THE Bishop of Blackburn has criticised the Mormons, stating they are not a part of the Christian church.

The Rt Rev Alan Chesters was speaking just weeks after the Mormons opened a multi-million pound temple and training centre just outside Chorley.

He says the new Mormon temple - which is in the Blackburn diocese - should encourage Christian mission, rather than attacks on Mormon beliefs.

In his first public statement on the temple, the Bishop said: "This is a free country where ideas can be shared and I do not think we do ourselves any good, or act in a Christian way, if we simply seek to denigrate Mormon beliefs.

"But since the temple complex is to be used as a Mormon training centre it is bound to have an effect on the local area as their trainees seek to share their beliefs.

"There is one matter on which we must be absolutely clear: the Mormons are not part of the Christian Church."

Addressing the Blackburn diocesan synod at Croston, the Bishop added; "There is something else about which we need to be crystal clear. There could be suggestions that we see the temple as a threat to the size of our own congregations.

"This is not our argument, not our prime concern. Our concern is for the integrity of the Christian faith."

A Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' spokesman said they never claimed to be theologically in line with Protestant or Catholic churches, although they did consider themselves Christians.

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