Mormonism and Nicene Christianity

LDS Standard Works

Mormonism and mainstream Christianity have found much both to admire and to criticize in one another's history and manner of life, in their claims and doctrines, since the beginning of the Latter Day Saint movement in the 1820s. The LDS and mainstream have in common the Old and New Testaments, and a professed faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the savior of the world and the founder and ruler of his Church; and yet, Mormons are clear in their rejection of existing Christian communions, and of the traditional understandings of these sacred texts and familiar confessions, in favor of what they believe to be the restored Gospel.

Overview comparison

The core Mormon belief that distinguishes them from other Christians is that Joseph Smith, Jr. was a prophet who, like Moses, received revelation and scripture from God. The first such revelation recorded by Smith stated that the original apostolic church was lost after the Great Apostasy. Smith claimed subsequent revelations instructed him to organize the restored church of Jesus Christ and carry it to all the earth. Today, Mormons believe their church has the same authority as the church established by Jesus Christ, that successor Apostles are also prophets, and that revelation is on-going.

This contrasts with mainstream Christians who believe that their doctrines are thoroughly consistent with those taught by Jesus Christ and his Apostles. Traditional Christianity holds that the scriptural canon is closed, and that this kind of active revelation ceased with the end of the Apostolic Age. In accordance with their historic creeds, Mormonism is deemed a corrupted form of Christianity, or Christian in only a nominal or cultural sense. Their apologists argue that the beliefs unique to the LDS are incompatible with the Bible and unsupportable from either tradition or history.

Beginning of the Latter Day Saint movement

Main article: History of the Latter Day Saint movement

The founder and first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith Jr., stated that God, in a theophany (or "First Vision"), had indicated to him that all other Christian churches were in a state of apostasy and that he was to join none of them. In March 1830 the Book of Mormon was published, which Joseph Smith said was scripture that he had translated by divine power from buried golden plates delivered to him by an angel. It professed to recount a history of the Lord's dealings with some of the ancient inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere, including a description of their civilizations. The most significant part of this history is the appearance of Jesus after his resurrection.

Smith, along with five associates, formed the Church of Jesus Christ according to New York State law at the time. Smith indicated that he was directed by God the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ, to restore the fullness of the Gospel because Christian churches had lost essential doctrines and priesthood authority that could not be recovered without a restoration. Most other Christian denominations disagreed and attempted to discredit Smith.

Latter Day Saints, like other Restorationists, believe that a restoration of the Primitive Church was necessary to overcome otherwise insurmountable departures from the true faith established by Jesus Christ. For the LDS, this apostasy especially included the loss of priesthood authority. This view is in stark contrast to the belief in "apostolic succession" found in Catholic and Orthodox branches, which expresses their assurance that a general apostasy is prevented by the continual presence of Christ in the church according to his promises, "... I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18), and "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:18), etc.

Differences in attitudes and emphasis

Insight into what Mormonism teaches that is different from mainstream Christianity can be gained by comparing their approaches to religion, in broader terms than their specific disagreements.

Personal revelation and theology

LDS perspective

Latter Day Saints emphasize personal revelation from God by the power of the Holy Ghost as the only way to confirm a true knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Membership in the LDS Church is gained through confirmation, a priesthood ordinance in which the person receives "The Gift of the Holy Ghost." Mormons believe that this enables the person to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, through which they may gain personal revelation in their personal lives and in fulfilling their various responsibilities in life and in the Church. Revelation is therefore something that is believed to be experienced at all levels: from the prophet to the lay member. Each member may receive revelation for their personal life and their area of stewardship. For instance, in Latter-Day Saint belief, a Sunday School teacher in a particular congregation can expect to receive revelation pertaining to their class, but cannot presume to receive revelation for a different class, or the same class being taught at a different unit. LDS believe that this revelation is how Jesus Christ governs the entire church.

Each LDS member is also expected to use personal revelation to determine how best to apply Gospel principles and the commandments into their lives. It is accepted that not all members will agree on how to interpret the same scripture; rather, each person is responsible to determine how it should be interpreted for them. For example, the diet code called the Word of Wisdom contains the statement "And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly." Church leaders later clarified that statement to indicate that coffee and tea were to be avoided. This commandment is interpreted in various ways within the church. It is considered inappropriate for one person to challenge another person's interpretation, although a Bishop can determine that an interpretation is outside acceptable bounds. Although it is possible for certain members to rationalize their conduct, members are reminded that they will have to answer for all the choices they make in this life.

Although some Latter Day Saints have an interest in theology, study is often limited to early Christian writers in an attempt to understand the early teachings of the Christian Church, the scriptures, and in the writings of church leaders. The writings of modern non-Mormon theologians are given less consideration other than in an attempt to understand mainstream Christianity.

Common beliefs

Both traditional Christians and Latter Day Saints share in the belief that God moves upon individuals to inspire them in the use of their talents to serve Him in His work. This is evinced by many individuals in both belief systems who are professional artists, musicians, teachers, and any number of other professions, who would (and often do as opportunities arise) attribute the direction of their lives to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Mainstream Christian perspective

Mainstream Christians most typically believe that miracles happen from time to time, for the confirmation and encouragement of faith, but not for new revelation; however, all believe that God's own Spirit dwells within them, in order to sanctify them in the truth deposited in them, and in order by many means to direct them, along with the whole church, into the fullness of Christ.

For traditional Christianity, everything in the life of the church directs toward knowing the Father in the Son, in the Holy Spirit, in the church. The most public expressions of this pervasive concern are the definitions and statements of the "deposit of faith", the vast body of literature of arguments for the defense and explanation of which is "Christian theology".

Mainstream Christianity places emphasis on the presence of God in the life of the church as a whole, as the Holy Spirit indwells each believer to make each one a member of Christ, a participant in his risen body through faith in his death. They believe that personal guidance from God conforms each member to the truth as it is evidenced in the church, conforming each life to that unity.

Religious authority

LDS perspective

Latter-Day Saints believe that Christ established a church during his mortal ministry with a specific chain of command leading back to the Savior himself. They maintain that this organization had a specific structure and hierarchy of authority, and they consider scriptures like 1 Corinthians 12:28 to be Biblical evidence that such a structure existed. Latter-Day Saints believe that this true authority to govern and lead the Church of Jesus Christ was lost with the death of the Apostles who walked with Jesus during his mortal ministry.

The structure of this priesthood authority is fundamental to the LDS claim of a restored gospel, which priesthood they view as "the authority of God delegated to man." The Mormon Church claims a restored apostolic priesthood authority in the form of the Melchizedek Priesthood received personally by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery from Peter, James, and John and the lesser Aaronic Priesthood from John the Baptist. Priesthood authority involves priesthood power and priesthood keys. Latter-day saints believe that the ordinances performed by this priesthood authority will be recognized in Heaven and remain binding for all eternity. Thus the marriage ceremony performed in Temples of the church, is considered to be a bond that will last "for time and all eternity" and not just "until death do you part", as it is stated in many Christian wedding ceremonies.

