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A Note From Ed –

Jason and Lori Decker ~ July 27^th, 2002

The Decker Family: Joshua and Joscelyn, Jason and Lori, Carol and Ed

Jason and Lori were married July 27^th and now live in their new home in Issaquah. We are so excited for them, as they start out their life together. I thought you would enjoy this  picture of our new –expanded family. This has been an incredibly busy and exciting summer for all of us in the Decker Family.                  

Meanwhile, I’ve been manning the helm at the office and answering emails, letters and phone calls. I have counseled with a number of Mormons and Masons, trying to break lose from the bondage they have renounced and have seen new life in Christ pour into them…

The other day, I was walking in our neighborhood and two Mormon missionaries stepped out of a neighbor’s driveway and came up to me with big smiles and outstretched hands. They asked me if I knew anything about the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I smiled back. “Do you mean the Mormons?”  “We are not called that anymore”.  “Oh, Ok”, I responded, “It’s just that you have been called Mormons for 170 years and it’s a bit hard to get that long name into normal conversation.” They smiled broadly, “Yes, that’s true, but it doesn’t have the name, Jesus Christ in it, and we want to be known by his name.

Tell us, what do you do for a living?” I told them that I was a Christian pastor and I knew a great deal about Mormonism, enough not to be one. When asked my denomination, I said that the simple label, Christian, was good enough for me.

It was my intent to just say as little as possible and let them wander on their way, but they seemed happy to have a minister, a hireling of Satan, at their hands and after a few bits of chatter, one asked. “Could you tell us why there are thousands [I think they gave the figure of 3,000] of denominations if Christianity is as simple as you make it out… Every one of your denominations thinks that they have all the truth and all the rest are apostate.”

I replied that that while there are many denominations, many were there because of historical, and national ties, or came out of one of many revivals. For the great majority, we had unity in the essentials of the Christian faith and grace for some of the non-essentials. While I admitted that there were some apostate groups, such as Mormonism and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who claim they are the real Christians, they needed to see it in the light of their own faith.

Mormonism has only been around for a tenth of the time that orthodoxy has been here, yet they have over 300 splinter groups, each of whom claims they have the only true Mormonism and all other Mormon groups were truly apostate.

I told them that we were having a Seattle area revival this month with the great Christian evangelist, Louis Palau. Over 700 churches were gathering together to worship, praise the Lord and pray for revival…practically every church group represented in the Body of Christ.

Things did not go well after that. Our visit came to an abrupt end and they took off at a healthy pace. I continued my walk and when I walked up to my house, there they were, at the door, talking to Carol. They were not faring too well with her, either. She had told them that LDS statistics say that 50% of all LDS Missionaries become inactive or leave the Church within two years of coming home from the mission field. She had just asked them which one of them was it going to be – when I stepped back into their lives.

I had picked up 2 copies of the new To Moroni, With Love booklet from the garage and offered one to each of them. I asked them to read it and pray about it, asking God if the words of that little book were true. I told them that God would reveal the truth to them.

They refused to even touch the booklets. With as much love and gentleness as I could display, I said, “Young men, how can you be such hypocrites that you would distribute your material and ask the same thing of the people you talk to and yet are not honest or free enough to do the same for them?”  I told them that they should be ashamed of themselves. That God would show them the dishonesty of their missionary work and when they needed to talk, we would be there for them. They left quickly. Pray for them and all the LDS young people sent out like ravening wolves among the lambs of the Lord.

Your servant in Christ,

Ed Decker

PS:  We are stepping into the busiest season of the year for Saints Alive. Our funds have been completely drained getting through this slow summer. We are in need of more than a few special gifts to jump start the fall season. Would you pray about a one time gift that would help us do the work of the ministry?  Everyone has a part and makes a difference in this ministry to the lost.

Are the Book of Mormon Lamanites, the American, Meso-American and South American Indians really the descendants of Israelites who came to the Americas? The LDS Church claims they are and the validity of the Book of Mormon requires that they are.

Now, finally, incontrovertible scientific evidence can either prove the Book of Mormon to be true [and therefore Mormonism is the true, restored gospel] or the Book of Mormon is a fabricated tale and the claims of Mormonism false.

