I would like to thank Alma and Chris, members of the LDS church, for their assistance with this article. Although they do not agree with the spin with which this was written, their attention to detail and patience in reviewing this was invaluable.

Amazing to me is the seemingly parallel origins of The Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS or Mormons) and Islam. Both faiths began with a claim of divine revelation to a prophet via an angel, who was instructed to record additional writings believed to be the “fullness of the gospel”.  Additionally, both faiths maintain that they are God’s true remnant church on earth.

The similarities end at doctrinal interpretation and general mentality. Mormons believe in the deity of Christ and progressive divinely inspired prophets, and they are polytheistic, Muslims deny the deity of Christ and revere Mohammed as the final prophet, and they are monotheistic. Where Muslims believe in conquering for Allah by force, Mormons believe in leading to God by charity.

On the surface, much of what members of the LDS do seems similar to actions of Bible-based Christian denominations.

Mormons are known to eschew alcohol, tobacco, caffeine and premarital sex while fostering strong family relationships.  Historically, they have a low cancer rate and score higher than the general population when it comes to physical fitness.

Who wouldn’t admire a religious group that promotes the Boy Scouts and receives fast offerings to care for widows and the poor? The history and beliefs of Mormonism are often overlooked on the assumption that sound morals make for a good religion.

History
Most people know little about Mormonism. They may be familiar with the names Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, the practices of polygamy and proxy baptism, but those topics only scratch the surface of Mormon beliefs and teachings.

The LDS church can trace its roots back to Palmyra, New York, in 1820. This is where Joseph Smith, the founding prophet, claimed to have received a vision while praying in the woods. This vision, reportedly of God the Father and Jesus Christ, revealed that all churches and creeds were an abomination to the Lord. According to the vision, Smith was to be a prophet to proclaim a restored message of the true gospel and to establish the one true remnant church.

In 1823, an angel named Moroni appeared at Smith’s bedside. The angel claimed to be the son of Mormon, the departed leader of a race known as the nephites. Moroni told Smith about a set of golden plates that contained the fullness of the gospel. (I do not question this event itself. I do believe it to be a supernatural revelation, but based upon Galatians 1:8-9, I question the claim to the source of it.)

Some four years after that visit, Smith reportedly found the plates buried in a hill called cumorah. With them were the urim and thummim, which were used to translate the plates from a language called Reformed Egyptian.

Claiming a visit from John the Baptist and divine revelation, Smith translated the plates and used them to write the Book of Mormon, subtitled Another Testimony of Jesus Christ. This book was published in 1830 and the plates were returned to Moroni. Later that year, Smith founded his church.

Joseph Smith was considered a great seer and prophet by his followers. Mormons believe that Smith was the prophet spoken of by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18:18 and in fulfillment of John 1:21 and 25 (Ensign, Jan. 1989, p.20). This is the same claim that Mohammed made for himself with the establishment of Islam.

After Smith’s murder in the religion’s headquarter town of Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1844, Mormons found themselves unwelcome in Illinois and were virtually forced out of the state. There was a division in the church as to who its new leader should be. The majority of the followers at that time embraced Brigham Young as its leader and followed him to Salt Lake City, Utah, which remains the headquarters of the LDS church today.

Basis
Mormons believe in open canon and the living prophet’s words are considered more reliable in a sense than either the words of a dead prophet or the four standard works. Prophets are not considered infallible and Joseph Smith himself was noted for being the author of what turned out to be many false prophecies.

The difference between the writings of the former prophets and the teachings of the living prophets is that the living prophet can address changing circumstances, which allows for doctrinal clarification. This is based on the belief that the Lord reveals things to the prophets on a divinely set timetable. This allows for a fluid (open canon) doctrinal position. Recorded in 1980 by Elder Ezra Taft Benson are the 14 fundamentals on following the prophet.

The four standard works of Mormonism are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. All four are considered scripture but are not considered to be infallible, as they were all touched by man.

Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of revelations from Joseph Smith and his successors. The last canonized revelation was a vision given in 1918 and there are also two official declarations – the abolishment of polygamy in 1890 and the extension of priesthood to all races in 1978.

