A Christian’s Heart For Our Mormon/ LDS Neighbors.
Are Mormons Christians? Are they saved? Do Mormons and Christians follow the same Jesus? If you are a Mormon you would answer yes, yes, and yes! But biblical Christians would say no. Why do we come to such different conclusions? And do our differing beliefs matter to having a relationship with God?
I respect and admire many things about the Mormons that I have gotten to talk with including their kindness, patience, dedication to sharing their beliefs, and willingness to examine what the Bible says.
And it is because I care deeply about my Mormon neighbors that I am compelled to ask you to seriously consider the scriptures that weigh heavily on my heart when it comes to our different views. If the scriptures I’m about to share are accurately applied to LDS beliefs it would mean that well-intentioned Mormons who have spent their lives trying to honor God will never enjoy eternity in His presence.
What could be worse than living a life you were certain was pleasing to God only to find out you were not welcome in His kingdom because you were not part of His family and the stain of sin had never been washed from your record? I would hope that if you saw me in danger of such an outcome, you would reach out and say something! James 5:19-20 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. (Scriptures will be quoted in the King James Version since it is highly esteemed by the LDS church)
The biggest reason I think Mormons and anyone else professing to follow Jesus must double-check their faith to be certain they do not have false core beliefs is because of the warning Jesus gave in Matthew 7:21-23. Jesus warned that many people who call Him Lord and do good works in His name will be cast out of His presence on judgment day because He does not know them as His own!
Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
According to Jesus, calling Him Lord and doing good works in His name does not mean you belong to Him. We must do the will of the Father! What is that will? Jesus gives us the answer in the gospel of John. John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
At this point you might say “Great, there’s no issue, I believe in the Son and I’ll be fine”. But consider for a moment that there are many versions of Jesus out there. There’s the Muslim Jesus, the Jehovah’s Witness Jesus, The Progressive Jesus… etc. If your version of Jesus isn’t real you aren’t actually seeing or believing in the Son, you are being duped by a counterfeit. For example, Muslims believe in a Jesus that didn’t die on the cross or rise again. Is the Muslim Jesus really Jesus? Or have Muslims been led astray from the real Jesus by their prophet Mohamed who believed that he had received divine revelation from an angel to restore true religion?
It’s quite possible we could be misled and that is why the Bible is filled with warnings about false Christs, false gospels, and false prophets. Nobody following a falsehood knows it until they are willing to examine their beliefs and hold them up to the light of God’s Word! I desperately hope you will do that now!
The differences between Mormons and Christians are not minor, they have eternal implications. Joseph Smith, on whose testimony and teachings the entire LDS religion was founded, said that God told him that all Christian sects and creeds were “an abomination”[i]. So, the Jesus and gospel of Christianity cannot possibly be the same as the Mormon Jesus and gospel. Somebody is deceived and in danger of the Matthew 7:21-23 outcome! Therefore, I urge you to honestly evaluate how Mormon and Christian beliefs differ on the nature of God, the nature of man, the person of Christ, the plan of salvation, the word of God, the trustworthiness of alleged prophets, and the coming judgment. Hold those differences to the light of God’s word and ask yourself which faith can be authenticated as truth? Which Jesus and which gospel saves? I desperately want my Mormon neighbors to have eternity with God!
If we are going to avoid the outcome warned of in Matthew 7:21-23 we must also heed the other warnings of scripture that expose the traps that could result in us following a false Jesus.
The Bible warns us to beware of false gospels brought through angels and apostles! Galatians 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
God’s word tells us that Satan and his messengers will disguise themselves as the good guys to deceive people! 2nd Corinthians 11:13-14 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
The Bible also warns against deceptive spiritual experiences and instructs us to test spirits rather than trusting that a spiritual experience is from the Holy Spirit! 1st John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
To my knowledge, the only test Mormons use to verify the truthfulness of Joseph Smith and Mormon Scripture is to read The Book Of Mormon and pray to receive spiritual confirmation. That is a test built to fail when it comes to countering deceptive spirits! And that test does nothing to address the danger of deception God already warned us about in His word with scriptures like those cited above.
God also tells us in Deuteronomy 13:1-3 that we should beware of prophets who give real signs and wonders but lead people away from Him. Deuteronomy 13:1-3 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
So regardless of whether a prophet gives accurate predictions or a supernatural sign to authenticate his message, we have to ask does the message lead people away from God as He has already revealed Himself in scripture? Did Mohamed lead people away from God? Did Joseph Smith Lead People Away from God? When the apostle Paul brought the true gospel to the Jews of Berea in Acts 17:10-12 they did the right thing and searched the scriptures they already had to see if Paul’s message matched God’s word before rejecting or believing the gospel he preached. Be like the Bereans and search the scriptures!
We both claim to love God, to know the love of the Father etc. But who are we talking about when we say “God” or “The Father”? Because, even though Christians and Mormons use nearly identical language to talk about a relationship with God, we are not talking about the same being at all.
Let me illustrate why this is important. If someone used your real name and a few facts about you to make up a story that you are a prostitute would that make you a prostitute? No! False portrayals of you don’t change who you really are. So, when people who believe that false portrayal think about you they aren’t thinking of the real you but of a fictional person who they have come to associate with your name.
