Are Mormons Christians?
When witnessing to a Mormon, one must understand something about their doctrine in order to avoid being misled by them into thinking that they too are Christians, because as one friend of mine in Las Vegas said, they speak fluent "Christianeze".
I was on another blog a few days ago and the discussion was whether or not a Mormon is saved if they believe Jesus died on the cross for their sins and they put their trust in Him for their salvation. I pointed out that if they were a Mormon, they didn’t believe in the Jesus of the Bible. They believed in a false Jesus who was not God, and their Jesus could therefore have no power to save them.
Do Mormons worship the God of the Bible? Let’s compare.
Bible: God is infinite
Mormons: God is Finite
Bible: God has always been God
Mormons: God became God
Bible: God is and always has been holy
Mormons: God attained holiness
Bible: God is and always has been omniscient
Mormons: God attained omniscience
Bible: God is and always has been omnipotent
Mormons: God attained omnipotence
Bible: God is and always has been perfect
Mormons: God attained perfection
Bible: There is only one God
Mormons: There are an infinite number of gods
Do Mormons worship the Jesus of the Bible? Let’s compare:
Bible: Jesus is eternal
Mormons: Jesus was procreated by God and God’s wife
Bible: Jesus is the Creator
Mormons: Jesus is our literal brother
Bible: Jesus is God
Mormons: Jesus and Lucifer were brothers
Interesting quote from Joseph Smith in “History of the Church”:
“
I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet.”
The Mormon religion has 12 steps toward salvation, and having “faith in Christ” is only the first step. A true Mormon who says they trust in Christ for their salvation is trusting in a false Jesus and in works.
Step #1:Have faith in Christ
Step #2:Be repentant
Step #3: Be baptized by the LDS Church
Step #4: Receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands from a member of the Melchizedek priesthood
Step #5: Males are ordained into the Melchizedek Priesthood
Step #6: Receive temple endowments
Step #7: Participate in celestial marriage
Step #8: Observe the word of wisdom
Step #9: Sustain the prophet
Step #10: Tithe
Step #11: Attend sacrament meetings
Step #12: Obey the church
Stephen Covey, the author of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” is a Mormon who calls himself an Enemy of Christian truth. He has warned Mormon readers in his “The Divine Center” against seeking “any kind of special relationship with Jesus Christ” and says that salvation by grace alone is a “false concept” and an “apostate doctrine.”
Are Mormons Christians? The answer is an emphatic NO.
Labels: False Religions
thoughts from Ms.Green @ Wednesday, July 12, 2006
9 Comments:
I don't even have to read your post to answer this....
NO!
Now that I've said my piece, I'll read your post.
Excellent summary!
Thanks, Neil. Coming from you, that is an extreme compliment. I'm continually impressed with your diligence to know and to teach Scripture and truth.
Are you serious?
Hi clean cut, I'm not sure who your question is addressed to, but if it is to me, then I'd have to say yes, I'm dead serious. Are you a Mormon?
How to Win Friends and Influence Mormons
http://summatheologica.wordpress.com/2007/09/28/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-mormons/
Clean cut, I appreciate you stopping by but I'm not sure I understand why you posted the link. You are Mormon, isn't that correct? What is it you are trying to say here?
I suppose I'm trying to say that there is a better way of having interfaith dialogue than to misrepresent, misinterpret, mischaracterize, and distort another's faith. I am a Latter-day Saint and I do not see myself in what you have explained as core and saving Latter-day Saint beliefs.
I'm 100% sure that I do not share the same beliefs as you, but I'm certainly not presumptuous enough to claim that I know what you REALLY believe. I'm also not seeing the wisdom in debating whether or not you are REALLY a Christian. Doesn't it really only matter how Christ sees us anyway?
Are Mormons Christians? Of course they are. However, we already know what the answer to that question is according to your limited definition of Christianity, ie: "Those who believe exactly like me").
Perhaps the bad impression this post gives off is intended?
Phew....where to begin?
I guess I'll start from the beginning.
-Mormons believe God is infinite. I'm not quite sure where you get this finite stuff from. Maybe it's because Mormons believe God has a physical body, but we believe his power, glory, knowledge, goodness, etc, extends infinitely through time and space.
"God became God, God attained holiness, etc." An over simplification of a complex doctrine. Most of your ideas come from the King Follett discourse, but I really doubt you've actually read it. That discourse speaks more about man's potential to become like God than many of these speculative notions you've labeled as Mormon doctrine. As a side note really, that idea is not so un-biblical: Matthew 5:48, Acts 17:29, Romans 8:17, 1 John 3:2, Revelation 3:21. Interpret those how you want, but don't immediately dismiss Mormons as non-Christian because they pay attention to these scriptures and interpret them the way they do.
-"Jesus is eternal, Creator, God" Mormons believe all these things about Christ. That Jesus is our literal brother and that Lucifer is also our brother does not contradict with these ideas. By the way, it annoys me when people say Mormons believe Jesus and Lucifer were brothers because it's as though we emphasize that idea. We don't. Look at the Bible. Satan obviously existed before the creation since he was in the Garden to tempt Adam and Eve, and Lucifer means "son of the morning". So if Lucifer had been a son of the morning, it implies that he was at one point esteemed, but fell. I don't see why this idea is so offensive to Christians who adhere to the Creeds.
-Regarding the quote: Although I suspect this is a misquote, we'll assume it's authentic. Look what happened to Joseph Smith. Many of his followers left and he himself was murdered. That God needed to humble Joseph Smith is no more indication that he was a false prophet than the Savior's constant humbling of the apostles is an indication they were false prophets.
-There are many more than 12 steps to salvation, since you've omitted most of the 10 commandments and the many other commandments given in Scripture. Where did you get this list anyway? I've never seen a 12-step process in Mormonism in my life. You've implied (though I may misunderstand you) that faith in Christ is the only necessary step. If that's so, why all this stuff in Acts about repenting and being baptized? Why does God give any commandment in the Bible if we don't need to obey it? Read all of James, but mostly chapter 2 vs 17-26.
-If you're reading Stephen Covey as an authority on Mormon belief, you're going to the wrong sources. Either he or you doesn't understand the debate on grace between Mormons and Protestants. The question is not salvation through grace, but rather grace through faith or grace through works. Mormons believe both faith and good works are necessary for grace to apply.
Mormon belief is different from Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox belief, that's for sure. But who's to say who is Christian? I would worry less about whether an entire belief system is Christian, and ask yourself if you are Christian. I'm sure you try, but rest assured that as a Mormon, I try every day to be Christian, both in word and deed.
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