The Pearl of Great Price, penned by Joseph Smith, is deemed inspired and consists of several books and 13 articles of faith. These books include the Book of Moses (a revision of parts of Genesis), The Book of Abraham, The Book of Joseph Smith – Matthew (a revision of Matthew 24) and the Book of Joseph Smith – History (his testimony).

Beliefs
Because of the belief in an open canon and the weight placed on the words of the living prophets, some of the Mormon doctrines have changed over the years and many more may be altered. The church meets in conference every six months, when church leaders give instruction in doctrine.

Original Sin
The church rejects the doctrine of original sin as it is traditionally taught. They teach that man is inherently innocent in the beginning (Doctrine and Covenants 93:38). They believe that the transgression of Adam was paid for on the cross and that each person will be judged for his own sins, regardless of Adam’s actions (Moses 6:54).

The Bible and the Book of Mormon differ on the effects of the fall as recorded in the Book of Genesis. The Bible says that Adam and Eve sinned by their disobedience and because of that, God cast them out of the Garden of Eden – a negative event.

The Book of Mormon offers a different explanation for the outcome. It states that Adam and Eve did a good thing, as it was the first step to a joyous and happy life. Rather than acknowledging that their act of disobedience was a serious sin, LDS teaches that the Scriptures say that the fall was a necessary step in the plan of life and a great blessing to us all.

This account can be summarized to say that because of the Fall, we are blessed with physical bodies, the right to choose between good and evil, and the opportunity to gain eternal life. None of these privileges would have been ours had Adam and Eve remained in the Garden of Eden. Brigham Young taught for 25 years that that Adam was the God of this earth. At the time, his teaching did not go unopposed by members of the church. In defending this revelation, Young stated, “How much unbelief exists in the minds of the Latter-day Saints in regard to one particular doctrine which I revealed to them, and which God revealed to me — namely that Adam is our Father and God” (Deseret News, June 14, 1873).

The LDS maintain that the Adam-God teachings were taken out of context and misrepresented. This theology was officially declared false doctrine in 1976 by President Spencer W. Kimball (Ensign, Nov. 76, pg. 77).

Mormonism teaches that Adam and Michael the archangel are the same person, as are Noah and the angel Gabriel.

Spirit Brothers
According to Mormon doctrine, Jesus was the spirit brother of Lucifer and they were procreated as spirit children of the heavenly Father and Mother. Jesus later was conceived physically through Mary. Mormons believe that all beings were first spirit children of God prior to their time as human beings. Mormon teaching also holds that Mary remained a virgin after birth. (Ensign, Jan. 1989, pp.28-29; Come Unto Christ by Ezra Taft Benson, p.4).

Brigham Young taught, “Now, remember from this time forth, and forever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost” (Journal of Discourses 1:51). LDS leaders have taught God the Father and Mary engaged in a physical relationship in order to produce the body of Jesus. For example, Bruce R. McConkie wrote of Christ: “There is nothing figurative about his paternity, he was begotten, conceived, and born in the normal and natural course of events, for he is the son of God, and that designation means what it says” (Mormon Doctrine,p. 742; see also Family Home Evening Manual, 1972, p. 125-126).

LDS doctrine holds that Jesus and Lucifer both presented plans for the salvation of mankind to God. Lucifer’s plan was based on forced worship and Jesus’ plan on man’s choice was based on God’s will (Moses 4:1). Some say that Jesus’ plan was chosen over Lucifer’s, but the LDS explain that Jesus’ plan was actually what God had already decided on and changing that to another path was never an option.

Deification
The official term for this doctrine in the LDS church is theosis. The term theophoros refers to resurrected, glorified man and translates as the “forever god-man.”

Mormonism is a polytheistic religion. The most famous of all Mormon aphorisms is “As man is now God once was: as God is now, man may become.”

The LDS teaches that God himself was once procreated in another world and that we as humans may aspire to the status as creator that He has now. As potential father and mother gods, Mormons will ultimately be responsible for the population of other planets by participating in the creation of spirit children.

