LDSQ2BA Latter Day Saints Questions to Be Answered

I have questions for my Latter Day Saint friends. While I believe the distinctive doctrines of Latter Day Saints are unbiblical and false, I likewise am grateful for my LDS friends over the years. I ask these questions less as “Gotchas” and more in an attempt to be sure I understand. My hope is that any answers I receive will come from those competent to give them, either LDS experts or non-LDS LDS experts.

1. Are historic Christianity and LDS compatible? That is, since the LDS now claims to be Christian, despite Joseph Smith saying in his day that all existing churches were wrong and their creeds an abomination, is LDS just another denomination, or a different religion? If the former, why the urgency to “convert” Christians? If the latter, how can they be compatible?

2. Who is God’s Father? And for that matter, who is God’s mother? Who are the grandparents of the Father? If I understand correctly we who are men will, at least if we are LDS, become gods. We have parents and grandparents. Who are God’s parents and grandparents?

3. Where in the Bible do we have any hint that Jesus and Lucifer are brothers? Why did not God reveal this until nearly two thousand years had passed after Jesus’ earthly ministry?

4. Similarly, where in the Bible are we told there would be another book yet to come? Why did God allow roughly 1500 years to pass between the purportedly erroneous and heretical Nicene Creed and its “correction” in the Book of Mormon?

5. Similarly, had the Council of Nicea been attended only by LDS theologians, how might it read? What would be different?

6. Have any prophets in the history of the LDS erred in their prophetic ministry? Have these prophets consistently taught the same understanding of dark skinned people? Has the understanding of dark skinned people taught in the Book of Mormon been disavowed?

7. Which among all the writings of Joseph Smith are considered to be canonical? What standard determines which of his writings are canonical and which not?

8. Did Joseph Smith perform miracles attesting to his authority to speak for God? What evidence is there for these miracles? Did Joseph Smith deliver any prophecies that did not come to pass?

9. Does the LDS organization teach the penal, substitutionary atonement of Jesus? If not, what is its doctrine of atonement? If so, how is that atonement brought to bear in the life of a sinner?

10. With respect to the Reformation, does the LDS doctrine teach that grace is infused in the believer through his or her cooperation with the sacraments, as Rome teaches, or that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to the believer by faith alone? What does the LDS teach about how we escape God’s wrath for our sins?

11. Why the secrets? While various gnostic religions hide doctrines from adherents as they climb to different levels, Christian churches keep no doctrines hidden from unbelievers or initiates.

12. I am a Bible believing trinitarian, orthodox Protestant, resting in the finished work of Christ alone. I believe LDS doctrine to be false. Were I to die with these beliefs, what can I expect my eternity to look like?

I thank all in advance for good faith answers to any and all of these questions.