Historical attitudes towards those who never heard of Christ

[MrShorty]

I came across this article the other day and found it quite interesting: https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/salvation-christ-comparative-christian-views/13-those-who-have-never-heard-survey-major

I think the part that really jumped out at me is the list of those (like Clement of Alexandria) who have believed in a form of post-mortal evangelism. Up until now, I have assumed that this was a uniquely LDS belief, but it appears to have been a minority position/suggestion going way back. Perhaps another thing that stood out to me as a lifelong LDS is how it seems to me that we LDS tend to claim that all others believe some form of "restrictivism" without acknowledging the other possibilities given.

[Just_A_Guy]

One of the fun things about Givens' Wrestling the Angel is that he ties distinctly LDS beliefs to precursors/analogs from primitive Christianity or obscure Christian sects.  My takeaway from it all is that there are few, if any, individual LDS doctrines that are absolutely unparalleled in Christendom; rather, it's the way Mormonism puts it all together--what we kept, and what we discarded--that defines the essence of our religion.

Edited February 24, 2017 by Just_A_Guy

[Guest]

13 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

One of the fun things about Givens' Wrestling the Angel is that he ties distinctly LDS beliefs to precursors/analogs from primitive Christianity or obscure Christian sects.  My takeaway from it all is that there are few, if any, individual LDS doctrines that are absolutely unparalleled in Christendom; rather, it's the way Mormonism puts it all together--what we kept, and what we discarded--that defines the essence of our religion.

This is the precise point I make when people say we're not Christians.

[Fether]

@Carborendum

@Just_A_Guy

Also keep in mind that being "Christian" means something different now than it did when Christ was on the earth and the century after he left.

Due to the apostasy, Churches established by man (I hope not to offend those who are not LDS, but just to speak bluntly with our own convictions) are now defining these once sacred terms in a way that is inclusive to those who they believe fit their ideology.

I made an account of a Christian forum not to long ago only to find that I wasn't welcome in Christian conversation, but must only post in a forum dubbed for "other" non Christian religions like Islam, Jewish, Mormon and so on. It was here that I recognized that, to the world, we really are not Christian. but we don't go by their definition, we go by a different, more ancient definition given by a holy people; Christ original church established while he was present in the Earth.

Edited March 8, 2017 by Fether