Mormonism and Christianity

However, the Latter Day Saint movement has had an uneasy relationship with orthodox Christianity because the movement was founded upon the idea that traditional Christian creeds have been corrupted since the first century AD. Most Christians are members of churches whose creeds logically conflict with or exclude the teachings of Mormonism. Those Christians familiar with clear Latter Day Saint declarations of doctrine typically consider Mormonism to be a heretical form of Christianity, or not a form of Christianity at all, because Mormons reject many of the doctrines that have been the most earnestly contended for in the history of the Christian churches; these doctrines have consequently become litmus tests for Christianity. The Latter Day Saints believe that these doctrines were a departure from the teachings of Christ and his apostles, originating in the third century.

Mormonism has a number of doctrines and practices that distinguish the movement. The most unique of these originated later in the life of Joseph Smith, Jr. in Nauvoo, Illinois, or under the leadership of Brigham Young, among the Mormons who followed him to Utah. As the Latter Day Saint movement has grown and gained worldwide acceptance, some denominations within the movement, such as the Community of Christ, have attempted to respond to charges through extensive ecumenical efforts, including engagement in dialog with Christianity and sometimes even relinquishing their earlier doctrines and practices. Nevertheless, many denominations within the movement, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (by far the largest) and many of its splinter groups including the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints still retain many, if not most, of Smith's original doctrines and practices that many Christians denounce.

Latter Day Saint Conceptions of Jesus Christ

In Mormonism, like in traditional Christianity, Jesus Christ is considered to be the Messiah, the Savior, the son of God and of the virgin Mary. In addition, Jesus is considered to have lived a perfect life, was a sacrifice for sin, and was resurrected. The Apostles Creed contains nothing that is overtly contradicted by the Mormon profession concerning Jesus.

However, the more theological and christological aspects of Jesus are quite different than those accepted by traditional branches of Christianity, and are in many ways more similar to the earliest Christian heresies. Unlike traditional Christianity, the Jesus portrayed in Mormonism is distinct from the Father not just in "person", but also in "substance", which differs from the Nicene Creed. In addition, while Latter Day Saints believe that the "mind" of Jesus was coeternal with God the Father, Utah Mormons (Latter-day Saints) generally believe the doctrine taught by Brigham Young that Jesus was "born" into a "spirit body", like the rest of humanity, and remained in that state until his Incarnation. Further, Latter-day Saints believe in the deification of humanity, identifying with God and hoping to become like him. Thus, they portray God and Jesus as fundamentally human, or perhaps superhuman.

When the Latter Day Saint movement was founded in the early 19th Century, most early Latter Day Saints came from a Protestant background, believing in the Jesus of the Trinity. Because he did not receive a full understanding of every doctrine at once, early public teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. contained little to contradict this view; He claimed to have received revelation only after asking questions about a subject, pondering, and praying to God for an answer. As his understanding grew, Smith's teachings later painted a strikingly different picture of the Father and the Son with physical bodies, being perfectly one together with the Holy Spirit not as being the same God, but rather as being united through purpose. This unity reflects Jesus' prayer for his disciples in John 17, that they would be "one," even as he and his Father were one. Some apostate groups that originated from the Latter Day Saint church such as the Community of Christ (which now officially endorses the doctrine of the Trinity) have chosen to adopt the orthodox creeds of modern Christianity, while most, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, teach the doctrines taught by Joseph Smith. See Godhead (Mormonism).

Jesus as a physical being distinct from God the Father and the Holy Spirit

In 1835, Joseph Smith, Jr. (with the involvement of Sidney Rigdon), publicly taught the idea that Jesus Christ and God the Father were two separate beings. In the Lectures on Faith, taught in 1834 to the School of the Prophets, the doctrine was first presented that within the Godhead, the Father and the Son were two distinct "personages" who were nevertheless "one" because they possess "the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power, and fullness" (Lectures on Faith 5:2m).

In 1843, in Smith's later years, he elaborated on the doctrine of Jesus being a separate personage from the Father, providing his most well-known description of the Godhead, where God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit were each three distinct personages: "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us." D&C 130:22. See Godhead (Mormonism).

Jesus as coeternal with God, and as the "firstborn" of the Father in the spirit

"[T] soul—the mind of man—the immortal spirit. Where did it come from? All learned men and doctors of divinity say that God created it in the beginning; but it is not so: the very idea lessens man in my estimation.... We say that God himself is a self-existent being.... Man does exist upon the same principles.... [The Bible] does not say in the Hebrew that God created the spirit of man. It says 'God made man out of the earth and put into him Adam's spirit, and so became a living body.' The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is co-equal with God himself.... Is it logical to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that it had a beginning? The intelligence of spirits had not beginning, neither will it have an end. That is good logic. That which has a beginning may have an end. There never was a time when there were not spirits; for they are co-equal [co-eternal] with our Father in heaven." (King Follett Discourse)

Smith also stated that Jesus was the "Firstborn" of the Father, a characterization that is also found in Collosians 1:15, which described Jesus as the "firstborn of every creature". While Smith never stated that Jesus Christ was literally "born" as a spirit child of God the Father prior to his physical birth to Mary , this doctrine was taught by some other Latter Day Saint leaders, primarily within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its breakoffs, where the idea is now widely-accepted that Jesus (and humanity) were born as spirits by the Father. In 1857, Brigham Young taught that every person, including Jesus, was "a son or a daughter of [the Father]. In the spirit world their spirits were first begotten and brought forth, and they lived there with their parents for ages before they came here." 4 J.D. 218.

In 1909, the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statent:

Jesus, however, is the firstborn among all the sons of God—the first begotten in the spirit, and the only begotten in the flesh. He is our elder brother, and we, like Him, are in the image of God. All men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity." MFP 4:203.

The Deification of Humanity

• Some Mormons believe that God is god of our universe, but was once a man mortalized by some other god in some other universe. They are indefinite about the ultimate or first Creator, and do not think the existence of other gods pertains to salvation.
• Mormons believe that after death, the righteous who accept the gospel will become gods. They refer to this as the deification or exaltation of mortals. Mormons believe that after death, only the very righteous will be exalted. Some Christians believe that the desire to be "as gods," is the root of the original sin (Genesis 3:5).
• As such, some Mormons believe in the existence of other gods. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost of the New Testament are the only gods worshipped by Mormons, as Mormons believe They are the one "Godhead" of our universe.
• Some Mormons, particularly Latter-day Saints, believe that God is an exalted man, and is married to an exalted woman, whom they speculatively call a Heavenly Mother. Her existence is referred to briefly in the Church hymn titled "O My Father" (Hymn number 292), and it is presumed in Church teachings that proclaim that each person is "a spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents." Her existence is acknowledged by Church members and leadership, though She is not worshipped.

Comparison of the Jesus Christ Conceptualized by Mormonism with the Jesus Christ Conceptualized by Other Christian Professions

The Jesus of Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism

• Nicene Creed; Chalcedonian Creed
• Most Christian denominations believe that God is an infinite, non-physical spirit of whom Jesus alone has physically revealed Himself through the Incarnation. Some of the Church Fathers teach that when God made man in His image, He made man specifically in the image of God the Son, Jesus.

The Jesus of Early Christian Heresies

• Monotheistic Modalism (a.k.a. Sabellianism) - God is one, acting in three different personas (in the theatrical sense) or modes.
• Arianism - "There was a time when Jesus Christ did not exist; He was created by God the Father."
• Gnosticism

The Jesus of Modern Nontrinitarian Sects

• Jehovahs Witnesses
• Church of Christ, Scientist

Unorthodox Latter Day Saint Practices

Acceptance of extra-Biblical scripture

Latter Day Saint Rituals

Salvation by means of ritual and good works

Calvinism, a type of evangelicalism, teaches that salvation is based on God's granting to some the gift of faith, and of good works. Their ability to believe, and to do works that are acceptable to God, is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. The gift of the Spirit is not granted because of their first believing, or because of the performance of any ritual, or because of their good works meriting God's acceptance. In other words, salvation is God's rescue of sinners from the penalty and the power of sin, not the reward due to righteous actions, according to Calvinism.

Although Calvinists and Evangelical protestants do not deny the need for works, most adhere to the belief that grace alone will save man (sola gratia). That is, they teach that good works are not the basis of their acceptance by God, but rather the product of his acceptance. Faith, not works, is the instrument by which salvation is received; and works proceeding from faith do not make the person worthy of salvation, but rather are the outworking of salvation already received by faith, according to the evangelical understanding.

Many evangelicals, especially dispensationalist Protestants, teach that sola fide, salvation by faith alone, means that if only a person professes belief in Jesus Christ, they are Christians and they are saved. These evangelicals are particularly distrustful of any form of doctrine which speaks of the necessity of good works. Nevertheless, many of those who adopt this view do not believe that Latter Day Saints who profess belief in Jesus Christ are Christians. This is because their understanding of salvation rests on the eternal deity of Christ, according to the trinitarian conception.

Baptism for the dead

Polygamy

Non-Use of the Cross

History of Latter Day Saint Dialogue with Mainstream Christianity

Early Latter Day Saint Antagonism Toward Christianity

"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" (11th Articles of Faith).

Thus, at least in theory, Latter Day Saint are expected to be tolerant of other religions and religious lifestyles. However, early leaders and members of the Latter Day Saint movement at times voiced views concerning "the Christian world" which could be considered antagonistic. Much of this had to do with the sometimes violent and deadly conflicts that early Latter Day Saints had with mainstream Christians.

The Church's founder and first prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr., at times criticized what he saw as important flaws in Christianity. He once said,

"we may look at the Christian world and see the apostasy there has been from the apostolic platform; and who can look at this and not exclaim, in the language of Isaiah, 'The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant?'" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg 15).

In another instance, Smith said,

"The teachers of the day say that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and they are all in one body and one God. Jesus prayed that those that the Father had given him out of the world might be made one in them, as they were one [one in spirit, in mind, in purpose]. If I were to testify that the Christian world were wrong on this point, my testimony would be true" (Ibid, pg 311).

As for Catholicism and Protestantism, Smith had these words:

"Here is a principle of logic...I will illustrate by an old apple tree. Here jumps off a branch and says, I am the true tree, and you are corrupt. If the whole tree is corrupt, are not its branches corrupt? If the Catholic religion is a false religion, how can any true religion come out of it?" (Ibid, pg 375).

Smith's grievances with other religions seem to be primarily doctrinal in nature. On the other hand, from a personal or secular point of view, Smith at times showed considerable tolerance and acceptance for the members other faiths:

"I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves" (Ibid, pg 313).

Mormonism and Christian Ecumenism

Mormons believe that differences in the Trinity and some Latter Day Saint conceptions of the Godhead are relatively minor and can be supported by biblical scripture, ante-Nicean tradition, similar beliefs in some protestant churches and modern revelation.

Ecumenical Efforts by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

"Some who call themselves Christians are very tenacious with regard to the Universalians, yet the latter possess many excellent ideas and good truths. Have the Catholics? Yes, a great many very excellent truths. Have the Protestants? Yes, from first to last. Has the infidel? Yes, he has a good deal of truth; and truth is all over the earth." (Discourses of Brigham Young, pg 10).

In the last several decades, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been making a sustained effort to demonstrate that Latter-day Saints' beliefs are associated with Christianity. These efforts have included participation in ecumenical endeavors, adding the subtitle "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" to The Book of Mormon, and recently re-branding of the church's official logo to place more emphasis on the phrase "The Church of Jesus Christ."

Ecumenical Efforts by the Community of Christ

See also

• Christianity
• Trinity
• Christology
• Heresy
• Anti-Mormonism

References

• Stephen E. Robinson; Are Mormons Christians?; Bookcraft, Inc.; ISBN 0-88494-784-X (Hardcover 1991)
• Joseph Fielding. Smith; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith; Deseret Book Company; ISBN 0-87747-655-9 (Softcover 1976)
• John A. Widstoe; Discourses of Brigham Young; Deseret Book Company; ISBN 0-87747-664-0 (Softcover 1954)

External Links

• A mainstream Christian criticism of LDS teachings: http://www.bcmmin.org/
• Assertion that Mormons are Christian from All About Mormons
• Are Mormons Christians? FAQ by Jeff Lindsay

Referenced By