Bible Study for Mormons
Background on Mormon Teaching
At the young age of eight years old, I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, without any knowledge of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, or an understanding of the true meaning of baptism as presented in the Scriptures. I was baptised only because my mother and others in the church thought that I should be, being old enough. Not being firmly attached to the Mormon Church, therefore, at the age of twelve, I had given my heart to the Lord Jesus Christ because my grandmother and my aunt had taught me about Jesus and how He had died for my sins on the cross, and how He wanted to save me, so much so, that He gave His life on the cross for me, that I might be forgiven and receive everlasting life. Realizing how much Jesus loved me, I wanted to follow Him and belong to His church, and keep the Sabbath. Therefore, at twelve years of age, I was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I knew this Church believed and practiced what the Bible said, whereas the Mormon church I had attended did not follow the Bible. However, according to the doctrine of the Mormon Church, the second baptism which I experienced was invalid, whereas the first one was valid! Why do I say this? (The following is excerpted from the book, Meeting the Mormon Challenge With Love, by Elder Leon Cornforth, pp. 151-165. I recommend getting the book and reading all of the material for yourself.)
"Mormon theology claims to have restored the gospel to the world, and a major part of that claim is the emphasis on a restoration of priesthood authority to the church. By 'priesthood authority' Mormons mean the authority God gives to selected men to act on His behalf in such matters of salvation and eternal life as baptizing, bestowing the Holy Spirit, ordaining church officers, sealing, and marrying for time and eternity.
"Why do Mormons speak of restoring the gospel and the priesthood?
"They do so because Mormon theology teaches that by the end of the first century A.D., the Christian church had become so corrupt that no one was worthy to hold the priesthood. The church had completely apostatized. As a result, God withdrew the gospel and priesthood authority from the earth. The apostolic authority to act in the Lord's name was taken away from the earth so that for the next 1,700 years the Christian church functioned without authority from God to administer the ordinances of salvation. Baptisms and ordinations taking place during this time were, therefore, invalid.
"This is why, according to Mormon teaching, God told Joseph Smith Jr. in 1820 not to affiliate himself with any of the existing churches because all were corrupt and untrue. The Christian church had completely apostatized from God and therefore the gospel and the priesthood authority must be 'restored' if they were to function once more on earth. This is the role Mormons believe God has called them to fill--to restore the gospel and the priesthood authority to the world.
"How did this restoration of the church and the priesthood take place? Here is what Mormons teach on this point:
'In the apostasy, the authority to act in the name of the Lord had been taken away from the earth, and as John saw in his revelation, the priesthood was taken back to God, while the Church of Jesus Christ had been driven into the wilderness.
'There was but one way for that priesthood to be restored to men on the earth--by an opening of the heavens. This was done, and John the Baptist came first with the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood, then came Peter, James, and John with the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood, which authorities were given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.' (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, pp. 87, 88).
"Mormons believe that John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith, Jr. and Oliver Cowdery in either 1829 or 1831 (the date is uncertain even for Mormons) and bestowed on them the Aaronic priesthood. Then, the apostles Peter, James, and John appeared to these same two men and ordained them to the Melchizedek priesthood. The Aaronic priesthood is a 'preparatory' or lesser, priesthood which was first given to Adam and then to other patriarchs, prophets, and apostles during Bible times. The Melchizedek priesthood, Mormons believe, is a higher order of priestly authority held by selected individuals in Bible times. Once priesthood authority was thus restored to earth, God's true church could again be established on earth as well. This took place, Mormons believe, on April 6, 1830, when the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded. (If Smith's ordination took place in 1831, as some contend, he actually organized the LDS Church BEFORE he was ordained, which fact, according to his own standard, disqualified him to act authentically for God.)
Thus Mormons teach that the gospel and the priesthood authority has been restored through Joseph Smith, Jr. and the church he founded--the Mormon Church. Legitimate baptisms and ordinations can once again take place, but only if conducted by Mormon priests who can trace their ordination to the priesthood in an unbroken line back to Joseph Smith, Jr. Today, Mormon males can receive the Aaronic pristhood at age twelve, becoming authorized to teach, preach, baptize, and administer the Lord's Supper. Those who reach a higher level of spiritual maturity can be ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood. This confers on these men the highest spiritual privileges possible in this life--receiving divine revelations and baptizing with the Holy Spirit. Those holding the Melchizedek priesthood are also eligible, and they alone, to receive an inheritance in the highest of three kingdoms in the world to come." Meeting the Mormon Challenge With Love, by Elder Cornforth, pp. 151, 152.
