With respect to scripture, Mormons differ from traditional Christian groups in that they accept extra books in their canon.
The Doctrine and Covenants is a compilation of the revelations given to the Priesthood, namely those given to Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is the most controversial addition to the canon. It is a supposed record of ancient groups in the Americas, and begins with a family moving from Jerusalem, shortly before its destruction, to the New World. The climax of the record is a visit of the resurrected Jesus Christ in the Americas.
Although the records, inscribed on gold plates, were lost shortly after this in the fourth century, the burier of the book, Moroni, is said to have returned in the early 19 th century as an angel in a revelation to Joseph Smith and led him to the plates.
Smith then translated these into English as the Book of Mormon. The lack of evidence about these golden plates and a message reflective of the times led many critics to believe that the book is a fanciful fabrication. As shown by the acceptance of the extra-biblical works, Mormons maintain a canon open to further revelation from God. Mormons believe that the death of the apostles led to the death of apostolic succession and that the traditional church perpetuated a false line of apostolic succession.
Christian critics argue that the canon is closed because the last two verses of the Book of Revelation say that if you add or subtract from the New Testament you will be accursed, but Mormons hold this warning to be only true of the Book of Revelation and not the entire Bible. Robinson states that it is unbiblical to believe that the Bible is a closed canon as there is no biblical statement within it that prohibits additional revelation and that the Book of Revelation was written prior to the formation of the Bible; therefore, the warning can only speak to its own book.
Another point of divergence between traditional Christian doctrine and Mormon doctrine is the belief in human deification and thus the nature of God. According to a recent study, over three-quarters of Mormons surveyed stated belief in pre-mortal existence of humans as spirits, human deification during mortal life, and eternal marriage after death. Mormons also present the fact that orthodox Christian groups have a similar view toward human deification. However, Bill McKeever, an American author and well-known critic of Mormonism, asserts that the divide is just too wide for Mormonism to be considered Christian.
The belief that God is married is unique to Mormonism. This belief is integral to the Mormon belief in eternal marriage as necessary for exaltation in the afterlife. From an evangelical perspective, Mormonism is not faithfully or soundly Christian because it deviates from historic, biblical standards of orthodox Christianity. The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that God is not a man Num. Human beings did not preexist as spirits in heaven before their earthly lives; the only human being who preexisted in heaven as spirit before becoming a man was Jesus Christ John ; The New Testament instructs us as believers in Christ to dissociate ourselves religiously from groups that teach such false doctrines that deviate in crucial ways from the apostolic message Rom.
Devout Mormons tend to be good citizens, to espouse high, conservative moral values, and to make common cause with conservative Christians on such important social issues as abortion. As many scholars have acknowledged, however, Christians have vigorously disagreed about virtually every issue of theology and practice through the centuries, leading to the creation of a multitude of Christian denominations. One who sincerely loves, worships, and follows Christ should be free to claim his or her understanding of the doctrine according to the dictates of his or her conscience without being branded as non-Christian.
A third justification argued to label Latter-day Saints as non-Christian has to do with their belief in an open scriptural canon. For those making this argument, to be a Christian means to assent to the principle of sola scriptura, or the self-sufficiency of the Bible.
But to claim that the Bible is the sole and final word of God—more specifically, the final written word of God—is to claim more for the Bible than it claims for itself. Nowhere does the Bible proclaim that all revelations from God would be gathered into a single volume to be forever closed and that no further scriptural revelation could be received. Moreover, not all Christian churches are certain that Christianity must be defined by commitment to a closed canon. No branch of Christianity limits itself entirely to the biblical text in making doctrinal decisions and in applying biblical principles.
Roman Catholics, for example, turn to church tradition and the magisterium meaning teachers, including popes and councils for answers. Protestants, particularly evangelicals, turn to linguists and scripture scholars for their answers, as well as to post—New Testament church councils and creeds. For many Christians, these councils and creeds are every bit as canonical as the Bible itself. To establish doctrine and to understand the biblical text, Latter-day Saints turn to living prophets and to additional books of scripture—the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.
Converts across the world continue to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in part because of its doctrinal and spiritual distinctiveness.
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