The Voice Of One Crying Out In Suburbia

Time on Mormonism

Time ran a pretty decent article about mormonism a number of years ago. Now they are back again, this time looking at Mitt Romney. The article has a subsection on mormon teachings, but it is pretty basic and really focuses on whether or not it is proper to ask questions about a candidates beliefs at all. Here is a sample:

Many Evangelicals have been taught that Mormonism is a cult with a heretical understanding of Scripture and doctrine. Mormons reject the unified Trinity and teach that God has a body of flesh and blood. Though Mormons revere Christ as Saviour and certainly call themselves Christians, the church is rooted in a rebuke to traditional Christianity. Joseph Smith presented himself as a prophet whom God had instructed to restore his true church, since "all their creeds were an abomination in his sight." He described how an angel named Moroni provided him with golden tablets that told the story (written in what Smith called "reformed Egyptian" hieroglyphics, never seen before) of an ancient civilization of Israelites sent by God to America. The tablets included lessons Jesus taught during a visit to America after his Resurrection. Smith was able to read and translate the tablets with the help of special transparent stones he used as spectacles. He published them as the Book of Mormon in 1830.

Twelve years later, Smith explained to a Chicago newspaper that "ignorant translators, careless transcribers or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors" in the Bible, which he revised according to God's revelations. Mormons were subject to persecutions, and in 1844, as he was running for President, Smith was murdered by an angry mob. His successor, Brigham Young, led followers to Utah, the church proceeded to grow rapidly, and Mormon leaders were identified by the church as God's prophets on earth.

The biggest issue I have with Romney is not his mormonism but they way he has changed his stances on key driver issues for Republicans. His stance on gun control and abortion, my two big issues. His willingness to morph into new positions in response to the demands of the conservative GOP base doesn't speak well to the strength of his convictions. The other issues is the way that so many Christians seem willing to gloss over differences, and embrace Romney's mormonism, because he seems to be an attractive candidate. His social stances may (or may not) be genuine and in line with conservative values but let's not mistake them for Christian beliefs.

(HT: The Reformed Baptist Thinker)