First, please check out this Way of the Master video (Flash Video, 300K+ high-speed connection required):

 

http://www.dcooper.org/gallery/WayOfTheMaster/WayOfTheMaster.html

 

Second, please carefully consider the discussion points below:

 

 

1) The Bible is unchanged and is the reliable and supernatural Word of God:

 

This stuff is well documented, but the audio link below by Dr James MacDonald effectively summarizes the historicity of the Bible and why it cit is truly the Word of God, and has been reliably translated and preserved over time:

 

http://www.dcooper.org/gallery/WhyIBelieveTheBible.html

 

A few examples, are new data that Joseph Smith didn't’t have access to when he lived, for example,

 

The Dead Sea Scrolls (Carbon-14 dated back to from 100 B.C. and some scrolls dating back to 650 B.C.), demonstrate that ALL of the Old Testament Scripture references below that demonstrate the nature of God (in contrast to the Mormon ideas about God) remain unchanged since they were put to parchment, and have NOT been misinterpreted or “lost in translation”. 

 

The 24,000 manuscripts for the New Testament that have been found that date back to within a generation of Christ Himself, demonstrate the authenticity of the New Testament we have today and referenced below.  We have more manuscript evidence for the New Testament than we have for any other book in antiquity, bar none.  It’s real, and it’s unchanged. 

 

You CAN take it literally, and no interpretation is necessary

 

 

2) God is eternal and made all things:

 

Psalm 90:2

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”

 

Zechariah 12:1

“The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.”

 

Colossians 1:16-17

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

 

 

3) God is a Spirit, and doesn't have a body:

 

John 4:24

 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

 

 

4) God created the earth:

 

Isaiah 40:28

“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.”

 

 

5) God has no peers.  He alone is God:

 

Isaiah 46:9

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me”

 

2 Samuel 7:22

“Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”

 

 

6) God doesn't change; He has always been God, He was never a man:

 

Malachi 3:6

 “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

 

 

Isaiah 44:6,8

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

 

“Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.”

 

 

7) The Bible explicitly warns us against people who comes preaching “another Jesus”:

 

2 Corinthians 11:3-4

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

 

 

8) Joseph Smith said an angel of light appeared to him and gave him his revelation, but the Bible tells us that Satan himself is transformed and can appear as an “angel of light”:

 

2 Corinthians 11:14

 “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

 

Galatians 1:8-9

“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.  As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

 

 

9) All sinners will be cast into the lake of fire, not a 3^rd heaven, and there is no escape, for ever and ever (ie praying for the dead or baptism for the dead won’t help):

 

Revelation 20:15

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

 

Revelation 20:10

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

 

Revelation 21:8

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

 

 

10) Salvation is by grace alone, not “after all we can do”:

 

Ephesians 2:8,9

“For 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.”

 

Titus 3:5

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

 

The thief on the cross demonstrated that salvation itself has NOTHING to do with works (Jesus said he was saved and yet he was hanging on a cross, hours prior to dying…there’s no way he COULD have done any good works):

 

Luke 23:43

“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

 

 

11) The Bible is the inerrant Word of God.  No other book is to add or take away from it:

 

Revelation 22:18

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book”

 

 

12) The LDS doctrine of being baptized for the dead is adopted from this verse, but this was a symbolic act by a few in the early church and had no impact on one’s salvation.  It is never referenced again in Scripture.  One person cannot affect the salvation of another, dead or alive.

 

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?”

Psalm 49:7

“None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him”

 

 

13) Jesus stands ready to relieve you of the heavy burden of sin and trying to do “all we can do” towards salvation, striving to “be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect”.  Jesus paid our fine for our sin, once and for all.  It’s a free gift, with nothing on our part to “do” except repent and put our trust in Him for our salvation:

 

Matthew 11:28

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

 

Hebrews 12:2

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

 

14) Wonderful works and our own righteousness isn't worthless in the shadow of God’s mercy:

 

Matthew 7:22

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”

 

Isaiah 64:6

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

 

 

15) Consider “Pascal’s Wager”:

 

Consider:

 

A)   If the Bible (and the literal interpretation of it) is WRONG and the LDS church is right, Biblical Christians will end up in the Mormon “3rd heaven”, which Joseph Smith said was so wonderful, if a man could get even a glimpse of it, he would be tempted to commit suicide to get to.

 

BUT

 

B)   If the Bible (and the literal interpretation of it) is RIGHT, and the LDS church is wrong, Mormons will end up in the Biblical Hell, in fire and brimstone and torment, forever and forever with Satan and his angels.

 

And no Biblical Christian wants that for ANYONE, including  LDS church members, and God is not willing that ANY should perish.  

 

Please, please, please do ponder these points carefully.