Summer of Sharing - week 2

Today was week 2 of my gospel-sharing Sunday School class at church (see this post regarding week 1). There were a couple more people there this week and we had a good discussion regarding the first five questions of the homework assignment. Here are my sample answers to those questions along with additional suggestions from others.

1. Do Mormons consider themselves Christian?
Yes, Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Savior and Redeemer. In fact, we believe that Jesus Christ Himself sits at the head of our Church.

In terms of why other Christian denominations may not consider Mormons to be Christians, we came up with this list of reasons: (1) our understanding of the Godhead vs the Trinity, (2) additional scriptures such as the Book of Mormon, (3) the Church being a relatively new organization, (4) modern-day prophets and continuing revelation, (5) a different understanding of Adam's transgression and original sin, and (6) the plan of salvation, including a progression towards being like our Heavenly Father. As an aside, on this last point, I mentioned the anti-Mormon cartoon "God Makers" in class today but had never seen it myself. I watched it on YouTube this afternoon (one video). The cartoon was amusing to me in its absurdity - taking one or two elements of truth, massively distorting them, and adding in a bunch of stuff that is simply not true. It's really unfortunate that some people form their opinion of the Church based on material like this. If people want to take issue with the Church or its teachings, there is plenty of material to go after but at least stick to the facts.

2. Do Mormons believe in the Bible or just the Book of Mormon?
Yes. We revere the Bible and it is a key part of our standard works. The New Testament remains the best source for an intimate understanding of the character and personality of Jesus Christ during His mortal mission.

I pointed people to two General Conference talks - "Miracle of the Holy Bible" and "My Words ... Never Cease" - for additional discussion of this topic.

3. Why doesn't the LDS Church recognize baptisms by other Christian faiths? Why do people need to be baptized again when they join your church?
This is really a question of priesthood authority - the divine right to preach, act in the name of God, and direct the Lord's church. We believe that the priesthood authority that Jesus Christ established in His early church was lost and was later restored in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including the authority to baptize individuals.

Other angles on this question could include discussing the fifth Article of Faith, the fact that we don't believe in original sin or infant baptism, that Jesus sought out John (one with authority) when He was baptized, or the discussion in the New Testament (in Acts) of people being called to the ministry through the laying on of hands.

4. Why does the LDS Church have a prophet? Didn't the need for prophets end with Jesus Christ?
Modern apostles and prophets are a distinctive characteristic of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - as is continuing revelation. Thomas S. Monson is the current president and prophet of the Church. We believe that God will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God through His prophets.

As part of answering this question, people might refer to the sixth, seventh, and ninth Articles of Faith. They might pose the question, "If God spoke through prophets in the past, why not now?" We might also talk about people in lots of faiths experience personal revelation and inspiration and that prophets can receive revelation on behalf of the entire Church (and all mankind).

5. Why do Mormons have temples and what takes place there?
Latter-day Saint temples are considered houses of God, a place of holiness and peace separate from the preoccupations of the world. They provide a place where Church members make formal promises and commitments to God. They are also the place where the highest sacraments of the faith occur - the marriage of couples and the sealing of families (both living and dead) for eternity.

Additional things that people brought up were: (1) the fact that temples are different than our normal meeting houses, (2) the progression from baptism to higher ordinances like endowment and sealing, and (3) that we do service by doing work for other people who have passed on.

Next week, in the fianl class, we'll cover the remaining five questions from the homework. I'll also give people copies of the handouts that I've developed on these topics and others.