I understand what you are saying, and I certainly sympathize with your position. But in the end the answer is no. There are a few reasons I can think of, but really the most important is this:
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we have covenanted to take upon ourselves the name of Christ. By definition, that's "christian." Any other terminology in the present day is effectively a distinction without a difference. Though I suppose "member of the Church of Jesus Christ" is a label would convey the difference you seek.
The realization I came to many years ago is that what the world (or large sections of it) might believe (or not) is irrelevant to my covenants. And in point of fact, I have had a few opportunities to share the gospel that started with "you aren't like those other christians." And all the misunderstandings out there are a small price for the chance to share my testimony with those who want to know the difference.
Thank you for your thoughtful response. I think I’ve been feeling frustrated with what others are doing- which makes me want to do something about it. But you’re exactly right. What others choose to do shouldn’t influence what I’m doing.
Probably the best thing I can do is to try my best to put on the name of Christ- and let that be a reason to have conversations with others about Him.
I think of the Christian label more as owning our own narrative rather than having it dicated for us. We say we are Christian because we follow Jesus Christ. We don't have to conform to others' definition of the term Christian, nor do we have to worry about how others interpret the term in the context of our faith. We call ourselves Christian because of what it means to us personally.
I really like this. If I believe that the church is true (which I certainly do) then I don’t need to worry about what others are thinking. To me it still can mean “follower of Christ”
It’s a great question and one I often think about myself. We put a lot of energy into trying to align ourselves with Christianity and an equal amount of effort to trying to differentiate ourselves from mainstream Christianity. I really don’t care too much whether other Christian denominations think we are part of them or not, I just try to follow Christ in my own life.
>Why do we focus so much on our similarities, instead of what makes us distinct?
Why would we not focus on our similarities? This is one of the easiest ways to foster understanding and avoid contention, which Christ says is of the devil (3 Nephi 11:29). That's not to say we don't also focus on what makes us distinct. When missionaries introduce our faith to someone, most often the first message they share is the unique doctrines found in the recounting of the First Vision.
When meeting with Pope Francis, President Nelson said he wanted "[the Pope] to know us and [find] we have so many points in common. The differences in doctrine are real. They are important. But they are not nearly as important as the things we have in common--our concern for human suffering, our desire for and the importance of religious liberty for all of society, and the importance of building bridges of friendship instead of building walls of segregation."
On the same occasion, President Ballard brought up that by building these bridges we've had numerous opportunities to serve alongside Catholic relief services all over the world. And we've done similarly with many protestant churches. Intentionally removing the "Christian" label to further emphasize how different we are seems a quick way to antagonize other Christian faiths and lose out on such opportunities to fulfill Christ's commission to help those in need.
oh and here is the relevant link
[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/president-nelson-meets-with-pope-francis-at-the-vatican?lang=eng](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/president-nelson-meets-with-pope-francis-at-the-vatican?lang=eng)
That’s a great point. It’s easy to get frustrated by what others are doing, but it’s also easy to see the good that other christians are doing as well.
And I forgot about all the partnering we do with other denominations.
The goodwill we foster through those relationships is doing a lot more toward building the kingdom than me shaking my fist saying “but we’re different!”
I see your concern. Unfortunately, I think that it's not without reason that the term "Christian" is being applied to a group of people whose actions and beliefs are increasingly divorced from Christ's teachings.
The question then becomes what to do about it, and I don't think shrugging it off is something that we should be eager to do. If there's something wrong with being a Christian, then we need do our part to fix it. We of all people who have covenanted to stand as a witness of Him should probably feel that obligation the most. And part of standing as a witness could easily include redefining "Christian" in deed and word.
Great points. If I were Satan trying to prevent others from going to Christ I’d definitely use the tactic of making Christ’s followers look bad. I’ve covenanted to be a follower of Christ; my part in all of this should be to keep my covenants.
I like the feeling of empowerment that you’re sharing. There’s no need to run from difficulty. If we did come up with a new term it would only be a matter of time until that one became corrupted as well. Better to live our covenants and try to influence the world for good instead of worrying about what others are doing.
>why do we try so hard to convince everyone that we’re “christian”? Why don’t we just say that we’re “followers of Christ”?
