Do Mormon ‘Christians’ and Biblical Christians believe the same thing?

No . And it’s not even close.

I used the phrase Mormon Christianity – because, to a Mormon, they are a Christian. From the LDS website:

To further my point, in an August 5th, 2011, Washington Post article, Joanna Brooks published “Five Myths about Mormonism.“

Myth No. 2:  “Mormons Aren’t Christians.”

You will find, especially today, that the term “Christian” can be used tp describe anyone from someone who has been biblically  “born again,” to someone who might attend a church on Easter or Christmas but has no personal relationship with Christ.

Mormons are wonderfully kind and loving people. My purpose here is not to attack their Mormon faith.  As I do, they have every right to hold to whichever worldview they choose. Rather, my objective is to expose the simple fact that, despite what the LDS Church claims, their doctrine is blatantly opposed to biblical doctrine

What’s critical is to make sure your definition of Christian perfectly matches the definition of the term given to us in the Bible.

Mormons base their definition of Christian on the words of Joseph Smith, the current Mormon Prophet, and the Book of Mormon. Not the Bible.

If you are still interested, take a moment to consider what I’ve written.  Then, come to your own conclusions.

 

The Bible

I own a copy of the Book of Mormon. After the title page , in the Introduction, we find the following statement by the Mormon founding prophet, Joseph Smith:

“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”  (emphasis mine)

From the start, Mormonism reduces the value of the Bible to nothing more than something, when convenient, lends support for The Book of Mormon.

 From the LDS website:

 For us the Jesus of history is indeed the Christ of faith. While we do not believe the Bible to be inerrant, complete or the final word of God, we accept the essential details of the Gospels and more particularly the divine witness of those men who walked and talked with Him or were mentored by His chosen apostles. (emphasis mine)

Further, the LDS church makes it clear in their 13 Articles of Faith, No 8:

“We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.”  

When mere mankind, flawed and fallible, begin adding outside sources to the Bible all bets are off.

In other words, anyone can add or take away anything they choose from the Bible based on changing culture, politics, and personal opinion. The Bible then becomes subjective to the whims of mankind – no longer the infallible Word of God.

I was incredulous as I interviewed Mormon missionaries, Mormons, and former Mormons. They all told me the LDS Church reveres the Bible.

But, I quickly discovered what they teach is in direct opposition to the Bible. What was even more shocking is that they seemed to not even notice.

Nowhere in the 66 books of the Canon of Scripture (our Bible) are we told there exists further revelation outside what’s written for us in the Bible. Quite the contrary, as I cite later, the Bible warns against any such thing.

What we are told is that the Canon is closed.  Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote that the truth on which our faith is based was

“once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3; emphasis mine)

On this passage in Jude, one theologian comments,

“God’s revelation was delivered once, at the completion of Scripture, and is not to be edited by either deletion or addition (cf. Deut. 4:2, 12:32; Prov. 30:6; Rev. 22:18-19).  Scripture is complete, sufficient, and finished.  Therefore it is fixed for all time.  Nothing is to be added to the body of the inspired word because nothing else is needed.” 

Mormon Christianity uses Isaiah 29:18 to support their extrabiblical authoritative literature. But, the passage in Isaiah not only doesn’t refer to anything resembling the Book of Mormon, it doesn’t refer to a specific book at all.

I easily concede anyone can cherry-pick verses and/or passages from the Bible and make them mean whatever they want, especially when they are forcing them to accommodate sources outside the Bible. Cult leaders do this all the time, and even some evangelicals.

 

So, How Does The Book of Mormon Contradict the Bible?

There are too many examples to list here. Let’s look at just a few.

Consider the two successive photos below.  The first photo is of the LDS-issued copy of the King James Version of the Bible.

In the hard-copy of the LDS/KJV, John 1:1 is rendered correctly from the original Greek:  “ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος (logos) καὶ ὁ λόγος (logos) ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος (logos),” which, translated in English, means,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

However, at the bottom of the LDS/KJV page, the LDS church includes a footnote directing the reader to the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible which completely re-writes John 1:1.  Why would they do that?  So as to teach that Jesus  is a “created being” – which is a Mormon doctrine, not a biblical doctrine.

