Just because someone believes in Christ doesn't make them a Christian. Muslims believe in Jesus as well.

Gerald wrote:Just because someone believes in Christ doesn't make them a Christian. Muslims believe in Jesus as well.

Nice try, Gerald...

Muslims do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and THE Savior of the world, God manifest in the flesh. They don't teach that you must have faith in Christ to be saved. They believe He was just some good prophet and that we must trust in the teachings of Muhammed.

We (LDS) believe Jesus Christ is our Lord, REDEEMER, and SAVIOR. Muslims don't belive that.

Very nicely put Semi.

Thanks

Well, I believe that whether a church is christian depends on their focus. Our church, as well as other christian churches, have a focus on Christ and his teachings (whatever different churches views of them may be). As such, our church does fit within the scope of focusing on Christ and his teachings. So, I would say that our church is FOR SURE christian.

Let me preface my answer with a quote from Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary (emphasis mine):


CHRISTIAN, n.

1. A believer in the religion of Christ.

2. A professor of his belief in the religion of Christ.

3. A real disciple of Christ; one who believes in the truth of the Christian religion, and studies to follow the example, and obey the precepts, of Christ; a believer in Christ who is characterized by real piety.

4. In a general sense, the word Christians includes all who are born in a Christian country or of Christian parents.

CHRISTIAN, a. [See the Noun.]

1. Pertaining to Christ, taught by him, or received from him; as the Christian religion; Christian doctrines.

2. Professing the religion of Christ; as a Christian friend.

3. Belonging to the religion of Christ; relating to Christ, or to his doctrines, precepts and example; as christian profession and practice.

4. Pertaining to the church; ecclesiastical; as courts Christian.

I like to use this dictionary because of its simplicity and because it is contemporary with Joseph Smith.

We Mormons follow the teachings of the Christ, it's as simple as that. We believe in Him, and do our best to follow His example. It has been my experience that any attempt to define "Christian" in a manner that will exclude Mormons is usually complex and oft-times excludes many people who otherwise would consider themselves Christian.

The definition of "Christian" need not be complex. Why should it be?

It's pretty simple. Mormons are Mormons. Christians are Christians. What you believe defines what you are. If you hold to the BoM more than any other, you're Mormon. If the Bible only, then you're Christian. If you're Mormon by definition, then you can't be Christian b/c Mormons hold to the BoM more than the Bible.

jabo777 wrote:It's pretty simple. Mormons are Mormons. Christians are Christians. What you believe defines what you are. If you hold to the BoM more than any other, you're Mormon. If the Bible only, then you're Christian. If you're Mormon by definition, then you can't be Christian b/c Mormons hold to the BoM more than the Bible.

The Book of Mormon testifies of Christ. Seems pretty Christian to me.

jabo777 wrote:It's pretty simple. Mormons are Mormons. Christians are Christians. What you believe defines what you are. If you hold to the BoM more than any other, you're Mormon. If the Bible only, then you're Christian. If you're Mormon by definition, then you can't be Christian b/c Mormons hold to the BoM more than the Bible.

Congratulations! You have garnered my first negative vote for making absolutely no sense what-so-ever.

I'll reiterate with an equivalent example: The BoM contains additional information concerning Jesus than the Bible, so a Mormon & a Christian aren't the same. That's why they have differing titles. Of course, people can call themselves whatever they want, but that doesn't qualify them as that.

The BoM presents "additional" info. a/b Jesus, which creates a different Jesus. When Heavenly Father spoke His Word, He didn't speak part of it in the beginning and other parts of it later. It creates an entirely different doctrine if so.

jabo777 wrote:I'll reiterate with an equivalent example: The BoM contains additional information concerning Jesus than the Bible, so a Mormon & a Christian aren't the same.

We should probably just stop right here. A Christian is not defined by belief just in the Bible. A Christian is defined as a follower of Jesus Christ.

For what it's worth, Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, and Ethiopian Christians all have different books in their Bible. Do you believe that they're Christians?

That's why they have differing titles.

No, it's not. The title Mormon is analogous to Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, etc., all of whom are Christians.

The BoM presents "additional" info. a/b Jesus, which creates a different Jesus. When Heavenly Father spoke His Word, He didn't speak part of it in the beginning and other parts of it later. It creates an entirely different doctrine if so.

Umm. Maybe you're not familiar with the Bible. The first books were written by Moses, thousands of years before Christ. The last parts were written by Christ's disciples, decades after his death. If he didn't speak part of it at different time periods, then why didn't the entire Bible come out at one time?

In other words, you're not making much sense.

Are you guys familiar with the original manuscripts of the Bible? If you've searched the Scriptures in depth, you'll find that YHWH are the letters that translate from the Hebrew everywhere God or Lord is mentioned in the Old & New Testament. The English pronunciation of this word is Yahuwah. You may have heard a/b this or you may have not. I was just wondering your thoughts about it.

jabo777 wrote:Are you guys familiar with the original manuscripts of the Bible? If you've searched the Scriptures in depth, you'll find that YHWH are the letters that translate from the Hebrew everywhere God or Lord is mentioned in the Old & New Testament. The English pronunciation of this word is Yahuwah. You may have heard a/b this or you may have not. I was just wondering your thoughts about it.

My thoughts?

Yep, you are right, often where it has Lord in English the Hebrew name is Yahweh.

Gold Star!

jabo777 wrote:The BoM presents "additional" info. a/b Jesus, which creates a different Jesus.

I wouldn't say the BoM's description of Christ contradicts the Bible's version in the slightest. They are just different testimonies by different people, at different times, both testifying of the same person. The BoM does clarify some things that may be confusing in the Bible, but I haven't seen anything that would invalidate one or the other. They work together to give a more full understanding of Christ.