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CARM.org on Mormonism
What Does Mormonism Teach? - by Matt Slick
The doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints (Mormons) are very interesting. Most of the 'odd'
ones are not initially taught to potential converts. But they
should be. Instead, "they are revealed later as one matures
and gains the ability to accept them." The LDS Church
tries to make its official doctrines appear Christian but what
underlies those Christian sounding terms is far fromChristian in meaning.
Following are the teachings of its officials throughout the
years. Please note that these teachings are documented
from Mormon writers, not anti-Mormon writers.
Finally, many Mormons respond that most of the citations
below are not from official Mormon writings, as if thatdisproves the doctrines they teach. If they are not official,
fine. But, if not, then why have the Mormon apostles and
high officials taught them, written them, and why are their
books sold in Mormon bookstores? The truth is, the
following is what Mormons are taught.
Atonement
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"Jesus paid for all our sins when He suffered in the
Garden of Gethsemane," (Laurel Rohlfing, Sharing Time:The Atonement, Friend, Mar. 1989, p. 39.).
Ronnie Bray responds:
The line in quotes comes from a story told by Paul H Dunn,
one time member of the Quorum of Seventy, now
deceased. Dunn is retelling a story about forgiveness and
atonement using the words his father used when young
Paul sent a baseball through the window of a local churchs
stained glass window, and the ministers came to his houseto be compensated.
This selective use of a third hand quote is typical of Anti-
Mormons that scour Mormon writings and works to find a
word or a sentence that they can turn to sinister use. With
such a fine ability to track down single words and short
phrases it is evident that they pass by perhaps hundreds ofsubstantial theological works that tell how Latter-day
Saints [Mormons] actually do view the Atonement of Jesus
Christ. This is part of the story used by writer Laurel
Rohlfingin an article correctly attributed to Sharing Time:
The Atonement, from the childrens LDS Magazine, The
Friend, used for 3 to 11 year old children. Since children of
that age are unlikely to be able to follow profound
theological expositions, any more than Paul Slick seems to
be, the stories are intentionally aimed and weighted to the
understanding of children. In this story, eleven years old
Paul Dunn scored a home run through the window of a
nearby churchs stained glass window. The ministers were
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in his hiome when Paul went to tell his parents what he had
done. The passage to which Slick refers is:
Paul admitted to the ministers that he had hit the ball thathad broken the window and told them that he was very
sorry. Pauls father put his arm around his sons shoulder,patted him on the head, and said, This is a good boy.
He, too, apologised [to the two ministers] for the mishapand asked how much it would cost to replace the stained
glass window. They told him that it would be about $500.
It was then that his father taught young Paul a greatlesson. He asked the ministers if they understood the principle of Christs atonement. They seemed a little
puzzled. His father said,
In our Church, we believe that through the Atonement ofChrist, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws
and ordinances of the gospel (third article of faith). Heexplained that the atonement allows each of us to be
forgiven of our sins if we repent. Jesus paid for all our sinswhen He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane. As the
only perfect person who ever lived on earth, He was the
only one who could do this for us. We could not do it forourselves. Without His sacrifice, we could never be
forgiven of our sins and would not be able to live withHeavenly Father and Jesus again.
Pauls father pointed out that although Paul had broken a
window, he could never pay for it himself. His allowance of25 a week would never pay for a $500 window. Taking his
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chequebook from his coat pocket, he wrote out a check for
the amount needed and said, As Pauls father, andbecause I love him, I will pay the price that he cannot.
This experience helped Paul understand what Jesus did for
us when He atoned for our sins. At this Easter time we canbe thankful that Heavenly Father loved us enough to send
His Son so that we can be forgiven when we do somethingwrong.
Let me expand Mr Slicks understanding of the Mormon
view of the Atonement of Jesus Christ by introducing himto authoritative statements made by Latter-day Saints on
the subject.
Is the cross important to our faith? The answer is an
unequivocal yes! The Redeemers suffering on the cross is
vitally important to us and is an inseparable part of the
Atonement, through which He suffered and died for oursins and thereby provided us with a clear path to salvation
and exaltation. [Elder Gregory A. Schwitzer Of the
Seventy. Ensign, July 2011]
Rich meaning is found in study of the word atonement in
the Semitic languages of Old Testament times. In Hebrew,
the basic word for atonement is kaphar, a verb that means
to cover or to forgive. 19 Closely related is the
Aramaic and Arabic word kafat, meaning a close
embraceno doubt related to the Egyptian ritual embrace.
References to that embrace are evident in the Book of
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Mormon. One states that the Lord hath redeemed my soul
; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about
eternally in the arms of his love. 20 Another proffers the
glorious hope of our being clasped in the arms of Jesus.21
I weep for joy when I contemplate the significance of it all.
To be redeemed is to be atonedreceived in the close
embrace of God with an expression not only of His
forgiveness, but of our oneness of heart and mind. What a
privilege! And what a comfort to those of us with loved
ones who have already passed from our family circlethrough the gateway we call death!
Scriptures teach us more about the word atonement. The
Old Testament has many references to atonement, which
called for animal sacrifice. Not any animal would do.
Special considerations included:
the selection of a firstling of the flock, without blemish,
22
the sacrifice of the animals life by the shedding of its
blood, 23
death of the animal without breaking a bone, and 24
one animal could be sacrificed as a vicarious act for
another. 25
The Atonement of Christ fulfilled these prototypes of the
Old Testament. He was the firstborn Lamb of God, without
blemish. His sacrifice occurred by the shedding of blood.
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No bones of His body were brokennoteworthy in that
both malefactors crucified with the Lord had their legs
broken. 26 And His was a vicarious sacrifice for others.
While the words atone or atonement, in any of their forms,
appear only once in the King James translation of the New
Testament, 27 they appear 35 times in the Book of
Mormon. 28 As another testament of Jesus Christ, it sheds
precious light on His Atonement, as do the Doctrine and
Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. Latter-day
revelation has added much to our biblical base of
understanding.
Infinite Atonement
In preparatory times of the Old Testament, the practice of
atonement was finitemeaning it had an end. It was a
symbolic forecast of the definitive Atonement of Jesus the
Christ. His Atonement is infinitewithout an end. 29 Itwas also infinite in that all humankind would be saved from
never-ending death. It was infinite in terms of His immense
suffering. It was infinite in time, putting an end to the
preceding prototype of animal sacrifice. It was infinite in
scopeit was to be done once for all. 30 And the mercy of
the Atonement extends not only to an infinite number of
people, but also to an infinite number of worlds created by
Him. 31 It was infinite beyond any human scale of
measurement or mortal comprehension.
Jesus was the only one who could offer such an infinite
atonement, since He was born of a mortal mother and an
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immortal Father. Because of that unique birthright, Jesus
was an infinite Being.
The Ordeal of the Atonement
The ordeal of the Atonement centered about the city of
Jerusalem. There the greatest single act of love of all
recorded history took place. 32 Leaving the upper room,
Jesus and His friends crossed the deep ravine east of the
city and came to a garden of olive trees on the lower slopes
of the Mount of Olives. There in the garden bearing the
Hebrew name of Gethsemanemeaning oil-pressolives had been beaten and pressed to provide oil and food.
There at Gethsemane, the Lord suffered the pain of all
men, that all might repent and come unto him. 33 He
took upon Himself the weight of the sins of all mankind,
bearing its massive load that caused Him to bleed from
every pore. 34
Later He was beaten and scourged. A crown of sharp thorns
was thrust upon His head as an additional form of torture.
