by Jason Carlson

For many Christians the site of Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormon missionaries canvassing the neighborhood is an unwelcome interruption to the regular routine of daily life. As a result, many Christians are quick to hurry the cultists away from their front door with polite, yet firm declarations of their commitment to Jesus Christ and their membership in their local Christian church. In doing so, most Christians unwittingly reaffirm the cultist’s training, which tells them to expect rejection as a sign that they are truly doing God’s work, but furthermore, the cultists are then sent off to continue spreading their false gospel throughout the rest of the neighborhood. This is a tragic outcome and I’d like to suggest a different strategy.

The next time the cults come through your neighborhood, why not try going door to door with them?  Yes, you read that correctly. I’m encouraging you to go door to door witnessing with the cults!

Recently I had two Mormon missionaries visit my neighborhood. I saw them out my kitchen window working their way from house to house down my street. So, I decided to go outside and engage them in a conversation. After talking with me for a few minutes these Mormon missionaries realized I wasn’t going to be a fruitful prospect for them, so they excused themselves and began walking with their bikes towards my neighbor’s home. What did I do?  I started following them up my neighbor’s driveway.

When these Mormon missionaries realized that I was following them, they turned around and asked me, “What are you doing?” I told them that I was going to go door to door witnessing with them. They replied, “You can’t do that!” And I said, “Why not?  This is my neighborhood.” Then these Mormon missionaries objected, “But nobody does that!” To this I declared, “Look, this is my neighborhood and these are my neighbors. As long as you’re going to go door to door here spreading your false religion I’m going to go with you and tell my neighbors the truth about what you really believe.”

I don’t think these Mormon missionaries took me seriously at first, but after I joined them at two of my neighbors’ homes, revealing what Mormons really believe and sharing the true gospel of Jesus Christ, these two Mormon missionaries finally asked me, “How long are you planning on doing this?” So I told these two Mormons, “I’m going to go door to door with you as long as you’re in my neighborhood.” By this time these guys realized I wasn’t kidding, so they got on their bikes and rode away.

Now, I recognize that this strategy may be bold, but please understand this, as Christians we have no obligation to allow false teachers to spread their deception in our neighborhoods. If anything, we have a responsibility to warn our neighbors about teachings that could lead them into an eternity separated from God!

God has given us the mandate to contend earnestly for the faith and the charge to demolish every argument that sets itself up against His truth (Jude 3; 2 Cor. 10:5). This is why I want to encourage you, the next time the cults come through your neighborhood, try going door to door witnessing with them. You’ll be protecting your neighbors from false teaching, you’ll have a ready-made opportunity to share the true gospel of Jesus Christ with them, and you may even have a transformational impact on the lives of the cultists you’re with.

Going door to door with the cults literally requires a step of faith, but I’ve found it to be one of the greatest evangelistic strategies I’ve ever engaged in. I encourage you to give it a try!

by Jason Carlson

My father, Dr. Ron Carlson, used to remind people every chance that he could that the cults are literally a mission field at our front door step. Unfortunately, many Christians miss this tremendous opportunity to share our faith when the cultists, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons, come calling. For some people, taking the time to engage the cultist in a conversation is just too great an inconvenience. For others, the fear of not knowing what to say to the cultist at the door is justification enough for the common Christian response of, “No thank you, I’m a Baptist (or insert your particular denomination)”.

The sad reality, however, is that when we fail to engage the cultist in a conversation about spiritual truths, or at the very least share our personal testimony with them, we are neglecting a ready-made opportunity to minister to a lost soul who desperately needs to know the Lord. And the fact of the matter is this; you may be that cultist’s last, best opportunity to hear the truth of the Gospel. And while that may sound sensational, this is a lesson I learned in a profound way just recently.

