Is the Mormon/Latter Day Saints a Christian religon or an occult ?

Question

One of my professors in College gave us the definition of what was a "christian" religion then spelled out for us what was "christian" and was was not. He say by definition Mormon teachings were not Christian in basis, yet I see more and more Mormons in my area just referring to themselves as Christians? Someone help me out, what is the difference?

Thank you so much everyone for your insights. What origianlly prompted me to ask this question was that I had a boss that was of the Mormon faith and so much of what she did that was part of her "religion" I could find no where in the Holy Bible. She also was one of the meanest women I've ever met, and her husband spoke to her like she was trash, which I found very disturbing. Since that time I've met and worked with many Mormon families and have found them to choose "quanity" over "quality" when it came to their children. Dozens of children with uncombed hair, dirty faces, running the neighborhood with no supervision It's been most distressing for me, a single mother, whom devotes a majority of my energy towards being a good mother. When I have tried to speak with these parents (4 families that live on my street) I've been confronted by men with no manners. I know I'm generalizing, but the secretive nature of the highest levels of their church bothers me, why is it so secret?

Answer 1

neither... they are a cult.

Answer 2

They are not a cult. The name of their church is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints" I am not a Mormon, but I had heard weird things about their church so I visited one for a few weeks. They study the Bible and believe in the teachings of Christ. I looked around and saw that most families had only 2 or 3 children, not 12 like I've heard before. I asked why they dont think you should drink a lot of caffeine and I was told that it's because it's addictive and not good for your body. My nutrition teacher told me the same so I guess they are right about that. The hymns they sang were the same I sing in my Methodist church. They seemed normal to me. I know they have the Book Of Mormon, and I read a little of it, and it didn't seem weird. It referenced the Bible a lot. I did all this because I was doing a paper on the religion for Religion class, and found out they are the 2nd largest church in the world. They are the fastest growming church in the world, and it's because they do all the missionary work. I couldn't beleive how big the church was when I looked at all the figures. What is a cult, are the groups in Utah and Colorado that have multiple wives, and marry 13 year olds and get them pregnant. They are sometimes referred to as Mormons, but they arent. Now that I have met some Mormons I think they are okay. If they are a cult, then so are Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, etc.. sicne I saw no real difference.

Answer 3

Well Mormons don't go by what the Bible says. They say Jesus and Satan were brothers. That the good mormons at the return of Jesus will get their own planet to rule. And that there are 3 possibilities for all humans at the end of the earth. Celestial Kingdom Terrrestial Kingdom and Telestial Kingdom. In Telestial the sinners ect folks suffer in a sort of purgetory and after enough punishment are entered into a nice afterlife. So pretty much no matter what you do you get a nice afterlife.

I think you meant it was a cult not an occult. They don't try to use magic. It doesn't really count as a cult which tends to be a group that has a charismatic leader and won't let people leave the group. It may have been like that in the past but not know.

What it is is pretty much some guy adding to the Bible. Which Revelation 22:18-19 Says Not to Add Anything to the Bible. This was set way before the Roman Empire had even falled. The Mormon additions clearly violate this.

Answer 4

I just could not stop laughing at the answers.

It is just so funny how they assume what we the LDS Mormon believe. How can someone so persistant in saying we do not believe in Jesus Christ?
Have they attended our Sunday meetings, did they participate in our sacrament meeting every week in remembering Jesus Christ? did they join our Sunday school classes in teachings of Jesus Christ? Did they see our baptism are done in the name of Jesus Christ.
If they say we are not true Christian because of Galatian 1:8
then, are they and the others following these scriptures:-

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
(New Testament | Ephesians 2:19 - 20)

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
(New Testament | Ephesians 4:11 - 12)

Where are their prophets? Did God not said that he will only reveal his will to his Prophets?

7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
(Old Testament | Amos 3:7)

If the definition of a cult is " a form of worship different from the norm", then Christ's teaching in his days will surely be a cult.

How can one be a cult just because their belief is not the same as yours?

The bottom line is, to find out first hand info, and truth ful info,
attend the LDS meetings, see what they do and teach, you are not going to get a acceptable answer from these lot.

As a Mormon for over 30 years, I testify to its truthfulness, we are believer of Christ and I never regret being a LDS, and I only have one wife whom I cherish very much.

Answer 5

It's a matter of semantics.

To be a Christian means you beleive in Jesus Christ and that he is the savior of mankind and the son of God.

That is probably the only prerequsite.

Everything else is based upon "common, ordinary and accepted" theology.

