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Mormonism and Nicene Christianity

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Mormonism was established in the early 19th century as a form of Restorationism, and practitioners consider themselves to be part of Christianity. Those who practice Mormonism call themselves Latter Day Saints because they believe the Latter Day Saint movement is a restoration of the original Christian church of the New Testament ( see Church of Christ (Mormonism)). They also believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the son of God.

However, the Latter Day Saint movement has had an uneasy relationship with orthodox Christianity. Despite adamant Latter Day Saint professions, most Christians consider Mormonism to be a heretical form of Christianity, or not a form of Christianity at all, because Mormons reject the doctrine of Trinity, as well as various other dogmas beginning with the Athanasian Creed (AD 300) that have become litmus tests for Christianity.

Two main reasons are proposed by those arguing to exclude Mormonism as a branch of Christianity: (1) that the Jesus Christ conceptualized by Mormonism is not within the range of permissible Christian conceptions of Jesus Christ, and (2) that the practices of Mormonism are not within the range of permissible Christian practices. Mormonism's most unique doctrines and practices originated late in the life of Joseph Smith, Jr. in Nauvoo, Illinois. As the Latter Day Saint movement has grown and gained notoriety, the various sects of Mormonism (and in particular the Community of Christ) have attempted to respond to these charges through extensive ecumenical efforts, engaging in dialog with Christianity, and sometimes even changing doctrines and practices. Nevertheless, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by far the largest Latter Day Saint denomination, still retains many, if not most, of Smith's controversial doctrines and practices.

Latter Day Saint Conceptions of Jesus Christ

The most common reason proposed for excluding Mormonism as a branch of Christianity is that the Jesus Christ conceptualized by Mormonism is not within the range of permissible Christian conceptions of Jesus Christ. In Mormonism, Jesus Christ is considered to be the Messiah, the Savior, and the son of God and the virgin Mary, as per the Apostles Creed. However, the Jesus portrayed by many sects of Mormonism is not identical to the Jesus portrayed by various branches of Christianity.

Most early Latter Day Saints came from a Protestant background, believing in the Jesus of the Trinity. The early public teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. contained little to contradict this view; however, Smith's public teachings regarding the nature of Christ slowly evolved during his lifetime, and became fully elaborated only late in his life. Beginning as a vague depiction of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being "one", Smith's teachings later depicted a Father and Son with physical bodies, being one together with the Holy Spirit not through "substance" but through purpose. Some Latter Day Saint sects such as the Community of Christ (which now officially endorses the doctrine of Trinity) have chosen to adopt what they believe to be Smith's earlier understandings of the nature of Christ, while most, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, teach the doctrines taught publicly by Smith later in his life. See Godhead (Mormonism).

Jesus as a physical being distinct from God the Father and the Holy Spirit

The Book of Mormon, published in 1830, describes God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as being "one", with Jesus appearing as a spirit before his birth, and as a physical being after his resurrection. The book is vague, however, as to whether Jesus was a separate being from the Father, and whether Jesus and the Father have the same "substance". Arguably, the Jesus of The Book of Mormon could be interpreted as part of a Trinity or as one "mode" of a single god. See Modalism.

In 1835, Joseph Smith, Jr. (with the involvement of Sidney Rigdon), publicly taught the idea that Jesus Christ and God the Father were two separate beings. In the Lectures on Faith, which had been taught in 1834 to the School of the Prophets, the following doctrines were presented:

  1. That the Godhead consists of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (5:1c);
  2. That there are two "personages", the Father and the Son, that constitute the "supreme power over all things" (5:2a, Q&A section);
  3. That the Father is a "personage of spirit, glory, and power" (5:2c);
  4. That the Son is a "personage of tabernacle" (5:2d) who "possess[es] the same mind with the Father; which Mind is the Holy Spirit" (5:2j,k);
  5. That the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit constitute the "supreme power over all things" (5:2l);
  6. That "[T]hese three constitute the Godhead and are one: the Father and the Son possessing the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power, and fullness;" (5:2m);
  7. That the Son is "filled with the fullness of the Mind of the Father, or in other words, the Spirit of the Father." (5:2o).

The Lectures on Faith were eventually decanonized by the largest Latter Day Saint denominations, and most modern Latter Day Saints do not accept the idea of a tripartite Godhead consisting of two "personages" (Father and Son) and a shared "mind" (Holy Spirit). Moreover, some Latter Day Saint apologists have proposed a reading of Lectures on Faith that is consistent with Smith's later doctrines. See Godhead (Mormonism).

Later in Smith's life, he elaborated on the doctrine of Jesus being a separate personage from the Father. In 1843, Smith provided his most well-known description of the Godhead, where God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit were three distinct personages: "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us." D&C 130:22. See Godhead (Mormonism).

