# The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 31, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643 "2002-07-31T04:09:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![emarkp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@emarkp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emarkp)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/181 "2002-09-04T04:13:09Z")
To be fair, **gobear** , the big difference between the claims about the curse **genie** mentions and the flood apologetics, is that the book in question (the Book of Mormon) actually refers to the curse and the specifics therein. Note [here](http://scriptures.lds.org/ether/14/1#1), [here](http://scriptures.lds.org/hel/13/17-19,23,30,35#17) and [here](http://scriptures.lds.org/morm/1/17-18#17). ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/182 "2002-09-04T05:25:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by genie \* > \*\*Actually, that’s not quite true, vanilla. Orthodox and Catholics won’t accept most other baptisms, and that’s a pretty huge chunk right there. Do Baptists accept Catholic baptisms? I bet not. > \*\* Hmmmm…I could be very wrong, but I’m pretty certain the catholic church accept a lot of baptisms as valid (Orthodox and protestant baptism). ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/183 "2002-09-04T13:20:52Z")
I visited an Episcopalian (I think) church when i was looking for one many months ago. I’d told them I was baptized in a Foursquare church. They said, any baptism is okay as long as it was a christian church. I don’t know if they’d have considered a LDS baptism valid. No matter, God considered my pentecostal baptism totally valid.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/184 "2002-09-04T13:48:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by clairobscur \* > \*\*Hmmmm…I could be very wrong, but I’m pretty certain the catholic church accept a lot of baptisms as valid (Orthodox and protestant baptism). clairobscur\*\* is correct here. The rule of thumb is that any baptism is valid in which [ul][_]the Trinitarian formula is used, and[_]water flows on the head of the person in question.[/ul]So the vast majority of Christian baptisms are accepted by the Catholic church. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/185 "2002-09-04T15:40:21Z")
Yep, I was wrong. Probably because my detailed knowledge of Catholic/Protestant relations stops somewhere in the 17th century. When did this change happen–anyone know? And how 'bout the Orthodox? BTW, gobear, did you have any responses to the non-miraculous majority of my points, like the DNA stuff, or are you just bored of the whole thing? ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/186 "2002-09-04T15:45:46Z")
**Genie** , I had a rather long post above regarding the RCC’s stance on baptism, which I think you may have missed. As to when the RCC recognized Orthodox baptisms, the answer is always. Baptisms which satisfy the requirements for form, matter, and intent have been considered valid since the question was first hashed out in the 3rd century. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/187 "2002-09-04T16:06:41Z")
John, I did see your post, thanks. I worded that question wrong. It was not “Do Catholics accept Orthodox baptisms?”, but “Do Orthodox accept other baptisms?” ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/188 "2002-09-04T18:02:28Z")
**Genie** , sorry, I misunderstood your question. In looking for the answer, it turns out that the RCC’s current position regarding Orthodox baptisms is only about 500 years old, and that after the Great Schism there was a period when Rome did not recognize Orthodox baptisms. However, regarding Orthodox recognition of baptisms in other traditions, there has been a good deal of controversy for the last couple of centuries, but the majority of Orthodox today do recognize Catholic baptisms. (For way more detail, see this [statement](http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/ecumenical/baptism_sacramental_economy.htm) from The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation.) Many (most?) Orthodox also recognize Protestant baptisms as well. The difficulty in giving a clear yes/no answer on this is due not only to changes from various ecumenical dialogues, but also the autonomy of the various Orthodox churches. ---
**Author:** ![MrMcPlad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19b73/32.png) [@MrMcPlad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMcPlad)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/189 "2002-09-04T19:41:09Z")
Someone mentioned earlier that they turned away from Mormonism because of the many changes in doctrine, policy, or convention. Compared with what I’ve just heard about Catholic and Orthodox acceptance of foreign baptisms, the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS seems quite stable. Call me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/190 "2002-09-04T20:31:27Z")
**MrMcPlad** , while we believers, regardless of tradition, can of course give you many reasons for the appearance of change, while the core remains unchanged, you have to also consider that at least as regards the Orthodox/Catholic split, we’ve had a thousand years to fight over things, while the LDS is working on their second century! ---
**Author:** ![MrMcPlad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19b73/32.png) [@MrMcPlad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMcPlad)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/191 "2002-09-05T18:45:29Z")
The length of time is irrelevant. Just afford the Mormons the same reasoning you allow for changes in policy in other churches. Why can’t we agree that the core of the LDS church remains unchanged as well? ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/192 "2002-09-05T19:58:22Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by **Stccrd** _ > > I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I am merely curious as to what people out there think of when they hear about my faith… Honestly? Buncha wack-os. But then, I think that about most religions, including my own. 🙂 Esprix ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/193 "2002-09-05T23:06:19Z")
Well, Esprix, everyone needs a little bit of wackiness in their lives, don’tcha think? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643/194 "2002-09-05T23:18:29Z")
**MrMcPlad** , I never said that I don’t “afford the Mormons the same reasoning you allow for changes in policy in other churches”. Given the LDS precept of continuing revelation, the fact that certain policies of their church have changed is reasonable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/121643.md?page=9)