In part 1 and part 2 we noted that in his ever expanding crusade to preach the pseudo-gospel of universalism Billy Graham’s Evangelistic Association has taken it upon itself to redefine both Christian as well as Mormon theology.
They did this by removing Mormonism from their list of cults. They sacrificed theology on the altar of politics as it was directly after Mitt Romney met with Franklin Graham that the change was made.
But, was a change made?
They claim to have removed them from the list (where is that list anyhow?) but when we consider how the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has defined a cult, we see that the Mormons meet their criteria perfectly.
In the previous segment we considered three examples of how the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association defines a cult (taken from their website which was accessed on October 19, 2012 AD which is after they removed Mormonism from their cult list).
We will now parse and combine the answers in order to see if Mormonism fits the descriptions:
…reject the basic beliefs of the Christian faith—beliefs that Christians have held in common for almost 2,000 years.
As we will see as we progress, Mormonism has, indeed and in fact, rejected the basic, yes even the very basic, beliefs of the Christian faith. In fact, their very beginning, their very foundation, their very premise, their axiom is their claim that one of the various Mormon gods rejected the beliefs that Christians have held in common for almost 2,000 years. Joseph Smith claims to have prayed to “God” for guidance as to which denomination he should join. As per the official account (which is one of about a dozen):
I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: ‘they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.’ He again forbade me to join with any of them…”
—Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith, History, 2:18-20
Even if you buy the current Mormon apologist spin that “all” meant only “all” of those denominations available to Smith geographically the point is: Catholics, Protestants and the Orthodox all hold to the Nicene Creed which lays out the beliefs that Christians have held in common. This means that the overwhelming majority of all Christians everywhere in the world, just about every single one, agrees on the basics, the essentials of the faith. This includes those denominations available to Smith.
And so, according to Joseph Smith or rather, according to one of the Mormon gods, “they were all wrong…all their creeds were an abomination…those professors were all corrupt.” This is why Mormonism denies even the very basics of traditional biblical Christianity. Thus, according to Mormonism, Christianity is a cult.
Thus, when the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association identified a cult as a group that:
…claim that and that Christian denominations and churches are wrong in their teaching.
It fits Mormonism perfectly.
…claims that they, and they alone, have all the truth about God…They claim they alone have the truth, and everyone else is wrong…they alone have a full understanding of the truth about God, and the only way to know the truth is to be part of their group.
The first part is overstated as no one and no group claims to have “all the truth about God.” Mormonism surely claim that they alone have the truth, and everyone else is wrong which is why if you die a non-Mormon you do not spend eternity where Mormons will spend it.
Again, no one claim to have “full understanding of the truth about God” but Mormons do claim to have more and thus, a fuller understanding. This is why the Book of Mormon is “Another Testament” since it adds more info (as does the Pearl of Great Price and their other scriptures).
Lastly, their secret temple rituals prove that they think that “the only way to know the truth is to be part of their group.”
…have a strong leader who demands total and absolute obedience; some cults even require their members to cut themselves off from their families…strong leader—one who demands total obedience, and actually claims to speak for God.
Joseph Smith and his predecessors fit this description as well as something else that was mentioned which is:
…he or she may lead others into disaster.
While some refer to the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, the fact is that Smith was shot to death whilst he himself was blowing people away during a gun fight when the jail in which he was incarcerated was attacked. Also, the Danites and the Destroying or Avenging Angels were Mormon death squads.
…they reject the Bible…do not accept the Bible alone as God’s Word.
This is where the Mormons attempt to be sneaky. Mormon’s eighth article of faith states:
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
And, pray tell, how do we know when the Bible is translated correctly and when it is not? There is one and only one single criteria. No, it is not archeology, history, linguistics/etymology, grammatical context or anything of the sort. The one criterion is this: if and when it contradicts Mormon theology it must have been translated incorrectly. Thus, Mormon scriptures are more authoritative than the Bible…more on this below.
And so, when it comes to this statement:
…they alone correctly interpret the truth.