For the past six months I’ve been in an ongoing conversation with a couple of men who are Jehovah’s Witnesses- one a middle-aged man and the other in his late twenties. I first met them when they were going door to door around my neighborhood. And I must admit, I too was a bit agitated when I saw them coming to my front door; the cultists never seem to come at a convenient time. However, I opened the door to them and we had a very good conversation for about 5-10 minutes before I politely told them that I needed to be going, but I’d love to talk to them again sometime. Well, this was the beginning of an ongoing relationship with these guys where they would stop by about once every 4-6 weeks and we’d talk theology. Sometimes these conversations were short, sometimes they were longer, but in each of them I made the conscious effort to clearly articulate the biblical revelation of God’s triune nature, the full deity of Jesus Christ, and the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith.

Now, from everything I can tell, my proclamation of the truth to these guys hasn’t made a dent in their cultic worldview. However, I’m not responsible for how they respond to the message of the Gospel, I’m simply responsible for being faithful in the opportunity that God has given me with these guys. So, I continue to proclaim the truth to them and I pray that the Holy Spirit is working on their hearts in ways that I do not see.

This past week, though, my regular visit with my JW friends was very different, and very sad. You see, on this most recent visit only one of my new friends came calling; and he informed me that the young man in his twenties who was his regular witnessing partner had died two weeks earlier of an unexpected, massive heart-attack. I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear this news. Just a month earlier I had sat face to face with this young man discussing the claims of his religion and the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and now he was gone. What makes this situation even more tragic is that as far as I’m aware, this young man went to his grave clinging to his faith in a false religion, a false Jesus, and a false salvation; and now he’ll spend eternity separated from God in Hell.

This is why we must answer the door when the cultists come knocking. The eternal destinies of lost people are at stake. These are people God loves and whom He deeply desires to see come to repentance. And as I said earlier, we must never discount the possibility that we may be that cultist’s last, best opportunity to hear the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know, because I was.

Remember, as Christians we are not responsible for how a person responds to our proclamation of the Gospel. We’re simply responsible for being faithful with the opportunities we have to proclaim it. The next time the cultists come to your front door, please take a few minutes to share the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. They are literally a mission field at our front door step.

By Jason Carlson

Rarely a week goes by when our ministry isn’t asked a question about the nature and beliefs of Freemasonry and the Masonic Lodge. The questions that are especially concerning to me are the ones related to followers of Jesus Christ who have erroneously gotten caught up in the Masonic system. For example, one recent questioner wrote in and asked me, “Pastor Carlson, I recently found out that the Sr. Pastor of our church is a member of our local Masonic Lodge. I’ve heard mixed reports about Freemasonry and I don’t know if my Pastor’s involvement with this group should be of concern to me or not?” The answer to this question is simple, Freemasonry is a cult and followers of Jesus Christ have no business associating with the Masonic Lodge!

Freemasonry as it is known today was formally organized in the 18th century in England and Scotland. What originally began as a trade guild for stonemasons gradually evolved into a religious organization that masks its true nature behind a façade of fraternal and charitable activities.

The journey into Freemasonry begins in what is called the Blue Lodge. These are the local chapters of Freemasonry found in towns throughout America. The Blue Lodge consists of 3 levels or degrees (1st entered apprentice degree; 2nd fellowcraft degree; 3rd master mason degree). After going thru the 3 degrees of the Blue Lodge, the Mason has the choice to stay in the Blue Lodge or seek the advanced degrees thru the York Rite or Scottish Rite branches of Masonry (many Masons will do both branches). The Scottish Rite consists of 32 degrees and an honorary 33rd degree, while the York Rite consists of 13 degrees. For those who attain the 32nd degree of the Scottish Rite, they can then petition to become a Shriner.

What must a person do to join the Masonic Lodge? It is in this process where the truly occult nature of Freemasonry begins to reveal itself. To begin, each prospective Mason must go thru an initiation process where they are blindfolded, with a noose placed around their neck, and led, with a sword to their chest, into the inner room of the Lodge where an altar is set-up. Behind the alter stands a man called “The Worshipful Master.” He is the master of the Lodge and presides over the initiation ceremony. All prospective Masons will bow down before “The Worshipful Master” and say the following, “I am lost in darkness, and I need the light of Freemasonry.” Following this declaration, the initiate is required to take a blood oath, swearing allegiance to the Lodge and pledging to protect all of the secrets of Masonry. This blood oath, repeated by every Mason who has joined the Lodge goes like this, “Binding myself under no less a penalty than having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots, and buried in the rough sands of the sea…” Blood oaths such as this one are not limited to the initiation ceremony, but are repeated at each new degree as the Mason progresses through the secrets of Freemasonry.

