What accounts for the continual misconception that Mormons ARE NOT Christians?

Answer 1

There are many issues with Mormonism. But first let's define what Christianity holds as its key doctrines.

The Christian faith is a definite system of beliefs with definite content (Jude 3). Certain Christian doctrines constitute the core of the faith.

Central doctrines include the Trinity (One God, three Persons), the deity of Christ as the second person of the Trinity, the bodily resurrection, the atoning work of Christ on the cross, and salvation by grace through faith.

These doctrines so comprise the essence of the Christian faith that to remove any of them is to make the belief system non-Christian.

Because these central doctrines define the character of Christianity, one cannot be saved and deny these.

Mormons do not hold to key Christian doctrines.

For example, Mormons believe the Trinity is comprised of three separate Gods, not one God. Also, they believe that "God the Father is an exalted man."

Unfortunately, many Mormons do not have a full knowledge of all of the teachings of the Mormon church leaders. They also have developed their own vocabulary which uses words similar to Christian teachings, in an effort to appear mainstream. Such are the characteristics of a cult.

For some vocabulary examples, see: http://www.carm.org/lds/definitions.htm

For these reasons and more, Mormonism is not to be confused with Christianity.

Please see:
http://www.mormonchallenge.com/ref_compare.htm
http://www.carm.org/lds/lds_christian.htm
http://www.mrm.org/

Mormon teachings:
http://www.carm.org/lds/lds_doctrines.htm

A complete set of Mormon assessments:
http://www.carm.org/mormon.htm

Answer 2

I think that the biggest thing is, the Book of Mormon itself. People who don't know much about the religion see this book as breaking away from the Bible and thus not being Christians What most people don't understand is that Mormons believe this book to be an addition to the Bible that was made known to its founder by God and not separate at all. Many also have the very wrong impression that Mormons worship Joseph Smith instead of Christ.
I am not a Mormon but I know several people who I am close to that are. I personally have no problems with the faith. From everything I've seen they are not so different from any other religion. And they are very much Christians, their beliefs are really not that different from most Christian churches.
Whats more even if they do not fit nice and neatly into the official classification of being "Christian", which ever one of the many that I've heard, who cares. I always thought Christianity simply meant following the teachings of Christ, nothing more. If it is a faith that works for them then let them believe it.
The one thing I find the most disturbing is watching people who consider themselves "good Christians" show so much hatred and contempt for another groups beliefs. So much for showing love and respect for your neighbor. Apparently I missed the fine print that said "this only includes neighbors that think the same way as you."

Answer 3

They have their conceptions of who Christ is/was, what Christians should believe, etc., and if someone says "I'm Christian" but they don't believe EXACTLY like the other person, they will say "You're not a CHristian!" It's called exclusion by definition.

I think that some people either feel threatened by what they don't know, or perhaps they think that no one could possibly be happy believing something that the other person doesn't, or believes is wrong. They begin to wonder if perhaps the other person just might be right. In order to justify/bolster their own faith, they have to bring down the faith of others. They lie, or twist the truth, make something holy sound sordid. And they try to say their doing it out of love.

If that's love, you can have it. If only Christians get into heaven, and Mormons are not Christian, then I don't know that I want to go to heaven with judgmental, self-righteous, sanctimonious liars.

Answer 4

The apstle paul told Christians NOT to go beyond the thing written.(1 Corinthians 4:6) Also John in revelation said these powerful words "If anyone makes an addition to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this scroll; and if anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take his portion away from the trees of life " (Revelation 22~:18-19)
Mormons have and use the Book of Mormon written long after the canon of the Holy scriptures were collected.

Answer 5

In all reality, the Mormons are classed as a cult in the book The Kingdom of The Cults. The Joseph Smith part tends to give the credibility a bad rap. I, personally believe, that in spite of the Mormons being a cult, there are Christians within the Mormon community.

Answer 6

What do you think makes a Christian a Christian? Might it not be that they are followers of Jesus Christ? Why follow someone who claimed he was God, all his disciples claimed he was God, and they declared, and Jesus said, that he was the only way to have a relationship with God? Mormons, however, do not believe Jesus was God. They say that he was a created being like Satan. Why claim the name of someone who is just another created being?
God, throughout the whole Bible, declares that He is the only God and there is no other. The first commandment says that "I am the Lord your God...you shall have no other god then me." Mormonism denies Christ's Deity and, further, denies the one true God altogether. They do not believe that He existed from all eternity and they also believe that it is possible for a human being to become a god.
When Satan tempted humans to sin, the lie he used was that if they disobeyed God by not following His rules, they would become like God. It was a lie then and it is a lie now.
Mormonism isn't even remotely like Christianity, it denies the main tenets of Christianity, and Mormons, therefore, are not Christians.

Answer 7

Fear. People fear what is different. They are afraid to look honestly at the LDS teachings because they might some how change their beliefs.

