Glenn Beck’s Divine Destiny: Hero, Heretic, or Modern-day Hezekiah?                                     Back to Articles

Touted as a modern-day King Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat, and potential savior of the good old U.S. of A. by some devotees, Glenn Beck set the blogosphere ablaze with wonder, worry, and yes; even worship. Devoted followers have elevated him to the status of hero. In fact, in light of Mormon prophecy, perhaps Beck might lead the Mormon elders in saving the United States Constitution from hanging by a thread. Maybe he’ll organize the trek to Independence, Missouri, where—according to Mormon doctrine—Christ will return to reign for a thousand years, dispensing truth, justice, and LDS Temple ordinances for all of mankind.

Surprisingly, Mormons are not the only ones that have come to revere and adore Beck. Many evangelical leaders and self-professing Christians follow Beck’s popular radio and television programs, grateful that someone with a national platform is standing for conservative values and raising an alarm against tyranny. Certainly Beck is to be commended for his boldness and courage in exposing freedom-threatening ideologies. He is an engaging and winsome individual with sincerely held beliefs. No one can fault him for his passion and perseverance in the face of all the attacks from the liberal left.

The question is not if Christians should unite with those of other faiths (or no faith) in engaging in the cultural battles of the day. We are compelled as Americans to unite against enemies—foreign and domestic—in safeguarding our liberty and defending our freedom and way of life, with no respect to race or religion. Regardless of color or beliefs we share a common bond of citizenship in this great country of ours. As Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote in her biography of Voltaire, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it," so should we do all in our power to protect the God-given rights afforded by our Constitution to all people, even people with whom we disagree. To this end there is no controversy.

The explosive question has become whether or not Christians should unite with people of other faiths in matters of worship. Can a Muslim, a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Christian, a Jew, a pantheist, a Catholic, and a Satanist all come together and unite in prayer, praise, and song? Whose god will they be praying to? Will they cast some generic prayer toward the heavens and hope their own god catches it? If the praises, prayers, and songs are generic, they become devoid of meaning. If they are unique, problems arise. No devoted Protestant would pray to Mary or a Saint. A devout Jew would not pray in Jesus’ name. A Satanist would not call on the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, nor would a Christian call on the name of Lucifer! The answer is so obvious as to elicit little disagreement, except when it comes to any religious view falling under the umbrella of Christianity. That's when things seem to get fuzzy, because many groups and individuals consider themselves Christians whether they hold to orthodox biblical teachings or not.

Some would define Christianity as “any person or group who sincerely, devoutly, seriously believe that they are Christian¹.^” Others would define Christianity more narrowly; in terms of denomination, practices, and doctrines. One can be so broad in defining Christianity as to include anyone and everyone who claims some sort of affection for Jesus, or define it so narrowly that it becomes such a mass of legalistic regulations as to render Christ's sacrifice rather pointless. So, what are the essentials of the biblical gospel, why does it matter, and how will this knowledge help us determine whether or not to participate in community events such as Glenn Beck's Divine destiny Event?

In writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul laid out the core of the gospel;

I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

The very foundation of Christianity is Jesus Christ Himself, who declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). He further stated, “If you do not believe I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24). Who did Jesus claim to be? He claimed to be God incarnate; the Voice in the burning bush that revealed, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

Furthermore, Christ died for our sins, taking upon Himself the due penalty that should have been ours. Christ’s shed blood is sufficient and complete, as He Himself proclaimed from the cross, “It is finished!” The word Jesus used, tetelestai, is perfect tense in Greek; conveying fulfilment, completion, and a sense of finality. It was a word written across a certificate of debt, signifying it had been paid in full. Salvation is a gift; if it had to be earned by works it would no longer be a gift; it would be wages.

Over three hundred prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ according to scripture. The Bible is God-breathed, authoritative, and accurate, as evidenced by thousands of manuscripts that are 99% in agreement with each other. Belief and trust in the Bible is as essential for true Christians as belief in the Book of Mormon is for Mormons or belief in the Quran is for Muslims.

The things that make Christianity unique are the very things that make it incompatible with other belief systems. When Elijah confronted the priests of Baal, he didn’t join hands with them to dance around a Maypole while crooning, “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony!” He challenged them! He didn’t pray with them! When Paul travelled throughout Asia he didn’t set up ecumenical meetings to “dialogue” with the pagans about their doctrinal similarities. When Jesus went to the temple, He didn’t invite gentiles into the Holy of Holies so they could all worship their respective gods side by side. Why not? Because worship matters! Fidelity to the One True God matters! “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Cor 6:14).

Glenn Beck may talk about God, Jesus, and salvation, but as a Mormon his definitions are vastly different from the teachings found in biblical Christianity. Mormons do not worship and believe in the same God Christians do. Read the words coming from Mormon leaders in their doctrinal books:

"Because we are made in his image, we know that God has a body that looks like ours. His eternal spirit is housed in a tangible body of flesh and bones" (Gospel Principles manual, 1997 edition, page 9) 

"In spite of the opposition of the sects, in the face of direct charges of blasphemy, the Church proclaims the eternal truth: 'As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become." (A Study of the Articles of Faith, by James E. Talmage, published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1971) 

"All men and women are...literally the sons and daughters of Deity. Man, as a spirit, was begotten of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal (physical) body." (Gospel Principles manual, 1997, page 11)

"We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father...Two of our brothers offered to help. Our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said, 'Here I am, send me.' Satan, who was called Lucifer, also came saying, 'Behold, here I am, send me. I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost..."

