5/3/25

“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams"

Deuteronomy 13:1-3

Throughout the different conversations we had yesterday, there seemed to be a recurring theme hovering around epistemology - or how we can know what is true. We talked with numerous people, some holding fascinatingly obscure beliefs, that bore little to no method for separating what is true from what is false. This is arguably the most foundational step in any system of belief as the subscription to one belief necessarily excludes you from subscription to countless other beliefs. This is essentially a description of the nature of truth - exclusive and objective. There are a number of philosophical approaches to understanding and determining truth, but I find the most compelling to be that truth is the correspondence between belief and reality. I can determine whether or not the belief that it's raining outside is true or not by observing if it's raining outside. The belief is true if it corresponds, or aligns, with the facts of reality - not a crazy or far-fetched conclusion.

All of this to say, there are necessary criteria and tests that we must pass beliefs through to determine whether or not we can consider them true. Among claims and beliefs, we can find degrees of certainty based on the evidence and plausibility afforded us by our limited extent of knowledge. Complete certainty is not the standard by which to determine our beliefs, but rather our beliefs should be sourced from the most plausible explanations of the available evidence. If we were to live solely on the beliefs we could prove with certainty, then you could arguably only exist and do nothing more. Requiring this extreme standard of complete certainty leads to paralyzing skepticism that only produce paranoia and doubt. There is a terribly confusing understanding of "faith" that removes the presence or necessity of any evidence or reason. Faith is not the absence of evidence or reasonability, and I can assure you that this understanding of faith should be criticized. If I hold a belief merely because I feel like it is true (despite compelling evidence in opposition), then I have wandered into the realm of relativism and detached myself from the rational capabilities God has given me. However, to rely only on complete certainty is impossible from our position as humans. Instead, we should evaluate the available evidence in order to align ourselves with the most plausible and compelling system of beliefs. There are more specific criteria for evaluating claims, but most can be discerned through basic reasoning and soberly assessing our dogmatic assumptions which rest unsupported. 

One of our conversations yesterday, that revolved heavily around this issue, was with two Mormon missionaries on campus. They engaged with our whiteboard question, but our conversation quickly transferred to questions about them as missionaries. Among the many questions that we asked, there was a response that keep returning - "We prayed about it and felt the Holy Ghost confirm it". I want to be careful in my presentation of this as I strongly affirm the existence and activity of the Holy Spirit; however, the bases of feelings should not stand alone in determining doctrine or beliefs, especially if they contradict the other revelations of the Holy Spirit as recorded in scripture.

One of the primary questions that we posed to these Mormon missionaries was how they knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet from God. They responded by saying that they prayed about it and felt a peace that it was true. This is what Mormons refer to as the "burning in the bosom", and it is a completely subjective method of determining the truth of something - namely the truth of the book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and the LDS church. This test for truth should be an extreme red flag on its own, but it becomes increasingly more so after evaluating the biblical tests for true prophets.

The Bible provides clear tests for identifying true prophets. First, a true prophet’s message must align with previously revealed truth—especially God's commands and nature (Deut. 13:1–3). Even if a sign or wonder comes true, if the prophet leads people to follow other gods, they are false. Second, their prophecies must come to pass exactly as spoken; failed predictions mark them as false (Deut. 18:21–22). Lastly, their character and fruit—what their teaching produces—must be consistent with God’s righteousness (Matt. 7:15–20). These tests ensure that truth is not determined by signs or feelings alone, but by fidelity to God's word and truth.

Joseph Smith fails all of these biblical tests for a true prophet:

• Doctrinal Alignment (Deut. 13:1–3) – Smith introduced teachings that deviate from the Bible, such as the existence of multiple gods, humans becoming gods, and a god who was once a man. These concepts lead people away from the one true God revealed in Scripture.

• Prophetic Accuracy (Deut. 18:21–22) – He made multiple prophecies that did not come to pass. One notable example is his prophecy that the U.S. Civil War would lead to a global war, ending in the destruction of all nations (Doctrine & Covenants 87), which did not happen. He also predicted that a temple would be built in Missouri within a generation (D&C 84:1–5), which remains unfulfilled nearly two centuries later.

• Moral and Spiritual Fruit (Matt. 7:15–20) – Smith’s life included questionable moral behavior, including secret polygamy (some wives as young as 14) and coercive spiritual authority. These fruits raise serious concerns about his legitimacy as a spiritual leader.

It's not surprising, based on this, that the Mormon teaching for determining truth is based on a subjective feeling that may, or may not, be the Holy Spirit. I'm not sure how they would determine whether or not they are listening to the Holy Spirit versus an evil spirit, but I'm sure that they could find out by praying about it...

Thank you for your financial and prayer partnership in this ministry!

With love and peace,

Ivan Penrose