The New Testament tells us that the latter days will bring tough times. Great deception, imposters and false prophets are among the signs of the end times.
2 Timothy 3:12-13 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ESV
The counterfeit and false gospel of Mormon polygamy is a good example of going from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. Notice that the imposters are referred to as “evil people”; they don’t get better, they continue to go from bad to worse. Jesus called them wolves in sheep's clothing. Some of their false teachers are themselves deceived, but there are those who are not deceived, they are the deceivers. They know they are deceiving. They organize the deceptions, they manage the deceptions, they manufacture them. And while they are busy conjuring up their deceptions, they deny the truth of the Bible and decide how to
re-interpret what the Bible teaches.
Mormonism relies heavily on the personal testimony of each member. They tell them that the more frequently they give their testimony the stronger it will become. They expect their listener to believe their personal testimony about Joseph Smith, but when God gives His personal testimony found in all of the Bible, they ignore, mock or deny its reliability.
We pray God will draw more and more polygamists to read, study, believe and accept His Word for what it is, the Truth—and that they will realize that only Jesus saves, polygamy does not and cannot save. Pray God will draw them to His Son.
We thank you for your support and prayers that enable us to bring Biblical truths to polygamists.
Every year A Shield and Refuge Ministry is active in supplying Christmas to families who have exited polygamy and are suffering financial distress. It's exciting to watch them receive the many gifts sacrificially given by donors. Sometimes, the families are totally unknown to us, or us to them. But we always take the opportunity to explain that God’s FREE gift of eternal life is what Christmas is all about. In love, He reaches down to us as Savior—and blesses us with every spiritual gift. So we want to reach out to those from polygamy with the same loving Christmas message which is what the birth of Jesus Christ is all about.
If God lays it on your heart to contribute financially to help us purchase gifts for our families this year, please make a note on your contribution form or check designating the funds to “Christmas”.
MORMON POLYGAMY HISTORY
~ It all began with Joseph Smith ~
Quotes from Wife No. 19 by Ann Eliza Young
"I think no more of taking a wife than I do of buying a cow," was one of Heber Kimball's delicate remarks, made from the stand in the Tabernacle to a congregation of several thousand. Most of his hearers thought even less of it, for they would have had to pay money for the cow; and as for the other, he had only to throw his handkerchief to some girl, and she would pick it up and follow him. All the finer feelings and sensibilities of man's nature were killed by this horrible system [of polygamy]. He regarded women's suffering with utter indifference; he did not care for their affection; their tears bored him, and angered rather than touched him. He lost all the respect and chivalrous regard which he once had for the sex, and spoke of his wives as ''my women," "my heifers," or, "my cows." He was taught that they were his inferiors, dependent on him for everything, even for their future existence, and he considered that it was sufficient that he gave them his name; the rest they might get for themselves. He believed that the Mormon Church was to bring about the time "when seven women shall lay hold on one man, begging to be allowed to be called by his name," and should promise to eat their own bread and wear their own apparel (Isaiah 4:1). The latter they have been not merely allowed but obliged to do ever since they entered the system, and poor and scanty have been both bread and apparel in the majority of cases. It makes, in short, a brute of what might be a man.” (pg 292)
"THE [Mormon] "Reformation" was productive of nothing but evil. The most revolting and blasphemous doctrines were taught, and ... the worst phases of Polygamous Marriage, there was nothing good in the Territory. The whole system of Mormon religion was a mass of revolting crime and wickedness. Bigotry was at flood-tide, and fanaticism ruled reason. The very thought of it brings a shudder. The most horrible things were taught from the pulpit, and decency was outraged every time a Mormon leader opened his mouth to speak.
They were all maniacs on the subject of Celestial Marriage, and the lengths to which they carried their advocacy of it did not stop with mere absurdities; it became the most fearful profanity. There was not a pure character in all the Bible history which their dirty hands did not besmear, and their foul tongues blacken. Not content with bringing up "Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob," and David and Solomon, as their examples in the practice of polygamy, Brigham Young, in one of his sermons, delivered during the intensest heat of the excitement, declared that "Jesus Christ was a practical polygamist; Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, were his plural wives, and Mary Magdalen was another. Also, the bridal feast at Cana of Galilee, where Jesus turned the water into wine, was on the occasion of one of his own marriages.” Pgs 306-307
POLYGAMY IN THE NEWS - in 1887.
