Mormons are Christians

As most of you are well aware by now, the good Rev. Jeffress declared Mormonism to be a "cult", stating that "Mormons" are not Christians.  His reasoning is that the Church was founded by a man (Joseph Smith) and that it does not follow solely the teachings of the Bible.  For those of you who are of the LDS faith, you are familiar with the teachings of the Church.  For those of you who are not of the LDS faith, let me give some clarification.

The name "Mormon" is a nickname given to the members of a church called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The very name of the Church bears the name of Jesus Christ, as He is at the center of all of our teachings.  We believe that God called a prophet in our days, Joseph Smith, through whom He restored the keys of the Priesthood of God.  This Priesthood power is essential in performing the will of the Lord on the earth.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accepts the Bible to be the word of God.  Because God loves all of His children, He has supplied us with another account of the divinity of Jesus Christ in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  Here, the name "Mormon" refers to the ancient prophet who compiled the records contained within this book.  This is a record of God's dealings with His children in the ancient Americas, spanning from around 600 BC to around AD 400.  Every prophet whose teachings are found herein testify of the divinity and the mission of Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind.

The core beliefs of the LDS Church are well-stated in The Articles of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  For example, the very first core belief is:

"We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."

We believe that we have a loving Father, and that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins.  If we look to Him, and have faith that He will save us, then we can be saved in the Celestial Kingdom of God.

The third core belief is as follows:

"We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel."

If we prove ourselves faithful in following the example of Christ, living His teachings and keeping His commandments, we will be saved by His Grace and joyfully return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.

And perhaps one of the most defining aspects of being a Latter-day Saint is best said by Joseph Smith himself:

"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul - We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things.  If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

As a follower of Jesus Christ, and as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I testify that I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.  I know that we can be saved only through Him.  He suffered for our sins.  He experienced our sorrows.  He knows us, and He loves us.  And because He lives, we may also receive eternal life and live with our Father in Heaven again.