Some years ago, when the scientific validity of DNA research proved to be unassailable, I sent an open letter to the LDS Presidency and asked them to settle the matter by taking DNA samples of native people groups in Meso-America, Peru, and North America and compare them to native Israelites and to native groups in Eastern Asia.  My letter received no response.

You would think that if the LDS Leaders actually believed what they taught about the origins of the Book of Mormon peoples, they would have their scientists racing to take this golden opportunity to finally prove, without any doubt, that Mormonism was everything it claimed to be. But apparently they already knew the answer or secretly did the research but did not like the results and have kept them hidden from their own people.

Now, a small church congregation in Brigham City, Utah, has taken up the cause and is doing the work necessary to either prove or disprove the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and the whole base line of Mormonism.

Before this project comes to its practical conclusion, I plead with the Leaders of the LDS church to, at long last, deal in reality and set aside the many warm, fuzzy faith building stories and get down to the scientific facts that can put an end to 170 years of controversy.

In a recent letter from Joel Kramer, Pastor of Living Hope Christian Fellowship, In Brigham City, Utah, he writes [in part]

…Our heart for Mormons is perfectly reflected by Paul's heart for his fellow Israelites: "My hearts desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.  For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge." Rom 10:1.  In light of this, we have begun a DNA study on the claim of Hebrew origin for Native Americans taught in the Book of Mormon.

I would like to emphasize that this is a church project that every member is aware of and in some degree involved with.  It was thoroughly discussed with the congregation and agreed upon through a series of meetings before we committed to doing it.

You can go to www.mormonchallenge.com   and download the video clip that we have produced so far.  This explains what the Book of Mormon teaches in regards to Native Americans having a Hebrew origin and it shares the first interview we conducted with DNA Anthropologist, Dr. Stephen L. Whittington at the University of Maine.  His area of expertise is DNA testing ancient skeletons from the Maya civilization, which of course is where Lehi's family is said to have landed.   We have four more interviews with DNA specialists coming up, three in August and one in October.  Two are involved with studying mummies and skeletons of Native Americans before the coming of the Europeans in 1492.  One is involved with DNA testing of living Native Americans.  To date over 5,000 Native Americans from more than 140 tribes from Alaska to the tip of South America have been DNA tested.  The research shows that 96.5% of them show an Asian origin, having migrated to the American continents across the Bering Strait.  The 3.5% discrepancy shows a European origin (mostly Spanish) that emerged after Columbus opened up the Americas to European trade and colonization.  Researchers know this because the discrepancy occurs most frequently in areas that had high post-Columbus activity.  Also, all ancient bones tested show a 100% Asian origin for pre-Columbus Indians.  To date, a Hebrew origin has not been linked to even one Native American.

The fourth interview we have scheduled for October is with Senior DNA Scientist Dr. Simon Southerton.  He was a Mormon Bishop when he discovered through his work the DNA evidence against the Book of Mormon.  

We have reserved mormonchallenge.com for professional scientists only, separated from this site is our own site www.livinghopeministries.info .  We are developing the gospel message and links to websites such as Saints Alive.

The goal of our project is first and foremost a local desire to actively defend the Bible and proclaim the gospel to Mormons.  So far God has blessed us as we have openly announced in Newspapers that we are actively involved in this project.  By association with Living Hope, God has opened the doors for witnessing and having to answer many people’s questions.  It is a great relief and benefit to be active in ministering to Mormons as it brings the intended purpose of the church to us.  Our goal is to keep the pressure on the Mormons to defend the Book of Mormon in the hopes that some might turn to the truth and be saved.   We need prayer support as we have already experienced many attacks from the enemy. … More than anything we need prayer that God would move by His Spirit to redeem the lost in Utah.  We fully believe and expect Him to do just that!

Our financial needs mostly focus around traveling expenses.   We have traveled to Maine and will be traveling to California and New Mexico.  We are also paying half of the airplane fare to bring a DNA scientist to SLC from Australia.  Also, we need advertising money for running ads in the SLC, Ogden and Brigham newspapers announcing each newly posted interview with each DNA researcher.  We appreciate all prayer and financial support to complete this large project.  May it bear fruit for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ!