It should be pointed out that Baptists sometimes do not consider themselves nor do others sometimes consider them Christians. Some Bapitist movements are very Christian oriented, but to be frank the Baptist movement came before Jesus and Jesus, himself, was converted and Baptised by John, The Baptist, who is the founder of that movement.

It also should be noted that some do not necessarily consider the Anglican Church (Church of England) to be Protestant, yet they are decided not Roman Catholic.

There is no rule that says to be a Christian organization or Church you must have sermons. No rule that says you must have communion rituals (let's face it, Jesus didn't hold his Last Supper in a Temple or Synnagog he held it in a garden and it was a private feast for him and his friends). No rule that says you must baptise.

At least not in the sense of how it is done in most churches.

The Christian Church is the primary concept of Peter (three times a violator of the 10 commandments bearing false witness or lying) and Paul, which evolved in the 3rd century into what is now known as the Roman Catholic Church.

Jesus was a Jew. He was a religious Jew. He was also a Baptist. He accpted the rights and ritual of John, the Baptist.

He was a reformist Jew, who wanted to get people to stop living the harsh laws of Moses and become more human and tolerant.

I don't beleive Jesus ever intended there to be a "Christian" church of such a major division. I expect he wanted his disciples to make a new, Jewish based church that didn't stone women at the gates of the city or herd Lepards into gulags.

I don't think he'd be pleased with the Catholic Bingo games anymore than he liked the Cock fights int he Temple.

The whole "church" this is the creation of Peter and to a degree Paul. Peter problably had to make compromises, because he was converting pagan Itaians, Turks and Greeks. He couldn't just turn them into Jews and have them celebrate PAssover. So he created the communion thing.

Christianity is broken into two primary branches:

Catholic, which is ruled by the living head of the church (Pope) who defines all the rules and tells you what God expects and what you must do to be faithful.

Protestant, which is ruled by you and your interpretations of the Bible. You are expected to read the Bible and draw your own conclusions as to what to believe, what is right and what is wrong.

As a result we got many, many, many different "Protestant" or reformist organiztions, the smallest of which is the Branch Dividian Church in Waco, TX which had 83 members at last count. The largest being the Presbyterians, with about 100 million world wide (10% of the Christians), followed by the Methodists (5% of the 1 billion Christians in the world, of which the Catholic Church has the largest totally following at under 50%).

It's very hard to determine the status "cult" so many actually call these various organizations "sects."

To be a cult you must meet some criteria. Cults are clanish, shunning outsiders and being secretive in nature. Cults force you to think a certain way, there is no deviation from the party line. Cults demand total obedence. Cults also tend to separate people for their money by intimidation.

Religions are open to everyone, there are no secrets, they welcome outsiders. They don't force you to think a certain way, they encourage you to change your views by reading the bible and drawing your own conclusions. If you, for example, want to join the Army and kill in Iraq or Afgahnistan the Church will not throw you out for violating the 10 commandments. At churchs they pass the plate and you put in what you want. No one shuns you for putting in nothing, if you have nothing.

By this set of criteria al Queda is a cult, the Masons are a cult, Scientology is a cult, Seventh Day Adventsits are a cult and Mormons are a cult.

You can't drink liqour (JEsus was a wine drinker), coffee or Coke (when they owned Pepsico it became OK to drink Pepsi), smoke. They have their own food brands which you are encourged to get. They have and to a degree still do believe in Polygamy (multiple marriages) and I lived near a Mormon enclave in California where there were some second wives and the man returned to Utah every so often to stay for a long while. You have to believe in the book of Mormon, the teachings of Brigham Young and the founder, I forget his name, but they don't give him the same PR as Young!

Cults are very restrictive, social organizations such a mainstream religoin are veyr loose and open.

You have to be "tried" and "convicted" to be thrown out of the Catholic church (ex-communicated) and few normal people are! It's usually a few radical priests that face this.

Answer 6

So, some random professor with a hidden agenda tells you what he thinks is a Christian, and what is not a Christian, and you took his definition on face value? Who gets to define words? If you wanted to keep Christians from investigating the Mormon Church, what better way then to invent a definition of Christian which excluded Mormons?

Doesn't this sound familiar? Liberals defining "conservatives" as guys who want to give special privileges to the rich big business types. Conservatives defining "liberals" as guys who just want to tax and spend. Truth is, if you can control the definitions people use you can control what opinions they will form, and what thoughts they will think.

Mormons are Christians because they believe in the Bible, they believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior and the Son of God. They are attempting to follow the teachings of Jesus as best they can, just like other good Christians. They may not agree with all of the teachings of some other churches, but who does?