The President of the Church is the highest ecclesiastical authority on the Earth and is considered a Prophet. He is believed to have direct communication with the Savior Jesus Christ, who is the head of the Church. 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 decide issues of what constitutes official LDS doctrine. No decision is ultimately made for the Church as a whole without absolute unanimity on the part of these 15 men.

The hierarchy of authority runs from Jesus Christ himself to the Presidency of the Church, to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, to the Seventy, through regional and Stake Leadership, Bishops / Branch Presidents down to each member of the church. At every level of leadership in the Church, the same process of Divine direction is sought and the structure of the leadership in the Church is formed according to this revelatory process. (See Personal revelation and theology above).

Mainstream Christianity perspective

Mainstream Christianity claims to speak with real prophetic authority, but that authority is a deposit given once for all, like the foundation of a building, which is only laid once, so that the whole building participates in it. This authority resides first of all in the Jewish prophets who gave the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and confirmed in the New Testament by the witness of the apostles to the coming of Jesus Christ, his death, his resurrection and gift of the Holy Spirit for the establishment of the church. Their overseers are representative examples of a life built on this foundation, they are symbols of the unity of Christian faith endowed by God with authority to represent this unity, but not sources of new prophetic declarations. Their tradition is seen as a stewardship of the original gift of Christ, rather than formulations with new authority. The creeds of the churches are seen as symbols of faith, landmarks as it were, that have been set up as guides for future generations, in new situations, to warn them from wandering away from the knowledge of God who is with them, and to prevent them from forgetting how it happened that he is now in their presence, so that they may preserve the hope to be in his presence forever. The various mainstream Christians believe that this stewardship has been maintained not necessarily exclusively, but in its fullness, in their branch of the divided tradition.

Priesthood ordinances, sacraments

LDS perspective

In Mormonism, priesthood power is the ability to perform specific ordinances. Priesthood keys control the performance of the corresponding priesthood ordinances. A priesthood holder can have the priesthood power to perform an ordinance, but not the authority to do so. For example, a priest can perform baptisms. (LDS male youths can become a priest at age 16, so most male members sixteen or older can baptize.) However, the priesthood keys for baptism within a unit is held by the Bishop, and within the borders of a mission are held by the Mission President. This means that all baptisms must be approved by the Bishop and/or the Mission President, who must also approve the priesthood holder who will perform the baptism.

Because the Latter-Day Saints believe that priesthood authority is required for rituals such as baptism and communion, Mormons do not recognize corresponding rituals performed by members of other faiths, although they concede that such ordinances can be beneficial in helping those receiving the services. The LDS Church teaches that many other religions have a portion of the truth and that they benefit their members as well as the world in general.

Mainstream Christianity perspective

In contrast to the LDS, mainstream Christians see baptism as especially symbolic that their authority and hope is not their own but Christ's, and for this reason will most typically recognize the authenticity of baptism even in separated traditions, if by water, in the name of Christ into whose death they intend to be united to be raised through faith (see Trinitarian formula), sometimes adding that it must be done by one ordained to the office, or that chrism must be appended before accepting it as valid. This is not true of Baptists, who understand the ordinance as a testimony of particular faith and relationship with Christ, and sometimes of membership in a particular church; although other traditions will typically accept the validity of Baptist baptism. In this sense, the Baptist view is a restorationist view of the sacraments, rather than "mainstream".

The sacrament of the Lord's supper is seen by mainstream Christians as representing the fullness of the Christian life (the "mystical body of Christ" in Catholic terminology); and for this reason they traditionally do not receive any into communion who are delinquent in life or doctrine, according to the tenets of their particular communion. These boundaries of communion are exactly equivalent to the divisions among mainstream Christians: although the modernist and ecumenical movements have been prone toward admitting all to communion who are willing to receive it.

Faith and works

LDS perspective

Main article: Faith, Works, Grace and Latter Day Saints

Although both Mormons and Mainstream Christians believe that faith in Jesus Christ is essential for salvation, Mormons place distinctive emphasis on the necessity of good works, quoting James 2:20:

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

These works are viewed as an expression of their love for the Savior, and are unrelated to the Catholic concepts of penance or indulgences. Mormons do not believe they can "earn" their place in heaven through good works, but rather provide services because they believe that is what Jesus wants them to do.

Each member is expected to serve in callings that are assigned to them by church leaders through what LDS believe is personal revelation. (See Religious authority.) These callings may require from about an hour or two a week up to twenty hours a week for the more demanding callings, such as Bishop. All leadership positions in the church are voluntary, including no salary. Consequently, these leaders maintain full time jobs in addition to their ministerial duties. All men in the church who worthily hold the priesthood are also assigned some number of families that they are to home teach, which typically consists of a monthly visit to each family where a lesson is taught. The home teacher's responsibility is to provide guidance and service to the family, meeting any needs that they might have and acting as a representative of the Bishop and, by extension, the Savior. Any concerns that the home teachers have for their families are communicated back to church leaders. Women are likewise assigned other women that they are to visit and teach.

Much emphasis is placed in the Church on serving others and doing good works for the right reasons. At times this leads some critics of the Church to argue that Latter-Day Saints believe in a "works salvation", but many Latter-day saints view the teachings in scriptures like Matthew 25:40 ("And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.")and Mosiah 2:17 in the Book of Mormon ("...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God"), as affirmations that a good portion of the Christian life involves acts of love and service to others. Good works are viewed as having an effect either positive or negative on the ultimate destiny and eternal happiness or unhappiness of the individual. Latter-Day Saints consider it essential for each person to make the most of the life and talents they are given for the glory of God and the salvation of His children.

Perceptions that Latter-Day Saints believe they could somehow earn heaven arise from subtle differences in conceptions of the grace of God. However, in the LDS understanding, the grace of God provided by Jesus Christ is arguably the most prominent element of official LDS doctrine. Without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, salvation would be impossible, regardless of how many good works an individual performs in this life. In the Book of Mormon, for example, the prophet Jacob writes:

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.

As this and other Latter-Day Saint scriptures demonstrate, there is a process in the LDS faith that each individual on the earth must pass through of, reconciling him or herself to God, being increasingly sanctified through "obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel" (which for the Latter-Day Saint involves doing the good works God commands), and ultimately receiving salvation in the Kingdom of God at the end of one's mortal probationary period. Since LDS doctrine acknowledges and upholds Paul's declaration that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God", grace is essential for ultimate salvation in Latter-Day Saint theology and mankind would be lost without it. In order for this grace to be effectual in the life of the individual, however, the individual must come to God and seek to serve him with "full purpose of heart." This formula is most clearly explained in verses like Moroni 10:32-33:

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

The Relief Society consists of women of each unit providing comfort to unit members. They provide such services as delivering meals and providing baby sitting services to families after births, hospitalization, deaths, etc. The Relief Society presidency is instrumental in providing food supplies to families in need as part of the Church Welfare Service.

