No Dallas Jenkins, Mormons are NOT our "brothers and sisters"



(OPINION) Recently there has been a ton of controversy surrounding the hit Christian series "The Chosen" which has garnished staggering numbers of views around the World and has even broke records at movie theatres.

I will not be covering the latest situation regarding the "Pride Flag" on set as I will cover this in another blog. However, one of the most discussed controversies regarding the behind the scene production of this series is the embracing of Mormonism or the Latter Day Saint Church and their affiliation with this series.

Dallas Jenkins has come out multiple times and defended Mormons and made a statement recently that I knew I could not sit on the sidelines and remain quiet about. Jenkins was questioned regarding his statement in the past that Christians and LDS love and worship the same, Jesus. Jenkins did a follow-up and stated the following:

"Is it true that I said that? The answer is no, I did not," Jenkins said, adding that some of his past comments on this topic need more nuance and could have been misinterpreted.

“I think we can agree that words matter, nuance matters, and I probably could have given more context and clarity," he said. "I've done hundreds and hundreds of interviews and written thousands of things about my faith and about the faith of others, and I try very hard to be nuanced."

"I try very hard to be cautious and wise and clarify every word that I use, but I don’t always succeed. I think it’s fair to say that this is one where I don’t take back what I said, but I could have given it a little bit more clarity.”

“I think it’s also true that it would be a problem if I actually said those words definitively," Jenkins added. "That would be a problem, and here's why: Not because there aren't LDS folks who aren’t Christians and not because there aren't LDS and Evangelicals who love the same Jesus, but because it would be wrong of me to ever say that any one group believes any one thing altogether. That is just a level of arrogance that I don’t have."

"It would be just as dumb for me to say that all LDS are Christians as it would be to say that all Evangelicals are Christians or that all Catholics are Christians or any other faith tradition," he continued. "It would also be dumb of me to say that none are! That's also a level of arrogance that I don’t possess."

"When I've talked about my brothers and sisters in Christ, and when I talked about those LDS folks that I know who loved the same Jesus I do, I'm referring to some of the friends that I have who identify as LDS who I’ve gotten to know very deeply over the last few years, in particular. And I've had hundreds of hours of conversations with [them], and I stand by the statement that those friends of mine that I’m referring to absolutely love the same Jesus that I do," he said.

"You may still go, 'Well, that can't be true,' and that's your right to think that," Jenkins added. “But it's not fair to say, 'Oh, then you are now speaking about everybody.' I know plenty of Evangelicals who I would say don't know the same Jesus that I do and don't love the same Jesus that I do."

Jenkins further stressed that he alone is responsible for the content in "The Chosen" and is inspired by the Bible. "I've said many times the content of the show has zero influence or input from any form of faith tradition or church. None," he added.

So we see here that Jenkins still believes that some of his LDS friends whom he knows personally, love the "same Jesus" as Christians. This is a huge problem when closely examining the beliefs of LDS.

Mormonism has 16 million followers worldwide, the majority of whom live in the US; the faith also boasts significant wealth and a number of high-profile members, including Mitt Romney and Donny and Marie Osmond.

I am not going to exhaust you with every fundamental belief of Mormons but I do want to cover what I believe is the majors of this false religion. Let’s begin with how it was even founded.

The Church of Latter Day Saints or "Mormonism" was founded less than two hundred years ago by a man named Joseph Smith who claimed to have received a personal visit from God the Father and Jesus Christ in a wooded area in Manchester, New York, called the Sacred Grove who told him that all churches and their creeds were an abomination. Smith then set out to "restore true Christianity" and claimed his church to be the "only true church on earth"

On September 21, 1823, while allegedly praying in his room, Smith received an "angelic visitation" by an angel, named Moroni, who told him that he had been chosen by God for a great work. He told Smith about a book written upon gold plates that had been buried alongside the Urim and the Thummin of the Old Testament.

Smith claimed he immediately found this book, and, using the Urim and Thummin, translated it, and published it in 1830 as The Book of Mormon. "Another Testament of Jesus Christ." This was the same year that he formally organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

If anyone knows the Bible, you should be able to see major red flags here right away! First of all, Do we really believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ both made a personal visit to a man to tell him that all other Churches were corrupt and an abomination and that he was the true prophet that would "restore the Church"?

Secondly, Smith states even more blasphemous nonsense when he claims that an "Angel from Heaven" named Moroni visited him to show him where some golden plates were buried to help him establish what would be later called “Another Testament of Jesus Christ”.

This is exactly why the Apostle Paul warned about this in his letters to the early Church. "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." – Galatians 1:6-9

Now let's talk about what these people believe. Mormon leaders have taught that Jesus’ incarnation was the result of a physical relationship between God the Father and Mary. Mormons believe Jesus is a god, but that any human can also become a god. Mormonism teaches that salvation can be earned by a combination of faith and good works.

