Mormonism and Islam and America

14 May

Islam, Mormonism and America

Nonie Darwish

     I had the great blessing and opportunity to listen to a woman speak at my church this past weekend that once again proved to me the God I worship is mighty indeed.  The woman’s name is Nonie Darwish and for those of you who haven’t heard of this sister in the Lord, you have missed out on hearing what God is really capable of doing!

Nonie is in her mid fifties and the love she has for the Savior shines from afar.  Nonie is married with four children and is a naturalized citizen of the United States, originally being from Egypt.  While that in itself isn’t so amazing, what she came out from is remarkable.  She was born and raised Muslim and emigrated here as a Muslim with her husband.  After being here for quite a few years they began a family and had enrolled their children into a private school.

When they were at school she began listening to a pastor on the television that she began to really like.  She said the things he said made good common sense and she really liked the music they sang as well.  A few months after she began listening she knew she needed to tell her family that she had become a Christian!

She said she planned on telling her family one day later that week when the kids came home from school.  When she apprehensively approached them the kids looked at her and asked what was wrong with her.  They’d been singing those songs the whole time they’d been in school and didn’t understand the confusion!  She and her husband had enrolled their children in a private school – a private Christian school!  They told her they loved the music and knew all the songs so a few days later when Sunday rolled around she wondered how she would explain they all needed to get up early to go to church.  When she walked out of her bedroom everyone was already up getting dressed to go to church!

Isn’t the way the Lord works something else?  I can just see Him there waiting patiently for her to approach everyone with this new found discovery while they’ve been waiting for her arrival.

Not only was her testimony incredible so was the rest of what she had to say in regards to Islam.  What was so fascinating were the similarities between Islam and Mormonism.  Kirk wrote a school paper on Islam vs. Mormonism and we’ve posted that on the site for our readers.  It deals with theological side of Islam in its comparisons and serves as a great addition to getting a fuller understanding of this dangerous religion.

Nonie’s explanation of what it was like being raised a Muslim reminded me of my own childhood.  I kept thinking that if she had handed me her notes I could have used them to tell my story by just changing the location and names because the results of both religions are very similar.

She opened by telling the audience that “hatred becomes easy when you fill a child’s heart with fear”.  Now for those of you who’ve known me for any length of time have heard me repeatedly say that as a Mormon half of me was filled with anger and the other half with hatred; this is exactly what I’ve been saying for 14 years now.  In addition when I’ve been asked to articulate what it was like I’ve told people to look at the Muslims in the Middle East.  Those people are acting out what it feels like to be a Mormon; the only difference is that the Mormons don’t employ the violence Muslims in the Middle East do.

She recounted a few of her experiences growing up of what it was like to be told not to trust the outsiders, that everyone but those who were Muslims were going to hell, and how fearful they always are of the enemy.  She said they could pick out who the “infidel” was as they walked by their home or when at the market in town.  They would immediately begin wagging their tongues at how horrible the infidel was in the world.

When things go wrong they yell “conspiracy”; even when the Tsunami hit India in December of 2005 the stories flew of how the Jews blew the ground up under the sea caused the tsunami.  When she said that, the friend I was sitting next to in church turned to me and said; “Can you imagine having to live like that”?  It was all I could do not to cry while remembering how I did live like that. The average “outsider” (non-LDS) has no idea what the average Mormon lives through each and every day of their lives.

Some of the other similarities reminded me of how I’ve told new ex-Mormons many times that Mormonism is nothing but modern-day Gnosticism wrapped in a shiny new bow.  It’s also much like Islam that says true salvation is only found in Jihad.  Solomon told us in Ecc. 1:9-10 there is nothing new under the sun; these two examples are living proof.

“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.  Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.”

Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 203; “Knowledge saves a man; and in the world of spirits no man can be exalted but by knowledge. So long as a man will not give heed to the commandments, he must abide without salvation. If a man has knowledge, he can be saved; although, if he has been guilty of great sins, he will be punished for them. But when he consents to obey the gospel, whether here or in the world of spirits, he is saved. (HC 6:314.)

     In Islam, widowed women cannot go to mosque and if she has children, the kids can’t go either.  In Mormonism, women can’t go to heaven without being married and having babies.  A good example of this is my own mother, bless her heart.  She goes to church 2-3 times a week, pays her tithe and volunteers for every function she possibly can.  Her husband (not my father) is not LDS so my mother is barred from entering the temple to do any of the “special” or “sacred” works for her salvation.  She is unworthy because she hasn’t been married in the temple.

Nonie also told of her love for music and how it was one of the ways the Lord caught her attention when she listened to the television program.  She told us the praise songs in Islam are for the leaders only, never for Allah.

Now while I understand the Church does sing hymns to the Lord this example reminded me of the LDS hymn “Praise to the Man”, meaning Joseph Smith of course.  It’s Hymn #27 and here are just a few lines to give the reader an idea of just how blasphemous this really is:

Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!

Jesus annointed [sic] that Prophet and Seer…

Great is his glory and endless his priesthood.

Ever and ever the keys he will hold.

Faithful and true, he will enter his kingdom,

Crowned in the midst of the prophets of old.

Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven;

Earth must atone for the blood of that man.

Wake up the world for the conflict of justice.

Millions shall know “Brother Joseph” again.”

     The similarities between Islam and Mormonism towards women are “strangely” very coincidental as well.  No, Mormonism would never promote honor killings like Islam does; however women in the LDS Church are not honored like the women of true Christianity.  They were treated much like cattle in the days of Brigham Young and up until just the past few decades it was frowned upon to do anything but have babies as this was your lot in life if you were a Mormon.

