This Newsletter is packed full of information and it’s still only half the material I wanted you to read. I am going to pray that the Ministry finances pick up strong enough to send the newsletter out once a month again. We had been sending out the Newsletter every other month and a special Update Report the in-between month just to our supporters. I may go back to that system again next month. Let me know what you think.

I have been busy ministering lately. Carol and I had a great trip to Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. What a wonderful Church. Kathy Pearson, my retired secretary, and her husband, Jim came over from the Tampa area to be with us, interceding for the ministry there. Claude (ex-Mormon) and Sonny O’Donovan were our wonderful hosts. You need to get the tapes of those special, breakthrough teachings on Mormonism and Freemasonry (see the product special offer this month).

Continue to pray for our outreach to Tonga in June. We are still far short of meeting our costs for the trip and could really use your help. Would you pray about standing with us in your prayers and financial support. The needs of the work so outstrip the dollars in the bank. I am sure it will be that way until Jesus returns, but we would so appreciate your special gift this month. You can make a contribution through the on-line bookstore or by sending a gift to us at Saints Alive, P.O. Box 2600, North Bend, WA 98045.

This summer, two families from Southern California are moving to Salem, Massachusetts in response to the call of God. They will be planting a Foursquare Church called "The Gathering at Salem."

Pastors Phil and Bev Wyman have been pastoring in Carlsbad, CA for 13 years,and have been planning this move for the last 5 years.

For Bev, who was raised in North Chelmsford, MA, this is a home coming. Phil, their 14 year old son Elijah, and the Menasco family (Jeff, Diane and their children Kendyll, Carly, and Kevin), are native Californians. O boy, do they need help!

The desire to plant a church in Salem has been their dream for about 6 years. After a visit to New England, an interest in Salem began to grow. Phil began to pray about the desire to plant a church there. In March 1993, this was confirmed prophetically. Phil had been praying each morning, "Lord bless us, grow the church, and move us to Salem." These exact words were repeated in prayer every day, for a period of about 2 months.

Following this prayer, Phil would usually say, "Lord, of course, I only want this to happen if it is Your will." No one was told about this prayer, including Bev, who was not yet sure that this move was in God’s will.

After 2 months of praying in this manner, a visiting speaker spoke to Phil and Bev following the service and said, "God is going to bless you, grow your church, and move you." Those exact words of Phil’s prayer became a confirmation, which set in motion the plans to move to Salem.

Pastor Phil has worked in cult evangelism for 18 years. The dynamics of Salem make this a unique match. Wicca, and other forms of American Neo- Paganism are active in Salem, and are major political influences. Perhaps as much as 10% of the population in Salem is involved in the practices of Neo-Paganism. For 2 years, Pastor Phil has spent time in research on Neo-Pagan culture and practices, to learn how to share the Gospel to this segment of American society.

Already, relationships are being established to build bridges to the Pagan community. Through friendship, and open communication about the differences between Paganism and Christianity, this team hopes to break down barriers which have been in the way, and make a place for truth to have free dialogue. For too long, Christians have viewed Witches with eyes of the tabloid papers. It was as if Pagans were aliens from a National Enquirer story. So they have been treated with a combination of fear and disgust. This team hopes to break that cycle, adopting a simple approach to those in The Craft. Their basic value is this, "Witches are Real People Too."

The team is starting from scratch. They are not taking over another church. They do not have a building, and they do not have friends and family in the area, except those whom they developed over the last 5 years of planning for this day.

If you would like to contact Pastor Phil to find out more about this ministry, or if you would like to join the weekly e-mail prayer update, you can reach him in the following ways:

Pastor Phil Wyman
c/o The Gathering at Salem
4740 Dalea Place, Oceanside, CA 92057
Phone: in CA (760) 431-4747
in MA (978) 744-8444
e-mail: PKWyman@aol.com
Website: http://www.gathering4square.com

POLYGAMY

Since the polygamy issue is such a hot debate lately on television, I decided to start doing a little digging on the subject. Let’s begin with truth and that is found solely in the Bible.

God speaks very clearly on polygamy in the Old Testament and Jesus Himself speaks about it in the New Testament, as does the Apostle Paul. Let’s see what God says about it.

The first mention of marriage is found in Genesis 2:24. ‘Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (KJV).

The operative word here is wife. Singular. In Deuteronomy 17:17 it says, "Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away…"(KJV).

