Whether Mormons should be considered "Christians" is a controversial issue. Many Catholics and Protestants do not consider Mormons to be Christians because they believe the differences in doctrines are larger and more fundamental than those between Christian denominations.
On other hand, religious studies books tend to group Mormons in with Christians because: (1) Mormons regard themselves as Christians; (2) Mormonism emerged in a Christian context; and (3) Mormonism shares much in common with other forms of Christianity.
Mormons also consider themselves Christians for much the same reasons as listed above. However, they consider themselves to be significantly different from other forms of Christianity. They regard themselves as neither Catholic nor Protestant, viewing both of those faiths as corruptions of true Christianity, which has been restored by Mormonism.
The following chart provides a quick-reference guide to the major similarities and differences between the beliefs and practices of Mormonism and mainstream Christianity. As is the case with charts, the information is simplified for brevity and should be used alongside more complete explanations. The beliefs listed for both Mormons and Protestant Christians represent those of most, but not all, churches or individuals within each tradition.