35 He was mocked and jeered. He suffered every indignity
at the hands of His own people. I came unto my own, He
said, and my own received me not. 36 Instead of their
warm embrace, He received their cruel rejection. Then He
was required to carry His own cross to the hill of Calvary,
where He was nailed to that cross and made to suffer
excruciating pain.
Later He said, I thirst. 37 To a doctor of medicine, this is
a very meaningful expression. Doctors know that when a
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patient goes into shock because of blood loss, invariably
that patientif still consciouswith parched and shriveled
lips cries for water.
Even though the Father and the Son knew well in advance
what was to be experienced, the actuality of it brought
indescribable agony. And [Jesus] said, Abba, Father, all
things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me:
nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. 38 Jesus
then complied with the will of His Father. 39 Three days
later, precisely as prophesied, He rose from the grave. He
became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. He hadaccomplished the Atonement, which could give
immortality and eternal life to all obedient human beings.
All that the Fall allowed to go awry, the Atonement
allowed to go aright.
The Saviors gift of immortality comes to all who have ever
lived. But His gift of eternal life requires repentance andobedience to specific ordinances and covenants. Essential
ordinances of the gospel symbolize the Atonement.
Baptism by immersion is symbolic of the death, burial, and
Resurrection of the Redeemer. Partaking of the sacrament
renews baptismal covenants and also renews our memory
of the Saviors broken flesh and of the blood He shed for
us. Ordinances of the temple symbolize our reconciliation
with the Lord and seal families together forever. Obedience
to the sacred covenants made in temples qualifies us for
eternal lifethe greatest gift of God to man 40 the
object and end of our existence. 41
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Footnotes:
19. We might even surmise that if an individual qualifies
for the blessings of the Atonement (through obedience to
the principles and ordinances of the gospel), Jesus willcover our past transgressions from the Father.
20. 2 Ne. 1:15.
21. Morm. 5:11; additional examples are in Alma 5:33;
Alma 34:16.
22. See Lev. 5:18; Lev. 27:26.
23. See Lev. 9:18.
24. See Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12.
25. See Lev. 16:10.26. See John 19:3133.
27. See Rom. 5:11.
28. Atonement=24; plus atone, atoning, or atoned=8; plus
atoneth=3; total 35 times.
29. See 2 Ne. 9:7; 2 Ne. 25:16; Alma 34:10, 12, 14.
30. See Heb. 10:10.
31. See D&C 76:24; Moses 1:33.32. See John 3:16.
33. D&C 18:11.
34. See Luke 22:44; D&C 19:18.
35. See Matt. 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2, 5.
36. 3 Ne. 9:16; see also D&C 6:21; D&C 10:57; D&C
11:29; D&C 39:3; D&C 45:8; D&C 133:66.
37. John 19:28.
38. Mark 14:36. The word Abba is significant. Ab means
father; Abba is an endearing and tender form of that
term. The nearest English equivalent might be Daddy.
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39. Centuries later, the Lord shared innermost recollections
of this experience with the Prophet Joseph Smith, the
record of which we read in Doctrine and Covenants 19.
40. See D&C 14:7.41. Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah (1978),
568.
[Elder Russell M. Nelson, Of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles, Ensign, October 1996]
"We accept Christ's atonement by repenting of oursins, being baptised, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost,
and obeying all of the commandments." [Gospel Principles,
Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, 1979, p. 68.]
Baptism
Baptism for the dead, (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. II,
p. 141). This is a practice of baptizing each other in place
of non-Mormons who are now dead. Their belief is that in
the afterlife, the "newly baptized" person will be able to
enter into a higher level of Mormon heaven.
There is no such thing as Mormon Heaven. The heaven
to which Latter-day Saints look is that heaven where God
and Christ dwell.
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Baptism for the dead leading to Salvation for the
unbaptised dead is a Christian teaching traceable to the
New Testament Church, and is found in the teachings of
the Apostolic and Sub-apostolic fathers.
Some scholars suggest that baptism for the dead was
practiced by some Early Christian groups, continuing until
at least the late fourth century, which must be correct in
light of the ruling of the Roman Catholic Church.
As part of their Sacraments, the New Apostolic Church and
Old Apostolic Church also practices Baptism for the Dead,as well as Communion and Sealing to the Departed. In this
practice a proxy or substitute is baptised in the place of an
unknown number of deceased person. According to NAC
and OAC doctrine the deceased do not enter the body of the
substitute.In the Reformed Old Apostolic Church it is
believed that all deceased persons that are baptised reside
within the body of the substitute.
Fourth Century Baptism for the Dead
A fourth-century Christian custom of baptizing dead bodies
and giving the Eucharist to them as Baptism of the Dead,
give support for modern Baptism for the Dead. Hebrew
and early Christian scholar Dr John A Tedvetnes formerly
of Brigham Young University writes:
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That baptism for the dead was indeed practiced in some
orthodox Christian circles is indicated by the decisions of
two late fourth century councils.
The fourth canon of the Synod of Hippo, held in 393,
declares, "The Eucharist shall not be given to dead bodies,
nor baptism conferred upon them."
The ruling was confirmed four years later in the sixth canon
of the Third Council of Carthage.
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom describes a similar practice among the
Marcionites of the same century: if one of their followers
who was being prepared for baptism died before receiving
baptism, the dead person's corpse was addressed with the
question whether he wished to be baptized, whereuponanother answered affirmatively and was baptized for the
dead person.
In the same passage, Chrysostom, a speaker of the language
(Koine Greek) in which Paul the Apostle wrote, explained
Paul's mention of people being "baptized for the dead" as a
reference to the profession of faith in their own future
resurrection that Christians made before being baptized.
Metaphorical Exegesis
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Some interpret "baptized for the dead" as a metaphor for
martyrdom, as in Mark 10:38 and Luke 12:50 baptism is a
metaphor for suffering or martyrdom; accordingly they
would translate it as "being baptized with a view to death".
In this interpretation, the phrase is closely linked with what
Paul says immediately afterwards of the suffering that he
himself faces and is enabled to endure precisely because of
his faith in his resurrection which is similar to John
Chrysostom's idea.
More Explaining Away
Martin Luther regarded the biblical reference to 'baptism
for the dead' as a practice of being baptized above [ ]
the tombs of the unconverted dead whereas John Calvin
thought it a reference to being immersed when close to
death.
In Praise of Good Sense
The third and for many the most natural interpretation sees
the phrase as referring to vicarious baptism on behalf of
dead people performed in the belief that the dead were
thereby benefitted in some way. This belief is put forward
as the reason why, when Paul compares the Corinthians'
experience to that of the Israelites in crossing the Red Sea
and being fed on manna, he insists that the Israelites were
not thereby prevented from sinning.
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The Search For Truth Rages
The Tyndale Bible Dictionary concludes that Paul probably
did not approve the practice of baptism for the dead. He
refers to its practitioners as "they", not as "you" (the
Corinthian Christians to whom he wrote).
The note in the Catholic New American Bible is more
cautious:
"Baptized for the dead: this practice is not further explained
here, nor is it necessarily mentioned with approval, but
Paul cites it as something in their experience that attests in
one more way to belief in the resurrection."
This is similar Tertullian who wrote in 207 CE, that Paul's
aim in alluding to the practice of baptism for the dead,"whatever it may have been", was "that he might all the
more firmly insist upon the resurrection of the body, in
proportion as they who were vainly baptized for the dead
resorted to the practice from their belief of such a
resurrection."
