• 1. Why do you have a website like this?
• 2. Jesus wouldn't go around criticizing other faiths. Why do you?
• 3. I see you take donations on this website. Are you guys paid for doing what you do?
• 4. With all the changes and re-translations made throughout history, how do you know that today's Bible is reliable?
• 5. What Bible do you use? And how do you know it's the "right" one?
• 6. What about all those books they took out of the Bible?
• 7. What exactly do you mean by "biblical Christianithy"?
• 8. Do you teach that all i have to do is pray a little prayer, and I'm saved so I can go sin all I want?
• 9. So what's the deal with the Trinity, and why does it matter?
• 10. James teaches that faith without works is dead. So how can you say that salvation is by grace alone?
• 11. Where does your authority come from? How do you know that your church is the right one?
• 12. Do you believe Mormons are Christians?
• 13. You are saying some things about what Mormonism teaches that I don't believe is true. What are your sources?
• 14. I've heard some Christians say that the Mormon Jesus is "Another Christ". What is that all about?
  
  

We created this website because we want to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to Mormons. That's it. You might wonder why we even think we need to share Jesus with Mormons (after all, don't they already have him?) And we know that some will dismiss this as "anti-Mormon propaganda." However, if that's your reaction, we invite you to look a little deeper. If you really examine all the materials we present here and still believe that we are "anti-Mormon" then by all means, contact us and let's talk about it.

Our sole motivation is to support and an encourage those Mormons who are seeking to know the Jesus Christ as presented in the Bible. We have absolutely nothing against the Mormon people; in fact, its out of concern for them that we do this. Our objections to Mormonism go only so far as its teachings and doctrines obscure the truth about Jesus Christ, and how we can have eternal life through Him. We believe that truth matters, and eternal truths matter eternally. So we invite anyone to correct us if they encounter something in our materials that is unfactual or untrue.

For further reading about our motivation, we talk about this at length in our open letter to Mormons.

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Have you read the four gospels? The assumption that Jesus never would go around telling people that their religion is wrong is false--because he did...quite a lot, quite often, and usually with very pointed and sometimes harsh language. Yet somehow when someone challenges a belief system, it's often labeled "un-Christlike." But if you're tempted to apply that label to us, we recommend you first examine what Christ was really like!

For starters, check out Matthew chapter 23 and John chapter 8. You'll find that Jesus had some pretty pointed things to say to the religious leaders, beliefs, and practices of his day.

Now, all that aside, we are not suggesting that we have a right to badger or mistreat others because of their beliefs. But we do have a responsibility to speak the truth, even if there is disagreement. We endeavor always to do so respectfully. But don't get us wrong--the truth matters, and eternal truths matter eternally. That is our motivation--that was also Jesus' motivation when he spoke to the religious leaders of the day. If we challenge a truth claim, we challenge it because there is a valid reason to. We're not afraid to discuss these things; if you have questions or concerns or you are offended by anything we've said, or even how we've said it, we'd love to discuss it with you. Feel free to contact us.

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Yes, there's a donation link on this website. And yes, there are paid staff at our church, including one full-time missionary who oversees the multimedia production, websites, and outreach. But any donations that come through this website (and truthfully, it's a pretty tiny amount), are intended to cover a portion of the cost of production and distribution of the materials, much of which is given away for free. Long story short--no one person benefits financially from either donations made from this website, or even from the sales of materials (which are sold at material cost, if not given away for free). The modest salaries that are paid to our staff, as well as most of our operating costs, come exclusively from freewill, non-compulsory donations from people who give offerings to the church, and believe in the value of the ministry and outreach, and contribute specifically toward it. There is no larger organization funding our church or this ministry. If you ever want to see our financial statement, we make it freely available. Contact us for more information.

So we are hardly in it for the money. If we were interested in money, this would be the last thing we would choose for a profession! Each full-time staff member has willingly left a higher-paying job in order to serve full-time in ministry.

