they only believe parts of the bible that their Mormonism prophets say are true and put Mormonism meanings on others and stuff
and if Jesus on the cross was a Mormon he wouldn't have saved them through grace right
Alas, Christianity is a virtual collection of cults, each focusing on its own facet of the faith and emphasizing parts the shared myth that justify its dogma.
Mormons are part of the Christianity culture ... any religion that worships Christ regardless of being Mormon catholic Pentecostal or what ever is christian .. you need to reword your question
Christianity as a whole is a cult, each denomination with a slightly different take on the whole idea, which makes it even more like cult. So pointing at other denominations and saying "yours is a cult, but mine isn't" is downright laughable.
The reason Mormons and JWs are a cult compared to the rest of Christianity is that they don't believe that Jesus is God. Mormons think he is the spirit son of God but not God. Also he is the brother of Satan. The JW believe Jesus was a man that had the spirit of Michael the archangel in him. Both are not biblical and make up there own beliefs from outside of the bible. The bible clearly says that Jesus is God not Michael the archangel or the brother of Satan.
Just saying your a christian because you say Jesus Christ is not right. And saying you believe in him only works if you say you believe he is God.
So, wait, just because they believe differently than you do, they're a "cult?"
Here's the definition:
cult (kilt)
n.
1.
a. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
b. The followers of such a religion or sect.
2. A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
3. The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
4. A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.
5.
a. Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.
b. The object of such devotion.
From my point of view, all religions fit that definition.
Many theologians and scholars do not consider LDS to be a Christian denomination. The same can be said of Jehovw's Witness and even 7Th Day Adventists.
Speaking directly to Mormonism: I feel that, while they include Christ in their teachings, they have an entire book which is not in any way canonized: the Book of Mormon. This, in my mind, pretty negates any claim that Momorminism might have to Christianity. That being said, there are too many Mormons for Mormonism to simply be written off as a cult. It is a legitimate religion, with many followers.
I'm not sure i understand your statement: '...if Jesus on the cross was a Mormon he wouldn't have saved them through grace right..."
Christianity its self is a cult when you really think about it, they shun all people who do not believe in what they believe and will go to the extreme to convert people.
But I fear, lest any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. for if he that preacher another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if we receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. II Corinthians 11:3,4
This warning from Paul makes it clear that we should beware of those complicating the gospel and declaring another messiah; even though they claim their messiah is the Jesus of the Bible.
The Bible is full of verses proclaiming the saving power of Christ's blood that was shed for us on the cross. Despite all the verses forcefully declaring the importance of Christ's blood, the Mormon pamphlet found in almost every LDS visitors centers titled, What the Mormons think of Christ, refutes the saving grace of Christ's sacrifice. On page 22 we find this written, "Christians speak often of the blood of Christ and it's cleansing power. Much that is believed and taught on this subject is such utter nonsense and so palpably false that to believe it is to lose ones salvation. For instance, many believe or pretend to believe that if we confess Christ with our lips and avow that we accept Him as our personal savior we are thereby saved. They say His blood, without any other act than mere belief makes us clean."
In Romans 4:20 Paul declares "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight." The Apostle John wrote, "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanest us from all sin." (I John 1:7) As with most false religions Mormonism emphasizes works over grace, however; no one can walk in the light without first being cleansed by Christ.
One of the main fundamentals of orthodox Christianity is belief in the virgin birth of the Savior. Statements from the LDS church leaders show that they have a different view of Christ. Bruce McConkie, a Mormon Apostle, teaches in his book, Mormon Doctrine, "Christ was begotten by an immortal father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers." (p. 547) Joseph Fielding Smith, tenth President and Prophet of the Mormon Church claimed, "Christ not begotten of Holy Ghost...He was not born without the aid of Man and that Man was God!" (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:18). By worship ping such a being the Mormons fall under the condemnation of Romans one by changing "the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man" (1:23).
The Jesus of Mormonism was also a polygamist. Mormon Apostle, Orson Pratt states on page 172 of his book, The Seer, "it will be seen that the great Messiah, who was the founder of the Christian religion, was a polygamist." Orson Hyde, also a Mormon Apostle, taught "It will be born in mind that once on a time, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee...no less person than Jesus Christ was married on that occasion." (Journal of Discourses 4:259).
