Mormonism and Christianity

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Mormonism and historic Christianity have had an uneasy relationship with each other since shortly after Joseph Smith, Jr. founded the Latter Day Saint movement.

Historic Christianity is characterized as the branches of Christianity that accept the Nicene Creed^[1]. This includes, but is not limited to the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and most branches of Protestantism. Those who practice Mormonism, Latter Day Saints, consider themselves to be Christians and believe that the Latter Day Saint movement is the restoration of the original church as depicted in the New Testament, and consider the Nicene Creed (written in the 4th Century) to be a later, spurious "doctrine of men."

Some of the reasons for this uneasy relationship can be ascribed to different definitions of sacred texts, doctrines, and core beliefs, uncommon practices, and proselytization on both sides. Latter Day Saints claim to be the only divinely authorized Christian church^[2] and that all other Christian churches are in a state of general apostasy. Conversely, almost all Christian denominations consider Mormonism to be a heretical form of Christianity, or more pejoratively, a cult. Some Latter Day Saint denominations, such as the Community of Christ, have attempted dialogue with mainstream Christianity regarding their theology and practice.

Contents 1 Divergence of Mormonism from historic Christianity 2 Differences in doctrines and core beliefs 2.1 Accepted canon 2.2 Nature of man 2.3 Nature of God 2.4 Need for salvation 2.5 Church ceremonies 3 Recognition of the rites of other denominations 3.1 Latter Day Saints 3.2 Historic Christianity 4 Missionary work and reactions to proselytization 4.1 Missionary work 4.2 Traditional Christian denominations’ reaction to proselytization 4.3 Traditional LDS attitudes toward those of other faiths 5 Ecumenism and interfaith activities 5.1 Independent activities 5.2 The Community of Christ 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Divergence of Mormonism from historic Christianity

In March 1830 the Book of Mormon was published. Joseph Smith claimed that this was a new volume of scripture, and that he had translated it by divine power from buried golden plates. It professed to recount a history of Christianity in the Western Hemisphere, including a description of civilizations and appearances by Jesus. Latter Day Saints declared it as a companion and complement to the Bible. More significantly Smith, as a fourteen year old boy, stated God, in a theophany, had indicated that all other Christian churches were in a state of apostasy and that he had been chosen to restore the divinely instituted church.^[3] Unsurprisingly, traditional Christian denominations disagreed and attempted to discount Smith's credibility.^[4][5][6]

Passages in the Book of Mormon castigate churches for "incorrect" teaching of doctrines. This concept of the Great Apostasy after the deaths of Jesus Christ and His apostles echos the view held by many other Restorationists.^[7]

Smith expressed what he saw as important flaws in the Christian denominations of his day. He once said:

We may look at the Christian world and see the apostasy there has been from the apostolic platform; and who can look at this and not exclaim, in the language of Isaiah, "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant"?^[8]

In another instance, Smith said:

"The teachers of the day say that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and they are all in one body and one God. Jesus prayed that those that the Father had given him out of the world might be made one in them, as they were one [one in spirit, in mind, in purpose]. If I were to testify that the Christian world were wrong on this point, my testimony would be true."^[9]

It is noteworthy here to observe that from Smith's time to the present day The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has taught that the members of the Godhead are one God, though not in the consubstantial sense of unity intended by the writers of the Nicene creed. They are considered three distinct individuals who are so united in purpose and desires that they act as one, but they maintain their individuality and are not of necessity one in substance. It is also important to understand that each member of the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) is referred to as God in LDS theology. Joseph Smith's objection to the "teachers of the day" in this quotation is therefore specifically directed at the doctrine that the three members of the Godhead are one in being. This is one of the more significant differences between the LDS teaching on the nature of the Trinity and the Trinitarian viewpoint codified by the councils that produced the Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed and other such declarations. See the "Nature of God" section below in this article for a fuller exploration of this theme.

Smith began to organize a church that would embody the insights he found in the Bible and later in his own revelations. He indicated that he was directed by God the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ to restore the fullness of the Gospel because Christian churches had lost their authority centuries before, which could not be recovered without a restoration. Therefore, on April 6, 1830, Smith formed the Church of Christ.

A need for a church restoration was a view held by a number of otherwise unrelated groups at the time, and is known as Restorationism. Although most traditional Christians acknowledged corruption and mistakes within Christianity, only the Restorationists viewed Christianity as so fundamentally broken that a restoration was required, rather than a mere reformation such as was found within the Protestant Reformation. To non-Restorationist Christians, departures from the truth were seen as continuously being overcome, through councils and decrees. Hence, to these Christians, the fundamental "apostolic succession" made by Catholic and Orthodox branches, or the broader "apostolic tradition" claimed by most Protestant denominations, remained intact. For more information on the restoration movement, see Restorationism.

