Yes, Latter-day Saints are True Christians

 

 According to Life After Ministries, Latter-day Saints can't be true Christians. 

Are Mormons True Christians? Today we’re looking at a subject in the Gospel Topic Section of the LDS website.

I’ve become quite enamored with how the Bible provides answers to topics that speak directly to contemporary issues for us today. It’s a reminder that God obviously knew beforehand!

Notice in their statement they make the accusation that sincere seekers of truth will accept their variant belief.

What the LDS Church ignores is that freedom to worship as you please don’t mean you’re exempt from following rules. If you’re not worshiping the right Jesus, it still means you’re not Christian, regardless of what freedoms you may or may not have.

Pray for God to open their hearts to this truth!

The writer of this post quotes 1 Timothy 4:1-2 as a so-called proof text. They continue with a quote from one of the Gospel Topic Essays published at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Website (Which the link appears to be broken). 

And then there is this comment posted by Glenn E. Chattfield: 

Definitely not true Christianity and is NOT “consistent with early Christianity.” Early, true Christianity has a Creator God who created everything from nothing while the Mormon god used pre-existing matter. Early, true Christianity has a Christ born from a virgin while Mormonism has a Christ born from sexual relations. Early, true Christianity has an eternal God who is a spirit while Mormonism has a man-god who worked his way to godhood. Etc, etc, etc.

This type of shotgun fallacy is an unfortunate and pedestrian attempt to further the false claim and highly promoted confirmation bias. It also is prone to strawman argumentation where these types of Evangelical Christians attempt to establish a false and misrepresented notion in order to answer that claim and assertion. 

So, what defines a true Christian? Is it particular adherence to traditional teachings, doctrines, creeds, and confessions? According to many of our critics - yes, a person is not a true Christian if they deny the Trinity (a Three person in one being God as established by various creeds and confessions). However, this is a new idea that took the term Christian and redefined it for their own purpose and usage.

A good book published in 1997 was written by Craig L. Bloomberg and Stephen E. Robinson titled How Wide The Divide where Bloomberg is an Evangelical Christian and Robinson is a Latter-day Saint. 

1828 Webster's Dictionary

When you look at the older dictionaries for the definition of Christian - one does not find the added definition of recent dictionaries. According to the 1828 Webster's Dictionary (available online), the term Christian defines the character, attitude, and behavior of an individual who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ. Based on this simple definition, yes - Latter-day Saints are Christians because of the character, attitude, and behavior most display in their faith regarding the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

What Christ Taught Matters

Since many Evangelicals (and many of those who are critics of the LDS Faith) rest their authority and understanding on the Bible. So, what does Christ teach in relation to the question? And there is specific things Christ actually does teach that manifest in whom he declared are His true disciples and followers. 

The Beatitudes - Pathway toward Spiritual Growth and Perfection

Our first scripture focuses on the Beatitudes and how this relates to the question. Christ lays this out in Matthew 5. He further expounds on this in the Sermon on the Mount (Comprises Matthew 5-7). In my NASB Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible there is an image of a typical Roman Temple on pg. 4222. The steps leading up to this temple are based on Matthew 5:3-12. Each step reflects each of the Blessed are those... statements. 

• Humility - Matthew 5.3
• Contrition - Matthew 5.4
• Gentleness - Matthew 5.5
• Spiritual Hunger - Matthew 5.6
• Mercifulness - Matthew 5.7
• Purity - Matthew 5.8
• Peacemaking - Matthew 5.9
• Sacrificial Suffering - Matthew 5.10-12

The image of The Temple of Truth - Christ's Sermon on the Mount also shows 27 Pillars holding up the roof. Each pillar representing each component of the Sermon on the Mount. And on pg. 1667 outlines the Beatitudes of Christ as found in Matthew 5:7-12. 

