Category Archives: Mormonism

Same Words; Different Dictionary (Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons)

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Imagine a couple coming to you and saying that they just enjoyed a wonderful vacation in Canada. You congratulate them and ask them what they enjoyed most about their time away and the more they talk, the more things don’t seem to add up. They say, “we really enjoyed seeing the Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, and the Valley of the Kings. We also really enjoyed cruising the Nile River…”

A very puzzled look comes over your face. You think to yourself, “Hang on… what’s happening here? Something is not right at all!”

And you would be right… That’s because although they are using the word “Canada” everything they are describing to you is referring to something in Egypt (not Canada). The more they talk, the more you realize, “this couple didn’t visit Canada. They went somewhere else entirely.”

They remain convinced that they visited Canada, but nothing they saw had any relationship with the real, genuine Canada. They keep using a word you know “Canada,” but in reality, they are using a different dictionary; they mean something else entirely.

While this is just a ridiculous hypothetical situation (thankfully), this is exactly what happens when we engage with members of the “Christian” Cults in our day. They regularly use words like “God”, “Jesus”, “the Holy Spirit”, and talk even of “the gospel” and “salvation” but when you dig just a little below the surface, they mean something completely different from the reality – the true God, the true Jesus, the true Gospel and true salvation.

The New Testament warns us against false Christ’s and false gospels. The Apostle Paul writes, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.” (2 Cor. 11:3, 4). To the churches of Galatia he wrote, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Gal. 1:6-8)

Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons in our day use the same words we do, but they are using a different dictionary. When they say “God” they do not mean what we mean when we say “God”. When they say “Jesus” what they have in mind is nothing like the Jesus of the Bible.

Many are quite confused about all this but even AI intelligence knows the differences. When asked to describe the contrast between Biblical Christianity and the doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) regarding their beliefs on God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, salvation, and what happens after death, based on the official teachings of each group, here’s what it came up with:

Below is a concise comparison of Biblical Christianity, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) on key theological points: the Trinity, God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the atonement of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, Scripture, salvation, and what happens after death, based on standard teachings from each group, focusing on clarity and brevity. For simplicity, “Biblical Christianity” refers to mainstream Protestant, Evangelical teachings rooted in historic Christian orthodoxy.

1. The Trinity

  • Biblical Christianity: God is one being in three co-equal, co-eternal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14). The Trinity is a mystery, but all three are fully God, distinct yet one in essence.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Reject the Trinity. God is one person, Jehovah (the Father). Jesus is a created being (the archangel Michael), and the Holy Spirit is God’s active force, not a person.
  • Mormons: Reject the traditional Trinity. God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three separate beings united in purpose, not essence (the Godhead). They are distinct gods, with the Father as the supreme deity.

2. God the Father

  • Biblical Christianity: God the Father is the first person of the Trinity, eternal, uncreated, and sovereign. He is spirit (John 4:24), not embodied, and the source of all creation.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Jehovah is the only true God, a singular, eternal being with no equals. He is the creator, distinct from Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and not part of a Trinity.
  • Mormons: God the Father (Elohim) is a distinct being with a physical, exalted human body. He was once a man who progressed to godhood, and humans can become gods like Him (Doctrine and Covenants 132:20).

3. Jesus

  • Biblical Christianity: Jesus is the eternal Son of God, truly God and truly man (John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9). He is the second person of the Trinity, uncreated, and equal with the Father.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Jesus is a created being, the first creation of Jehovah, identified as the archangel Michael. He is divine but not equal to Jehovah, and not fully God.
  • Mormons: Jesus (Jehovah in LDS theology) is a distinct being, the literal spirit son of God the Father, born to heavenly parents. He became a god through obedience and is not equal to the Father in essence.

4. The Holy Spirit

  • Biblical Christianity: The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, fully God, a person, not a force. He indwells believers, convicts of sin, and guides into truth (John 14:16-17, 16:8).
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: The Holy Spirit is not a person but Jehovah’s active force, like energy or power, used to accomplish His will (e.g., inspiring Scripture or empowering Jesus).
  • Mormons: The Holy Spirit is a distinct spirit being, a personage, but not equal to the Father or Jesus. He is a spirit without a physical body, serving as a comforter and revealer of truth.