They do believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He was elevated because of his sinless state. They reject the doctrines of Trinity and the triune nature of God. In Mormonism, a distinction is drawn between the Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit. As LDS Apostle Marion G. Romney stated, “The Holy Ghost is a person, a spirit, the third member of the Godhead” (Ensign, May 1977, 43-44). The sixth LDS prophet, Joseph F. Smith, explains that the Holy Spirit is not a person but rather an impersonal force (Mormon Doctrine, McConkie, pp. 752-753).

Mormons worship the Father in the name of the Son but do not refer to either as “God.” They refer to Jesus Christ as Jehovah, a separate and distinct being than the Father, who is referred to as “Elohim.” These names are used to differentiate between the two.

Atonement
The LDS doctrine on atonement was originated by Joseph Smith, later affirmed by Brigham Young, and was referred to as “blood atonement.” As summarized below, it appears from the writings of the prophets that some sins are so serious that Jesus’ sacrifice was not enough to cleanse them, and that the sinner’s own blood is required in a ritualistic ceremony.

Although it’s difficult to nail down exactly what this teaching once entailed, today the church teaches that the idea of a required physical atonement for sin was a distortion from the original intent.

Joseph Smith taught that certain sins are so grievous that they place the transgressors beyond Christ’s power of atonement. If these offenses are committed, then the blood of Christ will not cleanse them from their sins even though they repent. Therefore their only hope is to have their own blood shed to atone, as far as possible, in their behalf (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p.135).

Brigham Young said: “It is true that the blood of the Son of God was shed for sins through the fall and those committed by men, yet men can commit sins which it can never remit…there are sins that can be atoned for by an offering on the altar…and there are sins that the blood of a lamb…cannot remit, but they must be atoned for by the blood of the man” (Journal of Discourses, vol.4, p.53-54, also published inDeseret News, p.235, 1856).

Brigham Young also said: “There is not a man or a woman, who violates the covenants [fidelity in marriage] made with their God, that will not be required to pay the debt. The blood of Christ will never wipe that out, your own blood must atone for it” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 3, p.247).

Bruce McConkie explains: “But under certain circumstances there are some serious sins for which the cleansing of Christ does not operate, and the law of God is that men must then have their own blood shed to atone for their sins” (Mormon Doctrine, p.92). Note the citations of the above quotes. The Journal of Discourses, Mormon Doctrine and the Doctrines of Salvation are the writings of the prophets but are not considered official church doctrine.

While not all Mormons accept this doctrine, it is notable that in 1977, Gary Gillmore, a convicted murderer, requested that his death sentence be carried out via firing squad because of his belief in the blood atonement doctrine. His story was immortalized in the 1982 NBC miniseries, The Executioner’s Song.

Official Mormon doctrine states that that the only blood effective for the remission of sins is that of Christ.

Salvation
The Mormon church teaches that only through the atoning blood of Jesus and the act of baptism (personal or proxy) can a person even begin the process of salvation. This is defined in terms of “salvation” and “exaltation.” Salvation (or resurrection) is granted to all through the atonement of Jesus. Exaltation is given through obedience to the gospel principles. Children are deemed saved without the requirement of any works.

Salvation therefore is contingent first upon the grace of Christ and then judged by works. Recommended works include accepting the prophet Joseph Smith, serving a mission, marrying in the temple, being included in the priesthood, completing a genealogical tree, abstaining from alcohol and hot drinks, tithing, attending sacrament meetings, and obeying the rules of the church. (One advantage of having a living prophet can be seen in the example of “hot drinks.” Mormon scriptures teach abstaining from hot drinks, but the prophets have clarified this to mean that the term refers only to coffee and tea.

Mormons teach that all who lived on this earth (except the sons of perdition) will go to one of three heavens: the celestial, the terrestrial or the telestial. They consider the celestial level (exaltation) to be “eternal life” and the place where you get your godhood.

Proxy Baptism
LDS teaches that there is no salvation outside of the Mormon church, but that all people will/can be saved. How do they explain this plurality? With proxy baptism, a practice carried in their temple that involves having one person stand in for another person to be baptized in that person’s name. This is typically done on the behalf of deceased people and it is a leading motivator in completing a genealogical tree.

