When the pastor of a Dallas megachurch called the Mormon faith a "cult" and a "false religion" at a recent political rally in reference to the faith of two Republican presidential candidates, he sparked a media firestorm. But while the Rev. Robert Jeffress used inflammatory language when he endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry for the nomination, his words highlight real differences between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches.
"To a Mormon, the claim that they aren't Christian is baffling and hurtful. They will say that we have the name of Jesus Christ in our church. How can we be perceived as anything other than Christian?" said David Campbell, a Mormon and an associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. He's a leading researcher on faith in American life.