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LDS and other churchs

Wilder

Re-directed Mormon
I am unsure of the differences between the LDS church and other churches. Recently some LDS missionaries came by and just when i thought I had a hold on religion, I realized that I kinda don't.
Please anyone, tell me the different principles, because LDS believe that one gets baptized, recieves the holy ghost, and follow the commandments; and you basically got it. But isn't that like other religions? Wouldn't that make the LDS just like the other churches.
I have a sincere concern to know...
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
I am unsure of the differences between the LDS church and other churches. Recently some LDS missionaries came by and just when i thought I had a hold on religion, I realized that I kinda don't.
Please anyone, tell me the different principles, because LDS believe that one gets baptized, recieves the holy ghost, and follow the commandments; and you basically got it. But isn't that like other religions? Wouldn't that make the LDS just like the other churches.
I have a sincere concern to know...
You've got to clarify a few things before I am going to feel comfortable answering this question. Are you or are you not LDS? How long have you been LDS? Why, if you are LDS, were you meeting with the missionaries? What has led you to believe that you no longer "have a hold on religion"?
 

Wilder

Re-directed Mormon
All right person, I have been LDS for 7 years...I met the missionaries because I fed them...and I really do like this church but when you learn things as a child you don't question them...my testimony is totally cliched... I am LDS with reasonable doubt...
 

FFH

Veteran Member
The LDS church is true my friend. We have the "most truth" of any religion and all the necessary priesthoods and teachings for one to be saved and exalted with God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. No other religion can offer as much as we offer, as far as salvation and exaltation (life with God) is concerned.

Ask away...we're all ears...
 

jonny

Well-Known Member
I am unsure of the differences between the LDS church and other churches. Recently some LDS missionaries came by and just when i thought I had a hold on religion, I realized that I kinda don't.
Please anyone, tell me the different principles, because LDS believe that one gets baptized, recieves the holy ghost, and follow the commandments; and you basically got it. But isn't that like other religions? Wouldn't that make the LDS just like the other churches.
I have a sincere concern to know...

A lot of Christian churches don't believe baptism is necessary for salvation. That's one place where the LDS church and other churches differ. Also, the LDS Church and most Christian churches have a pretty different view over heaven and hell. The hell (aka Outer Darkness) of Mormonism is much smaller than the hell in most of Christianity. There are churches where following the commandments isn't really even necessary because they believe once you're saved or born again you're done - they believe saved Christians can't be "unsaved" or lost.

The questions you asked are pretty broad. The theology of Mormonism vs. traditional Christianity is pretty different, which is one reason there was a need for the Restoration.
 

imbobbbb

Member
its difficult to give a simple answer as there are thousands of 'christian' denominations and many have beliefs that vary pretty wildly from each other.most[not all] believe in the trinity,most do not believe in 'continuing revelation',many believe hell will be a 'very' crowded place,many dont believe baptism through immersion is important,some believe that once you 'accept jesus into your heart' you pretty much have 'diplomatic immunity' from severe penalty for sin thereafter .most do not believe in pre-mortal existense .in a 'lot' of ways the lds are like a 'lot' of other churches.in general almost all christian churches believe jesus was the son of God and savoir of the world.they believe in the atonement ,resurrection,and ascension of Jesus to heaven......on this site you can click on the various denomination specific boards to get a general overview of what they believe.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
All right person, I have been LDS for 7 years...I met the missionaries because I fed them...and I really do like this church but when you learn things as a child you don't question them...my testimony is totally cliched... I am LDS with reasonable doubt...
Okay, well your questios and statements make a whole lot more sense now. May I make a suggestion? Question everything. Recognize that it's okay to doubt. Look for answers and don't be afraid of what you might find. Don't believe everything you read or hear either. Measure the teachings of the Church against what feels right to you, to what you personally believe to be true and what you want to believe is true. Then pray, pray, pray. And listen for an answer. It WILL come.

I was raised LDS but not by your stereotypical LDS parents. My parents encouraged me to question and never made me feel like I was "bad" if I had doubts. For years, I just sort of plodded along, feeling like the Church was probably true, but never really caring enough to find out for sure. Then one day, I heard someone say that Mormons aren't Christians. Of course that struck me as absurd, but it also made me wonder what on earth would cause someone to say such a thing. I started looking into some of the claims anti-Mormons make about our beliefs and found most of them to be absolutely ridiculous. That's how my interest in LDS apologetics began. I wanted to be able to defend my beliefs, but I also wanted to know if they were worth defending. It took about ten years, but I finally came to the conclusion that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be. The Church is true. I didn't come to this realization through listening to my parents, Sunday School teachers or Seminary teachers. My testimony was gained by doing the things I suggested you do. Good luck.
 
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stacey bo bacey

oh no you di'int
The LDS church is true my friend. We have the "most truth" of any religion and all the necessary priesthoods and teachings for one to be saved and exalted with God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. No other religion can offer as much as we offer, as far as salvation and exaltation (life with God) is concerned.

Ask away...we're all ears...

Sounds like a sales pitch. :rolleyes:
 
LDS vs. Christian (Evangelicals anyway...)


LDS: God was once a man who attained the station of godhood (King Follett Sermon [or KFD]).

Christian: God has always been God (Psalm. 90:2).

***

LDS: "Full" Salvation, or Eternal Life is defined as attaining godhood yourself and populating new worlds which you create (KFD).

Christian: Eternal Life is being one with God and living with Him for the rest of eternity. There will be rewards and new opportunities to serve (Revelation 21). "Before me [God] no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me" (Isaiah 43:10).

