Cults and New Faiths

Click on each of the photos to read the contents. This book my husband has had for years. He showed it to me when we were dating.

Mormon Barbie

Saints Alive-Newsletter August 2009

What a Difference!

In the Bible published by the LDSChurch, on page 1421, Mormons read that "God "Justifieth the ungodly" (Romans 4:5).

However, on page 809 of the appendix in that same Bible, it records how their prophet Joseph Smith rewrote that verse in his Inspired Version of the Bible.

It reads that "God Justifieth NOT the ungodly." That is a very big difference! The Mormons must earn their righteousness by their works. How sad!

Ask the Missionaries to explain that "irreconcilable difference" with orthodox Christianity.

Are There Mormons Who are Really Saved?

That is perhaps one of the most often asked questions in our ministry. A lady asked me, "My sister was a Baptist for 20 years before she became a very active Mormon and now she is deeply offended when I suggest she might not be a born again Christian. Can she actually be both?" My answer, unfortunately was, "Not if she is adhering to LDS doctrine."

Today, the Mormons are using Christian words and phrases to let people think they are true Christians, but they cannot escape the real doctrines of Mormonism. Let's go back a few years and let reality get a hearing.

In the 1947 Mormon Sunday School manual, the late LDS Apostle, James Talmage is quoted,

“Salvation is graded. Thus, it is decreed and provided that every soul shall find his place and mingle with his kind in a state of lesser, advanced, or supreme salvation” (from THE GOSPEL MESSAGE by William Berrett, p. 18)

In the Improvement Era, the official magazine of the LDSChurch for many years, taught that “salvation, however, is based on merit...” (Nov.1965, p.962)

In the 1931 Gospel Doctrine Sunday School Lessons booklet, it says: “Quite different from most Christian denominations, Latter-day Saints cannot at any time during their lives boast that they have been saved. Salvation comes not from a mere compliance with Church rituals. A confession of Jesus will not bring it.” (p.107)

The Historical Melchizedek

"The "historical" Melchizedek of Genesis 14 was NEGATIVE FOR ISRAEL
1. Melchizedek received tithes because of a long-standing spoils of war Semitic Canaanite law.
2. Melchizedek received tithes because he was the governing priest-king of Abraham and the region he traveled through,
3. Melchizedek worshiped El Elyon, the very common title for pagan Baal. Israel did not worship God until 1000 years later - after King David captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites,
4. Melchizedek worshiped Salem (Shalim), goddess of the dawn, and Zedek (Tsadeq) (Jupiter), god of Justice - two very common lower gods in the Canaanite pantheon (research under 'Phoenician gods'),
5. Melchizedek honored El Elyon as the "god of the nations" known to Gentiles; Melchizedek did not know God as YAHWEH, Abraham's covenant God. (Deut. 32:8).
6. Melchizedek had no recorded genealogy to prove that he was an Israelite or Levitical priest, therefore, he was not qualified to be a priest,
7. Melchizedek had no recorded birth or death, therefore, had no legal proof that he could be the father of a priest in Israel."
(Should the Church Teach Tithing, Russell Earl Kelly, Ph.D., Writers Club Press, pg. 158)

Christ - The supreme being, the king of righteousness and of peace. A God without beginning or ending. Born into the linage of royalty, made a servant to bless all. A High Priest exclusively and uniquely His alone with no barrier to His power and authority. By right the holy priesthood He holds the keys to.
Melchizedek - was a man whereas his genealogy and parents were not an important issue for any Biblical writer to pen. The priest-king was an important ruler of his day. He was so beloved by those of the land that his position commanded respect.

The Mormon church thrives on the so called "Melchizedek Priesthood". Their prophet Joseph Smith has made the position of the historical Melchizedek holy. The Bible says very little about Melchizedek and his role as a priest-king. It is known that during the time of the Semite Canaanite law, YAHWEH was not the spiritual head. Melchizedek did not know him. The influence of the position that Melchizedek held, to the Gentiles, must have been extremely important and well respected in the whole land. So much so, God used the "order" that Melchizedek followed, of which it was likened to the Son of God, yet Melchizedek, historically, was not the Son of God.
Abraham worshiped the TRUE God of the old testament, that is, YAHWEH, not the pagan god whom Melchizedek was a priest to. The bread and wine that was given to Abraham was a tradition at that time, and it had no representation of the Messiah. Melchizedek was a king of Salem; Melchizedek was a priest of El Elyon, his "God Most High", not YAHWEH.
Jesus Christ is the only great HIGH PRIEST and all believers all share in Christs priesthood known as the "priesthood of believers."

