Eight First Vision Truths Part 1

.1 examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective viewpoint when Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism so glad to be with us for this edition of viewpoint on Mormonism. I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry and with me today is Johnson. My colleague at MRM today. We are looking at the February 2020 addition of & magazine there is an article in this edition starts on page 19 titled eight truths from the first vision and as Mormon leaders have stated everything about Mormonism really goes back to this story, and this is supposed to be what I would assume to be a faith promoting article that even though it's titled eight truths from the first vision Eric. I would say that in order for these to have any real effect on you as an individual you already have to believe the lie in order to think that what you're about to read are really eight truths and were going to be talking about that as we go through these eight points but there is something that you noticed up in the upper right hand corner and there's this little tiny icon that says 200 years of light 1822 2020 and again that goes back to this alleged anniversary that the Mormons think they celebrated in the year 2020 bill in the book of Galatians, Paul talks about no other gospel and when we look at the first vision. It is the epitome of a false gospel because it's based on this vision of God the father and Jesus the supposedly came to Joseph Smith in the sacred Grove that gets the impetus for this entire religion to start and so this is what Galatians 16 and following says Paul writes, I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven, should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you.

Let them be under God's curse, as we have already said so now I say again, if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted. Let them be under God's curse. Now that sounds like a very strong admonition, a warning from the apostle Paul. Now, if I'm listening to you say that to me and let's say for instance on the Latter Day Saints I would be thinking in my head will yeah but it's you outside of my church that are really preaching another gospel because we are preaching the gospel as we believe it was taught in the early years, that becomes the huge controversy, but let's just be serious about this. When a Latter Day Saints leader usually refers to the gospel in their writings or in a general conference message.

How do they describe it they describe it as the restored gospel. We don't have to put that word in front of our gospel but they have to do it when they speak of what they think is the gospel, they have to assume certain things with that as well because they would have to say that the Bible had been changed which there's no good evidence for that corrupt priest came in and did things differently that there was no priesthood authority after the death of the apostles, you have to assume a lot of things and so the traditional way of those who have followed the Bible for the past 2000 years is a much different gospel indeed than what Mormonism is teaching so Mormonism is the new religion on the block and it has to come up with all kinds of things to be able to make it the restored gospel and certainly to huge historical events have to be true. You have to have the first vision being true and you have to have the book of Mormon story being true and we talked a lot about this over the past decade bill since we been doing this radio show of how those two really have no history at all compared to what we have in Christianity. As far as our Bible goes or even our most important event. Our first vision account, our history would be the resurrection.

And that's an important event for us.

We have a lot of support.

I think for that. But as were to look at this this week as far as eight truths from the first vision. If this is a event that never took place, then this is what Paul is talking about. This is no other gospel even if an angel of light presents it will. I think it's interesting what Paul says here when he says in verse seven.

Not that there is another one because there isn't. There's only one gospel. So either with the Mormons are teaching is truth, as opposed to what we are teaching which would be in their view, a lie, or we could both be wrong, but we certainly can't both be right, and this is why think Paul goes on to say that there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ and that's what we've been saying all along.

That's what Christians have been saying since Joseph Smith came on the scene. It was Joseph Smith who perverted the gospel of Christ, and added things to it. That certainly do not make it good news, but instead makes it bad news. This article starts off about that clear spring morning. 200 years ago on a clear spring morning. 200 years ago in rural upstate New York in a quiet grove of trees, God the father and his son Jesus Christ appeared to young Joseph Smith the miraculous event ended centuries of uncertainty and speculation about the nature of God, the need for continuing revelation and other eternal truths long forgotten or clouded by spiritual darkness, not there some statements in that paragraph that I think need to be challenged when it talks about centuries of uncertainty and speculation about the nature of God, the need for continuing revelation in other eternal truths long forgotten. It's almost as if this is assuming that the Christian church has never had positions on this that debates had never arose on these various topics in a Mormon if they think that they can push these debates into the forefront and say see, look at all the confusion that argument be turned around and pointed at them as well.