According to Mormonism, it is believed that God the Father was once a mortal man who became a god, possessing an immortal and physical body. However, this contradicts what is mentioned in the Bible, which states that God has always been a spirit and has never been a man. Moreover, the Bible emphasizes that a spirit does not have a physical form. In addition, God is considered eternal and unchanging in his being and perfections, so he did not progress towards becoming a god, but has always been one.

Mormons also have a belief that Jesus Christ was the first spirit child of the heavenly Father and a heavenly Mother. They also believe that Lucifer was the brother of Jesus and that Jesus gradually became a deity in the spirit world before being physically conceived in Mary’s womb as the literal "only begotten" Son of God the Father in the flesh.

Another Mormon belief is that Adam’s transgression was a noble act, which made it possible for humans to become mortal, leading to the path of exaltation to godhood. Mormons think that Christ’s atonement secures immortality for almost all individuals, regardless of their belief or repentance.

Furthermore, Mormons believe in general salvation to immortal life in one of the heavenly kingdoms, which is how they understand salvation by grace. Belief in Christ is essential only for access to the highest, celestial kingdom, which requires faith, participation in Mormon temple rituals, and obedience to its "laws of the gospel." Additionally, Mormons place their book above the Word of God and consider it as absolute authority.

Lastly, Mormons do not believe in the traditional Trinity but instead consider it to consist of three distinct gods. According to Mormonism, there are potentially many thousands of gods besides these.

These are just some major doctrinal beliefs of this false religion that Jenkins seems to believe that his close friends who embrace are loving the same Jesus as Christians but this is simply not true. I am not saying that these people are bad people or evil whatsoever, but they are greatly deceived by this false gospel that is being equated by many with Christianity.

Paul also warned about this as well in his writings when he stated: "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it" – 2 Corinthians 11:3-5

Lastly, Christ warned himself about anyone adding to the Bible. "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book"

Jenkins has been heard referring to Mormons as "our brothers and sisters" and this simply is not the truth. These people are not our brothers and sisters in Christ and we do not worship the same Jesus." While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.

Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?" And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother." – Matthew 12:46-50

If someone comes to your door of this religion the Bible is clear in its instructions on how to handle this. "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds." 2 John 1:9-11

Oyinbo1886:
"If anyone knows the Bible..."...I would say that the very "Christians" that wrote this piece of trash don't know their own Bible.

I have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for going on 37 years, was not born into it, but converted from the Southern Baptist faith, which is very mainstream here. Half the arguments posted here are regurgitated garbage that anyone can find in an anti-LDS tract. I know because I live in the Bible Belt (Georgia, USA), and I served a 2-year mission in Poland.

I couldn't care less who Dallas Jenkins is, Marie Osmond, or any "Mormon Notables". I despise "church culture" because it promotes ignorance and teaches tradition instead of doctrine, the same holding true for any other sect of Christianity.

Oyinbo1886:


"First of all, Do we really believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ both made a personal visit to a man to tell him that all other Churches were corrupt and an abomination and that he was the true prophet that would 'restore the Church'?" Who is the we in this question? Roman Catholics believe that the Messiah appeared to people all the time. Would you consider them any less Christian? Did you even go farther back to find out the reason behind the events? In Joseph Smith's own testimony, he was seeking an answer through James 1:5, period. Or do people believe that God changes and does not reveal himself as He did to Moses (Exodus 33:11). And no, that passage is not meant in the figurative sense, the Hebrew clearly states that it was face to face. So, who is to say that neither God nor Jesus Christ can do the same 2,000 years later, unless that person believes in a God that changes, and He doesn't.

Oyinbo1886:


"Secondly, Smith states even more blasphemous nonsense when he claims that an 'Angel from Heaven' named Moroni visited him to show him where some golden plates were buried to help him establish what would be later called “Another Testament of Jesus Christ”. Revelation 14:6-7 prophesied this. "Blasphemous nonsense" according to whom?

Galatians 1:6-7 is being taken entirely out of context here. This was addressed specifically to the Galatians. The Judaizers had infiltrated the congregation and started preaching adherence to the Law of Moses, something that Paul was against. So, he wrote an epistle to them to set them straight. If you read the entire New Testament, as I have, you will find that many of the congregations have started practicing false teachings, even some of the 7 churches in Revelation. So that argument dead based on scripture that was meant in an entirely historical context.

Oyinbo1886:


"Now let's talk about what these people believe..." According to whom?

"Mormon leaders have taught that Jesus’ incarnation was the result of a physical relationship between God the Father and Mary." Which leaders? What is your source? Do you have a quote from these leaders or was this given for purposes of sensationalism?

