The differences between Mormonism and Christianity

Published on April 17, 2008 By erathoniel In Religion

Mormonism and Christianity vary in many ways. It would not be too big a leap to say they're different religions.

Mormonism teaches that God achieved godhood by living a perfect life. Christianity (and Judaism) preaches that God is an infinite being, and always has been. "As Psalms 90:2 and 93:2 state, God has been God 'from eternity to eternity.'"
Mormonism teaches that God is made of flesh and bones. Christianity (and Judaism) preach that God is an infinite, formless (in that he can take any shape or form, and needs not physically exist) being.
Mormonism teaches there are many gods "There are many Gods. Brigham Young-Journal of Discourses 7:333 "How many Gods there are, I do not know. But there never was a time when there were not Gods." This is directly in contradiction to Judaism and Christianity's teachings that there is only one God, who is, and was, and always will be. "There is only one God. (Dt 6:4; 33:26-27; Isa 43:10; 45:5; 46:9; 1Ti 2:5)"
Mormonism teaches that God takes a wife. "'Implicit in the Christian verity that all men are the spirit children of an Eternal Father is the usually unspoken truth that they are also the offspring of an Eternal Mother. An exalted and glorified Man of Holiness (Moses 6:57) could not be a Father unless a Woman of like glory, perfection, and holiness was associated with him as a Mother' (Mormon Doctrine, 1977 ed., p. 516)" This is never mentioned in the scripture. "The Godhead determined to make man in their image, not to procreate spirit children (Ge 1:26). Nowhere does Scripture even hint at the existence of an Eternal Mother."
Mormonism believes the following: "God would stop being God if intelligences stopped supporting him as God.", where as Christianity teaches that God is infinite. "God is not God unless He is all-powerful, all knowing, absolutely in charge. If God exists only as God because of support given from other intelligent forms, He is not God at all (Isa 44:6; Ro 3:4; Rev 1:8; 21:6; 22:13) God is unchangingly omnipotent, and no purpose of His can be thwarted. He is not overruled by anyone (Ge 17:1; Job 36:22-23; 42:2; Isa 14:26-27; 40:13-14; Jer 32:27; Mt 19:26; Lk 1:37; Ac 17:24-25; Rev 19:6)".
Mormonism believes that "Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be" (D&C 93:29)" I don't need a reference (Try the first page of Genesis) to disprove this.

There you go. Big font. Follow the Article Link for more. Yes, I did take most everything from there, but as a fellow brother in Christ, with attribution to them, I believe that it is a good, rather than a wrong to spread infomation to save the lost sheep in the world.

Comments (Page 4)

ParaTed2k

on Apr 19, 2008

Tova:

Um, really surprised to hear you say this Ted. I thought it was a good forum for you to clear up misconceptions.

If you found out your son had been watching porn on the internet, and he asked you to watch it with him, to "clear up misconceptions" he may get about love between a man and a woman, would you? Or would you explain to him that that isn't a good resource?

That trash is no more valid a resource for learning about the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints than porn is for learning about love. (and yes, I would say the same thing if it were written about any other religion).

If you want to learn about our doctrine, one of the best places to go is LDS.org's Gospel Index A-Z. Look for key words to what you want to know more about and read it. The best part of this website is it is official doctrine and policy. Even when I answer questions, it's just the doctrine based on my own understanding. In this website you get it first hand, unfiltered... and without any misconceptions to have to wonder about.

Tova7

on Apr 19, 2008

That's not a good comparison, because I have seen porn before and know exactly what it says about sex. So I could discuss the nitty gritty without seeing one particular video.

A better one might be, if a cartoon describing Christianity was out, someone saw it and asked me about it. I would check it out and say what I agreed with and what I didn't. What's the big deal?

Sometimes I even go to anti-Christian sites to see their arguments against it. Know why? Because it usually strengthens my faith.

Why isn't it a good resource? Is it wrong? How do you know if you've never seen it? Is some of it wrong, all of it?

You say its not a good source, to go to the LDS website, but then aren't there some things that can't be "discussed" with non Mormons? Things that won't be on that website?

I'm not picking a fight here, and since you can't hear the tone of my question I feel the need to clarify the not picking a fight part.

