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CATHOLIC CHURCH
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Mormonism views the Catholic Church as the "Great and Abominable Church." "It is also to the Book of Mormon to which we turn for the plainest description of the Catholic Church as the great and abominable church. Nephi saw this 'church which is the most abominable above all other churches' in vision. He 'saw the devil that he was the foundation of it' and also the murders, wealth, harlotry, persecutions, and evil desires that historically have been a part of this satanic organization. (1 Nephi 13:1-10)" - Mormon Doctrine, p. 130 (1958)
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A Catholic Priest asks:
"I am a Catholic priest. I am wondering how Mormons really regard us. They seem to be trying to cultivate good relations with the Catholic Church, but is this just a PR move? Reading some of the comments here I am appalled at how their missionaries act in predominently Catholic countries. So what do they really think of Catholics and our Church?"
Here are the facts:
1. From the very beginning of the Mormon Church (starting with the First Vision), Mormonism has taught that all churches except the Mormon Church are an abomination in the sight of God.
Joseph Smith History 1:18-20:
"My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)–and which I should join."
"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” He again forbade me to join with any of them;..."
2. Mormon scripture (The Doctine and Covenants) also has Jesus Christ condemning ALL other churches, and especially the "great and abominable church".
DandC 1:30-31
"And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually– For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;"
DandC 38:10-11:
"Verily I say unto you, ye are clean, but not all; and there is none else with whom I am well pleased; For all flesh is corrupted before me; and the powers of darkness prevail upon the earth, among the children of men, in the presence of all the hosts of heaven–"
DandC 29:21:
"And the great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall be cast down by devouring fire, according as it is spoken by the mouth of Ezekiel the prophet, who spoke of these things, which have not come to pass but surely must, as I live, for abominations shall not reign."
DandC 88:94:
"And another angel shall sound his trump, saying: That great church, the mother of abominations, that made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, that persecuteth the saints of God, that shed their blood–she who sitteth upon many waters, and upon the islands of the sea–behold, she is the tares of the earth; she is bound in bundles; her bands are made strong, no man can loose them; therefore, she is ready to be burned. And he shall sound his trump both long and loud, and all nations shall hear it."
3. The Mormon Church has a consistent history of identifying the Catholic Church as the Great and Abominable Church.
"Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the "whore of Babylon" whom the Lord denounces... as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. And any person who shall be so wicked as to receive a holy ordinance of the gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent of the unholy and impious act. If any penitent believer desires to obtain forgiveness of sins through baptism, let him beware of having any thing to do with the churches of apostate Christendom, lest he perish in the awful plagues and judgments, denounced against them. The only persons among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who have authority from Jesus Christ to administer any gospel ordinance are those called and authorized among the Latter-day Saints. Before the restoration of the church of Christ to the earth in the year 1830, there have been no people on the earth for many generations possessing authority from God to minister gospelordinances. We again repeat. Beware of the hypocritical false teachers and imposters of Babylon!
- Apostle Orson Pratt The Seer, Vol.2, No.4, p.255
"The present Christian world exists and continues by division. The MYSTERY of Babylon the great, is mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, and it needs no prophetic vision, to unravel such mysteries. The old church is the mother, and the protestants are the lewd daughters. Alas! alas! what doctrine, what principle, or what scheme, in all, what prayers, what devotion, or what faith, `since the fathers have fallen asleep,' has opened the heavens; has brought men into the presence of God; and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to an innumerable company of angels? The answer is, not any: `There is none in all christendom that doeth good; no, not one.'
- Apostle John Taylor, Times and Seasons, Vol.6, No.1, p.811
"Babylon, literally understood, is the gay world; spiritual wickedness, the golden city, and the glory of the world, The priests of Egypt, who received a portion gratis from Pharaoh; the priests of Baal, and the Pharisees, and Sadducees, with their "long robes," among the Jews, are equally included in their mother's family, with the Roman Catholics, Protestants, and all that have not had the keys of the kingdom and power thereof, according to the ordinances of God."
- Prophet John Taylor, Times and Seasons, Vol.6, No.1, p.939
"A great portion of the oriental country has been preserved from the grossest idolatry, wickedness, confusion, bloodshed, murders, cruelty, and errors in religion that have overspread the rest of the world, under the name of Christianity, or mystery of iniquity. An open defiance of God is no mystery; open drunkenness, and revelling debauchery, and all manner of wickedness and immorality professed by sinners who profess to be nothing else, are no mystery; they do not deceive anybody; but when all manner of wickedness, idolatry, drunkenness, and corruption is cloaked under a sacred name, under an outward sanctity and holiness, and under as high and dignified an appellation as Christian, it is a mystery of iniquity; and that has overspread a great portion of the world, and has borne rule until the present day, sometimes under the name of Roman universality, sometimes under the name of the Greek Church, and at other times under various classes and names."