Leviticus 18:18. is much more direct. "Nor shall you take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive"(KJV). In 1 Kings 11:4 it says "when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God..."(KJV)

Throughout the Old Testament, we find nothing but domestic unhappiness and disruption when polygamy is involved. Abraham, when he was still called Abram, took Hagar to wife. Jealousy played an important role in Sarai’s life when Hagar bore Abram a son. Ishmael was not what God had in mind for Abram and the covenant of His people. Disharmony also came with Jacob, Elkanah, David and Solomon’s families.

Jesus plainly spoke of the sanctity of marriage in Matthew 19:5. He repeats exactly what is said in Genesis 2:24. Then in verse 6, He says: "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder"(KJV). Paul wrote in Titus 1:6; "If any be blameless, the husband of one wife…"(KJV)

The definition of adultery in Webster’s dictionary is the violation of the marriage bed. In 1887, the federal government began strong Anti-polygamy Legislation. the Edmunds-Tucker Act. The prophet of the Mormon Church at the time was Wilford Woodruff. Utah was in jeopardy of losing its bid for statehood, because of their polygamous practices. Woodruff claimed to have had a revelation concerning this issue and presented what he called the Manifesto of 1890. This supposedly ended the practice of polygamy in Utah.

In April of 1904, President Joseph F. Smith stated (in Gospel Doctrine pg. 280-1), that he knew of no one practicing polygamy within the church and if the church found anyone doing so, they would be ex-communicated. Joseph F. Smith had five wives and eleven children when he gave this statement.

The modern LDS church publicly denounces polygamy, yet they still have not removed its practice from the LDS scriptures. In D&C 132, it is "a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant then are ye damned...". In Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, pg. 154, President Joseph Fielding Smith stated; "Man does not have the right to change in any sense whatever, or reject in the slightest degree any part of a covenant which the Lord presents for his benefit and salvation.(Italics his)

The state of Utah has not prosecuted anyone for polygamy in over 50 years. The sheriff’s offices of various counties say that it is not on their list of priorities. The Beehive State was and still is the breeding ground for polygamy. Few pioneer families existed that were not built upon this principle. Polygamy breeds jealousy, hate, incest, adultery, physical abuse and the moral degradation of women and children. Let me give you some examples.

I had a telephone interview with Carmen Thompson, Executive Director of Tapestry of Polygamy, I asked her what the average polygamous family life is like. Marriages for girls are arranged by their fathers. The average age of marriage within the clans inside of Utah is 12-14 years old. One 16 year old had one day to prepare for her wedding. There is also a report of a nine year old being married and in December of 1998, there were two marriages of eight year olds to men in their forties.

The most infamous case in Utah right now is the Kingston family. Paul Kingston has 30 wives and 250 children. Paul Kingston’s son is 18 years old and next in line for the ‘throne’. He already has five wives and multiple children. There are few birth certificates for any of the children born within the many clans so it makes it difficult to estimate their numbers. Utah suggests they have approximately 40,000 members. Carmen said that by their calculations the numbers are more like 100,000. This doesn’t include the children. Many children are born with severe birth defects because the people are inter-marrying within the families. The men often marry half-sisters and first cousins.

For the women in polygamy the future is just bleak. Carmen told me of times that she would lie in bed at night while listening to her husband in the next room with someone else. This is degrading, and domestic abuse. They are threatened if they try to leave. Blood Atonement is still in effect within polygamy. The children are home-schooled so there is no outside interaction whatsoever with the public. Total brainwashing is in effect every day of the year. When asked about the suicide rate within the clans, Carmen reports this is usually not a problem. Most women are too afraid to do it because of being threatened that they’ll go to hell. They are required to have one baby a year and are expected to cheerfully welcome any other wives that come into the family. The legal marrying age inside of Utah is 14. Many men are marrying women with daughters and marry the daughters as well. They don’t consider this incest.

I asked Carmen what keeps her from crying every day. She responded by asking me what makes me think she doesn’t. The women like Carmen who do escape come out traumatized, totally confused and depression runs rampant.

Utah was awarded $8 million in the tobacco settlement. The State Attorney General was asked if the state would allocate $750,000 for education, investigation and prosecution of abuse inside polygamy. Instead, the money will go to educate the general population of children on the dangers of smoking. I’m not saying that education for this is not important, but where are their priorities?

This issue is not just a polygamy issue. This issue is about the degradation of the sanctity of life. The mainstream LDS church may not be sanctioning polygamy right now but this is the residual effect of their original teachings. This is the fruit of their dead works in satisfying the lusts of their own flesh. They should be responsible for taking care of this situation and the state should demand it.

