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Matt Slick

Matt Slick (1956–) is an American preacher, Christian apologist, and the founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM), which he established in 1995. Born in 1956, he was raised in a nominally Christian home in the United States and became involved in the occult as a teenager. At age 17, he experienced a dramatic conversion to Christianity after attending a church service, prompted by a desire to disprove the faith, which instead led him to embrace it. He graduated from Christ College Irvine (now Concordia University Irvine) in 1987 with a Bachelor’s in Social Science and earned a Master of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California, in 1991. Slick is married to Annick, and they have three daughters. Slick’s preaching career began with roles as an assistant pastor at a Christian Reformed Church and senior pastor at a Presbyterian Church in America congregation, both in Southern California. He founded CARM to address questions from critics online, initially compiling his sermons and notes into a website that has since grown into a major apologetics resource, reporting over 159 million visitors by November 2023. Known for his radio program Matt Slick Live, airing weekdays since the early 2000s, he engages callers on theology and apologetics. He has authored numerous books, including The Influence of Calvinism and Apologetics and Atheism, and is a frequent debater, notably with atheists like Matt Dillahunty. Based in Nampa, Idaho, Slick continues to lead CARM full-time, leaving a legacy as a preacher dedicated to defending and equipping Christians in their faith.
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Matt Slick addresses the Mormon teaching of Eternal Progression, emphasizing the belief that humans can become gods and goddesses through eternal progression by living a worthy life. He contrasts this with Christian beliefs, highlighting the sufficiency of the Bible and the uniqueness of God as eternal and unchanging. Slick urges Christians to pray for the salvation of Mormons and to share the truth of Scripture with them, emphasizing that the ultimate goal of salvation is to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, not to attain godlike status.
The Mormon Law of Eternal Progression
According to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), the Law of Eternal Progression is the teaching that men move from being spirit children of God in the pre-existence, to gaining physical bodies here on earth, and finally after death people enter into one of the three levels of heaven: Tellestial, Terrestrial, and Celestial. In Mormonism, every person who exists first had an existence prior to being born here on earth. Depending on the behavior in that pre-existence, spirit beings are born here on earth, some to Mormon families and some to other families elsewhere on earth. According to Mormon teaching, the goal is to live a life worthy enough of being exalted to godhead. Please consider the following quotes from Mormon sources. “Following the revelations he received, Joseph Smith taught with authority many truths recorded in the Bible which previously had not been understood. Some of these are: that we are spirit children of God, that we had a premortal existence, that we are in mortality to prove ourselves, and that if we are faithful we can return to live eternally in the presence of God and through eternal progression become Godlike,” (N. Eldon Tanner, “The Contributions of the Prophet Joseph Smith,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 1979, p.52). "It is reasonable to believe, in the absence of direct revelation by which alone absolute knowledge of the matter could be acquired, that, in accordance with God's plan of eternal progression, advancement within each of the three specified kingdoms will be provided for; though as to possible progress from one kingdom to another the scriptures make no positive affirmation," (James E. Talmage, Articles of Faith, 1984, p.371). "The principal purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the ultimate goal of eternal progression is to receive eternal life, i.e., to become as God is. It is thoroughly understood, however, that a vast majority of the human family will never become gods, because to do so they must accept the true gospel, receive all of the ordinances-including celestial marriage-and obey all of God's commandments faithfully to the end," (Milton R. Hunter, Christ in Ancient America, p.168). LDS theology teaches the following as the process of become gods and goddesses in eternal progression. We pre-exist as intelligences. Intelligences move into "spirit form" through the process of procreation where god and his goddess wife, who have bodies of flesh and bones, produce spirit offspring. The spirit offspring are then born in mortal bodies here on earth. After death, we go to either paradise or spirit prison. At the judgment, we then are assigned one of three levels of heaven (Tellestial, Terrestrial, Celestial) or we go to "outer darkness." Godhood is attained by those Mormons who kept Celestial Law. The rest become angels in the other two levels of heaven. The process of eternal progression continues as those who have become god and goddess then produce spirit offspring. In summation, Mormonism teaches that we had a pre-existence, that we are born here on earth, and that if we are good enough Mormons we can become gods and goddesses of our own worlds. How Should Christians Respond? The Christian should respond to Mormon teaching on eternal progression by first praying for the salvation of the Mormon people, and that they would be delivered from their false teaching. Second, even though they deny the sufficiency of the Bible, you must quote Scripture. Isaiah 55:11 says, "So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth. It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire." You must trust the power of the word of God and tell it to the Mormons. The following Scriptures are worth presenting. God was not exalted. He has always been God. "Before the mountains were born, or you gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God," (Psalm 90:2). We cannot become gods. “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me," (Isaiah 43:10). There are no other gods. "‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid. Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none,’” (Isaiah 44:8). The members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormons, have been seduced by the idea of becoming like God and having their own worlds. They fail to see that the prize in salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ and his presence, not self exaltation to a godlike state. So pray for the lost people of Mormonism, that God might grant them repentance that leads to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 2:25).
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Matt Slick (1956–) is an American preacher, Christian apologist, and the founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM), which he established in 1995. Born in 1956, he was raised in a nominally Christian home in the United States and became involved in the occult as a teenager. At age 17, he experienced a dramatic conversion to Christianity after attending a church service, prompted by a desire to disprove the faith, which instead led him to embrace it. He graduated from Christ College Irvine (now Concordia University Irvine) in 1987 with a Bachelor’s in Social Science and earned a Master of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California, in 1991. Slick is married to Annick, and they have three daughters. Slick’s preaching career began with roles as an assistant pastor at a Christian Reformed Church and senior pastor at a Presbyterian Church in America congregation, both in Southern California. He founded CARM to address questions from critics online, initially compiling his sermons and notes into a website that has since grown into a major apologetics resource, reporting over 159 million visitors by November 2023. Known for his radio program Matt Slick Live, airing weekdays since the early 2000s, he engages callers on theology and apologetics. He has authored numerous books, including The Influence of Calvinism and Apologetics and Atheism, and is a frequent debater, notably with atheists like Matt Dillahunty. Based in Nampa, Idaho, Slick continues to lead CARM full-time, leaving a legacy as a preacher dedicated to defending and equipping Christians in their faith.