LDS:  Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day  Saints are often criticized for alleged beliefs regarding what one  must do to be saved. The following discourse is my explanation of  LDS doctrine  and  its relationship to the Bible relative  to  grace, works,  and eternal Life applied to Martin Luther's  Doctrine  of Justification by Faith Alone. It also points to the confusion  of Paul's Teachings.

LDS: Martin Luther's Doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone Martin Luther achieved many great things for the Christian  cause and  many  Latter-day Saints respect him. However, he was  not  a prophet of God, but a brave and intelligent man doing the best he could with his own understanding.

CMI: Luther never claimed to be a prophet of God as their prophet did. Mormons do not agree nor do they respect our  teachers.  To bring  the statement just made into context of Mormonism, all  we have  to  do is go into the LDS standard works and  their  temple ceremony.  Joseph Smith - History, which explains why he thought it was necessary to found a restored church, which does not claim to  have roots in traditional Christianity and not even  the  New Testament as will be born out later in this article. Joseph Smith Jr.,  the founder of Mormonism, wrote: "..but so great  was  the confusion  and strife among the different denominations, that  it
was  impossible for a person.. to come to any certain  conclusion who  was right and who was wrong."(JS History 1:8) "In the  midst of  this  war of words and tumult of opinions, I  often  said  to myself:  What is to be done? Who of all these parties are  right; or  are they all wrong together?.. I was laboring  under  extreme
difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists..  I  came to the conclusion that I must  either  remain  in darkness and confusion, or.. ask God..

On the morning of a beautiful clear day..I.. made the attempt  to pray  vocally.. It was the first time in my life.. immediately  I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me..  Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.. I saw a pillar of light.. I
saw two personages.. One of them.. pointing to the other -  This is  My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"" (JS History 1:10..17)  Referenced to  Matthew 3:17; 17:5; 3 Nephi 11:7 etc... and a new church  was born which has little in common with the Holy Bible although they claim they are practicing Christians.

In  the temple ceremony, patrons get to watch a movie about  Adam and  Eve in the garden of Eden. Adam kneels at a pile  of  stones which  form an altar, hands raised up and looking toward  heaven: Oh  God,  hear the words of my mouth! Lucifer appears.  He  walks over to Adam and Adam asks him "who are you?" Lucifer answers: "I am the god of this world." He asks Adam what he wants. Adam tells him  that  he is looking for messengers from God. A  preacher  is
produced  and introduced to Adam as a preacher of orthodox  religion.  Lucifer  tells the preacher to convert Adam  and  that  he would  pay him well.

The preacher begins to talk to Adam: "I am glad to know that  you were calling upon Father. Do you believe in a God who is  without body,  parts,  and  passions; who sits on the top  of  a  topless throne;  whose  center is everywhere and whose  circumference  is nowhere; who fills the universe, and yet is so small that he  can
dwell  in your heart; who is surrounded by myriads of beings who have  been saved by grace, not by any act of theirs, but  by  His good pleasure? Do you believe in this great Being? Adam  emphatically  says:  "I do not. I cannot comprehend such a  being."  The preacher continues: "That is the beauty of it. Perhaps you do not
believe in the Devil, and in that great hell, the bottomless pit, where there is a lake of fire and brimstone into which the wicked are  cast, and where they are continually burning but  are  never consumed?"  Adam  answers: I do not believe in any  such  place." Here  we have the whole Mormon foundation. Obviously they do  not agree  with  God's  Word and ridicule it. (What's  Going  in  the There? page 33,34)

LDS:  He loved the scriptures and sought to reform the Church  to more  closely follow them. (One useful reference on his life  and theology is Martin Luther by John M. Todd, Newman Press: Westminster, Maryland, 1964.) Unfortunately, some of his teachings have caused many subsequent generations to stumble in a few areas. His misunderstanding  of human free agency and the  relationship  be
tween  grace and works has proven especially problematic. I  need to  review  these doctrines not to belittle Protestants,  but  to explain  that  this doctrine is Luther's and  that  rejection  of Luther's teachings is not the same as rejecting pure  Christianity. I also need to explain that Luther's doctrine of salvation by
faith alone has caused serious confusion about the plan of salvation. Luther's views have been reviewed from an LDS standpoint by B.H.  Roberts,  an LDS leader near the turn of  the  century,  in Defense of the Faith and the Saints, Vol.1, pp.487-488:

Instead  of teaching that man must be absolutely obedient to  the gospel  in  order to obtain salvation,  Protestants  taught  that faith  alone without works is sufficient for salvation. And  this was  the chief corner stone of Protestant theology; the point  at which  the  Roman Catholic church and the Protestant  church  was most  widely  separated.  The Catholic  church,  recognizing  the operation of God's grace upon man, and also the power of will  in man,  came  to the reasonable conclusion that man had  it  within their  power to be obedient to the commandments of God, and  that obedience united with the grace of God was the means of obtaining
salvation;  that man worked out his salvation both by  faith  and works.