Our prayer for the Mormons and the polygamists comes from Hebrews 9:14-18; "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood" (KJV).

The word study this time is actually a phrase. New and Everlasting Covenant. Begin with Hebrews 10:5-20. Compare it to D&C 132. The Greek word for testament is diatheke. This means covenant. #1242 in Strong’s Concordance.

Please pray for Tapestry of Polygamy. The battle is the Lord’s but He uses His people to His glory. This is a sound non-profit organization, they are not new age. They are making a difference and helping these victims. Their website: www.polygamy.org

I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not a woman’s rights activist, I know my place in Christ. What is going on in Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Idaho is sinful and not from God.

New Product Specials

In the seventeenth degree, or Knights of the East and West, after the candidates have completed the initiation and after revealing the password (Jubulum) and the Sacred Word, (Abaddon), "the Senior Warden conducts the Candidate to the elevated canopy at the right of the All Puissant."

"This is supposed to represent the end of the world when all good Masons receive their reward by being conducted to a throne at the right hand of the All Puissant, have been purified by washing their robes in their own blood."

In the lecture which follows between the All Puissant and the Senior Warden, the Book of the Seven Seals—which none but one can open (Rev.5:5)—is twisted to represent "A Lodge or Council of Masons which the All Puissant alone has the right to convene or open."

The Fourth Seal is represented by a skull or "Death’s Head" and Masons are told it "is the image of a brother who is excluded from a Lodge or Council." The Fifth Seal is represented by a "Cloth Stained with Blood." The All Puissant identifies this as a symbol "that we should not hesitate to spill ours for the good of Masonry." (Scottish Rite Masonry Illustrated, The Complete Ritual, vol.1, pages 453,456-7, E. Cook Publications, 1974)

What a gross misrepresentation of God’s Holy Word! First and foremost, it is Christ and He alone who "hath prevailed to open the book and loose the seven seals thereof." To presume that honor and power is to deny Christ, or yet in deeper perversity, to replace His power and authority with that of the All Puissant, even in the representation of the power to save and to enthrone. This is the very spirit of the Anti-Christ!

Again, another clue to the true identity of the Masonic Deity 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 a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is ABADDON!"

To the Mason who claims that he can be both a Christian and a Mason, I call you to repentance. No Man can serve two masters. The god of Masonry, Jaobulon, is not the God of the Holy Bible. You can no longer act in your ignorance

After watching one of your films entitled, "The God Makers", I was amazed at the content of the film and being a religious film, the Holy Spirit was certainly NOT present. I have watched the Movie, "The Lamb of God," which was produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and also have watched the General Conference of said Church and could feel the Holy Spirit. Why was the Holy Spirit not present while I was watching your film?

Thanks for your inquiry. You have asked several strong and reasonable questions and I want to take the time to answer them fully. I am also going to place your complete email and my response online so that everything is fully public in my accountability to truth in the matter.

Your first question deals with the film, The God Makers. You stated that you didn’t feel the Holy Spirit in The God makers but did so in the LDS film, The Lamb of God. You asked, "Why was the Holy Spirit not present while I was watching your film?"

The simplest answer is that we (you and I) have two different Holy Spirits. You aren’t going to feel your Holy Spirit in a Christian film and will certainly feel it in a film done by your church. On the other hand, I certainly feel the difference in the Holy Spirit present when I am in a Christian church and the spirit I feel when I am in the visitors’ center at temple Square.

I explain this difference in some detail in Decker’s Complete handbook on Mormonism, pages 236 – 241.You can also go to my web site www.saintsalive.com and in the LDS resource library, look in the LDS paragraphs section, paragraphs 55 and 56 to see a detailed discussion of this issue. You can go to my website directly, just click here on the file: http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/apologeticsindex.htm .

Why do we feel different spirits present? The answer is simple. Orthodox Christianity is fully God, always God, everywhere present amongst God’s children, part of the Holy trinity.

The LDS Holy Spirit is a spirit being born through an act of sex between elohim, the Mormon god of this world and one of his goddess wives, on a planet near the great star Kolob. He was elevated to the LDS godhead by some means other than that which elevated elohim. He resides here on earth, a spirit personage who can only be in one place at one time.

(See D&C 130: 22,23 for the basic definition of the LDS godhead and McConkie, Doctrine, pp. 358,359 for the rest of the nature of the LDS Holy Ghost).

We can debate who has the right and wrong Holy Spirits, if you want. But your question was, why was the LDS Holy Spirit missing in the film, The God Makers.

