Summary: In O’Donnell's rant against Mormonism he calls the LDS faith racist and Joseph Smith a criminal. He also accused the Church of being pro-slavery. His views are extremely biased--that will be obvious to anyone who watches the clip below.
The LDS faith was never pro-slavery. Neither were Joseph Smith and Brigham Young--the only LDS Presidents during the antebellum period. Joseph Smith wanted to free the slaves by purchasing their freedom. Brigham Young said, “I am neither an abolitionist nor a pro-slavery man.”He goes on to say if he had to choose he would be against the pro-slavery side.
Brigham Young wanted Utah to be a free state, but as a territory it permitted slavery. Though there were probably never more than 100 slaves in the entire territory.
Naturally, politics came into play. When the church was in Missouri it was accused of being abolitionist, which is something Joseph Smith had to deal with. Brigham Young was afraid if slavery were abolished polygamy would be next. So they both walked a political tightrope.
Their positions on slavery are not what we would like them to be. But I cannot conclude either of them were pro-slavery. Read more...
Joseph Smith’s first revelatory experience is known among Mormons as the first vision. Joseph’s four known accounts of this experience are from 1842, 1838, 1835, and 1832. These accounts were either written by Joseph himself or were dictated by him to a scribe.
The first vision experience
Between the age of fourteen and fifteen Joseph began to wonder which of all the religious denominations is correct, and was concerned about his own standing before God. One night as he was reading the Bible he came across a passage from the book of James: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God” (James 1:5). Joseph decided to do as James suggested and pray for guidance. He writes, “for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible” (JS-History 1:12). With these questions in mind he retired one morning to a secluded place to pray. As he began to offer his prayer he records (1835 account), “My tongue seemed to be swoolen [sic] in my mouth, so that I could not utter, I heard a noise behind me like some one walking towards me. I strove again to pray, but could not; the noise of walking seemed to draw nearer, I sprang upon my feet and looked round, but saw no person.” As he made another attempt to pray “a pillar of light” appeared over his head, “above the brightness of the sun.” And Joseph saw “two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description” (1838). The two persons are identified as God the Father and as Jesus Christ (1838, 1835, and 1842). They instructed Joseph that all the denominations were wrong and that he should not join any of them. According to his 1838 account (the official account) this was in the spring of 1820, which would make Joseph fourteen years old.
The first vision experience is used to illustrate the reality of Satan, that the Father and the Son are distinct persons who have physical bodies, and that revelatory visions did not end with the apostles. It also affirms that an apostasy had taken place and that face to face communication with God is possible.
Some comparisons Each account contains different levels of detail. The 1832 account mentions only one personage, who apparently was Jesus Christ. The 1835 version indicates that the Son appeared first, followed by the Father. The 1842 and 1838 accounts describe the personages as if they had appeared at the same time. The 1842 and 1832 account do not mention any demonic attempt to prevent Joseph’s prayer. The 1835 account mentions that Joseph “saw many angels in this vision,” something that the other accounts fail to mention.
The 1842, 1838, and 1835 account puts Joseph’s age at around fourteen years. In the 1832 account Joseph is sixteen. But this might be an error. In an article written by James B. Allen published in Dialogue, he mentions a conversation with Paul R. Cheesman who (in 1965) discovered the 1832 account. Mr. Allen writes, “Note that Mr. Cheesman interpreted the handwriting in the original manuscript as saying that this event took place in the 16th year of Joseph’s age. In private conversation, Mr. Cheesman indicated that the original document actually was not clear--the number could have been either 16 or 14, but 16 appeared to be more likely” (Jamed B. Allan, “The significance of Joseph Smiths ‘First Vision’ in Mormon thought,”Dialogue, Vol. 1, No. 3, p. 40; see footnote 17). The 1842, 1838, and 1835 account mention James 1:5 as an important passage that motivated Joseph’s prayer for guidance. In addition to the passage from James, the 1838 account mentions Luke 11:9 as part of what motivated his inquiry.