From a publication presenting reasons Utah should not be granted Statehood:
“So as to make you realize the enormity of Mormonism suffice it that I found them a community of traitors, murderers, fanatics, and whores. The people publicly rejoice at the reverse to our arms and thank God that the American government is gone as they term it, while their prophet and bishops preach treason from the pulpit. Federal officers are entirely powerless and talk in whispers for fear of being overheard by Brigham's spies. Brigham Young rules with despotic sway and death by assassination is the penalty of disobedience to his command.”
- Colonel Patrick E. Conner, Union Army officer, letter dated September 14, 1862; see Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, p. 274
http://www.mormonthink.com/QUOTES/unitedstates.htm
Utah Statehood, Reasons Why It Should Not Be Granted pgs 5-6, Salt Lake City Tribune, 1887
Proving Jesus’ words are true:
Matthew 7:18,20 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. ... Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
REMISSION OF SINS, Mormonism:
Remission of sins is the primary purpose of baptism: to obtain God's forgiveness for breaking his commandments and receive a newness of life. It is fundamental among the first principles and ordinances of the gospel: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Having one's sins remitted is a vital part of the developmental process that results in godhood. ~ From The Encyclopedia of Mormonism.
BIBLICAL REMISSION OF SINS:
Vines’ Dictionary: “A dismissal.”
Psalm 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us".
We continue to share some of the sermons preached by Polygamy group founder/leader Rulon C. Allred, helping to give a better understanding of the relentless grip he has had and continues to have on polygamists through the decades. The following is something he said Joseph Smith said. Whether Joseph Smith really said this or not we have been unable to verify. Even if Smith did not say this, you can know what polygamists teach their members by quoting what Allred taught: “I want you to get all of the information you can about Josephine, the wife of the Emperor, because she is a good and holy woman, interested in the welfare of the poor and the needy of France. When you get all this information ... you can identify her for temple ordinance, I want her endowments to be done, and I want her sealed to me. I want you to take the names of every noble, good woman in France who is the wife of every man who has refused your request to preach the gospel, who would receive the gospel if they had the opportunity and who are virtuous and holy....I want you to take such holy persons clear back to Constantine’s time when the Christian Church became polluted by his murders and his wickedness ... I want you to identify them and have them all sealed to me, because I want these good women if, when they get on the other side, they would rather have a husband who lived the laws of the gospel and can exalt them.... if they want to belong to me, I want to give them the chance of salvation. And I want to do that because their husbands were so damnably mean while they were here.” Page 278-279, Treasures of Knowledge, Rulon C. Allred
Comment on our interview with former polygamy group member, Emily Lee:
“Emily talks about being the one skilled at handling/appeasing her dad. That was me, too, though my dad was drunk and mean instead of high on authority and mean. Those polygamous dads are sure doing well for themselves, they don't have to be seen by society as loser drunks. Instead they look like respectable family men but they have that many more people to assault and insult when they go home (or homes). I think that is why there are so many splinter groups, it's good to be in charge and have everyone else obey you, both your family and the community at large. Better to be "a prophet" than just a guy who has to obey the prophet and only gets to be in charge of his own family - and even then the "prophet" butts in if he wants to." --MS
“I'm so glad that Jesus set us free from the brainwashing in polygamy!" --JE
“I feel deep pity for all the males who have no hope of finding a wife because of scarcity of females, as well as those males deemed unworthy of marriage within the polygamy groups. What do they do, or where do they go? Thank you Doris. Thank you Karen. Truly an honour and a pleasure to listen to your message." --SC
- Pray for a polygamist family that has recently lost a sister, the whole family needs salvation.
- Pray for a woman who has left polygamy but relies on psychics for her guidance and decisions. She needs Jesus.
- Pray for “G” she left the polygamy group and wants nothing religious. Pray for her son who once prayed for forgiveness, but his life does not reflect any love for God.
This was written by a polygamy group member, names are withheld because of age and safety precautions:
“A young son of polygamous parents used to sneak out in the middle of the night and molest [another family’s] son. He was really young, but these kinds of stories make me feel like leaving. I asked my dad what would happen if I left and he said he would make it hard for me to leave and if I ever did, I would never be able to talk to or be seen by the family again.”
Just call Doris: 801-649-3103, or Email: doris@shieldandrefuge.org |
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