Personages today.....
Well...
It's kind of hard to pin down in a few sentences here on FR.
Way back when all the far-flung 'churchs' were getting started, differing ways of worship evolved because there was no central power dictating which way to do it.
Acts 15 shows a bit of what was going on at certain places away from Jerusalems influence.
Obviously, differing peoples and lifestyles would influence HOW folks worshipped, while the WHY and WHAT would hopefully remain fairly uniform between the groups.
It's interesting that Paul addresses just about all of these problems in his letters to various 'churchs'.
However, the things were STILL being fussed over 2-3 centuries later.
That's why these difering councils got together to distill what was the ESSENCE of Christianity - the CREEDs that we now have - that illustrate the core princples, beliefs, that would tend to make a 'christian' church.
If a group does NOT have these essentials, I would question them as to really being Chrsitian.
Some go so far as to call the CREED an ABOMINATION, yet cannot point to a single thing in them that is wrong!
Church history is a fasinating subject and takes lots of time to chase down, because at each split BOTH sides tell their tale in a light that'll make them look good.
Much discernment is needed; to say the least!
Anyway, today's 'denonminations' will ALL have central things they agree on, which will unite them into the body of Christ (the church) and others they may rigorously DISagree about; which may not have much to do with faith in Christ at all.
Domestic disturbances are the thing cops HATE to go to; for they know that in a moment, the separte warring factions will unite in a common bond to fight off the intruders.
To outsiders looking at 'church' fights; intramural or intermural; will think there is NOTHING these folks have in common, but watch the 'fight' get set aside when a COMMON foe shows up on their doorstep!
Anyway - Catholics and Protestants both agree on the essentials - but the Mormons have chose other things to rely upon; going back into the OLD Testement for some of their practices, doing things that early Christianity defined as un-christian and even making up new ones on their own.
As a group, they have STRONG family values and their Conservatism is to be admired; but theologically - they are not Christian.
The Bible clearly warned about listening to things other than the Lord, and the two Personages that alledgely talked to Joseph Smith surely fall into the category of false doctrine.
Hope this helps a little.
Personages today.....