Next you went into the book, The Truth about the God Makers, by Gilbert Scharffs. First, let’s correct a false statement you made about Scharffs not being a Mormon. If you actually read his book, Nolan, and I am not sure you have, It would be very clear that Dr. Scharffs is very much a Mormon.

He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah, master’s from NY University and his doctorate (in history of religion, Bible and modern scripture) from Brigham Young University, where he taught religion and was director of an LDS Institute of Religion. His church assignments have included those of bishop and stake presidency member.

Scharffs’ book was one of total frustration for me. For a well-educated man, he did a terrible job of writing this answer to the God Makers. I laboriously went through his work and struggled to believe I had written some of the things he charged me with. When I checked out some of his quotes and references, I discovered I didn’t say those things. His work was far from honest.

After much pressure, I finally did write a short response to it, The Truth about the Truth About The God Makers. It is on my website at. Just click on this address: http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/thetruthabout.htm

In that article, I began by saying:

Now, let me answer your query regarding Rhonda M. Abrams and Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, who, I am told, actually wrote her statement without even seeing the film.

My response to the comments by both the B’nai B’rith and the National Conference of Christians and Jews has been on record from the day they made their comments about the first film and the second film, The God Makers II. Again, the answer is on the website. You can read all about it at http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/nccj.htm

It is something like beyond rage for a Jew to even hear someone talk about a god of many gods who was a man on some other planet and lives now near Kolob with his goddess wives… that is the worst thing for a Jew to even imagine. That is not the God of the Jewish faith.

Imagine, then, Nolan, why any orthodox Jew would EVER say what Ms. Abrams said. In fact, as I share in the web article, while there were Mormons, there was not one orthodox Jew or evangelical, born again Christian in either of the studies the NCCJ claimed it made of either film. Nor did those pretending to study ever contact me to defend a single line or scene from either film

On the other hand, when the people from Sunstone Symposium wanted to take a swing at the film, The God Makers, I gave them a 16mm copy of the film for them to cut up and use in their treatment of the film. I certainly don’t have anything to fear from any honest study of the film. We can certainly argue interpretation, but facts are facts.

And it’s all past history, anyway. The film and book are both over 15 years old and have been seen and read around the world. The letters and emails and calls over the years are hundreds to one in favor of their accuracy and their powerful effect in leading people from darkness to light.

I hope I have given you some new insight to your questions,

In Christ,

Ed Decker

Gal 6:14

The undersigned address ourselves to Your Excellency in order to express to you the concern that exists among the Christian people about the activities in our country being carried out by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons.

Through the investment of millions of dollars and thousands of missionaries, the Mormon Church is proselytizing members of the Chilean Christian Churches which have been started and maintained with funds raised by their own members. Their goal is to dismantle the Christian Churches, so much so that 85% of their converts are persons who previously belonged to other churches. We, as Christian Pastors, cannot remain indifferent before this action which tends to suffocate the Christian foundations of our people.

We declare emphatically that the Mormon Doctrine is not Christian, It is founded on fables, on blasphemies against our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. They teach that Jesus Christ is Lucifer’s brother, and that the Lord Jesus had many wives and children, and that he was born through sexual relations as are all human beings.

The Mormons also teach that the creeds of all the Christian Churches are abominable and repugnant before God, and that the Christian Pastors are corrupt and hirelings of Satan. They take advantage of the poverty of some Chileans, presenting themselves as very-charitable, but hiding behind that image a definite motive of spreading their unbiblical teachings, causing confusion among the Christian families of our nation.

Affirmations such as that our God is an exalted man of flesh and bones; that He cohabits physically with many wives near the star, Kolob; that He is one of many gods and also worships His own god; that He came down physically and was the natural father of Jesus, are teachings which are obviously anti-Biblical and anti-Christian.

Because of such teachings, we are more and more concerned about this sect which pursues as its final goal, the suffocation of the Christian background of the Chilean people.

Mr. President, for all the Christian Churches, Jesus Christ is the one cornerstone of our faith, the foundation of our life believing and affirming that the Lord Jesus Christ is God and that He was without sin.

As Christian Pastors, we have the moral obligation to defend our faith, and that is why we are coming to Your Excellency to inform you about the content and activity of the Mormon Church in Chile, and to ask you to adopt the following measures:

We received a letter last week from a pastor in Montana telling us, in part, that since we have used a Bible translation other than the authorized KJV in our Newsletter, he wanted no further part of us and told us to delete his name from our newsletter. We gladly took that action for him.

