A Mormon Who Tells the Truth

Finally, a Mormon who is telling the Truth!

 

I have been in dialogue and discussion with Imam Syed Soharwardy for many months.  We have had numerous phone and email conversations.  (We hope to meet in person soon.)

 

One thing about Imam Soharwardy that I find helpful to our dialogue and discussion is his honesty, when it comes to discussing Christian and Islamic Theology.

 

Syed says he loves Jesus, honors Jesus and respects Jesus, but he is quick to point out that Islam does not believe that Jesus and God are the same. Thus Muslims are NOT Christians, they are Muslims. 

 

Jesus and God being ONE is a Christian belief that is clearly taught in the Bible and a doctrine that Christians have been killed and tortured for over the centuries, right up to today.

 

As Syed and I have discussed theology it is refreshing that he has the integrity to be honest Islam’s beliefs.

I have had very similar discussions with Mormons over the years.  Very recently I met with two Mormon Leaders from our Community. 

 

They wanted to “discuss” my view that Mormonism is NOT Christianity.

 

I’ve had these kinds of discussions with Mormons before and always left feeling very frustrated with the lack of honesty and integrity that Mormons display when it comes to describing what they believed about the Trinity, Heaven, Hell, God, Salvation and most importantly, JESUS.

 

If it were not for my formal training in Mormonism I would not have been able to catch the very subtle but real differences that Mormon hold about Jesus and other Christian doctrines. 

 

During our visit each time I would challenge Mormon Doctrine on Jesus and they would say, “we believe in Jesus and we trust Him for our salvation”. 

 

The Bottom Line?  Mormons will not truthfully say what they believe about “Who Jesus is” and how “their” Jesus is different from the Jesus of Christianity.

 

However, recently while reading an article by Daniel Burke a writer with the Religion News Service, Robert Miller, a Mormon Theologian,  was quoted speaking about God and Jesus in a way I’ve never heard a Mormon leader speak.

 

Robert Miller, Emeritus dean of religious education at Brigham Young said,

 

“For Latter-Day Saints, God and man are the same species.  God has substance-he is not a force or power.  God is Exalted, Glorified man…” 

 

Dr. Miller continues, “Mormons believes that God had a celestial wife, to whom Jesus was born....”

 

Obviously, in Mormon Doctrine, Jesus is a step below God on the stairway to heaven and NOT an equal member of the Trinity.

 

My purpose in writing today is not to debate Christianity and Mormonism. 

 

However, I must report that Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Theological seminary said in the Burke article,

 

“The idea of humans becoming gods runs counter to mainstream Christianity.  Confusing the two has traditionally been considered blasphemous.  Traditional Christianity holds that God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit coexist and share one substance.  Mormons deny the doctrine of the trinity and that is huge.”

 

Rather my purpose TODAY is to express my appreciation to Robert Miller for having the integrity to say what Mormons actually believe about Jesus and God and pointing out that Mormonism and Christianity are NOT the SAME. Thank you, Dr. Miller.

 

I’ve always said when I find a Mormon who tells the truth about these things I will share it.

 

Maybe NOW we can have significant discussion moving forward.

 

By the way, I must remind every reader of the Bible’s straightforward admonition, Paul, the Apostle writes,   

 

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—  which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!”            Galatians 1:6-9        

 

Final word, on the bases of Holy Scripture, Just as Muslims are not Christians, but rather Muslims; Mormons are not Christians, they are Mormons.