In a post written at the Catholic Exchange BR. James Brent observes how the beatitudes is seen as the process and development of Christian faith, growth, and spiritual Journey. Brent opens with how St. Thomas Aquinas had curated much of the Patristic Father's teachings regarding the Beatitudes in the Catena Aurea. 

This appears quite consistent with a post over at Zondervan Academic regarding the Beatitudes: 

The Beatitudes also have special instructional value for his disciples. The qualities that exemplified the godly person in the Old Testament are now made an eschatological reality with the arrival of the kingdom of God. These qualities will accompany the transformation that occurs in the life of each disciple as each submits to the operation of kingdom life through the Spirit. In the Beatitudes, and indeed in the Sermon on the Mount as a whole, the emphasis is on a righteousness that begins with the transformation of the inner life and then moves to conform external behavior to inward values.

Based on this understanding of the Beatitudes, we see Latter-day Saint teaching reflect the same idea. In his 1977 April General Conference address, Royden G. Derrick shares this: 

The more experience I gain in teaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, the more I am impressed with the concept of the Beatitudes shared by a friend years ago which deserves a more broad exposure. Each of the Beatitudes represents a specific step in our orderly progression towards perfection, and teaches us how to qualify ourselves for exaltation, for the Bible concludes the chapter on the Beatitudes with the words, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48.)

In his BYU Devotional, given on May 20, 1986, Robert E. Wells shares this: 

These are startling and attention-grabbing contradictions. Who needs problems if these are blessings? These declarations are not quiet philosophical stars in a summer night. Rather, the Beatitudes of Christ are lightning bolts and thunder claps of spiritual surprise! Please review them with me as a list of Christ-like attributes we should each seek to develop.

It is the last part of Wells statement that gives us the understanding that a true Christian is one who develops certain Christ-like attributes. These attributes not only define us as Christians, but they also define our own spiritual journey and path of discipleship. 

We are to deny ourselves and take up our Cross every day

Another teaching of Christ, that helps us understand what it means to be a true Christian, is what he required of each of us. This is found in Matthew 16:24-28. A passage where Christ declares two things. First, we are to deny ourselves. Secondly, we are to take up our cross if we are wanting to commit to following him:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "if anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me will find it. For what will a person be benefited if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what will a person give in exchange for his life?

Regarding this passage, the idea of taking up a cross in the First century meant certain death. Not only certain death, but it also meant ridicule, humiliation, and suffering. It is the very means that our Savior himself experienced. Today, we do not have the threat of imminent crucifixion that was prominent within the First Century. Thus, the reference takes on a whole new understanding where it refers to our absolute and radical surrender unto Christ in order to follow Him. If we are not willing to deny ourselves (our present attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, perspectives, will, desire, and all things pertaining to the desires of the flesh) we are incapable of following Christ. We see this in the dialogue Christ has with the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16) where Christ called for the young man to forsake all his worldly possession, affluence, and wealth. Only to distribute it to the poor and follow Christ. Something the young man was not willing or capable of doing. 

Are you willing to forsake all things for Christ?

Speaking on the passage of Matthew 16 and the Rich Young Ruler, the conversation turns from this to Christ making an interesting statement in response to Peter's inquiry: 

Then Peter answered and said to him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us?" And Jesus said to them, I truly say to you that in the renewal of the world, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me - you also will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields on account of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:27-29). 

A true Christian is called to forsake all things (another form of denying himself). One of my favorite classic pieces of Christian Literature is that of John Bunyan's The Pilgrims Progress where the main character (Christian) goes on a spiritual pilgrimage and quest to find salvation. 

The invitation here is for us to make necessary sacrifices in order to follow Him. This is where faithful obedience comes. If we give ourselves over to the will and desire of God, seeking His purpose and will - we are called to make necessary sacrifices. Sometimes this may be small gestures and sacrifices. However, in some cases, it may literally mean leaving all that we know behind in order to embrace and follow His teachings as true disciples. Many who do come to faith end up having to forsake family in order to follow Christ. 

