It seems more and more attention is being focused on "Mormonism," the recognized nickname for the collective doctrines and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).
This is not unexpected, given the current political (and religious) environment in America, nor is it unwelcome from my perspective. It gives people of good will, but differing confessional backgrounds, a chance to engage one another in honest dialogue, to question, to discuss, to think more deeply about, and try to understand more fully, one another.
Does it mean, as I have been asked, that the LDS faith is entering the religious mainstream, or trying to enter the mainstream? I think the honest answer is, it depends on what we mean by "entering the mainstream."
On the one hand, if we mean coming out of obscurity, moving beyond the confines and influences of Utah, offering a way of life as significant, profound, and far reaching as the world's great religions, then I believe the answer to the question of Mormonism becoming mainstream, and seeking so to do, is yes--on both counts.
The reach of the LDS Church extends worldwide and it is growing. There are more members outside the United States than inside, with impressive native leaders and congregations in most of those countries cordial to the Church, who love and support their native lands while retaining staunch loyalty to the Church. The LDS Church is not simply an American religious phenomenon any more.
Sociologist Rodney Stark, a non-Latter-day Saint who used the pattern of LDS Church growth to explain the expansion of early Christianity, has projected that LDS Church membership will reach 60 million or more by 2030. From this, one may gather that the LDS faith is not going to disappear, and history shows us that one of the ways religious movements move into the mainstream is their longevity, their staying power, their positive influence on large members of people over time.
On the other hand, if by the term "religious mainstream" we mean the Christian mainstream, the constellation of Catholic and Protestant denominations whose members constitute the greater number of Christians today, then I think the answer to the question of whether the LDS faith is entering the religious mainstream is much more complicated.
Some Christians are willing to view Latter-day Saints as part of the Christian mainstream. Others are not. One issue that seems to prevent Latter-day Saints from being admitted to the ranks of mainstream Christianity by even some of the kindest and brightest religious leaders and lay members of other Christian faiths is our belief in modern prophets, beginning with Joseph Smith, in institutional revelation rooted in that prophetic calling, and in the necessity of prophetically-governed priesthood authority to perform ordinances (baptism, confirmation, etc.) required for salvation.
But these are foundational doctrines on which Latter-day Saints cannot give ground and for which we believe there is significant biblical precedent. If these must be jettisoned or even shaded in any way in order for Latter-day Saints to be regarded as part of mainstream Christianity then I believe almost all committed Church members will not even think about moving in that direction.
Another issue often cited for preventing Latter-day Saints from being granted mainstream Christian status is the ironic charge that we are not Christian--even though the name of the Church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Such a charge seems to me to be born of ignorance, flawed logic, unfairness or disingenuousness.
The core doctrines of the LDS faith have always been grounded in the divinity of Jesus Christ, our conviction that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah--the only way or means by which any of us can be ransomed from sin, death, hell, the devil, sorrow, and tribulation; and in the literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ--by which all human beings, good or bad, will be resurrected.
To be sure, there are profound doctrinal differences between the LDS faith and other denominations. But, if St. Augustine or Martin Luther--both grounded in Christ--could express beliefs that also differ profoundly from so-called mainstream Christianity and still be regarded as Christians, why are Latter-day Saints excluded as being non-Christians? If the LDS faith is to be branded a cult, so is early Christianity, according to Rodney Stark.
I believe Latter-day Saints desire to be regarded as part of mainstream Christianity not for status or for doctrinal validation, but to foster neighborliness and cooperation, to join in common causes to improve the condition of the world, to halt contention, to help the poor and needy, shore up the erosion of morals in society, eradicate the exploitation of people, fight dishonesty, stamp out pornography, and support traditional marriage and family values.
However, in truth, the ultimate goal of the LDS Church is not to change perceptions about its nature, but to bring men and women to a fullness of the doctrine and person of Christ, who changes their nature.
Dr. Andrew C. Skinner is executive director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, professor of ancient scripture, and former dean of religious education at Brigham Young University. He is the author or co-author of "Scriptural Parables for the Latter-days"; "Jerusalem: The Eternal City"; and "New Testament Apostles Testify of Christ: A Guide to Acts through Revelation."