Protestants,  however,  regarding  only  those  spiritual influences  which operate upon man, came to the  conclusion  that the grace of God alone saved man, and that without any act on his part.  That I may convince you that I am not mistaken in  what  I say  I will read to you some of the sayings of Luther  upon  this subject.

CMI: The Book of Mormon tells Mormons the following about  grace: The writer of this article states "obedience united with  grace." That is not what the Book of Mormon teaches. 2 Nephi 25:23:  "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and  also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to  God;
for  we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all  we can do." ref. to Romans 7:4-6, D&C 74:2-6

Their  Topical  Guide has no information on "Grace" as  such.  It only gives "Grace, Man May Fall from." (Topical Guide, page  189) They can't tell their members that Jesus has set them free,  they would leave their church.

Other  Scriptures  referred to in their topical  guide  refer  to enduring  to the end, faithfulness, and the possibility  to  fall from grace. D&C 20:32, "There is a possibility that man may  fall from  grace  and  depart from the living  God.."  ref.  Gal  5:4, "Christ  is  become of no effect unto you, whosoever of  you  are
justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." D&C 20:5  "After it  was  truly manifested unto this first elder that he  had  received  a  remission of his sins, he was entangled again  in  the vanities of the world."

Using  Galatians 5:4 is a perfect example of the Mormon habit  of using Scripture out of context. It is even more interesting  that they think the Apostle Paul is incorrect, yet they use his  writings as references.

Galatians 5:4 was about the practice of the law as Mormons do  to be  saved. They restored the Aaronic Priesthood even  though  God said  in  Hebrews that it was not to be  practiced  again.  Jesus fulfilled  the law, and we are under a NEW Testament, a new  law. In Galatians Paul was telling people to "stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again
with the yoke of bondage (such as Mormonism)." (Galatians 5:1)

The Jews and only the Jews, had to be circumcised to remind  them daily  who they belonged to. They were the chosen people  by  God and  belonged  to God. When Jesus came back,  the  Jews  rejected Jesus  and circumcision was supposedly deleted as a tradition  of Jews. In effect then was that all Gentiles were invited to become God's adopted children without the necessity of circumcision.

LDS: "The excellent, invaluable and sole preparation for grace is the  eternal election and predestination of God."  This  doctrine stands  in marked contrast with the teaching of primitive  Christianity. I hold that the New Testament scriptures teach in  great plainness  that  God  would have all the children of  men  to  be saved, and is willing that none should be lost. But according to
the teachings of Martin Luther, and the great body of Protestant Christendom,  they would have us believe that there is a part  of the great family of God predestined to eternal damnation; and, do what  they will, they cannot be saved. Their die is  cast,  their doom is sealed.

CMI: Jesus Himself makes a distinction between good and evil. "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but that believeth not is condemned  already, because he hath not believed in the  name  of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation,  that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather  than light,  because their deeds were evil. For every one  that  doeth
evil  hateth  the light, neither cometh to the  light,  lest  his deeds  should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to  the light,  that his deeds may be manifest, that they are wrought  in God."  (John 3:18-21) The Gospel is about truth. "Why do  ye  not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do.
He  was a murderer from the beginning {being responsible for  all our  deaths},  and abode not in the truth, because  there  is  no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:43,44)

LDS: They are reprobate, cast out from the affections and love of God. They stand not within the pale of salvation. But the  gospel of  primitive  Christianity was a voice of glad tidings  to  all men, saying that they could be saved through faith and obedience. I read again from the words of Luther: "On the side of man  there
is  nothing that goes before grace, unless it be  impotency,  and even rebellion.
We do not become righteous by doing what is righteous; but having
become  righteous, we do what is righteous." "Since the  fall  of man  free will is but an idle word, and every man does walk,  and still  sins mortally." "A man who imagines to arrive at grace  by doing  all that he is able to do, adds sin to sin, and is doubly guilty." "That man is not justified who performs many works,  but he  who without works has much faith  in  Christ."  [D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation, Vol. 1, Book 111, page 119]

