Heart of the Matter: Meeting Points of Mormonism and Biblical Christianity

“LIVE FROM THE MECCA OF MORMONISM”

• SALT LAKE CITY UTAH –

Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. is where Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity, face to face. Show 34 BOM 56 Peeling the Onion J August 21st 2012. And I’m Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion., your host. We praise the True and Living God for allowing us to participate in this ministry. May He be with you (and us) tonight.

The Ex-Files

FRIDAY NIGHTS . . . 8pm . . . right here on TV20 tune in as Bishop Earl interviews people who were once LDS and are now born-again Christians. The name of the show? The Ex-Files. Want to be interviewed. Email Bishop Earl at www.exmormonfiles.tv. I just returned from speaking in Arizona and Northern California and several people approached who not only watch the ExFiles, but love and appreciate them. The Ex-Files – Friday Nights – 8 pm right here on TV20 and all the shows are archived at www.exmormonfiles.tv.

Want to learn the Word of God. Join us SUNDAYS at the University of Utah either at 10am or 2:30 as we go through the Word verse by verseTGNN’s Bible teaching series—book-by-book, through the lens of fulfillment and spiritual liberty.. Go to www.c-a-m-p-u-s.com for more information. In between these gatherings tune in to AM 820 as they replay Heart of the Matter every Sunday from 1 to 2. AM 820 – the Truth, is a great Christian radio here in Utah.

Murray Park Amphitheater Event

Have you made plans to join us at the Murray Park Amphitheater this coming September 1st? If not, please do. From 3PM to dusk we will gather there for all sorts of fellowship, fun, and even to worship the Lord as a collective of believers here in the state. We’ve been trying to establish a battle for the best worship band but that isn’t going to happen – not enough participation. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a back up plan.

So while we are still going to have . . .
• Lot’s of products available (at great prices)
• Bags o popcorn, drinks, and Subway boxed lunches at a great price . . .

And while were still gonna have . . .
• a dunk tank to soak our loved ones
• bounce house for the kids, and
• face painting . . .

We’re going to have a special appearance from Paul Wright a singer songwriter who appeared in the Christian rock opera hero and performed on “to Save a Life” – should be great – plus some other speakers and musical acts. Then we’re going to quiet things down, worship the Lord by singing His word to Him, and partake in the first ever state-wide never-denominational communion service. After that we’ll go to the waters of baptism and hold our fourteen open water baptism for any and all who wish to publicly profess their love, faith, and devotion for the Lord Jesus Christ. We have a great time every year and hope YOU and YOURS will join us.

Saturday, September 1st
Murray Park Amphitheater
3 to dusk
Come one, come all.

Now listen, these fine t-shirts are going to be available for sale at Burning Heart 2012. But there is a limited supply so arrive early if you want one.

Summer Sales Extravaganza

Along the lines of shameless marketing of products, our Summer Sales Extravaganza is about to end. So order before August 31st if you want three books, a DVD, a music CD and your very own laptop sticker!

Greg Laurie Announcement

Pastor Neil Pafford Announcement

Last week had the opportunity to travel and speak a few times in Arizona and Northern California. Had a great time out at Apologia Church in Tempe, Hope Pointe Nazarene Church in Yuba City, CA, and Calvary Chapel Queen Creek Arizona. Lot’s of people out there wanting to hear and understand the differences between Mormonism and Biblical Christianity and we thank all of those who participated. Our special thanks to Randall, Brad, and John who went out of their way to get the appointments set. Additionally, I had one young man – Silas – who asked me if I would mention his name on the show . . . and he even provided me with a picture.

Thomas S. Monson's Celebration

(Hold Up Picture)

So here you go Silas, my young friend. Thanks for being a young man of faith. Hi to Seth and Solomon too.

It seems the LDS Church threw their prophet, seer, and revelator (like unto Moses) Thomas S. Monson his birthday party last week. An article by Lisa Schenker covering the event in the Salt Lake trib headlined: “Broadways hits, stars fill Monson celebration.”

