The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has several unique doctrines. Because Mormons differ from other Christians in some doctrines, many people are inclined to think Mormons are a cult or an illegitimate religion, not Christian. Their beliefs are not crazy by any means, just crazy when compared to some mainstream Christian sects.

First of all, Mormons are Christians. They believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. They believe that only by Him can anyone enter God’s presence. That is the basis of Christianity. All Christians share this common belief. From there, different religions teach different things. Here are some of the things Mormons teach that other Christians find crazy.

1. Mormons do not accept the Trinity, but rather the Godhead. Mormons believe that God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are three distinct and separate Personages. When Jesus says that He and the Father are one, he means it the same way I would say my wife and I are one. We aren’t the same being, but we try to be as one, perfectly unified and united in all we say and do. During the baptism of Jesus, he was in the water, the Holy Ghost was in the form of a dove, and the voice of God the Father was audible from heaven. In this instance we can see all three members of the Godhead present at the same place and same time. Mormons do not accept the Trinitarian belief that God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost are one Being.

2. Mormons don’t drink alcohol, coffee or tea. They also don’t smoke or do drugs. Mormons believe the body is a temple as Paul explains in Corinthians. Mormons believe the body must be regarded as sacred, just as temples are sacred. This means not taking harmful substances in to the body and eating healthy foods. There is a misconception that the Church forbids the drinking of caffeine. This is untrue. The Church specifically forbids alcohol, coffee and tea. Many members choose to abstain from all caffeinated drinks on the principle that the body is a temple and should be regarded as such, eliminating as many harmful substances as possible.

3. Mormons don’t gamble. The church won’t even accept 10% tithing money on gambling winnings. The church teaches about hard work and self reliance. Gambling is a way around that. For this reason, the church tells members not to gamble.

4. Mormons have more scripture than the Bible. Mormons believe God has spoken to prophets in the past and continues to speak to prophets today, just as he will always speak to prophets in the future. Mormons also believe that God had prophets in other parts of the world outside of Jerusalem. Because of this, Mormons have The Book of Mormon, which is a collection of writings from ancient prophets on the American continent. They also have the Doctrine and Covenants, which contains writings of Joseph Smith and subsequent church prophets. They also have The Pearl of Great Price, which contains more revelations to Joseph Smith. Mormons believe more scripture can be added to these, because God can still talk to a prophet today.

5. Mormons believe in eternal families. In Mormon temples, a husband and wife can be sealed for time and eternity, not until death do they part. Those sealed in a temple have children “in the covenant” as they say, which means, their children are sealed to them forever as well. Mormons believe that the same society which exists among us here will exist among us in heaven, meaning there will be married couples and families.

These five unique doctrines pretty much sum up why people think Mormons are crazy or have crazy beliefs. These five doctrines explain why Mormons are different from other Christian sects.