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The Mormon Dilemma

 

Ed Decker

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Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Ted and Lorri Lindsey 

Jim Stamper

Confrontation

Let's Talk 

urnin! in the osom

 "ideo Shock 

#ootnotes

 $hat is the Truth%

Searchin! for &nsers

The (eal Jesus

 &ppendices

Creeds of Christianity 

The &postles' Creed

The )icene Creed

LDS Support Documentation

#or More Information

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Preface

No one could have anticipated the shock waves which would

reverberate throughout the world of Mormonism at the publication of

the book The God Makers and the release of the Jeremiah film by thesame name. Released in early 1!"# the pair had an impact never before

e$perienced in the 1%&'year history of the ()* +hurch. ,t was an impact

from which they would never -uite recover.

+rowds backed up for blocks to attend early film showings# and case

lots of the books went from the book tables as fast as workers could

make change. The God Makers changed the way the world would viewMormonism. his scene was being repeated in over a thousand churches

per month. he book hit the +hristian Best *ellers list and stayed there

through the ne$t year and more.

()* apologists began challenging the film at every showing# standing

during the -uestion'and'answer times only to discover they were

defenseless against its charges and the research by its authors. Ma/or

news articles and follow'up letters to the editors appeared in

newspapers wherever the film and book showed up. he ()* +hurch

issued battle plans and sets of instructions for local priesthood groups to

use in trying to undermine the impact. he more the controversy grew#

the bigger the crowds at the film showings grew# and the books went out

 by the tens of thousands.

he 0riona +hapter of the National +onference of +hristians and

Jews 2N++J3# operating under very liberal leadership and with

appro$imately a doen Mormons on their review committee#

condemned the film and book as scurrilous works. ()* periodicals such

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as Sunstone and Dialogue# Journal of Mormon Thought  published

articles attacking the book and film# yet not a single unanswerable

charge was ever produced.

hose God Maker books that made their way into public libraries were

almost all immediately stolen# and numerous works by individual

apologists began to appear in private attempts to stop the impact. Many

personal accusations and charges were made public which attempted to

attack the integrity of the authors and those former Mormons involved

in the film showings.

4ventually# under the covering of the church# )r. 5ilbert *charffs of

*alt (ake +ity wrote the book The Truth About the God Makers# which

 was broadly distributed by the ()* +hurch in an attempt to counter the

effect of The God Makers. he blatantly slanted and poorly researched

 book had no effect on the power of The God Makers# e$cept for the

faithful few who could hold the *charffs work to their bosom in total

loyalty to the ()* +hurch.

By now hundreds of thousands of copies of he 5od Makers had been

sold and untold lives had been changed. he work of he 5od Makers

still affects the lives of those involved in Mormonism. ,t has truly

 become a benchmark document in understanding Mormonism.

,t was the highlight of my own life to have been one of its authors.

6aving spent almost 7& years of my adult life involved in the heart of

the ()* +hurch system prior to becoming a 8new creature in +hrist8 in

19%#1 knew the problems of Mormonism from the inside out.

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 0s Mormons we called ourselves true +hristians# although we really

felt superior to those of the rest of +hristianity because we had so many

 written supplements to the Bible. :e had a living prophet and so much

more revealed information. :hen , was a Mormon , believed# as did my()* friends and our leaders# that the +hristian churches were led by

those who were in the employ of *atan. his story is an honest response

to those charges. ,t is written from the Mormon perspective# from the

eyes and hearts of a Mormon couple and their orthodo$ +hristian

neighbor as they are caught up in a small corner of this controversy.

his story# in novel form# is my adaptation of the video film The Mormon Dilemma 2*0,N* 0(,;4# P.<. Bo$ 1="9# ,ssa-uah# :0

!&793. he video is also available on 0maon.com.

>4d )ecker

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,ntroduction

,n the very -uiet town in +alifornia the worst fears of the Mormon

community were realied? 0 local church had sponsored the showing of

the film The God Makers.

here were newspaper and radio ads promoting the film# and the

presence of one of the people who appeared in the film# 4d )ecker 2head

of one of the leading anti'Mormon organiations# *aints 0live3# created

further controversy.

Needless to say# the showing provoked a lot of community uproar.

Mormons vigorously called and complained to the local newspaper and

local radio station for doing highly visible interviews with 4d )ecker.

Pastors of the sponsoring churches began receiving constant phone calls

from the local Mormon community. he emotions were high in both the

()* and the evangelical +hristian communities.

his story deals with one typical Mormon family caught up in the

Mormon side of the e$perience. hey were outraged by the controversy#

considering it an immoral condemnation of their faith. Matters became

even worse when they discovered that their ne$t'door neighbor was a

member of the @@offending8 church that sponsored the film showing.

hey were deeply hurt when it was determined that he actually attended

the events surrounding this 8attack8 on their religious rights.

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Ted and Lorri Lindsey 

ed and (orri (indsey are the ideal Mormon family. 6appily married#

they live with their four children in a community in +alifornia where the

()* +hurch has had a recent e$plosion in growth.

hey are in their early thirties. ed is a returned missionary. (orri met

and married him at Brigham Aoung niversity. *he did not complete

college# but dropped out when she became pregnant with their first

child. Both went through ()* *eminary while in high school and ()*

,nstitute while at BA.

(orri was born and raised in rural tah. ed grew up in the same

+alifornia town where they now live# leaving only for his mission and his

studies at BA. 6e returned home with his wife and two children to

 work in his family business. hey both hold active 8emple

recommends#8 although they attend irregularly# usually during :ard

emple visitation days. hey both wear 8garments8 regularly. :hile they 

have never discussed it# there is something about the emple about

 which (orri /ust doesn@t feel -uite right.

ed is a counselor to the Bishop in the local :ard and teaches a

*unday *chool class. (orri is an officer in the *take Primary and teaches

cultural improvement classes in the Relief *ociety. he local talk is that

ed is on his way up in the +hurch.

hey were married# while at BA# in the Provo emple. Both sets of

parents# other family members# and her grandparents attended. 6er

family was among the early pioneers. 6is family converted to the ()*

+hurch while he was /ust under five.

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Both husband and wife were raised in the +hurch within its traditional

 boundaries. hey did everything e$pected of them and represent the real

 backbone of the ()* +hurch. hey are asked to speak at church often#

and both give strong testimonies during most testimony meetings.

hey are good citiens# good neighbors# and loving parents# and they

have strong family ties. hey live a comfortable# upper'middle'class

lifestyle. 0ny ()* family would be thrilled to have their children end up

looking /ust like ed and (orri.

he overall appearance of this family is one of real sub'stance# the

ideal result of living the ()* commandments and being surrounded by

the ()* environment. hey are the kind of Mormons against which the

film The God Makers seems to be so braenly hurled# with such

destructive force. ,t is from their point of view that we must deal

 with The God Makers.

,t is pretty easy to line up The God Makers against the +hurch

leadership and some of its apologists or against the real fruit of

Mormonism# which are the broken homes# the discouragement# and the

spirit of failure found in the 9% percent of ()* members who have never

made it to the emple even the first time>or that other 17 to 1% percent

 who have lost their worthiness and cannot go back to the emple

 without going through the steps of a +hurch'regulated repentance.

But this family isn@t in that group and is actually an e$ample of the

intended results of living the ()* faith> results by which other

Mormons are /udged. he (orris and eds really do e$ist throughout the

()* +hurch# although they are the result of far more things going for

them than /ust membership in the +hurch. Aet in a confrontation of this

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nature they will give 1&& percent credit to the +hurch for everything

they are and ever will be.

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Jim Stamper

Jim is their ne$t'door neighbor. Jim is in his mid'forties# with graying

hair. 0 recent widower# he is a mild'spoken# -uiet person who is more

comfortable in slacks and a cardigan sweater than he is in a suit. Jim is

an active +hristian and attends the church that has sponsored the film

and meetings.

6e attended the film showing and meetings with intent on learning

more about his neighbors@ religion# so that he might understand them a

 bit more. 6e had come away from some earlier discussions with the

(indseys a little confused and somewhat wary of their doctrine. Jim is

soundly comfortable in the (ord# fully able to calmly present the 5ospel

to the lost.

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+onfrontation

Religion is something personal and something sacred. Cor most of us#

 we live and let live. But every now and then we are faced with religious

confrontation# and we need to e$plain the reason for the faith that lies within us. *ometimes the challenge seems to take on the form of

religious persecution# but whatever name we give them# such challenges

usually take place in some other city and to some other people. :e read

about it and talk about it# but what do we do when it comes to our townD

here is no day in a small town that is more satisfying than a warm#

-uiet sunny *unday morning. 4verything is in slow motion. he streetsare free of the usual busy weekday hustle# and e$cept for the irregular

clusters of cars hurrying to and from the various church services# the

avenues remain empty and the stores at rest.

he ()* :ard building looks /ust like every other Mormon +hurch#

 with its brick e$terior# well'groomed lawn# and simple spire fitting the

()* mold right down to the lettering of the name. his form of style

duplication is part of the inner core of Mormonism. ,t@s part of the ()*

comfort one and is found in such things as *unday *chool lessons#

manuals# missionary lessons# and even dress codes.

 0s the people begin to pour out of the meeting# the (indseys seem to

 be smiling and laughing as they walk to the car... but there is a troubled

look on (orri@s face. 0t church they have been discussing an attack

against their religion right here in town# and she is gravely disturbed.

6er dark mood throughout that day and into the ne$t week is one of

somber reflection and an$iety.

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(orri@s kitchen has all the charm and utility of a happy home and busy

mother# but there is no doubt that (orri is upset. *he is holding a section

of the local newspaper in one hand# using it as a baton# accentuating

each point as she speaks to one of her church friends on the phone. 0tthe same time she is trying her best to get dinner prepared.

8,@m so upset , can@t stand itE8 she cried into the phone. 86ow can

these people call themselves +hristianD hose vicious people are getting

rich attacking our churchE8

86ow could they do this to people who live right ne$t to themD Jim

*tamper has lived ne$t door to us for five yearsE hat film is being

shown in the church he goes toE ,@m going over there and tell him a thing

or twoE8

 0s her friend responded over the phone# (orri reached over and

grabbed some salad dressing from the refrigerator# her face a study of

frustration and building anger.

(orri interrupted# 8, know# , knowE 6e@s on the radio this afternoon. ,

called them and told the station manager that if that evil man 4d )ecker

goes on the air... me# tooE8

8:hat will happen to us nowD8 she asked with a tremor of fear. 8ed

said we should /ust ignore it.8 *he impatiently tapped a mi$ing spoon

against the side of a bowl as her telephone friend tried to comfort her.

8, know# , know# but the +hurch has been my whole life#8 she

continued. 8he Bishop said whatD ... :ell# ,... who in the :ard would

go# anywayD8

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 :ith a sudden grim look# (orri cried into the phone# 8, gotta goE

Joshua will never go to bed tonight if , don@t get him up from his nap.

<h... what kind of future can the kids e$pect if the persecution is already 

like this... Bye... you tooE +all me if you hear anything new.8

*he stared at the phone as though it were still alive# still sharing her

fears. 8ed will make this go away#8 she thought as she headed for the

 boys@ room.

)inner was ready and the surface of (orri@s life was back in order

 when she heard the familiar sound of ed@s car pulling into the drive.

 :ith a sigh of relief she hurried out to meet him. ,n the driveway# (orri

glared across the yard as she watched Jim *tamper getting into his own

car. *he stood with her hand on her hip# ignoring ed as he reached out

to greet her.

8:hat is it# honeyD Aou look like you@re on the warpath#8 he smiled as

he kissed her in that husband'who'/ust'got'home'from'work kind of

kiss.

(orri turned from her angry stare. 8,t@s that filthy movie they@re

showing in Jim@s church tonightE )on@t you even careD he whole town

is going to be thereE Just why isn@t the +hurch putting a stop to thisD8

ed breathed a deep sigh and with great concern answered# 8(ook#

(orri# we@ve already gone over this at church. ,t@s not the /ob of the+hurch to fight this persecutionF its /ob is to proclaim the 5ospel#

perfect the *aints# and redeem the dead. he *take President said we

shouldn@t get in a s-uirting contest with skunksE Now let@s go inside.8

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8,@m not putting it aside that easily#8 (orri said as they stepped back

into the kitchen. 8here is one thing we are going to do# and you can

mark it under the section called @Perfecting of the *aints#@ 8 she

e$claimed. 8here is one ne$t'door neighbor who is going to hear fromone very angry Mormon ladyE , hope his church believes in the laying on

of handsE8

Both laughed and ed pulled her close to him. 8<kay#8 he smiled# 8,@ll

 be there to referee.8

hen ed turned serious. 8,@m not minimiing this# (orri. he +hurch

is facing a lot of controversy from antagonists all over the world. ,t@s /ust

hard when it@s going on right here in our own town# on our street.

Remember# the *cripture says to @pray for them who spitefully use you@

But let@s not let these people ruin the rest of the evening for us.

omorrow is *aturday# and then we will  go over and have a talk with

Jim.8

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(et@s alk 

Jim *tamper worked with concentration# intent upon dismantling a

 well'bent lawn sprinkler head. 6e didn@t see (orri and ed somewhat

awkwardly approaching him until they were standing a few feet fromhim. (orri@s grim composure# her face reddened with a combination of

 both anger and fear# was far from her usual countenance.

Jim# looked up with a broad smile as they approached. 86i# guysE Just

fi$ing this sprinkler head , creamed with the car last week.8

6is smile turned to concern as he saw the anger in (orri@s face. 8(orri#

is something wrongD :hat@s the matter# edD8

6er face wrinkled with hostility# she scuffed her shoe in the grass as

she cried out# 86ow could youD Just how could you do that to usD8

4verything seemed to be e$ploding in (orri@s head. *he felt diy as she

struggled to fight the tears# clinging tightly to ed.

Jim took a deep breath and asked# 86ow could , do what to youD8

ed responded in a controlled voice# his face taut and reddened? 86ow 

could you bring in those apostates and all their liesD8

8:hat kind of +hristians are you# anywayD8 (orri added# giving Jim a

scathing look.

Jim stepped back a few steps and looked curiously from (orri to ed.

8:ait a minute. Aou@re talking about that film last night# aren@t youD8

Both replied# 8<f course we areE8

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8:hat did you think we would be talking aboutD8 (orri snapped. 8hat

film is no better than this garbage#8 pointing to Jim@s garbage can on the

 walkway.

ed took (orri by the hand and hushed her gently. 8Jim# we thought

 you were our friend# and a good neighbor. ,@m terribly disappointed that

 you would be involved with such an attack against our faith.8

8Cirst# , didn@t order either the film or the speaker#8 Jim e$plained

 with some hesitancy. 8,t was done through the local ministerial group. ,t

 was only held at our church because we could handle a large crowd.8

8*econd# , went to see the film because even though you look and act

like an ideal +hristian couple# we don@t speak on the same wavelength. ,

 went to see the film so , could understand Mormonism better# and

especially you twoE ,@m truly sorry if , have offended you in any way# but

,@m really glad , did see that film.8

(orri shook her head and stared at the ground before she looked up at

her husband with an e$pectation of him responding.

