Perhaps you have been told by your Latter-day Saint friends that their religion (officially, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) is the same as biblical Christianity. Yet when you talk to them, they may want to minimize doctrines that historically have been standard core teachings of the church and its leaders. In fact, Christians are told, Mormonism should be considered as just another Christian denomination.This can be very puzzling indeed for an Evangelical Christian to respond.
Here are some questions you might want to ask to show that there are still important differences between our faiths.
1. Do you believe there was a “Great Apostasy” and thus there was a need to restore true Christianity?
The Great Apostasy is the belief that Christianity lost its authority sometime after the death of Christ’s apostles, making it necessary for God to restore the true church through Joseph Smith starting in 1830. Without the stain caused by this so-called great apostasy, there would be no reason for the LDS Church to exist. As the History of the Church declares by using the words “complete apostasy”:
“Nothing less than a complete apostasy from the Christian religion would warrant the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (1:XL. Italics in original).
Joseph Smith was supposedly told by God the Father and Jesus at the First Vision,
18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.
19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”
Notice how God Himself supposedly said “they were all wrong” and that “all their creeds” were in error. In response, some Mormons claim that this apostasy was “partial” and not total. However, Joseph Fielding Smith, the 10th LDS president, said the apostasy was “universal” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 1966, 5:xi). Twelfth President Spencer Kimball said “there was a long period of centuries when the gospel was not available to people on this earth, because it had been changed” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball: Twelfth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1982, 423). And 13th President Ezra Taft Benson said “the church that Christ established during His earthly ministry ceased to exist” (“I Testify,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 1988, 86).
These leaders certainly didn’t think this “Great Apostasy” was partial. If there really was a “universal” apostasy that did take place and God needed someone like Smith to restore it–whether that is the priesthood authority or something else–then it would be insincere to make it appear that Evangelical Christians are participants of the same full Gospel as what Latter-day Saints claim to possess.
Follow-up questions:
- Was God not telling the full truth when he said all the churches were “wrong” and the creeds of Christianity were an abomination in his sight? (This would not just entail the situation in the 19th century but even the creeds composed over the previous millennium and a half!)
- If you don’t think there was a “total” or “universal” apostasy, why have your leaders taught this? Why do LDS missionaries work to convince us to get baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? And why haven’t LDS Church leaders minimized this apostasy by allowing Evangelical Christians to participate in their sacrament services, be allowed entrance into their temples, and be featured as speakers at the biannual general conference sessions, among other ecumenical possibilities?
- If the Great Apostasy is true, then why shouldn’t members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints be seen as superior, not equal, to their authority when contrasted with Evangelical Christians?
For more, visit:
10 Claims of the Great Apostasy
2. Do you believe that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s?
According to D&C 130:22, one of the four Standard Works, God possesses a body of flesh and bones. This doctrine contradicts the teachings of the historic Christian church, as God is understood to be a spirit (John 4:24) with no physical body. Contrast this with what Joseph Smith taught,
“That which is without body or parts is nothing. There is no other God in heaven but that God who has flesh and bones” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 2007, 42).
Smith also taught:
“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret, if the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by his power, was to make himself visible,—I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, and received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed with him, as one man talks and communes with another” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 1938, 345. Edited by Joseph Fielding Smith. Italics in original. In 1991, the First Presidency gave away a special copy of this book to their church employees. Italics in original. See also Achieving a Celestial Marriage: Student Manual, 1976, 129 as well as Robert L. Millet and Noel B. Reynolds, eds, Latter-day Christianity: 10 Basic Issues, 1998, 31).
Understanding the true nature of God is vital for any believer. If God truly has a physical body, that has some important implications for God’s omnipresence, the creation of matter, and the Creator-creature distinction. These are not minor issues, but major disagreements about who God is.
Follow-up questions:
- If you do not believe God the Father has a body of flesh and bones, then how do you interpret D&C 130:22 and what Joseph Smith taught above?
- If you do believe God the Father has a body of flesh and bones, and Christians deny this cornerstone teaching of the LDS religion, do you understand that our differences in this most important issue cannot be reconciled?
For more, visit:
God the Father According to Mormonism
Does Genesis 1:26,27 Prove God has a physical body?
3. Do you believe all people should be considered “children of God“?
Traditionally Mormonism has taught that all people once lived in a premortal state before given the privilege to be born on this earth as literal offspring of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, who is the president of the apostles, once told a general conference audience,
“Brothers and sisters, we are eternal beings, without beginning and without end. We have always existed. We are the literal spirit children of divine, immortal, and omnipotent Heavenly Parents! We come from the heavenly courts of the Lord our God. We are of the royal house of Elohim, the Most High God. We walked with Him in our premortal life. We heard Him speak, witnessed His majesty, learned His ways” (“O How Great the Plan of Our God,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2016, 29).