The motivation of most Christian workers in full-time vocational ministry is sharing the gospel of Christ. Yet they have to eat and pay the rent and power bill, as well. The Bible is quick to point out that people whose full-time work is in the gospel should be supported in their endeavors. (1 Corinthians 9:13-4; 1 Timothy 5:18) Greed and dishonest gain? Sadly, you can find examples of it, and we are as sickened by this as anyone. But supporting those who dedicate their lives to sharing the gospel with others? This comes straight from the Bible.

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Well, actually, we do know. The Bible's textual history is extremely well-documented--far more so than most people realize. The charge that the Bible is corrupted and tampered can actually be examined (and refuted) historically. No other ancient document in the history of the world has such an enormous degree of manuscript evidence. We have every reason to be confident that the Bible we have today is the Bible as it was originally written--with a very high degree of accuracy and reliability. And even in the few places where there are minor uncertainties, those areas are known and documented, and they do not affect any core biblical doctrines. (In fact, you'll often find them footnoted in modern Bibles.)

The science of textual criticism is all about determining what the original text said based on a mathematical examination of available manuscripts. The greater the number of manuscripts, the higher the degree of confidence in arriving at what the original text said. No one in the scientific or literary community questions the authenticity or reliability of other ancient classics like Homer's Iliad. Yet the Bible has far and away more manuscript evidence than any of these other works. It is the most well-documented ancient document in existence. Any other ancient work, in terms of abundance of manuscript evidence, comes in a distant second to the Bible.

If you're interested in exploring this issue further, we can point you to some good resources (For example, carm.org/is-the-bible-reliable). But the upshot is, there just isn't any validity to the challenge that the Bible is not reliable, in terms of how it's been transmitted through the ages. So really what it comes down to is: is it God's Word or not?

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There is only one Bible, though there are many different translations of the Bible. Translations are necessary, unless everyone who wants to read the Bible learns ancient Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. (And a lot of people actually do that; but most of us have to rely on translations in our own language.)

Some languages, like English, have the Bible in several common translations. With very few exceptions, the most commonly used ones are based on the original ancient texts, and are NOT simply rehashes of the King James. If you look at some translations side-by-side, you may see some slight wording differences, but no differences of any significance in meaning. (You can do that online at biblegateway.com, a great online Bible resource.)

Modern translations exist because language changes over time. The English of 1611 (when the King James Version was first published) is different from the English of the twenty-first century. Some words have faded into obscurity, and some words have even shifted meaning. So updated translations are valuable tools for understanding the original text. In addition, the discovery of more ancient manuscripts in recent times has enabled some of the minor uncertainties (which still existed in the 17th Century) to be resolved.

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Mormonism has taught that many "plain and precious" parts were removed from the Bible; presumably this included entire books. Often some reference is made to the Council of Nicea, which Mormons (and others) claim decided which books would and would not be included in the Bible, particularly the New Testament.

But history shows that this is not really the case. In fact there's no evidence that this matter was even discussed at Nicea. And there's no evidence of any unilateral political pressure from any source to declare which books of the Bible would be included or excluded. As the gospels and letters were penned by the apostles, they were rapidly copied and sometimes even translated into other languages, and they eventually were distributed all around the known world. And among them were some other books and writings that also got passed around.

By the time Nicea came to pass, the documents that are now in the New Testament were, by and large, already accepted by nearly all Christians as God-inspired...and this had been the case for as long as a century. Christian congregations from all over the world had, unbeknownst to one another, found themselves favoring certain books and rejecting others. Keep in mind, these congregations had little contact with one another prior to Nicea. There was no top-down organizational structure that controlled all the churches. They were essentially independent congregations. When the first world-wide conference of Christians gathered in Nicea, each of the delegates discovered that their own "lists" of what they considered to be spiritually valuable books matched up extremely closely. The other spurious writings got left out by default, because they were deemed to have little value.

It was this organic process of independent consensus, organized by the Holy Spirit, not by any man-made administration, that established the Biblical canon. That is part of the miracle of God holding to His promise of keeping His Word intact.