Blame It On Gnosticism!
The practice of baptism for the dead, according to Professor
Elaine Pagels is easily explained by gnostics who argued
that the text was an allegory and that, therefore baptism for
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the dead refers to pneumatics (i.e. gnostics) taking the place
of psychics (i.e. literalists), who were dead to gnosis.
Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp, wrote about the gnostics as being heretical in his work On the Detection and
Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis.
Or on the Marcionites
The doctrines of Marcion were similar enough to those of
Gnosticism to cause Irenaeus in the to consider Marcionone of their number. Eventually Marcion was
excommunicated for his views.
Tertullian wrote about gnostics in his work Against
Marcion indicating that there was another aberrant
Christian sect who believed in baptism for the dead.
Clement of Alexandria in his Excerpta ex Theodoto against
paganism and deviations from Christianity, cites baptism
for the dead as a doctrine peculiar to Christian gnostics.
Although not a ringing endorsement for Christian belief in
salvation for the dead through proxy baptism, the noted
Christian theologian, Karl Rahner, accepted the notion that
without Christ it was impossible to achieve salvation, but
he could not accept the notion that people who have never
heard of Jesus Christ would be condemned. [see: Stephen
Clinton, Peter, Paul, and the Anonymous Christian: A
Response to The Mission Theology of Rahner and Vatican
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II October, 1998 The Orlando Institute, Leadership Forum
November, 1998 Evangelical Theological Society]. Rahner
said:
"Anonymous Christianity means that a person lives in the
grace of God and attains salvation outside of explicitly
constituted Christianity Let us say, a Buddhist monk
who, because he follows his conscience, attains salvation
and lives in the grace of God; of him I must say that he is
an anonymous Christian; if not, I would have to presuppose
that there is a genuine path to salvation that really attains
that goal, but that simply has nothing to do with JesusChrist. But I cannot do that. And so, if I hold if everyone
depends upon Jesus Christ for salvation, and if at the same
time I hold that many live in the world who have not
expressly recognized Jesus Christ, then there remains in my
opinion nothing else but to take up this postulate of an
anonymous Christianity." [see: Todd Wilkin, What is the
Catholic Teaching of "Anonymous Christianity"?]
Saint Paul's discourse emphasising the reality of the
resurrection from the dead of all that have passed from
mortality through the door of death is a stirring argument
against the position of those that denied the reality of the
resurrection of Jesus and likewise taught that none of the
dead would be raised either.
If their teaching was true,then the hope of salvation as
Christians believed would be a futile daydream with no
hope of it being realised. Paul makes a fulsome answer to
this false teaching in 1 Corinthians chapter fifteen:
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15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you, which also ye have received,
and wherein ye stand;15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory
what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures;
15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the
third day according to the scriptures:
15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred
brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this
present, but some are fallen asleep.
15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the
apostles.
15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born
out of due time.15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to
be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of
God.
15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his
grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I
laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the
grace of God which was with me.
15:11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach,
and so ye believed.
15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the
dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection
of the dead?
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15:13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is
Christ not risen:
15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching
vain, and your faith is also vain.15:15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God;
because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ:
whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are
yet in your sins.
15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are
perished.15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of
all men most miserable.
15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become
the firstfruits of them that slept.
15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the
resurrection of the dead.
15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all bemade alive.
15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered
up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall
have put down all rule and all authority and power.
15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under
his feet.
15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when
he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is
excepted, which did put all things under him.
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15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then
shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all
things under him, that God may be all in all.
15:29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the
dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then
baptized for the dead?
15:30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ
Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
15:32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beastsat Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let
us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good
manners.
15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have
not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
15:35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up?and with what body do they come?
15:36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened,
except it die:
15:37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that
body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat,
or of some other grain:
15:38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and
to every seed his own body.
15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind
of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes,
and another of birds.
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15:40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial:
but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the
terrestrial is another.
15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory ofthe moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star
differeth from another star in glory. 15:42 So also is the
resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised
in incorruption:
15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is
sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a
living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that
which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man
is the Lord from heaven.
15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy:and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we
shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit
incorruption.
15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed,
15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
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15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality.
15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
Death is swallowed up in victory.
15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory?
15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is
the law.
15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Some Christians posit that Apostle Paul is appealing to a
pagan rite to support his belief in the resurrection. Why
would a Christian apostle appeal to paganism to buttress
the Christian doctrine of resurrection? It makes no sense.
Paul was clearly pointing to a well known Christian ritethat required no further explanation other than it was linked
to the expectation of Christian resurrection and full
salvation for those baptised by proxy.
Wherever there is a belief in the continued existence of
man's personality through and after death, religion naturally
concerns itself with the relations between the living and the
dead. And where the idea of a future judgment or of
Purgatory obtains, prayers are often offered on behalf of the
dead to God.
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JUDAISM AND THE DEAD
Yizkor
Prayer for the dead appears in 2 Maccabees where Judas
Maccabeus offers a sacrifice as a propitiatory sin-offering
and a memorial thank-offering. These prayers and
sacrifices were intended to improve the standing of the
dead during the resurrection. However, Jews do not regard
2 Maccabees as canonical, possibly because of that are seen
as its theological innovations.
Yet in Judaism prayers form important elements in Jewish
services. The prayers offered on behalf of the deceased
consist of:
Recitation of Psalms; Reciting a thrice daily communal prayer in Aramaic
known as "Kaddish" which actually means
"Sanctification" (or "[Prayer of] Making Holy") which is
a prayer "In Praise of God";
other special remembrances known as Yizkor; and also a
Hazkara said either on the annual commemoration
known as the Yahrzeit as well on Jewish holidays.
The form of Kaddish in use in England contains the
following:
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Have mercy upon him; pardon all his transgressions . . .
Shelter his soul in the shadow of Thy wings. Make knownto him the path of life.
But, whether Christian or Jew why pray for the dead if their
condition cannot be affected thereby?
CHRISTIANITY AND THE DEAD
In the New Testament
A passage in the New Testament which may refer to a
prayer for the dead is found in 2 Timothy 1:16-18, which
reads as follows:
May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, forhe often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain,
but when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently, andfound me (the Lord grant to him to find the Lords mercy
on that day); and in how many things he served at Ephesus,you know very well.
But, why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be
affected thereby?
As with the verses from 2 Maccabees, these verses refer to
prayers that will help the deceased "on that day" (meaning
Judgement Day).
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It is not stated that Onesiphorus, for whom Saint Paul
prayed, was dead, though some scholars infer this, based on
the way Paul only refers to him in the past tense, and prays
for present blessings on his household, but for him only "onthat day".
And towards the end of the same letter, in 2 Timothy 4:19,
Paul sends greetings to "Prisca and Aquila, and the house
of Onesiphorus," distinguishing the situation of
Onesiphorus from that of the still living Prisca and Aquila.
The Historic Christian Tradition
Prayer for the dead is well-documented within early
Christianity, both among prominent Church Fathers and the
Christian community in general.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
In Eastern Orthodox Christianity prayers are raised for
"such souls as have departed with faith, but without having
had time to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance."
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
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In Roman Catholic Christianity the assistance that the dead
receive by prayer on their behalf is linked with the process
of purification known as purgatory.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
While prayer for the dead continues in both these traditions
and in those of Oriental Orthodoxy and of the Assyrian
Church of the East, many Protestant groups reject the
practice.