So, are you forbidden by anything in your faith from looking at the video?

You equate it with porn but have never seen it?

Is there a general understanding about this video in the LDS church?

I saw a video once of the Baptismal pool in a temple. The pool was sitting on top of several golden bulls...like they were holding it on their backs. Kinda freaked me out with the whole idol worship thing going on in the OT, especially with animals. (But I do see the 12 oxen from Solomon's temple playing in here?)

The film was taken by a contractor who built the temple. He wasn't anti-LDS or anything else, just proud of his work. But youtube has lots of videos of inside the temple made by the LDS church (or so they say).

So, is the video that you won't watch factually wrong?

ParaTed2k

on Apr 19, 2008

That's not a good comparison, because I have seen porn before and know exactly what it says about sex. So I could discuss the nitty gritty without seeing one particular video.

I've seen the same old trash repackaged over and over for decades now. The quesions that erathonial asked, I was able to answer from the first times I was asked those questions back in 1984. Just because they've taken if from BETAMAX and but in on Youtube, doesn't change a thing.

I used to waste my time reading anti mormon stuff written by people who would rather misrepresent what others believe than share what they believe. It got to the point that I quit reading it because there is no value in it.

When I was in Saudi Arabia a Muslim man gave me some pamphlets about Christianity. I read them and fell over laughing. Change the names and dates and it read exactly like the anti mormon stuff. They challenged the integrity of the Apostles. They said that some of them were adulters and on the take. They said that the books of the New Testament were written by Catholic priests long after Jesus' death.

I showed the lies and misrepresentations in the link erathoniel provided. They cut out what they didn't want from a Bible verse and totally lied about two passages from LDS scripture and a book. I didn't mean any offense to erathoniel by it, but it did show the lengths the people who run that website are willing to go in their "ministry". Actually, it didn't show any lengths at all, since all they were doing was parroting anti mormon books that were written in the 60s.

Of course, the links are there, and you've provided a couple of your own. I can't stop you from it and wouldn't want to try. Just remember, they have an agenda when they write that stuff... For that matter, we all have an agenda and all our words are filtered through our own way of seeing things.

That is why I don't ask anyone to take my word for it, I invite people to pray about what I've said. God is the author of all truth so I'll leave it up to you to decide if what is worth your time and prayers and what isn't.

Tova7

on Apr 19, 2008

When I was in Saudi Arabia a Muslim man gave me some pamphlets about Christianity. I read them and fell over laughing. Change the names and dates and it read exactly like the anti mormon stuff. They challenged the integrity of the Apostles. They said that some of them were adulters and on the take. They said that the books of the New Testament were written by Catholic priests long after Jesus' death.

LOL

That is why I don't ask anyone to take my word for it, I invite people to pray about what I've said. God is the author of all truth so I'll leave it up to you to decide if what is worth your time and prayers and what isn't

Thanks Ted. I guess it must be tiresome to hear the same ol same ol....to some of us though, its new. I don't have a problem doing my own research...but like so many things in life, reading about something, and asking someone who lives it, is the difference between thinking you understand what chocolate tastes like, and letting it melt in your mouth.

Thanks for not getting offended. I was really just curious.

Big Fat Daddy

on Apr 19, 2008

Good job, Ted.

erathoniel

on Apr 19, 2008

Sorry for deleting your comment, Tova7, but embedded videos screw the comment section up. Try putting in links.

ParaTed2k

on Apr 19, 2008

Tova:

Thanks for not getting offended. I was really just curious.

No problem Tova, that's what places like JoeUser are for. ;~D

BFD:

Good job, Ted.

Thanks!

erathoniel

on Apr 19, 2008

Who do you believe will judge you when you die?

lulapilgrim

on Apr 19, 2008

All the books contained in the Book of Mormon were written in the Colonial Era or later.

Cedarbord posts:

Nope. That's when they were translated. They were written between, let me pull out my copy really quick...600 B.C. and 421 A.D.

