Standing up for truth

Many of you are aware of what Pastor Robert Jeffress said this last week about Mormonism being a cult.  I watched the video of Chris Matthews playing hardball with Pastor Jeffress on his political out-lashing of presidential candidate Mitt Romney (written transcript click here).  

In watching this video I experienced several emotions--frustration, offense, but most of all, hurt.
I was hurt that a devout religious person would be so degrading of another individuals beliefs.  What kind of human being, a religious being, preys on the beliefs of others.  That is not a Christlike thing to do.

I was offended on Pastor Jeffress' comments about Mormonism being a cult, and that we are not Christians.  He also said that "Mormonism came 1,800 years after Jesus Christ, and...Mormonism has its own leader, Joseph Smith.  It has its own set of doctrines.  It has its own religious book, The Book of Mormon, in addition to the Bible."  I thought to myself "That is utter nonsense!  Before you say such things you should study the Book of Mormon and come to know for yourself that it is true."

Upon watching this video I immediately felt like I needed to take a public stand but didn't know how.  Then I had a prompting to write a blog post, but declined as it was late at night and thought no one will read it.  After all, it's not that big of a deal right?

Wrong!  It is a big deal to me because I am a Mormon.  I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Pastor Jeffress said some untruthful things about Mormons and I can clarify those truths.  This morning, I was reading the October Ensign and read the article The Book of Mormon: A Witness to the Bible and I felt a surge go through me confirming the prompting I had a few nights ago to stand up for the truth.  So here it goes.

Truth #1:  We are not a cult!  And to further clarify on Pastor Jeffress' "theological cult" comment--we are not a theological cult either.

Truth #2: Mormons are indeed Christians!  We believe in Jesus Christ--therefore we are Christians.  In fact, we believe in God the Eternal Father, and in his son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.  We believe that Jesus Christ atoned for our sins--for EVERY person.

Truth #3: Pastor Jeffress said that Mormonism came 1,800 years after Jesus Christ.  That is false.  We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers  evangelists, and so forth.

Truth #4: We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.  We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.  I have read both books and I can testify of their truthfulness.  I KNOW that these books are true and I will not deny it!  I echo what Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a living apostle, has said about the Book of Mormon: "I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgement bar of God that I declared to the world, in the most straightforward language I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true, that it came forth the way Joseph said it came forth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the latter days.  No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true.  If you would like to find out for yourself I suggest you read the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart.  Read it, and pray about it and you will come to know what I know.