CMI: Here is why Mormons don't want to give up works. To them, as well as other forms of religions who practice works, it is a form of  controlling God. If I do works, you have to save me  God,  is what  goes  on in their heads. When we give up works we  go  into free fall. We let go of ourselves and have to put our total trust in God, our Saviour. "For as the Father raiseth up the dead,  and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father  judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto  the Son:  that all men should honor the Son, even as they  honor  the Father.  He  that honoreth not the Son honoreth  not  the Father which hath sent him. (John 5:21-23) These verses put Mormons into
a precarious situation since their Jesus is not God.

LDS: {Still speaking of Luther's doctrine:} "What gives peace  to our  conscience is this -- By faith our sins are no  longer  ours but  Christ's,  on whom God has laid them all; and on  the  other hand, all Christ's righteousness belongs to us, to whom God  has given it." D'Aubigne says: "The point which the reformer has most
at  heart (referring to Luther) in all his labors,  contests  and dangers  was  the  doctrine of justification  by  faith  alone." [Milner's Ch. Hist., Vol. IV, page 514]

This  is the great Protestant doctrine, that by the act of  faith all the righteousness of Jesus Christ is set down to our  credit, and  all  our transgressions, all our sins, are placed  upon  the shoulders  of Jesus Christ, who carries them  triumphantly  away; and  when  we  shall stand before the bar of  God,  we  shall  be judged, not according to the works we have done in this life, not according  to the "deeds done in the body," as  primitive  Christianity  taught, but we shall be judged by the  righteousness  of Jesus  Christ, all of which will be credited to us by our act  of
faith. I could almost wish it were true, this doctrine!
CMI: It  is  tragic that this Mormon writer  cannot  accept  the truth,  when Jesus made it so clear. The Prophet Isaiah  and  the Apostle Paul describe this condition: ".. they have chosen  their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions and will bring their fears upon them; because  when I called, none did answer; when I spake,  they  did
not  hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that  in which I delighted not. Hear the word of the Lord, ye shall  tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you  out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear  to your joy, and they shall be ashamed." (Isaiah  66:3,4)
"And  with  all deceivableness of unrighteousness  in  them  that perish;  because they received not the love of the  truth,  that they  might  be  saved. And for this cause God  shall  send  them strong  delusion,  that  they should believe  a  lie."  (2 Thess 2:10,11)

LDS: Salvation would seem so much more sure. But it is  repulsive to  reason, absurd  to the understanding, and  contrary  to  the teachings  of primitive Christianity. While I have great  respect for Protestants, I must differ with some of their doctrines  (but I  do  expect  that many of my  now-Protestant  and now-Catholic Christian  friends will be in heaven). While Roberts' words  seem
harsh  to  me,  I cannot disagree with  his  doctrinal  position. Another quote from Roberts comes from Outlines of  Ecclesiastical History, pp.252-254:

CMI: Here the writer displays his uncertainty of being saved  and almost  longing for the assurance that Jesus gave His  followers. He keeps referring to primitive Christianity whatever that is, is an  enigma. Believers only adhere to the 66 books of  the  Bible, which  is  the authorized Scriptures, derived from  thousands  of
ancient writings which do not contradict one another. We  believe that the Holy Spirit used Prophets and Apostles to write the Word of God which is a historical account of creation, God's  presence among human beings and a prophecy of God's intervention in  human affairs,  of which many events have already been fulfilled.

Even though there are 66 books, one would think there would be contradictions.  Not  so. The prophecies written in the  Old  Testament written hundreds of years before the fulfillment, were  fulfilled in the smallest detail. It is a complete miracle for such a  book to  exist. The Bible has been proven to be the Word of  God  Him
self.  Not a tittle of it can be disputed several thousand  years later.  The Book of Mormon can't hold a candle to it  and  should not be considered as a work by the Holy Spirit, but rather a work of fiction. So far no proof has been established that the charac ters in the book ever really existed.

