Anyone familiar with the history of Christianity knows that it has been quite a complicated matter. The word “Christian” was first used during New Testament times (see Acts 11:26) to describe the disciples who accepted the message and redemption of Jesus Christ.
Now after two millennia, Christianity has weathered centuries of change and experienced periods of growth, persecution, reformation, schism, globalization and more. While inspiring believers of every race and nationality, Christianity has taken a multitude of forms and advanced a diversity of doctrines.
As a result, questions about who should be called a Christian and who should not continue to be discussed by some within the religious world.
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Religious beliefs are no light matter, and it’s only right that they are taken seriously. Yet, earnest and well-meaning interlocutors have sometimes, in the words of the president of Fuller Seminary, Richard J. Mouw, “talked past each other,” due to their differing doctrinal lenses.
For some in the Christian tradition, an individual’s Christianity is defined primarily by theological boundaries. Accordingly, one must adhere to a theological tradition stemming from formalized creeds or statements of belief (such as the Nicene Creed and the Chalcedonian formulation) composed several centuries after Jesus Christ died and the New Testament was written.
There are differences between the post-biblical creeds and the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most notably, Latter-day Saints believe God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are one in will and purpose, but are not literally one being, as the creedal conceptions of the Holy Trinity suggest.
Also, members of the Church believe in living “apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 2:20) and a more open canon of scripture, which includes both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible and the Book of Mormon as another testament of Jesus Christ.
Read the full commentary in the Headquarters edition of Mormon Newsroom.