Mormons Under the Microscope: A Close-up Look at Latter-day Saint Beliefs

By Ed D. Lauritsen PhD

Do Mormons believe in Jesus Christ? Why do Mormons store food? What is the purpose of their temples? These questions and more are answered in Mormons Under the Microscope. Ed Lauritsen gives clear, easy-to-understand answers to 77 common questions that people ask about Mormons. Using over 300 biblical references and defining over 200 terms, this book will help your friends and family gain a better understanding of what it is like to be Mormon. From controversial issues to everyday vocabulary, Mormons Under the Microscope is a handy guide to the ins and outs of the beliefs and lifestyle of this "peculiar" people.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing & Media
• Release date: Mar 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9781599557359

Book preview

Introduction

With the advent of America’s 2008 presidential campaign, many people in the United States and around the world wanted to know more about the religious beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as Mormons.[1] For those seeking to examine these beliefs from a biblical perspective, Mormons Under the Microscope will be helpful. More than three hundred Bible references are included. All Bible quotations are taken from the King James Version.[2]

With few exceptions, each of the seventy-seven questions is followed by a brief answer and a detailed answer for the reader’s convenience.[3]

Notes

The name Mormons was originally an epithet coined by the opponents of the Church in the 1830s. They borrowed the word from the title of a book of ancient American scripture, the Book of Mormon, which was translated into English by Joseph Smith in 1831. Latter-day Saint can also be abbreviated as LDS. See Question 52 What is the Book of Mormon?

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Also included are references from latter-day Mormon scriptures: the Doctrine and Covenants (abbreviated as D&C, and contains 138 sections); the Pearl of Great Price (contains the Book of Moses, Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith—Matthew, Joseph Smith—History, and the Articles of Faith); and the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (composed of fifteen books, each written by an ancient American prophet or historian). The Book of Mormon spans a period from 600 b.c. to a.d. 421. Among the most frequently cited prophets in the Book of Mormon are Nephi, Alma, Mormon, and Moroni. The LDS edition of the Holy Bible also contains several resources including the Bible Dictionary, maps, photographs, and an index.

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For a more scholarly and comprehensive treatment of Mormon doctrine, practices, and organization, see The Encyclopedia of Mormonism (New York: Macmillan, 1992).

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For access to the official publications, policies, and public relations of the Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), log on to www.lds.org or www.mormon.org.

For access to an unofficial but representative potpourri of contemporary Mormon thought, culture, and commerce, visit www.meridianmagazine.com.

SECTION 1

Controversial

Issues

1

Are Mormons Christians?

BRIEF ANSWER: Yes, the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are Christians—original Christians, as distinguished from today’s mainline or mainstream Christians.

DETAILED ANSWER: If by Christians you mean (a) those individuals in ancient times who faithfully followed the specific doctrines, practices, and organization that Jesus and his apostles personally taught them, and (b) those individuals today who follow these same doctrines, practices, and organization that Jesus and his latter-day apostles are continuing to teach, then yes, Mormons are Christians—original Christians.

Original Christian Doctrine No. 1: God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate, distinct beings. The Father and the Son are corporeal. The Holy Ghost is spirit. The biblical bases for this doctrine are numerous:

God the Father audibly spoke to the people about his Son at the moment his Son, Jesus, was baptized (Matthew 3: 17; Mark 1: 11). At that same moment and place, the Holy Ghost was visibly seen descending upon Jesus in the inimitable and unmistakable sign of the dove (Matthew 3: 16; Mark 1: 10). Thus, all three members of the Godhead made themselves known at the same time, separately and distinctly (Luke 3: 21–23).

Jesus prayed to his Father—not himself—on numerous occasions throughout his earthly ministry (Matthew 6: 15, 26: 39; John 16: 1–26)

Jesus repeatedly affirmed that although he and his Father were one in purpose, doctrine, and unity (John 10: 30; 17: 21) and that he closely resembled his Father in form and likeness (John 14: 9; Genesis 1: 26–27), he and his Father were distinct individuals. Jesus emphasized, My Father is greater than I (John 14: 28) and I am not yet ascended to my Father (John 20: 17).

Jesus’ personal testimony of the distinct individuality and corporeality of his Father and of himself is further affirmed by the eyewitness testimony of his disciple Stephen who, when in the very act of being martyred and being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7: 55–56).

