Let's see what the Mormon "prophets" have had to say to represent OFFICIAL Mormondom...men who carry a wee bit more "authority" representing the OFFICIAL Mormon church than say, an Anonymous Mormon Online Proselyter (A.M.O.P.):
Lds "prophet" John Taylor: Christianity will bear honest investigation. -- We call ourselves Christians, that is, we Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians and Mormons, we all call ourselves Christians. Well, perhaps we are, and then, perhaps WE are NOT" (The Gospel Kingdom,pp. 75)
Note...Taylor could NOT speak for the Methodists, Baptists,Presbyterians, Congregationalists or Episcopalians...his reference to "we" could ONLY officially speak for official Mormondom. Note the "perhaps WE are not."
Lds "apostle" Bruce McConkie: "The WHOLE CHRISTIAN world, in the days of the Prophet, believed falsely that God was a mystical spirit essence that filled the immensity of space and was everywhere and nowhere in particular present -- all of which proved only that they were all heretics, that the apostasy was universal. Heresy is false doctrine...There is no salvation in a false doctrine." (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 352)
Ah, an Lds "apostle" claiming "the WHOLE Christian world...believed falsely..." in the 1820s to 1840s era.
Why, if that was true, then Mormonism wasn't PART or ALL of the "Christian world," now was it, PD?
That means that Mormons were set apart as part of the MORMON world in the 1820s, 1830s, and 1840s.
Lds "apostle" Parley Pratt, ancestor of Mitt Romney: The sooner the present generation loses ALL reverence and respect for modern 'Christianity' with all its powerless forms and solemn mockeries, the sooner they will be prepared to receive the kingdom of God" (The Key to the Science of Theology, 1978 - written in the 1850s - p. 68)
Now if this Romney ancestor Mormon "apostle" thought either he -- or Mormondom -- represented "modern Christianity" circa 1850s...why would Pratt call for that present generation to "lose ALL reverence and respect" for Mormondom? It would make absolutely NO sense.
Obviously, unlike PD in 2011, Pratt in the 1850s did not see Mormonism as "Modern Christianity." Pratt, in fact, railed against the then "Modern Christianity"...and since we've NEVER heard Mitt Romney dismiss or apologize for the words of his direct ancestor...who knows what Mitt believes about "modern Christianity?"
Taylor again: "What does THE Christian world know about God? Nothing; yet these very men assume the right and power to tell others what they shall not believe in. Why so far as the things of God are concerned, they are the veriest of fools; they know neither God nor the things of God." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, p. 225 May 6, 1870)
There ya go again...Another reference to "THE Christian world" supposedly being "the veriest of fools"...
We looked at...
...McConkie's worldview of Christians during the "days of the prophet" (1820s-1844)...
...Pratt's comment directed to the "present generation" of the 1850s...
...And now, by 1870, what do we find with John Taylor? Mormon leaders were still referencing "THE Christian world" in 100% negative, bigoted, absolute terms...without PD's "special" qualifiers of either "we're Christians, too" or "we're the only true Christians in town."
And, btw, 'Zilla's right from his post. PD's as bigoted as their "apostles" (McConkie) and "apostles-turned-prophets" (Taylor) were. Chips off of the older heaven-blockers.
Well, let's jump forward to Mormon leaders in the 20th century:
McConkie again: "Modern Christians, as part of their various creeds and doctrines, have inherited many myths, legends, and traditions from their ancestors -- all of which views they falsely assume are part of true religion...Indeed, it would be difficult to assemble a greater number of myths into one philosophical system than are now found in the philosophies of modern Christendom." (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 525)
Well, besides more Mormon bigotry vs. Christians, what else can we glean from this comment? McConkie, again, doesn't try to "qualify" 1966 Christians other than calling them "modern". No attempt, in this comment, anyway, to make them carry any other identity than Christ.
But more importantly, as is true in ALL of the quotes I'm citing on this post, would a Mormon leader speak so negatively of a complete class of people ("modern Christians") if McConkie thought that he himself was such a "modern Christian?"
Obviously, no. You don't blast a group of people in an absolute way if you think you share that label with them...UNLESS, of course, you consider yourself to be exactly what you accuse them of...hardly fits the context.
So there ya go...a review of almost 150 years of Mormon leaders' unqualified attitude exhibited toward "Christians," the "Christian world" and "Christianity" without any attempt in those statements to qualify themselves as "fellow" Christians, part of the Christian world, or "we're Christianity, too."
So...given that some Mormons like to think of Christians as respectable and say, "We're Christians, too" (emphasis on the TOO part)...and other Mormons like to come along & say, "Well, they 'think' they are Christian, but we're the ONLY True (Restored) Christian on the face of the earth."
If we take the comments above at face value -- allowing Mormon leaders to speak for OFFICIAL Mormondom themselves (you want the truth, right?) -- which of those two types of Mormons were those leaders?
Well, in McConkie's case, we don't have to completely wonder. In that same 1966 book, Mormon Doctrine, McConkie referenced us as "so-called Christianity" on p. 131. So we at least know that -- given all the comments he made in that book put together -- he certainly was not the first type of Mormon...AND, he represented at least the initial part of that second type of Mormon.
So, we can ask PD: "Which of those two types of Mormons, PD, are you? Do you think ALL denominational types are generically 'Christian' and relate to Jesus? Or, do you think that ONLY Mormons are Christians & we're just 'so-called' ones?"
Jugding on past non-responses from PD, I don't expect him to respond. Still, I accord him the courtesy of free agency to do so.
Given that his free agency is likely to decline, based upon his previous SPAM pattern, I will say this: If PD's going to be a faithful covenant Mormon by not throwing McConkie, Taylor, & Pratt under the bus...then he -- like them -- won't have ANYTHING positive to say about Christians. If he's going to be faithful & embrace what they've said about us, then it'll be 100% negative, stated in absolute ways, with no "qualification" allowed.
* So, PD, how do you reconcile all of that?
* How can "Christian" & "Christian world" & "Christianity" be used in unqualified, absolute 100% negative ways for almost 150 Mormon leader years, & yet now you want to come & steal such a negative label for you & other Mormons? How can that be?
* If it's so negative, why would you want to wear that badge?
* And if you think we (plural) don't deserve the name of "Christ," then why don't just come right & show your intolerant bigotry toward us & say so instead of hiding it behind the wings stage left?
* Or, in case I haven't given you full free-agent options," if you think McConkie & Taylor & Parley Pratt were all "wet" & were guilty of falsely prophesying about us Christians, then why don't you say so? [Well, I doubt one who deems himself as THE PARAGON DEFENDER .. the one who has agreed with Smith as referencing us as "corrupt," would do the latter...yeah, I know...wasted keyboard time for me]
Twist and spout. That’s my new theme-song for you Colo.
How many times does this have to be gone over? Your non-issues have been addressed repeatedly for years and years and yet they just keep getting regurgitated as if they have not.
Mormons are Christian. The LDS is Christ’s Church restored. Other Christians have had and do have parts of the truth but not all of the truth. It’s really not that hard to grasp. Your quotes don’t go against this fact unless you twist and squint and stick your fingers in your ears and yell Lalalala!