What do Mormons — and Glenn Beck — really believe? Watch this video from Todd Friel of Way of the Master Radio to find out.
Or read the transcript that follows.
Glenn Beck…
Glenn, if I said “I believe you live in the state of New York” and you say “Hey! I believe I live in the state of New York too, but in MY mind I believe the state of New York is actually in the south of France”, you’d say “You’re believing in the wrong state of New York” and then utimately we don’t believe in the same thing. One of us has it wrong.
Glenn, we can use the same words but if they have different meanings, well then we don’t believe the same thing.
Glenn Beck video, Beck speaking:
That’s where the deeds come in; it’s the change of heart. May I quote the book of James 2:20 “But wilt thou know oh vain man that faith without works is dead.” What does that mean? Our work is a demonstration of our faith.
Amen! We believe that! We believe that we get saved and then everything that we do after that is good, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and by the way we must agree on Who that is too. By the power of the Holy Spirit we do good works, demonstration of our salvation, not to earn our salvation. You and I agree, Glenn, but we got a third party involved here. You believe that you are a Mormon.
This is what Mormons believe about the atonement, this is what they believe about justification, this is what the Mormon church in their words teaches about works.
Here we go. Number 1:
1. Jesus paid for all our sins when He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Laurel Rohfling, “Sharing Time: The Atonement”, Friend, Mar. 89, p. 39)
Now this isn’t a huge one, but it’s more than suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, says orthodox Christianity. He suffered in the Garden, oh that’s true, but also the beating and He suffered on the cross. Not only that, He also suffered before that by setting aside His right to be God, to using those attributes, so that He could be identified with us. So we’ve got a distinction straight away, but there’s more.
Number 2:
2. We accept Christ’s atonement by repenting of our sins, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and obeying all the commandments. (Gospel
Okay, see the subtle distinction here. We believe, orthodox Christians, by grace alone, faith alone, and Jesus alone. We repent, we trust Him, all sins — past, present, and future — are forgiven. And then we get baptized because we want to be identified with Him because we HAVE been saved. The Holy Spirit happens, He dwells in us when we get saved, and He’s actually working on us before that, and we obey the commands, not for the atonement, but BECAUSE of the atonement.
Number 3: Mormons teach that
3. One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation. (Miracle of Forgiveness, Spencer W. Kimball, p. 206)
Glenn, your church would be telling you that you have just taught the doctrine of satan. So I would ask you Glenn, where you at, man? Where are you at? Are you a Mormon or are you an orthodox Christian? Are you believing in grace alone, which is what Christianity teaches, or are you believing in works? ‘Cause, Glenn, something is off here. Something’s off. Either the words you’re saying, you don’t believe and you’re tricking us, or the words that you’re saying, you believe them and you’re not a Mormon. Which is it?
Number 4:
4. A plan of salvation was needed for the people of earth so Jesus offered a plan to the Father and and Satan offered a plan to the Father but Jesus’ plan was accepted. In effect the Devil wanted to be the Savior of all Mankind and to “deny men their agency and to dethrone god” (Mormon Doctrine p. 193; Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 8)
Actually it was God’s prearrangement plan (Acts 4). Before all of eternity we don’t have anything of competing plans; this was God’s plan to rescue the souls of men with the death of Jesus on the cross. That is the ONLY plan.
Number 5:
5. Jesus’ sacrifice was not able to cleanse us from all our sins, (murder and repeated adultery are exceptions). (Journal of Discourses, vol. 3, 1856, p. 247)
Glenn, which is it? Did Jesus forgive all your sins, or are you trying to work it out? Do you disagree with Mormonism or with Christianity?
Number 6:
6. Good works are necessary for salvation. (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 92)
No, Glenn, what you just said is good works happen because of salvation.
Number 7:
7. There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p. 188)
This is a radical difference. Jesus? Or Jesus plus?
Number 8:
8. The first effect [of the atonement] is to secure all mankind alike, exemption from the penalty of the fall, thus providing a plan of General Salvation. The second effect is to open a way for Individual Salvation whereby mankind may secure remission of personal sins. (Article of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 78-79)
This isn’t what the Bible teaches. This is a form of universalism. The Bible says that Jesus died — yes, you can say for the whole world, but the whole world isn’t forgiven. The whole world is not atoned for, the whole world is not redeemed, only those who have repented and put their trust in Jesus Christ.
Number 9:
9. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts. (LDS Bible Dictionary, p. 697)
Mormonism clearly teaches you do your best; Jesus does the rest. They say so clearly.
Number 10:
10. We know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. (2 Nephi 25:23)
The Bible teaches there is nothing we can do that is good and everything we do is BAD. We don’t contribute some, and Jesus does the rest. Our best has been dog vomit. It has been the stench of an open grave. It has been the puss of an open sore. Everything we do is rotten to the core and Jesus still is willing to forgive it, all to those who repent and put their trust in Him.
By grace are you saved through faith; it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. [Eph. 2:8-9] By grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourself, doing your best and Jesus does the rest. Not of works so anyone can boast.
Glenn, it is my sincere hope that you, sir, have repented and put your trust in Jesus Christ for the complete atonement, the complete forgiveness of sins. I really WANT that! I don’t to squabble with you and bicker over this stuff! I want you to have believed that so your sins can be forgiven.
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