The Presbyterian Example

Key Theological Issues

Conclusions and Recommendations

In February of 1998, the General Board of Discipleship and the Utah-Wyoming Subdistrict of the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference sponsored a conference in Salt Lake City to discuss baptismal theology and practice in The United Methodist Church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (In most subsequent references, the name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be abbreviated LDS due to the length of the name. No disrespect is meant by this abbreviation.) An official representative and member of the Quorum of Seventy of the LDS participated. This conference arose out of a perceived need on the part of United Methodists, especially those living and ministering in the western United States, for more clarity on the issues surrounding the reception of converts from the LDS tradition into the membership of The United Methodist Church. More specifically, what action should United Methodist pastors take when an LDS person seeks to become a member of The United Methodist Church? Must that person receive Christian baptism, or does his or her baptism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints constitute a valid Christian baptism?

Participants in the conference all recognized that these questions are complicated by issues of difference between the two traditions regarding the doctrines of God; salvation; and the meaning, purpose, and role of baptism itself. Also a factor in consideration were the positions of other churches of the historic, apostolic Christian tradition, and our existing ecumenical relationships with such churches. Consensus emerged that The United Methodist Church is in significant need of a clear and consistent official position on this matter. This paper has been written by the Reverends E. Brian and Jennifer L. Hare-Diggs and edited by Dr. Gayle C. Felton to present the results of that conference to the church and make recommendations toward an official denominational position.

Other Christian traditions have earlier undertaken a similar task, and their work can be useful to United Methodism. On the Protestant side, both the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Southern Baptist Convention have engaged in research and reflection on the questions at hand. Both have produced official church positions with clear guidelines governing their relationship and ministry to people of the LDS tradition. The work of these two Protestant churches led them to similar conclusions. Because The United Methodist Church has more in common with the Presbyterian Church on matters of sacramental — specifically baptismal — theology, the Presbyterian Church's process and conclusion are more relevant. There are three major sections in this paper, the last beginning quite near the end. They are "The Presbyterian Example," "Key Theological Issues," and "Conclusions and Recommendations."

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