Jesus as a Created Being

In addition to being a separate physical being, Joseph Smith, Jr. elaborated doctrines of Jesus, in which he was described as a son (although the eldest son in the spirit) of God the Father.

  • Mormons believe that all matter and all people have always existed, and that references to God "creating" are actually talking about God "organizing" matter that already exists. In contrast, classical Christianity believes that the only the one true God is eternal and has always existed, and that everything that exists apart from God, exists because it was created by the one eternal God.

The Deification of Humanity

  • Some Mormons believe that God is god of our universe, but was once a man mortalized by some other god in some other universe. They are indefinite about the ultimate or first Creator, and do not think the existence of other gods pertains to salvation.
  • Mormons believe that after death, the righteous who accept the gospel will become gods. They refer to this as the deification or exaltation of mortals. Mormons believe that after death, only the very righteous will be exalted. Some Christians believe that the desire to be "as gods," is the root of the original sin (Genesis 3:5).
  • As such, some Mormons believe in the existence of other gods. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost of the New Testament are the only gods worshipped by Mormons, as Mormons believe They are the one God of our universe.
  • Some Mormons, particularly Latter-day Saints, believe that God is an exalted man, and is married to an exalted woman, whom they speculatively call a Heavenly Mother. Her existence is referred to briefly in the Church hymn titled "O My Father" (Hymn number 292), and it is presumed in Church teachings that proclaim that each person is "a spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents." Her existence is acknowledged by Church members and leadership, though She is not worshipped.

Comparison of the Jesus Christ Conceptualized by Mormonism with the Jesus Christ Conceptualized by Other Christian Professions

The Jesus of Catholicism and Protestantism

  • Nicene Creed

The Jesus of Early Christian Heresies

The Jesus of Modern Nontrinitarian Sects

Unorthodox Latter Day Saint Practices

The second main reason proposed by those arguing to exclude Mormonism as a branch of Christianity is that the practices of Mormonism are not within the range of permissible Christian practices.

Latter Day Saint Rituals

  • One unorthodox practice is baptism for the dead, practiced by some Mormons, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) demonstrates their belief that non-Latter Day Saints do not have the Priesthood authority to act in the name of God, and that non-Latter Day Saint baptisms (or any other Christian ordinance) are not legitimate. In Mormonism, baptism is considered to be a prerequisite to exaltation comparable to salvation or theosis in other Christian religions. The LDS Church conducts baptisms and other ordinances for everyone (posthumously if not done while the person is living) who has not been baptized by a LDS-Priesthood-authority. Many Christians interpret this to mean that LDS Church does not consider them truly Christian, as baptism has always been a rite of initiation or entrance into Christianity. By posthumously baptizing Catholics, Orthodox, and other Christians in the same way that they posthumously baptize Jews, Muslims, and other non-Mormons, they demonstrate that all such people are equally separate from the Mormon faith and need to be given the chance to posthumously embrace it or become members of it, so that they can enter the Kingdom of God.

Polygamy

Non-Use of the Crucifix

Latter-day Saints do not typically use the Christian cross as a symbol of their faith. While the weather vanes that were built atop the earliest Latter Day Saint temples were often in the form of a cross, many modern Latter-day Saints are disturbed by this symbol of Christ's death, and prefer instead to focus upon his life.

History of Latter Day Saint Dialogue with Mainstream Christianity

Early Latter Day Saint Antagonism Toward Christianity

Early leaders and members of the Latter Day Saint movement at times voiced views concerning "the Christian world" which could be considered antagonistic. This is understandable in light of the sometimes violent conflicts that early Mormons had with those professing to be Christians.

The Church's founder and first prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr., at times criticized what he saw as important flaws in Christianity. He once said,

"we may look at the Christian world and see the apostasy there has been from the apostolic platform; and who can look at this and not exclaim, in the language of Isaiah, 'The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant?'" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg 15).

In another instance, Smith said,

"The teachers of the day say that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and they are all in one body and one God. Jesus prayed that those that the Father had given him out of the world might be made one in them, as they were one [one in spirit, in mind, in purpose]. If I were to testify that the Christian world were wrong on this point, my testimony would be true" (Ibid, pg 311).

As for Catholicism and Protestantism, Smith had these words:

"Here is a principle of logic...I will illustrate by an old apple tree. Here jumps off a branch and says, I am the true tree, and you are corrupt. If the whole tree is corrupt, are not its branches corrupt? If the Catholic religion is a false religion, how can any true religion come out of it?" (Ibid, pg 375).

These grievances seem to be largely doctrinal in nature. Smith and the Latter Day Saints weren't often critical of other faiths. No doubt remembering the injustices the Latter Day Saints suffered because of religious intolerance, Joseph Smith also said,

"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 denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of 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" (Ibid, pg 313).

