What is the difference between a mormon and a Christian?
My bestfriend is a Mormon and I am Christian and I wanted to know what she believes. She said that it's pretty much the same thing as a christian, but why not just be Christian if its the same thing? There must be a difference. So can you tell me what it is?
The Book of Mormon is the biggest difference. Nominal Christians do not accept that as valid or inspired, whereas Mormons honor it above the Bible, which they feel is incorrectly translated.
Mormons hold a lot of other strange beliefs that are alien to traditional Christianity. For one thing, they believe that their members will become gods and goddesses in the hereafter, if they are married in a Mormon temple. This is called "celestial marriage", and is supposed to be for all eternity. Also in the Mormon temple you may have other people sealed to you for eternity, usually family members. Talk about keeping the family together! Then there is the "baptism for the dead" issue, which no other Christian denomination accepts as far as I know.
Many Mormon groups, or offshoots at least, still adhere to polygamy, "plural marriage", sometimes including incestuous ones. The main branch has long since repudiated this doctrine at least officially. Some "may" still practice it in secret, so I have heard.
There are many other doctrines and practices that conflict with traditional Christianity. They do use the name Jesus Christ, so they consider themselves Christians, in fact the only true Christians. They are not the only group to say that though. Mainline Christians, of course, consider them to be a cult. To be fair, Christianity was orginally considered to be a cult, by the Romans.
LDS believe that God was once a man, and that he sired numoerous spirit children in a pre-mortal existence. Many of these, perhaps most eventually became humans when God created the physical earth. So we are all brothers and sisters. God later took on a physical body and mated with the virgin Mary, one of his spirit daughters, to father Jesus, one of his spirit sons, which is a very weird sounding doctrine, to most anyway.
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May 30 2009 07:03 pm | Christian
none on 31 May 2009 at 12:50 am #
One bombs abortion clinics and the other bombs office buildings. Pretty much the same thing..
Edit: Sorry, i read your question as christians vs Muslims. Mormons ARE christians. They worship the jesus guy.
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Alissa on 31 May 2009 at 12:57 am #
A Latter-Day Saint (Mormon) is Christian. The LDS church is a Christian denomination.
If you want to know what she believes, she believes that Jesus Christ is the divine son of God, the only begotten, and that he died for our sins. She uses the Bible just like you do.
http://mormon.org
PS- some things people will tell you on here are not true. Just ask your friend.
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BBQ Baconator!!! on 31 May 2009 at 1:25 am #
Mormons have magic underwear.
Seriously…
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Ghost on 31 May 2009 at 1:36 am #
The mormons in my opinion are more like a cult.
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Caboose on 31 May 2009 at 1:54 am #
Mormonism is a denomination of Christianity. Just like Methodism and Baptist.
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Glen on 31 May 2009 at 2:17 am #
There are huge differences. Far too many to go into here. Google what the LDS church believes. You will be surprised.
Alissa above me, failed to tell you that she believes that Jesus and Satan are brothers.
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Freedom on 31 May 2009 at 3:05 am #
Mormons believe the following about God: He has not always been the Supreme Being of the universe, but attained that status through righteous living and persistent effort. They believe God the Father has a “body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s.”
Mormon leaders have taught that Jesus’ incarnation was the result of a physical relationship between God the Father and Mary. Mormons believe Jesus is a god, but that any human can also become a god.
References :
http://www.gotquestions.org/Mormons.html
Ezekiel on 31 May 2009 at 3:16 am #
Saying mormonism and christianity are basically the same thing is the mormon's favorite lie.
They believe that God is not the only God but one of an infinite number of Gods living in a big family.
They believe that Jesus was not God, but the litteral son of God. (because god had a physical sexual relationship with Mary)
They believe that after you die, if you're good, you get to be a God yourself and populate your own planet with spirit babies.
They believe that after Jesus ascended, he went to the Americas and spoke to the indians.
They believe Joseph Smith used "seer stones" to look into a hat and discipher golden tablets an angel gave to him.
They believe the bible is true TO AN EXTENT. They accept it as long as it does not contradict the book of mormon. (Which it does extremely often)
They believe black people are black because they sided with satan when he disagreed with Jesus on how to raise the humans.
The list goes on…
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**[Witty_Name]** on 31 May 2009 at 3:32 am #
Mormons believe that Jesus (during the years that weren't written about) came over to North America to teach American Indians Christianity.
They also believe that a man names Joseph Smith found some magic golden leaves that held the message that God wanted people to have, that only he could read, and so he put them in a top hat so that he could read them, and his friend wrote it down.
