In the media discussions about the Mormon Church there seems to a confusion about the Christian Church, including both Catholics and Protestants, and especially members of the evangelical community not “accepting” the Mormon Church as one of its own. When a pastor in Texas labeled the Mormon Church “a cult,” he may not have had the opportunity to explain what he meant by it, but regardless, he was the one (and by implication everyone like him) who was labeled as “intolerant.”
In summary, the media perception is that the Christian church is intolerant of the Mormon Church whose members are simply good, hard-working folks who want to be part of the Christian family. Reality, however is very different. This coming week we’ll be looking at the history of the founding of the Mormon Church and you’ll see that. . . .
The Mormon Church began as a rejection of all historic Christian Churches
One of the foundational, historical realities of the Mormon faith is that it began when Joseph Smith said he prayed to find out which church was the correct church and which one he should join. His answer, after a vision by heavenly beings, according to his own words was:
“My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right — and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight: that those professors were all corrupt . . .” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 1, p. 5-6).
Not only did he believe that all the churches were corrupt, but that the Bible was not as correct as the Book of Mormon:
“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book,” (History of the Church, vol. 4, p. 461).
The rejection of the Bible and all Christian Churches are only the start of differences
As we’ll see in our class on the historical basis of the Mormon church that Mormon teaching goes on to reject all forms of Christian leadership, all church history, basically everything that has happened from the death the Apostle John until the founding of the Mormon Church.
We’ll be looking at the history of both the Mormon Church and the historic Christian faith this week. We will use materials from the Mormon leaders to show their position–we will not draw conclusions outside from what they state.
Our goal is not to be antagonistic or negative, but to clearly understand the position of the church so none of us will interact without a clear understanding of what each church truly believes.
Join us this Sunday at 9 am in Room 207 at Coastline Bible Church for coffee and munchies and an intense study time as we look at Mormon history and why they do not accept the historic Christian faith.