Stephen’s eyewitness testimony also affirms that (a) Jesus continues to possess a resurrected and glorified body, and (b) boththe Father and the Son have glorified bodies.

Original Christian Doctrine No. 2: Jesus Christ personally established his Church according to a specific organizational and administrative design:

Paul emphasized that Jesus Christ had purposely built his Church upon "the foundation of the apostles and prophets" (Ephesians 2: 20, emphasis added). There is only one Church on earth today that has living apostles and prophets at its foundation—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Paul specified that Christ’s system of prophets and apostles was to continue "till we allcome in the unity of the faith" (Ephesians 4: 13; emphasis added). With more than 33,000 separate mainstream Christian denominations in existence today, we are not in unity of the faith; hence, the need for apostles and prophets is more urgent than ever.

Paul explained that Jesus had explicitly established his Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets so that the members of his Church would henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive (Ephesians 4: 14). Among the many winds of doctrine that are currently tossing and dividing mainstream Christianity are these: Is baptism essential or optional? Is it to be done by immersion or sprinkling? What should be women’s ecclesiastical role in the church? What should be the church’s position regarding homosexuality and the priesthood? Will Christ’s Second Coming be a literal event or a symbolic one? Which position should the church take regarding modern Israel and Christianity—Replacement Theology or Dispensational Theology? What should be the role of the church in politics and social issues such as abortion, free speech, and immigration? To what extent do organizations like the World Council of Churches represent Christ’s fundamental teachings?

Original Christian Doctrine No. 3: Jesus Christ established his Church according to explicit priesthood power and authority.

Jesus was ordained a high priest in the Melchizedek Priesthood by his Father (Hebrews 5: 4–6, 9–10).

Jesus, in turn, ordained his apostles to this same priesthood (Luke 6: 13; John 15: 16).

The Melchizedek Priesthood, with its attendant keys (Matthew 16: 19) not only authorized and empowered the apostles to represent Jesus and act in his name; it also authorized and empowered the apostles to select and ordain new apostles to the Quorum of the Twelve whenever apostles died (or apostatized, as in the case of Judas). No Christian denomination today—except one—even mentions the connection between Jesus and the Melchizedek Priesthood, let alone the essentialness of such priesthood. The only church that does is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

2

Do Mormons believe in

Jesus Christ?

BRIEF ANSWER: Yes, the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have always believed in Christ. He is the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world, the Good Shepherd, the Holy One of Israel, the Lamb of God, and the King of Kings. For the Latter-day Saints, however, believing in Christ is not enough; they also believeChrist—the doctrines he spoke, the practices he initiated, the organization he established. These are his signature; these are the hallmarks of his Church, both anciently and today.

DETAILED ANSWER: For more than 180 years, the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have patiently, gladly, and courageously shared their witness of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, testifying of his works, both ancient and modern. He is:

