Countercult ministries/Tower to Truth Ministries/50 Questions to Ask Mormons

Answers to 50 Anti-Mormon Questions

Anti-Mormon literature tends to recycle the same themes. Some ministries are using a series of fifty questions, which they believe will help "cultists" like the Mormons. One ministry seems to suggest that such questions are a good way to deceive Latter-day Saints, since the questions "give...them hope that you are genuinely interested in learning more about their religion."

This ministry tells its readers what their real intent should be with their Mormon friend: "to get them thinking about things they may have never thought about and researching into the false teachings of their church." Thus, the questions are not sincere attempts to understand what the Latter-day Saints believe, but are a smokescreen or diversionary tactic.^[1]

The questions are not difficult to answer, nor are they new. This page provides links to answers to the questions. It should be noted that the questions virtually all do at least one of the following:

1. misunderstand or misread LDS doctrine
2. give unofficial material the status of official belief
3. assume that Mormons must have inerrantist ideas about scripture or prophets like conservative evangelical Protestants do
4. apply a strict standard to LDS ideas, but use a double standard to avoid condemning the Bible or their own beliefs if the standard was applied fairly to both.

Questions About LDS Prophets

1. Why does the Mormon church still teach that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God after he made a false prophecy about a temple built in Missouri in his generation (DC 84꞉1-5)

This was not a prophecy, but a command from God to build the temple. There's a difference. Jesus said people should repent; just because many didn't doesn't make Him a false messenger, simply a messenger that fallible people didn't heed.

Learn more here: FAIRWiki link

2. Since the time when Brigham Young taught that both the moon and the sun were inhabited by people, has the Mormon church ever found scientific evidence of that to be true? (Journal of Discourses (1870), 13:271)

In Brigham (and Joseph's) day, there had been newspaper articles reporting that a famous astronomer had reported that there were men on the moon and elsewhere. This was published in LDS areas; the retraction of this famous hoax never was publicized, and so they may not have even heard about it.

So, Brigham and others were probably just repeating what had been told them by the science of the day. (Lots of Biblical prophets talked about the earth being flat, the sky being a dome, etc.—it is inconsistent for conservative Protestants to complain that a false belief about the physical world shared by others in their culture condemns Brigham and Joseph, but does not condemn Bible prophets.)

Learn more here: FAIRWiki link
Learn more here: FAIRWiki link

3. Why did Brigham Young teach that Adam is "our Father and our God" when both the Bible and the Book of Mormon (Mormon 9꞉12) say that Adam is a creation of God? (Journal of Discourses (1852) 1:50))

The problem with "Adam-God" is that we don't understand what Brigham meant. All of his statements cannot be reconciled with each other. In any case, Latter-day Saints are not inerrantists—they believe prophets can have their own opinions. Only the united voice of the First Presidency and the Twelve can establish official LDS doctrine. That never happened with any variety of "Adam-God" doctrine. Since Brigham seemed to also agree with statements like Mormon 9:12, and the Biblical record, it seems likely that we do not entirely understand how he fit all of these ideas together.

Learn more here: FAIRWiki link

4. If Brigham Young was a true prophet, how come one of your later prophets overturned his declaration which stated that the black man could never hold the priesthood in the LDS Church until after the resurrection of all other races (Journal of Discourses (1854) 2:142-143)

Peter and the other apostles likewise misunderstood the timing of gospel blessings to non-Israelites. Even following a revelation to Peter, many members of the early Christian Church continued to fight about this point and how to implement it—even Peter and Paul had disagreements. Yet, Bible-believing Christians, such as the Latter-day Saints, continue to consider both as prophets. Critics should be careful that they do not have a double standard, or they will condemn Bible prophets as well.

The Latter-day Saints are not scriptural or prophetic inerrantists. They are not troubled when prophets have personal opinions which turn out to be incorrect. In the case of the priesthood ban, members of the modern Church accepted the change with more joy and obedience than many first century members accepted the extension of the gospel to the Gentiles without the need for keeping the Mosaic Law.

5. Since the Bible's test of determine whether someone is a true prophet of God is 100% accuracy in all his prophecies (Deuteronomy 18:20-22), has the LDS Church ever reconsidered its teaching that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were true prophets?

See: http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith_and_prophetic_test_in_Deuteronomy_18

Believing Christians should be careful. Unless they want to be guilty of a double standard, they will end up condemning many Biblical prophets by this standard.