Now one should possibly be able to understand why my rebaptism as a faithful believer in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation from my sins would not be valid whereas, my earlier baptism at eight years of age before I knew anything about Jesus Christ or the true way of salvation through Him, is counted as the only valid baptism! Is that true of Mormon doctrine? Yes, it seems to matter little that I have been converted to follow Jesus and the Bible truth. That is why my mother was not extremely alarmed when years later I told her that I was baptized a Seventh-day Adventist at the age of twelve. In her thinking, once a Mormon, always a Mormon! Even though I had my name removed off the church records in Salt Lake City! I love my mother very much, but I cannot hold to that line of reasoning.... I pray for her that someday that God will speak to her heart, and she will want to let Jesus work in her life and change her completely as she believes and trusts in Him for forgiveness of sins, and grace to overcome sin in her life.
So what does the Bible teach about the Priesthood? That will be the theme of the following study:
1. Does the Bible depict an apostasy, or falling away, in the
church following the days of the apostles?
2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4
Answer:
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not
come, except there come a _______________ ______________ first,
and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who
opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or
that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of
God, shewing himself that he is God." 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.
2. Would the church ever go into complete apostasy, however?
What did Jesus say?
Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20; Matthew 16:18
Answer:
a. "I will never _________ thee, nor ______________ thee."
Hebrews 13:5
b. "Lo, I am with you ____________, even unto the end of the ______________." Matthew 28:20
c. "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell _____________ ______________ prevail against it." Matthew 16:18.
"The Bible is clear that although the powers of darkness have seemed at times to almost engulf those who are holding fast for God's truth, the power of Satan has never been strong enough to drive Christ's church completely from the earth." Cornforth, p. 153.
3. According to the Bible, what was known as the Aaronic, or
Levitical, priesthood?
Exodus 40:12-15
Answer:
"And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of
the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. And
thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and
sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: And
thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that
they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their
anointing shall surely be an ________________________
______________________ throughout their generations." Exodus
40:12-15.
The Aaronic priesthood was an earthly priesthood that was to carry on from father to son beginning with the anointing of Aaron and his sons throughout the succeeding generations. See: Numbers 20:25-29 as an example.
4. As we explore the claim that the authority to act in the
Lord's name in spiritual matters was withdrawn from the earth
until the priesthood was restored to Joseph Smith, Jr. and Oliver
Cowdery by John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John, we should
first ask, did the Aaronic Priesthood come to an end? What
happened at the Jewish temple when Christ died on the cross, and
what significance does this have for the earthly Aaronic
Priesthood?
Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 9:9-12
Answer:
a. "And, behold, the veil of the temple was ___________ in
twain from the __________ to the bottom; and the earth did quake,
and the rocks rent." Matthew 27:51.
b. "Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an __________ ___________________ of good things to come, by a ______________ and more _________________ ________________________, not made with _____________, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Hebrews 9:9-12.
"It's plain from the Bible that the significance of the Old Testament ceremonies and sacrifices of the temple came to an end with Jesus' perfect sacrifice which they symbolized. That is why there is no record anywhere in the Bible that any New Testament Christian--not even John the Baptist or the apostles, including Peter, James, and John--were ever ordained to the Aaronic (or the Melchizedek) priesthoods. The New Testament presents Jesus as the Christian's only High Priest this side of Calvary's cross." Cornforth, p. 154.
5. Had God planned beforehand that the Aaronic priesthood
along with the earthly temple and its ceremonies and sacrifices
would come to an end with the death of Jesus as the Lamb of God?
Colossians 2:14; Deuteronomy 31:26; Ephesians 2:15; Hebrews 10:4,
12, 14
Answer:
a. "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it _______ of the
way, ____________________ it to his cross." Colossians 2:14
"Please note that 'the handwriting of ordinances that was against us' does NOT refer to the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments, the apostle Paul assures us are 'holy, and just, and good.' (Romans 7:12). The 'handwriting of ordinances' refers to the multitude of Old Testament regulations concerning rituals and ceremonies and sacrifices. These were 'against us' because although they pointed forward to the work Jesus would do as our sacrifice, they became a burden through their misapplication and sheer numbers. All these ordinances were placed by Moses IN THE SIDE of the ark of the covenant..." Cornforth, p.155. These ritual services had been intended as a blessing to point Israel to the Messiah who should come as the suffering lamb for the transgressions of the people (Isaiah 53), but the people had lost sight of their significance, and the sacrificial service became a great burdensome, meaningless rite to perform. If it is not in the heart to obey God and render Him service, the service becomes a drudgery.
