Latter Day Saints Beliefs Vs Christian

What Is The Book Of Mormon

In addition to the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, named after one of its ancient prophets, is another testament of Jesus Christ. It contains the writings of prophets, giving an account of Gods dealings with the peoples who lived anciently on the American continent. For Latter-day Saints it stands alongside the Old and New Testaments of the Bible as holy scripture.

Hierarchy In Mormonism Vs Traditional Christianity

In Mormonism the hierarchy of authority begins with Jesus Christ himself and continues to the Presidency of the Church. The President of the Church is the highest ecclesiastical authority on the Earth and is often referred to as “the Prophet.” He, along with his counselors and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, are believed to have direct communication with Jesus Christ and are often referred to as “special witnesses” of Christ because of this close relationship with Him. The Prophet is assisted by two counselors, who together with him form the “First Presidency” of the Church. The Presidency, along with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which have equal authority, unitedly lead the church. These leaders are considered to be prophets, seers, and revelators. No decision is made for the Church as a whole without absolute unanimity on the part of these 15 men.

In Christianity, with Jesus Christ as Son of God, the hierarchy consists of priests, ministers, pastors and bishops.

Is It True That Because Latter

The Churchâs first Article of Faith is âWe believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.â This is a straightforward statement of belief that there are three members in the Godhead. However, Latter-day Saints do reject the doctrines of the Trinity as taught by most Christian churches today. For the most part, these creedsâthe most famous of which is the Nicene Creedâwere canonized in the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. following centuries of debate about the nature of the Godhead. Consequently, it is highly questionable whether these creeds reflect the thinking or beliefs of the New Testament church.

âThe exact theological definition of the doctrine of the Trinity,â notes J. R. Dummelow, âwas the result of a long process of development, which was not complete until the fifth century, or maybe even later.â1 As Bill Forrest remarks, âTo insist that a belief in the Trinity is requisite to being Christian, is to acknowledge that for centuries after the New Testament was completed thousands of Jesusâ followers were in fact not really âChristian.ââ2 Certainly the revelatory manner by which Joseph Smith learned of the doctrine of the Godhead pierces through the centuries-old debate on the subject.

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What Are Some Of The Rituals Of The Faith What Are The Restrictions And Prohibitions

• Read the comments of historians, scholars and Mormons on .

The rituals of the Mormon faith include ceremonies performed in the temple — endowment, baptism of the dead, celestial marriage and family sealings — plus several ceremonies that take place in Mormon chapels. The naming and blessing of infants — performed by a priesthood holder, often the baby’s father — takes place in the chapel. Baptisms are held in the chapels when Mormon children turn 8 years old or when an adult converts to the faith. Family and friends generally attend both of these rituals. The Latter-day Saints also have a practice of annointing and blessing the sick if an ill individual so desires.

Like other Christians, Mormons celebrate Christmas and Easter as their two most important religious holidays. The Latter-day Saints also observe Pioneer Day on July 24, marking the date the first Mormon pioneers arrived in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley in 1847. It is around the time of this holiday that the church presents its elaborate history pageant at the Hill Cumorah in Palmyra, N.Y., where Joseph Smith found the golden plates.

Mormons are advised not to get tattoos and to limit body piercings to a single pair of plain earrings for women. They also follow a general dress code that teaches that modest dress not only shows respect for one’s own body and for God, but also has a positive effect on spirituality and behavior.

Why Is Mormonism Sometimes Described As A Secretive Religion

The most common and visible target for charges of suspicious secrecy in the Mormon religion are the temples. After dedication, these buildings are closed to the public and church members do not talk openly about the rituals that take place within. The church holds that the temple and its rituals are sacred and therefore private, not secret. They maintain that early Christianity featured similar special practices and bodies of knowledge that were kept quiet to preserve their sacred nature.

Church finances are also kept confidential, provoking criticism that there is no way for church members or outsiders to know where money from tithing and other revenue goes. And the church has also been questioned about the secrecy surrounding their defense of doctrine. Latter-day Saints can face excommunication if, after being warned, they continue to publicly discuss problematic or provocative elements of Mormon theology that the church chooses not to draw attention to. Because disciplinary councils that can lead to excommunication are always private, the process of gathering information and the closed meetings that consider the fate of a disciplined member add to the perception of Mormon secrecy.

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Does The New Testament Define Christianity

The Gospels lack any explicit treatment of the word Christian. Indeed, the word appears only three times in the New Testament, and never from the mouth of Christ himself. The word Christianity is entirely absent from the New Testament.