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Biblical Christianity refers to the breadth of all churches and followers of Jesus Christ (regardless of church affiliation) who derive their beliefs, doctrines, and teachings from the Bible. There is no human authority that governs biblical Christianity--Jesus alone through the Holy Spirit is the head of this Church.Biblical Christianity holds the Bible to be God's only written word, and that it is authoritative and reliable for all matters of faith, doctrine, and practice. Churches (as organizations) may disagree on certain doctrinal issues and secondary matters that are generally regarded as "non-essential". And there are certain cultural and structural differences that you will find across the breadth of biblical Christianity. But the things that unite biblical Christianity are far important than the comparatively minor differences. The core fundamental doctrines of salvation are shared across denominational lines. So despite differences of opinion and practice on some matters, biblical Christians, across denominational and church lines, can call one another "brothers and sisters in Christ" -- not because of membership in a church or denomination, but because we are followers of Jesus.Incidentally, this is why Mormonism is not considered under the umbrella of biblical Christianity, because it rejects most of the core doctrines of salvation.For more information on the core doctrines of salvation, click here.

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What you WILL find in the Bible, however, is the teaching that we're all sinners, every one of us, and we are all unworthy to be in God's presence. And it is only because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and our receiving it by faith, that we can be counted as worthy to enter into God's presence. You will also find the teaching that the sacrifice of Jesus was sufficient to cover ALL sin--the little ones, the big ones, the past ones, the future ones. All of them. And that forgiveness cannot be earned, but only received as a gift, by faith.

But when you place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ who forgives your sin, it changes you. He changes you. You grow to hate your sin, you don't revel in it. That doesn't mean you are perfect and without sin; what it means is that you are grieved by your sin...and not because you're afraid God has stopped loving you or taken away your salvation, but rather, because you love Him and you know that your sin grieves Him. It's a change that comes about because of love, not obligation and duty.

So no, praying a little prayer doesn't do anything for you at all, if there is no life-change by Jesus. But if your heart has been changed, then going out and wallowing in sin just isn't a part of your life, nor do you want it to be.

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The Trinity (literally, the three-in-one) emerges from four biblical statements:

1.That there is only one God; 
2. The Father is God; 
3. Jesus is God; and 
4. The Holy Spirit is God.

So while the word "Trinity" does not occur in the Bible, the doctrine is found throughout both the Old and New Testaments.

The nature and deity of Jesus is often at the center of any debate about the Trinity. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Eternal God, who entered into the human experience by becoming a man. One of the "snags" Mormons encounter when trying to understand the Trinity stems from the belief that God the Father has, and has always had, a body of flesh and blood. If that were the case, then of course the Trinity would make no sense. But when you understand that God is a spirit, who is eternal and all-powerful, who is present anywhere and everywhere, capable of all things beyond our imagining, then His way of doing things is not limited by a physical body or anything else.

It's important to point out what the Trinity is NOT. It's NOT some three-headed God. Nor is he a singular God who just changes form when it suits him. No...the individual personhood of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit is very real, and exists in loving fellowship and perfect unity of being. This is not philosophical babble; this is how God reveals himself in the Bible.

So why does it matter? Well, for one thing, his creation of humanity wasn't something he needed to do out of loneliness or boredom; rather, he created us as an outpouring of the perfect love shared between the Father, Son, and Spirit. And his unity with humanity in the person of Jesus Christ is the proof of that. God in Jesus became himself the perfect human that none of us could ever be, taking upon himself our sin, so that in him, we can share in his perfect union with the Father, through the Spirit. The Trinity, then, is at the very heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A mystery? Of course it is. God's greatness is such that we could never wrap our finite little minds around, so it stands to reason that an eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing God will do things in a way that exceed our ability to fully understand.

For some more on this subject, check out this article.

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James does teach--as do we--that faith without works is dead! But this is not the same thing as saying that salvation is by works, nor does it mean that it's not by grace. What James is saying is that works are the evidence of saving faith, not the cause of it. If there are no works in your life--no good deeds--then is that a living faith? Not according to the Bible.