For the 85-year-old LDS Prophet like unto Moses, known most for recently cutting the ribbon to the 5.3 billion dollar LDS owned mall and shouting, “Let’s go shopping,” the description of the gala seemed fitting. The article begins with one line: “One might have mistaken it for a Broadway show.” I bet.

The article went on to describe both the extravaganza and the life of the LDS prophet (who is believed to be a prophet like unto Moses). The article quoted comments from another LDS prophet, seer, and revelator, the highly educated apostle like unto Peter, James, and John Jeffery Holland who, speaking of Monson said: “He has set a lofty goal for all of us who try and follow along in his footsteps.” Indeed he has Elder Holland, I mean, seeing Annie performed in eleven different languages!?

And with that, how about a moment from the Word?

A New Commandment

In John chapter 13, Jesus is sitting with his disciples. Judas has left to betray Him, and then amidst the conversation Jesus says:

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Each week we minimally get an email from someone who talks about “love,” “loving each other,” and my lack of it. I would suggest that more and more true Christians, unafraid to speak the truth relative to sound biblical doctrine, will paradoxically be accused of being “haters” while people – believers or not – who are willing to marginalize Christianity and Christ, will be known as loving.

Received this email last week from a man whose email address is “Christnowandforever”:

“Because of your hatred of the Mormons and Mormon beliefs (as shown on your videos), you have not done what Christ has commanded you to do, to love your enemy. You have a lot to repent of. I will call you to repentance, Shawn, as a believer in Christ. I command you to repent. Show a more Christ-like manner because that's what He wants you to do if you really have faith in Christ. Your salvation will be in jeopardy and your faith in Christ will be in jeopardy if you don't follow Christ. It's not enough to just believe. It's not enough just to know that Christ has justified you or sanctified you by his blood. You have to accept and show that Christ has not suffered in vain for you. You have to repent. (Calm down too, it's good for your physical heart) I'll pray to your Jesus that you will realize that you will repent of this sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. of Hatred, and enough of this Mormon bashing (if it still continues). Why fight against Jesus Christ?”

The Perspective on Love and Truth

I realize that this is a horse that has been beaten over and over and over again here on the program, but I honestly believe that the errant application of love will someday soon serve to paradoxically persecute all Christians who faithfully stand by the Word of God. In other words, people willing to marginalize the Word of God will be hailed as loving and those believers who are unafraid to stand by its truths will oddly be labeled as “haters.”

From my perspective, there are two main groups who are guilty of using this tact to shut Bible-believing Christians down – the homosexual community and the Mormons. Let me be clear, I am not anti-homosexual individual any more than I am anti-Mormon individual. I love both groups equally. Because of (did you hear me) BECAUSE I love and care for them, I speak the truth to them.

The most UNLOVING thing I could do is tell a homosexual that homosexuality is not a sin and to tell a Mormon that their doctrine is acceptable to Christian Deity! Conversely, the MOST loving thing I can do is to take every opportunity and to use whatever lawful means possible for both of these people-groups to understand their precarious position before God and to then offer them all the ONLY solution to their problem.

Agape Love and Its Challenges

The command Jesus gave was to His disciples to love one another. In the Greek, to agape loveSelfless love marked by patience, mercy, and humility—central to living in spiritual liberty. each other and by that love, others will know that they were Jesus' disciples. In reaching out to non-believers, the agape love extended to them is often painful, but so is God’s love when attempting to rectify those who are on an errant path. I am not afraid of the accusations of being a hater that come and will continue to come my way. But I do worry that more and more of my beloved brothers and sisters will cave under pressure, not realizing that “popular opinion is often one of the greatest lies on the world.”

And with that, let’s have a word of prayer.

RUN “From the Word” here.