[edit] Differences in doctrines and core beliefs

After the death of Joseph Smith, the Latter Day Saint movement experienced schisms. In 1846 most Latter Day Saints followed Brigham Young, moved to Utah, and formed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). They are the largest denomination and count in excess of 12.5 million members as of the end of 2005. A remnant stayed in the Midwestern US and eventually some grouped together and formed the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) under Joseph Smith III. In April 2001 this church renamed itself as the Community of Christ. They are the second largest denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement and number approximately 250,000 members. There are also many smaller denominations. The comparisons of the doctrines in this section are between the LDS Church and historic Christianity.

[edit] Accepted canon

Traditional Christians believe that the canon of scripture is closed, making the Bible the only sacred text for Christians. However, the precise list of books in the Bible is disputed among Christian denominations depending upon the acceptance of the deuterocanonical books.^[10]. Catholics subscribe, de facto, to Prima scriptura (the Bible above all) and give equal weight to Sacred Tradition. Some Protestants consider their Bible the only infallible authority, a doctrine called Sola scriptura, though different Protestant faiths consider different versions of the Bible to be the "infallible" one. However, the clear primacy of the Bible, despite the dispute of the exact books of the canon, has resulted in basic beliefs that are largely shared between these churches.

Latter Day Saints believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. They also believe that the Book of Mormon is a sacred text that testifies of Jesus Christ. It is believed to represent a history of God's dealings with some of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas. In addition, Latter Day Saints also have additional books of scripture: the Doctrine and Covenants, which contains revelations of modern day prophets and the Pearl of Great Price. The Pearl of Great Price, which contains additional important Latter-day Saint scriptures such as the Book of Moses and the Book of Abraham is not accepted by all denominations. Each denomination has their own version of the Doctrine and Covenants, which differ on the number of modern day revelations accepted as canon.

Church leaders (from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) have taught during General Conference that conference talks which are "…[spoken and] moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture…".^[11] In addition, many Mormons believe that there were also ancient prophets in other regions of the world that received revelations that resulted in additional scriptures that have been lost and may, one day, be forthcoming. Hence, the belief in continuing revelation (i.e., the canon remains open).

[edit] Nature of man

In the 1840s, Joseph Smith stated that the human spirit existed with God before the creation of the Earth. Thus, Latter-day Saints believe in a pre-mortal existence, in which we are literally the spirit children of God. Latter-Day Saints often point to Jeremiah 1:5 as one example of evidence in the Bible for a pre-existence. In this section Jeremiah the prophet is told that the Lord knew him before He formed him in the belly and before he came out of the womb, and was sanctified and ordained to be a prophet at that time. This teaching is primarily based however upon revealed doctrine received by Joseph Smith and others in the early years of the Church. Prior to the existence of spirits, some element of the human spirit, called intelligence, existed eternally in the same sense that God existed eternally, but in a less progressed form of energy or matter, and this existence was even before God organized them as spirit children. This may explain the Church's teaching that man and God are co-eternal (carefully distinguishing "co-eternal" from "equal", which is not a part of LDS doctrine). Within Mormonism God is looked upon as both creator and Heavenly Father. Historic Christianity regards mankind as the creation of God, "made in his own image", according to the Book of Genesis.

Regarding the afterlife, Latter-day Saints teach of a potential deification or exaltation of all of humanity who are worthy of it.^[12] The oft-quoted saying (by Lorenzo Snow, a Latter-day Saint Prophet) that captures this idea is, "As man is, God once was; as God is, man may be." Simply put, this means that God was once a mortal man, and that men can become gods. They consider this tenet to correspond with Biblical teachings and early Christian writings.^[13] Some Mormons further note that the doctrine of theosis of the Orthodox Church is evidence that this doctrine is based on early Christian teaching.^[14]

However, many in the Christian world disagree with this interpretation, stating that the scriptures do not teach any form of biological relationship, but rather that man is simply God's creation.^{[citation needed]} For historic Christianity back to at least the 5th and 6th centuries, this form of deification is heretical, though this was a matter of debate in earlier periods and the doctrine of theosis as the LDS understand it was taught by early Christians.^[15]. As the doctrine and theology went through debate and change over the centuries, it became a prevalent teaching in historic Christianity that man would be in the presence of God, but would not become a god. The Orthodox Church does not accept that exaltation and theosis are similar. Bishop Timothy Ware, Spaulding Lecturer in Orthodox Studies at Oxford University wrote in referring to the differences of the views between Mormonism and the Orthodox Church:

"Deification," on the Orthodox understanding, is to be interpreted in terms of the distinction between the divine essence and the divine energies. Human beings share by God's mercy in His energies but not in his essence, either in the present age or in the age to come. That is to say, in theosis the saints participate in the grace, power, and glory of God, but they never become God by essence.^[16]

[edit] Nature of God

In LDS belief, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, stand united as the "Divine Godhead" and "Holy Trinity, comprising three physically separate and distinct individuals who together constitute the presiding council of the heavens."^[17] God the Father serves in a presiding role in the Godhead and is the Father of spirits ^[18], including the spirit of Jesus Christ. Christ, as the mediator between mortals and the Father, is worshipped as Lord and Savior, and is also referred to throughout the LDS canon of scripture as God^[19] He (Jesus) was the God of the Old Testament and during the Old Testament times was known as Jehovah. Under the direction of the Father, Jehovah (Jesus) created the Earth and all things on it.^[20] He was born of the Virgin Mary and is the Only Begotten of the Father because of his Divine paternity. Latter-Day Saints believe that it is only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ and obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel that a person may be saved and return to the Kingdom of God. For Latter-Day Saints Jesus Christ was and is the Word of God (see John chapter 1). He heads the Church and is the first person voice dictating the revelations Joseph Smith recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. The Holy Ghost, as third member of the Godhead, is sought after and given veneration as well. He is also referred to as God.^[21]. He is a "personage of Spirit", and as such, unlike the Father and Son, does not have a body of flesh and bones, but rather a spiritual body in the likeness of a physical body. The role of the Holy Ghost is to testify of the Father and Son and teach the truthfulness of all things. Latter-Day Saints believe that the witness of the Holy Ghost concerning the truthfulness of the Gospel is essential to true conversion. Mormons consider this teaching to be fully consistent with Biblical evidence^[22].

The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants are explicit in their assertion that all three members of the Godhead; Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one God ^[23] , though this is not intended to imply oneness in the consubstantia (or "One in being" as it is sometimes rendered in English) sense intended by the Nicene Creed. The three members of the Godhead work in complete harmony in all things and are completely united in all Godly attributes while maintaining their unique identities and physical distinctness. Former President and Prophet of the Church, Wilford Woodruff, describes the unity of the Godhead thus,"With all the divisions, and all the discontent, and the quarlings and opposition among the powers on earth, or that have been revealed from heaven, I have never heard that it has ever been revealed to the children of men that there was any division between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. They are one. They always have been one. They always will be one, from eternity unto eternity. Our Heavenly Father stands at the head, being the Author of the salvation of the children of men, and having created and peopled the world and given laws to the inhabitants of the earth."^[24].

In the majority of the Christian religions extant today, God is considered to be uncreated, to have existed for all time from before the beginning of the universe. He is not, and has never been, mortal. This is true of all the persons of the Godhead, who are all considered equal and uncreated. God is Spirit, though taking on human nature in the person of Jesus. Almost all Christian denominations are Trinitarian. In Trinitarianism, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit exist as one God in three persons or in the Greek hypostasis. The three are co-equal and co-eternal and they share a single Divine essence, being, or nature.

If one contrasts the above description of the LDS belief in the Godhead with the Trinitarian view, one will notice that one of the main differences between LDS theology and that of other modern Christian denominations is this difference in understanding over the one-ness of God. For the Latter-Day Saints (as it was also for some during the earliest periods of Christianity^[25]), the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three in being, but one in all other attributes and desires. They are completely united in all that they do, but maintain their individual identities. Latter-Day Saints view John 17:11-23, wherein Jesus asks that his disciples be one in Him as he is one with the Father, as an affirmation of this teaching. For many other Christian denominations (dating many hundreds of years to the time of the Greek philosophers at least to the fourth and fifth centuries A.D.), God has been considered to be a Trinity, one not only in desires and actions, but also in substance. In other words, one Being, manifest in three persons. However, this doctrine was debated until being made firm in the fourth and fifth centuries by the councils of the church.^[26] Even its strongest proponents, like Augustine, wrestled with the issue (Augustine as an example struggled over the issue for 15 years "without ever reaching a satisfactory conclusion" that the Trinitarian view was correct.)^[27]