8Jim# if you wanted to know about our church# we would have been

over/oyed to share with you#8 he began. 8:e did try a few years ago#

after *ally died# but you put us off pretty strongly. :e@re sorry# too.8

Jim replied with a bit of a smile# 8:ell# , /ust wasn@t ready to talk

about eternal marriage to *ally by pro$y. , /ust didn@t understand what

 you really meant.8

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ed brought the confrontation back to the film. 8Aou know# don@t you#

that the film is filled with nothing but half'truths# misrepresentations of

our doctrine# and outright liesE8

8,t was done by e$communicated members of the +hurch#8 (orri

protested. 8,t@s /ust filled with hate and errorE hey hate us so much they 

even mock our sacred ordinances.8

86ave either of you seen the film#8 Jim askedD

 0s both vigorously shook their heads# Jim continued# 8:ell# , saw it

and listened to an hour or more of some very tough -uestions afterward.

,t certainly has given me some new understanding of what is e$pected of 

 you two.8

ed# offended# snapped back# 8:hat do you mean by that remarkD8

8:ell# it@s /ust that , have a deeper appreciation for the pressure that

 your beliefs put on you both. ,t makes me... well# an$ious for you.8 (orri

interrupted sharply# 8Aou don@t have to be an$ious anymore# Jim

*tamperE :e can get along /ust fine without you worrying over usE8

Jim sighed# 8, guess ,@m not saying this right. , love you both. , want

 you to have the same /oy in the (ord that , do. , /ust feel that... well#

 you@d have to see the movie to understand how burdened , am. , sure

 wish..

(orri broke in again# 8,@d sooner die than walk into a church filled with

people and have to sit there while some vile movie destroys what ,

 believe is holyE8

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Jim looked at the young couple with great concern# 8ed# (orri... ,

have a lot of -uestions that need answering# and you could confront this

thing privately. , can get a video of the movie and we could watch it

together and you could help me to get a balanced picture of the realdifferences between Mormonism and my own faith. :hat do you sayD

Cor the sake of our common property line# we should be talking this

problem out.8

ed responded# 8here is no way my wife and , could sit through an

hour of listening to e$'Mormons lie about us.8

8(ook. , understand e$actly how you feel#8 Jim replied. 8(et@s do this.

here@s an eight' or ten'minute animation portion of the film that... at

least# , think it portrays the very basic ()* theology. 6ow about if , cue

the video to that and we only watch that sectionD hen we can play it

 back piece by piece and you guys can straighten me out on it. ,t will

certainly put an end to any problem of misunderstanding between us.8

6e smiled broadly and waited as ed and (orri looked at each other.

8(et@s do it# ed#8 she said nervously. 8:e have the truth and we can

 watch at least one friend see it stand up against those lies. (et@s do it

once and for allE8

ed nodded and turned to Jim. 8<kay# you@ve got a deal. But

remember we aren@t going to sit there and have you knock our church

 while we don@t argue with you. :e will show you what we believe and

 why 6eavenly Cather would have us believe that way. You can take it or

leave it.8

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8, wouldn@t want it any other way#8 Jim replied# smiling with obvious

relief. 8,@ll be over tonightE8

(orri tried smiling back with a grin that didn@t match her voice. 8Just

come after !?=&. , want the kids in bed so there@s no distraction.8 *he

turned -uickly and walked off# ed following behind. *he was glad the

confrontation was over but wary of the events to come.

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Burning in the Bosom

Jim stood silently for several long minutes# watching as (orri and ed

hurried up their drive and into the house. 6is thoughts drifted back to

that day when his wife was taken to the hospital for the last time. 6eremembered looking back through the rear window of the ambulance as

he an$iously held *ally by the hand.

Both (orri and ed had been standing at the foot of their driveway#

 watching as they pulled away from the house. Jim remembered thinking

how odd it was that (orri was smiling with a sort of 8isn@t that nice8 kind

of a smile. ,t was a smile that still  stayed with him.

,t was the beginning of the end for *ally# and as they prepared

together for her imminent death# Jim was daily reminded of that smile

as (orri would go out of her way to greet him with a solicitous entreaty

to wait until things were back to normal# when she and ed would share

some things of great importance to him and *ally. 6e realied even then

that they were waiting until after *ally died to spring their plan for

8eternal Marriage8 upon him.

,t was a pressure# an intrusion that began from the day of the funeral

and lasted for almost a year. 6e finally blew up one day and ordered

them from his home. his confrontation today was the first real

conversation they had had since that time.

8*ally would never have listened to that for a minute#8 he reflected to

no one in general but to the sprinkler head in specific. *he placed her

eternal faith in the (ord Jesus +hrist. Crom the day he met her until that

moment when she slipped away from him to be with +hrist# *ally never

 wavered from the foundation of her faith.

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Jim looked back at his neighbors@ house. 6e shook his head as though

he were trying to shake away the thoughts of the pain and emptiness he

felt as he struggled to ad/ust to life without *ally at his side.

8,@ve set myself a real mess to deal with#8 he thought. 8, think , better

get myself down to the church# pick up a video copy of the film# and have

a talk with the pastor about this little visit tonight.8 (eaving the

sprinkler head for a better day# Jim gathered up his tools and ambled

 back to his garage.

 0n hour later Jim was an$iously sharing his dilemma with his pastor.

8hey are really ready to take a piece out of me tonight# om#8 he

e$claimed# waving his arms at the walls in the pastor@s study in an

unconscious effort to dramatie this increasing apprehension he was

feeling. 8, felt pretty confident this morning. , was in control of my

emotions and really felt a tremendous love for them. But# boy# ,@m not

sure what , feel right nowE ,t@s like ,@m mad at them for putting me in

this position with their strange doctrine and mad at myself for not /ustleaving them alone with it.8

om had been Jim@s pastor and friend from even before that day when

Jim# with great determination# walked down the center aisle of the

church and surrendered his life to Jesus. 0s long as he could recall

during this friendship# om knew Jim to be a caring# loving person. 6e

 was never one to be upset like this.

8Jim# you@re suffering from the witnessing /itters#8 om smiled. 8But

in this case your neighbors have dumped a little guilt on top. :henever

 you get this frustrated# you are either out of the (ord@s will or /ust plain

scared. :hat do you think is going on# JimD8

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Jim@s gae softened as he answered# 8, know it@s 5od@s will that these

two people and their family be saved. , know that their church@s doctrine

is far from orthodo$ and downright dangerous. Aet ,@m not sure ,@m

ready to declare war on them. :hat , really need is some good advice onhow to be an effective witness to (orri and ed. , want them to know

 what , know about Mormonism# om# and , want them to e$perience

the /oy of a true relationship with +hrist. , guess ,@m /ust plain scared

that , can@t do it.8

om rose from his chair and came around the desk. 6e sat in the

second of the two visitors@ chairs and reached out# warmly thumping Jimon the arm.

he friends smiled at each other and om leaned back.

8, never knew scared  was in your vocabulary# Jim#8 he laughed. 8,@m

pretty certain that you@re solidly in 5od@s will in this matter# and ,@m

e-ually convinced that you could give classes to the rest of us on sharing

+hrist>with anyone# anywhereE8

8, do think you need to review your motives# however. , think you

need to be a real friend to this couple. here are a lot of spiritual scalp

hunters out there who would love to win a Mormon soul for Jesus# but

are completely unaware of the person who is that soul. Aou need to have

an honest relationship with your Mormon friends before you try to

 witness. ,@m sure you do# but how do you feel about it# JimD8

Jim leaned forward and sighed deeply# 8, have prayed about my own

motives# and , think my association with ed and (orri is a real one. he

last thing , want to do is argue theology with these folksE 0fter , get past

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the simplicity of the real 5ospel# what@s left for me to even discuss#

e$cept respond to their theological variationsD8

he pastor nodded as he replied# 8,t isn@t -uite that simple.

Remember# your neighbors have been taught that they will be

committing spiritual treason if they even consider your claims of the

simplicity of the 5ospel. 4ven so# you need to present it to them so that

they will  hear it. 0gain# ,@ve got to go back to motive and how they

perceive your witness. ,s it from a friend of theirs or an enemy of their

+hurchD Aou are in tough territory wherever you stand.8

Jim thought for a moment and smiled. 8:ell# , guess it@s up to me to

show them ,@m not their enemy. But after seeing the movie last night#

,@m truly burdened for their souls. *omehow , /ust have to challenge

them to listen to me. *omewhere tonight , have to find the key to

reaching them.8

8,t has to be human interaction that makes the difference#8 om

replied. 8,t has to be the kind of intensive# person'to'person witness

through which Mormons are being won to +hrist# Jim. here is no other

 way. 0s in every other kind of witnessing situation# what you are usually 

speaks louder than what you sayE

8hen too# maybe you need to listen as much as you want to talk#8

om continued. 8,@ll bet that for every Mormon there is a different

reason for being a Mormon and a different key to unlocking that

mystery. (isten to them# Jim# until they@re ready to listen to you. )on@t

 /ump at the first Mormon challenge to orthodo$y# no matter how

tempting it is# until they have shared fully from their hearts.8

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6e paused and then continued softly to his friend# 8Aou have to love

those two right now# /ust the way they are>unsaved# upset# angry

Mormon neighbors. ,n no way can you let them come to the

understanding that you only care for them as long as you might convertthem. Remember# they@re going to be looking to convert you# tooE8

Jim raised his hand to interrupt. 8, know , have to find some opening

to share my own testimony of +hrist# but how do you go about trading

testimonies with people who use them as their stock and tradeD ,t@s

their burning in the bosom that they use as their final evidence.8

8Aou can@t shy away from your own testimony /ust because they

misuse the process#8 responded om. 80 good place to begin is to tell

them specifically how 5od has answered prayer in your life# how the

(ord has changed you personally. But , suggest that you be careful in

talking about the peace and /oy you have in the (ord# no matter how true

that is.8

8Remember# those who follow 4astern religions or any number of the

new cults will give such a testimony# as well as many happy Mormons#

including your friendsE +omparing burning bosoms isn@t going to lead

anyone to the (ord. Aet your testimony needs to emphasie that +hrist is

the sinbearer for Mormon and 5entile alike# and that they don@t have to

relin-uish their Mormon heritage to accept Jesus.8

Jim leaned back and smiled. 8Aou@re rightE heir testimonies have

always been centered on how much the +hurch has done for them# their

marriage# their family# and their peace. hey don@t understand that

it@s hrist  who does the changing of the natural man to the spiritual.8

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8, need to speak about those things the ()* +hurch can@t deal with#8

Jim continued eagerly>8the power of the shed blood of Jesus# the cross

and the nature of salvation by grace. , need to give them a good# clear

definition of the doctrine of the rinity.

8<ne other thing# Jim#8 Pastor om re/oined. 8onight when the

pressure is on# remember to answer their -uestions and ob/ections from

*cripture. But remember# you don@t have to answer every -uestion when

it is asked. )on@t try to bluff your way through anythingE Aou can say# @,

don@t know the answer to that# but ,@ll find out@ or @(et me think about it

a little more and ,@ll give you an answer the ne$t time , see you.@hen find  the answer# be sure you understand it# and bring it backE8

8Aou don@t have to remind me to bring my Bible with me tonight#8 Jim

returned with a wave of his hand. 80nd ,@m not going to let them

concentrate only on the ()*G+hristian proof te$ts. hat@s the ground

 where the Mormons are familiar# where they are prepared and trained

for challenge. , learned that when they tried to convert me the last time.here is power in all the *criptureE8

Jim rose slowly from his chair. 8, guess ,@m as ready as ,@ll ever be#

om. ,t@s really been helpful to talk the whole thing through with you#

and ,@ve been praying it through ever since this morning. , /ust ask your

prayers on their behalf as , meet with them tonight.8

he pastor rose and placed his hand on Jim@s shoulder with

unmistakable affection and concern. 8,@ll do better than thatE :e@ll get

the church prayer team on this before you even reach your carE8

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Jim could see the deep commitment in the eyes of his pastor# and it

strengthened him. 8Aou don@t know how much your prayer support has

always meant to me# om. Maybe the whole reason for this Mormon

film and speaker last night was to bring the situation ne$t door to thepoint that , can share the truth with ed and (orri. ,@m really confident

that it will be okay tonightE8

om smiled and said -uietly# 8Jim# let@s go over the basics here about

prayer. Always pray before any visit like tonight. 5oing into this sphere

of spiritual contact without the 6oly *pirit is dangerous to both you and

 your Mormon friends. he *cripture promises us the power of the 6oly*pirit to guide and direct us at times such as this. Always ask the

intervention of the 6oly *pirit to draw the Mormon to the cross of Jesus

for salvation.

8Realie also that the Mormon is under spiritual bondage which can

only be lifted through intercessory prayer# from committed people like

 you and our prayer team. ,f you have a burden for this couple# it@s vitalthat you be involved in persistent# aggressive prayer directed against the

principalities and powers of Mormonism.

8Pray according to the Bible that the strong man be bound so that the

captives can be set free. 0sk 5od to pull down the strongholds of

Mormonism and cast down vain imaginations and @every high thing that

e$alts itself against the knowledge of 5od.@8

om grinned broadly as he continued# 8hose are heavy instructions#

 but you@re a warrior# JimE Mormonism@s bondage and power over this

couple can be broken through prayer in the name of Jesus. hey won@t

 be the first ones who have been set free through the intercession of

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committed +hristian friends and they won@t be the lastE (et@s take a few

minutes and pray right now.8

he two men knelt at the chairs. :ith a sigh# Jim began to cry out to

the (ord as tears welled up in his eyes# 8< (ord# make me an instrument

of Aour salvation.8

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 ;ideo *hock 

ed and Jim were sitting in front of the (indsey ; as (orri walked in

hurriedly from the hallway.

8<kayE he last of the litter is all tucked away#8 she laughed nervously

as she sat down on the sofa ne$t to ed. 8,@m sorry to keep you waiting

so long.8

Both men smiled as ed hugged her# 8hat@s okay# honey. *it down

and let@s see /ust what has everybody in such an uproar. ,@m /ust glad ,

didn@t have to do the bedtime /ob tonight.8

8, have the video all set to go# if you two are ready to begin#8 Jim said

 with some hesitation. :ith their -uick nods# he clicked the remote and

the first scenes of the animation portion of he 5od Makers filled the

room.

hey were the longest few minutes Jim had ever e$perienced. ,t was

obvious that the screen held both ed and (orri in rapt attention. 6e was certain that there was a mounting fury building in his two Mormon

friends.

he video ended with stone silence. Both (orri and ed stared at the

; as though too stunned to speak. ed turned to look at (orri# who

continued her stare.

