A different Gospel

Mormons say, they are Christians, I do not agree, they have a different Gospel and serve a different jesus, which is no god at all.


LDS Doctrines

Mormonism is at odds doctrinally with orthodox Christian faith in a multitude of ways. Here, however, we have included only a few core doctrines. These are not addressed in depth; they are instead presented very briefly as a list. For comparison and clarity the biblical position is also stated for each point of doctrine.

God

Mormonism teaches:

* There are many true Gods throughout the universe, but in this world we worship but one. (Book of Abraham 4:3ff)
* God the Father was once a man on another planet who achieved Godhood by obedience to laws and ordinances. (Achieving a Celestial Marriage Student Manual, 132)
* God is now an exalted Man of flesh and bones. (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22)

The Bible says:

* There is and ever will be only one God. (Isaiah 43:10, 11)
* God has eternally existed as God -- He is not a man. (Psalm 90:2; Psalm 50:21; Hosea 11:9)
* God is Spirit. (John 4:24; 1 Timothy 6:15, 16)

Trinity

Mormonism teaches:

* The doctrine of the Trinity is an invention of corrupted Christianity. (Evidences and Reconciliations 1:58)
* The Trinity is incomprehensible and therefore untrue. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 370, 372)
* The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three Gods, one in purpose only. (Church News 4 July 1998)

The Bible says:

* There is one God manifest in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:8; Romans 1:7; John 1:1; Acts 5:1-4; Matthew 28:19)
* We are unable to comprehend God completely. (Job 11:7-9; Psalm 145:3)
* Father, Son and Holy Ghost--one God in essence or nature--are also one in purpose. (Ephesians 1:4-10)

Christ

Mormonism teaches:

* Jesus is the first-born spirit child of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, and therefore the eldest spirit-brother of all mankind (Gospel Principles, 1988 edition, 9)
* Jesus is also the spirit-brother of Lucifer -- the devil (The Gospel Through the Ages, 15)
* Jesus was not always "a God," but reached perfection and a fullness of godhood after His resurrection (The Gospel Through the Ages, 51, 200; Ensign, November 1995, 87)

The Bible says:

* Jesus is eternally God, having existed as God forever (John 1:1-2, 14)
* Jesus created all things (including Lucifer) and therefore Satan's Creator, not his brother (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17; Ephesians 6:12)
* Jesus presented Himself to men as God during His earthly ministry (John 5:18, 10:30-33)

Humanity

Mormonism teaches:

* Humans are co-eternal with God, uncreated, having pre-existed in a spiritual world in the presence of Heavenly Father (Gospel Principles, 1988 edition, 9; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 353)
* Humans are of the same species as God -- "gods in embryo" (We Believe, 537; Achieving a Celestial Marriage Student Manual, 130)
* Adam's Fall was "a necessary step in the plan of life and a great blessing to all of us" (Gospel Principles, 1988 edition, 33)

The Bible says:

* Humans are created by God, having their beginning on earth, not in a spiritual realm (Zechariah 12:1; 1 Corinthians 15:46)
* God foreknew all humans before their birth (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:15-16)
* Humans, through faith, become children of God by virtue of adoption; they do not share a divine nature with God (Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:16-17, 23; Galatians 3:26; Isaiah 46:9)
* Through Adam's Fall sin entered the world, bringing all humanity under condemnation and death; humans are now born with sinful natures and will be judged for the sins each commits individually (Ezekiel 18:1-20; Romans 5:12-21)

Temples

Mormonism teaches:

* Only worthy Mormons with temple recommends (special passes) are permitted inside dedicated LDS temples (Gospel Principles, 1988 edition, 235-236)
* The endowment ceremony provides temple patrons handshakes and passwords necessary for entrance into God's presence -- Heaven (Discourses of Brigham Young, 416)
* Marriages "sealed" in LDS temples bind the couple as husband and wife beyond the grave and are necessary for attainment of the best spiritual reward (We Believe, 548)
* Ordinances (baptisms, endowments, sealings) are performed for deceased people who had no opportunity to receive these ordinances while they were on earth, giving them opportunity to be "set free" in eternity (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 366-367)

The Bible says:

* The temple was a place for blood sacrifices and burnt offerings to be offered for the sins of God's people (Leviticus 1:1-3)
* Temple sacrifices foreshadowed the future sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:1-9)
* Christ made the final and sufficient sacrifice for sin; there is no longer a need for an earthly temple (Hebrews 10:12-14)
* There is no chance for repentance after death (Hebrews 9:27; Psalm 49:7)

Salvation

Mormonism teaches:

