Mormons & Catholics Archive
Mormon beliefs teach that the church is the restoration of the church that existed in the days of the ministry of Jesus Christ. They teach that their priesthood is an unbroken line of authority. This puzzles those who teach that the line of succession comes from Peter and was never broken.
When Jesus chose His apostles, he gave them the authority to act for God. He held the keys to the kingdom, but could distribute them to those called of God.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16)
These keys, of course, are not physical. They represent the authority to act in God’s name. The verse just quoted does not mean Jesus relinquished the keys,... Read the rest of this entry »
In Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, he stipulates that Christ’s true church should have “One Lord, one faith, one baptism”; the particular form of baptism he is referring to is baptism by immersion. How do we know this? Well, we can infer that Paul’s instructions held a particular regard for baptism by immersion, mainly because it is the only form of baptism the gospels tell us about and the only form Christ himself participated in and subsequently approved of. Let’s take a look at Matthew 3:16 which recounts the event, and indicates immersion specifically:
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.”(Emphasis added)
Read the rest of this entry »
Read More →
Personal Response by Alex Capanna
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) does not teach or practice infant baptism, basing its disapproval of the practice upon the foundation of modern day revelation, as well as, doctrine taught in the Bible and the Book of Mormon; as an aside, the evidence for the LDS position as found in the Book of Mormon, is always supported by the Bible and I have included those validating Biblical references. Moroni 8:10-11 states:
“Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach-repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children. And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins.”(1) (Emphasis... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Karen R. Trifiletti
Mormon Beliefs: Saints
Mormons believe that true followers of Jesus Christ are counted as “saints”–those who have followed Him into baptism by immersion through His priesthood power as held by ordained members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and who continue in the path of righteousness. Members of Christ‘s Church established when he was on the earth are the early saints, and members of His Church today are referred to as “Latter-day Saints” or Mormons. Many of all faiths live a Christ-like life and are saintly and good. The literal term, “saint,” or “latter-day saint,” however, in our theology is reserved for those who qualify as described above.
Mormons do not beatify (call blessed in a formal sense) or canonize (declare a higher state of sainthood) anyone who is a member of the Church. Read the rest of this entry »
Read More →
Personal Response by Karen Merkley
Mormons partake of the Sacrament of the Lord’s supper–initiated by Jesus Christ–every Sunday, as Catholics partake of Communion. We have in common our love of the Lord, and our belief that He would have us partake of this emblem of His love, sacrifice and atonement.
In addition to partaking of the Sacrament as the emblem of Christ’s sacrifice and as an ordinance through which members of the Church renew their baptismal covenants, Mormons do so in a prescribed manner, which was revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith, and is recorded in a book of revelations known as The Doctrine and Covenants–a scriptural record of the Lord’s instructions to Joseph as the Lord’s Church was restored to the earth.
For Mormons, the prescribed manner of administering the blessing of the bread is set forth as follows:
Read the rest of this entry »
Read More →
Personal Response by Karen Merkley
A rosary is a set of chained beads used to mark the recitation of certain prayers by Catholics. Typically, it consists of 50 beads, in groups of ten (a decade), with a larger bead before each decade. Specific memorized prayers are recited as a way of remembering aspects of the life and mission of the Savior. Catholics, with a deep sense of devotion and love of the Savior, reflect on His life and mission as they engage in these prayers and as they participate in the rituals and liturgy of the Catholic faith. We have great respect for their devotion to God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) don’t use a rosary, or set of beads marking a series of prayers, as used by Roman-Catholics or Anglo-Catholics. Read the rest of this entry »
Read More →