The messages that Joseph received during the first vision experience contain many references to scripture. Also, Joseph uses Biblical phrases to describe what he saw. At the end of this post I have included a list of these passages and phrases along with their corresponding Biblical verse.
What others say Anti-Mormon writers like to point out discrepancies between the four accounts. However, it can be argued that many of these are omissions, not contradictions. They also make the assertion that the church tries to conceal parts of its history, consequently few Mormons know of the four accounts. However, the 1842 account is from the Wentworth letter (well known among Mormons) which is published in the History of the Church; the 1838 version was included in the first edition of the Pearl of Great Price published in 1851 (Allan 38); the 1832 version was published in the Ensign in 1984; and all four versions are discussed in an article published in BYU Studies. Also, the scholar Hugh Nibley (famous among Mormons) discusses these different accounts in his published BYU lectures titled Ancient Documents and the Pearl of Great Price (Lecture 25 and 26).
Final comments As a devout Latter-day Saint I believe that Joseph did pray for guidance, that there was a demonic attempt to prevent his prayer, that he saw the Father and the Son, and that they instructed him not to join any of the existing denominations. It is true that there is some inconsistency between the four accounts. However, Joseph had this experience in 1820 and (if we have his earliest written account) he did not record it until 1832. Given this twelve-year gap and that Joseph had his vision at such a young age, I am not surprised that the accounts have some inconsistencies. Further, when he recorded his 1832 account (had he invented it) he was old enough (26 or 27) to have easily established a single account from which there would be little variation.
For similar reasons it is not surprising that the details of certain events in the New Testament are also inconsistent. For example in Matthew 26:34 Jesus says, “before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.” But in Mark 14:30 Jesus says, “before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.” Luke 23:46 records the last words of Jesus as, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” But in John 19:30 he says, “It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” Also in the account of Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus in the book of Acts, “the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice” (Acts 9:7). But in Acts 22:9, “they that were with me saw indeed the light…but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.” Some of these apparent differences are reconcilable. Others are not. As it is with the New Testament so it is with the accounts of Joseph’s first vision: We can accept the reconcilable differences, but we must admit the irreducible ones--After all, I don’t believe in the inerrancy of Joseph’s diary.
See also "First Vision" in Encyclopedia of Mormonism.
A video presentation made by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
THE FOUR WRITTEN ACCOUNTS
The Wentworth letter (1842)
[A letter by Joseph Smith to John Wentworth,
editor of the Chicago Democrat]
When about fourteen years of age, I began to reflect upon the importance of being prepared for a future state, and upon inquiring about the plan of salvation, I found that there was a great clash in religious sentiment…
Believing the word of God, I had confidence in the declaration of James--“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” I retired to a secret place in a grove, and began to call upon the Lord; while fervently engaged in supplication, my mind was taken away from the objects with which I was surrounded, and I was enwrapped in a heavenly vision, and saw two glorious personages, who exactly resembled each other in features and likeness, surrounded with a brilliant light which eclipsed the sun at noon day. They told me that all religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines, and that none of them was acknowledged of God as His Church and kingdom: and I was expressly commanded “to go not after them,” at the same time receiving a promise that the fullness of the Gospel should at some future time be made known unto me. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, vol. 4, pp. 535-541; see also Church History at BYU; here for Google Books)
Joseph Smith History (1838)
[The official version as found in LDS scriptures]
During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant…So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally. After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction--not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being--just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)--and which I should join. 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.” He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. (JS-History 1:14-20)
Joseph Smith’s Diary (1835)
[Interview with a Jewish Minister]