And what are the secrets one learns as they progress through the degrees of Freemasonry? It soon becomes apparent that Freemasonry is very much a religion and its goal is to unify the people and religions of the world under the banner of a universal religion, where creeds, doctrines, and individual faith are done away with and replaced by a universal brotherhood of good works. Dr. Albert Pike, the most universally accepted authority on Freemasonry who wrote what is termed by many to be the “Bible of Masonry” (Morals & Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Rite), said this, “Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion, and its teachings are instruction in religion” (p. 213). Pike also declared that Masonry is, “The universal, eternal, immutable religion, such as God planted it in the heart of universal humanity. No creed has ever been long lived that was not built upon this foundation… The ministers of this religion are all Masons… Its sacrifices to God are good works… and perpetual efforts to attain to all the moral perfection of which man is capable” (p. 219).

One thing that is important to understand is that Masons do not discriminate against people of any religious background- they only require that their members have a belief in a god, any god. The name of a person’s god is not important to the Masonic Lodge. Why? It is unimportant because as you progress thru the degrees of Freemasonry you will discover and learn the true identity of god, the Masonic god. Manly P. Hall, another prominent Masonic leader declared, “The true Mason is not creed-bound. He realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge that as a Mason his religion must be universal: Christ, Buddha, or Mohammed, the name means little, for he recognizes only the light and not the bearer. He worships at every shrine, bows before every altar, whether in temple, mosque or cathedral, realizing with his truer understanding the oneness of all spiritual truth” (“The Lost Keys of Freemasonry”, p. 65).

Thus, the goal of Freemasonry is to discover the true identity of god. Masons say that the name of the true god was lost when the architect of Solomon’s temple, Hiram Abiff, was murdered; and so, the goal of Masonry is to progress through the degrees of the Lodge to learn the true identity of god. This process further reveals the occult nature of Freemasonry.

As you progress through the degrees of Masonry, to any discerning mind, it becomes readily apparent who the god of Freemasonry truly is. On the way to discovering the true identity of god, the Mason, in the 17th degree of the Scottish Rite, is first given a secret password and a sacred word that will allow them to continue their progression through the degrees of the Lodge; this sacred word of Masonry is “Abbadon”. What or who is “Abbadon”? Well, in Revelation 9:11 God tells us who Abbadon is. Abbadon is the king of the demons in the pit of Hell. And the name of this demon king is the sacred word, needed by all Masons, to advance in degrees so that they might discover the true identity of god.

When the Mason finally reaches what is called “the Royal Arch degree” of the York Rite, they are told who the true god of Masonry really is. They are given the name of god that was lost during the building of Solomon’s temple; and the secret name of the god of Masonry is “JAHBULON”. The name JAHBULON comes from a combination of 3 deities: “JAH” stands for Yahweh, or Jehovah; “BUL” is a rendering of the name of the Canaanite god Baal; and “ON” is the Babylonian name of the Egyptian god Osiris. And this 3-headed monster, this union of Yahweh, Baal, and Osiris is supposedly the one true god above all other gods, whose identity was lost, but has been recovered by the Masons. As I noted earlier, to anyone with a discerning mind, it is clear that the Masonic Lodge is steeped in the occult. The identity of the ‘true’ god revealed in the blasphemous Masonic trinity is the ultimate verification of this fact. Whether the Mason realizes it or not, the god of Freemasonry is none other than Satan himself.

Now, one of the most common questions we receive about Freemasonry has to do with the Shriners. This group- known for their charity work, the Shrine circus, the Shriners’ children’s hospitals, their presence in local parades- generally has a very positive public image. Again though, the truth behind the façade is much more sinister.