The LDS version of John 1:1 switches out the word λόγος/logos (translated “Word”), and replaces it with the Greek word, εὐαγγέλιον/euaggelion (translated “gospel”).

The problem with this is that the Greek word for “gospel” does not exist in John 1:1.  Rather, it’s the Greek word “logos.” This goes well beyond irresponsible biblical translation.  This is blatant manipulation of the text.  And this is only one example.

Some Mormon missionaries will try and convince a person that the original Greek translation, “And the Word was God,” is incorrect since there is no “definite article” in the Greek.  In other words, the text does not say, “And the Word was the God.” That is true. They, in turn, interpret the statement as “And the Word was a God.”

My reply to the missionaries is simple as well as logical:

“You claim there’s no “definite Greek article” (“the”) in front of the word “God.” You’re right. But, there’s also no ‘indefinite article.’ There’s no “a” in front of “God” either. So, the word you’ve inserted to completely change the meaning also doesn’t exist.  Your argument is self-defeating.”

The greater context of scripture (which they conveniently ignore) clearly indicates that John is saying “Jesus is God.”

Another example is provided by Lynn Wilder in her book about leaving the Mormon church titled, Unveiling Grace: The Story of How We Found Our Way Out of the Mormon Church.

Recounting her early days in Mormonism, Lynn Wilder wrote,

We obediently joined in the singing about Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon faith:

“Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!.. Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven! Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain. Mingling with Gods, he can plan for his brethren; Death cannot conquer the hero again.” (Hymn 27, “Praise to the Man,” Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; emphasis mine)

What? “Praise to the man (Joseph Smith)”?? “Hail to the (Mormon) prophet”??

This heresy going all the way back to the very first of the Ten Commandments,

“You shall have no other gods before me.” (emphasis mine)

These “gods” include any human being as well as any church.

John, the disciple and eye-witness of Jesus, had been shown inexplicable things as he recorded Revelation. In chapter 22:8-9, we read of even a mighty angel warning John, “Only worship God!”  John records,

I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. ⁹ But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!” (emphasis mine)

In response to Satan tempting Jesus to bow down and worship him, Jesus, referring to Deuteronomy 6:13-14, fired back,

“You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve.” (emphasis mine)

Wilder, and her entire family, eventually came to faith in the only One to whom we can sing “Praise” and “Hail.” His name is Jesus Christ, whom the disciple, Thomas, addressed as, “My Lord and my God.”

Since the Bible, standing alone, does not agree with Mormon doctrine, it’s imperative that the LDS leadership manipulate the biblical text so that it fits with their doctrine put forth in the Book of Mormon, which Joseph Smith, himself (cited above) states is the “the most correct of any book on earth.” 

There is a level of hypocrisy involved.

In Revelation 22:18-19, the Bible offers a sobering warning to those who would “add to” or “take away from” the Word of God:

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy contained in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. ¹⁹ And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book. (emphasis mine)

It would behoove the LDS Church to remove the Bible from their authoritative texts since the Bible serves little to no authority for their teaching.

We’ll look at additional examples of how The Book of Mormon contradicts the Bible categorically.

 

Jesus Christ

As I open my copy of the The Book of Mormon, I quickly find on the Title Page the following statement of faith:

“Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.” 

This sounds strongly biblical. But things aren’t always as they first appear.

I sat across the table from two Mormon Missionaries and kindly requested of them, “Tell me who Jesus is to you.” What they said in response was almost verbatim from the LDS website:

Jesus Christ is the Son of God—your Savior and Redeemer, sent to save us all. Because of Him, you can find joy in knowing you can live with God and your loved ones for eternity.

But, when I followed up with the question, “Is Jesus God?”, it was clear we weren’t talking about the same Jesus.

They were talking about the Jesus of Mormonism. I was talking about the Jesus of the Bible. I was talking about the biblical gospel. They were talking about something altogether different – or what Paul described as “a different gospel.”

