Girl with Dove

by Pastor Don Elmore

December 21, 2014

Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:13-14:

The United Nations Peace Plaza in Independence, Missouri was unveiled on October 27, 1997, formally dedicated by United Nations General Secretary Kofi Annan on April 25, 2003, and is described by its creators as “the only memorial in the world to those persons serving in the Peacekeeping Forces of the United Nations....”  In the center of this fountain is a 12.5-foot statue named “Girl with Dove” by its sculptor Tom Corbin and in 2003, a four-foot miniature was gifted to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

Who is Tom Corbin?  I saw the picture of the statue that he made for the United Nations in my Miami University Alumni magazine.  Tom Corbin was a 1976 graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  At Miami, he studied drawing while majoring in marketing.  He started out as an advertising executive until a chance meeting with a bronze sculptor led to classes and thoughts of an art career, which he began in 1986.  He made the six statues of children for the Children Fountain in Kansas City.  And he made the sculptor the stands atop the United Nations Peace Plaza’s fountain in Independence, Missouri.   

On December 11, 2006, after Mr. Annan’s final speech as Secretary-General, delivered at the Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri, he visited the United Nations Peace Plaza for a wreath-laying ceremony. Inscribed on a plaque near the fountain:

The United Nations Peace Plaza

Established by the Greater Kansas City Chapter of United Nation’s Association to 
commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

On June 27th 1945 in the nearby Community of Christ Auditorium, President Harry Truman 
formally announced that the United States was a signatory to the U.N.

“History has bestowed on us a solemn responsibility.  We failed before to give a genuine peace.
We dare not fail this time.  We must not repeat the blunders of the past.”

Here are various bronze scuptures created by Tom Corbin at the United Nations Plaza in Independence, Missouri:

There is something wrong with these pictures…I will explain what it is at the end of this message.

Did you catch where President Harry Truman, who was a freemason, formally announced that the United States was a signatory to the United Nations?  It was in the nearby Community of Christ’s auditorium.  Does anyone here know what denomination the Community of Christ springs from? 

It wasn’t called the Community of Christ in 1945 when President Truman gave his speech.  The President was a Baptist and he was from the town of Independence, Missouri.  The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints(RLDS), is an American-based international Church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission “…to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love and peace.” The church reports approximately 250,000 members in 50 nations.  It comes from the original Mormon Church.

The Community of Christ Temple in Independence, Missouri, USA. Dedicated in 1994.  Do you notice the top of the building?  It is not a cross, it looks more like the Tower of Babel or an upside down nail or screw?

I learned about this Church when a fellow teacher told me that he was a member of this rival Mormon group.  At that time I didn’t even know that there was any alternative Mormon group.  His wife, he said, was a direct descendant of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Latter Day Saints.  He told me that the church split off from the majority of Mormons after the murder of their leader:  Joseph Smith. 

Joseph Smith had planned to pass the leadership on to his oldest son.  Most of the Mormons, however, did not want to wait until his son grew a little bit older before he took over; for his son was only 11 years old at Joseph’s death.  So, the majority of Mormons followed Brigham Young to Mexico.   They left Illinois and traveled to Mexico in 1847.  Mexico?  I thought that they went to Utah.  Is that what you are thinking?  Well, you are correct.  But in 1847, the land that is now Utah was owned by Mexico.

As a sidelight:  Remember George and his son Mitt Romney?  Where were they born?  His ancestors; Gaskell and Anna Amelia Pratt Romney were polygamous Mormons who fled the United States when the Mormon Church disavowed polygamy.  This was in the 1880’s.  Both Gaskell and Anna were born in the Utah Territory.  Their son, George Romney was born in Mexico in 1907.

After the Mexican Revolution broke out in 1910, the Mormon colonies began to be endangered.  In response, Mitt Romney’s grandparents fled Mexico, taking their 5-year-old son, George Romney, with them.  They settled first in Oakley, Idaho, and finally in Salt Lake City, Utah.

George, later in life, became Governor of Michigan and also ran for president of the United States.  He was ineligible to be president according to the Constitution; just like Obama; McCain; Rubio; Jindal and his son Mitt Romney are/were. 

