Is Mormonism Christian?

[Wholeheart]

The first item in the Mormon doctrinal statement, first published in 1838, states, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” So this would seem to be a completely acceptable trinitarian declaration of belief, and there is no doubt but that the wording was given so as to impress the casual inquirer with the orthodoxy of the new church. Many people hearing or reading this statement are favorably impressed by it and come to the conclusion that the Mormons are just another branch of Christianity—somewhat different, but rather successful.

I think before accepting the Mormon doctrinal statement regarding the nature of Deity, it might be a good idea for some definitions to see if the statement really means what it seems to mean from the biblical viewpoint. In my in-depth study on Mormonism I have come to the conclusion that the god of Mormon theology is not the God of the Bible or of evangelical Christianity.

I would go further and say that the present Mormon concepts of god as an exalted man and of the plurality of gods are totally absent from The Book of Mormon.
The names of god as used in The Book of Mormon are scarcely different from those used in the King James Version of the Bible: Joseph Smith and his coauthors quoted copiously from it while composing their volume of Mormon belief. When Smith was writing The Book of Mormon, with the assistance of Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris and, possibly Sidney Rigdon, he and his associates had no greater knowledge of the names and attributes of God than the average person of their day.

One of the most preposterous claims of the Latter-Day Saints is that on April 6, 1830, the true Church of Jesus Christ was reestablished on the earth, after a lapse of seventeen hundred years. In the use of the term “restoration,” the Latter-Day saints do not mean reformation, revival, or revitalization; but complete reestablishment, with a restored apostolic authority. According to the Mormons, that authority was forfeited by the apostasy that followed the death of the twelve apostles. After this post I plan to go into the beginning of the Mormon church and the history of Joseph Smith and his family before The beginning of Mormonism.

 

[Fred]

I have come to the conclusion that the god of Mormon theology is not the God of the Bible or of evangelical Christianity.

Correct.

 

[Diserner]

I think a Mormon specifically trusting on Christ for salvation could be saved.

But in general, it's divergence is extreme.

 

[Wholeheart]

I think a Mormon specifically trusting on Christ for salvation could be saved.

But in general, it's divergence is extreme.

I see your point and I think you're right an individual person identifying as a Mormon would probably be saved by trusting Christ for his salvation. I think the problem is if you are true adherent to Mormonism you would be trusting their teaching rather than Christ.

 

[Wholeheart]

Mormon Teaching: Men Who Believe in Salvation through Faith in Christ Alone Are Damned

Joseph Fielding Smith, the 10th president and prophet of the Mormon Church, declared that “Mankind [is] damned by [the] ‘faith alone’ doctrine” and that “we must emphatically declare that man must obey these [gospel] laws if they would be saved.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, Volume 2, 139, emphasis added.)

Mormon apostle LeGrand Richards asserted that “one erroneous teaching of many Christian churches is: by faith alone we are saved. This [is a] false doctrine....” (LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, 1975, 25, emphasis added.)

President and prophet Brigham Young taught, “I have power to save myself, if I do not save myself, who will save me? All have the privilege, and naught can save us but obedience to the commandments of God.” Young goes on to speak of “baptism for the remission of sins,” receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost through laying on of hands, paying tithes, prayer, “and day by day fulfill[ing] all the duties required at your hand; such a course is saving in its nature” [if continued until death].³


John Weldon, The Mormon Deception

 

[civic]

I think a Mormon specifically trusting on Christ for salvation could be saved.

But in general, it's divergence is extreme.

There is a Mormon on another forum I’ve known for years who believes in the Trinity and deity of Christ like we do and has the same understanding of the gospel as we do and she knows the word very well. I have no doubt she is a born again believer.

 

[Wholeheart]

Was Joseph Smith Involved in Occult Activities That the Bible Teaches Are an Abomination to God? Looks like it.

In the Bible, God warns in the strongest terms against engaging in occult practices of various types. For example:

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire [the common ancient practice of human sacrifice (see note 7], who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord,... Deut. 18:10-12

They practiced divination and sorcery and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. (2 Kings 17:17)
He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 2 Kings 21:6

Given Joseph Smith’s contact with numerous spirits in the founding of Mormonism; given the fact that the Mormon holy books are believed to be inspired by spirits or alleged angels (which were really demons); given the fact that Mormons baptize for the dead and believe in practicing supernatural gifts, including contacting the dead, it is proper to classify Joseph Smith as an occult practitioner and Mormonism itself as an occult religion. Given the Mormon belief in polytheism—strictly henotheism and polytheism—and the sexual activity of the Mormon deities, is also proper to classify Mormonism as pagan as well.

