Tony Gurule

Missionary & Speaker at | Host on @WatchNRBTV (DIRECTV 378) | Truth | Logic | Philosophy | Theology | Evangelism | Apologetics | History | 🛹

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

@MidlifeCredo Fantastic question. Read all of these:

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

The majority of devout Mormons (LDS) are very kind and respectful, hold commendable, conservative values, and tend to be fantastic neighbors. In spite of all that, Mormons are not 'Christians' because they are not "born again" (John 3:3), and Mormonism is not 'Christian' for a number of theological reasons. However, since it is so close to Christianity (yet still false) it falls under the 'theological-cult' category rather than being a standard, man-made religion.

More precisely, Mormonism teaches a false view of God, a false view of Jesus, etc., and other books (The Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine & Covenants) are looked to in addition to the Bible, and the Bible is ultimately interpreted through the lens of those LDS books which came later.

Interestingly, there are many similarities between Muhammad and Joseph Smith (https://t.co/U0SYtzc84E, and video: https://t.co/OpL8EmQvNP), as well as the Islamic Hajj (one of the Five Pillars of Islam) and Mormons working their way to the Temple (https://t.co/FZhowKcbeH).

In fact, there are so many similarities between Islam & Mormonism that Islam is commonly labeled, 'Medieval Mormonism', and if you want to learn about a split in Mormonism that is very similar to the Sunni-Shia split that took place in Islam, check out this book that was published in 1912.

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

Isn't it interesting how BOTH Muhammad & Joseph Smith claimed to be visited by 'an angel' who had a 'corrected' revelation to share with them? The Bible provides the best context to what actually happened to both of them (I've listed two Bible verses near the bottom), but before I get to that, it's eerily odd HOW MANY similarities there are between Muhammad & Joseph Smith, so much so that some scholars have referred to 'Islam' as 'medieval Mormonism.' You'll quickly realize WHY when you read these 24 similarities between these two men, however, there are also two MAJOR differences between Islam & Mormonism (LDS), so I've listed both of those as well...

Similarities between Muhammad & Joseph Smith:
1) Both claimed to be visited by angels.
2) Both men claimed supernatural experiences.
3) Both were told that all existing religions were false.
4) Both of them were told they would restore true religions on earth.
5) Both religions teach a works-based salvation.
6) Both wanted to unite all people under what he thought was the one 'true' religion.
7) Both rejected the Bible and said it was changed by men, corrupted, and unreliable.
8) The sayings of both founders were written down and came to be viewed by their followers as 'inspired' by God.
9) Both claimed their holy book was the most correct and perfect book on earth.
10) Both founders later received 'corrections' to their inspired scriptures.
11) Both founders became military leaders.
12) Both claimed that they were persecuted because of their pure faith.
13) Both 'prophets' began as monogamists but became polygamists.
14) Both borrowed other religious ideas of their day.
15) Both religions fought over who would lead after the founder died.
16) Both groups are actually ruled more by the words and/or the works of the prophets than the key inspired book.
17) Both religions have 'fundamentalist' factions who are violent and/or anti-social.
18) Both deny Jesus’ eternal deity.
19) Both deny that Jesus' death on the cross paid for all the sins of everyone who repents and puts their trust in Him.
20) Both gave dietary laws to their followers.
21) Both require devout followers to wear specific types of clothing.
22) Both put women on a lower level than men.
23) Both have their own versions of heaven / paradise.
24) Both men claimed to be God's prophet.

However, here are those two MAJOR differences between Islam & Mormonism (LDS) I mentioned:
1) According to Islam, Muhammad was the last and final prophet, whereas Mormonism teaches Joseph Smith was a prophet.
2) Islam teaches there is only one god (monotheism), whereas Mormonism teaches that a man can 'become a god' (polytheism).

The two Bible verses, I mentioned at the top, that provide context to what both men encountered:
2 Corinthians 11:14
"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades an angel of light."

Galatians 1:8
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a Gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!"

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

@BreitbartNews We called out this completely moronic, blame-game about four years ago: https://t.co/FGFvUPGufI

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

There's still seems to be some wishful-thinking on your part that Mormons are 'Christians' and/or that they're 'saved', when they're definitely not, so please don't provide them any false assurance that they are, as that is the worst kind of disservice.

The account of the thief on the cross took place before the NT was written down, which then revealed much of what was concealed in the OT, and which provides Christians today, in hindsight, information that allows us to do biblical theology and exegesis rather than practicing eisegesis with random verses here and there as the man-made religions and theological-cults do in order to attempt to support their false theology.

Jesus died and rose from the dead in A.D. 33, whereas Mormonism did not arise until 1830. Many heresies about Jesus arose in the 1,800 years before Mormonism did, and it's just one of the 'newest' lies, relative to world history.

