I have grown up with Mormon friends, and today live in a neighborhood dominated by Mormons. My kids go to school with lots of Mormons. And a good friend of our congregation, who is a regular at some of our events, is a Mormon. So while I’ve never studied Mormon theology, I know enough to say one thing emphatically: Mormonism is not Christianity.
You probably don’t want a lesson on Mormon theology, so I will stick with one fundamental idea that differentiates the two faiths, and that is who God is. First, Mormons have a saying that goes, “As we are, God once was; and as God is, so shall we be.” In other words, God was once a person like everyone else, who was eventually elevated to becoming God. As problematic as that is (and nevermind all those universes out there apparently still waiting for a god to show up), I want to focus on just one part of it, which is the polytheistic element. If we can all become gods, then there are multiple gods. It doesn’t matter if we each get our own universe, planet, or country. The size of the geography is irrelevant. If you believe in a theoretically unlimited number of universes (which is a theory of quantum physics), each having its own god doesn’t make it monotheistic. In contrast, Deuteronomy 6:4 gives us one of the fundamental passages of scripture, known as the Shema, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” There is only one God, here and everywhere. That rules out Mormonism being Christian.
Then we add to that the triune nature of God. Mormons do not believe that there has always existed one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The triune nature of the Christian God is one of its unique beliefs, and one cannot claim to be Christian while denying the Trinity. If one redefines who God is, it doesn’t matter if 99% of the vocabulary is the same, it’s still wrong.
This is not a slam on Mormons. They are friendly, well-meaning, family oriented people. They care about the good of our communities, and frankly put most Christians to shame when it comes to caring for others and sharing their faith. But it is their faith. Many are confused about whether or not they are Christians with a little bit extra (like holy underwear). We should not be confused about this. Mormons are not Christians, and are in need of the gospel as much as anyone else.
