May 27, 1999 (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - Mormons were invited to participate in the ecumenical March for Jesus this year on March 22 in Salt Lake City, Utah. On the day of the March, local organizer Maggy Fletcher said: "Over a dozen churches of various denominations are directly involved with the march, but many more churches have shown an interest in coming . . . Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopalians, Assembly of God, non-denominational, charismatics (and) LDS [Mormon]." She said that though the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not endorsed the event, individual Mormons have expressed interest in participating "and are welcome to do so" (Salt Lake Tribune, Sat., May 22, 1999).

According to Fletcher, Mormons are part of the "body of Christ."

"The March for Jesus unites believers, regardless of color, race or denominations, into the Body of Christ. The names on the church buildings don't mean a thing," she said.

The national coordinator of March for Jesus, Tom Pelton, echoed Fletcher’s sentiments, saying, "It's time to move beyond church walls to connect with one another and the community."

The 1996 national coordinator for March for Jesus in Canada, Marty Klein, also testified that Mormons were welcome to participate in the march. Alan Sharpe of Ottawa wrote to Klein on May 2, 1996, via e-mail and asked, "I am interested in the March for Jesus. Can a devout Mormon who loves Jesus march in the march?" Klein replied: "ALL are welcome to join us. However, we make it clear that this is a march FOR Jesus. It is not a protest--we are not promoting anything, but a person (Jesus) and we will not allow Christians or otherwise to parade their various causes."

The statements by March for Jesus organizers demonstrate an incredible ignorance of the Word of God. According to the Bible, it obviously is not sufficient that someone merely "love Jesus," because we are warned that there are false christs and false gospels. Consider some of the false christs that are in the world today and that are invited to participate in March for Jesus, according to their own statements:

1. The Wafer Jesus who is worshipped in the Roman Catholic mass.
2. The Mormon Jesus who was a polygamist.
3. The Modernist Jesus who was not born of a virgin.
4. The Unitarian Jesus who was not God.
5. The Universalist Jesus who will not send anyone to Hell.
6. The Prosperity Jesus who was wealthy.
7. The Laughing Jesus who "slays" people with his spirit and causes them to laugh uncontrollably and to stagger like drunk men.
8. The Self-esteem Jesus who never called man a sinner and who came merely to build up his self image.
9. The Revolutionary Jesus who was the founder of Liberation Theology.

These are just a few of the false christs in the world today. Beware of those who refuse to identify false teachers and who refuse to expose false christs and false gospels. It is impossible to love the true Jesus without hating every false Jesus. Those who claim that God has called them to preach only a positive message and not to enter into controversy are greatly deceived.

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. WHOSOEVER TRANSGRESSETH, AND ABIDETH NOT IN THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST, HATH NOT GOD. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son" (2 John 7-9).

"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort YOU THAT YE SHOULD EARNESTLY CONTEND FOR THE FAITH which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).