Counterfeits at Your Door [Paperback]

James Bjornstad (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Regal Books (1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830706100
• ISBN-13: 978-0830706105
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,701,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good educational tool, June 17, 2007

By 

C. J. Leach (Midwest, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Counterfeits at Your Door (Paperback)

I specifically went to this book in response to visits I have been receiving from some polite Mormon young men. I wanted a fast track to pinning down the peculiarities of their belief system (which is presented in a very measured and reasonable fashion, of course). My problem was not being weak on what I believed, but rather not really knowing anything about what these Mormon visitors believed. For that need, this book was just what I was looking for.

This work is directed to Christians of any denomination who use the Bible, and only the Bible, as the ultimate reference and authority for what they believe to be spiritual Truth.

The book opens with an overview of core traditional mainstream Christian beliefs, more specifically - Who is God? Who is the biblical Jesus? Who is the biblical Holy Spirit? What is their nature and their origins. What is the nature of the so-called "Trinity". Also, the essence of biblical salvation through Jesus (Yehoshua as I call him personally). In a way, the author is telling you what you believe (sort of).

Then (the meat of the volume) are two separate and successive sections dealing with Jehovah's Witnesses, and then the Mormons. The author presents a history of these religious denominations, including dates, locations, founders, etc. Specific beliefs and source texts used by each denomination are discussed thoroughly. There is particular detail about their position concerning the nature and origins of God and Jesus Christ (this information is vital), as well as the "afterlife". There are some somewhat useful hypothetical face-to-faces with these visiting witnesses. Very useful Bible references are provided supporting traditional Christian doctrine.

There is also some limited discussion of an emerging denomination known as, "The Way", and some passing mention given to some New Age groups.

Concise at under 160 pages. Logical and easy to follow, although I recall seeing just one chart -- the rest was all narrative. No rabbit trails or needless scare tactics about Hell. I may have caught just a whiff of ridicule a couple of times, but in all this was pretty objectively presented, stayed on point, and a fairly pleasant read for a topic which doesn't have much entretainment potential.

5.0 out of 5 stars A FAMED EVANGELICAL APOLOGISTS LOOKS AT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AND MORMONS, November 2, 2011

By 

Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Counterfeits at Your Door (Paperback)

James Bjornstad is a Past President of Evangelical Ministries to New Religions, professor of philosophy at Cedarville College in Ohio, and Executive Director of the Institute of Contemporary Christianity. He has also written books such as The Moon Is Not the Son: A Close Look at the Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church, Stars, Signs, and Salvation in the Age of Aquarius, The transcendental mirage (Dimension books), Twentieth Century Prophecy: Jeane Dixon, Edgar Cayce, etc.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 1979 book, "It is our prayer that through the study of this material, the reader will become more familiar with the biblical doctrine of Jesus Christ, develop an ability to detect distortions of these doctrines, be able to respond to these distortions with the true teaching from the Bible..."

Here are some quotations from the book:

"From the very beginning of His ministry Jesus Christ claimed equality with God in very clear and unmistakable statements... in receiving Him, they were receiving God (see Mark 9:37)... The high priest's response (Mk 14:63-64) indicates that he understood Jesus' use of 'I Am' as a claim to His deity." (Pg. 18-20)

"In Matthew where Jesus Himself refuses to worship Satan, stating, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only' (Matt 4:10), the worship set forth throughout that book is specifically to Jesus Christ. The wise men worship Him (see Matt. 8:2)... A synagogue official worships Him (see Matt 9:18)... His disciples, after His resurrection, worship Him (see Matt. 28:9, 17)." (Pg. 22)

"Prior to becoming legal advisor to the Watch Tower, Rutherford had been a trial lawyer and a special judge in the absence of the regular of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Boonville, Missouri..." (Pg. 59)

"In Studies In The Scriptures: Thy Kingdom Come (Millennial Dawn), (Charles Taze) Russell had proposed that certain measurements in the Great Pyramid in Egypt would reveal the whole history of mankind as well as the time of the return of Jesus Christ." (Pg. 60)

"Now that the Mormons were without their prophet, several claimed to be the next prophet after Smith. Alpheus Cutler had a vision in which he was to become the leader... James Strang also had visions and claimed to have received a letter from Joseph Smith Jr. appointing Strang lawful successor just 10 days before Joseph was assassinated... Sidney Rigdon claimed succession and was rejected." (Pg. 103)

"Because celestial marriage (marriage in the Temple) is one requirement for godhood or exaltation, Jesus had to be married. Thus Mormons believe that while Jesus was on earth he was married, perhaps to Mary, Martha and Mary Magdalene. The Mormon Jesus was not only polygamous, but he even had children by these wives." (Pg. 111-112)

"It is true that Elohim is plural in form in the Hebrew, but when it is used of the God of the Bible, it is regularly followed by a singular verb, indicating the Elohim is one." (Pg. 120)