Time Line of Utah's Fight to Become a State

Here is a time line of how Utah went from a Territory that was owned by Mexico, to a Territory that was owned by the United States to a State in the Union.  It took 48 years for Congress to approve statehood for the Territory of Utah.

1847

In July 1847 the Mormon pioneers began entering the Salt Lake Valley. At that time, Mexico owned this land.  This was 9 years after God gave the South African Voortrekkers their amazing victory over the Zulus.

1848

The United States won the Mexican War. In the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico had to give what is now the American West (including Utah) to the United States. The leaders of the Mormon settlers began to plan a strategy to gain statehood.

1849

The Mormon leaders hosted a Constitutional Convention to write a Constitution for the new state they wanted. They wanted to name the state Deseret, and it would have covered a huge territory.  The word “deseret” come from the Book of Mormon meaning honey bee.  The beehive and the word “deseret” have been used variously throughout the history of the Church. The territory settled by the Mormon pioneers was called the State of Deseret. The emblem of the beehive is used in the seal of the State of Utah and is a common decoration in Utah architecture, symbolizing industriousness. Brigham Young's house in Salt Lake City is called the Beehive House. Early Sunday schools were part of the Deseret Sunday School Union. Also, a vital part of the Church Welfare Program carries the name Deseret Industries.  

It would have included Utah, most or all of eight other future states:  Nevada and Arizona, and parts of southern California, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, and Idaho.

The Mormons also elected all-Mormon leaders for this “state,” with Brigham Young as governor. They sent Almon Babbitt to Washington D.C. as their state representative. But the U.S. House of Representatives would not give him a seat. 

1850

Congress didn’t want to create such a huge state.  Besides, southern states and northern states had been fighting about whether slavery would be allowed in new states.  Under the Compromise of 1850, Congress formed the Utah Territory and New Mexico Territory. Each could vote for themselves whether to allow slavery. 

Utah Territory was smaller than the state of Deseret the Mormons wanted, but it was much larger than today’s state of Utah.

President Millard Fillmore appointed Brigham Young as territorial governor. He also appointed other Mormon and non-Mormon officials.

Mormons didn’t like some of these appointed officials.  They wanted to be able to elect their own government.  To do this, Utah would have to be a state, not a territory.

1852

Latter Day Saints Church authorities announced in public that some Mormons were practicing plural marriage. The rest of the country was SHOCKED.  During the next 44 years, polygamy pretty much kept Utah from gaining statehood.

1856

Mormons wrote another “state” Constitution.  But by then, people in the East were very upset about polygamy. The Republicans said it was barbaric, and a “twin” of slavery.  Utah’s representatives decided not to ask for statehood right then.

1857-58

President Buchanan removed Brigham Young as governor of Utah Territory.  He sent a 2,500-man army and the new governor, Alfred Cumming, to Utah.

1862 (Middle of War of Northern Aggression)

Another Constitutional Convention met. They formed a Constitution for a state to be named Deseret. Congress rejected the petition for statehood. And then it passed the Morrill Anti-bigamy Act. This Act prohibited polygamy in the territories and disincorporated the Latter Day Saints’ Church.

1867

In January 1867 the Utah legislature petitioned Congress to repeal the Morrill Act and asked again to be let into the Union as a state.  Congress did neither.

1869

The completion of the transcontinental railroad ended Utah’s isolation and brought in many people who weren’t Mormons.  Tensions between Mormons and non-Mormons grew.

1870

Non-Mormons and dissident Mormons organized the Liberal political party. This party opposed the Mormon People’s party, and people usually voted along religious lines.

1872

The legislature called for yet another Constitutional Convention and again asked Congress for statehood for “Deseret.”  They asked in vain.

1874

Congress passed the Poland Act, which gave authorities more power to successfully prosecute polygamists.

1879

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Constitutionality of federal laws against polygamy. So the law making plural marriage a crime was found to be valid.

1882

Congress passed the Edmunds Act, outlawing “unlawful cohabitation.” It also banned polygamists from voting, holding public office, or serving on juries. Even though it was clear polygamy was a big problem with Congress, leaders in Utah wrote another Constitution and asked for statehood—again. They didn’t get it—again. 

1885

Federal officials chased and arrested lots of polygamists—while others went into hiding. The Mormons presented President Cleveland with a formal protest—to no avail.

1887

Congress passed the Edmunds-Tucker bill. This would confiscate Latter Day Saints’ Church property and take away the right of Utah women to vote.

The Mormons came up with another Constitution. This one made polygamy a misdemeanor (a minor offense).  People around the country didn’t believe the Mormons really meant to abandon polygamy. Congress did not grant Utah statehood.

1890

Mormon President Wilford Woodruff made an announcement that he advised against illegal marriages. This announcement has been called the “Manifesto.” It signaled a beginning of major shift of direction by the Mormon Church and cleared the path toward statehood.

1891

The people who lived in the territory of Utah established national political parties (Democratic and Republican). Mormons disbanded the People’s party and leaders advised the members to join one of the two national parties.

1894

Congress passed the Enabling Act, which set forth the steps Utah must take to achieve statehood.  One of these requirements was to ban polygamy in the state Constitution.

1895

Mormon and non-Mormon delegates met to frame Utah’s state Constitution. On March 4, 1895, the delegates met in the new Salt Lake City and County Building and framed Utah’s constitution. The people ratified the Constitution and elected state leaders.

1896

On January 4, 1896, President Cleveland proclaimed Utah a state on an equal footing with the other states of the Union.  Finally! The people throughout the new 45th state had the chance to celebrate their new statehood.

What Happened to the Mormons Who Wanted Joseph Smith III to be their Leader?

But what about the Mormons who wanted Joseph Smith’s eldest son to be their leader?  But he was only 11 years old when his father was killed.  So the family of Joseph Smith stayed in Nauvoo, while the majority of the Mormons left to follow Brigham Young. 

In the 1850s, groups of Midwestern Latter- Day Saints who were unaffiliated with other Latter-day Saint factions began to come together.  Leaders, including Jason W. Briggs and Zenas H. Gurley, Sr., began to call for the creation of a “New Organization” of the Latter-day Saint movement.  They invited Joseph Smith III to lead their New Organization; he accepted only after he believed he received a personal spiritual confirmation that this was the appropriate course of action.

At a conference on April 6, 1860, at Amboy, Illinois, Joseph Smith III formally accepted the leadership of what was then known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. William Marks, former president of the Church at Nauvoo, served as Smith III’s counselor in the reorganized First Presidency. The word “Reorganized” was added to the church's official name in 1872, mostly as a means of distinguishing it from the larger Mormon Church, which at that time was involved in controversy with the United States government over its doctrine of plural marriage. The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints was often abbreviated “RLDS Church.”

Presidency of Joseph Smith III

Initially, Joseph Smith III continued to live in Nauvoo, but over time he determined that its relative isolation hampered his administrative duties. He moved to Plano, Illinois, where the Church’s print house was established; this building served as the headquarters of the RLDS Church. Joseph Smith III and his brothers, Alexander Hale Smith and David Hyrum Smith, served many missions for the Church, gathering old Latter-Day Saints into the Reorganization.

As the church grew, many members were eager to gather themselves together. Although Smith III avoided calling for a new gathering place, he supported the efforts of members who founded a town called Lamoni (king mentioned in the book of Alma, Book of Mormon) in southern Iowa. Smith III eventually relocated to Lamoni, which became the headquarters of the Church.

During the late-19th century, Smith III and the Church were involved in the Kirtland Temple Suit, which attempted to gain clear title for the Church over Mormonism’s original temple. In 1880, an Ohio court made a ruling which appeared to declare that the RLDS Church was the legal successor to the original Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that as such it was entitled to the property of the original Church.

Smith III and the Church also were involved in the Temple Lot Suit, which eventually resulted in clearing the title to a portion of the original Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri, for another Latter-day Saint denomination, the Church of Christ.  More about them later. 

