That the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would continue a whole string of pagan practices from Roman Catholicism is quite astonishing when you consider that it considers itself to be the Restoration of the New Testament Church lost through centuries of apostacy. We have already seen how it has perpetrated the Sunday Sabbath error and now we shall see a direct pagan connection with Mormon teaching and practice.
Along with the pagan, Roman Catholic, Protestant world, Mormons blissfully and ignorantly perpetuate Sun Worship. What is worse, is that the leaders are not so ignorant, and even ignore their own revelations! The late Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie (who may, incidentally, now be conveniently ignored because he is dead) said: "Modern day Christians celebrate December 25th as an annual church festival and as the traditional day of our Lord's mortal birth ... Apparently Christ was born on the day corresponding to April 6th (D&C 20:1), but the saints nonetheless join in the wholesome portions of the Christmas celebration" (Mormon Doctrine, Deseret, 1966, pp.132-3).
And what constitutes, in Mormon eyes, the "wholesome" portions of Christmas? McConkie writes further: "Christmas becomes for [the saints] an ideal opportunity to renew their search for the true spirit of Christ and to center their attentions again on the true doctrine of his birth as the Son of an Immortal Father, a fact that enabled Him to work out the infinite and eternal atonement" (Ibid.).
First we must ask ourselves the question: if the Mormons know that Christ was born on April 6th, why do they celebrate His birth on December 25th? To join in an ecumenical spirit with other Christians, perhaps? In view of the extreme hostility shown by Mormons to other Christian traditions, and especially given the alleged commandment of a being claiming to be God to Joseph Smith in his 'First Vision' to have nothing to do with any other church because all were an 'abominatination' to him, this is hardly credible. I shall leave this question open-ended as there are many possible answers which only the Mormons can answer for themselves. But I would suggest that the main answer - and one they are unlikely to give - is disobedience.
There are, to be sure, many wholesome things about the Christmas season. There is a genuine attempt to be more charitable at this time of the year, especially on the part of nominal Christians but also many pagans and unbelievers. Charity is good, but of what use is it if it is only an annual gesture? Charity - the pure love of Christ - needs to be constant and upbuilding. Terrorist ceasefires on December 25th are pretty meaningless when they resume their bloodshed afterwards.
Yes, many good works are done at Christmas, mostly by Christians, and this is commendable. However, our good works are to be done the whole year round, not just at one season. Yes, many Christians remember the birth of Christ, and it is certainly a good and wholesome thing to remember in gratitude the gift of God of His Son. And yes, sometimes a few people are led to Christ at this time. But for the most part, as McConkie correctly observes in his article, "both Christmas itself and the whole yuletide season often take on an air of commercialism and worldliness" (Ibid., p.132). What he does not mention is how easily both Mormons and orthodox Christians are sucked up into this commercialism and worldliness.
McConkie mentions the true doctrine of Christ's birth as being a point of focus at Christmastide. Unlike Christians who teach the biblical doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, Incarnation and Virgin Birth, Mormons believe that God the Father was the literal physical father of Jesus Christ. Though they hesitate to use such direct language these days (in order not to offend orthodox Christians in their quest to be accepted as Christians), Mormon leaders from the early days taught that Heavenly Father ('Elohim') had intercourse with the Virgin Mary and that Mary is one of Elohim's wives. The fact that Jesus' stepfather, Joseph, later had sexual intercourse with Mary to beget Jesus' half-brothers and -sisters either makes Joseph an adulterer or God a polyandrist - one woman sharing two or more husbands.
Though modern Mormons may throw up their arms and cry "Lies! Lies!" (they are quite adept at that) the data is incontestible. It was the standard teaching of the early Mormon Church - of their 'prophets, seers and revelators' that Jesus was not born of the Holy Ghost as Matthew testifies but through the natural union between Mary and 'Elohim'. LDS apostle Orson Pratt declared:
"The fleshy body of Jesus required a Mother as well as a Father. Therefore, the Father and Mother of Jesus according to the flesh, must have been associated together in the capacity of husband and wife... [God the Father] had a lawful right to overshadow the Virgin Mary in the CAPACITY OF A HUSBAND, and beget a Son..." (The Seer, p.158).
Brigham Young, the second Mormon prophet, confirmed this when he said:
"The man, Joseph, the husband of Mary, did not, that we know of, have more than one wife. But Mary the wife of Joseph had another husband" (Deseret News, October 10, 1866).
Perhaps Mormons think this a wholesome thing to remember at Christmas (though it is true the modern Mormon convert is told as little as possible about what the LDS really believe in order to 'break him in' gradually to Mormonism's heineous doctrines) but it is not what the first apostles or the first Christians believed. You may read the truth in Matthew 1:18.
This issue aside, it is nevertheless a fact that Mormons indulge in all the usual Christmas paraphanalia of the 'yuletide season'. Trees are cut down and decorated and the family budgets of the poor are stretched to the limit in the purchase of expected presents in common with others in the West. Though the Mormons mercifully abstain from all the excesses of the pagans at yuletide - drinking parties and sexual immorality - they are nonetheless acting in direct disobedience to the commandments. For the celbration of Christmas and Easter is expressly forbidden in the Bible.
You are now invited to read a series of articles which will establish once and for all the truthfulness of my previous statement. In celebrating Christmas, Easter and Halloween, Mormons are not only deliberately breaking Yahweh's commandments but also engaging in occultism and pagan practices. So, please, carefully read the materials in the links below and then return to this page for a conclusion:
