Mormonism and Christianity/Criticisms of the Mormon view of Jesus Christ

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Criticisms of the Mormon view of Jesus Christ

The "Mormon" and the "Christian" Jesus

Summary: Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus Christ is the only path to salvation, and that He died for our sins, yet some Evangelicals claim that Latter-day Saints believe in a "different" Jesus than "mainstream" Christians.

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: Do Latter-day Saints believe in a "different" Jesus than "mainstream" Christians?
• Question: How does the Mormon view of the Atonement compare to the evangelical Christian view?
• Non-LDS Christian Stephen H. Webb: The "sameness of Jesus" and humanity

The attitude of early Mormon leaders toward Christianity

Summary: Some Evangelicals claim that Latter-day Saints have "admitted" that they are not Christian, since LDS leaders spent decades denouncing mainstream Christianity.

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: Did early Mormon leaders consider themselves Christians?
• Question: Did LDS leaders claim that Christians were no longer present on the earth after the apostasy?
• Question: Did Latter-day Saints wish to avoid being classified as Christians?
• Question: What did early Mormon leaders think of Christians?
• Question: Did Mormons only recently claim to be Christian?
• Question: If Mormon are "really" Christians, why do they insist on preaching to other Christians?

The Book of Mormon indicates that Christianity existed in the New World prior to the birth of Christ

Summary: The Book of Mormon refers to "Christians" in Alma 46꞉13-16 and Alma 48꞉10. These texts date to approximately 72 BC.

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: Is it an anachronism that the Book of Mormon teaches that Christians existed before Christ’s birth?

Martyrdom in Christian history

Summary: Was Joseph Smith not a martyr because, while in jail, he fought back against those who attacked him?

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: Is the definition of a Christian martyr always understood only as one who does not fight back?

Completeness of the Bible

Summary: Some claim that the Bible contains all necessary or essential knowledge to assure salvation, and that things like modern prophets or additional scripture (such as the Book of Mormon) are unnecessary or even blasphemous.

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: Does the Bible alone contain all necessary or essential knowledge to assure salvation, thus making the Book of Mormon and modern prophets unnecessary?
• Question: What does the Book of Mormon mean when it says that "plain and precious" things have been taken out of the bible?