"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."
"Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man; But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."
LDS-Teach that everyone pre-existed. That we all exist eternally.
BIBLE- Only Christ pre-existed. Not man (Jn 8:58;Exodus 3:14) We didn't have a spiritual existence prior to earth (Col 1:16-17)
John 8:58
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM; and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
Exodus 3:14
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers--all things were created by him, and for him; And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."
Colossians 1:16-17
LDS-teach it brought mortality and physical death-not fallen nature-believe Adam was given two conflicting commandments and was suppost to fall.
BIBLE- God tempt no one (James 1:13-14) Man is basically sinful (Romans 8:5-8; 1 Cor. 2:14)
James 1:13-14
"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither, indeed, can be.
So, then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
Romans 8:5-8
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
1 Corinthans 2:14
LDS-Specific acts- not man's basic nature.
BIBLE- We are in spiritual rebellion untill conversion (Eph. 2:3; Rom. 5:6). We do not just commit sins- we are basically sinful (Matt. 1:21)
"Among whom also we all had our manner of life in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
Ephesians 2:3
"For when we were yet without strengh, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
Romans 5:6
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for he shall save his people from their sins."
Matthew 1:21
LDS- Repent of individual acts - not sinful nature
BIBLE- Must repent of basic rebellion (Jer. 17:9; Luke 5:32)
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?"
Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)
"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Luke 5:32 (KJV)
LDS-believe Christ's death brought release from grave and universal resurrection - Salvation by grace is universal resurrection - beyond this man must earn his place in heaven
BIBLE- Salvation is not universal but based on belief of each individual (Rom. 1:16; Heb. 9:28; Eph. 2:8-9)
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believith; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:16 (KJV)
"So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
Hebrews 9:28 (NIV)
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God- Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)
LDS- from mortal death only - not sinful rebellion or spiritual death
BIBLE- Christ redeemed from more than mortal death - redeems us from spiritual death (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:1)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord."
Romans 6:23
"And you hath he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins;"
Ephesians 2:1
LDS-Mormon Church system and doctrines
BIBLE- Message of Christ's death and resurrection as atonement for our sins (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Gal. 1:8; 2 Cor. 11:3-4,13-14)
"MOREOVER, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and in which ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
Galatians 1:8 (KJV)
"But I fear,lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his crafiness, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, ot another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
2 Corinthians 11:3-4,13-14 (KJV)
LDS-Baptism into LDS Church
BIBLE- We are spiritually dead untill our spiritual rebirth (1 Peter 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:17)
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which livith and abideth forever."
1 Peter 1:23
"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17
LDS-Only Mormon Church - true church taken from earth untill J. Smith restored it
BIBLE- As a born-again Christian we are part of God's Church (1 Cor. 12:12-14; Matt. 18:19-20; Matt. 16:18)
"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jew or Greeks, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many."
1 Corinthians 12:12-14
"Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father, who is in heaven. For where two or more are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
Matthew 18:19-20
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hedes shall not pervail against it."
Matthew 16:18
LDS-believe only LDS have authority to baptize, ordain, ect,- Have two-part system of priesthood - Melchizedek and Aaronic
BIBLE- Christ brought end to Aaronic priesthood and is ONLY High Priest after manner of Melchizedek (Heb. ch 5-9; 2 Tim. 2:2)
"And the things that thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."
2 Timothy 2:2
LDS-Must be performed by LDS priesthood
BIBLE- Emphasis is on believer - not priesthood authority (Mark 16:15-16)
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be dammed."
Mark 16:15-16
LDS-We are all literal spirit children of God
BIBLE-We become a child of God at conversion (John 1:12)
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name."
John 1:12
LDS-a Temple marriage Exaltation in celestial kingdom - ability to bear children in heaven - must have
BIBLE-Not limited to certain ones in heaven - no mention of parenthood or Temple marriage but is given to ALL Christians (1 John 5:12-13; Matt. 22:29-30)
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven."
Matthew 22:29-30
"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
1 John 5:12-13
LDS-Universal gift - ability to live forever but not Eternal Life
BIBLE-Makes no distinction between immortality and eternal life (2 Timothy 1:10)
"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortallity to light through the gospel."
2 Timothy 1:10
LDS-Divided into 3 kingdoms - Celestial - Terrestrial and Telestial - place for almost everyone (misuse 1 Cor. 15:40-41)
BIBLE-Only mentions two conditions - ever -lasting punishment or life eternal (Matt. 25:31-46)
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all the nations; and he shall seperate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; For I was hungry, and ye gave me drink; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; Naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we the hungrey, and fed thee; or thhirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in; or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer asn say unto them. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my bretheren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; For I was hungry, and ye gave me no food; i was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a strranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."
Matthew 25:31-46
LDS-Means Celestial Kingdom - only those in Celestial Kingdom are in God's presence. Those in Terrestrial or Telestial Kingdom aren't in presence of Father
BIBLE-All redeemed will be in God's presence (Rev. 21:1-4); All believers are part of Kingdom (Matt. 13:41-43)
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I, John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away."
Revelation 21:1-4
"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them who do iniquity, And shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew 13:41-43
LDS-Hell as an institution is eternal - inmates come and go as in jail - don't spend eternity there - stay until one has paid dept to God
BIBLE-No mention of people getting out of Hell (Rev. 21:8; Matt. 13:24-43,47-50; Luke 16:26)
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murders, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the brimstone, which is the second death."
Revelation 21:8
Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
"'An enemy did this' he replied.
"The servents asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
"'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow toghther untill the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned: then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"
He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and prech in its branches."
He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anythiing to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
"I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the
creation of the world."
Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemyy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the wees are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the ritheous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and cought all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and seperate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13: 24-43,47-50 (NIV)
"and beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they who would paass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from there.
Luke 16:26
LDS-Father God is a man with physical body, Christ is a seperate resurrected man with physical body, Holy Ghost is a seperate man with a spiritual body - 3 totally seperate Gods
BIBLE-God not a man (Numbers 23:19); Only one God (Isaiah 43:10-11 ; 45:5-6, 21-22); Father is Spirit and invisible (John 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17) Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:1-4)
"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither a son of man, that he should repent. Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Numbers 23:19 (KJV)
"Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen, that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he; before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and beside me there is no savior.
Isaiah 43:10-11
"I AM the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me; I girded thee, though thou hast not known me, That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else."
Isaiah 45:5-6 (KJV)
"Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no God elsse beside me, a just God and a Savior, there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.
Isaiah 45:21-22 (KJV)
"God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
John 4:24 (KJV)
"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:17
"Now a man named Ananiaas, toghther with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept fot yourself some of the money you recieved for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."
Acts 5:1-4
LDS-Is seperate God from Father and Son - different from Holy Spirit - Holy Ghost is a person - Holy Spirit is a influence from Father and not personal
BIBLE-Same Greek word used for Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16 & 6:19)
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV)
"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19 (KJV)
LDS-believe God as a resurrected physical man, is literal Father of Jesus - same manner in which men are conceived on earth - believe Matt. 1:18 in error
BIBLE-says Mary was "with child of Holy Ghost" (Matthew 1:18-21
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: When, as his mother, Mary, was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately. But while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for he shall save his people from their sins.
