A Mormon,or shall I say a member of the 'Church of Jesus Christ of the latter day saints'(Yikes that's a mouthful!) told me recently that one of the main reasons Christians like I disapprove of his religion is because we 'still think that Mormons practice polygamy'.

I told him in no uncertain terms what I genuinely believe to be the truth,that most Christians are either unaware of the past polygamous practices of the church or else they know it happened but that it is no longer practised by the church.I mean, this just makes common sense anyway,it wouldn't be in keeping with the laws of most countries worldwide.I just really wish they would get over that issue already!I felt like saying to him 'That is the least of the church's worries'.The Christians who know anything about Mormonism are far more put off by Joseph's myth than polygamy and those that don't (the vast majority) find their missionary efforts quite odd and have heard that they have 'weird beliefs'.

I might be wrong but I think the reason that most Christians don't like the Mormons is because of D&C 1:30.

30 And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually—


Or it might be the official version of the First Vision

I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: "they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2013 04:12PM by jacob.

You can also add 1 Nephi 13 as well.

I'm going to paraphrase.

"Either you belong to the true church or you are of the devil."

Doctrinally I think the biggest problem is they find the Mormon definition of Christ to be blasphemous.

If you think carefully about it, according to Orthodox Christianity Mormon doctrine is blasphemous in several regards:

- The doctrine that man will become Gods.
- The doctrine that God was once man.
- The doctrine that Christ's atonement is not sufficient for exhalation - that you also need a secret password.
- God the Father having a body of flesh and bone.
- God the Father having sex with the virgin Mary.

The early 1830s Mormon God is actually quite compatible with standard Protestant beliefs. It was Smith's innovations in the later 1830s and especially early 1840s that redefined God significantly to be quite different than the standard Christian God.

A lot of that, however, frankly is just a bunch of my made up shit is better than your made up shit. Christians' beliefs are really no more tenable or realistic than Mormons' they are just different and the pot calling the kettle black.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2013 07:36PM by The Oncoming Storm - bc.

If you talk to the average nevermo, and that nevermo only knows one thing about the LDS church, it will probably be about the church's polygamous past. The FLDS has "helped" in that regard by keeping polygamy in the spotlight. And to many Christians, polygamy is a black mark on the church that isn't going away anytime soon.

Other ideas that many Christians would find odd or repellant are that God has a corporeal body and lives on a faraway planet, and that humans can become gods. Mainstream Christians believe in monotheism, and the Mormon belief reeks of polytheism.

I realize that Mormon beliefs are attractive to many converts, but probably even more Christians are turned off by them altogether.

My perspective is that the one reason that nonMormons (not just Christians) don't care for the Mormon "Church" (not necessarily individual people) is that they believe that Mormonism is a Cult.

The Mormon Church is held in the same regard as JW's, Scientology, Moonies, and Hari Krishna. They view any "religion" that goes out and actively tries to convert members to their "religion" is a Cult.

They don't like a snotty 19 year old (now 18 year old straight out of high school) that has never lived alone ringing their doorbell and telling them how the BOM is another testament of Christ. That right there is why most Christians (active or even lukewarm) don't like the Mormon Cult.

They must not like Evangelicals or any Christian who actually follows Jesus' commandment to spread the word.

Christians are such silly people.

Still, I doubt that any but the most wackjob Christians think that Mormonism is a cult. Most Christians likely don't even think of Mormons.

Where I grew up, outside of the Morridor and not in Utah, EVERYONE (it didn't matter whether they were Christian, athiest, agnostic, Jewish, or any other religion [or non-religion]) considered Mormonism a Cult. Any discussion of cults, and Mormons were one of the first mentioned.

From later on in the thread:

"I was raised non denominational and before I met my husband in my 30's I knew absolutely nothing about them and didn't even know one."

That is almost verbatim 95% of the experiences I have had with Christians all over the world, both inside of the U.S. and out.

And that large group shelters literally hundreds of thousands of polygamists in smaller groups throughout the state they dominate.

I'm offended by those who continually claim that mormons no longer live in plural marriage. Many of them do.

Even mainstreamers still believe in it and have eternal multiple spouses in their minds and their temple records.