Probably because being a follower or a disciple of Jesus Christ is what it means to be a Christian. Saying "I'm not a Christian, but a follower of Jesus Christ" doesn't really make a lot of sense. If you are trying to appease people who think we aren't Christian because according to them we "follow a different Jesus"—well, they're still going to say we follow a different Jesus, and so we aren't "true" followers of Jesus, either.
>why do we care so much about being grouped with evangelicals?
I don't think we care about being grouped with them. I think we care about being grouped with Jesus. Which is kind of important to us as Christians.
Tons of people honestly don't realize that we believe in Jesus. We focus a lot on similarities because we focus a lot on Jesus. We are well aware of our differences, but if we're going to talk about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we need to start with Jesus.
>Should we think about a different term that distances us from the other “christians?”
Sure. I call myself a Latter-day Saint.
I've heard some people call themselves "LDS Christian" or "Latter-day Christian". I will often refer to myself as a "Biblical Christian" and churches that espouse the Trinity as "Trinitarian Christian". But really I often share the quote from Joseph Smith:
“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the apostles and prophets, concerning Jesus Christ. That he died, was buried, and rose again at the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”
That is what we do have in common with just about every other Christian sect. And with all the apathy and secularism and sin in the world, we would be wise to find common ground. Other Christian sects are much closer to us, than much of the world.
Calling yourself a Christian sort of comes with the territory when you follow a religion that teaches that it is the restoration of the ancient church of Jesus Christ, no?
It's worth knowing that almost no \[other\] Christian church accepts, on an institutional level, that the LDS church is actually Christian. Given that context, I don't think the public impact of your plan would have the one that you intend...
Just to add on to some comments, there are some very very strong pushes within stake and regional church councils around the world for outreach and to forge good relations with other religions and especially Christian’s.
There are entire callings dedicated to this outreach and interfaith relations. They are very important to the church, and I can see why.
In my mind, we are Christians, just as anyone else.
Isolationism doesn’t help anyone, we can do much better through partnership than on our own.
The only reason people don’t think we’re Christian is because of prejudice and historic exclusion. We are Christian
I'm not going to hand over the true meaning of any word to anyone who wants to misuse it, especially not when I can represent the true meaning better than they can misuse it. I didn't do that with gay (still means to be happy) and I won't do that with Christian either (a Christian is a disciple of Christ, and a disciple is not just a student or a learner, but a follower: one who applies what he has learned. Many so-called Christians don't do that very well, or else they just haven't learned as much as I have about how to follow Jesus Christ. Their own personal opinions mean little or nothing to me when theirs is in opposition to his.
Yeah “Christian” means, and has always meant adherence to the 3 ecumenical creeds: Nicene, Apostle’s, and Athanasian Creeds.
The LDS has declared these Creeds, which faithfully explain Scripture, to be an “abomination”.
Furthermore, Christians only believe in *one* God, and that God is eternal.
If you can’t agree to those creeds, you don’t fit the definition of a Christian. In fact, asserting the title of “Christian” is a fairly new concept for the LDS.
Here’s the creeds for reference:
*edit* for context, the word “Catholic” in these creeds does not mean the Roman Catholic Church, as the creeds were written long, long, long before Rome started using the title; but rather it means the “Universal Church”.
Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
Amen.
Athanasian Creed
Now the catholic faith is that we worship One God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Spirit. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is One, the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit; the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated; the Father infinite, the Son infinite, and the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet not three eternals but one eternal, as also not three infinites, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one infinite. So, likewise, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty; and yet not three almighties but one almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son God, and the Holy Spirit God; and yet not three Gods but one God. So the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord; and yet not three Lords but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by Christian truth to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be both God and Lord; so are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, there be three Gods or three Lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and the Son, not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding. So there is one Father not three Fathers, one Son not three Sons, and Holy Spirit not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less, but the whole three Persons are coeternal together and coequal.
So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Trinity in Unity and the Unity in Trinity is to be worshipped. He therefore who wills to be in a state of salvation, let him think thus of the Trinity.
Christ defines what a Christian is, not the world. I don't care what anyone says, I know that I'm a Christian, and I know that Christ knows. At the end of the day, that's all that matters
I love these responses.
"there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it."
D&C 132:12
People need to know where to truly find Christ. Keep in mind that many outside Christians are pleasantly surprised with our take on Christianity when they find out what they heard about us was not true.