Church classes are typically interactive and concentrate on how LDS members can apply gospel principles to improve their own conduct. Class instructors are expected to teach accepted Gospel principles rather than theory or speculation, and illustrating how such principles can be applied to the daily lives of the class members. In most cases, the purpose of a lesson is not to teach a new principle, but rather to nourish class members spiritually and provide examples of how they can apply known principles to our daily lives.

The LDS Church provides world-wide services through their Humanitarian Services organization. For example, when Hurricane Katrina was approaching the US coast, the church loaded trucks full of emergency supplies and headed them towards the area expected to be affected. As a result, supplies were available shortly after the hurricane hit. Such supplies are typically available to LDS members and non-members alike.

Mainstream Christianity perspective

LDS humanitarian work is widely admired by mainstream Christians, and emulated by their own humanitarian relief organizations. But supporting and implementing such projects appears to be of such a compulsory nature in the LDS that, those in other Christian traditions perceive it to be a program by which they are trying to obtain favor with God, as though by doing these works they are earning the right to heaven, in the same way that the LDS believe that God merited his exaltation. In contrast to this perception, they explain favor with God as an unmerited gift that cannot be earned, and love is what is acceptable to him because it is nothing more than he himself present within the believer who produces it. They interpret the apostle Paul as strongly warning against thinking of good works as a way of earning one's way into God's presence, as in Eph 2:8-9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Mainstream Christian churches encourage service to one another in many ways, some more programmatically than others. While there are many hundreds of Christian organizations that provide service for others - some directly connected with churches and others institutionally independent - support to and participation in these particular organizations is not a compulsory part of their religion. The LDS Church often works with such groups when providing relief in the third world, rather than establishing their own resources.

Mainstream Christianity has a long history of individual members - lay and clergy - providing service to others. Christian church buildings have been used to house a wide variety of services such as day care, soup kitchens, health clinics, etc. Christian churches often provide a voice for the disadvantaged, working to change the social and legal structure of a society to provide more opportunity for the less fortunate. "Faith working through love" is a concise expression of Christian obligation.

God and the natural order

The LDS Church views God as part of the natural order, and yet infinitely above anything else in it, and therefore in complete mastery of both himself and everything else. Thus, Mormonism is neutral towards scientific studies, and does not believe that science and religion can conflict. Any perceived conflicts are believed to be due to an incomplete understanding of the scientific principles, religious principles, or both. The LDS Church believes that miracles conform to a higher and possibly unknown law. The miracle is often not the actual action, but the timing and/or circumstances of that action.

Mainstream Christians believe that God is not confined to the laws of nature, and that he may at times act in a way that shows the creation to be entirely under his power, for the specific purpose of revealing his glory and establishing his purposes. However, mainstream Christians believe that God sometimes reveals his glory in ways for which no natural explanation is possible, except to deny that they took place at all; the three most typical examples of which are, creation from nothing except his own power, the incarnation of Christ and the resurrection of Christ from the dead.

Differences in doctrines and core beliefs

A more commonly considered area of difference between Mormonism and other Christians is what the two groups believe to be true. Although many of their statements of belief concerning Jesus Christ are similar, and in some cases both groups quote the same scriptures, many differences become apparent upon closer examination.

Divine calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr.

Main article: Teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr.

From the Latter Day Saint perspective, the most significant difference between the doctrines of Mormonism and mainstream Christianity is the belief that Joseph Smith, Jr. was selected by God to be His Prophet and restore the priesthood authority and doctrines of the primitive Christian church as prophesied in Acts 3:19-21:

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Latter Day Saints believe in doctrines that other Christians consider heterodox, or even heretical, because Joseph Smith, Jr. and his successors taught these doctrines as revelations from God. In contrast, most other Christian denominations believe the era of Prophets has passed and deny the doctrine of continuing revelation.

Non-Mormon religions discount the LDS belief that Joseph Smith was a prophet. They also do not believe that the Book of Mormon was an ancient text, or that any of the Mormon revelations came from God.

Accepted canon

See also: Biblical canon and Standard Works

Mainstream Christians teach that the canon of scripture is closed, accepting only the Bible as a sacred text (though the precise list of books in the Bible is disputed: Roman Catholics and Orthodox include the deuterocanonical books but most Protestants do not). Catholics teach Prima scriptura ("the Bible above all") but give equal weight to Sacred Tradition. Some Protestants consider their Bible the only infallible authority, a doctrine called Sola scriptura ("by scripture alone"), though some Protestant faiths consider different versions of the Bible to be the "infallible" one. Because of historic disagreements over interpretation of the Bible, the various ecumenical councils have produced a set of creeds that provide a definition of Christian belief accepted as absolute by many Christian churches.

Latter Day Saints reject the writings of these ecumenical councils as doctrines of men. In his account of the First Vision, Joseph Smith, Jr. recorded the following as The Lord's answer to his question of which church he should join:

"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; 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.”

Latter Day Saints believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly, believing that many "plain and precious things" have been lost. They also believe that the Book of Mormon is a sacred text that testifies of Jesus Christ and confirms the truth of the Bible (see First Book of Nephi). It is believed to represent a history of God's dealings with some of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas. In addition, Latter Day Saints also have additional books of scripture: the Doctrine and Covenants, which contains revelations of modern day prophets, and the Pearl of Great Price. The Pearl of Great Price, which contains additional important Latter-day Saint scriptures such as the Book of Moses and the Book of Abraham, is not accepted by all denominations. Furthermore, each denomination has its own version of the Doctrine and Covenants. These versions differ on the modern day revelations accepted as canon, usually due to disagreement on the succession of the prophets.

Church leaders from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have taught that General Conference talks which are "…[spoken and] moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture…". In addition, many Mormons believe that there were also ancient prophets in other regions of the world that received revelations that resulted in additional scriptures that have been lost and may, one day, be forthcoming. Hence, the belief in continuing revelation and an open canon.

Nature of man

Main article: Plan of salvation

Latter-day Saints believe in a pre-mortal existence, in which we were literally the spirit children of God. Prior to the existence of spirits, some element of the human spirit, called intelligence, existed eternally in the same sense that God existed eternally, but in a less progressed form of energy or matter. This may explain the Church's teaching that man and God are co-eternal (carefully distinguishing "co-eternal" from "equal", which is not a part of LDS doctrine). Within Mormonism God is looked upon as both creator and Heavenly Father. Mainstream Christianity regards mankind as the creation of God, "made in his own image", according to the Book of Genesis, but few believe that man existed before mortality.

In historical Christianity, it is believed that only God is eternal, and that everyone and everything else began to exist at some point in time. Thus during the Arian debates, Arius claimed that "there was a time when Christ was not" (i.e. did not exist). The orthodox counter-argument was that Christ was co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit; however both sides of this debate agreed implicitly that everyone else was not co-eternal, and that for Arius to claim Jesus was not eternal was to claim that He was not God, but rather a created being like angels and humans.

