Jesus Christ/Accusations that Latter-day Saints aren't Christians

Criticism

Critics claim that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not "Christian."

A related claim is that the Church has only recently begun to portray itself as "Christian" in order to gain adherents.

Source(s) of the Criticism

  • The Utah Evangel 33 (July/August 1986): 1.
  • Craig L. Blomberg. "Is Mormonism Christian?" in Francis Beckwith, et al. (editors), The New Mormon Challenge (Grand Rapids, Michigan : Zondervan, 2002), 315–332.
  • Jolene Coe and Greg Coe, The Mormon Experience (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1985), 188.
  • J. Edward Decker, To Moroni With Love, 2nd edition, (Seattle: Life Messengers, n.d.).
  • Ed Decker and Dave Hunt, The Godmakers (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1984), 82, 246.
  • There is no rightful claim by historic Mormon doctrine to the name Christian, because they deny almost every one of the major fundamental doctrines of Christendom." - Norman Giesler, founder of Southern Evangelical Seminary, cited in Elise Soukup, "The Mormon Odyssey," Newsweek (17 October 2005)*.
  • Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults, revised and expanded, (Minneapolis: Bethan House, 1985), 7, 51.
  • Walter Martin, Mormonism (Minneapolis, Bethany House Publishers, 1976), 3.
  • Einar Molland, Christendom (New York: Philosophical Library, 1959), 355.
  • Carl Mosser, "And the Saints Go Marching On," in Francis Beckwith, et al. (editors), The New Mormon Challenge (Grand Rapids, Michigan : Zondervan, 2002), 66.
  • James R. Spencer, Beyond Mormonism: An Elder's Story (Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 1984), 138.
  • J.K. van Baalen, The Chaos of Cults, 4th edition and enlarged (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983), 159.
  • William J. Whalen, Separated Brethren: A Survey of non-Catholic Christian Denominations in the United States, revised edition, (Milwaukee: Bruce, 1963), 173.

Response

LDS aren't Christians?

At its base, this claim is an excellent example of the No true Scotsman fallacy.

The claimed bases for the charge that the LDS are not Christians include:

Unfortunately for the critic, all of these doctrinal positions have been held by other Christians in the past, including the early Christians of the first and second centuries. These Christians:

  • were not Trinitarians, since the creeds were not yet formulated
  • did not teach creatio ex nihilo
  • did not consider "the Bible" to be the sole authoritative scripture, since it was not compiled until centuries later
  • considered some writings to be authoritative which many modern Christians now reject
  • taught theosis, or human deification through Christ
  • followed living prophets (the apostles)

One might debate whether these Christians were correct or complete in their beliefs, but can the critics seriously exclude them from the family of Christians?[1]

The critics essentially create a definition of "Christian" that includes their brand of Christianity, and excludes others with whom they disagree.

Saints claim to be Christian only recently?

This claim is absurd. The critics depend on their audience not knowing much about LDS history for this claim. Enemies and members of the Church have long known that Church members consider themselves "Christian" (italics added in all cases):

1838
The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.[2]
1839
This sect took its rise, A. D. 1830, in the county of Ontario, and State of New York. In April of that year, the society was organized as a Christian Church.[3]
1843
So far we are agreed with other Christian denominations. They all preach faith and repentance. The gospel requires baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, which is the meaning of the word in the original language—namely, to bury or immerse.[4]
1853
Now, we ARE believers in the Bible, and in consequence of our unshaken faith in its precepts, doctrine, and prophecy, may be, attributed "the strangeness of our course," and the unwarrantable conduct of many towards this people. Come, my brother Presbyterian; come, my brother professors of every persuasion of long standing and popular distinction in the world, who are dubbed with the word "ORTHODOX;" come, we are all good Christians; I find no fault with you—why should you find fault with me?[5]
1863
Should you ask why we differ from other Christians. Are all this people, in the Scriptural sense, Christians? They should be. Do they all serve God with an undivided heart? They should. Many of them do, seeking daily to do his will.[6]
1864
The Latter-day Saints differ from their Christian brethren.[7]
1866
Now, we as Christians desire to be saved in the kingdom of God.[8]
1870
Have you embraced truth, Latter-day Saints? Have you anything different from other Christians?[9]
1872
We, as Christians, believe in God, in Christ and in his atonement, in repentance and obedience, and in receiving the Spirit.[10]
1876
These are only a few reflections, when we take into consideration our Christian religion.[11]
Brother Cannon speaks of Christians. We are Christians professedly, according to our religion.[12]
1881
We are a Christian community; we believe in God and in Jesus Christ...[13]
1907
If it be true Christianity to accept Jesus Christ in person and his mission as divine; to revere him as the Son of God, the crucified and risen Lord, through whom alone mankind can attain salvation; to accept his teachings as a guide, to adopt as a standard and observe as a law the ethical code he promulgated; to comply with the requirements prescribed by him as essential to membership in his Church, namely, faith, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost,—if this be Christianity, then are we Christians, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Christian church.[14]
1956
We are not Catholic, Protestant, nor Jewish, and yet this disclaimer should not be taken to mean we are not Christian. You who heard the powerful address of President Clark this morning will know that we are Christians, for central to everything we believe and teach is our faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. We are grateful for our Judeo-Christian heritage, for the Holy Bible which we accept without reservation as the word of God, except as to some errors that have crept in through translations.[15]

Conclusion

Critics use a self-serving and self-referential definition of "Christian" to exclude the LDS. They ignore the fact that many other Christians over the millennia would have disagreed with them on the same points, yet this does not disqualify these other believers from the family of "Christians."

