Since the creation of The Church of Jesus Christ of The Latter-Day Saints, there have been many controversies concerning the similarities and differences between Mormonism and Catholicism, Christianity and Protestantism.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Hannah Griffin

Mr. Butler

World Religions

4-8-03

Since the creation of The Church of Jesus Christ of The Latter-Day Saints, there have been many controversies concerning the similarities and differences between Mormonism and Catholicism, Christianity and Protestantism. Other than the obvious, that Catholicism, Christianity and Protestantism believe that there are no more prophets, and Mormons believe that there are still prophets walking the earth today, differences between the faiths range in varying ways. The Church’s founder, Joseph Smith, was born a Protestant and put his beliefs into the foundations of Mormonism. Other than this, the faiths are very different. Mormonism differs from other faiths in several different ways, making it one of the most unique religions in Western Culture.

To begin with, Mormonism is the only religion to send their members out to spread the word of the church door to door. Typically young men, they introduce themselves as Elder someone. The title signifies that they have the higher of the two Mormon priesthoods, the “Melchizedek” order. At around 18, as long as he has conformed to the standards of the church, every male is supposed to be honored with priesthood. The lower of the two priesthoods is the “Aaronic”, which is sub-categorized into deacon, teacher and priest. It is chiefly concerned with temporal affairs, while the “Melchizedek” priesthood deals with spiritual affairs. The “Melchizedek” is sub-categorized into elder, seventy and high priest (Distinctive Beliefs of the Mormon Church). Whereas in Catholicism, a person is called to priesthood by God and must be ordained by a Bishop. The presbyterate and the episcopate are the two levels of priesthood in Catholicism (The Real Presence Association). Priesthood in mormonism has more of an emphasis on expecting to receive priesthood because of the life you have already lived; this is vastly different to most other faiths where being called by God, and then pledging one’s self to the church is the way to priesthood.

Another uniqueness that brings blessing and relief to many mormons is the idea that practically no one is forever damned to hell and that all people who have ever existed will share in heavenly “glory” within the 3 heavens that exist to mormons. The lowest heaven, The Telestial Kingdom, is where evil-doers, criminals and liars reside. Their sins have been forgiven and now live in the eternal presence of the Holy Ghost. The middle heaven, The Terrestrial Kingdom, is where good non-Mormons and Mormons who were not completely faithful to the church. They have the presence of Jesus Christ. Finally, ...

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Another brief differences between Christianity and Mormonism are their beliefs in God, Jesus Christ, Salvation and marriage. Obviously, Christians believe that God has always been perfect and has always had the same amount of infinite power. Mormons however, believe that God is the Supreme Being of the Universe but that he gradually acquired his godhood by living a perfectly righteous life. Concerning Jesus Christ, Mormons believe that Jesus was the son of the spirit of God, and the physical son of Adam and Mary. While Christianity says Jesus Christ has “existed eternally as… the second Person of the Trinity, and then took on a human nature at His birth in Bethlehem, …He exists eternally as one Person with both divine and human natures.” (Christian Answers.Net) Salvation in Mormonism is very different. They believe that obeying the Gospel and its laws can save everybody. Also, they believe that by being baptized, your sins have been forgiven (Articles of Faith, 3-4). However, Christians believe that no matter what you do, you cannot live up to God’s standard of holiness; Faith in God, and not by good works is the way to salvation. An extremely individual idea, native of Mormonism is called “sealing”, or a spiritual marriage. “Sealing means that a ‘marriage covenant between a man and his wife is made for time and all eternity,’ not like most marriage covenants that are regarded “until death shall them part’” (Nash, 29). These small diversities make The Church of Jesus Christ of The Latter-Day Saints different from other religions.

All these difference make Mormonism different to predominant religions in North America. Mormonism is growing phenomenally in the US, illustrating that people see something new and unique in the church. Comparing The Church of Jesus Christ of The Latter-Day Saints to other religions is unfair, even “Gordon B. Hinckley, the current president and prophet of the Mormon church, says (in a booklet called What of the Mormons?) that he and his co-religionists ‘are no closer to Protestantism than they are to Catholicism.’” (Distinctive Beliefs of the Mormon Church) Through unique differences, the Mormon Church has managed to establish itself and escape religious persecution, which they used to suffer, and become accepted in the world.

Since the creation of The Church of Jesus Christ of The Latter-Day Saints, there have been many controversies concerning the similarities and differences between Mormonism and Catholicism, Christianity and Protestantism.

This is a preview of the whole essay

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