Defenders 3: Understanding Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses
Course Description
This 10-week course is designed to examine the religions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and the Jehovah’s Witnesses as examples of contemporary heretical religions that purport to be Bible-believing Christians. Students will become conversant with the religions’ history, organization, claims, doctrines, and practices. Special attention will be given to becoming familiar with the religions’ primary or official publications and to addressing the most common objections these groups present to the historic teachings of evangelicalism.
Prerequisite: None
Assigned and Recommended Readings
Students will be assigned readings from the literature of the Mormons and of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, on the assumption that students should be directly familiar with the primary source literature of these religions. All of these readings will be available free online. There will also be assigned readings from the Bible. Additional readings giving an evangelical response to these two religions will also be assigned. See the detailed schedule below for a list of all these readings.
Students are encouraged but not required to read introductory books on both religions. Any one of the following books is acceptable as the textbook on Mormonism:
Abanes, Richard. Inside Today’s Mormonism: Understanding Latter-day Saints in Light of Biblical Truth. Originally titled Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2004, 2007.
Jackson, Andrew. Mormonism Explained: What Latter-day Saints Teach and Practice. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008.
McKeever, Bill, and Eric Johnson. Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000.
For an introductory textbook from a Mormon perspective, consider any of the following:
Bushman, Richard Lyman. Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Riess, Jana, and Christopher Kimball Biegelow. Mormonism for Dummies. Indianapolis: Wiley, 2005.
Williams, Drew. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Mormonism. New York: Alpha Books, 2003.
The following is the recommended textbook on Jehovah’s Witnesses:
Bowman, Robert M., Jr. Jehovah’s Witnesses. Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.
Those students interested in an introductory textbook representing the Jehovah’s Witness perspective may wish to study the following book, of which some 100 million copies are in print:
What Does the Bible Really Teach? Brooklyn: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 2005.
The above book is not available in text form online, but the chapters are available for download in MP3 format here:
Honors Reading: Any of the books listed above on either Mormonism or Jehovah’s Witnesses are acceptable for those doing honors reading.
Course Assignments
"May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
Course Description
This 10-week course is designed to examine the religions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and the Jehovah’s Witnesses as examples of contemporary heretical religions that purport to be Bible-believing Christians. Students will become conversant with the religions’ history, organization, claims, doctrines, and practices. Special attention will be given to becoming familiar with the religions’ primary or official publications and to addressing the most common objections these groups present to the historic teachings of evangelicalism.
Prerequisite: None
Assigned and Recommended Readings
Students will be assigned readings from the literature of the Mormons and of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, on the assumption that students should be directly familiar with the primary source literature of these religions. All of these readings will be available free online. There will also be assigned readings from the Bible. Additional readings giving an evangelical response to these two religions will also be assigned. See the detailed schedule below for a list of all these readings.
Students are encouraged but not required to read introductory books on both religions. Any one of the following books is acceptable as the textbook on Mormonism:
Abanes, Richard. Inside Today’s Mormonism: Understanding Latter-day Saints in Light of Biblical Truth. Originally titled Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2004, 2007.
Jackson, Andrew. Mormonism Explained: What Latter-day Saints Teach and Practice. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008.
McKeever, Bill, and Eric Johnson. Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000.
For an introductory textbook from a Mormon perspective, consider any of the following:
Bushman, Richard Lyman. Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Riess, Jana, and Christopher Kimball Biegelow. Mormonism for Dummies. Indianapolis: Wiley, 2005.
Williams, Drew. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Mormonism. New York: Alpha Books, 2003.
The following is the recommended textbook on Jehovah’s Witnesses:
Bowman, Robert M., Jr. Jehovah’s Witnesses. Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.
Those students interested in an introductory textbook representing the Jehovah’s Witness perspective may wish to study the following book, of which some 100 million copies are in print:
What Does the Bible Really Teach? Brooklyn: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 2005.
The above book is not available in text form online, but the chapters are available for download in MP3 format here:
Honors Reading: Any of the books listed above on either Mormonism or Jehovah’s Witnesses are acceptable for those doing honors reading.
Course Assignments
- Complete all assigned readings as listed in the schedule that follows below.
- Quizzes: There will be two quizzes, one following the four class sessions on Mormonism, the other following the four sessions on Jehovah’s Witnesses. Once the student looks at the quiz, he or she must take the quiz. In other words, you cannot look at the quiz and then study the terms. A study guide is provided below (following the course schedule) with the terms and names you should know. Only the most basic questions about the persons listed will appear on the quiz.
- Test: There will be a simple test checking your knowledge of Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses. You may take this after taking the second quiz.
"May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
