Different Jesus, Different Gospel: A Bible Christian’s Challenge to Mormon Doctrine

I’m a Bible-believing Christian and was recently challenged by a dyed-in-the-wool Mormon to prove some things about the Book of Mormon to him. I accepted his challenge, and here are the results of my research. When it comes to eternal matters—who Jesus is, how salvation works, and whether God’s Word can be trusted—we need to be willing to examine what we believe and why.

The conversation began with a simple but serious challenge: Show that the Book of Mormon teaches a different Jesus, promotes exaltation to godhood, and emphasizes salvation through works. I took each point in turn, matching the Book of Mormon and LDS doctrine with what the Bible clearly teaches.

And, as the great entertainer, Jackie Gleason used to say, "And away we go!"

1. “Show me a different Jesus in the Book of Mormon.” The Jesus of the Bible is eternal, uncreated, and fully God (John 1:1; Colossians 1:15–19). He has always existed, coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Book of Mormon refers often to Jesus Christ (2 Nephi 25:26; Alma 11:40), but LDS theology diverges sharply. It teaches Jesus is a created being, the literal spirit brother of Lucifer, and one who became a god through obedience (Gospel Principles, ch. 2; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345). This is not the biblical Jesus.



The apostle Paul gave this warning: “For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed … you put up with it readily enough.” (2 Corinthians 11:4). So even if the name “Jesus” is used, the underlying identity and nature matter deeply. That’s where the Book of Mormon diverges.

2. “Show me exaltation to godhood in the Book of Mormon—I see that in just the Bible.” Exaltation—the belief that people can become gods—is central to Mormon doctrine. But it’s not clearly found in the Book of Mormon. The text focuses more on grace and humility (Mosiah 4:5–8; Ether 12:27). The teaching that humans can become gods comes primarily from later LDS documents like Doctrine and Covenants 132 and sermons such as the King Follett Discourse. The LDS Gospel Topics essay “Becoming Like God” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org) spells it out clearly.



This doctrine directly contradicts the Bible, which declares, “Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me” (Isaiah 43:10), and “I am the LORD, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:5). Believers are called children of God (Romans 8:17), but they are never told they will become gods.

3. “Show me salvation through works and don’t quote 2 Nephi 25:26 without the surrounding verses.” Here is the full passage from 2 Nephi 25:21–26:

(21) Wherefore, for this cause hath the Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed… (22) Wherefore, these things shall go from generation to generation… (23) For we labor diligently… 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. (24) And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses… (25) For… we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments. (26) And we talk of Christ… that our children may know… the source… remission of their sins.

That line in verse 23—“by grace that we are saved, after all we can do”—shows that grace, in Mormon theology, is only applied after human effort. That’s a works-based gospel.

This isn’t just one verse. The Book of Mormon and other LDS sources promote this mixture of grace and works (Articles of Faith, #3; Gospel Principles, ch. 6). But the Bible is emphatic:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith… not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9) “If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” (Romans 11:6) “He saved us… not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his mercy.” (Titus 3:5)

That’s not what Mormon scripture teaches.

The bottom line? The Book of Mormon presents a different Jesus, fails to support exaltation, and distorts the gospel by adding works to grace. And when it borrows actual biblical content, it often does so out of context or in a way that contradicts LDS doctrine. That’s not how God works.

If you're going to compare the Bible and the Book of Mormon, you’ve got to weigh them honestly. And you can’t use plagiarized portions of the Bible inside the Book of Mormon to prove it agrees with the Bible. That’s circular reasoning. The true gospel is the one clearly laid out in the Word of God, not in later revelations that contradict it.

====================

Source Bibliography

—-----------------

Biblical Sources (ESV)

John 1:1

Colossians 1:15–19

Isaiah 43:10

Isaiah 45:5

2 Corinthians 11:4

Ephesians 2:8–9

Romans 11:6

Titus 3:5

Galatians 1:8

—-----------------

Mormon Sources

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2013.

Doctrine and Covenants. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2013.

Smith, Joseph. The King Follett Sermon. April 7, 1844. Published in History of the Church, Vol. 6, pp. 302–317.

“Becoming Like God.” ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Accessed July 2025. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/becoming-like-god

Gospel Principles. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2011.

Articles of Faith, #3, The Pearl of Great Price.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do Christians and Mormons Worship the Same Jesus?

You’ve probably heard people say, “Mormons are Christians, so they worship the same Jesus.” But if you actually look at what Mormonism teaches, that’s just not true. Real Christianity is all about the Trinity—one God in three persons: Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit. Jesus isn’t just some regular guy who became God later. Nope. He’s fully God and fully human, eternal, and never changes. The Bible says Jesus was there “in the beginning” and “the Word was God” (John 1:1), and that “the Word became flesh and made his home among us” (John 1:14). Everything was made through Him (Colossians 1:16). He’s the one and only Savior (Acts 4:12). But Mormonism? They say Jesus was once just a man who got bumped up to godhood. Plus, they see God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit as three separate gods. That’s way different from the Bible’s clear “God is one” message (Deuteronomy 6:4). Why does this even matter? Because if Jesus isn’t really God, then He can’t save us. The Bible says Jesus is...
Read more

Mormonism’s Mirror: The Double Standard No One Talks About

Within Mormonism, a striking double standard is evident: while the movement criticizes Christianity for having tens of thousands of denominations, it overlooks the fact that Mormonism itself has splintered into numerous factions, each claiming exclusive authority from Joseph Smith. From the mainstream LDS Church to the Community of Christ, Fundamentalist LDS groups, and other smaller sects, the pattern is clear—authority is claimed, fractured, and disputed. This raises a simple question: if Mormonism’s critique of Christianity’s diversity is valid, shouldn’t it apply equally to the movement itself? For a faith that claims to restore the “true church of Jesus Christ,” how can internal divisions be reconciled with the idea of divine guidance and unity? The inconsistency is glaring. While Mormon leaders emphasize obedience to the chain of authority, they ignore the historical fact that these very claims have led to dozens of competing organizations, each asserting their version of Smith’s...
Read more

Why Mormonism's "Restoration" Is a Denial of Biblical Christianity

It’s common to hear members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) say they’re Christians just like anyone else who follows Jesus. They believe in His atonement, His resurrection, His teachings. And they’re sincere in saying so. But sincerity isn’t the same thing as truth. When you really dig into what Mormonism teaches—especially about who God is, what salvation means, and the authority of Scripture—it becomes clear that this religion, while borrowing Christian language, ultimately denies the core of biblical Christianity. According to official LDS doctrine, all of Christianity fell into total apostasy after the death of the original apostles. That’s right—every church, every tradition, every believer was supposedly misled for nearly two thousand years until Joseph Smith restored the “true church” in 1830. That claim isn’t just historically implausible—it’s theologically offensive. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 16:18 (NLT), “I will build my church, and all the powers...
Read more