It is often said that Mormons worship a different God than the rest of Christianity. With that comes the implication that Mormons are not Christian. This extremely divisive rhetoric is most common among Evangelical anti-Mormons. The concept is debatable, and in my opinion has been successfully refuted, especially in Daniel Peterson and Stephen Ricks book “Offenders for a Word.”
I recently read what I think is a very clever reply to those who accuse the LDS of worshipping a different God. I quote the statement here. In speaking of the two greatest commandments (to love thy God with all thy heart and to love thy neighbor) the writer comments:
Some critics, in an effort to be destructive and to avoid any and every similarity of faith, may attempt to claim that the LDS and other religions love a false God with all their heart, soul, and mind… But there can be no doubt about the 2nd commandment. We all have the same neighbor. All religions that worship a Deity have the 2nd commandment in common, in some form or another. In short, to do unto our neighbors as we would want our neighbors to do unto us–an idealistic standard, to be sure.
But, since obedience to the 2nd commandment reflects back on the first commandment, (inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of these the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me), it really doesn’t matter what our traditions are concerning God, because we all show reverence and love to the God of all creation by showing love to our fellowman. Somewhere in this life or the next, these traditions and differences in belief will be straightened out, as the Lord’s sheep will hear his voice, and follow Him, and there will be one fold, and one Shepherd. We all need to be humble enough to hear his voice when He calls so that we may respond.
http://www.mormonapologetics.org/index.php?showtopic=35563&view=findpost&p=1208425814
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.Matthew 25:40
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Lehi's Library 
That was one of my favorite moments on the board recently. A great post, a great point. I couple it with this quote from Anglican C.S. Lewis:
“It is not for us to say who, in the deepest sense, is or is not
close to the spirit of Christ. We do not see into men’s hearts. We
cannot judge, and are indeed forbidden to judge. It would be wicked
arrogance for us to say that a man is, or is not, a Christian in this
refined sense.” (Mere Christianity, Touchstone, 1996, pp. 10-11.)
— C. S. Lewis
Many people believe it is not right to expose error and to name erroneous teachers and prophets, those who spread an incorrect version of the Gospel, but they are WRONG according to the bible; in fact, we are CALLED UPON to expose them!
✔ Please refer to these judging-within-biblical-parameters references:
Matt. 7:6, 15-16; 18:16-18; John 7:24; 1 Cor. 2:15; 1 Cor. 5; 2 Tim. 4:2-4, 10; 1 Thess. 5:21-22; 1 John 4:1; Titus 2:15 “rebuke with all authority”.
False teaching references: Col 2:8, Heb 13:9, 2 Pet 3:16-17, Acts 20:29-31.
✔ Paul named Peter publicly. Peter was guilty of unscriptural practice. “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed … But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?” (Gal. 2:11-14). The whole issue revolved around salvation by the law or by grace. When the integrity and purity of the gospel is at stake, then we have no choice when it comes to the matter of exposing error and naming names.
✔ Paul named Demas for loving the world. “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” (II Tim. 4:10). Those who forsake the cause of Christ for worldly living and pleasures should be named and exposed.
✔ Paul named Hymenaeus and Alexander. Paul told Timothy to “war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some have put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme ” (I Tim. 1: 18-20). God’s true servants should war a good warfare, and name those who have departed from the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Paul is not here discussing the faith of salvation but the faith as a system of doctrine. These men had made shipwreck of it and Paul exposed them and called their names.
✔ Paul named Hymenaeus and Philetus. He told Timothy to “study” that he might be able to “rightly” divide “the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth as canker. of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some ” (11 Tim. 2:15-18). False doctrine overthrows the faith of some, so those who are proclaiming it must be exposed.
✔ Paul named Alexander the coppersmith. “Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil. the Lord reward him “cording to his works: Of whom be thou ware also, for he hath greatly withstood our words ” (II Tim. 4:14-15). It is clear that this is not a personality problem, but a doctrinal problem. Alexander had withstood the words and doctrine of Paul. He was an enemy to the truth. Godly pastors face the same problem every day. They stand and proclaim the truth, then their members go home and hear this truth disputed by radio and TV preachers. Often times these false prophets are sending their publications into the homes of members of true churches. Then the man of God is suppose to keep his mouth shut, according to many. Only a coward will be silent when the truth of the Bible is under attack.
✔ John named Diotrephes. “I wrote unto the church; but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not” (III John 9). He related how this man had prated against him “with malicious words ” (v. 10). He further said, “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God, but he that doeth evil hath not seen God ” (v. I 1).
✔ Clearly, It is NOT wrong to name those whose doctrine and practice are contrary to the Word of God. We are, in fact, called upon to expose and name them. That is per the holy scriptures.
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Here are some of the erroneous and dangerous MORMON teachings:
GOD WAS A MAN, HAS A BODY OF FLESH AND BONES
GOD used to be a man on another planet, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 321, Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, vol. 5, p. 613-614, Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 345, Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 333).
“The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s . . . ,” (D&C 130:22).
God is in the form of a man, (Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 3).
“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!!! . . . We have imagined that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil, so that you may see,” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345).
GOD HAD A FATHER
God the Father had a Father, (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 476, Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, vol. 5, p. 19, Milton Hunter, First Council of the Seventy, Gospel through the Ages, p. 104-105).
God resides near a star called Kolob, (Pearl of Great Price, p. 34-35, Mormon Doctrine, p. 428).
GOD HAD SEXUAL RELATIOND WITH MARY
God had sexual relations with Mary to make the body of Jesus, (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 4, 1857, p. 218, vol. 8, p. 115). This one is disputed among many Mormons and not always ‘officially’ taught and believed. Nevertheless, Young, the 2nd prophet of the Mormon church taught it. “Therefore we know that both the Father and the Son are in form and stature perfect men; each of them possesses a tangible body . . . of flesh and bones.” (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 38).
BECOMING A GOD
After you become a good Mormon, you have the potential of becoming a god, (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345-347, 354.)
“Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them,” (D&C 132:20).
THERE ARE MANY GODS
There are many gods, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163).
“And they (the Gods) said: Let there be light: and there was light,” (Book of Abraham 4:3).
A MOTHER GOD
There is a mother god, (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 443).
God is married to his goddess wife and has spirit children, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 516).
THE TRINITY IS THREE SEPARATE GODS ~~ OR IS IT?
The trinity is three separate Gods: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. “That these three are separate individuals, physically distinct from each other, is demonstrated by the accepted records of divine dealings with man,” (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 35).
However, this doctrine is in conflict with the 1830 Book of Mormon which teaches the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity:
In the original 1830 printing of the Book of Mormon, in 2 Nephi, at the end of Chapter 13, on page 120, it is stated:
“And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.” (2 Nephi 31:21 in later printings)
And here are two valuable videos which I recommend for your viewing:
https://carm.org/teachings-of-mormonism
Thank you.
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