The Jesus of the Bible created all things. Colossians 1:16, "For by Him all things were created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible, and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him and for Him." The God of Mormonism however needed help. In the book Mormon Doctrine, page 169, the LDS Church teaches that Jesus was helped by many when creating the earth, including the help of Joseph Smith! "Michael or Adam was one of these. Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Peter, James and John, Joseph Smith, and many other noble and great ones played a part in the great creative enterprise.
Colossians 1:16 causes even more problems when you look at the Mormon doctrine concerning Jesus and Satan. The Bible teaches that Jesus created all things including the devil, however Mormon doctrine teaches that Jesus and Satan are "spirit-brothers". Milton R. Hunter, who was a member of the First Council of the Seventies writes in his book, The Gospel Through the Ages, "The appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by one of the other sons of God. He was called, Lucifer, son of the morning. Haughty, ambitious, and covetous of power and glory, this spirit-brother of Jesus desperately tried to become the Savior of mankind." (page 15)
The Bible teaches that Jesus is the only giver of salvation and that no man cometh unto the Father but by Him (John 3:16 & John 17:6). The Jesus of Mormonism claims no such authority. Mormonism teaches that in order to be saved on must believe in Joseph Smith, their founder, as well as believe in their Jesus. In his book Doctrines of
Mormonism is not Christian. Mormonism is a cult that denies the free gift of salvation in Jesus, so Mormonism leads to eternal torment in hell. Mormonism also rejects the TRUTH that JESUS IS GOD, so Mormonism has a different and fake "god" that cannot save. Mormonism is idolatry.
So get away from Mormonism, and instead, believe in JESUS ALONE for salvation! Getting into heaven is truly only by believing in Jesus, without adding ANY of your own works.
And, Jesus DID pay for ALL our sins with His death on the cross! And then Jesus rose from the dead! NOTHING ELSE pays for ANY of your sins, not works, not good deeds, nothing.
So believe in Jesus for salvation RIGHT NOW!
Jesus is God, and Jesus loves you so very much!
The truth about Jesus is that the only way to be saved and to get into heaven and avoid being sent to eternal hell, is by believing in Jesus for salvation, believing in faith alone that Jesus, who is God, died on the cross for all our sins as FULL PAYMENT for all our sins, and then Jesus rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Believe in Jesus alone for salvation, and you will be in heaven, no matter what!
Salvation is a FREE GIFT that happens in a split second when you believe in Jesus alone to save you! It is impossible to lose or "leave" salvation (John 6:39-40, John 10:28, 1 John 5:13).
Please pray now: "Jesus, I believe that You died on the cross to pay for my sins and that You rose from the dead, and I thank You for eternal life!" You will be in heaven with Him forever when you die!
??Mormons Are New Testament Christians, not Creedal Christians
The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is often accused by the above posters of not believing in the 4Th Century Christ and, therefore, not being a Christian religion. This post helps to clarify such misconceptions by examining early Christianity's theology relating to baptism, the Godhead, the deity of Jesus Christ, and His Grace and Atonement.
Baptism:
Early Christian churches, practiced baptism of youth (not infants) by immersion by the father of the family. The local congregation had a lay ministry. An early Christian Church has been re-constructed at the Israel Museum, and the above can be verified. The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) continues baptism and a lay ministry as taught by Jesus? Apostles. Early Christians were persecuted for keeping their practices sacred, and prohibiting non-Christians from witnessing them.
The Trinity:
A literal reading of the New Testament points to God and Jesus Christ , His Son , being separate , divine beings , united in purpose. . To whom was Jesus praying in Gethsemane, and Who was speaking to Him and his apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration? The Nicene Creed?s definition of the Trinity was influenced by scribes translating the Greek manuscripts into Latin. The scribes embellished on a passage explaining the Trinity , which is the Catholic and Protestant belief that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The oldest versions of the epistle of 1 John, read: "There are three that bear witness: the Spirit, the water and the blood and these three are one." Scribes later added "the Father, the Word and the Spirit," and it remained in the epistle when it was translated into English for the King James Version, according to Dr. Bart Ehrman, Chairman of the Religion Department at UNC- Chapel Hill. He no longer believes in the Nicene Trinity. . Scholars agree that Early Christians believed in an embodied God; it was Noe-Platonist influences that later turned Him into a disembodied Spirit. For example, it was an emperor (Constantine) . who introduced a term, houmous's, which defined the Son as ?con substantial? (one being) with the Father. Neither term or anything like it is in the New Testament. Harper?s Bible Dictionary entry on the Trinity says ?the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the New Testament.? Furthermore, 11 of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were non-Trinitarian Christians The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) views the Trinity as three separate divine beings , in accord with the earliest Greek New Testament manuscripts and the Founders.
