Heart of the Matter: Where Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity

Show 36 BOM 58 Peeling the Onion L
September 4th, 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.

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.

By the way, some of you are aware that in our Sunday gatherings we worship by singing the Word of God put to music. We produced our first CD of these numbers titled, “In His Words Volume I.” Tonight we are making “In His Words Volume II” available to the general public. Take a look and listen: You can get a copy of In His Words Volumes I or II by going to www.hotm.tv.

Hey? Ever listen to AM 820 – the best Christian radio programming in Utah. Well, on Sundays they air Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. from 1 to 2. Check it out.

Supporting Transitions

If you’ve watched the show for any length of time you know that we wholly support Transitions, which is an extremely well-developed tool Christian churches can use to train themselves on how to help LDS people “transition” out of Mormonism and into the Body of Christ.

There are three important things to bring up about transitions tonight.

Number one:
You can get all the information you want about Transition by going to www.mormontransitions.org

Number Two:
This coming Saturday there will be a free “LDS in Transition Training Seminar.” It is for anyone wanting to know how to use the Transitions Tool. That’s this Saturday, September 8th from 9-noon at:
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
8575 South 700 East
Sandy, UT 84070

Finally, beginning TONIGHT (and RIGHT AFTER this program) there will be a special four-part Transitions segment aired right here on TV20. So right there from the comfort of your own home you will be able to see what Transitions is all about – so stay tuned right after Heart of the Matter.

Annual Summer Event and Upcoming Speaking Engagements

Last Saturday afternoon, as storms raged from Utah county to the South and Ogden to the North, we gathered up with 250 to 300 people in a dry Murray Park for our Annual Summer event. And we remained dry right up to the very end. Take a look!

There was lots of great music, provided by Chris Taylor, guitarist extraordinaire, the Greco brothers (who rocked the house with a Jesus centered message) and Paul Wright (who dazzled the audience with his musical abilities). We then toned it down as the McCraney Sisters presented the Word of God for us in music form. After that we participated in a first ever non-denominational communion service, and finished the night with our annual open water baptisms (there were 31 of those). With two people left to baptize, the rain began to fall.

We thank the true and living God for His grace and love, for the Gospel which brought all of us together, for all who attended, all who participated, those who gave their time and talents, and those who used this event to publicly profess their faith and love for the Lord through water baptism. There was a gentle spirit of celebratory love over all. We thank the good Lord for His watchful eye over this event. If you didn’t make it this year, know that you were missed.

Two events for your Calendars. First, this coming Thursday, September 6th at 7pm, I will be speaking at the Cedar City Calvary Chapel. So if you have been watching Heart of the Matter down there in Southern Utah – you know who you are – grab your family, a neighbor, or a friend, and drive on over to the Cedar City Calvary Chapel . . . that’s this Thursday, 7pm.

Then, the following week, on Saturday September 15th, I have the pleasure of speaking at a large event down on Spanish Fork. They’re calling it: The Good News Celebration www.goodnewscelebration.com. Doris Hansen will be speaking. So will Dennis Higley and Adam’s Road will be performing. Go to www.thegoodnewscelebration.com for more information.

God's Unexpected Works and Ministry Support

Let me take one minute and explain to you how God works. Over the years He surprises time and time again. Sometimes, when everything seems to just be coming apart at the seams, a believer will step in and calm the storm with prayer, advice, or by bringing a forgiving attitude that without it things would have imploded. Sometimes people will show up with money that solves a serious financial situation the ministry has faced – they just act. And there are even times where people (on their own accord) actually partner with us in ministry – without our even knowing it – supplying us with services that enhance our efforts in unbelievable ways! Let me give you an example:

Years ago we had a young man contact us from Norway and ask if he could put our program on this thing called Youtube. We said, “sure, have at it,” and have at it he did. Because of his efforts and a willingness to act (when moved upon by the Lord) Heart of the Matter has reached millions the world over – and we have the emails to prove it.

Last week, we witnessed another amazing proof of God working through a willing believer on our behalf. His name? Elico D. He’s a Peruvian man living in the greater LA area. He sent us an email and this is all it said:

Dear brother Shawn

I have finished translating Born again Mormon into Spanish. Who should I forward it to be distributed? I seek no monetary compensation for this.