Basically, watch the South Park episode where they talk about Mormonism… Its ALL TRUE
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Matthew89 on 31 May 2009 at 4:02 am #
They are both Christian. The Mormons have some odd beliefs and not everything they believe can be verified in the Bible, they believe in Jesus and accept him. So therefore they are Christians.
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Sweet Suzy 777! on 31 May 2009 at 4:40 am #
Go to Wikipedia and enter Mormonism in the search bar.
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Jessica F on 31 May 2009 at 4:58 am #
Mormons will say they are basically Christians, only that they are the "true" church. But that is wrong.
There are a lot of false teachings mixed in with that, unnecessary religious acts.
It is true that there are a lot of myths about Mormons.
And if you hear about them from Mormons, it all sounds pretty good.
You have to believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet.
They will believe the Bible to some extent—as long as it doesn't contradict the book of Mormon.
Their rules are always being revised (changing).
But don't buy into cults/religions that are a cheap knock-off of the real thing.
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Kiki on 31 May 2009 at 5:26 am #
My boyfriend of three years is mormon, and i am not.
if you have any questions, or need help or advise youre more than welcome to email me.
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a non-mormon dating a mormon =]
Some Guy on 31 May 2009 at 5:52 am #
Mormons are NOT Christians. They believe that God was once a man, but then became God, and that all people will become Gods and have their own universes. That is just one of the many differences.
Learn extensively about Mormonism and Christianity and you will see the numerous differences.
Here are some websites:
http://www.carm.org/religious-movements/mormonism/comparison-between-christian-doctrine-and-mormon-doctrine
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-acb/acb-r002a.html
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Bettina S on 31 May 2009 at 6:03 am #
What is the difference between a sun and a star?
That is just the same question. Answer: NONE
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B Knott Wildered on 31 May 2009 at 6:26 am #
The short answer is Mormons believe they have the truth and are actually the only true Christians. A typical Christian would reject most of Mormon beliefs and say Mormons are not true Christians.
Mormons believe, among many other things most Christians do not, is that God is a flesh and blood man, and that if you are a good male Mormon and your skin is white that you can go to another planet and become a "god" to that planet. (Oh, I just remembered.;-). Mormons are getting away from teaching you have to be white and if your skin is dark and you become a good Mormon, God will turn your skin white as a blessing to you.) They still teach that Jesus was "exceedingly fair and white," as was Mary, the mother of Jesus. There are a pretty significant number of other beliefs most non-Mormon Christians would not accept as well.
To give you a complete answer would be beyond the scope allowed in this forum, but Joseph Smith was the first Mormon "Prophet," and according to him, there was no true Christian church and he was to restore the "true" church. He claimed to have been visited in person by God Himself, as well as Jesus and others. I very likely have read more Mormon books than have many Mormons, To me, the Book of Mormon reads more like bad fiction than anything else, but that is just my opinion. If you wish to read it and other Mormon texts, you can get them for free in Baha'i Ocean. Baha'i Ocean is a free study aid that includes material one nine different religions. The Mormon material is under Christianity. I will include the link for Ocean below.
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http://www.bahai-education.org/ocean/
Kerry on 31 May 2009 at 7:11 am #
A Mormon is a Christian. To ask it that way, is like asking what is the difference between a carrot and a vegatable….
Here are the basic beliefs of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
3. We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul–We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
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Lifelong Mormon
Dr. M on 31 May 2009 at 7:49 am #
besides believing the bible and that Jesus died for our sins and that through his grace we can become like him and live eternally, we believe that the things of old have returned, more scripture is coming forth again, apostles and prophets are again on the earth, temples are being built just like in ancient times and things that have been forgotten are being revealed again through the holy ghost. That's the doctrinal differences. Otherwise, we're pretty similar.
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Amy on 31 May 2009 at 8:28 am #
Mormons are Christians. We're just a sect of Christianity. Just like Protestants, Catholics, etc.
I don't really know what gives other people the right to tell US what we believe…
Most of the arguements they pose have nothing to do with us being considered Christian anyways. They're just looking for way to slam us.
By official definition, we are Christians.
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LDS
jeff on 31 May 2009 at 9:01 am #
Mormons are Christians because they believe in Jesus Christ, His teachings, and in the Bible.
To illustrate how they differ from traditional Christianity it's important to understand what happened after Christ and His Apostles were killed. This is best explained at http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/the-restoration-of-truth/the-great-apostasy
Basically, Catholicism claims that the authority from God to lead His Church has been passed down in its purity from the time of Christ and the Apostles to the present day.
