If you want the truth, go to the source - ask a Mormon or a Mormon missionary. Don't ask people who only think they know the truth and tell you what they "think" it's all about or what they've "heard". Good luck!!
Actually their religious doctrines are not found in the Bible. How they live their lives are not the way Christ lived His. Now true, many Bible believing Christians also do not live their lives as Christ lived His! I would consider The Church of Latter Saints a cult. If however an individual Mormon has accepted and confessed (verbalized) Jesus Christ as His Savior, then he is a Christian.
They are Christian. They believe that Jesus is the son of God and the savior. They use the old and new testaments, but also add the book of Mormon which they claim to be given to Joseph Smith by God.
Some of their beliefs may seem strange to some, but I definitely wouldn't call them a cult. They practice their faith similar to many other Christians.
Keep in mind that the Bible is open for interpretation. Just because they may see things differently doesn't make the whole thing UN-Christian. You may not want to get your only answers from "Bible based Christians" as the best way to decide is often to just talk with Mormon people.
Not many people know that Mormons (LDS Church) are still considered Christians. I don't know you definition of cult, but the LDS Church is defiantly not a cult. I don't know how that rumor got started. If you guys that are accusing us of being cult-like can give me an example on how we are a cult, I could explain to you how we are not. You should know to that the LDS church believes in the King James version of the Bible. A lot of religions study it. So, our religion is based on the Bible, but that is not all. We also have other scriptures that we read.
Mormonism is emphatically NOT a Christian religion. It does not fulfill the requirement of Trinitarian baptism. Read the end of St Matthew's Gospel about baptizing all nations "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". As Mormons do not believe in the Holy Trinity as do all Christians they cannot be classified as Christians.
Are they a cult? I personally believe they deserve more respect for their respectable behavior than to be la belled thus but their religion is undoubtedly not Christian however well-intentioned or morally upright its adherents.
They are a cult, (no of fence Mormons,) as they believe there are multiple gods when the Bible states their is only one, even though they only worship Him. They also believe God was once a human, when the Bible states God made humans.
Yes, Mormons do call themselves Christians, but there are some differences from others in Christendom, for example:
1 - Though they do use God's word, the Bible, if it conflicts in any way with the Book of Mormon, they will believe that over and above the Bible.
2 - They do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but just one of a long list of latter day saints.
3 - No archaeological evidence has been found to support their historical writings about the Lamanites in early America (IE: from the book of Nephi), unlike the abundance of evidence (maps, writings, artifacts, etc.) found which supports the historicity of the Bible.
But, as someone else wrote - it's best if you directly ask a Mormon this question, so that they can back up their answer.
I can not really answer this question as I am not fully comprehensive of the Mormon faith. I do have a cousin that has converted to that religion. It is my opinion from what I have learned from her that it is not truly a Bible based religion. They have their own Book of Mormon but do use some Bible text.
I have to tell you though that I am not real happy with the way the majority of ministers teach the Bible as they do not take historical fact into consideration in doing so. If you would like to know what I mean by this visit http://mariditha.tripod.com/ and read my sermons. There is one there that tells us that God had reasons beyond what most churches teach for telling us to turn the other cheek. He does NOT want us to be mice or Stupid. He wanted us to use our heads and use the actions of others to allow them to set themselves up. If you read it let me know what you think. Bless you.
Mormons most certainly do NOT believe in the God of the Bible.
The God of the Bible is the uncreated eternally self-existent creator and sovereign God without equal in the universe.
The God of the Mormons was once a man, and elevated to the point of 'godhood', as is the 'Jesus' of the Mormons.
Mormons believe that "As man is God once was, and as God is man may become."
Christians be live that "God is without equal, and man is created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
The Mormons believe that Jesus and Lucifer are 'spirit brothers' and that Lucifer is only evil b/c Jesus had a better plan for the earth, and Lucifer became jealous of Him, and started a revolt in heaven.
Christians believe that Jesus is the eternally existent second person of the tribune Godhead (Son of God), and Lucifer is a created being who was jealous of God's glory and position and (by reason of his own great pride) overlooked the fact that a created being cannot ever become uncreated.