The tomb of the Christian Abercius of Hieropolis in
Phrygia (latter part of the 2nd century) bears the
inscription:Let every friend who observes this pray for me,i.e. Abercius, who throughout speaks in the first person.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affectedthereby?
The inscriptions in the Roman catacombs bear similar
witness to the practice, by the occurrence of such phrases
as:
Mayst thou live among the saints (3rd century);
May God refresh the soul of . . . ;
Peace be with them.
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Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
Among Church writers Tertullian ( 230) is the first to
mention prayers for the dead, and not as a concession to
natural sentiment, but as a duty: The widow who does not
pray for her dead husband has as good as divorced him!
This passage occurs in one of his later Montanist writings,
dating from the beginning of the 3rd century.
Subsequent writers similarly make incidental mention of
the practice as prevalent, but not as unlawful or even
disputed (until Arius challenged it towards the end of the
4th century).
The most famous instance is Saint Augustine's prayer for
his deceased mother, Monica, at the end of the 9th book of
his Confessions, written around 398.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
An important element in the Christian liturgies both East
and West consisted of the diptychs, or lists of names of
living and dead commemorated at the Eucharist. To be
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inserted in these lists was a confirmation of one's
orthodoxy, and out of the practice grew the official
canonization of saints; on the other hand, removal of a
name was a condemnation.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
In the middle of the 3rd century we find St. Cyprian
enjoining that there should be no oblation or public prayermade for a deceased layman who had broken the Church's
rule by appointing a cleric trustee under his will:
"He ought not to be named in the priests prayer who has
done his best to detain the clergy from the altar."
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affectedthereby?
Although it is not possible, as a rule, to name dates for the
exact words used in the ancient liturgies, yet the universal
occurrence of these diptychs and of definite prayers for the
dead in all parts of the Christian Church, East and West, in
the 4th and 5th centuries shows how primitive such prayers
were.
The language used in the prayers for the departed is very
reserved, asking only for rest and freedom from pain and
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sorrow. We may cite the following from the so-called
Liturgy of St James:
Remember, O Lord, the God of Spirits and of all Flesh,those whom we have remembered and those whom we have
not remembered, men of the true faith, from righteous Abelunto to-day; do thou thyself give them rest there in the land
of the living, in thy kingdom, in the delight of Paradise, inthe bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our holy fathers,
from whence pain and sorrow and sighing have fled away,where the light of thy countenance visiteth them and
always shineth upon them.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
Public prayers were only offered for those who were
believed to have died as faithful members of the Church.But Saint Perpetua, who was martyred in 202, believed
herself to have been encouraged in a vision to pray for her
brother, who had died in his eighth year, almost certainly
unbaptized; and a later vision assured her that her prayer
was answered and he had been translated from punishment.
St. Augustine thought it needful to point out that the
narrative was not canonical Scripture, and contended that
the child had perhaps been baptized.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
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Among the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, while there is
no doctrine of purgatory, prayer for the dead is encouragedin the belief that it is helpful for them. Specifically how the
prayers of the faithful help the departed is not elucidated;
Eastern Orthodox simply believe that tradition teaches that
prayers should be made for the dead.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
Saint Basil the Great ( 379), a saint of undivided
Christianity, writes in his Third Kneeling Prayer at
Pentecost,
O Christ our God...(who) on this all-perfect and saving
Feast, art graciously pleased to accept propitiatoryprayers for those who are imprisoned in hades, promising
unto us who are held in bondage great hope of releasefrom the vilenes that doth hinder us and did hinder them ...
send down Thy consolation... and establish their souls in
the mansions of the Just; and graciously vouchsafe untothem peace and pardon; for not the dead shall praise thee,
O Lord, neither shall they who are in Hell make bold tooffer unto thee confession. But we who are living will bless
thee, and will pray, and offer unto thee propitiatoryprayers and sacrifices for their souls.
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Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
Saint Gregory Dialogus ( 604) in his famous Dialogues
(written in 593) teaches that,
"The Holy Sacrifice (Eucharist) of Christ, our savingVictim, brings great benefits to souls even after death,
provided their sins (are such as) can be pardoned in thelife to come."
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
However, St. Gregory goes on to say, the Church's practice
of prayer for the dead must not be an excuse for not living a
godly life on earth.
"The safer course, naturally, is to do for ourselves duringlife what we hope others will do for us after death."
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
Father Seraphim Rose ( 1982) says,
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"the Church's prayer cannot save anyone who does not
wish salvation, or who never offered any struggle (podvig)for it himself during his lifetime."
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
The various prayers for the departed have as their purpose
to pray for the repose of the departed, to comfort the living,
and to remind those who remain of their own mortality. For
this reason, memorial services have an air of penitenceabout them.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
Orthodox Christians offer particularly fervent prayers forthe departed on the first 40 days after death. Traditionally,
in addition to the service on the day of death, the memorial
service is performed at the request of the relatives of an
individual departed person on the following occasions:
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
The Roman Catholic Church
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In the West there is ample evidence of the custom of
praying for the dead in the inscriptions of the catacombs,
with their constant prayers for the peace and refreshment of
the souls of the departed and in the early liturgies, whichcommonly contain commemorations of the dead; and
Tertullian, Cyprian and other early Western Fathers witness
to the regular practice of praying for the dead.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
The West felt that it was inappropriate to pray "for" the
martyrs, since they were believed to be in no need of such
prayers. Theoretically, too, prayer for those in hell would
be useless, but since there is no certainty that any particular
person is in hell, prayers were and are offered for all the
dead, except for those believed to be in heaven. These are
prayed to, not for. With the development of the doctrine ofpurgatory, the dead prayed for were spoken of as being in
purgatory, and in view of the certainty that by the process
of purification and with the help of the prayers of the
faithful they were destined for heaven, they were referred
to as the "holy souls".
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
Limits were placed on public offering of Mass for the
unbaptised and notorious sinners, but prayers and even
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Mass in private could be said for them. The present Code of
Canon Law states that, unless the person concerned gave
some signs of repentance before death, no form of funeral
Mass may be offered for notorious apostates, heretics andschismatics; those who for anti-Christian motives chose
that their bodies be cremated; and other manifest sinners to
whom a Church funeral could not be granted without public
scandal to the faithful.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
During the slaughter of the First World War, Pope Benedict
XV on 10 August 1915, allowed all priests everywhere to
say three Masses on All Souls' Day. The two extra Masses
were in no way to benefit the priest himself: one was to be
offered for all the faithful departed, the other for the Pope's
intentions, which at that time were presumed to be for allthe victims of that war. The permission remains.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
Anglicanism
The Church of England's 1549 Book of the Common
Prayer still had prayer for the dead, as (in the Communion
Service):
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"We commend into thy mercy all other thy servants, which
are departed hence from us with the sign of faith and now
do rest in the sleep of peace: grant unto them, we beseech
thee, thy mercy and everlasting peace."
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
But since 1552 the Book of Common Prayer has no express
prayers for the dead, and the practice is denounced in the
Homily "On Prayer" (part 3).
Nonjurors included prayers for the dead, a practice that
spread within the Church of England in the mid-nineteenth
century, and was authorized in 1900 for forces serving in
South Africa and since then in other forms of service.
Many jurisdictions and parishes of the Anglo-Catholic
tradition continue to practice prayer for the dead, including
offering the Sunday liturgy for the peace of named departed
Christians and the keeping of All Soul's Day.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
Non-Anglican Protestant churches
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The sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation continued at
first the traditional custom of praying for the dead, but
before long came to denounce it, partly because they
believed it to be without biblical foundation, partly throughtheir rejection of the doctrine of purgatory and the practices
associated with it.
