Are Mormons Christians?<\/p>\n
With Mitt Romney\u2019s presidential candidacy gaining steam, that\u2019s a question that more and more people are asking. To many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the question seems absurd on its face. Look at the name of the church, for crying out loud! Read the Book of Mormon, which proclaims that it is written \u201cto the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.\u201d Many point to this and other evidences that our faith is centered in Christ and then say to the detractors, \u201cWhat more do you want?\u201d or, \u201cHow can you even ask me that?\u201d<\/p>\n
The first time I was asked if I was a Christian was back in Chaparral Elementary School in first or second grade. The irony was that, at my tender young age, I didn\u2019t realize that non-Mormons believed in Jesus, too. I had a lot of Jewish friends, and I knew that they weren\u2019t big fans of Jesus, so it was thrilling to discover that there were other believers in Christ out there. It wasn\u2019t until I got older that I realized that the vast majority of people who call themselves Christians didn\u2019t include me in their number, and it took me until I got on my mission in Scotland to really understand why.<\/p>\n
Now, when people ask me that question, I\u2019m a bit more circumspect in my answer.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not to say that I\u2019m in any way reluctant to admit that I believe that Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the only way back to the Father. I believe He was born of a virgin, that He lived a perfect life, that He suffered for my sins, that He died for me on the cross at Calvary, and that He was resurrected and ascended into heaven on the third day. Indeed, I stand with Paul, who proclaimed, \u201cFor I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.\u201d (Romans 1:16)<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, that doesn\u2019t necessarily make me a Christian in the eyes of the world.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s an excellent book by an LDS scholar by the name of Stephen E. Robinson titled, appropriately, Are Mormons Christians?<\/span> I thought it made an airtight, indisputable case for the \u201cyes\u201d answer, so I lent it to a friend of mine who was an evangelical Christian to see if he would find it persuasive. He read it thoroughly and made plenty of insightful notes in the margins, and, in doing so, provided a window into how orthodox Christians see my faith. The result was most illuminating.<\/p>\n Here were some of his comments, lifted verbatim from the margins of my book.<\/p>\n When Christianity came into being, there was already an established religion, Judaism. The Christians couldn\u2019t just go around calling themselves Jews. They had 2 options: change the Jews\u2019 minds on the issues, so the Jews would accept them, or find another name. Otherwise the name \u201cJew\u201d would have been meaningless. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n He\u2019s right, but the early members of the New Testament church probably didn’t realize this at first. Those early Christians probably did \u201cjust go around calling themselves Jews,\u201d since they saw Jesus as the fulfillment of their religion, not the usurper of it. They also balked at attempts by Paul and others to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. It\u2019s important to note that the members of the New Testament Church were \u201ccalled Christians first in Antioch.\u201d (Acts 11:26) It\u2019s not a name they chose.<\/p>\n Similarly, nowhere in scripture, ancient or modern, are members of my Church designated as \u201cMormons.\u201d That name, like the title \u201cChristian,\u201d was initially a derisive term coined by others. When Mormons say \u201cwe\u2019re just Christians, like everybody else,\u201d they forget that “everybody else” views much of our theology as extraneous nonsense, like living prophets, restored priesthood authority, and modern revelation.<\/p>\n I wish I\u2019d understood this better back in Scotland. I wasted a bunch of time as a missionary trying to appear acceptable to members of Christian churches with a message that effectively said, \u201cHey! We\u2019re just like you!\u201d<\/p>\n To which the following answer came back: \u201cGreat! Then I\u2019ll stay where I am, thank you very much!\u201d<\/p>\n Look at all the trouble Ann Coulter has recently gotten into for referring to Christians as \u201cperfected Jews.\u201d To a Jew, it seems a bit presumptuous that she gets to define the term \u201cJew\u201d in a way Jews don\u2019t accept, even though, from a theological perspective, she\u2019s probably right.