"Many that were honest have been deceived by this mystery of iniquity, who have esteemed things to be sacred, which were abominably corrupt; and corrupt superstitions have been revered because of the great names and sanctified professions that were attached to them. If such institutions actually professed wickedness, they would go for what they were worth; but when a thing professes to be holy, and takes the name of Christ as its founder, and the holy Prophets and Apostles, to carry out all manner of oppression, all manner of idolatry and idol worship, all manner of priestcraft and kingcraft, and more or less instigating division among nations and governments, all to carry out bloodshed, cruelty, the rack, the inquisition, and holding of men in bondage, ruling them with a red of iron, it is a mystery of iniquity calculated to deceive millions."
"But returning to the general corruption that has prevailed nationally, politically, and religiously, under the name of Christianity, leaving out Christ and his Apostles, I do think there has been no idolatry in the world, under any form or system, that could surpass it. It is the mystery of iniquity, the great whore of all the earth. It has brought the whole earth under a lasting curse, having departed from the laws of God, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant, in consequence of which the earth is destined to be burned, and few men left."
- Apostle Parley P. Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p.41
"How long has this order of things existed, this dreadful apostacy, this class of people that pronounced themselves Zion, or Christians, without any of the characteristics of Zion? It has existed for some sixteen or seventeen centuries. It has spread itself and grown and gone into the four quarters of the earth. It is the great ecclesiastical power that is spoken of by the revelator John, and called by him the most corrupt and most wicked of all the powers of the earth, under the name of spiritual Babylon, or in other words Babel, which signifies confusion. This great and corrupt power is also represented by John as presenting a golden cup to the nations, full of all manner of filthiness and abominations."
"She is termed, in other places, by the same prophet, "The whore of all the earth," making the nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Some three centuries ago there came out sortie excellent men, named Martin Lather, John Calvin and many others that might be mentioned, who protested against the wickedness and abominations of the Church wherein they had been educated, and of which they had been members. Because of their protestations against the mother Church they were called Protestants. They pronounced her the whore of all the earth; they declared that she had no authority, that she had none of the blessings and gifts which characterized the ancient Christians. They came out and established other Churches... But among all these Churches where are the characteristics of Zion? We hunt for them in vain."
- Apostle Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses Vol. 14, p.346
"Thrones shall be cast down, and the Ancient of Days shall sit, and the body of the fourth beast (or Babylon) shall be given to the devouring flame, and then shall the remnant of the heathen know that the Lord is God, for they shall see and hear of his judgments, which he shall execute upon the corrupt powers of the earth under the name of modern Christianity, scripturally called "Babylon the Great"–"The whore of all the earth," with whom the nations for centuries have committed fornication, and have drank out of her filthy cup. O Babylon! thou hast decked thyself with costly ornaments! Thou has clothed thyself with the most gaudy apparel! Thy seminaries of learning, and thy theological institutions have been multiplied far and wide. Thy priests are polished with all the refinements of a profound and extensive education. Thy costly and magnificent churches have been erected in great numbers throughout all thy borders. The merchants of the earth have made themselves rich through the abundance of thy luxuries.The learned–the great–the mighty–the kings of the earth, have glorified themselves in thy grand and superb palaces. Thou hast indeed enrobed thyself in the royal splendors of a queen. Thine external appearance has excited the admiration of all nations. But internally thou art rotten with the filth of thy whoredoms."
- Apostle Orson Pratt, The Essential Orson Pratt, p.109
"The Roman Catholic, Greek, and Protestant church is the great corrupt ecclesiastic power, represented by great Babylon which has made all nations drunk with her wickedness, and she must fall, after she has been warned with the sound of the everlasting gospel. Her overthrow will be by a series of the most terrible judgments which will quickly succeed each other, and sweep over the nations where she has her dominion, and at last she will be utterly burned by fire, for thus hath the Lord spoken. Great, and fearful, and most terrible judgments are decreed upon these corrupt powers, the nations of modern Christendom; for strong is the Lord God who shall execute His fierce wrath upon them, and He will not cease until He has made a full end, and until their names be blotted out from under heaven."
- Apostle Orson Pratt, Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, p.84 - p.85
In that context, here's what the Book of Mormon says:
1 Nephi 13:5-6:
And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity. And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it.
1 Nephi 13:8:
And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen, and the harlots, are the desires of this great and abominable church.
1 Nephi 13:26:
And after they [the prophecies and testimonies of the Bible] go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.
1 Nephi 13:28:
Wherefore, thou seest that after the book [the Bible] hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.
1 Nephi 13:34:
...the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly, because of the most plain and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb [Bible] which have been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb.."
1 Nephi 14:3:
And that great pit, which hath been digged for them by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the devil and his children,, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell–yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction, said the Lamb of God; not the destruction of the soul, save it be the casting of it into that hell which hath no end.
1 Nephi 14:9:
And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look, and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations, whose founder is the devil.