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affected
thereby?
Prayer for the dead is rigorously avoided by those ofmarked Evangelical beliefin keeping with their denial thatthe mercy and love of God are universally available.
"[A]nd they turned to prayer, beseeching that the sin which
had been committed might be wholly blotted out. And the
noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves freefrom sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had
happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. He
also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of
two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to
provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well
and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he
were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise
again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray
for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward
that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was
a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for
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the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."
[Catechism of the Catholic Church, 12:43-45]
Why pray for the dead if their condition cannot be affectedthereby?
Bible
"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as
it is translated correctly. . ." (8th Article of Faith of the
Mormon Church).
"Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone
forth through the hands of the great and abominable church,
that there are many plain and precious things taken away
from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God," (1
Nephi 13:28).
It is evident that Latter-day Saints are not alone in
recognising difficulties and problems with The Holy Bible.
Even so, no Latter-day saint will go as far in criticism of
biblical texts as the Christian website
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Bible/all_corrupt.htm
While Mormons withdraw from such extremism, all
Christians must believe it because Mr Slicks reasoning that
if a Mormon said it then all Mormons must, perforce,
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believe it, so the logical extension of Slicks thinking is that
since a Christian said it, then all Christians must believe it!
Therefore, this is what all non-Mormon Christians believeabout the Bible:
Modern Bible Versions Are Dangerous
Watch Out For Them!
We must also be aware that the Bible is under attack. Satan,
who succeeded in selling the first "revised" edition of God'sWord to Eve in the Garden of Eden, has surely been busy
in this 20th Century along the same lines. We know about
the "population explosion" and the "explosion of scientific
knowledge," but we are also in the middle of a "Bible
translation explosion"- a veritable flood of new Bible
translations, versions, revisions and paraphrases, all
claiming to be the "most accurate," the "most readable" and
the "most up-to-date."
The publishing and sale of these new Bibles has become a
highly profitable business, employing all the psychological
approaches of modern advertising to sell them to the public.
Some think this proliferation of Bible versions is
wonderful.
But serious-minded, thoughtful people must eventually ask,
"Which Bible is the real Bible, the true Word of God?"
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In 2 Corinthians 2:17, the Spirit of God warned against the
"many which corrupt the word of God " Therefore, it is not
surprising in studying church history to discover that such
attempts to corrupt the Word of God were clearly evident inthe altered, polluted and revised manuscripts purporting to
be the Word of God that have existed through the centuries.
Unfortunately, many people today fail to see that even
greater corruptions of the Word of God are taking place
before our very eyes. The purpose of this leaflet is to share
with God's people, simply and briefly, some of the
important information we have found in studying this
important subject.
It is impossible in such limited space to trace the history
and preservation of the true Word of God down through the
centuries. However, in the providence of God, two very
important things happened in the 15th and 16th centuries
for which we should all be eternally grateful. First, was the
invention of the printing press and second, the ProtestantReformation. It was the combination of these two
developments that made possible the translation and
publication of the Authorized King James Version of the
Bible in 1611. From then until now, this wonderful gift of
God and its subsequent translation into every known major
language in the world has changed the course of history and
we enjoy its benefits today.
In the latter part of the 19th Century, Satan and his angels
of light set out to destroy the Church by undermining its
foundation, the Bible. Charles Darwin's Origin of the
Species was blindly accepted as "new light on an old
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problem" by the scholarship of that day which had become
largely obsessed with rationalism and humanism. Theories
and methods of "higher criticism" and "textual criticism"
were developed and couched in such scholarly languagethat most people failed to recognize that these were actually
attacks upon the Word of God - even though carefully
disguised as an effort to "supply the English reader with a
more correct text of the New Testament" and to "render the
New Testament more generally intelligible." The rush
toward new versions was on and though the early progress
was slow, we are seeing the results today.
Three important issues must be understood and addressed
when discussing the translation of the Bible from one
language to another: first, the reliability of the document
being translated; second, the knowledge and skill of the
translators and third, the philosophy of translation (formal
or dynamic equivalence). On all counts, the King James
Bible still stands supreme. In 1881, influenced by andsympathetic to the Darwinian theory of evolution, two men,
Brooke Foss Westcott and Fenton J. A. Hort brought forth a
different version of the Greek New Testament - one which
differed from the Textus Receptus (the underlying Greek
text of the KJV) in over 5,700 places.
This Westcott-Hort Greek Text was later to become the
basis for the English Revised Version and the American
Standard Version. It gave great weight to two corrupted
manuscripts-the Vaticanus (Codex B) which was found in
the Vatican Library in 1481 and was known to the KJV
translators but was not used by them, and the Sinaiticus
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(Codex Aleph) which was found in a monastery
wastebasket at the foot of Mt. Sinai in 1844. The
Vaticanus and Sinaiticus appear to have been copied from
the same source in the 4th Century and held great weightwith Westcott and Hort due to their antiquity. Tischendorf,
who discovered the Sinaiticus manuscript, noted at least
12,000 changes that had been made on this manuscript by
others than the original copyist. It is difficult to understand
why such documents as these could lead one to ignore the
simple fact that the Greek text underlying the King James
Version, the Textus Receptus, agreed with 90-95% of all
known Scripture- related manuscripts, numbering over fivethousand.
English Revised Version (1885)
American Standard Version (1901)
The first full-scale frontal attack on the Word of God came
with the publication of the ERV in 1885, and itscounterpart, the ASV in 1901. Only a few voices of protest
were raised. Most staunch defenders of the faith of that day
were apparently unaware that the ASV differed from the
KJV in over 36,000 places or that the Greek text underlying
the translation of the ASV (the Westcott-Hort Text)
differed from the Textus Receptus (underlying the KJV) in
over 5,700 instances. Possibly it was because the
Fundamentalists then were too busy combating the
modernists' infiltration of seminaries and churches; or,
perhaps it was due to the fact that the ASV never really
found great acceptance publicly. It was not until the
publication of the Revised Standard Version in 1946 and
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1952 that many Fundamentalists became aware of how
effectively a new Bible version or translation could be used
to pervert the truth.
Revised Standard Version (1946, 1952)
Some of God's people woke up with a start when the
Revised Standard Version was published in 1952. This
version, supposedly a revision of the ASV of 1901,
eliminated the word virgin in the prophecy of Christ's birth
in Isaiah 7:14. It was also copyrighted by the apostate
National Council of Churches. Protests were heard far andwide! Sadly, many failed to recognize that some of the
same changes they found so objectionable in the RSV were
also true of the ASV. The furor over the RSV gradually
died down. But this was the version which paved the way
for future perversions of the Scriptures. It had conditioned
people to accept changes in the Bible- changes dictated by
modern scholarship. At least the RSV left the word virginin the New Testament references to the birth of Christ. It
remained for the Good News Bible to remove it in both the
Old and New Testaments.
