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Apologetics Class 8/20/2017

Today we are starting a 7-part series on Mormonism. We’re starting the series by watching Good News for LDS Part 1 (Chapters 1-7):

Introduction:

Who Was Jesus:

Who is God:

Eternal Life:

Archaeological Evidence:

Prophecies and Revelations:

The Character of Joseph Smith:

Here is the note-taking form I handed out before showing these videos:

Good News for LDS Part 1 (Chapters 1-7) ~37 ½ minutes

Introduction
1. Joseph Smith vs. Jesus Christ
2. Was Joseph Smith a m____m_______ or a gifted pr________?
3. Jesus Christ, the man who claimed to be God
4. Did Jesus become a god, or has He always been God?
Who is Jesus?
1. Mormons say Jesus was the first spirit b_________ to our heavenly Father
2. According to Mormonism, Jesus is the spirit brother of L__________ (S_____________)
3. Christian view of Jesus – He was God in the fl_______, eternal, the uncreated Creator of all things (including angels, such as Satan).
Who is God?
1. According to Joseph Smith, the Father has a body of fl______ and b_____. (D&C 130:22)
2. According to the Bible, God (the Father) is Spirit. (John 4:24)
3. God is everlasting (Psalms 90:2)
4. According to the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, God was once a m______.
5. According to LDS teaching, there are many g________.
6. According to 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, there is no God but one.
7. Book of Abraham 2:24 has God telling Abraham to l_______, which contradicts Ex. 20:16
How Do We Obtain Eternal Life?
1. Christian view – belief in Christ as Savior and Lord guarantees eternal life (free g______).
2. Mormon view – (D&C 76) 3 Kingdoms: Telestial, Terrestrial, Celestial. You have to keep all the c________________, be baptized, etc…
3. Christian view – all authority is in Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18)
4. Mormon view – Joseph Smith holds the keys to h___________.
5. Christian view – we can know that we have eternal life (1 John 5:13)
6. Mormon view – they can’t be sure if they will make it into the celestial kingdom
Archaeological Evidence:
1. No book of Mormon location is k_________ with reference to modern topography (Professor Dee Green – BYU)
2. Biblical archaeology can be studied – we know where biblical places are (e.g. Jerusalem)
Joseph Smith – Prophecies and Revelations
1. Inhabitants of the M__________ – look like Quakers
2. City of New Jerusalem – to be built in Independence, M_____________
3. David Patten Mission, but he died at the battle of cricket river in the fall of that year
4. See Deut. 13:1-3, a warning against f____________ pr____________
5. Biblical requirement for a prophet – 100% accuracy (Deut. 18:21-22)
6. Joseph prophesied the coming of the L___, but Jesus said that’s impossible (Matt. 24:36)
The Character of Joseph Smith
1. He is portrayed by the LDS church as a virtuous family man who is persecuted for his beliefs, but prevails, due to his tremendous faith and his miraculous works.
2. At the age of ___, Joseph claimed to have a vision of God the F______ and J__________.
3. At age ___, Joseph was arrested in Bainbridge, NY for deception of Josiah Stole (a misdemeanor for his “glass looking”)
4. Joseph Smith committed multiple a_________. 27 women were “sealed” to him. He revealed the doctrine of “plural marriage” in 1843 after being caught in an adulterous affair with Fanny Alger. He married u______ girls & women who were already married.
5. Warren Jeffs is in prison for the same behavior that Joseph practiced.
6. The Bible condemns multiple wives. (Deut. 17:17, Mark 10:7-9, 1 Tim. 3:2,12; Titus 1:6)

Discussion Questions

Who is Joseph Smith?
What does the LDS acronym stand for? What is the full name of the Mormon Church?
How do the biblical and LDS views of Jesus differ?
How do the biblical and LDS views of God differ?
How do the biblical and LDS views of eternal life (as well as how one obtains it) differ?
Is there any archeological evidence that the Book of Mormon is true? Is there any archeological evidence that the Bible is true?
Has Joseph Smith met the biblical test for being a prophet of God? Where is that biblical test found?
In what ways is the Joseph Smith portrayed by the LDS church different than the Joseph Smith of history?
How would you answer the charge that men of God in the Old Testament had multiple wives, so this must be a practice approved by God?
How would you answer the charge that several biblical authors were also sinners (e.g. David, Solomon, Abraham, Moses, etc.) like Joseph, so we can still believe Joseph’s writings?