In part 1, we looked at Mormonism’s answers to the 5 big questions about life. Before we discuss ways to share the gospel, it’s important to clear up some misconceptions and point out some serious issues with the Mormon faith.
Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalists
Although polygamy is still widely practiced in Mormonism, the practice has actually been denounced by the church. There are those who reject the beliefs of more recent prophets and hold firm to the teachings of Joseph Smith, which are called Mormon Fundamentalists. Although they receive the largest spotlight, and indeed Fundamentalists do have a significant presence in America, those who teach and practice polygamy aren’t necessarily representative of modern Mormon belief.
The historical issues of the Book of Mormon
The story of Joseph Smith’s revelation is completely rejected by modern historians. There are several issues that have arisen as time has passed:
- There’s absolutely no historical evidence of a Middle Eastern group of people coming to America
- Native American genetics show no traces of Middle Eastern breeding
- Archaeology has found nothing close to the language supposedly contained on the tablets revealed to Joseph Smith. If the ancient prophet-turned-angel had written these tablets in a unique form of Egyptian used by his people at the time, we should be able to find similar metal tablets or other writing from these people
The Trinity
Although Mormons believe in the Trinity, they don’t agree that God is one being existing simultaneously as three distinct persons. Rather, they believe the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate beings. Further, they don’t believe that these beings are unchanging, but that they were once some form of human who were exalted, like Mormons will be, and are now worthy of being worshipped.
It’s also worth noting that Mormons also believe in a Heavenly Mother, for how could there be a Father without one? This doesn’t have a significant impact on Mormon theology, but does leave room for the fact that there could be any number of gods out there, all with their own spirit children who are likewise learning to become gods themselves.
The impossibility of eternity
Because God is not an ultimate being like the Christian God, it is necessary that all things in the universe have existed eternally, even if only in a basic spiritual form. However, an eternal universe is not only impossible, it’s absurd. I will do my best to briefly explain why, but explaining why infinity is impossible is like explaining the taste of the color blue to a dog.
Technically, infinity itself isn’t impossible. After all, there are an infinite amount of potential numbers. We can’t reach the end of numbers, because when we do we can always add 1 more. However, what works on paper doesn’t always work in reality.
I will try to explain this using blocks. Imagine stacking 1 numbered block on another block every single day. On Day 3, you stack Block #3 on top of Block #2. In 100 days, you’d add Block #100, and so on. We could potentially continue this forever, yet one thing would always be constant: those blocks had to start with Block #1. The stack has a beginning, but it’s possible to have no definite end.
Now imagine a similar stack of blocks has no Block #1. The stack goes on infinitely downward, one block beneath another, for eternity. Now let’s stack a numbered block on top of it. What number do we put on the block? After all, these blocks are being added 1 day at a time, so we can definitely count them. Yet we could count backward for an infinite amount of time without ever reaching the beginning.
In other words, an infinite amount of time simply can’t work. It makes sense in theory, but when one day is added to another, time can’t move forward because there’s no starting point for Block #1.
If absurdity makes more sense by hearing and seeing it, this video explains an old argument against an eternal universe called “Hilbert’s Hotel,” including a nice little graphical explanation.
Abuses in the church
At its core, Mormonism doesn’t set out to exploit and manipulate its people. However, understanding the vast chasm between the Terrestrial Kingdom and the Celestial Kingdom can create certain desperation in people, and from there the sinfulness of humans can easily find a form of control. After all, if you believe that the Mormon church holds the keys to our eternity of being either normal humans or all-powerful gods, wouldn’t you be afraid not to trust God’s chosen leaders and prophets to guide you towards “exaltation” into godhood?
As we’ll discuss in the gospel section, Mormonism is a salvation-by-works religion at its core, highly regarding a conservative lifestyle. As a result, many who leave the Mormon church have stories ranging from not being allowed to wear shorts in the summer, all the way to being excommunicated from their families because they had questions about their faith.
In the end, most who leave Mormonism share stories of abusive control by parents and church leaders. Whether this is done out of fear for a person’s soul or simply being a sinful human with too much power and no fear of God, it’s important to keep this in mind as we engage with those of the Mormon faith. It can be a culture of fear and control, yet those in the midst of it may not even realize it.
Uniquely American
This is saved for last because it’s much more of an opinion than the rest of these. In the years that I’ve studied other religions, I’ve noticed that a lot of new religions, ways of thinking about God, and entire denominations/movements find their roots in America. Our culture is known for prizing individualism, new ways of thinking, and going against tradition. Thus, it’s rarely a surprise when someone bucks tradition and insists they found a new way of thinking that has been misunderstood for thousands of years.
With that in mind, Mormonism is deliciously American. God’s true, uncorrupted people were sent to this land, hiding the secrets of godhood for 2,000 years until a chosen American was hand-delivered these instructions by an angel of God. It has a distinctly democratic tone to its hierarchy. America is, of course, God’s new chosen land. And, of course, it’s not too mean because almost everyone gets some kind of happy ending, but those in an elite class will become gods themselves.
As I dug deeper into Mormonism for this series, I became less and less surprised that it began in a highly-individualistic, “new thinking is better thinking” culture. It also not surprising that once Mormonism gained its foothold in America, it turned into a very “us vs them” religion, sectioning itself off from most of the world around it and isolating itself from any form of dissent.
Beginning in America isn’t inherently wrong, but I always tread with greater caution when a new belief or way of understanding the Bible originates from the individualistic worldview fostered here.
With all that in mind, get ready for tomorrow as we discuss sharing the gospel with a Mormon!