Regarding the afterlife, Latter-day Saints teach of a potential deification or exaltation of all of humanity who are worthy of it through the saving and redeeming power of the Savior's atonement.The oft-quoted saying (by Lorenzo Snow, a Latter-day Saint Prophet) that captures this idea is, "As man is, God once was; as God is, man may be." Simply put, this means that God was once a mortal man, and that men can become gods. They consider this tenet to correspond with Biblical teachings, also interpreting early orthodox Christian writings as having taught that this doctrine during the earliest periods of Christianity. Some Mormons further note that the doctrine of theosis of the Orthodox Church is evidence that this doctrine is based on early Christian teaching.

For mainstream Christianity back to at least the 5th and 6th centuries, this form of deification is heretical. Though it is not disputed that the doctrine of theosis has been clearly taught since the earliest Christian fathers, the LDS controversially argue that the earliest forms of this doctrine were favorably comparable to their own doctrine, if not the same. As the doctrine and theology went through debate, the LDS position that they also underwent change over the centuries until it became a prevalent teaching in Nicene Christianity that in Jesus Christ Man is one with God, and those who are joined to Christ share in this unity; but the church lost the idea of limitless human potential that is uniquely expressed by the Mormon doctrine. The Orthodox Church does not accept that exaltation and theosis are similar. Bishop Timothy Ware, formerly Spalding Lecturer in Eastern Orthodox Studies at Oxford University wrote in referring to the differences of the views between Mormonism and the Orthodox Church:

"Deification," on the Orthodox understanding, is to be interpreted in terms of the distinction between the divine essence and the divine energies. Human beings share by God's mercy in His energies but not in his essence, either in the present age or in the age to come. That is to say, in theosis the saints participate in the grace, power, and glory of God, but they never become God by essence.

Nature of God

Main article: Godhead (Latter Day Saints)

LDS believe that their description of the Godhead is compatible with the Bible. LDS differ from mainstream Christians today primarily in their interpretation of 'oneness' and in their beliefs concerning the origins of the members of the Godhead.

The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants are explicit in their assertion that all three members of the Godhead; Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one God, though LDS deny the later Nicene assertion they are one in substance. In LDS belief, the three members of the Godhead are united as the "Divine Godhead" and "Holy Trinity, comprising three physically separate and distinct individuals who together constitute the presiding council of the heavens." The three members of the Godhead work in complete harmony in all things and are completely united in all Godly attributes while maintaining their unique identities and physical distinctness. Former President and Prophet of the Church, Wilford Woodruff, describes the unity of the Godhead:

"With all the divisions, and all the discontent, and the quarlings and opposition among the powers on earth, or that have been revealed from heaven, I have never heard that it has ever been revealed to the children of men that there was any division between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. They are one. They always have been one. They always will be one, from eternity unto eternity. Our Heavenly Father stands at the head, being the Author of the salvation of the children of men, and having created and peopled the world and given laws to the inhabitants of the earth".

Both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches teach Trinitarianism. In Trinitarianism, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit exist as one God in three persons or in the Greek hypostasis. The three are co-equal and co-eternal, a single Divine essence, an incomparable being, identical in nature. To Trinitarians, God is by definition uncreated, without beginning, and the creator of all things. God is spirit, therefore He is not, and has never been, mortal. God the Son voluntarily took a body in being born as Jesus of Nazareth

If one contrasts the LDS belief of the Godhead with the Trinitarian view, numerous differences appear between them, but an overlap of terminology adds to the controversy between them. For mainstream Trinitarians, the idea of "oneness" carries with it the connotation of inseparable singleness. For LDS, "oneness" denotes a unity in purpose and action. This is a significant contrast as most Christian churches view the Nicene Creed, or the beliefs therein, as defining Christianity.

Another significant way in which Latter-day Saints' view of God differs from mainstream Christian denominations is in their belief that God progressed during the eternal past from being a man who dwelt on an earth to being the glorified, perfected, omnipotent God of the Universe, the Supreme Being. Latter-day Saints apply the concept of exaltation to God the Father based on Joseph Smith's teachings in the King Follett Discourse. The Christian Church has used similar language to describe the reciprocal nature of redemption through Christ (theosis or deification), since ancient times. The LDS argue that this language suggests that the Church at one time believed in the possibility of other divine beings.

Another point of theological contention between the LDS and other Christians, is a teaching concerning an exalted woman, a female counterpart to the Heavenly Father. Though there is no canon reference that defines this doctrine, many Latter-day Saints believe that God the Father is married to an exalted woman that they call Heavenly Mother. Her existence is acknowledged by many LDS Church members and leadership, but she is not worshiped explicitly and rarely mentioned. Many members consider that she is held sacred by God and thus rarely mentioned to mortals.

Catholic, Orthodox and some very few Protestant churches give Mary the title of Queen of Heaven, and she is sometimes referred to as the Mother of God. This phrase refers to her role as the mother of Jesus, and does not imply a divine status in any way. All mainstream Christians reject worship of Mary while commending her faithfulness to Jesus throughout His earthly ministry. Latter-Day Saints do not believe that Mary is the Heavenly Mother mentioned previously, and recognize her as the wife of Joseph the carpenter and the mother of Jesus Christ in a biological sense. Some critics of the church conclude from certain quotations of church leaders regarding the biological paternity of Jesus Christ that Mormons believe there was some sexual relationship between Mary and God the Father. Modern LDS leaders and apologists have urged that this is a false conclusion and point out that quotations from earlier LDS leaders refer only to their belief that the Son of God receives his biological paternity from God the Father, not Mary only, and do not imply any untoward behavior between Heavenly Father and Mary.

Need for salvation

Differences can be seen when reflecting on the need for salvation. With important differences between the East and the West, the traditions of Christianity teach the concept of original sin as a consequence of the Fall of Man.

In contrast, the LDS church rejects the concept of inherited original sin, though it does acknowledge that man in his natural state (without the light of God's spirit) is an enemy to God as a result of Adam's transgression. Thus, they teach that one is only punished for one's own individual sins and not for Adam's transgression. The transgression of Adam and Eve is seen as a necessary step in God's plan to bring about the human race. (2 Nephi 2:25) The tenth president of the LDS church, Joseph Fielding Smith, explains this:

"Adam did only what he had to do. He partook of that fruit for one good reason, and that was to open the door to bring you and me and everyone else into this world, for Adam and Eve could have remained in the Garden of Eden; they could have been there to this day, if Eve hadn’t done something. One of these days, if I ever get to where I can speak to Mother Eve, I want to thank her for tempting Adam to partake of the fruit. He accepted the temptation, with the result that children came into this world."

Furthermore, the members of the LDS church believe that Adam and Eve were given two conflicting commandments: one was not to eat of the fruit, and the other was to multiply and replenish the earth (reproduce). Therefore, one of the commandments had to be broken to satisfy the other. However, the church teaches that this was not a sin, but a transgression, because Adam and Eve did not have knowledge of good and evil before the Fall, and because Adam was expressly told, "thou mayest choose for thyself" (Moses 3:17) to enable bringing about mankind's needed agency.