To be initiated into the Shrine, to become a Shriner, as part of their blood oath at the altar of initiation, the Shriner must bow down, with his hands tied behind his back, and swear an oath in the name of “Allah, the God of our Fathers!” Now, it is important to remember that the Islamic god, Allah, is in no way connected to the true God of the Bible. Allah is a pagan, Arabic deity. Allah is a false god. Allah is not the God of Judaism and Christianity; and Allah’s prophet, Mohammed, was a false prophet who has led millions of people astray!

As if that wasn’t bad enough, most Shriners have no idea about the symbolism portrayed on the red fez hats they proudly wear. Each red Fez worn by the Shriners has on the front an Islamic sword and crescent moon prominently displayed and encrusted with jewels. The crescent moon is the most common Islamic symbol. In fact, it is found on the top of every Muslim mosque around the world and on the flags of many Islamic nations. The crescent moon represents the god of Islam, Allah, who was the pagan moon deity of Mohammed’s tribe, the Quraysh of Arabia. When Mohammed conquered Mecca in Saudi Arabia by force in 630 A.D. he destroyed all of the 360 pagan tribal deities in the Kaaba and set up his tribal deity, the moon god, Allah, as the chief deity of Arabia. Later, when he tried to convince the Jews and Christians of Arabia to worship Allah, they refused, knowing the true identity of Allah, and Mohammed then began his bloody conquest of the Arabian peninsula, slaughtering thousands by the sword, the very same Islamic sword celebrated on the Shriner’s red fez!

Now, with all of this being the true nature of the Masonic Lodge, there are some important questions that any Christian involved in Freemasonry needs to answer:

First, how can a true Christian ever say that they are “lost in darkness and need the light of Freemasonry”? The Bible says in 1 John 1:4-7, “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” If you are a genuine Christian you cannot be lost in the darkness. If Christ lives in you, you have the light that brings life to all men!

Second, how can any faithful Christian bow down before a man called “The Worshipful Master”? In Matthew 6:24 Jesus said that we could not serve two masters. You can’t claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ and then bow before a man you accept as your “Worshipful Master”.

Third, how can a Christian ever take a pagan blood oath? The Bible forbids the taking of any oath. In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus says, “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oath you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne, or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King… Simply let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

Furthermore, James 5:12 warns us that the swearing of oaths leads to judgment. Considering the pagan nature of the Masonic blood oaths, any true Christian should take James’ warning very seriously.

Fourth, how can any true Christian participate in another religion, in particular a man-made religion where salvation is based on good works and the principle gods are Abbadon- the demon king of Hell- and JAHBULON- a pagan, Satanic trinity?

Fifth, for Christians involved in the Shriners, how do you justify swearing blood oaths to Allah and wearing a red fez hat that celebrates a pagan moon deity and the Islamic sword which has killed thousands of your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout history? Does this not trouble your conscience at all?

These are serious questions that any Christian involved in the Masonic Lodge, at any level, needs to answer. Freemasonry, to its very core, is a false, man-made religion that is totally incompatible with biblical Christianity. Any person who claims to follow Jesus Christ while also participating in the Masonic Lodge must repent and leave the Lodge at once. Jesus demands our full allegiance. We cannot serve two masters. This is an issue of eternal consequence.

If you are a Christian and a Mason reading this article today, please know that you are in my prayers. Also, please remember, Jesus is the light of life and in him there is no darkness (John 8:12). He alone is the only hope of the world, the only source of salvation. We cannot earn or work for our own salvation. It is only found in the free gift of Jesus Christ, bought and paid for on the cross of Calvary, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Ultimately all of us will bow down before the true Worshipful Master, Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:1-14). My prayer for you today is that you will recognize this truth before it’s too late, repent of your involvement in the Lodge, and once again make Jesus the one true Lord of your life.

