What Do Mormons Believe?

Some Beliefs of the Latter day Saints

Rev. Robert D. Shofner, Jr.

St. John's UCC -Boonville Indiana

With the upcoming presidential race of 2012, an obvious question among many people is: since one of the leading candidates is a Mormon, what do Mormons believe about God, Jesus, and salvation? Are they Christian, or not? Let me try to explain some of the teachings of their church this morning. This may get technical, but just hang in there and listen, okay?

First of all, let me remind you that the Mormon Church, or more properly called, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was founded by Joseph Smith after he was visited by the angel Moroni, in 1823, and directed to the discovery of some golden plates which contained a new revelation, hidden on a little hill near Palmyra, New York. That has always fascinated me because my first church, in Bristol, New York, was just a stone’s throw away from what became known as Hill Cumorah. The upstate New York area was the birthplace of many different religious teachings and beliefs; so much so that it is referred to as “The Burned Over District” in books about the great religious movements in our nation. Enough history though. Today we limit ourselves to the teachings of the Latter Day Saints.

Mormonism does indeed use the word “Trinity” in speaking of the Godhead, meaning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, Mormonism believes that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are actually three separate beings. The “oneness” of the Trinity is believed to be found in the gods’ united love and purpose, and not in their “essence.” Thus, they understand God not as One, but as three gods.

Furthermore, they do not believe these gods are equal. Joseph Smith, in his teachings (Doctrines of Salvation) writes: “Jesus is greater than the Holy Spirit, which is subject unto him, but his Father is greater than he is!” Also, it is taught that God has a body of flesh and bones and spirit. Smith writes: “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.” Thus, the essence of God and man is the same. The Apostle Parley Pratt (Key to Science of Theology) writes: “God, angels and men are all of one species, one race, one great family, widely diffused among the planetary systems as colonies, kingdoms, nations, etc.”

The conclusion, then, may be reached that God was once a man who has since become exalted. Joseph Smith wrote: “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man …” Brigham Young supposedly taught that the Father and Adam are one and the same, although most in the church don’t hold to this view any longer. But the church clearly teaches, as stated by Orson Hyde: “Remember that God our heavenly Father was perhaps a child, and mortal like we are, and rose step by step in the scale of progress, in the school of advancement; has moved forward and overcome until He has arrived at the point where He is now” (Journal of Discourses, Vol 1).

This belief leads to the doctrine of Eternal Progression which teaches that since God was once a man who, step by step, was able to ascend to divinity, then all men are capable of becoming gods. Brigham Young wrote: “Gods exist and we had better strive to be prepared to be one with them.” So, to become a god is the ultimate goal of every Mormon male. Joseph Smith writes in his Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: “Here then, is eternal life – to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves … namely by going from one small degree to another … until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and so sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power.”

This doctrine of eternal progression is best summed up by the phrase, “As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become” (Millennial Star, Vol 54).

Of course, this leads to the belief of many gods. For not only are the Father, Son and Holy Ghost each a separate god, there are many others who have achieved this goal through eternal progression. In the volume Mormon Doctrine, we find this: “To us, speaking in the proper infinite sense, these three are the only Gods we worship. But in addition there is an infinite number of holy personages, drawn from worlds without number, who have passed on to exaltation and are thus gods.” Apostle Orson Pratt writes (The Seer, Vol 1): “In heaven, where our spirits were born, there are many Gods, each of whom has his own wife, or wives, which were given to him previous to his redemption, while yet in his mortal state.”

In spite of the very clear teachings of the leaders of the LDS church that there are many gods, in day-to-day practice the average LDS church member, when thinking of God or praying to Him, conceives of God as Father, specifically the Father of Jesus Christ. Many Mormons are seemingly unaware of the official teaching of the church. Lest we get prideful about their ignorance, I would gently say the same about 90% of our own church members. God bless your little pea-pickin’ hearts!

Let’s move on to the LDS plan of salvation. When the presidential candidate sincerely responds to the question, “Who is Jesus Christ?” with the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, Messiah, and Savior, what exactly would he mean by that based on the teaching of his church?

Elder Bruce McConkie writes (What Mormons Think of Christ): “Christ is our Redeemer and our Savior. Except for him there would be no salvation and no redemption, and unless men come unto him and accept him as their Savior, they cannot have eternal life in his presence. The gospel plan is the way which is ordained whereby men may come to find him and find salvation.” Sounds good, doesn’t it? The problem is, Mormons have an entirely different plan for salvation than that of the Reformed Church (of which we are a part).

Latter-day Saints believe that all people first exist as spirits in the spirit world, born of spirit fathers and mothers. This state is called pre-existence, or pre-mortal existence. These spirits wait to be born into a human body. In order for these spirits to have access to the celestial kingdom, they must have a human body, go through an “earthly probation,” and prove themselves worthy of gaining the kingdom. Providing bodies for these spirits becomes an important work for the Mormon faithful. To some extent, this is why Mormon families are traditionally large and why the LDS leadership has gone on record opposing birth control and abortion. To give a body-home to a homeless spirit is a good deed.

Okay. Once the homeless spirit is born into a human body, it’s time to get to work.

Mormons believe in “free-will” not unlike our Methodist brothers and sisters. Every person decides for himself whether to accept or reject the gospel during the time of earthly probation. To accept the gospel includes the keeping of various ordinances. These include Faith: believing in God; Repentance: feeling sorry for one’s sins and not committing them anymore; Baptism: a contract with God in which one promises to do better from that time onward; Accepting the gift of the Holy Spirit; Keeping the commandments regarding morality, loyalty, tithing and so on. So far, so good, right?

In Mormonism, the believer works and lives in such a way as to gain access to the kingdom. This is called “works righteousness.” This is not the faith we proclaim. But to move on.

