Mormons, a cult? It depends on your dictionary of choice. Yes, they are if you found the dictionary that I did, which defines a cult also as: "a culture within a culture". It seems to synch with being in, but not of, the world. I'm very happy to say that I have cultural differences that set me apart from some. Bigots have assailed those from other cultures for eons of time. Nothing new here.

Pablo,
That sounds like a Bill Clinton response. Do we LDS really want to take such a stand? Perhaps we should not so easily dismiss people who have concerns with the LDS. Instead, perhaps we should listen and try to understand what we are doing wrong to give them these negative impressions? Just a thought.

The most virulent critics of Mormons as "non-Christians" have a constricted view of what is "Christian", often excluding the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Those who try to use the trinitarian Creeds to define "Christians" forget that disagreement over the status of Christ split the Catholics from the Orthodox. A discussion on Christianity Today's web page showed Evangelicals cannot agree on whether baptism is necessary to salvation and whether infant baptism is valid. The range of disagreement among Orthodox, Catholic and Protestants is far greater than the disagreement between Mormons and specific Christians on most doctrines.

For example, the Orthodox have preserved ancient Christian belief in theosis, the saved becoming like Christ, one of the points Baptists most criticize in Mormon beliefs. Christianity is much more diverse than Southern Baptists will acknowledge.

The bodiless, single God of Nicea contradicts the creed's own description of Christ as a distinct person, bodily resurrected. Most Baptists can't even recite the creed (per Christianity Today), and even Billy Graham taught the heretical "three masks" version.

Six million Mormons worldwide are former Christians who know they are still Christians. They are expert witnesses on this issue. Most who disagree have no comparable credentials.

To Also Born Again,

Definition of Elohim from Harper's Bible dictionary

Generic Names for God:

Elohim. Occurring about twenty-five hundred times in the OT, Elohim is one of three common generic names for deity in the OT. The term is plural and on occasion means �gods� (e.g., Exod. 20:3), but most often it is a plural of majesty for Israel�s �God� (e.g., Gen. 1:1).

Sounds to me like it means God's plural indicating three individuals not three in one.

I really don't understand why all the banter back and forth. If you're not LDS (which I'm not) why would you worry about what someone else believes. If they are good people and respect me and my beliefs and they want to call themselves Christian it's fine with me. There are many different faiths and all have minor to major variants to their beliefs but many are good people. I would rather have someone living next to me that is a person of integrity that believes differently than one who is judgemental and harboring resent towards others but shares my religion.

Let us oft speak kind words to each other......I believe in Christ, therefore I am Christian.....ohh, I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. I have friends that do not belong to my Church. They also believe in Christ. They too are Christian.

There....it really is that simple.

To Sam Hofer, I am sorry you were offended once upon a time and I am sorry that it has taken you away from the church. I wanted to tell you that I appreciate your post and although it's not up to me to offer forgiveness, I think it was brave to post your apology. Some day I hope you can let the Lord back into your life... actually it sounds like you're on that track all ready. I can identify with you because I used to get so angry at members and some of the stupid things they say and do. But I've learned to stop listening to them and remember that my relationship with the Lord is more important than anything anyone else could ever say to hurt me. Whatever that person did to you to offend you isn't worth turning your back on a gospel of joy. I wish you every happiness life can bring you.

Now... about this topic. Arguing about politics and criticizing presidents and other politicians is not what we're about. Criticizing each other is not what we're about either. Agree to disagree. We know what we believe. That should be enough.

I wish I can say this to many more people: that it really doesn't matter whether or not Latter-day Saints are Christians or not even though the prophets say that we are. It really doesn't matter to me as long as we are the Saints of God.

I've personally never heard of the phrase "Christians of God". Do people not know that the Saints since the beginning of time was NEVER referred to as "Christians", not even until Christ died. The word "Christian" came as a nickname (just like "Mormon")to the Saints of the New Testament times when persecution increased during the time of Paul ministry.

It really doesn't matter as long as we are "Latter-day Saints".

Personally, to me, (just because as a convert, I've been to many Churches and has many, diverse Christian friends) I think, and it's only my respectful opinion that LDS are more Christ-oriented than many "Christians" are.

Similarly, BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY GET MAD AT ME FOR SAYING THAT, I think the "Christians" are more dedicated to their Churches and better to people than Saints (in general) are.