Latter-day Saints Beliefs Vs Christian

Religious Beliefs And Practices

A large majority of Mormons say religion is very important in their lives, more than four-in-five pray at least once a day and three-quarters attend religious services weekly or more. Almost all Mormons accept the traditional Christian teaching that Jesus rose from the dead. Mormons are also nearly unanimous in accepting other teachings of their church that are different from the beliefs of other Christian traditions. For example, 94% of Mormons believe that the president of the LDS Church is a prophet and 91% believe that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets and then translated by Joseph Smith. However, more than one-in-five Mormons say they find some of the churchs teachings hard to accept, and nearly one-in-ten say they seldom or never attend religious services.

Attitudes Of Other Christians

Both the Vatican and the policy-making body of the United Methodist Church have decided that Mormons must be rebaptised when converting to Catholicism or Methodism.

This shows that the Roman Catholic Church regards Mormonism as varying in its essential beliefs from traditional Christianity. It does allow members of most Protestant and Orthodox churches to convert to Catholicism without being rebaptised.

However Mormons require that everyone be baptised when they join their Church, no matter what background they come from.

One difference in the two concepts of baptism is that the Roman Catholic church states that baptism remits original sin as well as personal sin, and that as Mormons do not accept the idea of original sin their idea of baptism is different. Mormons believe people are baptised for the remission of their own sins.

The Mormon Vs Christian Church

Christianity

Christians believe that all true Christians make up the true church. Theologians often refer to this reality as the universal or invisible church. It is what Paul referred to in 1 Corinthians 1:2: together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Further, Christians believe that the local church is a group of true Christians who have voluntarily covenanted together to worship God as a church .

Mormonism

Since the very beginning, the Mormons have rejected all other churches outside of the Mormon church. At various times Mormon leaders and teachers have referred to the Christian church as the church of the devil or the church of abomination .

Today, seldom is that sort of directness apparent in Mormon publications. However, historically and canonically , this is how the Christian church is viewed.

Life After Death

Christianity

Christians believe that there is life after physical death for everyone. When those who are saved by faith in Christ die, they depart to be with Christ . They will all eventually dwell with God in the New Heaven and New Earth. Those who perish in their sin will suffer eternal punishment, away from the presence of God .

Mormonism

Those who do attain to eternal life are eligible for eternal progression, the process over time of becoming gods. Just as God the Father progressed to become God, so they themselves will eventually attain deity.

Mormonism

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Mormons In America Certain In Their Beliefs Uncertain Of Their Place In Society

With a Mormon candidate among the front-runners for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, a musical about Mormons playing on Broadway and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints running television ads about ordinary Mormons, America is in the midst of what some media accounts have dubbed a Mormon moment. But how do Mormons themselves feel about the media spotlight, the election campaign and their place in America? A major new survey finds a mixed picture: Many Mormons feel they are misunderstood, discriminated against and not accepted by other Americans as part of mainstream society. Yet, at the same time, a majority of Mormons think that acceptance of Mormonism is rising. Overwhelmingly, they are satisfied with their lives and content with their communities. And most say they think the country is ready to elect a Mormon president.

These are among the findings of a comprehensive survey by the Pew Research Centers Forum on Religion & Public Life of more than 1,000 Mormons across the country the first of its kind ever published by a non-LDS research organization. Previous studies, including the Pew Forums 2007 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, have found that Mormons make up slightly less than 2% of the U.S. public.

Is The Lds Church A Christian Denomination

In recent years, the LDS Church has expressed a desire to be seen as a Christian denomination. Yet, the historic branches and denominations of Christianity argue the LDS Church isnt Christian because of its differing theological views, especially on the nature of God, divine revelation, and salvation .

Responding to the fact that historic Christianity doesnt consider Mormons to be Christians, the 15th president of the LDS Church, Gordon Hickley , answered, I cant understand it. The very name of the church is the name of Jesus Christ. Our whole message is centered around Christ. There are two important responses to this argument.

• First, merely mentioning the name Jesus Christ in its title doesnt sufficiently identify any group with Christian beliefs and practices. For example, the LDS Church, Jehovahs Witnesses, Islam, and other religions mention the name Jesus Christ, but have a wide range of beliefs about him.