But...what does James mean when he speaks of "works" or "deeds"? If you are thinking of religious rites and practices, go back and read James Chapter 2. This is not about temple rituals, it's not about fulfilling callings, it's not about religious duties. It's about love. The work that James is referring to is to love one another which is an outpouring of the love that God has already given us. James also tells us that if we think we're going to be justified by keeping the law, then we're in trouble, because if we break one point of the law, we break all of it. "So speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment." (James 2:12-13)

Many well-meaning Latter-day Saints cite James 2:17 and claim it teaches salvation by works, and ignore the many other Bible passages that clearly proclaim that salvation is entirely, purely, and exclusively by grace and not works (e.g., Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 11:6; Galatians 2:16; Titus 3:4-7, and many others).

The thing is, it matters. Salvation by grace is NOT about a freedom to sin; it's about freedom from sin, and freedom from the judgment of the law.

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This is sometimes a difficult question for many life-long Mormons to understand. You may ask, how do we manage without a living prophet and a priesthood structure? How can we move confidently without ongoing revelation and direction from the hierarchy of people above us? Aren't the various Christian churches just a bunch of little disorganized groups scrambling for followers and arguing with one another about who is the true church? And how can we be sure that whatever church we belong to is the "right" one?

If these are the sorts of things you're asking, you may need to put aside everything you think you know about biblical Christianity. These questions are all tied to a lack of understanding of how God operates among His people, according to the New Testament, particularly with regard to the idea of "priesthood." In Mormonism, priesthood is (simply put) the authority to act on God's behalf. It is conferred from one man to another, and the chain of command is well-established and orderly.

But this is not the priesthood that the New Testament speaks of. It tells about something that is completely revolutionary--the priesthood of believers. This is the understanding that each and every person who embraces the biblical truth of Jesus Christ and follows Him--is a member of the priesthood. Equally. Old or young, rich or poor, male or female, regardless of race or nationality or station in life. It's conferred by Jesus Himself, not by a man or a ritual or an organization. The Twelve Apostles were foundational only by virtue of their personal experience of walking with Jesus Christ in the flesh; they were the men Jesus chose to begin His church; he was not establishing an organizational structure, he was creating a living community of followers. That is a very different concept altogether. Priesthood, in the biblical sense, is not about authority, power, and command; rather, it is about servanthood and access to God. And Jesus alone is our high priest, the one through whom we all have access to God--directly. The human organization, with its quirks and flaws, is not the most important thing; the connection to God through Jesus is.

So even the question "which church is the 'right' one" is kind of an irrelevant question, because there is no such thing as the "One True Church," at least in terms of human organization and adminsitration. The One True Church is really the collection of ALL people, around the world, regardless of which church they call their own (or for that matter whether they even attend a church) who know Jesus Christ and believe and trust in Him for their salvation.

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Well, first we have to agree on a definition of "Christian." The popular, secular definition of "Christian" is "a member of a religious organization that claims a tie to the person or teachings of Jesus Christ." Or even broader--someone who exhibits behavior or ideals consistent with Jesus' teachings. The trouble is, this popular definition is so broad that it's practically meaningless. It could be applied to just about anyone who wants to lay claim to it.

However, the Bible's definition of a Christian is a person who is a follower of Jesus Christ. The word "Christian" literally means "little Christ." That is, someone who belongs to, is subject to, is like, or imitates Christ. So being the member of a church--any church--is not what makes you a Christian. What makes you a Christian is whether or not you know and follow Jesus.

So a better question is, does Mormonism, as an organization, lead someone to really know, love, and follow Jesus?

Most believing Mormons would say without hesitation, "Of course! His name is in the name of our church!" Be that as it may, that isn't what makes an organization 'Christian.' A close examination of what the Bible says about Jesus shows that Mormonism, by and large, does not preach about the biblical Jesus Christ. It fails to proclaim the gospel that Jesus proclaimed. (For a list of doctrinal comparisons, click here.) The Jesus of Mormonism is a starkly different character, in terms of his nature, being, and purpose--than the Jesus you read about in the Bible.

These are very important distinctions. There are eternal matters at stake. Jesus proclaimed that the truth of who He is matters eternally. So even if you think we're just voicing our own opinions, don't you think it's worth seeking to know what Jesus actually said about himself?

In addition to the nature and being of Jesus, Christianity has historically held to a short list of biblically-derived doctrines, all of which Mormonism rejects to some degree or another. It is for this reason that most of traditional Christianity does not consider Mormonism to be "Christian" in the biblical sense.

