Mormons maintain that 1 John 4 provides biblical proof that Joseph Smith was the true prophet of God. However, if we take a look at the historical background, we'll realize that the apostle wasn't giving a test for Mormon prophets. Mormonism didn't even exist at that time. He was talking about the well known heresy of Gnosticism, and he was referring to their prophets. As both the first and the second epistles of John refer specifically to Gnosticism, biblical scholars believe that they may never have been written if Gnosticism hadn't become so invasive.

Gnostics felt that they had 'a more excellent way' than the gospel allowed for, as Gnosticism enabled them to attain more profound intellectual heights than did Christianity. Once they'd attained this enlightenment, in their eyes nothing else really mattered. They behaviour didn't even come into the picture, as they believed that their soul was steeped in light, and that nothing they did could seriously detract from that light.

They were convinced that everything material was evil and worthless, including the human body. So it didn't really matter what they did in the flesh, as long as their spirit gained additional knowledge from their actions. Many Gnostics actually went out of their way to involve themselves in sinful activities in order to gain more experience and hence more knowledge. And because they believed there was no real evil in sin, they saw no need for Christ's atonement. Besides which, they maintained that Christ's incarnation was not credible, as deity could never become united to an impure, material body.

The book of Jude also gives us some insight into what was going on at that time. Jude was referring to Gnosticism when he says:

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 3-4, KJV)

In order to expose Gnostic prophets for what they were, John devised a very simple test, based on the fact that they believed that the human, fleshly body was utterly evil and worthless, and that for this reason deity could never be associated with such a body. So if these Gnostic prophets refused to admit that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh and that He was from God, this would show them up for what they were, i.e. false prophets, and at the same time it would prove that they had not been sent by God. Here is the relevant passage:

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:1-3, KJV)

Now that we know the background to 1 John, we realize that it is not giving us a test for Mormon prophets or for Mormonism or any other religion of today. It was purely a test that was intended to sort out those who were teaching the heresy of Gnosticism.

According to the Bible, the best way to check to see if you are the "true" church, is to compare your doctrines on God, Christ, salvation, mankind, the atonement, and so on, with those taught by the apostles in the New Testament. Mormon teachings contradict every one of those foundational, biblical doctrines.

The following link leads to articles that highlight problems with the Mormon gospel:

Mormonism and Counterfeit Christianity

The LDS Gospel is Not the Gospel of Jesus Christ

To access a comprehensive index of articles comparing various aspects of Mormonism with what the Bible teaches, click on the "home" button at the bottom of this page.

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