Baptists and Mormons: A Transversable Divide?

It's been a while!

I've most recently returned from the North Carolina Charlotte Mission. Many experiences that I have had over the past two years have helped me to understand the beliefs and lifestyles of millions of other faiths. Hopefully, this blog can be a tool to help others to understand the differences between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the rest of the world in terms of religion.

Ever since the creation of the church Baptists and other Protestant denominations have looked with an eye of suspicion upon the church. The perception is best illustrated by a woman that I had a conversation with:

As a missionary, I went to look for an investigator who had looked into the church some years before. A woman walked out of the apartment building. I began to talk to her and my companion in an almost tactful way turned the conversation to the church. Almost as sudden as turning a light on, she changed from cool and collected to shaking and spurting. She had said she had attended a Baptist seminary and "knew all about the Mormons" from the information presented to her there. I, being a young missionary (my first week in the field) wasn't by any means prepared or seasoned for this discussion. I expressed my love and belief in Christ and I did my best to answer with complete honesty the questions that she, and millions of Protestants ask about the church:

"Do you believe in Jesus Christ to be your personal Savior?"

Yes, ALL sincere and practicing Latter-day Saints believe Christ to be the only way of Salvation. The center of all worship and doctrine of the Gospel. Without Him all else falls. There would be no church, no prophet (since there would be nobody to speak to that prophet), no Book of Mormon (because there would be no subject for its pages), no temples, no missionaries. There would be utterly and completely nothing, there would be no earth.

"Do you believe that He was born of virgin birth?"

Yes, the ancient prophet Alma of the Book of Mormon testifies of this himself: "And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God." (Alma 7:10 pg. 224) We do not hold the view of Immaculate Conception (being that Mary, herself, was sinless at birth).

"Do you believe that He is the Son of God and is God?"

Yes. The Only Begotten of the Father who is full of grace and truth, everlasting to everlasting.

"Do you believe that He is resurrected?"

Yes. He is "the firstfruits of them that slept." His body and spirit were brought together as He only, being the Son of God, could bring them together. It is also our hope and faith in Him that we will also be resurrected.

"Do you believe the Bible to be the Word of God?"

Yes. As far as it has been TRANSLATED and INTERPRETED correctly. We believe that authority had in times past, and now in times present, had been given to God's servants here upon the Earth to receive revelation and write that revelation down. This is the source material of the Bible. Before there was ever a "Bible", God was speaking to man, His primary means of communication being revelation by the Spirit of God. In like fashion, the Bible and the Book of Mormon are essential to our instruction and learning in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Revelation that is received personally (that is also linear to the writings of these and other canonical books) and from Prophets and Apostles modern are also principle in drawing closer to God.

These being but a few of the general questions that she had, at the end of the conversation she was shaking her head saying, "I guess we don't have that much different between the two of us." That fact is true. There are many similarities between the religions of Protestants and Mormons. The most important one is the binding belief in the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. He is the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind and is my personal Savior. I have accepted Him, as all Latter-day Saints do by following after Him and His example. I know that we are responsible for walking the path that He walks and as He has promised we shall be lead to the courts of our Father on high. In that day we shall be made pure through his blood and mercy and be made white and whole through the cleansing Atonement.

Are Mormons Christians?

In July of 1986 a group of Evangelical Christians held a news conference in Salt Lake City to present a petition of 20,543 individuals requesting that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "demanding" that it stop calling itself a "Christian" church.  Ever since, the question arises, "Are Mormons Christians?"

I must say that I'm puzzled.  Why would the Evangelical community put so much work in dedication to prepare a petition that they knew would not be acknowledged, after all, consensus does not create truth.  Perhaps, there is alarm of the explosive growth of the church?  Perhaps, it is simply for alienation?  Perhaps, it it simply because there is a lack of understanding? Many reasons exist amongst many people, some are deeply entrenched, but hopefully understanding can be taught.

Being very sensitive about the religion issue, I would like to place a disclaimer, that as Russell M. Ballard of the Twelve Apostles says in "Our Search For Happiness":

"[With the goal of creating understanding] That doesn't mean that my goal is to have every member of the Church, or even accept our doctrines and practices--although I would be less than honest if I did not acknowledge that I would be pleased to see those things happen...All of our interpersonal relationships should be built on a foundation of mutual respect, trust, and appreciation.  But that shouldn't prevent us from sharing deeply held religious feelings with each other."

This blog comes from a primary desire to create understanding, not conversion.

President Hinkley gave an awesome talk in April of 1994 called, "Our One Bright Hope"

"As our hearts and minds turn at Eastertime to thoughts of our Savior’s suffering at Gethsemane, His crucifixion, and His resurrection, I recall an experience at an open house in the Arizona Temple following a complete renovation of the building. 

"Nearly a quarter of a million people saw the temple’s beautiful interior. On the first day of the open house, clergymen of other religions were invited as special guests, and hundreds responded. It was my privilege to speak to them and to answer their questions at the conclusion of their tours. I told them that we would be pleased to answer any queries they might have. Many were asked. Among these was one which came from a Protestant minister.

"Said he: “I’ve been all through this building, this temple which carries on its face the name of Jesus Christ, but nowhere have I seen any representation of the cross, the symbol of Christianity. I have noted your buildings elsewhere and likewise find an absence of the cross. Why is this when you say you believe in Jesus Christ?”

"I responded: “I do not wish to give offense to any of my Christian brethren who use the cross on the steeples of their cathedrals and at the altars of their chapels, who wear it on their vestments and imprint it on their books and other literature. But for us, the cross is the symbol of the dying Jesus, while our message is a declaration of the living Christ.” He then asked: “If you do not use the cross, what is the symbol of your religion?”I replied that the lives of our people must become the only meaningful expression of our faith. I hope he did not feel that I was smug or self-righteous in my response. He was correct in his observation that we do not use the cross, except as our military chaplains use it on their uniforms for identification.

"Our position at first glance may seem a contradiction of our profession that Jesus Christ is the key figure of our faith. The official name of the Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. We worship Him as Lord and Savior. The Bible is our scripture. We believe that the prophets of the Old Testament who foretold the coming of the Messiah spoke under divine inspiration. We glory in the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, setting forth the events of the birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. Like Paul of old, we are “not ashamed of the gospel of [Jesus] Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:1). And like Peter, we affirm that Jesus Christ is the only name “given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)."

This Protestant minister does bring up a common misconception: 'Because you don't use the crucifix you don't believe in Christ.  Thus you aren't Christian.'  President Hinkley responded beautifully, we rejoice in the Atonement, in his death, but most importantly his resurrection.  I quote from Our Search for Happiness again:

"We revere Jesus.  He is the head of our Church, which bears His name.  He is our Savior and our Redeemer.  We love Him.  Through Him we worship and pray to our Heavenly Father.  We are grateful beyond measure for the essential and awesome power His Atonement has in each of our lives."

Quite simply, without tricky or deceitful definitions, by defining a Christian as:  "One who follows, believes and worships Jesus Christ as the only begotten of the Father to redeem the sins of mankind spoken of in the New Testament."  Then without doubt, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints professes a simple but beautiful belief in Jesus Christ.  For if it was not for his crucifixion and resurrection, I would be held in the power of the adversary and the grave would claim my flesh forever.  As 1 Corinthians 15:22 says, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."  Exaltation is possible through, and only through his sacrifice.  As Romans 6:23 exhorts:  "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."