Does Baptism Make You a Christian?

[Jeanne]

Only to answer the initial question of the OP...No.  If I was to desire to join another church that required another baptism..I would not do it.  All it does is get you wet...unnecessary symbolism that has nothing to do with your desire to believe and where your heart and faith does not require this.  Which is why I have my own church of prayer and communication with God..nature..and all good things.

Edited February 15, 2018 by Jeanne

[Gray]

On 2/13/2018 at 2:50 PM, SeekingUnderstanding said:

But you are arbitrarily confining the term Mormon to just the faction of the church that followed Brigham Young and later accepted the Manifesto. It originally was applied to all followers of Joseph and believers in the book of Mormon. Just as Christian was originally applied to followers of Christ. 

The fact that the modern church tries to lay sole claim to the word is exactly the same as trinitarians and creedal Christians trying to exclude others. When the term Mormon was first coined, you didn't have to believe in the manifesto and accept the modern Salt Lake church (i.e. you didn't have to accept that the Quorum of the 12 were Smith's rightful successors). In the same way, when the term Christian was first coined, you didn't have to subscribe to the creeds. 

Speaking of baptism, the Reorganized church used to argue that because Brigham required his followers to be re-baptized, that was proof that THEY were the break-off and the RLDS was the original church. Not a bad argument, at the time. Of course they no longer care about such distinctions and don't refer to themselves as Mormons.

[Calm]

1 hour ago, kiwi57 said:

 The word "Mormon" is also widely used, and is generally understood to mean "A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/mormon?s=t

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/mormon

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mormon

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/mormon

There may be a dictionary out there that has a more generic meaning for Mormon, but I have never seen one.

PS: btw, I would not care if it moved to a generic use if the difference was made clear.  I would not mind someone calling themselves Mormon who were not members as long as they made it clear it was not typical usage, they were not members so they don't confuse people.