Misconception
"Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints don't believe in the Trinity, therefore they are not Christian."
Documented Truth
In the New Testament we read:
"And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." (Acts 11:26)
According to this verse a "Christian" is a disciple of Jesus Christ. The next logical step to understand the term "Christian" as it is used in the Bible is to look at how Jesus Christ defined the term "disciple."
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13: 35)
This is one of the two great commandments, which Christ stated thus:
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matt 22: 37-40)
If being a disciple is defined by Christ as keeping the second great commandment, logically we would also need to keep the first great commandment. So how do we love God? Jesus answered that question too:
"If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
Notice that Christ mentions nothing about the nature of God as being a prerequisite or even the "most important" thing in order to be a disciple. It is our love, or complete devotion, to God that is the most important commandment. And the second most important thing is how we treat each other.
In addition to the above scriptures, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ defines a Christian thus:
"For thus were all the true believers of Christ, who belonged to the church of God, called by those who did not belong to the church.
And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come." (Alma 46: 14-15)
Within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we adhere to this same definition today. All those who are true believers in Christ who has come (and will come again) are considered "Christians."
A "true believer," as defined by the scriptures above, means one who keeps the commandments (ie- loves God) and loves their neighbor as themselves.
In contrast, the foundational document for the concept of the Trinity, the Athanasian Creed (dated at around 500 A.D.), states that you must believe in the correct nature of God to be saved. It only mentions the term "Christian" once:
"Just as Christian truth compels us to confess each person individually as both God and Lord, so catholic religion forbids us to say that there are three gods or lords." (Athanasian Creed)
It does not say that belief in the Trinity constitutes one as being a "Christian."
Conclusion
Given that:
- The term "Christian" predates the Athanasian Creed by some 450+ years
- The Athanasian Creed does not state that belief in it makes you a "Christian"
- The term "Christian" in the book of Acts refers to disciples of Jesus Christ
- Jesus defined being a disciple as keeping the commandments and loving your neighbor
Sources
- Acts 11:26 first time the term "Christian" was used
- John 13: 35- Jesus defines disciple
- Matt 22: 37-40 The two great commandments
- John 14:15- How to love God
- Alma 46: 14-15- Christian is a "true believer" in Jesus Christ
- Athanasian Creed- dated at 6th century or around 500 A.D.
