Mormonism & Christianity
Mormonism uses Christian language but teaches a fundamentally different theology — a different God, a different Jesus, and a different gospel.
Key Differences
- →God was once a man and is now exalted vs. God is eternal and uncreated
- →Jesus and Lucifer are spirit brothers vs. Jesus is the eternal Son of God
- →Humans can become gods vs. creation is forever distinct from Creator
- →Salvation requires temple ordinances vs. faith alone in Christ alone
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), commonly called Mormonism, was founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith. It uses Christian vocabulary and venerates the Bible, but its underlying theology differs substantially from historic Christianity.
A Different God
Historic Christianity teaches that God is eternal, uncreated, and immaterial — the Creator of all things, without beginning or end. LDS theology teaches that God was once a man who progressed to divinity: "As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may become" (Lorenzo Snow couplet). This is a fundamentally different God.
A Different Jesus
LDS theology teaches that Jesus and Lucifer are spirit brothers — both offspring of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. Historic Christianity teaches that Jesus is the eternal, uncreated Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, through whom all things were made (John 1:3).
A Different Gospel
The LDS concept of salvation is multi-tiered. While Christ's atonement is acknowledged, full exaltation (eternal life in the highest degree of glory) requires baptism in the LDS church, temple ordinances (including proxy baptism for the dead), celestial marriage, and ongoing obedience. This differs from the Reformation principle of sola fide — salvation by faith alone.
Human Deification
LDS theology teaches the doctrine of eternal progression: faithful Latter-day Saints can become gods, creating spirit children and populating worlds of their own. This contrasts sharply with the Christian doctrine that the Creator-creature distinction is permanent and that humans, while glorified, never become God.