"I WAS BATHED WITH WATER FROM DEAD BODY"

Latter-Day Saint Missionary tells his story

REPORTS PAULINA KUMAH

Over the years, many Ghanaians have had the benefit of reading, even watching some of the queer, unbiblical beliefs and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons or LDS for short).

LDS claim they believe in the Bible only when it is “translated correctly”. There are other “holy books”, especially the Book of Mormons (whose authority supersedes that of the Bible’s). Among the LDS queer beliefs are that Black people inherited their black skins as a result of their sin, and that they would have no entry into heaven; plural marriages (polygamy); proxy baptism (i.e., baptism on behalf of dead relatives to enable them to go to heaven), etc.

However, what actually takes place in the much talked-about temple rituals of the LDS church is most of the time hidden in obscurity, until someone who had gone through them gets converted to Christianity and comes out to tell his story. Even then, many converts from the church seldom tell the real story for fear of the curses that could follow doing so.

A young man, Samuel Kwabena Ampofo, who was lured into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has come out and tells his story:

“I got in touch with the church in 1985 while working in Accra. The gentleman who introduced the church to me later invited me to the Temple at Tesano where I was baptized after going through their series of teachings as ‘custom’ demands.

I was then given the opportunity to serve the church. The conditions of service were so attractive that I resigned from work and served full-time with the church till I earned the title that enabled me to enter the Melchizedek Priesthood, one of the church’s high offices (you graduate from the Aaronic Priesthood to get there).

Training in the USA

“The missionaries of the church were so serious with their work that they wanted to get a number of nationals well trained to continue the work and make it more effective.

To achieve this aim, quite a number of people were sent to Utah, USA, the LDS headquarters, to train as missionaries. I must mention that some people took advantage of this and got “lost” in America.

I was sent to my training in 1987 with three others.

Change of Name and Incision

“For our training, we had to go to the Temple in groups of twos to meet special instructors. I was told that God gave me a name at birth but because I was not with the true church, (LDS), I did not know it. Thus, now that I was with the right church I could find my name and thus my true identity. The name I was given was Isah.

In addition to my change of name, I was told I had to be incised as a mark of my new status as a true Israelite (in LDS terminology, true Israelites are Latter Day Saints). Some cuts were thus made on my body and some ointment with ashes was used to treat the wounds.

The Main Ritual

“Now it was time for the main rituals after a series of lectures. In a special part of the Temple I was bathed with water drained from the body of a dead man around midnight. Without wiping myself, I was made to stand in a circle of candidates and incense. A care-taker and two other people came to chant around me for quite some time.

From then on I continued going to the temple for prayer until I had fulfilled all my days of purification.

Features of Utah

“The LDS is the richest American church. The beauty of the temple is one glaring evidence.

One of the things that astounded me were the people dressed like lodge members in the temple. These people have a special place at a beach where they perform their rituals.

People who defected from the LDS church, especially those who have gone deep like myself, stand the danger of facing even death as a penalty.

Beliefs

“LDS [believe] their church is the only true church. As such life here and hereafter is useless unless one joins the church.

Having been told that anyone who died outside the LDS church would not go to the celestial kingdom where God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are, I got baptized on behalf of my dead relatives to enable them go to the celestial city.

It is also a doctrine that only the marriages sealed in their temples will continue hereafter.

On the Field

“My first training field was in Kenya, where I stayed for a year. From there I was sent back to Ghana where I worked in Takoradi till the government imposed a ban on the church in 1989.

My conversion

“With nothing doing, I moved down to Accra. On May 22, 1990, a lady lawyer (now an evangelist) told me about Jesus and how lost I was as a Mormon. I surrendered my life to the Lord.

Thereafter, the resident missionaries tried to lure me back with money and all kinds of promises, but my mind was already made up for Christ.

I must admit that, being aware of the penalty for defectors, I became afraid. I had been warned that if I ever left the church, things were never going to be okay with me. I had to go through all kinds of nightmarish experiences but by the grace of God, I’m getting over this situation.

I have decided to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and I will not turn back no matter what happens. The Lord will keep me.

We are glad . . .

Many people have stopped going to the Latter day saints church in this country. We know that, just like God has quenched the flames with which this dangerous cult was razing through our land, He will also deal with the many other cults and lodges that threaten the spiritual security of our land!” [Paulina Kumah, “I Was Bathed with Water from Dead Body: Latter-Day Saint Missionary Tells His Story,” Watchman, no. 13 (1993): 93, 1, 7, Kissi Research Files, Church Archives.]