(orri turned slowly to Jim# her face a hostile mask# and spoke in a

tight# controlled voice. 8Jim# that is the most demeaning# vicious piece of 

fantasy that , have ever seen. hat cartoon has about % percent truth and

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% percent misrepresentation. 0re you sure that it@s the Mormon +hurch

they@re talking aboutD8 she asked with biting sarcasm.

ed was no happier over the situation 8:ell# ,@m obviously appalled by 

it#8 he said to his friend. 8hey have a lot of ()* theology all thrown

together with some real e$aggerations and sensationalism. ,f , were a

non'Mormon seeing that for my first look at the +hurch# ,@d stone the

first missionaries unfortunate enough to show up at my door.8

8,@m sure that is e!actly what they had in mind#8 (orri responded.

Jim didn@t have to be told that he was in dangerous waters. 8,@m so

sorry to be involved in such an offense to you#8 he sighed. 8:ell# at least

 we have a place to start. ,@d like to go through it section by section and

let you folks tell me what your church really teaches# what you

 both really believeE8

8,@m not sure if , can stomach another roll through that garbage

again#8 (orri snapped. 8Babies with diapers in the pree$istenceE8

But ed was determined. 8,@m game# Jim. hat film is a genuine

danger to our faith. 0t least we can set one misled friend straight.8

8(ook# if what you say is true#8 Jim said hopefully# 8, can promise that

,@ll be at my pastor@s door before he even gets out of bed tomorrow. ,

 want the truth every bit as much as you doE8

ed@s mind was now ready to put these lies to the test. 8Rewind that

thing and let@s get at it. 6oney# could you run in the study and bring out

the *cripturesD 0nd get Mormon Doctrine# too. :aitE ,@ll go with you#8

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he said as he /umped up with (orri. 8here are a few other things , think 

 will be helpful too.8

 0s ed and (orri left the room# Jim rewound the video. 6e was /ust

finishing as ed and (orri returned with a pile of books and looks of

strong determination. (orri held out a large white book and showed Jim

the cover.

8, found our Tem"le #re"aration Manual  too. ,t covers a lot of the

same sub/ect# but it was prepared to bless people# not curse them#8 she

said with a dry laugh. 8,t@s what we really believe# not a bunch of liesE8

8<kay# honey#8 ed inter/ected. 8Jim isn@t our enemyF he@s our friend.

(et@s not let our anger at those people spill over onto him.8

8:ell# ,@m not sure he isn@t#8 she growled back.

8,@m not your enemy# guys. , really am your friend# (orri#8 Jim hurried

to reply. 8:hat you watched is the eight'minute illustrated section from

the movie The God Makers. (et@s go back to the start and take it step by

step.8

8:hat a title#8 (orri muttered sarcastically.

Jim -uickly hit the remote. 8<kay# now ,@m going to play /ust a bit into

the animation. ,@ll stop it when we get to the first break.8

heir attention turned to the television as the video began playing the

actual animation. 8 Mormonism teaches that trillions of "lanets

scattered throughout the cosmos are ruled by countless gods who once

were human like us.8

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Jim hit the pause button and turned to the (indseys. 8Now# is that

trueD8

8:ell# we actually do believe that we aren@t 5od@s only creation#8 ed

answered thoughtfully. 8:e do believe that there are countless planets

in the universe where children of 5od# like us# are working out their

salvation or have worked out their salvation and gone on.8

8he word @trillion@ bothers me#8 added (orri. 8But we do have a saying

in the +hurch that , think will help you understand where we@re coming

from. (oreno *now said it a long time ago? @0s man is# 5od once wasF

and as 5od is# man may become.@ ,t@s called the (aw of 4ternal

Progression.8

8<kay# then. hat kind of e$plains this ne$t part#8 Jim responded.

8They say that long ago$ on one of these "lanets$ to an unidentified

god and one of his goddess wives$ a s"irit child named %lohim was

conceived. This s"irit child was later born to human "arents who gave

him a "hysical body.8

(orri began leafing through the emple Manual as ed frowned.

8<kay# let@s get that statement de'sensationalied. :e do believe that we

 were spirit children of our Cather in 6eaven>we call it the Pree$istence.

 Aou know# 5od told Jeremiah 6e knew him before 6e formed him in

the womb. 6e said 6e even called him and ordained him to be a prophet before he was bornE 6ow did 6e know him before he was bornD 6e

knew him in the Pree$istence.81

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ed lifted a heavy black book and continued# 8<ne of our apostles#

Bruce R. Mc+onkie>in this book# Mormon Doctrine>says 5od had a

father# and he says that 6e also had a father.87

8Aou mean God  had a grandfatherD8

8:ell# , guess you could say that.8

(orri handed the emple Manual to ed and gave Jim the first real

smile of the evening# 8,t says right here that 4lohim once lived on an

earth like ours.8=

80nd this is what you call he (aw of 4ternal ProgressionD8 Jim

asked.

8Aes. The #earl of Great #rice says everything is made spiritually

 before it is made physically." hat goes for people# too.8

8Through obedience to Mormon teaching$ death$ and resurrection$ he

 "roved himself worthy and was elevated to godhood as his father

before him.8

(orri picked up the manual again and turned toward Jim. 8,n our

emple Preparation Manual it says that 5od became 5od through

obedience to the 5ospel program%>, doubt that they called it

Mormonism# though. Mormon was a prophet who lived here on this

earth and kept the record of the people in the 0mericas. he +hurch got

its nickname from the Book of Mormon# named after him. here is a

 whole section in the manual that talks about this.8

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8<kay# then let@s get the rest of this sub/ect out#8 Jim said with a

frown.

8 Mormons believe that %lohim is their &eavenly 'ather and that he

lives with his many wives on a "lanet near a mysterious star called

 (olob. &ere the god of Mormonism and his wives$ through endless

elestial se!$ "roduced billions of s"irit children)8

8(et@s stop right hereE8 (orri protested. 8, don@t believe that 4lohim is

my 6eavenly Cather# , know he is. 4ndless se$# millions of wives# and

 billions of children all running around on a mysterious star is what

drives me crayE8

ed took the manual from his wife and pointed it at Jim. 8he film

ridicules us# but we do believe that 5od procreated us as spirit children.

(orri and , went through the emple Preparation classes together.

(isten to this. ,t says? @... 5od is an e$alted man who once lived on an

earth and underwent e$periences of mortality.... 6is marriage partner is

our mother in heaven. :e are their spirit children# born to them in the

 bonds of +elestial marriage.@ 8H

(ooking up from the pages# he continued# 8, guess if that@s what you

 want to call @endless +elestial se$#@ so be itE 0nd# yes# we>without

apology>believe we have a high destiny# even 5odhood. (et me read

 /ust one other thing?@... and you have got to learn to become 5ods

 yourselves# and to be kings and priests to 5od# the same as all 5ods have

done before you.@ hat@s the Prophet Joseph *mith speaking# sharing

truth that +hristianity has long since forgottenE89

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8(orri#8 Jim asked# keeping his voice soft# 86ave all the people born in

this world first been conceived as spirit children>been fathered by

4lohimD8

8<f courseE8

8hen doesn@t it stand to reason that there must be at least more than

a billion spirit childrenD Aou didn@t like that term @billion#@ but look at the

 world population and the number of people who have already lived and

died. , was wondering# ed>is polygamy a possibility hereD8

8Aes# you@re right. ,t does seem probable. The Doctrine *

ovenants does imply that we may have the opportunity to have plural

 wives in the +elestial Iingdom>the *cripture that directed Joseph

*mith and Brigham Aoung to take more than one wife is still in my

)+.8!

8To decide their destiny$ the head of the Mormon gods called a great

heavenly council meeting. +oth of %lohim,s eldest sons were there$

 -ucifer and his brother Jesus.8

8The +ook of Abraham# in the #earl of Great #rice# says that 5od called a council of all the leading

spirits. Joseph *mith said that the @6ead of the 5ods called a council of the 5ods@>,@m sure that@s where

they get that. My Priesthood Manual says that Joseph *mith was at that council as one of the choice

spirits.81&

8:hat about the part about Jesus and (uciferD8 Jim burst out. 80re

they literally brothersD8

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8:e were all  brothers and sisters in the Pree$istence#8 (orri smiled at

him. 8Play the ne$t part. Aou have to understand about what the council

did. ntil that time (ucifer was e-ual to Jesus.8

8 A "lan was "resented to build "lanet %arth where the s"irit children

would be sent to take on mortal bodies and learn good from evil.

 -ucifer stood and made his bid for becoming savior of this new world.

anting the glory for himself$ he "lanned to force everyone to become

gods. /""osing the idea$ the Mormon Jesus suggested giving man his

 freedom of choice as on other "lanets. The vote that followed a""roved

the "ro"osal of the Mormon Jesus who would become savior of the "lanet %arth.8

8Aou seeE8 (orri e$claimed# 8(ucifer wanted the glory that belonged to

6eavenly CatherE8

Jim@s face melted into astonishment. 6e looked at them incredulously

as he asked# 8hen this really is what actually happenedD8

8he words are fine#8 ed said while still staring tightly at the screen.

8,t@s the science'fiction photography , ob/ect to#8 he added with a

measured voice. 85o ahead# ,@m waiting for something in the ne$t

section.8

8 %nraged$ -ucifer cunningly convinced one0third of the s"irits

destined for earth to fight with him and revolt. Thus -ucifer becamethe devil and his followers the demons. Sent to this world$ they would

 forever be denied bodies of flesh and bone. Those who remained

neutral in the battle were cursed to be bom with black skin. This is the

 Mormon e!"lanation for the 1egro race. The s"irits that fought most

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valiantly against -ucifer would be born into Mormon families on

 "lanet %arth. These would be die lighter0skinned "eo"le$ or ,white and

delightsome$, as the +ook of Mormon describes them.8

(orri stared at him. 8,@m sorry# Jim# but that bit with people turning

into demons and turning black is /ust sickE8

8,t@s not only sick# it@s terribly inaccurateG@ ed responded confidently.

8Cirst# there were no neutrals in the battle. hose who rebelled were cast

from 5od@s presence and sent to this earth without bodies# although ,

doubt they went the way the cartoon shows us. oday# these same

demons continue to battle against the *aints. he +ook of Abraham#

the +ook of Moses# and the Doctrine and ovenants# all give a clear

picture of the whole thing.11

8he filmmakers are trying to show that the ()* +hurch is racist#

 which is the farthest thing from the truth. Blacks have always been able

to be members of our church. he (ord forgave them any pree$istence

punishment in 19!# and now they too can hold the priesthood>which

actually was the real punishment# not the skin color. 0nd now blacks can

marry in the temple.

8he *criptures in Moses17 e$plain it. Bruce R. Mc+onkie said their

skin was marked through the lineage of +ain. ,t was so they could be

recognied as those who couldn@t hold the priesthood. But fortunately all

of that has now changed.81=

(orri felt on solid ground and confided# 8he emple Manual does say

that the choicest spirits are now coming to earth to ()* families.81"

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8)oesn@t it bother you a little that millions of blacks died with that

curseD8 Jim shot back.

8<f course not#8 she answered with a shrug. 86eavenly Cather loves

them. hey will get a chance in *pirit Prison to accept the 5ospel and

the Priesthood. hat@s why baptism for the dead is so important.8

8<kay# well# let@s wait till we get there. ,@ll go to the ne$t section if it@s

okay with you two.8 (orri and ed nodded in agreement.

8 %arly Mormon "ro"hets taught that %lohim and one of his goddess

wives came to the earth as Adam and %ve to start the human race.

Thousands of years later$ %lohim in human form once again 2ourneyed 

to earth from the star base (olob$ this time to have "hysical relations

with the 3irgin Mary in order to "rovide Jesus with a "hysical body8

ed became gravely serious. 80gain# the whole presentation is totally

 without taste and it@s meant to offend. he +hurch no longer accepts the

 0dam 5od heory# even if Brigham Aoung did believe it. ,t@s /ust in there

to sensationalie again.

80nd regarding the physical conception of Jesus#8 he continued# 8you

 /ust have to take it out of the gutter and put it into eternal

perspective. Mormon Doctrine again clears it up. ,t says that Jesus was

 begotten by an immortal father in the same way that mortal fathers

 beget children. Jesus was conceived and bornthe normal  and natural  way.1% :hat@s so strange about that# JimD8

8,@m sorry# but , have always believed in the virgin birth. his is far

from orthodo$ theology. )o you agree with ed# (orriD8

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8:e do believe in the virgin birth#8 she emphasied. 8Mary was

certainly a virgin before she was overshadowed by 6eavenly Cather. ,

know some people believe Jesus was conceived by the 6oly 5host# but

the 6oly 5host is a completely different personage and is still a spirit being and is probably incapable of fathering a physical child. :e studied

this in our 5ospel )octrine class# didn@t we# edD8

8Aes# we did#8 he assured her. @0t least five 5eneral 0uthorities#

including three presidents of the +hurch# have taught clearly that Jesus

 was conceived through natural relations between 5od the Cather and

the ;irgin Mary.8

8By @natural relations@ you mean se$ual intercourseD8 Jim asked#

smiling faintly.

8+all it what you likeE8 she shot back.

ed sat at the edge of his seat# concern written across his face. 8his

 whole conversation is a little speculative# like the idea that Jesus was a

polygamist.8

8hat@s coming up#8 Jim replied. 8(et@s look at

8 Mormon A"ostle /rson &yde taught that after Jesus hrist grew to

manhood$ he took at least three wives)Mary$ Martha$ and Mary

 Magdalene. Through these wives the Mormon Jesus su""osedly

 fathered a number of children before he was crucified. Mormon

 founder Jose"h Smith is su""osedly one of his descendants.8

ed smiled thinly. hese were areas not usually discussed with

investigators# and for good reason. 8hat whole section is a"ostate

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doctrine#8 he said with authority. 8None of that is currently taught by

any authority in the +hurch. , do know from my BA studies that

Joseph *mith# through "ersonal revelation# told several of the early

leaders that they were descendants of Jesus. he rest comes from oldspeeches in the Journal of Discourses that we don@t accept as doctrinal

today. his section is in the film /ust to make us look strange.8

8But if Joseph *mith and 0postle 6yde taught it#8 Jim protested#

8then>8

(orri broke in# 8:ell# personally# , believe it. ,f Joseph *mith taught it#

then it@s trueE Besides# it makes sense. ,f 5od commanded polygamy for

early +hurch members# if 5od is married in heaven# if>8

8Aes# but this is e$actly where we get into trouble#8 ed scowled.

