DiscussMormonism.com

I'm in search for another church, and I'm looking for something like Mormonism without all the whacky doctrines and untenable truth claims. You know there are positives in Mormonism, like teh strong sense of community and focus on family, etc.

Has anyone come across a list of Churches comparable to Mormonism? I don't remember this ever being asked before.

I've gotta substitute Mormonism with something or else I'm getting a divorce. So I'm looking for genuine responses, not smart ass comments.

Kevin Graham wrote:I'm in search for another church, and I'm looking for something like Mormonism without all the whacky doctrines and untenable truth claims. You know there are positives in Mormonism, like the strong sense of community and focus on family, etc.

Has anyone come across a list of Churches comparable to Mormonism? I don't remember this ever being asked before.

I've gotta substitute Mormonism with something or else I'm getting a divorce. So I'm looking for genuine responses, not smart ass comments.

Unitarianism.

You could try the Community of Christ. It is certainly in the Mormon tradition, but it has moderated a number of the truth claims and does not maintain the tradition of the temple in quite the same way.

If the option is church or divorce just head back to the local wardhouse. Take your smart phone and some ear plugs. Surf the web and plug your ears so you don't have to listen to the mind melting drek.

Accept no callings, don't get a temple recommend, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Or just get the divorce....

Scientology and Seventh Day Adventism. Without a doubt. Dead ringers.

- VRDRC

Kevin Graham wrote:I'm in search for another church, and I'm looking for something like Mormonism without all the whacky doctrines and untenable truth claims. You know there are positives in Mormonism, like the strong sense of community and focus on family, etc.

Has anyone come across a list of Churches comparable to Mormonism? I don't remember this ever being asked before.

I've gotta substitute Mormonism with something or else I'm getting a divorce. So I'm looking for genuine responses, not smart ass comments.

My recommendations:

The United Methodist Church --- Aristotle Smith could give you some good information on why he switched to the UMC after he left the LDS church and its similarities to Mormonism.

The Evangelical Covenant Church --- I gotta plug my own denomination here. We don't take a stand on most issues that traditionally divide Christians (Calvinism v. Arminianism, infant baptism v. believer's baptism, etc.); we do them all. We have a genuine commitment to racial diversity. I would call us the "progressive" wing of evangelicalism without being mainline; I see Obama bumper stickers at denominational functions all the time. However, your mileage can really vary as to what local churches are like. It's also probably not all that comparable to Mormonism, other than its disinterest in traditional Christian infighting and conservative values.

The Community of Christ (RLDS Church) --- It has elements of Mormonism but feels more like a mainline Protestant church. If I could actually get my husband to agree on a single compromise church, we would probably go here.

The Anglican Communion --- They were my second choice while I was searching for a church in Illinois. Their worship services are more liturgical than most evangelical Protestant churches, and they take communion weekly, which some Mormons would love.

I'm sorry you're going through this, Kevin. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

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After I left Mormonism I made the switch to the United Methodist Church after checking out several other Christian churches (Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian, non-denominational EV). Theologically and socially, this is probably the most comfortable to Mormons.

Theologically, Methodism is essentially Book of Mormon Christianity. If you just look strictly at what's in the Book of Mormon, and don't read later Mormon doctrines into it, it is 19th century Methodism. Joseph Smith at one point in his history even says that he was partial to Methodism. I think is probably the reason for the similarities. Methodists are Arminians, while Mormons are hyper-Arminians or probably Pelagians. The take home point is that Methodists tend to be proactive and see salvation as having a human component (as opposed to a staunch Calvinist). What this means is that what is preached feels right to Mormons, but since Christ is ultimately the source of salvation, there is no need to guilt trip and manipulate people.

Because of this theology, Methodists tend to be very community and activity oriented. At a local UMC you are most likely going to find lots of programs for kids and youth. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, summer camps, Sunday School, etc. are all at my local UMC church. There are also lots of programs for adults, Bible study groups, fellowship groups, service groups, mission groups, etc. There's probably more for adults in a Methodist church than in an LDS church. Activities for LDS adults tend to mostly be babysitting youths and kids. It's family focused and my kids tend to prefer the activities at the Methodist church even though they identify as Mormon (because my wife is still TBM).

One caveat is in order. Because it's locally run, you will find a lot of variation between UMC congregations. Your local UMC may be better or worse than mine. Maybe the local big box EV church is going to be a better fit in your community. You may have to do some church shopping.

I've never attended another church on a regular basis. Culturally I would say I am partial to the Catholic church simply because it is the most intertwined with French-Canadian culture, which happens to be a big part of who I am.

Listening to podcasts, I've concluded that the Community of Christ is a moderate, liberal version of Mormonism. Perhaps that might be an option.

H.