Are the Mormons part of Christianity?

[Lethargic Aptitude]

they themselves think so.

What do others think?

Those golden plates ... did they exist?

They believe in Jesus as the lord savior. That qualifies them as a Christian sect.

 

[Stealers Wheel]

Not at all. I am pointing out the flaws to the arguments given. Both can be framed in either direction. As noted part of that will depend on how one uses mono and polytheistic. You still haven't answered on how Father, Son and Holy Ghost/Spirit as three separate entities instead of aspects of a single entity would change any basic Christian tenant.

Yes, words don't have meanings. We can make it up as we go.

 

[Rumpelstil]

Yes, words don't have meanings. We can make it up as we go.

no

 

[maquiscat]

Yes, words don't have meanings. We can make it up as we go.

Haven't studied linguistics much have you? Words get made up all the time, and repurposed all the time. Context can change the use of the word, even in something like the difference between common use and legal definition. Etymology allows us to look at how words have changed over time, whether it is a few years or a few centuries. "Gay" didn't always mean homosexual. "You" wasn't always both a singular and a plural pronoun. Even with something established as a specific disorder, pedophilia and its related variations, people use it other than what it means, calling any adult who wants to (or more) have sex with any minor, instead of just limiting it to the prepubescent minors of the definition. That, BTW, before anyone try to jump on the example, does not imply any lesser of a problem with adults with minors. It is only intended as an example of people, as you call it, making up meaning as they go.

 

[reinaert]

IIRC, Mormons are not considered Christians based on their disbelief in two primary doctrines of Christianity - the nature of Christ and the Trinity.

As I view it, the Mormon Church is every bit as loathsome as the Evangelicals. But they control politics in Provo, Salt Lake City, and the Beehive State.

But credit where credit is due: The Utah Mormons are probably the best prepared community for a cataclysmic event such as WWIII.

The trinity is not a requisite Christian creed. Adoptionism has pedigree to the very earliest Nazarene believers.

 

[Airyaman]

Mormonism is a spinoff of Christianity, which is a spinoff of paganism and Judaism.

 

[reinaert]

My understanding is that they are not, because they deny much of the Nicene Creed such as the Trinity.

The Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith is non-trinitarian and Christian. There are dozens of sects which have rejected the trinity. Most early Christians were not trinitarian.

 

[Daisy]

Most early Christians were not trinitarian.

And that should be a clue to most people that Christ did not teach any such doctrine...some aren't very good at detecting clues...

 

[cpwill]

It’s a good question and one I am not fully sure of.

The whole “you can be a god some day” theology is pretty wild and doesn’t seem to be Christian to me.

Yeah... same on the "Jesus and Satan are brothers from another planet".

I would say there are probably Christians in the Mormon Church, but the Mormon Church itself is not Christianity, as it has traveled far, far outside the bounds of orthodoxy.

 

[Gatsby]

The Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith is non-trinitarian and Christian.

I think most mainstream Christian denominations consider Oneness Pentecostalism to be heretical for many of the same reasons as Mormons.

There are dozens of sects which have rejected the trinity.

They are generally not recognized as Christian by mainstream Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, etc.

Most early Christians were not trinitarian.

My understanding (which may be wrong) is that it was fluid before the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Some of them were and some of them weren't.

 

[reinaert]

I think most mainstream Christian denominations consider Oneness Pentecostalism to be heretical for many of the same reasons as Mormons.

They are generally not recognized as Christian by mainstream Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, etc.

My understanding (which may be wrong) is that it was fluid before the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Some of them were and some of them weren't.

Rome didn't settle once and for all who is a Christian. Arguably the most Christian tradition of the early medieval period, the Cathars and Bogomils, had to be murdered en masse, because their way in that faith was so appealing.

 

[Michael Cole]

they themselves think so.

What do others think?

Those golden plates ... did they exist?

Breaking these conundrums down to their essence, one's beliefs cannot be determined by membership in a club-type organization. There are Cubs fans who live on the South Side of Chicago. Not many, I'm sure, but one's beliefs can't be determined by where someone lives nor what church they attend.

That said, a definition of "Christian" is necessary to examine your questions. Is belief in the Trinity required? Perhaps simply a follower of Christ? "Christian" can be defined in countless ways. It's when additional requirements become piled on to basic tenets that the contrast between true and false Christianity can be argued.

Every Cubs fan who lives on the South Side is also a Chicagoan and an Illinoian. It's only when the Church of the White Sox takes power and declares South Side Cubs fans to not be true South Siders, that their loyalty to the city and state become questionable.

 

[Brack]

Did God tell someone what his name is? Just because someone chose to use a name to refer to or reference God does not mean he changed his mind after talking with Moses. Yahweh translates literally to "He Who Is."



Jesus himself claimed to be the same God who spoke to Moses:

LDS Doctrine states that Jesus was Lord God of the Old Testament.

Jehovah is the premortal Jesus Christ and came to earth being born of Mary (see Mosiah 3:8; 15:1; 3 Ne. 15:1–5; D&C 110:1–10). LDS Bible Dictionary

 

[Rumpelstil]

I think most mainstream Christian denominations consider Oneness Pentecostalism to be heretical for many of the same reasons as Mormons.

They are generally not recognized as Christian by mainstream Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, etc.

My understanding (which may be wrong) is that it was fluid before the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Some of them were and some of them weren't.

good arguments