I am hoping you can help me in how to answer a friend.  She is Mormon, and so I asked her to explain to me how she is able to use an "extra book" – the book of Mormon, and this is what she had to say.  I was wondering if you could help me understand how to further explain this in a clear way.

Here is the e-mail that she sent to me: "It is super important that we ask questions; God tells us in James 1:5-6 to ask, and He will answer.  So the reason I know the book of Mormon is true isn't because my parents taught me or because I've read it, but it's because I read it and then prayed about it.  I was definitely given an answer and know that it’s true.  From Ezekiel 37:16-17, we know the stick of Judah is referring to the Bible, and the stick of Ephraim is referring to the book of Mormon, and in verse seventeen when it says put them together, they become one.  That's why we believe there are two books that both testify and strengthen a testimony of Jesus Christ when used together.  Also, John 10:16 – Christ is speaking, the Bible is written of and for the people in Jerusalem.  Christ is explaining that there are others, and He will preach to them as well.  We believe He is speaking of the people in the book of Mormon.  Both sets of people wrote what they were taught from Christ, just in different places.  And answering your question about Revelation, we believe that John isn't referring to the Bible as a whole, but rather the book of Revelation when he says ‘do not add to this book’.  Deut. 4 also states something similar."

That's all she wrote, folks!  Thanks again for your help!

Sincerely,
Not A Mormon

Dear Not A Mormon,

There are a lot of components that your Mormon friend brings up, and that is oftentimes the struggle with studying with a Mormon.  They are taught to bring up about ten different things without really dealing with any of them in-depth.  We are going to do the opposite.  If we can prove Mormonism wrong in one area, it falls like a card castle.  Forget about Ezek. 37 and Jhn 10:16… those have nothing to do with the book of Mormon, but it will take you forever to help them put those back in context.  We are only going to deal with two issues:

1. Your friend said she read the book of Mormon and prayed about it, and that gave her the answer that the book of Mormon was from God.  Here is the problem with that.  Right now, there is a Hindu who believes Hinduism is correct praying to his gods.  And there is a Catholic listening to a speech from the Pope, believing that the Pope is correct.  And there is an atheist reading Richard Dawkins who feels that he is correct.  All of their feelings can’t be correct!  God tells us in Isa 1:18 to “reason together”, and Jhn 8:32 tells us, “Know the truth, and the truth shall set you free”.  On top of that, Matt 7:21-23 makes it clear that many people will die feeling they had served God but will be cast out because their feelings were wrong!  It isn’t enough to feel that the book of Mormon is from God; she has to prove it.
2. Mormons agree that God wrote the Bible, so let’s start there.  If the book of Mormon is from God, it won’t contradict the Bible.  If it does contradict the Bible, then it is wrong – Gal 1:8 makes that very clear.  Here is the problem.  The book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price (the Mormons actually have three books they use beside the Bible) all contradict the Bible repeatedly.  In fact, they even contradict themselves.

In short, remind your friend that she has to prove her religious views – feelings aren’t enough… just like you have to prove your views.  She would never accept you saying, “I prayed about it, and I received an answer that Mormonism is wrong.”  The same goes for her saying the opposite.

What's a Mormon?

Sincerely,
I’ve Seen Their Bikes

Dear I’ve Seen Their Bikes,

Those well-dressed, bike-helmet wearing young men traveling in pairs through your community are known as Mormons, and they are part of the Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS).  The LDS church was formed in the early 1800s by a man named Joseph Smith, Jr.  Joseph Smith professed to have been visited by the angel, Moroni.  Supposedly, Moroni directed Mr. Smith to a set of golden plates which he then dug up and translated from their ancient language into English.  This “translation” is known as the Book of Mormon and is one of four books that the LDS church uses for guidance.

Okay, now that we’ve explained who they are, let’s see what the Bible says about Mormonism.  God tells us that even if an angel preaches a different message than the Bible, he is accursed (Gal 1:8).  That means that even if Moroni were real, Joseph Smith shouldn’t have listened to him.  Secondly, the Bible tells us everything we need to know about life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3).  We are also told to never add or subtract from the Word of God (Rev 22:18-19).  Either the Book of Mormon says more than the Bible – in which case, we shouldn’t listen to it, or it says exactly the same thing as the Bible – in which case, we don’t need it!  Ultimately, the LDS church is a false religion that is leading people astray and destroying their souls.