The most significant way in which Latter-day Saints' view of God differs from many other modern Christian denominations is in their belief that God was once a mortal. As the first part of Lorenzo Snow’s quote indicates ("As man is, God once was…"), the Latter-day Saints apply the concept of exaltation to God the Father. Interestingly, some of the early fathers of the Christian Church (Irenaeus for example) used almost identical language as Lorenzo Snow in describing what Christ did for mankind, so it is curious that many modern day Christians reject this statement.^[28] A possible implication of this teaching is the existence of other divine beings, causing some to classify Mormonism as henotheism or monolatrism.^{[citation needed]}

Though there is no incontrovertible evidence that Joseph Smith taught this, nor is there any canon that defines this doctrine, Latter-day Saints believe that God the Father is married to an exalted woman, whom they speculatively call Heavenly Mother. Her existence is referred to briefly in a single LDS Church hymn entitled "O My Father" (Hymn number 292), and it is alluded to in The Family: A Proclamation to the World, which says that each person is "a spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents." Her existence is acknowledged by LDS Church members and leadership, but she is not worshipped explicitly and rarely mentioned. Members are taught that she is held sacred by God and thus rarely mentioned to mortals.^{[citation needed]}

Catholics and some Orthodox churches give Mary the title of Queen of Heaven, and she is sometimes referred to as the Mother of God. This phrase refers to her role as the mother of Jesus, and does not imply a divine status in any way. There is no suggestion that she is 'married to God'. She is sometimes viewed to be an intermediary between mankind and Jesus Christ. Latter-Day Saints do not believe that Mary is the Heavenly Mother mentioned previously, and recognize her as the wife of Joseph the carpenter and the mother of Jesus Christ in a biological sense. Thus they hold her in high esteem as a pure and virtuous woman of God, but do not worship or pray to her. In LDS doctrine Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost and hence was a virgin at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ. In this teaching, the LDS Church is entirely in congruence with the teachings of other Christian churches.

[edit] Need for salvation

Differences can be seen when reflecting on the need for salvation. Historic Christianity, in a reaction to Pelagianism, teaches the concept of original sin in which the Fall of Man resulted in all humans entering into an inherently sinful state which could not be redeemed without the help of God’s grace. The LDS church rejects the concept of inherited original sin, though it does acknowledge that man in his natural state (without the light of God's spirit) is an enemy to God.^[29] Thus, they teach that one is only punished for one's own individual sins and not for Adam's transgression.^[30] The transgression of Adam and Eve is seen as a necessary step in God's plan to bring about the human race. (2 Nephi 2:25) The tenth president of the LDS church, Joseph Fielding Smith, explains this:

"Adam did only what he had to do. He partook of that fruit for one good reason, and that was to open the door to bring you and me and everyone else into this world, for Adam and Eve could have remained in the Garden of Eden; they could have been there to this day, if Eve hadn’t done something. One of these days, if I ever get to where I can speak to Mother Eve, I want to thank her for tempting Adam to partake of the fruit. He accepted the temptation, with the result that children came into this world."^[31]

Furthermore, the members of the LDS church believe that Adam and Eve were given two conflicting commandments: one was not to eat of the fruit, and the other was to multiply and replenish the earth (reproduce). Therefore, one of the commandments had to be broken to satisfy the other. However, the church teaches that this was not a sin, but a transgression, because Adam and Eve did not have knowledge of good and evil before the Fall, and because Adam was expressly told, "thou mayest choose for thyself" (Moses 3:17) to enable bringing about mankind's needed agency.

Mainstream Christianity differs from this in believing that Adam's sin was an actual sin, a disobedience to God's command, and not a part of any divine plan for the betterment of mankind.

[edit] Church ceremonies

The forms of meetings of the different branches of Christianity vary widely. However in virtually every case all these meetings are open to all who wish to attend, member or non-member, believer or not. Certain Christian denominations reserve participation in communion to church members, while Latter Day Saints restrict admittance to their temples to members of the church in good standing.

Like other Christian churches, however, weekly Sunday services held in chapels (distinct and simpler meeting houses from the more elaborate and sacred temple buildings) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints are open to all who wish to attend, members and non-members alike. Like the communion for many other Christians, the LDS Sacrament is central to Sunday worship services and consists of partaking of bread and water (not wine^[32]), emblems of Christ's body and blood, and as a reminder of the covenants Latter-Day Saints enter into at baptism. The Sacrament portion of the Sunday meetings is considered the most sacred and important element of these meetings and as such is approached by the Latter-Day Saints with reverence and in a spirit of penitence. Consequently, all who partake of the Sacrament are encouraged to examine their own consciences prayerfully gauge their own worthiness to do so. If they feel unworthy, they are encouraged to refrain until they have properly confessed and repented of whatever sins or misdeeds they may have committed.