That should do it for starters, but there are TONS of differences between Mormonism and Biblical Christianity.
Mormonism is not a Christian organization, Mormonism is a cult and a destructive cult, too because of the psychological manipulation and mind control. Mormonism opposes every major Christian doctrine and belief. In the secret Mormon temple ritual Lucifer employs a Christian Minister as his hireling lackey to confuse, deceive, and destroy all mankind along with Adam and Eve. He preaches to them a comical perversion of the 3rd century Nicean Creed, which Adam rejects, employing sarcasm and ridicule to develop audience contempt, but without hissing or booing, as was done in prior decades.
Mormon Prophet/President Gordon B. Hinckley
Says Mormons Believe in a Different Jesus!
The Bible specifically warns of false prophets who will teach "another gospel" centered around "another Jesus," and witnessed to by "another spirit" (2 Corinthians 11:4,13-15; Galatians 1:6-9). Mormonism represents just such a counterfeit gospel.
The church is WITHIN every denomination throughout the entire world.
We who are in Christ Jesus have become a ?new? creature (Gal.6:15, 2 Cor.5:17 below). We have BECOME the church of God (1 Cor.10:32, 1 Cor.1:2, 1 Cor.15:9, Gal.1:13 below), Jesus? living body (Col.1:24 below).
No matter which denomination one attends, the church, the body of Christ, is within.
Gal.6:15For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availed any thing, nor circumcision, but a new creature (2 Cor.5:17 below).
2 Cor.5:17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (Gal.6:15 above): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
1 Cor.10:32Give none of fence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
Col.1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body's sake, which IS the church (1 Cor.10:32 above).
1 Cor.1:2Unto the church of God (1 Cor.10:32 above) which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and Ur's:
1 Cor.15:9For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (1 Cor.10:32 above).
Gal.1:13For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God (1 Cor.10:32 above), and wasted it:
Eph.2:16And that he might RECONCILE BOTH (Jews and Gentiles) unto God IN ONE BODY (the church of God - 1 Cor.10:32 above) by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Cul.ts basically worship living human leaders. Think Jonestown. The Mormons ain't anything like that. They accept Christ as their Redeemer and Messiah just like other Christian denominations. To me it would only make sense for Jesus Christ to be separate from God the Father and The Holy Spirit; it would be difficult to watch over the earth while in the body of a man.
"The Adversary" as Mormons like to refer to Lu.cider, is NOT WORSHIPED in the Mormon temple. Their dealings in there are sacred, not secret. They do believe Lu.cider became jealous of Christ in the Prue-existence and is bitter because God chose Jesus' plan. God chose Jesus' plan because it requires faith and conscious decision to get into heaven. Jesus' plan is the whole 'agency' or being able to choose how you live your life and whether or not you accept Him as your Savior. Lu.cider's plan was simple; send everybody to earth, then don't give them a choice; then bring 'em all right back to heaven in one fell swoop. Ironic, isn't it, that now Lu.cider seeks to promote choice? he does so because he knows people can easily choose dark paths instead of accepting Jesus. IN MY OPINION: If I wanted people to prove to me that they believed in me, I would give them a choice instead of a one-way bus ride to glory. Wouldn't you? See, the Mormons don't go for Lu.cider's deal; they recognize it and try to cast it out of their lives. They strive to commit to Jesus Christ. That is Christianity. They accept Him. They are baptized by immersion into His church. Their prophet, Gordon Hinckley, is NOT the one they worship; they believe he is a living liaison to the Father. They follow Hinckley's direction because they have faith that he is receiving revelation from God.
They dig the Book of Mormon over the Bible sometimes because it's a known fact the Bible's been translated several times and that sometimes, unfortunately, people who had the Bible would change it for purposes other than God's.
Sounds like a Christ-based, and therefore Christian, organization to me.
Paul warned about "another Jesus" in 2 Corinthians 11:4. He also told the members in Galatia to watch out for anyone, who would preach "another gospel" (Gal. 1:6-9).
Modern detractors are in error when they accuse LDS of worshiping a Jesus different than the one found in the Bible. Without question, LDS teach the same Jesus as taught in the Bible. Perhaps there are those who teach a counterfeit Jesus and a counterfeit plan of salvation, but it isn't the Latter-day Saints.