Mormonism teaches that if one accepts the gospel and keeps the various rules and regulations, the celestial heaven may be obtained. In the afterlife, there are three kingdoms: the celestial, the terrestrial, and the telestial. Those who keep the ordinances of the gospel receive the celestial kingdom. The secondary “heaven” – terrestrial – is for those good people whose lives are commendable, but who do not accept the Mormon gospel. The third kingdom – telestial – is for those who live evil lives and reject the gospel according to Joseph Smith.

Within each of these kingdoms one’s eternal progression continues. One can progress within the realm of each kingdom, but one can never move up or down into the other kingdoms.

Generally speaking, Mormonism rejects the concept of hell. Some do teach that evil people suffer in a place of torment until they are purified enough for acceptance into the telestial kingdom. Truth be told, these ideas are not far from the teachings of a popular evangelical preacher by the name of Rob Bell, as expounded in his book, Love Wins.

The LDS teaches that one does not enter into one’s place of eternal destiny immediately upon death. Rather, there is a “layover” in a place known as “Paradise.” In Paradise, everyone waits until the resurrection of the dead. While there, there will be preachers proclaiming the gospel once again. Those who now accept it in Paradise will move on to a better place. Those who don’t … won’t.

Now, what’s the role of Jesus Christ in this theology? One might assume that since the church is named the Church of Jesus Christ, that Christ would play a major role in the eternal destiny of humankind. But no.

In the tract What Mormons Think of Christ and the Book of Mormon, the effect of Christ’s atoning work – His life, death for our sins, and resurrection – is that, first of all, instead of remaining dead forever, all people will rise from the dead. Christ ransoms all people from the effects of temporal death. Secondly, Christ makes it possible for a person to obey God’s laws and thus making it into the celestial heaven.

In the Mormon view, the grace of God is “the mercy, the love, and the condescension God has for his children, as a result of which he has ordained the plan of salvation so that they may have power to progress and become like him.” To be “saved by grace alone” then means that, “all men … without any act on their part … are resurrected and become immortal because of the atoning sacrifice of Christ.” But in order to gain an eternal dwelling in the celestial heaven, “salvation by grace coupled with obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel” is necessary. The Biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone, which is the teaching of our Reformed heritage, has been vehemently denied by Mormon leaders. Dr. James Talmage called it, “the sectarian dogma of justification by faith alone,” which “has exercised an influence for evil since the early days of Christianity” (Articles of Faith).

Elder E.F. Perry in The Scrap Book writes, “The gospel of Jesus Christ is called the plan of salvation. It is a system of rules by complying with which salvation may be obtained.” Elder John Morgan adds, “By obedience to the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ man prepares himself for the grand and glorious exaltation held in reserve for those who worship God ‘in spirit and truth’”

So the Mormon plan of salvation is based on the doing of certain works, the following of certain laws, the keeping of certain ordinances. By their own teachings, Mormon leaders declare it to be a religion based on salvation by works. Man works, earns, climbs his way into the heavenly kingdom.

This, of course, is a far cry from our Reformed theology that teaches the completeness of the salvation by Jesus Christ apart from any works of man. The Bible clearly says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5). “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

It is God’s grace through faith that lifts people from the mire of sin into new life in Jesus Christ. Under the power of God’s grace we are enabled to live to the glory of Him who bought us to be His own (Ephesians 2:10). Although our lives may be filled with falling and returning again and again for God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ, it is always His grace that picks us up and sets our feet once more upon the way that He would have us go. “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith. For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law” (Romans 3:27-28).

So, we have seen from the writings and scriptures of the Mormon Church that:

1) God is three separate entities, or beings. They are not considered equal. God the Father is superior to God the Son who is superior to God the Holy Ghost.

2) God and Christ are physical, flesh and blood beings, and the Holy Ghost is a spiritual being.

3) That what man is now, God once was; and as God is now, man shall be.

4) That the plan of salvation involves the proper and complete obedience to certain works.

Okay. So what? What difference does this make in a political contest. Absolutely none.

We live, today, in a pluralistic society. We are no longer a “Christian” nation. We are a nation of many different religious views and practices. That means there can never be a theological “litmus” test for political office. Unfortunately in the United Church of Christ, there is no theological litmus test for ordination, either. We’ll ordain just about anybody, no matter what they believe. I personally don’t like that, but its part of our polity, our church governance, and I can’t fight it.

The point is, we do not elect persons based on their religious beliefs. Nor should we. We should elect persons based on their “fruits.” As Jesus rightly observed, “By their fruit ye shall know them.” I could name a lot of politicians who claim to be Christian, but you’d never know it by their “fruits.” How about you?

But I don’t want to talk politics. That’s not our concern for this morning.

Hopefully this discussion has helped you to understand, a little bit better, the religious beliefs of a great many people in this country of ours. All in all, they are the same as we. Americans. Hard-working, moral, respectful, protectors of the unborn and those in need. The presidential candidate who professes the Mormon faith is no more the anti-christ than our current president, who happens to be a member of our own denomination. (Actually, based on the biblical description of the anti-christ, I’d nominate Tony Blair – but you didn’t hear that from me J)

So, we all want to learn more and be informed about all the issues, religious and political. And always remember this. Paul tells us in Romans 13:1; “Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen.”

In other words, we get the government we deserve. God help us all!

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, we give you thanks and praise that Your clear plan of salvation does not require any works on our part, only our faith that You have made complete the forgiveness of our sin through the death and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

May Your Spirit inspire us to learn more of our own faith and that of others. May we always be respectful of other viewpoints, yet willing and able to share our Good News with a world that desperately needs it.

And the people said, “Amen.”