Here's a Bible passage Mittens might want to ponder:

[Brigid]

16Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
    when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing with them when they die,
    their splendor will not descend with them.
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—
    and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,
    who will never again see the light of life.
20 People who have wealth but lack understanding
    are like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 49:16-20 (NIV)

[Lionessa]

1. Mormons weren't Christians until the Olympics were in Utah,

so quoting bible verses may not be the right book.

That was the weirdest Mormon related experience I ever had. For years, like 15years, my LDS neighbors (all were LDS) would respond to my not being religious due to the hypocrisy of most Christians with "Oh, we're not Christians, we believe Jesus was a disciple, not the messiah." Then about six months before the Olympics all that changed, and as of when I left ID about a year ago, they insisted they were always Christians, "it's even in our name!" they'd claim. It was truly weird. I'd remind of what they used to say, and then get the explanation that the church had a change of heart because of the fear people wouldn't come to a state dominated by a cult, so by suddenly claiming to be a sect of Christianity, well that was more monetarily acceptable to the Olympics and their visitors.

[LadyHawkAZ]

2. Robert Kirby did a column on rebranding in 2010:

http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=10690532&itype=storyID&keyword=&qtype=

Sometimes the rebranding is just a subtle tweak of the name. A couple of years ago, the LDS Church tried rebranding by asking the media to stop calling us "Mormons" and start referring to the church as the "Church of JESUS CHRIST! of Latter-day Saints" (exclamation mark mine). The rebrand attempt was quietly dropped when no one paid any attention to it.

It's what always comes to my mind when subjects like this come up.

[white_wolf]

3. In all fairness...

They've been the "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" since Joseph Smith's days. The name itself is found in Doctrine&Covenants, a collection of "revelations" Smith supposedly received directly from God.

[Lionessa]

5. Yes, the name didn't change, but their reference to "Christianity" did.

Upon asking in the old days, so to speak, why they were the CoJCoLDS if they didn't embrace Jesus as Christ, and they couldn't ever answer, but were clear as can be that they did NOT think Jesus was the messiah, only a prophet.

[white_wolf]

6. They've always believed Jesus was the Messiah.

They've always worshiped him as the second person in the Godhead. What separates them from mainstream Christians and often disqualifies them from the name Christian, is their view of the Godhead. To them, Jesus is a God, but not the same being as God the Father. They reject the Trinity, which is the largest difference between them and mainstream Christians.

[Lionessa]

7. Well, they couldn't explain it back then. Thanks, they basically told

me that they didn't believe Jesus was... huh, maybe I switched it to messiah, because now that you nudge me and I start to type, they said, "they didn't believe Jesus was God", I may have inadvertently reframed it since I don't see the difference between messiah and God. My bad. Thanks for the info.

[white_wolf]

8. Mormons are very good at hiding some of their stranger beliefs.

Even today they try to pass themselves off as mainstream Christians until people join the Church and then they tell you about their unorthodox view of the Trinity and some of their beliefs are unknown even to lifetime members. Only members with permission to enter Temples know the full story of Mormon theology.

[Ruby the Liberal]

9. "Godhead" assumes one. This is not LDS thought.

"As man is now God once was; as God is now, man may become".

They believe in unlimited deities, each of which gets his own planet to populate with spirit children.

Jesus is not a "messiah" - he is the brother of satan and this "God" (for earth) favored Jesus' plan for mankind over satan's plan - so Jesus won.

[white_wolf]

10. Well I've heard Mormons use the term Godhead before.

You are correct though, Mormons are not monotheists, they are polytheists, which is a major difference between them and the rest of the Christian world.

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. Yup.

I had a course on comparative religion in college. Mormons and Millerites fascinated me. They both started at the same time (1840s). The Millerites split into what is now Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists. All 3 have some rather odd beliefs that will even make $cientology look rational.

Fascinating stuff.

[TeeYiYi]

15. Alert! ...

...You're very alert, Ruby...

I grew up in Utah...surrounded by Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. My mom got us involved with JWs... I was raised to believe that I would never see my 16th birthday because of Armageddon... That was supposed to happen in 1974.

Try asking a Jehovah's Witness about the 1974 Armageddon now... They act like they don't know what you're talking about.

Jeebus. What a childhood... Influenced by two different cults...that hated each other. And me, just grateful to get my driver's license.

TYY

On edit: I just checked my dates, and Armageddon was actually scheduled for 1975. My bad.

[Ruby the Liberal]

17. I have Mormons in my extended family.

Couldn't want for a nicer bunch of people, but some of the stuff they believe... Wow.

[TeeYiYi]

19. Nice, yes...

...but hoodwinked... Holy cow!

TYY

[FreeState]

21. LDS have always taught that Jesus is the Messiah

http://www.lds.org/scriptures/search?lang=eng&query=Messiah&x=0&y=0

That will bring up a listing of all the Book of Mormon scriptures About the Messiah.

The Godhead is a term the LDS Church uses and has used for a very long time. I was raised LDS, served a mission, been to the templ more times than I can count.

As a kid they stressed that we were different because we believed in the Godhead and not the trinity. (In the LDS faith God the Father is the "head figure" and Jesus the Messiah, there being the same set up in other universes with other Godheads).For more information see: http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=29ec2f2324d98010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=bbd508f54922d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

I am no longer a diest or Mormon (agnostic Buddhist now).

[Ruby the Liberal]

23. Interesting - and thanks for the correction/clarifications.

I had always thought that the "messiah" classification was denounced as Jesus was considered a prophet.

I have copies of the BoM and PGP but admittedly only for reference. Never read either through.

[FreeState]

22. Actually it was not always called that

http://www.shields-research.org/42_Questions/ques38.htm

The “Church of Christ” was incorporated in New York State in 1830, and employed that name for the first several years of its existence. A letter of the First Presidency of the Church, dated 22 January 1834, noted “the organization of the Church of Christ, or the Church of the Latter-day Saints, on the 6th of April, 1830” (History of the Church 2:22). The following month, we read the “Minutes of the Organization of the High Council of the Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kirtland, February 17, 1834” (History of the Church 2:28), employing a name nearly identical to the one used today. On 3 May 1834, Kirtland was the scene of “a Conference of the Elders of the Church of Christ” at which “a motion was made by Sidney Rigdon, and seconded by Newel K. Whitney, that this Church be known hereafter by the name of ‘The Church of the Latter-day Saints.’ Remarks were made by the members, after which the motion passed by unanimous vote” (History of the Church 2:62-63). This name change did not come as a result of revelation, but by vote. Significantly, when the Lord finally did speak in 1838, it was the name he gave the church that became official and has remained so ever since. “For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (D&C 115:4). 

[cin63]

4. Mormons are not christains!

That is the truth, believe them not when they try to say they are. They are christain killers tho, watch the true story:" September Dawn." Watch and share!

[daaron]

12. Shouldn't this be in the Religion thread?

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Well you know if you go ask nicely

I am sure they will lock it. Me, not gonna do it.

[daaron]

16. Me neither.

I think religion is BIG NEWS right now, thanks to NC Prop. 1. It should be discussed in context of the news that is generating the conversation.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Yeah but posts have gotten locked

It's to the point that any of mine that include it may very well go to my own blog, or facebook,

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. A version of this is carved at the Jewish cemetery in Mexico City

[Manifestor_of_Light]

20. As you did it to the least of them, so also you did it unto Me.