Are Mormons Christians? Understanding the Differences

Are Mormons Christians? An Exploration of Faith and Belief

I believe God wants us to live with understanding and open hearts. So many good people are looking to understand all the different ways folks express their faith. And when we learn more, it can make our own faith stronger and help us show more love and kindness to everyone around us. A question that comes up a lot, especially in Christian circles, is this: “Are Mormons Christians?” We’re going to take a good, honest look at this question, with a spirit of learning and respect. We’ll see what the Bible teaches, what our friends in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the LDS Church or Mormons) believe, and how those things line up. This is a journey to find clarity, and I believe God gives wisdom to everyone who truly wants to find truth.

Are Mormons Christians, and Why Is There a Discussion About It?

You might be asking, “Joel, are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Christians?” And that’s a question a lot of sincere people have, and it usually comes from a good place, a real desire to understand. You see, many people, including Latter-day Saints themselves, talk about their deep love for Jesus Christ and how much they want to follow His teachings. The discussion, and sometimes the friendly debate, comes up because even though there are shared values and a love for Jesus, there are some big differences in what they believe at the very foundation when you compare it to the teachings that have been central to Christian faith for centuries, teachings rooted right there in the Bible.¹

The word “Christian” itself, well, people can see it in different ways. For some, it’s like a big umbrella, covering anyone who says they follow Jesus Christ. If you look at it that way, then yes, Latter-day Saints would be seen as Christian because Jesus Christ is so important to their faith. But for many of the historic Christian churches—like our Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant friends—that word “Christian” is a bit more specific. It means holding to certain core beliefs that have been set and agreed upon throughout Christian history, things like how we understand God as a Trinity, who Jesus Christ really is in His divinity, the Bible being the complete and final word, and how we receive God’s gift of salvation.¹ As one person put it, the answer to whether Mormons are Christian “largely depends on who you are talking to. Mormons view themselves as Christian. Most non-mormons do not view Mormons as Christian”.² So, from the viewpoint of “traditional Christian orthodoxy,” the answer is often “no” because of these different core beliefs.¹

This conversation is about more than just a word; it’s about what the name “Christian” truly stands for. It’s about understanding who God is, who Jesus Christ is, how we read and trust God’s Word (the Bible), and the amazing way God has made for us to have salvation and eternal life. These are big, life-shaping truths, friend.

A really important part of this whole discussion is what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes about itself. They see themselves as the original Church of Jesus Christ restored. They believe that other Christian churches went through something called a “Great Apostasy,” where they fell away from the complete truth and God’s authority after the time of the apostles.⁴ Because of this, they believe that this true Church was brought back, or restored, through their founder, Joseph Smith, way back in the 19th century.⁵ this view naturally sets the LDS Church apart from, and as a kind of correction to, all other types of Christianity. From an LDS perspective, their church is “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth”.⁷ This idea of a necessary “Restoration” because all the original truth and authority were supposedly lost creates a deep theological difference from mainstream Christian churches. These churches believe that the faith has continued and that God, through the Holy Spirit, has kept the essential teachings alive throughout history, all based on what Jesus and the apostles taught in the Bible.

So, when you ask, “Are Mormons Christians?” the answer isn’t a simple yes or no because it really hangs on how you’re defining “Christian.” Latter-day Saints say a “Christian” is someone who believes in and worships Jesus Christ as the Savior, and by that definition, they say they are absolutely Christian.⁸ Mainstream Christianity, though, usually defines “Christian” by believing in those core, historically agreed-upon doctrines that come from the Bible, especially the ones written down in the early Christian creeds. Because LDS beliefs are quite different on these key creedal points, many in mainstream Christianity feel that Mormonism, while it focuses on Christ, doesn’t quite fit into that historical definition. Our goal here is to look at these differences with clear eyes and a respectful heart, praying that we all grow in understanding based on God’s revealed truth.

How Do Mormon Beliefs About God Compare to What Most Christians Believe About the Trinity?

Understanding who God is, that’s the very foundation of our faith. Both traditional Christians and our Latter-day Saint friends believe in God, our loving Father in Heaven. But how we understand His very being, His essence, that’s where we see one of the biggest differences.

The Christian View: One God in Three Persons – The Trinity

For thousands of years, Christians have held to the teaching of the Trinity. This is the belief in one God who lives in three co-equal, co-eternal Persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit.¹⁰ these aren’t three different gods one God who is perfectly united. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons they share the very same divine nature and substance, and they are perfectly one in their will and purpose. The Athanasian Creed, an old Christian statement of faith, says it like this: “the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Yet there are not three gods; there is but one God”.¹⁰ Christian teaching says God is a single Being existing in three Persons (that’s a fancy word, hypostases) of one substance (ousia).¹¹ This teaching is like a cornerstone, showing how God has revealed Himself in Scripture, and it was affirmed by the early Church leaders. It shows us a God who is relational, even within His own being.