Let us examine what we can learn about the "real" Jesus from the Bible. Jesus Christ created the heavens and the earth (Col. 1:16) under the direction of God the Father (Heb. 1:1-3). Jesus lived with the Father before this earth life and prayed to his Father that he might return and have the same glory with the Father that he had before the world was (John 17:5). Jesus was foreordained from before the foundation of the world to be the Redeemer of the world (I Peter 1:20). Jesus was and is the first born in the spirit world (Col. 1:15), the only begotten son of God in the flesh, and the first individual to be resurrected (Col. 1:15).
Jesus was born of Mary after the Holy Ghost came upon her and she was overshadowed by the power of the Highest (Luke 1:35). He was thus called the Son of God, the Only "Begotten" Son.
Our Savior prayed to the Father with these words, "Our Father which art in heaven" (Matt. 6:9-13). Earlier at His baptism and later on the Mount of Transfiguration, our Heavenly Father's voice, coming from Heaven, testified that Christ was His Beloved Son (Matt. 3:16- 17, Matt. 17:5).
The Jesus of the Bible taught in the temple. The only record we have of our Savior being truly angry and filled with indignation during his mortal life was when the money changers made "his Father's house a house of merchandise" (John 2:14-17).
In the Sermon on the Mount he counseled that we should let our alms be in secret, and promised that our Father which seethe in secret himself shall reward us openly (Matt. 6:4).
Jesus taught that we have to be righteous to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 5:20), So that when He comes again "we shall be like him" (1 John 3:2).
If we want to have eternal life we must "keep the commandments" (Matt. 5:48), he born of the water and the spirit (John 3:5), and endure to the end to be saved (Matt. 24:13).
Jesus established a church and loved it and gave Himself for it (Eph. 5:25). He prayed that we might all be one in the same way as He and His Father are one (John 17:23). While in the Garden of Gethsemane He subordinated His will to the Father's when he prayed, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done," (Luke 22:42). It was there that he shed "great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44).
Later, Jesus, who said His Father "is greater than I" (John 14:28), carried His own cross and died on Calvary for you and me.
Jesus did "nothing of himself, but what he seethe the Father do: for what things soever he doth, these also doth the Son likewise," (John 5:19). Jesus did as the Father commanded him to do and say (John 12:49).
He rose from the dead on the third day. He appeared unto upwards of five hundred people (I Cor. 15:4-8). His resurrected body was a physical body. He ate with his Apostles after he was resurrected (Luke 24:39-43).
Jesus gave a free gift, even his atonement to all mankind so that in "Christ all shall be made alive," (I Cor. 15:22). Through His grace, there will be a resurrection of the just and the unjust and the books will be opened and every man will be judged "according to their works," (Rev. 20:12, 13).
This Jesus, Latter-day Saints believe, is a distinct, separate personage from the Father and was seen standing on the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55).
Jesus will come again. It will be the same Jesus (Acts 1:11), with his same immortal, resurrected body. "One shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends" (Zech. 13:6).
Another Jesus? There is no salvation in any other Jesus than the one clearly taught in the above Biblical references. This is the Jesus that Latter-day Saints, believe in. Latter-day Saints agree with Paul in Galatians. If someone teaches a Jesus who saves a sinner without his doing the will of his Father which is in heaven (Matt. 7:21), a Jesus who requires no righteousness, no sacrifice, and no baptism for the remission of our sin a Jesus who will not open the heavens for his children today as he did anciently, then that's not the "Jesus" the LDS would wish to follow, for anyone who has a general interest in the church here is a really great page it has pro Lds Pages in the mid section and Anti Mormon pages on the bottom it lets you explore both veiws and make a decistion on your own what you truely think is correct about the LDS religon http://www2.ida.net/graphics/shirtail/mormonis.htm
Please be Open and Read both views
If you still aren't sure, our long name is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and it's been that way ever since Joseph Smith back in the early 1800's, when we were formed.
I wonder if Mormon is a christian organization or cult? I want to have this answer fr
