Myths about Mormons – Mormons aren’t Christian

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. My church has taught me that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God. He came to earth as a man to suffer and die for my sins and the sins and pains of all others in the world. I believe that salvation comes through Christ alone.

Christus Statue found at the LDS Salt
Lake City Visitor's Center 

One my favorite scriptures on this topic comes from The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Second Nephi 25:26 reads “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophesies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”

The term “Christian” has ancient roots. Wikipedia has a great summary of the history of the word. Originally, “Christian” was used as a derisive term for followers of Christ. The use could even denote slave-like ownership by Christ. Along with the term Nazarene, Christian differentiated Jews who believed Christ was the Messiah from those who did not. Paul endorsed the term Christian as being accurate in indicating our dedicated, dependent relationship with Christ.

Mormons – whose nickname, interestingly, was also a derisive name initially – feel the same relationship with Christ that early Christians felt. It is this dedication, love, and reverence of Christ that earns us the title Christian. In biblical terms, we are truly Christian.

Some will argue that because we do not follow the Nicene Creed or because we believe works are important we must not be Christian. I would argue that we are simply a different “brand” of Christianity. We simply adhere to the initial definition and meaning the term Christian. If you want to distinguish us, I suggest the term “Biblical Christians.” This could help explain differences in our Christianity while not ignoring our deep dedication to and love of the Savior.

I would like to offer one comparison before ending this post. In Buddhism there are three major divisions: Therevada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Each of these sects is equally Buddhist. No one Buddhist would deny that a follower of another way were less a Buddhist than he. But they have very essential differences. For example, Therevada Buddhists do not believe in the Cosmic (or divine) Buddhas of Vajrayana Buddhism.

Likewise, Evangelical Christians are different from Catholic Christians are different from Mormon Christians, but we are all Christians. We may have different understandings of how our Christianity affects our lives, but we are all essentially Christian. We follow Jesus Christ – He is our Lord.

I know that God lives. I know that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I know that were it not for Jesus, I would have no hope of salvation. It is His grace that allows me the chance to repent and become perfect. I am grateful for His sacrifice in the garden, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the tomb that broke the bounds of death. I know He lives. 

Myths about Mormons – Introduction

I am currently enrolled in the Survey of World Religion class at BYU. Through lectures, videos, and visits to local worship centers, I am being exposed more fully to the beliefs and practices of religions I knew little about – sometimes just the name.

As I study and learn, I almost constantly discover misconceptions I had about religions. I thought the Hindu idea of reincarnation meant you would be forever re-born. Progression in this life was the goal, but I never had any idea that release from rebirth and the illusion of individualism, maya, was the driving desire of Hinduism. I didn’t know Buddhism came from Hinduism. And I’m sure as we study more religions that I will find and correct even more and worse misconceptions.

Thinking about this makes me wonder more about the misconceptions people have about Mormons: what they think, where the idea came from, and how it affects our relationship with those outside our religious culture. I grew up around non-members. I didn’t have any close friends – very few friends of any sort, for that matter – within our church for most of my adolescence. Through this experience, I’ve been exposed to some of the misconceptions about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Friends have told me about other ones. And I’ve seen some on the internet. Other things I have not been asked about or personally noticed, but I can just guess from looking at our culture that it wouldn’t be hard to be confused – and rightly so.

Many times members of the church respond to these misconceptions with offense, derision, or shock. I know I have done so at times. Perhaps a blog would be a safer and easier way to clarify my beliefs. It removes the danger of a reactive statement that isn’t quite accurate or kind. And it gives us all a chance to come back and review – you to re-read my statement, and me to correct it if I discover that I was also unclear.

As I hope is clear, I am anything but an expert on my own religion. I have lots of experience, faith, and understanding, but I do not know all the finer details. I am not a church historian who has studied the teachings of our prophets in detail. I have studied more or less depending on my stage in life but these studies have always focused on where I need greater understanding for my own personal growth. Therefore, all my knowledge is colored and balanced to suit my individual needs. But that does not discount the knowledge I do have – it simply explains why I will not cover some topics.

This will be a challenge and a learning experience for me, and I hope it will be a learning experience for many others out there. To help make these posts make sense, I want to define a few things in how I think about my beliefs.

1.    The Gospel: This is the “good news” that Christ taught when He lived on earth. It is most especially focused on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that “great and last sacrifice” that was offered to save all men from temporal and spiritual death.

2.    Doctrines: The actual teachings that direct my life. Doctrines explain how this life works, why I am here, where I will be going, and what I need to do to return to my Father in Heaven. For my part, I consider it doctrine if it was taught as a law in the scriptures or through modern revelation. Some doctrines are less so laws as we think of them in daily life and more laws as in “laws of nature;” the doctrine explains the way creation and life is.

3.    Instructions: Guidelines for living my life, given through modern revelation and scripture. Most doctrines are also instructions, but not all instructions are doctrine. For this second instance, I follow the instruction not because it in itself is determinate in my salvation, but because I believe obedience to the prophet is a doctrine that is part of my salvation.