Lies about who you are could ruin your reputation, but when it comes to associating a fictional being with the name of God, the Father, and Jesus the stakes are much higher. If we think we know God but all we have is the correct name attached to a fictional person we are participating in a lie and missing out on salvation and eternal life! John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
So, who is God according to Joseph Smith? And does that conception of God fit with the Bible?
The King Follet Discourse is a sermon preached on April 7th 1844 by Joseph Smith and it is said to be “one of Joseph’s best-recorded sermons”[ii] In that sermon Joseph Smith claimed to speak with authority and the inspiration of the holy spirit in proclaiming the true nature of God. I encourage everyone to read The King Follet Discourse in it’s entirety[iii], but the quotes below showcase the vast differences between the God of the Bible and the God of the LDS church.
Joseph Smith preached: “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret.” “I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see.” “You have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves; to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done; by going from a small degree to another, …” “God never had the power to create the spirit of man at all.”
To a person familiar with what the Bible teaches about God, those statements made by Joseph Smith are heretical and blasphemous. But if you’ve been raised with those views your entire life they would sound normal and right. We have to go to God’s Word and look for ourselves instead of trusting a man who claimed prophetic ability and divine inspiration (like Mohamed and countless others have).
The LDS church believes God to be an exalted man who has not always been God, and is not the self-existent creator of all things! But God reveals Himself in the Bible as having eternally existed as God, the creator of all things, and the only God who has ever existed or ever will exist!
The Bible begins with God as creator (not reorganizer) and that truth is repeated throughout scripture! See: Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
The Bible reveals that God has always been God and there are no other Gods in existence, nor will there ever be other Gods formed. See: Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Isaiah 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. Isaiah 45:5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 1st Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; And those are just a sample!
The LDS religion exalts man and degrades God to be nothing more than man, this is the exact depravity that incurs the wrath of God as told in Romans 1:18-25 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Joseph Smith and his followers have changed the glory of the creator God into the image of a man. The whole LDS religion is faith in man not in God! It is faith in the man Joseph Smith and supposed living apostles, and prophets. And because of faith in those men Mormons do not have faith in the One True God, but in a mythical exalted man called “Heavenly Father” and a fictional “Jesus” who appeared as a being of light just like Paul warned us that Satan and his messengers would appear. Jeremiah 17:5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
The LDS faith contradicts God’s word when it comes to so many other important truths, but I chose to focus on the identity of God because that is central to all other truths. If someone calls Jesus Lord and Savior and does good works in His name and yet believes in and spreads lies about God, they will not escape judgment! That is something I do not want for you, and God does not want for you! You can repent and believe the true gospel that is so much simpler than the man-created religion you have been enslaved by! And yes, for most Mormons it would cost you dearly to abandon the religion you were raised in and follow the real Jesus of the bible, but He is worth it!
Don’t abandon faith, abandon falsehood! If you desire to love and honor God you will find the God of the Bible to be so much more glorious, worthy, holy, and loving than an exalted man could ever be! And you will find the true gospel so much more simple, freeing, and pure than what you have believed!
The gospel of grace through which we are saved and adopted into God's family is simply this: God created all things good. We were made for a relationship with God but are cut off from Him by our sins. God alone is good, so He came to us to do what we could never do for ourselves: live a sinless life and exchange His perfect record for the dept of our sin freeing us from the bondage of sin and death. This is what Jesus who is God come in the flesh has accomplished by dying in our place and rising again. Jesus paid our sin debt in full and His perfect righteousness and eternal life are credited freely to the account of anyone who will acknowledge their need for a savior, confess their sin, and turn to Him for salvation.
If you are a Mormon turning to Jesus for salvation will involve repenting of trusting in your self-righteous acts and the man-made religion of works that you have been bound by. Christ alone can save because he is God in the historic Christian sense and nothing you do can earn more than what Jesus freely gives if you will receive it. But you cannot receive the grace of God and His Holy Spirit if your allegiance is to the false prophet Joseph Smith and the false gospel of the LDS church. You may still say “I know in my heart that Joseph Smith is a prophet and the Book of Mormon is true” but nothing could be more foolish than trusting your own heart on this issue! Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? So, don’t trust men, spirits, or your heart, believe God’s Word!
If you are one to seek after God and search for the truth, here are some scripture references to look up that unpack the gospel of grace as I summarized earlier: Genesis 1:31, Romans 3:23, 1st John 1:5-2:2, Romans 5:8, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-13, Ephesians 2:1-10, 2nd Corinthians 5:17 and 21, Hebrews 10:14, Acts 13:38-39, Luke 18:1-14, and Revelation 21:3-8. And I would encourage you to simply read the New Testament with fresh eyes believing what it says rather than filtering it through LDS doctrine.
Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
May God grant you grace and bring you to Himself.
-Kalen Malueg
[i] Joseph Smith, The Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/topics/joseph-smith/testimony?lang=eng
[ii] The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, King Follett Discourse, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/king-follett-discourse?lang=eng
[iii] Joseph Smith, The King Follet Sermon, https://josephsmithfoundation.org/docs/the-king-follett-sermon/