Eighteenth President Dallin H Oaks told a general conference audience:
“In the Council in Heaven, all the spirit children of God were introduced to the Father’s plan, including its mortal consequences and trials, its heavenly helps, and its glorious destiny. We saw the end from the beginning. All of the myriads of mortals who have been born on this earth chose the Father’s plan and fought for it in the heavenly contest that followed. Many also made covenants with the Father concerning what they would do in mortality. In ways that have not been revealed, our actions in the spirit world would have influenced our circumstances in mortality” (“The Great Plan,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2020, 93).
Seventeenth President Russell M. Nelson claimed that “our beloved brothers and sisters throughout the world are all children of God” (“Teach Us Tolerance and Love,” Ensign, May 1994, 69, 71).
Historic Christianity has never taught that humans existed in a previous state of existence (John 1:12-13; Phil. 2:14-16; 1 John 3:1-3). If humans didn’t exist in “premortality,” then to say all people are literal spirit offspring of God would not be accurate. Additionally, the Bible teaches that Christians are sons of God by adoption through faith, not by spirit-birth (John 1:12, Rom. 8:14-15, Gal. 4:6-7).
Follow-up questions:
- Do you believe all people should be considered children of God? If so, do you have any biblical support? (Verses often used to support this teaching are taken out of context, including Job 38:4-7, Proverbs 8:22-31, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Jeremiah 1:5, John 9:1-3, and Hebrews 12:9.)
- Why would the New Testament encourage us to “become children of God” by faith (John 1:12, Gal. 3:26), if we are already children of God?
- Wouldn’t the idea that our actions in a previous life had specific influence on this current life (including the possibility that babies are born according to their previous merit) be more closely aligned with Eastern philosophy (i.e., karma, reincarnation) than biblical Christianity? Wouldn’t this mean that Mormonism’s view of spirit children is more closely related to Hinduism and Buddhism than biblical Christianity?
For more, visit:
Do we need to become children of God?
4. Do you believe that you have the potental to become a god in the same manner as God the Father?
According to Mormonism, people on this earth can progress to become gods in the next life and be with their families in a new realm. Joseph Smith taught:
“Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 1938, 346-347. Edited by Joseph Fielding Smith. In 1991, the First Presidency gave away a special copy of this book to their church employees).
Historically, LDS leaders have even taught that God Himself was once a man like us who progressed to become exalted.
Even though Christians will one day have glorified bodies and be in the presence of God in heaven, this belief does not entail that they can become “like God”. Christians have taken God at His word when He claims that He cannot be compared to anyone else, that no gods are formed after Him, and that He doesn’t know of any other gods (Isaiah 40:25; 43:10; 44:6, 8; 46:5). This is a major difference and cannot be reconciled.
Follow-up questions:
- Do you disagree with the idea that it is possible to become “God yourselves” as taught by Joseph Smith in a general conference? If so, how do you interpret Smith’s words given above?
- Why do you think Christians disagree with the idea that humans can become gods?
For more, visit:
Joseph Smith’s Most Famous Sermon
5. Do you believe that salvation comes completely through God’s grace?
Latter-day Saints often make it appear that they believe that salvation comes by grace and not by works, as taught in Ephesians 2:8-9. Yet while grace provides all people resurrection into one of three kingdoms of glory, official church teachings make it clear that one’s works are required and must accompany any profession of belief to qualify for eternal life, also known as exaltation. As one church manual teaches,
“Through grace, made available by the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, all people will be resurrected and receive immortality (see 2 Nephi 9:6-13). But resurrection alone does not qualify us for eternal life in the presence of God. Our sins make us unclean and unfit to dwell in God’s presence, and we need His grace to purify and perfect us ‘after all we can do’ (2 Nephi 25:23)” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference, 2004, 77).
Grace in Mormonism is nothing more than God’s “enabling power” to keep the commandments that must be accomplished in this life to qualify for exaltation:
“Grace is the divine help or strength extended to us through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Through the grace of God, everyone who has lived will be resurrected—our spirits will be reunited with our bodies, never again to be separated. Through His grace, the Lord also enables those who live His gospel to repent and be forgiven. Grace is a gift from Heavenly Father given through His Son, Jesus Christ. The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to enabling power and spiritual healing offered through the mercy and love of Jesus Christ. Everyone on earth experiences physical death. Through the grace of Jesus Christ, all will be resurrected and will live forever” (Gospel Topics, “Grace,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/grace?lang=eng/. Accessed 1/7/2025).
