Search for the Truth (also known by the name Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith in its DVD form) is an anti-Mormon video produced by Tri-Grace Ministries. The video begins with the claim that Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith were "two of the world's most prominent and influential men." It then presents what it claims to be the teachings of Joseph Smith and contrasts them to what it claims to be the teachings of Jesus Christ. A question is raised regarding whether the movements which the video classifies as "Christianity" and "Mormonism" are compatible, despite the claim by both that "Jesus is the Christ." The video takes portions of the Book of Mormon and compares it to the Bible. The video implies that people must follow Jesus or Joseph Smith but cannot follow both.
Distribution The production of the DVD was funded by "an ex-Mormon businessman who financed the project by selling stock in his company." The video was distributed by many groups, one of which was called Concerned Christians, Inc.: the same group that initially distributed the film The God Makers in 1982. The producers claim that the video was made out of love for the Mormon people.The purpose of The God Makers, according to Concerned Christians, was also “to reach out in love to those lost in Mormonism.” See . The video distributed around 500,000 videos in Utah and 5,000 in the Palmyra New York region. A letter of instruction was included with copies of the DVD to those that were to perform the initial door-to-door distribution, several days before the 177th Annual General Conference of the church that was held on March 31 and April 1, 2007: This video is to be viewed by CHRISTIANS ONLY until AFTER the nation-wide distribution which is scheduled for March 25, 2007. In-other-words, do not allow any Mormon people to view the video or learn of our intended evangelistic outreach until after March 25, 2007. Why such extreme caution? If the leadership of the Mormon cult learns of our plans, they will publicly instruct their people not to watch the video and many Mormons will blindly obey.Letter of Instruction to Distributors The letter goes on to say that the "Mormon Church is vulnerable. We firmly believe that with enough exposure, Mormonism will crumble and become a shadow of what it is today."
Slick actions by Evangelicals were continued in the letter which spoke of "HANGING THE DVD ON DOOR KNOBS THE VIDEO DOES THE TALKING and, in fact, we do not advise or encourage interaction with Mormon people until sometime after the distribution is complete." They continue to justify this reason because they believed that the DVD "exposes the false teachings of the Mormon cult." and "As a result, people who view the video are much less likely to be converted to Mormonism and these people often use the information found in the DVD to challenge their LDS neighbors and/or LDS missionaries." In the DVD itself, it states that "This video has been produced out of love for our Lord Jesus Christ and love for our Mormon and Christian friends." However, FairMormon, has stated that "the numerous mischaracterizations, misrepresentations, errors, and outright falsehoods found on the DVD make it difficult for believing Latter-day Saints to see that expression of love as sincere."FAIRMormon, Response to Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith or Search for the Truth DVD To add to controversies made by the DVD, it is nowhere stated in the letter to distributors that they intend to show love to Mormons, only to "shut down the Mormon machine and lead a multitude of lost souls out of this cult and into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. (assuming that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints don't already have a relationship with Jesus)."Letter of Instruction to Distributors with commentary
Content
Nature of God and Jesus Christ Dr. Phil Roberts (President, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary), claims that the "Jesus of Mormonism" is different than the "Jesus of the Bible." Roberts claims that Mormons believe that God became a god "by adherence to a system of Mormonism in a previous world in a previous life."The same claim is made in the 1982 film The God Makers, "Through obedience to Mormon teaching and death and resurrection, he proved himself worthy, and was elevated to godhood."
Dr. John Whitcomb (Theology Professor, Old Testament Scholar), quotes and interprets passages from the Bible to support this claim. Referring to Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 8:4 about "many gods and many lords," Whitcomb points to his head and states that "the Bible says through the Apostle Paul they're only in here."
Dave Hunt (Author and Founder, The Berean Call Ministries) states that the serpent in the Garden of Eden promised Eve that "she could become a god."Genesis 3:4-5, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Hunt continues by claiming that Brigham Young said that "the devil told the truth." Young states, "Now for mother Eve. The evil principle always has and always will exist. Well, a certain character came along, and said to Mother Eve, 'The Lord has told you that you must not do so and so, for if you do you shall surely die. But I tell you that if you do not do this you will never know good from evil, your eyes will never be opened, and you may live on the earth forever and ever, and you will never know what the Gods know.' The devil told the truth, what is the mystery about it? He is doing it today. He is telling one or two truths and mixing them with a thousand errors to get the people to swallow them. I do not blame Mother Eve, I would not have had her miss eating the forbidden fruit for anything in the world."
