sphere wrote:
there a scriptural case against people making the claims that Smith did, explicitly warning that prophets who claim to experience and know what he claimed to experience and know will be false prophets?
Where could Senator Romney, for example, look in his Bible and be confronted with the warning to reject what Joseph Smith was selling? Certainly he fits the description of the outlier slowguy was describing in his response to me, and yet 17,000,000+ otherwise Christian believers joined his cult.
I'm not sure what exactly you're asking here; but, I'll try.
Big picture: Senator Romney should read the Bible and see that his religion is not supported by the Bible (see my #3, below).
1) There are continual warnings against false prophets (which I has been addressed, and I think you now have a good understanding of).
2) There are continual warnings against the tendency of us (all of us) to hear what we want to hear ("having itching ears", v.3); so, be wary. (2 Tim. 4:1-4, below). If something seems really attractive, then it's probably wrong. Being a Christian is hard and counter to our desires as humans. My own failures as a follower are a good example. They are many and my good friends continually point them out to me.
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
3) The perspicuity of Scripture. This is one of the characteristics of Scripture. Notice: Sphere, even you--who I assume are not so familiar with the Bible--can tell that Joseph Smith was not teaching consistent with the Bible. I'm not an expert on Mormonism, but I'm pretty sure that Mormons don't have a Biblical understanding of the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is pretty clear in Scripture, and has been addressed in multiple church creeds (e.g., Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, etc.).
4) All major changes from the current understanding of Scripture were accompanied by miracles. Moses and the giving of the law; Jesus (and his apostles) changing from the OT to NT. The prophets. Miracles serve as authentication for the teaching. For example, Moses (at the burning bush) asks God why Pharoah would believe him. God instructs Moses to use the miracles (Ex. 4:1-9). For example, in Jn 3, Nicodemus (a Pharisee) comes to Jesus to ask him question, while saying, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." (v.2). There are gobs of examples. So, if Joseph Smith is going to teach something that is different from the understanding clearly represented in Scripture, then either: it's wrong; or, b) should be accompanied by miracles ("signs and wonders").