In Behind the Mask of Mormonism, an entire section is devoted to the occult practices of Joseph Smith and the occult nature of the Mormon Church In addition, former BYU professor D. Michael Quinn has authored numerous books critical of Mormonism, including Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, which provides a great deal of documentation as to the occult roots of Mormonism. Jerald and Sandra Tanner have also written Mormonism, Magic and Masonry, which documents the influence of magic and masonry on Joseph Smith.

 

[Wholeheart]

There is a Mormon on another forum I’ve known for years who believes in the Trinity and deity of Christ like we do and has the same understanding of the gospel as we do and she knows the word very well. I have no doubt she is a born again believer.

She could very well be part of the Mormon community, In other words born into a Mormon family and be a undercover Christian.

Mormons believe that, in the preexistent life, Jesus was a created being and the elder brother of Lucifer—even that everyone on earth is (for lack of a better word) “genetically” related to the devil as his spirit brother or sister.

According to Mormonism, Elohim and His wife had innumerable spirit children who needed bodies to inhabit so they could have the opportunity to seek godhood for themselves in order to rule their own planets. Because Satan and his demons were also preexistent children of Elohim and his celestial wife, all sharing the same nature as his other spirit children, Mormonism blasphemously teaches that Satan is therefore Christ’s spiritual brother.

Apparently, Lucifer was the second born spirit son of Elohim, just after Jesus, the firstborn. Since all Elohim’s children bear the same nature and essence, both men and devils are spiritually brothers. Lucifer was not merely the spiritual brother of Jesus; technically he is the spiritual brother of everyone on earth, although now fallen. Jesse L. Christiensen, director of the LDS Institute of Religion at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, writes in A Sure Foundation that “Jesus was Lucifer’s older brother.”

Again, the difference between Jesus and the devil is not one of nature or kind, but only one of degree—Jesus is simply more evolved than the devil who chose to rebel in preexistence, was therefore denied a mortal body and the opportunity for earning godhood, and instead became a son of perdition.

The Bible Dictionary at the Mormon website, LDS.org, teaches that the devil was: “Literally a spirit son of God, he was at one time ‘an angel’ in authority in the presence of God; however, he rebelled in the premortal life, at which time he persuaded a third of the spirit children of the Father to rebel with him, in opposition to the plan of salvation championed by Jehovah (Jesus Christ).”

(Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, A Sure Foundation: Answers to Difficult Gospel Questions, Salt Lake City, Deseret Book Company 1988, 224.)

 

[Azriel]

Introduction to video:

We were devout members of the LDS (Mormon) church for nearly 30 years when our youngest son was born again and challenged us to read the Bible like a child. The power of God's Word changed our lives.

Watch video here/

 

[Diserner]

Why I say Mormon isn't Christian, though I wish it was.

 

[Ezra]

i have a cousin who was raised catholic later married a Mormon converted to be being a Mormon. he sends me lots things through Facebook, that is Bible related . had i not know about the Mormons i would think he is saved. but i fear not i worked with a guy who belonged to the Mormon Church.

i asked him if i came to him asking what i needed to do to get saved. could he tell me how to be saved? he said he would have to turn me over to the evangelism team.. i would have to go through classes, he would not explain his belief to me. evidently there are degrees / secret teachings . imo Mormons are a cult

 

[Azriel]

i have a cousin who was raised catholic later married a Mormon converted to be being a Mormon. he sends me lots things through Facebook, that is Bible related . had i not know about the Mormons i would think he is saved. but i fear not i worked with a guy who belonged to the Mormon Church.

i asked him if i came to him asking what i needed to do to get saved. could he tell me how to be saved? he said he would have to turn me over to the evangelism team.. i would have to go through classes, he would not explain his belief to me. evidently there are degrees / secret teachings . imo Mormons are a cult

Definitely not Mainstream Christianity. They don't know they're saved until they get to Heaven. They have no Assurance of salvation.