Surprising Similarities Between
Roman Catholicism
and
Mormonism!

The Significance of a Definition

What's In a Definition?
        The definition of anything is it's description. Webster's Dictionary says to define is “To state the meaning of.” Therefore, the definition of something is the combination of words that describes it's meaning. A false definition is a combination of words that describes something else. An example of this is my description of a dog: “A warm blooded four legged animal used as a pet in many homes. This animal has pads on the bottom of its feet and has a soft hairy body that people like to pet. My dog speaks in repeated “meows” and makes messes in my back yard.
        The above description is one of my cat. Everything about the description of my cat fit nicely about my dog except one. It only took one violation of “doghood” in my definition, to describe a false dog. Only one little difference was all it took to disqualify this as the description for a true dog. The “meow” identified a false dog. The principle of definition is one of identity. This principle of having the true definition is how we distinguish between the real Jesus of the Bible and the False Jesuses of the cults.

The identity of the True Jesus
Matthew 16:13-20
When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” And they said, “Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.” He saith unto them, “But whom say ye that I am?” And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered and said unto him, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.        
        This whole conversation about identity was initiated by Jesus and therefore must be very important. Notice that he built his church upon the fact that he was the Christ. Jesus did not start this conversation in verse 13 with, “Who do people say that Peter is?” He taught that it was fundamental in the true church that each member correctly identify who he is. The revelation of who Jesus is; that he is the promised Messiah; that he has always been God is the “rock” that the true church is built upon. Inventing one false idea about Jesus is enough to define a false Jesus. Who Jesus is is intimately involved with what he did and said and who his parents were. If I were to say that Jesus was a murderer or a child molester, I hope that you can see that I would be defining a false Jesus. Redefining the recorded facts about Jesus, actually invents a phony Jesus. A common characteristic of today's false religious cults is that they have invented false facts about the identity of Jesus. There definition of who Jesus is false; therefore they teach a belief in a false Jesus. Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?”

Jesus Warns about False Christs!         “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here Is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not (Matthew 24:23-26).

False Physical Presence
        The Bible teaches that after Jesus finished his ministry here on earth, he ascended into heaven in his resurrected body and is sitting at the right hand of the Father interceding for us (Acts 1). Although Jesus is with every believer in Spirit, , he says in Matthew 24 and 25 not to look for him physically on earth, because his physical presence will not return until his second coming “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him ...” (Matt. 25:31).
        The Mormon Church teaches that soon after his resurrection, Jesus' physical body reappeared from the clouds and descended upon the American Continent. Here he picked out twelve more apostles and went about establishing his church in the Americas. After his work on this continent was done, he ascended back through the clouds into Heaven to await the proper time to return in his second coming (Matt. 25). Since the Mormon description of Jesus' physical presence is false, it therefore is a definition of a false Christ.
        The Roman Catholic Church also, says that Jesus' very presence has come here on earth before his second coming. Catholicism falsely teaches their Priests that when they bless the bread, each piece of it turns into the “body of Jesus Christ.” They further teach their people to worship the bread because the bread is no longer bread but Jesus Christ himself. The priests teach that the bread is now physically Jesus “under the appearances of Bread and wine” (Vatican Council II - Flannery #9 p 102-103. Each person that partakes in the Catholic sacrament eats a whole Jesus. Each person eats everything that makes him human and everything that makes him divine (Question and Answer Catholic Catechism - Hardon #1214, #1223, #1224) After the priest blesses the bread, he holds it up and tells his followers, “Behold the Lamb of God.” So strongly is this taught by Rome, that Catholics all over the world “worship and adore” the bread as if it were miraculously turned into the true Jesus of the Bible. Catholics eat Jesus' literal body. By this false definition, the physical bread on the Roman Catholic altars qualifies as a false Jesus.
        Thus, both the Mormon and Roman Catholic Churches teach a false physical presence of Jesus on earth before his second coming.