8Crankly# ,@m not into speculation. 0nd , don@t really care what  early

+hurch leaders taught. ,@m interested in what the +hurch teaches today.

 :hen everybody was upset over the blacks and the priesthood

revelation# Bruce R. Mc+onkie said>-uote>@,t doesn@t make a particle

of difference what anybody said prior to June Cirst# 19!>it@s a new day

and a new arrangement.81H

8his whole line of discussion is out of order#8 he murmured as his

face reddened. 8<ur 5eneral 0uthorities deserve better from us# (orri.8

Clustered# (orri began. 8But# ed# dear# , /ust felt that...8 0 look intohis eyes told her to stop. *he forced a smile# trying to stop the fear

inside.

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Jim was having a bit of a struggle. 8:ell# ,@m more than a little

uncomfortable with that kind of blind obedience...8 (ooking at the

couple# he knew he was on dangerous ground# and his voice trailed to a

stop. Pushing himself back into the chair# he turned to the television.8But# okay# let@s not dwell on it# then. ,@m an$ious to get into the Book of

Mormon material.8

8 According to the +ook of Mormon$ after his resurrection Jesus came

to the Americas to "reach to the 4ndians$ who the Mormons believe are

really 4sraelites. Thus the Jesus of Mormonism established his church

in the Americas as he had in #alestine. +y the year 567 A.D.$ the darkskinned 4sraelites$ known as the -amanites$ had destroyed all of the

white0skinned 1e"hites in a number of great battles. The 1e"hites,

records were su""osedly written on golden "lates buried by Moroni$

the last living 1e"hite$ in the &ill ummorah.8

ed perked up and grinned# 8:ell# this is pretty straight information.

 :e believe that the people in the 0mericas were the @other sheep@ who were mentioned by Jesus in the New estament.8

(orri began to smile. 8hat@s the kind of thing you can only get from

reading the Book of Mormon and praying. Moroni 1&?" says that if you

pray with a sincere heart and real intent# having faith in +hrist# he will

manifest it to you by the 6oly 5host#8 she told Jim brightly. 8Aou will

get a burning in the bosom and know it@s true. 4ven though , was raisedin the +hurch# , didn@t get my own testimony until , went away to

college. , know the Book of Mormon is the :ord of 5od and , know that

Joseph *mith was a true Prophet of 5od. , bear you my testimony that ,

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know the +hurch of Jesus +hrist of (atter'day *aints is the <nly rue

+hurch.8

Jim studied her smiling face# and with a voice softened by e$treme

caution he replied# 8,@m sure you do know that# (orri. , can see how

important these things are to you.8

ed saw the same danger point in (orri@s still froen smile. 8:e have

some really bad stuff coming up about Joseph *mith that upsets me.

(et@s continue#8 he directed. Maybe this wasn,t the wisest thing to "ut

 -orri through# he reflected as the video began.

87588 years later a young treasure0seeker named Jose"h Smith$ who

was known for his tall tales$ claimed to have uncovered the same gold

 "lates near his home in u"state 1ew York.

 &e is now honored by Mormons as a "ro"het because he claimed to

have had visions from the s"irit world in which he was commanded to

organi9e the Mormon hurch because all hristian creeds were an

abomination. 4t was Jose"h Smith who originated most of these

 "eculiar doctrines which millions today believe to be true.K

8his is pure character assassination#8 ed groaned. 8Cirst# , know

about his @treasure'hunting@>everybody did it in those days. ,t was

called @folk magic.@ hen they take a mother@s offhand comment about a

 young son@s storytelling and he becomes @a teller of tall tales.@ 6edidn@t claim to find the plates# he found them and translated them by

the gift and power of 5od.

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8hree witnesses swore to it and later eight more honest men also

testified that they saw them. hose of us who are believers call your

Lvisions from the spirit world Lrevelations.

86e didn@t originate these "eculiar doctrinesF it was 6eavenly Cather

 who originated these true doctrinesE hey were only peculiar because no

church on the face of the earth was following them anymore. heir

creeds were all abominations to 5od.819

8ed@s right#8 (orri said easily. 8:e honor Joseph *mith /ust as much

as we do Moses and Jeremiah and Peter and Paul# and Jesus. Joseph

holds the keys to this dispensation /ust as they did in theirs. 0nd Jim#

how could a 1%'year'old kid write the Book of Mormon# anywayD8 *he

 was back on top# the mysterious ashen look of moments ago erased# her

look one of vigor and determination.

8, understood that the Book of Mormon was not published until

Joseph *mith was 7%.8

8:ell# whatever#8 she answered. 8But he was seeing visions when he

 was 1"E8

8,f it@s okay with you both#8 Jim asked# 8,@d like to get back to this after

 we finish the review# because , have a couple of -uestions that may take

a little time# okayD8 hey nodded simultaneously.

8 +y maintaining a rigid code of financial and moral re:uirements$

and through "erforming secret tem"le rituals for themselves and the

dead$ the -atter0day Saints ho"e to "rove their worthiness and thus

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become gods. The Mormons teach that everyone must stand at the final 

 2udgment before Jose"h Smith$ the Mormon Jesus$ and %lohim.8

8:hat@s wrong with being moral and paying tithes and supporting the

 work of 5odD8 (orri complained. 8,@ll bet your pastor would love to have

a congregation like thatE8

8Jim# what we do in the emple is not secret # it@s sacred . (orri and ,

 were married in the Provo emple while we were at BA. hat was after

, spent several years of my life serving my +hurch in the mission field.

8Jesus went to the temple and so did all those who wanted to be closer

to 5od#8 ed continued. 8here is no difference in what we do today. :e

don@t show movies about it because it@s holy and you must be worthy to

participate in its sacred ordinances. he emple is the door to the

+elestial Iingdom and eternal marriage.8

8Aou have to have a emple recommend#8 (orri added.

8:hat about this business of Joseph *mith being your /udgeD8

8hat@s out of conte$t# Jim. Cirst# they purposely put it backward. ,t@s

4lohim# Jesus# and then Joseph.

8,n my Priesthood Manual there is a whole section on it. , remember

that we had -uite a lively discussion about it in Priesthood meeting. But

our Priesthood manual stated plainly that if we are to get our salvation#

 we shall have to pass by Joseph *mith. ,f we enter our glory# it will be

through the authority that he has received. :e can@t get around him.

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8Joseph *mith holds the keys to this dispensation>he is its head and

 will be throughout all eternity. <f course he will be at the /udgment bar#

 but , can assure you that he is there as your friend to plead your case if

need be. But nobody will go to the +elestial Iingdom without hise$press approval.81!

8hat@s why it@s so important that you accept Joseph *mith as a true

Prophet. Jim# wouldn@t it be great to be sealed to your wife and spend

eternity with herD Right now you@re only married to her until death do

 you part>your marriage is over. <ur church offers hope to you that you

can@t have anywhere else. hat@s how important Joseph *mith@srevelations are to you personally.8

 0s they sat smiling broadly at him# Jim stared back without a word#

his e$pression dark and rigid. 0fter several moments of froen silence he

spoke in almost a whisper. 8(et@s continue.8 urning with some

deliberation# Jim flipped on the last section of video.

8Those Mormons who were sealed in the eternal marriage ceremony

e!"ect to become "olygamous gods in the elestial (ingdom$ rule over

other "lanets$ and s"awn new families throughout eternity. The

 Mormons thank God for Jose"h Smith$ who claimed that he had done

more for us than any other man$ including Jesus hrist. The Mormons

claim that he died as a martyr and shed his blood for us so that we too

may become Gods.8

ed /umped in as the video ended. 8:e have already been given a

small picture of what heaven can be like. (orri and ,>and our children>

 will stay in the family unit through all eternity. hat polygamy stuff is

real# all right. But why is it all so evilD 0braham and his sons had more

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than one wife. *o did *olomon# and probably so did the apostlesE :hy is

it okay for them and not usD8

(orri began reading from the emple Manual? 8 @,f we keep our

covenants and are faithful to the end# we shall come forth as gods and

receive a fullness of the Iingdom.@ ed will be a Iing and a Priest and ,

 will be his ueen and Priestess#8 she cried out# pointing to the te$t.1

8:e thank 5od for Joseph *mith#8 ed pronounced defiantly# 8who

has done more for us than any man# save Jesus>hat@s in Doctrine and

ovenants# *ection 1=%. 0nd that is what the +hurch teaches.8

Pointing to the ;# he added# 8hey are -uoting from an obscure

statement made by Joseph *mith in The &istory of the hurch87&

(orri stepped to the ; and switched it off. *he was pleased and in

control. 8(ook# guys# the video is over and we@ve been at this ordeal

forever. +ome on in the kitchen and have some punch and cookies.8

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#ootnotes

1. Jeremiah 1?% IJ;.

7. Bruce R. Mc+onkie# Mormon )octrine# 7nd ed. 2*alt (ake +ity?

Bookcraft# 1HH3# p. =77.

=.  Achieving elestial Marriage ;AMM<# Manual No. +)CR H&GH1

2*alt (ake +ity? he +hurch of Jesus +hrist of (atter' day *aints#

19H3# p. 17.

".  #earl of Great #rice ;#G#<# Book of Moses =?%'9 2*alt (ake +ity?he +hurch of Jesus +hrist of (atter'day *aints# 1993.

%.  AM # p. =.

H.  AM # p. 17'=&.

9.  Mormon Doctrine# p. =71.

!.  Doctrine and ovenants ;D*<# section 1=7 2*alt (ake +ity? he

+hurch of Jesus +hrist of (atter'day *aints# 1993.

.  #G# # Book of 0braham =?7='7!.

1&.ome =nto hrist # Melchiedek Priesthood Manual 2*alt (ake

+ity? he +hurch of Jesus +hrist of (atter'day *aints# 1!"G1!!3#

pp. 1='"%.

11. #G# # Book of 0braham =?7!F Moses "?1'=F )+ 7?=H'=9.

17. #G# # Book of Moses %?1H'"1F 9?!'77.

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1=. Mormon Doctrine# pp. %7H'79.

1". AM # p. 7=%.

1%. Mormon Doctrine# pp. %"H'"9# 9"7.

1H.Mc+onkie speech# @0ll 0re 0like nto 5od.8

19. #G# # J. *mith 7?1'7&.

1!.ome =nto hrist # he Melchiedek Priesthood Personal *tudy

5uide 2*alt (ake +ity? +hurch of Jesus +hrist of (atter )ay *aints#

1!='1!H3 pp. 1='"%.

1. AM # pp. 1=1'=7.

7&.  &istory of the hurch# ;ol. H 2*alt (ake +ity? )eseret Book

+o.# 1H93# pp. "&!'&.

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 :hat is the ruthD

Jim stretched as he stood. 8:ell# it@s been a very , interesting

evening.8

ed reached over and put his hand on Jim@s shoulder as they walked

toward the kitchen. 8:e@ve been glad to tell you how we really feel# but

,@m afraid we haven@t really changed your mind much.8

 0s a matter of fact# you haven@t#8 Jim responded. 8,n fact# the things

 you said sort of confirmed what the film was saying>at least as far as ,

can tell.8

84$cept that the film takes everything out of conte$t and distorts and

e$aggerates it.8

Jim smiled as he said# 8,@m sure both of us can@t escape the fact that

our backgrounds color how we view things. But , have to confess that

,@m troubled as much by your e$planation of your faith as , am by the

film. , mean you can strip away all of the>in your words@sensationalism@>and basically# you@re telling me that Mormonism

teaches some things that are very repugnant to me as a +hristian.8

(orri stepped back in surprise. 8(ike whatD8

Jim lowered himself slowly into a chair at the table. 8:ell# first# that

men may become 5odsE8

8, have to admit# that really is the bottom'line difference between our

positions#8 ed acknowledged. 80s , see it# one of us is right and one of

us is wrong.8

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Jim grinned broadly. 8:ell# we are in absolute agreement on one

point# anyway.8

8Now , know it@s a strange concept when you first hear it#8 ed

continued# ignoring the /oke# 8but if it is true# it@s one of the most

important revelations ever to come to man.8

8Aou@re right>if it is trueK Jim shot back. 8<n the other hand# if it is

not true>in other words# if Joseph *mith didn,t get that information

from 5od> if men can never become 5ods# then Mormonism is

teaching something that is# well>evil E8

ed glanced at (orri before he replied. 8, don@t see it that way at all. ,f

,@m wrong# ,@m simply wrong. ,@ve made a mistake. ,@m still a +hristian. ,

still believe in the *avior. , don@t see why it@s necessarily evil>not to

mention that it@s true.

(orri /oined in. 8:hy do we always have to be evil to you +hristiansD

 :hatever happened to live and let liveD8

Jim ignored (orri and continued to address ed. 8Crom my +hristian

perspective# the concept that men can become 5ods is a very basic

doctrinal error that leads men away from the true worship of 5od in

pursuit of their own 5odhood.8

ed felt comfortable with the -uestion. 6is skills in dealing with these

life'changing -uestions were sharpened during his mission for the

church. 6e was on solid ground. 8Aes# Jim# it may be hard for you to

understand# but it is God,s plan. :e@re to become like our Cather in

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6eaven. )on@t you remember the *cripture# @Be ye perfect# even as your

Cather in 6eaven is perfectD@ 8

(orri leaned over the table as though to take Jim@s hand. 80nd isn@t it

natural to want to be like 6eavenly CatherD 0fter all# man was made in

6is image.8

Jim leaned away from the table and the intensity of the two. 8<kay#

hold on. Back off and let me take this one step at a time. Aes# of course# ,

think it is my destiny to become perfect>when , go to heaven# that is.

But ,@m going to become a perfect man# not a 5od. <ne of the things you

misunderstand is the basic difference between men and 5od>and for

that matter# angels. Aou have men and angels and 5od all mi$ed up.

hey are>at least according to the Bible>three entirely different

 beings. 0 man can become a perfect man# if he is sinlessF but he can no

more become a 5od than a cat can become a dog.8

ed smiled as he replied# 8hat@s your interpretation of what the Bible

teachesE8

80ll right#8 Jim conceded# 8, think we can think this through rationally 

together. )o you mind if , tell you a little of my philosophy about the

nature of 5odD8

8<f course not. ,@d be delighted to hear what you think.8

Jim leaned over into the center of the table# his eyes speaking to both

of them. 8<ne of the fundamental problems , see here is that

Mormonism has failed to think its theology through to its rational end.

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 :hat , mean is that Mormonism>if , have understood you correctly>

teaches that 4lohim was once a man. ,s that rightD8

8:e have already said that he was.8

8<kay# so 4lohim was a man. But was he born as a @spirit child@ to

another 5odD8 Jim asked.