In conventional Christianity, Adam's sin is disobedience to God's command, and has nothing at all to do with enabling the conception or bearing of children. It is understood as an act arising from man's inexcusable doubt of God's goodness and wisdom, in preference for one's own imagination, lusts and fears. The result of their unbelief and sin is alienation from God of themselves and of their children after them, and the subjection to futility and death of the creation made subject to them - although God does not abandon them.

Church ceremonies

See also: Ordinance (Mormonism)

See also: Worship services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Virtually all Christians hold special ceremonies or rites, often called sacraments. The LDS church calls these ceremonies ordinances. Both religious traditions have some ceremonies with common names, for example, Baptism, Confirmation, and the Lord's Supper (called the Eucharist or Communion within Nicene Christianity and Sacrament in the LDS church). These ceremonies are held in public in the presence of members and non-members. Other Christian religions do not regard LDS ceremonies as being equivalent, and most Mormon denominations do not recognize those of other Christians.

Like other Christian churches, weekly Sunday services held in chapels of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are open to all who wish to attend, members and non-members alike. Services typically consist of a number of meetings held within a three hour block of time. Sacrament meeting involves the entire congregation, and can be held first or last. The middle class is typically Sunday School, where members are divided by age; some specialized adult classes can be held, such as Family Relations, Temple Preparation, Family History, Teacher Preparation, etc. The third meeting is divided into adult and youth males and female classes. During the same time as these two meetings, children have a separate meeting that is divided into class time and group activity time, often involving singing and games that teach gospel principles.

Most Christian denominations hold a Communion or Eucharist service as part of their Sunday meetings. Communion normally consists of bread (often in the form of a wafer), and sometimes water, wine, or grape juice. This ceremony commemorates the Last Supper, where Jesus gave his disciples bread and wine before going to the Garden of Gethsemane. The Roman Catholic Church teaches the doctrine of transubstantiation, which is that the bread becomes the literal body and blood of Jesus; partaking of communion by anyone other than a Catholic in good standing is considered a sacrilege. Most Protestant religions believe that the bread and wine are only symbols of the body and blood; such services are generally open to all.

The LDS Sacrament is central to Sunday worship services and consists of partaking of bread and water (not wine), emblems of Christ's body and blood, and as a reminder of the covenants Latter-Day Saints enter into at baptism. The Sacrament portion of the Sunday meetings is considered the most sacred and important element of these meetings and as such is approached by the Latter-Day Saints with reverence and in a spirit of penitence. Partaking of the sacrament by members who have been disfellowshipped or excommunicated is a serious transgression; partaking of the sacrament by non-Mormons is permissible, but has no significance.

Latter Day Saint temples are not the same as meeting houses, and are not used for Sunday worship. Rather they are designed for special ordinances that are open only to LDS church members in good standing. These ordinances include the endowment and sealing ceremonies as well as proxy ceremonies held on behalf of the dead. During the endowment ceremony, members covenant to dedicate their lives to God, and promise to obey his will. The closest equivalent to sealing is marriage, but the ceremony is considered to be different in that these marriage sealings are believed to be done by the authority of God and can be for eternity and not "until death do us part". Members who have already been married in the traditional sense can later have their union sealed in the temple.

Latter-day Saints in good standing may serve as Proxies during these temple ceremonies on behalf of the dead, often an ancestor of the proxy. These ceremonies include baptism for the dead, confirmation, ordination, washing and anointing, endowment, and sealing. These practices are performed because the LDS church considers some ceremonies to be necessary, although not sufficient, for salvation and exaltation. The church’s goal is to potentially offer the ordinances necessary for the exaltation to persons who were unable to perform these ceremonies within their lifetimes. According to LDS doctrine, in the spirit world, these persons have the choice to either accept or reject the ordinances performed on their behalf. The spirit world has had different names throughout Christianity, such as Limbo, Paradise, etc.

Other Christians do not recognize any foundation for such special ceremonies, either in their tradition or in Scripture. These denominations do not consider these ceremonies available to the deceased. Due to different views concerning salvation, they have no proxy baptisms or "endowments" on behalf of the dead. The LDS believe that this practice died out from 325 AD forward, based on evidence of esoteric ceremonies similar to the LDS temple endowment and vicarious baptism for the dead. Trinitarian denominations view salvation as a transforming relationship through union with Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, and thus with God the Father; and that, such ceremonies are symbols which represent, confirm, or even confer this relationship of faith. Latter-Day saints, by contrast believe these ordinances to be a necessary part of progression in Eternity and so seek to provide them for the living and the dead (by proxy). They believe that these practices, and view of salvation, were also evident in the early orthodox church, as well as among some sects that were later rejected as "heretical".

Use of the cross

Many other Christian denominations use the crucifix or cross as a symbol of their faith, which includes the belief that the Church shares in the suffering of Christ and remembers his death, until He comes again In general, the crucifix represents the death of Jesus on the cross, while the cross alone represents the resurrected Christ. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not use either as a symbol of their religion.

While there are many theories as to why Latter-day Saints don't use the cross, the generally accepted reason was affirmed by Gordon B. Hinckley in 2005, who said, "the cross is the symbol of the dying Christ, while our message is a declaration of the Living Christ." In other words, Latter-day Saints see the cross as the death of Christ. They prefer viewing Jesus Christ as a living Christ interacting with the world in modern times through living prophets, who serve for Latter-day Saints as Moses and Abraham did for ancient Israel, and as Peter, James, and John did for the early Church of Jesus Christ.

Religion and Politics

The LDS Church has strict policies that no political activities can be conducted on church property, and that no church leaders are to comment on any particular candidate or political party while acting as a church official. While all members are encouraged to be politically active, they are to vote according to their own conscience. There have been situations when the LDS church has taken an active political position on what they perceive as moral issues, such as gay marriage, as has many other Christian religions. The discussion of politics during church meetings is strongly discouraged. Although the majority of the LDS members within the United States are conservative, there are a significant number of politically liberal members. Since the majority of the LDS church members reside outside of the United States, such issues are meaningless or of little concern to many members.

Many Christian religions openly take part in political activities, and may endorse specific candidates that are believed to adhere to the values of the church or preacher. Some Christian leaders, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. are well-known for combining their religious and political activities.

Recognition of the rites of other denominations

Latter Day Saints

Latter Day Saint history comes from the position that other churches were the product of the apostasy, as referenced in the Bible. Latter-day Saints view other Christian churches as teaching some truth, doing good works, and acknowledge their strong faith in Christ. However Latter Day Saints (aka Mormons) continue to believe that all other churches lack the divine authority to perform the ordinances of the gospel because of the apostasy, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church. Based on this, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not accept the baptisms of other Christian denominations as valid. However, the Community of Christ is engaged in ongoing informal discussions concerning this issue. (See The Community of Christ below.)