<\/p>\n Another great quote from the margins:<\/p>\n Most Christians try to build the universal church, not their own sect. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n This hasn\u2019t always been so, but it seems to be true today. Protestants and Catholics alike may disagree doctrinally, but most of them view each other as part of the same theological family.<\/p>\n In contrast, we Mormons, who are neither Catholic nor Protestant, are even more exclusive than the churches who refuse to recognize us as part of their ranks. We claim to have \u201cthe fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ\u201d (Doctrine & Covenants 20:9) and say that all other churches are in various degrees of error and apostasy. Indeed, one Mormon apostle went so far as to say the following:<\/p>\n “Mormonism is Christianity; Christianity is Mormonism; they are one and the same, and they are not to be distinguished from each other in the minutest detail.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine<\/span>, p. 513)<\/p>\n In other words, if you\u2019re not<\/i> a Mormon, you\u2019re not a Christian. So take that, James Dobson!<\/p>\n With that kind of position, why are we surprised when Dobson and Co. don\u2019t welcome us into the Christian fold with open arms?<\/p>\n More from the margins:<\/p>\n In arguing that Mormonism isn\u2019t a cult, particularly by citing the early church, you are strengthening the argument that, if not a cult, Mormonism is, at least, a new religion \u2013 and not a sect of Christianity. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n Again, the logic is perfect here, although Mormons would say we\u2019re the same religion as the people in the early Church, and that all you Christians in the intervening years are the ones who have gotten it wrong.<\/p>\n Another good marginal point:<\/p>\n If Mormons had rejected the Council of Nicea when it happened, okay, but 15 centuries later? That\u2019s a little weird. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n It certainly is if you define a Christian as someone who accepts the Council of Nicea. Under that definition, Mormons clearly don\u2019t qualify.<\/p>\n More:<\/p>\n When you claim to be speaking for God to an established religion, if they don\u2019t accept you, have the honesty to say you are of another religion \u2013 even if it\u2019s the only true one. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n Point taken.<\/p>\n I think he sums it up perfectly with this one:<\/p>\n You forget one thing: we came first. We get to make the rules, buddy. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n There it is.<\/p>\n So am I saying Mormons aren\u2019t Christians? Well, it depends on how you define the word. We\u2019re not part of the historical Christian tradition, and we reject almost all of the extra-Biblical creeds and practices that have evolved over the centuries. (We\u2019re big suckers for Christmas, though.)<\/p>\n So if you define Christian with these historical and doctrinal caveats, then Mormons don\u2019t fit the definition.<\/p>\n However, that\u2019s not the definition most people have in mind when they use the word “Christian.” Webster\u2019s Dictionary primary definition of Christian is \u201cone who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.\u201d Certainly Mormons \u2013 and Catholics and Protestants – qualify under that criteria, no matter who came first or what Bruce R. McConkie says.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s the heart of the matter.<\/p>\n Very few people who hear the statement \u201cMormons aren\u2019t Christians\u201d are thinking historically or theologically. They just presume Mormons don\u2019t believe in Jesus, and we worship Joseph Smith, or we\u2019ve all got polygamous harems up on Mt. Timpanogos. I\u2019m sadly convinced that some people who make the \u201cMormons aren\u2019t Christians\u201d accusation understand the theology behind it, but they still accuse while knowing \u2013 and hoping \u2013 they will be misunderstood.<\/p>\n As for me, I really don\u2019t care whether James Dobson or Billy Graham or the Pope or any other Christian leader thinks I\u2019m a Christian or not. I\u2019m far more concerned with what Jesus Christ thinks of me.<\/p>\n When the time comes, He\u2019ll call me by whatever name He thinks will suit me, and that will be enough.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"AreMormons Christians? With Mitt Romney\u2019s presidential candidacy gaining steam, that\u2019s a question that more and more people are asking. To many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the question seems absurd on its face. Look at the name of the church, for crying out loud! Read the Book of Mormon, which ... 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