If Mormons aren't Christians, then who are?

Question

I'm a Mormon, and I believe that we are. I'd also possibly like to know why you might think that we aren't.

Alternately, you can name what religions you can think of that are not Christian (preferably ones that claim to be at least loosely affiliated with Christianity), but I'd appreciate it if you'd be so kind as to specify whether you're listing Christian or non, and if both, which is which.

I just want to better understand the people around me, and see whether it's just Mormons that are getting picked on. (Because it sure feels that way sometimes).

Pearly Gator, it says "Another Testament," not "Another Gospel."

Dissenting One, I'm just trying to figure out who else gets treated in a manner akin to being picked on here in regards to their religions (but thanks for not hating me).

Augustine, we just think that they're three separate dudes who are one in purpose. The Holy Spirit is just that, a spirit, and so He can come and dwell in our hearts. And except for in the temple, we don't exclude anyone unless they're being disrespectful enough to warrant being kicked out. Try to attend a service. They'll let you.

Silverfoxx, the purpose of those two people is to bring us all closer to God and Jesus.

Edge, we believe that it was Jesus under the direction of the Father who created the earth.

Rachel, all three can be equal and divine and still inhabit separate bodies and spirits. Jesus can be God if His word is as good as His Father's. If you disagree, well, then we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Did any of you even read my question? You're focusing on why Mormons aren't Christians. I know why you think that. I want to know if you think that there are any mainstream "Christian" bodies that you don't think are Christian. How much clearer do I have to make this? I didn't mean "then who are we?" I meant, "then which groups are Christian?" Do I need to spell this out?!

kait, and anyone who agrees with kait or is using the same ideas, please read this before continuing...
http://www.lds.org/features/frames/0,5963,254-88-1,00.html
And this one might not be a bad idea too
http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/FQ_Christian.shtml#early
(Thanks for the link, Miranda)

I guess what I really want to know is why someone has to be a traditionalist Christian in order to be categorized as a Christian at all.

Don't any of you realize what "all you can do" means? It means that we are required to show our commitment to our Father in Heaven and Jesus by being as obedient as we possibly can. In other words, we try to keep his commandments, and don't believe that His grace is a free ride, but is rather obtained by a genuine relationship with Him, which is defined by obedience.

Answer 1

Augustine
you should look into other Christian Religions as there are others that think along these lines

Eric S,Sun,Jasmine K,
very good point

The_Silverfoxx
almost all Christian Religions are the teachings of men you should look into the problems that
all the Christian Religions have had in the past few decades you might have a new opinion
on a lot of old believes

Edge
so have you studied with them both or are you going on what others have said about them?

Rachel W
"Christians believe that God is trinity -
God the Father,
God the Son and
God the Holy Spirit.
All three are equal and divine"(your words)
the way you put that is exactly the way the LDS believe

brother_roger
I think you should check into it a little more

Pearly Gator
wow you said a mouth full
what about the book The Purpose Driven Life,What on Earth Am I Here For
I'm sure you know that book?
what about this one Heavenly Highway Hymns?
or how about these NIV,NASB,NLT should I go on?
I am sure if I where to go on I would come across a book that you have put some
faith in

Kait
did I understand you? do you really think that the LDS church teaches that God and Mary
had sex if you think that you really do need to learn about the LDS church I am not LDS
and I can tell you that is not true and is a very viscous thing to say

Blondie baptist
ok the LDS religion has as many misconceptions about your religion as you have about theirs
but I will not try to address them all that would take months and baptism for the dead is biblical
you should check it out although it is my faith that the LDS have misunderstood what it meant (not saying that Im right)
but we all miss understand now and then don't we? until you know why they believe what they believe you shouldnt
clam it isn't biblical now should you?

Smiley-face
take it from one that is not LDS by my own discussion to leave the LDS church many years
ago the LDS people are as Christian as any other Christian religion.