The LDS church does believe in Heavenly Father (God), His son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

The LDS church didn't change the Bible, but the "Christians" have. The modern versions of the Bible has had many things removed by "the church".

Anyone willing to look at any religion sect closely can find things to question.

Oh and just little note on the cult thing. One definition of a cult is "a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies." So basically any religion can be called a cult.

The official name of the "Mormon" church is The Christ of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The LDS Church believes in Jesus the son of the one true God, who sent him here to so Jesus could be sacrificed for our sins and provide away thru Christ so that we could return again some day to be with our Heavenly Father.

LDS member believe the Holy Ghost guides us and comforts us. They pray to Heavenly Father in name of Jesus Christ. They believe Christ died on the cross and arose 3 days later. They believe and use the bible. They take Holy Sacrament to remember Christ's sacrifice.

They fact that the also believe that Jesus visited others people, not just the Middle East, and that those people would have stories to teach us about family, faith, and doing the right thing freaks people out. It's different. They've never heard of that before so it much be wrong, atleast misguided, if not flat out evil.

Jesus will come to you the way that makes since to you, it doesn't mean your brother, or your friends or anyone else on this planet has to follow the path Jesus is guiding you down.

We are to love, not judge. We are to forgive not condemn. I have never seen anyone condemning another faith show the light of Lord in their words or actions, but I've seen many many LDS members radiate a love and goodness I can only liken to Christ.

Like every group of people they have their problems, but If you are going to judge the LDS church, judge them by their fruits.

They have been sending church members to clean up after disasters long before Katrina and Rita, and they keep thousands of families from going hungry. Not just homeless people, but regular everyday working families who have problems and can't make ends meet. Without the help of the LDS church a lot people wouldn't have anywhere else to go.

If you ever find yourself stuck in a bad place and alone find the local LDS church. Every Wednesday night you'll find the Bishops office open and eager to help. No strings attached, really.

So if you think they aren't Christian, that's fine. The Lord loves those who do his work, even if you think they are misguided.

An no works doing get you into heaven, but they are what Jesus would do if he was here.

I believe in the end we will be judged by our hearts and actions not by which church we went to on Saturday or Sunday.

Answer 8

The old argument is that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, (note the official name of the church), worship Jesus in a different way than most main stream Christians.
This argument is like saying our worship way is better than your LDS way, a very criticism used against Mormons for saying the LDS Church is the "only" true church. Much irony with that argument.

Answer 9

Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses.
First Roman Catholic Bible was published at Rheims in 1582.
Second one published at Douay in 1609.
These called RCV version of Bible.
The Protestants regarded 7 books as ‘apocrypha’ (doubtful authority) and removed them from Bible. (The Book of Judith, The Book of Tobias, The Book of Baruch, The Buck of Esther, etc.)
Jesus pbuh said in the book of Revelation Chapter 22 Verse 18-19 ". . . If any man shall add to these things (or delete) God shall add unto him the plagues written in this Book."
On deleting 7 books from bible, the Catholics call ‘cult of Christianity’ to the Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses.

Answer 10

Let's see what Mormons believe:
1. Mormons deny the Trinity
2. Jesus and Lucifer are spirit brothers
3. Elohim (God) was once a man who attained godhood by following Mormon teaching.
4. Rejecting the Bible as being translated incorrectly and superceded by Mormon scripture and the words of the living prophet.
5. Teaching "another gospel" (see Galatians 1), ie that one must "obey the ordinances" of their gospel. The Christian Gospel, in contrast, is Christ died for you sins and raised from the dead, receive Him by faith and you will have eternal life.
6. Temple work will help good Mormons obtain exaltation -they get to be god of their own world and procreate spirit children.
7. All other Christian denominations are "abominations" (the words of Joseph Smith).
8. Jesus' conception is the product of the Virgin Mary and Elohim having sexual intercourse.
9. God the Father has a physical body
10. The Holy Spirit is not an actual person, but a force
11. Jesus death did not cover ALL sin (Mormons believe that certain sins require you to shed your own blood)
12. Jesus was married and had children (claiming Joseph was a direct descendant)
13. Joseph Smith did "more [for us] than any man that ever lived" and he will be there at the judgment to determine one's eternal destiny.

There's more than a dozen right off the top of my head. Don't even get me started about Joseph Smith, peculiar mormon practices, and questionable church history.

Why would an organization (LDS) that denied/redefined everyone one of another group's essential beliefs want to be called by their name (Christianity)? I have Christian friends in nearly every denomination you can name - Catholics, Episcopalians, Eastern Orthodox, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Pentecostals. We agree on who God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are, we believe the Bible as God's Word, we hold to the atonement of Christ's death and His bodily resurrection. We may disagree on church practice and structure, but we don't think that God was once a man or that Jesus was one of God's spirit children along with Lucifer.

If you want to be a Christian, then follow the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible and forget Joseph. Otherwise, be content to be called LDS.