Christianity vs Mormonism

Let’s be real—when people talk about religion, especially Christianity and Mormonism, it can get confusing fast. Both claim to believe in Jesus, both talk about God, and both read the Bible… so what's the big difference? Actually, the differences are massive—and once you dig into what each one teaches, you’ll see that they’re not even in the same ballpark. One teaches the true gospel from God. The other? Not even close.

First, let’s talk about God. Mormons teach that God the Father is literally a glorified man who used to live on another planet and became a god. Yeah, seriously. Their fifth president, Lorenzo Snow, even said, “As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be.” That’s not a fringe idea—that’s official doctrine. But if you read the Bible, God says the exact opposite. In Isaiah 43:10 (NLT), God says, “There is no other God—there never has been, and there never will be.” God has always been God. He didn’t start off as a man like us.

Now let’s talk about Jesus. The LDS church teaches that Jesus is the firstborn spirit child of God the Father and a heavenly mother, and that He’s literally the older brother of Lucifer. That alone should raise some red flags. But the Bible makes it clear that Jesus isn’t some created being. He’s the eternal Word of God, fully God and fully man. John 1:1–3 says He existed from the beginning and that “God created everything through him.” He’s not our sibling. He’s our Savior. He’s the one who created us.

Salvation is another huge difference. Mormonism says you’re saved by grace—after you do everything you possibly can (2 Nephi 25:23). So basically, you’ve got to work your tail off and then hope grace picks up the slack. That’s not grace—that’s a treadmill. But the Bible tells a totally different story. Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” It’s not about earning it. It’s about trusting Jesus and what He already finished on the cross.

Then there’s the issue of Scripture. Christians believe the Bible is the final authority—complete, trustworthy, and fully inspired by God. Mormons say they believe the Bible too, but only “as far as it is translated correctly,” which gives them a loophole to ignore anything that doesn’t fit their doctrine. On top of that, they add the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price as their additional scriptures. But Proverbs 30:6 warns us: “Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.” God’s Word doesn’t need fixing or adding to—it’s already complete.

Here’s another major problem: the LDS Church claims the true gospel was lost after the apostles died and had to be “restored” by Joseph Smith in the 1800s. That’s a serious accusation. But Jesus Himself said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” Did Jesus fail? No way. Jude 1:3 says the faith was “once for all time” delivered to God’s people. It doesn’t need restoring. It needs believing.

So let’s lay it all out: Christianity teaches one eternal God. Mormonism teaches God was once a man. Christianity teaches Jesus is the eternal Son. Mormonism teaches He’s our spirit brother. Christianity teaches we’re saved by grace through faith. Mormonism says we have to earn it. Christianity holds the Bible as God’s final Word. Mormonism adds new “scripture” and changes the gospel.

These aren’t minor disagreements. This is a completely different message about who God is, who Jesus is, and how we’re saved. And the Bible warns us about that. In Galatians 1:8–9, Paul says, “If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one we preached to you, let that person be cursed.” That includes Joseph Smith, Mormon prophets, or anyone else who tries to rewrite the gospel.

At the end of the day, only one of these belief systems is teaching the truth. Christianity is grounded in God’s unchanging Word and the finished work of Christ. Mormonism teaches a different gospel with a different god and a different Jesus. That’s not just a theological issue—it’s a matter of eternal life or death.

So yeah, it matters what you believe. Not all roads lead to the same place. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Not through prophets, not through temples, not through secret ordinances. Just Him.

Sources:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Gospel Principles. Intellectual Reserve, Inc., 1997.

McConkie, Bruce R. Mormon Doctrine. Deseret Book Company, 1966.

The Holy Bible. New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, 2015.

The Book of Mormon. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Smith, Joseph. History of the Church, Vol. 1. Deseret Book Company, 1902.

Geisler, Norman, and Ron Rhodes. When Cultists Ask. Baker Books, 1997.

MacArthur, John. The Gospel According to Jesus. Zondervan, 1988.