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Mormons believe all religions contain truth?

Many Sages One Truth

Active Member
I ask because I have been surprised by how many Mormon discussion boards I've come across on the internet where Mormons were discussing the truths of other religions, or saying they believed another religious figure could have been a messenger of God.

What do Mormons believe about this, and what is the spiritual state of those who follow other religions?
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
I ask because I have been surprised by how many Mormon discussion boards I've come across on the internet where Mormons were discussing the truths of other religions, or saying they believed another religious figure could have been a messenger of God.

What do Mormons believe about this, and what is the spiritual state of those who follow other religions?
Interesting you should ask. I just returned from a 2-day conference in which the closing 1-hour presentation was entitled, "Mormonism, Islam, and the Question of Other Religions." The presenter is an LDS scholar who earned his Ph.D. in Near Eastern studies and Cultures from UCLA. He is a professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic at BYU (which probably accounts for the specific mention of Islam in the title of his paper). It was an incredible speech. I'm sure it will be available in its entirety at some point in the relatively near future, but just as a brief response to your question, yes, we absolutely do believe that there is truth in all religions, even non-Christian ones. Here are a couple of statements on the topic from the LDS leadership. He quoted dozens more -- I just knew where to find these two:

In 1978, President Spencer W. Kimball and the First Presidency issued the following statement: “The great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals.”

B. H. Roberts had previously stated: “While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is established for the instruction of men, it is ONE of God’s instrumentalities for making known the truth; yet God is not limited to that institution for such purposes, neither in time nor place. He raises up wise men and prophets here and there among all the children of men, of their own tongue and nationality, speaking to them through means that they can comprehend; not always giving a fulness of truth such as may be found in the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ; but always giving that measure of truth that the people are prepared to receive. Mormonism holds, then, that all the great teachers are servants of God among all nations and in all ages. They are inspired men, appointed to instruct God’s children according to the conditions in the midst of which he finds them… Whenever God finds a soul sufficiently enlightened and pure; one with whom His Spirit can communicate, lo! He makes of him a teacher of men.”

Briefly (since I've got to sign off for awhile), we believe that everyone who has ever lived will have the opportunity to know and understand the gospel of Jesus Christ before they are called to stand before God to be judged. We believe that ultimately almost no one will be lost. To us, Heaven is large enough for all of God's children -- and we are all God's children. Though there are different heavenly kingdoms or "degrees of glory" in Heaven, the religion to which a person adhered during this lifetime is not the sole determining factor in his what his final destiny will be. We don't believe that our opportunities to acquire and recognize truth end at death, but continue after death until the time of our resurrections.
 
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idea

Question Everything
Our religious is based on the idea that God speaks to all the people of the Earth (not just the Jewish people) - that is the whole idea of the Book of Mormon - it is record of God's dealings with another people...

(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 29:7 - 13)
7 Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?
8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of btwo nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.
9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.
10 Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.
11 For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.
12 For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.
13 And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.


We look forward to the day when all the "lost tribes of Israel" will be gathered together again.
 

zomg

I aim to misbehave!
The Mormon church has learned over the years to soften its approach when talking about other religions. In the early days you had the prophets condemning non-Mormons to hell and portraying Christian ministers as servants of Satan, willing to do what he says for money and calling the Catholic church the "whore of all the earth".

Realizing this isn't a good way to win converts or be friends with other religions the Mormon church had done a lot to make itself look like a typical Christian religion. So far it has worked.

However, the Mormon church's doctrine of "The Great Apostasy" is still insulting to many Christians. And the Book of Mormon still contains passages talking about any non-Mormon church as being the church of the devil :thud:
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
However, the Mormon church's doctrine of "The Great Apostasy" is still insulting to many Christians. And the Book of Mormon still contains passages talking about any non-Mormon church as being the church of the devil :thud:
I don't think the phrase "any non-Mormon Church" is even found in the Book of Mormon, Fire. Of course, you can spin the actual wording to mean anything you want it to mean. That's something you're getting to be pretty good at.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
By the way, folks, FireOfTheCovenant was formerly a Mormon. He has, for all intents and purposes, left the Church. Keep that in mind when reading his posts, as they will definitely present Church doctrines and history from the point of view of an ex-Mormon with an ax to grind. It's unfortunate that he can't be mature enough to just leave his past behind him and move on to something that works better for him.
 
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tomato1236

Ninja Master
Yeah. We don't have a monopoly on truths. Just because we believe we have the fulness, doesn't mean we exclusively own all the parts. When I heard the original story and teachings of Muhammed, I couldn't help but assume he probably had the angelic visitation he claimed to have. There are similarities between buddhist temples and the original jewish ones. I don't see why God wouldn't have taught his people in Asia long before there was regular contact with the West. Things just slowly change over time. People find "improvements" to the gospel, and whether with good or bad intentions, they change it. I see this happen even within my own congregation. This is why we have a living prophet with authority to receive revelation from God to direct our church and its doctrine; to keep us from following every wind of doctrine, but instead on the straight and narrow.
 

DavyCrocket2003

Well-Known Member
Yeah. We don't have a monopoly on truths. Just because we believe we have the fulness, doesn't mean we exclusively own all the parts. When I heard the original story and teachings of Muhammed, I couldn't help but assume he probably had the angelic visitation he claimed to have. There are similarities between buddhist temples and the original jewish ones. I don't see why God wouldn't have taught his people in Asia long before there was regular contact with the West. Things just slowly change over time. People find "improvements" to the gospel, and whether with good or bad intentions, they change it. I see this happen even within my own congregation. This is why we have a living prophet with authority to receive revelation from God to direct our church and its doctrine; to keep us from following every wind of doctrine, but instead on the straight and narrow.

You know, I think the phrase "have the fulness" is a really interesting one. I would agree that the Gospel of Jesus Christ contains a fulness of truth. But how many of us have actually received that fulness? I know I haven't! The Gospel will lead people to Christ as quickly as they will follow it, and no quicker. Gaining truth and light requires desiring and seeking it and realizing that we have yet a great deal to learn and become. Unfortunately many people in the church get stuck on the idea that we have the "fulness of truth" and become complacent and careless. This means that while we could be learning, growing and progressing, we are instead gradually slipping away from the "peaceable things of the kingdom." It seems to be the nature of people that when they obtain some knowledge as they deem, they start putting on airs and becoming self righteous and pompous. If only we could maintain the humble desire to grow and improve, we would learn so much.

I believe this is why we are required to offer a broken heart and a contrite spirit; we must be prepared to learn and accept change.
 
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