• Second, the number of LDS prophets and writings, both historic and modern, that refer to Christian denominations as false churches with false gospels that are of the devil is overwhelming. The LDS Church must work to reconcile these damaging statements or else be seen as wanting to identify with an allegedly false religion.

Adding to the confusion are other statements that Hinckley made about Mormons not believing in the same Jesus that Christians do. For example, when asked if he believed in the same Jesus, he responded:

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What Is The Difference Between The Catholic Religion And The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter

This is one of the many questions we get asked as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! So, what is the answer? Here below we will cover a few of the main differences and similarities. If you have any more questions or insights, please contact us!

1. First of all, we are both Christians! Both churches believe in Christ as their saving Redeemer! However, Latter-Day Saints believe that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings, one in purpose. The Catholic church believes in the Trinity, which are these three beings, but only as one person. They believe that Jesus Christ has all power as well but is a spirit and does not have a physical body.

2. Baptism

Members of our faith can be baptized at age 8 and older. We perform baptisms only by full immersion in the water by a male figure in the church, who is a worthy holder of the Priesthood, the power and authority of God. Members of the Catholic church can be baptized at any age by way of sprinkling, pouring, or full immersion in the water, done by the Priest.

3. Scriptures

4. Personal Revelation and Church leaders

5. The Sacrament

While reading, you probably noticed that there are lots of similarities! Although many religions have significant differences, we shouldnt let these differences keep us from being united. We are all brothers and sisters, children of our loving Heavenly Father. Thank you so much for reading and dont forget, GOD LOVES YOU!!

Salvation Beliefs Between Mormons And Christians

Christianity

Evangelical Christians believe that salvation is the free gift of God that a person is justified by faith alone, based on Christs substitutionary atonement on the cross . Further, the Bible teaches that all people are sinful and unable to save themselves , and therefore it is only by Gods intervening grace that any can be brought back into a right relationship with God.

Mormonism

Mormons hold to a very complex and distinct system of views on salvation. On one level, Mormons believe in the universal salvation of all people through the work of Jesus Christ. This is often referred to as universal or general salvation in Mormon literature.

On the individual level, Mormons believe that salvation is acquired through gospel obedience. That is, through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit, and then successfully completing mortal probation by living a righteous life. Together, this enables them to progress in their eternal progression.

The Holy Spirit

Christianity

Christians hold that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity, and as such He has a personality and has existed eternally. He is, and always has been God.

Mormonism

The Atonement

Christianity

Christians hold that the atonement was Gods gracious work in Christ, who stood in the place for sinful man and absorbed the just penalty for sin . Christs work on the cross satisfied Gods justice and allowed man to be reconciled to God.

Mormonism

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Christian Views About Mormons

In the past, most mainstream Christian denominations rejected Mormonism outright, frequently calling it a cult and characterizing it as non-Christian. According to , during the 1950s the attitude of mainstream Christians towards Mormonism changed from vilification to veneration, with emphasis on positive Mormon traits such as family orientation, clean-cut optimism, honesty and pleasant aggressiveness.

Richard Abanes attributes an increasing lack of delineation between to three primary causes:

Richard Bushman asserts that, for many people, Mormonism conjures up an assortment of contradictory images. One set of images suggests that Mormons are happy, uncomplicated, kindly and innocentâif perhaps naive. In contrast to this set of images, Bushman describes a set of associations that focuses on a powerful religious hierarchy controlling the church from the top. This perspective views Mormons as secretive, clannish and perhaps dangerous, often labeling the movement as a cult rather than a church.

Mormon apologistStephen E. Robinson argued that Mormons are labeled heretics for opinions and practices that are freely tolerated in other mainstream denominations.

Cultural And Moral Issues

Mormons tend to hold conservative views on social issues. Two-thirds say that homosexuality should be discouraged by society, while 26% say it should be accepted by society. Among the general public, by contrast, a majority says that homosexuality should be accepted by society , compared with 33% who say it should be discouraged.

Mormons conservatism also extends to a variety of other moral issues. Nearly eight-in-ten say that sex between unmarried adults is morally wrong, far higher than the 35% of the general public who hold the same view. Three-quarters of Mormons say that having an abortion is morally wrong . And 54% of Mormons say that drinking alcohol is morally problematic, more than three times the percentage of all U.S. adults who express moral reservations about drinking alcohol .