False Birth Definitions
        The Mormon Church teaches that Jesus Christ was born twice. His first birth was in Heaven by sex between God the Father and God the Mother. He is said to be “the first born in the preexistence” as a spirit being. This is called his birth in the “preexistence.” Thus, he is the son of God in the spirit. His second birth is on earth and is said to be a virgin birth. However, their definition does not qualify as “virgin.” According to official Mormon Prophets and official Mormon sources, God the Father came down to earth and had physical sex with his daughter the “VirginMary to form the body of Jesus Christ (Teachings of Brigham Young p77 or 50; Jesus the Christ p81; Gospel Living in the Home - 1962 Gospel Doctrine Sunday School Manual p15-7; Family Home Evening 1972 p123-7; The Seer - Orson Pratt p158; Mormon Doctrine - McConkie p742; Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson p7). Thus, the Jesus of Mormonism is the literal son of God the Father twice by sex both in the spirit world and in the physical world. Mormonism has defined a false birth definition of who Jesus is.
        The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Jesus could not have been born from an unclean sinful vessel. Therefore, the mother of Jesus must have been sinless and a continual virgin. Therefore they say that she never had sex with her husband Joseph. This teaching lessens Jesus' human heritage and denies the existence of Jesus' human family members (his brothers and sisters). It also defines a different mother

The Identity of Jesus' Mother
        The Bible says that Mary was a virgin. She was overshadowed by the Holy Ghost and was found to be with child. She did not have sexual relations with her husband Joseph until after the child was born (Matt.1:18 & 25, James 1:1, Matt 12:46-50, 13:54-56).
        Mormonism teaches that Jesus' mother was really born first in the preexistence of God the Father and God the Mother. Her second birth was here on earth. She was a “virgin” until God the father had sex with her to form Jesus. God the Father was her first husband and Joseph, her second husband, was the father of the rest of her children.
        The Roman Catholic Church claims Mary lived a sinless life and she also was a perpetual virgin. Rome believes Mary's mother was also a virgin when Mary was conceived. Catholicism says that Mary's virgin mother's name is Saint Ann. Jesus' mother Mary, is called “The All Holy One” and is considered to be a co-redeemer along with Jesus Christ. Rome also calls her the co-mediator along with Jesus. (CCC #969)

Just Like Mormonism, Catholicism has a different definition of Who Jesus Christ is!
        Like the Pharisees and Saducees of Jesus' day, the Catholic Church and the Mormon Church have misunderstood the true identity of who Jesus is and are teaching and worshipping false Christs.
How to Get to Heaven or Method of Salvation
        The Biblical essentials on how to be saved can be summarized by the following verses: “It is by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-10). “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (I Corinth. 15:3). “Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once:” (Romans 6:9-10). Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.” (Hebrews 7:27).
        Mormonism taught a doctrine called “blood atonement” which denied that the blood of Jesus cleans us from all sin. According to the official teachings, there are sins that are too grievous for the blood of Jesus to pay for. The sinner must pay for these by spilling his own blood on the ground. This could be done by shooting or by cutting their throat. Thus the blood of the transgressor atones for his own sins. (Journal of Discourses Vol 2 p186; Vol 4 p53, 220)
        Catholicism teaches that Jesus' blood was not shed for all of our sins. Catholicism invented two type of sins called “mortal” and “venial.” “Mortal” are the more serious sins that Jesus died for. “Venial” are the lesser sins that each individual person must pay for himself by suffering in the fires of purgatory.

Can Men Become Gods?
Mormon
prophets have taught that God the Father was once a man. The fifth prophet is famous for his couplet: "As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be. (Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p.2) The Pope's new catechism states: “For the Son of God became man that we might become God. The only begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men Gods.” (CCC #460 by The Pope) Although the issues covered in this tract are part of the essentials of the Biblical faith, they just skim the surface of the problems that place Mormonism and Roman Catholicism firmly in the category of the cults.
        For more information on Mormonism, call Marshall Almarode - (509) 585-0416
. For information on Roman Catholicism contact:
Berean Beacon Ministries
P.O. Box 55353, Portland, Or. 97238


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