It's assuming almost that the Mormons have never had any type of debate about their doctrine, or any type of even confusion about some of the things and its leaders have taught. They most certainly have. So the Mormons can't be excluded from this if they're going to use that as an argument.

The point that we are trying to make here is that a lot of these eight screws are really issues that come up with Mormonism but were pretty much established by the Christians. Up until this alleged first vision that they say took place in 1820. As we turn the page and we look at page 20. In this article in the & we look at point number one it says God our father is a personal being, and men and women are made in his image now where have Christians not believed something like that to assume the Christians do not believe in a personal being both God will of course we do and when it says in men and women were made in his image. Now I'm only assuming that what they're implying there is that when it says in Genesis 126 let us make man in our image that there assuming because God's creation, humankind have bodies of flesh and bones that this assumes that God the father had a body of flesh and bones now doesn't say that in this short little section, but I wonder if that's what's being implied and I think you're exactly right on that because this idea of a literal being with a physical body is inferred by Thomas S. Monson is quoted there underneath point number one and this is what he said God our father has ears with which to hear our prayers. He has eyes with which to see our actions. He has a mouth with which to speak to us. He has a heart with which we are to feel compassion and love.

He is real he is living. We are his children made in his image. Billy's talking literally God has all these body parts and this would go back to doctrine and covenants section 130 verse 22 that God has a body of flesh and bones.

He's not a spirit in the way that Christians have believed is what John chapter 4 says, but, of course, that assumption is faulty.

If you are going to be a latter-day St. who believes in the Joseph Smith translation because as we talked about on the show before.

In Genesis 126.

It's a conversation that's going on, let us make man in our image Joseph Smith explains that alleged mystery in verse 27 of the Joseph Smith translation in Genesis chapter 1 word says and I God said unto mine only begotten, so obviously according to Joseph Smith.

The conversations between God the father and Jesus the son, but yet Mormonism doesn't teach that Jesus the son had a body of flesh and bones at the time that conversation is taken place so they have to assume something that the text certainly seems to refute and that comes from a first presidency statement that was made in 1916 and so that's official Canon that's doctrine. What about also Isaiah 118.

Again, here's another verse that we have from the Old Testament where it shows that God is a personal being. What is it say in Isaiah 118, Isaiah 118 says come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red is Crimson, they shall be like wool that is this not sound like a personal God who is concerned about our needs. It certainly seems like he is and what Christian would ever say that the God they believe in is not personal.

You see, I think this is a faulty assumption and it's trying to give the impression that only the Mormons have a personal God, which I would say what the Bible certainly teaches that idea of God from beginning to end and we don't need the first vision to come up with that kind of a conclusion. First Peter chapter 5 verse seven says cast all your anxiety on him because he God cares for you. So God cares for us with that not sound like a personal type of attribute that he would have for his creation. It certainly sounds like that to me anymore. One more.

Jeremiah 2911 which has been misused many times but this is what it says, for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Now certainly, as you said Eric that versus misapplied as if it's a promise for all believers today.

Even though the specific promises dealing with the people at that particular time that were facing a particular crisis but still it shows that God being personal has some genuine concern and care compassion for his people. Why would that not be considered a God who has a personal investment with his creation.

Psalm 69 verse 33 says the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people. So here is another case where God who we would believe does not have a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man but is in fact as the Gospels teaches is a God of spirit but yet he hears us.

Why would he have to have physical ears in order to do it if he is God he created all things. Why would this be an impossibility for him and I also want to bring out another point in Mormonism. It teaches that the Holy Ghost is part of the Godhead, but yet Joseph Smith himself taught that that which is without body or parts is nothing, there is no other God in heaven but that God, who has flesh and bones will how can the Holy Ghost of Mormonism be personal even though the Bible describes in the New Testament that he is the comforter. How could it be the comforter. If he doesn't have a body of flesh and bones as Mormonism teaches. It sounds like the person of the Holy Ghost.

His mission conflicts with what Joseph Smith said, and this is found in teachings of Presidents of the church. Joseph Smith page 52. Thank you for listening you would like more information regarding his research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website at www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you'll join us again as we look at another viewpoint is