Later in his life, Smith III moved to Independence, Missouri, which his father had designated as the “center place” for the City of Zion.  He died on December 10, 1914, having led the RLDS Church for 54 years.  Independence, Missouri was where the Mormons believe the Garden of Eden was located and where their Jesus will return!

Wow.  How many Christians know this history?  The Reorganized Latter-day Saints sued the Latter-day Saints Church and won!  They, like the ancient House of Israel, built two temples:  they own the original Temple in Kirtland, Ohio and the one in Independence, Missouri.  And they have different beliefs than the much bigger and much better known Mormons.  And the two groups call each other false Mormons. 

Basic Belief of the RLDS

The doctrine of human worth or the “worth of all persons” in the Community of Christ is a well-established belief. The Community of Christ states that “God loves each of us equally and unconditionally. All persons have great worth and should be respected as creations of God with basic human rights. The willingness to love and the acceptance of others is essential to faithfulness to the gospel of Christ.”  This is what they say in their own website.  So they believe that Michael Brown, Dorian Johnson, Treyvon Martin, Karl Marx, Esau and Joseph Stalin are loved equally and unconditionally with Abraham, Isaac Jacob, Joseph and David?

Recognizing that scripture has sometimes been used to marginalize and oppress classes of persons, the church accepted this statement into the Doctrine and Covenants: “It is not pleasing to God when any passage of scripture is used to oppress races, genders, or classes of human beings. Many violent acts have been committed against some of God's beloved children through the misuse of scripture. The church is called to confess and repent of such attitudes and practices.”

What do they say about this scripture and many more like this one:  “Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be born of thee; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger” Genesis 25:23.

Community of Christ commonly attests that “all are called according to the gifts of God unto them” (Doctrine & Covenants 119:8b). Published statements of belief proclaim this universal position:  “…all men, women, youth, and children are given gifts and abilities to enhance life and to become involved in Christ’s mission.  Some are called to fulfill a particular responsibility as ordained ministers (priesthood) in the church. The church provides for a wide range of priesthood ministries through the calling and ordination of both men and women.”

But the Bible declared that the priesthood was only for men, who were descended from the tribe of Levi. 

The Independence and Kirtland Temples are places of education and worship for all people. In keeping with the Community of Christ’s role as a “peace and justice church,” the Independence Temple was “dedicated to the pursuit of peace.”

•   Every day at 1 PM a Daily Prayer for Peace is held in the sanctuary of the Independence Temple.  
•   Each day at 1 PM Eastern Time the Daily Prayer for Peace is held at the Community of Christ Spiritual Formation Center portion of the Kirtland Temple Complex.

The Community of Christ does not practice and has traditionally objected to the idea of sacraments or rituals being performed in its temples.  The Community of Christ’s temples are open to the public and are dedicated to the pursuit of peace, spiritual learning, and church history and administration. The RLDS has two temples, while the LDS has over 170!

In contrast to RLDS beliefs, LDS Church temples are open only to approved members and are primarily used for the performance of rites such as the endowment, celestial marriage, and baptism for the dead; these ordinances have never been embraced by the Community of Christ.

Historically, the Community of Christ did include documents in its Doctrine and Covenants which sanctioned baptism for the dead and other temple rites.  However, the Community of Christ considers that the institution of baptism for the dead was made conditional on the completion of the Nauvoo Temple in a reasonable amount of time.  Because the membership of the Church failed to complete the temple during Smith’s lifetime, the Community of Christ teaches that the right to perform baptisms for the dead was withdrawn and has not been reinstituted.

What Mormons Believe

This is besides the normal Mormon beliefs; which very few Mormons ever point out or even know; as the Mormons don’t talk about them to non-members freely:

• Their gods live on the planet Kolob.
• Jesus and Lucifer were spirit brothers before Jesus’ incarnation. 
• Mormons restored Christianity which had been lost for almost 1300 years.
• Only good men that are Mormons will become gods and populate another planet in our solar system after their death.
• Some good men at death become angels.
• Garden of Eden was located in Independence, Missouri.
• Mormons believe in universal salvation that all men will be saved, but each one in his own order.
• The Community of Christ has accepted gay marriage and gays being in the priesthood.