* There are two kinds of salvation: General and Individual (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:160)
* General salvation (resurrection from the dead to judgment) is a free gift from God given to all as a result of Christ's atonement (Gospel Principles, 1988 edition, 68)
* Individual salvation (spending eternity in the presence of God) is attained by a combination of God's grace plus the individual's works (Gospel Principles, 1988 edition, 68-69)
* Christ's sacrificial atonement is not sufficient to cleanse the penitent from all sin -- there are some sins beyond the reach of the work of Christ and must be atoned for by the individual (Journal of Discourses 3:247)
* There are six levels of "glory" to which people are assigned after death (Doctrine and Covenants section 76; 131:1 )
* Those obtaining the highest level become Gods, create worlds and accept worship from their children (Doctrines of Salvation 2:48; The Seer, 37)

The Bible says:

* All people will be resurrected to face God's judgment and will be consigned to either Heaven or Hell for all eternity (Matthew 25:31-46)
* Salvation (i.e., redemption from sin and reconciliation to God) is a gift of God by grace through faith, not of works (Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 3:21-26)
* Christ's sacrificial atonement is sufficient to cleanse believers from all sin (Hebrews 9:12; 1 John 1:7)
* Christ will be of no benefit to those who seek to gain salvation on their own merits (Galatians 5:1-6; Romans 3:10-20)
* There is but one true God and there never will be any others (Isaiah 43:10-11)
* Men will not receive worship in the eternal world, but instead will give worship to the only One who is worthy to receive it (Revelation 5:12-13)

Truth

Mormonism teaches:

* The only way to know spiritual truth is to ask God in prayer to reveal it through personal revelation (Moroni 10:4-5; The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 63)
* This revelation comes in the form of a good feeling, sometimes described as a "burning in the bosom" (Uniform System for Teaching the Gospel, Instructions for the Discussions, 8)
* God gives truth a little at a time; therefore, the investigator need not learn the "deeper doctrines" before joining the LDS Church (Gospel Truth 2:8)

The Bible says:

* Feelings are deceptive and should not be trusted (Jeremiah 17:9; Proverbs 28:26; 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)
* All spirits should not be believed, but must be tried and tested to see whether they are of God (1 John 4:1)
* Any proclamation of spiritual truth is to be measured against God's Word -- the Bible (Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15; Isaiah 8:20)
* The way to discern between true and false prophets is by applying God's tests give in the Bible (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18:20-22)
* Believers are not to withhold information, but instead are to always be ready to answer all questions about their faith and preach the full message of new life in Christ (1 Peter 3:15; Acts 5:20; 2 Corinthians 4:2)

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints commonly use words and phrases also employed by Evangelical Christians. While the terminology may sound the same, the intended meanings are often quite different. Misunderstandings arise when words are not clearly understood, thus communication is severely hindered. In order that your discussions with a Latter-day Saint may be more productive, a short comparative list of terms is supplied below. While this list should help you better understand LDS vocabulary, it is always a good idea for all participants in a conversation to define their terms.

GODHEAD:

LDS--The unified "committee" of a Father god, his Son Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Father god is a resurrected man with a physical body. Christ is a separate resurrected god with a physical body. The Holy Ghost is a separate god with only a spiritual body. These are three totally separate and distinct Gods.

BIBLE--A reference to the Trinity: One God eternally existent in three Persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In addition, the Bible teaches God is not a man (Numbers 23:19); There is only one God (Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:6; 45:21-22); The Father is Spirit and invisible (John 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17).

JESUS CHRIST:

LDS--A created being, the first spirit child of Elohim and one of his wives, the spirit brother of Lucifer the devil.

BIBLE--The eternal God manifested in the flesh; the One that created all things (John 1:1-3, 14).

HOLY GHOST:

LDS--A separate God from the Father and the Son; different from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Ghost is a person whereas the Holy Spirit is an influence from Father, not personal.

BIBLE--The same Greek word is used for Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). He is the third Person of the one triune God.

VIRGIN BIRTH:

LDS--God, as a resurrected physical man, became the literal father of Jesus in the flesh. Christ was conceived in the same physical manner in which all mortals are conceived. (LDS contend that Matthew 1:18 is in error.)

BIBLE-- The Holy Ghost, without the participation of a human (or physically embodied) father, conceived Jesus in the womb of Mary (Matthew 1:18).

SCRIPTURE:

LDS--The Bible (with reservation) plus additional revelation from God found in the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Words of latter-day Prophets are also recognized as scripture.

BIBLE--The Bible alone, which is infallible and without error, and the sole authority for all matters of Christian belief and practice (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3).

GOSPEL:

LDS--The Mormon church system and doctrines.

BIBLE--The message of Christ's death and resurrection as atonement for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Colossians 1:22-23).

FALL:

LDS--Adam's transgression which brought mortality and physical death to humanity, but not a fallen nature. Adam was given two conflicting commandments and chose the correct one to obey.