***

LDS: Salvation is therefore something which you achieve by obedience to the Law with God's Help.

Christian: Salvation is something God does to you through faith. Obedience is the grateful response (Romans 3).

***

These are the three biggest differences in my view. Also implicit in these differences is a different view of revelation. The LDS teach that new revelation can override the old, whereas the Christians will (or would) only accept that which compliments the old, and nothing that contradicts it.

The LDS faith starts with a negative declaration: "All other churches are false, the Gospel must be restored." The Christian faith starts with the positive declaration: "The scriptures prophesied the Messiah, He has come and He has risen." Both statements are taken on faith, but which is more sound?

With the Christian faith you need only believe that God told us what He was going to do and did it. With LDS faith you have believe that the death of 12 good men, the laziness and corruption of others, and perhaps even the schemes of the Devil were enough to undo what God had done to the point where a whole new fresh start was needed. I don't have that kind of faith.
 
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jonny

Well-Known Member
LDS: God was once a man who attained the station of godhood (King Follett Sermon [or KFD]).

Christian: God has always been God (Psalm. 90:2).
All Christians believe God was once a man. You usually refer to him as Jesus Christ.

LDS: "Full" Salvation, or Eternal Life is defined as attaining godhood yourself and populating new worlds which you create (KFD).

Christian: Eternal Life is being one with God and living with Him for the rest of eternity. There will be rewards and new opportunities to serve (Revelation 21). "Before me [God] no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me" (Isaiah 43:10).
I'm going to have to leave this one until after work because it needs a more detailed response.

LDS: Salvation is therefore something which you achieve by obedience to the Law with God's Help.

Christian: Salvation is something God does to you through faith. Obedience is the grateful response (Romans 3).
I think you're misunderstanding the difference between Salvation and Exaltation.


These are the three biggest differences in my view. Also implicit in these differences is a different view of revelation. The LDS teach that new revelation can override the old, whereas the Christians will (or would) only accept that which compliments the old, and nothing that contradicts it.
Most Christians don't believe revelation is even possible these days. God has said everything he's going to say.

The LDS faith starts with a negative declaration: "All other churches are false, the Gospel must be restored." The Christian faith starts with the positive declaration: "The scriptures prophesied the Messiah, He has come and He has risen." Both statements are taken on faith, but which is more sound?
The Mormons believe that "positive declaration" also, so I don't get your point.

With the Christian faith you need only believe that God told us what He was going to do and did it. With LDS faith you have believe that the death of 12 good men, the laziness and corruption of others, and perhaps even the schemes of the Devil were enough to undo what God had done to the point where a whole new fresh start was needed. I don't have that kind of faith.
Depends on which Christian church you belong to. All of them have a different angle on what you have to believe and whether or not salvation entails things from simply signing a statement out of the back of a comic book to baptism and confirmation.
 

FFH

Veteran Member
Since Wilder the OP and FFH are both LDS, I don't think anyone was really advertising just more emphasis on their belief......
Right, encouragement from one brother to another, a positive affirmation of faith.
 
Quote:
LDS: God was once a man who attained the station of godhood (King Follett Sermon [or KFD]).

Christian: God has always been God (Psalm. 90:2).

All Christians believe God was once a man. You usually refer to him as Jesus Christ.
You are side stepping the issue. Do you, or do you not believe that a Christian like me believes in a different kind of God than you do?

LDS God starts as a man and advances to Godhood.
Xtian God is always God, comes to earth as a man while remaining God.

I think you're misunderstanding the difference between Salvation and Exaltation.
I know in LDS teaching that there are different levels of Salvation. But isn't the "Fullnes of Salvation" defined as Exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom, and Exaltation being Godhood and eternal progression as well as procreation?

Most Christians don't believe revelation is even possible these days. God has said everything he's going to say.
You are right, most Christians do think that, but without any Biblical basis as far as I'm concerned. The NT says not to despise prophesies but to test everything. I personally would gladly accept new revelation, but none has yet passed the test that I know of.

Quote:
The LDS faith starts with a negative declaration: "All other churches are false, the Gospel must be restored." The Christian faith starts with the positive declaration: "The scriptures prophesied the Messiah, He has come and He has risen." Both statements are taken on faith, but which is more sound?
The Mormons believe that "positive declaration" also, so I don't get your point.
I am not saying that LDS do not also believe in the Resurrection. The point is that before you can accept the LDS faith as legitimate you must believe that all other christian faiths are false (similar to Islam where it is also taught that the Christians and Jews corupted the Bible, so the Koran was needed). Otherwise there is no need for a Restoration, Book of Mormon, a Prophet or any LDS Church.

After the negative, then comes the positive assertions (which we tend to agree on). Christianity didn't start with "Judaism is false," just "He is risen." See the difference?

Quote:
With the Christian faith you need only believe that God told us what He was going to do and did it. With LDS faith you have believe that the death of 12 good men, the laziness and corruption of others, and perhaps even the schemes of the Devil were enough to undo what God had done to the point where a whole new fresh start was needed. I don't have that kind of faith.
Depends on which Christian church you belong to. All of them have a different angle on what you have to believe and whether or not salvation entails things from simply signing a statement out of the back of a comic book to baptism and confirmation.
I'm not talking about "how do you get saved" formulas here. This goes back to the negative and positive starting points for the two different faiths. With the LDS faith you have to believe in a total Apostacy of the Church, occurring shortly after the deaths of the 12 (again, without which there is no need for the Mormon faith).
 
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