Throughout the New Testament, we are faced with scripture claiming that Jesus is God. John began his gospel with,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (John 1, 14)

It doesn’t take a great deal of investigation to make the connection between “the Word was God” and “the Word became flesh (human) and made his dwelling among us.”

It’s wise to take note of the religious leaders’ response to Jesus’ claims.

Mark records Jesus’ healing of a crippled man. Jesus’ words to the man were curious.

Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” ⁶ But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, ⁷ “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” (Mark 2:5-7; emphasis mine)

The Old Testament Law was clear that anyone claiming to be God was to be executed. (Cf. Leviticus 24:13-16)  No one knew the Law better than the religious leaders. Note there reaction to Jesus’ claims:

So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God. (John 5:18; emphasis mine)

And later in John’s gospel:

[Jesus said] The Father and I are one.” ³¹ Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. ³² Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?” ³³ They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.” (John 10:30-33; emphasis mine)

I could provide many other examples. But, for brevity, here is one more. In Revelation 1, John is being introduced to Almighty God.  God says to John,

“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” (Revelation 1:8; emphasis mine)

A few verse later, God says,

I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. (Revelation 1:17-18; emphasis mine)

“I am the First and the Last” is equal to “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” “I died, but look – I am alive forever and ever” is a clear reference to Jesus Christ.

To Mormons, Jesus is not God. According to the Bible, Jesus is God.

 

God

Even the word “God” is used differently in Mormonism than in the Bible. From the LDS website on what they call “eternal progression”:

…“if men do not comprehend the character of God they do not comprehend themselves.”³⁶ In that phrase, the (Mormon) Prophet collapsed the gulf that centuries of confusion had created between God and humanity. Human nature was at its core divine. God “was once as one of us” …

This is yet another easy-to-find example of Mormon teaching directly opposed to clear biblical teaching.

Not once does the Bible teach “God was once one of us.”

This statement is merely the opinion of a man, not the teaching of the Bible.

On the contrary, the Bible teaches,

In the beginning, God created… (Genesis 1:1)

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. (Colossians 1:16)

…there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came… (1 Corinthians 8:6)

Mankind was created. We had a beginning. On the contrary,  God was not created. He had no beginning.

Speaking of his being the eternal God, Jesus said to the religious leaders,

“I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I Am!” (John 8:58)

Jesus didn’t say, “I was,” or “I will be.” He’s eternal. He used the exact name for God used in Exodus chapter 3 when God answered Moses’ question,

“they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” And God answered, ““I Am who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:13-14)

According to the Bible, God was never “once one of us.” To make this claim is to read something into the Bible that just isn’t there.

From the LDS article cited above, the penultimate statement claims,

Human nature was at its core divine… Each [person] possesses seeds of divinity and must choose whether to live in harmony or tension with that divinity. (emphasis mine)

The Bible is clear. There’s never been a “seed of divinity” in any of us.  As with other Mormon claims, this claim is not only absent, it is strongly contradicted:

All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one. (Psalm 14:3)

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked…” (Jeremiah 17:9)

“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,…” (Romans 3:10-11, 23)

***Of note, the LDS website cherry-picks a number of scriptures from the Bible to try and support their claims. Time and space does not allow me to address all of them here.

Once again, the article continues,

Lorenzo Snow, the Church’s fifth President, coined a well-known couplet: “As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be.”⁴³ … When asked about the belief in humans’ divine potential, President Hinckley responded, “Well, as God is, man may become. We believe in eternal progression. Very strongly.”

“As God is, man may become.” Never is this remotely taught in the Bible.

This claim is so soundly refuted in the Bible it would be impossible to cite every reference. For brevity, I’ll simply offer Paul’s rhetorical question in Romans 11:33-36,

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how unfathomable his ways!

³⁴ For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?
³⁵ Or who has first given to God,
that God needs to repay him?

³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.

In Isaiah 6, Isaiah cowered in the presence of The Almighty.

In Job 38-41, God reminds a terrified Job that there is one God, and we’re not him. Nor will we ever be.