Some branches of historic Christianity hold special ceremonies or rites called sacraments. The LDS church have equivalent ceremonies called ordinances. Both religious traditions have some common ceremonies, for example, Baptism, Confirmation, and the Lord's Supper (called the Eucharist or Communion within historic Christianity and Sacrament in the LDS church), although they do not recognize each other’s ceremonies.^[33] These ceremonies are held in public in the presence of members and non-members.

Latter Day Saint temple ceremonies that are held only in the presence of LDS church members in good standing include the endowment and sealing ceremonies as well as proxy ceremonies held on behalf of the dead. These special ceremonies are performed in temples. During the endowment ceremony, members covenant to dedicate their lives to God, and promise to obey his will. The closest equivalent to sealing is marriage, but the ceremony is considered to be different in that these marriage sealings are believed to be done by the authority of God and can be for eternity and not "until death do us part".^[34] Members who have already been married in the traditional sense can later have their union sealed in the temple.

Latter-day Saints in good standing may serve as Proxies during these temple ceremonies on behalf of the dead, often an ancestor of the proxy.^[35] These ceremonies include baptism for the dead, confirmation, ordination, washing and anointing, endowment, and sealing. These practices are performed because the LDS church considers some ceremonies to be necessary, although not sufficient, for salvation and exaltation. The church’s goal is to potentially offer the ordinances necessary for the exaltation to persons who were unable to perform these ceremonies within their lifetimes. According to LDS doctrine, in the spirit world, these persons have the choice to either accept or reject the ordinances performed on their behalf. The spirit world has had different names throughout Christianity, such as Limbo, Paradise, etc.

For many in contemporary Christianity and historic christianity back to the fourth century, these special LDS ceremonies are not normal practice. Most denominations do not consider these ceremonies available to the deceased, and some do not consider them necessary steps toward salvation. Due to different views concerning the afterlife, there have been no proxy ceremonies held on behalf of the dead within historic Christianity from 325 AD forward. In earlier periods however evidence is present for both esoteric ceremonies and vicarious baptism for the dead ^[36] Most, but not all, denominations extant today consider that salvation is a matter of the relationship between the Christian and God, and that such ceremonies are symbols of a reality rather than a requirement of salvation.

[edit] Recognition of the rites of other denominations

[edit] Latter Day Saints

Latter Day Saint history come from the position that other churches were the product of the apostasy, as referenced in the Bible.^[37] Latter-day Saints view other Christian churches as teaching some truth, doing good works, and acknowledge their strong faith in Christ.^[38] However Latter Day Saints (aka Mormons) continue to believe that all other churches lack the divine authority to perform the ordinances of the gospel because of the apostasy, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church. Based on this, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not accept the baptisms of other Christian denominations as valid. In most Mormon churches and religions, the baptisms or other ordinances from other churches are not accepted as valid. However, the Community of Christ is engaged in ongoing informal discussions concerning this issue. ^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Historic Christianity

In 2001, in the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican's Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith decided not to accept Latter-day Saint baptisms.^[39] The Catholic Church generally recognizes baptisms from other Christian faiths in the name of the Trinity, provided the baptizer intends to do as the Church intends. However, because of differences in Mormon and Catholic beliefs concerning the Trinity, the Catholic Church stated that Mormon baptism was "not the baptism that Christ instituted."

The Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant branches of Christianity reject Mormon claims of additional scriptures, and of the prophetic office of Joseph Smith and other Mormon leaders; they disagree with Mormon claims that they have committed apostasy. Doctrines such as the beliefs about early American civilizations, which are unique to Mormon theology and not found in the teachings of mainstream Christian churches are also causes of disagreement. Nonetheless, many Christian denominations treat Mormons with respect, while not minimizing the differences in belief^[40][41].