5. The Atonement of Christ

  • Biblical Christianity: Jesus’ death on the cross was a substitutionary sacrifice, paying the penalty for human sin (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24). His atonement is sufficient for all who believe, reconciling them to God.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Jesus’ death was a ransom sacrifice to pay for Adam’s sin, restoring the possibility of perfect human life on earth. It benefits only those who obey Jehovah’s requirements.
  • Mormons: Jesus’ atonement in Gethsemane and on the cross paid for universal resurrection and offers salvation to those who obey LDS ordinances and laws (Articles of Faith 3). It overcomes physical and spiritual death conditionally.

6. The Resurrection of Christ

  • Biblical Christianity: Jesus physically rose from the dead on the third day, proving His deity and victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). His resurrection guarantees believers’ future resurrection.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Jesus was resurrected as a spirit being, not in a physical body. His physical body was dissolved, and He appeared in different forms to His disciples.
  • Mormons: Jesus was physically resurrected, as will all people due to His atonement. His resurrection ensures universal resurrection and enables exaltation for the faithful (Alma 11:42-44).

7. Scripture

  • Biblical Christianity: The Bible (66 books, Old and New Testaments) is the inspired, inerrant Word of God, sufficient for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: The Bible (New World Translation) is God’s inspired Word but interpreted only through Watchtower publications. Other translations are considered corrupted.
  • Mormons: The Bible is scripture but incomplete and corrupted. Additional scriptures (Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price) and ongoing revelation through LDS prophets are equally authoritative.

8. Salvation

  • Biblical Christianity: Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a gift, not earned, and results in eternal life with God.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Salvation requires faith in Jehovah, baptism, and strict obedience to Watchtower teachings. Most believers will live forever on a paradise earth; only 144,000 go to heaven.
  • Mormons: Salvation has two aspects: universal resurrection (general salvation) and exaltation (eternal life in God’s presence) through faith, repentance, baptism, and obedience to LDS ordinances and laws.

9. What Happens After We Die

  • Biblical Christianity: Believers go to heaven to be with Christ immediately (Philippians 1:23); unbelievers face judgment and eternal separation from God (hell) (Revelation 20:11-15). The final state includes a new heaven and new earth.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: The dead are unconscious, awaiting resurrection. Most righteous will live on a paradise earth; the 144,000 rule in heaven. The wicked are annihilated, not eternally punished.
  • Mormons: After death, spirits go to the spirit world (paradise or prison) to await resurrection. Post-resurrection, people are assigned to one of three kingdoms (Celestial, Terrestrial, Telestial) or outer darkness, based on obedience and ordinances.

Summary Table

DoctrineBiblical ChristianityJehovah’s WitnessesMormons
TrinityOne God in three personsRejected; Jehovah alone is GodThree separate beings in Godhead
God the FatherEternal, spirit, uncreatedJehovah, singular, eternalExalted man, physical body
JesusEternal God-man, second person of TrinityCreated being, archangel MichaelSpirit son, became a god
Holy SpiritThird person of Trinity, GodGod’s active force, not a personDistinct spirit being, not God
AtonementSubstitutionary sacrifice for all believersRansom for Adam’s sin, conditionalUniversal resurrection, conditional exaltation
ResurrectionPhysical resurrection of JesusSpiritual resurrection of JesusPhysical resurrection for all
ScriptureBible alone, inerrantBible via Watchtower interpretationBible (KJV) + LDS scriptures, ongoing revelation
SalvationBy grace through faithFaith + obedience to WatchtowerFaith + obedience to LDS ordinances
After DeathHeaven/hell, new heaven and earthUnconscious, paradise earth or annihilationSpirit world, three kingdoms or outer darkness

Notes

  • Biblical Christianity draws from historic creeds (e.g., Apostles’, Nicene) and emphasizes sola scriptura (Scripture alone).
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses rely heavily on the Watchtower Society’s interpretations, which shape their doctrine and practice.
  • Mormons emphasize continuing revelation through prophets, making their theology distinct from traditional Christianity.

Is Mormonism Christian?

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Written by a staff writer for the John Ankerberg show, here is an article entitled “Are Mormons Christian?” (https://blog.jashow.org/the-apologetics-corner/are-mormons-christian?)