 

Salvation

From the LDS 13 Articles of Faith, No. 3:

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. (emphasis mine)

This is woefully  erroneous when weighed against biblical truth.

While Mormonism places a great deal of stress on “earning” your right standing before God by means of works and “being good enough,” the Bible teaches just the opposite:

The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. (John 6:63; emphasis mine)

Paul wrote to the Christians at Ephesus,

God saved you by his grace when you believed (By grace are you saved through faith). And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9; emphasis mine)

The New Testament is replete with this truth:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16; emphasis mine)

[The Philippians jailor] then brought [Paul and Silas] out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31)

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9; emphasis mine)

…we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15-16; emphasis mine)

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. (Titus 3:4-5; emphasis mine)

Paul dedicates a lion’s share of his letters to the believers at Rome and Galatia on salvation being by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Jesus made it crystal clear,

I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:6)

According to the Bible, no church, man, or “prophet” has a single thing to do with your standing the eyes of God.  Our salvation begins and ends with believing in the saving work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

 

Jesus Is Enough

While the LDS Church places great stress on earning one’s right standing before God by works established by the LDS Church, the Bible says otherwise.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. (Romans 8:1)

How is that possible? The Bible answers that question:

He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness]. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

But, it doesn’t stop there. Since this is hard for human beings to grasp, the Bible repeats it frequently:

Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. ³⁴ Who then will condemn us? No one… (Romans 8:33-34)

And,…

Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless (free from accusation) as you stand before him without a single fault. (Colossians 1:22)

Our “good deeds” have nothing to do with being good enough. The Bible teaches just the opposite:

The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. (John 6:63; emphasis mine)

Paul wrote to the Christians at Ephesus,

God saved you by his grace when you believed (By grace are you saved through faith). And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9; emphasis mine)

The New Testament is replete with this truth:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16; emphasis mine)

…we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15-16; emphasis mine)

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. (Titus 3:4-5; emphasis mine)

Paul dedicates a lion’s share of his letter to the believers at Rome on salvation being by grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone.

I once read the following:

The only sin Jesus ever had was ours. The only righteousness we ever have is his.

This is what Paul meant when he wrote,

God made him (Christ) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Jesus made it crystal clear,

I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:6)

 

FAITH ALONE (Sola Fide!)

Faith alone? Surely, you can’t be serious. Salvation just can’t be that easy.

Trust me, it wasn’t easy. Take one look at the Cross and you’ll see the true cost of our salvation.

That said, that faith alone can reconcile us to God, restoring peace between sinful mankind and a holy God, and giving us right standing before him, is counterintuitive to life on planet earth. We are accustomed to the equation “hard work = reward.”

But, the Gospel doesn’t work that way.

In the 16th century, when the Roman Catholic Church was teaching the heresy of “salvation by works,” the Reformers (Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, etc.) included the following in their Battle Cry for Biblical truth:  Sola Fide!, which means “Faith Alone!”

The entire Mormon doctrine of salvation is based on faith – and works.  It’s true, they must believe the things they’re taught in the LDS church, but belief, alone, is not enough to place them in right standing with God.

For instance, in the Mormon church, baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation.  Using Acts 2:38, Mormon Christianity completely disregards the rest of the New Testament’s doctrine that teaches salvation is by faith alone.

Acts 2:38 must be read within the context of John 3:3, 3:16, 14:6, 20:31; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:22, 4:3, 5:1, 10:9; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:11-4; 1 John 5:11-12, and a host of other passages that never mention baptism as required for salvation, but taken collectively, make it crystal clear that salvation is by faith alone.

Baptism, Biblical Christianity teaches, is important to be certain, serving as a public profession of our faith in Christ – it is an outward expression of an inward change.  However, as baptism serves as a testimony of our faith, Biblical Christianity teaches that it is not required for salvation.

If we perform a single act to earn our salvation and make us right in God’s sight, Jesus died for nothing.  Jesus is enough.

