If this, then that.

I don't know if you've heard, but there's a Mormon running for president of the United States.  And he may be considered by some (or many) to be a front runner for the Republican Party.  So it was just a matter of time before somebody said something about his religion.

The latest buzz is surrounding a comment made by a Southern Baptist reverend who supports another candidate that Mormons aren't Christians.  Hmm.  It's nothing new.  I don't know if there is a Mormon out there who hasn't heard that.  

My question is, however, whether this particular reverend or anyone else who holds this viewpoint of Mormons has ever asked one personally about what exactly they believe.  And so, since I am a Mormon, I thought I would share exactly what I believe.

I looked up what the definition of "Christian" is, since I thought that maybe I was missing something.  As a Mormon, I would define myself as a Christian.  But just in case, I wanted to see how I measure up.  Here is how dictionary.com defines "Christian:"

1. of, pertaining to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings   

2. of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ

3. of or pertaining to Christians

4. exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ

5. decent; respectable 
6. a person who believes in Jesus Christ

8. a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ

9. a member of any of certain Protestant churches
 

The actual name of my church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I have never in all my 30-something years ever been to an LDS church service where we do not "talk of Christ,...rejoice in Christ...[or] preach of Christ." I believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost and that they are three separate and distinct personages.  I believe that Jesus Christ is God's Only Begotten Son, that He was born of Mary, that He lived a perfect life here on earth.  I believe that while on the earth He established a church, the organization of which the LDS church is patterned after.  I believe in everything He taught in the Sermon on the Mount.  I believe He raised the dead and healed the sick.  I believe He atoned for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane.  I believe He died on the cross.  I believe He was resurrected on the third day.  I believe that through Him, and only through Him we can be saved.  I believe that if I keep the commandments and try to live my life as He lived His and put my faith in Him that I can someday return to God and live with them in Heaven.

Is the Mormon Church a part of "any of certain Protestant churches?"  No.  So if you would like to focus on that one last definition, then well, I guess I am indeed not a Christian.  But if you would like to look at the other eight, I think our religion measures up pretty well.

In the eternal scheme of things, I am not going to get too worked up over what people think of me.  Everyone is certainly entitled to believe what they would like, since this is ultimately what I myself want from everyone else.  My only problem comes when 1) a person making those statements doesn't go right to the source to find out the truth (I mean, if you wanted to learn about American Greetings, would you ask an employee of Hallmark?  The information you get might be slightly skewed.) and 2) a person making those statements is trying to be inflammatory.

Actually, I am kind of glad that this comment was made, because I think it is empowering a lot of Mormons to speak up and speak out, to clear the air, to teach and to inform.  But in the end, what is most important to me is my unwavering testimony:

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ with all of my heart.  I know that He lives, I know that He is the Son of God, and I know that without Him I would be nothing.

To me, it doesn't get any more Christian than that.