Why I’m Not a Mormon
Central to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commonly
known as the Mormons, is the doctrine of celestial marriage. Celestial marriage is a marriage
recognized by the LDS church, being performed in one of the many Mormon Temples around the
world under the authority of the church. Mormonism teaches that celestial marriage has been an
eternal law of the gospel and that any man’s exaltation to become fully God, in the same
way as Heavenly Father, is dependent upon him entering into celestial marriage in his
life on earth.
In fact, according to Mormonism, it was this law of celestial marriage that Elohim (the
God recognized by Mormons as Heavenly Father) had to fulfill to become God in the first
place, having previously been an ordinary man who resided on a planet named Kolob. In
accordance with this doctrine, the LDS church’s understanding is that it is God’s will that
all men would become Gods like Him by obeying the same law of celestial marriage as God
Himself obeyed while He was just a man, because, “men are Gods in embryo.” The only reason
any particular man does not become a God is because he uses his free will to disobey the
law of celestial marriage, but God has not done anything to prevent any particular man
from achieving his exaltation.
Though it is the hope of every orthodox Mormon man to be fully exalted to Godhood with his
family, does this correspond to what the Bible teaches us about God, marriage and the gospel
of Jesus Christ?
In Matthew 19, following Jesus’ exchange with some Pharisees about divorce regulations
in the Torah, the disciples state in verse 10, “…it is better not to marry.” Jesus
gives His response to them verses 11-12:
“But He said to them, ‘Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it
has been given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb;
and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made
themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let
him accept it.’” (Matthew 19:11-12)
In response to the disciples’ assertion that it is better to not marry (due to the
risk of divorce), Jesus makes reference to eunuchs as a group of people who are able
to accept a life of singleness. A eunuch in Jesus’ day was a castrated man – a man
who has had his reproductive organs removed. A eunuch, therefore, cannot fulfill the law
of celestial marriage as the LDS church teaches it, because a eunuch is unable to have children.
Jesus states that there are three ways that men become eunuchs: 1) there are men who have
become eunuchs voluntarily, 2) there are men who have been made eunuchs by outside circumstances
and 3) there are men who were born as eunuchs. With respect to the third category, the Bible
says that God is the one who forms people in their mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). If
God is the one who creates people in the womb, then it follows that eunuchs who are born
that way have been made that way by God’s hand.
If this is true, then how does this reconcile with the Mormon teaching that, “the Lord
would have all His children attain to exaltation?” Eunuchs by birth don’t have a choice in
fulfilling a celestial marriage covenant…because God has made them that way. Thus, Mormonism
has to ask itself the question of whether it’s gospel is truly for all people because
not everyone can fulfill its teachings on celestial marriage. Does the God of Mormonism
have a vendetta against certain individuals by creating them in such a way that they could
never be fully exalted?
Further, Jesus concludes His statement by saying of all eunuchs, including those who
are either victims of circumstance or who become so voluntarily to let them accept their
lives as they are. He gives no warning that to become a eunuch will rob one of their ability
to become exalted. If celestial marriage has been an eternal law that even God Himself
had to obey, why doesn’t Jesus teach anything to this effect here?
The reason that God creates certain people in such a way that they can’t fulfill a
celestial marriage and that Jesus encourages singleness for those who can accept it is
that marriage of any kind has nothing to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Contrary to Mormonism, the Bible teaches that there is only one true God, that He has always
been God from eternity past and that exaltation is not about becoming a God yourself, but
becoming a co-heir of God’s kingdom with Jesus. God was never a man and He did not
have to obey any law to become God. Further, the gospel is truly for all people because
God’s love abounds for all people – single and married. Relationship with God is found
only in Jesus; it is received through faith by God’s grace alone, “not of works, lest
any man should boast.”
The institution of marriage will pass away in heaven – the only “marriage” being
recognized is that of Christ with His bride, the Church for all eternity. For certain people
under particular circumstances, singleness is a better way of life and someone who is
called to live such a life can do so in full devotion to God knowing that the gospel is
for him or her as much as it is for any married person they may know.
As sincere as many Mormons are in their beliefs, a Biblical examination of their core doctrines
reveals that, far from being a part of the gospel, they are blasphemous false teachings
about what God has revealed in the Bible.