Are Mormons Christians?

A Look at Their Foundation

By Douglas K. Hollen

How many times have you heard it said, “She’s a fixer-upper, but the foundation is good! A little paint and TLC and she’ll make a nice home!” When it comes to buying a house, there are key issues that must be looked at -- first and foremost, the foundation; for that is what the rest of the structure sits on. A solid foundation equals a solid structure -- a weak foundation equals a weak structure!

The same can be said of religions as well. If you want to truly understand any particular religion, you must take a look at its origin, its founders, what was their motivation, what was their vision of the future, their calling?

As I study the Mormon Church, I find it quite fascinating that today they want to appear to be mainstream protestants; yet if you study their foundation (their history, if you will) their founder, Joseph Smith, would not agree with the current church leadership. To illustrate this point, let’s take a look at Joseph Smith’s first vision (this account can be found in The Pearl of Great Price, one of the four standard works, Mormon scriptures, Joseph Smith History).

“Joseph Smith tells of his ancestry, family members, and their early abodes -- An unusual excitement about religion prevails in Western New York -- He determines to seek wisdom as directed by James -- The Father and Son appear and Joseph Smith is called to his prophetic ministry. (Verses 1-20.)” This quote is the introduction to Joseph Smith -- History in The Pearl of Great Price, Extracts from the History of Joseph Smith, The Prophet; History of the Church, Vol. 1 Chapters 1-5.

Joseph Smith wrote these words in 1838 and for the sake of time, I will paraphrase the story: There was unusual excitement about religion that was affecting the churches in the area where young (14-years old) Joseph Smith lived. The Methodists, Presbyterians, and the Baptists were all gaining members, yet they fought each other over their members -- even pointing out the differences why their church was better than the others. Young Joseph Smith was confused as to who was right and which church to join. One day, while reading his Bible, he came to James 1:5:

“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.”

Armed with this promise, a young Joseph Smith went into the woods to pray, resulting in his first vision -- the foundation upon which he built the Mormon Church. The following is the account of the vision as recorded in The Pearl of Great Price -- Joseph Smith History 1:15-19.
“¹⁵After 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. ¹⁶But, 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. ¹⁷It 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! ¹⁸My 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. ¹⁹I 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.”

There are many doctrinal questions dealing with this vision, not the least of which is, the Bible teaches us that no man has seen God: John 1:18, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” (See also John 5:37). But, we will save that discussion for another day.

For now, let’s stay on task and ask the question: How can the Mormon Church of 2004 claim Christianity? Why do they spend millions of dollars trying to appear mainstream, when their foundational beliefs are that all protestant creeds are an abomination in the sight of God?

They can’t have it both ways. The standard answer you get today when witnessing to Mormons is, “Why are you doing this? We’re Christians too!” Please note the following quote from Mormon Doctrine, pg. 513 (italics in original):

“Mormonism is Christianity; Christianity is Mormonism; they are one and the same, and they are not to be distinguished from each other in the minutest detail.”

Or in contrast, this quote from John Taylor found in Journal of Discourses 6:167:

“We talk about Christianity, but it is a perfect pack of nonsense….It is as sounding brass and tinkling symbol; it is as corrupt as hell; and the Devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century.”

Which is it? Christian, or not?

In closing, I will state the 11^th Article of Faith of the Mormon Church: “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.”

This appears to be Universalism, or all roads lead to heaven -- just choose one. Again, my Bible teaches differently in Acts 4:12: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Mormons are right, they are free to worship as they please. But, is it intellectually, or spiritually honest to try to appear as mainstream Christianity, when their teaching is so clearly opposed to Christian, or biblical teaching?

Witnessing point -- Ask a simple question: How can you say you believe the same thing I do, when Joseph Smith said everything I stand for is an abomination in God’s sight? Did Joseph Smith get his vision wrong and lead the Mormon Church in teaching another gospel (the fullness of the gospel) from its foundation (Galatians 1:8)? Or perhaps today’s Mormon Church leaders don’t know their own history and doctrine?

Either way, use this opportunity to teach them what the Word of God (the Bible) teaches about salvation.

Douglas K. Hollen is a financial consultant and is attending Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. God is in the process of using Doug’s investment planning business to support and underwrite his “eternity planning” business – serving our Lord…building His kingdom…taking the gospel of Christ to the front lines. He is available to speak at your church or small Bible study group about the dangers of Mormonism. Please contact him at 314-691-5418 for scheduling.