Latter-day Saints are known for their kindness, their families, their service and their sincere love for Jesus Christ. The Church asks to be called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we are glad to use that name here. This article is written with respect for them, and for anyone who wants to understand the conversation fairly. Its question is one that Latter-day Saints themselves take seriously: which Jesus are we talking about?
What we share
Latter-day Saints honour Jesus as Saviour, believe in his resurrection, and try to live lives shaped by his teaching. We share a high view of family, honesty, generosity and moral seriousness. We are thankful for these things.
Why the question "which Jesus?" matters
The apostle Paul warned the early church about "another Jesus" (2 Corinthians 11:4) and "a different gospel" (Galatians 1:6-8). Latter-day Saints cite these verses too. So the honest question for every tradition is: does our Jesus match the Jesus of the Bible? We think the differences below are serious, and we describe them as the Church's own teaching presents them.
1. Who God is
The Bible teaches that there is one God, eternal and unchanging. "Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me" (Isaiah 43:10, ESV; see also Isaiah 44:6-8). Jesus said "God is spirit" (John 4:24, ESV). Latter-day Saint teaching holds that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22) and that God was once a man who progressed to godhood, a teaching the Church's own essay "Becoming Like God" discusses. We believe the Bible presents God as the one Creator, not as one among many gods in progress.
2. Who Jesus is
The Gospel of John opens: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... All things were made through him" (John 1:1-3, ESV). Paul says "all things were created through him and for him" (Colossians 1:16, ESV). Jesus is the eternal Creator, not a created being. Latter-day Saint teaching presents Jesus as the first-born spirit child of the Heavenly Father, and as a spirit brother of every human being and of Lucifer. We believe this makes him different in kind from the Jesus of Scripture, who is God himself, the Maker and not the made.
3. How we are saved
The Book of Mormon says "it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23). The Bible says "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" (Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV). We believe salvation is a finished gift received by trusting Christ, and not something we complete by our own effort, ordinances or temple work. This is why Article 11 and Westminster chapter 11 say what they do.
4. Authority
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds that additional scripture and a living prophet carry authority alongside the Bible. We believe the Bible is God's complete written Word (Article 6; Westminster chapter 1). We also invite Latter-day Saints to look openly at the evidence behind the Book of Mormon, and at the Church's own published essays on its history, and to test everything as the Bereans did (Acts 17:11).
What Jesus says
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6, ESV). Jesus asks us to come to him as we are: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, ESV). He offers forgiveness and rest, not a ladder.
Questions to sit with
If you are a Latter-day Saint reading this, we invite you to read John 1, Colossians 1 and Ephesians 2 slowly, and ask: who is the Jesus these chapters describe, and on what do I rest my hope before God? You do not have to take our word for it. Look at the text, and look at Christ.
If you are a Christian reading this, remember that the Latter-day Saint families next door are neighbours to love. Speak with them "with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15, ESV).
