As Salt Lake City gears up for next year's Winter Olympics, the Mormon leadership is taking another step to appear more "Christian." Six years ago they redesigned the church logo to emphasize the name of Jesus Christ. Now a new directive has gone out from Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley to the "faithful."
"As the Church grows across boundaries, cultures and languages, the use of the revealed name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is increasingly important in our responsibility to proclaim the name of the Savior throughout all the world," says the letter to be posted in all local Mormon churches.
But who is this "Savior?" Is it the same One described in the Bible? The average Mormon layman would be surprised at the question and would probably answer, "Of course. There is only one "Jesus."
But, a careful study of the Book of Mormon and other central Mormon literature reveals a very different person than the biblical Savior.
Three major differences emerge. Instead of the eternal Jesus co-equal with the Father, the Mormon Jesus was once a man who achieved godhood by his own virtuousness during a pre-incarnate existence. His spirit was then impregnated into the virgin Mary by the "Eternal Father" who came from the planet Kolob for the physical union with her.
Second, Mormonism teaches that Jesus and Lucifer are brothers who competed for the opportunity to become the savior of planet earth. Jesus' plan won approval and Lucifer rebelled and became the tempter and deceiver of planet earth.
Third, Jesus is only one of many saviors who are each responsible for the salvation of the population of other planets like earth. Mormon men are working with the promise that they, too, will eventually become gods and be given a planet of their own to populate. This will be accomplished by their intercourse with many wives who will bear millions of spirit children to inhabit the bodies of the people on their planet.
Mormons are actively recruiting through TV and other media. They are presenting themselves as a church of Jesus Christ which most people assume is "Christian."
We must use literature and all other means available to make sure everyone knows what makes a person a real Christian. Only this will prevent people from being fooled by Mormonism's slick packaging.
Read a Chick tract on Mormonism: The Visitors