Jesus Christ whose divine Sonship and virgin birth were foretold by the Jewish prophets Isaiah (Isaiah 7: 14, 9: 6) and Micah (5: 2), as well as the ancient American prophets Nephi (2 Nephi 11: 2) and Alma (Alma 19: 13). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who, as a boy, taught the elders in the temple (Luke 2: 46) and later returned as a grown man to drive out the money-changers from that same temple (John 2: 13–17). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who was baptized by immersion by John (Matthew 3: 13–17), ordained a high priest in the Melchizedek Priesthood by his Father (Hebrews 5: 4–6, 9–10), and in turn, chose and ordained twelve men as high priests and apostles (Luke 6: 13; John 15: 16). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who identified himself as Jehovah (John 5: 45–47, 8: 58) and Messiah (John 4: 25–26), who testified that he was the very Son of God the Father (John 5: 18–30; 3 Nephi 9: 15), and declared that he had other sheep that were not of this [Jewish] fold (John 10: 14–16; 3 Nephi 15: 21–24). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who healed the sick and the crippled in Galilee (Matthew 8: 14–17) and calmed the sea (Mark 4: 34–41), yet willingly suffered beyond comprehension in the Garden of Gethsemane to atone for the sins of the repentant (Matthew 26: 36–42; D&C 19: 16–19). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who preached the incomparable Sermon on the Mount to the Galileans (Matthew 5–7); walked on the water (John 6: 16–21); fed the five thousand (Matthew 14: 15–2); blessed the children (Luke 18: 15–17); and taught the sacrament of the Lord’s supper to his apostles (Matthew 26: 26–29). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who could have called down legions of angels to protect him (Matthew 26: 52–53) but chose to let himself be taken prisoner, be falsely accused and sentenced, be barbarically scourged, humiliated, and spit upon (1 Nephi 19: 7–9), be publicly stripped and nailed to a cross (Matthew 27: 26–37) to hang there and suffer until he voluntarily gave up his life (Luke 23: 46), and be entombed for three days. Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus whose spirit, during those three days that his body lay entombed, preached to the spirits who had not heard his gospel and were, in effect, spiritually imprisoned (1 Peter 3: 18-19, 4: 6), thereby instituting a vicarious work for the dead that would allow them to be baptized (1 Corinthians 15: 29) and to be judged no differently than the living (1 Peter 4: 6). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who was indeed resurrected on the third day (Acts 10: 40), who appeared in his tangible, resurrected body to his apostles (Luke 24: 39), and to five hundred other witnesses in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 15: 3–8). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who met privately with his apostles for forty days (Acts 1: 2–3), who personally and privately taught them many undisclosed and unwritten things (John 21: 25), who testified that he would return in glory (Matthew 16: 27), and who then was taken bodily up into heaven (Luke 24: 51). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who loved not only the Jews but all mankind—including his Father’s children who were living in the western hemisphere and of whom he had earlier testified, Other sheep have I that are not of this fold; they too shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd (John 10: 16). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who fulfilled his prophetic promise by appearing and ministering to the people of ancient America at their temple following his resurrection (3 Nephi 11: 1–11); testifying to them that they were, indeed, his other sheep (3 Nephi 15: 21, 24); inviting all 2,500 witnesses to touch his nail wounds (3 Nephi 11: 13–17); healing their sick (3 Nephi 26: 15); blessing their children (3 Nephi 17: 19–25); teaching them a two-day sermon that included his Beatitudes (3 Nephi 12: 3–12); partaking of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper with them (3 Nephi 18: 1–11); choosing and ordaining Twelve Disciples (3 Nephi 12: 1–2); instructing them in how to baptize correctly (3 Nephi 11: 21–28); foretelling the future of America and its inhabitants prior to his Second Coming (3 Nephi 20: 11–46); then ascending into heaven (3 Nephi 28: 11–14). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who, accompanied by his Eternal Father, revisited America 1,800 years later and appeared—face-to-face—to fourteen-year-old Joseph Smith in response to the farm boy’s prayer in 1820, just as he had appeared to Jacob face to face (Genesis 32: 30) and Moses face to face (Exodus 33: 11) in his pre-mortal identity as Jehovah (Isaiah 43: 3, 11; 45: 15; John 5: 45–47, 8: 58). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus.

Jesus who commanded young Joseph Smith not to join any existing church because, in due time, Jesus himself was going to restore his original Church as it had existed during his earthly ministry. Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who fulfilled John’s prophecy (Revelation 14: 6) by sending the angel Moroni to Joseph Smith to show Joseph the writings of America’s ancient prophets and to enable Joseph to translate those ancient writings into English and publish them as the Book of Mormon. Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who sent the resurrected John the Baptist to Joseph Smith in order to restore the authority to baptize; he then sent the resurrected apostles Peter, James, and John to restore the Melchizedek Priesthood—the same priesthood that Jesus himself possesses (Hebrews 5: 4–6, 9–10). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who, in 1830, commanded Joseph Smith to formally organize his Church according to the laws of the state of New York (D&C 20: 1) and to name it The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (D&C 115: 3–4). Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who commanded Joseph Smith to write down the revelations he gave him (D&C 70: 1) and to publish them in 1835 as Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of the Latter-day Saints. Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who commanded Joseph Smith to lead the persecuted Church from New York to Ohio (D&C 37), then to Missouri (D&C 54: 7–8), and then to Illinois. Yes, the Latter-day Saints believe in that Jesus.

Jesus who commanded Joseph and the Saints to build a temple in Nauvoo, Illinois (D&C 124: 27) to restore the ancient ordinances of eternal marriage (1 Corinthians 11: