Mitt's Mormonism

Mitt's Mormonism

Jesus said we would know a tree by its fruit. He did NOT say we would know a tree by its religious affiliation.

In Bible College, I was introduced to the so-called “cult” of Mormonism, or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as the LDS (I have since decided anyone who doesn't think as we think they should think is often referred to as belonging to a cult). At one point in the course on cults, we watched a 6-minute cartoon called “The God Makers” (Google it), exposing the doctrines of the LDS organization. Some of these were not only foreign to me at the time, but they were downright odd.

At this point, I'd like for you to imagine an army consisting of mainline Christian denominations, shoulder to shoulder, arrayed against the Mormon church, not unlike the Crusaders marching against Islam (where is the love we're to be known by?). There they are - Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterian, Church of Christ, Lutherans, Pentecostals, etc., all marching lockstep in opposition to the Mormons.

Along the way, the Captain of that army calls the force to a halt. He asks them, “How many of you come from a denomination that does not use musical instruments in its gatherings?”

Hands are raised here and there.

“How many of you believe in praying to dead Christians?”

More hands are raised.

The questions continued: “How many of you believe in baptizing infants? How many believe in salvation by baptism? How many believe you can lose your salvation purchased by the blood shed on the cross?”

On and on the Captain inquired of His troops, until they realized their love for Him and desire to serve Him was the one thing they held in common and was the only thing that, ultimately, mattered.

You see, man will always look at the outside rather than the heart while God does the polar opposite. Where Mormons are concerned, they are on the same road to God as the rest of us, doing the best they can to love and serve Him by loving and serving one another. They believe in Jesus. They read the Bible and believe other books are equally as inspired. Catholics do the same and, frankly, many other individuals will spend more time ingesting books other than the Bible from which they get their own, extra-Biblical, spiritual notions, even while attending mainline congregations. 

Personally, I had to repent of the disdain I once held for the LDS church. Though I don't believe in much of what they profess, I DO believe in the same Jesus they believe in. My responsibility to the next Mormon I meet is to love him or her with the love of Christ shed abroad from my heart by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).

Are they preaching a doctrine foreign to most of us? In part, yes. Is that a big deal? 2 Cor 11:4 declares, “if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different Gospel which you have not accepted - you may well put up with it!” In other words, “you seem to tolerate all that well enough!”

A different Jesus? You decide. The LDS teaches Jesus was Lucifer's brother. Let's examine this belief: The Mormon teaching that Jesus and Satan are brothers stems from the concept of God being the Father - the Creator - of all pre-existent spirits. In other words, if God created ALL things, logically, that must includes Satan, right? Therefore, can they BOTH claim God as Father? Since Jesus is the Son of the Father, and all other spirits, including Satan, are sons of the Father, then ALL are brothers, right? Had we ever considered this? I know, it's certainly not a mainline teaching. This idea has been part of Mormon teaching from the time of Joseph Smith to the present.

A different Gospel? The very word means “Good News.” Is there any good news outside of Jesus?

Statistically, I just heard today only 18% of Americans are actually bothered by Romney's faith. Many were bothered by JFK's faith, too, but when that Catholic president was assassinated, the nation mourned.

Perhaps you've heard the story of the ten blind men and the elephant. Each man placed his hands on the elephant and described what an elephant was like. Naturally, each man had a different report. Spiritual experiences can be much like that. Just because one has never spoken in tongues, for example, does not mean no one should or can speak in tongues. We cannot deny anyone their spiritual encounters any more than we can deny them their gender or ethnicity. I've decided that, for the work each of us has been given, the lessons we will be taught must differ from person to person. Life on earth is like a big school; we're all here to learn something and when we're just not comprehending things, we need a smack on the forehead.

Consider yourself smacked. Is the Captain of our Army using a Mormon Presidential Candidate to do the smacking? Is this a test? The Romney's are not perfect - the ONLY perfect person died for the rest of us - but they DO exhibit much more fruit than, well... many people who refer to the LDS as a cult.

One last thing: Mormons are BIG on survival preparedness. I recall the story of a Baptist preacher who ignored his new Mormon neighbors until, one day, the two men met while working in their yards. As the conversation progressed, the Mormon invited the preacher into his home and wound up showing him their store of food. Surprised by the sight of so many provisions, the Baptist asked why there was so much. The Mormon said, “In a disaster, we figured we needed enough to care for YOUR family, too.”

With disasters on the increase, as any blind man can see, I wonder… was Mitt born for such a time as this? Perhaps. This goes for Mormon Glenn Beck, too.

And you and me as well.

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work