GRG22
you really should study the LDS faith before you say things because you said
"first 4 councils between Christians. The Councils of Nicea (325 CE), Constantinople (381 CE), Ephesus (431), and Chalcedon (451 CE). Nicea agreed that Jesus was always the Son of God, Constantinople agreed that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are "three persons" (hypostases), but "One God" (ousia). Ephesus argued that Mary can be called "Mother of God" (Theotokos) and Chalcedon agreed that you cannot split the human and divine elements in Jesus (for example, you cannot say that Jesus was divine when walking on the water, but human when he gets whipped: Jesus is always both divine and human)"
and that is also the faith of the LDS goes to show how little you know about the LDS faith

dissenting one
I thought you had a point and since I am not LDS I thought I would respond to some of the
answers given to this young lady we Christians should try to understand one another before
making false accusations agents another

barlowgirl8605
please read what I said to Pearly Gator


I wish everyone could walk a yard that is only 3 feet in the shoes of a Christian belonging to
a Christian religion other than their own and maybe just maybe we could learn a little from one
another I have family that are LDS, Church of Christ, Baptist and etc.... close Friends that belong to
many other Churchs and I love them all, yes they all have tried to convert me to their way, but as I see it
there is but one way and that is the truth in all things even when it hurts ,it is the truth that will
set us free
sorry that I got a little carried away but LDS bashing or the bashing of any religion by people that know
very little or nothing about the religion that they are bashing gets under my skin
I wanted to reply to the rest of the answers you got but I think I have said enough
always nosnod

Answer 2

Yes. Only if you're defining a Christian or a Mormon as anyone who does the need of the daddy. If one is a Mormon however does not do the need of the Father, than they don't seem to be Christian, and vica verca. If anyone (real) does the need of the Father, they're going to, when they right here approximately the restored gospel, become a member of the Church, and emerge as a mormon (member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), if they have got no longer performed so already, whether or not on this existence or the following. So, in a way, all who've a damaged middle and a contrite sprit and positioned away the normal guy, will probably be resulted in the reality by means of the Sprit of God, and can in time emerge as a Mormon as you place it. A precise Christian will ultimately be resulted in the Mormon church, wherein they may be able to recieve ordiances via the energy of God, which has simplest been legal via servents in his Church. The Lord loves you all.

Answer 3

SOME Baptist don't think that protestants and Catholics are christian! Really though, does it matter what PEOPLE think? What is important if being Mormon is the right path for you and only you can decide that! Jesus never called his followers "Christians", so why should you care so much about a man made label? Does being called a Christian make you closer to God?

Usage of the word "Christian"
The first known usage of this term can be found in the New Testament of the Bible, in Acts 11:26: "the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." The term was thus first used to denote those known or perceived to be disciples of Christ. Similarly, in the two other New Testament uses of the word (Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16), it refers to the public identity of those who follow Jesus.

As a noun, Christian (Gr. Χριστιανός and variant Χρηστιανός, Strong's G5546) is an appellation deriving from the name "Christ" and is derived from the Greek noun Christos which means "anointed one," itself a translation of the Hebrew word Moshiach or "Messiah." Many people associate the word "Christ" exclusively with Jesus. However, as this identification is not accepted within Judaism, in Hebrew Christians are called "Nazarenes" (Notzri), because Jesus is described in the New Testament as being from the province of Nazareth.

For many, "Christian" also means to be a member or adherent of one of the organized religious denominations of Christianity. As an adjective, the term may also describe anything associated with Christianity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian

Answer 4

They are believers in the teachings of a con artist. Joseph Smith gave away the fact that his teachings were false and every Mormon Missionary confirms the falseness of the teachings, for they give out books that on the cover say "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" Well the Bible says, Gal 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. Joseph Smith claims to have received the golden plates from an "Angel" and it is "Another Gospel". No thinking peron would call Mormons Christian. You are a Mormon and follow the teachings of a man that was convicted of taking money from people for using a "seer stone that he carried in his hat" to find money for them on their land. Well I wonder if that was the same stone he used to translate the plates from the Angel that brought him this other gospel? Joseph Smith is also wrong in stating that "As man is God once was, as God is man can become." Joseph Smith did not leave the Methodist Church they kicked him out when he was scamming people with his "money finding stone". Well they were wrong to do that, I mean look at all the money the stone brought him when he started using it to scam people with his new gospel. And even after his death people believe the stuff, even though of course the B of M has gone through revisions since it seems the Prophet Joe misunderstood some things, it is interesting that the Elders can re-write it since they no longer have the Plates to go by as Joe had to give them back to the Angel. Yet there are copies of the real Bible that are thousands of years old. Guess God only trusts those that write on papyrus not Gold.
The Mormons and the Jehovah's Witness both misconstrue the Word of God the Mormons by adding a book the JW by re-writing the Bible though CT Russell had no trinaing in the Greek, or Hebrew Languages he took upon himself to correct the Bible! Sorry but both groups are more like eachother than they are like true Christianity.

