The Facts on the Mormon Church

By John Ankerberg, John Weldon and Dillon Burroughs

Well-known authors and noted researchers John Ankerberg, John Weldon, and Dillon Burroughs have updated and revised The Facts on the Mormon Church, a significant title from the popular Facts On Series (more than 1.9 million copies of books from this series sold). The Facts on the Mormon Church presents the truth about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--Mormon history, doctrines, practices, and theology. Readers find well-researched and easy-to-understand answers to many of the common and not-so-common questions surrounding this high-profile church, all in a handy, quick-reference format. Topics include: How did Mormonism originate? Who was Joseph Smith? Is it a Christian religion? What does it teach about God? What is the Mormon doctrine regarding salvation? Life after death? Who do they believe Jesus Christ was...is? What is the Book of Mormon? The Pearl of Great Price? Doctrine and Covenants?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
• Release date: Mar 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9780736939119

John Ankerberg

John Ankerberg, host of the award-winning John Ankerberg Show, has three earned degrees: an MA in church history and the philosophy of Christian thought, an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a DMin from Luther Rice Seminary. He has coauthored the 2-million-selling Facts On series of apologetic books, as well as Taking a Stand for the Bible and Israel Under Fire.

Book preview

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Verses marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphasis (italics) in Scripture quotations has been added by the authors.

Cover by Dugan Design Group, Bloomington, Minnesota

Cover photos © Paul Chesley / Photographer’s Choice / Getty; iStockphoto.com; back-cover photo of Dillon Burroughs © Goldberg Photography

THE FACTS ON THE MORMON CHURCH

Updated edition

Copyright © 1991/2009 by The John Ankerberg Theological Research Institute

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ankerberg, John, 1945-

The facts on the Mormon Church / John Ankerberg, John Weldon; updates by Dillon Burroughs.—[Updated & rev. ed.].

p. cm.—(The facts on series)

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-0-7369-2216-6 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-3911-9 (eBook)

1. Mormon Church—Controversial literature—Miscellanea. 2. Mormon Church—Doctrines—Miscellanea. I. Weldon, John. II. Burroughs, Dillon. III. Title.

BX8645.A683 2009

289.3—dc22

2008020713

All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author’s and publisher’s rights is strictly prohibited.

Contents

Section One

Introduction to Mormonism

1. What is Mormonism, and why is it important?

2. How did Mormonism originate, and how important are supernatural revelations to the founding and sustaining of the Mormon Church?

3. How can we know whether these revelations were from God or were from some other source?

4. Does Mormonism claim to be the only true church on earth?

5. Is Mormonism a Christian religion?

6. Does the Mormon Church give biblical words an entirely false meaning?

Section Two

Is Mormon Teaching the Same as Biblical and Christian Teaching?

7. How do Mormon teachings differ from Christian teachings?

8. How does Mormonism view the Christian religion?

9. What does Mormonism teach about God?

10. What does Mormonism teach about Jesus Christ?

11. What do Mormons teach about salvation and life after death?

12. Do Mormons teach that true salvation occurs only by good works and personal righteousness?

13. What does Mormonism teach about the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross?

Section Three

Mormonism—A Critical Evaluation

14. Was there a universal apostasy by the early Christian church?

15. Is the first vision account that forms the foundation of the Mormon Church really credible?

16. What intractable problems face the Book of Mormon?

17. Are the Mormon scriptures really the Word of God? If so, why has the Church made significant changes in them, and why do they contain demonstrable errors and undeniable contradictions?

18. What is the irreconcilable dilemma for the individual Mormon?

19. If the Mormon prophets were divinely inspired, how does the Mormon Church explain their false prophecies?

20. Why has the Mormon Church ignored the compelling historical research of Jerald and Sandra Tanner?

Section Four

Should Mormonism Be Considered an Occult Religion?

21. How important is the concept of inspiration and revelation within the Mormon Church?

22. Was Joseph Smith an occultist?

23. How frequently do spiritistic revelations occur within Mormonism? How often are the dead contacted?

Section Five

Conclusion

24. What is the true basis of eternal life, and how is it found?

A Final Word

Notes

About the Ankerberg Theological Research Institute

The Facts On Series

About the Authors

SECTION ONE

Introduction to Mormonism

1

What is Mormonism, and why is it important?

Mormonism is a religion founded upon the teachings of Joseph Smith (1805–1844). Although some 100 Mormon sects have existed historically, the two largest divisions are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah—LDS for short) and the Community of Christ (headquartered in Independence, Missouri, and formerly called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).

The subject of Mormonism is important because of the Mormon Church’s influence, power, and evangelistic operations. For example, it maintains over 60,000 missionaries who actively engage in proselytizing activities throughout the world. Further, Mormonism is also the fourth-largest religion in the United States, with more than 6 million claimed adherents; worldwide, it boasts a membership of 13 million.¹

The New Mormon Challenge, a scholarly critique of recent LDS apologetics, extrapolates current growth rates to 580 million by the end of this century. Although the LDS Church doesn’t release financial records, in 1997 the leadership granted Time magazine unusual cooperation, and in Time’s August 4, 1997, issue, LDS assets were valued at a minimum of $30 billion. The same article estimated an annual gross income of $5.9 billion.

No one can doubt the power and influence of Mormonism.²

2

How did Mormonism originate, and how important are supernatural

Reviews for The Facts on the Mormon Church

[erikssonfamily · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It's a poor attempt to define Mormonism. Like many other Christian anti-Mormon material, it cites too many anti-Mormon publications. Because of its small size, it is nearly impossible to accurately represent an extremely controversial religion such as Mormonism. There scholarship seems sub-par.