I remember like it was yesterday sitting in my 9th grade history class. We were studying different Christian religions and my teacher brought up Mormons. A boy in class, one I happened to have a crush on at the time, shook his head and said, “Mormons aren’t Christians. They wrote their own book.” I, a 14-year-old Mormon girl, was too afraid to raise my hand and correct him. I will never forget that day.
To make up for it now, I would like to write about how Mormons are truly Christian people.
What is a Christian? Well, a Christian is a person who believes in the divinity of Jesus Christ as the son of God and Savior of the world, and who strives throughout his/her life to follow Christ’s teachings and example.
Since I was a little girl, I have grown up believing in Jesus Christ as my Savior. My whole life I have been taught how to follow Christ, and each day I try to do that more and more. For those of you who don’t know much about Mormons, I would love to expound upon how we are Christians:
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Jesus Christ is the head of our church and the center of it.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “The fundamental principles of our religion are … concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”
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The name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Mormon meetinghouses, homes and temples are adorned with pictures of Christ.
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Each Sunday, in our church congregations, Mormons administer and partake of the Sacrament (Communion) to remember Christ’s body and blood. We promise to always remember Him.
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We pray to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. We pray before every meal, before every church activity, every morning and every night. We also strive to always have a prayer in our hearts.
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Mormons are baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The immersion symbolizes Christ’s death and resurrection, and represents the end of one’s past life and the beginning of one’s new spiritual life. When we are baptized, we promise to take upon us the name of Christ, bear one another’s burdens, and stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places.
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Mormons believe in loving all people as children of God, which includes finding good in all people, forgiving others, being kind to others, and not judging others. We also spend much of our lives in service to our neighbors, friends and families.
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Our church has a very large humanitarian aid program. Since it started keeping track in 1985, it has donated more than $1 billion in cash and material assistance to 167 different countries in need of humanitarian aid.
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Many members of our church choose to serve missions around the world where they spread the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Though not all members serve official missions, all members strive to share the gospel of Jesus Christ from day to day, through example and in natural conversation.
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Mormons study and read the Bible throughout their lives, and copies of the Bible can be found in our churches, homes and temples.
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Mormons strive throughout their lives to keep God’s commandments – not just the ten commandments, but the higher law Christ taught. We know that to truly love God and to live with Him again, we must follow all of His commandments.
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We seek forgiveness throughout our lives for our sins through the atonement of Jesus Christ and strive throughout our lives to be more like Him. We know that He is the only way to have eternal life with our Father in Heaven.
I mentioned a man named Joseph Smith. Some believe Mormons worship Joseph Smith. This is not the case, though we highly revere him. He was the first prophet of our church. The story of how our church came to exist, as well as how the Book of Mormon came into existence, is a long one. I cannot tell it as well as Joseph Smith himself.
Joseph Smith, we believe, was a prophet of God. A prophet of God leads our church today. His name is Thomas S. Monson, and we believe that he receives revelation from God to lead His church on the earth. We believe that our church is the same church that existed when Christ was on the earth. Just as in Christ’s time, we have prophets, apostles, temples, and the priesthood.
Based on the definition of what a Christian is, Mormons are definitely Christians. However, we have additional doctrines and practices not familiar to other Christian churches. This is why many Christians say we are not Christians. I will not personally address these issues, but if you would like to read about them, you may find these articles of interest:
There is also an official statement written by Mormon apostles and prophets regarding our beliefs about Christ.
Yes, Mormons are Christians. Out of all hats we wear, out of all things we define ourselves by, most importantly, we are children of God.
Much love,
Mandy Al-Bjaly
Comments
2 responses to “Are Mormons Christians: A question that can only be answered by a Mormon”
Thank you for sharing this with me, you did a great job explaining all the many ways we love and serve Jesus Christ.
You are most welcome, and thank you!