"I'm not here to rant against Mormons. Nor do I believe that they can't believe as they wish, but that (the Mormons) claim to be Christian when their basic doctrines differ radically from established Christianity and Biblical teachings."
Hulse compared the Mormon Church to Enron. "The people were duped by people inside the company, who really knew what was going on -- the books were being cooked. I'm here to show you how (the Mormon books) are being cooked.
"If you're a Mormon, I'm not here to offend you. My family is Mormon. But I was once where you are until I studied and learned the lies that tell Mormons that 'all of Christendom is fallen and false; that we (Mormons) are the only true faith."
So began a fascinating three-hour conference Saturday morning at Harmony Bible Church in Danville. Guest speakers were Helen and Rocky Hulse who in down-to-earth humor and easy speaking styles gave testimony to their own conversions to Christianity and their acceptance of Jesus.
Whereas Helen Hulse was described by her husband as "a heathen" and "unchurched", Rocky Hulse was born and raised as a fourth- generation Mormon, whose parents were less than pleased when he married a non-Mormon over 20 years ago.
"I was one of the Valiant ones. One born a Mormon, and baptised in the temple," recalls Hulse. "I was guaranteed a place in the highest level of heaven. A place where only certain Mormons can go."
In spite of his parents' objections, the two were married. He says he remained Mormon and tried to convert his wife, who agreed to study Mormonism in missionary classes. But during her studies she says she found too many discrepancies between the Bible and the Book of Mormon. When it came time for her to join the Mormon Church, she refused.
Years followed when the couple argued over Mormonism until Helen Hulse accepted Christ and joined a Baptist Church.
"That really did it," said Rocky Hulse.
Why?
Because according to Hulse, the Book of Mormon and the Mormon Doctrine teach that only Mormons have the true faith: This one true faith denounces Christian-based churches in favor of the true word of God delivered to Joseph Smith in 1820.
"Growing up Mormon we didn't want to be called Christian," says Hulse. "Christians were inferior to Mormons."
Hulse says he struggled to hold on to his family's faith, but after years of Helen's questioning and his own studies of the history and doctrines of the Mormon Church ("Which I did to prove she was wrong, not me."), Hulse denounced Mormonism and "accepted Jesus as my Saviour".
Hulse said he objects to Mormon teachings, not because they are different from his, but because the Mormons want everyone to believe they are Christians, too.
Hulse then proceeded to compare example after example from the Book of Mormon, the Doctrines and Covenants, the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the writings of later Mormon prophets and church presidents with quotations from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The two sets of quotations were always in opposition.
In a pamphlet and slide show prepared by Hulse, one reads that "Mormonism denies the Trinity; God the Father has a body of flesh and bones; Jesus was a polygamist; Men can become God and create their own universes."
Another quote from a church leader who followed Smith says, "As man is, God once was; as God is Man may become," Lorenzo Snow, fifth LDS president."
Hulse quotes Joseph Smith as teaching that the Bible is not reliable but the Book of Mormon is the basis of "the only true church."
Hulse also stated that all the sacred, temple ceremonies were lifted by Smith straight from Masonic ritual. "Complete with secret passwords, handshakes, keys, and symbols." He showed the packed church samples of garments worn by Mormons (for life) after their Endowment Ceremony (baptism) in a temple. The white garments have designs (in white also) on them of compasses, a square, a level, and a stone. "These are all Masonic symbols," said Hulse who also told the crowd that Joseph Smith attained the highest level in the Masons "in record time".
Other differences pointed out by Hulse include Mormon baptism of the dead. "That's why they've got the best genealogy records in the world: Until everyone (who wants to be Mormon, dead or alive) is baptised the Millenium will not come. The temple work (baptism) has to be completed first."
Hulse told the audience who responded with gasps of disbelief that at the age of 12 "I was baptised for twenty people. Dead people. There were a lot of us. We would go up one at a time and be baptised in someone's name. I did that 20 times."
He also claimed that Church records show that Mussolini, Hitler, all of Hitler's henchmen, and Eva Braun were endowed for eternity (baptised in absentia) -- at their request -- by the Mormon Church."But you won't hear about that. Instead you'll be told that all of the founding fathers demanded to receive endowment." A statement for which no documentation can be found.
Why isn't any of this known to Christians? "Because Mormons don't know most of it. They don't know how many times the Mormon faith has been revised, edited, and made to look better," says Hulse.
Hulse explains to the assembly that 20 years ago the Mormon Church hired "one of the biggest public relations firms" to change the existing belief that Mormons were not Christians and that Mormonism was a cult.
"It worked didn't it?" he asked the crowd. "On TV we see ads that promote the ideal of family life. But if Mormons are so family oriented why is Utah number four (in the U.S.) in teen suicides and number 13 in suicides overall. Why do they have the highest divorce rate, and lead the nation in antidepressant use? Why does violence against women increase every year more rapidly in Utah than anywhere else? Why in the last decade has Utah had 2000 shaken-baby deaths?
"These are figures the PR firm doesn't want you to know. These are figures Mormons will never see," says Hulse. He also claims the Mormon Church is the second largest land-holder in the U.S. -- the U.S. government being number one; they collected over $5 billion in tithes in the last decade; they hold over $6 billion in stocks and bonds; they own four insurance companies and are second only to Bank America for banking and investments.
According to Hulse after hiring the public relations spin doctors, the church went through several changes that made it more palatable to non-Mormons. "The parts about Lucifer mocking Christian ministers (that used to be in the Endowment ceremony), they took out. They also took out the blood oath. And they became more women friendly --women were no longer blamed for 'the Garden of Eden curse', they no longer had to keep having babies to find redemption, and they no longer had to swear allegiance to their husbands."
Hulse asked, "If the whole ceremony was given to Joseph Smith by God, how can you change it? You don't edit what is God given."
Before ending the conference, Hulse told those in attendance not to insult Mormons, "It's what they've been taught; they were brought up that way and don't know the truth. Christians need to educate, not offend Mormons. (All they need) is in the Bible."