4.    Culture: Aspects of being Mormon that may be based in doctrine or instruction but have really been created by the members through the way they interpret and live the doctrines. I’ve noticed these create a large amount of the confusions over Mormonism, not to mention small debates (or sometimes major arguments) within Mormonism.

Thanks for reading along. I pray that this blog will help me to better understand my own beliefs as I strive to share and explain them. I also pray that those reading will be helped in better understanding my religion and my personal beliefs.

Martin's Cove

Cowboy poetry, it was a passion with my grandpa. Old George, the man who worked on a ranch until the cancer was so bad he couldn't get out of bed. In the final weeks of his life, my grandpa worked to memorize one more poem. He could only remember scattered lines, and often asked for my help. Almost every time I went to see him, he would point to the large poster with the poem inscribed on in and ask me to read it to him.

Now, in his memory, I want to share this poem. I can't find it anywhere else. It's as if his poster is the only record of this piece of art. Please read and enjoy the poem. Now anyone can read it, and I think that's what my grandpa would love.


Martin's Cove
by Mick Kaser


By now it was into November
they knew they'd started too late
The Devil was hunkered down waitin'
hidin' behind Devil's Gate

The bears had holed up for the winter
the Natives had even pulled out
The weather was not fit for pilgrims
not now... and not here abouts

Should have wintered in Florence
August was too late to start
To make things worse, these people
were pushin' and pullin' hand carts

Mormon converts from England
worshipping God in their own way
Left Liverpool in eight ships
and crossed the Atlantic in May

Then landed in New York City
two thousand emigrants in all
Rode the Rock Island Railroad
to the Iowa River that fall

That's where the problems first started
'cause the guys buildin' the carts
Didn't know these folks were comin'
were all out of lumber and parts

So, it was three weeks or better
before they could get on the road
Four to five hundred pounds per cart
was about the average load

They sang as they left Iowa City
"Come Ye Saints" most likely the song
They were happy just to be movin'
for now, they rolled right along

Most of the axles were wooden
the lumber was green, had not cured
A man named Savage objected
but no one payed heed to his words

He'd rather have holed up 'til springtime
'cause he knew what lie ahead
The Saints wouldn't listen to logic
or the wise words this man said

One thousand thirty stubborn miles
if they hurried, did not dally
Sixty five days hard travel
from Florence to Salt Lake Valley

So they ferried the dirty Missouri
swollen by late August rains
And followed the Platte through Nebraska
amazed at the long endless plains

Three humans harnessed like oxen
pushin' and pullin' that weight
Up hill from Winter Quarters
seven hundred miles... Devil's Gate

Their journey thus far had been pleasant
free of serious mishap
But when they left Fort Laramie
the gate slammed shut on the trap

Their rations were starting to dwindle
they had to lighten their load
South Pass was still ninety five miles
and they had to cross 'fore it snowed

All their earthly belongings
in the carts, or strapped on their backs
They counted the days past Fort Laramie
by the empty flour sacks

They dumped some baggage at Deer Creek
and crossed over Muddy Creek Ridge
They'd not pay toll to the gentiles
to use their Platte River Bridge

Instead they forded Last Crossing
pushin' and pullin' those carts
The first party finally made it
after three or four shakey starts

Froze to the bone were these mortals
in ice water up past their hips
But nary a word of dissension
passed through their near frozen lips

The water was waist high in places
there was no wood for a fire
They slipped and fell in their traces
and the water just kept creepin' higher

One thing led to another
all the well laid plans went amuck
Half the time they were mired down
the other half they were stuck

Thirteen souls did not make Horse Creek
they passed on during the night
Seven more didn't make Sweetwater
they passed on after day light

Before they'd wrestled the Devil
Fifty six brave souls had gone
They took one look at Sweetwater
and could not find faith to go on

But their rations had dwindled to nothin'
four ounces of flour per day
They remembered the meadow at Deer Creek
and the warm robes they'd cast away

They found relief in a horseshoe ravine
snow was a foot and a half deep
Their numbers were less every mornin'
as more passed on in their sleep

The wind howled like a banshee
cut right through thin clothes like a knife
And chased them down in their haven
and caught them and snuffed out dear life

The cold cut clear to the marrow
the mercury said one below
Twenty two more souls departed
before they decided to go

They could barely see 'cross the river
the blizzard holed on with rage
And so they left martin's Haven
and twenty two friends 'neath the sage

Then the sun game out at Three Crossings
was their luck beginning to change
Was that a rider they saw comin'
or were they perplexed and deranged

No! Their eyes had not deceived them
though the sun made them squint and strain
'Cause see... this angel on horse back
was ahead of a wagon train

It was like these heroes had halos
that encircled their heads like a ring
To a thousand half frozen mortals
that rider on horse back had wings

Food and clothes from the valley
tears pulled like strings on their hearts
From here on they'd ride in the wagons
and not have to pull those damn carts

Many bold souls that left England
would not complete this travail
Two hundred plus, counting Willie's,
would be buried along side the trail

There is a price to pay in all ventures
and this journey had taken its toll
there were two hundred more saints in Heaven
when Saint Peter took the last roll

It's easy to look back and wonder
how these folks got in this fix
But you won't know lest you've been there
Martin's Cove... eighteen fifty six