My Mormon Experience

Article author: Tom Kinzer

Article editor: Jay Zeke Malakai

 

As a young child I had this little black Bible that I'm pretty sure was actually the book of John. I remember reading from it almost every day. I fully accepted Jesus as LORD and savior and knew every word I was reading was true. My family did leave the Lutheran church we were attending when I was in third grade but my belief in Christ continued. The seed had been planted I just didn't get any watering for a while.

 

Now some time had passed and I had been out of High School for a few years. I remember one night I drank more alcohol than I had in the past.

 

The morning after was when I announced to my friends that I would not drink again for a year. A few weeks after that my friend, who was a member of the Latter Day Saints or Mormon church, asked me for the millionth time if I would like to take the Discussions, six meetings with members of the Mormon church. This time I agreed. I was obviously searching for the LORD our God whom I had put my faith in when I was little or I never would have agreed to take the Discussions.

 

Throughout the Discussions I never wanted to join the LDS church. I even remember telling a friend from work "I'll never become Mormon Jan!!" On the last meeting I met with the Elders who, despite their title, were as young as I was. They asked me to pray so I did. That is when this overwhelming feeling came over my entire body, what the LDS reffer to as the burning of the bossom, this is what happened when I prayed and asked Jesus if I should be baptized in His name. I of course didn't ask specifics, like what church this baptism should take place in. So I agreed since I felt that if I refused I would be refusing the LORD our God!!!

 

I never accepted Joseph Smith as a true phrophet of God, or believed in the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith claimed to have been visited by the angel Moroni who showed him some "golden plates" that would be translated by Joseph into the Book of Mormon. I would not deny that the young Joseph Smith could have been visited by an angel, if LDS members are "worthy" they can take place in a ritual involving an oath and submission to Lucifer in their "holy" temples. So the angel Joseph Smith was visited by, if any, was most likley Lucifer the fallen angel himself! Mormonism is Not a Christian religion any more than Islam is. It is another Lucifer inspired religion. Mormonism is a polytheistic religion whereas biblical Christianity is Monothestic. Mormon teaching says that the "father, son and holy ghost" are three completely seperate individuals, which is not biblical. It is against all logic and reason to consider a polythestic religion to also be monothestic at the same time. Therefore it is impossible to consider Mormonism a part of Christianity. But I and many other individuals are living proof that true Christians can be trapped in this rule based milestone wearing around your neck legalisic institution, as many still are.

 

I was in the LDS church for about a two year active period. Meaning that I followed the "word of wisdom" not consuming alcohol or drugs etc. as well as followed the "law of chastity" no pre-matirial sex (which you don't need Mormonism for, as that is entirely Biblical) and attended their three hour services every week. I did read the Bible, I was allowed to read from the King James version. This was nice but I did not have a degree in shakespearean literature, so I could not make heads or tails of it.

 

After that I became inactive in the LDS church for several years but I still considerd myself a Mormon, not realizing I was actually a Christian in the LDS church. At one point I ended up moving in with my first girlfriend Susan, an athiest who was raised in the Catholic faith but is anti-Christian. I had strayed very far indeed from the Word of the LORD, which at this point in my life I was less familiar with than I had been when I accepted Christ into my heart as a child. So I decided to go back to attending services at my local LDS church. My girfriend was surprisingly supportive, and even attended a few services. One day I was in the office of the bishop at a local LDS church, who was the equivalent of a pastor. The Mormon church has no paid clergy and none are required to go to school as a pastor would in a Christian church. So I confessed to this bishop that I was living with my girlfriend and not following the "law of chastity". So the church leader told me I must immediately sever all ties to my girlfriend and never see her again. He did not suggest or advise this, he demanded it! It was a command and I had no choice in the eyes of the LDS church but to blindly obey. So that cultish behavior is what finally prompted me to dissociate myself with the LDS church. Totally turned off of organized religion, it would be several years from then that I would be right with God and seek Him truly.

 

So time goes by and I am starting to go to these bible studies my best friend is leading, they were very well put together, informative as well as entertaining. With the help of my sister Nancy, who is close to the LORD, and my best friend the time came when I was prepared to truly seek a relationship and commitment with the biblical Jesus. So I was baptized in a Christian church as an outward expression of my belief and commitment to Christ, not because I was told I had to for sake of salvation by the Mormons.

 

Anyone can accept the Christ of the Bible and be freed of the condemnation of sin that we all commit. You do not need to be burdened by the works of this world, no amount of works can get you into heaven. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 Jesus (i.e. the real Jesus of the Bible) offers freedom from these works and freedom from the penalty of sin. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that salvation is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9