LDS: It is but just to the "Reformer," however, that it should be known  that  he  did not himself reject good works,  but  on  the contrary exhorted men to practice them; but he condemns those who did  them with an idea that by them they would be  justified,  or that they were necessary to salvation. He held also that in order
to do good works men must first be justified, and that good works done  before  justification were even  sinful.[D'Aubigne's  Hist. Ref.,  Vol. 1, pp. 117, 199.] The Mischief of Luther's  Doctrine: Though Luther did not reject good works, and though he held  that justifying  faith would produce them, yet his doctrine  has been the source of much mischief in the world. When it was charged  by his  vicar general, Staupitius, that his doctrines were  the  delight  of debauches, and that many scandalous practices were  the consequences  of some of his publications, he could not deny  the charge, but contented himself by saying, "I am neither afraid of such  censorious  representations, nor surprised to  hear  them." [Milner's Church Hist., Vol. IV, page 379.]

CMI: There  are various ways to look at the word  "works"  where much  of the misunderstanding brews. One of the major aspects  of Mormonism  is  the temple and works connected  with  the  temple. Baptism for the dead is a requirement, as well as genealogy which includes  a form of spirit communication and becoming savior  of the dead. Mormons believe that no other church has the  authority
to  baptize and lay hands on people for the Holy Spirit  baptism. They claim the Melchizedek Priesthood is needed to endow  members as well as the dead. The Bible states that there is only one Melchizedek  priest  and  he is Jesus Christ (see Hebrews  5,6,7).
Contrary  to  the Bible every temple Mormon has  the  Melchizedek Priesthood  also, which is unscriptural to Christians.  A  Mormon could claim to perform works talking people out of  Christianity, or participating in building temples which are used for  unbiblical activities. Obedience is a requirement of the Mormon  organi
zation if one wants to be a member.

Looking  at  the Greek word used for works "ergon" #  2041  work, performance, the result of employment.. a calling or occupation.. From a spiritual point of view it can mean labor enjoined by  and done for Christ as the spreading of His Gospel and the furthering of  His Church, which includes moral conduct. It is also used  of
Christ's  miracles and must be understood as works such as  those which God does. Christians are called and are designated to  acts which prove their genuineness and their faith. Faith is proven by their  works. This is the very reason why Luther would have  said that it can't be done before a person is born again. John 6:28-29
"Then  said they unto him, What shall we do, that we  might  work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them,"This is  the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."

"Behold,  they  are all vanity; their works  are  nothing:  their molten images are wind and confusion." (Isaiah 41:29) "But we are all  as  an  unclean thing, and all our  righteousnesses  are  as filthy  rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and  our  iniquities, like the wind have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6)

LDS: Luther's doctrine of salvation by faith alone, as stated  by Melancthon, with his approval, stands thus: "Man's  justification before  God  proceeds from faith alone. This faith  enters  man's heart  by the grace of God alone." [D'Aubigne's Hist. Ref.,  Vol. III, page 340.] This leaves man a passive creature in relation to
his salvation. He is helpless to procure it; he can do nothing to hasten  it; he is helpless; he must wait the divine  workings  of the grace of God.

CMI: Here  we have the confession that man cannot afford  to  be helpless. Human beings need to control the process. To be subject to God is out of the question for Mormons because they are  planning  on  becoming gods themselves. The problem in  Mormonism  is that there is no limit set by the leadership as to how much  "all you can do" is. That plateau of really being saved never  arrives
even  when  they  get into the temple there are  more  layers  of achievement to be attained to get into their god's presence. What Mormons don't realize is that below the surface of all their good deeds is fear of not making it in spite of all their  dedication.
One  finds that one can't be this perfect person because  it  not only  involves behavior, but beverages, smoking,  sexual  activities,  clothing, social choices, jobs, marrying not for love  but whether  a person has been on a mission or has BYU education  and constant  attendance to meetings, temples, genealogies  and  more
and more and more... Jesus said, Matthew 11:28-30: "Come unto me,
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you  rest. Take  my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and  lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke  is easy, and my burden is light."

LDS: "As  all  things which happen,"  says  Melancthon,  "happen necessarily, according to the divine predestination, there is  no such thing as liberty in our wills." [ibid.] ... Other  followers of  Luther,  among them one Nicholas Amsdorf, went so far  as  to maintain  that  good works were a hindrance  to  salvation. [Mosheim's  Eccl.  Hist.  (Murdock)  Vol.  III,  page  147   (second edition.)]  By denying the existence of human liberty, and maintaining that all things happen necessarily, the "reformers," with Luther at their head, laid themselves open to the charges made by the partisans of the church of Rome, viz.:

CMI: We agree that good works are a hindrance because they  build vanity. The Church is the bride, the woman, who is less then  the bridegroom.  John 3:29-31 "He that hath the bride is  the  bridegroom;  but  the  friend of the bridegroom,  which  standeth  and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I  must decrease.  He that cometh from above is above all: he that is  of the  earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that  cometh from heaven is above all."