Because our Heavenly Father chose Jesus Christ to be our Savior, Satan became angry and rebelled. (Gospel Principles manual, 1997, page 19)

You all know that your fathers are indeed your fathers and that your mothers are indeed your mothers...Now, we are told in the scriptures that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God in the flesh. Well, now for the benefit of the older ones, how are children begotten? I answer just as Jesus Christ was begotten of his father. The difference between Jesus Christ and other men is this: our fathers in the flesh are mortal men, who are subject unto death: but the Father of Jesus Christ in the flesh is the God of Heaven...We must come down to the simple fact that God Almighty was the Father of His Son Jesus Christ. Mary, the virgin girl, who had never known mortal man, was his mother. God by her begot His Son Jesus Christ...Now, my little friends, I will repeat again in words as simple as I can, and you talk to your parents about it, that God, the Eternal Father, is literally the father of Jesus Christ." (This is followed by an illustrated drawing of a man and a woman with the caption "Daddy + Mommy [=] You. Our Heavenly Father + Mary [=} Jesus") (Family Home Evening manual, 1972, "A Modern Prophet's Answer," page 125-126)

The Savior atoned for our sins by suffering in Gethsemane and by giving his life on the cross....In the Garden of Gethsemane, the weight of our sins caused him to feel such agony and heartbreak that he bled from every pore." (Gospel Principles manual, 1997, page 73)

Christ's atonement makes it possible to be saved from sin if we do our part. Boyd K. Packer, LDS Apostle

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Savior took upon himself the sins of the world and suffered for all mankind. His suffering provides redemption, but its application to each of us is not unconditional. Men must do things to have the redemption operate in their behalf. Gerald N. Lund, “The Fall of Man and His Redemption,” Ensign, Jan 1990, 22

Many people think they need only confess that Jesus is the Christ and then they are saved by grace alone. We cannot be saved by grace alone, “for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” James E. Faust, “The Atonement: Our Greatest Hope,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 18

Help the children understand that Jesus also suffered on the cross, but his greatest suffering was in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he bled from every pore. “Lesson 30: Jesus Christ in Gethsemane,” Primary 7: New Testament, 101

One of the great heresies of modern Christendom is the unfounded assumption that the Bible contains all of the inspired teachings now extant among men." (Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McKonkie, 1966, p. 83) 

The quoted material from the LDS Church’s instructional manuals and magazines should be enough to illustrate the differences between Mormonism and biblical Christianity. The god of Mormonism is an exalted man of flesh and bone who worked his way up to godhood through righteous living on another planet. The Jesus of Mormonism is the spirit brother of Satan, angels, and humans. Salvation was not attained for mankind on the cross, but in the Garden of Gethsemane, and is only sufficient after all we can do on our own merits.  According to Mormonism the Bible was so corrupted down through the ages that it was necessary for new scripture to be revealed through LDS Church founder, Joseph Smith, Jr.

 Additional Mormon teachings that vary greatly from orthodox Judeo-Christian beliefs are too numerous for the scope of this article, but include the fall of Adam being a necessary part of our salvation, polygamy to be practiced in heaven, another chance to accept the gospel message after death through the teachings of Mormon missionaries in the afterlife, the ability of people to become gods of their own worlds, the United States of America being where the Garden of Eden was located, where the New Jerusalem will be built and Christ will return, and many other troubling doctrines that contradict and oppose biblical teachings. When Beck talks about the "Divine Destiny of America" and a God-inspired U.S. Constitution, it's more than just patriotic rhetoric! Everything Beck says and does is based on Mormon theology to one degree or another.

In light of prophecies warning against a coming one-world religion joined with a one-world government, is it prudent for Christians to be linking themselves together with unbelievers in religious practices? Is it wise to accept at face value anyone’s claim to be “Christian?” Jesus warned about false prophets. Paul wept tears of sorrow as he predicted that false apostles and teachers would infiltrate the church and lead people astray. Jude alerted his flock that certain men had crept into their midst, bringing heresy and condemnation with them. Are we any more enlightened than our Christian forebears? Do we know better than our Redeemer or the prophets and apostles who spoke under the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit? Scripture was written and preserved for us for a reason!

In writing to Timothy, Paul prophesied about the characteristics of those living in the Last Days. Among the various deviants were those who had a form of godliness, but denied its power. “Have nothing to do with them!” (2 Tim 3:5). Remember, false teachers, cultists, and pseudo-Christians use Christian vocabulary with their own dictionary. Before hopping aboard the bandwagon of a person or group’s spiritual cause, it’s imperative to ask them for a definition of terms. Do some investigation about an organization’s beliefs and practices. Do your homework. Through faithful, prayerful study of God’s word we can train our minds to be discerning.

Should Christians associate with unbelievers? Of course! We can't be salt and light if we seclude ourselves from others. Should we be kind and respectful to those whose beliefs differ from ours? Certainly. Should we pray for Mormons? Absolutely! Should we shy away from clearly defining the biblical gospel to an unbelieving and sometimes hostile world? Definitely not! "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). When Christians refrain from joining with Mormons or other faith-groups in worship, it isn't because we have a superior attitude or think we are better than they are; it's because we honor God and desire to give Him due reverence, keeping His command to set ourselves apart for worship.

Footnote:

 

1. Retrieved from http://www.religioustolerance.org/christ1.htm / August  26, 2010