First, read this story….

There has been a change in the Book of Mormon.  This change isn’t to the BoM itself, but is to the introduction written by Bruce McConkie in 1981.  The belief through the prophets, up until the change, was that the natives of North, Central, and South America were ALL (not some but ALL) descended from Lehi and his family that came over from Israel.  By this change, from the LDS Church itself, it goes against this belief by changing only one word.

The original stated, “After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians.”

The new statement is now, “After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.”

This is actually a very profound change as it implicates that there were other inhabitants on these continents prior to the landing of Lehi.  Coupling this with the statement in 1971 by Spencer Kimball where he stated that Lehi was “the ancestor of all of the Indian and Mestizo tribes in North and South and Central America and in the islands of the sea” as quoted in the Salt Lake Tribune.

This comes on the heals of several decades of genetic research showing that the DNA does not match and has no genetic connection with Israel.  Several “former” LDS scientist (the former emphasis is on the LDS part) showed in their research that there is absolutely no connection of any of the Native Americans to Israel.

By the way, I searched the Deseret News for this story and was unable to find any comparable story in that newspaper.  Why would they not cover it?

One of the most essential differences between Christianity and Mormonism is the nature of God.  In Mormonism, it is believed that God the Father is a separate and distinct being from Jesus Christ.  The Holy Ghost is also a separate and distinct being from both of the Father and the Son.  The Father is believed to be the literal spiritual Father of Jesus Christ, that Jesus was the first or one of the first children born to the Father in a preexistence.  Lucifer, also a spiritual son of the Father is a spiritual brother to Jesus Christ.

Ask any Mormon who has a basic knowledge of doctrine and you will find a story similar to this:

God, the Father created all of us in a preexistent world where we were born of spiritual bodies from the Father and one of His many spiritual wives (some may leave out the “wives” part but it is still part of the doctrine).  The first sons born were Jesus Christ and Lucifer.  A council of gods was held to discuss the creation of this world and the need for a savior.  Jesus and Lucifer were to present their plans for salvation.  Lucifer presented a plan that none would be lost.  He was to receive the glory for accomplishing this.  Whereas Jesus stated, “Thy will be done” and gave all glory to the Father.  It was decided that Jesus would be savior making Lucifer mad.  He then was cast out of heaven with one-third of all the angels to become the father of lies, tempt Eve in the garden, and raise hell on Earth.

There may be a few variations to this story as everyone tells it a little differently.  There may be additional information not presented here that others might find relevant to add but this is the basic story.  Here are some basic quotes from Mormon doctrine (these were compiled by Concerned Christians in Arizona):

“The appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by one of the other sons of God.  He was called Lucifer, son of the morning.  Haughty, ambitious, and covetous of power and glory, this spirit-brother of Jesus desperately tried to become the Savior of Mankind” (The Gospel Through the Ages by Milton R. Hunter, p.15)

“Christ, the Firstborn, was the mightiest of all the spirit children of the Father” (Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie, p. 590)

“The devil is a spirit son of God who was born in the morning of pre-existence.”  (Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie, p. 192)

“Jesus was willing to come to the earth, give his life for us, and take upon himself our sins.  He, like our Heavenly Father, wanted us to choose whether we would obey Heavenly Father’s commandments.  He knew we must be free to choose in order to prove ourselves worthy of exaltation.  Jesus said ‘Father, thy will be done and the glory be thine forever’ (Moses 4:2).  Satan, who was called Lucifer, also came, saying, ‘Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor’ (Moses 4:1).  Satan wanted to force us all to do his will.  Under his plan, we would not be allowed to choose.  He would take away the freedom of choice that our Father had given us.  Satan wanted to have all the honor for our salvation… After hearing both sons, speak, Heavenly Father said, ‘I will send the first’ (Abraham 3:27)” (as quoted in Gospel Principles, pp. 17-18, 1997 edition.)

Unfortunately, all of these go against the Bible and the Mormon scriptures as well.  Mormon scripture states that Christ is God.  Here are some passages from Mormon scripture that support that Christ is God (also compiled by Concerned Christians):

“And because he said unto them that Christ was the God, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the image of God, and that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth” (Mosiah 7:27)

“Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I AM, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before the world was made; The same which knoweth all things, for all things are present before mine eyes; I am the same which spake and the world was made, and all things came by me.” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:1-3)

As you can see, Jesus Christ claims to be God the Father.  The Bible also shows that Jesus is God:

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Timothy 3:16)

IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14)

There are others as well, but you get the idea.  So, if Lucifer isn’t the brother of Jesus, who do Christians believe him to be?  Well, to find that out, we go to the Bible.