Mainstream Christianity

The Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant branches of Christianity reject Mormon claims of additional scriptures, and of the prophetic office of Joseph Smith and other Mormon leaders; they disagree with Mormon claims that they have committed apostasy. Doctrines such as the beliefs about early American civilizations, which are unique to Mormon theology and not found in the teachings of mainstream Christian churches are also causes of disagreement. Nonetheless, many Christian denominations treat Mormons with respect, while not minimizing the differences in belief.

In 2001, in the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican's Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith decided not to accept Latter-day Saint baptisms. The Catholic Church generally recognizes baptisms from other Christian faiths in the name of the Trinity, provided the person baptized intends to do as the Church intends. However, because of differences in Mormon and Catholic beliefs concerning the Trinity, the Catholic Church stated that Mormon baptism was "not the baptism that Christ instituted."

The Presbyterian Church USA, the largest Presbyterian body in the US, publishes a brochure describing the church as follows:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, like the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), declares allegiance to Jesus. Latter-day Saints and Presbyterians share use of the Bible as scripture, and members of both churches use common theological terms. Nevertheless, Mormonism is a new and emerging religious tradition distinct from the historic apostolic tradition of the Christian Church, of which Presbyterians are a part. … It is the practice of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to receive on profession of faith those coming directly from a Mormon background and to administer baptism. … Presbyterian relationships with Latter-day Saints have changed throughout the twentieth century. By God's grace they may change further.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran body in the US, notes that Lutherans have been among those Christians who do not rebaptize other baptized Christians. However, it publishes the following statement on the recognition of Mormon baptisms:

Although Mormons may use water–-and lots of it–-and while they may say "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," their teaching about the nature of God is substantially different from that of orthodox, creedal Christianity. Because the Mormon understanding of the Word of God is not the same as the Christian understanding, it is correct to say that Christian Baptism has not taken place.

In its 2000 General Conference, the United Methodist Church decided not to recognize Latter-day Saint baptisms, stating:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by self-definition, does not fit within the bounds of the historic, apostolic tradition of Christian faith. This conclusion is supported by the fact that the LDS Church itself, while calling itself Christian, explicitly professes a distinction and separateness from the ecumenical community and is intentional about clarifying significant differences in doctrine. As United Methodists we agree with their assessment that the LDS Church is not a part of the historic, apostolic tradition of the Christian faith.

The Episcopal Church (USA), part of the 80-million member Anglican Communion, an Anglo-Catholic tradition, does not recognize Mormon baptisms, though it recognizes Christian baptisms that are Trinitarian in nature. Daniel Tuttle, the Episcopal Church’s first bishop of Utah, decided not to require rebaptism of LDS converts, and that practice continues today among most Episcopal clergy.

Missionary work and reactions to proselytization

Missionary work

Latter-day Saints include all people in their missionary work, seeking to convert anyone who is not a member of the LDS church, whether or not they are already a member of a Christian church. 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 from the time of its founder Joseph Smith have counseled members to be sensitive, to exercise caution, and to avoid contentions in their preaching. 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. (Contributor, August 1895, 636–37)

Most Christian churches will also seek to teach or convert LDS members when the opportunity arises (By contrast most denominations do not seek to convert members of other denominations they regard as Christian). Some traditional Christian denominations have ministries focused on Latter-day Saints, just as they might also have ministries towards women, or young people, or mothers, or any other demographic.

There are many independent ministries. Many of these ministries were started by ex-mormons. Some are dedicated purely to missionary work while others are a combination of ministry and apologetics. The latter group may be considered by many Latter-day Saints to be Anti-Mormon, just as mainstream Latter-day Saints are considered 'anti-Christian' when they seek to argue against the beliefs of Nicene Christianity.

The 1998 convention of the Southern Baptist Convention held in Salt Lake City had the stated aim to "bring Christianity to the Mormons."

Traditional Christian denominations’ reaction to proselytization

Because Mormon missionaries proselytize indiscriminately, some Christian organizations have published tracts or brochures designed to counter these missionary efforts.

Conciliar Press, a department of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, has published a brochure designed to protect Orthodox Christians from the proselytizing efforts of what it describes as "cultists" (Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses).

Recently the Catholic bishops in Slovakia urged all Catholics in the country to not sign a petition allowing the LDS Church to be legally recognized in that country.

In November 2004, Fuller Theological Seminary President Richard Mouw, and Ravi Zacharias, a well known Christian philosopher, addressed a congregation of Mormons and Evangelicals gathered in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for an event sponsored by Standing Together Ministries that was well received despite the differences they acknowledged between Mormonism and the Christian Evangelical perspectives.

For a broader perspective on the way the LDS Church promotes its views and relates to other religions however, see the Traditional LDS attitudes toward those of other faiths section below.

Traditional LDS attitudes toward those of other faiths

A core part of Latter-Day saint teaching is that all people, regardless of race, creed, or other distinction are children of God and, through faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to the principles and ordinances of His gospel, are heirs of salvation Free will is an integral part of the LDS understanding of God's plan of salvation for his children, and Latter-Day Saints believe that all people must be taught the Gospel in its fullness and freely accept it in order to ultimately be saved in the Kingdom of God. Yet it is apparent from many teachings of the Church that the Latter-Day Saints understand there will be generations of people who live upon the Earth who will never have the opportunity to fully hear and accept its message. In answer to this dilemma, the Church teaches that baptism and other necessary ordinances of the LDS faith may be performed by proxy in behalf of those who have died without having a chance to receive these ordinances themselves. In LDS theology the spirits of those who have passed on without receiving the Gospel, may then be taught the Gospel in the "spirit world", exercise faith in Jesus Christ "unto repentance", and ultimately receive salvation. For this reason, the Church has a keen interest in genealogy research and expends much in the way of time and resources to providing its members with tools to research their ancestry.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints teaches that it is the restored church of Jesus Christ on the earth, and as such, that it is the only church with all of the teachings and ordinances necessary for the fullness of salvation. It recognizes however that there are many people in other faiths and walks of life who live lives of goodness and seek sincerely to follow truth, and it has made efforts to recognize the good in other churches and organizations. Joseph Smith was heard on a number of occasions to have said that "all who would follow the precepts of the Bible, whether Mormon or not, would assuredly be saved". However, he also taught that "there is no salvation between the lids of the Bible without a legal administrator" and that all people would ultimately, in this life or the next (enabled by vicarious work in the temple) need to receive the ordinances of the priesthood of God. He wrote:

The question is frequently asked, "Can we not be saved without going through with all those ordinances?" I would answer, No, not the fulness of salvation. Jesus said, There are many mansions in my Father's house, and I will go and prepare a place for you. House here named should have been translated kingdom; and any person who is exalted to the highest mansions has to abide a celestial law, and the whole law too.

