Mormonism began in 1830 in New York. Joseph Smith claimed to have experienced visions of the Father and Jesus Christ; he said that an angel named Moroni led him to golden plates written in an unknown Egyptian language. With the help of special stones, he translated these plates into the Book of Mormon (1830). Subsequent revelations were published as Doctrine and Covenants (1835) and as The Pearl of Great Price (1851).

Smith moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. He was accused of causing a riot, jailed, attacked by a mob, and killed in a gun battle (1844). Brigham Young became the leader of the church, and in 1847 he led the 12,000 members of the church to Utah. Young ruled the church and the territory until he died in 1877. More recent leaders include Spencer Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson, and Gordon Hinkley. World membership is now about 5 million in the United States and 5 million elsewhere.

The first Mormons allowed polygamy. Joseph Smith had 27 wives and Brigham Young had 53. The church changed its doctrine in 1890, although some renegade groups did not.

Mormon children are baptized at age 8, and teenagers are expected to be missionaries for two years. They distribute about 3 million copies of the Book of Mormon each year, baptize about 300,000 people, and income is about 4 billion dollars per year. The Mormon church has invested in many businesses and real estate, owns many churches and more than 50 temples.

The church is governed by a prophet, two counselors, 12 apostles, quorums of 70, and bishops. Congregations are organized by branches, wards, stakes and areas.

Temples are entered only by members in good standing, and are used for eternal marriages and baptisms for the dead. Mormons wear special temple garments under their street clothes; these are marked for secret temple rituals, which are similar to Masonic rites.

Mormons tithe, avoid caffeine and alcohol, and promote large families and hard work. They tend to be well educated and successful in business and politics.

The canon of Scripture is not closed: "God has spoken, and continues to speak, because he does not change." However, Mormons believe that there was no true church for about 1600 years, until it was restored through Joseph Smith. Catholics and Protestant churches are "of the devil."

God the Father was once a man on another planet. He had a divine Father, who also had a Father, etc., in an eternal series. The word Elohim is plural because there are many Gods, and the Trinity contains only three of them. They are one in purpose, but are separate beings.

Since we are made in God's image, God looks like us and he has a body of flesh and bones. He has a divine wife, and they have millions of spirit children.

The Father's first child was Jesus Christ, who had a beginning in time. Lucifer was a later child, a brother of Christ who went bad. Jesus was begotten as a human when God had sex with Mary. Jesus was married to at least four women and had children. He was exalted to full Godhood at his resurrection.

Brigham Young taught that Adam was God, but the church today rejects that idea.

Mormon scriptures teach that American Indians and Africans have dark skin because of sin. They did not allow blacks into their priesthood until 1978.

In order to be saved, a person must have faith in Christ, accept Joseph Smith as a prophet, be baptized by immersion, tithe, support the temple, and obey other laws. Christ atones for some sins, but people atone for some of their own sins. Even people in hell can atone for their sins.

Most people will end up in a telestial kingdom; some in a terrestrial kingdom, and a few as Gods in a celestial kingdom. The human potential is to become a God or Goddess, to have a planet and to have spirit children, continuing the eternal series.

Members are baptized on behalf of the dead, to save past generations.

· Morality. People like family values; they want religious leaders to preach a straight and narrow way. They want to obey a clear standard.

· Revelation. People like the idea that someone alive today knows for sure about God. Authority structures are clear.

· Community. The church is a tight-knit, organized, stable community with clear standards.

· Reward. People like to be "in" on secrets, and promised great rewards for obedience.

· Pray for wisdom, and for the person you are talking with.

· Don't just refute false doctrines — present the true gospel of grace through Jesus Christ.

· Mormons use the King James Version, so that is a good basis for discussion.

· One well-explained verse is better than 10 verses quoted without context.

· Consult books, such as Kurt Van Gorden, Mormonism (Zondervan, 1995) or Walter Martin, Kingdom of the Cults (Bethany, 1997), pp. 179-244, or several Internet sites.

Many Mormon teachings are wrong but relatively harmless. The Mormon church has even admitted that some of the early teachings were wrong. Their scriptures have been changed in many places (which creates some question as to whether they are inspired). The major problems are in three areas: polytheism, christology, and human potential.

Let's focus on polytheism.

First, the word Elohim is plural in form, but when it refers to the true God the word is singular, as shown by the singular adjectives and verbs that are used with it. Scriptures are clear that there is only one God. See Deut. 4:35, 39; 32:39. Isaiah makes it especially clear:

· Isaiah 43:10: "Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior."

· Isaiah 44:6-8: "I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.

. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

· Isaiah 45:5-6, 18, 22: "I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.... I am the Lord, and there is no other.... There is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me."

· Isaiah 46:9: "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me."

See also John 17:3; Rom. 3:30; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15-16; James 2:19; Jude 25.