The Falsity of Mormonism

"What about The Book of Mormon?  Is it also inspired by God?"

Mormonism claims to be a Christian religion, the only true Christian religion.  Its largest denomination is headquartered in Utah and goes by the name The Church of  Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It was founded by a convicted con man named Joseph Smith Jr.  (See Walter Martin's book cited below.)

Mormonism has several scriptures not accepted by any branch of Christianity.

• The Book of Mormon
• Doctrine and Covenants
• Pearl of Great Price (includes The Book of Abraham)

Additionally, Journal of Discourses and and History of the [Mormon] Church contain official records and teachings of various Mormon leaders and founders.

The Book of Mormon is actually a novel.

Although the Mormon Church denies it, The Book of Mormon actually was plagiarized from an unpublished novel, i.e., a fictional work, titled Manuscript Found, written by a retired Congregational (Protestant) minister named Solomon Spalding, who died in 1816.  Large parts are also plagiarized from the King James Version of the Bible.  Among other errors, The Book of Mormon makes numerous claims about society in pre-Columbian North America which totally contradict the archaeological evidence.  (See the references at the end of this page for details.)

"If The Book of Mormon is actually a novel, why would a Protestant minister say there are multiple gods, etc."

He didn't!  Here is yet more evidence of the falsity of Mormonism:

Not only do the teachings of both Mormonism and its founder, Joseph Smith Jr. directly contradict the Bible,  THEY EVEN CONTRADICT THE BOOK OF MORMON !!!

Christianity is monotheistic.  The Book of Mormon is monotheistic.  YET MORMONISM IS POLYTHEISTIC !!!

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

Isaiah 44:6-8 [6] "This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. [7] Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. [8] Do not tremble, do not be afraid.  Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

Mark 12:28-32 [28] One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" [29] "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. [30] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' [31] The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." [32] "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him."

The Book of Mormon Alma 11:28-29 Now Zeezrom said: "Is there more than one God?"  And he answered, "No."

Mormonism claims that any man can become a god if he does three things:

• tithes
• does good works
• gets married in a Mormon temple

Also see Joseph Smith Jr. in Journal of Discourses 6:4; History of the [Mormon] Church 6:306; Times and Seasons 6:614; Teachings of the Prophet [Joseph Smith Jr.], pages 346-347 "... 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." [bold and italics added for emphasis]

Joseph Smith Jr. in History of the [Mormon] Church 6:474 "I will preach on the plurality of Gods.  I have selected this text for the express purpose.  I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods.  It has been preached by the Elders for fifteen years.

"I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods.  If this is in accordance with the New Testament, lo and behold! we have three Gods anyhow, and they are plural: and who can contradict it?" [bold and italics added for emphasis]

Mormonism claims that Jehovah God was once a man.

Joseph Smith, Jr. in Journal of Discourses 6:3; Times and Seasons 5:614; History of the [Mormon] Church 6:305 "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." [bold and italics added for emphasis]

Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Malachi 3:6a "I the LORD do not change."

Mormonism teaches that (a) God, (b) Michael the Archangel, and (c) Adam are the same being!  It also teaches that Jesus was conceived by Jehovah, not by the Holy Spirit.

Brigham Young in Journal of Discourses 1:50-51 "Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner!  When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him.  He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! about whom holy men have written and spoken -- He is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom WE have to do.  Every man upon the earth, professing Christians or non-professing, must hear it, and will know it sooner or later....  When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness.  He was not begotten by the Holy Ghost." [bold and italics added for emphasis]

Compare Luke 1:28, 31, 34-35 [28] The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." [31] You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. [34] "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" [35] The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Simply put, Mormonism directly contradicts the Bible on some fundamental teachings. They can't both be true.

"You're making claims but you really aren't providing much support."

This site is primarily about the truth of Protestant Christianity, not the falsity of other religions.  However, comparative theology is one of the sub-fields of apologetics.

"Where can I get more information on Mormonism and how it differs from Christianity?"

The following are excellent discussions of the differences between Mormonism and Christianity, including the history of Mormonism:

Martin, Walter. The Maze of Mormonism. Ventura, California: Regal Books, 1978 ISBN: 0884490173 (out of print)
Check Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble 

Ankerberg, John and Weldon, John. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Mormonism. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 1992 ISBN: 0890819084 (out of print)
Check Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble