Mormons aren't Christian?

[freelance lover]

So I recently finished reading a book about the Fundamental Latter Day Saints, how are basically the group of Mormons who still practice polygamy. Obviously there's been some questions about the FLDS community what with the scandal with Warren Jeffs in recent years, but it's my understanding much of the doctrine FLDS and mainstream Mormons is the same. Specifically broad ideas like the idea of salvation and marriage as a "sealing."

I've encountered a lot of Christians who claim Mormons aren't Christian, and I'm never entirely sure why this claim is being made. Yes, they have alternative scriptures that are newer and they have some beliefs that differ from mainstream Protestant or Catholic ideas, but I see their beliefs as no more radical than those Christians who believe in prayer only medicine, etc.

My understanding has always been that to be a Christian you must accept God and Jesus. Everything else is up for debate. I attended a Mormon church occasionally with my Mormon best friend when I was younger, and it never seemed terribly different than any other church I attended, and I think the Mormons definitely have some good ideas in terms of some areas.

So what do you think about Mormonism? Christian or not? Any thoughts on their doctrine?  

[rmcdra]

Don't really know much about the LDS doctrine to comment on. I just find their interpretations of the scripture too literal for my liking.

I also like coffee and tea.  

[Zolof Keeper Of Souls]

rmcdra

I also like coffee and tea.

I am quite a fan myself. Of Tea that is, coffee is not my cup of tea XD. Rough road to walk on, don't they follow the book of mormon mostly though? I know many consider themselves to be Christians, but im not sure...  

[freelance lover]

rmcdra

Don't really know much about the LDS doctrine to comment on. I just find their interpretations of the scripture too literal for my liking.

I also like coffee and tea.

I admittedly don't know a whole ton either. I have heard that there's this idea that when you die, men get their own planet and can resurrect their wife to live with them. They also have this idea of a celestial marriage and that marriage is forever, rather than just "death do us part." They also have special temples where only certain people who have been through x, y, and z can enter.

My best friend is Mormon and recently got married. I was a bridesmaid, but couldn't actually attend the ceremony because I wasn't Mormon and it was in the temple. The wedding actually ran later, because her husband didn't have a proper recommend, which basically is where the bishop of your district interviews you to make sure you're upholding all the Mormon standards, like no sex outside marriage, alcohol, etc.

Aside from all that, pretty much all the beliefs about Jesus are pretty in line with mainstream Christianity, as far as I can tell, anyway.

I keep meaning to research Mormonism more thoroughly, but I never do D: Mormon.org has some pretty comprehensive summaries of their beliefs though.  

[freelance lover]

Zolof Keeper Of Souls

rmcdra

I also like coffee and tea.

I am quite a fan myself. Of Tea that is, coffee is not my cup of tea XD. Rough road to walk on, don't they follow the book of mormon mostly though? I know many consider themselves to be Christians, but im not sure...

I just did some quick reading on Mormon.org and this is what I learned.

The Book of Mormon is basically the history of Christians that lived in the Americas about 600 BCE to 400 CE. The website made it pretty clear that they follow the Bible, and that the Book or Mormon is just an add on they also believe to be the Word of God. My experience attending church with my Mormon friend was always that they preached out of the Bible. In fact, I learned how to use the chapter/verse system of the Bible in a Mormon Sunday School.

From what I can tell (though ideally I'd get to read the Book of Mormon myself) they use the Bible just as much as the use the Book of Mormon. Also, their 13 Articles of Faith reflect pretty standard Christian beliefs.  

[rmcdra]

freelance lover

I admittedly don't know a whole ton either. I have heard that there's this idea that when you die, men get their own planet and can resurrect their wife to live with them. They also have this idea of a celestial marriage and that marriage is forever, rather than just "death do us part." They also have special temples where only certain people who have been through x, y, and z can enter.

My best friend is Mormon and recently got married. I was a bridesmaid, but couldn't actually attend the ceremony because I wasn't Mormon and it was in the temple. The wedding actually ran later, because her husband didn't have a proper recommend, which basically is where the bishop of your district interviews you to make sure you're upholding all the Mormon standards, like no sex outside marriage, alcohol, etc.

Aside from all that, pretty much all the beliefs about Jesus are pretty in line with mainstream Christianity, as far as I can tell, anyway.

I keep meaning to research Mormonism more thoroughly, but I never do D: Mormon.org has some pretty comprehensive summaries of their beliefs though.

Strange but not impossible. Yeah their cosmology doesn't make sense to me from an internal perspective. The Gnostic and Catholic-based cosmologies make sense to me because they can be related to the individual at an internal level but the LDS cosmology doesn't for me, though it could be because I'm not an LDS.  

[freelance lover]

rmcdra

freelance lover

I admittedly don't know a whole ton either. I have heard that there's this idea that when you die, men get their own planet and can resurrect their wife to live with them. They also have this idea of a celestial marriage and that marriage is forever, rather than just "death do us part." They also have special temples where only certain people who have been through x, y, and z can enter.

My best friend is Mormon and recently got married. I was a bridesmaid, but couldn't actually attend the ceremony because I wasn't Mormon and it was in the temple. The wedding actually ran later, because her husband didn't have a proper recommend, which basically is where the bishop of your district interviews you to make sure you're upholding all the Mormon standards, like no sex outside marriage, alcohol, etc.

Aside from all that, pretty much all the beliefs about Jesus are pretty in line with mainstream Christianity, as far as I can tell, anyway.

I keep meaning to research Mormonism more thoroughly, but I never do D: Mormon.org has some pretty comprehensive summaries of their beliefs though.

Strange but not impossible. Yeah their cosmology doesn't make sense to me from an internal perspective. The Gnostic and Catholic-based cosmologies make sense to me because they can be related to the individual at an internal level but the LDS cosmology doesn't for me, though it could be because I'm not an LDS.

Yeah, I always found the getting your own planet and becoming a god thing kind of strange, but, then again, there are beliefs of other Christians and other religions I find weird.  

[xxEverBluexx]

I've been locked inside that house, all the while You hold key
And I've been dying to get out, though that might be the death of me

My mom has a lecture on why they aren't, and simply put it comes down to the fact they added to the Bible and they don't believe in Trinity theory...oh, and also that they'll "steal sheep from other flocks". She says they witness to Christians from other denominations, and that's not right. Meh. I don't know or care about the topic enough to give my own opinion. I might read up on it later though.

And all I'm asking is for You to do what You can with me
But I can't ask You to give what You already gave

 

[Call Me Apple]

It depends...Is the idea of a "new" prophet blasphemous?  

[rmcdra]

freelance lover

Yeah, I always found the getting your own planet and becoming a god thing kind of strange, but, then again, there are beliefs of other Christians and other religions I find weird.

... Not quite where I was going. What I mean is that the symbolism in the cosmology doesn't make sense to me.

They use familiar Christian symbols in a way that's completely foreign to me and the thing that seems even stranger is that these symbols are meant to be taken literally in the LDS, from what I understand. This pushes me away from thinking that there is anything deeper about the cosmology and seeing if there is any truths conveyed in their cosmology.

The get your own planet thing doesn't seem too weird and here's why I don't see it as such. In a way we already rule over a world. We live in our own personal world that we for the most part run. Couple this observation with the "We are gods" verse and it doesn't seem to far fetched why someone would believe that we are gods-in-training while here on earth.  

[Zolof Keeper Of Souls]

freelance lover

Zolof Keeper Of Souls

rmcdra

I also like coffee and tea.

I am quite a fan myself. Of Tea that is, coffee is not my cup of tea XD. Rough road to walk on, don't they follow the book of mormon mostly though? I know many consider themselves to be Christians, but im not sure...

I just did some quick reading on Mormon.org and this is what I learned.

The Book of Mormon is basically the history of Christians that lived in the Americas about 600 BCE to 400 CE. The website made it pretty clear that they follow the Bible, and that the Book or Mormon is just an add on they also believe to be the Word of God. My experience attending church with my Mormon friend was always that they preached out of the Bible. In fact, I learned how to use the chapter/verse system of the Bible in a Mormon Sunday School.

From what I can tell (though ideally I'd get to read the Book of Mormon myself) they use the Bible just as much as the use the Book of Mormon. Also, their 13 Articles of Faith reflect pretty standard Christian beliefs.

Hm idk, i think it may depend on the mormon. I have good mormon friends who read the bible much more than the book of the mormon, but i also know others that read the book more than the bible..Some of their doctorines i can agree with, though.  

[freelance lover]

rmcdra

freelance lover

Yeah, I always found the getting your own planet and becoming a god thing kind of strange, but, then again, there are beliefs of other Christians and other religions I find weird.

... Not quite where I was going. What I mean is that the symbolism in the cosmology doesn't make sense to me.

They use familiar Christian symbols in a way that's completely foreign to me and the thing that seems even stranger is that these symbols are meant to be taken literally in the LDS, from what I understand. This pushes me away from thinking that there is anything deeper about the cosmology and seeing if there is any truths conveyed in their cosmology.

The get your own planet thing doesn't seem too weird and here's why I don't see it as such. In a way we already rule over a world. We live in our own personal world that we for the most part run. Couple this observation with the "We are gods" verse and it doesn't seem to far fetched why someone would believe that we are gods-in-training while here on earth.

Ah, I understand now. I admittedly know very little about Christian cosmology in general, so I don't think I would notice the difference either way. It does seem like they take very much of the Bible literally, but it seems like a lot of Christians do that anyway.  

[Shadows-shine]

I am LDS and I am a Christian. The Biblical definition of Christian is believing that Jesus Christ is the Lord and a willingness to take His name upon yourself and obey His commandments. The LDS Church does that.

We do believe in modern revelation and a modern day prophet. There is nothing in the Bible that forbids that.

These are the basic beliefs of the Church

Quote:

1We abelieve in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

2We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

3We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4We 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.

5We 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.

6We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

7We believe in the gift ofbtongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

8We 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.

9We 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.

10We 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 fparadisiacal glory.

11We 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.

12We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

13aWe 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, ilovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

 

[Shadows-shine]

xxEverBluexx

I've been locked inside that house, all the while You hold key
And I've been dying to get out, though that might be the death of me

My mom has a lecture on why they aren't, and simply put it comes down to the fact they added to the Bible and they don't believe in Trinity theory...oh, and also that they'll "steal sheep from other flocks". She says they witness to Christians from other denominations, and that's not right. Meh. I don't know or care about the topic enough to give my own opinion. I might read up on it later though.

And all I'm asking is for You to do what You can with me
But I can't ask You to give what You already gave

Believing in the trinity doesn't make one Christian. And how do the LDS steal from other flocks? I've had protestant missionaries come proselyte to me and try to convert me. Would they be stealing from the flock then? Churches send out missionaries all the time. So I guess I don't see what's wrong with the LDS doing that too. We're all commanded to spread the gospel.  

[8Ares8]

Mormans are not Christians because they do not believe Jesus is God's son and the only way to salvation.
They believe that there are 3 levels of heaven the lowest level being so amazing that if you ever came back to earth you would want to kill yourself to return ((This level is reserved for *****, murderers, rapists, Hitler's and others))
They Second is for "normal" people and is better than the 3rd level
The Highest level of heaven is basically you become a "god" being able to create your own universe if you so choose in fact they believe this is the case with God who was simply a man that was good enough to become a "god"
This reveals they are not Christian
And lastly they believe that the native americans are the lost tribes of isreal which has been disproved because of genetics revealing that native americans are not related to the jewish/hebrew people and also the finding of people groups in the rainforests of Africa, Burma and other various regions of the eastern hemisphere that are genetically belong to the hebrew people and still follow the ways and practices of the old testament hebrews.

In total No Mormans are not Christian

Edit: They also believe that Christ and Lucifer are brothers