other men’s wives (polyandry) while they were still married. Out of these, 10 were teens at the time of Joseph’s marriage to them (http://wivesofjosephsmith.org) (Wikipedia.org: Wives of Joseph Smith). Brigham Young had 56 wives, nine of which were teens. For example, Young married Clarissa Caroline Decker when she was 15 years old. Brigham was 42 at the time. They had five children together. Brigham, like Joseph, also engaged in polyandry. Brigham had 57 children (Wikipedia.org: Brigham Young).Brian Staley explains:"The only form of polygamy permitted in D&C 132 is a union with a virgin after first giving the opportunity to the first wife to consent to the marriage. If the first wife doesn't consent, the husband is exempt and may still take an additional wife, but the first wife must at least have the opportunity to consent. In the case that the first wife doesn't consent, she will be "destroyed." Also, the new wife must be a virgin before the marriage and be completely monogamous after the marriage or she will be destroyed” (verses 41 and 63). It is interesting that the only prerequisite that is mentioned for the man is that he must desire another wife: "If any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another…" (v. 61) It doesn't say that the man must get a specific revelation from the living prophet. D&C 132 is unequivocal on the point that polygamy is permitted only "to multiply and replenish the earth" and "bear the souls of men" (LDS: D&C 132) (Brian Staley).Joseph Smith was accused of illicit sexual conduct with a number of women from 1827 on, until his death in 1844. He told multiple girls/women that if they did not marry him, an angel with a drawn sword would kill him. Prophet Joseph F. Smith stated, "When that principle (polygamy) was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith ... he did not falter, although it was not until an angel of God, with a drawn sword, stood before him; and commanded that he should enter into the practice of that principle, or he should be utterly destroyed, or rejected, that he moved forward to reveal and establish that doctrine" (Plural Marriage for the Righteous Only–Obedience Imperative-Blessings Resulting, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 20, pp. 28-29). See this link for accounts of Joseph’s persuasion statements to women whom he proposed to marry: (Mormonthink: Joseph Smith Polygamy: Drawn Sword).Joseph's personal secretary records that on May 22, 1843, his first wife, Emma, found Joseph and Eliza Partridge secluded in an upstairs bedroom at the Smith home. Emma was devastated (William Clayton's journal entry for May 23; see Smith, pp. 105-106) (William Clayton Statement, 1874, CHL, MS 3423, folder 1) (William Clayton's journal entry for May 23, 1843). Joseph married Eliza on March 8, 1843.Another claim that Joseph used when approaching future plural wives, and to persuade their families to go along with it, was that doing so would ensure the exaltation or full salvation of the women and their families. Joseph did not present this idea as his own, but as divine revelation. He did this, for example, in a revelation he issued on July 27, 1842, giving instructions to Newel K. Whitney concerning the ceremony to seal his daughter Sarah Ann to Joseph, 14-year-old girl into becoming his “wife” (MIT: Joseph Smith’s Polygamy).How Polygamy Actually Was PracticedJoseph married women who were already married (multiple husbands = polyandry). About one third (including nine of the first 12) plural wives of Joseph Smith were married to other men at the time he married them, and they continued to live as husband and wife with these husbands after marrying Joseph Smith (Brian Staley). Joseph's polygamy also included:Unions with teens as young as 14 (Helen Mar Kimball)Unions without the knowledge of EmmaUnions without the knowledge of the husbands, in cases of polyandryA union with an apostle's wife while he was on a mission (Marinda Hyde)A union with a newlywed and pregnant woman (Zina Huntington)Promises of salvation for the woman's (or girl's) entire familyStatements by Joseph to future wives that he would be slain by an angel with a drawn sword if they didn't enter into the union (Huntington, Almera Woodard Johnson, Mary Lightner)Threats of loss of salvation if the woman didn't agree to the unionDishonesty in public sermons and written statementsMarriages to young women living in Joseph's home as foster daughters (Lawrence sisters, Partridge sisters, Fanny Alger, Lucy Walker)D&C 132:63 clearly states that the only purpose of polygamy is to "multiply and replenish the earth" and "bear the souls of men." Why did Joseph marry women who were already married? These women obviously were not virgins, which violated D&C 132. Zina Huntington had been married for seven months and was pregnant at the time she married Joseph.Also, verse 63 states that if the new wives are with another man after the polygamous marriage, they will be destroyed. Eleven of Joseph's wives lived with their prior husbands after marrying Joseph Smith, but there is no record of any of them being destroyed.How about the consent of the first wife, which receives so much attention in D&C 132? Emma was unaware of most of Joseph's plural marriages, at least until after the fact, which violates Section 132 (Brian Staley).In the past, many church leaders and apologists have tried to rationalize and justify Joseph’s polygamy by suggesting that these were “spiritual” wives and that he did not have sexual relationships with them. If this were the case, then Joseph Smith was violating the express claimed revelation as to the purpose of polygamy, which was “to bear the souls of men.” Did Joseph have sexual relationships with these women? There is a lack of evidence of children from these marriages (other than from Emma).The social customs of the time (of Joseph Smith) prevented most women from discussing sexuality, but even the most conservative LDS authors agree that Joseph Smith had sexual relations with at least some of his plural wives. The Mormon Church’s essay on Polygamy now admits this as well (LDS.org: Plural Marriage). Thirteen faithful Latter-day Saint women who were married to Joseph Smith swore in court affidavits that they had sexual relations with him” (CES Letter: Debunking FairMormon Polygamy). The following are brief accounts of a few of Joseph's polygamous marriages:The Partridge sisters (ages 19 and 22) were living in the Smith home. Joseph married both of them without Emma's knowledge. After much persuasion by Joseph, Emma finally consented to Joseph taking two additional wives on the condition that she could choose them. Interestingly, she chose the Partridge sisters. She may have considered them particularly virtuous women, or she may have known more than she let on. Rather than confessing the situation to Emma (that Joseph had already married them), a second mock wedding was