Eli

That’s it. Never met or spoke with the man before. Never asked him to do this. He didn’t ask if he could. He was led, he acted, and we now have in our possession everything needed to publish I was a Born-Again Mormon in Spanish. The day after receiving the email I drove to Los Angeles and met Elico in a McDonald. I walked in and there was a humble, kind-eyed Peruvian man who simply said, “Hi Shawn.” He had the translation copy in his pocket. We thank God Almighty for the way He works on people, how He has provided so much to us through each of you in so many generous and loving ways.

Inane Topics and the LDS Influence

Three inane (but somewhat interrelated topics) I believe I just must cover tonight. Why? They all point to the idiocy of the LDS control over their people.

Inane Topic Number One

On September 1st Salt Lake Trib writer Peggy Fletcher Stack wrote the following: SALT LAKE CITY (RNS) Maybe now, reporters, bloggers, outsiders and even many Mormons will accept that the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not forbid drinking cola.

On this opening paragraph alone there rests a dozen related issues of inanity. But she continues, saying On Wednesday (Aug. 29), the LDS church posted a statement on its website saying that "the church does not prohibit the use of caffeine" and that the faith's health-code reference to "hot drinks" "does not go beyond (tea and coffee)." A day later, the website wording was slightly softened, saying only that "the church revelation spelling out health practices … does not mention the use of caffeine."

The same goes for the church's two-volume handbook, which LDS leaders use to guide their congregations. It says plainly that "the only official interpretation of 'hot drinks' … in the Word of Wisdom is the statement made by early church leaders that the term' hot drinks' means tea and coffee." That doesn't mean church leaders view caffeinated drinks as healthy. They just don't bar members from, say, pounding a Pepsi, downing a Mountain Dew or sipping a hot chocolate. (Listen to what reporter Fletcher-Stack added at this point) “Even GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney has been seen drinking an occasional Diet Coke.”

Oooooooooh. Even Mitt Romney has been seen drinking an “occasional Diet Coke?” This line brings the inanity of the topic to a head. Mormonism has allowed the mystique of caffeinated drinks or no caffeinated drinks to exist on purpose. It was just another one of their measurements of control laid on the backs of their members. When I was a member there was a heavy emphasis placed upon not drinking caffeinated drinks and they let it exist, purposely being vague to keep people fretting over such idiocies rather than real topics.

LDS Doctrine and Control

The same is true with this so-called press release. It’s manipulation and it’s laughable. When are they gonna release some official statement on whether God has wives, whether Jesus is really the spirit sibling of

The Problem with Inane Religious Topics

Satan, whether a person has to be LDS to live with heavenly Father after this life, whether the Bible can be trusted and whether God has a penis – stuff like this. But no, they release schnit like this. I mean listen to this paragraph by Fletcher Stack the Ellsworth Toohey of the Trib: “This week's clarification on caffeine "is long overdue," said Matthew Jorgensen, a Mormon and longtime Mountain Dew drinker.” Don’t’ bite. It’s a red herring placed out there in the face of far more important issues that remain undiscussed. Jesus made the whole issue clear when He plainly said:

Biblical Perspective

Mark 7:15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

Inane Topic Number two: Yesterday out family was invited by Derrick and Denita to attend a Salt Lake Bee’s game. I am guessing this was a day for all Salt Lake LDS missionaries to attend too because everywhere we looked, there they were – a sea of white shirts. I got to thinking about white shirts and ties of the Mormons. That their missionaries are seen everywhere in the uniform, that their leadership wears nothing but. IBM used to demand the same uniform. The military has their apparel identifiers too. But what about Jesus. Do we ever hear Him tell His disciples what to wear? If Mormonism is the restored Gospel, why the focus on this aspect of their faith? Would Jesus demand believers to wear the same apparel – or would this be a rule from men . . . as another means of . . . control?

INANE Topic Number three: Sabbath day inanity:

Last Sunday between our U of U gatherings, I was with two of my daughters and Mary having lunch when two couples walked into the Rubio Mexican food place on 4th south. One of the couples was obviously LDS, still dressed in their Sunday best. As they passed by our table I said what I always say when I see a Mormon out on Sunday – “Sabbath-day.” This caused the very refined man to actually say, “We’re traveling from out of town,” as if traveling makes it okay to break what they normally consider God’s commandments!

I looked him straight in the eye and said, “So? So what?” You see, the LDS claim that Sundays are a “sabbath-day” (which is hilarity from the get-go) and they teach that there are things good temple attending Mormons can and cannot do to keep it holy. For this man to defend his so-called sabbath-breaking with the excuse that he “had traveled away from his home” is no different than if he was committing adultery and excused it away because his wife was out of town!

