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To the editor,

Please let me respond to the article of January 26 concerning Latter Day Saints as Christians. First, let me begin by saying that there is no "personal definition" of Christianity, nor are there other "versions" of Christianity. While there are many denominations, the belief in the Trinitarian doctrine is consistent throughout all churches. It's much like playing baseball. Some coaches do different things, but the game is still baseball. The Latter Day Saints, on the other hand, are playing a different game.

As a matter of fact, I did quite a lot of research to discover what it is the Mormons actually believe. The majority of it comes from the testimony of Joseph Smith as stated by their web page. However, what is most unsettling is the fact that the book of Mormon has no supporting archaeological background, as does the Bible. In fact, Mormon leaders have spent their whole lives trying to validate a specific book called the "Book of Abraham," which, much to their dismay, has only turned out to be a recopy of Egyptian burial rights. Also, the book of Mormon has changed numerous times throughout the years to qualify its position, especially in terms of racism and polygamy. The original Hebrew, Greek and Roman manuscripts of the Bible have not changed since they first came into existence. Each translation of the Bible is taken directly from the original documents, which do exist, contrary to the original documents of the Mormons which were claimed to have been taken back to Heaven.

The Trinitarian doctrine is the foundation of Christianity. Mormons do not believe in the Trinitarian doctrine, but something quite different, which time and space do not permit. However this is not to be cast aside as the flippancy Hromiko's article suggests. While the quotes put forth by Hromiko are nice, that's certainly not the whole story concerning Christ and Mormonism. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the words of Vaughn Hromiko, stating that "readers should explore the issues for themselves."

David H. Schreiber

Architecture freshman