Why Do So Many "Evangelicals" Say Mormons Are Not "Christian"?

This FAQ addresses the topic “Being Saved”.

Clarify the Question:

It is true that many “Evangelicals” label Latter-day Saints “non-Christian”.  It is also true that many of these LDS members do not understand how such an accusation could be made.  It would seem painfully obvious that the LDS Church professes a profound faith in Jesus Christ.  His atonement is front and center in LDS doctrine and his name is even included in the name of the church.

Often these situations are aggravated by the “Evangelical” not attempting to explain the accusation and/or by delivering it as some kind of Holy Verdict.  Other times the person seems sincere and loving; which only makes the verdict more perplexing.

However “Christian”, just like “Evangelical”, is just a label.  “Latter-day Saint” is a label that identifies a person as a member of a specific organization.  But “Christian” and “Evangelical” do not.  Whether a person is “Christian” or “Evangelical” is dependent on the definition being used.  Since different people use different definitions for these labels The City of Zion rarely uses them.  They will only be used when necessary and then only when their definitions have been made clear.

In the end, the controversy around whether Latter-day Saints are “Christian” can be restated as “Does LDS doctrine lead to eternal life (exaltation)?”  In order to address this question a comparison needs to be made between the pertinent LDS doctrines and the Bible.