Christianity, in general, claims that reforms were need in the Catholic Church because it had moved away from the original teachings of Christ and His Apostle's. Over the centuries there have been many who have broken off and formed their own churches.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) was organized in 1830 after Joseph Smith had been confused about all the different churches and prayed to Heavenly Father to know which of all the churches was His. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in answer to his prayer and told him that none of the churches were His. The authority to lead Christ's Church and to teach His Gospel had died with the Apostles and therefore a complete restoration was needed. God restored His Church on earth and Joseph Smith was given the authority from God to lead it here on earth. That authority continues and the Church continues to be led by a living prophet of God. The following explains best the restoration http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/the-restoration-of-truth/the-restoration-of-the-gospel
and the following video explains that God speaks today http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/the-restoration-of-truth/the-restoration-of-truth
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http://www.mormon.org
R Rosskopf on 31 May 2009 at 9:14 am #
If you define a Christian as someone who believes exactly what you do, then you are the only Christian. If you define a Christian as someone who believes that Jesus was the Son of God, then Mormons are definately Christian, as that is core to their beliefs.
In fact, many other churches say they believe that Jesus was the Son of God, but water down the belief with the 4th century creed known as the Trinity. Some interprete the Trinity to mean that Jesus and his father are the same person. Others interprete the Trinity to mean that God the Father and Jesus are made of a non-material essence; this also waters down the belief that Jesus was literally God's son. It could be argued that Mormons believe a purer form of Christianity, as they literally believe that Jesus was God's son.
Perhaps the main difference between modern Christianity and Mormonism, is that modern Christianity rejects modern prophets while Mormonism embraces them. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or LDS church was started or restored through the occurance of several supernatural events including visions, revelations, dreams, and the administration of angels. Joseph Smith was the first prophet although he was not the only one to witness these spiritual events. At least four other people saw the angel Moroni; at least 11 other people saw and handled the golden plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated.
The Catholic position is that the Catholic church is the only church with authority from God.
The Protestant position is that the Catholic church has gone astray.
The Mormon position is that both the Catholic and Protestant churches are corrupt and have lost the priesthood authority as well as many plain and precious parts of the gospel. This has not endeared them to Catholics or Protestants. The resultant animosity has led to great persecutions of the Mormon church, and the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
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Ender on 31 May 2009 at 9:30 am #
You're question is like asking:
"What's the difference between a Honda Accord and an Automobile"??? Aren't they the same thing?
There are many different denominations of Christians.
-Baptists
-Methodists
-Catholics
-Jehovah's Witnesses
-Seventh Day Adventists
-Lutherins
-……………………..and of course Mormons
The name of the church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
So, which denomination are you comparing the LDS church to?
The most unique beliefs are:
-There was an apostasy after the death of the apostles and Christ's church disappeared from the earth
-Jesus Christ called a prophet in modern times. His name was Joseph Smith. Since Smith, there have been living prophets on the earth. The prophet today is Thomas S. Monson.
-Christ restored his church and the priesthood to the earth through Joseph Smith. He was also led to a book of ancient scripture and given the power to translate it. It is known as The Book Of Mormon
-Mormons are non-trinitarians
-There are also 12 apostles on the earth today.
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harridan5 on 31 May 2009 at 10:05 am #
The Book of Mormon is the biggest difference. Nominal Christians do not accept that as valid or inspired, whereas Mormons honor it above the Bible, which they feel is incorrectly translated.
Mormons hold a lot of other strange beliefs that are alien to traditional Christianity. For one thing, they believe that their members will become gods and goddesses in the hereafter, if they are married in a Mormon temple. This is called "celestial marriage", and is supposed to be for all eternity. Also in the Mormon temple you may have other people sealed to you for eternity, usually family members. Talk about keeping the family together! Then there is the "baptism for the dead" issue, which no other Christian denomination accepts as far as I know.
Many Mormon groups, or offshoots at least, still adhere to polygamy, "plural marriage", sometimes including incestuous ones. The main branch has long since repudiated this doctrine at least officially. Some "may" still practice it in secret, so I have heard.
There are many other doctrines and practices that conflict with traditional Christianity. They do use the name Jesus Christ, so they consider themselves Christians, in fact the only true Christians. They are not the only group to say that though. Mainline Christians, of course, consider them to be a cult. To be fair, Christianity was orginally considered to be a cult, by the Romans.
LDS believe that God was once a man, and that he sired numoerous spirit children in a pre-mortal existence. Many of these, perhaps most eventually became humans when God created the physical earth. So we are all brothers and sisters. God later took on a physical body and mated with the virgin Mary, one of his spirit daughters, to father Jesus, one of his spirit sons, which is a very weird sounding doctrine, to most anyway.
