Is Catholicism and Mormonism closer than the two like to admit?

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In a theological sense the two are on completely different sides of the “Christian umbrella”, however can’t we at least agree that we do share common ground on ethical and moral beliefs, and also the church structure is similar. I am Catholic but I have a few Mormon friends and although I don’t agree with anything of their beliefs, I have been to Mormon Church services and they really are amazing and welcoming people. In fact I feel like the people in Mormon churches are much more friendly than when I wall into a Catholic Church where a lot of times people seem to be reserved and even get upset if you are sitting in their pew they usually sit in. All I am saying is we should not judge people as bad just because they have views which are basically heretical to the Catholic Church and for that matter the majority of Churches, I think we should focus more on our similarities and show love like Christ would. We do both love Jesus dearly. I only bring this up because I have noticed some anti Mormon rhetoric quite often on this page. And I just want to say I don’t care of you are Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, Mormon, or even Jehovahs Witnesses… We all love Christ and just have a different view of Christ’s truth.
 
jas84173 said:
In a theological sense the two are on completely different sides of the “Christian umbrella”, however can’t we at least agree that we do share common ground on ethical and moral beliefs, and also the church structure is similar. I am Catholic but I have a few Mormon friends and although I don’t agree with anything of their beliefs, I have been to Mormon Church services and they really are amazing and welcoming people. In fact I feel like the people in Mormon churches are much more friendly than when I wall into a Catholic Church where a lot of times people seem to be reserved and even get upset if you are sitting in their pew they usually sit in. All I am saying is we should not judge people as bad just because they have views which are basically heretical to the Catholic Church and for that matter the majority of Churches, I think we should focus more on our similarities and show love like Christ would. We do both love Jesus dearly. I only bring this up because I have noticed some anti Mormon rhetoric quite often on this page. And I just want to say I don’t care of you are Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, Mormon, or even Jehovahs Witnesses… We all love Christ and just have a different view of Christ’s truth.
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I agree that Mormon’s are usually amazingly friendly people, so friendly as to almost be sort of fake. But even when you get to know them they are often really good people with faith in Christ. But there are a lot of serious issues with Mormonism. It is not the same thing as Protestantism at all. They add new text (Book of Mormon), new prophecies, really bizarre stuff. (19th century American) Ask one of your Evangelical friends about Mormons some day. I have never been able to reconcile what I know about Mormonism with actual Mormons. For one thing, they never try and convert me, so we don’t get into religious discussions. I shut that down. I would recommend that you read up on Mormonism - but don’t stop engaging with Mormons. Just be aware. I do still befriend them.
 
I understand what you are saying. We do share many of the same morals & values but I doubt there is a church that doesn’t share many of our morals & values. The LDS has a similar structure to a point. They do not have clergy such as our highly educated priests & Bishops.

After that there is nothing in common. In my opinion there are far more differences than similarities.
 
I ditto that practicing Catholics and Mormons have much in common with values and morals. And they are the nicest people I know. We can learn much from them.
 
Sorry, but truth is not defined by how nice or friendly people are.

Mormonism’s concept of Christ is just so out there, so wrong to the point that the Catholic Church cannot recognize their baptisms as valid.

What matters is truth, and despite Catholics missing out in the “friendliness” department, it’s the Catholic Church that holds the fullness of truth, not the Mormons.

Christ taught us that truth is one.
 
porthos11 said:
Sorry, but truth is not defined by how nice or friendly people are.

Mormonism’s concept of Christ is just so out there, so wrong to the point that the Catholic Church cannot recognize their baptisms as valid.

What matters is truth, and despite Catholics missing out in the “friendliness” department, it’s the Catholic Church that holds the fullness of truth, not the Mormons.

Christ taught us that truth is one.
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Good post! 👍

I dont really understand why the OP thinks they are alike at all.
 
jas84173 said:
and also the church structure is similar.
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The two churches structure are not similar in the least starting with every male being “ordained” a priest beginning at age 12. In this regard the Catholic church is much more like just about any other Protestant denomination in that being a priest is serious business meant for adults not children.
 
No. We are closer to Protestants than Mormons. Mormons use their own scripture which is an anathema. At least Protestants use the Bible albeit with less books.

The Church recognises many Protestants as having valid christian baptisms, the Mormon baptism is not recognised by the Church.
 
I don’t think most here think Mormons are bad people. Yes, we often share many of the same moral outlooks, but that has more to do with embracing God’s plan as written on every human heart. Anti-Mormon rhetoric, as you call it, is focused on the glaring flaws in their theology and the fact that they “lure” people away to follow a false religion. The various protestant sects are distortions of the faith, but still hold kernels of truth. Mormonism is another face of the ancient gnostic heresy (along with a dozen other heresies). It is not Christianity, but rather another religion that appropriated Christian stories and cloaks itself in a reputable guise. The reason the “rhetoric” can be more vehement against Mormonism because it’s like chocolate that has been contaminated with a dozen poisons. They are genuinely nice people, but nice doesn’t lead to heaven. If people focus on “nice” instead of the one true God it can lead them down paths that the Church has condemned tike and time again.

I have many Mormon friends and we often work with each other on various common goals, but we also work with Muslims, Shinto, Buddhist, “spiritual” and atheists in some cases. My point is, that just because we work to the same goal does not mean we do so for the same reasons.

