We live in a very exciting era. Modern discoveries and technological advancements push the understanding and knowledge of man onward to greater heights with each passing year. Unfortunately, despite our success in temporal things, our spiritual understanding progresses at a much slower pace, or worse yet, retrogresses.

The divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ is just one example of spiritual uncertainty. This is such a clear Truth,1 yet this Truth is distorted, denied and obscured so much that many don't know the truth about Jesus. The spiritual confusion of our time demonstrates the need for continuous revelation. In a conflicting world of opinions, the only sure way of not being misled is by following the Lord's anointed: his Prophets and Apostles (Eph 4:11-14).

I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the LDS or Mormon church) when I was seventeen, and later served as a full-time missionary sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was placed in many situations where I had to defend our beliefs against accusations from enemies of the LDS church. These situations were sometimes humorous because our opponents often accused us of believing certain things that aren't Mormon beliefs.2

Certain Christian groups rely heavily on anti-Mormon materials and seem to have the attitude that as long as the result portrays Mormonism in a repulsive light, any means, no matter how dishonest, are allowable. The very claim that “Mormons aren't Christians,”3 When a Mormon calls himself a “Mormon Christian,” he is unwittingly acknowledging the influence of the Fundamentalists because he is emphasizing himself being a Christian. This naturally leads to the assumption that other Mormons aren't Christian just as if a certain person said, “I'm a Catholic Christian” or “I'm a Methodist Christian” would lead to the assumption other Catholics and Methodists aren't Christian as well. I prefer to call myself a Mormon and when accused of not being a Christian, I ask them to define the term. Many non-Fundamentalist Christians believe the idea that the Mormons aren't Christian because this is constantly emphasized by the Fundamentalists. If they were called non-Christian by the Fundamentalists, they would be incensed because they know they're not. They have to be made aware that “Christian” in the hands of a Fundamentalist simply means a Fundamentalist and nothing more. And the reason why the Mormons are called non-Christian is due to the same standard non-Fundamentalist Christians are likewise denied this same label. or we're going to hell because we have a “different Jesus”4 demonstrates this deception.

I am making a very serious claim which demands proof. I am claiming that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church upon the earth based upon the Bible, logic and prayer. The MORMONISM Series detail the evidence supporting my contention. I am also claiming that if the LDS church isn't true, there isn't a true church upon the earth anywhere which adheres to these three standards for verification. I leave it up to you to decide whether the evidence substantiates my claim, after detailed examination.

2.It never ceases to amaze me that certain Christians are so willing to believe anti-Mormon misrepresentations of Mormon beliefs instead of asking us what we really believe. How could anyone get the truth if all one does is rely upon what our sworn enemies say? Would they like it if it was done to them?

3.The anti-Mormons frequently accuse us of being non-Christians because we believe differently than they do. To them, the term “Christian” is no longer a description but is modified into a form of praise. It doesn't tell us anything about the object but only what attitude the speaker has towards it. Since they don't like us, we're labeled “non-Christian” regardless of the meaning of the word. They have a specialized interpretation of “Christian” that can only apply to them.

Of course it's possible for one to belong to a Christian church and not really be a “Christian.” This occurs when one's behavior and faith is contrary to Jesus and his will. The distinction can only then be made between one's actions as opposed to conceptual formulations of the institution of the church. Even the most vehement anti-Mormons will admit that most Mormons try to live good lives and try to obey Jesus. Their objection isn't about our behavior but our doctrines.

They don't base the exclusion on behavioral matters but on conceptual beliefs. They focus on various Mormon doctrines and use them as a basis for denying us the right of being called Christians despite such a distinction is absent in the Bible. Several Mormon scholars have focused on the term and have met our critics on any basis for claiming the Mormons aren't Christians and show without a doubt that the Mormons are Christians. These are OFFENDERS FOR A WORD. How Anti-Mormons Play Word Games to Attack the Latter-day Saints. (Peterson and Ricks) and ARE MORMONS CHRISTIANS? (Robinson).

MC by C.S. Lewis (Preface pp. 10-12) gives an excellent treatment of the term “Christian” and shows how wrong it is for certain “Christians” to deny the term to others. Unfortunately, the term has been trivialized because of the Fundamentalists' vocal insistence that the term can only apply to them despite they and their doctrinal interpretation of biblical inerrancy and exaltation of the Bible is a new development. If the term only applies to those professing Fundamentalist beliefs, then for the first nineteen hundred years of Christianity, there were no Christians since the Christian body never followed the Fundamentalist path which did not even exist until the early 20th century when two brothers (Milton & Lyman Stewart) published a 12 booklet series entitled, The Fundamentals in 1909. (HT. p. 200; CF. p. 16).

This narrow view leads to certain ridiculous statements by people who converted to the Fundamentalist position, “I used to be a Lutheran before becoming a Christian” or, “I used to be a Catholic before becoming a Christian.” Are they saying these religious bodies are not Christian? Since this is the implication, by what basis do they come to this conclusion? They can't base it upon the Bible because it makes no such distinction. They will have to resort to doctrinal differences which really don't mean anything provided the other religious body believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

People look upon the Fundamentalists and see their hatred and intolerance towards outsiders, and come to the conclusion that if these people are Christians, they don't want to be Christians. Because of this abuse towards the term by the Fundamentalists, the word “Christian” means two different things: a Christian is a believer in Jesus Christ; and a Christian is a person professing Fundamentalist belief.

The Mormon Church is a Christian church. It is not a Christian Church just as the Catholic Church and the Methodist Church are Christian churches and not Christian churches. I do not want to be known as a Christian if it is understood in the Fundamentalist sense. I am a Christian because I believe in Jesus Christ and have him as my personal Savior and I covenant with him to always serve and follow him.

4.Having different views of the same person doesn't magically creates different persons. Neo-Nazis and I have different views of Hitler but our different perceptions doesn't magically create two different Hitlers. See OW. p. 60. Paul in 2 Cor 11:4 is contrasting the Gospel, Jesus and the Spirit he brought to these converts with a counterfeit form, (cf. Gal 1:6-7) which is nothing. It doesn't exist.

5.I sometimes use this in the broad sense which encompasses the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and other schismatic groups who believe in the Book of Mormon. [For the method of determining which of these LDS Movement churches is the true church see MORMONISM: Section 27] On the other hand, the statement, “If the Book of Mormon is true, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church” isn't an overstatement despite other groups exist who believe in its authenticity, because the current Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the same church Joseph Smith started and led. It accepts all of his teachings whereas all the other groups pick and choose various teachings of Joseph Smith and reject teachings they find objectionable and all of these groups with the exception of the Reorganized and Temple Lot churches are dissensions instead of schisms which makes it impossible for them to inherit authentic authority. Another factor is the virtue of numbers. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints comprise more than 98% of all who believe in the Book of Mormon as Scripture. Consequently, the statement may not be 100% correct, but is 98% correct.