performed in the presence of Emma. Emma soon learned that the marriages were more than just ceremony. After she discovered Joseph's visits to their rooms, she was devastated and evicted the Partridge sisters from her home.The Lawrence sisters (ages 17 and 19) were orphans who also lived with the Smiths. Their parents left them with an inheritance of about $5,000, and the Smiths were legally put in charge of the sisters and their estate. William Law filed a formal complaint with the Hancock County [Illinois] circuit court charging Smith was living “in an open state of adultery” with Maria Lawrence, Smith's foster daughter and polygamous wife. Maria Lawrence was a teen orphan who was living in the Smith household. In fact, Smith secretly married both Maria, age 19, and her sister Sarah, age 17, on May 11, 1843. Emma soon found out, and the girls were required to leave the Smith home. The $5,000 estate was not returned to the Lawrence sisters. Joseph actually was charged with a crime for mishandling the estate.Sarah Ann Whitney: When Emma was president of the Relief Society, Joseph was married to all her counselors and her secretary, except for Elizabeth Whitney. Instead, he was married to Elizabeth's daughter, Sarah Ann Whitney. An independent historian at the University of Utah Marriott Library, Michael Marquardt, discovered in his research that Joseph had a pretend marriage performed to cover up his own marriage to Sarah Ann Whitney. In the booklet, The Strange Marriages of Sarah Ann Whitney, Marquardt reveals how he uncovered that Joseph Smith performed a "pretended" marriage ceremony between Sarah Ann Whitney and Joseph C. Kingsbury so that his own relationship with her would not be noticed: "…on 29th of April 1843 I according to President Joseph Smith Couscil & others agreed to Stand by Sarah Ann Whitny as supposed to be her husband & had a prete[n]ded marriage for the purpose of Bringing about the purposes of God…" (From the written history of Joseph C. Kingsbury).Helen Mar Kimball: Joseph Smith taught that marrying one daughter in a family would save the entire family, but that if they rejected the doctrine, then the whole family would be damned. Joseph explained the "law of Celestial Marriage" to Helen. In her memoir, Helen wrote: “if you take this step, it will ensure your eternal salvation and exaltation and that of your father's household and all of your kindred.' This promise was so great that I willingly gave myself to purchase so glorious a reward” (Mormon Polygamy by church member Richard S. Van Wagoner, p. 53.) (Brian Staley).Official Denials of PolygamyJoseph publicly denied polygamy for most of ten years, while he was practicing it. He asked others to deny it for themselves and on his behalf. Some of these denials were published in official Church publications. For example, on May 26, 1844, Joseph made the following denial regarding polygamy:“I had not been married scarcely five minutes, and made one proclamation of the Gospel, before it was reported that I had seven wives. I mean to live and proclaim the truth as long as I can. This new holy prophet [William Law] has gone to Carthage and swore that I had told him that I was guilty of adultery. This spiritual wifeism! Why, a man does not speak or wink, for fear of being accused of this…I wish the grand jury would tell me who they are — whether it will be a curse or blessing to me. I am quite tired of the fools asking me…What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 6, pp. 410–411) (emphasis added).Notice the carefully worded language intended to mislead that Joseph Smith only had one wife. He had more than 30 wives at the time. This can be confirmed through church records.Joseph Smith claimed: “I mean to live and proclaim the truth.” What is the real truth? The truth is that Joseph Smith was unequivocally practicing polygamy at this time. He did not just have seven wives as alleged above (Joseph claimed “ONE” wife at the time). He had more than 30 wives at the time. The prophet of the restoration lied here and numerous other times about his polygamy practice. Current LDS prophets have admitted that Joseph did practice polygamy and have sexual relationships with some of these wives (LDS.org: Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo). Polygamy led to widespread dishonesty among the leaders of the Church and from many of the rank-and-file members.Polygamy Conflicts with the Book of MormonThe Book of Mormon clearly states God’s view and direction about polygamy:“But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son.” “Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord. Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old. Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none; For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts” (Jacob 2:23–28) (emphasis added).There are multiple other verses in the Book of Mormon condemning polygamy.These BoM verses also conflict with Mormon prophets’ proclamations that to enter the Celestial Kingdom, one must practice polygamy. Brigham Young stated, "The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy" (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, p. 269). This conflicts with the Mormon Church’s essay on plural marriage, which states, “Latter-day Saints believe that monogamy—the marriage of one man and one woman—is the Lord’s standing law of marriage” (LDS.org: Plural Marriage Essay).The D&C 121 reads:“That they [the rights of the priesthood] may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man” (D&C 121:37).Many apologists and Church leaders rationalize polygamy as being justified and authorized by God because of the clause in the Book of Mormon that says, “For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things" (Jacob 2:30). Although "raising up seed" is a common reason given for Mormon polygamy, such did not occur with Joseph Smith’s polygamy. This also doesn't make any sense because a group of women can have far more children if each woman had her own husband instead of sharing one man. Having more children from polygamy only makes sense if there was a shortage of men, but census records show that there were always more men than women in Utah during that time period. See this table depicting the Utah census records (Mormonthink.com: Essays Plural Marriage) (Census) (Table 5, Population of Utah by Race and Sex 1850 – 1970). Moreover, where are Joseph Smith’s children from his other roughly 40 wives? In the past, Church leadership and apologists often used lack of children from these wives to demonstrate that Joseph Smith was not having sexual relationships with these wives. Recently, Church leadership admitted the fact that Joseph had sexual relationships with at least some of his wives (LDS.org: Plural Marriage Essay).