Ed Decker
Encyclopedia
Ed Decker also known as John Edward Decker, is an American counterculture apologist and evangelist
known for his studies, books, and public presentations of the perceived negative aspects of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and Freemasonry
. He is a former member of the LDS Church and prominent early member of a Christian
group for ex-Mormons called Saints Alive. His most well-known book is The God Makers: A Shocking Expose of What the Mormon Church Really Believes, co-authored by Dave Hunt.
. His mother's family was almost all killed during the holocaust with only his mother and a few cousins surviving. While attending Utah State University
he married an LDS
student and converted to Mormonism. In the LDS Church he served in many roles including Ward Clerk and Counselor to a Bishop. Decker later divorced his first wife and remarried before deciding that the LDS religion was not for him and became an Evangelical during the 1970s. During an interview with Mormon Expression
he stated that the main reasons for leaving the LDS faith were disagreement with the Mormon theology especially statements on the Godhead. He also stated that he felt a calling to become an Evangelical minister.
Additional books written in this genre include Fast Facts on False Teachings, Decker's Complete Handbook on Mormonism, and Unmasking Mormonism. A fictional work by Decker entitled The Mormon Dilemma was added to Conversations With The Cults — the Harvest House series, entitled What You Need to Know About Mormons.
The God Makers, a book about the inner workings of the LDS Church, has been updated and expanded. Attempting to cut through the wholesome image projected by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the book purportedly reveals inconvenient aspects of the beliefs and practices of Mormonism. The God Makers aims to prepare people for witnessing to Mormons and encourages Mormons to discover and develop a personal relationship with the biblical Jesus.
Decker participated in the documentary films, The God Makers, The Temple Of The God Makers, The Mormon Dilemma, and The God Makers II
. His smaller projects include the booklets And The Word Became Flesh and To Moroni, With Love! and " Understanding Islam", which are distributed by his nonprofit organization.
Decker states that My Kingdom Come: The Mormon Quest for Godhood is his final book to be presented on the subject of Mormonism. In this book, he dedicates an entire chapter to Mitt Romney and the Mormon beliefs about the future of the United States.
and has written What You Need To Know About Masons and The Dark Side of Freemasonry, and the booklet entitled The Question of Freemasonry.
Jerald and Sandra Tanner
and Bob Passantino
have said that his writings grossly misrepresent Mormonism, and thereby dilute his message and offend Mormons without attracting them to evangelical Christianity. The Tanners, themselves prominent critics of the LDS Church, have noted what they contend are inaccuracies and errors in some of Decker's works.
One of Decker's associates offered to exorcise the Tanners' demons, and expressed great sadness when they refused. Ed Decker has also co-written a book with Ron Carlson called Fast facts on false teachings, which deals with what he believes to be various false systems of worship, including Roman Catholicism, Mormonism and the Word of Faith movement.
Movies
Leaflets
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
known for his studies, books, and public presentations of the perceived negative aspects of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. He is a former member of the LDS Church and prominent early member of a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
group for ex-Mormons called Saints Alive. His most well-known book is The God Makers: A Shocking Expose of What the Mormon Church Really Believes, co-authored by Dave Hunt.
Early years
Ed Decker was born to a Jewish mother and Dutch-Reform father but raised an EpiscopalianEpiscopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
. His mother's family was almost all killed during the holocaust with only his mother and a few cousins surviving. While attending Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
he married an LDS
LDS
LDS may refer to:* LDS Church, abbreviation for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints * LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah...
student and converted to Mormonism. In the LDS Church he served in many roles including Ward Clerk and Counselor to a Bishop. Decker later divorced his first wife and remarried before deciding that the LDS religion was not for him and became an Evangelical during the 1970s. During an interview with Mormon Expression
Mormon Expression
Mormon Expression is a weekly podcast created by John Larsen dealing with issues of Mormon faith, culture, doctrine and history. The podcast includes a mixed format of interviews and panel discussions...
he stated that the main reasons for leaving the LDS faith were disagreement with the Mormon theology especially statements on the Godhead. He also stated that he felt a calling to become an Evangelical minister.