What it means to be Born Again

Christ entertained Nicodemus and their conversation is recorded in the third chapter of the Gospel of John. It is the most oft quoted passages of Scripture regarding the invitation of being born again. And typically, it is the only passage reflecting Christ's teaching on the subject of discipleship and salvation that Christians turn to when evangelizing others. Specifically, the tendency appears to focus on a certain verse - isolating it from the overarching context of the discussion. 

The oft quote passage is that of John 3:16 - For in this way God loved the world, slo that he gave his one and only Son, in order that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life. What is interesting is that many evangelical Christians make the claim that to properly interpret scripture, we ought to allow scripture to interpret scripture. So, what is Christ referring to here in relation to those who believe on Him? It goes back that belief is not enough. Simply to confess and say one believes in Christ is not enough for them to become true disciples. One ought to go back to what the conversation was focusing on. 

Christ taught Nicodemus that a person needs to be born again. This idea is followed up with two aspects of how this new birth is accomplished: 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "how can a man be born when he is an old man? he is not able to enter into his mother's womb for the second time and be born, can he? (John 3:2-4, LEB). 

Jesus appears to answer this question: "Jesus answered, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born of water and spirit he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God." 

Unfortunately, many Christians hold to part of this regarding a person experiencing a spiritual awakening or rebirth (regeneration according to Reformed Theology). They negate the other component associated with this spiritual awakening and new birth and that of the water. Christ has in mind the essence of cleansing. Nicodemus, being a Jew, most likely understood this. Today, we also understand this on multiple levels. God cleansed the earth with a flood whereby Noah, his family, and animals were saved. A king plagued with leprosy was instructed by a Prophet of God to immerse himself in the river Jordan seven times to receive healing and cleansing. Furthermore, the miracle of Christ at the pool of Bethsaida holds to the reference of a sense of cleansing by the water. 

When Peter was asked by the crowd, who were pricked in their hearts, on what is required of them. Peter instructed them to repent of their sins (and in the context, the conviction and pricking of the hearts of those hearing Peter stems from Peter's accusation against them of crucifying Christ) and to be baptized: 

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "What should we do, men and brothers?" And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:37-38, LEB). 

This is consistent with the Great Commission Christ gave to the disciples: 

And Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them all to observe everything I have commanded you, and behold,. I am with you all the days until the end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20). 

Christ instructed the disciples to go and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto all people and nations. Bring them into a place of discipleship. And how that is accomplished is baptizing them for the remission of their sins and then teaching them to observe all that Christ commanded of the disciples. 

Here, we see discipleship coupled with baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and instructing individuals to walk in faithful obedience to all that Christ taught and commanded. 

Living Sacrifices

Closing up his epistles to the Church in Rome, the Apostle Paul writes the following: 

Therefore I exhort you, brothers, through the mercies of God, to present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing unto God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of y our mind, so that you may approve that which is good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2, LEB). 

What is good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God? To follow Christ and his teachings, to become true disciples through our own willingness to deny ourselves, forsake those things that may present a barrier in faithfully obeying God's will and purpose in our lives, enter into covenantal relationship with Christ through baptism, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit as a constant guide for personal revelation. 

Yes, Latter-day Saints are True Christians

Despite the many claims of our critics within the Evangelical and Protestant Christian community, Latter-day Saints are Biblically defined as true Christians and disciples of Christ. To claim that we are not means to deny the teachings of Christ on what is required and needed to be considered a disciple of His. Nowhere in the Bible does it prescribe any notion of following creeds, confessions, or doctrinal teachings. This is one that goes back to the attitude and behavior of the Pharisees and Sadducees of the First Century. 

And to deny the teachings of Christ is not actually Christian in any way shape or form. It is considered Anti-Christ. Thus, when critics, like the writer at Life After Ministry, makes this claim over and over again - they are really denying the very Bible they claim to understand. They further deny the very Christ they claim to follow.