Good News For Modern Man (1966)
Good News Bible (1976)
When the first edition of Good News For Modern Man
(The New Testament in Today's English) was published in
1966, the word virgin appeared in all the texts in Matthew
and Luke referring to the birth of Christ. But, when the 2nd
and 3rd editions were published and then the entire Good
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News Bible was published in 1976, the word virgin had
mysteriously disappeared from Luke 1:27 while remaining
in Luke 1:34 and Matthew 1:23. Of course, the latter two
verses have no meaning at all if the word virgin is removedor replaced. Also, the blood of Christ, a most important and
precious word and theme, was lacking in many key New
Testament references. It was replaced by "death" or "costly
sacrifice," both good words in their own place but not what
the Holy Spirit gave in the original text. The heretical
views of the main translator, Dr. Robert Bratcher, help to
explain the many places in which the Deity of Christ is
played down or omitted. The Good News Bible is one ofthe worst versions, yet it has been distributed by the
millions, largely due to endorsements by Billy Graham, Bill
Bright and other evangelical leaders.
The Living Bible (1967, 1971)
This is neither a translation nor a version - it is a
paraphrase. The Living Bible, praised by Billy Graham and
other New Evangelical leaders, has reached a publication
figure of 37 million copies and has made its author, Ken
Taylor, a wealthy man. It is very readable, but at the
expense of truth in so many places. Taylor admits that the
principle he worked from was not a "word-for-word"
translation but rather a "thought-for-thought" paraphrase
which he called, "dynamic equivalence." Taylor said he
worked for the most part from the ASV of 1901, a corrupt
translation to begin with. The Living Bible decimates the
Scriptures, almost completely eliminating important and
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precious words and truths as grace (see John 1:17; Acts
4:33, 15:11, 20:24; Romans 3:24; 2 Corinthians 9:8;
Ephesians 2:8-9; Jude 4) and repentance (see Matthew 9:13
and Acts 17:30). "Honor" is substituted for "begotten" inActs 13:33, Hebrews 1:5 and 5:5. Significant changes are
made regarding such matters as creation in Genesis 1:1-2
and a prophecy of Christ in Zechariah 13:6. The meaning
of Romans 8:28 is changed completely. Vulgar language is
used in John 9:34, 11:39 and 2 Kings 18:27. The language
of 1 Samuel 20:30 in early editions of TLB shocked many
but it has now been softened. The author has left the door
open for further suggestions, corrections and clarifications.Who knows what future editions may contain?
New American Standard Version (1960, 1971)
The NASV was to be the Bible for conservatives,
Evangelicals and Fundamentalists. The foreword states thatthe NASV "has been produced with the conviction that the
words of Scripture as originally penned in the Hebrew and
Greek were inspired of God." The basic problem with this
translation, however, is revealed in this statement: "This
translation follows the principles used in the American
Standard Version 1901 known as the Rock of Biblical
Honesty." Who gave the ASV such a title? In the Principles
of Revision, it is stated: "In revising the ASV consideration
was given to the latest available manuscripts with a view to
determining the best Greek text. In most instances the 23rd
edition of the Nestle Greek New Testament was followed."
This gets right to the heart of the major problem with the
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modern Bible versions - most are patterned after the
corrupted Westcott-Hort Greek Text rather than the Textus
Receptus. The word virgin does appear in Isaiah 7:14, but a
footnote says, "or, young woman"- no doubt a sop to theliberals. Verses like Matthew 18:11 and Matthew 23:14
appear in brackets with a footnote saying, "most ancient
manuscripts omit this verse" or, "this verse is not found in
earliest manuscripts." A corrupted Greek text thus becomes
the basis for raising questions about the entire verse In
other instances as in Luke 24:40, the number of the verse
appears followed by "see marginal note" which explains
that "some ancient Mss. add verse 40." One wonders if the NASV translators were determined to list everything
anyone ever added or left out of a manuscript until one
discovers that some parts of verses are left out with no
explanation whatsoever as in Colossians 1:14 and 1
Timothy 6:5. It is sad to see so many conservatives pushing
this version and criticizing the KJV.
New International Version ( 1973, 1978)
Like the NASV, the NIV was produced by those who are
said to "hold a high view of Scripture." Sponsored by the
New York Bible Society, they admitted the NIV translators
represent a "broad spectrum in evangelical Christianity"
and the list of names confirms the broadness of the
spectrum. Instead of being a revision of a previous version,
the preface says, "It is a completely new translation made
by many scholars working directly from the Greek." The
Greek text used is an "eclectic one." that is, the translators
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mixed different texts supposedly in "accord with sound
principles of textual criticism." However, they did not state
what those principles were - and much of the previous
undermining of the Scripture has been done on thesupposed basis of "sound principles of textual criticism."
Examining the text, you find that the NIV leaves out many
of the same verses and portions that the ASV and the
NASV also omit. An added problem, however, stems from
the fact that where an entire verse is omitted, even the verse
number is missing and only a small letter refers to a
footnote of explanation. A careful study of this version
confirms what one [unnamed!] Christian leader said severalyears ago,
"For every verse or word clarified in these new translations,
two new problems are created."
We agree with his statement. In a critique of the New
International Version, one Fundamentalist scholar[unnamed!] correctly objected that "words were dropped
out; words were added; and key words were sometimes
changed."
Yet, the same objection must also be raised concerning the
New American Standard Version which this same
[unnamed] Fundamentalist scholar defends and
recommends. This objection - the deletion or addition of
words-also applies to all the other modern versions. We
still insist on using and recommending only the Authorized
Version.
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New King James Version (1979,1982)
The NKJV translators claim to have "preserved theauthority and accuracy" and "improved the purity and
beauty" of the original KJV. We disagree that the "purity
and beauty" have been improved.
Although the NKJV uses the underlying Textus Receptus
Greek text, the translators repeatedly use marginal
notations to reference the Modem Critical Text upon which
all of the modem versions are based. The NKJV advocateopens a door that lends credibility to a perverted underlying
text used by all the other versions. Furthermore, changes in
the text are made which simply are not warranted.
The NKJV primarily uses the 1967/ 1977 Stuttgart edition
of Biblia Hebraica and draws from sources which result in
a Hebrew text that is different from the Jacob ben Chayyimtext underlying the KJV Old Testament. As a result the
NKJV preface rightly stated, "significant variations are
recorded in footnotes." We believe the potential for most
textual problems and variants between the KJV and NKJV
will be found in the Old Testament.
New Revised Standard Version ( l990)
The NRSV is the latest product of ecumenical scholarship
and will soon replace the RSV, thus helping to fill the
financial coffers of the apostate National Council of
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Churches which holds the copyrights on both the RSV and
NRSV. Translated by liberal Protestant, Catholic and
Jewish scholars, and eliminating so-called sexist language,
the NRSV with the Apocrypha, has already received theImprimatur of the Roman Catholic Church and may well
become the ecumenical Bible of the future.
Other Recent Versions
In recent years, the proliferation of modem Bible versions
has increased tremendously. New versions that are based primarily upon the United Bible Societies' 4th revised
edition Greek New Testament and the Nestle-Aland 27th
edition Novum Testamentum Graece include the New
Living Translation (NLT), the New Century Version
(NCV), the Contemporary English Version (CEV) and
Eugene H. Peterson's The Message.
Most of these versions and translations are not only based
on an inferior Greek text, but are also thought-for-thought
translations (which allow for greater interpretive freedom
of the text by the translators) rather than literal, word-for-
word translations.
The more we have studied and researched this question of
Bible versions, the more convinced we are that many of our
dear brethren in the ministry and many Fundamentalist
leaders have not taken time to look at the abundant
evidence now available that clearly demonstrates the
inaccuracies, inconsistencies and confusion that results
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from new translations. It is clear that many scholars who
consider themselves to be evangelical have been influenced
by the apostate scholarship of the past and present. We
recognize the difference between "higher criticism" (whichwould be rejected by most Fundamentalists) and "textual
criticism" or "lower criticism" (which is accepted by most
Fundamentalists).
