Mormons and Christians

Read Article and Information that spurred these letters

Nancy Writes:

Dear Friends,
I just read the article about the Rev. Jackson in Provo...It really gave me the warm fuzzies (ha) Does he think that the Mormons were really impressed by his repentance? I think they view it as one more step towards his whole congregation coming to the "truth".

I applaud your letter to the editor and until I read it I was about to say some of the same things. Being raised Mormon (6 generations both sides) I was extremely bitter for a time when someone from Saints Alive told me that I needed to repent and weep for these people before I could reach them with the truth. But to think there isn't irreconcilable differences in doctrine is foolish and to give them a truce when we should be in the hottest spiritual battle of our lives is unthinkable.

Maybe Jackson should examine his own life and stop bowing the knee to Buddha! My husband was a second degree black belt in Judo also, he was involved for 16 years, 12 of which he taught it. He was a Believer for 3 years before God revealed the spiritual nature of what he was doing thanks to Jim Witham (formerly of Saints Alive) who pointed out to us that we needed to investigate what we were involved in. What we found was that we were practicing Buddhism. Jacksons involvement in Judo may be clouding his spiritual judgement.It always, but should never, amazes me how far the Mormon church will go to hide the truth... I was in Wal Mart the other day and saw a large display of Mormon books. One of them was a New Testament for LDS families. The book was well done with lots of illustrations and the text had highlighted words with footnotes at the bottom to define certain words. I wanted to see what they did with Eph. 2:8-9 and turned to it. The text was all there but the word grace was highlighted. The definition and footnote at the bottom added the text from the BOM (Book of Mormon) "Saved by grace after all you can do" and that grace means "to help or strengthen". They didn't even bother to deal with "not by works" I guess they figure that the Mormon mind will automatically blank that out.
Once again, keep up the good work,
Yours in Christ,
Nancy Colburn
Lost and Found Ministries

__________________________

* The following is my letter in response to an angry "friend of a Mormon" we received on March 16th. You will see some of her original letter denoted by > signs.

Ms. D-----------,

Greetings and blessings in the name of the cross of Jesus Christ!

I receive your letter tonight puzzled but most willing to respond...you have struck upon one of my "hot
buttons" as it were.

Please allow me to go through your comments and answer each one.

> Your current email newsletter was forwarded
> to me from someone on
> your regular readership. They have asked me for an
> opinion on your obvious
> anti-Mormon position.

Yes, I am anti-Mormonism, but not anti-Mormon people. I have studied Mormonism and many other religions and cults as a main course in my ministry for the past 17+ years. I am an apologist...Jude 3 tells us to "defend
the faith". That is my calling to ministry and I must do so without mincing words. The truth really bothers some folks who are willing to defend a system and a tradition rather than examine the facts in contrast to the Bible, God's only perfect and inspired book.

Admittedly, people often take the apologist wrong, thinking he is attacking people, but it is doctrines that do not match God's Word that are my target. Often the words do come out as Jeremiah would have said it, but I make absolutely no apology for my comments in the March 15 online newsletter from our ministry. In fact, anyone who would spend 5 minutes looking through my web site would see that I am no stranger to taking on hard and controversial issues. My Information Center (a main page in my site) is obviously loaded with apologetics material which defends historic Christianity and exposes the falsehoods of the cults.

Though I am not sure how much headway we will make in this exchange, please read on.

Ms. D-------, though I admire the zeal of the Mormon people greatly, it is curious that you, as a professing Christian, would defend Mormonism. Though the Mormon people are generally very sincere, one can be sincerely wrong about his or her belief system...i.e., you can believe in the Mormon "Jesus" until one is blue in the face but if...IF...the Mormon Jesus is not the *real* Jesus, the person so sincerely believing will die and go straight to hell. This is my concern with the cults - the very basis question of whether their belief system can save them from an eternity in hell.

Is the Mormon "Jesus" the *real* historic Jesus? If he were I would serve him, convert to Mormonism, and preach its gospel. However, as I studied history and the teachings of J. Smith and B. Young it is very obvious that Mormonism teaches a different Jesus, a different gospel and is led by a different spirit than that offered by 2000 year old biblical Christianity. Thus, no matter how sincere the people or appealing the outer lifestyle might appear, Mormonism is but another false cult which abridges the historic doctrines of the Christian faith. The terms might spell the same in Mormonism, but the definitions are radically different from that of Christianity. Though Mormonism claims to be an extension of Christianity, history does not begin to dictate such.