Biblical Christianity teaches that Jesus did all that was necessary to make our salvation possible.  “It is finished,” Christ said from the cross.

Earlier, I quoted Ephesians 2:8-9:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9; emphasis mine)

In stark contrast to Paul’s words to the Ephesians above (as well as his words to the Romans and Galatians), we read in the Book of Mormon, just the opposite.  2 Nephi 25:23, 30 states,

“For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do…And, inasmuch as it shall be expedient, ye must keep the performances and ordinances of God until the law shall be fulfilled which was given through Moses.” (emphasis mine)

Paul wrote to the Romans,

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. ³ What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. (Romans 4:1-3; emphasis mine)

To suggest that any human effort – even baptism – is necessary for salvation nullifies the cross of Christ, laying bare the meaning of Christ’s death, rendering his propitiation/atonement insufficient. Again, the Bible says “Jesus is enough.”

As I visited with two Mormon Missionaries they were quick to give me a copy of the LDS authorized pamphlet, The Words of Wisdom, which contains yet more “do’s & don’ts” for one’s quest to be worthy in the eyes of the God & the Mormon Church:

When man begins re-writing what is – and is not – required for salvation the list tends to just get longer and longer.

The first century Jewish Pharisees created a list of works to be added to the Old Testament Law called The Mishnah. It grew so long that the people all but lost hope of every being in right standing with God. This is precisely why Jesus comforted them, saying,

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:38-10)

The Old Testament Law comprised of 613 Levitical laws. To those bent on thinking keeping those laws made you right with God, James warned,

For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. (James 2:10)

As Paul goes on to write, the Law was never intended to save us through works.  The Law was given to serve as a reflection of how unrighteous we already are.

Paul added,

But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” ¹¹ So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”… ¹³ But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law…so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10-14; emphasis mine)

When works are required to be in right standing with God, it is an endless life of “checking off the boxes,” desperately trying to be in right standing with God.  You work hard each day.  And then, the next day? You start over.

This is absolute emotional and spiritual bondage, based on enslaving legalism, given not by the God of the Bible, but by the human leadership of the LDS Church.

This is not Biblical Christianity. The entire New Testament teaches that our spiritual growth comes not from various abstentions, but by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Jesus is enough.

As we, Mormon or non-Mormon, look at the list of “do’s & don’ts” handed to us, it quickly becomes utterly discouraging as we, exhausted from trying to “check off the boxes” every day, every month, every year, and so on, come to the realization, “I just can’t do this.”

And that’s why Jesus came. 

We needed a Savior to reconcile us to a Holy God.  Jesus lived a sinless life, keeping the entire Old Testament Law.  He then was able to serve as the “unblemished Lamb of God,” as our atoning sacrifice on the Cross.  Finally, God authenticated Christ’s victory by raising him from the dead.

 

So, Do Works Matter At All?

As a requirement for salvation? No. As evidence of our salvation? Yes.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, takes aim at those who think living out our faith is of little importance. He, in essence, calls them out for their “lip service” i.e. not supporting their words with a lifestyle that proves they actually believe what they say they believe. This is why he wrote,

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. (James 2:18)

But, his admonition has nothing to do with how to be saved – only the evidence of our being saved. This includes the act of baptism, which is our first public profession of our faith in Christ, which is why it demonstrates the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the LDS church, “works” are required for salvation.  In Biblical Christianity, “works” are evidence of salvation.

Again (I restate this because it is central to Biblical Christianity), the moment we determine that salvation is “faith in Christ plus something” we nullify Christ’s work on the cross, purporting by our beliefs that Christ’s sacrifice is no longer sufficient since salvation now requires human effort. Jesus either died for all sin, or no sin. His death was either sufficient, or it wasn’t. There is no middle way.

To believe differently is diametrically opposed to the Biblical Gospel.

To be sure, our earthly sin has consequences.  But, never does it change our right standing before God. There is no “high council” to go before, as in the LDS Church. Christ, alone is judge. No mere man.

I easily concede that anyone can cherry-pick verse and/or passages from the Bible and make them mean whatever they want, especially when they are forcing them to accommodate sources outside the Bible. Cult leaders do this all the time.