Acts 11:26 tells us that âthe disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.â Here, the passive construction âwere called Christiansâ suggests that the term was first used not by Christians, but by non-Christians.

The term was probably modeled on such words as Herodian and Caesarian, already in circulation at that time, and meant nothing more complicated than Christâs people or, perhaps, partisans of Christ. Note that the Christian congregation at Antioch represented a wide range of backgrounds, including Jews and non-Jews. These believers displayed the whole spectrum of attitudes toward the Jewish lawâfrom continued adherence to the traditions of Judaism to rejection of all things Jewish.

First Peter 4:16 is the last instance of the wordâs appearance in the New Testament. This verse is virtually without doctrinal definition, merely assuring the believer that he need not be ashamed if he suffer as a âChristian.â Even here, the term may be one that persecuting outsiders were using. It may have derived from current Roman, that is, non-Christian, legal usage.

An Faq On The Difference Between Mormonism And Biblical Christianity

More By Justin

The following is adapted from the section on Mormonism in the ESV Study Bible article on religious cults. The attempt is to be concise yet still accurate. Ive added questions in bold to break it up a bit.

What do Mormons believe about apostasy and restoration?

Mormons claim that total apostasy overcame the church following apostolic times, and that the Mormon Church is the restored church.

Whats the problem with this understanding?

If the Mormon Church were truly a restored church, one would expect to find first-century historical evidence for Mormon doctrines like the plurality of gods and God the Father having once been a man. Such evidence is completely lacking. Besides, the Bible disallows a total apostasy of the church , warning instead of partial apostasy .

What do Mormons believe about God?

Mormons claim that God the Father was once a man and that he then progressed to godhood .

What does the Bible teach about the nature of God?

Based on the Bible, God is not and has never been a man . He is a spirit , and a spirit does not have flesh and bones . Furthermore, God is eternal and immutable . He did not progress toward godhood, but has always been God.

What do Mormons believe about the Trinity and polytheism?

Mormons believe that the Trinity consists not of three persons in one God but rather of three distinct gods. According to Mormonism, there are potentially many thousands of gods besides these.

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How Is Mormonism Different From Christianity

Mormons are some of the kindest and friendliest people we could know. Their views on family and morality is not far different from that of Christians. And indeed, they call themselves Christians.

So are there differences between Mormons and Christians when it comes to how they view God, the Bible, salvation, etc.? Yes, there are significant differences. And in this article I will highlight several.

Difference Between Lds And Christian

Categorized under Religion | Difference Between LDS and Christian

LDS vs Christian

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints , or Mormonism, is a form of Christianity which is distinct from traditional Christianity as it formed a new religious tradition. It started in the 1820s with similarities to Protestant Christianity but departed from traditional Christian teachings in the 1830s and 1840s.

Its founder, Joseph Smith, claimed that Christian churches have left and changed doctrinal truths and that Mormonism can restore these truths. He rejected the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and taught that man has the potential to become gods.

Although they share the other Christian denominations views on the atonement and resurrection of Jesus, and accept the Bible as Scripture, they have additional scriptures in the Book of Mormon. They also practice baptism and celebrate the Eucharist like other Christian churches.

Joseph Smith believed that the Bible has been corrupted and lost some books which are omitted by the Catholic Church and made a revised version of the Bible. He then gave the Book of Mormon equal status to that of the Bible. His teachings include three glorious heavens with a place for sinners, baptism for the dead, and polygamy although the latter has been renounced by the church but is retained by Mormon fundamentalists. He taught that God the Father and Jesus were separate beings with physical bodies.

Summary:

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Christian Views About Mormons

In the past, most mainstream Christian denominations rejected Mormonism outright, frequently calling it a cult and characterizing it as “non-Christian”. According to , during the 1950s the attitude of mainstream Christians towards Mormonism changed from “vilification” to “veneration”, with emphasis on positive Mormon traits such as “family orientation, clean-cut optimism, honesty and pleasant aggressiveness”.

Richard Abanes attributes an “increasing lack of delineation between ” to three primary causes:

Richard Bushman asserts that, for many people, Mormonism “conjures up an assortment of contradictory images”. One set of images suggests that Mormons are “happy, uncomplicated, kindly and innocentâif perhaps naive”. In contrast to this set of images, Bushman describes a set of associations that focuses on “a powerful religious hierarchy controlling the church from the top”. This perspective views Mormons as “secretive, clannish and perhaps dangerous”, often labeling the movement as a “cult rather than a church”.