(orri looked from ed to Jim. 8That,s what we@re trying to tell youE8

8hat@s what <rson Pratt and others taught#8 ed added. 8hat@s why

 we can e$pect to become 5ods.8

8:ell# don@t you see that there is a philosophical flaw in that

thinkingD8 Jim probed.

8, certainly do notE8 ed shot back with vigor.

Jim took one of those long deep breaths and began# 8:ell# think about

it. ,f a 5od has to have been a man to work his way to 5odhood>thenhow did the first man come into e$istenceD :ho created himD 0ccording

to your theology# no matter how you slice it# if 5ods have to be men

 before they can become 5ods# then the first man came into e$istence out

of nothing# since there was no 5od to create him.8

@0nd that@s logically inconsistent. Rational thought dictates that a

super intellect must e$ist at the beginning of creation. hat superintellect is described as 5od. 6e is the +reator. *ome call him the prime

mover# or the first cause# or that being beyond which no greater can be

imagined.

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8Now if such a being had a father# he can@t be that absolute 5od. 6is

father might have been# but he isn@t. 0s , see it# if you worship 4lohim#

then you are worshiping a being who is no greater than yourself may

soon become.8

ed wondered /ust how much of the Mormon 5ospel plan Jim was

ready to absorb. 8,n a sense that@s true. Joseph *mith said we were co'

eternal with 5od#8 he responded softly.

Jim seemed confused. 8:ell which is itD ,f you are co'eternal with

5od# then you have e$isted as long as he has# which would do away with

 your having been procreated as a spirit child. hat@s what , mean when ,

say there is no satisfactory philosophical footing here. :hat you seem to

have is a collection of speculations.8

(orri was getting that defensive look again. 80nd do you have

something betterD8

8, sure doE8

8:ell# what is itD8

8he Bible#8 he answered softly.

8Aour inter"retation of the Bible# you mean#8 ed -uipped.

8No# , don@t think so#8 he answered. 8he Bible tells us very clearlyabout the nature of 5od. Cor 7&&& years the definition has served the

+hristian church very well.

8Aeah# but which +hristian +hurchD8 ed wanted to know. 8here are

hundreds of denominations.8

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8, take it that you assume all these denominations are in doctrinal

disagreement#8 Jim replied.

8hey certainly areE8 (orri inter/ected. 8:hy else would there be so

many different churchesD hat@s what Joseph *mith and the Book of

Mormon is all about>to bring an end to that confusion.8

ed picked up the cue from his wife. 8Joseph is the Prophet of the

Restoration. Because of the apostasy of the +hristian church# 5od sent

Joseph to restore plain and precious truths which had been lost. Jim#

don@t you assume that 5od would have order in 6is churchD8

 0gain Jim studied their faces before replying# 8Cirst# ,

assume nothing that the Bible doesn@t teach clearly. here certainly is

authority in 5od@s church# but , see no evidence in the Bible for a

monolithic# authoritarian church with a man at its head. Jesus# the Bible

says# is the only 6ead of 6is church.

8Jesus said 6e would establish 6is church and the gates of hell would

never prevail against it. 0pparently you believe the gates of

hell did  prevail# so that the authority of 5od was lost from the earth and

Joseph *mith had to restore it. ,s that rightD8

84$actly#8 ed smiled. 8:ell# maybe not -uite e$actly# but the

authority was lost and had to be returned.8

Jim rela$ed a bit and returned the smile. 8(ook# the authority in the

church of +hrist is the Bible. , think this might surprise you# but the fact

that there are denominations is evidence of the health of the +hurch# not

of division.8

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8hat sounds like double'talk#8 (orri grumbled.

8(et me put it this way#8 Jim replied. 8, go to the +hristian +enter.

hat@s my church. But ,@m a +hristian first. , could be very happy going

to a Baptist +hurch or a Presbyterian +hurch or a (utheran +hurch.

Cor me# the church is bigger than the group that meets in my building.

, get the impression that you think Baptists and Presbyterians and

Methodists are somehow divided on basic Bible truth.8

8:ell# aren@t theyD8 ed challenged.

80bsolutely not. 0ll of them subscribe to the authority of the Bible. <n

the important issues of the faith like the nature of 5od# the fall of man#

the incarnation of Jesus# and the remedy for sin# they are absolutely

united. hese doctrines were hammered out early in the history of the

church. ,n fact# the creeds# which you and Joseph *mith call

abominable# articulate those basic doctrines and are received by all

Bible'believing +hristians.8 2*ee 0ppendices.3

8hen why have denominations at allD8 (orri asked.

Jim smiled broadly. 8*ome +hristians have asked that same -uestionE

But seriously# denominations are very important. Aou need to think of

them as associations of +hristian churches that e$ist for the common

good of the member churches. hey perform very real functions# like

providing pastors for vacant churches# pooling resources for mission

pro/ects# establishing seminaries and Bible colleges# and e$ercising

discipline if pastors or teachers fall into sin or doctrinal error.

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8,@m not suggesting there are no differences# but by and large the

doctrinal differences among evangelical churches are minimal#8 Jim

e$plained. 8:e have a saying in my particular fellowship? @,n essentials#

unityF in nonessentials# libertyF in all things# charity.@

8he amaing thing is that the Bible speaks consistently to people in

every tongue and century. ,n 0frica you will find +hristian brothers who

 believe what we call @orthodo!y#@ which is the very same body of

+hristian thought preached since the foundation of the church.

@0nd , might add that the Bible is full of warnings that false prophets

 would arise# teaching @doctrines of devils.@ 6istorically# those doctrines

usually have centered upon the nature of 5od. 0nd from what ,@ve

heard# Joseph *mith# whether knowingly or unknowingly# got caught up

in doctrinal error. But you know whatD :e got off our discussion of the

nature of 5od. +an we return to thatD8

8*ure. But you@re not saying you believe that Joseph *mith was a false

prophet# are youD8 (orri asked with obvious worry in her voice. 8, mean#

the +hurch does so much good..

8, don@t want to be offensive# (orri# but if Joseph taught what you say

he did>and obviously he did>then , guess , would have to say he was

deceived.8

80nd , don@t want to be offensive either# Jim# but what makes you sosmartD8 she shot back.

8:ait a minute>we aren@t talking about me#8 Jim insisted. 8:e@re

talking about orthodo$ +hristianity. ,@m not telling you that orthodo$y is

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right because , believe it. :hat you and , believe has no effect on truth.

ruth e$ists independently of our opinion about it. But orthodo$y

represents the doctrinal minimums that have remained firm in the

church of +hrist for 7&&& years# in spite of fre-uent challenges frompeople like Joseph *mith.

8Basically# the Bible is a book about the relationship between 5od and

man#8 he continued. 8he central theme of the Bible is that in all the

universe there is only one 5od. he <ld estament is the story of 5od

calling the Jews back to the worship of the one true and living 5od. By

the way# the belief in more than one 5od is called polytheism.8

8Joseph *mith called it the plurality of 5ods#8 ed interrupted.

8+all it what you like# but the main thrust of the Bible is to call people

from polytheism to monotheism>the belief in only one 5od.8

8he Bible teaches the doctrine of many 5ods#8 ed said with

determination.

8Please show me where.8

ed reached for his Bible and began flipping through the pages. 8,@d be

glad to.8

(orri smiled and said philosophically# 8,t must be a little discouraging

to think that your destiny doesn@t include 5odhood.8

Jim grinned and returned her smile. 8, never thought ,@d make a very

good god. Besides# ,@m absolutely convinced the position is filledE8

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(orri@s smile broke into a wide grin as she laughed with Jim. 8<h# you

characterE8 she cried good' naturedly.

ed lifted his head from his search. 86ere it is> 1 +orinthians !?%.

(isten to this?

Cor though there be that are called gods# whether in heaven or in

earth 2as there be gods many and lords many3...8

Jim reached for ed@s Bible. 8+an , see thatD8

8*ureE8 ed responded with a grin# 86ave a go at itE8

8Aou only read verse %G@ Jim said as he peered over the page. 8(et me

read "# %# and H?

 0s concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in

sacrifice unto idols# we know that an idol is nothing in the world# and

that there is none other 5od but one. Cor though there be that are called

gods# whether in heaven or in earth 2as there be gods many and lords

many3# to us there is but one 5od# the Cather# of whom are all things.

8Aou see#8 Jim protested# 8this passage is not saying that there are

many 5ods. :hat it is saying is that there are many demons# and you

can call them gods or lords if you want to# but in reality there is only one

5od.8

(orri felt a tight knot in her chest as her eyes met her husband@s. 8ed#

it does seem to say that.8

Jim handed the Bible back and held it open for ed to see. 6e reached

over and picked up his own. 80s long as we@re looking at *criptures#

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follow along and let me read a few other passages on this sub/ect. 6ere

is something from ,saiah# although , could go to almost any book in the

Bible for this point. his is ,saiah "=?1&#11?

@Ae are my witnesses#@ saith the (ord# @and my servant whom , have

chosen# that ye may know and believe me# and understand that , am he?

Before me there was no 5od formed# neither shall there be after me. ,#

even ,# am the (ord# and beside me there is no *aviour.@

8*ee# ed and (orri# 5od declares 6imself to be the only 5od in the

universe. 6ere@s another passage in the ne$t chapter# ,saiah ""?H?

hus saith the (ord the Iing of ,srael# and his redeemer# the (ord of

hosts? @, am the first and , am the last# and beside me there is no 5od.

8, mean# he says this over and over again. 6ere# look at verse !?

 Ae are even my witnesses? ,s there a 5od beside meD Aea# there is no

5odF , know not any.

Both ed and (orri were listening intently. Jim ventured on. 8he

story is the same in the ne$t chapter# in verses % and H?

, am the (ord# and there is none elseF there is no 5od beside me....

here is none beside me. , am the (ord# and there is none else.

ed was frustrated. Jim was /ust not grasping this. 86e is the 5odof this world#8 he e$plained# 8/ust like his Cather is the 5od of his world

>his earth.8

Jim looked at both ed and (orri and replied# 8, don@t think so#

 because 6e says right here in ,saiah "%?17?

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, have made the earth and created man upon it. ,# even my hands#

have stretched out the heavensF and all their host have , commanded.

8he apostle John says that this 5od is the <ne who madeall things#

and that there wasn@t anything made that 6e didn@t make. he book of

Job says that 6e binds and looses the constellations. 5enesis says that

in the beginning 5od made the heavens as well as the earth.

8he 5od of the Bible is the +reator. Nothing e$isted before 6e made

itE8 Jim e$claimed. 8he Bible tells us that this 5od is all'powerful# all'

knowing# and all'present.8

here was color in ed@s cheeks as he felt anger rising in him.

8+hristians believe in more than one 5od too# JimE )on@t you believe in

the Cather# *on# and 6oly 5hostD8

8<f course , doF , believe in the 6oly rinity. But the rinity does not

teach three 5odsF it teaches one 5od who is Cather# *on# and 6oly

5host.8

8here@s the double'talk again#8 (orri muttered.

Jim ignored her and pressed on. 8he rinity is founded in our

knowledge of the 5od of the <ld estament. <nce we understand that

there is only one 5od# then we understand that all 6is attributes>6is

power# knowledge# and presence>are e$pressed in three ways as Cather#

*on# and 6oly 5host.8

Jim turned his attention back to (orri. 8)o you remember# (orri#

 when Jesus said# @:herever two or three of you gather together in my

name# there , am in the midst of youD@ ,s that familiar to youD8

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8Aes# , remember#8 she responded cautiously.

8:ell# we are gathered here right now attempting to know truth about

5od. )o you think Jesus is hereD8

8, certainly doE8

8,f there were a meeting at your church right now# do you think 6e

 would be thereD8 he continued.

(orri became hesitant and sighed# 8, suppose so.8

Jim nodded his agreement. 8Crankly# , believe if a prayer meeting is

going on in +hina right now# Jesus is there too. Now that@s all there is to

the omnipresence of 5od. Jesus>who is 5od>is here.8

8:ell# what about CatherD 6eavenly Cather certainly isn@t hereE8 she

cried out.

8:ait a minute.8 6e raised his hand to calm her. 8:e said there isonly one 5od. Remember what we /ust read in ,saiahD ,f Jesus is here#

5od is here.8

8hat@s ridiculousE8 she snapped. 85od is 5od and Jesus is Jesus...8

Jim leaned back in his chair and pondered for a moment. 8Aou know

 what , think the problem is hereD Mormonism has not found the

omnipotent# omniscient# omnipresent 5od. :hat Mormonism has

found is a god you call an e!alted man.

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8,f your 5od is big enough you won@t have problems with how 6e

e$presses 6imself# even if 6e does it in ways that are not fully

comprehensible to you.

8Aou know# the nearest star to us is four light years away. ,t takes

light four years to reach us from that star. hat means if that star

e$ploded tonight# we wouldn@t know it for four years# because we

couldn@t possibly know it until the light reached here.

8But 5od is not like that. 6e is throughout  6is universe. Jesus>in the

fourth chapter of John>said to the woman at the well that 5od is s"irit .

)o you want to hear something that will really stretch your thinkingD8

ed answered thoughtfully# 8Aeah# sure# go ahead.8

(orri was skeptical. 8,@m not sure 4  do.8

Jim turned in his Bible as he continued. 8<kay# ,@m in the

third  chapter of John. his is Jesus talking to Nicodemus at night.

Nicodemus is having trouble understanding about being born again. 6e

thinks Jesus wants him to return to his mother@s womb. Jesus chides

him by saying?

... 0rt thou a master in ,srael# and knowest not these thingsD... ,f ,

have told you earthly things and ye believe not# how shall ye believe if ,

tell you of heavenly thingsD

80nd then he tells him a heavenly thing?

... no man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from

heaven# even the *on of man...

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8Now listen to this#8 Jim e$claimed# pointing to the page?

... which is in heaven.

8*ince Jesus is 5od# 6e can# at one and the same moment# be in

heaven while continuing to talk to Nicodemus in Jerusalem.8

ed reached for Jim@s Bible. 8(et me see that#8 he blurted out.

ed and (orri were not smiling. 0 look of fear crossed their eyes. hey

knew there was an answer for this# but it was outside their grasp. hey

looked at Jim with deep concern.

6e looked at them and spoke from his heart. 8ed and (orri# , really

love you guys. 0nd , know how committed to serving 5od you are. But ,

couldn@t claim to love you if , didn@t confront you with the fact that what

 your +hurch teaches is foreign to what the <ld estament prophets

taught# what Jesus taught# and what the apostles taught.

8onight you@ve told me that as Mormons you believe 5od was once a

man. Aou@ve said that Jesus was conceived through natural relations

 between 4lohim# an e$alted man# and the ;irgin Mary. Aou@ve told me

that you yourselves hope to become 5ods.