Mormons identify themselves as a Christian[1] denomination, in the same category as Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, etc. After all, they will tell you, they are “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!” But does their claim stand up to scrutiny when compared to what the Bible teaches? We will take a look at a few of Mormonism’s key teachings about Jesus and compare them to what the Bible says about Him. With this information in mind, you will be better prepared to answer the question: Are Mormons Christians?

First, Mormonism teaches that Jesus was a created being, and not eternal God. Rather, He was merely the first of billions of spirit children of the “Father”.

  • Doctrine and Covenants 93:21-23: “Christ, the Firstborn, was the mightiest of all the spirit children of the Father.”
  • The Articles of Faith: “Among the spirit children of Elohim, the firstborn was and is Jehovah, or Jesus Christ, to whom all others are juniors.”

Furthermore, since Satan was also a preexistent spirit child, Jesus and Satan are brothers.

  • “As for the devil and his fellow spirits, they are brothers to man and also to Jesus and sons and daughters to God in the same sense that we are.”

Second, Mormonism teaches that because Jesus was only a man, a “spirit offspring” of the earth gods, He must earn His salvation, just like all other men.

  • “Jesus Christ is the Son of God.…He came to earth to work out His own salvation.…After His resurrection, He gained all power in Heaven.”
  • “…by obedience and devotion to the truth, [Jesus] attained that pinnacle of intelligence which ranked Him as a God.”
  • “Christ…is a saved being.”

Third, there is nothing particularly special about Jesus. Sure, He is divine now, but every person has the same opportunity to attain “godhood” just like Him. His only unique claim is that rather than having a human father, he was the product of sexual union between “Elohim,” the earth god, and Mary.

  • “Jesus is man’s spiritual brother. We dwelt with Him in the spirit world as members of that large society of eternal intelligences, which included our Heavenly Parents.”

Fourth, Jesus was conceived through sexual intercourse between God (Elohim) and Mary.

  • “sexuality…is actually an attribute of God…God is a procreating personage of flesh and bone” and “the Holy Ghost was not the father of Jesus.”
  • “Christ was begotten of God. He was not born without the aid of Man and that Man was God”!
  • “Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers.”

According to Brigham Young, “The man Joseph, the husband of Mary, did not, that we know of, have more than one wife, but Mary, the wife of Joseph, had another husband [that is, God].”[2]

Biblically, of course, all of this is false.

First, the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is God. He is eternal creator whose origins are “from old, from ancient times” in other words, He has eternally existed.

  • John 1:1-3: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
  • Colossians 1:16-17: For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
  • Isaiah 9:6: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
  • Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Further, Jesus Christ is not the brother of the devil. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is in fact God:

  • John 10:30: I and the Father are one.
  • Colossians 1:15-17: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
  • Colossians 2:9: For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.
  • Hebrews 1:3: The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Second, Jesus did not, nor did He have any need to, earn His salvation. Rather, He came to bring salvation to all mankind through His death on the cross.

  • John 14:6: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
  • Ephesians 2:8-9: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
  • 1 Peter 2:24: He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

Third, Jesus did not attain godhood, He has been God from before the foundation of the world.

  • John 1:1-3: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
  • John 1:14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
  • Ephesians 1:4: He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
  • Colossians 1:15-17: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And finally, Jesus was not the product of some physical sexual union. Rather He was virgin born.

  • Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
  • Matthew 1:18-23: This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. [See Luke 1:26-38] Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)

Once again, we must ask: Are the Mormon Jesus and the Jesus revealed in the Bible the same? Your answer is important, because your eternal future depends on believing in the right Jesus.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

You can learn more about what Mormons believe in by downloading our Side by Side guides here. You will also find numerous resources on our website, including DVDs and books to help you study further.

[1] Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a “Christian” as “one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.” The website gotquestions.org explains, “Despite the wide variety of beliefs that fall under the general ‘Christian’ label today, the Bible defines a true Christian as one who has personally received Jesus Christ as Savior, who trusts in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of sins, who has the Holy Spirit residing within, and whose life evinces change consistent with faith in Jesus.”

[2] These quotes are from Mormon sources and/or Mormon leaders. Consult John Ankerberg and John Weldon, The Facts on the Mormon Church (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1991) to see the sources.