We learn who Lucifer is in Ezekiel 28:12-17 (NIV):
12 You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.  13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you; ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl.  Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.  14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you.  You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.  15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.  16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned.  So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.  17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.  So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.

We also learn that the first ever committed sin was pride (v. 17).   We learn more about Lucifer in Isaiah in the Bible.  Now, before I begin, a lot of people put off Isaiah because it is a very confusing book in the Bible for most of us.  When you read the passage, there is no other way to interpret it.  It is very straight forward.  This passage is found in Isaiah 14:12-17 (King James Version):

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!  how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!  13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the side of the north:  14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the most High.  15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.  16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider the, saying, Is this the man that made the earth tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

You can read more of the verses before and after to check context but the idea is the same.  There isn’t really anyone else they could be talking about that would fit the whole description.  Ezekiel talks of someone or something with perfect beauty, was in Eden, anointed a cherub (angel) and blameless.  No man could ever fit that description but an angel could.  No other angel ever was named as being “wicked”.  There is talk in scripture of 1/3 of the legions of angels being cast out but none are named, only Lucifer.  His heart became proud and, as we read in Isaiah, he was to exalt himself above the stars (other angels) and “be like the most High” (God.)

Conclusion: Lucifer is NOT the spiritual brother of Jesus.
No where in the Bible does it talk about Lucifer in the context that is presented in Mormon Doctrine or from Mormon apostles and teachers.  There are those that would state that current revelation is given to the prophets and that is what we should believe but GOD DOES NOT CONTRADICT HIMSELF!!!  Plain and simple.  God is not a God of confusion, He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow so why should truth change?  It doesn’t because it is always truth.  We will find more of these discrepancies as we research more.

Lucifer was an angel who allowed pride to take over his heart.  He was cast down to earth and found in the garden of Eden where he tempted Eve to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  He, along with 1/3 of the angels of heaven were cast out and became the rulers and tempters of man.  He was never nor is ever going to be the brother of Jesus.  Mormon scripture even acknowledges that Jesus is God and the Father.  We will get more into that in another discussion.

When I started this, I had hoped to take more time to write.  Apparently, that hasn’t come to fruition yet but I still keep plugging away with this blog in the back of my mind.

What started my search for the truth was that certain things didn’t add up.  I wasn’t aware that there were other similar minded people out there.  I guess I knew there were, but I didn’t know where to find them or whether they could be trusted or not.  I finally ventured out and found a group that I felt comfortable joining.  This group has helped lead me to areas that have really helped my progression in faith.

I invite any and all that read this and are in the valley to join us.  We meet once a month on the 3rd Saturday at 2pm.  We meet at the Millcreek Baptist Church at 1515 East 4500 South.  This group is not dedicated to the Baptist way of thinking but is established as a non-denominational Christian group.  The August meeting is this Saturday, August 18th.
If you are interested, please feel free to stop by.  Bring your scriptures and a note pad.  I don’t expect you to take anything that is said in this meeting as “truth” but as a starting point for your own research.  This invitation is extended to anyone that:

1. Ex-Mormon struggling to find answers and like-minded individuals.
2. Mormons searching for answers that the LDS church just doesn’t have.
3. Mormons who want to see what is being said in groups like this.

The environment is friendly and the debates are lively but not heated.  We offer a wide range of informational sources and all of it can be verified with listed sources.

I invite all who are interested to come and join us.  You can respond via this blog or send me a personal e-mail to: exmormonsupport@gmail.com or, for those of you that have my other contact information, you may utilize that as well.

I hope to see you there.

I have written and rewritten this section to figure out the best way to introduce the next series of articles that I will write.

I was once a part of the mainline Mormon church. During my time with that organization, I struggled with what I was being told was truth. One thing that really made me question is the missing pieces and, with the LDS faith, there are a lot of missing pieces. While I had a problem with that, not many of the other followers did have a problem with that. There are some out there that still try to “justify” the errors or differences. There are so many things that don’t mesh with the doctrines of the Bible or even the doctrines of the Book of Mormon.