8, must tell you that these are doctrines straight from the pit of hell.

hey didn@t originate with Joseph *mith# either.8

ed /umped back as if hit physically by the words. 8:hat do you

meanD8

8*ince you ask# ,@ll read it to you from the third chapter of 5enesis?

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ONow the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which

the (ord 5od had made. 0nd he said unto the woman# @Aea# hath 5od

said# Ae shall not eat of every tree in the gardenD@ 0nd the woman said

unto the serpent# @:e may eat of the fruit of the trees of the gardenF butof the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden# 5od hath said#

 Ae shall not eat of it# neither shall ye touch it# lest ye dieG 0nd the

serpent said unto the woman# @Ae shall not surely die# for 5od doth know 

that in the day ye eat thereof# then your eyes shall be opened# and ye

shall be as gods# knowing good and evil.K

8Aou see#8 Jim confided# 8the devil  is the originator of the doctrinethat men may become 5ods. Joseph was wrong.

8he Bible says# @here is a way which seems right to a man# but the

end thereof is destruction.@ , know you believe that the Mormon +hurch

possesses truth that the rest of +hristendom has lost# but ,@m convinced#

after listening to your own profession of faith# that you have been

deceived. hat doesn@t make you dishonest or evil>/ust mistaken.

8he problem is that being mistaken can cost you your soul#8 Jim

e$plained. 8Aou tell me you have a testimony that you are right>that

Joseph *mith was a true prophet of 5od. 0nd you seem to think that

 because si$ million Mormons believe it# somehow that makes it true. But

, tell you that over a billion Muslims believe that ,slam is the one true

religion and Mohammed its prophet.

 :hat we believe about something doesn@t make it true. Aour burning

in the bosom really doesn@t prove anything. Joseph *mith@s doctrines

need to be /udged by the Bible# and nothing else# because no one can

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come along and undo thousands of years of biblical revelation with a

 vision.

8, have only one final *cripture that , want to read. his is from a

letter that Paul wrote to the church at Rome. ,t@s from the book of

Romans# the tenth chapter# in the first four verses. Paul is writing about

the Jews>very religious people. 6e says?

Brethren# my heart@s desire and prayer to 5od for ,srael is that they

might be saved. Cor , bear them record that they have a eal of 5od# but

not according to knowledge. Cor they being ignorant of 5od@s

righteousness# and going about to establish their own righteousness#

have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of 5od. Cor

+hrist is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.

Jim gently placed the Bible on the table and looked up at his friends.

8ed and (orri# you have submitted yourself to the laws and doctrines of 

Mormonism# but ,@m afraid you haven@t submitted yourself to the

righteousness from 5od. No matter how many good things Mormonism

may or may not accomplish# if it leads people to worship a 5od created

in the image of man# it has done mankind a great disservice.K

8he Bible tells the story of the one true and living 5od who made

man. ,t tells us that man separated himself from 5od through sin# and

that today sin rages within the heart of man. ,t says that this same 5od

@took on flesh and dwelt among us@> that this mighty 5od allowed

6imself to be crucified for the sins of all people who will receive 6im as

5od and bend their knee to 6im? confessing not that they will become

5ods but that they already have become sinners# desiring not to be 5ods

 but to worshi" the one true 5od# crying out in agony of spirit over their

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helpless condition and throwing themselves upon 6is wonderful

mercy.K

8Paul said that @all have sinned and come short of the glory of 5od@ and

that all men are @guilty before 5od.@ 6e also said in the third chapter of

Romans that 8by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be /ustified#@

 but that we may be @/ustified freely by his grace through the redemption

that is in +hrist Jesus.@ O

8ed and (orri# , know what ,@m talking about. , was a very religious

person# but , didn@t know 5od. , went to church and worked day and

night to be righteous# but , didn@t know 5od. hen one day , met the real

Jesus in simple faith. ,n an instant , was born again. ,@m no longer

trying to become acceptable to 5odF , am acceptable to 6im>not

through any righteousness of my own# but through the covering of 6is

shed blood. , am one of those who was far away# although religious# but

 who has been made near in +hrist.8

Jim looked from (orri to ed and softly spoke from the depths of his

heart. 8Jesus is here right now. 6e is 5od. 6e made you and 6e loves

 you. 6e asks that you trade your religion for 6is relationship. ,t@s your

decision.8

*ilence settled like a heavy cloud over the three at the table. Jim

 waited -uietly as ed stared at him across the table in some silent#

opened'mouthed demonstration of disbelief# his eyes crinkled up#

 blaing with hostility.

(orri closed her eyes and held her head in her hands as she struggled

to respond. 8NoE NoE NoE8 she finally burst out# her voice cracking in

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pain. 8Aou can@t /ust drop that on us like thatE ,t@s too simple# too easy.

6ow dare youD Aou have no right to say that to usE8

8,t@s not that easy# (orri#8 Jim responded gently. 8,f it were# you both

could do that right now without any /eopardy to your faith. But ,@m

afraid that such a step of faith in +hrist being the full sin covering for

 your sins takes you beyond yourselves# beyond your own righteousness#

 beyond your own priesthood and your own godhood. hat@s why you@re

so upset right now.

8ed. (ook at me#8 he commanded as he turned back and forced ed

to make eye contact with him. 8Aou know you will never be righteous

enough in your own right. Aou know you lose that battle every day. 0nd

 you are going to bow your knee to +hrist. he Bible says in Philippians

7?1&#11 that at 6is name every knee will bow and every tongue will

confess that Jesus +hrist is (ordE Aou are going to do it one day>either

now or at that 5reat :hite hrone Judgment of those dead who

are not  in +hrist# that /udgment of the damned.

8,@m not talking about that Jesus who is your elder brother# or the

Jesus who is the brother of (ucifer# or the Jesus who was appointed by

some council of gods# but the Jesus who was and is fully 5od from

 before time began and who became flesh and shed 6is blood to pay the

penalty for your sin. That Jesus is the true +hrist. That  Jesus stands at

the door and knocks. 6e is waiting for you. 6e knows you by your name.6e knows the number of hairs on your head and the number of your

days# and 6e understands the deepest burdens of your heart.8

ed spread his hands out slowly on the table# breaking his gae away

from Jim@s eyes to stare at his own hands. 8,@m pretty confused here#

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Jim. , feel like ,@m strangling. , can hardly breathe. , know the +hurch is

true. , know Joseph *mith was a true prophet and the Book of Mormon

is the>8 8*topE8 Jim cried out. 8No one is challenging thatE  4,m 2ust

talking about Jesus. 6ow could that possibly cause this kind of reaction#even if your +hurch were true# as you say it isD8

ed stood abruptly and pushed his way past (orri. Cighting his way

from the kitchen# he made his way to the television and leaned down#

removing the video from the ;+R. 86ere# please take this thing out of

my house. , think we@ve gone beyond what , had hoped for.8 6e shook

his head slowly# his face flushed.

Both Jim and (orri had followed him to the living room. (orri held

her eyes riveted to her husband# her face white# while Jim slowly walked

across the room# accepting the video in the outstretched hand.

@,ll be glad to take it with me# ed# but before , leave# something you

said a while ago may help us through a very awkward farewell. )o you

remember saying# one of us is right and one of us is wrong@D8

8, certainly do remember# and , believe it even more strongly now that

 we have had this discussion#8 ed acknowledged# still looking e$tremely

uncomfortable.

8:ell# how do we handle it# thenD , think you can now understand my

own concern for you# and with your help tonight , have gained a fardeeper under'standing of your concern for meE

8,f we were all to die tonight# how could our grasp of heaven@s

promises have been enhanced by this time togetherD Aou see#8 he

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continued# 8if the basic beliefs we hold are not common enough to bring

all three of us into 5od@s presence# then one of us is truly wrong and

only the other right# as you said.

8+an@t we all three ask for spiritual understanding# that same James

1?% wisdom you say Joseph *mith asked for in the groveD *ince we can@t

seem to agree on who that one true 5od is# can@t we pray to 6im in that

 way# knowing that 6e will hear and will answer and help the one who is

 wrongD8 Jim looked to ed and then (orri# his eyes searching for that

key to understanding.

(orri spoke first# -uietly asking# 8ed# that is all right# isn@t itD , mean#

 we can pray together# can@t weD Jim is seeking truth /ust as we have had

to ourselves.8

ed rela$ed visibly# a warm smile drew his wife to his side# and his

grin broke into a hearty# genuine laugh. 8Boy# , feel like ,@m back on my

mission. , haven@t felt this kind of pressure since , had to go out and do

this kind of stuff every day. Believe me# ,@m ready to call it a day.

8Aou really are a good friend and an honest seeker of truth# Jim.

Perhaps we should all chew on these things for a few days# and if you

still have -uestions about the 5ospel# we can get back again.8 6e was

 back in control of things again. he pounding in his chest had stopped

and he felt a wave of warmth throughout his being. hat was the

difference# he thought. Jim doesn@t know about the power of the

priesthood# the strength that one has from it# the confidence that all will

 be okay in the end.

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But Jim wasn@t going to be put off to some other discussion. 6e knew

that it was time to go directly to the source of truth# since ed and (orri

 were as open right now as they would ever be. ossing the tape on the

chair behind him# he stepped over to the couple as they stood together inthe center of the room. Placing a hand on the shoulder of each of them

and without further consent# he began to pray. hey both immediately

dropped their heads in response.

8Cather 5od#8 he petitioned# 8Aou have observed us here tonight#

seeking truth and understanding. :e have realied that we have

confusion here regarding Aour very nature# Aoui very being. :e pray to Aou# the one true 5od# above all other gods# in the name of Aour one

true *on# Jesus +hrist# that Aou reveal Aourself to us# through Aour

truth# through Aour :ord# and through whatever form of personal

revelation Aou choose# that whoever of us is in error# it will be made

manifest# so that we may live in the light of Aour truth. :e three make

ourselves available to Aour instruction and pray this in the name of Aour

one true *on# Jesus +hrist. 0men.8

ed and (orri both sighed deeply and echoed a simultaneous 80men.8

(orri smiled broadly and picked up the videotape from the chair. 8Aou

 weren@t trying to leave this thing behind# were youD8 she mugged in

mock repulsion.

8No#8 Jim laughed. 8, don@t think it would get as much use here as it will in the church library. hat is# unless you want it to take to your

church tomorrow morning.8

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8:e@ll pass on that offer#8 ed replied lightly. 8, still have to prepare

my 5ospel )octrine lesson for *unday *chool# and it won@t be your

 video.8

he evening was over and the conversation turned to neighborhood

things as they worked their way to the door and said their goodbyes.

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*earching for 0nswers

ed sat at the desk# working at his *unday *chool lesson# as (orri

prepared for bed. 6is eyes wandered across the papers on his desk to his

 wife combing out her hair at the dressing table. 6e could tell that she was troubled. his had not been the easiest of nights. 6e doubted that

(orri had ever had her faith challenged as severely as it had been today.

 0t least he himself had gone through it often enough while on his

mission to know how to put his doubts behind him and trust in the

+hurch and the Prophet.

8<h# these darned knotsE8 she cried as she yanked impatiently at the brush. 8, swear ,@m going to get my hair cut short again and put an end

to..K (orri@s voice trailed off. Putting her head in her hands# she began

to sob. 8, /ust don@t know what to think anymore# ed#8 she cried

through her tears.

6e laid aside the manual and gaed intently at his wife. 80bout whatD

 0bout tonight# the +hurch# about Jim# about meD Aou don@t know about

 what# honeyD8

80bout any of itE ,@m completely confused. ,f Jesus is the head of the

+hurch and a member of our 5odhead# why did we both get so defensive

every time Jim *tamper mentioned his nameD8 she replied in little

 bursts between the -uieting sobs. 8)on@t you ever have doubtsD8

8, don@t allow myself to doubtE8 he responded. 8, guess we were upset

 because he tried to make faith in Jesus the center of our own personal

salvation# not what we do with our faith. :ithout the teachings of our

prophets and the instruction we have had in the emple# we might have

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to settle for such a blind faith# but we know better# (orri. :e know what

 we have in store for us if we strive for perfection and endure to the end.8

(orri gave in to an immense sigh and slumped over onto the bed. 8,@ll

never be a goddess#8 she muttered into the pillow. urning to face her

husband# (orri brought something up from the deepest part of her

doubts# something she had never dared to e$press before.

8, still don@t understand how some of the things we did in the emple

are all that pleasing to 5od. , cringe every time , go through the

 :ashing and 0nointing Room#8 she said with obvious revulsion# 8and ,

feel something terribly wrong at times when , embrace the worker

representing 6eavenly Cather at the veil.8 *he inhaled sharply as she

 verbalied the last of her inner secret.

8:hat on earth are you talking aboutD :hat could you possibly feel

that@s so terribly wrongD8 ed whispered.

8, feel something# sometimes#8 she stammered. 8*ometimes when we

put our arms through the slits and embrace# he pulls himself against

me... too... tightly.8

ed leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling# rubbing the

palms of his hands against his temples# pushing back against the

throbbing pressure. 8:e are not supposed to talk about things that go

on in the emple. hat@s a sacred oath.8

6e sat back sharply# leaning over the desk toward his wife. 8:hen did

this first happenD :hat else don@t you like about the empleD8

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8ed# it happened the very first time# at the Provo emple# when we

 were married. , was /ust too scared to talk about it. ,t only happens once

in a while. ,... /ust...8 (orri groped for the words# 8feel sometimes in the

emple like ,@m in some sort of foolish dress up game that someoneinvented to make us look ridiculous. , /ust can@t believe that Jesus

dressed up that way or swore any oath of consecration or obedience to

the Priesthood or the Prophet. ,t really is secret# ed and , wonder /ust

how sacred  it really is.8

8(orri# your mother and dad went through the same ritual and so did

their parents before them#8 ed argued. 8Aour own mother was right at your side when you went through the veil when we were sealed. 0re you

saying that she would ever lead you into something that was bad for

 youD8

8hat@s unfair and you know it# edE8 (orri shot back harshly. 8My

mother was every bit a product of her own upbringing. :hat other

choice did she have# living her whole life in the shadows of the Mormon+hurchD 0s a matter of fact# my mother did try to tell me... she did try to

 warn me# but , didn@t understand it. *he hated  wearing her emple

garments# but wore them anyway# like obedient Mormon wives are

supposed to.8

ed thought back to the first time he stood in front of a mirror#

realiing that he was going to be wearing those things under his clothesfor the rest of his life and then shuddering at the despair he felt as a

 young man used to working in the yard dressed in gym shorts and

sandals. No wonder the brethren caution couples against talking about

the emple rituals.

