This post is for Christians only. Sorry Mormons, we're not going to "pray about it" to get some "personal revelation" so we can "feel" what God wants. Rather, we'll do as God instructs in the Bible. We will search the Scriptures, think about it, and know what He wants.

At the end of his phone call with Mitt Romney, Michael Medved repeatedly wished Mitt Romney "God speed." (The Mitt Romney show, Monday, January 8th's Michael Medved program.) What does God say about this? Is it proper to wish a Mormon 'God speed?' Or is it sin?

Perhaps it's Providential that I should have memorized the short book of 2nd John last month, for there, we're warned to whom we should wish God speed. While you might think the "Christian" thing to do would be to wish everyone God speed, you would be wrong. Those would be your thoughts, not God's thougths. (Sloppy Agape.) And this is why we are to memorize the Scriptures. So we can renew our minds and know what God's will is.

Christian, if you haven't yet memorized a book of the Bible, as we're often encouraged to do ("I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Ps 119:11), I encourage you to start with this short book. Admittedly out of order - it would be better to memorize 1st John first - it will only take you a few weeks and will give you a taste for what it's like to have a whole letter in your head. Actors memorize all the time, and you know most actors aren't very smart. Should be easy for you.

Hopefully, after you see how easy it is, it will whet your appetite to memorize a few more books of the Bible  It's great to be able to randomly access a book in your head so you can see how thoughts are linked throughout the book. Then you can get their true context. It's a LOT different from a simple linear reading. It's the difference between watching a football game from the stadium vs. from watching on TV. With the wide view, you can see the play unfold, and how the different players interact. On TV, you get a very narrow view of things and miss the big picture.  After memorizing a book, you will soon have a better understanding into the mind of the writer, what he was writing about, and what he meant.

Now, in 2nd John, John  warns us,

"If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him NOT into your house, neither bid him God speed..."

The first obvious thing to note, which might shock some of you if you haven't read the Bible through, is that there are some people who John says we should not even welcome into our house. Nor welcome at all! (i.e. bid him God speed.) Who are they? They are ones bringing "this" (i.e. bad) doctrine. A few verses before, he told us about their doctrine.

"Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist."

Any person who teaches a false Christ is a deceiver.

Now, just like Treasury Agents with counterfeit money, you first have to know the genuine article before you can detect the counterfeit. We know from the Bible that Jesus was called "Immanuel" which means "God with us." When He came to earth as a baby, He was God, When He died on the Cross, He was God. Anyone who denies at any time that Jesus is God - in essence, that "God was not with us," that he was just a man, or not always God - is a deceiver. That includes Mormons, among others.

If you really want to get a handle on this, read 1st John. You can tell from the context clues there that John was writing about the same problem - people who claim to be Christians, but aren't. You have to study history to know that John was specifically dealing with a group of heretics knows as "Gnostics,"  but the heresy persists today. The word comes from the Greek meaning "knowledge," and these people felt they had more knowledge - a secret knowledge - than others. Extra knowledge like the Book of Mormon. More knowledge like "personal revelation." Secret knowledge like the Mormon secret temple ceremony.

Now, despite having made this clear, Mormons, like Liberals, will deny the facts and bellyache, saying they acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. They'll indignantly point out that their church is named "The church of jesus christ of latter-day saints" as proof it's christ's church.

However:

1. In the Bible, the church Universal is never called Jesus' church. It's called the church of God. Strike One!
2. Grammatically, the run-on name of the Mormon church indicates it's really the church of the saints. In fact, they used to call themselves the Church of Latter-day Saints! Strike Two!
3. CNN says it's the most trusted name in news. Doesn't make it true. Just because the Mormon church says it believes in a jesus doesn't make it true either. Strike Three! Yer Out!

Christian, I trust you know the Jesus of the Bible. (By definition. How can you be following someone you don't know?) So let's break down John's statement:

"Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ" (not to be confused with someone named jesus, born first in a pre-existence by copulation between a heaven father and heavenly mother; later born of copulation when god came down and had sex with Mary ("sired" is their word); the first born in a 'pre-existence' followed by Lucifer, his brother (!); an ordinary man, not God; who married one of his many wives at Cana; who had to earn his godhood by performing secret temple ordinances; who atoned only for Adam's sin when he sweat his blood in the Garden of Gethsemane) ... "Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh , have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the Antichrist."

That is the difference between the Jesus Christ of the Bible and the jesus christ of Mormonism. Their jesus was not [The Creator] God in the flesh. He was a man who had to earn his godhood, and is only A god, one of many (millions). Now, how do we apply John's command?

A lot of people will tell you this instruction was written about itinerant false preachers - like Mormon missionaries? That's true, but it's application is not limited to only that scenario. So while this verse doesn't mean you can't let a Mormon plumber in your house, if he starts telling you about his false christ ("Every member a missionary") then out the door he goes! John says you that you're not to let these people into your house nor are you to encourage them in any way. To do otherwise would be giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Keeping them out is the loving thing to do. Otherwise, if you tolerate and appease them, like Liberals, they go on their merry way thinking the problem is yours - that you only have "some of the truth." (The implication is, like the Gnostics, they have ALL the truth.)  You need to make a distinction between clean and unclean. Even Rush Limbaugh gets it, as he unknowingly so eloquently has summarized Haggai: "When good compromises with evil, good always loses."

But let's say you ignore this command as many well meaning Christians do, usually thinking they're going to "win someone over for Christ," thinking they know better than God. Then what? John says, 


Christian, I can't make this any clearer than how Paul said it.


Mr. Medved's sin will not be counted against him, because he doesn't believe the New Testament and, beside, he has a more serious sin to worry about. (Namely, denying his Savior.) But, you, Christian, do you want to be received? Then don't support Mormon Mitt Romney for President. He is the one constantly invoking God's name, claiming he believes in the God of the Bible. According to the Bible, that makes him a deceiver. He is anti-Christ. God says you are not to wish him God speed. If you do, you are in danger of losing whatever you have worked for. That would include you so-called "Evangelicals for Mitt."