"Mormons believe Jesus is a god..." Got news for you, so does every other person that believe the Bible with understanding. Read John 1:1, especially where it says the Word [Jesus Christ] was with God, and the word [again, Jesus Christ] was God.

"but that any human can also become a god." Again, so does every other person that believes the Bible with understanding. Genesis 1:26-27 says that we are formed in His image. Just like children have the potential to become like their fathers, we have that same potential. Also, Romans 8:17 implies that we will become joint-heirs with Christ, meaning we will have that same inheritance should we live worthliy enough to do so. The word for joint-heirs in Greek is συγκληρονόμος, which means " one who obtains something assigned to himself with others, a joint participant".

Oyinbo1886:


"Mormonism teaches that salvation can be earned by a combination of faith and good works." James 2:20. Faith alone does not save, apoint that the Apostle James drives home throughout the chapter.

Oyinbo1886:


"According to Mormonism, it is believed that God the Father was once a mortal man who became a god, possessing an immortal and physical body. However, this contradicts what is mentioned in the Bible, which states that God has always been a spirit and has never been a man. Moreover, the Bible emphasizes that a spirit does not have a physical form." Really? Then why in the scriptures does it mention "the hand of God", "the finger of God", "eyes of God", etc. if God has no body? The argument is drawn from John 4:24. So, let's look at the entire verse instead of half-truthing it.

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24 KJV). So, if God is a spirit, and it says that we must worship him in spirit, then that interpretation implies that we cannot worship him while in our body, as it says "we must worship him in spirit"...so that interpretation is blatantly false. Also, if we are created in the image of God, according to Gen. 1:26-28, then that means we must also be spirits, and cannot have a body, because the verse says that we are created in His image. The interpretation that God does not have a body is not from the Bible, but from neo-Platonism, and it contradicts other passages in the Bible.

Oyinbo1886:


"Lastly, Mormons do not believe in the traditional Trinity but instead consider it to consist of three distinct gods" Yes, Latter-Day Saints do reject the doctrine of the trinity for the simple reason that it is not Biblical. Nowhere is the word Trinity mentioned in the Bible nor was it ever referred to as such until the Athanasian Creed came into existence about the 4th century A.D, 3 centuries after the Bible was written.

Oyinbo1886:


"Lastly, Christ warned himself about anyone adding to the Bible. 'For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book'." I find it laughable that the source verse wasn't cited, but then, that's a typical game that anti-LDS play, they will quote scripture and not even know where it comes from. First of all, it is in Revelation 22:18-19. Second, "this book" does not refer to the Bible itself, but the Book of Revelation, which John was writing. and that is evident from the Greek word τοῦ βιβλίου, which is genitive singular referring to one book, the book of Revelation. The word "Bible" is taken from the Greek τὰ βιβλία, meaning "the books", plural. Therefore, the book of prophecy mentioned in this citation does not refer to the Bible, but only the Book of Revelation. We also know from Biblical history that the 3 epistles of John (1, 2, and 3, John) were written after the Book of Revelation according to many chronologies. So was John cursing himself when he wrote those epistles?

Oyinbo1886:


It never ceases to amaze me that in order for people to tear down a faith that they disagree with, they will resort to trickery, shege, innuendo, and false interpretations of the Bible to achieve their objective. They would do well to heed 2 Timothy 2:15, because the arguments presented in the previous anti-LDS polemic clearly shows a lack of serious Biblical scholarship and research.

Oyinbo1886:


Next, I imagine you will want my credentials. I teach Biblical Hebrew and Greek as an adjunct professor at Peace Multicultural Theological Seminary in Ft. Washington, Maryland where I hold an honorary doctorate, and graduated with a B.A. in Linguistics (1996) at Brigham Young University.

THE FORBIDDEN ERRORS

Genesis 2:16-17 NKJV
[16] And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
[17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Even the Tree of Life was also in the Garden and among the Trees they may freely eat. But the Devil took their Attention away from the Tree of Life and pointed them to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

It is not every knowledge you should go after. Some Knowledge will lead you to the path of death.
Some knowledge is better left untouched.

Some ministers of God left the Bible and went after THE LOST BOOKS OF THE BIBLE. They began to read Books of Enoch, Lost Books of Eden, Books of Asher, Epistles of Barnabas, Testament of Moses, etc.

The Bible as we know it today is a compilation of Inspired Word of God, assembled under the supervision of the Holy Spirit, therefore profitable for doctrines, for correction, for rebuke, for direction.

