I want to be sensitive here. I know that discussions about what one's church teaches can be dangerous territory. So, in the spirit of the Spirit, let me make the following observations.
When one believes they are reading or hearing the teachings of any institution, one should consider the source. If you do not want to know what the Mormon church teaches, and you prefer to believe what someone else said, that's your right. Do you believe what the Catholic church says about herself, or do you believe others? I usually check sources to make sure that the source truly speaks with authority for the institution.
I followed up on the source used by ansell12 who wrote about what Mormons believe. I could not find the author of the source, and I saw that the site was not just traditional, but very orthodox. I have no quarrel with traditional Catholics (I consider myself to be very traditional), nor with most who are orthodox. However, I try to rely on credible sources when I use them to state an opinion. You may note that I also cited The Catholic Encyclopedia in an earlier post.
Second, the word "cult" has many definitions. I've read that Pope Benedict XVI referred to our church as a "cult." In some ways, Free Republic could be defined as a cult. Words have meanings. I find it best to make sure we understand which meaning applies.
Please forgive my didacticism. I'm old, I have received much formal education about the Church (Catholic), I've worked for her and I was an English teacher.
I'm sorry if my attempt at smoothing over what I thought could be a mistake (the post by Ansell12 concerning what Mormons believe) was the catalyst to your discomfort.
Because it was a Catholic source you claim they are lying about the Mormon belief in becoming a God, yet all Christian churches agree on this simple Mormon theology, even your church does if it is a Christian church, even Billy Graham does although he temporarily removed the writings on the cult.
This is from the Church of Latter Day Saints themselves (official church site)::
“The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man. … he was once a man like us … God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth. …” 6
“If Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and … God the Father of Jesus Christ had a Father, you may suppose that He had a Father also. … And where was there ever a father without first being a son? … If Jesus had a Father, can we not believe that He had a Father also? …
“He [Jesus] laid down His life, and took it up, the same as His Father had done before.” 7
Long before our God began his creations, he dwelt on a mortal world like ours, one of the creations that his Father had created for him and his brethren. He, with many of his brethren, was obedient to the principles of the eternal gospel. One among these, it is presumed, was a savior for them, and through him they obtained a resurrection and an exaltation on an eternal, celestial world. 8 Then they gained the power and godhood of their Father and were made heirs of all that he had, continuing his works and creating worlds of their own for their own posterity—the same as their Father had done before, and his Father, and his Father, and on and on. With these things in mind, W. W. Phelps, in a hymn, asks the question:
“If you could hie to Kolob
In the twinkling of an eye,
And then continue onward
With that same speed to fly,
D’ye think that you could ever,
Through all eternity,
Find out the generation
Where Gods began to be?” 9
Nothing is more basic in the restored gospel than these truths that, because of recent events of space travel, are so timely. The great hope of the gospel for us is that we may come to a oneness with our Lord and our Father and partake of this same work and glory and godhood. Being joint-heirs of all that the Father has, we may then look forward to using those powers to organize still other worlds from the unorganized matter that exists throughout boundless space. Creating other worlds, peopling them with our own eternal posterity, providing a savior for them, and making known to them the saving principles of the eternal gospel, that they may have the same experiences we are now having and be exalted with us in their turn—this is eternal life. 10 No wonder this possibility continues to fascinate and inspire Saints of all ages.”
http://www.lds.org/new-era/1971/04/people-on-other-worlds?lang=eng
MSSC, I appreciate the courteous tone of your posts.
However, with all due respect to you, there isn’t anything that will convince me Mormonism is Christian. It seems to fit their agenda to portray themselves as such, although that wasn’t always the case. But just about every Christian denomination recognizes that Mormonism is something other than Christian.
Like I said, we should pray for Romney.