Final note, the structure of the two religions are not the same hierarchical structure, other than at a superficial level. Yes, they have deacons, priests (two kinds in fact), and bishops, but their understanding of those offices are very different from Catholic teaching.
 
jas84173 said:
In a theological sense the two are on completely different sides of the “Christian umbrella”, however can’t we at least agree that we do share common ground on ethical and moral beliefs, and also the church structure is similar. I am Catholic but I have a few Mormon friends and although I don’t agree with anything of their beliefs, I have been to Mormon Church services and they really are amazing and welcoming people. In fact I feel like the people in Mormon churches are much more friendly than when I wall into a Catholic Church where a lot of times people seem to be reserved and even get upset if you are sitting in their pew they usually sit in. All I am saying is we should not judge people as bad just because they have views which are basically heretical to the Catholic Church and for that matter the majority of Churches, I think we should focus more on our similarities and show love like Christ would. We do both love Jesus dearly. I only bring this up because I have noticed some anti Mormon rhetoric quite often on this page. And I just want to say I don’t care of you are Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, Mormon, or even Jehovahs Witnesses… We all love Christ and just have a different view of Christ’s truth.
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My dear friend in Christ,

Because you identify yourself as a “Catholic”, I feel compelled to comment on the two points that I highlighted** in RED**

There is a highly; even a critical difference in Catholic Worship and non-Catholic Worship; that difference being that in the RCC, Jesus Christ is:
  1. Either already Present in the Reservation Tabernacle [or will soon be MADE Present in the Mass
Catholic Worship is; or ought to be entirely God-Centered; God-Focused Worship
  1. One cannot theologically LUMP all the churches *& THEIR freely chosen sets of Faith beliefs [ONE per church]; as Mormons and JW’s while using the same terms of God, & Jesus; by definition and understanding; have entirely different understanding of the Godhead. to the point that they cannot be considered as a part of the “Christian Community”:o
  2. I absolutely agree with your views of Morality:) And this is a very good thing.
I also respect their evangelazation efforts; even though I disagree with their beliefs:)

GBY

Patrick
 
My Dad’s side of the family is LDS-Mom’s is Lutheran and my brothers and I were raised Lutheran. I have been looking into the RC and EO but that’s another post.
Mormons are wonderful people but to quote a Lutheran Pastor of mine they’re rolling down the wrong road.
Just read the Athanasian Creed- their Christology, view of the Trinity are at odds with that.
Also, they add works to what was done on the Cross for us, something the RCC is accused of but really does not. But Mormonism truly does.
But nice, wonderful people and very family friendly, for sure.
They also teach that true apostolic Christianity went apostate after the 2nd Century and there was no true Church at all until Joseph Smith restored it in the 19th century. The Bible says that the gates of hell will never encroach against the Church.
My late paternal Grandparents were devout Mormons so I have been to a few services and yes they are wonderful friendly and good people but that doesn’t mean they have the fullness of the truth. And their theology on the nature and the person of Christ and the Trinity, never mind they deny the real precence in the Eucharist, disqualify them for me, as a church I would ever join.
 
Similar church structure? Other than male priesthood, no. The structures are very different.

Values and morals? sure, but that is true with other more traditional Protestant denominations too.

Theologically? Not eve close.
 
Horton said:
I understand what you are saying. We do share many of the same morals & values but I doubt there is a church that doesn’t share many of our morals & values. The LDS has a similar structure to a point. They do not have clergy such as our highly educated priests & Bishops.

After that there is nothing in common. In my opinion there are far more differences than similarities.
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This is more accurate observation.
 
Yeah no way are they close. I don’t see the church as being as racist that the Mormon church was. Both have bloody pasts but the Mormon church is just simply nutty. A bunch of Jewish people floated in a wooden submarine to the new world. How about that Lehi and family walked over 300 miles in less than three days, multiple times. Verily, Drink! For, for Drink!
 
jas84173 said:
In a theological sense the two are on completely different sides of the “Christian umbrella”, however can’t we at least agree that we do share common ground on ethical and moral beliefs, and also the church structure is similar. I am Catholic but I have a few Mormon friends and although I don’t agree with anything of their beliefs, I have been to Mormon Church services and they really are amazing and welcoming people. In fact I feel like the people in Mormon churches are much more friendly than when I wall into a Catholic Church where a lot of times people seem to be reserved and even get upset if you are sitting in their pew they usually sit in. All I am saying is we should not judge people as bad just because they have views which are basically heretical to the Catholic Church and for that matter the majority of Churches, I think we should focus more on our similarities and show love like Christ would. We do both love Jesus dearly. I only bring this up because I have noticed some anti Mormon rhetoric quite often on this page. And I just want to say I don’t care of you are Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, Mormon, or even Jehovahs Witnesses… We all love Christ and just have a different view of Christ’s truth.
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It’s called “love bombing.” Many of the so-called “cults” do that, including Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Twig Fellowship.

Yes, the structure of the Mormon Church (and Jehovah’s Witnesses) is similar to the Catholic Church. Very hierarchical. What is of interest is that, like the Catholic Church, the Mormon Church claims to be a Church founded by God with a re-established priesthood and to be therefore God’s official teacher and interpreter of scripture. The Watchtower Society makes a similar claim.

Now, the existence of an official interpreter of scripture, such as the Catholic Church, was denied by the Reformation. However, some Protestants, such as Joseph Smith and Charles Taze Russell, recognized the need for such an institution, and started organizations to fill that need, the Mormon Church and the Watchtower Society.
 
Jesus Himself created a mechanism for preserving the fullness of His Gospel. that mechanism is apostolic succession.

the mormons, as is true of all of the other non-catholic, christian groups, do not share in the fruits of this Divinely created mechanism of apostolic succession.

whatever similarities there are between Roman Catholicism and other christian believers, those similarities are beneficial to those other christian believers. the differences, on the other hand, between the teachings of the successors of the apostles and the teachings of the other christian groups are not beneficial to either Roman Catholic or to those other christian groups.

in fact, the differences in teachings between the teachings of the successors to the apostles and the teachings of the many and various non-catholic, christian groups are detrimental to those who accept those differences as a sign that the successors to the apostles are wrong in what they teach as the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
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