Non-Mormon professor Stephen H. Webb details his analysis of Mormonism, focusing on how Christ-centered their beliefs are.
Yes, Mormons are Christians but they have entirely different views on religion, particularly when it comes to Jesus Christ and certain scriptures. Right wing and conservative Christians often look at them as a “distortion of faith.” While secularists on the other hand think that they represent the “danger and strangeness of religious belief.”
Religion and philosophy professor Stephen H. Webb of the Wabash College used to think the same way. When asked about his personal opinion on the religion, he would identify Mormonism as “an exotic and abnormal addition to Christianity”.
But Webb’s views eventually changed when he spent some time reading the Book of Mormon. According to him, the reason is not only because it’s wrong to criticize and be rude to someone else’s faith but he eventually realized that “Mormons are more Christian than many mainstream Christians.”
He cites several points and one of his major arguments is that Mormonism is deeply Christ-centered. The evidence is in the Book of Mormon itself. Anyone who tries to read the book will notice how “Mormonism is obsessed with Christ.” According to Webb, the book has been written in a way that Jesus becomes the main and pivotal character.
Webb identifies the gist of the Book of Mormon by quoting one of its verses:
“And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophecy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” (2 Nephi 25:26)
The professor also cited how the Book of Mormon was written to provide that link between Jesus and America where the religion was founded. “Every page of the book prepares the way for its stunning climax, which is a literal appearance of Jesus to the ancient peoples of America. For Joseph Smith, the ascension of Christ after the resurrection makes possible his descent into the Americas”.
Webb finalizes his discussion by suggesting that Mormonism or Mormon metaphysics is materialism in nature. Unlike mainstream Christians, Mormons believe that Jesus Christ “was never purely immaterial”, that Christ physically existed with a body just like ours today. Mormons additionally believe that Jesus is not a product of immaculate inception and instead, he is the actual son of God or the immortal Father.