WASHINGTON — LDS and non-LDS scholars appear to agree that Mormonism stands apart from traditional Protestant faiths and Catholicism, not so much regarding the uniqueness of particular doctrines but rather regarding the fundamental belief in modern prophets.

That is a tenet of faith upon which hinges the Book of Mormon, the claim of apostolic authority and Joseph Smith as the prophet of the Restoration.

That theme continued Saturday during the final day of a two-day academic conference at the Library of Congress on "The Worlds of Joseph Smith," which is a gathering of some of the nation's top religious scholars to debate the life and legacy of Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The event, co-sponsored by the Library of Congress and Brigham Young University, commemorates the bicentennial of Joseph Smith's birth.

Unlike the other prophets of his day, "Joseph's teachings came not from reflection on old teachings but on new teachings," said Richard Mouw, president of the Fuller Theological Seminary and professor of Christian philosophy and ethics.

And those new teachings, he argued, strike at fundamental Christian beliefs about man's relationship with God, about the very nature of God and whether God continues to talk to man through his creation.

And while critics of the man millions revere as a modern prophet have labeled him as "dishonest or a mad man," Mouw said the debate must "set aside specific concerns of Joseph Smith's credibility" to critically examine questions basic to Christianity.

"He challenges every variety of Christian thought," he said.

Non-LDS participants in the conference acknowledged there is fundamental disagreement on certain aspects of the LDS faith but much of the discord is based on how Latter-day Saints, Protestants and Catholics use and interpret particular words.

Randall H. Balmer, a professor of religious history at Columbia University, points out that Catholics and Protestants believe in modern prophecy to some extent, but they believe the canon of scripture to be closed. Latter-day Saints do not.

Catholics believe in an unbroken apostolic authority extending back to Peter, and Protestants believe in a priesthood of believers. Latter-day Saints believe angels appeared to Joseph Smith and bestowed direct priesthood authority, he said.

And many groups, evangelicals in particular, believe today that God talks directly to them, but that revelation cannot contradict the Bible. In contrast, Latter-day Saints have taken modern prophecy "to a new level altogether," Balmer said.

But that raises the question, he said, of why Smith is to be believed but not the many other prophets of the same era who claimed to have received revelations from God.