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(orri@s voice brought him back to the present dilemma. 8Maybe you@re

comfortable in those things# ed# but , have to tell you that there are

days , want to rip this thing off my body. hey@re ugly and they make me

ugly tooE8 *he began sobbing again.

ed looked mournfully at his lesson manual and rose from the desk.

,n two strong steps he was at her side and holding her in his arms. 6e

silently stroked her head until the sobbing ceased and her breathing

 became measured and calm. 4ven in his silence# (orri knew he

understood her fears. ,n a way she was pleased. 0t least he didn@t laugh

at her or argue with what she shared.

6ours later# as (orri slept peacefully by his side# ed lay awake#

staring into space# working his way in frustration through the events of

the night.

,n the frantic *unday morning race for church# (orri and ed barely

had time to say hello. 0s one of the +ounselors to the Bishop# he had

rushed ahead for the Bishopric meeting scheduled before the early

priesthood meeting. (orri and the kids would come to church on their

own. 6e was glad to get out of the house without talking about last

night# and he hoped the *unday services would help to get them back on

track. oo bad there wasn@t a estimony meeting today. hey always

lifted (orri@s spirits.

he Bishop# the :ard +lerk# and the other +ounselor were already in

the office when ed arrived. :ithin minutes they were caught up in the

administration of the daily affairs of the :ard while ed@s thoughts kept

 wandering back to snatches of the video. 6e couldn@t shake the images

from his mind.

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 0s the meeting worked its way to a finish# the Bishop closed the

notebook that was his constant companion and waited -uietly until he

had the eye of each of them.

8Brothers# we lost a family to the anti'Mormons this weekend#8 he

spoke in almost a whisper. 8he Bensons went to the film with her

mother and have become born'agains. 6e called me last night to ask

that their names be removed from the records of the +hurch. ed# ,@d

like you to go over there with me and try to straighten them out before

 we have to go through with another e$communication.8

ed /ust couldn@t believe his ears. he Bensons were a great young

couple and (orri was really close to *ister Benson. hey were /ust

 working on a *take Primary pro/ect together. 8, can@t# Bishop. , /ust

can@t. hey were at my house for dinner only a week ago. :e@re too close

for this kind of thing.8 ed was feeling a panic rising up within him.

he Bishop@s face lost its softness# and he acknowledged ed@s

response with a curt nod. 8Aes# you will# Brother (indsey. , want you

there because you are close. Aou@re the one who got him his /ob last fall.

 Aou@re the one who wanted him on your welfare pro/ect# and you@re the

one whose class he attends every week. 6e owes you a lot and will listen

to you. Aou have to go# whether you like it or not. ,t is a responsibility of

 your calling. , cannot handle this without your help. ,@ll pick you up at

si$.8 6e rose from his desk and walked from the room# ending themeeting without even a word of prayer.

ed fumbled through his class# asking several members to read

portions of the lesson and letting them ramble on at will. (orri kept

flashing some sort of warning signal with her eyes and pushed her way

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up to him as the class ended. 8ed# you@re not going to believe this#8 she

gasped. 8*ister Benson called...8

86ush this second# (orriE8 he hissed under his breath. 8, know all

about it. ,@m supposed to go there tonight with the Bishop. )on@t say a

 word to anyone.8

(orri stepped back in bewilderment. Cor the first time since the night

 before# she laughed. 8, can@t believe you knew about it already#8 she

cried. 8, get the scoop of the year and you@re there ahead of me.8

6e reached out and s-ueeed her hand. 8<nly because Brother Benson

called the Bishop last night.8 ed put his hand on (orri@s shoulder and

guided her toward the back hallway as the crowd of people moved

around them toward the sanctuary as the *acrament meeting began on

the heels of *unday *chool. 8:hat did she sayD8

(orri had the twinkling look of a conspirator. 8*he said that she and

*teve went to the movie with her mother and spent most of yesterday

talking things over. hey have been going through emple preparation

classes and had a lot of unanswered -uestions that they had been afraid

to discuss. , guess they decided it really is that easy.

8ed# they want to talk to us this afternoon. *teve really looks up to

 you. 6e needs to talk to someone he can trust. , invited them over for a

 barbecue. Aou and the Bishop can meet with them at our house.8 *hesmiled as she stared into his eyes. 8Maybe we should invite Jim over#

too.8

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ed stared back at her in a state of confusion. 8Aou@re a changed

 woman from the lady , went to bed with last night# (orri. :hat@s

differentD , would e$pect you to be close to hysteria over the Bensons.8

(orri knew what was different. *he felt like some pressure had been

lifted off her spirit somehow last night. *he felt refreshed and

lighthearted this morning. 4ven when *ister Benson called# she was at

peace.

8, guess it was finding out that , could have doubts and fears and you

could understand and still love me deeply# without putting me down#

ed. , found out , could trust you all the way#8 she said softly# her face

close to his. 8,t didn@t resolve much of my dilemma# but it did strengthen

my love for you.8

ed took her face into his hands. 8, don@t know what kind of day we

have coming. , barely survived last night and you may have to shovel me

into bed before this is all through. , will  ask Jim to come over and share

some of his thoughts with the Bishop# though. ,t should be -uite a time.8

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he Real Jesus

*teve and +arol Benson@s van turned into the (indsey driveway and

came to a stop. *teve slumped down in his seat as the two boys tore out

of the car and around the corner of the house toward the back. +arol@seyes were riveted on her husband@s face# searching out his eyes.

8,@d rather have my head amputated than to go through with this#

+arol#8 he said softly# with /ust the edge of a grin working its way into

the corners of his mouth. 6e rolled his head toward her and locked his

eyes on hers. 86ere we are# about to drop the bombshell of the year on

our best friends# and in true Mormon style you@ve brought a casserole.8

6is grin broke out and /oined her laughter as he reached over and

kissed her firmly on the forehead. +arol was still laughing as she led the

 way around the house carrying her casserole like a trophy onto the patio.

(orri and ed were already involved with separating several of the more

energetic of the kids# and looked up in mock desperation at their friends.

8Cinally# backup troops have arrived to save us from this horde#8 (orri

shouted with glee as she turned one s-uealing little boy upside down

and lowered him gently to the grass# where he instantly scampered

away# chasing after the alleged horde which was now making its way

around the house. (orri took +arol@s proffered casserole and placed it

 with appropriate honors on the table# already loaded with food. 8,@m so

glad you came# +arol#8 she continued lightly. 8, want to hear every single

thing that happenedE8

ed and *teve had stepped back from the skirmish and greeted each

other with a wary handshake# wisely leaving the opening remarks to

their wives. ed had become more than a little distressed while they sat

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 waiting for the Bensons. he Bishop wasn@t thrilled with the

announcement that the Bensons were going to be at their house# and

heaven only knew what he was going to do when he found Jim *tamper

there too. 4ven that hadn@t gone too well# since Jim was obviously ill atease with the invitation. ed had had to pry an acceptance out of him

and then spent an hour in misery wondering why they wanted him there

in the first place.

Now seeing that *teve was e-ually uncomfortable# he was able to smile

 warmly at his friend and rela$. 8,@ve been like a coiled spring all day#

*teve#8 he confided privately. 8,@ve been feeling like the anti'Mormonshave stolen your soul away and ,@ve been unable to fight for you. ,@m

really glad you came. , /ust pray that , can help. , never even dreamed

 you were losing your testimony.8

+arol and (orri had stopped their chatter and were watching the two

men with great intent. 8, never lost  my testimony# ed#K *teve replied

softly as he returned the smile. 8:e were searching for 5od@s intent forour lives before we became Mormons and while we were Mormons# and

, have to tell you# it got pretty confusing. he other night a lot of pieces

fell into place and the answer ended up pretty simple after all.8

(orri stepped over to the two and put her hands on her hips in her

 best scolding posture. 8(ook# you guys are over here whispering and we

can@t talk and listen at the same time. his has to be one conversationand only one conversation#8 she demanded. :hile she spoke with a

festive bravado# ed knew (orri was deeply serious that they not get

divided into separate discussions# as was their usual practice. 6e saw

the wisdom in her words.

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8(et@s all sit down and talk# then#8 ed said as he motioned toward the

table. 8(orri and , want you to tell us what happened this weekend. :e

are truly in deep shock.8 6e stopped and studied the Bensons. >hat on

earth ha""ened?> 

+arol took *teve@s hand as they sat before their friends and gripped it

tightly. 8My mom asked us to go see that film they showed at +hristian

+enter#8 she began. 8, was raised in the Baptist church# but by the time

*teve and , were married# , had pretty much stopped going.8 *he looked

at *teve and then back to (orri. 8:hen the boys came# , knew we needed

to get back into church# but the time never seemed right. :hen theMissionaries came to our house# , felt like it was an answer to our

prayers. , told *teve that 5od knew our needs and sent them to us.8

+arol stopped and caught her breath. 84verything happened so

-uickly# and when , told my mom that we were going to be baptied# she

really came unglued and said a lot of terrible things about the Mormon

+hurchE8

8Aet we met you two# and everyone in the :ard was so wonderful that

, couldn@t understand what was wrong with her. , thought# :ell if you

 want to be that way# /ust be that way.K

8hings were pretty strained for awhile#8 she continued# 8but my mom

and , have always been good friends# so we /ust ended up agreeing not to

agree about religion. Aet there was always that wall. , wanted so much

for her to become a Mormon. *he would have been such a tremendous

Mormon.

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8(ast month she came over and told us that if we would do one thing

 with her# she would never bring up the sub/ect of religion again. , could

tell that she was really under a great deal of stress.8 +arol was struggling

to smile. 8*o when we agreed# we found out that it was to go and see thatfilm.8 6er gae slowly dropped to the table and she fell silent.

*teve leaned forward and looked from (orri to ed. 8hat@s where ,

came in. ,n the midst of all our ob/ections about her methods and the

movie# , knew that , wanted  to see the filmE , wanted  to listen to that

guyE , have to tell you# ed# ,@ve been having a lot of doubts lately. 0 lot

of honest -uestions have been going unanswered around here and ,@ve been feeling that if we have all this truth we always talk about# it

shouldn@t be that difficult to get some answers.8

8Aou never came to me and told me you were having problems. Aou

never went away from me with -uestions unanswered#8 ed complained

sharply.

8,@m sorry# ed# but , did  come to you more than once# but you always

had some -uick response that was the te$tbook reply for each occasion.

 :hen , asked you about this business of me becoming some polygamous

5od# you told me to wait until we had been through the emple. Aou

said that we would have a clearer understanding of our destiny# even

though , told you that our need was more immediate.

8, didn@t want to share my eternal life with other women# and +arol

sure didn@t want for the kids and her to have to share me with a bunch of 

other wives and kids. ,t was like you had this big secret# but /ust being

good Mormons# we still weren@t good enough yet to share it.8 *teve@s

 voice had risen# and the kids were beginning to notice that the picnic

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 was taking on a more serious tone. 8,@m not upset about that# ed. ,t was

 /ust real frustrating trying to study things out for myself at times. Aou

 were never the problem#8 he -uickly assured his frowning friend.

8(et@s toss the ball around with the kids#8 *teve bellowed as he

scooped up a nearby volleyball and ran into the yard. ed smiled

plaintively at (orri and lumbered slowly after him.

8his must be so hard for you# +arol#8 (orri cried# reaching across to

comfort her friend. *he was devastated by the intensity of the emotions

she had felt as they had spoken. 8ed was right# you know. hese things

all do become clear when you go through the emple.8

8(ook# (orri. ,@ve had the same frustrations when you and , have

talked about some of the same things. Aou haven@t always been honest

 with me or even yourself. 4very time we@ve talked about the emple# ,@ve

come away with two different stories from you. he first is what you say

and the second is something down deep inside you# what , see in your

eyes. hey@re not the same.8

(orri sat back stunned. 6er thoughts flashed back to the look in her

mother@s eyes as she shared about the secrets of the emple and the

duties of a faithful Mormon wife. 8<h# dear 5od#8 she thought# 8,@m /ust

like my mother. ,@ve been doing the same thing to +arol that my mother

did to me.8 *he heard +arol@s voice droning on in the distance# but (orri

 was consumed with the image of her mother sitting on her bed#

attempting to reassure her that it was 5od@s holiest purpose that she go

through the emple and take out her endowments so she could properly

fulfill her divine role. *he could still see that look of futility in her

mother@s eyes.

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8... the rest of the food and ,@ll get the men to start the burgers going#8

+arol was saying as she rose from the table. *omething had happened

 /ust then# and +arol knew it was time to drop the discussion. *he had

opened up a door that had deeply disturbed (orri.

(orri shook the thoughts away and busily began to set out the platters.

8ed# please go and get Jim and let *teve start the burgers. here are

some hot dogs for the little kids.

8JoshE8 she yelled at a small culprit dragging away a bag of chips. 8Put

that back right nowE8

ensions eased as they prepared the meal# and they were soon

laughing again at *teve@s droll humor as he entertained the kids with his

outrageous efforts at the grill. ed returned with an awkward Jim

*tamper in tow# and they were soon rela$ing over a great meal.

he kids had finished and wandered down to the street with their

skateboards# bikes# and other weapons of transportation. he women

 were closing up the food platters and Jim *tamper was wandering back

from his house sipping the spillage from a large# brimming cup of hot

coffee.

8Aou Mormons missed the boat with this one#8 Jim laughed. 86e who

controls the coffeepot controls the worldE8 he other four booed and

hissed with fitting disdain.

8ed tells me that you were at +hristian +enter the other night#8 Jim

smiled at the Bensons. 8:hat did you think of the e$perienceD8

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8:ell# you know we went there as Mormons prepared for the worst#

Jim#8 *teve replied# 8but we left in a totally different state of mind. <ur

eyes were really opened to a lot of things that had been troubling us for

some time.8

8hat film was filled with a lot of lies and misrepresentations of our

faith by a man filled with hateE8 ed cried out defensively.

*teve smiled sadly at the remark. 6is friend was so intent on

defending the faith# even from a film he had never seen and a man he

had never met. ,nstead of arguing# *teve turned to +arol. 8:hat

impressed you most about the evening# honeyD8

8he film was every bit the bombshell it was advertised as. , thought

the animation portion clearly put all the pieces together properly for the

first time# though.8

Jim glanced up and watched as ed and (orri locked eyes. 0 little

smile broke out as he responded# 8, thought so too. ,t may have been a

little sensational in its approach# but it clearly defined basic Mormonism

to me.8 6is twinkling eyes innocently met those of ed and (orri before

he looked back to *teve.

8:hat really opened my eyes was the -uestion'and'answer time

afterward#8 *teve said as he turned to ed and (orri. 8)id you know that

the Bishop was at the meetingD8

>hat are you saying?@  cried (orri. 8Aou can@t mean thatE :hat

happenedD8 ed was stunned at the news. he Bishop had never

mentioned it# even to his counselors at the Bishopric meeting.