Answer 7

Mormons are not a Christian religion and they do not know where they stand with God because they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Mormon church preaches against a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no48.htm

"It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. As you look at the photographs in this section, you will understand our concern about the foundation and structure of the Mormon Church...
If you are a Christian who has never experienced the occult, you may be alarmed. If you have been involved in witchcraft or Satanism, you will probably not find much here that is unfamiliar."

http://www.luciferlink.org/photos.htm

Mormons have a proven occult track record of involvement with necromancy, witchcraft rituals, allegiance to false gods, idolatry, divination, crystal gazing, and consultation with familiar spirits.

The Mormon church comdemns Christianity and all other religions.

http://www.carm.org/lds/attack.htm...

Joseph Smith said . . .

(Regarding Joseph Smith's alleged first vision where celestial personages appeared to him.) . . .) "My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right — and which I 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 . . ." (Joseph Smith, "History of the Church, Vol. 1, page 5-6.)

"What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world." ("Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith," Compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, page 270.)

(In questions directed to Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. . .)
First -- "Do you believe the Bible?"
If we do, we are the only people under heaven that does, for there are none of the religious sects of the day that do."
Third — "Will everybody be damned, but Mormons?"
Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness." (Teachings, page 119.)

The Bible warns us about people like Joseph Smith and his angels, Moroni, and the rest of the spirits he said gave him his revelations:
Galatians 1:8
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Answer 8

Most religions are cults. The Mormons/LDS are a cult. Most of the people are good people , they have been brainwashed. They believe God is married with children all over the universe. They also believe that Mormon men get to become gods and have their own universe. If their earthly wife is good to him, he will let her go to heaven. That's why all Mormon wives seem to be perfect human beings.
The Catholic church is a cult. They place the church, the priest, and Mary between man and God.
A true Christian church will believe the Bible (real one) is infallible and they will believe what it says about Jesus.
The bottom line is what they do with Jesus.

Answer 9

N. Eldon Tanner, “A Practical Religion,” Tambuli, Aug. 1979, 1
Throughout my life I have often been asked: “What is there about your church that would cause you to do whatever you are asked to do and go wherever you are sent without concern for your personal business and social interests?”

In answering this question I have always included my testimony that the work of the Church is divine and directed by Jesus Christ and there is no more important work in which I could be engaged, and none so rewarding. Very often someone has responded, “I wish I could feel that way about religion.” Then I have tried to tell him how to get a knowledge for himself that this gospel is true, and that it is the way to salvation and eternal life.

What is there in this religion that makes it so appealing to all the honest in heart who will investigate? Why is the Church growing so rapidly and gaining so many converts throughout the world? Let me list some of the reasons.

The main objective of most people is to find happiness and an inner peace which will help them to get the most out of living and to cope with the problems and trials which come to all. As the philosophers say, it is not what happens to us, but how we cope with it that makes the difference. And that is where religion plays an important part in our lives.

In the beginning when God created Adam and Eve, he gave them certain instructions, or commandments, and told them, in essence, that their happiness would depend upon their obedience to those commandments. In these latter days he has told us almost the same thing when he said: “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” (D&C 82:10.)

It is through religion, or the gospel, that we learn what the commandments are, or what God wants us to do and has in store for us. I challenge anyone to find anything in the gospel of Jesus Christ that is not intended to make us happy and successful, loved and respected, kind and considerate of our neighbors, concerned about our community and useful citizens. When we fail to have these attributes, it is not the gospel that is at fault, but the people who are not living as they should.

The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that man is eternal—that he lived as a spirit before he came to earth, and that after death he will be resurrected and will dwell in a place determined by how he kept his mortal estate. (See Abr. 3:26.) Every man may choose for himself whether he wishes to live forever with God, or be cast out of God’s presence.

Answer 10

Most mormons will call themselves Christians because they use a lot of "Christian" words and terms. But their meanings are so much different than the rest of Orhtodox Christianity, therefore, most Christians consider Mormonism to be a cult.

Occultic things generally have something to do with satan worship, witchcraft and magic.

A cult in its original definition is any group with the same set of beliefs. But it has come to mean now more of a group's whose teachings don't conform to the norm.

Answer 11

they are not by the doctrional, I have been with thme & left. They go against Gal 1:8. they use the book of mormon, they had another angel "moroni" supposedly visit Joseph Smtih with this giveing a new revelation, but in Gal 1:8 it speaks of letting him be accursed if anyone or any Angel represents another gospel.

they seem like a chrisitan on the outside,but on the inside they use more of "thier" b.o.m. instead of the bible.However on a nice side they are wonderful individuals, just need ot get rid of the book of mormon & turn to Jesus using only the bible, & a few study aides corrasponding with the bible incase they're lost ;-)