Insights on the Book of Mormon

Turning back to the contents of the Book of Mormon, we are going to continue to examine more evidences that the book is the work of men and not inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In 1999, Signature Books published a book titled “Inside the Mind of Joseph Smith—Psychobiography and the Book of Mormon” by psychiatrist Robert D. Anderson. In it, the author makes the case that Joseph Smith authored the Book of Mormon himself and inadvertently used many occurrences and individuals from his own life history as prototypes for the events and characters in the Book of Mormon.

Parallels Between Joseph Smith's Life and the Book of Mormon

I would suggest that some elements of the Book of Mormon may be autobiographical and that Joseph Smith may have either purposely or subconsciously tapped into his own life as a means to construct at least the outline of part of the book. For example, here are a few parallels Anderson points out from the life of Smith and the contents of the Book of Mormon:

• Joseph born fourth (living) child and Nephi born fourth child (1st Nephi 2:5)
• Joseph has a sibling named Samuel and Nephi has a sibling named Sam (1st Nephi 2:5)
• One of the Smith children named Joseph and one of Lehi's children named Joseph (1st Nephi 18:7)
• Joseph was taken south (to Palmyra) by his father at about age 11 and Mormon carried South (to Zarahemla) by his father at age 11 (Mormon 1:6)
• Joseph claims he is visited of the Lord in his 15th year and Mormon claims he is visited of the Lord at age 15 (Mormon 1:15)
• Joseph Smith begins searching for hidden treasures in the earth and Inhabitants begin hiding treasures in the earth (Mormon 1:19)
• Joseph Smith begins using sorceries, magic practices, and sorceries and magic practices begin to occur in Book of Mormon lands (Mormon 1:19)
• Joseph is unsuccessful in retrieving buried treasures and treasures in the Book of Mormon become slippery and cannot be held or retained (Mormon 1:18)
• Only one member of a neighboring family of Joseph Smith's (the “Stowell” family) believe that Joseph Smith has supernatural powers, while none of the “Lewis” do, and only one of the Book of Mormon Amalekites believe that Book of Mormon character Aaron has supernatural powers while none of the Amulonites do. (Alma 23:14)
• "Ethan" (Smith) is the author of a book that both proceeds and resembles Joseph's Book of Mormon and "Ether" is the author of a book resembling and preceding Mormon's abridgment of the Nephite records. (Ether 1:6) (note for Shawn – notice that Ethan Smith and Ether are very similar names?)
• Anti-Masonic sentiment gains sudden prominence in Joseph Smith's home state and anti-"secret combination" sentiment gains sudden prominence in the Book of Mormon (Helaman 1:11-12).

As we’ve mentioned on previous shows, Dr. William Morain wrote a fascinating book that examines even more autobiographical parallels between Joseph Smith’s life and the contents of the Book of Mormon. It’s called "The Sword of Laban: Joseph Smith and the Dissociative Mind."

Use of Personal Pronouns as Evidence

One of the obvious proofs that Joseph’s book was both autobiographical and that it did not come by way of inspiration of the Holy Spirit is the vanity, the conceit found in the narrative. Now, in the Bible, “I, me, myself” is used, but appropriately. For example, in the epistles of the New Testament, we find “I, me, and myself” more often than in other books because these were personal letters written to friends or brothers in Christ. But in the Gospels, I, me, myself, are used by the Lord, but rarely by Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.

Looking at the Old Testament, rarely do the writers of the books refer to themselves, typically leaving I and me for the

Examination of the Book of Mormon's Autobiographical and Anachronistic Elements

The first book of the Old Testament – Genesis begins with, “in the beginning God.” Again, referring to the appropriate being in scripture. But when we look at the first verse of the Book of Mormon, I would suggest that we are not only able to see the autobiographical hand of Joseph writ large, but also see the vanity present within the man who called himself a prophet of God.

I mean, just look at the very first verse:

“I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days, yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians. And I know that the record which I make is true; (for Shawn – seeds of the Mormon testimony) and I make it with mine own hand, and I make it according to my knowledge.”

