Is Mormonism Christian? Part 1

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The Mormon religion has been in the news a lot lately, as part of the coverage of the Presidential election. Many opinions have been presented by candidates and the news media, some of which do not agree with one another. The most fundamental question that has been raised is whether Mormonism is Christian or not. Is Mormonism just another Christian denomination? A recent poll by the Pew Research center found that 52% of American adults believe that Mormonism is a Christian religion, while 31% disagree. The Mormon church claims to be Christian, yet rejects all non-Mormon churches from the close of the apostolic age until now as being apostate.

If a group claims to be Christian, is that proof that it is? What does it mean to be Christian? This broader question is vital to answer, as many groups claim to be Christian. The first mark of a Christian group is that it upholds the unique authority of the Bible as the Word of God. Jesus said in NIV Matthew 5:18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished validating the Old Testament scripture of his time. At the end of the New Testament, the book of Revelation concludes with the statement, NIV Revelation 22:18-19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. These verses apply specifically to the book of Revelation and more generally to the New Testament and the whole canon of the Bible. The authority of the Bible has been a mark of the Christian church from it’s foundation.

The second mark of a Christian group is it’s understanding or doctrine of God. God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed as a Trinity, that is, one being existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. NIV Isaiah 44:6 “This is what the LORD says– Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Man is a created being and can never become God.

The third mark of a Christian group is it’s teaching about Jesus Christ. Jesus was fully human and fully God. As part of the Trinity, He has eternally existed, He was never created. He is co-equal with God. Jesus lived a perfect life on earth, died for the sins of mankind, rose from the dead on the third day and ascended into heaven. NIV Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

The fourth mark of a Christian group is the doctrine of salvation. Salvation is obtained by admitting you have sinned, believing that Jesus’ death forgives that sin and committing one’s life to Jesus as Lord. Salvation is having one’s sins forgiven and entering into a relationship with God called eternal life. Salvation is a free gift received by faith alone and cannot be earned by doing good works. NIV Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.

While there are many other important beliefs taught in the Bible, these four marks have historically defined a true Christian church. Deviations from these marks indicate that the group is not Christian or has deviated from a true Christian belief. These four marks can be used to test whether a group is Christian in it’s teaching or not. An individual must grasp these truths in some form and believe them in order to be a Christian. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans claim to be Christian, while many of them are ignorant of what the term means or what the Bible teaches. In Part 2 of this mini-series, I will apply these tests to the doctrine of the Mormon church to answer the question, “Is Mormonism Christian?”

9 thoughts on “Is Mormonism Christian? Part 1”

  2. Pastor Dan

    No, I did not say that. I said the Mormon church considers all churches from the close of the apostolic age until the formation of Mormonism as being apostate. There has always been a true Christian church throughout history, although at certain times, it may not have been dominant within certain segments of the church.

    It is not my purpose in this article to evaluate how closely other groups conform to these orthodox marks of Christianity. Suffice it to say that there is general agreement within the three branches of Christendom, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant, on these essentials of the faith.

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  3. Anonymous

    Actually, the Roman Catholic Church believes that its traditions and the teachings of its leaders (e.g., the Pope) take precedence over the bible, and thus it fails one of the tests as well. This can be clearly seen in the doctrine of purgatory, which certainly is not biblical but is a key tenant of the Roman faith. The are dozens of other examples where the Roman faith clearly contradicts the bible. Moreover, like the Mormons, the Roman Catholics have gone so far as to add books to the bible.

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  4. Pastor Dan

    Anonymous, I am very aware of the doctrines of the Catholic church. The Catholic church gets marks 2 and 3 correct, but has major problems with marks 1 and 4. However, although the Catholic church has extra-biblical books and traditions, they do not undermine their correct theology of God and Jesus Christ, as Mormon doctrine does.

    The average Catholic has problems with mark 4 and thinks they are saved by being good enough, but has no assurance that they will go to heaven. In Part 3 of this series, I give the statistic that Catholics have the lowest percentage of people who are born again (only 25%) of all denominations, largely because of problems with mark 4.

    So, I along with most evangelical Christians, still classify Catholicism as Christian, althought there are some major problems.

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  9. Barbara

    Still more Information that Mormons are NOT Christians

    Is the Mormon Religion a Christian Religion?
    http://www.philvaz.com/apologetics/num23.htm

    Mormonism: Just Another Christian Denomination? Part 1
    http://www.dtl.org/cults/treatise/mormonism-1.htm

    Mormonism: Just Another Christian Denomination? Part 2
    http://www.dtl.org/cults/treatise/mormonism-2.htm

    Redefining the Virgin Birth: Mormonism on the Natural Conception of Jesus
    http://www.mrm.org/virgin-birth

    http://www.christianarsenal.com/Christian_Arsenal/Archeology_vs_Mormon.html
    Archeology versus the Mormon Church

    UPDATED from the Below Book
    s the Mormon My Brother-Discerning the Differences Between Mormonism and Christianity by James R. White.
    http://www.amazon.com/Mormon-My-Brother-James-White/dp/1599251205/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318258902&sr=1-3

    EXCELLENT BOOK (Meticulous Comparison Between Chrisitans and Mormons by comparing Bible Verses next to Book of Mormon and Mormon Scripture
    “Is the Mormon My Brother-Discerning the Differences Between Mormonism and Christianity by James R. White.
    http://www.amazon.com/Mormon-Brother-Differences-Evangelical-Christianity/dp/0764220470/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318258825&sr=8-1

    Reply

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