Racism
Mormonism has a dark history of racism in its early days. Although it wasn’t a part of the LDS doctrine, Mormons speculated that people of African descent have dark skin because they were cursed by God and are therefore an inferior race. This was clarified in 1968 by the prophet, David O. McKay, who wrote, “There is not now, and there never has been a doctrine in this church that the Negroes are under a divine curse. We believe that we have scriptural precedent for withholding the priesthood from the Negro. It is a practice, not a doctrine and the practice will some day be changed”.

Until 1978, people of African descent were “forbidden” for marriage and entry into the temple. That year, based on a revelation given to the prophet Spencer W. Kimball, LDS changed their policy banning people of African descent from becoming priests. The church never admitted it had been wrong to discriminate, as its doctrine states that God reveals things to the prophets on a timetable for a reason.

Replacement Theology
Replacement Theology says that some church, denomination or religion has replaced Israel as the chosen people of God.

As mentioned above, Joseph Smith believed via his vision that he was to be the prophet designated from God to bring about the one true church, the remnant church of the Lord.

Smith maintained that through divine revelation, he had been told that the Garden of Eden was not in the Tigris and Euphrates river basin. Rather, he claimed that the Garden was actually in the United States in a place he called the Valley of Adam (Adam-ondi-Ahman, or the “place of God where Adam dwelt”), which today represents the area known as Independence, Missouri.

LDS prophecy calls for a final gathering at this place in Missouri, where all who have held leadership in the church will return. These will include “Moroni, Elias of the restoration, who is also identified as being Gabriel or Noah; John the Baptist, Elijah, Joseph who was sold into Egypt, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Michael who is Adam, and Peter, James, and John.” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, Vol. 4, pp. 65-66). It will also include “Every prophet, apostle, president, bishop, elder, or church officer of whatever degree — all who have held keys shall stand before him who holds all of the keys” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, p. 582).

Mormons do not believe in a physical Zionism. They define it as a spiritual purification of the heart, not as a restoration of the tribes of Israel. They maintain that the promises and blessings said to be bestowed on Israel at the end of days are no longer the inheritance of Israel but are now bestowed on the LDS church.

Polygamy
Polygamy is the teaching most commonly identified with Mormons. The early polygamous believers claimed that Jesus himself was a polygamist. This belief is not maintained today. This has not been officially disavowed; it is just considered moot and a non-issue.

The LDS teaches that man cannot reach the highest level of Heaven (exaltation) without having a wife and exaltation can only come to a man and his wife. Marriages held outside of the temple are considered “until death do you part.” Marriages held inside the temple and performed by the appropriate authorities are deemed eternal.

The practice of polygamy was banned from LDS doctrine in 1890 by the prophet Wilford Woodruff. The official church stance since that time has been to excommunicate polygamists.

Missions
This is a two-year witnessing program during which the Mormon missionaries are sent around the world going door to door sharing the Mormon faith and doing volunteer and charity work. This is not a requirement per se, but there is much pressure from the church in many cases, as this service is believed to best prepare young men and women for the life they face ahead as good stewards, husbands and wives. Men are eligible for service at age 19 and women at 21.

Summary
Although Mormons believe in the divinity of Jesus as the Saviour and refer to themselves as the only complete and true church on the earth, many of their doctrines as outlined above do not agree with  Orthodox Christian teachings.

History
The Seventh Day Adventist church was formed in 1860 as an offshoot of the Millerite movement earlier in the 19th century.

William Miller, a former New England minister, had a revelation that the Lord was to return and the Tribulation was to begin in 1843-44. Miller’s calculations were based on his study of Daniel 8:14, which says that the holy place would be restored after 2,300 evenings and mornings. Miller interpreted this to mean “years” (based on the Jewish calendar) instead of “days,” and after a few failed predictions, settled on October, 22, 1844 as the day.

Termed “The Great Disappointment,” this day came and went without fanfare.  On the morning following the Great Disappointment, Hiram Walker claimed to have a vision that confirmed that Miller had been right all along in his timing, just not in his application.