1 Nephi 14:10-11:
And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth. And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.
1 Nephi 14:12:
And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters [oceans]; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.
1 Nephi 14:13:
And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God.
1 Nephi 14:15-16:
And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth. And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots; and behold, thou seest all these things–
1 Nephi 14:17:
And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose founder is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel.
1 Nephi 22:13:
And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood.
1 Nephi 22:14:
And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.
2 Nephi 6:12:
And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfill his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written things.
2 Nephi 10:16:
Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God.
2 Nephi 28:18:
But behold, that great and abominable church, the whore of all the earth, must tumble to the earth, and great must be the fall thereof.
The Book of Mormon uses different terms for different things:
The Great and Abominable Church
The Whore of All the Earth
Baylon The Great
The Harlot
The Church of the Devil
There are some verses in the Book of Mormon that talk in broad terms and others that speak of a specific church.
"Babylon the Great" and "The Church of the Devil" are broad terms to mean "not of the church of God." That's clearly what 1 Nephi 14:9 is saying. But look at the other scriptures and you'll see they are referring to a SPECIFIC church:
- In the Book of Mormon, there are many references to "a church which is most abominable above all other churches."
- This church had a history of an Inquisition similar to the Roman Catholic Church in that it "slayeth the Saints of God, yea and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron and bringeth them down into captivity" (1 Ne. 13:5).
- The people involved with this depraved organization wore finery similar to priestly vestments; their church structures were ornate; and women in their church, like nineteenth-century Catholic nuns, were accused of sexual misconduct. Smith's Nephi reported in the Book of Mormon that he "saw gold, silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots" (1 Ne. 13).
- Smith went on to assert that this abominable church "whose foundation is the Devil" and who is "the whore of all the earth" would pervert the scriptures entrusted to people by God, i.e. the Bible.
- A book was to come from the Jews which would contain the gospel. The writer claimed this book (The Bible) eventually would fall into the "hands of the Great and abominable church" after which are "many plain and precious things taken away from the Book" (1 Ne. 13:26-29).
- The Book of Mormon also predicted the sale of indulgences. "Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up that shall say, come unto me and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins" (Morm. 8:32)
These are SPECIFIC references to the Catholic Church.
So the Book of Mormon talks in specific terms about the Catholic Church (The whore and the abominable church) and in broad terms (Great Babylon and the Church of the Devil).
The Mormon Church also has a long and consistent history of bashing Christians and Christianity. See:
http://www.i4m.com/think/history/mormon_christians.htm
| More inspired Mormon Apostles speak up and answer questions about the Roman Catholic Church....
LDS Church
Publication "The Seer," January, 1854. No. 1., Page 204-206
DOCTRINE QUESTIONS
Q. Have the Roman
Catholics authority to baptize?
A. No: for they have no inspired Apostles and Prophets among them: neither have they any new
revelations, and without these things no one ever was or ever can be called to the ministry?
Q. Is the Roman Catholic
Church the Church of Christ?
A. No: for she has no inspired priesthood or officers, without which the Church of Christ never
did nor never can exist.
Q. How long since the Roman Catholic Church lost the authority and ceased to be the Church
of Christ?
A. She never had authority, and never was the Church of Christ; and consequently she could not lose that which
she never was in possession of.
Q. If the Roman Catholics are not the Church of Christ, where has the Church of
Christ existed since inspired men ceased from the earth:
A. She has existed in heaven where the gates of hell never can
prevail against her, because she is built upon the rock; and the inspired Apostles are in heaven with her whom the Saviour
promised to be with always, even unto the end of the world.
Q. What has become of the Apostles' successors?
A.
The Apostles had no successors after those died off who were called by inspiration and new revelation.
Q. After the
Church of Christ fled from earth to heaven, what was left?
A. A set of wicked Apostates, murderers, and idolaters, who,
after having made war with the saints, and overcome them, and destroyed them out of the earth, were left to follow the wicked
imaginations of their own corrupt hearts, and to build up churches by human authority, and to follow after the cunning craftiness
of uninspired men; having no Apostle, Prophet, or Revelator to inquire of God for them: and thus, because of wickedness, the
Church, and Priesthood, and gifts, and ordinances and blessings of the everlasting Gospel, were taken from the earth, and
reserved in heaven until the fulness of times, when it was predicted that they should again be restored among men to continue
until the end should come.
Q. Who founded the Roman Catholic Church?
A. The Devil, through the medium of
Apostates, who subverted the whole order of God by denying immediate revelation, and substituting in the place thereof, tradition
and ancient revelations as a sufficient rule of faith and practice.
Q. Did the great Protestant Reformers restore
the Church of Christ to the earth?
A. No: for they had no inspired Apostles, Prophets, or Revelators among them, without
which the Church could not be restored.
Q. But did not any of the Protestant Reformers have authority to Baptize and
Confirm?