Theosis
Divinization, narrowing the space between God and humans, was also part of Early Christian belief. St. Athanasius of Alexandria (Eastern Orthodox) wrote, regarding theosis, "The Son of God became man, that we might become God." Irenaeus wrote in the late 2nd Century: ?we have not been made gods from the beginning, but at first merely men, then at length gods? Justin Martyr in mid 2nd Century said: ?all men are deemed worthy of becoming ?gods,? and of having power to become sons of the Highest? Clement of Alexandria explained ?Saints . . pure in heart . . are destined to sit on thrones with the other gods that have been first put in their places by the Savior.? The Gospel of Thomas (which pre-dates the 4 Gospels, but was considered non-canonical by the Nicene Council) quotes the Savior: "He who will drink from my mouth will become as I am: I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him," (Gospel of Thomas 50, 28-30, Nag Hammadi Library in English, J.M.Robinson, 1st ed 1977; 3rd ed. 1988) For further information on this subject, refer to NewTestamentTempleRitual blogspot. The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) agrees with Early Christian church leaders regarding theosis.
In the words of Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) Apostle, Bruce R. McConkie: "There is and can only be one who is supreme, who is the head and to whom all others are subject". Becoming like God is not saying we will ever be equal to Him, frankly we won't and can't. He, and only He, will forever be worshipped by us.
The Deity of Jesus Christ
Mormons hold firmly to the deity of Christ. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS), Jesus is not only the Son of God but also God the Son. Evangelical pollster George Barna found in 2001 that while only 33 percent of American Catholics, Lutherans, and Methodists (28 percent of Episcopalians) agreed that Jesus was ?without sin?, 70 percent of Mormons believe Jesus was sinless.
Grace Versus Works
One Evangelical Christian author wrote of his sudden discovery that his previous beliefs about salvation were very different from those held by the early Christians:
?If there's any single doctrine that we would expect to find the faithful associates of the apostles teaching, it's the d
Such a complete and full diagnosis requires one who is in tune with the master physician, even Jesus Christ. Do you claim to know the mind of Christ enough to condemn us to such a fate of blaspheme?!
I tell you that we do all we know how to understand all of the Bible and not dismiss it. To understand the words of all of the prophets and incorporate them in our lives...to find the messages therein that lead us to follow the Holy One of Israel, even Jehovah who was born into mortality as Jesus of Nazareth and is called Christ or Messiah.
If this is the mistake of my faith, then may I so continue to stumble...yet do not claim to have the judgment of God to call me a sinner who discounts and wrests His word, unless you have received a vision or revelation and calling from God which has given you a prophetic calling to the world.
Actually, dear, we believe in the Bible. We do believe--as does anyone who knows anything about the history of the Bible--that there have been changes made over the years, that things have been taken out, but that doesn't mean we don't believe in the Bible. The changes are mostly very minor, and though much has been lost, modern revelation has taken care of that. We can read the Bible in its entirety (at least the KJV) and never stop to think about the changes.
And though the changes are minor, our leaders have never given us a list of changes that have been made. Joseph Smith began going through the Bible at one point, but he didn't get far, and while his translation is available to us, we use the traditional KJV. This even includes the Songs of Solomon, which many Christians consider pornography rather than inspired scripture.
And yes, we do interpret scriptures differently than some other Christian sects...but EVERY religion does that! If we didn't, there wouldn't be so many different types of Christians.
Why wouldn't Christ have saved a Mormon on the cross? Condemnation isn't part of Christianity, either, sweetie.
is LDS Mormonism more a cult than Christianity?