Walker’s vision, later confirmed by the church’s prophetess, Ellen G. White, was that the event marked by the 1844 date was not the Second Coming of Christ, but His ascension into the Holy of Holies to sit at the right hand of God.  This doctrine is called Investigative Judgment and is the basis for the SDA church.

As the church grew in numbers and Mrs. White continued to have her visions, doctrines were added, revised and removed over the next 160 years. There are too many doctrinal corrections and contradictions to be included in the scope of this article, but for those who are interested,   SDA-Outreach has documented a wealth of information on this.

Mrs. White’s visions told her that in the end days, the Lord would call a remnant church out of the apostasy to keep His commandments as written and that the Adventists were this remnant.  Additionally, she taught that only those in the SDA would be saved at that time and that the separating wall between the “real Israel of God” (the SDAs) and the unbelievers would be the observance of the Saturday Sabbath.

The SDA leadership affirms that they are indeed the remnant church, the true “Israel of God,” because they have the mark of the Lord, Saturday worship, and the prophetess to confirm this.  This was reaffirmed in their June 2000 General Prophecy Conference as reported by Adventist Today.

The organization has its own version of Scripture, the Clear Word Bible, and as affirmed, the group holds the Ellen White Spirit of Prophecy as doctrine. White’s best-known work is The Great Controversy (GC), referring to the controversy she saw between the message of Satan and that of Christ regarding the nature of God.

Teachings

Investigative Judgment

This unique doctrine is the basis and foundation for the Seventh Day Adventist church; no other sect has ever taught this belief. Volumes have been written about this; I am just presenting the SDA beliefs in a nutshell.

In 1844, rather than denying that the prediction for the Second Coming of the Messiah was a false prophecy, the prediction was clarified and redefined. The position taken on this was that the Lord DID “make a move” on October 22 of that year, but that move, rather being His return to earth, had been His ascension to the right hand of God to complete the plan for atonement.

This doctrine asserts that while Christ said on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), only the first phase of atonement was complete and the second and final phase began in 1844. This doctrine maintains that people’s deeds are being investigated and recorded so that their worthiness for eternal life may be determined at Judgment Day. These deeds include the adherence to the laws of the Old Testament, particularly Saturday worship.

From the Adventist website, the group’s fundamental belief #23 states:

“…(Christ) was inaugurated as our great High Priest and began His intercessory ministry at the time of His ascension. In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry. It is a work of investigative judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service the sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus.

The investigative judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection. It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom. This judgment vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of human probation before the Second Advent.”
Ellen White was the main promoter of this doctrine, teaching that not only is belief in it imperative for salvation but that Jesus’ atonement on the cross was not complete; He will yet make another special and final atonement in Heaven once the investigative judgment is complete.

The investigative judgment doctrine says that those who were faithful in keeping the commandments will be vindicated from God’s judgment.

Role of Jesus

SDAs don’t readily admit that they once denied the existence of the Trinity. They do say that a part of that denial remains in their beliefs today. Like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they maintain that the archangel Michael and Jesus are one and the same.

While they do not maintain that Jesus was an angel, they explain that, based on Daniel 10:13, Jesus was one of the “chief princes” – a God who is “chief over the angels.” Additionally, they teach that Jesus had a fallen sinful human nature.

Soul Sleep

Again, keeping in doctrinal step with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the SDA also teaches that there is no such thing as Hell. This is the concept of “soul sleep,” which says that there is no punishment for sin and that those found unworthy will simply cease to exist.

The doctrine of soul sleep is based on the belief that human beings don’t have immortal souls, that their souls are their physical existence, and that when their bodies die, their souls go to the graves. From there, those who are righteous are said to arise at the resurrection, and those who are evil are said to be annihilated.

This doctrine denies the teachings of Jesus himself on this subject. Jesus spoke more about Hell than he did about Heaven. Jesus described Hell (Hades as well as Gehenna) as a place of torment and agony in a fire that does not go out. All of these teachings are denied in lieu of a doctrine of eternal sleep and a cessation of existence.

Our Sins Placed on Satan?

The Bible clearly tells us that our sins were borne by Jesus.

