Myth-Buster #1: Is the “Mormon Church” a cult that worships “another Jesus”?
Since the creation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1830, there have been several misunderstandings among America about belief. These “Mormon myths” have caused many hardships for this church, especially when President James Buchanan ordered 1/3 of the U.S. Army to march to Utah for so-called “treason”. Ironically, former church President Brigham Young found out about this army when raising a large American flag on the 10th Annual Pioneer Day Celebration. This is just one example of several myths associated with the church, creating a web of distrust of all “Mormons”. The purpose of the following article will be to highlight common “myths” surrounding the church and correct them with doctrine provided by the Church’s First Presidency.
Myth 1: The “Mormon Church” is a cult that worships “another Jesus”.
This myth is common, mostly because of the church’s use of the Book of Mormon as a companion to the Holy Bible. However, the Book of Mormon only shows additional doctrine, as it is a record of ancients prophets in the New World. Despite this book differing in language from the Bible, the Book of Mormon is only “another testament of Jesus Christ”, not a replacement to the teachings of the prophets in the Middle East. The Book of Mormon and the Bible are used to teach the principles of the Atonement and sacrament, that we can all be saved because of Christ’s agony in Gethsemane and death on the cross. Joseph Smith once wrote, “After the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!” Another myth that often deviates the Church as a “cult” is the myth of worshiping Joseph Smith and the New World prophet Mormon. Joseph did “reorganize” the Church of Christ in its apparent form in the times of the ancient Apostles, but only as a prophet, not as a god himself. He never claimed to be anymore than a latter-day prophet, just like Abraham and Moses of old. In addition, Mormon is not a central figure of our faith, but was, according to the Book of Mormon, the compiler of the teachings of this book. This prophet lived in the time of the destruction of his people, the Nephites, and constructed the gold plates, which was, through translation, the origin of the Book of Mormon. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints does not recognize or use the nickname “Mormon Church” because this nickname was created and used by her former persecutors. Consequently, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Latter-Day Saints, do not appreciate the use of the nickname “Mormon”. Thus, this religion is not a “cult”, but instead a Christian religion centered around the teachings of Jesus Christ.