Charles Larson (Historian, Author) claims that the Book of Abraham, one of the Mormon standard works of scripture, authorizes lying by God, and states that the account of Abraham claiming that his wife was his sister, "is similar to the Bible version only in the book of Abraham god is telling Abraham to lie."Abraham 2:22-24, "And it came to pass when I was come near to enter into Egypt, the Lord said unto me: Behold, Sarai, thy wife, is a very fair woman to look upon; Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see her, they will say—She is his wife; and they will kill you, but they will save her alive; therefore see that ye do on this wise: Let her say unto the Egyptians, she is thy sister, and thy soul shall live."; Genesis 12:11-13, "And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee."
President Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is misquotedThis misquote was acknowledged in a post production amendment as saying, "No I don't believe in the traditional Christ. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak, for the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this, the dispensation of the fullness of times."Church News, June 20, 1998, p.7. The correct quote is, "No I don't. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the dispensation of the fullness of times."
Character of Joseph Smith A quote from the Bible (Ephesians 2:8-9) regarding boasting is juxtaposed with a quote from Joseph Smith in which he claims to boast.Smith had quoted 2 Cor. 11:16-18 in which Paul states, “I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.”; History of the Church, Vol. 6, pp=408–409, “President Joseph Smith read the 11th Chap. 2 Corinthians. My object is to let you know that I am right here on the spot where I intend to stay. I, like Paul, have been in perils, and oftener than anyone in this generation. As Paul boasted, I have suffered more than Paul did. I should be like a fish out of water, if I were out of persecutions…God is in the still small voice. In all these affidavits, indictments, it is all of the devil—all corruption. Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet. You know my daily walk and conversation. I am in the bosom of a virtuous and good people. How I do love to hear the wolves howl! When they can get rid of me, the devil will also go.”
The narrator repeats a portion of a quote from Brigham Young, in which he claims that “no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter the celestial kingdom of god without the consent of Joseph Smith.”. The same claim is made in the 1982 film The God Makers, which states, "The Mormons teach that everyone must stand at the final judgment before Joseph Smith, the Mormon Jesus, and Elohim."
It is claimed that Mormons believe that their "godhood rests on the act of polygamy”, based upon a portion of a quote made by Brigham Young in 1866: “The only men who become Gods, even the sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy.” Young states, “…if you have in your hearts to say…”we will not, therefore, be polygamists lest we should fail in obtaining some earthly honor, character and office, etc,"-the man that has that in his heart, and will continue to persist in pursuing that policy, will come short of dwelling in the presence of the Father and the Son, in celestial glory. The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may even be permitted to come into the presence of the Father and the Son; but they cannot reign as kings in glory, because they had blessing offered unto them, and they refused to accept them.”; Ed Decker uses the same quote by Brigham Young in The God Makers II.
First Vision It is stated that nine different versions of Joseph Smith's first vision were recorded.Four of the accounts listed are actually a description of the visit of the Angel Moroni rather than the "first vision" in the grove. In addition to the accounts listed in the video, there are 11 additional accounts of the first vision listed by FAIR. The on-screen list includes both accounts of the first vision that is claimed to have occurred in the Sacred Grove and several accounts of the visit of an angel in Smith's bedroom. The onscreen list shows the following accounts:
1827 – A spirit appears to Joseph telling him of a record on gold plates at age 17.Third-hand account of the visit of the angel Moroni to Joseph Smith given by Willard Chase, who claimed to have heard if from Smith's father, Joseph Smith Sr. (See Mormonism Unvailed), Affidavit of Willard Chase. “In the month of June, 1827, Joseph Smith, Sen., related to me the following story: ‘That some years ago, a spirit had appeared to Joseph his son, in a vision, and informed him that in a certain place there was a record on plates of gold, and that he was the person that must obtain them, and this he must do in the following manner…’”