Mormonism and Politics

I’ve been hearing some of the noise lately about Mormons being, not Christian and part of a cult. This latest iteration, seems to have swirled up around Mitt Romney and Rick Perry. It would appear that a baptist minister made some unfortunate remarks while introducing Mr. Perry. I thought that Anderson Cooper did a nice job interviewing the minister. It’s really disappointing that this type of attitude is considered acceptable in a political discussion. Aren’t there enough real problems in our country and the world that need to be solved without name calling? I don’t think it will helps in any endeavor to find the best leaders and problem solvers to tearing each other apart in petty name calling.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon Church). Here are some of my personal thoughts on the subject. I offer them, not so much to disprove any critic, but because I want it to be clear who I follow.

Do I believe in Christ? – Yes, Jesus Christ is central to my faith. Here are some items that support my view.

1. The official name of the “Mormon” church is the Church of Jesus Christ 0f Latter-Day Saints. Please note that the name of Christ is central in the name of the church. As the name indicates, it is Christ’s church and fully dedicated to serving Him. The term “Mormon” was originally a pejorative applied to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that eventually was adopted as a nick name for the church.
2. Our first and central Article of Faith is:
   

   We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

3. Most often the reason given to support that “Mormons” aren’t Christians is that they don’t support “historical Christianity”. I believe that this is a veiled reference to the doctrines of the nature of God expressed in the Nicene and other creeds of the  forth and fifth centuries. These doctrines appeared around 325, as an attempt to clarify christian beliefs. It is correct that Mormons don’t accept these creeds. A careful observer would realize that early Christians, those at the time of Christ and in the first two centuries following his death, didn’t believe in these either. They only appeared after the Apostles and others directly associated with Christ and having His authority to speak on doctrinal matters, were not longer on the earth. They are not found anywhere in the Bible. According to Harper’s Bible Dictionary, “the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the [New Testament].” I do not believe that these creeds represent the actual views of those most closely associated with Christ himself. Whatever one’s belief system, it’s hard to accept as a litmus test of another’s christianity, ideas that that Christ himself, the Holy Bible and those most closely associated with Him, did not subscribe to.
4. Here are a couple of verses of scripture that I feel describe how strong we feel about the Savior:
   

   For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do… And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

   They come from The Book of Mormon, a volume dedicated to witnessing that Jesus is the Christ.

5. The best place to find out the church doctrine on Christ  is on mormon.org

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.