For more information on Freemasonry and the Masonic Lodge, please check out the following resources available in our bookstore:

Fast Facts on False Teachings (book) by Ron Carlson & Ed Decker
Freemasonry, Shriners, and the Masonic Lodge (CD/MP3 Lecture) by Ron Carlson

For more information on Freemasonry and the Masonic Lodge, please check out the following resources available in our bookstore:

Fast Facts on False Teachings (book) by Ron Carlson & Ed Decker
Freemasonry, Shriners, and the Masonic Lodge (CD/MP3 Lecture) by Ron Carlson

By Dr. Ron Carlson

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of Transcendental Meditation, died February 6, 2008 in his Dutch home in Vlodrop, Netherlands. For nearly five decades he had promoted throughout the world the Hindu practice known as T.M. He built T.M. into a multi-million dollar organization, which includes Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa. The Natural Law Party, active in American politics, also came out of his movement.

Maharishi, who promoted the Indian Hindu schools of Vedanta and Yoga philosophy, sought to sell his Hinduism to the West under the veiled deception of pseudo-scientific language. Using terms like “the Science of Creative Intelligence” and “Natural Law”, he sought to make acceptable his Hindu religion to the western scientific mind. In reality, his writings and teachings show these terms to be merely a pseudo-scientific euphemism meaning Hindu Monism and Pantheism, that All is One and All is Impersonal. Transcendental Meditation was in reality a “short cut” version of Raja Yoga or the meditative technique of Astanga Yoga.

In his commentary, “On the Bhagavad-gita”, Maharishi said, “The aims of each system of Indian philosophy are fulfilled through the practice of transcendental meditation.” What is this philosophy that Maharishi brought to the West? Following the Vedanta school of Hinduism, Maharishi taught the unity of all things: that the entire universe and all existence are of one impersonal essence or nature. Maharishi teaches that the physical, personal world is illusion; only the transcendent and spiritual are real. Man in his true nature is said to be impersonal. The illusion of the physical, personal existence of man merely produces suffering in life. To eliminate suffering, says Maharishi, one must eliminate the physical, personal realm of existence.

In order to transcend this illusory, physical world and achieve a state of enlightenment, or oneness with the impersonal cosmos, Maharishi said a person must use the yoga technique of Transcendental Meditation. Though it was claimed by followers not to be religious, the entire teaching and practice is clearly Hinduism. In order to practice T.M., a follower is required to go through an initiation ceremony bowing before an altar of a Hindu guru. At the ceremony they receive a Hindu “mantra” or word on which they are to meditate on during the practice of transcendental meditation.

The bottom line is that Maharishi and Transcendental Meditation promote the ultimate rebellion against the Creator. They deny the infinite personal Creator/God and replace Him with an impersonal All or Brahman/Atman of Hinduism. They also deny the physical personal creation and replace it with an impersonal spiritual cosmos. The sad reality of T.M. is that an impersonal universe never loved or cared about anyone. Only a personal Creator loves and cares for His creation. True Biblical Meditation is not an inward, subjective descent into yourself as T.M. promotes, but an outward objective ascent to the personal Creator who “so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life!”

By Jason Carlson and Ron Carlson

When teaching on the cults, rarely do we encounter someone who hasn’t had a Jehovah’s Witness come knocking on their front door. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are notorious for their aggressive door-to-door evangelistic strategy. And while many people might view the Jehovah’s Witnesses at their door as an annoyance, they are literally a mission field at our doorstep. Therefore, we try to encourage Christians to view their visits as an opportunity, an opportunity to open their eyes to the truth and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.

The next time the Jehovah’s Witnesses comes to your front door, instead of simply turning them away, why not spend five minutes and sow some simple seeds of truth into their lives? You may not convert them to true Christianity right there at your doorstep, but you can give them some important truths to consider, truths which may eventually bear genuine fruit of repentance and conversion in their lives.

