Chapter Five - Mormons

CHAPTER FIVE

Mormons

IF YOU SAY you are a Mormon, officially, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, here’s what that means.

You believe the Bible is true, but not complete.
You believe God restored the full gospel through a modern prophet: Joseph Smith, in 1830, in upstate New York.
You believe the Book of Mormon is sacred scripture, along with Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.

You believe God the Father has a physical body.
You believe Jesus is His literal Son, a separate being.
You believe the Holy Ghost is another separate being.
Not one essence. Not a Trinity.
Three gods. Distinct. United in purpose.

You believe Jesus came to the Americas after His resurrection.
You believe ancient Israelites built civilizations here.
You believe Native Americans are descended from those people.
You believe Jesus taught them. That His gospel was recorded on golden plates.
And that Joseph Smith translated those plates using a seer stone and divine revelation to create the Book of Mormon.

You believe humans lived as spirit children before birth.
That God is the literal Father of your spirit.
That the purpose of life is to gain a body, prove your worth, and progress eternally.
You believe God was once a man.
And that you can become like Him.

You believe in Kolob, a star or planet closest to God’s presence.
You believe the afterlife includes three degrees of glory:
Celestial (highest), Terrestrial (middle), and Telestial (lowest).
You believe most people will go to one of the three, but only faithful Mormons go to the top.

You believe families can be sealed for eternity.
You believe in eternal marriage, not just “till death do us part.”
You believe in proxy baptisms for the dead.
That living members can be baptized on behalf of ancestors, offering them salvation.

You believe in modern prophets.
Joseph Smith was the first.
You believe in continuing revelation, that the President of the Church today still speaks for God.

You believe in strict morality:
No sex before marriage.
No alcohol, tobacco, coffee, or tea.
No swearing. No porn. No deviation from gender roles.

You go to church on Sundays.
You go to the temple for sacred ordinances. Not public.
You wear garments under your clothes as a sign of your covenant.
You tithe. You serve missions. You call each other “brother” and “sister.”
You build community fast and hard.

You believe most Christian churches are apostate.
You believe they lost the truth.
You believe only the LDS Church has the fullness of the gospel.
And that salvation is through Christ, but only via His restored church.

You believe you’ll be judged on your faith, your works, and your covenants.
You believe exaltation means becoming like God, creating spirit children of your own.
You don’t just go to Heaven.

You become a god.

That’s the offer.