How do I react when the Mormon Church is described as a sect?

Question

Dear Gramps,

What can I do if our Mormon Church is described as a sect? How do I react?  Thank you so much,

Lennart

Answer

Dear Lennart,

There are many opportunities for missionary work, and this is one of them. A sect is usually thought of as being a schismatic religious body, especially one regarded as extreme or heretical. The Mormon Church is certainly not a schismatic organization, because it has not broken off from any other religious denomination. As you know, it was organized by direct command of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ in April of 1830. However, the Mormon views of many religious topics many certainly be considered extreme or heretical by what the Mormons would call the sectarian world. In other words, since the doctrine and beliefs of Mormons and sectarianism are generally at odds on many subjects, each would look at the other as a sect.

When you encounter reasonable people who look at the Mormon Church as a sect, you could help them to understand the doctrines of the Church, or introduce them to the Mormon missionaries who could teach them the fundamental principles of the gospel. If they are amenable to the truth, and thus would be touched by the Holy Spirit in confirmation of testimony borne of the truthfulness of the gospel they could well become members of the Mormon Church.

Gramps