When Thomas expressed concerns about how to follow Jesus after His death and ascension, Jesus eased his worried mind with these words, I am the way, the truth, and the life…

Eventually, everyone wants to go to heaven. Amid the many differing views on how to get there, many claim to be the way, the truth, and the life. It is understandable that so many are confused. Today, Postmodern thought teaches that all roads and all gods lead to heaven. Does this assumption of many gods agree with the Bible?

Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

–Isaiah 43:10 KJV

Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

–Isaiah 44:8 KJV

Other Gods Claim To Be The Way, The Truth, and The Life

If there is but one God, as God Himself assures us, what are we to make of those who create other gods? Other Gods can take many forms, but generally they can be boiled down to three general categories,

1. False gods can be in the form of literal, physical things such as works of stone, carved wood or cast metal. They can be imagined in the sun, the moon or the wind. Organizations, political parties and even churches can become false gods.
2. False gods can be the imagination of men who create counterfeits or copies of the one true God.
3. Lastly, men love to make false gods of themselves. In ways, often not recognized, men elevate themselves to a position equal to or above the glory of God.

Today, we will address each of these false god categories.

False Prophets Preach, Let Us Go After Other Gods

The Mormon apostle elevated his church to the very status of Jesus.

This Church is the ensign on the mountain spoken of by the Old Testament prophets. It is the way, the truth, and the life.

–Marion G. Romney, Conference Report, April, 1961, pg. 119

When Jesus declared “I am the way, the truth, and the life”, He used these words as titles for himself. Literally, these are other names for Jesus, savior of the world. If Jesus was speaking the truth, and we have reason to believe he was, what are we to do with this Marion G. Romney who took these titles away from Jesus and applied them to a man-made organization? Literally, he took sacred titles from Jesus and applied them to the Mormon church. He declared, let us set Jesus aside and go after this other god.

If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God…

–Deuteronomy 13:1-5a KJV

The teaching of Marion G. Romney is clear. In his opinion, the church has replaced Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life. Are we, therefore, to put Romney to death? I think not, but we can put to death his heresy and purge it from our hearts. We can make this false teaching dead to us.

Jesus’ answer to Thomas continued,

… no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

–John 14:6b KJV

Is Joseph Smith The Way, The Truth, and The Life?

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and by Him alone may a man enter heaven and be with the Father. The Mormon prophet Brigham Young had a very different opinion that reduced Jesus to nothing more significant than a mascot.

Joseph Smith holds the keys of this last dispensation, and is now engaged behind the vail in the great work of the last days. I can tell our beloved brother Christians who have slain the Prophets and butchered and otherwise caused the death of thousands of Latter-day Saints, the priests who have thanked God in their prayers and thanksgiving from the pulpit that we have been plundered, driven, and slain, and the deacons under the pulpit, and their brethren and sisters in their closets, who have thanked God, thinking that the Latter-day Saints were wasted away, something that no doubt will mortify them—something that, to say the least, is a matter of deep regret to them—namely, that no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of all things, every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are—I with you and you with me. I cannot go there without his consent. He holds the keys of that kingdom for the last dispensation—the keys to rule in the spirit-world; and he rules there triumphantly, for he gained full power and a glorious victory over the power of Satan while he was yet in the flesh, and was a martyr to his religion and to the name of Christ, which gives him a most perfect victory in the spirit-world. He reigns there as supreme a being in his sphere, capacity, and calling, as God does in heaven. Many will exclaim—”Oh, that is very disagreeable! It is preposterous! We cannot bear the thought!” But it is true.

–Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p.289 and Robert L. Millet, Ensign June 1994, emphasis added

If Young is correct in this matter, consider the far-reaching consequences. If the Joseph Smith certificate is the final determining factor on who will and will not be admitted into heaven, consider the conflict between Jesus and Joseph. Jesus might say,

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

–John 3:16 KJV

Continuing, Jesus may add: this brother or sister, son or daughter did the work of my father. I died, shedding my blood for this one and I, in every way, am satisfied. He may continue,

This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

John 6:29b

Joseph just may counter with, I alone can produce the necessary certificate of admittance. Because my new gospel was not satisfied, I say NO! and I have the final word. Standing defiantly against the Son of God, he might strengthen his argument with:

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

–Third Mormon Article of Faith

…for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

–Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:23

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

–Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:32

Please take note of two points of tension in Moroni 10:32:

1. There is an if / then paradigm. Only if you have denied yourself of all ungodliness will the grace of the Mormon god kick in.
2. This passage promises that you can be made perfect in Christ, but only after you deny yourself of all ungodliness. But wait! If you purge yourself of every ungodly attribute, you will already be perfect. You will be godly. What need will you have then of the Savior and His grace?

This doctrine places men on an equal standing with Jesus. For example,

1. Jesus cannot save a person until he or she perfectly keeps the laws and ordinances of Mormonism.
2. The grace of Jesus will not be applied until a person first does all he or she can do.
3. Jesus cannot perfect a person until that person first perfects himself or herself.

By these examples, Jesus and we are placed on equal standing. Jesus has no power to save us without our contribution. Likewise, we cannot save ourselves without the contribution of Jesus. Both we and Jesus are equally helpless without the other.

Why is this Important?

Each of us must make a choice. Will we dedicate our lives of following, worshiping, praising and trusting in Jesus or will we choose Joseph and his church?

If you choose Joseph:

1. You must keep the laws and ordinances of the Mormon gospel. Which of these must we keep? All of them! Can you even list, let alone keep them all?
2. You must do all you can do. If your life is perfect except for a single flawed moment in a single day, the flaw will stand as an eternal witness that you did less than all you can do.
3. You must perfect yourself by denying every ungodly trait. Having become self-perfected, the Mormon god will perfect you in the instant you no longer need his help.

You Only Need Believe

If you determine to become a disciple of Jesus, you only need believe. There is a difference between a simple profession of faith and faith unto salvation. Faith unto salvation will always be accompanied with a beautiful, supernatural change,

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

I close this discussion with a single observation. In sixty years as a zealous Mormon, I did good works in the hope of salvation with no assurance that I was doing enough. But now, everything is different; so different! I do good works because I am saved and I have the assurance of God Himself that I have been saved.

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

–1 John 5:13 KJV

My dear LDS friends, please come into the joy of the Lord!

Ask Your Bishop

• Who has the final say in your salvation, Joseph or Jesus?