Are Mormons Christians?
• Read the comments of historians, scholars and Mormons on this issue. Because Jesus Christ is a central figure in their theology, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consider themselves Christians. While it is true that the church has recently placed more emphasis on their Christian-ness than it once did, from the time the church was organized in 1830 onward, church members have always regarded themselves as Christians. Their name, “Latter-day Saints” references the fact that members of the “primitive” church in New Testament times were called Saints. Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the church, has said, “We are Christians in a very real sense and that is coming to be more and more widely recognized. Once upon a time people everywhere said we are not Christians. They have come to recognize that we are, and that we have a very vital and dynamic religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.” To clarify the Christian themes at the center of their faith, the chu