Posted on 06/01/2007 6:12:31 AM PDT by pby
Edited on 06/01/2007 6:55:53 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Is Mormonism Christian?
A Comparison of Mormonism and Historic Christianity Copyright © 1999 Institute for Religious Research. All rights reserved.
Is Mormonism Christian? This may seem like a puzzling question to many Mormons as well as to some Christians. Mormons will note that they include the Bible among the four books which they recognize as Scripture, and that belief in Jesus Christ is central to their faith, as evidenced by their official name, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Furthermore, many Christians have heard the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing Christian hymns and are favorably impressed with the Mormon commitment to high moral standards and strong families. Doesn’t it follow that Mormonism is Christian?
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You don't know that. When I was a Mormon it was freely discussed that Joseph Smith had probably already been exalted. Others who had been discussed were the Apostles and some of the characters in the Book of Mormon.
Can you state with assurance that Joseph Smith has not become an "exalted being", i.e., a member of the council of Gods on Kolob? Is there any statement in your church that would deny that Joseph Smith is now a God or a member of the council of gods?
Now who is being dishonest
I have many members of my family who are Mormons. I have yet to find where any of my Mormon relatives did not get baptized on behave of those in my family who die that where not Mormons.
Why do they do this because they don't believe they are save unless they are in the Mormon church
I fail to understand why anyone would wish to call themselves anything but a Christian.
I’d suggest that “Christian” in this context is needlessly inflammatory AND imprecise to boot. Predictably from my RC POV I’d go with, “Is Mormonism compatible with the Nicene/Constantinopolitan Creed, and if it differs, where?” I’m not saying that’s the RIGHT question, but it has the virtues of raising a more or less objective standard.
It would certainly make the discussion easier if we were all on the same page about what it is that the Mormon Church teaches.
The Church never thought of it as just another church nor a break off another demonination.
The fact is this is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" always considered itself as followers of Jesus Christ!
But will you get an answer?
I’m not going to judge whether this is a hit piece or not.
I do know that the Mormons that I’ve encountered make better Christians than nearly any of the Gene Robinson Episcopalians.
I do not know of any “luke-warm” Mormons, but I know plenty of “luke-warm” Catholics and “luke-warm” Methodists. (George Bush makes a better Catholic than Rudy the abortionist).
About half of the Baptists I know justify their faith by how much they hate Catholicism. Mormons don’t seem to engage in comparisons nearly as frequently.
Are Mormons misguided? Sure.
Are they misguided to a degree that makes them non-Christians? Shades of gray, I guess.
Is their behavior unacceptable? No way.
It says the same thing in Dueteronomy so I guess we can nix most of the OT and NT as well.
PM you skip over the 1000 years of peace and Judgment Day!
Joseph would be among those other leaders from the beganning of time, but that does not mean he has yet received a resurrected body!
He was not translated!
BTW the way anyone who receives a resurrected body of Flesh and Bones will be among the gods as the scripture state about being joint heirs!
Rom. 8: 17
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Now you are changing the subject.
The article accuses us of teaching (in private) that all non-Mormons are not Christians. That is false.
We do teach that to be saved, a person must have faith in Jesus Christ and receive baptism by the proper authority. We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints possesses that authority.
Hence, a person can be a Christian, believing in Jesus Christ, and yet still be in need of baptism.
Actually we do. We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Saints in the Bible = follower and disciple of Christ. We call ourselves Saints. Mormon comes from the Book of Mormon. "Mormon" as applied to us as a name was a shorthand way originally used by anti-Mormons. I supppose you could compare it to the adoption of the N word, but I don't totally like the analogy. Unfortunately the name stuck. Call it an MSM coup to keep people from teh real truth of our name. We also call ourselves Christian but some seem to think I am lying when I say that.
Why do they do this because they don't believe they are save unless they are in the Mormon church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!
You do understand that Mormons do not really consider themselves to be Christian in the realm of Christianity but consider themselves to be the only true church (the rest are whores)?