The basic error of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is what we call a “theology of denial”. Jehovah’s Witnesses basically deny all of the central doctrines of the Christian faith; most significantly, they deny the Deity of Jesus Christ. Jehovah’s Witnesses wrongly believe that Jehovah alone is God almighty, Jesus is only a god- a created being (actually the archangel Michael), and the Holy Spirit is simply an active force. This is a far cry from the true biblical doctrines of the Trinity and the Deity of Jesus Christ.

Now, if you only have five minutes to spend with a Jehovah’s Witness, try walking them through the following passages of scripture, passages that bear witness to the reality of the Deity of Jesus Christ (You can even use the Jehovah’s Witnesses false version of the Bible, the New World Translation):

1) Begin by reading with the Jehovah’s Witness from Revelation 1:8.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

After reading this verse together, ask them the following question, “Who is the Alpha and the Omega?” They will respond by saying something like, “Well, it says right there, the Alpha and the Omega is the Lord God (or Jehovah God in their translation).”

2) Next, ask them if they will read another passage of scripture with you, and read from Revelation 22:13.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”

After reading this verse with them, ask them, “Now, who exactly is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last?” And they will probably respond by saying something like, “We just saw who the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last is, he is the Lord God (or Jehovah God in their translation).

3) Lastly, ask them if they’ll look at one more passage with you, and read with them from Revelation 1:17-18.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last (stop here and ask again, ‘who is the First and the Last?’). I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!”

After reading this last passage of Scripture with them, ask the Jehovah’s Witness, “So, when exactly did the Lord God (or Jehovah God in their translation) die?” And many Jehovah’s Witnesses will just curiously look at that passage, having never seen this connection before. The Bible is clear in identifying Jesus Christ as the Lord God (or Jehovah God). If you want to demonstrate this reality even further, read with them from Revelation 22:13 & 16, where the Alpha and the Omega says, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.”

While this this series of passages may not convince every Jehovah’s Witness, walking them through these verses can be a powerful tool in witnessing to them. These passages demonstrate that Jesus Christ is the Lord God, or Jehovah God. Jesus Christ is not simply a god, a created being; he is the eternal Lord God.

The next time the Jehovah’s Witnesses come to your front door, instead of simply turning them away, why not try sharing these three passages with them? God could use you to powerfully impact the life of a Jehovah’s Witness… and it only takes five minutes!

By Jason Carlson and Ron Carlson

The October 17, 2005 issue of Newsweek magazine featured a cover story titled, “The Making of the Mormons”. In 2005 the Mormon church celebrated the 200th birthday of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism, which Newsweek describes as a “Christian denomination”.

As part of their reporting on the Mormon church Newsweek interviewed the man who was then President of the Mormons, Gordon B. Hinckley (1995-2008). Unfortunately, though, Newsweek failed to ask Mr. Hinckley the tough questions and therefore did not provide its readers with an accurate understanding of what Mormons truly teach and believe.

This Newsweek interview provides a classic example of why our ministry labels Mormonism a “pseudo-Christian cult”. A religion that looks and sounds like genuine Christianity, while in reality is far different.
In order to provide a more helpful analysis of what Mormons truly teach and believe, we’d like to offer the rest of the story, the truth that Newsweek failed to document. Let’s examine just two of Newsweek’s questions and the responses provided by Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley. When seen in the light of Scripture, it becomes quickly apparent that Mr. Hinckley is promoting something much different than historical, biblical Christianity.

Newsweek: “What do you believe is Smith’s most meaningful contribution, not only to the church but also to the world?”

Hinckley: “His greatest contribution I think is defining the nature of deity. He saw the Father and the Son. He spoke with them. They were beings of substance. They were in the form like a man. And they could express themselves and he could speak with them. Such an interpersonal relationship. And such a warm and reassuring thing to know the nature of God.”

The Truth: Joseph Smith was the founder of the Mormon church. Smith was a polytheist, as are all Mormons today. Mormons believe that there are literally millions of gods; these gods populate their own planets and rule over them. Joseph Smith taught that the god of planet Earth has a body of flesh and bone, he was once a human being like us and he evolved to become a god himself. They believe god is married to a goddess wife and that they sexually begot all people on earth, whom previously were spirit children waiting for bodies on Earth to possess. Joseph Smith taught polygamy in the early years of Mormonism as an eternal and everlasting covenant (until 1890, when they received a “revelation” from god calling for its abolishment, conveniently after the U.S. federal government declared that it was not legal). Polygamy was for the purpose of mass-producing human bodies on earth for these spirit babies to possess, so that they could also evolve to godhood, just as mother god and father god did. Joseph Smith taught that the goal of every male Mormon is to strive to become a god. In fact, Mormon prophet Lorenzo Snow described this official doctrine like this, “As man is, God once was; as God is, man may be.”

These Mormon doctrines are in direct conflict with the truth that God has revealed to us in Scripture. First, God has told us that he alone is God; there are no other gods besides him (Isaiah 44:4-8; Isaiah 45:5-22; Isaiah 46:9). Second, God has told us that he is not a man, he does not have a body of flesh and bone; he is spirit (John 4:24; Luke 24:39; Matthew 16:15-17). Third, God has told us that he has not evolved; he has always been the one and only God (Malachi 3:6; Psalm 90:2). Finally, God has told us that nobody ever has or ever will evolve to become a god (Isaiah 43:10).

When you examine the truth found in Scripture, the real truth about God’s nature and his distinctiveness from humanity, it becomes apparent that the Mormon doctrine of God is absolutely false. Mormons have adopted a heretical view of God and a heretical view of man’s ability to become a god. They have bought into the same lie that Satan used to get Adam and Eve kicked out of the garden of Eden. Satan said, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5).

Newsweek: “Are Mormons Christian?”

Hinckley: “Of course we are Christians. He’s the whole cornerstone of our faith. His name is in the name of the church. And this book [the Book of Mormon] is another testament of him.”

The Truth: Mormonism is far different from biblical Christianity. Calling themselves “The Church of Jesus Christ” is really false advertising on their part. They are the church of Joseph Smith, a false prophet who taught that Jesus is the literal spirit brother of Satan and was not born of the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary, but was conceived through physical incest. Mormons claim to follow Jesus Christ, but theirs is a different, false Jesus Christ. This shouldn’t surprise us, Christ himself warned us of false religions that would come seeking to deceive us, using the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:23-24). Jesus also warned, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). So, simply appealing to Christ’s name does not by any means make you Christian.

Second, to claim that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ is truly amazing. The book of Mormon does not bear any of the marks of Divine inspiration that we find in the Old and New Testaments (except for the 25,000 words and whole chapters Joseph Smith plagiarized verbatim, word for word, out of the King James Bible). Since 1830 the Book of Mormon has undergone over 4,000 changes. The Book of Mormon does not find any corroboration in history, archaeology, geography, or anthropology. Though they claim it is a real history of the western hemisphere, the Mormons refuse to produce a map of anything found in the Book of Mormon. Mormonism’s claim in the Book of Mormon, that American Indians are Jews who came from Jerusalem has absolutely been destroyed by modern DNA studies. The Book of Mormon has been shown to be an absolute fraud, a collection of fictional stories and plagiarisms written by Joseph Smith with no Divine inspiration whatsoever.

Finally, if Mormons are truly Christian, then why is it that you will never find a cross on any Mormon church or temple? The cross is the central symbol of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 2:2; Galatians 6:14). Without the cross the Christian faith is meaningless. Yet, Mormonism is totally devoid of the cross of Jesus Christ. Mormons have created a system of works and human effort whereby they believe that they might attain their own personal godhood. Mormons are taught that salvation (elevation to godhood) comes through the Mormon church, by baptism into the Mormon church, obedience to the Laws and Ordinances of Mormonism, temple works, good works, plus membership in the Mormon church. This is a far cry from true Biblical Christianity. For true Christians, our faith is found in the proclamation of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 John 5:11-13).