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I was once a Mormon.
arthvader on 31 May 2009 at 10:38 am #
That all depends on what your definition of Christianity is. We believe in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, according to The Book of Mormon. We believe that he is the son of God, and that he is our Savior — we cannot obtain salvation on our own.
We just happen to believe that the authority to minister in Jesus' name has been restored to earth again, and that the promise in Revelation that an angel would bring the everlasting gospel back to earth in the last days has already come true.
Those are the most important differences, I think. Maybe some of them are similarities. Again, it depends on the church you're comparing us to.
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Mr McKenzie on 31 May 2009 at 10:54 am #
Further study of Mormon doctrines reveals plenty of reasons why it would be a big mistake to grant the group its claim of belonging to mainstream Christianity. Mormons subscribe to the idea of an anthropomorphic God with physical, material dimensions. He is a procreating father, all humans were preexistent spirits that he begat, with a divine mother-wife. It is this conviction that under-girds the Mormon emphasis on marriage and parenthood in this life and the next. Some Mormons believe Jesus was married to both Mary and Martha and that he bore children on earth. Good Mormons enter secret temples and don white garments to indulge in esoteric, Masonic-like rituals that seal their marriage for eternity.
The most famous of all Mormon aphorisms declares, "As man now is, God once was; as God now is; man may become." God himself was once procreated in another world, and now humans may aspire to the status of pro-creator that he has obtained. Adam did right by eating of the forbidden fruit because it made him capable of fathering the human race. In other words, "Adam fell that men might be." The right to godhead is not earned by the grace of Jesus but by being a good Mormon. Followers of Joesph Smith prove their faithfulness by being baptized and married in the temple, being a member of the priesthood, and tracing genealogies. As potential father and mother gods, Mormons will ultimately have their own planets to populate. All those born in prior to Mormonism's founding in 1830 cannot enter the celestial state without a little help from present-day adherents.
The church has blasted a tunnel out of Utah granite, capable of withstanding a nuclear explosion, to house the ancestral records of devout Mormons. Once departed kin have been identified, posthumous proxy baptism are performed. Mormons spend $10 million a year to maintain the facilities, but for them it is well worth it. Some go through the three-hour ceremony on behalf of a non-relative they have never known. Mormons are universalists and believe that everyone will eventually have immortality, with only baptized Mormons attaining godhead. Article of Faith Number Three states, "We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved."
The priesthood concept, a belief in a resorted priesthood of Aaron and Melchizedek, represents one of Mormonism's most distinctive departures from Christian tradition. All Mormon males over fourteen years of age are eligible for the Aaronic priesthood. At twenty years of age they may enter the higher office of Melchizedek and be designated an elder. Until 1978 those with black skins are forbidden this stature. Mormonism's temples, there are now more than one hundred around the world, were off-limits to blacks because Joseph Smith taught that they were decedents of Cain and therefore cursed.
Like its views on polygamy, Mormon views on race were also overturned when church leaders determined the time was right. The church rejects the doctrine of original sin and believes that sinners are punished on earth for failure in their past spirit lives. Blacks were thus guilty of the preexistent sin of rebelling with Lucifer and barred from the priesthood until Mormon leader, First President Spencer Kimball, received a revelation abrogating this injunction.
Most aspects of church structure are seldom known to outsiders. The first president is considered to be a prophetic successor to Smith and thus is a prophet and revelator who speaks in God's name. From there authority descends in a nondemocratic fashion to the president's advisers, the twelve apostles, the presiding quorum of seventy, and the presiding bishopric. Individual members are organized into wards of five hundred to one thousand. Wards are consolidated into stakes. Space does not permit a detailed discussion of all Mormon practices. Some of them are as follows: De-emphasis of Easter and the Cross; speaking in tongues and spiritual healing; the ability of individuals to receive private revelations from God; emphasis on Monday as family night; storing of food supplies for times of famine; insistence that the U.S. Constitution is divinely inspired; believeing that the state of women is inferior to that of men; opposition to the use of birth control; opposition to interracial marriages; binding temple oaths, breaking them could jeopardize one's hope for eternal life; and belief in the brotherhood of Jesus and Lucifer.
Mormons also believe in a three-tiered heaven with separate sections for heathen, non-Mormon Christians, and those with sealed marriages whose earthly matrimonial unions will endure forever. Some may wonder how such exotic ideas could be compatible with the seeming love and care exhibited by most Mormons.
The evangelical Christian questions how such unorthodox theology could produce such pleasant people who knock on doors and warmly present their case. This irony is not so hard to understand when one comprehends why a individu
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