A. Not any of them: for they pretended that ancient revelation was a sufficient rule of faith; and, therefore, that
no new revelation was needed: and without new revelation no man could be called and authorized to administer Gospel
ordinances.
Q. But did not the first Protestant Reformers receive their ordination and authority from the
Catholics?
A. Yes: and in this manner they received all the authority that their mother church was in possession of; and the
mother having derived her authority from the Devil, could only impart that which his Satanic majesty was pleased to bestow upon
her. If thorns could bear figs--if a bitter fountain could send forth sweet water--or a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit,
then the whore of Babylon could confer divine authority upon her harlot daughters. But whatever authority the mother might have
pretended to confer upon the daughters, she afterwards was very careful to take from them by excommunication. Therefore, unless
the Reformers received fresh authority from heaven by new revelation, they had no authority at all.
Q. Are all the
Baptisms administered by the Catholics and Protestants, and the different sects which have, from time to time, dissented from
them, illegal, because the ministers were not authorized?
A. They are, every one of them, illegal, and null, and void, and
without effect; and will not be considered baptism in the day of judgment any more than the acts of unauthorized men in human
governments are considered legal.
Q. Was not the Protestant Reformation a great benefit to the world?
A.
Yes: it served to weaken the power of the mother church, and produced a great division in Satan's kingdom--the mother being
opposed to her harlot daughters, and the daughters against their most abominable mother: and in this family war, the harlot
daughters became also sorely displeased with each other. And in the midst of the contending elements, wise men became
convinced that the civil government could not safely be entrusted with any of the contending parties: hence arose governments
supporting religious freedom: whereas, if it had not been for the divisions in Satan's kingdom, freedom of conscience would have
been wholly unknown in the nineteenth century. The iron yoke of Romanism would have sorely galled the necks of all nations upon
whom she had power to place it. It was to weaken this corrupt, soul-destroying power; and to stir up contention, division, and
war in all her borders, preparatory to the establishment of religious liberty, that God moved upon the hearts of the great
Protestant Reformers of the sixteenth century.
How can faithful Mormons today honestly claim that their church and God
not not have issues with the Catholic church?! | A Catholic Priest asks:
"I am a Catholic priest. I am wondering how Mormons really regard us. They seem to be trying to cultivate good relations with the
Catholic Church, but is this just a PR move? Reading some of the comments here I am appalled at how their missionaries act in
predominently Catholic countries. So what do they really think of Catholics and our Church?"
Here are the facts:
1. From the very beginning of the Mormon Church (starting with the First Vision), Mormonism has taught that all churches except
the Mormon Church are an abomination in the sight of God.
Joseph Smith History 1:18-20:
"My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No
sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in
the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)-and which I
should join."
"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their
creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: "they draw near to me with their lips, but
their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the
power thereof." He again forbade me to join with any of them;..."
2. Mormon scripture (The Doctine and Covenants) also has Jesus Christ condemning ALL other churches, and especially the "great
and abominable church".
DandC 1:30-31
"And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it
forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the
Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually- For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the
least degree of allowance;"
DandC 38:10-11:
"Verily I say unto you, ye are clean, but not all; and there is none else with whom I am well pleased; For all flesh is corrupted
before me; and the powers of darkness prevail upon the earth, among the children of men, in the presence of all the hosts of
heaven-"
DandC 29:21:
"And the great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall be cast down by devouring fire, according as it
is spoken by the mouth of Ezekiel the prophet, who spoke of these things, which have not come to pass but surely must, as I live,
for abominations shall not reign."
DandC 88:94:
"And another angel shall sound his trump, saying: That great church, the mother of abominations, that made all nations drink of
the wine of the wrath of her fornication, that persecuteth the saints of God, that shed their blood-she who sitteth upon many
waters, and upon the islands of the sea-behold, she is the tares of the earth; she is bound in bundles; her bands are made
strong, no man can loose them; therefore, she is ready to be burned. And he shall sound his trump both long and loud, and all
nations shall hear it."
3. The Mormon Church has a consistent history of identifying the Catholic Church as the Great and Abominable Church.
"Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the "whore of Babylon" whom the Lord denounces... as having corrupted all
the earth by their fornications and wickedness. And any person who shall be so wicked as to receive a holy ordinance of the
gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent of the unholy
and impious act. If any penitent believer desires to obtain forgiveness of sins through baptism, let him beware of having any
thing to do with the churches of apostate Christendom, lest he perish in the awful plagues and judgments, denounced against them.
The only persons among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who have authority from Jesus Christ to administer any gospel
ordinance are those called and authorized among the Latter-day Saints. Before the restoration of the church of Christ to the
earth in the year 1830, there have been no people on the earth for many generations possessing authority from God to minister
gospelordinances. We again repeat. Beware of the hypocritical false teachers and imposters of Babylon!