Please learn more about theological-cults who claim to be 'Christian' so that you can have better discernment when it comes to this topic. Just as real currency allows us to spot counterfeit currency, the real Jesus Christ allows us to spot the false teachings about Jesus that are believed and spread by man-made religions and theological-cults, and Mormonism falls under the latter.

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

He clearly repented and put his trust in Jesus, which is what a person must do to be saved. The problem today is there are many false views of 'Jesus' that people believe, none of which can save anyone, and many of which are recycled versions of heresies that the church councils dealt with centuries ago (e.g., a recycled version of Arianism is what JW's believe about Jesus), so it comes down to the object of referent. For example, Muslims believe in 'Jesus' as well, but when you ask, "Who IS Jesus?", its a false, unhistorical, unbiblical, revisionist view of the true, historical, biblical, Jesus Christ. Mormons also have a false view of Jesus, which contradicts the Islamic view, and which contradicts the Christian view. So it's important to realize that mere mental assent does not save anyone, as "even demons believe, yet tremble" (James 2:19).

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

Not only is theology (which you seem to be downplaying) very important because it distinguishes true, Christian doctrine from all of the man-made religions (including Islam) and theological-cults (including Mormonism), but philosophy is even more foundational than theology, and Mormonism breaks down philosophically as well, as it's logically impossible to have an infinite regress of finite causes, gods, etc. In other words, there are MAJOR philosophical problems with the Mormon / LDS claim that the 'God' of this universe used to be a man, who lived on a planet that had a God, who also used to me a man, who lived on a planet that had a God, who also used to be a man, etc.

Christianity falls under the 'Theism' worldview (monotheistic to be precise), whereas due to Mormonism's theological teachings, it would fall under the 'Polytheism' worldview (henotheistic to be precise), while its teachings about 'God' could accurately be labeled, Finite-Godism. Therefore, the 'Christian' label given to Mormonism is simply a result of its own claim to be, in spite of its bad theology, and even worse philosophy.

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

Sorry, I don't compromise on the Truth (John 18:37). And telling Mormons that they're wrong (when they actually are) is the most loving thing a Christian can do because there are eternal consequences to being wrong. Too many people confuse 'being loving' with 'being nice' (https://t.co/fECJV7FMAf), and the former is more important than the latter when it comes to a Heaven & Hell situation, so it would be wise of you to study-up on the many false views of 'Jesus' (that many non-Christians groups believe in) which cannot save anyone.

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

@DanielKYCA The thief on the cross repented of his sin and trusted in the true, historical, biblical, Jesus Christ. Many groups, including Mormons, do not. You should learn about the many false views of 'Jesus' out there which cannot save anyone: https://t.co/aLWVNSPt8C

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

Hey Jeffrey, would you consider a person an "expert" on Mormonism / LDS theology if they had the following credentials?
1) LDS church member for over 30-years.
2) Served in a Mormon Temple for 10-years.
3) Tenured professor at Brigham Young University in UT.

I think any intellectually-honest person would, which is why I had her as a featured guest in multiple shows I hosted nearly a decade. Here are a few of them (in chronological order based on recording dates):

Muhammad & Joseph Smith: 24 Similarities Between the Prophets of Islam & Mormonism: https://t.co/OpL8EmQvNP

The Hajj & The Mormon Temple: https://t.co/FZhowKcbeH

'Prophet' Joseph Smith: The 'Muhammad' of Mormonism: https://t.co/e3gtwJUfZB (this one features a former, Mormon / LDS bishop as well)

Also, not agreeing with Christians "on everything" is fine when its non-essentials, but there are eternal consequences if / when that includes denial of essential doctrines regarding salvation.

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

@onmetod69123 @benonwine Sikhism doesn't use the Islamic instruction manual in its core teachings. In other words, if a Sikh uses his weapon 'offensively', that goes against the teachings of Sikhism. Watch the video (already provided) to learn more differences.

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

Interesting question, but technically a 'category error' (which I'll explain).

Today, Islam is the fastest-growing, false religion in the world, and although it doesn't claim to be 'Christian', history shows that the true origin of Islam is that it may have began as a theological-cult, as Muhammad was influenced by a number of heretics, including being told he was a prophet by both a Nestorian monk (due to an unusual mole on Muhammad's back), as well by his first wife's relative who was an Ebionite / Gnostic (after he had that 'angel in the cave' experience), and he also learned about 'Jesus' from an Arian monk. However, that 'origin' has evolved into what Islam is today, which includes having the ultimate goal of having the entire world under Sharia (Islamic law).

In contrast, Mormonism DOES claim to be 'Christian' (much like Jehovah's Witnesses) which qualifies it as a theological-cult, not a man-made religion. So in that sense, 'No', Mormonism is not "destined to be the largest world religion like Islam", but Mormonism may very well be the 'largest theological-cult', although I'd have to check the numbers to determine that. However, there are definitely way more Mormons in the world than JW's.