I mean, the passage is comical! Scripture inspired by the Holy Spirit? Open thine eyes. In addition to the autobiographical slant, we’re going to now proceed through the book and point out some simply amazing lines and concepts Smith has pawned-off as inspired words of God in His most correct book on the face of the earth.

Notable Observations in 1st Nephi

In first Nephi 1 Lehi says "he thought he saw" God, a ton of angels, Jesus, and the 12 apostles — 600 years before Jesus was born. Then in verse 11 God, Jesus, the apostles, and the host of angels came down from heaven to earth and God gave Lehi a book to read. I mean, even Moses didn’t have Jesus and the twelve appearing to him!

According to 1st Nephi 2:5-6 Lehi took his family into the wilderness and his entire family covered 250 miles in three days. (On easy terrain a single fast walking person might be able to walk 100 miles in three twelve-hour days.) In order to get brass plates God commands Lehi to send his sons back to Jerusalem – which would have been a mere five hundred mile roundtrip. 1st Nephi 3:2-4

Critique of Nephi's Actions

In 1st Nephi 4:10-14 it says that after a whole bunch of attempts to get the plates, the Holy Spirit "constrained" Nephi to murder Laban as he lay passed out drunk on the ground. It took three commands from “the Holy Spirit,” to convince Nephi to saw off Laban’s head but in the end the Holy Spirit justified the murder by saying that it is “better that one person die than a whole nation dwindle in unbelief.” (Some would respond saying that in the Old Testament God had the Children of Israel kill the Canaanites but the distinctions between one man killing a defenseless man in order to gain a material possession and a nation going to war against a child-sacrificing pagan world is very different.) After Nephi smote off his head, he put on Laban's clothes (while the blood gushed from the carotid artery) and "gird on his armor about [his] loins." (I realize it is possible that Laban could have been wearing armor, but it was supposedly nighttime, Laban is drop dead drunk from partying, and he’s wearing armor? Sounds to me like the ramblings of an imaginative mind rather than reality.) Dressed in Laban's clothes and armor, Nephi goes to get the brass plates and speaks to the servants in Laban’s treasure with the voice of the beheaded man. (1st Nephi 4:20).

In time he convinces one of Laban’s servants to follow him outside the city walls. 1st Nephi 4:22-27 actually says that the servant, when invited to follow Nephi (who is dressed and talking like Laban) thought that the two men were going together to meet up with (and the Book of Mormon says this) with “some brethren from the Church.” (Brethren from the church? It’s supposed to be 600 BC, the record was supposedly written in reformed Egyptian, and they are talking about a totally Christian concept called “church” that didn’t exist at

The Return to Jerusalem and the Brass Plates

Brother. Time to return to their parents in the wilderness – another 400 kilometers – but apparently, the trip was so old hat by this time that Nephi says nothing at all about it. Once back with the brass plates, Lehi learned that he was a descendant of Joseph (who was sold into Egypt) and this news was so exciting to him that the Book of Mormon says he was “filled with the Spirit,” (This was impossible 600 years before Christ because the Holy Spirit would not indwell man until Christ shed His blood (prior to this the Holy Spirit only worked upon men, not inside of them). Anyway, being supposedly “spirit-filled,” father Lehi prophesied that the brass plates would NEVER perish or dim. (Never perish or dim? So here are yet another set of plates that ought to be around some place.)

Then, God commands Lehi to tell the boys to go back to Jerusalem and “get demselves sum women folk” (snort, snort, snort). So there’s yet ANOTHER five hundred mile round trip for the boys to take.