- Apostle Orson Pratt The Seer, Vol.2, No.4, p.255
"The present Christian world exists and continues by division. The MYSTERY of Babylon the great, is mother of harlots and
abominations of the earth, and it needs no prophetic vision, to unravel such mysteries. The old church is the mother, and the
protestants are the lewd daughters. Alas! alas! what doctrine, what principle, or what scheme, in all, what prayers, what
devotion, or what faith, `since the fathers have fallen asleep,' has opened the heavens; has brought men into the presence of
God; and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to an innumerable company of angels? The answer is, not any: `There is none
in all christendom that doeth good; no, not one.'
- Apostle John Taylor, Times and Seasons, Vol.6, No.1, p.811
"Babylon, literally understood, is the gay world; spiritual wickedness, the golden city, and the glory of the world, The priests
of Egypt, who received a portion gratis from Pharaoh; the priests of Baal, and the Pharisees, and Sadducees, with their "long
robes," among the Jews, are equally included in their mother's family, with the Roman Catholics, Protestants, and all that have
not had the keys of the kingdom and power thereof, according to the ordinances of God."
- Prophet John Taylor, Times and Seasons, Vol.6, No.1, p.939
"A great portion of the oriental country has been preserved from the grossest idolatry, wickedness, confusion, bloodshed,
murders, cruelty, and errors in religion that have overspread the rest of the world, under the name of Christianity, or mystery
of iniquity. An open defiance of God is no mystery; open drunkenness, and revelling debauchery, and all manner of wickedness and
immorality professed by sinners who profess to be nothing else, are no mystery; they do not deceive anybody; but when all manner
of wickedness, idolatry, drunkenness, and corruption is cloaked under a sacred name, under an outward sanctity and holiness, and
under as high and dignified an appellation as Christian, it is a mystery of iniquity; and that has overspread a great portion of
the world, and has borne rule until the present day, sometimes under the name of Roman universality, sometimes under the name of
the Greek Church, and at other times under various classes and names."
"Many that were honest have been deceived by this mystery of iniquity, who have esteemed things to be sacred, which were
abominably corrupt; and corrupt superstitions have been revered because of the great names and sanctified professions that were
attached to them. If such institutions actually professed wickedness, they would go for what they were worth; but when a thing
professes to be holy, and takes the name of Christ as its founder, and the holy Prophets and Apostles, to carry out all manner of
oppression, all manner of idolatry and idol worship, all manner of priestcraft and kingcraft, and more or less instigating
division among nations and governments, all to carry out bloodshed, cruelty, the rack, the inquisition, and holding of men in
bondage, ruling them with a red of iron, it is a mystery of iniquity calculated to deceive millions."
"But returning to the general corruption that has prevailed nationally, politically, and religiously, under the name of
Christianity, leaving out Christ and his Apostles, I do think there has been no idolatry in the world, under any form or system,
that could surpass it. It is the mystery of iniquity, the great whore of all the earth. It has brought the whole earth under a
lasting curse, having departed from the laws of God, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant, in consequence
of which the earth is destined to be burned, and few men left."
- Apostle Parley P. Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p.41
"How long has this order of things existed, this dreadful apostacy, this class of people that pronounced themselves Zion, or
Christians, without any of the characteristics of Zion? It has existed for some sixteen or seventeen centuries. It has spread
itself and grown and gone into the four quarters of the earth. It is the great ecclesiastical power that is spoken of by the
revelator John, and called by him the most corrupt and most wicked of all the powers of the earth, under the name of spiritual
Babylon, or in other words Babel, which signifies confusion. This great and corrupt power is also represented by John as
presenting a golden cup to the nations, full of all manner of filthiness and abominations."
"She is termed, in other places, by the same prophet, "The whore of all the earth," making the nations drink of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication. Some three centuries ago there came out sortie excellent men, named Martin Lather, John Calvin and many
others that might be mentioned, who protested against the wickedness and abominations of the Church wherein they had been
educated, and of which they had been members. Because of their protestations against the mother Church they were called
Protestants. They pronounced her the whore of all the earth; they declared that she had no authority, that she had none of the
blessings and gifts which characterized the ancient Christians. They came out and established other Churches... But among all
these Churches where are the characteristics of Zion? We hunt for them in vain."
- Apostle Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses Vol. 14, p.346
"Thrones shall be cast down, and the Ancient of Days shall sit, and the body of the fourth beast (or Babylon) shall be given to
the devouring flame, and then shall the remnant of the heathen know that the Lord is God, for they shall see and hear of his
judgments, which he shall execute upon the corrupt powers of the earth under the name of modern Christianity, scripturally called
"Babylon the Great"-"The whore of all the earth," with whom the nations for centuries have committed fornication, and have drank
out of her filthy cup. O Babylon! thou hast decked thyself with costly ornaments! Thou has clothed thyself with the most gaudy
apparel! Thy seminaries of learning, and thy theological institutions have been multiplied far and wide. Thy priests are polished
with all the refinements of a profound and extensive education. Thy costly and magnificent churches have been erected in great
numbers throughout all thy borders. The merchants of the earth have made themselves rich through the abundance of thy
luxuries.The learned-the great-the mighty-the kings of the earth, have glorified themselves in thy grand and superb palaces. Thou
hast indeed enrobed thyself in the royal splendors of a queen. Thine external appearance has excited the admiration of all
nations. But internally thou art rotten with the filth of thy whoredoms."
