America's Non-Christian Christians

(These writings were taken from a book called, "One Nation Under Gods" by Richard Abanes. pp 375-400)

Quote: "According to Mormonism expert Jan Shipps-emeritus history professor at Indiana-Perdue University---Latter-day Saints may be at best be able to trace their roots to Christianity, but after that must be considered members of a new religion."

Now, when I was growing up, I never considered myself to be a Christian. For that matter, the term 'Christianity' only came up in church when the first vision of Joseph Smith was being taught in Sunday School, Sacrament Meeting, or Seminary. Plus, it was talked about among the Mormons I grew up with as one of those "other" religions. I know for a fact that Mormons consider themselves a religion above all other religions.

Quote: "The well-known Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod denomination asserts without reservation that Mormonism is definitely not Christian, explaining:
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, together with the vast majority of Christian denominations in the United States, does not regard the Mormon church as a Christian church. That is because the official writing of Mormonism deny fundamental teachings of orthodox Christianity.
A rigid delineation between Christianity and Mormonism was originally drawn by none other than Joseph Smith."

This was the teaching I grew up with.

Quote: "According to the First Vision, God told Smith that the churches of Christendom "were all wrong;" that "all their creeds were an abomination;" and that Christian ministers "were all corrupt... having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof." Smith maintained that Christianity existed only for a very short time after its emergence 2,000 years ago. The faith then allegedly disappeared from the earth through the wickedness of men, who proceeded to erect a false/corrupt Christianity - a product of what Mormons call the "Great Apostasy.""

My dad told me and my siblings that it was during the Shakespearian times the "Great Apostasy" occurred.

Quote: "Smith claimed that he restored, under God's direction, the pure church, its doctrines, organizational structure, practices, rituals, priesthood, and ceremonies. As for all other churches, Smith said they were founded by the devil; representations of the "great and abominable church" of the satanic world system. Smith made this all very clear through his Book of Mormon, which reads: "Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil,... the whore of all the earth.""


I was always taught that the LDS church is the only true and living church on this earth. I have sat through countless 'Fast and Testimony' meetings listening to each member say the same message. Here is a typical testimony by a typical Mormon believer; "I know that this church is true that God restored the priesthood upon this earth. I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet and that there is a true prophet on this earth now. I know the Book of Mormon to be the true word of God..." There might be slight variations in what is said, but usually it is all about the same. I have stood and said these things myself.