Mormonism and Christian Ecumenism

In Joseph Smith's Wentworth Letter, he listed the following as the 11th Article of Faith:

"We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may" (11th Articles of Faith).

Ecumenical Efforts by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Brigham Young, the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the majority of Mormons after Smith's death, also sounded a conciliatory tone, saying,

"Some who call themselves Christians are very tenacious with regard to the Universalians, yet the latter possess many excellent ideas and good truths. Have the Catholics? Yes, a great many very excellent truths. Have the Protestants? Yes, from first to last. Has the infidel? Yes, he has a good deal of truth; and truth is all over the earth." (Discourses of Brigham Young, pg 10).

In the last several decades, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been making a sustained effort to demonstrate that Latter-day Saints' beliefs are associated with Christianity. These efforts have included participation in ecumenical endeavors, adding the subtitle "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" to The Book of Mormon, and recently re-branding of the church's official logo to place more emphasis on the phrase "The Church of Jesus Christ."

Ecumenical Efforts by the Community of Christ

More so than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Community of Christ has made dramatic efforts to reconcile its doctrines with mainstream Christianity, and to appear more orthodox to Christians.

Miscellaneous Arguments

Latter Day Saint Points of View

Reasons that Latter Day Saints consider themselves to be Christian

The Latter Day Saint movement claims that apostolic succession was broken during the Great Apostasy, or falling away from the teachings of Jesus Christ and later restored in the United States. The Saints maintain that God the Father and his son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith, Jr. near Palmyra, New York in 1820. They believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet whose task was to restore the Church of Christ and correct doctrines and practices to the Earth.

Latter Day Saints profess a belief in the New Testament, which explains that Jesus:

  • Is a member of the Godhead
  • Was born in Bethlehem of divine origin (condescended to become man)
  • Is the literal Son of God and Redeemer of mankind (see atonement)
  • Lived a perfect life, set a perfect example, and taught a perfect lifestyle
  • Gave his life voluntarily and atoned for the sins of all people
  • Was resurrected on the third day to conquer death

Although there are some differences in Mormon beliefs in the traditional Trinity as compared to their belief in what is commonly referred by Latter Day Saints as the Godhead, the doctrinal section of the article on Christianity is a fairly accurate representation of Latter Day Saint beliefs that coincide with mainstream Christianity.

Latter Day Saints believe that these ideas are the core beliefs of Christianity, and thus they profess that they are Christians. (See Nicene creed for a common statement of Christian faith).

How Mormons view differences

Latter Day Saints as a whole do not identify themselves as separate from mainstream Christianity, however they do recognize some key differences. Typically Latter Day Saints believe that most traditional Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant adherents have much truth, and strong faith in Christ, which is essential for their salvation. They also believe that most of these people will have the opportunity to accept the full gospel of Jesus Christ prior to the "final judgement," and that many (if not most) that truly have faith in Christ will be "saved" or possibly even exalted.

The biggest difference between mainstream Christianity and Mormonism that Mormons will typically say are three. These include:

Other Mormons will include the Gift of the Holy Ghost (as opposed to the manifestations of the Holy Ghost), Church organization, an open canon, and Temples (which includes Eternal Marriage).

Mormons typically believe that differences in the Trinity and the Mormon view of the Godhead are relatively minor and can be supported by biblical scripture, ante-Nicean tradition, similar beliefs in some protestant churches and modern revelation.

Book Summary: Are Mormons Christians?, by Stephen E. Robinson

In his book, Are Mormons Christians?, Stephen E. Robinson, an LDS scholar, addresses the issue of excluding Latter-day Saints as Christians by definition. Some critics deny that Latter-day Saints are Christians by using the term 'Christian' in a (usually implicit) historical, traditional, canonical, doctrinal or sectarian sense that specifically excludes Latter-day Saints. However, using 'Christian' in such a way is merely a way of saying that it is only one particular history, tradition, canon, doctrine or sect that is justified when such justifications are debatable; in some uses such specialized definitions could fairly exclude the primitive church and Jesus Christ himself. Robinson also observes that detractors sometimes exclude the Latter-day Saints by contrasting a biased definition of Christian with a misrepresentation of Mormon doctrines, and also exclude by labeling the Church with ad hominem tags like cult. The exclusion phenomena which Robinson observes may be seen between relatively antagonist sects (or even between sects of other religions) past and present. Robinson's contribution is unique in presenting how the exclusion phenomena is applied to Latter-day Saints in particular (with an acknowledgement that some Latter-day Saints have also excluded other sects in a similar manner) and in presenting Christian history, tradition, canon, doctrine, etc. that supports a definition that is inclusive of Mormonism.

