MadChemist
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- Sep 11, 2017
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What I perceive the difference in Christianity and Mormonism doctrine to be:
Christians believe in Faith and Grace.
My understanding is that the Mormons certainly accept the Faith but have a different view of Grace. A big difference.
The Morons are a much more deeds centered religion and that is not real Christianity. That flys in the face of the concept of Grace.
The Mormons that I have discussed this with have all denied it to some degree or another but I think that is a fact.
No offense to any Mormon but I do not consider them to be Christians. At least not my Protestant understanding of Christianity.
Before denying anything, you'd have to explain the nature of Faith and Grace as you see it.
I can only do the same and then we can compare notes.
Also, what do you mean by deeds centered ?
I'll put forth this paragraph from Dallin H. Oaks from a fantastic address given in 2001:
From such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.
I found this to elucidate something that had eluded my ability to put into words.
With respect to Grace, or the relationship between grace and deeds, the Book of Mormon teaches:
23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
As a general rule, I would say that our modern day leaders constantly testify of the central importance of the Atonement (often called one of the three pillars of eternity) in our lives. Without the Atonement, doing for us what we can't do for ourselves......there would be no salvation.
I do not apologize for any differences. We are who we are and we teach what we teach:
From the same talk given by Oaks in 2001, we also are taught that we qualify for Eteranl Live through the process of conversion (change).
We are challenged to move through a process of conversion toward that status and condition called eternal life. This is achieved not just by doing what is right, but by doing it for the right reason—for the pure love of Christ.
That process of conversion is something we chose to engage in, but would not be possible without the Atonement.
Unless I misunderstood the point you were making you were making the case for deeds.
Christians do not believe that you must do X, Y and Z before being accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven. You just have Faith and accept the Grace of God.
That, by the way, should lead to doing good deeds but being humans with free will we will always fall short of doing the right thing. Thank God that He has given us His Grace and that Jesus took that burden from us. He has forgiven us for not being perfect.
I have had this discussion many times during the time I lived among the Mormons. I have come to the conclusion that Mormons are not on the same page with the concept of Grace as Protestants or Catholics. Not by a long shot.
I would agree in the sense that we believe we do have an active part in our salvation.
I don't run from what we teach and what I believe to be true.
But deeds alone don't do it.
Not, as you say, by a long shot.
Christ does for us what we can't do for ourselves. Gethsemane was the heavy lifting done on behalf of all of us. We have to accept that and recognize that without him, heaven would never be a reality. Of course, the mormon concept of heaven is somewhat different from the protestant concept...
However, he does expect us to do our part.
I would put forth the idea that his teachings demonstrate an expectation regarding our behaviour. This is a general theme of his.
The teachings in Romans are very much pointed towards the idea that the Law of Moses was not going to complete your quest for life with God.