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80t the end of the movie he was the very first to stand at the -uestion'

and'answer period. , didn@t even see him until then. 4 mean we almost

died$K +arol e$claimed. 86e said that the film was nothing but a filth3

pack of lies and if the people wanted to know about Mormonism theyshould ask a Mormon# a decent person# not someone e$communicated

for failing to live the 5ospel.8

8, thought it was all over for the speaker# 4d )ecker. Aou could hear a

pin drop#8 *teve added. 8But he /ust smiled and asked the Bishop what

lies he was referring to and the Bishop said# @ All of them.@ 6e asked him

again to be a bit more specific and again the Bishop said @ All of them.@

8he speaker said that the Bishop should pick his very best lie from

the movie and that he would document it right then completely from

Mormon documents or fold his tent and leave town. 6e said# @ 4f 4,m a

liar$ call my bluff right here in front of the whole town and 4,ll be out of 

business.@

But the Bishop /ust stood there. 6e couldn@t name one single lie in the

 whole movieE ,t was then that some scales fell from my own eyes. ,t was

like we have been playing games with 5od. (ike , said before# if what we

have is truth# what should we fear from any manDK

86e started to call on someone down front# but the Bishop shouted out

that the parts about the emple ritual were all lies. hen )ecker asked

him if he had ever sworn blood oaths like we saw in the film and the

Bishop shouted @ 1ever@ )ecker said that when he was a Mormon in the

emple# he had done so. 6e asked the Bishop# @ Did you "ut your thumb

across your throat and swear an oath dealing with having your throat 

slit from ear to ear? @ he Bishop shook his fist at him and ran from the

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meeting. , mean he ran out the door. , couldn@t believe my eyes. , mean

it was like the Bishop was the liarE

8:e sat there for over an hour while )ecker fielded every -uestion

thrown at him. 6e had the answersF he did his homework. he guy

probably knows Mormonism better than anyone , ever met#8 *teve

continued. 8But you know what , sawD 6e never ridiculed us or said

these things to mock us.

4very time he gave the Mormon doctrine# he compared it with the

orthodo$ biblical doctrine# and , began to see that the 5ospel of +hrist

 was really simple and clear# without all these frills that have had us so

 bogged down.8

+arol had difficulty speaking# but slowly she sobbed out the rest. 8,t

 was what he said about the crosses being missing in our church

 buildings. 6e said that people who want to be their own gods couldnt

deal with the cross and the blood shed at +alvary on our behalf. 6e

talked about the water we use for sacrament>that it washes away the

reality of +hrist@s shed blood.8

*he was silent for a moment# gathering her words carefully. 8, looked

 behind him at the cross on the wall and knew what was missing in my

life. , took one look at my mom and we both began to cry. 0t the end of

the meeting# when the pastor had an altar call# Steve and 4 went

 forward and gave our lives to the real Jesus. Not the one who is the

 brother of (ucifer# not our 4lder Brother# but Jesus who was 5od

 become flesh for us.8 Both *teve and +arol@s faces were wet with tears as

they relived the emotion of their e$perience.

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Jim sat -uietly in the background and listened as the Bensons

continued to pour out their hearts to (orri and ed. ears had begun to

stream down (orri@s face and he could see the tiny -uivers darting

across the face of ed as the 6oly *pirit began to break through the wallof his heart.

6e thought on the wonderful and perfect steps of the (ord and how

6e had brought these two people to such a place at such a time to be 6is

ambassadors to this other couple whom 6e loved and for whom 6e

died. 8, could never have touched their hearts this way#8 Jim mused as

he began to silently intercede for ed and (orri. 6e rose and walked intothe house# leaving the friends alone to touch each other.

6e was leaning against the kitchen counter# sipping on his now'cold

coffee# when the phone rang. Jumping at the sound# Jim grabbed the

phone as though it were an intruder breaking into the special things of

5od taking place outside. 8ed#8 barked the unseen voice# 8this is the

BishopE8 he voice sputtered over Jim@s attempts to correctly identifyhimself. 8, have absolutely no intention of meeting with those apostates.

ell them that their names will be off our records as -uickly as , can act

on it... and ed# if you know what@s good for you and (orri# you better

get them off your property and out of your lives... for goodE8 he phone

 went dead as Jim stared at it in amaement.

8:ho was thatD8 called (orri from the patio.

8Just the Bishop#8 Jim smiled broadly. 86e called to say that he won@t

 be able to make it tonight.8

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 0ppendices

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Creeds of Christianity 

The Apostles' Creed 

, believe in 5od the Cather 0lmighty# Maker of heaven and earth# and

in Jesus +hrist# 6is only *on# our (ord# who was conceived by the 6oly

5hostF born of the ;irgin MaryF suffered under Pontius PilateF was

crucified# dead# and buriedF 6e descended into hellF the third day 6e

rose again from the deadF 6e ascended into heaven and sits at the right

hand of 5od the Cather 0lmightyF from thence 6e shall come to /udge

the living and the dead.

, believe in the 6oly 5host# the holy +hristian church# the communion

of the saints# the forgiveness of sins# the resurrection of the body# and

the life everlasting. 0men.

The Nicene Creed 

, believe in one 5od# the Cather 0lmighty# Maker of heaven and earth

and of all things visible and invisible# and in one (ord Jesus +hrist# theonly'begotten of 6is Cather before all worlds# 5od of 5od# (ight of

(ight# ;ery 5od of ;ery 5od# Begotten# not made# being of one

substance with the Cather# by whom all things were madeF who for us

men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by 

the 6oly 5host of the ;irgin Mary and was made manF and was crucified

also for us under Pontius Pilate.

6e suffered and was buriedF and the third day 6e rose again according

to *cripture and ascended into heaven# and sits at the right hand of the

CatherF and 6e shall come again in glory to /udge both the -uick and the

dead# whose kingdom shall have no end.

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 0nd , believe in the 6oly 5host# the (ord and 5iver of life# who

proceeds from the Cather and the *on# who with the Cather and the *on

together is worshiped and glorified# who spoke by the prophets. 0nd ,

 believe in one holy +hristian and apostolic church. , acknowledge one baptism unto the remission of sins# and , look for the resurrection of the

dead and the life of the world to come. 0men.

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LDS Support Documentation

)ature of *od

 Achieving elestial Marriage Manual

;AM<# 19H# page17(GR 

5od was once a mortal man. 6e lived on a planet

like our own. 6e e$perienced conditions similar toour own and advanced step by step.

Bruce R. Mc+onkie# Mormon Doctrine ;MD<#1HH# =77R 

8Curther# as the Prophet also taught# there is 8a godabove the father of our (ord Jesus +hrist.... ,f Jesus+hrist was the son of 5od# and John discovered that5od the Cather of Jesus +hrist had a father# you may suppose that he had a father also. :as there ever ason without a fatherD8 2uoting Joseph *mith3.

 AM  page = :hat you are saying is that 5od became 5od byobedience to the 5ospel program# which culminates

in eternal marriage. Aes.8

 Doctrine and ovenants;D*< 1=&?77

5od has a body of flesh and bones as tangible asman@s.

 AMM  page 17(5od is now an e$alted man with powers of eternalincrease. 6e lives in an e$alted Marriagerelationship.

 AMM  17R# 1=&( :e are the literal +hildren of 5od# a part of hisfamily unit. :e lived with our heavenly parents before coming to earth.

 AMM  page "R(... 5iving birth to spirit children and setting them onthe road to e$altation. 0nd if this is to be done# youmust have an e$alted man and an e$alted woman.

 MD page 7=(5od continues to progress# as his own creationse$pand and his spirit offspring multiply.

Pree+istence and ,ur #irst Estate

Moses =?%'9# #earl ofGreat #rice ;#G#<

4very form of life was created spiritually in Iolobfirst.

 0braham =?77#7= #G#  ,n the beginning we were all spirit children# living inthe presence of 5od# our heavenly father.

 Jesus the hrist # Jamesalmage# 1H!# pages 1%'1H

James almage@s detailed e$planation of theprimeval council of the 5ods.

 0braham =?7='7! #G#  +ouncil called of all the leading spirits.

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 0braham "?7%#7H #G#  5od proposed a plan for our progression.

 0braham =?7"'7H #G# # D*  7?=#John 1H?7! IJ;#

Jeremiah 1?% IJ; 

hat plan was for us to come to earth# and gainphysical bodies# to learn good from evil and to havethe free agency to choose which path we each

 wanted to follow.Moses "?1'" #G# # 0braham =?79#7! #G# F,saiah 1"?17'19 IJ; 

(ucifer# our elder brother# who desired glory# stoodup and proposed his own plan.

*pencer :. Iimball#8Jesus of Naareth#8 in %nsign# )ec. 1!& 2Cirst#Presidency message3#pages ='%.

6is trials were continuous. Perhaps his brother#(ucifer# had heard him say when he was still but alad of 17# 8:ist ye not that , must be about myCather@s businessD8 2(uke 7?"3.hen came the time when *atan thought to trip him.heir encounter in the previous world had been on

more e-ual terms# but now Jesus was young and*atan was e$perienced.

Moses "?1'= #G# (ucifer@s plan was to take away our free agency#force us to obey all the law. 6e wanted us to worshiphim.

Moses "?7 #G# Jesus stood and offered himself as our sin offering#giving man his free agency and the chance to attaineternal glory# or godhood with heavenly father.

 0braham =?7! #G#   0ll the council voted No to (ucifer and Aes to Jesus.

 0braham =?7! #G# # D*  7?=H'=9#Revelation#17?9'

(ucifer# very angry# persuaded one third of the spiritchildren to follow him and rebel against 5od andthe plan of Jesus. hey were cast from 5od@spresence and sent to this earth without bodies offlesh and blood.

 MD page !7!# D*  7?=H'"1

)escribes the war in heaven# (ucifer sent here where he continues to battle against the saints.

Moses %?1H'"1 #G# # MD pages %7H'7!Moses 9?!'77 #G# 

hose who were least valiant in pree$istence areknown in mortality as negroes. hey came to earththrough lineage of +ain# with black skins.

Creation of the Earth and ,ur Second Estate

 D*  99?17#Moses 1?= #G#  0braham =?1 #G# 

he earth was created# in the same fashion of many worlds# populated by intelligent people# in hisimage. Man would always be learning and growing.

 0braham =?7'! #G#  5od tells 0braham about the control center# Iolob.

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Moses H?%1'H! #G# Moses =?19 #G# 5enesis =?"#% IJ; Moses "?17#1= #G# 

he 5arden of 4den story. ells of the many godsinvolved.

Private letter dated Ceb.1# 1!1# page H

 0postle Bruce R. Mc+onkie to Mr. 4ugene 4nglandat BA? 8Aes# President Aoung did teach that 0dam was the father of our spirits# and all the relatedthings that the cultists ascribe to him.8 Mc+onkiethen denies it is true# even though it is documentedin church records.

7 Nephi ?7%#7H +ook of Mormon# 0lma "7?19'71 +/M 

he earth is controlled by laws. ,f we break one ofthem we must be punished.

Moses "?7'=1 #G#   0dam and 4ve are cast out of the 5arden.

Moses %?H' #G# 

hey learn that their transgression was necessarythat man might live. 0dam is baptied# receives6oly 5host and the priesthood. 6e becomes the firstpatriarch.

 MD %"HR'%"9(

<ur (ord is the only *on of the Cather in the flesh.4ach word is to be understood literally.... +hrist was begotten by an immortal father in the same way thatmortal men are begotten by mortal fathers.

 MD 9"7(

5od is an immortal personage. +hrist is his literalson. here is nothing figurative about his paternity.

6e was begotten# conceived and born in the normaland natural course of events.

 AMM  page 7=%(

he (ord is now sending the +hoicest *pirits toearth. 8, see an improvement each few years in the young people of the +hurch. , believe that you arethe cream of all the spirits in the hosts of heavenand 5od has sent you here to do a great work82Mark 4. Petersen# BA address on Cebruary =#1%=3.

*odhood and ,ur Third Estate

 MD =71(hat e$altation# which the saints of all ages have sodevoutly sought is 5odhood itself.

 MD =71R  Aou have got to learn how to be gods yourselves...the same as all gods have done before you 2-uotingJoseph *mith3.

 &istory of hurch# ;ol. H# My Cather worked out 6is Iingdom with fear and

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page =&H

trembling# and , must do the sameF and when , getmy kingdom# , shall present it to My Cather# so that6e may obtain Iingdom upon Iingdom# and it wille$alt 6im in glory. 6e will then take a highere$altation# and , will take 6is place# and thereby

 become e$alted myself.

 AMM  page =R 

,f 5od became 5od by obedience to all of the gospellaw with the crowning point being the celestial lawof marriage# then that@s the only way , can become agod.

 AMM  7&=(

he endowment is the celestial course ofinstruction# being enabled to give them the key words the signs and tokens# pertaining to thepriesthood and gain your eternal e$altation in spiteof earth and hell.

 D*  17"?7!'7H#179?17!#17!?1%ff.

Baptism for the dead? the keys to the holypriesthood#ordained so you may receive honor andgloryF for their salvation the deadQ#is necessary andessential to our salvation.

 D*  1=1 hree degrees of glory with celestial the highest.

Moses 1?= #G# his is my work and my glory>to bring to pass theimmortality and eternal life of man.

 D*  1=7?1#7&hen shall they be 5ods# they shall have all power#the angels are sub/ect to them.

 MD %7R# %=&(+elestial Marriage is the new and everlastingcovenant of marriage.

Newell and 0very# Mormon %nigma#2)oubleday# 1!"3

Book relates the aversions that 4mma *mith#Joseph@s wife# had to the law of plurality of wives.

Joseph Smith

ome =nto hrist # heMelchiedek PriesthoodManual# 1!"G1!!# pp.1='"%

,f we get our salvation# we shall have to pass by himFif we enter into our glory# it will be through theauthority that he has received. :e cannot getaround him.

 D*  1?19#1! D*  =%?19

5od called Joseph *mith and commanded him toproclaim the gospel. Cullness of gospel sent forth byJ*.

 &istory of thehurch ;ol. H# pages "&!'

, have more to boast of than ever any man had. , amthe only man that has ever# been able to keep a

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& whole church together since the days of 0dam.....Neither Paul# John# Peter# nor Jesus ever did it. , boast that no man ever did such a work as ,.

Joseph *mith 2J*3 7?=&'

% #G# 

he story# in Joseph@s own words# of Moroni@s visit#

the uncovering of the gold plates# and the eventualtranslation of the Book of Mormon.

J* 7?%%#%H #G#  Joseph involved in treasure'seeking.

J* 7?19'7& #G#  0ll +hristian creeds were an abomination in hissight.

 D*  7&?1#7 Joseph *mith commanded to organie the church.

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