Mormonism, Romney, and Joel Osteen

On the Dec. 23, 2007 edition of “FOX News Sunday With Chris Wallace,” the following interaction took place between Wallace and Pastor Joel Osteen concerning Mormonism:

WALLACE: And what about Mitt Romney? And I’ve got to ask you the question, because it is a question whether it should be or not in this campaign, is a Mormon a true Christian?
OSTEEN: Well, in my mind they are. Mitt Romney has said that he believes in Christ as his savior, and that’s what I believe, so, you know, I’m not the one to judge the little details of it. So I believe they are. And so, you know, Mitt Romney seems like a man of character and integrity to me, and I don’t think he would — anything would stop me from voting for him if that’s what I felt like.

WALLACE: So, for instance, when people start talking about Joseph Smith, the founder of the church, and the golden tablets in upstate New York, and God assumes the shape of a man, do you not get hung up in those theological issues?
OSTEEN: I probably don’t get hung up in them because I haven’t really studied them or thought about them. And you know, I just try to let God be the judge of that. I mean, I don’t know. I certainly can’t say that I agree with everything that I’ve heard about it, but from what I’ve heard from Mitt, when he says that Christ is his savior, to me that’s a common bond.

It is unfortunate that Joel Osteen apparently doesn’t know the differences between Mormonism and Christianity. My hope is that someone is able to share with Osteen, who admitted that he doesn’t know much Mormonism, exactly what is believed by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Consider the following as starters:

1. God is a literal man of flesh and bones, who progressed to godhood from mortality, and who dwells on an as-yet-undiscovered planet named Kolob with his wife (or wives). There, all of us were born to this Heavenly Father — Jesus Christ being his first son, and Lucifer being a younger brother, just as we all were younger siblings to Jesus, the firstborn.

2. We can become gods ourselves, just like Heavenly Father became a god, and in turn rule our own planets, and populate worlds without number with our own spirit children someday.

3. Jesus is our elder brother, the firstborn of God, and the spirit-brother of Lucifer.

4. The Bible is ONLY God’s Word insofar as correctly translated (mistakes/errors being determined by wherever it conflicts with Mormonism’s extra-biblical writings).

5. Polygamy is a divinely-sanctioned institution that is simply not allowed to be practiced right now on earth by God’s people.

These beliefs are not classic Christianity. And that, in fact, is the point of it all. Joseph Smith, Mormonism’s founder, supposedly restored true Christianity via the truths he gave by way of direct revelation from God — truths taken away by evil/corrupt men throughout Christian history. The Christ of Mormonism, therefore, comes not from the Bible (which Mormons view as corrupted), but from Smith’s extra-biblical revelation:

- The Book of Mormon
- Doctrine & Covenants
- The Pearl of Great Price

The documentation to substantiate true LDS beliefs are available from countless sources, both non-Mormon and Mormon, including my own two volumes on Mormonism:

1. One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church

2. Becoming Gods (also re-titled/re-covered as Inside Twenty-First Century Mormonism)

I hope that both of these books are helpful to not only the general public, but possibly to Osteen, who most definitely needs to study up on this very important issue.

Richard Abanes