Mormonism and Christianity

Mormonism has had an uneasy relationship with traditional Christianity since its earliest days in the 1820s, when its founder Joseph Smith, Jr., a fourteen year old boy, claimed to have had a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ, who told him the creeds of Christianity were "an abomination." In 1830, Smith published a new work of scripture called the Book of Mormon, which he said he translated from a buried set of Golden Plates, and preached a divine restoration of the original church established by Jesus Christ, with its gifts, priesthood, and doctrine.

Related Topics:
Mormonism - Christianity - 1820 - Joseph Smith, Jr. - Vision - Abomination - 1830 - Scripture - Book of Mormon - Golden Plates - Restoration - Jesus Christ - Gifts - Priesthood

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Perhaps because of the combination of such bold doctrinal claims, exponential growth, a number of unusual practices, and differences in core beliefs, many non-LDS Christians have always had a level of conflict with this new religion that was claimed to be restored. In the early days of Mormonism, Mormons suffered opposition that was greater than usual, compared to other anti-traditional sects of the time. Often this conflict turned violent, complicating the relationships that mainstream Christians had with Mormons. In the ensuing years, the conflict strongly impacted Mormon history. In fact, because of the great persecution, which is unsurpassed in the religious history of the United States and the First Amendment, the Latter Day Saints were forced to travel west in the hopes of finding a place they could worship in peace, without the conflicts experienced while living in Missouri and Illinois.

Related Topics:
Mormonism - First Amendment - Latter Day Saints

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According to Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition, "Mormonism differs from traditional Christianity in much the same fashion that traditional Christianity... came to differ from Judaism." While adherents of Mormonism have always considered themselves to be Christians because they believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the Son of God, they also understand that there is an essential and irreconcilable difference between Mormonism and other Christian sects.

Related Topics:
Messiah - Son of God

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Those who practice Mormonism call themselves Latter Day Saints because they believe that the Latter Day Saint movement is the restoration of the original church of Christ as depicted in the New Testament (see Church of Christ (Mormonism)). However, as Mormonism from its beginning rejected the traditional churches, including all their sacraments, history, creeds, and debates, so also have various Christian churches and movements adopted stances regarding Mormonism as a heretical or apostate form of Christianity, a departure from the Christian faith, or more pejoratively, a cult.

Related Topics:
Latter Day Saints - Latter Day Saint movement - New Testament - Church of Christ (Mormonism) - Sacraments - Creeds - Heretical - Apostate - Cult

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On the other hand, Mormonism, or the Latter Day Saint movement, is not monolithic. Some of the doctrines and practices that distinguish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from other Christ-based churches originated later in the life of Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois, or under the leadership of Brigham Young, who, as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the time of Smith's murder, succeeded Smith as the next president of the Church. Though some saints chose to follow other leaders rather than Young, the majority accepted him as the next prophet and followed him to Utah.

Related Topics:
Mormonism - Latter Day Saint movement - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Nauvoo, Illinois - Brigham Young - President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - Murder - Succeeded - President of the Church - Prophet - Utah

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As the Latter Day Saint movement has grown and gained worldwide renown, some denominations within the movement such as the Community of Christ have attempted to respond to charges through extensive ecumenical efforts, including engaging in dialog with mainstream Christianity and sometimes even relinquishing their earlier doctrines and practices. Still, many denominations within the movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (by far the largest) and many of its splinter groups (including the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), still retain most of Smith's original doctrines and practices that many Christians denounce.

Related Topics:
Latter Day Saint movement - Community of Christ - Ecumenical - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

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