Tag: 2012 election

From Darkness to Light

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I asked my Christian friends to take a serious look at the upcoming election in my last post.  One of the questions I asked was whether a Mormon was truly a Christian.  I wrote this because the only talk I seem to hear in some Christian circles is that Mitt Romney, a Mormon, is the “only” hope for Christians in this upcoming election.  It concerns me that those on the Christian right are placing so much hope in a man who worships a false god.    My response is simply that “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man,” Psalm 118:8.  However, many Christians lean toward a pragmatic view, reaching after what seems to work and completely ignoring whether it is right or not.   Too many times we view our political choices and our faith as separate matters.  As the people of God, could we please get back to absolutes?  You know…right and wrong…light and darkness…truth and lies…  There is an unyielding warning to those who don’t.  “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isa 5:20-21)

I know there are still those who scoff and think that voting for a Mormon for President is no big deal.  All I ask is that you do some research and look into what the Mormons truly believe.  After my last post I was introduced to a young lady who visited my blog.  She has an incredible testimony about coming out of Mormonism.  It’s her heart’s desire to share it with others who are entangled in cults and false teaching.  I encourage each of you to take the time to read it.  You can see it here.  You also might want to read her post called, They Use Christian Words.  It is very interesting.

As I have said many times before, God in His sovereignty has already determined this election. His will is always accomplished.  I just wonder if the results will be His judgment upon us.  They, of course, don’t have to be.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2Ch 7:14)

Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.  (Jon 3:9-10)

A Christian’s Response to the Upcoming Election

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My last post talked about consequences and I am afraid that this next election will hold grave consequences.  So what should a Christian’s response be to the upcoming election?   It appears that our options for voting are between current President Obama and Mitt Romney.  I’m not even going to address the President’s policies these last 3 ½ years.  Let his actions speak for himself.  I’m also not going to address that fact that Mitt Romney is not a career politician (which I believe is a great asset) or his apparent values.  Laying all political, financial, and moral views aside, I want to address something different.  Should a Christian vote for a candidate who is not a Christian?

Regardless of how the media likes to spin the issue, the truth from God’s Word is that, “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20).  Evaluate for yourself the “fruits” produced by our current President who strongly supports the murder of innocent babies and homosexual marriage.

So I ask the next question.  Is Mitt Romney, a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Christian?  While I cannot know his heart, I can look at the Mormon religion as a whole.

The Institute for Religious Research has a page on the Mormon religion (http://mit.irr.org/mormonism-christian-2) that explains the basic beliefs of Mormons.  Below are a few, but not all, of Mormon beliefs.

  • Many gods made the world (Abraham 4:1-31)
  • God the Father was once a man (LDS Church teaches that Jesus Christ, humans, angels, and fallen spirits including Satan are all eternal beings that were never created and that are all spirit brothers and sisters. In particular, Christ and Lucifer (Satan) were two spirit brothers; Christ supported Heavenly Father’s plan while Lucifer did not.)
  • Adam’s sin was “a necessary step in the plan of life and a great blessing to all of us” (Book of Mormon—2 Nephi 2:14-26; Book of Moses 5:10-12)
  • Mormonism teaches that a person must become worthy in order to obtain forgiveness of sins and eternal life in the presence of God the Father through obedience to all the commands of the LDS Church (Book of Mormon—2 Nephi 25:23;
  • LDS Church teaches that the Bible has been corrupted, is missing many “plain and precious parts,” and does not contain the fullness of the gospel (1 Nephi 13:26-29)
  •  LDS Church teaches that faithful Mormons who fulfill all of their spiritual, moral, and ritual obligations can eventually attain the status of gods, beings of the same essential nature as God the Father ruling over their own worlds. “As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be” (Lorenzo Snow, in Presidents of the Church: Student Manual [2004], 88, 90; Gospel Fundamentals [2001], 201; Gospel Principles [2009], 275-79; Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith [2011], 71).

The Mormonism Research Ministry has compiled this list. (http://www.mrm.org/god-of-mormonism)

  •  The god of Mormonism is one of many gods.
  • The god of Mormonism is not self-existent.
  • The god of Mormonism is not transcendent.
  • The god of Mormonism is not immutable.
  • The god of Mormonism is not eternally God.
  • The god of Mormonism is not incorporeal.
  • The god of Mormonism is not omnipresent.
  • The god of Mormonism cannot dwell in the believer.
  • The god of Mormonism is not omnipotent.
  • The god of Mormonism does not forgive completely.

In his famous “King Follett Discourse” Joseph Smith (prophet, teacher, and leader of the saints) taught,

“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens. That is the great secret… [Y]ou have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you…”

According to www.mormon.org in addition to the Bible, Latter-day Saints accept the following books as scripture:

  • The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, a record of God’s dealings with the inhabitants of ancient America (2000  BC – 400 AD).
  • The Doctrine and Covenants, a collection of revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and regulation of the Church of Jesus Christ in the last days (1830 AD – 1978 AD).
  • The Pearl of Great Price, a selection of revelations, translations, and writings of Joseph Smith.

This information does not even touch on all the false beliefs of the Mormons.  Check it out for yourself.

http://www.biblebelievers.com/jmelton/Mormons.html

http://bible-truth.org/arelds.htm

http://cnview.com/on_line_resources/are_mormons_christian.htm

So, it is clear that the god the Mormons worship is not the True God of the Bible.  It is also clear that they do not worship the true Christ who says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Nor do they uphold the true Word of God.

So here is the dilemma.  If we have two unbelievers running for president what do we do?  How do we vote?  Let me answer that question with this one.   Are there only two choices?  As a Christian I believe that I should not only vote in each election, but that I should pray and seek out God’s will.  So, would God give His children the choice between two unbelievers?  Would God want us voting for an unbeliever?  Would God not give His children a way to make the right decision?  We might be tempted to cast a vote for an unbeliever because it is the “lesser of two evils.”  We might be tempted to lay aside the candidates faith or our faith and focus on the politics. But as a Christian I cannot separate my faith from my vote.  My faith is not what I do; it is who I am.  My conscience tells me that I would be wrong to vote for an unbeliever, regardless of the circumstances.  You see, God always gives His children the ability to do what is right.  “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1Co 10:13)

 It was John Quincy Adams that said, “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”  So it looks like that over the next few months I am going to be doing some research on other 3rd party candidates, trusting that the God of the Bible is sovereign and knowing my conscience is clear.