Has anyone at all been able to produce any historical proof to support this claim. I maen the Book of Mormon goes into a vast pre-Columbian culture that supposedly existed for centuries in North and S. America. It gives details of a civilization of the "Nephite" and "Lamanite" Jews that fled Palestine and built massive cities, farmed the land, produced works of art, and fought large scale wars which culminated in the utter destruction of the Nephites in 421 AD.

I know the Church of LDS revere the Book of MOrmon as a divinely- inspired record of those people and of Christ's supposed appearance to them shortly after His crucifixation in Jerusalem.

Cedarbird, where is the historical and archeological evidence to support the Book of Mormon? In archeological terms 421 AD was not that long ago. It should be easy to locate and retrieve evidence of such a battle as this and proof of those cities. Do the LDS have anything to substantiate this?

ParaTed2k

on Apr 19, 2008

Cedarbird, where is the historical and archeological evidence to support the Book of Mormon? In archeological terms 421 AD was not that long ago. It should be easy to locate and retrieve evidence of such a battle as this and proof of those cities. Do the LDS have anything to substantiate this?

:::Raising my hand::: Oooh, Oh, Pick Me! Pick Me! ::::: puts down hand and commences to answer the question, even before being chosen...

My brother runs a pretty good LDS website, so I'm giving him all the inspirational kudos on this one...

Critics of the Book of Mormon have long pointed to the passages that talk about knowledge of Old Testament events in the Ancient Americas...

Ancient American Artifact Depicting Noah's Ark

Ancient American Artifact Depicting the Arc of the Covenant

They are even more critical when the Book of Mormon talks about knowledge of Jesus Christ, and his death and resurrection...

Ancient American Artifact Depicting Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection

Elephants, the critics of all things LDS, point out that Elephants are mentioned in the Book of Mormon, long before they were introduced to the American Continents...

Ancient American Artifact Depicting and Elephant

The Book of Mormon tells of a couple of a family who left Jerusalem and wandered through the desert for awhile. When they came to the ocean, they built a ship and headed across the ocean in it...

Ancient American Artifact Depicting a Transoceanic Ship

All these links are to my brother's website, but he got them from Ancient America Magazine's website... The link on my brother's site seems to be broken, so I'm linking it here. Ancient America Magazine is not affiliated in any way with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint.

Christ in North America?

A 1st Century AD carving. Notice the Egyptian theme... found in Illinois

These links may not "prove" the Book of Mormon, but do disprove a lot of the critics' arguments.

Cedarbird

on Apr 19, 2008

Bravo, Ted.

erathoniel

on Apr 19, 2008

Prove it's not a hoax. Also, prove there's not potential of it being carried over by Biblical events, or Pangea breaking if you believe in that. Keep in mind that the Vikings were here before we were.

ParaTed2k

on Apr 19, 2008

Like I said erathoniel, they don't prove the Book of Mormon, however, lulapilgrim asked for evidence, not proof. That is what I provided.

lulapilgrim

on Apr 19, 2008

These links may not "prove" the Book of Mormon, but do disprove a lot of the critics' arguments.

Thanks ParaTed, these artifacts sure look interesting.

I agree they do not prove the Book of Mormon....however, they also do not provide an answer my question....

It should be easy to locate and retrieve evidence of such a battle as this and proof of those cities. Do the LDS have anything to substantiate this?

These artifacts, as far as I can see, show nothing of the claims of the Book of Mormon concerning those cities or the cataclysmic battle fought between the Nephites and the Lamanites where hundreds of thousands of men perished. That battle is mighty important to the Book of Mormon...it seems to me there would be something significant to show that it indeed took place.

ParaTed2k

on Apr 19, 2008

lulapilgrim:

hese artifacts, as far as I can see, show nothing of the claims of the Book of Mormon concerning those cities or the cataclysmic battle fought between the Nephites and the Lamanites where hundreds of thousands of men perished. That battle is mighty important to the Book of Mormon...it seems to me there would be something significant to show that it indeed took place.

Nope, while they answer your questions about archeological evidence, they don't answer the one about the battles. I will also admit that I don't know of any evidence on that question.

I'm willing to be honest and admit when I can't aswer a question, or provide something asked of me. To me "I don't know" is a legitimate answer, when it's the truth. ;~D

Thank you for meeting me half way on the artifacts I was able to provide.

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