Our Primary Colors

Maybe it's just the Mormon adults that don't have creeds. The wording has been changed and symbols are not necessary in a Christians walk with Jesus, young or old. Click on the image and get a closer view.

Are Mormon males called by God as Levitical priests just like Aaron was?

Please click on the title above to go the web site where I got this from. This ministry is a very good witness to Mormons who long to know the truth!

February 15, 2008

By Aaron Shafovaloff

Mormonism claims that most of its male members are Aaron/Levitical priests. How does this claim hold up?

Quoting Hal Hougey from “Latter-day Saints—Where Did You Get Your Authority?”:

1. Qualifications for the Aaronic Priesthood:
   1. Limited to Aaron and his sons only Ex 28:1; 29:9; 29:44; Num 18:1-7; Lev 6:19-23; Ex 28:43; Neh 7:61-65
      1. The Levites helped – Num 3:5-6, 9-10; Heb 7:5
      2. Punishment for non-Levites who tried to become priests:
         1. Dathan and Abiram Num 16: 1-35
         2. King Uzziah – 2 Chron 26:1-3, 16-21
         3. Jeroboam’s priests- I Kings 13:33-34
      3. But Joseph Smith, of English stock, was not a Jew, a Levite, or a son of Aaron
      4. The Aaronic priesthood was hereditary, but not so in the LDS church
   2. Physical qualifications – Lev 21:16-23
      1. LDS ignore these qualifications today
      2. Joseph Smith had a leg operation when he was young, in which part of the bone was removed. He was, therefore, physically disqualified to be a priest (Lucy Mack Smith: Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith and His Progenitors for Many Generations Liverpool: 1853, p. 65)
   3. Other qualifications which LDS ignore: Lev 21:1-15: Num 4:35
2. How Were the Aaronic Priests Ordained in the Bible? - Exodus 29; Lev. 8
   1. Were washed with water v. 4
   2. Were dressed in the priestly robes – v. 5-6 (These robes were for “glory and beauty”-Ex 28:2-but the holy garments of the LDS are neither glorious nor beautiful.)
   3. Were anointed with oilv. 7
   4. Laid hands on the head of a bullock – v. 10
   5. The bullock was killed, and its blood was poured out at the altar, while the fat and the kidneys were placed on the altar, and the rest was burned outside the camp, as a sin- offering v. 11-14
   6. Laid hands on the head of a ram V.I 5
   7. The ram was killed, its blood was sprinkled about the altar, and the body was offered as a burnt offering on the altar-v. 16-18
   8. Laid hands on the head of another ram v. 19
   9. This second ram was killed, and some of the blood was put on the tip of the right ear, right thumb, and right great toe of Aaron and his sons, while the rest of the blood was sprinkled upon the altar v. 20
   10. Some of the blood on the altar and some anointing oil was then sprinkled on the priests and their garments – v. 21
   11. Were given parts of the ram and three kinds of bread, and these were waved as a wave offering, then they were burnt on the altar – v. 22-25
   12. The breast of the ram was given to the one who ordained them v. 26
   13. The shoulder was given to them v. 27
   14. They were to eat of the ram and the bread, but no one else was allowed to do so-v. 30-33
   15. For the next seven days, one bullock and two lambs were offered daily v. 35-44
3. How Do LDS Ordain to the Aaronic Priesthood?
   1. They lay hands on the priests being ordained and speak the words that are specified by the LDS church to confer the priesthood
   2. Nowhere in the Bible account do we find hands laid on the priests hands were laid only on the bullock and the rams!
   3. The LDS ignore completely the Biblical method of ordaining Aaronic priests
   4. It will not do to say these ordinances do not apply today; if the Aaronic priesthood exists today, the method for ordaining priests into that priesthood apply today
   5. LDS often apply Hebrews 5:4, “. . .as was Aaron,” to refer to the ceremony by which one is ordained to the priesthood, but they do not follow that ceremony in any way