The Presbyterian Church USA, the largest Presbyterian body in the US, publishes a brochure describing the church as follows:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, like the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), declares allegiance to Jesus. Latter-day Saints and Presbyterians share use of the Bible as scripture, and members of both churches use common theological terms. Nevertheless, Mormonism is a new and emerging religious tradition distinct from the historic apostolic tradition of the Christian Church, of which Presbyterians are a part. … It is the practice of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to receive on profession of faith those coming directly from a Mormon background and to administer baptism. … Presbyterian relationships with Latter-day Saints have changed throughout the twentieth century. By God's grace they may change further.^[42]

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran body in the US, notes that Lutherans have been among those Christians who do not rebaptize other baptized Christians. However, it publishes the following statement on the recognition of Mormon baptisms:

Although Mormons may use water–-and lots of it–-and while they may say "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," their teaching about the nature of God is substantially different from that of orthodox, creedal Christianity. Because the Mormon understanding of the Word of God is not the same as the Christian understanding, it is correct to say that Christian Baptism has not taken place.^[43]

In its 2000 General Conference, the United Methodist Church decided not to recognize Latter-day Saint baptisms, stating:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by self-definition, does not fit within the bounds of the historic, apostolic tradition of Christian faith. This conclusion is supported by the fact that the LDS Church itself, while calling itself Christian, explicitly professes a distinction and separateness from the ecumenical community and is intentional about clarifying significant differences in doctrine. As United Methodists we agree with their assessment that the LDS Church is not a part of the historic, apostolic tradition of the Christian faith.^[44]

The Episcopal Church (USA), part of the 80-million member Anglican Communion, an Anglo-Catholic tradition, does not recognize Mormon baptisms, though it recognizes Christian baptisms that are Trinitarian in nature.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Missionary work and reactions to proselytization

[edit] Missionary work

Latter-day Saints include all people in their missionary work, seeking to convert anyone who is not a member of the LDS church, whether or not they are already a member of a Christian church. Because ministering to those of other Christian faiths can be a sensitive task when feelings on both sides are strong, leaders of the LDS Church from the time of its founder Joseph Smith have counseled members to be sensitive, to exercise caution, and to avoid contentions in their preaching. Wilford Woodruff, an early president of the Church and a contemporary of Joseph Smith taught:

When you go into a neighborhood to preach the Gospel, never attempt to tear down a man’s house, so to speak, before you build him a better one; never, in fact, attack any one’s religion, wherever you go. Be willing to let every man enjoy his own religion. It is his right to do that. If he does not accept your testimony with regard to the Gospel of Christ, that is his affair, and not yours. Do not spend your time in pulling down other sects and parties. We haven’t time to do that. It is never right to do that. (Contributor, August 1895, 636–37)

Most Christian churches will also seek to teach or convert LDS members when the opportunity arises (By contrast most denominations do not seek to convert members of other denominations they regard as Christian). Some traditional Christian denominations have ministries focused on Latter-day Saints, just as they might also have ministries towards women, or young people, or mothers, or any other demographic.^[45]

There are many independent ministries.^[46] Many of these ministries were started by ex-mormons. Some are dedicated purely to missionary work while others are a combination of ministry and apologetics. The latter group may be considered by many Latter-day Saints to be Anti-Mormon, just as mainstream Latter-day Saints are considered 'anti-Christian' when they seek to argue against the beliefs of mainstream Christianity.

The 1998 convention of the Southern Baptist Convention held in Salt Lake City had the stated aim to "bring Christianity to the Mormons."

[edit] Traditional Christian denominations’ reaction to proselytization

Because Mormon missionaries proselytize indiscriminately, some Christian organizations have published tracts or brochures designed to counter these missionary efforts.

Conciliar Press, a department of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, has published a brochure designed to protect Orthodox Christians from the proselytizing efforts of what it describes as "cultists" (Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses).

Recently the Catholic bishops in Slovakia urged all Catholics in the country to not sign a petition allowing the LDS Church to be legally recognized in that country.^[47]

Among other initiatives for example, Ravi Zacharias, a well known Christian philosopher addressed Mormons gathered in the Salt Lake Tabernacle and was well received despite the differences he acknowledged between Mormonism and the Christian Evangelical perspective ^[48]

For a broader perspective on the way the LDS Church promotes its views and relates to other religions however, see the "Traditional LDS attitudes toward those of other faiths" section below.

[edit] Traditional LDS attitudes toward those of other faiths

A core part of Latter-Day saint teaching is that all people, regardless of race, creed, or other distinction are children of God and, through faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to the principles and ordinances of His gospel, heirs of salvation. Free will is an integral part of the LDS understanding of God's plan of salvation for his children, and Latter-Day Saints believe that all people must be taught the Gospel in its fullness and freely accept it in order to ultimately be saved in the Kingdom of God. Yet it is apparent from many teachings of the Church since its inception that the Latter-Day Saints understand there will be generations of people who live upon the Earth who will never have the opportunity to fully hear and accept its message. In answer to this dilemma, the Church teaches that baptism and other necessary ordinances of the LDS faith may be performed by proxy in behalf of those who have died without having a chance to receive these ordinances themselves. In LDS theology the spirits of those who have passed on without receiving the Gospel, may then be taught the Gospel in the "spirit world", excercise faith in Jesus Christ "unto repentance" ^[49], and ultimately receive salvation ^[50]. For this reason, the Church has a keen interest in geneology research and expends much in the way of time and resources to providing its members with tools to research their ancestry^[51].

