I guess some can just declare “Christian” as their denomination (which actually is fine with me). That’s convenient when others want to find wacky quotes from their leaders. That being the case, though, they ought to lay out their beliefs for our scrutiny, instead of hiding behind the faults of other religions. Fair game?
Yes, fair game. I'm an evangelical. Jesus Christ is my leader, my head of my church, my Savior, and my "Prophet." (Please quote Him all you want).
That’s convenient when others want to find wacky quotes from their leaders.
The problem with your lack of logic here is that even if posters gave you a long list of Evangelical/Protestant/Catholic leaders within their family sphere running back several generations, you won't find ANY of these leaders writing the 2nd or 3rd books of Revelation & claiming, "God told me that Mormons are XYZ..." Even if you get "wacky" opinions of them about other sects, NONE of these leaders would ever have claimed that what they said was "Scripture."
That's not the case with Lds. In fact, a HUGE selling point their missionaries try to make door-to-door is that ONLY they have a "living prophet" and "continuing revelation." Mormons actually think that's a selling point. So when we call them on their selling points, you think we're actually only addressing some obscure quotes?
No, we're addressing their claim made to this very day that they have "living prophets" and ongoing "extended scripture factories" -- and that these quotes not only represent their leaders, but is supposedly God's "direct opinion of us." (Go ahead...look at the Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith, vv. 18-21...Smith even directly addresses Presbyterianism as being "wrong" and as a church unworthy of joining...tell me where you can find similar references in the Bible specifically to Mormons by name?)
So what's the bottom-line implication for contemporary church members of all this?
(1) Any Christian can in good conscience reject what some Christian leader said about the Jews, or slavery, or another sect, etc.
(2) On the other hand, can a Mormon reject the founding vision of their church? Especially since it was canonized and made into Scripture? Lds are also trained to quote Amos 3:7 all the time Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets -- as evidence of a direct living prophet-voice line to God. So how can they really reject what their living "prophet" conveys in general conferences & messages & print?
I think so...course don't be surprised that they will offer just more of 'they are right and any one they say is not practicing a real religion is hellbent, for well, hell'!
Of COURSE we MORMONs are CHRISTIANS!!!
It says so right on the outer wall of our buildings!!
--MordomDupe(The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints)