In short, Latter-day Saints do not accept the post—New Testament creeds yet rely deeply on each member of the Godhead in their daily religious devotion and worship, as did the early Christians. Latter-day Saints believe that by the ministering of angels to Joseph Smith priesthood authority to act in God's name was returned or brought back to earth. The Latter-day Saint belief in a restored Christianity helps explain why so many Latter-day Saints, from the s to the present, have converted from other Christian denominations.
Members of creedal churches often mistakenly assume that all Christians have always agreed and must agree on a historically static, monolithic collection of beliefs. As many scholars have acknowledged, however, Christians have vigorously disagreed about virtually every issue of theology and practice through the centuries, leading to the creation of a multitude of Christian denominations.
One who sincerely loves, worships, and follows Christ should be free to claim his or her understanding of the doctrine according to the dictates of his or her conscience without being branded as non-Christian. A third justification argued to label Latter-day Saints as non-Christian has to do with their belief in an open scriptural canon. For those making this argument, to be a Christian means to assent to the principle of sola scriptura, or the self-sufficiency of the Bible.
But to claim that the Bible is the sole and final word of God—more specifically, the final written word of God—is to claim more for the Bible than it claims for itself. Nowhere does the Bible proclaim that all revelations from God would be gathered into a single volume to be forever closed and that no further scriptural revelation could be received. Moreover, not all Christian churches are certain that Christianity must be defined by commitment to a closed canon. No branch of Christianity limits itself entirely to the biblical text in making doctrinal decisions and in applying biblical principles.
Roman Catholics, for example, turn to church tradition and the magisterium meaning teachers, including popes and councils for answers. Protestants, particularly evangelicals, turn to linguists and scripture scholars for their answers, as well as to post—New Testament church councils and creeds. For many Christians, these councils and creeds are every bit as canonical as the Bible itself. To establish doctrine and to understand the biblical text, Latter-day Saints turn to living prophets and to additional books of scripture—the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.
Converts across the world continue to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in part because of its doctrinal and spiritual distinctiveness.
Are Mormons Christian?
That distinctiveness flows from the knowledge restored to this earth, together with the power of the Holy Ghost present in the Church because of restored priesthood authority, keys, ordinances, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The fruits of the restored gospel are evident in the lives of its faithful members.
While members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have no desire to compromise the distinctiveness of the restored Church of Jesus Christ, they wish to work together with other Christians—and people of all faiths—to recognize and remedy many of the moral and family issues faced by society. The Christian conversation is richer for what the Latter-day Saints bring to the table.
What does Christianity teach?
There is no good reason for Christian faiths to ostracize each other when there has never been more urgent need for unity in proclaiming the divinity and teachings of Jesus Christ. The Church acknowledges the contribution of scholars to the historical content presented in this article; their work is used with permission. Originally published November The most oft-used reasons are the following: Latter-day Saints do not accept the creeds, confessions, and formulations of post—New Testament Christianity.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not descend through the historical line of traditional Christianity. Latter-day Saints do not believe scripture consists of the Holy Bible alone but have an expanded canon of scripture that includes the Book of Mormon , the Doctrine and Covenants , and the Pearl of Great Price.
Latter-day Saints Believe in an Open Canon A third justification argued to label Latter-day Saints as non-Christian has to do with their belief in an open scriptural canon. Conclusion Converts across the world continue to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in part because of its doctrinal and spiritual distinctiveness.
Joseph Smith , See, for example, Roger E. Olson, The Story of Christian Theology: The Bible is the word of God, "as far as it is translated correctly" 8th Article of Faith. During the centuries-long process in which fallible human beings compiled, translated and transcribed the Bible, various errors entered into the text. However, this does not override the overwhelming predominance of truth within the Bible.
What Mormons mean when they say they are Christian is that they follow Jesus Christ. Their religion teaches them not only that they should embrace the teachings of Jesus but also that they should try to model their lives on the pattern He set. All Christians can acknowledge that the Lord offered two commandments as primary -- to love God and to love our neighbors.
Doing so makes us followers of Christ, theological interpretations of doctrines notwithstanding.
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At the April general conference of the Church -- a two-day series of sermons broadcast worldwide to millions of Church members in dozens of languages -- it was easy to see this theme of " follow me " presented time and time again. Some of the statements from the Church's apostles are shown below. Our brothers and sisters in Christian denominations will be reassured as they come to recognize the compassionate love of Christ and devotion to His word that animates the lives of Latter-day Saints.
Simply put, we are followers of Jesus Christ. A failure to see this will perpetuate the chasm of misunderstanding that has proven so difficult to bridge. May the Lord bless you as you strive to follow Him and to obey His commandments. It was not easy when He lived, and it was not easy in the early days of the Church. The early Saints were subjected to unspeakable suffering and opposition. And then we must help rekindle that faith quickly before it dims as they wander off the path. You and I did not go forward one by one with the multitude in the land Bountiful at the resurrected Savior's invitation to feel the prints of the nails and bathe His feet with our tears.
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Yet we know all these things and much, much more because we have the scriptural record to enlarge our memory, to teach us what we did not know. And as these things penetrate our minds and hearts, our faith in God and His Beloved Son takes root. The Holy Ghost is the messenger for the Father and the Son and the teacher of and guide to all truth see John Thus, 'by the power of the Holy Ghost [we] may know the truth of all things' Moroni Seeking for and obtaining these blessings require a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in Christ see Moroni The lessons we learn from patience will cultivate our character, lift our lives, and heighten our happiness.
They will help us to become worthy priesthood bearers and faithful disciples of our Master, Jesus Christ. I remember His example in the days before.
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He told us some of what that infinite sacrifice required of Him. You remember the words:. He taught us a lesson by what He did in three days in the spirit world, before His Resurrection, which I remember whenever I am tempted to feel that I have finished some hard task in His service and deserve a rest. His labors in mortality were finished, but He entered the spirit world determined to continue His glorious work to save souls.
He organized the work of the faithful spirits to rescue those who could still be made partakers of the mercy made possible by His atoning sacrifice. The Lord said, 'Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. And He always talked with , never down to, people.
He loved the humble and the meek and walked among them, ministering to them and offering hope and salvation. I rejoice in the fact that Christ is not dead but risen from the grave! He lives and has returned to the earth to restore His authority and gospel to man. He has given us the perfect example of the kind of men and women we should be. The most glorious, comforting, and reassuring of all events of human history had taken place--the victory over death. The pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary had been wiped away.
The salvation of mankind had been secured.