Keep in mind that we are at the very beginning of this project and are involved with a major learning curve.  For this reason our sites are still under construction and being organized better.

Now, I sent this article to Pastor Kramer for his review prior to publishing it and he wrote back, in part:

On Monday afternoon [ed: August 5, 2002] we received an e-mail from an LDS anthropologist.   He found out about us through the DNA scientist who we will be interviewing this Tuesday in California.  We did an hour and forty-minute interview with this Mormon anthropologist yesterday [August 7, 2002].  It was amazing!  God completely delivered this man to us as we had no idea he was out there.   His name is Tom Murphy; he has a BS and MA degree in anthropology and is currently writing his doctoral thesis on the DNA issue and Mormonism.

He openly admitted on camera that the recent genetic evidence proves that the Book of Mormon is a false document written by Joseph Smith [ed: and others] in the 19th Century.  He also admitted that it proves that Joseph Smith openly and knowingly deceived people.  With authority and sound reason he refutes every argument that Mormon scholars have attempted to explain the DNA problems they face.  He refutes them both as a scientist and a Mormon.  He also pleads with the LDS people and leadership to come clean in these areas.  The interview was discovered, arranged and conducted in such a way that there is nothing that we can take credit for.  It was all God!  Praise Jesus!

Ed writes: Finally, a way to scientifically determine if Mormonism’s claims are true or false.
Let’s get behind this exciting project!

Masonic Makings

THE WORD IS OUT

The supposed quest of the Blue Lodge Masons is the search for "The Lost Word." Most Masonic ritual is concerned with the recovery of this lost word, presumed to be the name of God-supposedly lost through the murder of the architect, Hiram Abiff, during the building of Solomon's Temple. This quest is attained during the ritual of the ROYAL ARCH DEGREE.  It is here that the SECRET NAME of the DEITY OF MASONRY is revealed. That name is "JAHBULON."

"JAH" is the short form of the Hebrew name of God, "Yahweh," or "Jehovah." "BUL" is a rendering of the name, BAAL. "ON" is the term used in the Babylonian mysteries to call upon the deity, "OSIRIS"! The secret ritual book of the Craft prints the letters J.B.O. It states that:

"We three do meet and agree-in peace, love and unity-the Sacred Word to keep and never to divulge the same-until we three, or three such as we do meet and agree."

What is represented as the god of Masonry – is a 3 headed monster so remote from the Christian trinity and so blasphemous as to damn the soul of anyone who would dare pronounce its name in a ritual of worship.

Freemasons and THE KING OF THE PIT OF HELL

In the seventeenth degree of the Scottish Rite, or The Knights of the East and West degree, after the candidates have completed the initiation they are given the secret password, Jubulum, and the Sacred Word, Abaddon. Here is the clue to the true identity of the Masonic Deity. It is revealed in the "Sacred Word" of this ritual, "Abaddon." In Revelation 9:11, we learn that   

"they [the demons and workers from hell] had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon!"

One must ask, "How could any true Christian dare to take upon himself that evil name as a sacred word?"

Christ or the Lodge?
A Presbyterian Report on Freemasonry

At the ninth General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, meeting at Rochester, New York, June 2–5, 1942, the Committee on Secret Societies presented its report. The Assembly instructed the Committee to send this report to the ministers and sessions of the Church for their study. The report dealt with a matter of such timely importance that the Committee on Christian Education decided to publish it in its series of “Tracts for Today."

We have excerpted several sections of the  report for this publication. You may receive a full copy of the report by writing to us or by going on our website and reading it in the Freemasonry Section of our resource library.

Is Masonry a Religion? On this score the evidence is overwhelming. There is no room for any reasonable doubt as to Masonry’s being a religion. Not only do the symbols, rites and temples of this order point unmistakably to it as a religion, but also a great many Masonic authors of note emphatically declare it to be just that. Of almost numberless quotations that could be given here the committee has selected a few.

