Are Mormons Christians?

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Plenty of people here will say no, but I mostly just want to see how many people say yes.

[phk]

Yes

[RI]

Only if you have a broad definition of what 'Christian' means. There are some pretty stark divergences between Mormon doctrine and that of any other group of Christians.

[John Dibble]

I would say that Mormons are Christians in the same sense that Christians are Jews. They have additional dogma that most Christians reject. For lack of a better term I guess you could say they are a post-Christian religion in a sense.

[RI]

I would say that Mormons are Christians in the same sense that Christians are Jews. They have additional dogma that most Christians reject. For lack of a better term I guess you could say they are a post-Christian religion in a sense.

They sort of fall into a similar category as Muslims, though in a vastly different way.

[John Dibble]

I would say that Mormons are Christians in the same sense that Christians are Jews. They have additional dogma that most Christians reject. For lack of a better term I guess you could say they are a post-Christian religion in a sense.

They sort of fall into a similar category as Muslims, though in a vastly different way.

Yes. The significant difference is that in Islam their holy book not only adds new material but it changes the old material. Mormons on the other hand kept the Bible in its entirety, though I imagine that they view it through the lens of their new material in the same way that a Christian views the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament.

[they don't love you like i love you]

No.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

No.

You seem kind of a strange person to judge.

[feeblepizza]

Yes. They are Christians because they are followers of Jesus Christ.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It depends on which tenets of traditional Christianity one considers to be essential to be Christian.  For example, if one believes that Trinitarianism is essential, they aren't Christian.  If you consider believe in Christ as the savior of man to all that is essential, they are Christian.

[tmthforu94]

Yes.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Yes. They are Christians because they are followers of Jesus Christ.

It depends how you're going to define a "follower of Jesus". For example in Islam Jesus (or Isa) is considered one of the most important prophets, in fact second only to Muhammad. Yet, it's impossible to call muslims a "christians".

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

No

[Torie]

No

It is time to educate one particular heathen Gramps. Why?

[courts]

No.

[ShamDam]

Don't most Mormons believe they're Christian? And what is religion but a matter of belief?

They're Christians. Except for those who say they aren't. Those are Mormon Theists. And somewhere out there are Mormon Atheists.

done and done.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

No

It is time to educate one particular heathen Gramps. Why?

Here is my thinking and I'm not some bible thumper so cut me a theological break:

Christians believe Christ has died and was risen (once)  and won't rise again until the end of the world....."He will come again in glory to judge the living and dead and his kingdom will have no end."   Christians don't believe Christ appeared in the interim.  You can't technically be a Christian under a strict definition of the belief, and believe what the Mormons do.

Now, that is not to say Mormons got it wrong, or that they don't believe in Christ or that they don't believe Christ will come yet again. 

If they want to call themselves Christians, cool by me, but I don't agree with it, nor do I much care about the issue.....but I still think the answer is, no.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

That quote you gave isn't the part of the Nicene Creed that the Mormons would disagree with most.  As for the theological justification in the Bible that the Mormons have for the belief that the Christ visited North America, they point to John 10:16.  While the traditional Christian view of the verse is that the "other sheep" mentioned in that verse are the gentiles, the Mormons hold that Jesus is there referring to other groups of Jews that had been scattered elsewhere, such as those who had been sent to North America before the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon (according to the account in the Book of Mormon).  They also take literally the part of John 10:16 where Jesus says those other sheep will hear "my voice" so that the preaching is done in person, and not indirectly or metaphorically.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

That quote you gave isn't the part of the Nicene Creed that the Mormons would disagree with most.  As for the theological justification in the Bible that the Mormons have for the belief that the Christ visited North America, they point to John 10:16.  While the traditional Christian view of the verse is that the "other sheep" mentioned in that verse are the gentiles, the Mormons hold that Jesus is there referring to other groups of Jews that had been scattered elsewhere, such as those who had been sent to North America before the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon (according to the account in the Book of Mormon).  They also take literally the part of John 10:16 where Jesus says those other sheep will hear "my voice" so that the preaching is done in person, and not indirectly or metaphorically.

Yeah but I'm not buyin' that, Ernest.......and hey, it's just my view of it, which I don't think is outside the mainstream view come to think of it. 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Heck, I don't buy Mormonism at all.  As far as I'm concerned the Book of Mormon is a hodgepodge written by Joseph Smith that contains an account of early North America that does not match up in the slightest with what is known today about what actually happened here pre-Columbus from archeology, ethnology, or linguistics.  But I don't think you'll find anything in the Book of Mormon that directly contradicts the New Testament, tho it does in places require a different interpretation than standard Christian theology.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Heck, I don't buy Mormonism at all.  As far as I'm concerned the Book of Mormon is a hodgepodge written by Joseph Smith that contains an account of early North America that does not match up in the slightest with what is known today about what actually happened here pre-Columbus from archeology, ethnology, or linguistics.  But I don't think you'll find anything in the Book of Mormon that directly contradicts the New Testament, tho it does in places require a different interpretation that standard Christian theology.

Very diplomatic, Ernest.

[ag]

From which standpoint?

In terms of self-identification they surely are.

In terms of religious doctrine, arguably, they are as related to Christianity as Christianity is related to Judaism. So, for my own purposes, in terms of religious classification, I'd put them as post-Christian )) It is an Abrahamic religion, derived from Christianity - but it is sufficiently doctrinally distinct to deserve a separate designation.

On the other hand, if I am to take a "cladistic" approach, nowadays preferred among those who classify biological species, Mormons would, clearly, be Christian. So, to sum up, Mormons are Christian in the same sense in which birds are reptiles (dinosaurs, to be exact) )))

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Do Mormons (I don't know any) refer to themselves as Christians?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Do Mormons (I don't know any) refer to themselves as Christians?

Yes they do.  Indeed, at one time they did not care to be called Mormons, but for the most part they have no problem with that now. (Some of the Latter Day Saint groups still do.)

[Boris]

No.

You seem kind of a strange person to judge.

It's not like BRTD is the type that believes all non-Christians spend eternity in hell so I'm not really sure why it matters regardless