No. No one, of course, can see into anyone else’s heart. What we can do, however, is listen to another person’s profession of faith. Mormons do not believe that which is essential to the Christian faith. There are many areas of disagreement among Christians. We call these “intra-mural” debates, literally, “within the walls” debates. The walls represent the division between Christians and non-Christians. Christians debate about the order of events at the end of the world. They argue about the timing of the creation. They argue about who the proper recipients of baptism are. They have these arguments, however, as Christians together.
That the arguments exist doesn’t mean either that there is no right answer, nor that we have no duty to embrace the right answer. They simply reveal the weaknesses or failures of Christians, not one of which has everything right. Today I read on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan page an article that said Tom Clements was born in 1963. He was born in 1953. I knew the author had made a mistake because I remember watching Tom Clements play quarterback for Notre Dame in the early 1970s. Does that make me a better Steeler fan? Of course not. On the issue of the birth year, two fans disagreed. If, however, the author had said “I hate the Steelers” he could not at the same time rightly say “I am a Steeler fan.”
Mormons have more problems in their theology than you can shake a stick at. They have a supposedly ancient text that quotes from the King James Bible. They not only intentionally deny the deity of Christ but unintentionally deny the deity of the Father. In fact, Mormonism tells us nothing about the God who created all things, the self-existent One. It is, however, the denial of the deity of Christ that most clearly and immediately puts Mormonism outside the bounds of the Christian faith. Affirming that Jesus is God incarnate isn’t just a debatable side issue to the Christian faith, but is essential. It is of the essence of the Christian faith. Take that doctrine away and what you have left, whatever it might be, isn’t Christian.
Mormons may believe there is an objective standard of right and wrong. They may believe there are only two genders. They may believe wives are to submit to their own husbands. They may be pro-life. They may be clean-cut. They may be devout. They may say nice things about Jesus. Their faith, however, is not a Christian faith. I’m old enough to remember when they themselves acknowledged this. Just a few decades ago Mormonism publicly affirmed that orthodox Christians were not believers in the true religion, and that we would go to hell when we die. Now, however, they just want to find room inside our tent. There is, however, no room for them there. Not because we’re mean and narrow-minded. Not because we are overly persnickety over the details of our religion. There is no room because only those who affirm, among other things, that Jesus is God incarnate fit inside the tent. They do not need our approval. They need to hear and embrace the gospel.
Well said, RC. Thanks