1Pe 2:24: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
The SDAs have a different take on this passage of Scripture. They teach that Satan will be made a scapegoat and that Christ will cause him to bear our sins. This also adds to the atonement on the cross as an additional action necessary by Christ to complete the plan of salvation.

Salvation and Legalism

Ellen White taught that salvation, by definition, is only a means of giving man another trial at the end of days. Additionally, the SDA organization teaches that sins are only forgiven up to and including the time that one accepts Christ, is baptized and is made a member of the Adventist organization. All sins from that point forward are not considered covered by grace.

In The Great Controversy, White wrote that Sabbath observance would be the “line of distinction” in the “final test” that will separate God’s chosen people from those who are doomed. The prophesied mark of the beast in SDA teachings is Sunday worship.

The organization maintains that the plan of salvation was not devised until after the Fall and that its plan is that people will be judged worthy based upon their adherence to the law. This is referred to as “Christ’s Righteousness” and maintains that the believer’s perfection of character is a prerequisite to salvation.

Included in this perfection of character is the dogma that people will not be forgiven until all sins are eradicated from their lives. In addition to the admonition to live sin free, a few other lifestyle issues are taught to SDA believers, namely, health-oriented practices such as vegetarianism, the abstention from alcohol and tobacco, and the keeping of the Ten Commandments. White has gone as far as to say that Adam and Eve kept the Sabbath even though the commandment to do so was not handed down until the days of Moses.

On top of the legalism that they promote as a basis for salvation, the SDAs also adhere to the remnant church philosophy and maintain that there is no salvation outside of SDA membership.

In order to become a member of the SDA, one has to swear to a 13-point Profession of Faith.  Once this is done and deemed satisfactory, then the membership votes on the potential candidate. If the candidate is voted in, he is to complete an approved, full-body baptism before the salvation is considered valid.

After the candidates have, in the presence of the church membership or other properly appointed body, answered the questions of the vow in the affirmative, or assurance has been given to the church that such answers have already been given, the church body should be asked to vote on their acceptance into the church, subject to baptism, which ordinance should not be delayed (Adventist.org – Baptismal Vow and Baptism).)
False Prophesies

Let me begin this section with a quote from Mrs. White, from her book, Testimonies for the Church (vol. 4, p. 230).

“God is either teaching his church, reproving their wrongs and strengthening their faith or He is not.  This work is of God or it is not.  God does nothing in partnership with Satan.  My work…bears the stamp of God or the stamp of the enemy.  There is ho half-way work in this matter.  The testimonies are of the spirit of God or of the Devil.”
Given that, let’s look at some of the prophecies of Mrs. White.

She claims to have been told in a vision the date and time for Jesus’ return. She predicted it to be in the 1850s, and said that people living in 1856 would be alive to see it. She added that she would be among the living saints to witness this event. Mrs. White died in 1915.

Mrs. White also made many other erroneous claims, such as that England would attack the United States during the Civil War, which would result in the U.S. being “humbled into dust.” She also said that Jerusalem would never be rebuilt into a city of any importance.

Mrs. White attributed her prophecies to visions and angels. Additionally, she wrote that angels were the ones to communicate with Adam after the fall (and they laid out the commandment about keeping the plan of salvation to him at that time); that in Genesis 4:6-7, angels, not the Lord, communicated with Cain; and that the Tower of Babel was built before the Flood. The latter was originally published in Spiritual Gifts, v.3, p.301, 1864, but was rewritten to correct the error in the 1870 edition of Spirit of Prophecy.

Let’s remind ourselves what the Scriptures say about angels appearing with a message contradictory to the message of the Gospel and salvation by grace:

Galatians 1:8: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
The SDAs use as their litmus test, the prophetic teachings of religions. They maintain that if a group embraces a teacher proven to be a false prophet, then that group is condemned out of hand as a false church. Sadly, they don’t apply these same qualifications to their own prophetess. When it comes to the visions of Ellen White, they claim that they are “conditional” and that the conditions were not met. In other words, she was not a false prophetess; God just changed His mind after revealing the “truth” to her because of conditional circumstances.

Summary

Although on the surface, Seventh Day Adventists appear to be just another Christian denomination, they clearly preach another gospel, another atonement and another path to salvation.