Lehi's Prophecies and Nephi's Vision

Chapter 8 of 1st Nephi brings up to the boys returning and when they do father Lehi dreams about a tree with white, sweet-tasting fruit. (This is the very same dream Joseph’s own father had and shared with the family years before Joseph constructed the Book of Mormon). In chapter 9 verse 2 of first Nephi, Nephi writes some of the most divinely inspired words one might ever read. I mean, take a listen:

2 And now, as I have spoken concerning these plates, behold, they are not the plates upon which I make a full account of the history of my people; for the aplates upon which I make a full account of my people I have given the name of Nephi; wherefore, they are called the plates of Nephi, after mine own name; and these plates also are called the plates of Nephi."

(Long story short, we'll call them the plates of Nephi.) In chapter 10 Lehi prophesies unknown details of Jesus' life, deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God., and resurrection 600 years before he was born. What is really interesting is Lehi even prophesied of what John the Baptist would say using the Elizabethan English style the King James translators would use 2200 years before that translation existed! (remember, the words and style appeared to Joseph Smith – he did not try and figure words out – they were given to him.)

Nephi's Revelation on the Mountain

In chapter 11, and as a means to show that Nephi is as much a prophet as his father Lehi, a spirit then takes Nephi up to the top of an “exceedingly high mountain” and shows him Jesus, Mary, John the Baptist, the twelve apostles, Lehi's magic tree and iron rod, the large and spacious building, angels, devils, the condescension of God, and the wisdom of the world. 11:1-36

Also in the vision, Nephi spots what he calls an exceedingly white virgin. (How he knew she was a virgin I don’t know, but white and exceedingly white is really important in the Book of Mormon. Jesus is described as white in the BOM. Garments are made white in the blood of Jesus. Fruit is described as white. And white skin tone is indicative of righteousness while dark skin is indicative of evil. In Chapter 12, Nephi, like Abraham of the Bible, is shown “his seed” (of which he is gonna have a ton. At this point, Joseph sort of gets fixated on the term seed and then provides us with seed imagery that surpasses lab tests in a fertility clinic.

Seed and Prophetic Imagery

By the time we get to verses 19-20 we are confronted with seed warfare. Take a listen:

19 And while the angel spake these words, I beheld and saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word of the angel; and because of the pride of my seed, and the atemptations of the devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did boverpower the people of my seed. And it came to pass that I beheld, and saw the people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land.

Whether we realize it now or not, Joseph has tapped into the View of the Hebrews, which we’ll get to in a couple of weeks. Chapter 12 of first Nephi ends with the angel showing Nephi what will happen to the seed of his…

The Fate of the Nephites

Brethren – They will “dwindle in unbelief:” and unlike the white and delightful Nephites, they will become “a dark, loathsome, filthy, idle, and abominable people.” (who are, as Joseph and Mormonism have always taught, until DNA has proven otherwise, the American Indians.) We’ll stop here and pick it up in chapter 13 of first Nephi next week.

Call-In Information

Let’s open up the phone lines to take your calls.

(801) 973-8820
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First time callers please. LDS callers always preferred. Turn your television sets off once the operators have cleared your call.

The Importance of Support

Our ability to remain on the air is directly related to your support – pray, volunteerism, and if able and led, financial. I can’t personally thank each of you enough for the way you respond to these needs and I praise and thank God for your willing hearts. For information on the ministry, go to www.hotm.tv

While we’re waiting for the operators, my good friend RJR was in a local Salt Lake City SAM'S Club the other day and said this dude was at a table selling a book titled:

“It’s True! An Evangelical Pastor’s Journey to Truth in the Mormon Church.”

The man behind the table and the books' name is Tom.

CONCLUSION
Saturday, September 1st 3PM to 9PM

Bounce houses
Face painting
Boxed lunches from Subway (at a very good price)
Lots of products
Entertainment from
State wide communion – with the elements distributed by the pastors in attendance. And wrapping it all up with our annual “Open Water Baptisms.”

Tell your pastor, your neighbors and friends, and your LDS family and friends who are seeking.

Saturday, September 1st
Murray Park Amphitheater
3-9PM

Go to www.hotm.tv for more information.

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