Those who proposed this question may give the Bible too much credit. We mentioned the case of Moses in an earlier letter. Look at all the commandments given by prophets, revelations from the Lord that were rescinded. Just two might be illustrative, animal sacrifice and circumcision. It appears early Christian leaders prophesied that the Second Coming was just around the corner, which led many members to fail to teach their children properly. Then there is Peter telling Jesus that he should not suffer (Matthew 16:21-23). Certainly this comment by the chief apostle was not fulfilled.

What do we do then if prophets are allowed to express their opinions as we are, and that sometimes these opinions are not correct? We could insist that they not say anything unless they obtain an absolutely clear message that it is of God. If this were the case, most prophets would have said little and the Bible would be pamphlet-size.

We have a good method for determining whether statements by modern prophets are of God or simply personal opinions. That method is to ask God if what we have heard is true or not.

6. Since the current LDS prophets sometimes contradict the former ones, how do you decide which one is correct?

Most "contradictions" are actually misunderstandings or misrepresentations of LDS doctrine and teachings by critics.

The LDS standard for doctrine is the scriptures, and united statements of the First Presidency and the Twelve.

The Saints believe they must be led by revelation, adapted to the circumstances in which they now find themselves. Noah was told to build an ark, but not all people required that message. Moses told them to put the Passover lamb’s blood on their door; that was changed with the coming of Christ, etc.

Later prophets from the beginning have either added to or changed earlier prophetic pronouncements. God's will is usually, as Joseph Smith said "given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understand." (D. & C. 1:24). The rule I have followed, and I believe it is a basic reason why continuous revelation is important, is that what the living prophet says as a prophet comes from God now and thus, if different from earlier instructions or guidance, supersedes what earlier prophets received.

Probably the most dramatic evidence in the Bible about inspired changes in doctrine comes from the many times Jesus said to the Jews at that time "you have heard that it was said by them of old time (meaning the prophets)…but I say unto you…" (e.g. Matthew 5:27-28). One reason Jesus was persecuted by the then Jewish leaders is because he updated, thus altered the teachings they had received from the Old Testament prophets (who of course received their truth from this same Jesus when he was known as Jehovah). Those who have an "every word in the Bible is true," view will, if they look carefully, have problems with the many insistencies between Old Testament and New Testament teachings and instructions.

7. Since there are several different contradictory accounts of Joseph Smith's first vision, how did the LDS Church choose the correct one?

The First Vision accounts are not contradictory. No early member of the Church claimed that Joseph changed his story, or contradicted himself. Critics of the Church have not been familiar with the data on this point.

Start here: http://en.fairmormon.org/Only_one_Deity_appears_in_the_1832_account

And then see here to answer virtually any question about the First Vision:

http://en.fairmormon.org/First_Vision_accounts

The shortest answer is that the Saints believe the First Vision not because of textual evidence, but because of personal revelation.

We have identified a least nine different accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision, given to different people in response to different questions and circumstances. I am not sure but I believe that most of these were written down by others. When it came time after Joseph's death to select as official history the most complete and significant of the accounts, the Church settled on the 1838 version.

I had a remarkable spiritual experience almost 30 years ago. As I have told it to several people over the years I realize that with each telling aspects of it come to mind that I had not remembered to mention previously. I also probably left out parts that did not seem pertinent to the occasion I was in. Remember that for Joseph this was such an overwhelming experience that he may not have remembered all of the details in any one recitation. If fact, when I hear remarkable stories that appear to be told exactly the same way each time I begin to suspect that the story is made up.

8. Can you show me in the Bible the LDS teaching that we must all stand before Joseph Smith on the Day of Judgment?

This is a misunderstanding of LDS doctrine.

There is however the Biblical doctrine that the apostles will help judge Israel.

Ye [the apostles] are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

(Luke 22:28-30; see also Matthew 19:28.)

Since the saints believe in modern apostles, they believe that those modern apostles (including Joseph) will have a role in judgment appointed to them by Jesus.

Joseph's participation in the judgment (at the command and sufferance of Jesus) is no more or less than the role assigned to the Lord's apostles at the Last Supper.

No mortal's role in the judgment supercedes the role given to Jesus, as the Book of Mormon bears witness:

...the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.(2Ne. 9:41.)

Those who condemn Joseph on these grounds must also condemn Peter and the rest of the Twelve.

See here: http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith's_status_in_LDS_belief

Foonotes

1. Template:Anti1 Tower to Truth Ministries, "50 Questions to Ask Mormons," towertotruth.net (accessed 15 November 2007).