But many do not see how the whole field of textual
criticism has been shaped and moulded by the false
premises and conclusions of "higher criticism."
The central issue revolves around the acceptance of the
Westcott-Hort text rather than the Textus Receptus as the
basis for Bible translations, versions and revisions.
While recognizing the extreme difficulties involved in
translations of any kind and especially of a book as
important as the Bible, we are convinced that the KingJames Bible has been blessed by God for hundreds of years
and should be used by believers today. It will be far better
for us to expand our vocabulary in order to understand its
terminology than to continually rewrite the Bible to suit
those who will not be able to understand it anyway apart
from the New Birth or to suit those Christians who are too
lazy to study. It is true that the meanings of some English
words have changed and others are no longer commonly
used. Yet such words are comparatively few and can easily
be comprehended with the use of a good dictionary; but if
the word is missing altogether, what then?
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The promotion and use of so many different Bible versions
has resulted in great confusion among God's people. Why
don't more pastors and Christian leaders see this?
Congregational reading is becoming virtually impossible.
Bible memorisation is most difficult. Men and women lose
confidence in the validity of God's Word when some verses
are included, some are bracketed, and some are missing
completely.
For all of these reasons and many more, we conclude that
modem Bible versions are dangerous and that God's peopleshould beware of them. We close with a plea to all who
love the Lord and His Word-look into this important
question quickly and carefully. Then join us in seeking to
alert and warn others concerning these subtle and
devastating attacks being made upon God's Holy Word.
Our Final Authority
The written Word of God is our final authority in all
matters of which It speaks, for It is God's final revelation to
man. The Bible is God's trustworthy, authoritative Book,
and no more is to be added thereto.
The Holy Spirit supernaturally inspired the writers of the
39 books of the Old Testament to record the very words
God desired His people to possess (2 Pet. 1: 2 1).
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Likewise, the prophetic promise Jesus Christ made to His
disciples (soon to be the apostles and writers of the 27
books of the New Testament) restated the same divine
operation of inspiration, for the Holy Spirit later alsoguided these men "into all truth" (Jn. 16:12-15). "All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3:16, 17),
and that inspired Scripture encompasses nothing more, nor
anything less, than the 66 books of the Bible, the completed
canon of Scripture. [But, the Bible does not say that!]
2 Peter 3:2 tells us that if we want to know God's Word,
then we are to look nowhere other than to the "words whichwere spoken before by the holy prophets [O. T. Scripture],
and of the commandments of us the apostles of the Lord
and Saviour [N.T. Scripture]."
God's Word [sic] provides us with all we need to be built
up in the faith and to do God's will and work - God gave no
additional revelation once the Bible was completed. Theinspired writings of the apostles, circulated among the
churches and later canonized, were perfect and complete
(Lk. 1: 1-4; 1 Cor. 14:37; Eph. 3:1-7; 1 Thess. 2:13; Rev.
22:18, 19).
The internal evidence of the Word of God states without
equivocation that believers today have a final authority -
God's Written Word. [But the Bible does not say that!]
Since the completion of the canon of Scripture, no
additional divine revelation has come through any "latter
day prophets," charismatic dreamers, cult authorities or the
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tradition/Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church, as
Pope John Paul II has reinforced in a recent encyclical.
With the passing of the original disciples of the Lord JesusChrist (the apostles who penned the 27 books of the New
Testament) [Some NT writers were NOT Apostles!, for
example, Luke and Mark], the partial revelation ceased and
"that which is perfect"-the Written Word of the Living
God-was come. "That which is in part" was done away (1
Cor. 13:8-12).
With the passing of the apostles and the subsequentcompletion of the canon, no more revelation came from
God. It is essential, therefore, that we earnestly contend for
the faith "once delivered" (past tense) and against any
attempt to claim an authority for faith and practice other
than God's Word, the 66 books of the Bible.
Remember, Timothy's household did not have the "originalautographs," but the copies they had were designated by
God as "the holy scriptures" (2 Tim. 3:14, 15). Likewise,
Paul commended the Ephesian elders to the "word of his
grace, which is able to build you up..." (Acts 20:27, 32).
We can have confidence today that we have a Bible that is
the holy Word of God in the Authorized (King James)
Version.
A problem developed, however, with the 20th century's
proliferation of new Bible versions. It became necessary to
study the history of the English Bible and the Greek text
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which had been used down through the centuries and
compare that text with the claims of the "higher critics"
who championed the minority text upon which the new
versions are based.
After careful study of the subject, the FEA concluded that
the Textus Receptus, the underlying text upon which the
Authorized King James Version is based, is the
providentially preserved Greek text. The Textus Receptus
was derived from the majority family of manuscripts used
in the Greek-speaking church down through the centuries.
This text was the divinely preserved text - an accuraterendition of the very originals (miraculously inspired by the
Holy Spirit) written by the apostles, and, in the Hebrew
tongue, by the Old Testament prophets. The Masoretic text
of the Old Testament and the Textus Receptus of the New
Testament are, in reality, the divinely preserved texts of the
divinely inspired original writings. [Apparently God has
miraculously preserved no fewer that 2400 variants ofMarks Gospel!]
But now, another problem has arisen within the last few
decades. An element of those who were strong defenders
of the inerrancy and veracity of the Authorized Version,
used and blessed by God in the English-speaking world for
well over 300 years, began to advance the idea that the KJV
English translation is superior to the Greek and Hebrew
texts and that the King James translators were themselves
inspired by the Holy Spirit in producing their translation.
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As a result of this proposal, they claim that the English
King James translation has been miraculously inspired just
as the original autographs themselves were inspired. This
false teaching even assumed the newly ascribed authority tocorrect the underlying Greek and Hebrew text from which
it was translated.
What we have by this proposed phenomenon is what is
often known as "double inspiration" - the original writings
of the prophets and the apostles consist of the first
"inspiration," and the second work of "inspiration"
occurred when the King James translators produced theEnglish Authorized Version in 1611. Certainly the King
James translators were the best scholars ever assembled to
produce a translation that we can hold up today as our
authoritative, trustworthy translation; but were those
esteemed translators "inspired" in the biblical sense?
Absolutely not!
We cannot accept this conjecture, for the- concept of a
superior English text or of "double inspiration" completely
denies what the Bible Itself teaches about its own initial
inspiration by the miraculous operation of the Holy Spirit
and its promised preservation through each successive
generation.
No, the English-speaking world is not the sole proprietor of
the Word of God. Other nations and languages can also
boast an accurate, trustworthy translation of the Word of
God from the Greek Textus Receptus and the Hebrew
Masoretic text.
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It is the conviction of the FEA that the Authorized Version
should be the standard and final authority for the English
speaking world for two reasons: First, because it is basedon the Masoretic Text and the Textus Receptus, and
second, because it, is an accurate, literal (formal, word-for-
word) translation of the aforementioned Greek and Hebrew
texts (that is, the translation of the text is literal, as much as
is possible of any translation from one language to
another).
We must reject the teaching of those who claim the KJV isfull of errors, [Even when these can be clearly and
unequivocally demonstrated?] yet we must also reject the
teaching of those "KJV-only" proponents who claim that
the KJV is in itself inspired and superior to the underlying
Hebrew and Greek texts. Notice the following timely
words by Pastor M. H. Reynolds, Jr., which accurately sum
up the Biblical position regarding inspiration andpreservation:
We are sometimes accused of believing in "double
inspiration" or "continuing revelation," i.e., that the King
James translators were divinely inspired in the same way as
were the original human writers of the books of the Bible.
