MORMONS AND CHRISTIANITY …
Folks,
"Is Mormonism Christian?" The answer is simple. No! Mormonism is not Christian. If you are a Mormon, please remember that you are not under any attack whatsoever nor your character, or the sincerity of your belief. If you are a non-Mormon looking into Mormonism or if you are a Christian who is simply researching Mormonism, then this article should be of help.
The reason Mormonism is not Christian is because it denies one or more of the essential doctrines of Christianity. Here is a basic list, with some facts.
There is only one God in all existence (Exodus 20:1-4; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6, 8; 45:5). Jesus is divine (John 1:1; 14; 8:24; Col. 2:9). Forgiveness of sins is by grace alone without works (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 3:28; 4:1-5), Jesus rose from the dead physically (John 2:19-21; Luke 24:39). The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Mormonism denies that there is only one God in all existence and also denies the forgiveness of sins alone in Christ.
Mormonism teaches that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones (D. & C. 130:22) and that Jesus is a creation who was begotten in heaven as one of God’s spirit children (See the book, Jesus the Christ, by James Talmage, p. . This is in strict contrast to the biblical teaching that he is God in flesh (John 1:1, 14), eternal (John 1:1, 2, 15), uncreated, yet born on earth (Col. 1:15), and the creator of all (John 1:3; Col. 1:16-17).
Jesus cannot be both created and not created at the same time. Though Mormonism teaches that Jesus is God in flesh, it teaches that he is "a" god in flesh, one of three gods that comprise the office of the Trinity (Articles of Faith, by Talmage, pp. 35-40). These three gods are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. This is in direct contradiction of the biblical doctrine that there is only one God (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6, 8; 45:5).
See Trinity for a correct discussion of what the Trinity is (see also, false trinity).
Because Mormonism denies the biblical truth of who God is, who Jesus is, how forgiveness of sins is attained, and what the gospel is, Mormonism is not Christianity.
The Mormon theology also teaches that, God is only one of countless gods, that he used to be a man on another planet, that he became a god by following the laws and ordinances of that god on that world, and that he brought one of his wives to this world with whom he produces spirit children who then inhabit human bodies at birth. The first spirit child to be born was Jesus. Second (though this is disputed among Mormons) was satan, and then we all followed. But, the Bible says that there is only one God (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6, 8; 45:5), that God has been God eternally (Psalm 90:2), which means he was never a man on another planet. Since the Bible denies the existence of other gods (and goddesses, there is a mother goddess in Mormonism), the idea that Jesus is the product of a god and goddess couple is rejected. The Bible tells us that Jesus, The Jesus of Mormonism is definitely not the same Jesus of the Bible. Therefore, faith in the Mormon Jesus is faith misplaced because the Mormon Jesus doesn't exist.
Mormonism teaches you that, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross itself (and receiving it by faith) is not sufficient to bring forgiveness of sins. It teaches that the forgiveness of sins is obtained through a cooperative effort with God; that is, we must be good and follow the laws and ordinances of the Mormon Church in order to obtain forgiveness. Consider the late James Talmage, an LDS apostle who said, "The sectarian dogma of justification by faith alone has exercised an influence for evil," (Articles of Faith, p. 432), and "Hence the justice of the scriptural doctrine that salvation comes to the individual only through obedience," (Articles of Faith, p. 81). This clearly contradicts the biblical doctrine of the forgiveness of sins by grace through faith (Rom. 3:28; 5:1; 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9) and the doctrine that works are not part of becoming saved (Rom. 4:1-5) but a result of them (James 2:14-18).
To further confuse the matter, Mormonism states that salvation is twofold. It maintains that salvation is both forgiveness of sins and universal resurrection. So when a Mormon speaks of salvation by grace, he is usually referring to universal resurrection. But the Bible speaks of salvation as the forgiveness of sins, not simple universal resurrection. Where Mormonism states that forgiveness of sins is not by faith alone (2 Nephi 25:23; Moroni 10:32), the Bible does teach it is by faith alone (Rom. 3:28; 4:1-5).
In order to justify its aberrant theology, Mormonism has undermined the authority and trustworthiness of the Bible. The 8th Article of Faith from the Mormon Church states, "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly." This means that when the Bible contradicts Mormonism, the Bible isn't trustworthy. This allows them to say and teach whatever they want, even when it contradicts the scripture.
In my conclusion, Mormonism is not Christian because it denies that there is only one God, denies the true Gospel, adds works to salvation, denies that Jesus is the uncreated creator, distorts the biblical teaching of the atonement, undermines the authority and reliability of the Bible, says that God used to be a man who came from another planet, says that we can become gods, that there is a goddess mother in heaven, etc.
[CARM], also does not deny that Mormons are good people, that they worship "a" god, that they share common words with Christians, that they help their people, and that they do many good things. But that isn't what makes someone a Christian. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name? And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!" (NKJV). Becoming a Christian does not mean belonging to a church, doing good things, or simply believing in some god. Being a Christian means that you have trusted in the true God for salvation, in the True Jesus not the brother of the devil, not the god of Mormonism, not the gospel of Mormonism. Mormonism is false and cannot save anyone. Please join me!
Jim
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shine in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 4:6*KJV.”
The two most common, universally accepted definitions of the word Christian, are (1) someone who believes in the divinity of Jesus Christ and (2) someone who believes/follows the teachings of Jesus Christ. Mormons definitely fit those two definitions, so they are certainly Christians.
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