Testing the words of LDS leaders with Biblical Truth:
January 2012
Preparing for Exaltation Teacher’s Manual
* Those who were noble and great in the premortal life are made rulers on earth (page 13):
Help class members realize that Adam and Eve were chosen to be the first people on earth because of their faithfulness. They were among the “noble and great” of our Heavenly Father’s children (see Abraham 3:22). [22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; 23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.] Page 16: “For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming of the Lord. … God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly.”
Test these LDS Words with Biblical Truth:
The teaching of the Preexistence is false. The belief that God chooses Spirit children who were “noble and great” in the Preexistence to be His “prophets and other Church leaders” in this world is false. We can know this because scripture explains why God chooses one person over another, and it is not because they are “noble and great.” In fact, it is for the exact opposite reason. God calls those who are not noble:
“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
Notice why God chooses whom He chooses: “That no flesh should glory in his presence.” And, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” Claiming that all the leaders of the LDS Church were chosen to be prophets and Church leaders in this world because they were more “noble” in the Preexistence is arrogance! It shows a lack of knowledge that all we do is because we are in Christ Jesus and it is Jesus who is made “unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” Claiming that the Church leaders are prophets because they were noble in a previous world attempts to bring these men glory and not the Lord.
The Bible further explains that before someone is born, they have done neither good nor evil. We see this in the example of Jacob and Essau and the reason that God choose Jacob to rule over his brother Essau. The Bible explains that God chose Jacob before the twins had even been born—before they had done any good or evil:
“And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.” (Romans 9:10-12)
The Bible does tell us about a group of people who were considered “more noble.” Paul testified that the Bereans were “more noble” than the Thessalonians. The reason? Because when Paul and Silas brought them the news that Jesus was the Christ, the Bereans searched the Old Testament scriptures to make sure that it was so; that what Paul taught them was in agreement with already revealed scripture:
“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:10-11)
Please, follow the example of the “noble” Bereans and “search the scriptures daily” to discern whether what your LDS leaders tell you is true to the Bible, God’s already revealed scripture. And, test the things I am telling you with the Bible. To read more about why God chooses someone, go to this blog Post: “Do You Have An Eternal Family?” written April 24, 2009; or, Click Here:
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* God gave Adam and Eve two commands, which gave them opportunity to choose which command to break (pages 13 & 14):
Note to the teacher: The decision of Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit was not a sin, as it is sometimes considered by other Christian churches. It was a transgression—an act that was formally prohibited but not inherently wrong… What commandments did God give Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden? Have class members read Genesis 1:28 (or Moses 2:28) and Genesis 2:16–17 (or Moses 3:16–17) to discover two commandments given to Adam and Eve by Heavenly Father: to multiply and replenish (fill) the earth and to refrain from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Explain that Adam and Eve could not keep both these commandments. If they chose to eat the fruit, they would be cast out of the Garden of Eden. But if they did not eat the fruit and remained in the garden, they would not be able to have children (to “multiply and replenish the earth”)… Why did Eve and then Adam eat the fruit? Help class members understand that Adam and Eve acted with understanding and used freedom of choice. They realized that if they did not eat the fruit, they would not be able to have children and they would not be able to learn to make righteous decisions. They wisely chose to eat the fruit.
Test these LDS Words with Biblical Truth:
Adam and Eve’s sin is not “sometimes considered” a sin by “other Christian Churches”. All Christianity declares that Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve did NOT make a valiant choice! Nowhere does the Bible state that God gave Adam and Eve two commands in which they had to choose which one to disobey. Believing so is calling God a liar and saying that He was tempting Adam and Eve. This doctrine differentiates the LDS Church from every Christian Church. Nowhere does the Bible state that Adam and Eve could not have children. When God told them to multiply and replenish the earth, there was nothing that restricted them from doing just that.