“Raising up seed” also makes little sense with Joseph Smith, as there is little evidence that he had children with any wife other than Emma. Polygamy in Mormonism actually resulted in many men not getting married because the prophets and other church leaders were taking so many wives for themselves.This verse in Jacob also states that the Lord will command. Joseph practiced polygamy for approximately ten years before any recorded command/revelation from the Lord.Apostle Erastus Snow stated, “I bear my testimony that it is a necessity [polygamy], and that the Church of Christ in its fullness never existed without it. Where you have the eternity of marriage you are bound to have plural marriage; bound to; and it is one of the marks of the Church of Jesus Christ in its sealing ordinances” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 24, p. 162). There are numerous other prophetic claims about polygamy being required in the Celestial Kingdom (Mormonthink: Polygamy).In D&C Section 132 recorded in 1843, states the following (emphasis added):“54 And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law [polygamy]. And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, if any man have a wife, who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches unto her the law of my priesthood, as pertaining to these things [polygamy], then shall she believe and administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord your God; for I will destroy her; for I will magnify my name upon all those who receive and abide in my law [polygamy]” (emphasis added) (D&C 132:54). “61 And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else. 62 And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified. 63 But if one or either of the ten virgins, after she is espoused, shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed; for they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfill the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of my Father continued, that he may be glorified.“64 And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, if any man have a wife, who holds the keys of this power [seems to refer specifically to Joseph], and he teaches unto her the law of my priesthood, as pertaining to these things, then shall she believe and administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord your God; for I will destroy her; for I will magnify my name upon all those who receive and abide in my law. 65 Therefore, it shall be lawful in me, if she receive not this law, for him to receive all things whatsoever I, the Lord his God, will give unto him, because she did not believe and administer unto him according to my word; and she then becomes the transgressor; and he is exempt from the law of Sarah, who administered unto Abraham according to the law when I commanded Abraham to take Hagar to wife” (emphasis added).Emma did not support polygamy, which Joseph was teaching and practicing. In this verse, God is threatening Emma that if she does not support polygamy (the law of the priesthood here) and administer to Joseph, that she shall be destroyed. This is not the nature of God (as defined by the Church today), to threaten a woman that she will be destroyed if she does not support her husband having multiple wives (or anything for that matter). Joseph had been lying to his wife about marrying most of the 19 other women he was involved with by the time of this 1843 polygamy-revelation publication (Joseph married 33 to 40 or more women in total, depending on which sources are referenced).Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, publicly called polygamy a false and corrupt doctrine: "As we have lately been credibly informed, that an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints, by the name of Hiram Brown, has been preaching polygamy, and other false and corrupt doctrines, in the county of Lapeer, state of Michigan” (Times and Seasons, February 1, 1844. Vol. 5, page 72). At the time, Joseph was actively practicing polygamy and had some 27 or more wives.William Law was a member of the First Presidency of the Church. Joseph asked William’s wife, Jane, to marry him. William did not support Joseph’s polygamy, and Joseph later excommunicated him (Wikipedia: William Law) (Mormonthink: Grant Palmer).Summary: Joseph practiced polygamy for ten years prior to his revelation from God commanding polygamy. Joseph lied about his practice of polygamy and polyandry for most of 10 years, while he was practicing it with 27 or more wives (10 of whom were teenagers). The Church and its leaders lied publicly about the practice of polygamy for decades. The Church published scripture in the D&C stating monogamy was the correct marriage practice, while Joseph Smith and other apostles were practicing polygamy. The Church asserted this monogamy practice in the D&C for 40 years, until 1876, while many of the prophets and apostles were still practicing polygamy. These facts and many others were hidden and suppressed by Church leaders for decades.

Let me first start by a quote that Jesus said:Matthew 24:5 - For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.Mark 13:6 - For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.Luke 21:8 - And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them.If the fulfillment of this is not seen in the the observation of hundreds of branches of Christianity, I am not sure what else it could be. I mean, think about it, which Jesus does one follow? Do you follow the Catholic Jesus, the Presbyterian Jesus, the Lutheran Jesus, the Methodist Jesus, the Non-Denominational Jesus, the Jehovah’s Witness Jesus, the 7th Day Adventist Jesus, the Mennonite Jesus, the Quaker Jesus - or here in question, the Mormon Jesus?To answer this question you need to dig into the core beliefs of the branch. Because each branch has something a little different about the Jesus they believe in. If you wish to skip it all, I could sum it up with this: it is not about religion, but relationship with God.2 Cor. 14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:“I will dwell in themAnd walk among them.I will be their God,And they shall be My people.”17 Therefore“Come out from among themAnd be separate, says the Lord.Do not touch what is unclean,And I will receive you.”18 “I will be a Father to you,And you shall be My sons and daughters,Says the Lord Almighty.”Go and read Revelation chapter 2 about there being 7 different types of churches and what Jesus says to them all. There are indeed people from each of them that Jesus brings home to Himself, NOT just the Mormon church; but there are also those whom He has to send away within those same churches.Now here is the question that ultimately needs to be answered, does Jesus in fact consider the Mormons to BE one of those churches? The answers to that, again, is found within their core beliefs.Mormonism began in 1820 when a teen-aged boy in western New York named Joseph Smith was spurred by a Christian revival where he lived to pray to God for guidance as to which church