Bible Study for Mormons
Background information [from the book by Elder Leon Cornforth, Meeting the Mormon Challenge with Love, page 106*]--
As the following statement clearly indicates, the truth of the Mormon religion and the validity of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints depends unequivocally on the role of Joseph Smith as a divinely appointed prophet of God. Mormons themselves plainly throw out the challenge--either Joseph Smith was a true prophet or a fraud:
"Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p. 188, italics in original)."
Mormons believe their church is the only true church on earth today because, they insist, it is the only church since the time of Christ to receive divine revelations from God. Mormons believe that Joseph Smith received direct communication from heaven and that he was God's prophet. In fact, Mormons believe that their church continues to have a living prophet functioning in its midst in the person of the president of the church.
"The duty of the President of the office of the High Priesthood is to preside over the whole church, and to be like unto Moses....yea, to be a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet, having all the gifts of God which he bestows upon the head of the church" ( Doctrine and Covenants, 107:91, 92).
Thus, not only do Mormons believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet who received visions and revelations directly from God, they also believe that the current president of the Mormon Church, as a living prophet within the church, may continue to receive such revelations. God's true church, Mormons believe, must have a living prophet who can receive revelations from God.
The Bible definitely teaches that there will be prophets in the last days!
1. What are two identifying marks of the remnant church in
the last days?
Revelation 12:17; Revelation 19:10 [All texts in this study are
from the KJV of the Bible].
Answer:
a. "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to
make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the
___________________________ of God, and have the
__________________________ of Jesus Christ." Revelation
12:17
b. "....the testimony of Jeus is the _____________ of ______________________." Revelation 19:10.
The Bible is definitely clear that the spirit of prophecy was to continue operating after the New Testament was finished. Especially will this be so in the last days.
2. What Bible verses indicate that we are in the last days,
by the very fact that there is prophesying in the last days?
Joel 2:28-31; Matthew 24:29, 30
Answer:
a. "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour
out my spirit upon all flesh; and your _________ and your
__________________ shall _________________, your old men shall
dream _________________, your young men shall see _____________.
Even also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days
will I pour out my ____________. And I will shew wonders in the
heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,
before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come."
Joel 2:28-31.
Here the Bible clearly says that in the days just before the end signs will point to the coming of Jesus--the sun will be darkened and the moon turned to blood. Jesus also predicted these signs would shortly precede His second coming in the following verses:
b. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light....And then shall appear the ________ of the Son of Man in ________________." Matthew 24:29, 30
3. Concerning prophets, what warning did Jesus give His
disciples about the days just before He would return again--the
last days of earth's history?
Matthew 24:11, 24
"Many ____________ prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many....for there shall arise ______________ Christs, and _____________ prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matthew 24:11, 24
If there were to be no prophets at all in the church at the end of time, there would be no need to warn against false prophets. In such a case, anyone claiming to be a prophet would automatically be known as a false prophet. A warning against false prophets presupposes that there will be genuine prophets in the church. Unless genuine prohets were operating in the church, there would be no need to warn against false prophets.
4. What did the apostle Paul say about the prophetic gift,
would it exist in the church until the very end?
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 12:7, 10; Romans 12:6;
Ephesians 4:11-13
Answer:
a. "Quench not the Spirit. Despise not
________________________. Prove all things; hold fast that which
is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21
b. "The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to
profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of
wisdom....To another the working of miracles, to another
_________________." 1 Corinthians 12:7, 10
c. "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that
is given to us, whether _______________, let us prophesy
according to the proportion of faith." Romans 12:6
d. "He gave some, apostles; and some, ________________; and
some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of
the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect
man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13
This state of spiritual unity and maturity will occur only when Jesus returns, so the gifts--including the gift of prophecy--are to remain in the church until that time as well.
5. What does the Bible tell us to do when confronted with a
prophet or a spirit of prophecy in the last days to determine if
the spirit is false or true?
1 John 4:1
Answer:
"Beloved, _____________ not every spirit, but _________ the
spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are
gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1
We are to try or test the spirits! Satan is always prepared to counterfeit every true and genuine gift that God has bestowed upon His church. This is true of the gift of prophecy as well as other gifts. The Bible clearly warns us that not only will there be genuine prophets in God's church until the very end--there will be false prophets as well. But how are we to try or test the prophets to see whether they are of God or not? Stay tuned to the next study in this series of studies for Mormons.
The next study is entitled: "The Bible Tests of a True Prophet"
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*Meeting the Mormon Challenge, With Love, written by Adventist pastor Leon Cornforth, more than 10,000 copies of the book have already been distributed. To order the book, write Leon Cornforth, P.O. Box 428, Marsing, Idaho, 83639; or call (800) 234-1117.
For more information regarding the subject of the inspiration of prophets, we welcome you to read online the introduction to the book of The Great Controversy, by Ellen G. White. Find at this website:
The Great Controversy,
by Ellen G. White
online book