Since we have long determined that this raging debate was not going to distract us from the specific calling to which God has appointed us, we have had that kind of letter come with some regularity. It appears that it has actually become a test of fellowship among some quarters. I am continually being challenged by other Christians to take a stand against "the devil’s bibles," or be consumed by the fires of hell that await those of us who use them.

Let me say this about that issue. I grew up with the KJV Bible, I used it as a Mormon and I use it with regularity today. But I enjoy using the New King James Version and will quote from it from time to time.

About a month ago, someone in another ministry to the Mormons called me to rebuke me for allowing Michelle to use a different Bible version in the Newsletter. He said that a person could not be reading God’s word unless it is in the KJV, that all the other versions are New Age versions created by the devil. I asked him several questions in that regard to be certain he believed and taught that only the KJV was the word of God and only through that version could one find truth and salvation. He confirmed this. I told him just how sorry I felt for all those lost Christians going to hell in South America. He responded, "What on earth are you talking about, Ed?"

I said, "(his name), don’t you realize that there is no such thing as a King James Version of the Bible in Spanish. They must all be lost and going to hell. In fact, there is no such thing as a Chinese version of the King James Bible. All those missionaries and all the work of Christian translators like Wycliff are futile because there is no way to translate the 17th Century King James into the modern languages of literally hundreds of countries."

Aren’t we English speaking people so very fortunate that God chose us to speak His only true language, have His only true Bible and be saved by the KJV? What elitism! Almost sounds like Aryan Israelism repackaged for the church!

Even the Mormons climb on that bandwagon. Sorry, friends, but whether it’s their Spanish LDS Bible or their Spanish Book of Mormon. …they don’t translate that way either.

I know that there are strong arguments about original texts and translators. I am sure that much of that is true. I have over 20 books and many dozens of articles in my files on every aspect of the arguments. Please, don’t send me any more. God did not call me to deal with this issue and I will not "come down from the wall" to debate it with those that insist that I do. I think that God’s Holy Spirit, my teacher of truth can help me through the rough spots, don’t you?

I am satisfied that I am reading the true word of God every time I open my Bible, whatever version it is. I just read through the preface on my NKJV about the scholarship that went into that version and I feel like God probably had some part of keeping His Word intact. I don’t know a single doctrine of the faith that is compromised in it and the beauty of His Word, which is my fortress, pours out from it very day of my life.

I asked another Sanballat in my life, "If you were an unsaved man, on a deserted island with only the Living Bible ( a paraphrase) to read, could you be saved and go to heaven with a knowledge of the Kingdom of God to sustain you?" He gave me an emphatic, "No, never! It is not God’s Word!" I sighed and read the first chapter of the Book of John to him. "What great revelation of God in the KJV is missing here? He couldn’t give me an answer.

I strongly believe that God will value how we use His Word in our lives far more than if we have the only true translation. Let me give you an example of one of God’s living Bibles:

presents the fascinating saga of the British Monarchy’s centuries-long

endeavor to establish a "New World Order," and for the first time,

gives hard evidence to suggest the identity of the AntiChrist.

ISBN 0-9662793-0-1 / LCCN 98-84509

Author Tim Cohen bring you through a laboriously detailed web of the Royal Family’s history in the occult and he tracks Prince Charles (his candidate for the honor of being the Anti-Christ of the title) through the maze of all this.

Rather than have me try to explain the context of the study (444 pages of it), let’s hear from the author:

Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Tim Cohen, the author of a new book entitled, The AntiChrist and a Cup of Tea. It is the first book to offer hard evidence, not just speculation, to suggest the Anti-Christ's actual identity. Moreover, the book documents the actual hierarchy of the "New World Order," showing that all the key organs of the conspiracy sit beneath the British Monarchy today. Here are some of the items covered in the book.

Sincerely,

Tim Cohen

Author, The AntiChrist and a Cup of Tea
Author, Messiah, History, and the Tribulation Period (forthcoming)
Phone: 303-693-6399 Fax: 303-693-8093
E-mail: tcohen@prophecyhouse.com
Prophecy House, Inc.
P.O. Box 461104
Aurora, CO 80046-1104

Those who desire to pay be credit card may call 800-247-6553 and request the book by title. Secure orders may also be placed on-line at http://www.bookmasters.com/marktplc/00240.htm . Other ordering options are given at http://www.prophecyhouse.com/order . Orders ship within 24 to 48 hours.

Finally, the book is available through most Christian book stores, Amazon.com , BarnesandNoble.com , ArmageddonBooks.com , etc

Ed@saintsalive.com