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints teaches that it is the restored church of Jesus Christ on the earth, and as such, that it is the only church with all of the teachings and ordinances necessary for the fullness of salvation. It recognizes however that there are many people in other faiths and walks of life who live lives of goodness and seek sincerely to follow truth, and it has made efforts to recognize the good in other churches and organizations ^[52]. Joseph Smith was heard on a number of occasions to have said that "all who would follow the precepts of the Bible, whether Mormon or not, would assuredly be saved."^[53]. A prominent theme found in the writings of many Mormon leaders centers around the notion that all human beings on the earth are part of a great family. From the LDS perspective, a spirit of brotherhood should prevail among all people, because all people are God's childen. Jospeph smith wrote:

...While one portion fo the human race is judging and condemning the other without mercy, the Great Parent of the universe looks upon the whole of the human family with a fatherly care and paternal regard: He views them as His offspring, and without any of those contracted feelings that influence the children of men, causes "His sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." He holds the reins of judgment [sic] in His hands: He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not according to the narrow, contracted notions of men, but, "according to the deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil," or whether these deeds were done in England, America, Spain, Turkey, or India.^[54]

Joseph Smith stated in his accounts of the First Vision that God instructed him to start a new church because all other churches were corrupt and had fallen into apostasy.^[55] Some Mormon leaders at that time used strong language to describe church organizations that were its contemporaries. For example, Orson Pratt and other early leaders referred to other churches as the "Whore of Babylon" and described them as 'corrupt'.^[56]

If one examines the history of Christianity as a whole however, one will notice that such characterizations of one another on the part of groups with conflicting theological stances are not uncommon. For example Petrarch, writing in the 14th century about the leadership of the Christian church at Avignon, stated:

Here reign the successors of the poor fishermen of Galilee. They have quite forgotten their origins...Babylon, the home of all vices and misery...there is no piety, no charity, no faith, no reverence, no fear of God, nothing holy, nothing just, nothing sacred. All you have ever heard or read of perfidy, deceit, hardness of pride, shamelessness and unrestrained debauch - in short every example of impiety and evil the world has to show you are collected here...Here one loses all good things, first liberty, then successively repose, happiness, faith, hope and charity.^[57]

Throughout the history of Christianity there have been voices that have arisen criticizing departures from what was regarded to be the true path of the faith.^[58] No surprise then, that a Church affirming itself to be the restored Church of Jesus Christ on the earth would have something to say on the matter.

Along side this ostensibly hard line view of what is correct and incorrect doctrine and practice however, throughout its history, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has demonstrated a love and respect for faithful individuals in other churches and for what it considers true principles taught by other churches and organizations, while at the same time constantly affirming its own position as "the restored Church of Jesus Christ".^[59]

One example is found in the atmosphere of early Nauvoo Illinois during the days of Joseph Smith. In Nauvoo at this time, for instance there was an ordinance, ratified by the mostly Mormon town government, that imposed a stiff monetary penalty and jail time upon any person found to be persecuting another for their religious beliefs.^[60] Joseph Smith was known to be welcoming to leaders of other faiths and invited many who visited him to his own home. On one occasion, Smith allowed a Catholic Priest to hold Mass in the not-yet-dedicated Nauvoo Temple, because the priest had no other location in which to do so.^[61] This attitude of tolerance has continued as a thread and theme in the teachings of subsequent prophets and other leaders in the Church and is evident in numerous articles published in recent years in the Church magazines like the Ensign and the Liahona. The Church has been very complimentary of many of the early Christian reformers,^[62] Mother Teresa ^[63] and many other prominent Christians who are viewed as exemplifying in some way attributes in keeping with the teachings and values of the Latter-Day Saints. Additionally, the Church strives to find common ground with those of other non-Christian faiths, always seeking to build upon commonalities, while upholding its own doctrine as the truth revealed by God. One recent example is found in the efforts of Mormon and Muslim charity groups who collaborated to provide relief in Afghanistan and other war torn areas. It has invited numerous clergy from other faiths throughout the years to its headquarters in Salt Lake City, some of whom have even addressed the saints there.^[64]