Being wrought up in my mind respecting the subject of Religion, and looking at the different systems taught the children of men, I knew not who was right or who was wrong, but considered it of the first importance to me that I should be right, in matters of so much moment, matter involving eternal consequences. Being thus perplexed in mind I retired to the silent grove and there bowed down before the Lord, under a realizing sense (if the bible be true) ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened, seek and you shall find, and again, if any man lack wisdom, let of God who giveth to all men liberally & upbraideth not. Information was what I most desired at this time, and with a fixed determination to obtain it, I called on the Lord for the first time in the place above stated, or in other words, I made a fruitless attempt to pray My tongue seemed to be swoolen in my mouth, so that I could not utter, I heard a noise behind me like some one walking towards me. I strove again to pray, but could not; the noise of walking seemed to draw nearer, I sprang upon my feet and looked round, but saw no person, or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking. I kneeled again, my mouth was opened and my tongue loosed; I called on the Lord in mighty prayer. A pillar of fire appeared above my head; which presently rested down upon me, and filled me with unspeakable joy. A personage appeared in the midst of this pillar of flame, which was spread all around and yet nothing consumed. Another personage soon appeared like unto the first: he said unto me thy sins are forgiven thee. He testified also unto me that Jesus Christ is the son of God. I saw many angels in this vision. I was about 14 years old when I received this first communication… (Quoted from Dean C. Jessee (Spring 1969), The Early Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision, BYU Studies, Vol. 9, No. 3)
Joseph Smith’s letterbook (1832)
[As quoted in the Ensign]
…from the age of twelve years to fifteen I pondered many things in my heart concerning the sittuation of the world of mankind the contentions and divi[si]ons the wicke[d]ness and abominations and the darkness which pervaded the minds of mankind…Therefore I cried unto the Lord for mercy for there was none else to whom I could go and obtain mercy and the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness and while in the attitude of calling upon the Lord in the 16th year of my age a piller of light above the brightness of the sun at noon day come down from above and rested upon me and I was filled with the spirit of god and the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord and he spake unto me saying Joseph my son thy sins are forgiven thee. go thy way walk in my statutes and keep my commandments behold I am the Lord of glory I was crucifyed for the world that all those who believe on my name may have Eternal life behold the world lieth in sin at this time and none doeth good no not one they have turned asside from the gospel and keep not my commandments they draw near to me with their lips while their hearts are far from me and mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the earth to vist them acording to th[e]ir ungodliness and to bring to pass that which hath been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and Ap[o]stles behold and lo I come quickly as it [is] written of me in the cloud clothed in the glory of my Father and my soul was filled with love and for many days I could rejoice with great Joy and the Lord was with me but I could find none that would believe the hevnly vision nevertheless I pondered these things in my heart. (Joseph Smith Letterbook 1, pp. 1–6, Ms., handwriting of Joseph Smith and Frederick G. Williams, LDS Church Archives; quoted from Dean C. Jessee (Dec. 1984), “Joseph Smith Jr.--in His Own Words, Part 1,” Ensign)
Milton Vaughn Backman (1980), Joseph Smith’s First Vision: Confirming Evidences and Contemporary Accounts, 2nd ed. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft.
The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, compiled and edited by Dean C. Jessee, Salt Lake City, 1984, p. 6, 75-76, 198-199, 213.
Hugh W. Nibley, Ancient Documents and the Pearl of Great Price, Transcript of 26 Lectures Given In An Honors Class on The Pearl of Great Price at Brigham Young University, Winter Semester 1986. Edited by Robert Smith and Robert Smythe. ____________________________________________________________
The Language of Joseph’s First Vision
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head” (1838) “A pillar of fire appeared above my head” (1835) “piller of light…come down from above and rested upon me” (1832)
Exod. 13:21 “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “walk in my statutes and keep my commandments” (1832)
Lev. 26:3 “If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “above the brightness of the sun at noon day” (1832) “above the brightness of the sun” (1838) “surrounded with a brilliant light which eclipsed the sun at noon day” (1842)
Acts 26:13 “At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “brightness and glory defy all description” (1838)
Heb. 1:3 “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person…” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (1838) “He testified also unto me that Jesus Christ is the son of God” (1835)
Mark 9:7 “This is my beloved Son: hear him.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “thy sins are forgiven thee” (1835) “thy sins are forgiven thee” (1832)
Luke 5:20 “And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “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.” (1838) “they draw near to me with their lips while their hearts are far from me” (1832)
Isa. 29:13 “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.”
2 Titus 3:5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “to go not after them” (1842) “I was answered that I must join none of them…He again forbade me to join with any of them” (1838)
Luke 17:23 “And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “go thy way” (1832)--this phrase is repeated 19 times in the KJV.