A prominent theme found in the writings of many Mormon leaders centers around the notion that all human beings on the earth are part of a great family. From the LDS perspective, a spirit of brotherhood should prevail among all people, because all people are God's children. Joseph Smith wrote:

While one portion of the human race is judging and condemning the other without mercy, the Great Parent of the universe looks upon the whole of the human family with a fatherly care and paternal regard: He views them as His offspring, and without any of those contracted feelings that influence the children of men, causes "His sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." He holds the reins of judgment [sic] in His hands: He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not according to the narrow, contracted notions of men, but, "according to the deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil," or whether these deeds were done in England, America, Spain, Turkey, or India.

Religious freedom is an essential characteristic of the LDS faith and many church leaders have spoken with high regard of the principles of religious freedom established by the founding fathers of the United States. Latter-Day Saints believe that all people should have a right to worship God "according to the dictates of [their] own conscience[s] ... let them worship how, where or what they may". In accordance with this principle, Church leaders teach that all preaching and teaching in the Church is to be done in a spirit of respect for others and without any manipulation or compulsion. According to LDS doctrine, even in the millennium (a period of 1000 years that will occur after the second coming of Christ), this principle of religious freedom will continue and missionary work will continue as well. No one will be compelled to accept the Church or its teachings. Brigham Young wrote:

Whoever lives to see the Kingdom of God fully established upon the earth will see a government that will protect every person in his rights. If that government was now reigning … you would see the Roman Catholic, the Greek Catholic, the Episcopalian, the Presbyterian, the Methodist, the Baptist, the Quaker, the Shaker, the [Hindi], the [Muslim], and every class of worshipers most strictly protected in all their municipal rights and in the privileges of worshiping who, what, and when they pleased, not infringing upon the rights of others. Does any candid person in his sound judgment desire any greater liberty? (Discourses of Brigham Young, 355).

Defending the rights of all people, regardless of denomination, to worship freely has been an integral part of the teaching of the church from the days of it's founder Joseph Smith to the present. Echoing the sentiments of Brigham Young concerning religious freedom, Smith wrote:

The Saints can testify whether I am willing to lay down my life for my brethren. If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a "Mormon," 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 other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the 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.

Smith was often heard to speak with high praise of the Constitution of the United States, and the provisions it offered for the liberty of mankind. Speaking particularly of how it protected the rights of the individual in religious matters, he described it as "... a heavenly banner ... like a great tree under whose branches men from every clime can be shielded from the burning rays of the sun." Latter-Day Saints hold the writers of the US Constitution in high regard and believe that they were inspired of God in the creation of that document.

Joseph Smith stated in his accounts of the First Vision that God instructed him to start a new church because all other churches were corrupt and had fallen into apostasy. Some Mormon leaders at that time used strong language to describe church organizations that were its contemporaries. For example, Orson Pratt and other early leaders referred to other churches as the "Whore of Babylon" and described them as 'corrupt'.

If one examines the history of Christianity as a whole however, one will notice that such characterizations of one another on the part of groups with conflicting theological stances are not uncommon. For example Petrarch, writing in the 14th century about the leadership of the Christian church at Avignon, stated:

Here reign the successors of the poor fishermen of Galilee. They have quite forgotten their origins ... Babylon, the home of all vices and misery.... [T]here is no piety, no charity, no faith, no reverence, no fear of God, nothing holy, nothing just, nothing sacred. All you have ever heard or read of perfidy, deceit, hardness of pride, shamelessness and unrestrained debauch - in short every example of impiety and evil the world has to show you are collected here.... Here one loses all good things, first liberty, then successively repose, happiness, faith, hope and charity.

Throughout the history of Christianity there have been voices that have arisen criticizing departures from what was regarded to be the true path of the faith. One example would be the reaction of the Roman church to factions like the Montanists and Arians whom it regarded as heretical, or the larger schism later on between Rome and Constantinople. For an excellent exploration of this subject, see Paul Johnson's "A History Of Christianity".

The great reformer Martin Luther was not restrained in his language when he viewed the situation of the Roman Church and considered it to be in error:

If the pope were the head of the Christian Church, then the Church were a monster with two heads, seeing that St. Paul says that Christ is her head. The pope may well be, and is, the head of the false Church. Where the linnet is, there is also the cuckoo, for he thinks his song a thousand times better than the linnet's. Even thus, the pope places himself in the Church, and so that his song may be heard, overcrows the Church. The cuckoo is good for something, in that its appearance gives tidings that summer is at hand; so the pope serves to show us that the last day of judgment approaches. There are many that think I am too fierce against popedom; on the contrary, I complain that I am, alas! too mild; I wish I could breathe out lightning against pope and popedom, and that every word were a thunderbolt. 'Tis an idle dream the papists entertain of antichrist; they suppose he should be a single person, that should govern, scatter money amongst them, do miracles, carry a fiery oven about him, and kill the saints. In popedom they make priests, not to preach and teach God's Word, but only to celebrate mass, and to gad about with the sacrament. For, when a bishop ordains a man, he says: Take unto thee power to celebrate mass, and to offer for the living and the dead. But we ordain priests according to the command of Christ and St. Paul, namely, to preach the pure gospel and God's Word. The papists in their ordinations make no mention of preaching and teaching God's Word, therefore their consecrating and ordaining is false and unright, for all worshiping which is not ordained of God, or erected by God's Word and command, is nothing worth, yea, mere idolatry.

More recent examples can be seen in the fervor that arose during the early teen years of Joseph Smith. The prophet's boyhood was spent in an area historians would later refer to as "The Burned-Over District" because of its religious contention and fervor (See Robert V. Remini's treatment of this subject in his Joseph Smith). One religious leader from this era, Reverend William Bacon made this comment characteristic of the intensity with which the competing camps (Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, etc) approached their proselyting efforts: "If you embrace wrong doctrines and unite with a corrupt church, you may expect coldness and darkness all your lives." —from Donna Hill's Joseph Smith, The First Mormon, pp 109-110.

Vitriolic and unsympathetic responses to the murder of Joseph Smith were not uncommon on the part of prominent Christian leaders, including such men as Alexander Campbell who said Joseph's murder was "nothing more nor less than the assassination of one whose career was in open rebellion against God and man." Reverend William G Brownlow, writer for the Jonesborough Whig was even less kind in his assessment: "Some of the public Journals of the country, we are sorry to see, regret the death of that blasphemous wretch Joe Smith, the Mormon Prophet. Our deliberate judgement is, that he ought to have been dead ten years ago, and that those who at length have deprived him of his life, have done the cause of God, and of the country, good service.... Smith was killed as he should have been. THREE CHEERS to the brave company that shot him to pieces." (For more on this, see Heidi Swinton's American Prophet, The Story of Joseph Smith, p. 18.)

A few decades later, the Civil war brought a number of schisms to previously united Christian traditions, among them the Baptists, Presbytarians, Methodists and others, who, divided over the slave question, took aim at each other in no uncertain terms. One prominent church paper at the time, The Independent, states, "The apostate church [i.e. the Southern Church] is buried beneath a flow of divine wrath; its hideous dogmas shine on its brow like flaming fiends; the whole world stands aghast at its wickedness and ruin. The Northern Church beholds its mission." —Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity, p. 439.

