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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (view source)
Revision as of 16:14, June 24, 2008
, 16:14, June 24, 2008→Positions of Various Christian Groups
====Positions of Various Christian Groups ====
====Positions of Various Christian Groups ====
There are significant differences between Mormonism and other Christian denominations, and nearly all other Christian denominations consider Mormonism to be non-Christian. These differences have led to the desire on the part of some to actively speak against the LDS Church and its members. Doctrines of the church have been distorted or even fabricated to highlight these differences, and many misconceptions exist. Several Christian churches have released statements in opposition to the church and its doctrines.
There are significant differences between Mormonism and traditional Christianity which have led many Christian denominations to consider Mormonism to be non-Christian. Several Christian churches have released statements in opposition to the church and its doctrines.
The [[United Methodist Church]] has stated that the Mormon faith has "some radically differing doctrine on such matters of belief as the nature and being of [[God]]; the nature, origin, and purpose of [[Jesus Christ]]; and the nature and way of [[salvation]]."<ref>http://www.apologeticsindex.org/news/an200513.html#21</ref> The [[Lutheran Missouri Synod|Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod]] goes further, stating that it, "together with the vast majority of Christian denominations in the United States, does not regard the Mormon church as a Christian church."<ref>http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=2239</ref> However, the Roman Catholic Church doesn't have high regard for the theology of the Lutheran Church or most other protestant denominations either.
The [[United Methodist Church]] has stated that the Mormon faith has "some radically differing doctrine on such matters of belief as the nature and being of [[God]]; the nature, origin, and purpose of [[Jesus Christ]]; and the nature and way of [[salvation]]."<ref>http://www.apologeticsindex.org/news/an200513.html#21</ref> The [[Lutheran Missouri Synod|Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod]] goes further, stating that it, "together with the vast majority of Christian denominations in the United States, does not regard the Mormon church as a Christian church."<ref>http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=2239</ref>
The [[Southern Baptist Convention]] states that the Mormon religion is "not consistent with biblical Christianity."<ref>http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/02/southern_baptist_convention_wa.php</ref> and the website Beliefnet.com details a number of differences between the Mormon faith and traditional Christianity as well.<ref>http://www.beliefnet.com/features/mormonism.html</ref>
Mormons differ from other Christian denominations on a number of key issues:
Mormons differ from other Christian denominations on a number of key issues:
* They believe that God and Jesus Christ are separate and distinct yet glorified beings.
* They believe that God and Jesus Christ are separate and distinct yet glorified beings.
* They do not believe in the concept of "original sin" but instead that all people will be held accountable only for their ''own'' sins and transgressions.
* They do not believe in the concept of "[[original sin]]" but instead that all people will be held accountable only for their ''own'' sins and transgressions.
* They believe that works (e.g. faith in Christ, repentance, baptism by water, receipt of the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and living a Christlike life) are required to ''qualify'' oneself for salvation but that salvation is only ultimately attained through the grace of God and the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (as opposed to the belief in salvation through works, i.e. somehow acquiring ones own salvation independent of God or Jesus Christ, a belief ''not'' held by the LDS church).
* They believe that works (e.g. faith in Christ, repentance, [[baptism]] by water, receipt of the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and living a Christlike life) are required to ''qualify'' oneself for salvation but that salvation is only ultimately attained through the grace of God and the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (as opposed to the belief in salvation through works, i.e. somehow acquiring ones own salvation independent of God or Jesus Christ, a belief ''not'' held by the LDS church).
* They believe that God was once a mortal man and that all individuals who have ever lived or who will yet live, including [[Jesus]] and [[Lucifer]], are the spirit children of God the Father.
* They believe that God was once a mortal man and that all individuals who have ever lived or who will yet live, including [[Jesus]] and [[Lucifer]], are the spirit children of God the Father.
* They believe that all people have the ultimate potential, through the grace of God, of not only returning to His presence (salvation) but becoming like Him (exaltation; see Romans 8:16-17).
* They believe that all people have the ultimate potential, through the grace of God, of not only returning to His presence (salvation) but becoming like Him (exaltation; see [[Book of Romans|Romans]] 8:16-17).
* They believe that Joseph Smith was visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ when he was 15 years old and was chosen to be the prophet through whom Christ's church was restored to the earth.
* They believe that Joseph Smith was visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ when he was 15 years old and was chosen to be the prophet through whom Christ's church was restored to the earth.
* They believe that after His resurrection, Jesus Christ visited and ministered to believers who lived in the western hemisphere, and that the spiritual records of these people were collected and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon into a single work subsequently completed by his son Moroni and ultimately buried in a hill in upstate New York circa 421 A.D.
* They believe that after His [[resurrection]], Jesus Christ visited and ministered to believers who lived in the western hemisphere, and that the spiritual records of these people were collected and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon into a single work subsequently completed by his son Moroni and ultimately buried in a hill in upstate New York circa 421 A.D.
* They believe that the angel Moroni, in his resurrected state, appeared to Joseph Smith when he was 17 years old and told him of this record which Joseph eventually retrieved, translated through the power of God, and published as ''The Book of Mormon'', later retitled, ''The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ''.
* They believe that the angel Moroni, in his resurrected state, appeared to Joseph Smith when he was 17 years old and told him of this record which Joseph eventually retrieved, translated through the power of God, and published as ''The Book of Mormon'', later retitled, ''The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ''.
* They believe that God has continued to call prophets and apostles in the present day just as he did in Biblical times, starting with Joseph Smith, and that these men lead the restored church by revelation from Jesus Christ rather than through the sole reliance on human understanding.
* They believe that God has continued to call prophets and apostles in the present day just as he did in Biblical times, starting with Joseph Smith, and that these men lead the restored church by revelation from Jesus Christ rather than through the sole reliance on human understanding.
* They believe that all other Christian denominations are apostate.
* They believe that all other Christian denominations are apostate.
* They believe that God resides near a star named Kolob.
* They believe that God resides near a star named Kolob.
* They beleive that God used to be a man on another planet and that He became a God.
* They believe that God used to be a man on another planet and that He became a God.
* They beleive that they must have Joseph Smith Jr.'s approval to get into heaven.
* They believe that they must have Joseph Smith Jr.'s approval to get into heaven.
* They beleive that there are different levels of heaven, including the Celestial Kingdom, the Terrestrial Kingdom, and Telestial Kingdom.
* They believe that there are different levels of heaven, including the Celestial Kingdom, the Terrestrial Kingdom, and Telestial Kingdom.
* They believe that Prophets are needed today, the same as in the Old Testament style.
* They believe that Prophets are needed today, the same as in the Old Testament style.