Scripturally... they still do practice polygamy. And men can STILL be sealed to more than one wife for time and all eternity.

Mormonism is way too organizational (MLM-ish) to be representative of Jesus or its (Sermon on the Mount) teachings. It's all about serving the organization, and not about 'being' or acting Christian.

Yes,all very valid points.

@Summer,Unfortunately most Non-Mo's don't even get that far.

@Scarecrowfromoz, Yes most Christians do regard Mormonism as a cult much like the ones you listed.

And yes despite much protesting to the contrast I am aware of splinter groups still practising polygamy.I like that show 'Sister Wives' and also yes I see the point about Mormons still scripturally advocating polygamy.

The thing is that,outside of America,most people don't really know about these splinter groups/the polygamous past of the church at all.Strange missionaries,non-mainstream,therefore dangerous beliefs coupled with Joseph's myth,these are some of the main issues inhibiting the church,particularly oversees from my Never-Mo perspective.

Mormons just don't get how personal religion is. Most people will get their butt to a church if they want religion in their life. If they don't, they won't. The last thing either group wants is someone constantly coming to their door to preach to them. If mormons would stop doing this people would instantly like them better.

People don't like anyone who hounds and harasses them.

Ever heard of relationships getting stronger and better through constant nagging?

Not me.

Christians don't like Mormonism because Mormons are considered part of a separate group. They find a million explanations to justify living their own religion while looking down on another religion. When it comes down to it Christians are just as petty as Mormons are when Mormons try to make a big difference about how they are better than the rest of the world.

This is just how some Christians approach Mormonism. The majority couldn't care less about who Mormons are or how they are different.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2013 06:03PM by snb.

Let me (try) to put this very succinctly. Christians don't like Mormonism because it perverts the gospel of Christ. The god of Mormonism is not the God of the Bible. Different God the Father, different Christ, different means of salvation.

Again, Mormonism perverts the Gospel while claiming to be the sole owners of THE gospel.

It is a wolf in sheeps clothing. Period.

not

Isn't modern Christianity nothing but a perversion of earlier Christianity?

Though errors may be, most Christians are not so far from the mark.

1) Where is this ephemeral mark you speak of exactly? I'd bet most "christians" wouldn't consider this to be the mark: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Thomas

2) Many of the "christians" that I work with are antipodally fixed with respect to - oh - the teachings from, let's say, the sermon on the mount. Many of their actions, in fact, couldn't be more anti-christian, IMHO.

Based on what? What about modern Christianity is similar in any way to early Christianity?

In the same sense, what about modern Christianity is in any way similar to middle aged Christianity?

From everything I have read about early Christianity we are looking at an entirely new religion at least here in the U.S. I think that Orthodoxy seems to me to be the most similar to early Christianity, though it is still fairly different.

Who cares what "Christians" think....ALL religions are delusions.

I never heard of Christians not liking Mormons. I was raised non denominational and before I met my husband in my 30's I knew absolutely nothing about them and didn't even know one. I do recall one of my brother's high school friends who was Mormon debating with my brother about the matter and some of the ideas the Mormon kid talked about were so strange at the time I had no frame of reference and no clue at all what he was talking about. I know he kept being certain whatever he was saying was true and I remember thinking the kid didn't seem right in the head but I was polite. This was all before I knew anything about it. My first impression of it was that whatever it was about was strange.

Why do Mormons think they are not liked?
Mormonism is as interesting as the lottery numbers from May last year. Everyone assumes that there were some but who cares?
Every missionary had experienced that and know it.
Mormons without a uniform are liked or not liked like Catholics or Evangelicals.
It has absolutely nothing to do with like.
The people out there, just doesn’t care about the Church.

The question if someone likes an institution ore not is a typical Mormon question. Who else likes a Institution?

Nothing worse than a knock on the door while you're frying up some chicken while changing the baby's diaper. ;)

A the missionary pest.
If they just would sit down grab a beer and shut up.

As a Christian, I've found Mormons likeable enough--but I know them only on a superficial level. It's MORMONISM I don't like.

