Mormons are Christians

My opponent in reference to Joseph Smith"s First Vision says "Without this first account, the rest of the narrative that Smith portrays is groundless and false. " My resolve in this debate is to prove that Mormons are Christian. This does not include proving Mormonism true, or Christianity for that matter. My burden of prove is not to prove that Joseph did see Jesus Christ. It is also not to prove that Christ was resurrected. My burden of proof is just to prove that Mormons have faith in Jesus Christ, believe he is the son of God and believe that he is the only way one can be saved. My opponent goes on to conclude "If someone lies about meeting Christ in person, then makes up a new gospel on account of that meeting, which then supersedes all of history, I do not see how such a person can be designated by that historical distinction of "Christian. " Consider: Acts 9: "4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:. ." (Courtesy of King James Version. ) Saul who becomes Paul claims to have seen the resurrected Christ as Joseph does, and yet there is no historical evidence of this occurrence. Yet "Christians follow the words of Paul who then teaches through most of the rest of the New Testament things that are not recorded as Christ teaching. When did Christ teach the symbolism of baptism as Paul does in Romans 6: 3-5. When did Christ teach that our bodies are temples as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 Following my opponents logic, being that Paul cant prove seeing Christ and taught things that Christ himself did not specifically say, Paul must not be a Christian. If that"s true how can Christians believe in the majority of the New Testament which is written at the hand of Paul. My opponent referred again to the quote from Gordon B. Hinkley. Hinkley went on to say "Am I Christian? Of course I am. I believe in Christ. I talk of Christ. I pray through Christ. I'm trying to follow Him and live His gospel in my life. " If Gordon B. Hinkley is distinguishing himself from other Christians by saying that he does not believe in the "traditional" Christ and then identifies himself as a Christian. It seems reasonable to assume that Gordon is not implying a different person. (. http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com...) My opponent concluded "He didn't say that Mormon's simply believe different things about the same Christ, but rather that they reject the "traditional Christ" for the Christ who has been revealed in this present dispensation. " I submit the definition of tradition from dictionary. com Tradition "a long-established or inherited way of thinking or acting:" Gordon B. Hinkley is stating that he does not believe the long-established or inherited way of thinking or acting in relation to the same Jesus Christ. Not that he believes in a different Christ. My opponents third argument is to establish the differences between Mormons and beliefs that he presumes all Christians agree. Many Christian denominations believe different things about Christ. The following link provides a table showing show Christian denominations and their differences. . http://www.religionfacts.com... Again I say "People have different opinions of Christ, and yet can still have faith in him. Since doctrinal differences do exists between Methodist and Baptist, between Pentecostal and Lutheran, and so on. Doctrinal differences cannot be what makes one a Christian. Even if that doctrine does address Jesus Christ, those differences cannot constitute someone as a Christian or non Christian" Conclusion: From the Book of Mormon. Mosiah 3:12,17 12:"". . For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. " 17:" And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent. " Mormons have Faith in Jesus Christ Mormons believe that Christ is the son of God Mormons believe that it is only though Christ one can be saved. Mormons are Christians.