Proving Mormonism is Christian

Mormons seeking to prove that Latter-day Saints (and the LDS Church) are Christian often resort to a certain apologetic argument that is woefully lacking in substance; nevertheless it continues to be bandied about with reckless abandon. LDS Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley uses this argument, and it is unendingly repeated by Mormons in manifold venues. Here it is, from a recent letter-to-the-editor in a Long Beach, California paper:

“It is ironic that many state that ‘Mormons are not Christian,’ when the name of the church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Surely there are better ways to defend the nature of the LDS Church.

William Shakespeare put these words into the mouth of Juliet: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Juliet told Romeo that what something is called does not necessarily correspond to what something actually is.

Some real-life examples for the sake of illustration:

• Mormon Coffee is neither Mormon nor a beverage.
• Mitt Romney is not, in reality, something to be worn on the hand.
• A Ford Taurus is not a constellation comprised of star clusters including the Hyades and the Pleiades.
• Long Island Iced Tea contains vodka, tequila, rum, gin and triple sec; but, in fact, it is not, nor does it contain, tea.
• Los Angeles, often called the City of Angels, has a population of approximately 4 million people; it is not truly populated by celestial beings.
• The World Church of Jesus is Satan, founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1993 by Thayalan Reddy, is not a Christian church despite the name of Jesus in its title.

Mormon Fundamentalist groups offend the LDS Church by calling themselves “Mormons.” The LDS Church clarified in a commentary on its web site:

“Polygamist groups in Utah, Arizona or Texas have nothing whatsoever to do with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To refer to them as ‘Mormon’ is inaccurate.

“Mormon is a common name for a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints…

“When referring to people or organizations that practice polygamy, terms such as those given in the first paragraph above are incorrect. The Associated Press Stylebook notes: ‘The term Mormon is not properly applied to the other … churches that resulted from the split after (Joseph) Smith’s death.’”

The LDS Church recognizes that Mormon Fundamentalists are not actually Mormons even though they are called by that name.

So let’s put this silly “We’re Christians because our Church is called The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints” argument to rest. Instead, let’s talk about who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us.

Rexburg Temple Outreach (1/12/2008)

We all had some grrreat evangelistic conversations!

A Catholic Responds

A Catholic responds to an LDS assertion that, according to Catholicism, Jesus and Lucifer are brothers.

Romney gets it right – Beck got it wrong

During the Republican “Fox Forum,” news correspondent Chris Wallace pressed candidate Mitt Romney about his “attack ads” against John McCain and Mike Huckabee. Romney responded to this line of questioning with an answer I’ve heard him give before. Essentially he said his ads were not an attack, but merely a “comparison.” I happen to agree. I have no problem when politicians run ads that recount an opponent’s record; so for me, “comparison” ads are absolutely fair and I think necessary, because they tend to remind voters of things they may have overlooked or did not know. But here’s where many Mormons fall prey to the logical fallacy of equivocation. When Christians write articles that “compare” the teachings of Mormonism to that of Christianity, the Mormons rarely see them for what they are – a comparison. Mormons are often quick to accuse those who are critical of Mormonism as attacking their faith. Well, I’m glad to hear Mitt set the record straight.

This may also come as shocker to some, but I like listening to Mormon radio talk-show host Glenn Beck. I find him to be very entertaining, and though I don’t agree with everything he says, I have often found myself laughing out loud at some of his pithy comments. However, Beck committed a horrible logical fallacy on January 8th when he used the word bigotry to describe voters who say they would never vote for a Mormon. He “compared” this to those who claim they would never vote for a black man.

Here’s the problem. Skin color is a God-given attribute that a person has no control over and cannot change, nor should they. When it comes to what makes a person who he is, skin color, in and of itself, is really a benign factor. However, religious beliefs, like political beliefs, are views that must be learned and can be either accepted or rejected. Political ideals, like religious ideals are gleaned from a variety of sources and are subject to debate and disagreement. Both carry with them truth claims that automatically assume all other truth claims that conflict with them are of necessity, false. Differences of opinion are expected to be challenged when they trample on another’s truth claims yet nobody uses the term “political bigot.”

As a talk-show host Beck challenges truth claims on a daily basis, and I support him for it. However, when it comes to religious ideology, he expects us to set aside this standard when a Mormon candidate is involved. It isn’t that Beck does not understand the power of religious persuasion. In November of 2006 he demonstrated this all too well when he interviewed Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN). Said Beck, “Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.” He added: “I’m not accusing you of being an enemy, but that’s the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way.” Would Beck have been inclined to ask this if Ellison did not have an Islamic worldview? I don’t fault Beck for asking these questions, nor do I consider him a bigot for daring to say what he said. Just the same, people who do not share a Mormon worldview should be free to express their disagreement without fear of being given a negative label.

