Why is Christianity any more believable than Mormonism?

[Geezer]

Mormonism vs. Christianity - The Differences
Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) was birthed in 1820 by a vision in which two celestial personages appeared to Joseph Smith claiming all existing churches were wrong, all their creeds were an abomination, and all their professors were corrupt. According to these personages, Smith had been chosen to restore—not reform—a church that had disappeared from the face of the earth. The Mormon doctrines that evolved from this vision compromise confuse or contradict the nature of God, the authority of Scripture and the way of salvation.

 

Mormonism vs. Christianity - View of God
First, while Christians believe that God is spirit, Joseph Smith taught, “God Himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!” Mormonism also holds to a plurality of Gods and contends that “as man is God once was; as God is man may become.” Additionally, the Latter-day Saints compromise the nature of the God-man, Jesus Christ. In Christianity, Jesus is the self-existent creator of all things. In Mormonism, he is the spirit brother of Lucifer who was conceived in heaven by a celestial Mother and came in flesh as the result of the Father having sex with the Virgin Mary.

 

Mormonism vs. Christianity - Revelation
Furthermore, in sharp distinction to orthodox Christian theology, Mormons do not believe that the Bible is the infallible repository for redemptive revelation. In their view, the Book of Mormon is “the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion.” Two further revelations complete the Mormon quad, namely Doctrines and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price. Doctrines and Covenants is a compilation of divine revelations that includes the doctrine of polygamy. Not until threatened by the federal government did Mormon president Wilford Woodruff receive a revelation relegating polygamy to the afterlife. The Pearl of Great Price is no less troubling. It was this extra-biblical revelation that was used by Mormonism to prevent African Americans from entering the priesthood and from being exalted to godhood.

 

Mormonism vs. Christianity - Heaven
Finally, while Christians believe that they will stand before God dressed in the spotless robes of Christ’s righteousness, Mormons contend that they will appear before heavenly Father dressed in fig-leaf aprons holding good works in their hands. According to the Latter-day Saints, virtually everyone qualifies for heaven. Murderers, unrepentant whoremongers and the world’s vilest people make it into the Telestial heaven; lukewarm Mormons, religious people, and those who accept the Mormon gospel in the spirit world typically enter the Terrestrial heaven; and temple Mormons make it to the Celestial heaven. Only those who are sealed in secret temple rituals, however, will make it to the third level of the Celestial kingdom, become God’s of their own planets.

 

That the following beliefs of Christianity have been brought down through the ages as follows:

The Bible is the only inspired, infallible, and authoritative written Word of God, penned by man with the leading of the Holy Spirit.

There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Christians believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His personal, future return to this earth in power and glory to rule a thousand years.

The blessed hope in the rapture of the Church at Christ's coming. The Church is all who believe in Jesus as their Savior.

The only means of being cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious blood of Christ. Good works alone will not get you into heaven, although good works should follow those who believe.

We believe in water baptism by immersion. This is a public display of the authenticity of your repentance.

Spiritual healing and deliverance comes by the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. Isaiah 53:5b says, "By His wounds we are healed."

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is given to all believers at the moment of salvation. God desires us to have a personal relationship with Him and through His Holy Spirit, we communicate with Him.

Christians believe in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit's indwelling. The Christian can live a holy life.

The beliefs of Christianity state the resurrection of the saved and the lost, the one to everlasting life and the other to everlasting damnation. Then Jesus will establish His eternal kingdom.
 

 

 

[florduh]

I suppose that since Christianity is older it seems more "trustworthy." IDK, all revealed religions are without a rational leg to stand on.

[MOHO]

It's not.

 

Been there.

 

Rejected that. (both)

 

It is puzzling, @Geezer, how xtians flat-out reject Mormonism but remain steadfast to their own crazy-ass beliefs. I had to set Mrs. MOHO straight last week on the fact that Mormons believe in the same Bible as xitans - they just have another book that refutes, confuses, contradicts (yeah..I know), overrules, and generally relegates both the old and new testicles to also-ran status.  

 

Fundies: "Mormons can't be God!" "Only Jesus can be God!"

MOHO: "How can Jesus be God?"

Fundies: "Because he's God's son!"

MOHO: "So are we...according to the Mormon doctrine."

Fundies: "Mormon doctrine is made up!"

MOHO: "And xiantiy is..."

 

Fundies: "Stop it!" "Shut up!" "It's in the Bible!" "Read the Bible!" "Get behind me, Satan!" 

       Of course, with Mrs. MOHO, serious nastiness and general hate ensues. I'm sure this is fueled by fear and I told her as much in our last convo. 

[ToonForever]

I've thought about this quite often, coming from a town that was heavily Mormon and having good friends who are. Of course, when you're a fundie, as I was for a quarter century, that's your entire context - your point of view is from within.

 

But beyond the fact that I was in one camp criticizing another, I think Western Culture is so steeped in, so saturated with the basic Christian narrative (Jesus, born of Virgin Mary, perfect life, died on the Cross, Resurrection, Judgement, Heaven/Hell) that beliefs that depart from what many of us learned though even our public holidays seem strange. Even nominal/holiday Christians retain enough to recognize when a belief departs from the cultural norm (getting your own planet, Satan and Jesus brothers, spirit babies, baptizing for the dead, etc.) That difference contributes to its strangeness, and that makes it far less believable.

 

From the outside, of course, the belief sets are equally ridiculous. Viewing them that way is a step we consciously take, otherwise, the less familiar becomes less belieavable.

[mwc]

     Mormonism was totally made up by just some dude to scam everyone.  Plus magic underwear.  And polygamy.

 

     Christianity was brought to us by a 100% human/100% god, in human form, in order to give us salvation if we believe he died for a weekend.

 

     I think the difference is clear.

 

          mwc