Cheryl got it right, and succinctly too: different God, and their gospel is wrong on so many points, especially that corporeal god living on Kobol, and "worthy" men's aspirations to become gods themselves. This is paganism; Christianity is monotheism. I'll avoid the issue of the Trinity for now, but these three separate spiritual beings, never mind "goddess-the-mother" are simply bizarre.

Mormonism is a doctrine of required WORKS: you MUST obey their "gospel:" tithe, charity, be morally upright, get married, pass through the Temple rituals, etc. Then, and only then, are you good enough for their god to graciously allow you into his CK.

Christianity is a gospel of accepted GRACE: God the Father loves us and sent his Son (2nd Person of the Trinity) to absorb the penalty for our sinful state with His death. The authentic Christian response to this is to respond, voluntarily, with those good works* (including tithing) which LDS requires.

Schlock: the "Gospel" of Thomas is a heretical gnostic book written a few centuries after Christ. Church fathers (who had become apostate according to JS) examined this and many other books, manuscripts, and "gospels" that were circulating the ancient world and rejected them as inauthentic and inaccurate. They decided that the 66 books (Genesis to Revelation) were the measure to judge other things by, hence, the "canon" of holy Scripture.

They rejected these pseudoepigripha, the "gospels" of Thomas, Mary, Enoch, Moses, Judas, and others --just like authentic Christians reject the BoM. It just ain't the real deal, and on that I think we can comfortably agree.

*But not the Temple stuff, of course.

As soon as a religion has two members, it has two interpretations.

The Mormon view of other Christian churches is so insulting.

"Well, they have part of the truth, but they lack the whole truth. I guess they do some good. But we're the only ones who have the true authority."

Gee, I wonder why Christians wouldn't like being thought of that way. LOL

Isn't that surprisingly similar to what many devout Christians think about Mormons?

They live with part of the truth, but their gospel is wrong...etc

Hello....that is what ALL religions do to each other and those that want no part of it. It's all very irrational to say the least.

I think it's mostly because they call themselves Christians but clearly they are NOT Christians at all according to the widely accepted definition of the word. So, they make Christians look bad. Kind of like if someone with the same last name as you went around acting weird and embarrassing and giving your family a bad name.

The inclusiveness, superiority and constant talk of church might have something to do with it.

Lets be VERY CLEAR about this.


A. MORmONISM DOES Still practice polygamy especially the MORmON definition of polygamy. By MORmON convention MORmON sealed marriages (supposedly) last through death and endlessly into the future. And while being technical about things, "eternal" means without beginning or ending. So, NEWS FLASH, MORmONS! An eternal marriage can not begin in a MORmON temple and MORmONS are not capable of practicing eternal marriage.

Mormon males are still sealed to additional wives as an earlier wife dies. By MORmON convention that yields a man with more than one wife who can legitimately, especially in the realm of MORmON convention, be considered a polygamist. As well, LDS Inc. has never nullified or revoked by decree, which is a common practice that LDS Inc reserves for itself, any of the plural marriages of early MORmON leaders. this means Gordon Hinckley was being quite deceitful when he proclaimed that MORmONISM had nothing what ever to do with polygamy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqvall3pSBE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvU4BwdRKeg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLqS5V-FPKQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCN3AvH4JRg

B. Joseph Smith never practiced biblical polygamy. The thing that Joseph Smith did was "ADULTERY", that Joseph SMith purposely MISLABELED as polygamy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqG5skfZcrE

C. Why do MORmONS care so much about what people that MORmONS label as hopelessly apostate think about MORmONS? Now how stupid is that? MORmONS demand to be included in the Christian community even though Christian object, to the extent that Christian opinion on the matter is completely discounted to the extent that it does not matter at all according to MORmONS, while MORmON opinion on the matter is given full weight and credibility by MORmONS. Now how stupid is that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOjSvxS_Uno

It seems to be that MORmONISM is actually the ultimate mockery of traditional Christianity.

I retain my right to dislike MORmONS for the reasons that
I choose, not for the reason that MORmONS want to assign to me.

I dislike MORmONS because they are pretentious two faced back stabbing hypocrites.

I dislike MORmONS because they are a BLIGHT on humanity.

I have said all of this as a devout atheist.