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Numbers 23:19
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” James 1:13
To read more about our loving God who provided salvation for sinful man, go to this blog Post: “Did God Really Give You a “Plan” of Salvation?” written January 5, 2010; or, Click here:
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* Satan is a deceiver of light (page 14):
• What did Satan say would happen if Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? (See Moses 4:10–11.) [10 And the serpent said unto the woman: Ye shall not surely die; 11 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.] Why did he tell Eve this? (See Moses 4:6; emphasize that Satan did not know that eating the fruit was a necessary part of God’s plan for Adam and Eve.) [6 And Satan put it into the heart of the serpent, (for he had drawn away many after him,) and he sought also to beguile Eve, for he knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world. 7 And he said unto the woman: Yea, hath God said—Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (And he spake by the mouth of the serpent.) 8 And the woman said unto the serpent: We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; 9 But of the fruit of the tree which thou beholdest in the midst of the garden, God hath said—Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.]
• Which part of Satan’s argument was true? (See Moses 4:11.) [11 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.] Which part was not true? (See Moses 4:10.) What are some ways Satan combines truth and lies today to persuade us to do what he wants?
Test these LDS Words with Biblical Truth:
Satan’s favorite disguise, is when he is “transformed into an angel of light”:
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
Satan loves to twist God’s Word to try and deceive us. This is what he did when he tempted Jesus in the desert:
“And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.” Luke 4:1-13
Satan wants you to believe that “ye shall be as gods” that you can increase in power and wisdom by being obedient to God. He wants you to look at the all the “good” things you do and compare yourself to your neighbor who smokes and drinks. He knows that if you do, you will fall prey to one of his best tactics–trusting in yourself, that through your obedience you can be righteous:
“And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14
The amazing truth that Satan does not want you to know, is that true believers know that they are weak and helpless. They know that they are sinful through and through. They know this about themselves and yet, they turn to their Savior and rejoice! In gratitude, they feed their faith by reading God’s Word. In gratitude they serve God, knowing that every single good thing that they do is really God working through them. As the Prophet Isaiah declared:
“LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.” (Isaiah 26:12)
Our Savior rescued us and sustains us and in return, we love Him and give Him our all. It’s all God’s doing–everything! Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith:
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
To read more about trusting in Jesus for righteousness, go to this blog Post: “Is feeling “Unworthy” a Blessing?” written January 10, 2009; or, Click here:
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* The effects of the Fall on Adam and Eve’s descendants, including us (page 15):
Have class members develop a list of conditions before the Fall and a list of conditions after the Fall… What would have happened to Adam and Eve if they had not eaten of the forbidden fruit? (They would have remained in the Garden of Eden without progressing; they would have known no joy because they knew no misery; they would have had no children. Also, God’s plan of salvation would have been frustrated.) What would have happened to us if Adam and Eve had not eaten the fruit? (Because they would not have had children, we would not have had the opportunity to be born on this earth.) …How is the Fall of Adam and Eve essential to your eternal joy? (The Fall enabled us to be born on earth, where we can learn and progress toward exaltation and eternal joy.) Testify that Adam and Eve made a deliberate choice to partake of the forbidden fruit. Their choice did not come from a desire to disobey the Lord, but from a desire to gain wisdom. Because of this choice, we have the opportunity to come to earth and learn, as Adam and Eve did, how to choose good over evil. Express your gratitude for Adam and Eve and the choice they made. Encourage class members to follow Adam and Eve’s example and choose good over evil.
Test these LDS Words with Biblical Truth:
Every Christian Church believes what the Bible testifies—that the result of Adam and Eves sin was horrific. You will not find one single Bible passage that agrees with the false LDS belief that Adam and Eve made a wise choice. Instead, the Bible claims that through Adam and Eve’s sin, sin entered the world.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5: 12
Adam was created in the image of God, but he lost that image when he sinned. Now, each human is created in the sinful image of their sinful father:
“And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth”: Genesis 5:3
“Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? 2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. 3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.” Psalm 58:1-3
“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalm 51:5 (Spoken by King David)
“Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.” Isaiah 48:8
Because of Adam’s sin, all mankind is subject to both physical and spiritual death:
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:12-21
The Bible is clear about the consequence of sin—eternal death. Jesus came to earth because man could not save himself through his obedience. To read more about the true mission of the Christ, go to this blog Post “Is Jesus Your Substitute or Your Exemplar?” written February 27, 2009; or, Click here:
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