{"id":19,"date":"2007-07-25T18:40:30","date_gmt":"2007-07-25T18:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/blogalogue\/2007\/07\/mormonism-is-a-sincerely-false.html"},"modified":"2007-07-25T18:40:30","modified_gmt":"2007-07-25T18:40:30","slug":"mormonism-is-a-sincerely-false","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blogalogue\/2007\/07\/mormonism-is-a-sincerely-false.html","title":{"rendered":"Mormonism Is a Sincerely False Gospel"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.<\/a><\/strong>
\nI am pleased to have engaged in this discussion with Orson Scott Card. I will hope to meet him more personally in the future. It appears that we are not really discussing the same question, however.
\nMy response to the question posed to me remains as it was from the start. Mormonism is not compatible with \u201ctraditional Christian orthodoxy.\u201d As a matter of fact, this is the essence of Mormon identity, and Mormon authorities going back to Joseph Smith were quick to separate Mormonism from \u201ctraditional Christian orthodoxy\u201d as accepted by the Christian churches.
\nIndeed, the subtitle printed on The Book of Mormon is \u201cAnother Testament of Jesus Christ.\u201d A \u201ctestament,\u201d that is, other than that accepted by the historic Christian churches.
\nThe debate has never been about whether Mormons are good Americans or would make good neighbors. I dare say that most American Evangelicals and traditional Roman Catholics would find more in common with Mormons in terms of child-rearing, sexual morality, the protection of marriage and family, and a host of other issues, than they would with liberal Catholics or liberal Protestants. No argument there.
\nThe debate is not over Mitt Romney or his right to run for President of the United States. That is a settled constitutional fact \u2013 and a fact for which we should all be thankful. Nor is it about whether Evangelicals should vote for Mitt Romney. There is so much to admire in the man\u2019s marriage and family and leadership ability. This question is very complicated \u2013 as is the case with almost all political questions.
\nThe debate is not over the right of Mormons to hold their faith, promote their faith, and spread their faith. That, too, is a constitutional right \u2013 the same right that protects the religious liberty of all persons of all faiths and no faith.
\nFor me, and as the question was posed to me, the issue is theological. That is why I cannot answer the question except as I have from the start.
\nHere is the bottom line. As an Evangelical Christian \u2013 a Christian who holds to the \u201ctraditional Christian orthodoxy\u201d of the Church \u2013 I do not believe that Mormonism leads to salvation. To the contrary, I believe that it is a false gospel that, however sincere and kind its adherents may be, leads to eternal death rather than to eternal life.
\nIndeed, I believe that Mormonism is a prime example of what the Apostle Paul warned the Church to reject \u2013 \u201ca gospel contrary to the one we preached to you\u201d [Galatians 1:8-9].
\nAnd thus I must end where I began. Mormonism is not just another form of Christianity \u2013 it is incompatible with \u201ctraditional Christian orthodoxy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. I am pleased to have engaged in this discussion with Orson Scott Card. I will hope to meet him more personally in the future. It appears that we are not really discussing the same question, however. My response to the question posed to me remains as it was from…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":266,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-are-mormons-christian"],"yoast_head":"\nMormonism Is a Sincerely False Gospel - Blogalogue<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blogalogue\/2007\/07\/mormonism-is-a-sincerely-false.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mormonism Is a Sincerely False Gospel - Blogalogue\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. I am pleased to have engaged in this discussion with Orson Scott Card. I will hope to meet him more personally in the future. It appears that we are not really discussing the same question, however. 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