Pure Christianity and Mormonism

Many questions and opinions exist about what it means to be a Christian and how to define Pure Christianity. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently called the Mormon Church) believe that Christ’s pure doctrine has been restored and can be found in their Church.

Who Are Christians?

The name Christian was first given to believers in Jesus Christ: “The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). The name may have been a slur initially, but followers of Jesus Christ accepted it (see 1 Peter 4:16). Earlier, however, it appears that those who followed Jesus Christ were called Saints (see Acts 9:32, 41).

Christians, then, are those who follow and believe in Jesus Christ. They generally believe that He is the Son of God, that He was born of the Virgin Mary, that He performed miracles, that He atoned for the sins of the world, and that He was crucified and then resurrected.

 At the heart of the Christian faith are the life, teachings, and ministry of Jesus Christ. But the Christian world is vast, with great variations of doctrine. Despite their universal acceptance of Jesus Christ, Christian churches (there are over 30,000 sects) do not always accept each other as Christian if their doctrinal beliefs are different. It is common for many Christians to reject members of The Church of Jesus Christ as Christians. However, members of The Church of Jesus Christ consider themselves devout Christians and call themselves Latter-day Saints.

What Is Pure Christianity?

Webster’s dictionary has several definitions for the word “pure,” some of which seem pertinent to this discussion: “being thus and no other,” “containing nothing that does not properly belong,” “free from  . . . taint.”

Christianity, in general, is divided by variations of doctrine. Consequently, Christians are divided in what defines Pure Christianity. What properly belongs? Has it been tainted?

What Happened to Change Pure Christianity?

In March 2012, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, one of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ, was invited to speak at Harvard Law School during the Latter-day Saint Student Association’s annual Mormonism 101 series. His remarks explain some of the doctrine variations that occurred after the death of Jesus Christ.

“There was a true church once in the meridian of time, in which Jesus Christ was the chief cornerstone and the personification of its divinity, with mortal men called as prophets and apostles to form a foundational footing around Him. These apostles, with other teachers and priests, pastors, and members in general constituted a figurative building, a church, which Paul described as being ‘fitly framed together  . . . for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, [and] for the edifying of the body of Christ.’ . . .

“So what ensued was a millennium and a half of destroying Paul’s hope that there would be a ‘unity of the faith, and [a] knowledge of the Son of God, . . . that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.’ [Ephesians 4:13–14.] It is commonplace to note that in the Christian world we now see anything but ‘a unity of faith’ or any real Christian cohesiveness that could remotely be called ‘the building fitly framed together’ that would reaffirm ‘one Lord, one faith, one baptism’ [Ephesians 4:5].”¹

Elder Holland also explained the Christian doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ and how it varies from other churches:

 “We are not considered Christian by some because we are not fourth-century Christians, we are not Nicene Christians, we are not creedal Christians of the brand that arose hundreds of years after Christ. No, when we speak of ‘restored Christianity’ we speak of the Church as it was in its New Testament purity, not as it became when great councils were called to debate and anguish over what it was they really believed. So if one means Greek-influenced, council-convening, philosophy-flavored Christianity of post-apostolic times, we are not that kind of Christian. Peter we know, and Paul we know, but Constantine and Athanasius, Athens and Alexandria we do not know. (Actually, we know them, we just don’t follow them.)”²

 Elder Gary J. Coleman, of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ, grew up as a devout member of another Christian faith. He had thought he would enter the full-time ministry of that church. When he was 21 years old, however, he learned about The Church of Jesus Christ. He said that “he began to learn about the doctrine of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in these latter days” and learned truths that he had not known before that changed his life and how he viewed the gospel. “After much studying, prayer, and faith,” he “chose to embrace beautiful restored truths found only in this Church.”³

The Pure Doctrine in The Church of Jesus Christ

The Church of Jesus Christ teaches and believes that restored truths from Christ’s church include:

• · “God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are separate and distinct beings with glorified bodies of flesh and bone.”

• · “The scriptural canon is not closed, . . . the heavens are open with revelatory experience.”

• · “Divine priesthood authority to provide the saving sacraments—the ordinances—of the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . has been restored to the earth by those who held it anciently.”⁴ “Everypriesthood holder in this Church can trace his priesthood authority directly to Jesus Christ.”⁵

Other Christians usually disagree with Latter-day Saints, but “Mormons” believe that they are devout Christians ho believe that the pure gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored and can be found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

1. http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/harvard-elder-holland-mormonism-remarks.
2. http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/harvard-elder-holland-mormonism-remarks.
3. http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/mom-are-we-christians?lang=eng.
4. http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/harvard-elder-holland-mormonism-remarks; see http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/mom-are-we-christians?lang=eng.
5. http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/mom-are-we-christians?lang=eng.