LDS Church
Decker has authored and co-authored books addressing the inner workings and purported negative aspects of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His book, The God Makers, was followed by The God Makers II. He released a book in November 2007, titled My Kingdom Come — The Mormon Quest for Godhood.Additional books written in this genre include Fast Facts on False Teachings, Decker's Complete Handbook on Mormonism, and Unmasking Mormonism. A fictional work by Decker entitled The Mormon Dilemma was added to Conversations With The Cults — the Harvest House series, entitled What You Need to Know About Mormons.
The God Makers, a book about the inner workings of the LDS Church, has been updated and expanded. Attempting to cut through the wholesome image projected by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the book purportedly reveals inconvenient aspects of the beliefs and practices of Mormonism. The God Makers aims to prepare people for witnessing to Mormons and encourages Mormons to discover and develop a personal relationship with the biblical Jesus.
Decker participated in the documentary films, The God Makers, The Temple Of The God Makers, The Mormon Dilemma, and The God Makers II
The God Makers II
The God Makers II is a documentary styled film produced by Ed Decker and Jeremiah Films. The film claims to be an exposé of secrets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. His smaller projects include the booklets And The Word Became Flesh and To Moroni, With Love! and " Understanding Islam", which are distributed by his nonprofit organization.
Decker states that My Kingdom Come: The Mormon Quest for Godhood is his final book to be presented on the subject of Mormonism. In this book, he dedicates an entire chapter to Mitt Romney and the Mormon beliefs about the future of the United States.
Freemasonry
Decker speaks out against FreemasonryFreemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and has written What You Need To Know About Masons and The Dark Side of Freemasonry, and the booklet entitled The Question of Freemasonry.
Criticism
Decker's work has attracted criticism not only from Latter-day Saints, but also from religious scholars of other faiths.Jerald and Sandra Tanner
Jerald and Sandra Tanner
Jerald Dee Tanner was an American writer and researcher who, with his wife Sandra McGee Tanner spent nearly fifty years annotating and publishing archival and evidential materials which, the Tanners claim, accurately portrayed the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
and Bob Passantino
Robert Passantino
Robert "Bob" Passantino , was an American Christian author and journalist who wrote on subjects related to Christian apologetics, philosophy, and the Christian countercult movement.- Career :...
have said that his writings grossly misrepresent Mormonism, and thereby dilute his message and offend Mormons without attracting them to evangelical Christianity. The Tanners, themselves prominent critics of the LDS Church, have noted what they contend are inaccuracies and errors in some of Decker's works.
One of Decker's associates offered to exorcise the Tanners' demons, and expressed great sadness when they refused. Ed Decker has also co-written a book with Ron Carlson called Fast facts on false teachings, which deals with what he believes to be various false systems of worship, including Roman Catholicism, Mormonism and the Word of Faith movement.
Works
Books- The God Makers: A Shocking Expose of What the Mormon Church Really Believes, avec Dave Hunt, Harvest House Publishers, 1997, ISBN 9781565077171
- The God Makers II
- My Kingdom Come - The Mormon Quest for Godhood, 2007
- Fast Facts on False Teachings
- Decker's Complete Handbook on Mormonism
- Unmasking Mormonism
- The Mormon Dilemma
- What You Need to Know About Mormons
- What You Need To Know About Masons
- The Dark Side of Freemasonry, Huntington House Publishers, 1994.
Movies
- The God Makers
- The Temple Of The God Makers
- The Mormon Dilemma
- The God Makers II
Leaflets
- And The Word Became Flesh
- To Moroni, With Love!
- The Question of Freemasonry
External links
- FAIR - Site index for topics relating to Ed Decker
- Profile of Ed Decker
- Saints Alive Ministry - Decker's ministry