was true. In answer to his prayers he was visited by God the Father and God the Son, two separate beings, who told him to join no church because all the churches at that time were false, and that he, Joseph, would bring forth the true church. This event is called "The First Vision."In 1823 Joseph had another heavenly visitation, in which an angel named Moroni told him of a sacred history written by ancient Hebrews in America, engraved in an Egyptian dialect on tablets of gold and buried in a nearby hill. Joseph was told it was the history of the ancient peoples of America, and that Joseph would be the instrument for bringing this record to the knowledge of the world. Joseph obtained these gold plates from the angel in 1827, and translated them into English by the spirit of God and the use of a sacred instrument accompanying the plates called the "Urim and Thummim." The translation was published in 1830 as The Book of Mormon, now revered by Mormons as scripture, along with the Bible.The Book of Mormon is a religious and secular history of the inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere from about 2200 BC to about 421 AD. It tells the reader that three groups of immigrants settled the uninhabited Americas. They were led by God from their original homes in the Near East to America.The first group came from the Tower of Babel, about 2200 BC, and two other groups came from Jerusalem just before the Babylonian Captivity, about 600 BC.They had prophets of God who had been inspired with the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is thus preserved in their history, the Book of Mormon. Many of the descendants of these immigrants were Christians, even before Christ was born in Palestine, but many were unbelievers. Believers and unbelievers fought many wars, the last of which left only degenerate unbelievers as survivors, who are the ancestors of the American Indians. The most important event during this long history was the visit of Jesus Christ to America, after his crucifixion, when he ministered to (and converted) all the inhabitants.Joseph Smith was directed by revelation from God to reestablish ("restore") the true church, which he did in 1830. He was visited several times by heavenly messengers, who ordained him to the true priesthood. He continued to have revelations from God to guide the church and to give more knowledge of the Gospel. Many of these revelations are published in the Doctrine and Covenants, accepted by Mormons as scripture, along with the Bible and the Book of Mormon. They also add as Scripture the Pearl of Great Price, which Smith translated from Egyptian papyri.Joseph Smith and his followers were continually persecuted for their religious beliefs, and driven from New York State to Ohio, then to Missouri, then to Illinois, where Joseph Smith was murdered in 1844 by a mob, a martyr to his beliefs. The church was then led by Brigham Young, Joseph's successor, to Utah, where the Mormons settled successfully.The LDS church is led today by the successors of Joseph Smith. The present president of the church is a "prophet, seer and revelator" just as Joseph Smith was, and guides the members of the church through revelations and guidance from God.The modern LDS church is the only true church, as restored by God through Joseph Smith. Other churches, derived from the early Christian church, are in apostasy because their leaders corrupted the scriptures, changed the ordinances of the original church, and often led corrupt lives, thus losing their authority.The most reliable way to determine whether the Book of Mormon is true, and whether the Mormon church is "the only true church" is by sincerely asking God in prayer.By accepting baptism into the LDS church you take the first step necessary toward your salvation and your ultimate entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven (the "Celestial Kingdom").It’s amazing how hard they work, trying to prove themselves worthy to reach the highest level of Heaven. And they are working so hard for a lie!They almost always introduce themselves as “Elder XYZ.”If you only have a few minutes to spend with them, you can review the Biblical qualifications for being an elder (1 Tim 3:2-6; Titus 1:5-9).Ask, “What do you think Paul meant by “a husband of one wife?” (He meant that an elder must not be a polygamist, at least). Was Brigham Young an elder? Did he meet this standard?What the Missionaries will not tell you!Here is a summary of important facts about the Mormon church, its doctrine, and its history that the missionaries will probably not tell you. I’m not suggesting that they are intentionally deceiving you -- most of the young Mormons serving missions for the church are not well educated in the history of the church or in modern critical studies of the church. They probably do not know the all the facts themselves.They have been trained, however, to give questioners "milk before meat," that is, to postpone revealing anything at all that might make a questioner hesitant, even if it is true.Each of the following facts has been substantiated by thorough historical scholarship. And this list is by no means exhaustive!The "First Vision" story in the form presented to you was unknown until 1838, eighteen years after its alleged occurrence and almost ten years after Smith had begun his missionary efforts. The oldest (but quite different) version of the vision is in Smith's own handwriting, dating from about 1832 (still at least eleven years afterwards), and says that only one personage, Jesus Christ, appeared to him. It also mentions nothing about a revival. It also contradicts the later account as to whether Smith had already decided that no church was true. Still a third version of this event is recorded as a recollection in Smith's diary, fifteen years after the alleged vision, where one unidentified "personage" appeared, then another, with a message implying that neither was the Son. They were accompanied by many "angels," which are not mentioned in the official version you have been toldabout. Which version is correct, if any? Why was this event, now said by the church to be so important, unknown for so long?Careful study of the religious history of the locale where Smith lived in 1820 casts doubt on whether there actually was such an extensive revival that year as Smith and his family later described as associated with the "First Vision." The revivals in 1817 and 1824 better fit what Smith described later.In 1828, eight years after he supposedly had been told by God himself to join no church, Smith applied for membership in a local Methodist church. Other members of his family had joined the Presbyterians.Contemporaries of Smith consistently described him as something of a confidence man, whose chief source of income was hiring out to local farmers to help them find buried treasure by the use of folk magic and "seer stones." Smith was actually