You see, I purposely call any and every Latter-Day Saint on their “commandment breaking” whenever possible. It is a means to show them that they are in violation of what THEY BELIEVE is God’s Laws. I could not care less about the fact that people dine out on Sunday? But THEY care (or they claim to) . . . THEY say that commandment keeping is a must in order to be temple worthy. THEY have set the bar and they teach the Law must be lived.

Scriptural Rebuke

What does scripture say about this approach to breaking the Law based on their whims?

Two passages of scripture.

Galatians 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.”

James 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

My friends, these poor, beguiled folks actually believe that they possess the prerogative to break what THEY BELIEVE are commandments of God . . . AT WILL . . . . . but that they are simultaneously supposed to please the LORD by their righteousness, not understanding His.

All of these inanities break my heart. They anger me to no end because this, this RELIGION puts really well-meaning people into BONDAGE . . . and it’s a BONDAGE that moves them AWAY from knowing the Lord, not closer.

And with that, how about . . . a Moment from the Word?

Last week we covered Jesus response to Philip who asked Jesus to show them “the way” and Jesus replied:

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I

Jesus and the Father

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Tonight, Jesus continues to speak and says to Philip:

7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8 Philip saith unto him, “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.” 9 Jesus saith unto him, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”

Jesus Reveals the Father

These passages are so pregnant with meaning as to who Jesus is relative to the Father that I don’t really know where to begin! But let me try and do an examination some justice. In verse 7 Jesus says to Philip: “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”

The LDS missionaries will read this and say it means that Jesus looks so much like the Father that when He tells Philip, “if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father,” it’s like someone here on earth saying, “boy, to see Shawn is to see his daddy.” The idiocy runs deep. To Christians, Jesus Christ was sent to reveal the Father, the invisible God, the consuming fire, in human flesh.

Hebrew 1:3, speaking of Jesus says:

“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Colossians 1:15 says of Jesus

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:”

Speaking of Jesus who he proved as God just thirteen verses earlier, John 1:14 says

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Understanding the Triune Nature of God

Like the LDS, Philip did understand Jesus, so back in John 14, Philip says

8 “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”

And listen to how Jesus responds! He says 9 Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, “Shew us the Father?” Listen – the ONLY way Jesus could say this (in this way) would be if God is one God of three persons. To see Jesus IS to see the invisible God, is to understand Him, is to see His works.

Jesus flesh was not God but what was encased within His flesh was – all glory, all light, all fire . . . and all the power that comes with it. SO when Philip said to Jesus, “Show us the Father,” Jesus was like, “what do I need to do to prove to you that I am here to reveal Him!”

And He wraps it up with

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?

With the Father existing as invisible Spirit, and the Jesus as God being spirit, then being “in each other” is entirely possible. But if the Father is in a body of flesh and bone as Mormon’s believe, this saying of our Lord’s would be impossible. So the LDS refuse the Word of God and instead embrace the explanations of Man.

A New World Encounter

We left off last week (in our verse by verse examination of the Book of Mormonion) with Lehi and his family landing their hand-made wooden ship in the Americas and, according to chapter 18, they found: “cows, horses, oxen, and asses.” (which we mentioned didn’t exist in the Americas until the Europeans brought them over some 2000 years later.) According to Joseph they also discovered plenty of gold, silver, and copper. Picking it up in chapter 19, Verse one God tells Nephi to make yet another set of brass plates. (1st Nephi 19:1) I would suggest that this is where Joseph transitions in an explanation for

The Lost 116 Pages and Their Impact on the Book of Mormon Narrative

The lost 116 pages actually write into the Book of Mormon narrative the way God foresaw the loss and would have his back in the millennia to come. Remember, prior to the lost 116 pages Joseph's BOM was essentially a historical narrative. But to cover his tracks, he ventured into a new direction and made the book religious and it was here, on these new plates, that the account would cover spiritual things.

Instructions to Nephi on the Plates

On this new set of plates, Nephi is instructed to only include the "more plain and precious parts," of their history, leaving out any unnecessary events (which might alleviate excess inscriptions which must have been painful for him to do since writing on brass with a stylist has got to get old). (1st Nephi 19:2-5) So remember, Nephi didn't write anything on the plates unless it was sacred but he does admit that he might make some mistakes, just like the guys who wrote the bible did. This is what the passage actually says:

1st Nephi 19:6
“Nevertheless, I do not awrite anything upon plates save it be that I think it be bsacred. And now, if I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the cweakness which is in me, according to the flesh, I would excuse myself.”

