Following are some questions that Mormons should answer for themselves about their faith and teachings of LDS church. These questions are not intended to offend, nor are ask in a spirit of hostility. If the LDS teachings are true then they should be able to stand the test of honest examination and the Mormons should welcome the opportunity prove their faith.

Who came first, God or man? This may seem like a foolish question, but think for a moment. According to teachings of the LDS Church, the god of earth is an exalted man of flesh and bone. Through eternal progression this once man, being found worthy in the Celestial heaven, was made a god and given the earth to rule. Then who came first god or man? Your answer, whether either way, has serious ramifications. If man came first man created God? If you answer God came first then how? LDS doctrine says that man became a god? Do you see the point?

Only the biblical answer is correct which says that "In the beginning God created the heavens and earth." Further on the sixth day God created man. (See Genesis 1) God has always existed and has no beginning or end, being eternal. The Bible says God is eternal. Genesis 21:33, says He is the "Eternal God." This means that God is not subject to time as are material men in a physical world. God created time when He made the heavens and the Earth (Gen. 1:1-2, Heb. 1:2, 11:3). Psalm 102:27, says "thou art the same, and thy years have no end" (see Heb. 13:18, James 1:17). God created time and space and exists beyond them, and is not subject to either.

This question presents a serious problem for LDS theology who claims they worship the God of the Bible. (For more information read Is the God of Mormonism the God of the Bible? )

If God was superintending the translation of the Book of Mormon and he said it was correct why are there so many copyist mistakes, misspellings and subtractions and deletions necessary? Why has the LDS church made almost 4000 changes to a book that Smith said God told him was perfect?

Note what Joseph Smith said about the accuracy of the Book of Mormon,

"I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth. . ." ( Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg 194)

The LDS church claims these changes are minor ones of spelling, grammar, etc, but do not affect doctrine. However, some of the changes do affect doctrine such as the following examples:

1 Nephi 11:18
------1830: "Behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of God...." (page25)
------Modern: - "Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God..."

1 Nephi 13:40
-----1830 - ". . . the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world." (pg32)
-----Modern - ". . .the Lamb of God is The Son of the eternal Father, and the savior of the world."

1 Nephi 11:21
------1830 ". . .behold the Lamb of God, ye, even the Eternal Father!" (pg25)
------ Modern ". . .behold the Lam of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father."

1 Nephi 11:32
------1830 ". . .the Everlasting God, was judged of the world."
------Modern "The Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world."

Did you note that in each of the above changes the LDS church has changed these verses that refer to Jesus Christ as God the Father so that they now refer to Him only as a Son. How could Smith have made such an error if the Book of Mormon as given to Joseph Smith was "the most correct" of any book ever written? The bottom line is that the original Book of Mormon recognized the Deity of Jesus Christ and the modern copies do not! It did so because Smith was using the KJV English Bible as guide and was in the process of formulating Mormon doctrine and did not foresee, at that time, the conflict in his later teachings that Jesus was not God.

The D&C 20:9, states that the Book of Mormon is the "fullness of the gospel. Why then do you not find the major doctrines of the LDS in the Book of Mormon?

Following is a list of major LDS doctrines not found in the Book of Mormon:

1. The Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood.
2. The plurality of gods.
3. God is an exalted man.
4. Man can become a god.
5. The three degrees of heaven.
6. The plurality of wives.
7. The Word of Wisdom.
8. The pre-existence of the human spirit.
9. Baptisms for the dead.
10. Celestial marriage.
11. The need of a present day prophet.
12. The temple works of washings, anointing, endowments, sealing.(the new & everlasting covenant of marriage.
13. The organizational structure of the church.

Why did Joseph Smith not believe and teach what the Book of Mormon says about the Creation of man?

Example:
The Book of Mormon. It says In Jacob 4:9, that God spoke both man and the earth into existence by the power of his word. "For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created. . ." (Jacob 4:9)

Contradicting the Book of Mormon Joseph Smith said, "Now I ask all who will hear me, why the learned men who are preaching salvation, say that God created the heavens and earth out of nothing? The reason is, that they are unlearned in the things of God...Now, the word create came from the word "bara", which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize...God never had the power to create the spirit of man at all." (Teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 350-354)

The Book of Mormon clearly states: "And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell..." (Alma 34:36)

However, Joseph Smith stated on April 2, 1843, at Ramus, Illinois as recorded in the D&C 130:1-3: "WHEN the Savior shall appear we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is a man like ourselves. 2 And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy. 3 John 14:23--The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man's heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false."

Why did Joseph Smith teach "baptisms for the dead" in order for the deceased to obtain salvation when the Book of Mormon clearly says that if a man does not repent in this life that becomes his FINAL state. The Book of Mormon states there is no second chance after death!

The Book of Mormon says:

34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world. 35 For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked. 36 And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb. (Alma 34:34-36)

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