When Joseph Smith and his followers were in Independence, Missouri, the Church acquired a piece of land which is about six square blocks in size, which came to be known as the Temple Lot. Smith said that this was where God wanted them to build a temple. As time went by, various events happened, one of which was that the Mormons left Independence and went to Nauvoo, Illinois.

After Joseph Smith was killed, a power struggle ensued. The church split into various groups. Some of these groups went back to Independence, Missouri; the largest of these groups was the followers of Emma Smith, Joseph’s primary wife, and their son. Their group became the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Another, much smaller, group was called the Hedrickites, also known as “Church of Christ.”

All of these groups claimed to be the true Mormon Church, and therefore the rightful owners of the Temple Lot. Various lawsuits ensued, and the Temple Lot was split between those three groups: LDS, RLDS, and Hedrickites. This remains the situation today.  Looks like a bit of sibling rivalry going on here.  There are three competing groups of Mormons! 

1. The Church of Christ, informally referred to as the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and “Hedrickites,” is a denomination of the Latter-day Saint movement headquartered in Independence, Missouri on what is known as the Temple Lot.  Members of the Church have been known as “Hedrickites,” after Granville Hedrick, who was ordained as the church's first leader in July 1863.  They have a little more than 7000 members in the world.
    
2. Unlike the much larger Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)
    
3. Community of Christ, formerly The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (RLDS Church); the Temple Lot church rejects the office of prophet or president, being led by its Quorum of Twelve Apostles instead. It equally rejects the doctrines of baptism for the dead and celestial marriage promulgated by the Utah-based LDS Church, as well as the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. While once avidly engaged in dialogue with other Latter-day Saint factions, the church no longer has any official contact with any other organization. Its most notable claim to fame today rests in its sole ownership of the Temple Lot, which it has held for nearly 150 years. As of 2013, membership is 7,310 members in 11 countries.  Most of its members live in the United States, but there are parishes in Canada, Mexico, Honduras, Nigeria, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, India, and the Philippines.

The Church of Christ [Temple Lot] teaches that it is the only true church in the modern world and that all other churches are an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. As published on the official church website: “There is no other authority to represent the Kingdom of God on the earth in modern times, nor had there been in the churches for 1260 years prior to 1830.”

Baptism for the dead, celestial marriage, plural marriage, and exaltation doctrines are all rejected by the Temple Lot Church. The offices of high priest and patriarch are also rejected as being “doctrinal innovations” not sanctioned in the Bible, Book of Mormon, or Book of Commandments.

Do Christians know that there are three separate Mormons groups who say that the other two are imposters and false?

Let’s look at the picture of the “Girl with Dove” again with a view on either side of her. From left to right:  Stone Church (a historic congregational building of the Community of Christ); Church of Christ Temple Lot; Community of Christ Temple; LDS Visitor Center; Auditorium

Three Mormon Churches who own 5 different buildings on one small plot of land:  Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri.

Here is the beautiful auditorium in Independence, Missouri.  Notice the two pillars in the background.  Here is where President Truman gave his speech about the United States signing into law the United Nations. 

The Auditorium seats 5,800 people. Its main function is to provide a place for the biannual conference of the Community of Christ; however, it is rented to many organizations throughout the year for school graduation exercises, other churches, political events (President Truman spoke here on several occasions, including the declaration of the desegregation of the armed forces and to announce that the United States signed the bill which allowed the creation of the United Nations; Colin Powell spoke here at the 50th anniversary of that event). It is often filled to capacity, even the overflow areas. The organ is magnificent and the acoustics are nearly perfect.

The Mysterious Spires

Here is a little bit of the mystery of the Mormons.  There is one other thing that has so significantly identified Mormonism as a separate sect or religion that comes to the mind of any person that has ever seen a Mormon meeting house or temple; and that is the fact that there is NO CROSS on any of their buildings. But what is on the top of their buildings?

What is on top of most Mormon churches in the world?  There is a strange, spire on top of them. Not only is this true of their meeting houses, it is ever more obvious on their temples.  Spires are abounding on their temples everywhere.  The Mormon edifices shun the cross with almost vampiric mania!  This is true for both larger denominations of Mormons:  Community of Christ and the LDS.