Now, Christianity maintains that the Bible is inerrant in the original manuscripts; in other words Isaiah did not "err." But here Joseph says otherwise. And here we find the first ever so subtle nick at the Bible. It is also here that Joseph starts to really lay out "Christian" themes. And so 600 years before Jesus is born 1st Nephi 19:8 goes on and speaks of his birth.

Prophecies by The Imagined Prophets

And since these prophecies about Christ are not found in the Old Testament, Joseph Smith makes a few prophets up, namely Zeonock, Neum, and Zenos. These three prophets knew all about Jesus. That he'd be crucified, buried in a sepulchre, and after his deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God., there'd be three days of darkness. We covered this little weird Book of Mormon twist last week. The Bible says three hours but the BOM says three days. Anyway, it was the prophet Zenos who revealed this, plus other facts like He would be spit upon, etc. And from verses 10 to 23 there is a lot of talk about how this record written was to the House of Israel, Nephi’s brethren, in order to help them. This is tapping on the theme of what the View of the Hebrews said which we’ll get to in a month or so.

Finally, Nephi says he's going to swipe a couple of chapters from the book of Isaiah. This is what Joseph had Nephi write about the scriptures recorded on the brass plates which they brought over from Jerusalem.

1st Nephi 19:23-24
23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the abooks of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet bIsaiah; for I did cliken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our dprofit and learning.
24 Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a aremnant of the house of Israel, a bbranch who have been broken off; chear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet written.

This ends chapter 19 of 1st Nephi. To wrap up tonight, before we go to a lot more stuff, in 1st Nephi chapter 20:3, Joseph quotes from Isaiah directly. Now we know how much Joseph loves the line, "and it came to pass," but when Isaiah actually uses the phrase Joseph omits it from his citation. Why do you think? Because Joseph did not want to show he was borrowing from the Bible for his vernacular! To include the fact that Isaiah used, "it came to pass" would have shown that Joseph was a plagiarizer – so he removed an instance where the line was actually USED in the Bible!

1st Nephi 22:15
15 For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon

Allegations of Biblical Plagiarism in the Book of Mormon

Cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as astubble; and the day cometh that they must be bburned. Did you know that this very same verse was paraphrased from the book of Malachi, which was not written yet according to the Book of Mormon timeline, therefore it proves biblical plagueration on Smith’s part in writing his book? “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” I mean how could Nephi, supposedly writing this around 590 BC, quote words from the book of Malachi, which was not yet written?

In 1st Nephi 22:20 it reads:

20 And the Lord will surely aprepare a way for his people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he spake, saying: A bprophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that prophet shall be ccut off from among the people.

The Questionable Parallels

And this passage is taken from Peter’s New Testament paraphrasing of Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18-19 and NOT from Deuteronomy itself! How could or would the Book of Mormon writer Nephi quote from the apostle Peter’s paraphrase of Deuteronomy 600 plus years before Peter even did the paraphrasing? (beat) This concludes our simple examination of obvious things from the first book in the Book of Mormon, 1st Nephi. Let’s open up the phone lines –

(801) 973-8820
(801) 973-TV20

• First time callers please.
• LDS callers if at all possible.
• And please turn your television sets off while you are waiting to come on the air.

Examination of Mormonism's Teachings

What I am about to say is frightening. It is biblical but it is ever so frightening to what Joseph Smith introduced to the world.

Claims of the LDS Priesthood

In the Book of Hebrews we are able to see that the so-called priesthood claims of Mormonism are entirely fictitious and operate by and through a power that does not come from God. Part of the “exercise of this power” is supposedly the LDS priesthoods ability to seal families for time and all eternity (which was a product of Joseph Smith’s teachings). Joseph claimed this teaching came by way of revelation – so it was part of his prophetic teachings.

And as my good friend Dave pointed out from Ezekiel 14:10 If a false prophet speaks a matter those that follow after him . . .

“. . .shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him.”

I realize that this observation may be off, but the Lord just may grant the promise of Joseph to all who follow Him, and seal their families together for eternity in a place that is . . . . not heaven. (beat) Now is the time to set your family free, my friends, break this generational curse, and let Jesus bring your family together in heaven.