In this post I will seek to equip Christians to give a biblical response to the false doctrine and false god that is taught by Joseph Smith in the King Follett Discourse as they speak with Mormons. This post will address some of the teachings of this discourse although it is not exhaustive. Let us begin.
Quotes from Joseph Smith are in Blue.
"It is necessary for us to have an understanding of God himself in the beginning. If we start right, it is easy to go right all the time; but if we start wrong we may go wrong, and it will be a hard matter to get right."
You may wish to bring up this quote when witnessing to Mormons to show that even as Joseph Smith thought that it is "necessary to have an understanding of God himself in the beginning" it is indeed important to get the character of God correct as the basis of our Theology and doctrine. You can then use this as a springboard to go into a discussion of how the god of Joseph Smith is not the God of the Bible and this is a matter that we must get right.
"God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"
In Psalm 90:2 The Holy Spirit inspired these words: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."
Numbers 23:19 (Emphasis added)
The Bible is clear that God is not a man. Joseph Smith taught that his god was an exalted man. This is a clear section where the God of the Bible is seen to be different then the god of Joseph Smith.
In Acts 14:15 it says: “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them."
Let us consider the context of this passage; Paul and Barnabas are at Lystra and a crippled man is healed. "When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, :The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" The priest of Zeus wanted to offer sacrifices with the crowds. When Paul and Barnabas heard this they tore their clothes and cried out and addressed the crowds with the statement quoted above from verse 15. Let us now consider our text with this in mind; people wanted to worship these men, in response to this desire Paul and Barnabas made a distinction between the nature of man and the nature of God. They say that they should not worship them, they are men of like nature with them, however these men should turn from these vain things to serve the Living God. The True and Living God is of a different nature then men. Only the True Triune God of the Bible (Yahweh) The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit, is worthy of the worship and adoration of man. No man, regardless of how exalted they may seem, are worthy of worship. The god that Joseph Smith invented in his imagination is not worthy of worship and cannot save. There is salvation in no one other than the One True God, Yahweh. (Isaiah 43:11)
"In order to understand the subject of the dead, for consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends, it is necessary we should understand the character and being of God and how He came to be so; for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see."
The Bible is clear that God is not a man. Joseph Smith taught that his god was an exalted man. This is a clear section where the God of the Bible is seen to be different then the god of Joseph Smith.
In Acts 14:15 it says: “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them."
Let us consider the context of this passage; Paul and Barnabas are at Lystra and a crippled man is healed. "When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, :The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" The priest of Zeus wanted to offer sacrifices with the crowds. When Paul and Barnabas heard this they tore their clothes and cried out and addressed the crowds with the statement quoted above from verse 15. Let us now consider our text with this in mind; people wanted to worship these men, in response to this desire Paul and Barnabas made a distinction between the nature of man and the nature of God. They say that they should not worship them, they are men of like nature with them, however these men should turn from these vain things to serve the Living God. The True and Living God is of a different nature then men. Only the True Triune God of the Bible (Yahweh) The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit, is worthy of the worship and adoration of man. No man, regardless of how exalted they may seem, are worthy of worship. The god that Joseph Smith invented in his imagination is not worthy of worship and cannot save. There is salvation in no one other than the One True God, Yahweh. (Isaiah 43:11)
"In order to understand the subject of the dead, for consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends, it is necessary we should understand the character and being of God and how He came to be so; for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see."
In Psalm 90:2 The Holy Spirit inspired these words: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."
As you can see in a comparison of the text of the Bible and the claims of Joseph Smith, we see an irreconcilable difference between the God of the Bible and the god of Joseph Smith. God never came to be God, from everlasting to everlasting He is God. He was never a man, He never needed to be obedient to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, He never had a god before Him, He alone is God and He always has existed as the Supreme Ruler of all.
"Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power."
Joseph Smith taught here that "you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves." This is pure heresy. Examine these verses on the fact that there in only one God.
"“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,“and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me." Isaiah 43:10
"Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god."
Isaiah 44:8
"It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did; and I will show it from the Bible."
Isaiah 44:6
"Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”Isaiah 44:8
The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God. To say that men can become gods is blasphemy and expressly contradicts the teaching of the Bible.
"It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did; and I will show it from the Bible."
While the above statement is false, I like the fact that Joseph Smith taught that this is the first principle of the gospel. The LDS people that you witness to, may not want to discuss the character and nature of God and prefer to speak of the restoration of the gospel and other topics. You may choose to bring up this section where Joseph Smith put such a great emphasis on this teaching. You can also point out the importance of knowing the character of the True God of the Bible as the basis for all of our Theology and Doctrine and that we must establish Who God is, before we can have a proper understanding of salvation and the Gospel.
I would also suggest finding the King Follett Discourse and other quotes that you discuss with Mormons, on www.churchofjesuschrist.org as the Mormons are more likely to accept the church's website as a trusted resource.
I would also suggest finding the King Follett Discourse and other quotes that you discuss with Mormons, on www.churchofjesuschrist.org as the Mormons are more likely to accept the church's website as a trusted resource.
While there is more that can be discussed from the King Follett Discourse, I hope that this post will give you some insight into topics and quotes to discuss and how to respond to this discourse biblically.
With love in Christ,
Virginia
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