Claims that the Church has only recently been asserting its Christian status are false, as attested by LDS scripture, practice, doctrine, and public statements of its leadership and its early critics.

Endnotes

  1. [note]  For a discussion of these issues, see Daniel C. Peterson and Stephen D. Ricks, "Comparing LDS Beliefs with First-Century Christianity, (Provo, Utah: FARMS, no date). *
  2. [note] Joseph Smith, Jr., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected by Joseph Fielding Smith, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1976), 121. off-site
  3. [note] Francis G. Bishop, Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints (Blum and Son, Salem, Massachusetts 1839): 2.
  4. [note]  Joseph Smith, Jr., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected by Joseph Fielding Smith, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1976), 314. off-site
  5. [note] Brigham Young, "Discourse," Journal of Discourses, reported by G.D. Watt (24 July 1853), Vol. 1 (London: Latter-day Saint's Book Depot, 1854), 237–237.off-site wiki
  6. [note] Brigham Young, "Discourse," Journal of Discourses, reported by G.D. Watt and J.V. Long, (8 July 1863), Vol. 10 (London: Latter-day Saint's Book Depot, 1865), 230–231.off-site wiki
  7. [note] Brigham Young, "Discourse," Journal of Discourses, reported by G.D. Watt and J.V. Long, (31 July 1863), Vol. 10 (London: Latter-day Saint's Book Depot, 1865), 318–319.off-site wiki
  8. [note] Brigham Young, "Discourse," Journal of Discourses, reported by G.D. Watt, E.L. Sloan, and D.W. Evans, (19 August 1866), Vol. 11 (London: Latter-day Saint's Book Depot, 1867), 268–268.off-site
  9. [note] Brigham Young, "Discourse," Journal of Discourses, reported by D.W. Evans and John Grimshaw, (20 February 1870), Vol. 13 (London: Latter-day Saint's Book Depot, 1871), 237–238.off-site
  10. [note] Brigham Young, "Discourse," Journal of Discourses, reported by D.W. Evans, J.Q. Cannon and Julia Young, (26 May 1872), Vol. 15 (London: Latter-day Saint's Book Depot, 1873), 42–42.off-site
  11. [note] Brigham Young, "Discourse," Journal of Discourses, reported by D.W. Evans, G.F. Gibbs, and others, (15 August 1876), Vol. 18 (London: Latter-day Saint's Book Depot, 1877), 217–217.off-site
  12. [note] Brigham Young, "Discourse," Journal of Discourses, reported by D.W. Evans, G.F. Gibbs, and others, (17 September 1876), Vol. 18 (London: Latter-day Saint's Book Depot, 1877), 231–231.off-site
  13. [note] Francis M. Lyman, General Conference, 5 April 5 1881, in Millennial Star 43:19 (9 May 1881): 292.
  14. [note] First Presidency, "Address to the World," Improvement Era 10 (May 1907), 481–495.
  15. [note] Hugh B. Brown, "Discourse," Improvement Era 10 (December 1956), 949–949.

Clearly, the Church has "claimed" to be Christian for a long time. To insist that this is a new, public relations move is false.

Further reading

FAIR wiki articles

FAIR web site

External links

  • Stephen E. Robinson, Are Mormons Christians? (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1993). off-site FAIR link
  • Benjamin I. Huff, "Of Course Mormonism Is Christian Review of Craig L. Blomberg. "Is Mormonism Christian?" In The New Mormon Challenge, 315–32," FARMS Review of Books 14/1 (2002): 113–130.*
  • Kent P. Jackson, "Am I a Christian? Review of Craig L. Blomberg. "Is Mormonism Christian?" In The New Mormon Challenge, 315–32," FARMS Review of Books 14/1 (2002): 131–138.*
  • Daniel C. Peterson and Stephen D. Ricks, "Comparing LDS Beliefs with First-Century Christianity, (Provo, Utah: FARMS, no date). *
  • Robert E. Wells, "We Are Christians Because...," Ensign (January 1984): 17.*

Printed material

  • Daniel C. Peterson and Stephen D. Ricks, Offenders For A Word (Provo:Utah: FARMS, 1998). ISBN 1562362089.
  • Terryl L. Givens, The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy (Oxford University Press, 1997). ISBN 0195101839.
Retrieved from "http://104.237.154.152/answers/index.php?title=Jesus_Christ/Accusations_that_Latter-day_Saints_aren%27t_Christians&oldid=4565"