b. "Take this book of the law, and put it in the ___________ of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee." Deuteronomy 31:26
"The Ten Commandments, in contrast [to the book of the law, known as the law of Moses], were placed within the ark itself, directly under the mercy seat, showing their central significance to the entire plan of salvation. After Moses threw down the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written and broke them, God directed him, 'Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first....And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.' (Deuteronomy 10:1, 2)
"The ordinances that were 'blotted out' at the cross of Jesus, were blotted out because they pointed forward to the sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross. When that event took place, they were no longer necessary or valid, as Paul tells us:" Cornforth, 155, 156.
c. "Having __________________in his [Christ's] flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances." Ephesians 2:15
d. "For it is ________ _____________________ that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins....But this man [Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God....For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." Hebrews 10:4, 12, 14
"Thus the New Testament is clear that Jesus is our only High Priest this side of the cross and that the significance of the Old Testament priesthood and temple services came to an end with the perfect sacrifice of Jesus--Himself the offering and the High Priest. That is why there is no record anywhere in the Bible of anyone in the Christian church ever being ordained to the priesthood--either the Aaronic or the Melchizedek priesthoods." Cornforth, p. 156
As an APPENDIX to this study, I will quote in full the testimony of David Whitmer, Mormon pioneer and writer, one of the three witnesses to the golden plates of The Book of Mormon, that the office of priest is not to be found in Christ's church following the cross.
6. Is there, then, no priesthood or divine authority given by
God to human beings since Jesus died? Indeed there is!
1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 1:5, 6
Answer:
a. "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual
house, an holy ____________________, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ....Ye are a chosen
generation, a royal ___________________, an holy nation." 1
Peter 2:5, 9
b. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and ______________ unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." Revelation 1:5, 6
"You see, priesthood authority was not withdrawn from the earth in the first century! Rather, it was bestowed upon every faithful sincere believer in Christ! The Bible teaches that all true believers are priests. This means that God has placed divine authority within His church and that all those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, all those who faithfully serve Him, are called by Him, and given authority by Him, to teach others about Him. This is what the Reformers meant by the phrase, 'the priesthood of all believers.' We do not need a special group of priests to provide us access to God; all may come freely to Him and teach others of Him because all true believers are His 'priests.' This priesthood includes male and female, all races and ages--every person who has accepted Jesus as his or her Lord and Saviour." Cornforth, pp. 158, 159
7. But what about the "Melchizedek Priesthood?" What
is it, and how does it function?
Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 5:6
Answer:
a. "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is
passed into the heavens, ______________ the Son of God, let us
hold fast our profession." Hebrews 4:14
"After Jesus' return to heaven, He took on a special role as our High Priest in the sanctuary in heaven....In fact, most of the entire book of Hebrews reveals that Jesus is officiating in the heavenly sanctuary, not made with human hands, as our great High Priest, administering the atonement He provided by His onw death on the cross. The Bible identifies this priesthood in which Jesus is engaged in heaven as a priesthood of an entirely different order from the Aaronic priesthood of the Old Testament." Cornforth, p. 159.
b. "As he saith also in another place, Thou [Jesus] art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." Hebrews 5:6, see also, Psalm 110:4.
"The priesthood is named after Melchizedek, an enigmatic figure in Genesis 14, who was chosen by God to represent a priesthood that was not of this world as Hebrews 7:1-15 declares. Nowhere in the Bible is there any record of the Melchizedek priesthood ever being conferred on [any other] human being, including any prophet or apostle. David prophesied that the One who would hold this priesthood was yet to come....(Psalm 110:4). The book of Hebrews declares David's prophecy to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 'Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.' (Hebrews 6:20). Paul declares with no uncertainty (Hebrews 7:11-28) that the Melchizedek priesthood has been reserved forever exclusively for Jesus Christ and Him alone. He says that it is an 'unchangeable,' or 'nontransferable' priesthood (Hebrews 7:24), meaning that it cannot be transferred from one person to another. Thus anyone who claims the Melchizedek priesthood is laying claim to a spiritual authority which belongs to Jesus Christ alone--and this constitutes blasphemy. Webster's dictionary defines 'blasphemy' as 'taking the place of Deity,' and Christ our great Melchizedek High Priest is Deity...." p. 160.
Our next study will be: Questions Regarding Priesthood Authority.