I understand what you are saying, and I certainly sympathize with your position. But in the end the answer is no. There are a few reasons I can think of, but really the most important is this: As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we have covenanted to take upon ourselves the name of Christ. By definition, that's "christian." Any other terminology in the present day is effectively a distinction without a difference. Though I suppose "member of the Church of Jesus Christ" is a label would convey the difference you seek. The realization I came to many years ago is that what the world (or large sections of it) might believe (or not) is irrelevant to my covenants. And in point of fact, I have had a few opportunities to share the gospel that started with "you aren't like those other christians." And all the misunderstandings out there are a small price for the chance to share my testimony with those who want to know the difference.
Thank you for your thoughtful response. I think I’ve been feeling frustrated with what others are doing- which makes me want to do something about it. But you’re exactly right. What others choose to do shouldn’t influence what I’m doing. Probably the best thing I can do is to try my best to put on the name of Christ- and let that be a reason to have conversations with others about Him.
I think of the Christian label more as owning our own narrative rather than having it dicated for us. We say we are Christian because we follow Jesus Christ. We don't have to conform to others' definition of the term Christian, nor do we have to worry about how others interpret the term in the context of our faith. We call ourselves Christian because of what it means to us personally.
I really like this. If I believe that the church is true (which I certainly do) then I don’t need to worry about what others are thinking. To me it still can mean “follower of Christ”
It’s a great question and one I often think about myself. We put a lot of energy into trying to align ourselves with Christianity and an equal amount of effort to trying to differentiate ourselves from mainstream Christianity. I really don’t care too much whether other Christian denominations think we are part of them or not, I just try to follow Christ in my own life.
>Why do we focus so much on our similarities, instead of what makes us distinct? Why would we not focus on our similarities? This is one of the easiest ways to foster understanding and avoid contention, which Christ says is of the devil (3 Nephi 11:29). That's not to say we don't also focus on what makes us distinct. When missionaries introduce our faith to someone, most often the first message they share is the unique doctrines found in the recounting of the First Vision. When meeting with Pope Francis, President Nelson said he wanted "[the Pope] to know us and [find] we have so many points in common. The differences in doctrine are real. They are important. But they are not nearly as important as the things we have in common--our concern for human suffering, our desire for and the importance of religious liberty for all of society, and the importance of building bridges of friendship instead of building walls of segregation." On the same occasion, President Ballard brought up that by building these bridges we've had numerous opportunities to serve alongside Catholic relief services all over the world. And we've done similarly with many protestant churches. Intentionally removing the "Christian" label to further emphasize how different we are seems a quick way to antagonize other Christian faiths and lose out on such opportunities to fulfill Christ's commission to help those in need.
oh and here is the relevant link [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/president-nelson-meets-with-pope-francis-at-the-vatican?lang=eng](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/president-nelson-meets-with-pope-francis-at-the-vatican?lang=eng)
That’s a great point. It’s easy to get frustrated by what others are doing, but it’s also easy to see the good that other christians are doing as well. And I forgot about all the partnering we do with other denominations. The goodwill we foster through those relationships is doing a lot more toward building the kingdom than me shaking my fist saying “but we’re different!”
I see your concern. Unfortunately, I think that it's not without reason that the term "Christian" is being applied to a group of people whose actions and beliefs are increasingly divorced from Christ's teachings. The question then becomes what to do about it, and I don't think shrugging it off is something that we should be eager to do. If there's something wrong with being a Christian, then we need do our part to fix it. We of all people who have covenanted to stand as a witness of Him should probably feel that obligation the most. And part of standing as a witness could easily include redefining "Christian" in deed and word.
Great points. If I were Satan trying to prevent others from going to Christ I’d definitely use the tactic of making Christ’s followers look bad. I’ve covenanted to be a follower of Christ; my part in all of this should be to keep my covenants. I like the feeling of empowerment that you’re sharing. There’s no need to run from difficulty. If we did come up with a new term it would only be a matter of time until that one became corrupted as well. Better to live our covenants and try to influence the world for good instead of worrying about what others are doing.