Luke 17:19 “And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “I am the Lord of glory” (1832)
1 Cor. 2:8 “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” James 2:1 “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “that which hath been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and Apostles” (1832)
Acts 3:21 “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “none doeth good no not one” (1832)
Psalm 14:3 “They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Compare Ps. 53:3 and Rom. 3:12). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “the world lieth in sin” (1832)
1 John 5:19 “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “all those who believe on my name may have Eternal life” (1832)
John 3:15 “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “they have turned asside [sic] from the gospel” (1832)
Exod. 32:8 “They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “and mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the earth”
Hosea 8:5 “Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?”
Isa. 26:21 “For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “to visit them acording [sic] to their ungodliness” (1832)
Psalm 28:4 “Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “I come quickly” (1832)
Rev. 3:11 “Behold, I come quickly” (compare Rev. 22:7, 12, 20). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “clothed in the glory of my Father” (1832)
Matt. 16:27 “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”
JST Luke 9:26 “...when he shall come in his own kingdom, clothed in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.” JST Luke 21:36 “that ye may be counted worthy …to stand before the Son of man when he shall come clothed in the glory of his Father.” JST Rev. 1:7 “For behold, he cometh in the clouds with ten thousands of his saints in the kingdom, clothed with the glory of his Father.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “I pondered these things in my heart” (1832)
Luke 2:19 “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Comparisons
--“filled me with unspeakable joy” (1835) --“my soul was filled with love for many days” (1832)
--Experience with demonic forces (1838, 1835)
--“I was enwrapped in a heavenly vision, and saw two glorious personages” (1842) --“When the light rested upon me I saw two personages” (1838) --“A pillar of fire appeared above my head; which presently rested down upon me…A personage appeared in the midst of this pillar of flame…Another personage soon appeared” (1835) --“a piller of light…come down from above and rested upon me…I saw the Lord and he spake unto me” (1832)
Whether or not one thinks of Mormonism as Christian can depend largely on where one stands in the debate. Mormons would like to be thought of as Christian by others, and I suspect that many non-Mormon Christians do, but many well educated Protestants and Catholics do not. So on what basis is Mormonism Christian or not Christian? In a debate with Orson Scott Card, author of Ender’s Game, Dr. Albert Mohler argues, “Are Mormons ‘Christians’ as defined by traditional Christian orthodoxy? The answer to that question is easy and straightforward, and it is ‘no.’” (debate here) But why does he view Mormonism as affirmably non-Christian? He writes,
The orthodox consensus of the Christian church is defined in terms of its historic creeds and doctrinal affirmations. Two great doctrines stand as the central substance of that consensus. Throughout the centuries, the doctrines concerning the Trinity and the nature of Christ have constituted that foundation, and the church has used these definitional doctrines as the standard for identifying true Christianity...Normative Christianity is defined by the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the other formulas of the doctrinal consensus. These doctrines are understood by Christians to be rooted directly within the Bible and rightly affirmed by all true believers in all places and throughout all time…The major divisions within Christian history (Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism) disagree over important issues of doctrine, but all affirm the early church’s consensus concerning the nature of Christ and the Trinitarian faith. These are precisely what Mormonism rejects. ("Mormonism is Not Christianity")
He also quotes Catholic scholar Father Richard Neuhaus who said that Christianity “is not honorific but descriptive” (Richard Neuhaus', "Is Mormonism Christian?"). Neuhaus writes,
[Christianity] is more than doctrines. Were it only a set of doctrines, Christianity would have become another school of philosophy, much like other philosophical schools of the Greco-Roman world. Christianity is the past and present reality of the society composed of the Christian people. As is said in the Nicene Creed, "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church." That reality encompasses doctrine, ministry, liturgy, and a rule of life. Christians disagree about precisely where that Church is to be located historically and at present, but almost all agree that it is to be identified with the Great Tradition defined by the apostolic era through at least the first four ecumenical councils, and continuing in diverse forms to the present day. That is the Christianity that LDS teaching rejects and condemns as an abomination and fraud.