LDS: Their  doctrine  threw open a door to  the  most  unbounded licentiousness  since it furnished men with this defense for  the crimes  they committed--"We could do no other, our fate  did  not permit  us to do otherwise." By saying that good works  were  not necessary to salvation, and assisted in no way to procure it, the "reformers"  took  away the chief incentive to  good  works,  and removed  the principal restraint to the doing of evil.  Moreover, their doctrine rendered void the ordinances and works required by the gospel; neither repentance nor baptism, nor any other act of obedience to God is essential if salvation is by faith alone.

To say that it is a doctrine adverse to the whole tenor of scripture,  notwithstanding a few isolated passages depended  upon  by the "reformers" and their successors to support it, is not necessary here. It is sufficient to remark that it is a doctrine which would render the commandments of God incompatible with the powers and capacity of his creatures; a doctrine which destroys at  once the consistency of God, and the moral responsibility of man...

CMI: At the beginning of this article we were told that the  LDS community believes that Martin Luther had great achievements  and that  they have great respect for him. Now we are told  that  the reformers  which included Martin Luther blew it by telling  their listeners  the truth? Doing good deeds and being a  moral  person doesn't necessarily mean a person is saved. Moral conduct is  not
a  criteria in fact, unless one believes that the Apostle  Peter was not saved before Jesus was crucified. He denied that he  knew Jesus  three times. The Apostle Paul complained of  having  weaknesses.  Even  Moses disappointed God after they had a  personal meeting. Yet we have 1 John 3:9 which states: "Whosoever is  born
of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot  sin,  because he is born of God." The seed  refers  to  1 Peter  1:23: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed,  but  of incorruptible,  by  the  word of God, which  liveth  and  abideth forever."  It begs the question, whether the people  this  writer addresses, were truly born again.

LDS: Luther felt that any attempt to add works to faith  was  an insult  to  the  grace of God, but in my reading  of  the  Bible, "faith  without  works is dead" (James 1:14-26 -  but  note  that Luther  felt James was one of several questionable books  in  the Bible,  calling  it  the "gospel of straw").  Luther's views  on predestination and our lack of free will seem to me to contradict the  entire premise of the Bible, that men are free and  need  to choose God. Paul taught that God "will have [wants] all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4).
Likewise,  2 Peter 3:9 teaches that God wants none to perish  but wants  men to repent (see also Acts 17:30 and 2 Cor.  7:10).  Indeed, Christ paid for the sins of the whole world (1 John  2:2), so that forgiveness and grace is available to all who will  diligently seek the Lord (cf. Heb. 11:6; Matt. 19:16,17). This is why
we  must preach the Gospel to all the world (Mark  16:15,16)  and why  the  Gospel is even preached to those who  died  before  the coming of Christ (1 Peter 3:18-20; 1 Peter 4:6; the early  Christian and LDS practice of baptism for the dead is also relevant).

CMI: It proves the truth of the Bible again. Jesus warned us  not to  look  to the world for a spiritual education.  "These  things have  I  spoken  unto you, being yet present with  you.  But  the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send  in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things,  to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I  leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I  unto  you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let  it  be afraid."(John 14:25-27)

LDS: Now if God wants all to repent and be saved, whose will  is it that brings some to damnation? Luther, Calvin, and many modern Protestants  have taught that it is God's decision, that  we  are predestined  and that we can do nothing about it. This  seems  to miss  the whole purpose of the Bible and of Christ's mission:  to offer  salvation to those who will believe and repent and  accept
Christ. If we do not receive salvation, it is not God's will, but ours! Christ said, "How often would I have gathered thy  children together,  even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her  wings, and ye would not" (Matt. 23:37).

We  have  personal freedom to choose good, especially  to  choose salvation  through  Christ,  in spite of the  effects  of  Adam's transgression, a concept found not only in LDS theology but  also in  the  writings of early Christians  like  Justin, Tertullian, Irenaeus,  and Clement. Although God wants all to accept him  and
be saved, we are free, and many of us will not choose  correctly. He'll  force  no man to heaven - but the way is open to  all  who will receive it.