We know that it fits Mormonism as they determine when the Bible is translated correctly and what the Bible means.
…their founder’s writings are also divinely inspired…say that other books (usually written by the group’s founder) are also God’s Word and of more value…have their own writings also, which they either substitute for the Bible or add to the Bible.
This is Mormonism 101 including the fact that Joseph Smith added, his own name (in order to fake a prophecy of his coming) to the Bible.
…rejects the divinity of Jesus. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ was God in human flesh—that He alone was both fully man and fully God. Cults, however, deny this, and often confuse people who aren’t familiar with the Bible by twisting its meaning.
Mormons believe that Jesus is divine just as many, many other beings are divine. They thus deny that “He alone was both fully man and fully God.” Biblically, there are various “sons of God” but the context of each statement in that regard denotes whether what is meant is angels, humans or Jesus. The differences is the very reason why the Bible can refer to various beings as the “son(s) of God” whilst also proclaiming that Jesus is the one and only uniquely begotten son of God.
It is a fact that, on this point, Mormons confuse people who aren’t familiar with the Bible by twisting its meaning: the Mormon Jesus is not the real life, historical Jesus of the Bible. Mormonism presents another testament of another Jesus.
“Cults deny what the Bible says about Jesus: He was fully God as well as man, and He died on the cross so we could be saved from our sins by faith…”
Much like the above but with the addition of something which fits Mormonism like a glove. Mormonism even denies that Jesus “died on the cross so we could be saved from our sins.” Rather, they believe that Jesus atoned for sins at the Garden of Gethsemane.
…claim to be Christian and may actually incorporate some of the teachings of Christianity, while they deny certain truths in the Bible
The CBS News report by Stephanie Condon (“Billy Graham’s organization removes Mormonism from its list of cults,” October 18, 2012 AD) on which this series is based noted:
Mormons consider themselves Christians, though not all of their beliefs align with mainstream Christian doctrine.
Indeed, they consider and claim themselves to be Christians, at least now a days, and incorporate some of the teachings of Christianity, while they deny certain truths in the Bible: such as something as basic as that the Bible presents Trinitarian monotheism while Mormonism believes in very many gods and that Mormons in good standing will themselves become gods and goddesses.
Cults substitute their own ideas for the truth which God has given us.
Indeed, since Mormonism claims that “they were all wrong…all their creeds were an abomination…those professors were all corrupt” it is by necessity that they deny all creeds and replace them with their own.
Two last points as the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association recommend that you can identify a cult if you:
…ask several clergymen about it.
Unless you are surrounded by liberal churches or those, like the Southern Baptists, who are sold out to Freemasonry (as is Mormonism) you will have clergy men respond that yes indeed, Mormonism is a cult.
Also:
…see if your local Christian bookstore has a volume that describes cults.
Likewise, if your local Christian bookstores have anything discerning about them, that is to say if they are actually a “Christian” bookstore and not just a front for making money they will carry various volumes that describe Mormonism as a cult: much in the way that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association identifies them as a cult via their definitions of cults even whilst removing them from their list of cults for political reasons.
Yes, it may come as a shock to the 24 hour news cyclers and the universalist-ecumenical-syncretists but Christianity has always considered Mormonism to be a cult and Mormonism has always (even in their more pseudo-ecumenical proclamations de jour) considered Christianity to be a cult.
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For more info on Mormonism, see True Freethinker’s section which contains many articles:
Mormonism
Here are some apologetics books on Mormonism:
The 10 Most Important Things You Can Say to a Mormon by Ron Rhodes
Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Mormons by Ron Rhodes and Marian Bodine
Mormonism’s Temple of Doom by William (Bill) Schnoebelen
Also available as a DVD documentary: Mormonism’s Temple of Doom DVD
The Mormon Mirage: A Former Member Looks at the Mormon Church Today by Latayne C. Scott
One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church by Richard Abanes
The Mormon Defenders by James Patrick Holding
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