The speak inclusively when they are attempting to win converts. The converted get the real scoop.
See these quotes from LDS leaders:
Heber C. Kimball (First Counselor to Brigham Young) —
"Christians - those poor, miserable priests Brother Brigham was speaking about - some of them are the biggest whoremasters there are on the earth ..." (Journal of Discourses 5:89).
George Q. Cannon (Counselor to presidents Young, Taylor, Woodruff and Snow) —
"I do not wish to say anything in relation to other forms of religion; I do not know that it is necessary that I should do so; but no thinking man can admit that Christianity so-called - I call it a false Christianity, untrue to its name - satisfies the wants of humanity at the present time. It is not a religion that satisfies" (Journal of Discourses 24:185).
"After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, there were only two churches upon the earth. They were known respectively as the Church of the Lamb of God and Babylon. The various organizations which are called churches throughout Christendom, though differing in their creeds and organizations, have one common origin. They all belong to Babylon" (Gospel Truth, pg.324).
Wilford Woodruff (4th LDS President) —
"I said then, and I say now, may the Lord give me such periods of darkness as were enjoyed by the Apostles and Saints of old, in preference to the Gospel blaze of modern Christianity. The ancient doctrine and power will unlock the mysteries of heaven, and pour forth that Gospel light, knowledge, and truth, of which the heavens are full, and which has been poured out in every generation when Prophets appeared among the children of men. But the Gospel of modern Christendom shuts up the Lord, and stops all communication with Him. I want nothing to do with such a Gospel, I would rather prefer the Gospel of the dark ages, so called" (Journal of Discourses 2:196).
Erastus Snow (LDS Apostle) —
"There is a theory in the human mind - I will say with a certain school of modern philosophers - to satisfy themselves and justify their infidelity; the bent and tendency of their inclinations is that way. But it is probable that the crude, undefined devices and erroneous notions and ideas of modern Christianity touching the Deity leads to this infidelity, as much as anything else. The advocates of Christianity are in a great measure to blame. When we begin to scan the teachings and enquire into the views of the leading divines of modern times, and examine their articles of faith and their discipline, the teachings of different Christian denominations on the subject of the Deity, we do not wonder that the reflecting, careful thinker, should repudiate their crude notions" (Journal of Discourses 19:268).
B.H. Roberts (LDS Seventy and Historian) —
"Nothing less than a complete apostasy from the Christian religion would warrant the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (Introduction to the History of the Church 1:XL).
"This view of God as an incorporeal, immaterial, bodiless, partless, passionless being is now and has been from the days of the great apostasy from God and Christ, in the second and third centuries, the doctrine of Deity generally accepted by apostate Christendom. The simple doctrine of the Christian Godhead, set forth in the New Testament is corrupted by the meaningless jargon of these creeds, and their explanations; and the learned who profess a belief in them are wandering in the darkness of the mysticisms of the old pagan philosophies" (History of the Church, 1:LXXXV).
Parley P. Pratt (Mormon Apostle) —
"The false and corrupt institutions, and still more corrupt practices of `Christendom,' have had a downward tendency in the generations of man for many centuries ...The overthrow of those ancient degenerate races is a type of that which now awaits the nations call `Christian,' or in other words, `the great whore that sitteth upon many waters" (Key to the Science of Theology, 1938 ed., pg.106).
Alas, no.
no
Like the teachings of their prophets and leaders...always a moving target.
Whatever else may be argued, there are thousands of tons of archeological evidence that point to the historical validity of the Old and New Testaments. There are exactly zero ounces of archeological evidence that do the same for the Book of Mormon.
Thank you.
(You weren't fooled by the fraudulent use of the Egyptian funeral document?)
I’ve heard plenty of Baptists say likewise about Catholics.
Nor would George Bush liked to be called a Catholic, even though he makes a better Catholic than Rudy.
Again - I believe Mormons are misguided. But so is Gene Robinson and his ilk.
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