tried in 1826 on a charge of moneydigging.It is interesting that none of his critics seemed to be aware of his claim to have been visited by God in 1820, even though in his 1838 account he claimed that he had suffered "great persecution" for telling people of his vision.The only persons who claimed to have actually seen the gold plates were eleven close friends of Smith (many of them related to each other). Their testimonies are printed in the front of every copy of the Book of Mormon. No disinterested third party was ever allowed to examine them. They were retrieved by the angel at some unrecorded point. Most of the witnesses later abandoned Smith and left his movement. Smith then called them "liars."Though witnesses signed affidavits saying they had seen the plates from which Smith translated the BOM, most later left the LDS church and several stated they had only seen a cart with a tarp draped over the “tablets” or had been encouraged by Smith until they had a ‘vision’ of the plates and the angel MoroniIf the tablets were gold, as Smith claimed, they would weighed over 1 tonSmith produced most of the "translation" not by reading the plates through the Urim and Thummim (described as a pair of sacred spectacles), but by gazing at the same "seer stone" he had used for treasure hunting. He would place the stone into his hat, and then cover his face with it. For much of the time he was dictating, the gold plates were not even present, but in a hiding place.The detailed history and civilization described in the Book of Mormon does not correspond to anything found by archaeologists anywhere in the Americas. The Book of Mormon describes a civilization lasting for a thousand years, covering both North and South America, which was familiar with horses, elephants, cattle,sheep, wheat, barley, steel, wheeled vehicles, shipbuilding, sails, coins, and other elements of Old World culture.But no trace of any of these supposedly very common things has ever been found in the Americas of that period. Nor does the Book of Mormon mention many of the features of the civilizations which really did exist at that time in the Americas.The LDS church has spent millions of dollars over many years trying to prove through archaeological research that the Book of Mormon is an accurate historical record, but they have failed to produce any convincing pre-columbian archeological evidence supporting the Book of Mormon story.LDS scholars cannot locate the precise location of a single city mentioned in the BOMIn addition, whereas the Book of Mormon presents the picture of a relatively homogeneous people, with a single language and communication between distant parts of the Americas, the pre-columbian history of the Americas shows the opposite: widely disparate racial types (almost entirely east Asian - definitely not Semitic, as proven by recent DNA studies), and many unrelated native languages, none of which are even remotely related to Hebrew or Egyptian.As much as 1/3 of the BOM is directly taken from the KJVAn early draft of the first portion of the BOM was burned. Smith never “re-translated” the burned portion, but substituted other “books.” Did he have a problem recalling exactly what the lost portion contained?The people of the Book of Mormon were supposedly devout Jews observing the Law of Moses, but in the Book of Mormon there is almost no trace of their observance of Mosaic law or even an accurate knowledge of it.Although Joseph Smith said that God had pronounced the completed translation of the plates as published in 1830 "correct," many changes have been made in later editions.Besides thousands of corrections of poor grammar and awkward wording in the 1830 edition, other changes have been made to reflect subsequent changes in some of the fundamental doctrine of the church.For example, an early change in wording modified the 1830 edition's acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity, thus allowing Smith to introduce his later doctrine of multiple gods. A more recent change (1981) replaced "white" with "pure," apparently to reflect the change in the church's stance on the "curse" of the black race.Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon contained the "fulness of the gospel." However, its teaching on many doctrinal subjects has been ignored or contradicted by the present LDS church, and many doctrines now said by the church to be essential are not even mentioned there.Examples are the church's position on the nature of God, the Virgin Birth, the Trinity, polygamy, Hell, priesthood, secret organizations, the nature of Heaven and salvation, temples, proxy ordinances for the dead, and many other matters.Many of the basic historical notions found in the Book of Mormon had appeared in print already in 1825, just two years before Smith began producing the Book of Mormon, in a book called View of the Hebrews, by Ethan Smith (no relation) and published just a few miles from where Joseph Smith lived.A careful study of this obscure book led one LDS church official (the historian B. H. Roberts, 1857-1933) to confess that the evidence tended to show that the Book of Mormon was not an ancient record, but concocted by Joseph Smith himself, based on ideas he had read in the earlier book.The source documents may also have included an unpublished text by Solomon Spaulding called “A Manuscript Found,” written in a pseudo-Biblical style.Although Mormons claim that God is guiding the LDS church through its president (who has the title "prophet, seer and revelator"), the successive "prophets" have repeatedly either led the church into undertakings that were dismal failures or failed to see approaching disaster. To mention only a few: the Kirtland Bank, the United Order, the gathering of Zion to Missouri, the Zion's Camp expedition, polygamy, the Deseret AlphabetA recent example is the successful hoax perpetrated on the church by manuscript dealer Mark Hofmann in the 1980s. He succeeded in selling the church thousands of dollars worth of manuscripts which he had forged. The church and its "prophet, seer and revelator" accepted them as genuine historical documents.The church tried to suppress the documents, as they revealed JS to be a charlatan, who was interested – obsessed – with obtaining wealth.The church leaders learned the truth not from God, through revelation, but from non-Mormon experts and the police, after Hofmann was arrested for two murders he committed to cover up his hoax. This scandal was reported nationwide.The secret temple ritual (the "endowment") was introduced by Smith in May, 1842, just two months after he had been initiated into Freemasonry. The LDS temple ritual closely resembles the Masonic ritual of that day.Smith explained that the Masons had corrupted the ancient (God-given) ritual by changing it and removing parts of it, and that he was restoring it to its "pure" and "original" (and complete) form, as revealed to him by God. In the years since, the LDS church has made many fundamental changes in the "pure and original" ritual as "restored" by Smith, mostly by removing major parts of it.Many doctrines which were once taught by the LDS church, and held to be fundamental, essential and "eternal", have been abandoned. Whether we feel that the church was correct in abandoning them is not the point; rather, the point is that a church claiming to be the church of God takes one "everlasting" position at one time and the opposite position at another, all the time claiming to be proclaiming the word of God. Some examples are: - The Adam-God doctrine (Adam is God the Father); - the United Order (all property of church members is to be held in common, with title in the church); - Plural Marriage (polygamy; a man must have more than one wife to attain the highest degree of heaven); - the Curse of Cain (the black race is not entitled to hold God's priesthood because it is cursed; this doctrine was not abandoned until 1978); - Blood Atonement (some sins - apostasy, adultery, murder, interracial marriage - must be atoned for by the shedding of the sinner's blood, preferably by someone appointed to do so by church authorities); All of these doctrines were proclaimed by the reigning prophet to be the Word of God, "eternal," "everlasting," to govern the church "forevermore." All have been abandoned by the present church.Joseph Smith's early revelations were collected and first published in 1833 in the Book of Commandments. God (as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants Sections 1 and 67) supposedly testified by revelation that the revelations as published were true and correct.Because the Book of Commandments did not receive wide distribution (most copies were destroyed by angry opponents of the Mormons in Missouri, where it was published), they were republished - with additional revelations - as the Doctrine and Covenants in 1835 in Kirtland, Ohio. However, many of the revelations as published in Kirtland differed fundamentally from their versions as originally given.The changes generally gave more power and authority to Smith, and justified changes he was making in church organization and theology.The question naturally arises as to why revelations which God had pronounced correct needed to be revised.Joseph Smith claimed to have received the priesthood (the only valid priesthood recognized by God) directly from resurrected beings (angels): the Aaronic Priesthood from John the Baptist and the Melchizedek (higher) Priesthood from Peter, James and John. However, the accounts of these visitations are contradictory and questionable.Biblically, who is the only member of the Melchzekek Priesthood?See Ps 110:4, quoted in Hebrews no less than 4 times!Joseph Smith claimed to be a "translator" by the power of God. In addition to the Book of Mormon, he made several other "translations": - The Book of Abraham, from Egyptian papyrus scrolls which came into his possession in 1835. He stated that the scrolls were written by the biblical Abraham "by his own hand." Smith's translation is now accepted as scripture by the LDS church, as part of its Pearl of Great Price. Smith also produced an "Egyptian Grammar" based on his translation.Smith didn’t think the Egyptian Hieroglyphics would ever be deciphered – but he didn’t know about the Rosetta Stone, a translation of which was first published in 1858. Who knows what the Rosetta Stone is?Hieroglyphics, Demotic, Classical GreekModern scholars of ancient Egyptian agree that the scrolls are common Egyptian funeral scrolls, entirely pagan in nature, having nothing to do with Abraham, and from a period 2000 years later than Abraham. The "Grammar" has been said by Egyptologists to prove that Smith had no notion of the Egyptian language. It is pure fantasy: he made it up.The "Inspired Revision" of the King James Bible. Smith was commanded by God to retranslate the Bible because the existing translations contained errors. He completed his translation in 1833, but the church still uses the King James Version.The "Kinderhook Plates," a group of six metal plates with strange engraved characters, unearthed in 1843 near Kinderhook, Illinois, and examined by Smith, who began a "translation" of them. He never completed the translation, but he identified the plates as an "ancient record," and translated enough to identify the author as a descendant of Pharaoh. Local farmers later confessed that they had manufactured, engraved and buried the plates themselves as a hoax. They had apparently copied the characters from a Chinese tea box.Joseph Smith claimed to be a "prophet." He frequently prophesied future events "by the power of God." Many of these prophecies are recorded in the LDSscripture Doctrine and Covenants. Almost none have been fulfilled, and many cannot now be fulfilled because the deeds to be done by the persons named were never done and those persons are now dead. Many prophecies included dates for their fulfillment, and those dates are now long past, the events never having occurred.Joseph Smith died not as a martyr, but in a gun battle in which he fired a number of shots. He was in jail at the time, under arrest for having ordered the destruction of a Nauvoo newspaper which dared to print an exposure (which was true) of his secret sexual liaisons.Since the founding of the church down to the present day the church leaders have not hesitated to lie, to falsify documents, to rewrite or suppress history, or to do whatever is necessary to protect the image of the church.Many Mormon historians have been excommunicated from the church for publishing their findings on the truth of Mormon history.Trying to determine the truth by relying entirely on the feelings one gets after praying is not a reliable way to learn the truth. One can easily deceive oneself into "feeling" something that is really not true at all. The only reliable way to get to the truth is to examine verifiable facts.Mormonism includes many other unusual teachings which you will probably not be told about (at least, not until you have been in the church for a long time). These teachings are not revealed to investigators or new converts because those people are not yet considered ready to have more than "milk" as doctrine. The Mormons also probably realize that if investigators knew of these unusual teachings they would not join the church. In addition to those mentioned elsewhere in this presentation, the following are noteworthy:Mormons are actually polytheistic – they believe there are more gods in the universe than all the grains of sand on all the beaches on earth.The only three Gods with whom we should concern ourselves with are the Father, Son, and Holy GhostThese are three Gods, three “separate personages” that appeared to Smith in the official version of the First Vision.Thus, they deny the Trinity.They believe there are 3 levels of