The Holy Ghost of Mormonism

19 October

In this part of our series on the “foundations of Mormonism”, we’re taking a look at the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit of Mormonism.  I remember being around Christians as a Mormon and wondered where they got their effervescent personalities.  They always seemed to be a “free spirit” without the shame ridden fears I carried around with me all those years.

Little did I know at the time I was witnessing the presence of the Holy Spirit.  This Holy Spirit moved them in their lives and allowed those around them to see God’s love for His creation.

Not long after the day of my salvation I remember laying face down with arms stretched out on my living room floor in total adoration for God and the unspeakable gratefulness I held in my heart for the God of everything.  It was the first of many times I’ve been in that position before my God.

A Mormon missionary asked me not long ago what if anything I felt when I “changed religions”.  I shared that experience with him and how incredibly free I am in Christ.  It is through His Holy Spirit that I have freedom to prostrate myself before Him and it is through the workings of the Holy Spirit I know that I am worshipping Him in spirit and in truth.

The Holy Spirit’s presence isn’t dependent upon my behavior as I was taught in Mormonism.  He took up residence inside of my very being the moment I accepted Jesus into my life.  His Spirit brings to remembrance the teachings in the Bible and guides me when decisions are to be made.

One of my all time favorite verses about the Holy Spirit’s presence can be found in John 14:23; “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

Hmmm…just the thought of Him never going away brings me peace in the most tumultuous of storms that come my way.  The word “abode” means “to tarry” in the Greek.  It means to “remain, stay or to sojourn”.

Just think of it!  The friends, parents, children, siblings or even spouses that have disappointed you or left will never be able to do what the Holy Spirit will do in your life.  People and their promises come and go, but not God!  Jesus promised us in John 14:23 that He will always remain.  Even when I mess up and say something I shouldn’t have He is still there.  When I do something I know I have to repent of He is still with and in me.  In John 14:16 Jesus told the disciples; “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.”  Forever.  It means incessantly without ever going away – He will never go away!

This is a totally foreign concept for the Mormon and how very sad it makes my heart.  They work so hard to try and please, but it’s not what God requires.  How we pray they will see the truth for themselves and know this awesome God that gives more than you ever could.

God wants a relationship with you.  That is why He created you!  He wants to be around you because He already loved you (1 John 4:19) long before you loved Him or even knew of Him.  He is waiting patiently and the cool thing is that you don’t have to perform or get cleaned up before you go to Him – He’s already aware of your situation.  If you’re convinced it is by works you must know Him or have this relationship, then consider the acceptance of Him into your life as the “work”.  He’ll let you know later on that it isn’t by your works but His that you’re saved, but that’s for another discussion…

Below are two charts.  The first is a comparison of the Holy Spirit of the Bible and the Mormon Holy Spirit.  The second chart is a list of other various Mormon teachings.  These charts are part of the power point presentation I give at churches when I teach Christians about Mormonism.

If you’re a Mormon know that we pray for you every single day.  We hope you will come to know the God of the Bible who is the only one that will give you this peace I’ve spoken about here.  We hope to hear from you soon!

With Love in Christ;

Michelle

1 Cor. 1:18  …

THE HOLY SPIRIT

Christian Mormon
John 14:16-17;  “…another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.” Articles of Faith-chapt. 8, Gospel Principles pg. 37; “He is a spirit that has the form and likeness of a man.  He can be in only one place at a time, but his influence can be everywhere at the same time.  Compare the Holy Ghost to the sun.  There is just one sun, but its light and warmth are felt by everyone on earth.”
Isaiah 9:6; “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:  and the government shall be upon his shoulder:  and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Mormon Doctrine pg. 359; “Because he is a Spirit Personage, he has power—In this dispensation, at least, nothing has been revealed as to his origin or destiny; expressions on these matters are both speculative and fruitless.”
Gal. 4:4-6;“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”  “The Greatest Gift”, Ensign, Nov. 2008, pg. 17;“By participating weekly and appropriately in the ordinance of the sacrament we qualify for the promise that we will ‘always have his Spirit to be with [us].” – Dallin H. Oaks
Gal. 6:8; “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”Heb. 10:15-17; “Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Doctrines of Salvation 1:39; “I have never troubled myself about the Holy Ghost whether he will sometime have a body or not because it is not in any way essential to my salvation. He is a member of the Godhead, with great power and authority, with a most wonderful mission which must be performed by a spirit. This has satisfied me without delving into mysteries that would be of no particular benefit.”
1 Corinthians 6:19;“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” D&C 130:23;“A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him.
1 Cor. 3:16; “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” D&C 18:32-33; “And, behold, you are they who are ordained of me to ordain priests and teachers; to declare my gospel, according to the power of the Holy Ghost which is in you, and according to the callings and gifts of God unto men;  33 And I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it.”

 

OTHER MAJOR TEACHINGS

Christian Mormon
Trinitarian God –Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1, 14, 10:30… No Trinity – Articles of Faith, pg. 43
Virgin Birth – Luke 2:34-35; Isaiah 7:14… No Virgin Birth – Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 724
Works after Salvation/Jesus’ atonement is enough – Eph. 2:8-9 Works for salvation/Jesus’ atonement is not enough – 2 Nephi 25:23, Way to Perfection, pg. 206
Works for the dead not necessary – Luke 16:19-31 Works for the dead/NecromancyD&C 128:15-16
Ultimate commandment is ShemaDeuteronomy 6:4-9; Mark 12:28-30 Ultimate commandment is to usher spirit children into mortality (Ezra Taft Benson-Ensign, November 1981, pg. 104)
All sins are forgiven – John 1:29; Mark 3:28 Not all sins are forgiven – D&C 42:79
Bible is inerrant word of God – Isaiah 40:8;2 Tim. 3:16 Bible not inerrant Word of God – Answers to Gospel Questions 2:161; Doctrines of Salvation 3:191
Only One Gospel – 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Gal. 1:6-9 Another gospel – front cover of the Book of Mormon
Indwelling of the HS – 1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19 No indwelling of the HS – Follow the Living Prophets, pg. 156-157
No other gods, Only One God – Is. 43:10-11 Men can become gods – Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, pg. 4
Monotheists – Deut. 6:4; Col. 2:6-9; 1 Tim. 2:5 Polytheists – D&C 121:32, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 370
All are one in the body of Christ – 1 Cor. 1:1-31 No relationship w/ other Christians – Journal of Discourses 6:167, 14:346
Monogamous – 1 Tim. 3:1-2 Polygamy mandatory for salvation – D&C 131:1-4, 132:19-21

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