Mormonism and Islam

I have spent many hours talking to Mormon elders and their missionary brethren.  I have treated all well and had some really fun conversations.  I stayed away from doctrine and focused on Biblical truths, ones which any belief system should be able to grasp.  My goal was to get them to dig into the Bible harder, which I know the Holy Spirit would work to God's advantage.  I saw no immediate fruit, but can only pray seeds were planted.

During some of these conversations an odd question stuck me one day.  I asked my friendly elder the next time he came by, and he could not answer my question.  I had asked him since he believed Joseph Smith had seen an angel who told him the Bible wasn't God's word anymore and he needed to write more, why he believed Joseph Smith over Muhammad who had said the same thing hundreds of years earlier.  He and his peers were puzzled by that question and never came back.

That was years ago.  Last night I was reading some comparison information that really surprised me.  It turns out Muhammad and Joseph Smith had more in common than I knew.

Both Muhammad and Joseph Smith were bloody leaders who fought with the "convert of die" philosophy.  Found in the History of the Church under "Affidavit of Orson Hyde" is this statement where Smith, the Prophet, shows his belief that he is the second Muhammad.

"The Prophet inculcates the notion, and it is believed by every true Mormon, that Smith's prophecies are superior to the laws of the land. I have heard the Prophet say that he would yet tread down his enemies, and walk over their dead bodies; and if he was not let alone, he would be a second Mohammed to this generation, and that he would make it one gore of blood from the Rocky

mountains to the Atlantic ocean; that like Mohammed, whose motto in treating for peace was, 'the Alcoran or the Sword.' So should it be eventually with us, 'Joseph Smith of the Sword.'"

Both men were talked to not by angels at first, but later they changed their minds to them being angels.  Muhammad thought him a demon (he was right), and Joseph Smith said he was a dirty old man.  

Both men said they were prophets of God.

Both men had multiple wives.  Muhammad had 23 wives, but Joseph Smith trumped him with 28.  

Both men claimed the Bible was wrong wherever it disagreed with what they wrote or said.  

Both men wrote books that have been changed radically since they were first written.  

Muhammad called all who disagreed with him Infidels, Joseph Smith called them Gentiles.  

Both claimed to themselves be superior to Jesus Christ, yet believed in their teaching that he was a good guy.  

Both formed militaries which they ruled over with a dictatorship.  

In the end it was obvious Smith though of Muhammad as a role model.  John Bennet in his History of the Saints on page 218 says, "The most extraordinary and infamous feature of the social and religious system established by the Mormon Prophet, and one in which he closely resembles his master and model, Mahamet, is the secret regulations he has formed for directing the relations of the sexes."

All the wrong teaching, however, is clearly remedied by scripture (The Bible).  

Mormon Teaching:

There are many Gods - Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 4-5, Journal of Discourses, Volume 5, page 4.

Bible Teaching:

There is one God - Isaiah 45: 6,18, Isaiah 45:21, 46:9

Mormon Teaching:  God is always changing - "As a man is God once was, as God is man may be", Apostle James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith (1967) p.430, Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses Volume 7, page 333, Apostle Orson Pratt, The Seer, page 23.  

Bible Teaching:

God never changes - "For I am the Lord, I change not", Malachi 3:6.  "I am the first, and the last: and beside Me there is no God", Isaiah 44:6

Mormon Teaching

Salvation by works - "By obedience of the laws and ordinances of the Gospel", 3rd Article of Faith

Bible Teaching

Salvation by grace - "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, let any man should boast", Ephesians 2:8-9.  (emphasis mine)

Mormon Teaching

Another gospel -  Joseph's father said Joseph told him the visitor was an old man in bloody cloths, and the name changed often from Nephi and Moroni, with the story settling on Moroni and it being an angel.  The book they use is called "Another Testament of Jesus Christ".  

Bible Teaching

No other gospel - "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."  Galatians 1:8.  

Mormon Teaching 

Blood atonement, the act of killing someone bloodily to save their soul if they are found to be in violation of Mormon crimes because Jesus's blood cannot wash away certain sins (murder, interracial marriage, adultery, leaving the Mormon church for example).

Bible Teaching

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the World to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16

In summary, this was put together to help anyone who has questions about the Mormon cult.  Many hate that word and love to argue about it, but one cannot look at the facts and compellingly disagree with the term.  I downloaded many documents to verify the information above, so let me know if there are any questions.  The idea and loose outline was taken from The Enchanter from Chick Publications and expanded.