Polygamy was officially banned by the LDS Church in 1890, and the survey finds little acceptance of polygamy among Mormons. Nearly nine-in-ten say it is morally wrong, 11% of Mormons say polygamy is not a moral issue and 2% say it is morally acceptable.

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Dialogue With Other Christian Denominations

There have been independent activities among individuals from both traditions who attempt to discuss openly about issues of faith. In November 2004, Fuller Theological Seminary President Richard Mouw, and Ravi Zacharias, a well known evangelical Christian philosophical apologist, addressed a congregation of Mormons and evangelicals gathered in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for an event sponsored by Standing Together Ministries that was well received despite the differences they acknowledged between Mormonism and evangelical perspectives.

The Doctrine Of Life After Death:

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Prayer And Religious Attendance

More than four out of five Mormons pray at least once a day, with nearly two-thirds saying they pray multiple times per day. Mormons pray at rates similar to those seen among black Protestants and white evangelicals . Mormons pray much more frequently than Catholics and white mainline Protestants .

Upwards of three-quarters of Mormons say they attend religious services at least once a week, and in response to a separate question two-thirds say they are very active in the LDS Church. Mormon rates of worship attendance are well above the national average, with 39% of the general public saying they attend religious services at least weekly. Mormons church attendance exceeds that reported by white evangelical Protestants, among whom nearly two-thirds say they attend church at least once a week.

Differences Between Biblical Christianity And Mormonism

Talk given by Ron Rhodes in March of 2010 at the Capstone Conference held at Calvary Chapel Salt Lake City:

Various genuine Christian denomonations have made statements regarding the fact that the Mormon Church does not fit within the historical, biblical boundaries of the Christian faith. See, for example, these news reports:

Delegates to the United Methodists’The Roman Catholic Church declared

It should be noted that while the claims of Mormonism must be firmly rejected, Christians should reach out to Mormons with the “gentleness and respect” 1 Peter 3:15 calls for, “in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth…” (2 Tim. 2:25

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Areas Of Important Disagreement

The ten areas of agreement and disagreement only summarize the similarities and differences between Christianity and Mormonism. The comparison charts provided below are intended to help readers compare and contrast the faith traditions in more detail.

Dialogue between Christians and Mormons shouldnt aim to strip away their differences to find the least common denominators of their theologies and unite over those fragments. Promoting the bare minimum suspends serious discussion and dismisses the entirety of each traditions beliefs. Instead, the aim should be to assess their respective claims with the Bibles teachings.

Also see Who Is the Founder of Christianity? to learn more.

Difference Between Lds And Christian

Categorized under Religion | Difference Between LDS and Christian

LDS vs Christian

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints , or Mormonism, is a form of Christianity which is distinct from traditional Christianity as it formed a new religious tradition. It started in the 1820s with similarities to Protestant Christianity but departed from traditional Christian teachings in the 1830s and 1840s.

Its founder, Joseph Smith, claimed that Christian churches have left and changed doctrinal truths and that Mormonism can restore these truths. He rejected the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and taught that man has the potential to become gods.

Although they share the other Christian denominations views on the atonement and resurrection of Jesus, and accept the Bible as Scripture, they have additional scriptures in the Book of Mormon. They also practice baptism and celebrate the Eucharist like other Christian churches.

Joseph Smith believed that the Bible has been corrupted and lost some books which are omitted by the Catholic Church and made a revised version of the Bible. He then gave the Book of Mormon equal status to that of the Bible. His teachings include three glorious heavens with a place for sinners, baptism for the dead, and polygamy although the latter has been renounced by the church but is retained by Mormon fundamentalists. He taught that God the Father and Jesus were separate beings with physical bodies.

Summary:

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The Scriptural Pattern For Prayer

The Bible gives us the pattern for our prayers in the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. In these accounts the Lord teaches us to address our prayers to “Our Father which art in heaven.” The Lord also instructed us on several occasions to ask in his name:

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” John 15:16.And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24.

In the Book of Mormon Jesus also taught the Nephites to pray to our Heavenly Father in his name:

“Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.” “And they shall believe in me, that I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and shall pray unto the Father in my name.” And verily I say unto you, whatsoever things ye shall ask the Father in my name shall be given unto you.