Answer 5

Mormons are people who were deceived by the false story of Joseph Smith. A scant research on the internet will tell you the truth about this fake prophet.
He was a liar and womanizer. He was hanged by a mob because he was screwing other mens wives. His own wife which was his first made a comment that finally he got what was coming to him.
The book of Mormon was made up stories and was so poorly written that the first printing was destroyed because it had so many mistakes. He changed Biblical truth into a fairytale and then added Masonic twisted ritual to the secret things you had to do in the temple. The whole thing would have fallen apart since even the three witnesses said that they only saw the magic plates through the eyes of faith. It was kept together because in those days give a man the idea he could have more wives and build a religion around it was a popular idea. It still is today. Any religion that controls people is wrong.
Their idea of who Jesus is and God is not Christian nor is their idea of salvation. They take Christian words and redefine them to mean totally different then the Bible and other Christians. Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible.
Check it out don't take my word for it. God speaks to an enlightened mind.

Answer 6

From Dictionary.com

Christian: a person who believes in Jesus Christ; adherent of Christianity.

Pretty hard to see how Mormons WOULDN'T be considered christian.

They way many christians define "Christian" would be like me saying

"A human is a homo sapien between 5' and 6' tall with blonde hair and blue eyes"

Now just because I'm not a human by your definition does not mean that I'm not a human.

This is what "mainstream christians" have tried to do to Mormons. They try to regulate who can and can not be in their club.

Answer 7

Do you believe there is a Jesus, or do you have a personal relationship with Him. Alot of people believe there is a Jesus, but you have to ask Him to be your personal savior to be a Christian. You can belong to any church, but to go to heaven you have to have a personal relatiionship with him. I know that sometimes it sounds like you are being picked on. I use to believe about mormonism and sometimes I may come off not very patient. I just feel very angry because I believe that the church started off as a lie from satan (not that you are satan) and I hate satan. He will do and say anything to keep from people actually coming to Jesus.

Answer 8

Mormons aren't Christian. They simply do not believe in the same Christ as the bible teaches of, they do not believe that there is only one god as the ten commandments state, nor do they follow the warnings that the bible gives to its followers.

I was an LDS member and I strongly believed that I was in the true church for the longest time... until I started reading the bible and taking in what it had to say, and researching deeper into the doctrine of the LDS. I came to two conclusions:

1) It was absurd to be putting my faith into the words of Joseph Smith, a known con artist and occultist.... over the words of Jesus, who told me to beware of false prophets.

2) That the doctrine that the LDS taught, supposedly translated by the power of god, contradicted the bible and itself.... and also was anything but Christian

Answer 9

The reason why some groups are not considered Christian is because they do not agree with the first 4 councils between Christians. The Councils of Nicea (325 CE), Constantinople (381 CE), Ephesus (431), and Chalcedon (451 CE). Nicea agreed that Jesus was always the Son of God, Constantinople agreed that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are "three persons" (hypostases), but "One God" (ousia). Ephesus argued that Mary can be called "Mother of God" (Theotokos) and Chalcedon agreed that you cannot split the human and divine elements in Jesus (for example, you cannot say that Jesus was divine when walking on the water, but human when he gets whipped: Jesus is always both divine and human). When the Reformers formed their own denominations in the 1500's, they pretty much accepted these councils. Only some of the later groups who called themselves "Christians" started to reject these councils. Mormons and Jehovah's Witness are the most successful of these groups. This is a simplified version, it is a little bit more complicated. I recommend "The Story of Christianity" volume 1 by Justo Gonzalez for how these arguments occurred in the Early Church. By the way, Justo is a protestant Christian.

I think it matters if you are in agreement with the ancient councils because it means that you belong to the unbroken line of Christian believers. If you choose to deny them, then you willingly choose to be rejected as a Christian.

Answer 10

We are Christian. We believe in Christ, and that He is our savior. That is what makes someone a Christian.

Let's look at an analogy. If you say all ducks are white with webbed feet, you have narrowed down the definition of a duck so far that you ax most types of ducks. It's the same with being a Christian. If you say people are only Christian because they believe only certain doctrine, you are narrowing down the definition so far that no one but those who believe everything you believe in are Christian.

Here's a site that I love to give to people who say I'm not Christian. Might help someone understand us better.


*EDIT**

No problem!!!! It's the best one I have found that answers a lot of questions in detail. The guy was a bishop of the ward in Appleton, Wi. My friend served her mission there, and says he's a great guy!!!!