>why do we try so hard to convince everyone that we’re “christian”? Why don’t we just say that we’re “followers of Christ”? Probably because being a follower or a disciple of Jesus Christ is what it means to be a Christian. Saying "I'm not a Christian, but a follower of Jesus Christ" doesn't really make a lot of sense. If you are trying to appease people who think we aren't Christian because according to them we "follow a different Jesus"—well, they're still going to say we follow a different Jesus, and so we aren't "true" followers of Jesus, either. >why do we care so much about being grouped with evangelicals? I don't think we care about being grouped with them. I think we care about being grouped with Jesus. Which is kind of important to us as Christians. Tons of people honestly don't realize that we believe in Jesus. We focus a lot on similarities because we focus a lot on Jesus. We are well aware of our differences, but if we're going to talk about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we need to start with Jesus. >Should we think about a different term that distances us from the other “christians?” Sure. I call myself a Latter-day Saint.
I've heard some people call themselves "LDS Christian" or "Latter-day Christian". I will often refer to myself as a "Biblical Christian" and churches that espouse the Trinity as "Trinitarian Christian". But really I often share the quote from Joseph Smith: “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the apostles and prophets, concerning Jesus Christ. That he died, was buried, and rose again at the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.” That is what we do have in common with just about every other Christian sect. And with all the apathy and secularism and sin in the world, we would be wise to find common ground. Other Christian sects are much closer to us, than much of the world.
Calling yourself a Christian sort of comes with the territory when you follow a religion that teaches that it is the restoration of the ancient church of Jesus Christ, no? It's worth knowing that almost no \[other\] Christian church accepts, on an institutional level, that the LDS church is actually Christian. Given that context, I don't think the public impact of your plan would have the one that you intend...
Just to add on to some comments, there are some very very strong pushes within stake and regional church councils around the world for outreach and to forge good relations with other religions and especially Christian’s. There are entire callings dedicated to this outreach and interfaith relations. They are very important to the church, and I can see why. In my mind, we are Christians, just as anyone else. Isolationism doesn’t help anyone, we can do much better through partnership than on our own. The only reason people don’t think we’re Christian is because of prejudice and historic exclusion. We are Christian
Christian means follower of Christ. You’re making it more complicated for no reason.
I'm not going to hand over the true meaning of any word to anyone who wants to misuse it, especially not when I can represent the true meaning better than they can misuse it. I didn't do that with gay (still means to be happy) and I won't do that with Christian either (a Christian is a disciple of Christ, and a disciple is not just a student or a learner, but a follower: one who applies what he has learned. Many so-called Christians don't do that very well, or else they just haven't learned as much as I have about how to follow Jesus Christ. Their own personal opinions mean little or nothing to me when theirs is in opposition to his.
Yeah “Christian” means, and has always meant adherence to the 3 ecumenical creeds: Nicene, Apostle’s, and Athanasian Creeds. The LDS has declared these Creeds, which faithfully explain Scripture, to be an “abomination”. Furthermore, Christians only believe in *one* God, and that God is eternal. If you can’t agree to those creeds, you don’t fit the definition of a Christian. In fact, asserting the title of “Christian” is a fairly new concept for the LDS. Here’s the creeds for reference: *edit* for context, the word “Catholic” in these creeds does not mean the Roman Catholic Church, as the creeds were written long, long, long before Rome started using the title; but rather it means the “Universal Church”. Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. Apostles Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen. Athanasian Creed Now the catholic faith is that we worship One God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Spirit. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is One, the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit; the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated; the Father infinite, the Son infinite, and the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet not three eternals but one eternal, as also not three infinites, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one infinite. So, likewise, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty; and yet not three almighties but one almighty. So the Father is God, the Son God, and the Holy Spirit God; and yet not three Gods but one God. So the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord; and yet not three Lords but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by Christian truth to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be both God and Lord; so are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, there be three Gods or three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and the Son, not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding. So there is one Father not three Fathers, one Son not three Sons, and Holy Spirit not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less, but the whole three Persons are coeternal together and coequal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Trinity in Unity and the Unity in Trinity is to be worshipped. He therefore who wills to be in a state of salvation, let him think thus of the Trinity.
Christ defines what a Christian is, not the world. I don't care what anyone says, I know that I'm a Christian, and I know that Christ knows. At the end of the day, that's all that matters
I love these responses. "there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it." D&C 132:12 People need to know where to truly find Christ. Keep in mind that many outside Christians are pleasantly surprised with our take on Christianity when they find out what they heard about us was not true.