Those other books contain a lot of errors and falsehood and NOT inspired by the Holy Spirit, capable of confusing and misleading the readers.
Many Ministers of God who read and absorbed THOSE FORGOTTEN OR LOST BOOKS are now preaching HERESIES and CONFUSIONS AND MISLEADING THEIR FOLLOWERS.

Mike Bamiloye

Oyinbo1886:


"Who witnessed Joseph Smith's experience?" Who witnessed Moses' experience with the burning bush? Who witnessed the suffering of Christ while he was praying in Gethsemane as those who were with Him were asleep? Can anyone corroborate those "just because they said them", as you put it?

Oyinbo1886:


Really? And where does it mention that it is just those 66 books? Do you infer that God has stopped speaking through scripture at 66 books? And how do you know for 100% that those were the only books that were written as scripture? Read 1 Chr. 29:29. Where are the books of Nathan and Gad, and why are they not in the Bible? Also, in light of recent discoveries in 1947 with the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Library in 1945, we know that there were even more books written than we have in the canon. And there are other missing books in the Bible that are mentioned:

Book of the Wars of the Lord (Num. 21:14)
Book of Jasher (Josh. 10:13; 2 Sam. 1:18)
Book of the acts of Solomon (1 Kgs. 11:41
Book of Samuel the seer (1 Chr. 29:29)
Book of Gad the seer (1 Chr. 29:29)
Book of Nathan the prophet (1 Chr. 29:29; 2 Chr. 9:29)
Prophecy of Ahijah (2 Chr. 9:29)
Visions of Iddo the seer (2 Chr. 9:29; 12:15; 13:22)
Book of Shemaiah (2 Chr. 12:15)
Book of Jehu (2 Chr. 20:34)
Sayings of the seers (2 Chr. 33:19)
An epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, earlier than our present 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 5:9)
Possibly an earlier epistle to the Ephesians (Eph. 3:3)
An epistle to the Church at Laodicea (Col. 4:16)
Some prophecies of Enoch, known to Jude (Jude 1:14)

Oyinbo1886:


As a matter of fact, the word for scripture in the Greek is γραφὴ, which simply means "writings". And no, there is [/b]zero[b] implication that it [/b]only[b] refers to the 66 books that make up the canon of certain versions of the Bible...and yes, I said "certain versions". The Roman Catholic version has 73 books with the Apocrypha included, and the Ethiopian Orthodox church uses 81 books. Are we going to sit there and say that they are wrong because they have more books? And before you say "well they added them"...again, according to whom?? They could make the exact same argument that those that follow the 66-book canon have taken away from the Bible. I recommend you read up on the history of the canon of the Bible, and the Council of Nicaea, which was headed by a pagan, Constantine the Great, who was a Sun-worshipper until his deathbed, when he was baptized. That is [/b]also[b] where the Trinitarian Doctrine comes from,, and again, we should follow that non-Biblical counsel...why??

Oyinbo1886:


"All Scriptures are written for our learning...that we may have hope. Why do you think that epistle was included in the Scriptures if it was only to be for the Galatian church? It reveals the historical context just as it applies to us spiritually." Hmmm...all right. So your argument is that anything in the scriptures should be practiced today. Very well, let's tithe in kind (no cash allowed, crops only), observe the laws of the Sabbath, make animal sacrifices, etc. You get the point. Just because it is included in scripture does not mean that it is to be regarded as a general practice today. We learn from it, yes, but some things are strictly for historical context, and not to be used as generally accepted practices, unless you are one of those that think that women should [/b]never[b] speak in church as per 1 Cor. 14:34., but to be honest, I wouldn't ascribe that to you.

Oyinbo1886:


"Wrong. Jesus is God, not a god as other cults such as Jw claim in their NWT bible." You said "It depends on what you understand by the phrase..." in another part of the discussion. I will offer up the same...depends on what you understand by "God". In actuality, the word for God is אֱלהִים...which is a [/b]plural[b] noun, [/b]not[b] singular. I'll let you mull over why that is.

Oyinbo1886:


"Can you show me anywhere in the authorised version of the Bible where the word grandfather is written? If it cannot be found should we then conclude that there are no grandfathers in the Bible days going by your line of thought?" And just which "authorized" version are you referring to, KJV, RSV, NIV, ESV? Which one is "authorized", and an even bigger question is [/b]who[b] authorized it? I doubt it was God Himself.

Oyinbo1886:


To answer your question, I can, in the original Hebrew...and it doesn't go back any farther than that. The word אָב does mean father, true, but in Genesis 28:13 and Genesis 32:10, particularly in the style of the author J (as opposed to P, E, or D.), that word is used to specifically mean grandfather. Unlike most Western languages, Hebrew words are broader in concept, and when אָב is put in the plural אָבוֹת֙, it can mean fathers, grandfathers, or any direct male ancestry thereof.