Critical Points of View

Mormonism differs from traditional Christianity in the following ways:

As discussed above, Mormons do not believe in the Christian Trinity; they believe that the Son and the Holy Ghost are separate beings, distinct from God the Father. In addition, they believe that God the Father and Jesus both have physical bodies; while most Christian denominations believe that God is an infinite, non-physical spirit of whom Jesus alone is a physical revelation through the Incarnation. Mormonism teaches that the Holy Ghost does not have a physical body but is a personage of Spirit. The trinitarian conception of salvation is contradicted by these views.

Mormons do not believe that God is without beginning; or in other words, they deny that God is infinite and eternal. If the first article places Mormonism midway between monotheism and polytheism in the Trinitarian's view, this second article places them midway between theism and atheism.

Similarly, the Latter-day Saints affirm that God created the universe, but deny that God created ex nihilo. In other words, Mormons generally mean that God organized some already existing matter into the universe, matter that God did not create from nothing. As above, this understanding of creation erases the distinction between God and the creation, which others who are called Christians hold to be fundamental to the faith.

They believe Jesus visited the Americas after his death and ascension to Heaven, evidently adding words and acts unheard of by the Apostles, upon whom alone the Christian Church was founded. This article adds to the alien "feel" of Mormonism, as perceived by others called Christian.

Similarly, Latter Day Saints accept as scripture several books which other Christian groups do not recognize, and which Mormons hold to be revealed by God, and therefore more correct (although no more authoritative) than modern versions of the Bible, which they believe to contain significant errors and omissions regarding basic principles of the gospel necessary for salvation. This lowered reverence for the Bible is particularly the source of difficulty between Mormons and evangelical protestants.

Mormons reject much of the core of what they think are post-apostolic Christian thinking, doctrine, and creeds that they believe were established during what they refer to as the Great Apostasy. The view that Christianity, at some point, was lost to history until it was restored through Joseph Smith in upstate New York, is based on a radically unconventional approach to the historical record. Belief in the meaningfulness of the historical record, upon which Christians are accustomed to rely for correction, holds no value in disputes with Mormons, adding to the sense of alienation from Mormonism.

While affirming many traditional Christian beliefs, Mormons employ very different definitions of terms and phrases, at key points. From a critical point of view, this gives the appearances of deceitful disguise of many profound doctrinal differences, under the superficial form of orthodox language, while in substance contradicting Christian belief.

Other items do not coincide with the doctrines of salvation according to evangelicalism, which is a cross-denominational movement which has been the most persistent opponent of Mormonism.

Calvinism, a form of evangelicalism, teaches that salvation is based on God's granting to some the gift of faith, and of good works. Their ability to believe, and to do works that are acceptable to God, is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. The gift of the Spirit is not granted because of their first believing, or because of the performance of any ritual, or because of their good works meriting God's acceptance. In other words, salvation is God's rescue of sinners from the penalty and the power of sin, not the reward due to righteous actions, according to Calvinism.

Although Calvinists and other Evangelical protestants do not deny the need for works, most adhere to the belief that grace alone will save man (sola gratia). That is, they teach that good works are not the basis of their acceptance by God, but rather the product of his acceptance.

Many evangelicals, especially dispensationalist Protestants, teach that sola fide, salvation by faith alone, means that if only a person professes belief in Jesus Christ, they are Christians and they are saved. These evangelicals are particularly distrustful of any form of doctrine which speaks of the necessity of good works.

Mormonism, in contrast, teaches that men will be judged by their actions in addition to being saved by grace (Article of Faith 2).

Most evangelical critics attack the Mormon use of extra-Biblical sources for belief or teachings (sola scriptura). Mormonism insists on the necessity of continuing revelation, for the guidance of the people of God.


Most other Christian churches, the Catholic, Orthodox, and many Protestant, do not recognise Mormons as even heretics, because of the massive belief difference.

Most Christians hold that the tremendous doctrinal differences between Mormonism and mainstream Christianity are significant enough to define Mormon teachings as non-Christian. Mormons believe these differences are due to corruption and apostasy in the early Christian era, specifically abandonment of revelation in favor of counsels of men, including rejection of the Trinity in favor of a Godhead containing three separate individuals. On the other hand, Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox in particular insist that the teachings of the church in those centuries were consistent with what the apostles taught, which the apostles learned from Christ.

See also

References

  • Stephen E. Robinson; Are Mormons Christians?; Bookcraft, Inc.; ISBN 0-88494-784-X (Hardcover 1991)
  • Joseph Fielding. Smith; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith; Deseret Book Company; ISBN 0-87747-655-9 (Softcover 1976)
  • John A. Widstoe; Discourses of Brigham Young; Deseret Book Company; ISBN 0-87747-664-0 (Softcover 1954)
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