The first and most significant heresy is their position on the Bible. Although they say they believe the Bible is the Word of God, they also believe that the Book of Mormon is also the Word of God! (Article 8 of the Mormon Catechism). They also claim the following books to be equal with God's Word: 'Doctrines and Covenants', 'Journal of Discourses', 'Pearl of Great Price', 'Articles of Faith', 'The Seer', 'Key to Science and Technology', 'A Compendium'. We of course must refute these false teachings knowing that 'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God' (II Timothy 3:16) and not the writings of men!
II Peter 1:21 tells us that 'The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost'. Joseph Smith was not qualified to be called a 'holy man' [see previous newsletters] and his writings are not equal with the inspired Word of God. Out of 64 "Thus saith the Lord," prophecies of Joseph Smith 58 of them failed the test of Deut. 18:22.
Their teaching concerning the person of God is also riddled with heretical ideas. Brigham Young's 'Journal of Discourse' Vol. VI, p. 50 states: 'To a Mormon, God is Adam. When our Father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body and brought Eve, one of his wives with him...He is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do'.
James Talmage wrote in his book 'Articles of Faith' pp. 41-42 'It is clear that the Father is a personal being posessing a defininte form, with bodily parts...We know that both the Father and the Son are in form and stature perfect men; each of them possess a tangible body, infinitely pure and perfect and attended by transcendant glory, nevertheless a body of flesh and bone'
The Bible clearly teaches that 'God is Spirit' (John 4:24) and 'A spirit hath not flesh and bones' (Luke 24:39) and that God is 'The invisible God' (Colossians 1:15); 'No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.' (John 1:18)
They also believe that all men were with God and His Son Jesus Christ in the beginning, living with Him in the spirit world. They errroneously teach: 'What God was once, we are now; what God is now, we shall be' (Manual of the Mormon Church, Part I, p.52). "God Himself was once as we are now and is an exalted man and sits enthroned in yonder heavens. That is the Great Secret, We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea.... (Journal of Discourses, V6, P3, 1844)
This is in direct opposition to what the Bible plainly teaches concerning God's creation of the first man Adam in Genesis 1:26ff. God was not and never will be what man is!