Some Disturbing Scriptures

Matthew 7:13,14
13. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matthew 7:21-23
21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils: and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

It is widely known that anti-Mormons claim Mormons believe in a different God than the God of the Bible. After studying anti-Mormon literature and talking to avid anti-Mormons, I do believe they are correct in that we do believe in different Gods. The purpose of the Biblical Support Challenge is to compare with the neutral Bible and find which beliefs—of the many various sects represented by the anti-Mormons or the Mormons) are closer to the actual teachings of the Bible.

The passages the book is based on include:

• Matthew 5:48 says that "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
• Matthew 7:20 says that "by their fruits ye shall know them."
• Matthew 17:11 says that "Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things."
• Matthew 5:18 says that "not one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."

How to Respond

Knowing that LDS policy discourages heated scripture battles, I do not want to lose hope for the many great people who are sincerely filled with the Spirit of God. In my years in the LDS Church in the Texas area, occasionally the question is asked, "How many of the members in this class or congregation were previously of the saved Christian faith?" Eight to ten couples usually raise their hands. I have attended services with saved Christians at their churches; they don't ask how many members were previously of the Mormon faith because they already know exactly who used to be Mormon. A congregation rarely includes any ex-Mormon; they typically welcome ex-Mormon converts with fanfare.

Having faith and knowledge that the Lord does love saved Christians because so many are baptized into the Mormon Church, I am devising a polite-as-can-be method to work with saved Christians. I refuse to give up on teaching my family and close friends! With this book, Beware the Serpent, this website where you can download the book in MSWord, and the Biblical Scripture Guide, we can teach our loved ones and friends the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a friendly way.

Acknowledging my own inexperience at teaching the anti-Mormons your experiences and successes will be used to develop many good ideas in teaching our loved ones and friends who profess the information in the anti-Mormon literature.