Joining a church (any church) neither makes one a Christian nor right with God.

And, certainly, no man has the authority to make these judgments.

 

Grace & The Mormon Temple

Perhaps the most overt example of how Mormon Christianity differentiates itself from  Biblical Christianity is found in what the LDS church calls “temple worthiness.”

The structure of the local Mormon Temple is beautiful.  I was able to tour one shortly before it opened.  However, the teaching supporting the Temple is grossly contrary to Biblical Christianity. 

The sad truth, though, is a Mormon is considered “worthy” to enter into a Mormon Temple not due to their faith in Christ, but by having “checked off the boxes” of their LDS-imposed list of “do’s and dont’s”.

A “temple recommend” must first be completed.  This is a series of fifteen questions used to determine whether or not you are “worthy.”

All fifteen questions are pharisaic in nature, but No. 4 stands out to me among the others:

Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the prophet, seer, and revelator and as the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys?

Do you sustain the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators?

Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local leaders of the Church?

Nowhere does the Bible instruct us to put our faith in, or allegiance to, a human being. All human beings are deeply flawed, sinful, and bent toward their sinful nature. As such, no one has the authority to judge another human being where their standing with God is concerned.

There is one God, and the LDS Church is not him.

Just the thought of this is heartbreaking since it completely ignores the work of Christ on the Cross and what the Cross means.

The Bible has a sobering warning for those who would lessen the sufficiency of the saving work of Jesus Christ:

How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, who has regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?… ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrew 10:29, 31)

The Bible tells us that, because of the sufficient sacrifice of Christ, we are no longer separated from God.

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13) 

This is precisely why  the author of Hebrews wrote that those who’ve professed their faith in Christ can approach God with boldness and confidence.

We have nothing to fear.  We have nothing to hide.  We have no “temple recommend” to measure up to. When Christ died, the veil of the Old Testament temple that separated the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies) from the common man was torn in two, top to bottom, signifying that there is now no separation between God and man.

Our peace and standing before God is due solely to the sufficient sacrifice of Christ Jesus – not to a church or its “prophet.”

If one is going to be found “worthy” in the LDS church, you are going to have to earn it (again, this is opposed to Biblical Christianity which teaches that Christ, alone, earned our right standing with God.)

But, as hard as it may be to believe, the Bible teaches that, in Christ, we are 100% worthy, 100% righteous, 100% holy. I sometimes say, “We’re all a mess. But, in Christ, we’re a perfect mess.”

This doctrine of justification (the Greek meaning is “just if I’d never sinned”) is taught again and again in the New Testament.

…and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus… (Romans 3:24)

For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. (Romans 3:28)

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1)

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! (Romans 5:9)

On the LDS website, several answers (given by Mormons) are offered in response to the question, “What is the Temple?”  Here is one representative response: 

“To enter a Mormon temple after it is dedicated, following a public open house when anyone can enter, one must hold a temple recommend, or certificate, signed by the person’s bishop and stake president. Such recommends are issued to a person every two years and attest to his or her worthiness (whether or not he or she is keeping the commandments and covenants entered into when becoming a member of the Church). If the minimum worthiness standard is not being met, the person is not given a recommend and can not enter the temple. For Mormons, the Church organization is a vehicle to help them progress step by step up the ladder to eternal life, or life with our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ.”

Within Biblical Christianity, there is no “ladder to eternal life.”

As we’ve already cited, Jesus said,

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” (John 14:6)

In short,

Christ is the “ladder”; Christ conquered the “ladder”; and Christ removed the “ladder” (and everything else that might have separated us from an intimate relationship with God.) 

Paul wrote,

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:38-39)

The Bible is clear. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. This includes a “temple recommend.”

 

I leave you with two resources to, hopefully, give you pause when believing the LDS Church resembles Biblical Christianity in any way, form, or fashion:

First, two powerful stories of people who’ve come to terms with the simple fact that what the LDS Church teaches is completely contrary to what the Bible teaches. And, second, The Devil’s Math.