Under a subsequent section (”F. The Mormon Priesthood Is an Assumption – Not a Restoration”), Hougey goes on to say:

1. There Is No Biblical Authority for the Aaronic Priesthood Today
   1. The Aaronic priesthood was part of the religious system under the Law of Moses. This law and its ordinances came to an end when Christ died on the cross Gal. 3:19, 23-25; Col. 2:14-17; Heb. 10:1-10.
   2. Christ’s will or testament came into effect after his death - Heb. 9:15-17
   3. There was a change in the priesthood; the Aaronic (Levitical) priesthood was taken away – Heb. 7: 1 1-12
   4. Even Christ could not be a priest of Aaron because he was of the wrong tribe Heb. 7:13-14. (How can non-Jewish LDS qualify if Christ could not qualify?
   5. If Christ were on earth he would not be a priest at all – Heb. 8:4
   6. There is no example of Aaronic priests in the church anywhere in the New Testament, amazing if such priesthood existed in the church. Rather, the New Testament teaches the universal priesthood of all believers I Peter 2:5, 9

Beehive

I can't seem to remember too much from the Beehive classes I had. The main thing I do remember was all the 'fun' I had. I was so glad to be out of Primary and the thought of progressing onto being a Young Woman was 'so real'. I did more than my share of responsibility in the Beehive class. I don't ever looking at the Bible much in class, but the Book of Mormon was the focal point of scripture reading. I remember that the main point of a Beehive girl was to obtain the Holy Ghost as a guide to help with goals and decision making. It was all about making the right choices in life that will lead me to being the best Mormon woman. The church had all kinds of activities and lessons to keep everyone in class very busy.
The page above is from my scrapbook I kept when I was going through Young Women's. I find it interesting that the [other] major religions included Christianity. (Click on the photo and see a more detailed view of the wording.) Christianity is in the same category as Hindus, Buddhists, Confucians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and Mohammedans. Mormons do not believe that they are [were] Christians. They rank Christianity with religions that do not believe in Christ as their personal Savior.

As A (Young Wo-)man Thinketh

"Arise, raise your right hand to the square. Each of you do covenant and promise that you will obey the law of your husband...Each of you bow your head and say yes."

Every young Latter-day Saint female longs to enter the temple of her choice and be sealed for all time and eternity. The expectations run deep, deep to the very makeup of her soul. Each drop of blood that runs in her veins shivers at the thought of, "One day, one day soon, I too will be part of the elect. A member of the anointed ones that will carry the badge of honor, along with the awards and protection of the garments. The secrets of God-written heavenly knowledge will be forever burnt into my spirit, so when that great day of celestial pomp and circumstance comes, I will be able to arise in pure light and glory. I will spend the forever eternities with the god of my eternal offspring, continuously bringing forth favor for him. Soon I will be exalted as a goddess, a queen, a noble upright entity spending eternity on perpetual holiday and honeymoon with my love, my light, my strength, my fortress, my one-and-only, my husband.
Oh, the wondrous and joyful day when all my sweat-full tears of hard work and sacrifice will pay off. I labor at my goals. I persevere to get them all lined up in order and check them off after each signature is obtained by proper authority. I gather all of them together as a hen gathers her chicks and keep them protected in my precious 'Treasures of Truth' binder, never to let them fall by the wayside, least they be devoured by the evil one. All tidy and ready to go, my goals will pave the way to the pearly gates of holy ground, the entrance to a temple. Those gates display the keyhole to my salvation in which my husband holds the key to.
I long for and dream of the day I can hold the hands of my 'savior', across the eternal alter, who will rescue me from the depths of the grave and escort me through the veil to a celestial heaven. The highest of the most high. So..., I plan, I prepare, I study, I endure, I do; I keep on hoping, I keep on yearning, I keep on longing, I keep on doing..., and doing..., and enduring to the end..., and all cost."