Heaven:Celestial Kingdom, Terrestrial Kingdom, and Telestial KingdomHell is reserved for the very few Sons of Perdition (those who do truly heinous things).Angels are dead humans, eg. Moroni, who was a character in the BOM, the last member of his race.God was once a man like us, living a righteous, though sinful, life on a planet like ours.He experienced “eternal progression” and eventually rose to become our God.God has a tangible body of flesh and bone.We all must obtain flesh and bone bodies in order to reach the highest heavenThis begs the question: What about the Holy Ghost? How did He obtain a body, since He is now a Spirit?God lives on a planet near the star Kolob.God ("Heavenly Father") has at least one wife, our "Mother in Heaven," but she is so holy that we are not to discuss her nor pray to her.We can become like God and rule over our own universe.Godhood is reserved for those righteous Mormons who achieve the highest heaven.Jesus and Satan ("Lucifer") are spirit brothers, and they are our brothers - we are all spirit children of Heavenly FatherJesus Christ was conceived by God the Father by having intercourse with Mary, who was temporarily his wife.He is, thus, the literal Father of Jesus.We should not pray to Jesus, nor try to feel a personal relationship with him.The "Lord" ("Jehovah") in the Old Testament is the being named Jesus in the New Testament, but different from "God the Father" ("Elohim").But see Deut. 6:4!In the highest degree of the celestial kingdom some men will have more than one wife.But see Matt. 22:30!Before coming to this earth we lived as spirits in a "pre-existence", during which we were tested; our position in this life (whether born to Mormons or savages, or in America or Africa) is our reward or punishment for our obedience in that life.The Garden of Eden was in Missouri. All humanity before the Great Flood lived in the western hemisphere. The Ark transported Noah and the other survivors to the eastern hemisphere.Mormons should avoid traveling on water, since Satan rules the waters.A righteous Mormon will actually see the face of God in the Mormon temple.They practice “baptism for the dead” in which departed relatives and friends “receive” baptism by proxy.This is why they think genealogy is so important.I’ve heard that even Hitler has been proxy-baptised!They have a works-based plan of salvationIf you aren’t a Mormon, the best you can hope for is the terrestrial kingdomBut even a devout Mormon can’t ever be sure he’s done enough to achieve the highest heaven.They must be baptized by an Elder who has the Melchezediek Priesthood.They must marry a good Mormon spouse and must be “sealed for time and eternity” in a Mormon temple.Marriage is forever! Mark 12:25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.They must receive a Temple endowmentThey must live a sin-free life, or repent for each and every sin they commit. Better have a good memory!Follow the Articles of Faith (see Appendix) In short, one must do all one can PLUS believe! (2 Nephi 25:23)LDS ScripturesTimeline for the LDS Scriptureso 1830 – First Edition of Book of Mormon publishedo 1830 – Smith begins his translation of Genesiso 1833 – First Edition of the Doctrine & Covenants publishedo 1835 – Second Edition of D&C published (many changes)o 1835 – Smith purchases the “Anthon Papyri”, purported to be the last book of Abrahamo 1842 - First Edition of the Pearl of Great Price publishedo 1921 – Edition of D&C published minus “Lectures on the Faith” If the LDS Scriptures are God’s Word, we would expect them to originate from the hand of an Apostleo LDS claim Joseph was a prophet and apostle If the LDS Scriptures are God’s Word, we would expect them to be consistent with the Bibleo LDS interpret the Bible in such a way as to conclude it does contain LDS theology If the LDS Scriptures are God’s Word, we would expect them to be consistent with themselves Test Case – Are the LDS Scriptures consistent with themselves?The Mormon Doctrine of Godo Evolving view of GodOne God (Monotheism)“Trinitarian” in some sense, with a strong influence of modalismo “Modalism” = One God in three distinct rolesE.;g., I am a son, a father, and a brother.Plurality of Gods (polytheism)o God is limited by natural lawWhat does this imply?That God is not transcendent; there is something more powerful than God.o God is neither all-powerful nor all-knowing“God cannot create a rock He cannot lift – this illustrates a very important concept – namely, that God is not All-Powerful” – Related to me by a Mormon in casual conversation.This “illustrates” that God cannot do anything absurd – for example, He can’t make a square circle. It’s not a matter of power, it’s a matter of logic.o God created the universe from eternal, pre-existing matterAgain, God is not transcendent - there is something in the universe older than HimSome Questions to Ask Mormon MissionariesMormons will often ask people if they have read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it. They assume that if someone believed it he would accept the rest of Mormonism. Here are a few questions to ask:Since the Introduction to the Book of Mormon states that it contains "the fulness of the everlasting gospel" can you give me verses that teach the doctrines of pre-earth existence, plural gods with wives, temple marriage, chance to repent after you die, temple rituals for the dead, three levels of heaven, etc.?Where do I find your concept of eternal marriage in the Book of Mormon?If you truly believe the Book of Mormon, doctrinally, how do you accept the Doctrine and Covenants or Pearl of Great Price since these books teach different concepts?Why do Mormons approach people with the Book of Mormon if it doesn't contain their most important doctrines? Why don't they give out copies of their other scriptures instead of the Book of Mormon?This gives us a chance to talk about the value of the Book of Mormon, as opposed to the Bible. Ask them:What specific doctrine of Mormonism is in the Book of Mormon that isn't in the Bible?The Book of Mormon declares that the Bible has been deliberately altered (see 1 Nephi 13:26-28). Mormons will often point to all the different translations of the Bible as proof that it has been changed. You can ask them something like:Does translation always lessen scripture's value or change its teaching?What about the Book of Mormon? How many translations have been made of it? Is it less reliable in French or German?Does the church put a disclaimer on the Book of Mormon in other languages as they do with the Bible? If not, why not?If professional LDS translators can reliably take the English Book of Mormon into French, why can't professional translators take the Greek New Testament into English?If the Bible is in such bad shape, which verses are wrong, so I won't use them?Mormons will often claim the Bible is incomplete, that various books have been left out of our current Bible.Why