CMI: I wonder if the writer realizes what Mormons really believe? In their theology Adam was baptized which represents a  repentant person,  whom God would have forgiven. Brigham Young taught  that Adam is the god of this planet. How could he be made  responsible for  his transgression? Another aspect is that Adam had  a  human body  which  meant he had chosen Jesus in the  spirit  world and therefore received a body. In Mormon theology, every human  being was a spirit before they came to earth. Jesus and Satan were also spirits, equal brethren. God was looking for someone to save  the world  and Jesus and Satan presented God with their plan of action. Jesus wanted to do it with love and self sacrifice and Satan wanted to force everybody to accept the gospel. God took Jesus up on his offer and threw Satan out. Satan took his followers, a third of the spirits, with him. Satan was told that he and his would never have physical bodies. All those spirits who chose Jesus wre rewarded with future bodies, a requirement for godhood. Next God creaed the world and placed the first man on it. This man had already chosen Jesus and was progressing through this existence to become a god, that is if Brigham Young's theory was incorrect. This is why Mormons insist that everybody has to be saved. Satan's spirits are not here in physical form.

LDS: Before we entered this mortal world, we lived as spirit children of our Heavenly Father. Some of us were ordained - or foreordained - to become leaders in the Lord's kingdom and to serve Him in the Gospel (e.g., Jeremiah 1:5). Through God's knowledge of things to come, He knew when and where we would be born, what things would happen and what opportunities we would have. In spite of being foreordained or "predestined" to receive the Gospel, we are still free and still can choose to reject it or accept it. God's ability to see into the future, to know our nature perfectly, and to even know what we will choose does not take away our freedom to choose. (Does an observer with a time machine take away my freedom by having seen my future? No.)

CMI: Working down from the top, we didn't know the writer was going to confirm some of what was said. He doesn't bring up that Mormon's chose Jesus before their physical birth, nor that the only reason they are here on earth is to receive bodies necessary in becoming gods. Mormons who attain godhood will receive their own planet to populate. They marry their wives for eternity to insure progeny on their planet, much like Adam and Eve.

A Mormon told us that he did not want to end up scrubbing someone's floor in the next life which was the reason for his overzealousness. Another LDS woman, a bishop's wife, mother of ten children, when asked why she was having so many children, replied: "I want to make sure that no spirits are left in heaven waiting for a body through me. I believe that I knew my children before I got here and made a deal with them. Since that memory is nonexistent, I am not sure how many children I promised a body."

LDS: The doctrine that God decided which of us would be damned even before we existed, and that we can do nothing but accept His decision, is a damnable heresy that makes God a capricious tyrant and humans mere robots, that denies the power of the Atonement of Christ, and that turn this mortal existence into a meaningless illusion. The truth is that God is our Father, He loves us and wants to save us all if only we will use our free agency to repent and choose Him, and this mortal testing ground is of great importance in God's plan for our eternal happiness, thanks to the Atonement of Christ.

CMI: Here is where we were when we joined the Mormons. We were rebelling against the true God. We had our own concept of what kind of a God we wanted and invented a new one. We didn't realize it at the time. It took twenty years to get to that realization and doing good deeds didn't do a diddly. When we realized the truth, we were glad that God was willing to wipe the whole slate clean. We came to the realization that none of our time, money and testimonies were usable for the equation faith plus works = salvation. Thank God the equation is wrong. God proved to us that He is faithful and overcame the world for us. We were digging down and He lifted us up and out and gave us the truth and we can't stop thanking Him for being so gracious to us. We didn't deserve it. We live in the Bible now. We know it is true and praise God for opening our eyes. We were believers all along but we were in rebellion with God the Father. Could we have been one with Jesus? We don't think so. Jesus was in humble submission to God even unto death. He accepted God's will, even under the worst conditions, else we wouldn't have had a chance. Without our testimony many will perish and it will be just for lack of knowledge. God has certainly kept His side of the bargain. We aren't doing too good of a job helping Him get the job done, especially when we cling to heresy. God is love. His story is in every hotel, motel and in most homes somewhere.

Note: The Official LDS Web Site: Faith, Grace, and Works - this article by Barry Bickmore includes a discussion of early Christian writings. LDS Internet Resources Jeff Lindsay's home page last updated: Aug.27, 1998 URL:

"And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:5-8)