In light of Biblical truth it is apparent that Mormonism is not another “Christian denomination” as Newsweek and Mormon President Hinckley would have us believe. It is not the fastest growing denomination in America. In fact, they are at zero growth in the United States, with probably half their members no longer active. When Mormons claim growth statistics, this is growth outside the United States, largely in Catholic countries like the Philippines and Central and South America where people have easily been led astray by their false teachings cloaked in Christian terminology.

Mormonism is a false religion that has enslaved millions of men and women into a system of human works that cannot save anyone. For those of us who know the truth, we need to be in prayer for our Mormon friends and neighbors, but even more so, we need to be willing to share the truth with them about the real God of the Bible- who is not a man, who is not evolving and changing- and we need to introduce them to the grace of Jesus Christ found at the cross of Calvary and in Christ’s shed blood for our sins.

By Ron Carlson and Jason Carlson

In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus’ disciples came to him and asked, “Tell us, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” In responding to this question, it’s very interesting what Jesus identified as the foremost sign of his second coming and of the end of the age, “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”

Today we are seeing the fulfillment of this warning sign as never before. Our world is literally flooded with false “christs” and false messiahs. It is estimated that there are over 1,000 cults in America alone with some 25-30 million followers!  And each of these false cults promotes their own man-made version of “Jesus Christ” who is not the Jesus of the Bible.

So, who is the “Jesus” of the cults?

Jehovah’s Witnesses say that Jesus is actually Michael, the Archangel. He was the first creation of God. He came to Earth as a man, died on a stake, and rose from the grave invisibly as a spirit. Jesus then returned invisibly to Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1914 to head-up the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.

Mormons (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) teach that Jesus is the spirit brother of Satan. He was once a human being like you and I, but through good works he evolved spiritually to become a god. However, Jesus is just one god amongst a pantheon of gods, all of who were once human and evolved to become gods themselves. Jesus was born to Mary through physical incest when his father god had sexual relations with her. And Mormons teach that the blood and cross of Christ is foolishness and cannot fully atone for our sins (ever notice how there’s no cross on any Mormon church or temple?).

Christian Science and Mary Baker Eddy say that Jesus was only a man and that Christ is a Divine idea.   Furthermore, Jesus never did any supernatural miracles; he simply showed people their mental illusions of sin, evil, illness and disease. Christian Science says that Jesus did not die and his resurrection was only in a spiritual sense.

Sun Myung Moon (the Korean messiah) claims that Jesus was a man who failed his divine mission and he, Rev. Moon, is the second coming of Christ to unite the world under the banner of the Unification Church.

The Bahai say that Jesus is only one of nine great world manifestations; he is not a unique path to salvation and all religions are basically the same.

Unitarians believe that Jesus was a good man who was mistakenly deified by his followers.

Freemasonry teaches that Jesus was only a moral teacher. He was no better than Buddha, Confucius, Moses or Mohammed. They deny that Jesus was the light of the world and claim that Freemasonry is the true light of humanity.

Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard claim that Jesus is a false dream.

Spiritists say that Jesus is an advanced medium in the 6th sphere of the astrological projection (wherever that is?).

Unity teaches that Jesus is a man who perfected a divine idea.

Rosicrucians claim that Jesus is a manifestation of cosmic consciousness.

Maharishi and Transcendental Meditation says that Jesus was an enlightened guru who never suffered or died for anyone.

The more you study the false cults, the more you realize that the “Jesus” of the cults is not the Jesus of the Bible. All of the cults promote their own false, man-made versions of Jesus Christ; they are counterfeits and cannot save anyone.

So, who is the real Jesus?

In John 1:1 we read, “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  A few verses later in John 1:14 we learn, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

In Colossians 1:15 Paul tells us that Jesus “is the visible image of the invisible God…”  In Colossians 2:9 Paul says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form…”

The real Jesus is the one true God of all creation. He is the second person of the eternal Triune Godhead. He loves us so much that He broke into human history and split history into B.C. and A.D. to personally reveal Himself to us. The Bible says that Jesus came to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10; John 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:8-9). And as Acts 4:12 declares, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Have you put your faith in the real Jesus Christ?