In a recent Associated Press release, a prominent protestant church declared, as policy, that the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by self-definition, do notfit within the bounds of the historic, apostolic traditions of the Christian faith. As a result they declared that LDS who convert to that particular church (and some other Protestant faiths, as well) must be re-baptized. The article went on to describe the major differences between our beliefs and theirs. What they described as the differences were fairly accurate.
One error that stood out was their statement that “the Jesus of Mormonism is not co-eternal with the Father and of one substance with the Father” It is true that the Jesus of Mormonism is not of one substance with the Father, we believe, based on the scriptures, that they are, in fact, two separate persons. However, we do believe, contrary to their statement, that Christ is co-eternal, with the Father. As a matter of scripture all intelligent spirits are co-eternal with the Father (Abraham 3:18) Joseph Smith in the King Follett sermon made that perfectly clear. Intelligence and/or spirit, is matter and always has existed. We are mortals born of individual and independent spirits, created by God, from the intelligences that always have and always will exist. Exactly where we will exist beyond this life is precisely what we are working out now here on earth as individual mortals. We will exist, regardless of where, as immortal, resurrected beings.
Converts to the LDS faith always have had to be re-baptized regardless of their former condition or faith, because they will now be baptized by priesthood authority and by the method prescribed by God.
The statement in the article quoted above, “within the bounds of the historic, apostolic traditions of the Christian faith;” I suppose we could take issue with that as well. We believe precisely, as did the New Testament Apostles. They (the church in question), believe according to the Nicene Creed as evidenced by the following statement, saying that they were prepared, “…as a matter of course, to reaffirm the ancient creeds and confessions as valid summaries of Christian truth.”
The Nicene Creed was established in the fourth century A.D., long after the Apostles had been martyred. The tenants declared in the Nicene Creed were not tenants of apostolic tradition but rather tenants decided by a council of men without any declaration of revelation, inspiration or authority from on high. It is obvious to any lay member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that the Nicene Creed is not an inspired document.
We need to express our gratitude daily for living Apostles and continued revelation and the knowledge we have of the restored gospel. We are especially grateful for the restoration of the knowledge of the work for the dead, as expressed by Apostles Paul and Peter, and “within the bounds of the apostolic traditions” of the pristine Christian Church.
For all general purposes, a person living a Christian lifestyle may, in the end, be propelled further into God’s kingdom than non-practicing members of any given church organization. I like what John Ballie said, “What makes a man a Christian is neither his intellectual acceptance of certain ideas, nor his conformity to a certain rule, but his possession of a certain spirit, and his participation in a certain life.” God bless us to be both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and possessors of that certain spirit that will define us as Christians!