- Apostle Orson Pratt, The Essential Orson Pratt, p.109
"The Roman Catholic, Greek, and Protestant church is the great corrupt ecclesiastic power, represented by great Babylon which has
made all nations drunk with her wickedness, and she must fall, after she has been warned with the sound of the everlasting
gospel. Her overthrow will be by a series of the most terrible judgments which will quickly succeed each other, and sweep over
the nations where she has her dominion, and at last she will be utterly burned by fire, for thus hath the Lord spoken. Great, and
fearful, and most terrible judgments are decreed upon these corrupt powers, the nations of modern Christendom; for strong is the
Lord God who shall execute His fierce wrath upon them, and He will not cease until He has made a full end, and until their names
be blotted out from under heaven."
- Apostle Orson Pratt, Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, p.84 - p.85
In that context, here's what the Book of Mormon says:
1 Nephi 13:5-6:
And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the
saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into
captivity. And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it.
1 Nephi 13:8:
And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen,
and the harlots, are the desires of this great and abominable church.
1 Nephi 13:26:
And after they [the prophecies and testimonies of the Bible] go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the
Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other
churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also
many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.
1 Nephi 13:28:
Wherefore, thou seest that after the book [the Bible] hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that
there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.
1 Nephi 13:34:
...the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly, because of the most plain and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb [Bible] which have
been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb.."
1 Nephi 14:3:
And that great pit, which hath been digged for them by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the devil and his
children,, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell-yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction
of men shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction, said the Lamb of God; not the destruction of the
soul, save it be the casting of it into that hell which hath no end.
1 Nephi 14:9:
And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look, and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations,
whose founder is the devil.
1 Nephi 14:10-11:
And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the
church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the
mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth. And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the
earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.
1 Nephi 14:12:
And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and
abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters [oceans]; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the
saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small because of the
wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.
1 Nephi 14:13:
And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the
earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God.
1 Nephi 14:15-16:
And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there
were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth. And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars
among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold, the wrath of God is
upon the mother of harlots; and behold, thou seest all these things-
1 Nephi 14:17:
And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church
of all the earth, whose founder is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for
the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel.
1 Nephi 22:13:
And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they
shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with
their own blood.
1 Nephi 22:14:
And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into
the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great
whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great
shall be the fall of it.
2 Nephi 6:12:
And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not
against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfill
his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written things.
2 Nephi 10:16:
Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they
are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God.
2 Nephi 28:18:
But behold, that great and abominable church, the whore of all the earth, must tumble to the earth, and great must be the fall
thereof.
The Book of Mormon uses different terms for different things:
The Great and Abominable Church
The Whore of All the Earth
Baylon The Great
The Harlot
The Church of the Devil
There are some verses in the Book of Mormon that talk in broad terms and others that speak of a specific church.
"Babylon the Great" and "The Church of the Devil" are broad terms to mean "not of the church of God." That's clearly what 1 Nephi
14:9 is saying. But look at the other scriptures and you'll see they are referring to a SPECIFIC church:
- In the Book of Mormon, there are many references to "a church which is most abominable above all other churches."
- This church had a history of an Inquisition similar to the Roman Catholic Church in that it "slayeth the Saints of God, yea and
tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron and bringeth them down into captivity" (1 Ne. 13:5).
- The people involved with this depraved organization wore finery similar to priestly vestments; their church structures were
ornate; and women in their church, like nineteenth-century Catholic nuns, were accused of sexual misconduct. Smith's Nephi
reported in the Book of Mormon that he "saw gold, silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine twined linen, and all manner of
precious clothing; and I saw many harlots" (1 Ne. 13).
- Smith went on to assert that this abominable church "whose foundation is the Devil" and who is "the whore of all the earth"
would pervert the scriptures entrusted to people by God, i.e. the Bible.
- A book was to come from the Jews which would contain the gospel. The writer claimed this book (The Bible) eventually would fall
into the "hands of the Great and abominable church" after which are "many plain and precious things taken away from the Book" (1
Ne. 13:26-29).
- The Book of Mormon also predicted the sale of indulgences. "Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up
that shall say, come unto me and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins" (Morm. 8:32)
These are SPECIFIC references to the Catholic Church.
So the Book of Mormon talks in specific terms about the Catholic Church (The whore and the abominable church) and in broad terms
(Great Babylon and the Church of the Devil).
