Is a Mormon also a Christian?
"We're on a mission to discover whether Mormons are Christian"
Watch this video:
At first I thought "Hold on, I believe that too, but Mormon's can't be Christians, can they?"
And
on the onset, it appears that we've got some common ground here. I
mean, I believe in Christ, his teachings, his example and I would also
agree that genuine following of Christ will also emulate his pattern of
living.
So what's the big deal?
Truthfully there is a big deal and the big deal is in the basic fundamental doctrine of the Mormon church in:
- Who is Jesus Christ?
- Is Joseph Smith a prophet of God?
The
problem with this video is that it assumes a false premise, the
proposition being that it's an opinion of these people in the video that
makes the answer true or not. The truth being, only the Bible can
answer this question.
Jesus Christ
If
we break down faith in Jesus Christ, we will see that the Bible teaches
a very different account of the divinity and the true nature of Jesus
than the book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great
Price.
The Bible teaches a divine / triune God with three equal
and distinct people being the Holy Spirit / the Father / the Son. Also,
that there is only One God and only will be One God in all the universe
for all time.
Mormon doctrine teaches Jesus as the spirit brother
of Lucifer a created being by Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, and
his mission as saviour is a part of the process of "Eternal
Progression". That by following the ordinances in the temple that you
will also become a god.
The Bible teaches that sin was wholly paid
for by Christ, on the cross, by his blood, for all time. And that it
is a free gift to those who will accept it, there is nothing extra that
can be done to achieve or accept salvation.
Mormon doctrine
teaches that Christ's sacrifice, temple baptism, temple endowment
ceremonies, receiving the priesthood, striving to a perfect life and
"doing all you can do" will gain your entry into heaven and into God's
good graces.
The big problem? we are talking about two different Christ's. This is a big problem because of Matthew 7:21-23.
21 Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many
wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Joseph Smith
Mormon's
believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Joseph Smith
report-ably wrote the Book of Mormon (however some other evidence states
that perhaps it was actually Oliver Cowdery or Sidney Rigdon) as direct
inspiration from the angel Moroni.
The full title to the book is
more accurately "The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus
Christ". They try to pull Jesus into this book as well. This book is
horribly inaccurate when it comes to archaeology, copies large sections
of the Bible and is changed from time to time when a leader of the
church feels the social pressure to make the change (blacks and the
priesthood, feminism and heavenly mother)
The Big Problem? Joseph Smith made many prophesies in his lifetime (you can view a bunch here http://mit.irr.org/false-prophecies) and was also likely convicted of fraud in 1826 (there's some debate about this).
Prophecies
are what define a prophet, if their predictions don't come true then
they are to be easily regarded as a false prophet. No feelings
involved, no credit for good behaviour, they simply did not speak for
God. Which means they lied, so what else have they lied about?
Not to mention that he taught:
- blood atonement (killing others so that they may be saved eternally)
- polygamy (he had up to 40, some only 14 years old)
- occult practices (he was a Freemason and was killed with a Jupiter talisman on his person)
- Necromancy (baptism for the dead)
Most
doctrines of the Church stem from what Joseph Smith and subsequent LDS
leaders taught. Many of them range from outrageous to outright awful.
So, is a Mormon a Christian? No, a Mormon is a Smithian, a follow of Joseph Smith, paying lip-service to Christ.