J. S. M. Ward, the author of several standard Masonic works, defines religion as “a system of teaching moral truth associated with a belief in God” and then declares: “I consider Freemasonry is a sufficiently organized school of mysticism to be entitled to be called a religion.” He goes on to say: “I boldly aver that Freemasonry is a religion, yet in no way conflicts with any other religion, unless that religion holds that no one outside its portals can be saved” (Freemasonry: Its Aims and Ideals, pp. 182, 185, 187).

T. S. Webb says in his Masonic Monitor: “The meeting of a Masonic Lodge is strictly a religious ceremony. The religious tenets of Masonry are few, simple, but fundamental. No lodge or Masonic assembly can be regularly opened or closed without prayer” (p. 284).

Albert G. Mackey, General High Priest of the General Grand Chapter of the United States, and the author of numerous works on Masonry, has this to say: “Freemasonry is emphatically a religious institution; it teaches the existence of God. It points to the celestial canopy above where is the Eternal Lodge and where He presides. It instructs us in the way to reach the portals of that distant temple” The Mystic Tie, p. 32). And in his Lexicon of Freemasonry the same celebrated authority asserts: “The religion, then, of Masonry is pure Theism” (p. 404).

Extremely significant is the testimony of Joseph Fort Newton, a zealous advocate of Masonic principles. He deplores the fact that within the lodge there are many who regard it as “a mere social order inculcating ethical ideals and practicing philanthropy.” He continues: “As some of us prefer to put it, Masonry is not a religion but Religion—not a church but a worship, in which men of all religions may unite” (The Religion of Masonry, pp. 10, 11). With this agrees A. G. Mackey’s declaration: “The truth is that Masonry is undoubtedly a religious institution, its religion being of that universal kind in which all men agree” (Textbook of Masonic Jurisdiction, p. 95).

To be sure, H. L. Haywood says “there is no such thing as a Masonic philosophy, just as there is no such thing as a Masonic religion” (The Great Teachings of Masonry, p. 18). But on careful analysis it becomes clear that he means that Masonry is not to be put in a class with other religions; in a word, that it is a super-religion. He asserts that Masonry has a religious foundation all its own and that its religion is universal (Idem, p. 99). No doubt, Haywood would agree with Newton that “Masonry is not a religion, but Religion.”

Such is the unmistakable testimony, not of critics of Masonry, but of Masonic authors who are recognized by Masonry itself as authorities.

g. The Universalism of Masonry

There is a Christian universalism. God has His elect in every age and every nation. Ever since the fall of man the Son of God has been gathering the elect into His church by His Word and Spirit. In Christ Jesus there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female, for all are one in Him (Galatians 3:28). John saw the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fall down before the Lamb and he heard them sing: “Thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

Masonry also lays claim to universalism, but its universalism differs radically from that of Christianity in that it denies Christian particularism and exclusivism.

Christianity claims to have the only true book, the Bible. Masonry places this book on a par with the sacred books of other religions.

Christianity lays claim to the only true God, the God of the Bible, and denounces all other Gods as idols. Masonry recognizes the Gods of all religions.

Christianity describes God as the Father of Jesus Christ and of those who through faith in Him have received the right to be called the sons of God. The God of Masonry is the universal father of all mankind.

Christianity holds that only the worship of the God who has revealed Himself in Holy Scripture is true worship. Masonry honors as true worship the worship of numerous other deities.

Christianity recognizes but one Savior, Jesus Christ, the only Mediator between God and man. Masonry recognizes many saviors.

Christianity acknowledges but one-way of salvation, that of grace through faith. Masonry rejects this way and substitutes for it salvation by works and character.

Christianity teaches the brotherhood of those who believe in Christ, the communion of saints, the church universal, the one body of Christ. Masonry teaches the brotherhood of Masons and the universal brotherhood of man.

Christianity glories in being the one truly universal religion. Masonry would rob Christianity of this glory and appropriate it to itself.

Christianity maintains that it is the only true religion. Masonry denies this claim and boasts of being Religion itself.

III. CONCLUSION

The committee finds that the evidence presented concerning the religion of Masonry permits but one conclusion. Although a number of the objections commonly brought against Masonry seem to the committee not to be weighty, yet it is driven to the conclusion that Masonry is a religious institution and as such is definitely anti-Christian.

