Q: #384. What are the differences between Christians and Latter-day Saints (Mormons)?
A: Following is a chart which lays out some of the key differences between Christians and Latter-day Saints.
LATTER-DAY SAINTS TEACH THAT: CHRISTIANITY TEACHES THAT:
1. God the Father (who has flesh and bones) was once a “man” who lived on another planet, and became a god. He took a wife (who became a goddess), created this world, and had spirit children with his wife including Jesus (the firstborn), Satan, and us. (We pre-existed before coming to Earth.) This makes Jesus, as well as us, “spirit” brothers and sisters to Satan. 1. God the Father is not, nor has ever been a “flesh and bone” man, but is spirit and invisible by nature.
Spirit: (Jn 4:24)(Lk 24:39)
Not man: (Hos 11:9)(Job 9:32)(Num 23:19)(1 Sam 15:29)
Invisible: (Col 1:15)(1 Tim 6:16)(1 Tim 1:17)(Heb 11:27)
**Note: Verses speaking of God having body parts are called an “anthropomorphism.” Go here for a definition.
Jesus has ALWAYS existed:
(Jn 1:1)(Jn 8:57-58)(Jn 17:5)(Col 1:17)(Rev 2:8)
Jesus created ALL things:
(Jn 1:3)(Col 1:16)(Heb 1:10)
Since Jesus has always existed, and was not created, He is NOT the brother of Satan!
The Bible says NOTHING of God having a wife!
2. All men and women lived with God as His spirit children before the world began, then came to Earth as mortal beings. 2. We did NOT pre-exist before being born on Earth! God created man from the dust of the Earth, and we had no existence prior to that.
No pre-existence: (Jn 3:31)(Jn 8:23)(Jn 3:13)
Created from the dust of Earth, not in Heaven:
(Gen 2:7)(Gen 3:19)(Job 34:15)(Ps 104:29)(Eccl 3:20)(1 Cor 15:46-47)
3. (Because of #1. & 2.), all people are God’s children. 3.. Every single thing is a creation of God, but we only become a “child of God” through faith in Jesus Christ:
(Gal 3:26)(Jn 1:12)(Rom 8:14-17)
(Go here for more on this)
4. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate Gods. 4. There is one God (Deut 6:4)(Mk 12:29)(Jas 2:19)(1 Cor 8:4), manifested in 3 distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They have always existed eternally and simultaneously, and all are equal. Christians do NOT believe in 3 separate gods (tritheism), nor do we believe God manifests Himself in 3 different ways (modalism).
5. There are many gods, and we can all become gods. 5. Again, there is ONLY ONE God.
Verses in #4. plus these: (Isa 43:10-11)(Isa 44:6,8)(Isa 45:5-6,22)(Isa 46:9)(Deut 4:35.39)
6. The Bible is incomplete, and hold several writings as equal to the Bible. (The Bible is the word of God “as far as it is correctly translated.”) 6. The Bible is the ONLY God-inspired book, and we are NEVER to add to it.
(2 Tim 3:16)(2 Pet 1:20-21)(Ps 138:2)(Prov 30:5-6)(Deut 4:2)(Deut 12:32)(Rev 22:18)
7. All people eventually go to 1 of 3 kingdoms: Celestial, Terrestrial, or Telestial. (A few REALLY bad people can go to “outer darkness.”) There is no Hell. 7. All people go to 1 of 2 places: Heaven or Hell.
(See links: Heaven and Hell)
8. African-Americans came about as a result of God’s curse on Cain. 8. The color of a person’s skin means nothing to God. God shows no partiality, all men are equal.
(Acts 10:34)(Gal 3:28)(Rom 10:12)(Col 3:11)(Eph 6:9)(1 Cor 12:13)(Gal 2:6)
9. Mormons are the true church. 9. All born again believers in Christ are the church.
(Acts 2:38-47)(Eph 5:23-32)(Eph 1:22-23)(Eph 3:10-21)(Heb 12:23)(1 Cor 12:12-27)(Mt 16:18)(1 Cor 15:9)
10. Adam and Eve bringing sin to mankind was a blessing. If they had not sinned, there could be no chance to attain godhood. 10. There is no blessing in sin coming to man. Sin brings death and separation from God.
Death: (Rom 5:12-14,17,21)(Rom 6:16,23)(Rom 8:2)(1 Cor 15:21,56)
Separation: (Jn 9:31)(Isa 59:2)(Jer 5:25)(Mic 3:4)(Hab 1:13)
11. Salvation by works, not by grace alone. 11. Salvation by grace alone, not by works.
(Eph 2:8-9)(Titus 3:5)(Rom 4:4-5)(Rom 3:27-28)(Gal 2:16)(Rom 11:6)(Rom 9:31-32)
12. Achieving godhood makes one’s salvation complete. Works needed for this salvation include:
Mormon baptism
Celestial marriage (Therefore, Jesus was married.)
Tithing
Receiving the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands
Secret temple rituals
Morality
Ordinances
12. Jesus alone gives us complete salvation.
(Jn 14:6)(1 Jn 2:22-23)(1 Jn 5:12)(Mt 11:27)(Lk 10:22)(Gal 3:26)(Eph 1:5)(Acts 4:12)
13. Neither God the Father, nor Jesus are omnipresent (even though they are gods…). God the Father is omnipresent only through the Spirit. 13. God the Father IS omnipresent:
(1 Kin 8:27)(Jer 23:23-24)(Prov 15:3)(Job 34:21-22)(Ps 139:7-8)(2 Chr 16:9)(Heb 4:13)
Jesus also claimed omnipresence in (Mt 18:20).
14. God resides near a star called Kolob. 14. This has no Biblical basis…
Most Latter-day Saints will claim to be Christians, however, as can be seen in the chart, they deny a number of essential Christian doctrines. Anyone who denies these essentials is NOT a Christian. Christians cannot be in unity with Latter-day Saints.