I realize there was also a cultural aspect of what the world was doing at the time.  If you look at Christianity, the role that God had given to women and really paid attention, women wouldn’t have been demoralized like they were for all those centuries.  If Mormonism is truly Christian why didn’t they address this issue?

Polygamy in Islam is not always practiced, but many do take on other wives.  No man in Islam can have more than four wives and that is strictly enforced.  They don’t take oaths in Islam on their wedding day, but there is an acknowledgment that they are married and divorce is rather pathetic in Islam.  The woman’s testimony holds only half the validity that a man’s testimony holds in court so her story better be really good if she wants to be heard at all.  The marriage contract is also very different than that of a Christian marriage contract.  There is no mention of honoring the wife yet the wife must promise to obey.

In a Christian marriage the husband honors the wife as he vows to cherish, love and honor her.  He promises to protect her, provide and take care of her in sickness and in health.  None of these things are promised in Islam.  Can you just imagine?

In Mormonism, if you are being married in the temple you will be subjected to taking the oaths and endowments of the LDS view of what it means to be married.  There is a film to watch with different characters that play out the scene in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve.  They have someone who portrays a Protestant pastor who in turn plays the part of Satan.  Up until just a handful of years ago the couple getting married would have their body parts touched and blessed for growth of the family and well being.  Now they just repeat the vows that are given.  A female temple worker would touch the breasts and groin area of the bride and a male temple worker would do the same on the groom.  Needless to say that would make anyone more than a little uncomfortable!

For the Mormon, there is no salvation outside of a temple marriage – period.  This is one of the main reasons I left the Church.  While sitting at my daughter’s funeral we were told we’d never see Mallory again because of this.  We didn’t leave Mormonism because of the bishop that officiated at the funeral mind you; it was based solely on the doctrines of the Church.  I actually feel badly for that bishop even today.  What a dismal life he must have.

Polygamy of course is no longer practiced by the mainstream LDS Church; however, that’s only on the visible level.  Inside the temple walls they do indeed practice spiritual polygamy as this is true salvation for the Mormon.  There is no way for him to achieve godhood without it and if there’s no godhood then there is no salvation.  If this is a problem with the Mormon you know then ask them to explain D&C 132.  In Mormon Doctrine pg. 578 it says;

From such fragmentary scriptural records as are now available, we learn that the Lord did command some of his ancient saints to practice plural marriage. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — among others (D. & C. 132) — conformed to this ennobling and exalting principle; the whole history of ancient Israel was one in which plurality of wives was a divinely accepted and approved order of matrimony. Those who entered this order at the Lord’s command, and who kept the laws and conditions appertaining to it, have gained for themselves eternal exaltation in the highest heaven of the celestial world.

In the early days of this dispensation, as part of the promised restitution of all things, the Lord revealed the principle of plural marriage to the Prophet. Later the Prophet and leading brethren were commanded to enter into the practice, which they did in all virtue and purity of heart despite the consequent animosity and prejudices of worldly people…Obviously the holy practice will commence again after the Second Coming of the Son of Man and the ushering in of the millennium. (Isa. 4.)

Plural marriage is not essential to salvation or exaltation.”

     If you are LDS I am sincerely asking for your opinion.  Does this make sense to you?  It looks very contradictory in my eyes and I pray you consider your own opinion in this matter.

The other main issue I saw for a side by side comparison of Islam and Mormonism was the fear created towards non-members of each sect.  In Islam they are fearful of envy.  They believe that envy is a curse from someone who gives you the evil eye so they avoid making eye contact with anyone while in the mall, stores, doctors or out in public in general.  There is a huge mistrusting spirit about them and this is what drives their motives, thoughts and their very existence.

Their clergy incites the people to attack those of other faiths and in the Middle East non-Muslims wouldn’t dream of walking past a mosque near the time that a service might end for fear of being harmed.  Signing any type of a peace treaty means death to them.

On the outside Nonie told us that the Muslims are very congenial, pleasant and giving people.  On the inside it is exactly the opposite – “Jihad has come to America”, she said.  They believe in “Lying for Allah” and are willing to go to any extreme, for all Americans and Jews must die.

1993 Bethlehem – 80% Christian

2007 Bethlehem – 13% Christian

     The majority of Europe is now Atheistic and England alone has the largest population of Muslims outside of the Middle East.  Sadly, the statistic above tells us the Christian population is declining dramatically which makes it more difficult for our brothers and sisters.

How does all of this compare with Mormonism?  While the LDS Church isn’t out inciting riots or terrorism, the interior outcome is the same my friends.  When you make people fearful of everyone who doesn’t belong to your group, when you seclude yourself from the general population, when you have constrictive rules for thought, behavior and total control by the leaders, you have created a cesspool of lies from the pits of hell.

I’ve been in ministry work for almost 14 years now and the majority of those I mentor and counsel have had major issues with fear and all have had issues with hatred for non-members.  The morning I was saved I couldn’t leave the church until I had repented of the hatred I had held onto for the body of Christ all those years.  The Lord just wouldn’t let me go until we had finished that business for the day.  Like Nonie, the hatred literally melted away before I was standing again!  May God have mercy on the Mormon people.

The biggest difference between Mormonism and Islam is the lack of the Burqa. 

     For more information on Nonie Darwish you can visit the website of Arabs for Israel here:  http://www.arabsforisrael.com/   Please know that we’re praying for you; if you’re LDS, we hope you know just how much we care for and love you!  Our hearts are heavy knowing you do love Jesus and are trapped into the web of lies that Joseph Smith taught.

With Love in Christ; Michelle Grim

1 Cor. 1:18 …

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