(He also mentions that there is no doctrine of creation ex nihilo within Mormonism.) Neuhaus uses the words “Great Tradition” and Mohler uses the words “normative Christianity.” In their views Christ’s church has endured throughout the centuries in the Greek or Roman traditions, or is found in the reformations of the Protestant churches. But that the church has endured is beyond doubt for believers like Father Neuhaus and Dr. Mohler. Historical Christianity is bound together by the Bible; common history, including schisms; and agreement in the early Christian creeds. And agreement on the early creeds bind Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christianity to the early church. Since Mormonism does not profess any of the Christian creeds we have definitely broke with that thread. And as to the point that Mormonism is very different from historical Christianity--it is beyond debate.
‘I damn you to hell’ or ‘I darn you to heck’? A devout believer from any religion will likely believe his faith is the true one: A devout Catholic believes that salvation requires baptism in the Catholic Church; a devout Protestant believes that salvation comes by accepting Christ’s free gift of grace. So from a Protestant view those who believe and live according to Catholic doctrine (to the exclusion of the Protestant view) are eternally damned; and from a Catholic view those who die without baptism in the Catholic Church are likewise eternally damned. And yet this is Christianity? However, Christianity stands for something virtuous, as expressed by the phrase “living a Christian life.” And its essential corner stone is the founder and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ. “Is Christ divided?”, were the words of Paul. Is Christianity divided? That depends on how the word is defined.
Mohler mentions the Apostles Creed as one of the professions of normative Christianity. Though Mormonism does not profess any of the Christian creeds LDS doctrine does not prohibit me from believing anything that is true. For example, the Apostle’s Creed:
I believe in God the Father Almighty.
And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son our Lord, who was born of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
And in the Holy Ghost; the holy Church; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; the life everlasting. (For Important Early Christian Creeds)
It is true that Mormonism does not profess any formal creed, and that it must reject the Nicene Creed and similar creeds. But as a devout Mormon I can say that I believe in what the Apostle’s Creed professes. However one could argue that a Mormon could not believe in the phrase “I believe in…the holy Church” since it refers to the Christian church at the time the creed was formulated. That would be a correct observation. To me “holy Church” would refer to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; just as a Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant Christian would apply it to how he believes.
Though it is assumed that the doctrines in the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed can be traced back to the Apostles, it is because of unclarity in the Bible that creeds were necessary. And, it is true that the Bible does not contain an explicit trinitarian description of God. (See The Trinity, Mormonism, and the Godhead.) Though one is free to believe in the Trinity as God--implicit in the New Testament, preserved by tradition, and affirmed by creeds--the link is no stronger than one’s own belief. My own feeling is that the word Christianity should center on the divinity of Jesus, his teachings, life, death, and resurrection; and not “there are not three uncreated: nor three incomprehensibles, but one uncreated: and one incomprehensible.” But howsoever I may think, the Trinity is a central doctrine of received Christianity and many would argue that it is the central doctrine: Thus, the house (Christianity) is less important than the one who dwells in it (The triune Father, Son, and Holy Ghost). One counter argument is “how be it [Christ’s] church save it be called in [Christ’s] name?” (3 Nephi 27:8). If this is true for Christ’s church is should also be true for the meaning of the word Christianity: in its simplest form it refers to a profession in the divinity of Christ and that salvation comes by him.
The church of the Devil One aspect of our doctrine that upsets many Catholics and Protestants is we believe there is only one true church. Consequently all other churches are the “Church of the Devil” (1 Nephi 14:10). There is no getting around this, for in God’s view there are only two churches: His True church and deviations from it. God cannot look upon apostasy with the least degree of allowance. While the term “Church of the Devil” is a strong stand to take, God’s stand is nothing less.
