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Is It Unbiblical for Protestants to Reject Mormonism for Being Unbiblical?

Published by

Dr. Ernie

on

Sequel to Christ the Only True Heresy: Rejecting Unbiblical Separation


Answer the above question, teasing out the actual differences about authority and historical continuity, and point out those have always been awkward subjects even within Protestantism.  

ChatGPT Prompt (condensed)

This essay reframes a common critique: Is it biblically defensible for Protestants to reject the LDS Church on the grounds that it is “unbiblical”?

That is, can Protestants—who themselves broke with centuries of tradition in the name of sola scriptura—consistently exclude Mormons simply because they appeal to different sources of authority or interpret Scripture differently?

In short: Are Protestants rejecting Mormonism for a sin [deed] Protestantism itself committed?

What Do Protestants Mean by “Unbiblical”?

In Protestant polemic, “unbiblical” often means:

  • Not supported by Scripture
  • Contradicting apostolic teaching
  • Derived from illegitimate sources (e.g., tradition, personal revelation)

This judgment is typically applied to:

But here’s the catch: Protestants themselves rely on extra-biblical frameworks, including:

  • A fixed biblical canon (which the Bible itself never defines)
  • Trinitarian metaphysics (developed through early church debates)
  • Doctrinal systems (e.g., Reformed theology, dispensationalism)

This leads to the tension: Protestants reject Mormonism for being “unbiblical,” yet uphold extra-biblical commitments of their own.

Authority: The Real Protestant Distinction

The actual difference is not that Protestants only use the Bible while Mormons don’t—it’s how authority is structured.

A. Protestant Authority

  • Sola Scriptura: The Bible is the final authority.
  • Perspicuity: Any believer can access its meaning through the Spirit.
  • Historical constraint: Appeals to the early church and creeds for boundaries.

B. Mormon Authority

  • Open Canon: The Bible is true “as far as it is translated correctly.”
  • Continuing Revelation: Prophets can add or reinterpret doctrine.
  • Restorationist Model: The historical church is apostate; LDS is the recovery.

The Protestant objection is thus not just to what Mormons believe—but who gets to define belief.

Protestants reject not only the doctrine, but the source and process by which that doctrine is established.

Historical Continuity: The Uncomfortable Protestant Advantage

One reason Protestants are more charitable toward Catholics than Mormons is historical continuity:

Even if Protestants believe Catholicism distorted the gospel, they still see it as part of the same historical ecosystem. Mormonism, in contrast:

  • Claims a full apostasy after the early church
  • Introduces a new metaphysics (e.g., exaltation to godhood)
  • Establishes a new priesthood and temple system

Thus, the Protestant rejection of Mormonism is often as much cultural and historical as theological.

But this raises the question:

Are we rejecting Mormonism because it’s unbiblical—or because it’s unfamiliar?

Protestant Inconsistencies on Authority

Even within Protestantism, the issue of authority has always been unstable:

These questions expose that Protestants are not immune to the same critique they apply to Mormons. In practice:

  • Protestants prioritize certain frameworks, even if not explicitly biblical
  • Many interpretive traditions are theologically entrenched but hermeneutically debatable
  • Denominational lines are drawn over non-essential but culturally loaded doctrines

So when Protestants accuse Mormons of being “unbiblical,” they must ask:

“By whose standard of biblicalness? And are we willing to apply that same standard to ourselves?”

Scriptural Posture Toward Those Who Preach Christ

The New Testament does warn against false gospels (Galatians 1:6–9), but it also affirms generous inclusion:

Jesus prayed not for doctrinal purity but for unity in him (John 17:21). Paul emphasized gentleness and humility in correcting others (2 Timothy 2:24–25).

If some Mormons sincerely proclaim Jesus, then exclusion on the basis of unfamiliar theology risks becoming a form of unbiblical division.

Conclusion

Is it unbiblical for Protestants to reject Mormonism for being unbiblical?

Yes—if “unbiblical” is used as a tribal boundary rather than a call to faithful correction.

Protestants are right to disagree with Mormon doctrine—but wrong to:

  • Treat it as uniquely heretical while ignoring their own interpretive traditions
  • Use “unbiblical” as a proxy for “unfamiliar” or “uncomfortable”
  • Assume theological error justifies categorical exclusion from Christ’s Body

The core issue is authority—and on that point, Protestants should be honest:

We reject Mormonism not merely because it’s unbiblical, but because it grounds truth in a prophet we do not recognize [in a way that diverges from our historic understanding]

That’s a valid theological disagreement. But calling it “unbiblical” without owning our own interpretive assumptions is inconsistent—and possibly uncharitable.

Further Reading

Appendix: Shared Life — Mormonism’s Witness to Protestantism

1. Introduction

While theological accuracy remains a central concern for Protestants, it is worth asking:

What if Mormonism’s relational divergence is not just a flaw — but a witness?

This appendix proposes that the shared life embodied in LDS communities — though arising from a nontraditional theological system — may be closer to the heart of Christ than many Protestant expressions of belief-centered Christianity that lack relational depth.

2. The Gospel According to Jesus: Relational Commandments

Jesus did not leave behind a doctrinal statement; He left behind a community:

  • “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34–35)
  • “That they may all be one… so that the world may believe.” (John 17:21)
  • “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20)

Jesus defined discipleship not by theology alone, but by embodied love, mutual belonging, and shared mission — in other words, authentic Christianity.

3. Mormonism’s Strength: Practicing the Gospel in Community

Though LDS theology diverges from historic creedal norms, it succeeds in practicing shared life in striking and often enviable ways:

  • Weekly, volunteer-led congregational life
  • Ward systems where every member is cared for and included
  • Family-centered discipleship across generations
  • Structured responsibility for ministering to one another
  • Temple covenants that bind spiritual identity to communal commitment

This creates a church that is thick with belonging, where spirituality is measured not just by belief, but by how one shows up in community.

4. Protestantism’s Weakness: Individualized Christianity

Protestants — while strong in scriptural insight and gospel clarity — often fail to embody the communal dimensions of authentic Christianity:

  • Fragmented, transient congregations
  • Limited mutual accountability
  • Overemphasis on personal growth and private faith
  • Minimal structures for sustained shared life

What emerges is often a church that is theologically sound but relationally thin — orthodoxy without intimacy.

We claim to believe the gospel, but rarely live like a gospel-formed family.

5. The Inverted Witness

Mormonism may have less theological clarity, but more relational coherence.
Protestants may have more biblical fidelity, but less gospel texture.

So the question is not, “Who’s right?”
But rather: “Who looks more like Jesus?”

The Jesus who ate with sinners, washed feet, forgave traitors, restored the excluded — and built the kingdom through friendship, sacrifice, and shared suffering.

6. A Challenge to Protestant Self-Examination

Instead of dismissing Mormon community as merely sociological, Protestants might ask:

  • Why doesn’t our commitment to truth create deeper belonging?
  • Have we made correct doctrine a substitute for authentic Christianity?
  • Could Mormonism’s cohesion be a providential reminder of what we’ve neglected?

This isn’t about excusing doctrinal error.
It’s about recognizing that truth not embodied in love is not yet truth in Christ
(see 1 Corinthians 13:1–3).

7. Conclusion: A Prophetic Witness

Mormonism’s shared life is a prophetic critique of Protestant fragmentation.
Not because its theology is more accurate — but because its culture may reflect something closer to authentic Christianity.

If Mormon community feels more like Jesus than many Protestant churches do,
then we should ask — not whether they’re too divergent to include,
but whether we’ve become too disembodied to recognize our own poverty.

The real scandal may not be what Mormonism gets wrong —
but what it quietly gets right.

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