Comparing the Mormon Religion to Catholic and Protestant...

Comparing the Mormon Religion to Catholic and Protestant Faiths The Mormon religion is very unique in many of its doctrine. While technically a Protestant faith, the Mormons generally share more doctrine with the Catholics. Because of its unique nature, I will be analyzing the Mormon faith, its history, organization, and doctrine, in comparison with the beliefs held by both Catholics and Protestants. Establishment On April 6, 1980, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka the Mormon Church) was founded. [It is interesting to note that according to Mormon doctrine (Doctrine and Covenants 20:1), April 6 is the birthday of Jesus Christ.] 10 years prior to this event, in 1820, fourteen-year-old Joseph Smith†¦show more content†¦Both Martin Luther and John Wesley shared the belief that Catholic faith had strayed from the truth as is seen in their respective quotes: I have sought nothing beyond reforming the Church in conformity with the Holy Scriptures. . . . . . . I simply say that Christianity has ceased to exist among those who should have preserved it. (Luther and His Times, E.G. Schweibert) and It does not appear that these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were common in the Church for more than two or three centuries. We seldom hear of them after that fatal period when the Emperor Constantine called himself a Christian; . . . From this time they almost totally ceased; . . . The Christians had no more of the Spirit of Christ than the other Heathens . . . . This was the real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to be found in the Christian Church; because the Christians were turned Heathens again, and had only a dead form left. (The Works of John Wesley, vol. 7) While the Mormons agree with other Protestants that the Catholic Church had become corrupt with its indulgences, purchase of church offices, etc., the Mormons differed somewhat in their solution to this problem. The Protestants sought to reform the problems they saw evident in the Catholic faith. The Mormons, however, believing that all faiths upon the Earth had fallen away from the true church established by Christ, sought to restoreShow MoreRelatedThe Separation Between Church And State Essay1998 Words   |  8 Pagesthat show candidates/ elected officials’ adherence to religious beliefs. This is especially true when officials are campaigning for elected office. Politicians try to identify with voters’ religious beliefs, especially in local elections, where one religion may be fairly dominant. Sometimes this is a cynical pitch for votes but in other cases may represent that individual’s profound beliefs which result in their political views. This is evident through politicians trying to be photographed at religious