Are Mormons Christians Author:Stephen E. Robinson As wholehearted believers in Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God and our Lord and Savior, Latter-day Saints have reactions ranging from puzzlement to frustration on being told they are not Christians. Why this accusation? — This well-written, stimulating book gets to the heart of the problem: the accusation generally has nothin... more »g to do with convictions about Christ but everything to do with the accuser's faulty perceptions or flawed logic. Thus, notwithstanding his firm Latter-day Saint convictions, the author does not set out to "prove" doctrines but rather to argue for equity--for the same rules to be applied to Latter-day Saints and others alike.
With sparkling clarity the author develops his theme under several well-defined heads. For example, some use the term Christian to mean one who believes what they believe. Exclusion is justified too by misrepresentations of official Latter-day Saint doctrine. Exclusion by name-calling sees the Latter-day Saint church as a "cult," a term the author shows to be equally applicable to the New Testament Church "and to most of today's mainline denominations . . . in their infancy." The historical or traditional exclusions rests on the doctrines of post-apostolic church councils (which Mormons see as part of the prophesied apostasy), and some of which are rejected by major churches whose Christian status nevertheless is not questioned. It is similar with other exclusions discussed.
Throughout, the author vividly brings out the inconsistencies under which Mormons are judged not to be Christian while churches and individuals, both contemporary and historical, have believed or behaved in ways comparable to those of modern Latter-day Saints while clearly retaining the identity of Christian.
This well-researched book will help Latter-day Saints answer critics' objections, reassure and fortify Church members whose families or friends fear they have joined "a cult," and educate all who read it on the relationship between the religion of the New Testament, the religion of "traditional" Christianity, and the religion of the Latter-day Saints.« less