MEMPHIS, Tennessee (ABC 4 News) - A self proclaimed devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is getting world wide attention with his New York Times Op-Ed article "I'm a Mormon, Not a Christian".
Ask most any Latter-day Saint what he or she believes and this is what you'll likely hear. "Yes, we are Christian. We believe in Christ," said Vivian Moses from South Jordan.
Latter-day Saints say they believe in Jesus Christ; so hence they're Christian, but tell that to a protestant or born again Christian and they'll likely recoil.
You see there are fundamental differences in doctrine. David Mason is sick and tired of Latter-day Saints pandering to main stream Christianity to fit in; quieting key doctrines considered offensive by mainstream Christians.
What they call blasphemy, Mason calls beautiful. "The idea that we might become perfect like God is a compellingly beautiful idea that I think we shouldn't be ashamed of," Mason said.
Then there's the eternal family, which is also unique to Latter-day Saints. "The eternal family is what's important to Mormonism and that's traditionally an unchristian idea," said Mason.
Mason's article is screaming for individuality, for standing up for what you believe, for becoming truly authentic.
"I think that the issue of creating labels and applying them to large groups that has been embedded in western culture for a long time," said David Mason who wrote the article.
He argues the notion that Latter-day Saints think alike is offensive at best and is asking people to drop the labels and broad assumptions Latter-day Saints.
Click on the link to read Mason's New York Times article.
