Watch the video above and talk about it with a friend or mentor.

See what the Bible says about this popular prophet and whether or not he is from God.

Joseph Fielding Smith, the tenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said that Mormonism stands or falls on the story of its founder, Joseph Smith. Either he was a prophet or one of the biggest frauds the world has ever seen. The Bible clearly warns that there will be false prophets who will deceive many. It gives two tests to determine the true from the false. These tests are objective and don’t involve praying or internal feelings.

The First Test

The book of Deuteronomy sh0ws that if a prophet makes even one false prophecy, they are not sent from God.

Deuteronomy 18:21-22 “But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord? If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.

Joseph Smith prophesied that his son David would be a church president and king over Israel. David, however, was never even a member of the LDS Church. Joseph Smith made dozens of other incorrect prophecies about the return of Christ, the building up of Zion, temples and other cities, the destruction of the U.S. government, and the fate of many church members. Mormon apologists respond that Joseph Smith never made a false prophecy.

The Second Test

False prophets lead people away from the true God. Joseph Smith lead his people to a very different kind of god than the prophets of the Bible. The biblical God has remained unchanged in eternity. He is spirit and is the only God anywhere and forever. The Bible teaches that God is omnipresent, meaning present everywhere at once. In contrast, the Mormon god Joseph Smith taught about used to be a man and worked his way up to godhood. He has a physical body and is one of an infinite number of gods (men can become gods after him). The Mormon god can only be at one place at a time. Even though the Bible teaches that no man has seen God, Joseph Smith claims to have seen him.

Right after Jesus warned about false prophets, he added that some will call to him saying, “Lord, Lord,” but he will reply that he never knew them.   A true prophet of God will never make a false prophecy and will lead people to the one true God of the Bible, not to a god of their own making.

[Related Series: Investigating Mormonism]

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Key Points:

  • The First Test
  • The Second Test

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Talk About It
  1. Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
  2. What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
  3. Summarize the information above. Include your own insights or questions.
  4. What are some of the things you were surprised to hear about Joseph Smith? Make a list.
  5. Do you agree that Mormonism stands or falls on the person of Joseph Smith? Explain.
  6. Explain the first test of a true prophet. (See Deuteronomy 18:20-22.) List some of the false prophecies of Joseph Smith.
  7. Explain the second test of a true prophet. (See Deuteronomy 13:1-5). List some of the differences between the biblical God and the Mormon God.
  8. Do you believe Joseph Smith was a true prophet? Explain.
  9. Write a personal action step based on this conversation.

This is part of the About Mormonism series.