Not so! The use of these terms amounts to a dishonest
misrepresentation of what we believe. The miracle of
inspiration applies only to the initial giving of the Word of
God to the writers of the autographs (all of which are no
longer in existence). But we also believe that the Bible
Itself teaches and the history of manuscript evidence
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supports the contention that the miracle of initial inspiration
extends to the divinely superintended preservation of a pure
text to this day. We have, therefore, an inspired Bible
today in the sense that it is the accurate translation of thetext once and finally inspired by God and recorded in the
"original autographs," the majority text used down through
the centuries in the Greek church. Be wary of any
opponent of the KJV who contrives impressive sounding
buzz words to misrepresent what the defenders of the
Authorized Version actually believe.
From the FEA publication Modern Bibles-the Dark Secretby Pastor Moorman, wonderfully used of God to defend the
Authorized Version and to debunk the credibility of the
other versions, the concluding paragraph reads:
It is not impossible that in the providence of Godanother universally accepted standard translation could be
produced. However, given the lateness of the hour, thelack of spiritual scholarship, and the fact that our language
no longer has the depth and vitality it once had, this seemsmost unlikely. All indications point to the KJV as the Bible
God would have His people use in these last days before
the Second Coming of Christ.
The Old Testament Scriptures were to accomplish one
central purpose-to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke
24:25-27). The same is true of the New Testament as well
(John 16:14). Those who undermine the authority and
accuracy of the Authorized Version only cause God's
people to lack a confidence in His Message and the
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impeccability of Christ and His finished Work. This
certainly does not advance the purpose of God-to glorify
His dear Son and to cause His children to have absolute
confidence in His final and complete Revelation. PraiseGod, He has given to us His Word, and we have before us
in the English language the Authorized King James Bible, a
literal, accurate translation of the very words God breathed
in His Revelation to man. [Marion H. Reynolds, Jr. and
Dennis W. Costella 2000 Fundamental Evangelistic
Association]
This now, according to the logic of Mr Slick ofCARMS.org is what ALL non-Mormon Christians actually
believe. Yeah, right, Mtr Slick!
Book of Mormon
The [B]ook of Mormon is more correct than the Bible,(History of the Church, 4:461).
Readers are to note that this statement is not made in The
History of The Church, 4:461, nor in any other Mormon
writing. It is the conclusion of Mr Slick! Note the
following abstract from an article by Monte Nyman, a
Latter-day Saint.
I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the mostcorrect of any book on earth, and the keystone of our
religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by
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its precepts, than by any other book. (History of the
Church, 4:461.)
The most correct of any book on earth was a boldstatement to make in Joseph Smiths day, let alone in our
day of sophisticated publication. The statement is stillapplicable, for the Lord has never rescinded it nor cast
doubt upon it.
An analysis of the statement reveals important principlesthat are significant to readers of the Book of Mormon and
especially to members of the Church. Its correctness mustbe attributed to the Lords hand operative in itstranslation, an event that was, as Isaiah described it, a
marvelous work and a wonder. (Isa. 29:1314.)
There is irrefutable evidence to show both the correctnessof the translation and the Lords hand in it. The Three
Witnesses, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and MartinHarris, bore record that the voice of God declared unto
them that the book had been translated by his power. Theirtestimony still appears at the front of each copy of the Book
of Mormon. Furthermore, in a June 1829 revelation given
to the three men through the Prophet, the Lord confirmedthat Joseph had translated all that he had been
commanded to do and that it was a true translation. (SeeD&C 17:6.)
However, the most correct book implies that it may not
be absolutely correct, and in light of the Lordsdeclaration, this may seem contradictory. But herein lies
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another significant principle: if there be any errors, they
should not be attributed to the translation.
An example from the Book of Mormon itself supports this principle. The prophet Moroni concluded his fathers
record by excusing the errors, if there were any, to the faults of men (see Morm. 8:17) and to the necessity of
writing in what was termed reformed Egyptian rather thanin Hebrew (see Morm. 9:3233).
Therefore, the qualification on the absolute correctness of
the Book of Mormon may be imposed because of languagelimitation.
A second example in the Book of Mormon of mansinability to record the principles of the gospel perfectly is
found in 3 Nephi 19:3134 [3 Ne. 19:3134]. Here theSaviors prayer to the Father was described as being one
that could not be spoken or written by man. Yet the prayerwas heard and understood by the Nephites as their hearts
were opened.
It seems logical, then, that the correctness of the Book of
Mormon was not limited so much by the translationprocess as by the inadequacy of present languages.
Joseph Smith taught that the Savior would adapt his
language to the capacity of a little child (see History of theChurch, 3:383), and undoubtedly he had to adapt the
language of the Book of Mormon to our linguistic capacity.
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Until the time arrives when the Lord will restore a pure
language to fill the earth with sacred knowledge, the Bookof Mormon represents the gospel teachings in the most
correct form available to man. Furthermore, the book actsas a catalyst in obtaining even greater understanding of
the gospel. As a person studies the written text with realintent, the power of the Holy Ghost will manifest the truth
of what he reads.
The Prophet Josephs declaration of the Book of Mormonas the keystone of our religion underlines its importance
in uniting the Church. As the keystone holds the rest of the stones in place, so the Book of Mormon upholds theprinciples and ordinances of the gospel. (See History of the
Church, 2:52.)
Jewish scribes have known for more than a thousand years
that the Bible is not a perfect book, but has some textual
difficulties, and many Christian scholars readily admit thesame. While Latter-day Saints hold to a qualification as to
the correctness of the Bible as we have it today, they
embrace it as the word of God, but cannot embrace any of
the errors it is shown to contain. The Mormon position is
that when the original monographs were made they were
perfect, but that over time and in the course of manual
transmission by imperfect scribes making copies of copies
of copies, etc, errors crept in accidentally, and other
changes were made by redactors and haggadists that altered
what was originally written. Nevertheless, the Mormon
position is that it is inspired of God except where is holds
errors. No Bible believer should be put to the necessity of
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believing that God requires them to embrace the obvious
errors as inspired, forGod is not the author of confusion.
Devil, the
The Devil was born as a spirit after Jesus "in the
morning of pre-existence," (Mormon Doctrine, p. 192).
According to the Holy Bible, God the Father is the father of
spirits. Lucifer, the Devil, or Satan as he is variously
called, is a personage of spirit, and therefore, was created by the God that created all spirits. [see Hebrews 12:9]
Mormons reject the notion that Satan was created by a
demi-god.
One Christian, Cris Coleman, speaks for all Christians, that
is if one Mormon speaks for all Mormons as Slick insists.
Of the origin of Satan he closely parallels Latter-day Saintbelief that:
Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all
born as siblings in heaven to them both, (Mormon
Doctrine, p. 163).
This is what Cris Coleman says:
[W]e have to go back before the physical creation of theearth, for that is where we first meet the one we call Satan,
otherwise known as Lucifer, or the Devil.
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Theres a curious verse in the epistle of Jude (KJV) that
refers to the first estate. Nothing further is mentioned,nor is there any other reference to it in the entire Bible.
Even so, I think we can make some assumptions regardingthis verse.
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left
their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlastingchains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
(Jude 6).
Assumption one: While the first estate is not commonknowledge among us today, it may have