 

Passport to Heaven: Micah Wilder

Micah Wilder was well into his two-year Mormon Mission when something scandalous happened (“scandalous” as far as his Mormon supervisors were concerned.) Micah professed his faith in Jesus Christ alone. It’s a powerful story he’s recorded in his book Passport to Heaven: The True Story of a Zealous Mormon Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew

His story startlingly exposes the bondage of legalism within the Mormon Church i.e. having to “check off the boxes” of obedience and pledge allegiance to the LDS Church if you hope to ever be in right standing with God.

Chapter 30 of his book is titled, “Jesus Is Enough.”

He cites a “zone conference” where “President” speaks to a group of Mormon Missionaries.  What he recounts is pure heresy:

[“President” said,“] “A balanced missionary cannot be too centered on love, because too much love might blind you from finding those who are prepared for the gospel,” he decreed. “But most importantly, a balanced missionary has one trait above all others; this is the attribute that I, Heavenly Father, and the leaders of the Church would want you to have above all others: obedience.” (emphasis mine)

Micah continues recording the man’s instructions.

It is imperative that as balanced missionaries we have a testimony of the work to which God has called us. We must have a testimony of Jesus Christ, and a belief that He is our Savior and Brother. But with one pillar alone, our testimony is not solid. A witness of Christ by itself is not a sufficient foundation, but just the beginning.” (emphasis mine)

Micah then records his incredulous response,

Was he so cavalierly saying that Jesus wasn’t sufficient? His statement was completely antithetical to the singular truth that I had come to know through the reading of the New Testament…: Jesus was enough; He was the only pillar of testimony I needed. (emphasis mine)

As I studied the Mormon faith and listened both to Mormons and former Mormons, what was most striking was their blatant dismissal and abuse of the clear teachings of the Bible, one of their four authoritative sources.  I wouldn’t be so shocked if they openly admitted, “We don’t believe what the Bible says.”

 

Unveiling Grace: Lynn Wilder

 Lynn Wilder is Micah’s mom.  Although written prior to Micah’s book, her story sort of picks up where Micah’s left off. After earning her doctorate in education she was hired as a professor at the LDS flagship university, Brigham Young (named after the LDS’ second prophet.)

Wilder’s book, Unveiling Grace: The Story of How We Found Our Way Out of the Mormon Church, tells the remarkable story of how Micah’s coming to the liberating faith in Christ eventually led to the entire family coming to faith in Christ.

Both, her book and Micah’s are solid and informed resources for those curious about the differences between Mormonism and biblical Christianity. (I’ve linked her book under “Resources” as well.)

You can access Lynn’s website, Unveiling Mormonism, here.

 

THE DEVIL’S MATH

In C.S. Lewis’ genius work, The Screwtape Letters, Uncle Screwtape counsels his novice, apprentice demon, Wormwood:

“It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds; in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.” (emphasis mine)

What Satan hopes to keep out of the human mind is truth, which is the Bible, which is the Word of God.  As you familiarize yourself with the real thing, you will be better equipped to spot a counterfeit.

The enemy, as you well know, is slick and clever, including just enough truth to make his claims sound valid.  But, upon a little closer investigation, we find what’s always been true:  “a half truth is still a whole lie.”

“The Devil’s Math” is as follows:

1. The devil adds extra sources of authority outside the Bible.

2. He subtracts from the person and work of Jesus Christ.

3. He multiplies the requirements for salvation.

4. He divides your loyalty from Christ by emphasizing another religious figure.

 

TOO MUCH TO DISCUSS HERE

Certainly, there is so much more to highlight.  One former Mormon told me,

“I personally felt trapped by all the rules set up within Membership that are not defined to those simply investigating the Mormon faith.”

Addressing those “rules” would belabor my point here which is to simply submit that Mormon doctrine and Biblical doctrine are vastly different.

Here, in brief, are only a few further major differences between Mormon Christianity and Biblical Christianity.

