>  Basic beliefs of Mormons explained
> By Mike Licona
> NAMB, Director, Apologetics and Interfaith Evangelism
> Updated Monday, April 07, 2008
>
> Mormonism started in 1830 with 24-year-old year old Joseph Smith Jr.
> According to Smith, he had several experiences, during which God,
> Jesus, and the angel Moroni gave him instructions. Part of the
> instructions was to dig up some gold plates buried by the angel Moroni
> around A.D. 400 on a hill just outside of Smith's town of Palmyra, New
> York. Smith dug up the plates, claimed they were written in "Reformed
> Egyptian," and that God had given him the ability to translate them.
> This translation became known as the Book of Mormon, an account of the
> ancient inhabitants of North America between 600 B.C. and A.D. 400.
>
> Mormons have four sources of authority: the Bible, the Book of Mormon,
> the Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants. The Church of
> Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has become one of the fastest-
> growing religions in the world. The church owns Brigham Young
> University.
>
> Mormon beliefs are fundamentally different from biblical
> Christianity.
> 1. God. Once a human as we are now, and progressed to become God.
> He is one of many gods.
> 2. Man. Has the ability to progress and become a god just as Jehovah
> did.
> 3. Marriage. Polygamy is no longer advocated, although it once was
> encouraged.
> 4. Jesus. The son of God, but not part of the Godhead. Mormons do not
> believe in the Trinity.
>
> Mormons are very sincere about their faith. Conversations with Mormon
> missionaries promise to be cordial. Mormon scholars, such as those at
> Brigham Young University, are well aware of the challenges which face
> Mormonism.
>
> What do Mormons tell you when they visit?
>
> When Mormons visit you, they usually will not focus on the doctrines
> previously mentioned. In fact, they probably will not even bring them
> up during the first few meetings. Instead they will seek to find
> common ground with you on many of the doctrines Christians believe.
> For example, they may begin by saying that God revealed the Old
> Testament through Moses and the prophets. Then Jesus came, was
> crucified and resurrected. His disciples wrote books and letters that
> became the New Testament. We all agree on these facts.
>
> Then the differences begin. They will tell you that before Jesus'
>  ascension into heaven, He appeared to the inhabitants of North America
> and gave them the gospel as well. His message and the history of these
> inhabitants from 600 B.C. to A.D. 400 are recorded in the Book of
> Mormon.
> Furthermore, they will tell you that since the apostles were not
> replaced when they were killed, the Church went into apostasy. In
> other words, it abandoned the true faith, and consequently, a
> restoration was necessary. Mormons believe that God chose Joseph Smith
> to bring that restoration; therefore, the Church of Jesus Christ of
> Latter-day Saints is the true Church.
>
> How to answer Mormons
>
> Mormons are well equipped to answer many of the issues Christians
> bring to their attention and have answers adequate to silence the
> average critic. The Mormon missionaries who come to your door are
> cordial and will listen to what you have to say. Enjoy the opportunity
> to share your faith with them, but be prepared by having good answers.
> Although there are many issues, which you may bring to the Mormons'
> attention, focus on four that are of primary importance:
>
>  A. The Bible is reliable. Mormons claim that the Bible has been
> corrupted over the years as evidenced by the many different
> translations. How do we know that the Bible we have today is the same
> as it was 2,000 years ago? The original words of the Bible have been
> preserved with remarkable purity and that its accuracy has been
> confirmed by both history and archaeology. Variances among English
> translations do not call into question the preservation of the Bible
> over the years. Until you have shown this to a Mormon, it is useless
> to point out that some Mormon doctrines differ from the Bible. They
> will only respond that the Bible is unreliable.
>
> B. There is no archaeological confirmation of the Book of Mormon.
> While the spade of the archaeologist has confirmed many places and
> peoples mentioned in the Bible, it has not been at all favorable to
> the Book of Mormon. Although Mormons will confidently assert that
> archaeology has confirmed the Book of Mormon's accuracy time and time
> again, professional archaeologists have arrived at quite a different
> conclusion.
>
> C. The Book of Abraham is a fraud. The Book of Abraham is one of the
> books in the Pearl of Great Price, one of Mormonism's scriptures.
> Joseph Smith purchased some ancient Egyptian papyri and claimed it was
> an original book penned by Abraham himself while in Egypt. He
> translated it allegedly by the same gift, which God had given him to
> translate the Book of Mormon. Professional Egyptologists have
> translated the papyri since their rediscovery in 1967. Their
> translations bear no resemblance to Smith's translation, exposing him
> as a charlatan.
>
> D. Evidence for Mormonism? Mormons are convinced that Mormonism is
> true because the inward testimony of God tells them so. If you are
> going to be effective when talking to Mormons, it is crucial that you
> address this issue. Otherwise, no amount of solid evidence, which
> testifies against Mormonism, will be of help to them.
>
> (EDITOR'S NOTE - The North American Mission Board's apologetics web
> site,www.4truth.net, carries much more information about many brands
> of religion.)
>
>  http://www.truthandgrace.com/Mormon.htm