Though seemingly harsh, the phrase conveys the idea that God does not recognize any deviation from the true original Church. This idea is something Catholics, Protestants, and Mormons agree on and use in the context of their own religious convictions.[1]
However, apart from doctrinal error and lack of priesthood authority I don’t think of non-Mormon churches as the church of the devil. Though admittedly some Mormons do, and shouldn’t. But I strongly suspect that some Protestants are more keen about spreading the idea that Mormons believe they are the church of the devil than the Mormons are. Often Protestants will say that Mormons believe “normative Christianity” is the Church of the Devil, as if to convey the notion that we believe they are satanic. The Catholic Church and the Protestant churches are not satanic. In the Mormon view all things which inspire people to love and serve God are inspired by God (Moroni 7:13). I view Protestantism and Catholicism in this light: the truth they teach leads adherents to live a truer Christian life. When I use the words “Protestant Church” or “Catholic Church” I am referring to an organized body of believers who profess Christ’s divinity, resurrection, and who live Christian values; not to my view of their doctrinal errors. In this light it easy to separate “Church of the Devil” from the Protestant and Catholic churches--the church of the devil phrase has a narrow definition and some theological value. Some people, wanting to embarrass the Mormons, quote Bruce R. McConkie’s book Mormon Doctrine. “The Roman Catholic Church [is] specifically--singled out, set apart, described, and designated as being ‘most abominable above all other churches,’” reads his 1958 edition (p. 129; italics original; brackets mine). However, McConkie was not an Apostle when he wrote this; Mormon Doctrine is not published by the church or by Deseret Book (a publishing company owned by the church); the passage he bases his conclusion on is open to alternate interpretations; and, when the First Presidency learned of this book they had a committee go through it and Elder McConkie was asked to remove many things that were not established doctrine. McConkie did remove those things and consequently the above quote is found only in the first edition. (Many anti-Mormon writers conveniently set this information aside, which goes back to what I said: many Protestants are keen about spreading this “Church of the Devil” stuff--I say Protestants because we get the most flack about this from them. For example Dr. Mohler.)
Who gets to define Christianity? One reason for believing that the word Christianity is “not honorific but descriptive” is Mormonism departs from many of the threads that bind Protestant, Greek, and Roman Christianity together. However, there is a simple and profound Christianity that traces itself to Jesus, and Mormonism is part of this. If Christianity is defined in view of traditional Christian orthodoxy then of course Mormonism is unique. But how someone defines Christianity can depend on his relationship to it. Does he believe that the Church has endured through the centuries? Is he an atheist? Or an agnostic? Or a true believer? Christianity may be defined in light of orthodoxy; tradition; normative Christianity; a body of those who believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins; or from a religio-historic view as a series of historical movements focusing on Christ’s divinity. The Encyclopaedia Judaica defines it as
A general term denoting the historic community deriving from the original followers of Jesus of Nazareth; the institutions, social and cultural patterns, and the beliefs and doctrines evolved by this community. …The vague character of the term provides this wide range of meaning…Christianity can be viewed as a religious institution (whether as a universal church or as distinct churches), as a body of beliefs and doctrines (Christian dogma and theology), or as a social, cultural, or even political reality shaped by certain religious traditions and mental attitudes. (parenthesis original)
The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary under “Christianity” defines it as “The body of doctrine that consists of the teachings and way of life made possible by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and the giving of the Holy Spirit.” The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “The religion based on the belief that Christ was the son of God, and on his teachings.” The Athanasian Creed defines it in this way: “The Catholic [i.e. true Christian] Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity” (Four Important Early Creeds). The Jewish Encyclopedia under “Trinity” opens with: “The fundamental dogma of Christianity; the concept of the union in one God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three infinite persons.”
But where does Mormonism fall among the world’s religious traditions? Some people would put it in a class by itself; a class that includes all branches of the Latter Day Saint movement traced back to Joseph Smith. Others put it with Christianity. But an interesting question is where do Mormons put Mormonism. [When I say Mormons I mean members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.]
Do Mormons view Mormonism as Christian? Yes. Mormons believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ’s restored church. Do Mormons view Mormonism as a religion distinct from normative Christianity? Often. As a devout Mormon I am comfortable referring to Mormonism as a distinct religion and at the same time Christian. This is in recognition that many LDS doctrines are very different from those of received Christianity, and yet that we share a belief in the Biblical account of Jesus life, death, and resurrection.
