(Quibbles, clarifications, and words of praise about this article can be sent to the author, Peggy Rogers.)

Questions sometimes arise, on soc.religion.mormon as elsewhere, about the relationship of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to other Christian denominations. Below is an attempt to outline some of the major similarities between the two groups, and some of the significant differences.

(It is perhaps useful to note here that the question of whether The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is actually a Christian church is a topic which is not permitted on the newsgroup. That's because it simply comes down to circular arguments about definitions of the word "Christian," and tends to lead to unpleasant argumentation.)

COMMON GROUND

At first glance, a Moslem or a Hindu or a Martian might have trouble seeing that there were noticeable differences between members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other sorts of Christians. Nevertheless, there have been strong and sometimes bitter disagreements over the years between the two groups. It is often the case that groups with many similarities find more to quarrel about than those more widely separated. In this case, a lot of the disagreements come from Latter-day Saints believing things about Life, the Universe and Everything that are not obvious to other Christians, often because these things are not specifically mentioned in the Bible.

I'll be making frequent references in the following explanation to the LDS "Articles of Faith," which can be read in full at: http://www.lds.org/en/1_Articles_of_Faith/Articles_of_Faith.html

Let's begin by looking at some areas where Latter-day Saints and other Christians have a lot in common:

I. Father, Son and Holy Ghost

The first Article of Faith reads: 

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

Latter- day Saints claim not to be Trinitarians, generally speaking of the "Godhead" rather than the Holy Trinity. But in conversations with other Christians on the *.r.m. newsgroups, a lot of us have realized that these two concepts--Godhead and Trinity--do not really differ a great deal. Both assert that there are three Beings, distinct in some ways, who nevertheless constitute a single God. The concept of "modalism"-- the idea that a single God simply manifests himself in different ways at different times--was declared a heresy in the early centuries of Christianity (even though there are numbers of Trinitarian Christians, even today, who think like modalists.) The main way that the LDS version of the Godhead differs from the usual Christian view is the idea that God the Father, as well as Jesus Christ, has a glorified physical body.

II. Central Importance of Jesus Christ

"3. We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."

These are the 3rd and 4th of the LDS articles of faith. Faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost have been a part of historical Christianity since the beginning. Latter-day Saints agree that these are things of the utmost importance. And like most other Christians, Latter-day Saints participate in a Eucharist ceremony, modeled on the one instituted by Jesus Christ during his lifetime. Latter-day Saints understand, as well as other Christians, that their ultimate return to the presence of God in the next life is totally dependent upon the merits and intervention of Jesus Christ.

III. Rituals and Worship

Latter-day Saints practice a number of rituals that are similar to those in other Christian groups, among them: baptism, marriage, priesthood ordination, and the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, which LDS commonly refer to as simply "the sacrament." Worship services also have much in common with those of other denominations, and include prayers, sermons, congregational singing (with occasional choirs) and a weekly administration of the Lord's Supper. In most cases, these worship services are conducted on Sunday, the traditional day for Christian worship.

IV. Ethical Behavior

The 13th Article of Faith says, in part:

"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men.... If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

Latter-day Saints, like other Christians, strive to follow the example and the teachings of Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry by serving others in a variety of ways, and by behaving in an ethical fashion in family life, in business dealings, in charitable work, and in all aspects of life. Of course, not all people who consider themselves Christians would be in agreement with all the above points, but these are the main aspects of Mormonism which lead people to think (not unreasonably) that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Christian religion.

NOT-SO-COMMON GROUND

I. Pre-Mortal Existence

Latter-day Saints are taught that the spirits which animate their mortal bodies are the literal offspring of heavenly parents. These spirits live and progress for vast ages until they are ready to receive the sort of knowledge they can gain only by living on earth in a physical body. This pre-earth life is often called "the pre-existence."

II. Bodies

As mentioned above, LDS believe that God the Father has a physical body, and that one of the reasons his spirit children come to the earth is so that they can also obtain a body. Resurrection is seen as the permanent reunion of body and spirit. Because of this, the attitude of Latter-day Saints toward their bodies is very positive, and taking good care of one's body is seen as a religious duty. This is reflected in the "Word of Wisdom" which teachers people to nourish themselves with good foods, and to abstain from harmful substances.

III. Families

LDS children sing a song that says, "Families can be together forever/ Through Heavenly Father's plan." Most Christians reasonably assume that they will be able to associate with beloved family members in the world to come. (How could it be heaven otherwise?) Latter-day Saints take this a step further, and perform "sealing" ceremonies in their temples that bind family members to each other "for time and all eternity" as we say. These sealings are done not only for living families, but for ancestors stretching back as far as they can be traced. This is the basis for the strong LDS interest in genealogy.

IV. Scriptures

Many Christians believe that the Bible is a unique book--the only book through which God speaks to humanity. Latter-day Saints disagree, not only believing that God has given scriptures in addition to the Bible, but that more scriptures will likely be given in the future. (See the 9th article of faith.) In fact, LDS are encouraged to keep journals, with the suggestion that perhaps in future times these journals may function as scripture for one's descendants.

V. Apostasy and Restoration

This is one of the most significant differences between Mormonism and other historical sorts of Christianity. Latter-day Saints believe that at some time in the early history of Christianity, valid priesthood authority was lost from the earth. (If they didn't, they'd probably be Catholics.) It's also believed that many of the things Jesus taught to his original disciples were lost or corrupted or misinterpreted--some of them before the books of the New Testament were written or collected. Joseph Smith, as the first prophet of this final "dispensation" is understood to have restored many of these truths which had been lost, as well as being given the necessary priesthood powers and keys for performing ordinances such as baptism, eternal marriage, and priesthood ordination.

VI. Church Governance

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints professes to hold the only valid priesthood authority on the earth today. This priesthood is extended to all worthy male members of the church. The overall leadership of the church consists of the president (currently Gordon B. Hinckley) who is the prophet, seer, and revelator of the church, assisted by two counselors, and twelve other men known as the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. All these men work full-time in church leadership and administration, and many receive financial support from the church. The leaders of local congregations, however, (called "bishops" of "wards" and "stake presidents" of collections of several wards known as "stakes") are laymen who work at regular jobs in addition to their church duties.

VII. Prophets

The Bible records the words and deeds of many prophets up until the Apostolic period. Latter-day Saints believe that prophets did not cease to exist at that time. Joseph Smith is regarded as the first prophet of the Restoration, and his successors in church leadership are honored as prophets as well: men who communicate the will of God to people on earth today.

VIII. Covenants

Baptism, marriage, and other ceremonies performed in LDS temples are regarded as covenants by Latter-day Saints: agreements between God and human beings, in which people promise to behave in certain ways, and God promises to pour out blessing on them. Covenants are a very important part of LDS thinking.

IX. Temples

Soc.religion.mormon has a FAQ about LDS temples and temple worship, which you can read when it is posted near the beginning of each month. (Hey, Guy, when are you going to actually put it on the website?) Sacred ceremonies are performed inside the temples which members of the church are generally reluctant to speak about on the outside. All these ceremonies involve entering into covenants, and many of them are performed on behalf of people already deceased, as well as for living people who are able to enter into these covenants for themselves.

X. Afterlife

Instead of the usual heaven/hell scenario, Latter-day Saints envision the world to come as a complex aggregate of three heavens, into which people are distributed according to the sorts of lives they lived on earth. For those who have been virtuous and faithful, there is a possibility of deification--coming to live the same sort of life that God does. The only LDS equivalent of an eternal hell is reserved for an handful of "sons of perdition"--people who have been given a sure knowledge of Christ and his ministry by the Holy Spirit, and then turned against that knowledge.