If you want to learn more about the core Christian doctrines, click here.

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First of all, let's distinguish between what you (or any individual Mormon) might personally believe, and what Mormonism has taught and continues to teach. They are not necessarily one and the same. Some Mormons are either unaware of, or reject as "unofficial" many of the peculiar and distinctive doctrines of Mormonism.

We strive to keep all of our declarations about Mormon doctrine and teachings in line with official sources, which we consider to be:

1. The Standard Works (Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, Pearl of Great Price)

2. Anything published and/or distributed by and for the LDS Church (e.g., Gospel Principles, Journal of Discourses, teachings of the prophets, official online publications, etc.)

3. Public declarations made by the President or General Authorities.

If you encounter something that we've written on this website that you believe to be in error, please do contact us, and if we find that we're in error, we'll make the correction. We're not interested in propagating mistruths. But...don't just say we're lying. Do the research, and make sure you include references to official sources.

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What is in question is the nature, identity, and purpose of Jesus. Who is he, really? What did he come to do?

Mormonism does affirm certain historical aspects of a man named Jesus that the Bible teaches; that he was born in Judea in the first century, that he taught his disciples, that he performed miracles, that he was called the Son of God, was crucified and resurrected. (Mormonism also teaches an account of Jesus appearing in the Americas, which is backed neither by the Bible nor any other historical sources outside of Mormon literature.)

However, there are many things that Mormonism teaches about Him that are in direct conflict with what the Bible, and consequently historical Christianity, teaches, and these are not trifling differences; they strike at the core of His being.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is God--not one of several or many gods, but that He is the one and only, the Eternal Creator, God Almighty. (For example: Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1; John 1:14; John 10:30-33; John 20:28; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 1:15-17; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:2-8.) Jesus is the human, in-the-flesh representation of God, since God is spirit. The Bible teaches that Jesus came to be the final sacrifice for all sin, and to grant eternal life--everlasting life in God's presence--to all who believe in and place their trust in Him.

Mormonism, on the other hand, maintains that Jesus is the literal, biological offspring of Heavenly Father (and Heavenly Mother), the same as every other person, making Jesus our literal spirit-brother. It has even been taught that Jesus' conception on earth was the result of the carnal union of Heavenly Father (who, according to Mormon teaching is a man with flesh and bone) and the virgin Mary. According to Mormonism, Jesus' coming to earth was a part of his own exaltation process. According to Mormonism, Jesus did pay for the world's sin, after a fashion; the "atonement" took place in his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. His death on the cross and resurrection are acknowledged. In fact, Mormonism rejects the cross as a symbol. The "atonement" that Jesus purchased was not eternal life, according to Mormonism; what he provided was resurrection for all mankind, which while it's considered an important step, it's not the whole picture. Beyond resurrection, our eternal destiny is determined by our works.

But according to the Bible, Jesus is eternal; he has always existed as God and always will. He is before all things and nothing existed before him. He created all things, us included. He is not our "brother" in the crass biological sense; rather, he took upon himself our humanity, to be the substitute offering to cover our sin; his death on the cross and the resurrection are the central events of human history, through which he made right our damaged relationship with God, so that we might enjoy what we were originally created for--eternal life with him. Jesus is not a mere messenger boy; he is the exact representation of the Father, and in whom the fullness of God dwells. He is the Gospel.

We challenge Mormons to really stop and consider how much Jesus is a part of their daily life and worship. While you may be quick to say, "We talk about Jesus all the time!", stop and think if this is really true. We're not talking about how you close a prayer, or a casual mention of Him here and there. How often is there any substantive mention of Jesus--who He is, what He has done on our behalf, how He changes our lives, how we love and cherish Him, how worthy He is of our worship and adoration, in church meetings? In General Conference talks? In our own daily thinking and praying?

All things begin and end with Jesus. As the apostle Paul says, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14) and "For I am determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:1-3). If Jesus Christ, and the truth about Him, is not the central focus, the center of worship, the center of teaching, the center of life...then can such truly be called "Christian"?

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