Final Comments Do most Mormons believe that the rest of Christianity is Christian? Yes, because we share a belief in the Biblical account of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. But this view contains a proviso that other churches are deviations from the true church. Do Mormons view the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant churches as the Church of the Devil? From my experience most don’t, but regrettably some do.
There are valid historical and doctrinal reasons for putting Mormonism in a class by itself. At the same time, because Mormonism accepts the Biblical account of Jesus life and divinity, and that he will come again, there are valid reasons to view Mormonism as part of Christianity. For Mormon believers (like me) the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds the true gospel and is the Church of Jesus Christ. So naturally any suggestion that Mormonism is not Christian or is un-Christian is offensive to us. What further adds to the offense is that this is frequently done as criticism or condemnation of Mormonism. But for devout believers such as Father Neuhaus and Dr. Mohler, their view of Christianity and belief in the reality of Christ permits nothing less than a sincere and firm condemnation of heresy.
I must admit, before I started researching for this post I had no idea how central the Trinity was to historical Christianity. As a person who does not believe in it, and having been raised a Mormon believing that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always separate and distinct persons, it took a while for me to realize that the Trinity was a truly foundational doctrine in “normative” Christianity throughout its history. Most Mormons do not understand to what degree it is emphasized, which only serves to aggravate our incredulity when devout Protestants or Catholics say that Mormonism is not Christian. My original impression of those who used the doctrine of the Trinity as central to their definition of Christianity was that they were simply trying to keep the Mormons out. I have since learned that my perception, for the most part, was incorrect. The Trinity is truly central to received Christianity; so much so it could be said that historical Christianity is the religion of the Trinity.
The debate about how Mormonism should be categorized will rage on. But the most powerful argument for us Mormons is a simple one: “We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ” (2 Nephi 25:26). Then, as Jesus said, “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). If we do this then the argument will be made for us.
End Notes-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] A statement released from the Vatican on July 10 titled “RESPONSES TO SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE DOCTRINE ON THE CHURCH” reads, “Christ ‘established here on earth’ only one Church and instituted it as a ‘visible and spiritual community’, that from its beginning and throughout the centuries has always existed and will always exist, and in which alone are found all the elements that Christ himself instituted. ‘This one Church of Christ, which we confess in the Creed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic…This Church, constituted and organised [sic] in this world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him’”.
R. Albert Mohler Jr. responded to the Vatican statement in an article titled “No, I’m not offended” published in the Baptist Press. He writes, “The Roman Catholic Church is willing to go so far as to assert that any church that denies the papacy is no true church. Evangelicals should be equally candid in asserting that any church defined by the claims of the papacy is no true church. This is not a theological game for children; it is the honest recognition of the importance of the question…Gospel. The Reformers indicted the Roman Catholic Church for failing to exhibit this mark, and thus failing to be a true church. The Catholic church returned the favor, defining the church in terms of the papacy and magisterial authority. Those claims have not changed.” (emphasis added)
Michael Otterson, former as director of media relations for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, responded with “No Need to Pick a Fight” in the Washington post: “Of course, I profoundly disagree with this papal argument of Roman Catholic primacy, because on the basis of reason, secular history and revelation I reject the priesthood succession claim altogether. My own church stands firmly on the belief that priesthood authority had to be restored by divine intervention, not reformed, and that the apostles, lay ministry, missionaries and most especially the doctrines of the New Testament seen today in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are evidence of that Restoration…It matters not one whit to me that the Catholic and some other churches don’t accept ‘Mormon’ baptisms. We don’t accept theirs either” (emphasis added).
Did you know the song God save the King is an official LDS Hymn. Really, its the very last hymn in the hymnbook.
The only Mormon President not born and raised in the United States was the third president, John Taylor. He was English.
Ezra Taft Benson (13th president of the church) served as United States Secretary of Agriculture under President Eisenhower. President Benson was intensely anti communist and also a supporter of the John Birch Society.
Brigham Young (2nd president of the church) had 50 wives. His 57 known children were born to him from 15 of his wives.
