Are Mormons Christians?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, popularly known as the Mormon church, has been on a campaign for many years to be recognized as legitimately Christian by Christian denominations. Some Mormons get quite angry if you tell them you do not believe they are Christians. Robert Millet, a professor at the flagship Mormon university—Brigham Young—is adamant that Mormons should be considered Christians and part of the worldwide body of Christ. Millet says “while Jesus was fully human, He was also fully God. That means–and this is vital–that we Mormons worship the Son of God as God the Son, as do all other Christians…” Then Millet adds this interesting phrase: “How He became the infinite and eternal God is, from my perspective, immaterial….”

The official church website states: “Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unequivocally affirm themselves to be Christians.”

Mormons state bluntly, we believe in Jesus Christ and that makes us Christians. They sing songs about Jesus. In many communities Mormon leaders have petitioned to be part of the local ministerial alliance, composed of pastors of Christian churches.

Who can doubt that Mormons have some outstanding characteristics, characteristics that I applaud. They are pro-life, pro-traditional marriage. They are loyal Americans who have fought bravely in our nation’s wars. They often make wonderful neighbors. Many outstanding Americans are Mormons. They are socially conservative and defend the values that have made this country great.

But I do not consider Mormons, Christians. Why not? Of course, it all comes down to the definition of what is a Christian? Historically, a Christian is not defined as one who is a good person, or one who performs good works; even Christian-like good works. There have been people of good will from practically every religion. And most people in the world over the last two thousand years have, in some sense, believed in Jesus Christ. Jesus is mentioned often in the Koran and Muslims believe in the Second Coming of Christ. Does that make them Christians? Christianity is unique in that it defines someone as Christian because of correct belief. This is rare in the religious world. In Dominion, Tom Holland writes about Constantine, the Roman Emperor who made Christianity a legal religion. Then the emperor began to learn what Christianity was. And he made this startling discovery: Christianity was not a religion of proper rituals and ceremonies. It was a religion of correct belief. Correct belief about who God is, and about who Jesus Christ is.

Mormons are not Christians because they do not believe biblical truth about Jesus Christ. Let’s go back to Robert Millet for a moment. After saying he believes that Jesus is God the Son, he say he doesn’t care how Jesus became the infinite, eternal God. Christians believe that Jesus Christ has always existed as the eternal second person of the trinity. How does an eternal being become anything? Jesus Christ has always been what He is. He has not become the Son of God; He has always been the Son of God. The Jesus of Mormon imagination is not the Jesus of the Bible.

I have linked two excellent articles by Roger Olson below. Olson, a Protestant theologian who knows Mormons well, makes the following observation: “I have come to the conclusion that many LDSers are, from my perspective, anyway, very confused about theology.” He thinks that “Mormons are beginning to shift away from many of their traditional doctrines. Mormon beliefs considered radically contrary to orthodox Christianity are gradually being pushed into the background and a “more Christian” face; that is, they are trying to package themselves as traditional Christians. LDS leaders are letting some of their stranger beliefs go dormant.

Olson admits that a number of Mormons may be born again Christians. I agree. However, they became born again in spite of, not because of LDS theology.

Olson has a great analysis of the issue: “For me to consider a church Christian it must preach and teach…that Jesus Christ is God and Savior, that God is one transcendent, eternal, omnipotent being always existing as three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that all humans…are sinners needing salvation…[they must believe] salvation is through the atoning death of Jesus Christ alone and by God’s grace alone through faith, that Jesus Christ was God the Son incarnate who died and rose bodily…and is the one mediator between God and people, that he will return to establish his forever Kingdom in a new heaven and new earth, and that the Bible is the sole supreme authority for Christian faith and practice…To the extent that Mormons teach and believe the above, they are Christians.”

Then Olson offers the contrary to this:

“To the extent that Mormons teach and believe that there is more than one God, that Jesus Christ was not always God…that human beings can be “exalted” to deity (equal in divinity with God the Father and ruling over their own planet in exactly the same manner [God] rules over earth), that adult humans are not all sinners in need of salvation (forgiveness, reconciliation, new abundant life as a gift of God), that some part of salvation can be earned by good works, that all churches except the LDS Church are “apostate,” [to the extent they believe this] they are not Christians.”

Mormons can be admirable people and enormously useful to a good society, but if we allow the Bible to define the word, Mormons are not Christians. I am not criticizing them personally. I am criticizing their theology.

Thanks for listening. May the true God of the Bible bless you this day in a mighty way.

More: A related video—“Islam and Mormonism: Similar in Many Ways”; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBQM0w-4tZs

And, “Why the Trinity Matters;” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOeE61uEU50

For an interesting and entertaining take on Mormonism, watch the “Mormon Cartoon” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgw-C_DTVo8&t=6s

Roger Olson dialoguing with a Mormon: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/05/are-mormons-christians/

Roger Olson on the responses to his blog post on Mormonism: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2015/06/what-i-learned-from-the-responses-to-my-post-about-mormonism/

I have written a 40-page pamphlet on what Mormons believe and how to reach out to them. There is a copy on my website; it is not a really clean copy; for the document in a Word file email me at the401stprophet@gmail.com and I will send you one. Here’s the copy on my website: https://www.the401stprophet.com/our-mormon-friends