When I was eight years old my family and I joined the Mormon church. I was baptized a Mormon, and we were active in the church until I was about 17, when one day my dad suddenly declared that we all only needed the Holy Bible for the answers to our heavenly salvation, and that was that. To say that the Mormons are not Christian is very offensive to all Mormons. Mormons are indeed very much a part of the Christian faith. In fact, the official name of the church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Mormons believe in the Jesus of the Bible, the same that was born at Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, preached His gospel in Galilee and Judea, healed the sick, raised the dead, and finally offered Himself as a sinless ransom for the sins of the world. They believe that Jesus Christ was literally resurrected, that He lives today, and that He is the only name under heaven by which mankind can be saved. This is the Jesus whose name is depicted on the front of every Mormon place of worship. This is the Jesus in whose name every Mormon prays and every sermon is preached. This is the Jesus whose body and blood are commemorated in weekly worship services by Latter-day Saints from Australia to Arkansas, from Carthage to California. For Latter-day Saints who try to live their lives as they believe Jesus taught, assertions that they aren’t Christian are as bewildering as they are hurtful.
Mormons are well aware of the many deep doctrinal differences with other Christians. For instance, Mormons reject the Trinity as non-biblical, and believe the concept to be the product of the creeds that emerged from the 4th and 5th centuries. Further, while embracing the Bible (the King James version is preferred), they don’t interpret it the same way as some Protestants – for instance, that the earth was literally created in six days of 24 hours. Neither do they believe that the scriptural canon was closed with a period and an exclamation mark after the death of the apostles, but that God is perfectly able to talk to prophets today as He did in ancient times. When someone says Mormons aren’t Christian, I'm assumimng that he or she usually means that Mormons don’t embrace the traditional interpretation of the Bible that includes the Trinity. “Our Jesus” is somehow different from “their Jesus.” Further, they mean that some Mormon teachings are so far outside Christian orthodoxy of past centuries that they constitute almost a new religion. Mormons have no argument with assertions that they are not “creedal Christians,” or not “orthodox” Christians or “Trinitarian Christians.” Frankly, the whole point of Mormonism is that it is different.
The folllowing are the Mormon Articles of faith:
Thirteen brief statements written by Joseph Smith that summarize some of the basic doctrines of the Church.
1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
My family "tried out" about a dozen or so different faiths and churches through the years. At one time or another I have attended or been a part of the following churches: Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Church of God, Lutheran, Presbyterian, LDS (Mormon), Episcopal, and in law school I briefly dated a very hot black girl and went with her for a while to her AME Church. The thing I took from all of those experiences is that while there are some fundamental differences in those Christian based faiths, they are all still very much Christian based faiths.
Saying Mormons aren't Christian would be the same as saying Catholics aren't either. I mean ask a Catholic to describe the Book of Revelation to you, or better yet, ask a Catholic priest why Revelation isn't preached in the Catholic church on Sunday (er...Saturday
). Or because most all protestant based faiths (including the LDS Church) use the New Testament usage for the term "saints", as referring simply and generally to all Christians, and the Catholic church does not, does that make either of them any less Christian? No, it does not.
In a speech in Salt Lake City at the Mormon tabernacle there, John Kennedy said about the Mormon faith, “And what has been true of the Mormons has been true of countless other religious faiths - Jews, Quakers, Catholics, Baptists, Unitarians, Christian Scientists, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and many, many others. All encountered resistance and oppression. All stuck by both their rights and their country. And in time the fruits of liberty were theirs to share as well; and the very diversity of their beliefs enriched our Nation's spiritual strength… Many a great nation has been torn by religious feuds and holy wars - but never the United States of America. For here diversity has led to unity - liberty has led to strength. And today that strength - that spiritual, moral strength - is needed as never before.”
The whole argument about Mormons being Christian reminds me of the "joke" my grandfather told me when I was little. In it a man dies and goes to heaven. He stands before the Pearly gates and says to St. Peter, "I cannot wait to get in here with all those other Lutherans." St. Peter calmly tells the man, "We don't have any Lutherans in Heaven." The man is beside himself. "What? No Lutherans? Then what do you have here? A bunch of Methodists?"
"No Methodists either", says St. Peter.
The man growing more exasperated asks "Baptists?"
"No." says Peter.
"Don't tell me just Catholics!" says the man.
"No Catholics either." says Peter.
Fully enraged the man demands, "Well what do you have here then ??!!!"
St. Peter says, "Christians."
Growing up more or less a Mormon, there was one BIG thing that stood out to me more than any other faith I have ever been exposed too; their devotion to family. The concept and belief in a strong and loving "family" is REALLY big to the Mormons. Mormons are basically taught to even have "family nights' each week, or to dedicate an entire weekend day to a family endeavor. I always thought that was very cool, and overall is lacking in this country in a biiiig way today.
Topic: Mormonism (Read 11101 times)
