A BRIEF COMPARISON BETWEEN
MORMONISM AND BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY
This article very briefly discusses the differences between
Mormonism and Christianity in the areas of doctrines, scripture,
deity, mankind and salvation. A fuller understanding of these
differences can be attained through reading the relevant articles
listed on the home page of this site, a link for which is provided
at the end of this page.
SCRIPTURE
Christians believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God and look to it as their standard of authority and truth, against which they test all else. They have no other scriptures. All their doctrines and teachings are biblical.
The LDS teaches that the Bible is incorrectly translated, and that large portions are missing. They use their own exclusive scriptures, which include the revelations and teachings of their prophet and founder, Joseph Smith, as the standard of truth against which they gauge the accuracy of the Bible. Their scriptures are the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price; and they favour the King James Version of the Bible.
DEITY
Christians believe in and worship the triune deity of the Bible. They believe there always has been and always will be only one God, that He is a spirit being; the creator, the source, and the origin of all that exists.
Mormons believe in and worship a God named Elohim, a glorified man who had once been mortal, and who had progressed to godhood through obedience to the same laws and ordinances that are taught by the LDS church. Unlike the biblical God he is not a spirit being, but has a body of flesh and bone. They believe that there are a great many gods, all of whom attained godhood through the Mormon doctrine of eternal progression, and that they too can become Gods. However, Elohim is the only God with whom they have to do. Their godhead consists of God the Father, Christ the Son, the Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit.
In order to fit in with their basic doctrine of eternal progression, the LDS Christ of necessity differs radically from the Jesus of the Bible.
MANKIND
Christians believe that the human race was created by God as explained in the book of Genesis, and that because of the fall of Adam, we are all born with inherited, sin-orientated natures. They look upon the fall as a tragedy.
Mormons believe that the human race had a prior spiritual existence, which they call our first estate, and that all living beings have the same origins as did God, as we all stemmed from intelligent matter. They further maintain that God leads a married life, and that he fathered Christ, mankind, Lucifer, the demons and the angels in our prior spiritual existence. They teach that we are all born sinless, that we have the free agency to choose whether or not to sin, and that the fall was necessary to enable mankind to progress eternally.
SALVATION
Christian salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ. It was by His shed blood and death on the cross that Christ paid the penalty for all the sins of those who put their faith in Him as their Saviour. And salvation includes the gift of eternal life for whosoever trusts in Christ.
The LDS teaches that Christ's atonement, which they say took place primarily in the Garden of Gethsemane, merely reversed the consequences of the fall, thereby ensuring that all men, regardless of their beliefs, will be resurrected. This is known as general salvation or "salvation by grace," as nothing has to be done to warrant it. But it doesn't cover forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness of personal sins falls under individual (conditional) salvation, which has to be earned by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the LDS church, plus virtuous living. They maintain that salvation is only attainable through their church. Eternal life is only attained by those who are "translated" to godhood, and has the connotation of eternally begetting offspring.
In Mormonism evangelism and salvation continue in the afterlife (but only for those who have not rejected Mormonism on earth), and they maintain that most folk will eventually be saved. They conduct ceremonies by proxy for the dead in their temples, so that the dead who wish to become Mormons, will be covered by the necessary earthly LDS ordinances.
The basic doctrine in Mormonism, on which all their other teachings rest is eternal progression (see Mormonism's Law of Eternal Progression ).
A comprehensive list of fully referenced articles on Mormonism, comparing their teachings with those of the Bible, can be accessed by clicking on the "Home" button below.
Copyright 2007 by Mormonism and Biblical Truth. All rights reserved.
SCRIPTURE
Christians believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God and look to it as their standard of authority and truth, against which they test all else. They have no other scriptures. All their doctrines and teachings are biblical.
The LDS teaches that the Bible is incorrectly translated, and that large portions are missing. They use their own exclusive scriptures, which include the revelations and teachings of their prophet and founder, Joseph Smith, as the standard of truth against which they gauge the accuracy of the Bible. Their scriptures are the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price; and they favour the King James Version of the Bible.
DEITY
Christians believe in and worship the triune deity of the Bible. They believe there always has been and always will be only one God, that He is a spirit being; the creator, the source, and the origin of all that exists.
Mormons believe in and worship a God named Elohim, a glorified man who had once been mortal, and who had progressed to godhood through obedience to the same laws and ordinances that are taught by the LDS church. Unlike the biblical God he is not a spirit being, but has a body of flesh and bone. They believe that there are a great many gods, all of whom attained godhood through the Mormon doctrine of eternal progression, and that they too can become Gods. However, Elohim is the only God with whom they have to do. Their godhead consists of God the Father, Christ the Son, the Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit.
In order to fit in with their basic doctrine of eternal progression, the LDS Christ of necessity differs radically from the Jesus of the Bible.
MANKIND
Christians believe that the human race was created by God as explained in the book of Genesis, and that because of the fall of Adam, we are all born with inherited, sin-orientated natures. They look upon the fall as a tragedy.
Mormons believe that the human race had a prior spiritual existence, which they call our first estate, and that all living beings have the same origins as did God, as we all stemmed from intelligent matter. They further maintain that God leads a married life, and that he fathered Christ, mankind, Lucifer, the demons and the angels in our prior spiritual existence. They teach that we are all born sinless, that we have the free agency to choose whether or not to sin, and that the fall was necessary to enable mankind to progress eternally.
SALVATION
Christian salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ. It was by His shed blood and death on the cross that Christ paid the penalty for all the sins of those who put their faith in Him as their Saviour. And salvation includes the gift of eternal life for whosoever trusts in Christ.
The LDS teaches that Christ's atonement, which they say took place primarily in the Garden of Gethsemane, merely reversed the consequences of the fall, thereby ensuring that all men, regardless of their beliefs, will be resurrected. This is known as general salvation or "salvation by grace," as nothing has to be done to warrant it. But it doesn't cover forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness of personal sins falls under individual (conditional) salvation, which has to be earned by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the LDS church, plus virtuous living. They maintain that salvation is only attainable through their church. Eternal life is only attained by those who are "translated" to godhood, and has the connotation of eternally begetting offspring.
In Mormonism evangelism and salvation continue in the afterlife (but only for those who have not rejected Mormonism on earth), and they maintain that most folk will eventually be saved. They conduct ceremonies by proxy for the dead in their temples, so that the dead who wish to become Mormons, will be covered by the necessary earthly LDS ordinances.
The basic doctrine in Mormonism, on which all their other teachings rest is eternal progression (see Mormonism's Law of Eternal Progression ).
A comprehensive list of fully referenced articles on Mormonism, comparing their teachings with those of the Bible, can be accessed by clicking on the "Home" button below.
Copyright 2007 by Mormonism and Biblical Truth. All rights reserved.