Far be it from the committee to assert that there are no Christians among the members of the Masonic fraternity. Just as a great many who trust for eternal life solely in the merits of Christ continue as members of churches that have denied the faith, so undoubtedly many sincere Christians, uninformed, or even misinformed, concerning the true character of Freemasonry, hold membership in it without compunction of conscience. But that in no way alters the fact that membership in the Masonic fraternity is inconsistent with Christianity.

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Mohammed was the prophet of war; Christ is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Mohammed's disciples killed for the faith; Christ's disciples were killed for their faith (Acts 12:2; 2 Tim 4:7).

Mohammed promoted persecution against the "infidels";
Christ forgave and converted the chief persecutor (1 Timothy 1:13-15).

Mohammed was the taker of life; Christ was the giver of life (John 10:27-28).

Mohammed and his fellow warriors murdered tens of thousands;
Christ murdered none but saved many (compare John 12:48.

Mohammed's method was COMPULSION; Christ's aim was voluntary CONVERSION (Acts 3:19).

Mohammed practiced FORCE; Christ preached FAITH (John 6:29,35).

Mohammed was a WARRIOR; Christ is a DELIVERER (Col. 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:10).

Mohammed conquered his enemies with the sword; Christ conquered his enemies with another kind of sword, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12; Acts 2:37).

Mohammed said to the masses, "Convert or die!” Christ said, "Believe and live!" (John 6:47; 11:25-26).

Mohammed was swift to shed the blood of many (Romans 3:15-17);
Christ shed His own blood for the salvation of many (Ephesians 1:7).

Mohammed preached "Death to the infidels!";
Christ prayed "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

Mohammed declared a holy war (Jihad) against infidels; Christ achieved a holy victory on Calvary's cross (Col 2:14-15) His followers share in that victory (John 16:33).

Mohammed constrained people by conquest;
Christ released people in love (2 Corinthians 5:14).

Modern terrorists derive their inspiration from Mohammed and carry out their despicable atrocities in the name of his god; Christians derive their inspiration from the One who said, "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9).

Modern day disciples of Mohammed respond to the terrorist attacks by cheering in the streets; Modern day disciples of Christ are deeply grieved at past atrocities carried out by those who were "Christians" in name only (the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, etc.).

Many Muslims are peaceful and peace-loving because they do not strictly follow the teachings of their founder; Many Christians are peaceful and peace-loving because they do strictly follow the teachings of their Founder (Romans 12:17-21).

Muhammad said the Koran is authoritative only in Arabic, and only in his dialect; The Bible is authoritative in many languages, for God knows all things and can inspire His Word in more than one language.

 Mohammed ordered death to the Jews (see A.Guillaume, The Life of Muhammad, Oxford University Press [1975], p. 369); Christ ordered that the gospel be preached "to the Jew first" (Romans 1:16).

The Koran says, "Fight in the cause of Allah" (Qu'ran 2.244); The Bible says, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood" and "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal" (Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 10:4).

The Koran says, "Fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them" (Qu'ran 9.5); Christ said, "Preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).

The Koran says, "I will inspire terror into the hearts of unbelievers" (Qu'ran 8.12); Jesus says to Love your enemies and pray for them (Matthew 5: 43-47).

The Koran (Qu'ran) is a terrorist manual, which condones fighting, conflict, terror, slaughter, and genocide against those who do not accept Islam; The Bible is a missionary manual to spread the gospel of peace to the world (Romans 10:15).

Mohammed considered Christ a good prophet; Christ pronounced Mohammed to be a false prophet (John 10:10; Matthew 24:11).

Mohammed claimed that there was but one God, Allah; Christ claimed that He was God (John 10:30-31; John 8:58-59; John 5:18; John 14:9).

Mohammed's Tomb: OCCUPIED! Christ's tomb: EMPTY!

Islam must be received, or you can be killed for rejecting it: The Faith offered by Jesus Christ is for "whosoever will" to receive, and all men are permitted to reject it (Revelation 22:17, John 3:16).

Those who leave Islam can be killed in most Islamic nations; Those who leave the true Church of Jesus Christ are allowed to do so with no revenge.     Author Unknown

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Great Faith
Pastor Wendell Smith

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