The Mormon Church also has a long and consistent history of bashing Christians and Christianity. See:
http://www.i4m.com/think/history/mormon_christians.htm
More inspired Mormon Apostles speak up and answer questions about the Roman Catholic Church....
LDS Church
Publication "The Seer," January, 1854. No. 1., Page 204-206
DOCTRINE QUESTIONS
Q. Have the Roman
Catholics authority to baptize?
A. No: for they have no inspired Apostles and Prophets among them: neither have they any new
revelations, and without these things no one ever was or ever can be called to the ministry?
Q. Is the Roman Catholic
Church the Church of Christ?
A. No: for she has no inspired priesthood or officers, without which the Church of Christ never
did nor never can exist.
Q. How long since the Roman Catholic Church lost the authority and ceased to be the Church
of Christ?
A. She never had authority, and never was the Church of Christ; and consequently she could not lose that which
she never was in possession of.
Q. If the Roman Catholics are not the Church of Christ, where has the Church of
Christ existed since inspired men ceased from the earth:
A. She has existed in heaven where the gates of hell never can
prevail against her, because she is built upon the rock; and the inspired Apostles are in heaven with her whom the Saviour
promised to be with always, even unto the end of the world.
Q. What has become of the Apostles' successors?
A.
The Apostles had no successors after those died off who were called by inspiration and new revelation.
Q. After the
Church of Christ fled from earth to heaven, what was left?
A. A set of wicked Apostates, murderers, and idolaters, who,
after having made war with the saints, and overcome them, and destroyed them out of the earth, were left to follow the wicked
imaginations of their own corrupt hearts, and to build up churches by human authority, and to follow after the cunning craftiness
of uninspired men; having no Apostle, Prophet, or Revelator to inquire of God for them: and thus, because of wickedness, the
Church, and Priesthood, and gifts, and ordinances and blessings of the everlasting Gospel, were taken from the earth, and
reserved in heaven until the fulness of times, when it was predicted that they should again be restored among men to continue
until the end should come.
Q. Who founded the Roman Catholic Church?
A. The Devil, through the medium of
Apostates, who subverted the whole order of God by denying immediate revelation, and substituting in the place thereof, tradition
and ancient revelations as a sufficient rule of faith and practice.
Q. Did the great Protestant Reformers restore
the Church of Christ to the earth?
A. No: for they had no inspired Apostles, Prophets, or Revelators among them, without
which the Church could not be restored.
Q. But did not any of the Protestant Reformers have authority to Baptize and
Confirm?
A. Not any of them: for they pretended that ancient revelation was a sufficient rule of faith; and, therefore, that
no new revelation was needed: and without new revelation no man could be called and authorized to administer Gospel
ordinances.
Q. But did not the first Protestant Reformers receive their ordination and authority from the
Catholics?
A. Yes: and in this manner they received all the authority that their mother church was in possession of; and the
mother having derived her authority from the Devil, could only impart that which his Satanic majesty was pleased to bestow upon
her. If thorns could bear figs--if a bitter fountain could send forth sweet water--or a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit,
then the whore of Babylon could confer divine authority upon her harlot daughters. But whatever authority the mother might have
pretended to confer upon the daughters, she afterwards was very careful to take from them by excommunication. Therefore, unless
the Reformers received fresh authority from heaven by new revelation, they had no authority at all.
Q. Are all the
Baptisms administered by the Catholics and Protestants, and the different sects which have, from time to time, dissented from
them, illegal, because the ministers were not authorized?
A. They are, every one of them, illegal, and null, and void, and
without effect; and will not be considered baptism in the day of judgment any more than the acts of unauthorized men in human
governments are considered legal.
Q. Was not the Protestant Reformation a great benefit to the world?
A.
Yes: it served to weaken the power of the mother church, and produced a great division in Satan's kingdom--the mother being
opposed to her harlot daughters, and the daughters against their most abominable mother: and in this family war, the harlot
daughters became also sorely displeased with each other. And in the midst of the contending elements, wise men became
convinced that the civil government could not safely be entrusted with any of the contending parties: hence arose governments
supporting religious freedom: whereas, if it had not been for the divisions in Satan's kingdom, freedom of conscience would have
been wholly unknown in the nineteenth century. The iron yoke of Romanism would have sorely galled the necks of all nations upon
whom she had power to place it. It was to weaken this corrupt, soul-destroying power; and to stir up contention, division, and
war in all her borders, preparatory to the establishment of religious liberty, that God moved upon the hearts of the great
Protestant Reformers of the sixteenth century.
How can faithful Mormons today honestly claim that their church and God
not not have issues with the Catholic church?
| I got married in the Catholic Church as my husband was apathetic about Mormonism. I always knew him as a Jack Mormon who never went on a mission and enjoyed smoking and drinking, but believed in the BOM. Lucky for me, I was always steadfast in my faith as I had been well catechised.
