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.
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 full of errors 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 is only one God, that there always has been and always will be, 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 himself once needed salvation and who had progressed to godhood through Mormonism. 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 Mormonism, and that they too can become Gods. However, Elohim is the only God with whom they have to do. They maintain that he is also their biological father as he and one of his plural wives were their parents in a previous spiritual existence. 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, which is eternal progression, the LDS Christ 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, and that all living beings, including angels and demons have the same origins as did God, as we all stemmed from intelligent matter. They teach that we are all born sinless, and that mankind is basically good at heart. They look upon the fall as having been necessary to enable mankind to progress eternally.
SALVATION
Christian salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ. It was by His death on the cross that Christ paid the penalty for every single sin of those who put their faith in Him as their Saviour.
The LDS teaches that Christ's atonement, which they say took place 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 amounts to damnation. Forgiveness for personal sins falls under individual (conditional) salvation, which has to be earned by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the LDS church plus righteous living. They maintain that their church alone has the authority for salvation.
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 full of errors 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 is only one God, that there always has been and always will be, 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 himself once needed salvation and who had progressed to godhood through Mormonism. 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 Mormonism, and that they too can become Gods. However, Elohim is the only God with whom they have to do. They maintain that he is also their biological father as he and one of his plural wives were their parents in a previous spiritual existence. 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, which is eternal progression, the LDS Christ 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, and that all living beings, including angels and demons have the same origins as did God, as we all stemmed from intelligent matter. They teach that we are all born sinless, and that mankind is basically good at heart. They look upon the fall as having been necessary to enable mankind to progress eternally.
SALVATION
Christian salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ. It was by His death on the cross that Christ paid the penalty for every single sin of those who put their faith in Him as their Saviour.
The LDS teaches that Christ's atonement, which they say took place 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 amounts to damnation. Forgiveness for personal sins falls under individual (conditional) salvation, which has to be earned by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the LDS church plus righteous living. They maintain that their church alone has the authority for salvation.
Copyright 2007 by Mormonism and Biblical Truth. All rights reserved.