While much is made about the fervor and strong language early Mormon leaders used in putting forth their believed doctrinal dominance, certainly, as these quotes evince, the Mormons were not alone in speaking about their beliefs in ways that others might consider offensive. When not mean-spirited (as many might consider the above cited quote from Reverend Brownlow to be), it is merely an evidence that the speakers cited felt strongly enough about their convictions to state them fervently, even if such statements were found to be offensive. Even Jesus Christ himself spoke many words as recorded in the New Testament that were direct and not very popular with the scribes and pharisees because of their condemnatory tone. Yet he spoke them because he had a conviction of their truthfulness. No surprise then, that a Church affirming itself to be the restored Church of Jesus Christ on the earth would have something to say on the matter.

Along side this ostensibly hard line view of what is correct and incorrect doctrine and practice however, throughout its history, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has demonstrated a love and respect for faithful individuals in other churches and for what it considers true principles taught by other churches and organizations, while at the same time constantly affirming its own position as "the restored Church of Jesus Christ".

One example is found in the atmosphere of early Nauvoo Illinois during the days of Joseph Smith. In Nauvoo at this time, for instance there was an ordinance, ratified by the mostly Mormon town government, that imposed a stiff monetary penalty and jail time upon any person found to be persecuting another for their religious beliefs. Joseph Smith was known to be welcoming to leaders of other faiths and invited many who visited him to his own home. On one occasion, Smith allowed a Catholic Priest to hold Mass in the not-yet-dedicated Nauvoo Temple, because the priest had no other location in which to do so. This attitude of tolerance has continued as a thread and theme in the teachings of subsequent prophets and other leaders in the Church and is evident in numerous articles published in recent years in the Church magazines like the Ensign and the Liahona. The Church has been very complimentary of many of the early Christian reformers, Mother Teresa and many other prominent Christians who are viewed as exemplifying in some way attributes in keeping with the teachings and values of the Latter-Day Saints. Additionally, the Church strives to find common ground with those of other non-Christian faiths, always seeking to build upon commonalities, while upholding its own doctrine as the truth revealed by God. One recent example is found in the efforts of Mormon and Muslim charity groups who collaborated to provide relief in Afghanistan and other war torn areas. It has invited numerous clergy from other faiths throughout the years to its headquarters in Salt Lake City, some of whom have even addressed the saints there.

The first edition of Mormon Doctrine, a book published in 1958 by influential Mormon theologian Bruce R. McConkie, contained references linking the Catholic Church to the Whore of Babylon. After learning of its contents, President of the Church David O. McKay asked McConkie not to publish another edition and he agreed not to do so. Six years later, President McKay invited McConkie to make changes to the book and republish it, this was done and a more moderate version of Mormon Doctrine was published.

It is important to note that the Church does not consider the opinions of men, whether Apostles or not, to be binding upon men unless ratified by the proper procedure and authority of the Church. Many leaders of the Church write books but make it clear in the early pages of these books that they are expressing their own opinions and convictions and not official Church policy. For this reason, it is advisable when considering quotations attributed to Church leaders to consider the source and context of said quotations. As a literary and scholarly work, Mormon Doctrine itself never went through this process and was never ratified as official doctrine of the church.

Current President of the Church Gordon B. Hinckley has recently expressed the position of the Church as being an invitation to those of other faiths to bring all the good principles and truths they believe with them and allow the Church to add to that knowledge, making the point that Latter-Day Saints are free to disagree with tenets held by those of other faiths "without being disagreeable." In so doing, President Hinckley echoes the counsel of many prophets of the LDS Church dating back to its founder, Joseph Smith, who wrote:

If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by the force of reasoning. Do you believe in Jesus Christ and the Gospel of salvation which he revealed? So do I. Christians should cease wrangling and contending with each other, and cultivate the principles of union and friendship in their midst; and they will do it before the millennium can be ushered in and Christ takes possession of His kingdom.

Ecumenism and interfaith activities

Independent activities

Mainstream Christian denominations and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share work in providing welfare or humanitarian aid. (See Faith and works above.) There are independent activities among individuals from both traditions who attempt to discuss openly about issues of faith.

The Community of Christ

The Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, has made efforts to reconcile with mainstream Christianity and to reach out to other Christians.

The Community of Christ notes that

• it has never sanctioned polygamy
• it has always ordained persons of any race
• it has no required creedal statement, asking only faith in Christ for baptism
• it has accepted Trinitarian doctrine
• it has been in dialogue with National Council of Churches (NCC), World Council of Churches (WCC), and Christian Churches Together
• it has since 1994 practiced open communion

The Restoration Branches faction was formed by RLDS branches withdrawing from the Community of Christ organization in response to the changes made in the 1980s allowing the ordination of women.

In its World Conference in 2002, a committee on "Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations" was established to explore the possibility of entering into the membership of the WCC. In its report for the 2004 World Conference, the committee concluded that while there was an openness to further meetings and discussions, there were concerns about several issues including new entrance criteria based on theology and the Community of Christ's acceptance of extra-biblical scriptures. The report states that this warrants caution in their approach, but the dialogue would continue.

References

• D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power; Signature Books; ISBN 1-56085-056-6 (1994)
• Stephen E. Robinson; Are Mormons Christians?; Bookcraft, Inc.; ISBN 0-88494-784-X (Hardcover 1991)
• Jan Shipps, Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition; University of Illinois Press; ISBN 0-252-01159-7 (Hardcover 1985)
• Joseph Fielding Smith; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith; Deseret Book Company; ISBN 0-87579-243-X (Softcover 1976)
• John A. Widstoe; Discourses of Brigham Young; Deseret Book Company; ISBN 0-87747-664-0 (Softcover 1954)
• Craig L. Blomberg & Stephen E. Robinson; How Wide the Divide?: A Mormon & an Evangelical in Conversation; InterVarsity Press; ISBN 0-8308-1991-6; (Softcover April 1997)

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia:Mormons
• Are Mormons Christians? FAQ - Extensive apologetic information from a Mormon perspective, written by Jeff Lindsay
• Assertion that Mormons are Christian A compilation of quotes from Mormon authors and Church leaders, from All About Mormons
• Christian criticism of LDS teachings - From Berean Christian Ministries, also includes techniques on "witnessing" to Mormons
• lds.org - Official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (geared towards LDS members)
• mormon.org - Official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (geared towards non-Mormons)
• Journal of Discourses - Various talks from early LDS Church Leaders
• Official website of Community of Christ - Official website
• "Survey: USA's Protestant majority might soon be no more " - Article from USA Today concerning the question on whether to consider Mormons as Protestants in surveys
• Article about perspectives of Joseph Smith and Jonathan Edwards
• Article describing Book of Mormon teachings about the "Great and Abominable Church" or the "Whore of Babylon"
• Mormonism Research Ministry - A protestant Christian ministry centered on replacing Mormonism with evangelical Christianity