doesn't your prophet restore the lost books or correct the translation?If your prophet has not felt the need to restore these missing books of the Bible how important can they be?Which books were left out? Which ones should be added?Joseph Smith did a revised version of the Bible, why doesn't the LDS Church print it? They print extracts from it at the back of their Bible—why not use the whole thing? Smith did not add any lost books to his revision. In fact, he left out the book Song of Solomon.Remind them that even though we don't have all of the words of Jesus, John assured us that we have all that we need to know about gaining eternal life (see John 20:30-31). Also, Jesus promised "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)If Mormonism is a restoration of original Christianity they would need to demonstrate that LDS doctrines were originally in the Bible but later deleted. However, there is no manuscript evidence of revisions of the New Testament that eliminated cardinal doctrines. Also, the scripture quotes in the writings of the early church fathers show that there were no doctrinal changes.A good book on the reliability of the Bible is The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, by F.F. Bruce.We have over 5,000 ancient versions of the GNT! If a key doctrine had been removed, we would certainly have evidence!When discussing grace with them you could also ask about 2 Nephi 25:23, "by grace we are saved, after all we can do."If grace only applies after all you can do, how do you know when you have done enough? Have you truly done ALL you could do? If not, then it would seem that grace would not apply. That is why a Christian rejoices in grace (unmerited favor) as presented in the Bible.We need to explain that good works are a result of grace, not a way to achieve it (Gal. 5:22-23 and Eph. 2). One doesn't earn or pay for a gift. You will need to explain that grace is not a license to sin, that those who truly love God will want to please Him.Since Mormonism teaches that almost everyone will be saved (resurrected) to some level in heaven, how do they reconcile that with Matt. 7:13-14? Jesus taught that only a few would gain heaven. They seem to have reversed the broad way and the narrow way.Some Biblical “Proof Texts” ConsideredArticle #8 of the Articles of Faith reads:o We believe the aBible to be the bword of God as far as it is translated ccorrectly.o This allows them an out, if the Bible contradicts the BOM or other “essentials” of the LDS faith.“The Bible has been translated so many times, it’s not funny!” – A Mormon friend in casual conversation.How many times has the Bible been translated?BOM in the Bible?In context, these verses are prophetic of the reuniting of Israel and Ephraim; the sticks have the names of tribes written on them:Baptism for the DeadPaul refers to these people in the third person – if it were meant to be normative, he would probably have written “we.”He would have mentioned it elsewhere in Scripture.It is always dangerous to take an obscure passage and build a doctrine on it.BTW, baptism for the dead do not appear anywhere in the BOM.Salvation by faith AND worksThe context is that this is all unsaved people, and it is true that they will be judged on the basis of works.ConclusionLDS apologists have offered sophisticated arguments attempting to prove the BOM’s authenticity as an ancient text. Some are very powerful – yet a simple review of the issues we’ve discussed (and dozens of other we could have) demonstrates a number of problems with the LDS Scriptures, particularly the BOMStudying the Bible will prepare us to evaluate the BOM and other LDS Scriptures from the standpoint of inerrancy, consistency, historical accuracy, and hermeneutics. If we apply the ‘Berean test’ (Acts 17:11), the LDS scriptures fail!Finally, the absolute nail in the coffin:The Bible and the amount of books therein and thus, also without, were prophesied 2,000 years before they were ever compiled. I present to you the truth about the Mormon Scriptures claiming to be an addendum to the Bible:It is found within the Golden Candlestick of the Tabernacle of Moses.Here are the scriptures describing it:Exodus 22:17 And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:18 And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:19 Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.20 And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:21 And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.22 Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.23 And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.24 Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.There is only one way this can look:Psalm 119:105 - Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.It was utterly pitch black dark within the Holy Place between the outside and the Holy of Holies. The Candlestick was the only light source here. And the same in this age, the Church Age, so also is the Bible the only light source.And here is the infallible, and undeniable proof that the Mormons are being deceived and following false doctrine straight from the pit of hell:Lets count the pieces on that candlestick and compare the numbers to the Bible:Note that the scriptures in Exodus say it is to be hammered from ONE piece of gold, not many welded together…why? Because God is One and so is His Word! And nothing can be added nor taken away from it. Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. Anything claiming so, is a doctrine from the pit of hell.Note the three red pieces from which the branches form:God is He whom the Scripture comes from: 3-in-1 God2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.The word “inspired” when broken down and looked at its individual Greek parts, literally translated means, “God-Breathed” …. all Scripture. And the all Scripture through those whom He breathed it, is ONLY the 66 books of the Bible.Note the tippy top of what comes out: that is, a branch of 12 pieces. It also forms from out of God. Jesus sure liked the number 12, no? So did Israel, no?So where does one go from here? If you realize you have been deceived? Call upon the true Jesus Christ, cry out to Him and He will save you. Call upon His holy Name, and He will save you. Come OUT from among them, and live a Holy and penitent life apart from sin, and tell others of the good news about Him and what He has done for you. Rely and trust in Him. Do not lean or rely on YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING of things and His ways, but in everything that you say, think, and do - give Him the glory honor and praise. And He will steer and guide you through and even from out of the pitfalls of this life. He does not wish you to go to Hell and neither does He wish to send you there. Do not eject this knowledge, and neither will He reject you on that day.Hosea 4:6 - My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.