Mormon Doctrine, a book published in 1966 by influential Mormon theologian Bruce R. McConkie, contains references linking the Catholic Church to the Whore of Babylon. McConkie become an Apostle six years after its publication, and was a respected scholar and authority regarding the doctrines and beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is said that some leaders in the Church at the time urged McConkie not to identify the Catholic Church as such, but the initial publications went out unchanged as McConkie intended. Later editions removed the reference, and it is important to note that the Church does not consider the opinions of men, whether Apostles or not, to be binding upon men unless ratified by the proper procedure and authority of the Church. ^[65] Many leaders of the Church write books but make it clear in the early pages of these books that they are expressing their own opinions and convictions and not official Church policy. For this reason, it is advisable when considering quotations attributed to Church leaders to consider the source and context of said quotations. As a literary and scholarly work, Mormon Doctrine itself never went through this process and was never (as its title would imply) ratified as official doctrine of the church.

Current President of the Church Gordon B. Hinckley has recently expressed the position of the Church as being an invitation to those of other faiths to bring all the good principles and truths they believe with them and allow the Church to add to that knowledge,^[66] making the point that Latter-Day Saints are free to disagree with tenets held by those of other faiths "without being disagreeable." In so doing, President Hinckley echoes the counsel of many prophets of the LDS Church dating back to its founder, Joseph Smith, who wrote:

If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by the force of reasoning. Do you believe in Jesus Christ and the Gospel of salvation which he revealed? So do I. Christians should cease wrangling and contending with each other, and cultivate the principles of union and friendship in their midst; and they will do it before the millennium can be ushered in and Christ takes possession of His kingdom. ^[67]

[edit] Ecumenism and interfaith activities

[edit] Independent activities

There is no evidence of ecumenism or interfaith activities between mainstream Christian denominations and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Both traditions do share work in providing welfare or humanitarian aid, but there are no dialogues concerning issues of faith. However, there are independent activities among individuals from both traditions who attempt to discuss openly about such issues.^[68]

[edit] The Community of Christ

The Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, has made dramatic efforts to reconcile its doctrines with historic Christianity and to reach out to other Christians.

The Community of Christ notes that

• it has never sanctioned polygamy
• it has always ordained persons of any race
• it has no required creedal statement, asking only faith in Christ for baptism
• it has accepted Trinitarian doctrine
• it has been in dialogue with National Council of Churches (NCC), World Council of Churches (WCC), and Christian Churches Together
• it has since 1994 practiced open communion

The Restoration Branches faction was formed by RLDS branches withdrawing from the Community of Christ organization in response to the changes made in the 1980s.

In its World Conference in 2002, a committee on "Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations" was established to explore the possibility of entering into the membership of the WCC. In its report for the 2004 World Conference, the committee concluded that while there was an openness to further meetings and discussions, there were concerns about several issues including new entrance criteria based on theology and the Community of Christ's acceptance of extra-biblical scriptures. The report states that this warrants caution in their approach, but the dialogue would continue.^[69]

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power; Signature Books; ISBN 1-56085-056-6 (1994)
• Stephen E. Robinson; Are Mormons Christians?; Bookcraft, Inc.; ISBN 0-88494-784-X (Hardcover 1991)
• Jan Shipps, Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition; University of Illinois Press; ISBN 0-252-01159-7 (Hardcover 1985)
• Joseph Fielding Smith; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith; Deseret Book Company; ISBN 0-87747-655-9 (Softcover 1976)
• John A. Widstoe; Discourses of Brigham Young; Deseret Book Company; ISBN 0-87747-664-0 (Softcover 1954)
• Craig L. Blomberg & Stephen E. Robinson; How Wide the Divide?: A Mormon & an Evangelical in Conversation; InterVarsity Press; ISBN 0-8308-1991-6; (Softcover April 1997)

[edit] External links

• Are Mormons Christians? FAQ - Extensive apologetic information from a Mormon perspective, written by Jeff Lindsay
• Assertion that Mormons are Christian A compilation of quotes from Mormon authors and Church leaders, from All About Mormons
• Christian criticism of LDS teachings - From Berean Christian Ministries, also includes techniques on "witnessing" to Mormons
• lds.org - Official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (geared towards LDS members)
• mormon.org - Official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (geared towards non-Mormons)
• Journal of Discourses - Various talks from early LDS Church Leaders
• Official website of Community of Christ - Official website
• "Survey: USA's Protestant majority might soon be no more " - Article from USA Today concerning the question on whether to consider Mormons as Protestants in surveys
• Article about perspectives of Joseph Smith and Jonathan Edwards
• Article describing Book of Mormon teachings about the "Great and Abominable Church" or the "Whore of Babylon"