Here is a picture of the spire of the Community of Christ Temple in Independence, Missouri. and another picture from the inside of the temple looking upward through the spire.  It pictures a portal; a gate with which one can enter a new dimension.

What is the significance of the spires?  What do they mean?  The Mormons call the first token of the Melchizedek priesthood the Sign of the Nail. The second token of the Melchizedek priesthood is called the Patriarchal grip or Sure Sign of the Nail. While these have a mystical meaning to the casual observer and to the average LDS temple patron, they have a far deeper meaning to Lucifer himself.

An ex-satanist and former temple Mormon, Bill Schnoebelen said that Satan has various names that are used, but that the one that he liked as his favorite was the nick-name, ‘The Nail.’ The reason that Satan liked that name was because the word ‘nail’ represents something that brought pain to Jesus in His last moments on Calvary's hill.

You must remember, however, that in Mormon doctrine, Lucifer is one of two sons of God. While the typical, unwary temple Mormon thinks that they are referring to Jesus, the Son of God, in actuality, everything here points to that other son of God, named Lucifer--the real god of the LDS temple rite, as we have seen.

Is it any wonder then that the Mormon Church does not use wine or even non-fermented grape juice in their communion services?  What does it use?  It uses, instead of wine, water!  They use leavened bread instead of unleavened bread!  The Mormons forbid any drink of any alcoholic beverages.  They also include the Communion Service in this activity.   

Christian Research Institute

Does anyone think that Mormonism is real Christianity?  How about the Christian Research Institute?  Look what I found out about this group?  I was shocked!

The Christian Research Institute (CRI) was founded by the late Walter Martin. Walter Martin wrote the famous book, “The Kingdom of the Cults.”  Hank Hanegraaff, the radio’s Bible AnswerMan and author of “The Counterfeit Revival,” is now CRI’s president, assuming that post after Martin’s death in 1989. 

Who ordained Hank Hanegraaff?  Hanegraaff was a Chuck Smith/Calvary Chapel ordained pastor, which allow him considerable ministerial tax breaks.  This could also explain why the questionable doctrines of the Calvary Chapel movement are never questioned by CRI.  Do you remember what Calvary Chapel did?  They brought rock & roll music into the churches!  They befriended the flower children and brought them into their church, even making one of them a minister—Lonnie Frisbee.   It was Frisbee who should be credited with the Church’s amazing growth—but he was a practicing homosexual who died of AIDS.

Joseph Smith and Chuck Smith, two men who claimed to be “specially anointed by God” and started their own Christian Denominations. Chuck Smith, in a Pastor’s Perspective radio show, said it is possible many Mormons are born again Christians.

CRI has a tremendous influence across North America through its nationwide Bible Answerman radio program and it broad range of literature.  Whatever good work CRI has done or is doing, has been overshadowed by its accommodation with Roman Catholicism, its compromise with Charismaticism, and its support of psychological integration.

Amazingly though, throughout Martin’s many years of teaching and writing, never did he print material or speak specifically to expose Roman Catholicism as the foremost of all the cults in America.  To the contrary, his Christian Research Journal continues to attack the so-called “heroes of the Reformation,” approves the papal system, and defends the Roman Catholic Church as a Christian church; as did Calvary Chapel.

Because of the tremendous influence upon evangelicals around the world, Dr. Martin and the CRI must bear major responsibility for today’s wall of neutrality, tolerance, and silence that surrounds the exposure of Romanism as a cult.  CRI also treats Seventh-day Adventism as evangelical rather than as apostasy.  Martin claimed the Seventh-day Adventist gospel is sound, whereas, in reality, it is a demonic mixture of law and grace. 

The Roman Catholic Church goes into deep heresy by claiming that a piece of round bread becomes an actual God through the priests’ incantations!  They also teach that the wine becomes the actual blood of our Savior.  Moreover, that piece of bread must be worshipped as God; because they believe that it is!  But look what Hank Hanegraaff says about this:

August 12, 1993, Hank Hanegraaff boldly stated, “We believe that Roman Catholicism is foundationally Christian.”  The Bible Answerman program since that day had been devoted to the defense of Catholicism.  