BIBLE--The event in which Adam and Eve disobeyed the explicit command of God, bringing sin and death onto the human race. As a consequence of the Fall, humans are alienated from God and in need of a Savior. In addition, the Bible teaches God tempts no one (James 1:13-14); Man is sinful in his very nature (Romans 8:5-8; 1 Corinthians 2:14).

SIN:

LDS--Specific acts, not man's basic nature.

BIBLE--The fundamental unbelief, distrust and rejection of God as God. The Bible presents sin as both fallen humanity's state of separation and alienation from God and as an individual's purposeful disobedience to God's will. In addition, the Bible teaches we are in spiritual rebellion until conversion (Ephesians 2:3-5; Romans 5:21); We do not just commit sins, we are by nature sinful (Matthew 1:21).

REPENTANCE:

LDS--Repentance of individual acts, not of sinful nature. To repent, one must feel sincere sorrow for his sins, stop sinning and keep the commandments of God. Some serious sins also require confession to LDS priesthood authority. True repentance is evidenced by the person never committing the same sin again; if he does, it is evidence that he did not truly repent and so his former sin returns to him.

BIBLE--A deep sense that the worst thing about one's sin is that it has offended a holy God. Repentance involves turning from sin to Christ, with a sincere desire to live in obedience to His leading. It is an attitude of the heart. In addition, the Bible teaches one must repent of basic rebellion toward God (Jeremiah 17:9; Luke 5:32).

ATONEMENT--SALVATION BY GRACE:

LDS--Universal resurrection, also known as salvation by grace, brought about by Christ's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and death on the Cross. Beyond resurrection, man must earn his own place in heaven.

BIBLE--Refers to God's act of dealing with the primary human problem of sin, which has broken the relationship between God and humankind. God accomplished the way of restoration through Christ's sacrificial death on the Cross. Salvation is not universal, but based on each individual's relationship with Jesus, being given as a free gift of grace to those who trust in Christ alone (Romans 1:16: Hebrews 9:28: Ephesians 2:8-9).

BORN AGAIN:

LDS---Baptism into the LDS church.

BIBLE--Refers to our spiritual rebirth through faith, having previously been dead in our sins (1 Peter 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

REDEEMED:

LDS---Redemption from mortal death only, not sinful rebellion or spiritual death. See Atonement-Salvation By Grace.

BIBLE--Redemption through Christ from more than mortal death. He redeems us from spiritual death (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1).

ETERNAL LIFE:

LDS--Exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom with the ability to eternally bear children in heaven. Requires an LDS temple marriage.

BIBLE--Dwelling forever in the presence of God, a free gift given to all who believe. No mention of parenthood or marriage (John 14:2; Matthew 22:30).

HEAVEN:

LDS--The eternal dwelling place of deceased humans, divided into three kingdoms: Celestial, Terrestrial and Telestial with a place for almost everyone (misuse of 1 Corinthians 15:40-41).

BIBLE--The eternal dwelling place of the redeemed. The Bible does not mention various levels of heaven. Rather, there are only two post-mortal conditions: everlasting punishment or life eternal (Matthew 25:31-46).

HELL:

LDS--An eternal institution where deceased people pay for their mortal sins; inmates come and go as in jail, they do not spend eternity there. They stay until their debt to God has been paid in full.

BIBLE--A place of eternal conscious punishment for the wicked. There is no indication that people will ever be released from Hell (Revelation 21:8; Matthew 13:24-43; 47-50; Luke 16:26).

TRUE CHURCH:

LDS--The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All other churches are corrupt to greater or lesser degrees.

BIBLE--The community of all true believers for all time. The Bible does not recognize an institution or denomination as God's church, but defines it as being comprised of people -- those who have been redeemed by Christ's blood (1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Matthew 16:18; 18:19-20).

PRE-EXISTENCE:

LDS--The premortal period of time between the birth of spirit children to God and their birth into mortal life. Everyone pre-existed before life on earth. All have existed eternally.

BIBLE--Refers to Christ as the only pre-existent One (John 8:58; Colossians 1:17). For humans there is no spiritual existence prior to mortality (1 Corinthians 15:46).

AUTHORITY/PRIESTHOOD:

LDS--The power and authority of God given to men to act in things pertaining to the LDS Church and salvation. Only LDS have authority to baptize, ordain, and so forth. In the LDS Church there is a two-part system of priesthood: Melchizedek and Aaronic.

BIBLE--Refers to the priesthood of believers which is the privilege and freedom of all believing Christians to stand before God in personal communion through Christ, directly receiving forgiveness without the need for human intermediaries. In addition, the Bible teaches Christ brought an end to the Aaronic priesthood and He is the ONLY High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:10; 1 Peter 2:5).

Adapted from "Terminology Differences" by Jerald and Sandra Tanner