My husband was baptized at the age of sixteen by full immersion; however, it was done by the Mormon church where he had made several friends and had begun attending church with them as a youth.  My question is: does he need to be re-baptized?  Thank you!

Sincerely,
Do Over?

Dear Do Over?,

Yes, he does need to be re-baptized because he was baptized for the wrong reasons and by the wrong authority.  People are baptized all the time without being saved.  The word ‘baptism’ comes from the Greek word ‘baptizo’ which means ‘immersion’.  The word ‘baptism’ is the same word that Greeks used when a ship sank to the bottom of the ocean or when someone dove to the bottom of a swimming pool.  In the most technical sense, people are baptized when they take baths, go swimming, etc.  Taking a bath will baptize you, but it definitely won’t save you.

Baptism is only effective when it is done by faith (Col 2:12) and by the authority of Christ (Acts 2:38).  The Mormon church baptizes people based upon the teachings of the Book of Mormon and their prophet, Joseph Smith… not the Bible.  Now, any of our Mormon readers will immediately begin to yell and wail at that last sentence and tell you that it isn’t true.  They will tell you that they baptize people because the Bible says so, but we can guarantee you that if the Book of Mormon said “don’t be baptized” and the Bible said “do be baptized”… they would go with the Book of Mormon’s doctrine.  It is merely convenient for their argument that the Book of Mormon and the New Testament both teach baptism.  Mormons baptize people to put them in the Mormon church, and they do it because Joseph Smith said so.  The Bible teaches that we should be baptized to wash away our sins (Acts 22:16), to put us into the Lord’s church (Acts 2:41), and by Jesus’ authority (Matt 28:18-20).  Your husband definitely needs to be baptized for the right reasons.

What is with Mormons?

Sincerely,
Scratching My Head

Dear Scratching My Head,

Those well-dressed, bike-helmet wearing young men traveling in pairs through your community are known as Mormons, and they are part of the Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS).  The LDS church was formed in the early 1800s by a man named Joseph Smith, Jr.  Joseph Smith professed to have been visited by the angel, Moroni.  Supposedly, Moroni directed Mr. Smith to a set of golden plates which he then dug up and translated from their ancient language into English.  This “translation” is known as the Book of Mormon and is one of four books that the LDS church uses for guidance.

Okay, now that we’ve explained who they are, let’s see what the Bible says about Mormonism.  God tells us that even if an angel preaches a different message than the Bible, he is accursed (Gal 1:8).  That means that even if Moroni were real, Joseph Smith shouldn’t have listened to him.  Secondly, the Bible tells us everything we need to know about life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3).  We are also told to never add or subtract from the Word of God (Rev 22:18-19).  Either the Book of Mormon says more than the Bible – in which case, we shouldn’t listen to it, or it says exactly the same thing as the Bible – in which case, we don’t need it!  Ultimately, the LDS church is a false religion that is leading people astray and destroying their souls.

I have pondered about the idea of a messiah.  It seemed to me that all cultures and religions have a savior.  It seems to me quite possible that God sent His son, or Himself, or the third iteration of Himself (however one interprets the messiah) to all different peoples to lead them around the same time, essentially.  And presently, Satan exploits this to make humans fight each other because we all worship the same god.  So any theism works… that is what I'm trying to say and what I think.

Is Jesus Christ special, or was Isus the Egyptian messiah, or Allah, or Krishnu, or Jehovah just as good?

Sincerely,
Open Minded

Dear Open Minded,

Jesus is special, and He left no room for other gods.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jhn 14:6).  Jesus was either the one and only Messiah – or He was a crazy lunatic.  Jesus teaches that we can only have one Master (Matt 23:10) and that serving anyone else is a sin.  Jesus taught that we either confess Him as the Christ, or we will be denied before God (Lk 12:8-9).  Jesus cannot coexist with other gods.  The Bible is clear – there can be only one (Eph 4:4-6).  Isus, Allah, Krishnu, etc. are all false gods.