>Your reader knows that I am
> often a listener to
> various religious broadcasts, including "The
> Spiritual Seeker" on which Ed
> Decker recently made an appearance. Thus their
> request.
>
> I think, in the spirit of fairness, and as a caring
> Christian, you should
> contact the NCCJ: either the Arizona chapter, or Mr.
> Jim Hilvert, Ex. Dir. of
> the Los Angeles Chapter, and inquire about the
> Jeremiah Films "God Makers"
> video series.
>
> These videos were viewed by several of the NCCJs
> Boards, as well as by other
> similar Christian and Jewish leaders, and the videos
> have been utterly
> excoriated for their content and methods. The NCCJ
> published a paper on "God
> Makers" in which it roundly condemns that video, its
> sequels and its
> producers.
>
> As for Mr. Decker, having listened to the recent
> interview on the radio
> program in Los Angeles, I believe you should inquire
> of him about his own
> family, especially his children, who love him dearly
> and yet who are
> adamantly opposed to his 'ministry' to humiliate the
> LDS people and malign
> the Mormon faith. Past research by objective
> investigators has also shown
> the "Ex-Mormons for Jesus" and "Saints Alive" to be
> organizations comprised
> of few 'ex' Mormons. Most of its membership are not
> former Mormons at all,
> but are self-proclaimed 'lovers' of the Mormon
> people, determined to bring
> embarassament to the faith and its adherents.

Ms. D--------, lets be frank. Your main problem with my article and thus my ministry is as much my
association with Ed Decker as with my expose' of Mormonism itself. If the Mormon subscribers to my newsletter had taken any time to peruse my web site they would have seen Decker's name throughout it, on articles and tapes. It seems to me that they, being anti-Decker, would have removed themselves from my
mailings long ago considering the vehemence in the LDS church against Mr. Decker.

Now, about the NCCJ...are they defenders of the faith or merely an organization that desires to see human relations succeed? From looking at their web site, it is rather obvious that no one could ascribe to their objectives and then say what Jesus said..."I am the way, the truth, and the life and NO MAN come to the
Father but by Me."

Frankly, I can understand that universalist type organizations (i.e., all paths lead to "god") such at the NCCJ would despise the work of anyone such as Ed Decker, Jim Spencer, myself or any other ministry dedicated to exposing the doctrinal and practical falsehoods of any cult or religion.

You see Ms. D--------, I am more concerned with whether people are going to heaven than I am what any man or organization, such as the NCCJ, thinks of me or what I do.

Satan loves a society that has no standard, no absolutes; that all belief systems are acceptable. The truth is that universalism - the idea that there are no differences from one religion to another and none
should be pointed out - is spiritual death.

I viewed the first God Makers film in 1983 in a home Bible study in Seattle. It was there that I first met a little man who cared enough to bring a projector and screen, show the film, and then answer questions until
after 10pm. That man was Ed Decker.

Since then, I have spent time traveling and ministering with him. I have spent time in his home. I have prayed with him, I have cried with him, had close personal fellowship with him and I have watched his two sons grow up as strong, bold, zealous Christians. I have seen the heart of a servant in him. I have seen a man who despises lies and untruths and I have been inspired and honored to know him, let alone stand side by side with him in ministry. He is a man who has held my feet to the fire when I needed correction and he is NOT a liar Ms. D--------, this I know. That is the REAL Ed Decker. He has not become rich following his heart to speak on the tough issues. He has been fought in every quadrant imaginable and been libeled maliciously by those who oppose him. It appears the best his opposition can do is to attack him below the belt, seeing the facts ignored while he has labored to reveal the truth so that Mormons and others lost in false religions could be set free by the power of God. And set free they have become. Thousands of Mormons are now ex-Mormons following the Biblical Jesus, instead of Joseph Smith's "brother of Lucifer" as Smith put it when defining Jesus' identity. They are free because of one man named Decker who accepted God's call to follow the Word and only the Word.

