Gramps,
If Joseph Smith received his information from the angel, how do you explain Galatians 1:8
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
The Gospel of the Bible in a nut shell is that:
We are all sinners
Jesus was born of a Virgin
Jesus died for our sins
Jesus is the only way to Heaven, not works
Jesus is God
The Mormons do not teach this, from what I understand. Therefore wouldn’t that be “Any other Gospel”?
Chris
Dear Chris,
We believe as you do in the Galatians scripture. Since Joseph Smith received his information from an angel (after having been called to restore the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth by a personal appearance to him of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ) it must necessarily concur with the gospel as declared by the Savior and his apostles in the New Testament.
Your explanation of the gospel in a nutshell comes from a very small nut. Nevertheless, let’s address each of the items of the gospel in your nutshell—
We are all sinners—
The following is from an address by Elder Spencer W. Kimball, who later was called to preside over the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) as its president—
“We are all sinners. We all need to repent. We all need to change our lives and to make them more righteous, and become valiant as the children of Enoch were valiant, so that we may receive the blessings which are promised to us and which we are striving for. Many of us have not yet surrendered, or if it has been a surrender it has been a conditional surrender, with many reservations” (Elder Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, April 1951, p.106).
Jesus was born of a Virgin—
The following statement is from President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. a counselor in the First Presidency of the Church from 1933 to 1961.
“We believe that in the Meridian of Time, Mary the virgin gave birth to Jesus, the Only Begotten of the Father, in very deed and fact the Son of God” (President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Conference Report, April 1936, p.46).
Jesus died for our sins—
Here is a statement from a review of the Complete Handbook on Mormonism.
“The fact that Jesus died for our sins (in the plural), and not merely for Adam’s singular sin, is amply attested in Latter-day Saint scripture. At Mosiah 14:5, for instance, the Nephite prophet Abinadi cites Isaiah’s description of the Messiah as “wounded for our transgressions” and “bruised for our iniquities,” as well as that ancient prophet’s declaration that “with his stripes we are healed.” “And since man had fallen,” says the Nephite teacher Aaron, “he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance” (Alma 22:14)” (Peterson’s Review of Decker’s Complete Handbook on Mormonism, FARMS Review of Books, vol. 7, no. 2 (1995),, p.79)
Jesus is the only way to Heaven, not works—
Here we must take issue with your abbreviated gospel in a nutshell. We certainly agree that Jesus is the only way to heaven. But since He is, in order to follow that way we must do what the Savior and his apostles commanded us to do. That comprises works. Don’t you think that to follow the Savior’s commandment as given in the Sermon on the Mount—
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matt 5:48).
would require some action on our part, as is specifically enjoined in another part of the Sermon on the Mount?
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (Matt 7:21).
This concept was confirmed by the apostle James—
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works (James 2:14-18).
Jesus is God—
Charles W. Penrose, who was also a counselor in the First Presidency of the Mormon Church, from 1911 to 1925, said the following—
“This is the truth that we have to proclaim to the world. That Jesus of Nazareth is one of the Holy Trinity. In the words of the Apostle John, which are repeated here in the Doctrine & Covenants from the mouth of Christ Himself, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus is God. “All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” That is the testimony of John. And Jesus Himself bore testimony to the Prophet Joseph Smith, that this Is the truth, and that he [Jesus] is the Word, and the Way, and the Truth, and the Life” (Elder Charles W. Penrose., Conference Report, April 1906, p.88)
Now, there is much more to the gospel of the Bible than is itemized in your small nutshell. Just one such concept will suffice to prove the point. From 1 Corinthians 15:29—
Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
That baptism for the dead was a common practice of the Christian churches for over three centuries following the formation of the primitive church is demonstrated by the fact that it was officially banned as a Christian doctrine at the Council of Carthage held in August of 397 AD.
The Mormon Church is the only Church today that preaches and practices baptism for the dead, which alone is sufficient to establish it as the true and living Church of Jesus Christ.
Gramps