Mormon apologistStephen E. Robinson argued that Mormons are labeled heretics “for opinions and practices that are freely tolerated in other mainstream denominations”.

Mormons In America Certain In Their Beliefs Uncertain Of Their Place In Society

With a Mormon candidate among the front-runners for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, a musical about Mormons playing on Broadway and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints running television ads about ordinary Mormons, America is in the midst of what some media accounts have dubbed a Mormon moment. But how do Mormons themselves feel about the media spotlight, the election campaign and their place in America? A major new survey finds a mixed picture: Many Mormons feel they are misunderstood, discriminated against and not accepted by other Americans as part of mainstream society. Yet, at the same time, a majority of Mormons think that acceptance of Mormonism is rising. Overwhelmingly, they are satisfied with their lives and content with their communities. And most say they think the country is ready to elect a Mormon president.

These are among the findings of a comprehensive survey by the Pew Research Centers Forum on Religion & Public Life of more than 1,000 Mormons across the country the first of its kind ever published by a non-LDS research organization. Previous studies, including the Pew Forums 2007 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, have found that Mormons make up slightly less than 2% of the U.S. public.

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The Doctrine Of Humanity:

Difference Between Baptists And Mormons

Mormonism has become widely spread throughout the United States and around the world. Mormons are often compared to the Baptists for their remarkable similarities in their beliefs about baptism, the atonement, and the Second Coming, which are the teachings of traditional Christianity. However, there are key differences that are clearly seen when we look into their practices and their doctrines.

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Proselytization Of Other Christian Denominations

Mormons proselytize to all people, including members of other Christian churches, holding to the belief that God told Joseph Smith “that those professors were all corrupt that: ‘they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.'” Because ministering to those of other Christian faiths can be a sensitive task when feelings on both sides are strong, leaders of the LDS Church have counseled members to be sensitive, to exercise caution, and to avoid contentions in their preaching. Despite the criticisms of other creeds, a tone of respect has consistently been encouraged by Mormon leaders. For example, Wilford Woodruff, an early president of the church and a contemporary of Joseph Smith taught:

When you go into a neighborhood to preach the Gospel, never attempt to tear down a man’s house, so to speak, before you build him a better one never, in fact, attack any one’s religion, wherever you go. Be willing to let every man enjoy his own religion. It is his right to do that. If he does not accept your testimony with regard to the Gospel of Christ, that is his affair, and not yours. Do not spend your time in pulling down other sects and parties. We haven’t time to do that. It is never right to do that.

What Are The Core Tenets Of The Mormon Religion

• Read the comments of historians, scholars and Mormons on and .
• Read the comments of historians, scholars and Mormons on and the .
• Read the comments of historians, scholars and Mormons on .

Many of the central concepts of the Mormon religion are laid out in the Articles of Faith, a 13-point list of the Latter-day Saints’ most important beliefs.

These key elements of the faith include belief in God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit belief in modern prophets and continuing revelation belief that through Christ’s atonement all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of Christ’s Gospel belief in the importance of repentance and baptism by immersion for the forgiveness of sins and belief in the right of all people to worship God as they please. The Articles of Faith also affirm a belief in the Bible as the word of God, insofar as it is correctly translated, and in the Book of Mormon as an equally important scriptural source.

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Mormon Doctrine Vs Christianity The Doctrine Of God

Christianity

The doctrine of God is traditionally called theology proper. The Bible teaches, and Christians believe, in one God who is the Creator of heaven and earth. That He is sovereign and self-existent and immutable and good. Christians believe that God is triune. That is, God is one and has eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Mormonism

Mormons views about God have varied widely over their short history. In the early years, Mormon leader Brigham Young taught that Adam was the father of the spirit of Jesus, and that Adam is God. Mormons today do not believe this and many have disputed whether Brigham Young was properly understood.

However, Mormons indisputably teach a doctrine called eternal progression. They teach that God was once a man and was capable of physical death, but He progressed to become God the Father. Mormons teach that we also can become gods.

Mormons believe that gods, angles, people an devils are all fundamentally of the same substance, but that are merely at different places in the eternal progression.

The Deity of Christ

Christianity

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second member of the trinity. When Jesus was born, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. . Christians hold that Christ has existed eternally and is truly God. Colossians 2:9 says: For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.

Mormonism

Christianity and Mormonism Views on The Trinity

Christianity