As I write this, I am not here to “bash” the Mormon church. All of its members are fellow human beings and we are all in the same boat together, we are all trying to find the way home. While many that I’ve talked to will adamantly stand by their faith, they do so not really knowing or understanding what they are teaching or defending. When confronted with discrepancies in their own scriptures and history, they fall to their fall back plan of burning bosoms.

The question I pose to everyone is “Do you know where you are going when you die?” If you are 100% sure, why?

A lot of people that I’ve talked to have discussed the burning in the bosom that was the promise of Moroni at the end of the Book of Mormon. He stated that if you wish to know the truth of these things, referring to the Book of Mormon, that if you prayed in earnest and asked God, he would witness to you these things were correct and you would have a burning in the bosom.

No offense to the LDS members, but do you really want to place your faith in a feeling? Wouldn’t you want to know beyond a shadow of a doubt? I struggled with putting my faith in a feeling from an imperfect heart. You get a feeling in your heart that these things are correct. Without truth, it is just a feeling. People who join cults will swear up and down that they know they are following the right person/god. They KNOW with all their heart. What does God say about our hearts? In Jeremiah 17:9, we are told that “the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.” There are a lot of situations where someone feels right in their heart but know in their brain there are bad decisions. By having all the facts, we can support or denounce the feelings we have. Truth will ring true in our hearts, our minds, and in our spirits.

There is another problem with that kind of faith in your heart that most people don’t see. Different cultures breed different responses to problems. Even today, people in larger cities respond differently to stimuli than people in rural areas. They think differently, feel differently, and sometimes even talk differently. That is just in this country. Then add different cultures, languages, forms of dress, races, etc. You come up with a lot of different ways to look at a problem. Some people feel differently about the same thing.

God is never changing. He doesn’t change because of the difference between Africans and Mexicans. His truth IS TRUTH. It survives not only culture but time as well.

Anyone who studies the Bible knows that Lucifer or Satan was an angel. He was the most brilliant and decorated angel in heaven. There is a physical description of how God adorned him. His sin, was the first sin and it was pride. He wanted to be above the angels and equal to God, his creator.

God loves each and every one of us. He does not want any of us to be lost but wants us to find our own way. He has given us prophets. He has given us scriptures. He has given us all these truths and they are complete. Nothing needs to be added, nothing needs to be taken away. Revelation 22:18 states, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

In the next series of posts, I will show the errors of the LDS faith comparing it to the Bible. I will also show how God provided us scientific proof of the things in the Bible and how they are absent in the Book of Mormon. I will also compare current LDS doctrine with original LDS doctrine and show how they are inconsistent with itself or with Bible doctrine.

The Bible is the complete and accurate word of God and can be used to refute not only LDS doctrine, but Darwinism and other doctrines claiming to be Christian but are not.

“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name claiming, “I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” Matthew 24:11

“For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive the very elect.” Matthew 24:24

This is my first post for the Adventures in Truth blog.  I really hope that this blog will be a source of truth for those who still believe in the LDS church and its prophets.  I hope that through this site and through other sources, we can show beyond a shadow of a doubt that the LDS church is a fictitious creation of Joseph Smith and others of his era.  Through this adventure, I hope to expose the prophets for who they really were and show that current teachings do NOT mirror the events as they happened.

Through this I will show that the historical facts have been modified and softened over the years that have transformed them into fiction with some historic basics.  Parts of the stories have been removed to protect the guilty and inflate the views of those people.

This is in no way a Mormon-bashing site.  Even though I say that, I know that there are a lot who will not read the information or verify the research before finding me guilty of heresy against the LDS church.  It is my hope that all who read the information presented in this blog, as well as its associated sites, will take the time to verify what we say with the documentation of the church.  Debates are good.   Name calling or posts not in line with the topic of this blog will be deleted.  Opposing views, thought out and supported, will not be deleted.  If you want to discuss something other than the LDS church, Christ, or scriptures, that will be deleted.

It is my hopes that this will challenge all who read it.  If, from the information in this site, you question your faith, I hope that you will look further into those areas that cause you concern.  If it strengthens your testimony in the LDS church, so be it.  If it causes you to question further, there are places you can go for help in understanding.

I am looking forward to a positive, uplifting experience.  I hope that you find it as such also.