Why I Think I am Christian

For some reason, mormons seem to need more proof than anyone else that they are Christian.  If you belong to another branch of Christianity and you feel like you constantly need to prove that you are Christian, let me know.  I'd like to hear about it.  I don't want to tell anyone with a love for the Savior that they are not Christian, no matter how Saul-like (pre-road-to-Damascus, I mean) he/she is. 

I have some thoughts about being respectful toward the faiths of other people (especially of different faith within the same sect), but I will save those thoughts for later.  For now, I just want to explain why I think I am Christian.  I've listed a few arguments people have come up with to prove mormons aren't Christian, and if you can think of more arguments, I'd love to hear them.   Go ahead and comment at the bottom. 

Mormons aren't Christian because they worship Joseph Smith.  I'd like to dedicate this first paragraph to statements that are just completely false.  If you really believe this you need to start reading something.  Even wikipedia.org would help you get over some of these doubts (which by the way, though wikipedia.org is not famous for its accuracy, I've read quite a bit about the church from there and I've yet to find something offense or outright wrong).  We don't worship Joseph Smith, we don't deny that the Bible is inspired of Almighty God, we don't endorse incest or any corruption of the sanctity of holy matrimony.  I'm sure there are lots of other lies going around, and if you want to share them with me I would be glad to dispel them. 

Mormons aren’t Christian because they are polytheistic.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines polytheism as “belief in or worship of more than one god.”  In one sense we qualify.  In another sense, we do not.  Do we believe in more than one god?   Well, we believe in Jesus Christ and He taught that we are gods (John 10:34). Since we believe in the words of Christ, we believe there is more than one God.  So, in this sense, I am unashamed to announce that I am a polytheist.  

Do we worship more than one god?  We worship God the Father and his Son whom he hath a sent and they are one (John 17:3,11).  So, in this sense, I am unashamed to announce that I am a monotheist.  

Mormons aren’t Christian because they believe that we are all part of a Heavenly Family, including a Heavenly Mother: Attacks on this ideas seem to come from the idea that taking part in procreation was the original sin.  If someone ever shows me some scriptural support for this idea, I'll have some reconsidering to do.  Until then, I suggest that anyone who thinks Heavenly Father did not plan on families being central to his eternal plan should start by reading Genesis, chapters 2 and 17 quickly come to mind.  If you still have concerns after that, I'd be glad to have  conversation about it.  

Mormons aren’t Christian because they believe they can become like God.  Here, I should reiterate that Jesus taught that we are gods.  In addition to John 10:34, I suggest reading John 17.  If you still think this idea makes mormonism unchristian, perhaps it would help to remember that we have been promised that we are “joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16).  

Mormons aren’t Christian because they believe that Heavenly Father progressed to become what he is.  We believe that God is Eternal, that He is constant and unchanging throughout eternity.  What does eternity mean?  Going back to Merriam-Webster, eternity is “infinite time.”  Now, both of these terms are pretty complicated.  For a few thousand years we thought we knew what time was and we found out we were embarrassingly wrong (Einstein, 1916).  If someone claims to understand eternity, I would like to meet the person.  All I will say at present is that I believe it is possible that God has not changed (nor will He) at all in what we call time and yet had to grow to be perfect, as did His Only Begotten Son After the Flesh, Jesus Christ.  

This argument probably sounds too philosophical and not theological.   I would have to agree.  I don’t know how to completely avoid such natural philosophy when discussing these questions.  But, my argument is not theologically void.  Jesus Christ taught that he “could do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the father do” (John 5:19).  The gospel of John also states “and of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16).  About this verse, Joseph Smith commented that “[John] saw that [Jesus Christ] received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace” (D&C 93:12).  If Jesus did, then the Father must have also, and so will we.  

Mormons aren't Christian because they believe the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  John the revelator knew that there would be an apostasy, that is that there would be people who "say they are apostles, and are not" (The Revelation 2:2) and so he warned these people that "if any [person] shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book" (The Revelation 22:18).  A similar warning was given by Moses to the Children of Israel (Deuteronomy 4:2).  Now, if you think that means that your safe in believing nothing but the bible, you should remember that John also warned that "if any [person] shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life" (The Revelation 22:19).  As a believer in the bible, how can you be sure part of John's prophecy hasn't been taken away already?  Has some false apostle already taken from what God intended us to have? 

Well, the short answer is you have absolutely no way of knowing whether the bible is missing some important information . . . unless you "ask of God" (James 1:5).  But, if you get an answer, would that be revelation that adds to what the bible says?  Not necessarily.  It might just confirm what the  bible says.  Either way, you cannot know whether the bible is correct and complete unless you know "by the Holy Ghost" (1 Corinthians 12:3) and that implies receiving revelation.  

Some people criticize the  Book of Mormon without realizing that "the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that [Jesus Christ] is God" (2 Nephi 29:8).  I join the millions of missionaries before me and "invite [you] to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in [your heart] the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true" (Introduction to the Book of Mormon). 

I believe in and worship Jesus Christ.  I have dedicated my life to trying to understand and follow his teachings.  I don't believe that being a wretched man like Paul (Romans 7:24) keeps me from being Christian.  I believe that Jesus Christ is "the way, the truth, and the life," and that "no man cometh unto the Father but by [him]" (John 14:6).  I may have some changes I need to make in my life, but I think I am a Christian.