A simple formula for determining Mormon doctrine?

“A simple formula for determining Mormon doctrine which accounts for the many varied situations recorded in Mormon sources is impossible at this time. The attempt to decide if a concept is ‘doctrine’ is sometimes frustrating, and the attempt to persuade someone that a concept is or is not Mormon doctrine can be totally maddening.” (MP3)

Myths Be Gone

The LDS Church has posted a 10 minute video on it’s web site titled, “Myths & Reality.” Originally produced to answer common questions from journalists during the 2002 Olympics, the video has been updated and is now available to the public.

“Myths & Reality” opens with a minute and a half of man-on-the-street clips of people stating what they “know” about Mormons. Most of the statements are incorrect; the video subsequently seeks to dispel three of the “misunderstandings” raised. The spokesman, Steve Young, explains,

“In the next few minutes we want to show you some things we hope will dispel some myths about us, because the myths are still out there, alive and well.”

The first myth addressed is “Mormons Practice Polygamy.” The video spends 50 seconds on this topic, stating that Mormons discontinued the practice of polygamy over 100 years ago. Steve Young then explains that Mormons are “bothered” when Fundamentalist Mormons are called “Mormons” because these people are not Mormons. Gordon B. Hinckley “state[s] categorically that this church has nothing whatsoever to do with those practicing polygamy,” and the video moves on.

Myth number 2 is “Mormons Care Only For Their Own.” The video deals with this by spending 1 minute and 55 seconds highlighting the LDS Church’s laudable humanitarian efforts worldwide.

The final myth addressed is “Myth #3: Mormons Are Not Christian.” This topic is apparently considered the most important of the three; more time is given for this issue than the other two myths combined: about 3 minutes and 50 seconds.

The spokesperson during this segment is Sharlene Hawkes, a former Miss America. She says that it’s hard for Mormons to understand this myth because “We are Christian to our core.” Ms. Hawkes suggests one reason people might think Mormons are not Christian is because of the nickname “Mormon.” Mormons prefer that the full (correct) name of the Church be used because “it includes the name of the Savior” and that’s important to Mormons.

Ms. Hawkes tells viewers that Mormons love the Bible and try to follow the example of Jesus Christ, but that they are “different from other Christian faiths in important ways.” Ms. Hawkes talks about these important differences, including the Book of Mormon (a “companion to the Bible”), the belief in modern prophets and continuing revelation, the commitment to temple-building, the LDS Church as a restoration of the ancient church, the large missionary force, the focus on families, the work of compiling genealogies and how “even those who have passed on can be linked to us in an eternal family chain.” The video then concludes with Gordon B. Hinckley extolling Christ.

We can’t really expect much more than this in a 10 minute video. Still, it doesn’t seem to me that many bona fide myths were dispelled. In fairness, the LDS web site says these are the questions journalists were raising in 2002, but it also says the video “has been updated and posted on Newsroom today to help counter persistent myths about the Church.”

Are these really the questions people are asking today — the “misperceptions” they struggle with? How could anyone in America today who watches television or reads the newspaper think Mormons still practice polygamy? Are people really hung up on the misperception that Mormons aren’t actively engaged in humanitarian relief? In fact, the man-on-the-street which initially raised the issue spoke in glowing terms of how Mormons care for one another, not criticizing that they don’t care for others. Could this be a straw-man myth?

I do think “Myth #3″ is a current and persistent question coming from those outside of Mormonism. But the video did next to nothing to address the question and inform people in a meaningful way.

Journalists today clearly know and promote every “reality” contained in this video. The LDS Church’s Public Relations department has publicized all of these things many times over. I wonder if it has ever occurred to the LDS Church that perhaps the things they call “misperceptions” persist because they never adequately answer the questions.

Surely there is a better way, even in under 4 minutes, to clarify the charge, “Mormons Are Not Christian.” Maybe they could have done something like this:

“This is a complex issue and not easily explained in a short video. We believe we are — and define ourselves as — Christian. In fact, we believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the truest form of Christianity on earth today and that Mormons are better than any others at following the teachings of Christ. Though we share some things with other Christian churches, Mormonism is different and unique in important ways. The foundational differences that cause some to claim Mormons aren’t Christian are found in the way we define the nature of God, the nature of Christ, and the content of the Gospel. Mormons differ significantly from traditional Christians in each of these areas — and others. Our Prophet has explained that we worship a different Christ than the Christ worshiped in traditional Christianity. Some people believe this strips Mormons of the title ‘Christian’; we disagree. We are Christian to our core. That is, we accept our Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Redeemer of the world; differences in theology — who or what God is, and who Christ is — don’t affect that.”

What are your ideas for a myth-buster reality-promoting video segment discussing “Mormons Are Not Christian”?

« Previous Page — Next Page »