Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is getting a lot of attention --- both good and bad --- for his Mormon faith, so much so that he felt it necessary to give a speech specifically on the topic (you can learn more
here [npr.org]). The result is that the issue of Mormonism and Christianity is a front-page topic in the national media. As Christians, this can be a confusing topic, and I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the media to provide clarity, so let's take a minute and be clear about whether Christianity and Mormonism are the same thing.
But first a couple introductory comments:
First, if you want to learn more about Mormonism, I might suggest
The Mormons at PBS.org. There are undoubtedly other good resources, but this seems to be a pretty fair discussion of the history and issues.
Second, this is not an article for or against Mr. Romney. Vote for him if you want. Or don't. I don't believe being a Christian itself qualifies a person to hold public secular office, nor does not being a Christian itself disqualify a person from holding public secular office. Vote for the best candidate, and vote your conscience.
That said, let's get to the real issue.
Are Mormonism and Christianity the Same?
Listening to Mormons talk and reading their public-facing documents would give the impression that we're really all saying the same thing, but the reality is nothing of the sort.
Mormons use a lot of language that is similar to ours, and their public-facing documents cite many Bible verses. In spite of that similarity, make no mistake that Mormon doctrine is wildly divergent from orthodox Christian doctrine (that's 'orthodox' the adjective, not 'Orthodox' the denomination). A Mormon will say "I believe that Jesus is the Son of God the Father and that He died for the sins of humanity." What they don't say is that they have
very different definitions of the words, 'Jesus', 'Son', 'God', 'Father', 'died', 'sins', and 'humanity'. In short, they tend to use the same words, but the words have very different meanings.
A complete discussion of the differences between Mormon and Christian doctrine is WAY beyond the scope of an article like this one. Let me just provide a few examples of statements that sound biblical and the actual underlying Mormon doctrine so that you can see some of the big differences.
It Sounds Biblical, But ...
The following content is not original to me, but I think it provides a decent survey of how the Mormon Church defines some of the terms we have in common.
"We believe in Jesus." The Jesus of the Mormon Church is the brother of Lucifer. Jesus is a spirit child of God the Father and a heavenly mother by physical union. Jesus was born a child and through obedience to the Laws became a God, therefore Jesus has not always been God. Jesus' shed blood on the cross does not atone for all sins, but there are certain sins that the blood of Jesus does not atone for. Jesus after He was crucified and raised to life married three women and had offspring.
"We believe in God the Father." Mormons believe that God the Father was once a man who became a God. Mormons believe that God the Father had a father, and his father had a father, an endless progression of Gods. That means God has not always been God, but the Father was at one time not God by nature. By extension, Mormons believe that we can eventually become Gods ourselves and father our own spiritual children.
"We believe in the Trinity." The Mormon Church teaches that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (Trinity) are three different Gods. Mormons believe the Trinity is one in purpose not in nature.
"There is only true Church." The Mormon Church teaches that they are the only true Church and that all others are the Church of the devil. They may not say this to you but they do teach this.
"We believe in the Bible." The Mormon Church teaches that there are 4 holy books. These books are: the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, Doctrines and Covenants, and the Bible. The Bible in the Mormon Church is least looked upon for doctrine and theology. Mormons are taught that the Bible is correct as long as it goes with their theology. If the Bible contradicts what the other 3 books say or their theology, than the Bible is wrong according to the Mormon Church.
The Point
My point here is not to dissuade you from voting for Romney. In fact, my point in this short article isn't even to dissuade you from being Mormon -- I'll leave that to Scripture and the Holy Spirit for now. My point is that Mormon doctrine is distinct from orthodox Christian doctrine. There will be an effort in popular culture to make them seem like the same thing, when in fact they are completely incompatible. One simply cannot hold both to be true without stripping each of its most basic tenants.
Mormons may use familiar words and phrases, but they believe that God was once a man who became a God; that Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer; that the blood of Jesus does not atone for all sins, and you must atone for certain sins yourself; that men can become Gods; and that salvation is only found in the Mormon Church instead of only through faith in Jesus Christ.
Consider these things as we continue to participate in the ongoing debate, as we consider the role of religion in national politics, and especially as we contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints in a fallen world.
Press on!
Greg