• Heaven: the LDS church teaches there are three heavens – which level of heaven in which you end up is based on the sum of your good works. The Bible teaches there is one heaven – you end up there because of a single decision to profess your faith in Jesus Christ (just like the thief on the cross.)
• Hell:  The LDS church teaches there is no biblical hell (although they do teach that apostates – those who have abandoned the Mormon Church –  are destined for Outer Darkness). The Bible teaches not only the doctrine of hell – Jesus talked more about hell than He did about heaven.  In addition, Biblical Christianity does not teach that one who abandons the Christian Church is doomed to hell.  Jesus taught that people doom themselves to hell.  This is a result of those who have denied Him, not an institution.
• Prophets: The LDS church teaches that God still speaks through a chosen prophet i.e. a “spokesperson for God.”  The current prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Russell Nelson.  The Bible, however, teaches that

• “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,…” (Hebrews 1:1-2) 

With all due respect, Nelson is nothing more than a mere human being.

In addition, the New Testament teaches the doctrine of the “Priesthood of the Believer,” which means every single person who has professed their faith in Christ has equally direct access to God, made possible by the ultimate Prophet/Priest/King, Jesus Christ i.e. among God’s children there are no “have’s” and “have-not’s”. 

In short, because of Christ’s all-sufficient work on the cross,  there is now no longer need for a person to mediate between God and mankind.

Jesus, alone, holds that position as our Prophet/Priest/King.  A person who has professed their faith in Christ has just as much access to God as did Billy Graham or the Apostle Paul.

In one of his final encounters with an LDS official, Micah Wilder boldly proclaimed,

I no longer have the need to believe in or trust man for my salvation,” I declared. “The foundation of my testimony is based solely on Jesus Christ. I have put every amount of faith and trust in Him alone and now know that He is all I need for salvation. Christ is enough for me.”

In the words of Martin Luther King Jr, during his speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.,

“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty I’m free at last!”

 

STLL INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE?

1. Pray & Study your Bible.  Know your stuff.  Lynn Wilder writes, “85% of LDS converts come from Biblical Christianity [due to not knowing what the Bible really says because they never, or rarely, read it.]

2. Visit with a Mormon.  Or, better yet, talk to a Mormon Missionary – that’s what I did.  I discovered that, just like among Biblical Christians, there can be a great deal of disagreement over basic LDS doctrine among Mormons.  (I cannot overemphasize this point enough – ask 10 different Mormons their opinion about “grace” and you could well get 10 different answers.) However, the Mormon Missionaries know their stuff.  Very well.  Every answer they give will be precisely in line with official Mormon doctrine.  They’re kind, and a delight to visit with.

3. In sum,  (1) Pray for wisdom.  The Holy Spirit promises to “guide you into all truth.” And pray for opportunities to engage in intelligent dialogue with people from other faiths.  (2) Love people – Jesus said, “By this all will know that you follow Me, if you love one another.” Your goal is not to “win an argument”, but to represent the love of Jesus.  (3) Finally, since ‘actions speak louder than words,’ make certain you live out your life in such a way as to give credibility to the gospel  you preach.

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The following resources may be of further help.  Soli Deo Gloria, Nick

Unveiling Grace: The Story of How We Found Our Way Out of the Mormon Church; Lynn Wilder

Passport to Heaven: The True Story of a Zealous Mormon Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew; Micah Wilder (Lynn’s son, Micah, is where it all started)

Mormonism Explained: What Latter-Day Saints Teach and Practice; Andrew Jackson

The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:  http://carm.org/mormonism

Cold Case Christianity:  http://coldcasechristianity.com/2014/resources-to-help-you-respond-to-mormonism/, and http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2014/10/29/j-warner-wallace-important-differences-between-christianity-and-mormonism-3/

Got Questions?:  http://www.gotquestions.org/witnessing-Mormons.html , and http://www.gotquestions.org/Mormon-Christian.html  (in addition to these two articles, many related links are included after each article.)

Blue Letter Bible: Expose’ of Mormonism:  http://www.blueletterbible.org/study/cults/exposem/