Second Nephi 25:23 says in part that “we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” Many Latter-day Saints interpret “after” as “in spite of.” Even if that interpretation is allowed, is this enough to move any person beyond general resurrection and qualify for exaltation? According to LDS leaders, exaltation requires a lifetime of good works. If they are right, the answer must be no.
On the other hand, Christianity teaches that a person is justified by what Jesus has done through His death on the cross and not what he or she has accomplished. All of one’s sins–past, present, and future–are completely forgiven. Simple faith in Christ receives “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3). Tying works of any kind negates the power of the gift provided by Jesus (Rom. 4:5).
Follow-up questions:
- Do you believe that resurrection is provided through grace? What about celestial glory? Does a person qualify for this through grace alone?
- If obedience to commandments as set by the LDS Church is required for the celestial kingdom, then could we say that a person is not fully “saved” by grace alone?
- Do you believe that, because of grace, you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are destined for the celestial kingdom?
For more, visit:
6. Do you believe that work in the temple, including being sealed for time and eternity, is necessary for a person to become exalted?
LDS leaders have traditionally taught that ordinances done in more than 200 temples across the world are required for its members to have the chance to become exalted in the next life. For instance, 17th LDS President Russell M. Nelson taught:
“Temple ordinances, covenants, endowments and sealings enable individuals to be reconciled with the Lord and families to be sealed beyond the veil of death. Obedience to temple covenants qualifies us for eternal life – the greatest gift of God to man” (“Eternal life Comes from Obedience to Temple Ordinances,” LDS Church News, April 7, 2001, 10).
Apostle David A. Bednar explained,
“Temples are the most holy of all places of worship. Everything that is learned and all that is done in latter-day temples emphasize Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness, the divinity of Jesus Christ, and His role as our Savior. The covenants received and the ordinances performed in temples are essential to the sanctifying of our hearts and for the ultimate exaltation of God’s sons and daughters” (“Temple Ordinances: Preparing to Return to God’s Presence,” Liahona, July 2022, 6).
Christianity does not teach that there is even a need for modern-day brick and mortar temples, nor that temple ordinances are necessary to dwell with God in His kingdom.
Follow-up questions:
- If you do not think that temples are important for progression in the next life, how do you interpret the words of your leaders above?
- If you believe that our entrance into celestial glory is completely by grace, why does the LDS Church practice proxy works for the dead in temples? Does not the importance of proxy works imply there are certain ordinances required to receive eternal life?
- If I as a Christian am not even allowed into an LDS temple, then how would I ever qualify for the best the LDS religion has to offer? If this is the case, is it realistically possible to say that I am a “Christian” just like you?
For more, visit:
The Primary Purpose of LDS Temples
7. Do you believe baptism for the dead performed in LDS temples is something Christians should practice today?
Mormonism teaches that its members can do work on behalf of dead ansestors so that they can have the Gospel presented to them in the next life. For instance, 16th President Thomas S. Monson explained,
“Heavenly Father loves His children in the spirit world just as much as He loves you and me . . . There are millions upon millions of spirit children of our Heavenly Father who never heard the name of Christ before dying and going into the spirit world. But now they have been taught the gospel and are awaiting the day when you and I will do the research necessary to clear the way so that we can go into the house of the Lord and perform for them the work that they themselves cannot perform” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Thomas S. Monson, 2020, 239. Ellipsis in original).
Apostle Boyd K. Packer taught,
“One of the characteristics that sets us apart from the rest of the world and identifies us as the Lord’s Church is that we provide baptism and other ordinances for our deceased ancestors” (“Come to the Temple,” Ensign, October 2007, 22).
A verse from 1 Corinthians 15:29 has been misused to support this teaching. Indeed, the Bible does not support the idea that baptisms for the dead ought to be performed. Baptism for the dead presupposes that baptism is an essential prerequisite for eternal life, and therefore denies the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. It is appointed once for a person to live and then comes the judgment, Hebrews 9:27 says. And “today” is considered the day of salvation according to 2 Corinthians 6:2.
Follow-up questions:
- Do you believe that baptism of the dead is something that should be done? Does the Bible ever command or commend this practice?
- Have you ever wondered why Christians do not do baptisms for the dead? If this ordinance is necessary, then why are only Latter-day Saints in good standing allowed to go to temples to do this?
For more, visit:
Is Baptism for the Dead a Biblical Doctrine?
Conclusion
Latter-day Saints are free to individually believe whatever they want. But if the teachings of LDS church leaders are the be believed, then Mormonism and Christianity are not the same.