Apparently, however, his family (his dad has been a bishop for the last 6 years) had always believed that I would convert. I can't tell you how offended I was at that. Along came the kids and we baptized them all Catholic.
We got the unwanted missionary visits/home teacher visits which I made my husband deal with. If they called, I put him on the phone. If they stopped by, I made myself scarce. We also got "gifts" from the in-laws.... one was a subscription to Ensign.....I also got lots of LDS coffee table books, other books and CD's at Christmas, Mother's Day, etc. Whatever. I was always polite...said thank you and promptly stuffed it all out of sight.
His immediate family was always as sweet as apple pie to me. I genuinely loved his family and marveled how lucky I was to be married into such a nice family with in-laws I got along with very well. I was always polite and respectful during their prayers, assisted with all the family LDS events such as wedding receptions. I went to baby blessings, missionary farewells, etc. I dealt with the family dinners and the extra missionaries invited over, likely for our benefit.
I can't say they agreesively prostelitized me to my face, but apparently the pressure was on my husband BIG TIME about me converting. I imagine that is the case with you. My husband kept that from me for years. I had no idea they were bugging him at all, let alone so much!!!
All along in our relationship, my husband was generally apathetic about religion in general and would attend Mass with my family at Easter and Christmas. He sometimes referred to himself as "Morlic"
Then 10 years into our marriage and our children were getting old enough to go to CCD. Suddenly, my husband's anti-Catholic bias kicked in and he got very interested in going back to church.....the LDS church. This sudden turn freaked me out. I began stating why I would never be interested nor could believe in the LDS church. Since I am the scientific type, my husband knew he would need good "evidence" to convince me of the validity of the LDS' claims. He began research and was shortly shocked by what he found in the history of the LDS church. He said he suddenly realized the house of cards it really was.
My husband officially became Catholic about a couple years ago. His parents and most of his siblings have forsaken us. I'm stunned that they so arrogantly assumed I would convert...what of my parents and brother? Did they care how hurt they would be? Of course not. I feel so USED! They never liked me for me, but for what they hoped they could get out of me! It makes me sick.
I have not spoken to his family in over 2 years now. My husband has had limited strained conversation where his mother ususally makes snarky anti-catholic statements.
You would not believe some of the evil things that have since transpired from his family. We all live in the same town, too. I've kept my children from them since I realized how poisionous and dangerous they are. Unfortunately, our older children remember them and ask about them from time to time. Our younger children don't even know they exist.
It's sad, but necessary. I truly think it is their loss. They chose their church and religion over their son and grandchildren. That was their choice and I hope they're happy with it.
Families Forever.....MY ASS.
| Robert P. George, a Catholic, was honored by mormons at BYU:
"As a Brigham Young University forum speaker in October 2008, George began by addressing his audience as 'fellow disciples of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ.' He then launched into his trademark messages on the sanctity of life and the importance of traditional marriage.
"He began with the Founding Fathers, which, for a man who is an expert in Constitutional Law, seemed a natural place to start. Their moral convictions were rooted in truths they called self-evident, that 'all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'"
George is now a history professor at BYU, and has joined the Deseret News team.
Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/70...
His main contribution to anti-gay and anti-abortion forces has been to provide a pseudo-scientific, pseudo-intellectual, and pseudo-philosophical cover for all manner of theocratic social engineering.
Excerpt from the news story:
"George, one of the members of the new Deseret News Editorial Advisory Board, is a devout Catholic and a tenured Princeton professor. He supports the sanctity of life and traditional marriage as well as thoroughness of scholarship and public discourse, especially on the issue of natural law.
"His beliefs have earned him friends and supporters across the spectrum, from members of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, whom he calls spiritual brothers, to his liberal colleagues at Princeton, who respect him despite their differences..."
Mormons have also made good friends with His Eminence Francis Cardinal George. "Catholics, Mormons must defend religious freedom together" --http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stor....
"Cardinal George praised the Mormons for their work with Catholics to protect the conscience rights of health care providers and institutions that do not want to participate in abortion or assisted suicide and to defend marriage as the union of a man and a woman...."
"The audience at the 22,700-seat Marriott Center gave Cardinal George a standing ovation after his talk, which also was attended by two top officials of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Elders Quentin L. Cook and M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve.
"Cardinal George told the gathering that his own experiences with the church began when he went to Salt Lake City as a child with his mother, a church organist, who wanted to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
"Many years later in 2007, he was offered an opportunity to serve as guest conductor for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir...
"It was also "something of an ego trip" to have "that great choir waiting for me," Cardinal George said. And when he moved his arm, the choir erupted into "a magnificent sound -- all in unison, all in harmony," he added.
"I thought to myself, 'I'm doing better with the Mormons than I am with the Catholics,'" the cardinal said with a laugh. "I've had a lot harder time getting (Catholics) to sing together."
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