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

Fair enough, but the 'Jesus' of Mormonism is a false, unhistorical, revisionist teaching of the true, historical, biblical, Jesus. At the same time, I commonly say the same thing to Muslims who say, "Jesus" but are actually referring to the false, unhistorical, revisionist, Islamized, "Isa" mentioned in the Qur'an. https://t.co/bOIBvDkUN5

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

Haha, funny meme. However, it contains no evidence to refute the 24 similarities between Muhammad & Joseph Smith that I already shared, or the similarities between the Islamic Hajj & The Mormon Temple. Also, here's another show we did nearly a decade ago that I forgot to mention in my original post: https://t.co/e3gtwJUfZB. Thanks for reminding me!

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

@ncole_r Here are the historical details, maps, etc. https://t.co/uECpcuA8zc

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

Now on video! 'Hour 1' of our 4-hour evangelism training called, "Simple Steps to Share the Gospel"! This first session is ALL about Gospel tracts, and how YOU and your church can saturate your community with the Gospel throughout the year, every year: https://t.co/t2lTivPKex

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

LDS (Mormons) are not 'Christian' for similar reasons why the Watchtower (Jehovah's Witnesses) are not 'Christian', because they are both theological cults which claim to be 'Christian' but the founders of both strayed from essential teachings of Christian theology and teach heresy in its place. Many more details in this presentation I made over a decade ago: https://t.co/bOIBvDkUN5

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

Ten years ago, I and Joe Carey (the founder of our ministry) hosted a show to compare Mormons working their way to the Temple to Muslims going on the Hajj and our guests were Dr. @WilderLynn (former Mormon) and Muhammad (former Muslim) who had already gone on the Hajj NINE TIMES: https://t.co/FZhowKcbeH

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

You must not have noticed the comma and the word "but", because Muhammad buying, owning and selling black people is a completely different issue from Palestinolatry, which is also why each topic has its own individual video I provided. Also, since you've apparently been lied to (or are lying yourself) about Islam's teachings, this chart will contrast Western definitions of words to Islamic definitions.

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

@TaylorRMarshall And learn the many similarities between Joseph Smith & Muhammad: https://t.co/g6BfHtMMis

[Tony Gurule @RealTonyGurule]

Isn't it interesting how BOTH Muhammad & Joseph Smith claimed to be visited by 'an angel' who had a 'corrected' revelation to share with them? The Bible provides the best context to what actually happened to both of them (I've listed two Bible verses near the bottom), but before I get to that, it's eerily odd HOW MANY similarities there are between Muhammad & Joseph Smith, so much so that some scholars have referred to 'Islam' as 'medieval Mormonism.' You'll quickly realize WHY when you read these 24 similarities between these two men, however, there are also two MAJOR differences between Islam & Mormonism (LDS), so I've listed both of those as well...

Similarities between Muhammad & Joseph Smith:
1) Both claimed to be visited by angels.
2) Both men claimed supernatural experiences.
3) Both were told that all existing religions were false.
4) Both of them were told they would restore true religions on earth.
5) Both religions teach a works-based salvation.
6) Both wanted to unite all people under what he thought was the one 'true' religion.
7) Both rejected the Bible and said it was changed by men, corrupted, and unreliable.
8) The sayings of both founders were written down and came to be viewed by their followers as 'inspired' by God.
9) Both claimed their holy book was the most correct and perfect book on earth.
10) Both founders later received 'corrections' to their inspired scriptures.
11) Both founders became military leaders.
12) Both claimed that they were persecuted because of their pure faith.
13) Both 'prophets' began as monogamists but became polygamists.
14) Both borrowed other religious ideas of their day.
15) Both religions fought over who would lead after the founder died.
16) Both groups are actually ruled more by the words and/or the works of the prophets than the key inspired book.
17) Both religions have 'fundamentalist' factions who are violent and/or anti-social.
18) Both deny Jesus’ eternal deity.
19) Both deny that Jesus' death on the cross paid for all the sins of everyone who repents and puts their trust in Him.
20) Both gave dietary laws to their followers.
21) Both require devout followers to wear specific types of clothing.
22) Both put women on a lower level than men.
23) Both have their own versions of heaven / paradise.
24) Both men claimed to be God's prophet.

However, here are those two MAJOR differences between Islam & Mormonism (LDS) I mentioned:
1) According to Islam, Muhammad was the last and final prophet, whereas Mormonism teaches Joseph Smith was a prophet.
2) Islam teaches there is only one god (monotheism), whereas Mormonism teaches that a man can 'become a god' (polytheism).

The two Bible verses, I mentioned at the top, that provide context to what both men encountered:
2 Corinthians 11:14
"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades an angel of light."

Galatians 1:8
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a Gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!"