CRI’s strong move toward ecumenism has led them to refuse to recognize Roman Catholicism for what it is—the New World Order Church.  Hanegraaff continues to insist that Catholicism is a Christian religion with merely some teachings that they cannot agree with. In the process, CRI denigrates those who insists on not pandering to the Vatican’s ecumenical designs.  CRI positions itself as the last word in apologetics and knowledge of theological issues.  Their rallying cry is for adherence to orthodoxy rather than Biblicism; indeed, they would consider Roman Catholicism an orthodox faith.   

Conclusion

The Roman Catholic Church gained the control of most of the Anglo-Saxon world.  It died when Napoleon killed the pope.  But it came back to life in 1929 at the Lateran Conference. 

The celebration of Christmas, (see the December issue of The New Covenant Messenger for more details), deceptively the Mass of Christ, has been instrumental in bringing the Protestants back into the Roman Catholic fold. 

When the Protestants broke away; all of its reformers identified the Pope as being the anti-Christ; now Protestants are looking for one anti-Christ to come on the scene in the future.  They are returning back to Rome.

We were never a Protestant church; we were never a Roman Catholic Church; and we are not joining with anyone.  We will never join the Roman Catholic/Jewish one world religion.  Read what a portion of Protocol 14, of the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion has to say of this topic. 

Protocol No. 14

When we come into our [Jewish] kingdom [ruler ship of the world] it will be undesirable for us that there should exist any other religion than ours of the One God with whom our destiny is bound up by our position as the Chosen People and through whom our same destiny is united with the destinies of the world.…

We [Jews] shall implant such an abhorrence of them that the peoples will prefer tranquility in a state of serfdom to those rights of vaunted freedom which have tortured humanity and exhausted the very sources of human existence, sources which have been exploited by a mob of rascally adventurers who know not what they do.... USELESS CHANGES OF FORMS OF GOVERNMENT TO WHICH WE [Jews] INSTIGATED THE “GOYIM” WHEN WE [Jews] WERE UNDERMINING THEIR STATE STRUCTURES, WILL HAVE SO WEARIED THE PEOPLES BY THAT TIME THAT THEY WILL PREFER TO SUFFER ANYTHING UNDER US [Jews] RATHER THAN RUN THE RISK OF ENDURING AGAIN ALL THE AGITATIONS AND MISERIES THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH…WE SHALL FORBID CHRIST.

The Church of Mormon began when Joseph Smith had a private interview with the deity.  He asked them which of all the sects was right and which one should he join.  He was answered that he must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and all their creeds were an abomination in their sight; and all their professors were all corrupt.  They forbade Joseph Smith from joining any of them and told him that he was going to start the restoration Church. 

Well, I find that very interesting.  For which Mormon group is the correct one; for there are three competing ones.  And the group that our court system said is the one that is descended from the original; no longer uses its original name:  Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints or Reorganized Church of Latter-day Saints; they now go by Community of Christ.  The Temple Lot Church, the smallest of the Mormon sects, says that they are the only true church in the world.   

The Community of Christ, who was led by Joseph Smith II and III, now no longer agrees with the other Mormon groups on some of their heretical doctrines.  And they, like the World Tomorrow group, celebrate Christmas and Easter and say that many churches of today are real churches.  They are all a part of the New World Order. 

So if there come two Mormon missionary’s knocking on your door, all you have to do is to ask if they are from the Utah Church and from the Mormon group who followed Joseph Smith’s son or from the Christ Church in Temple Lot? 

So there is a statue in the fountain in Independence, Missouri that honors the men and women of the United Nations for the peace that they have fought for…and there are three competing Mormon churches within eyesight of each other who has no peace among themselves? They keep the pictures from showing their dilemma: they don’t show the 5 buildings owned by three different Mormon churches.  Three Mormon churches with different views who say that the other two are false.  What a deceptive sham that is.  “Come out of her my people.”

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel.