| OCR Text |
Show TEN REASONS <br> Why Christians Must Repudiate the Claims of the Mormon Church <br><br> Christians entertain no ill will toward Mormons as neighbors and citizens, nor are they averse to co-operating with them in the work of moral and social reform and in the promotion of temperance. On the contrary, Christians of every name most earnestly desire to unite with the Mormon people in all feasible plans that have as their end the social, political and moral advancement of our commonwealth. <br><br> There is, however, a line of demarcation that Christians cannot overlook, that they cannot disregard. The question is purely a religious question. It goes to the very root of Christian belief and duty. It concerns all men alike who profess the Christian religion and desire to promote the glory and honor of the name of Christ. <br><br> TEN REASONS <br><br> FIRST-The Mormon Church unchurches all Christians. It recognizes itself alone as the church. From its beginning to the present it has insisted, from press and platform, that all Christian churches, of whatever name, nation, or century, since apostolic times, are not only apostate from the truth but propagators of error, and false doctrine, without authority to teach, preach, or administer the sacraments; that salvation and exaltation are found alone in the church organized by Joseph Smith. <br><br> CLAIMS OR CITATIONS <br><br> 1. [The Mormon church is] "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth."-Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 1:30. <br> 2. "Behold, I" [the Lord] "say unto you, that all old covenants" [Christian churches] "have I caused to be done away in this thing and this is a new and an everlasting covenant."-Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 22:1. <br> 3. "It" [Mormonism] "is entirely unlike all plans or systems ever invented by human authority; it has no alliance, connection or fellowship with any of them; it speaks with divine authority; and all nations without an exception are required to obey. He that receives the message and endures to the end will be saved; he that rejects it will be damned."-Pratt's Works, Paper 1. <br> 4. "These claims in behalf of ‘Mormonism' pre-supposes the destruction of the primitive Christian Church, a complete apostasy from the Christian religion."-New Witness for God, Preface, p. 1. <br> 5. "I was answered that I must join none of them" [the Sects], "for they were all wrong."-Pearl of Great Price, p. 47, Life of Joseph Smith. <br><br> Thus they unchurch and disfellowship all Christians, and demand that all yield to the Mormon priesthood or perish. <br><br> SECOND-The Mormon Church places the "Book of Mormon" and the "Book of Doctrine and Covenants" on a par with the Bible. Their so-called revelations of the present are also put on the same level with the Bible. <br><br> CLAIMS <br><br> 1. "Has God given many revelations to men? Ans.-Yes, a great number. Where have we any account of his doing so? Ans.-In the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and other publications of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."-Catechism, Chapter III, Questions 1 and 2. <br> [Continues on next page.] <br><br> |