Saints Alive has no active membership that I am aware of, but if it did, I would gladly join. And about his children, Ed lost his wife and family all due to his radical born-again experience with Jesus. I am amazed about the wild stories that circulate. Knowing him personally and having an ongoing relationship with him I am more amazed how some Mormons have sought to assassinate his character when all he sought was to expose the teachings of a false prophet named Smith.

> I am aware that you have quite a few readers of your
> newsletter who are
> devoted Latter-day Saints, most of them of lifelong
> membership in that faith.

I pray for them that they realize the falsehood of Mormonism and the falsehood of the Mormon Jesus before it is too late. It is no accident that they subscribed to my list...God is obviously trying to reach them. "Set them free Lord", is my prayer!

> You do them
a grave disservice in the guise of
> 'loving' them, while
> ridiculing their beliefs, and ascribing to the
> criticisms of Mr. Decker.

Ms. D--------, I care enough to compare Mormonism to Christianity so that all who read or hear me as I travel and speak will see the truth. It is painful to see so many good people hang onto Mormonism when one
knows it is taking them straight to hell.

> As a fellow Christian I would counsel you to make
> your anti-Mormon position a
> matter of deep and searching prayer, and would go so
> far as to suggest that
> you re-think your ongoing 'ministry' AGAINST people
> of faith, and turn your
> energies to building up the faith of fellow
> Christians with positive,
> inspirational and Christ-like actions.
> Dis-associating yourself from people
> like Mr. Decker would be well advised.

My ministry is to "expose the fruitless deeds of darkness" Ms. D--------. The Apostle Paul was hated for telling the hard cold facts too...so was Peter and above all so was the Lord Jesus.

It is totally *UNTRUE* that I am ministering AGAINST people. I do not wrestle with people but with demonic powers and doctrines of demons that hold them captive.

As far as Mr. Decker goes, the man loves Jesus with every fiber of his being and he also loves the Mormon people. I'll stick with the historic Jesus and Ed any day and try and reach every Mormon possible for
Christ.

> I value my Mormon friends, and can witness to you
> that the devout Mormon
> carries the Spirit of God within him [or her].

Ms. D--------, that sounds so nice but when one compares the Mormon gospel with II Cor. 11:3-4 one has to admit that regardless of the wonderful sincerity a Mormon might exhibit, it is NOT the Spirit of God as described by the Bible that resides within them. I wish it was and would openly accept them if the Bible condoned it, but it is simply and unequivocally not so.

You need to study II Cor. 11:3-4 - the Mormon spirit is a counterfeit to the real thing.

> You cannot deny the truth of
> that statement, as I cannot, for I have seen it and
> felt it. And I witness
> to you that what you are doing is not of God.

I have seen and felt the spirit of Mormonism too Ms. D-------- and I have had it confirmed by Christian Minister after Christian Minister throughout the years that what I am doing is INDEED what God wants of me. It is interesting that Joseph Smith called Christians "deceived" and Christian ministers "hirelings of Satan"...remember it is Mormonism that first attacked Christianity...not vise-versa.

> I write this with sincerity, not in a manner of
> contention. Please accept it
> as such. You need not respond to my email. I will
> understand.

I HAD to answer you, in the hopes that your Mormon friend might take to heart the II Corinthians passage.

Now, one final question...what church do you attend Ms. D--------? What is your testimony of salvation? Is
it based on faith or the mix of faith plus works (Eph. 2:8-9) such as what Mormonism is built on?

How can a real, born-again believer in the historic Jesus of the Bible believe that Mormonism and Christianity are compatible?

I don't wish to be contentious either but you seem to write as if you know the Mormon Church intimately. Could that be?

Sincerely in my savior's love and concern,

Eric Barger
Take A Stand! Ministries
www.ericbarger.com

* She never responded to my reply.

__________________________

Though I don't feel at liberty to share them at this time, we have also received letters from Mormons wanting more information about true Christianity - Please pray for us as we get them the help and direction they are seeking.

__________________________

Back to Newsletter Index        Letters on Catholicism

* Some last names witheld. Some letters have been edited for space and content.

If you are not already a subscriber to Take A Stand! O N L I N E click here!

Take A Stand! Ministries - POB 1485 - Rowlett, TX 75030
www.ericbarger.com - (972) 495-9490