The LDS View: The Godhead – Three Distinct Beings

Latter-day Saints also believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, and they often call this group the “Godhead”.⁴ But their understanding is that these are three separate and distinct glorified beings, three distinct individuals (or Gods), who are perfectly united in their purpose, mind, and will not in their actual substance or being.⁴ LDS teaching says that God the Father has a perfected, immortal physical body of flesh and bones, and so does Jesus Christ in His resurrected body. The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit and doesn’t have a body like that.⁴ Official LDS sources tell us, “Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are two separate beings but, along with the Holy Ghost (Spirit), are one in will, purpose and love”.⁵ This view is very different from the Trinitarian idea of one divine essence. The teaching that God the Father has a physical body is also different from how most Christians understand God as spirit (like it says in John 4:24), and that’s a point Christian theologians often bring up.¹⁵

A Key Difference: Eternal Progression and Godhood

And there’s more, friend. LDS teachings include an idea called “eternal progression.” This belief suggests that God the Father was once a man who progressed and grew to become God.⁴ And because of this, Latter-day Saints believe that humans, who they see as His literal spirit children, also have the potential to progress and become gods and goddesses themselves. This is often called “exaltation” or “deification”.⁴ Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, taught, “you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves”.¹⁶ This idea is summed up in a well-known LDS saying by Lorenzo Snow: “As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be”.⁴

These different ways of seeing God—the Trinity versus separate, embodied beings, and the idea that humans can become gods—are more than just small theological points. They are the most basic difference from which many other belief differences flow. Historic Christianity defines God as one eternal, uncreated Being, totally different from His creation.¹⁰ The LDS view of God the Father as an exalted man and the teaching of eternal progression for humans really challenges this core understanding. If the very definition of “God” is so different, then the “Jesus” who is worshipped and the “salvation” that is sought will also be understood in different ways, leading many Christians to feel that Mormonism is a different religious system.

The LDS teaching that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones also goes against the philosophical and biblical understanding in mainstream Christianity that God is pure spirit and unchanging.¹¹ Mainstream Christianity, looking at Bible verses like John 4:24 (“God is spirit”) and classical theism, sees God as not having a physical body and as being transcendent, beyond our physical world. LDS doctrine clearly states that God the Father has a real, tangible body.⁴ This has big theological implications because a God with a body is, by nature, located in space and time, which challenges the classic understanding of God’s attributes like being everywhere at once (omnipresence) and being unchanging (immutability). LDS theology sees this as bringing back a truer, more personal understanding of God, one they believe was lost when Greek philosophy influenced early Christianity.⁹ On the other hand, mainstream Christianity sees the classical understanding as a faithful explanation of what the Bible reveals. This really shows a fundamental disagreement on how to interpret scripture, the role of philosophical thinking in theology, and the very nature of God’s attributes.

What Do Mormons Believe About Jesus Christ, and How Does It Align with Traditional Christian Views?

Jesus Christ is a name held in the deepest reverence, a central figure of incredible importance in both traditional Christianity and in the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Both traditions declare His divine sonship, His mighty role as Savior, and the life-changing power of His life, His death, and His glorious resurrection. But even with these shared affirmations, there are some very important distinctions in how Jesus is understood—who He is, and the nature of His amazing work.

The Christian View: Jesus is Fully God and Fully Man, One with the Father

Traditional Christianity teaches us that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity. He isn’t a created being; no, He has always existed with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, sharing the very same divine essence.¹⁰ The Nicene Creed, a declaration of faith from ancient times, confesses that He is “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.” That means He is of the very same substance as the Father. He is fully God, and through the miracle of the incarnation, He became fully man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.¹⁰ He lived a life without sin, died on the cross as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of all humanity, and on the third day, He rose again, conquering death itself!19 Because He is God Himself, His sacrifice is understood to have infinite value, enough to save every single person who believes. He is absolutely unique, the “only begotten Son” in a way that sets Him apart from every created being. Jesus’s full divinity and His full humanity are seen as absolutely essential for His role as the perfect bridge between God and us, and as the Savior of the whole world.¹⁷

The LDS View: Jesus is the Son of God, Our Savior with Key Distinctions

Latter-day Saints also believe with all their hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. They affirm His virgin birth to Mary, His perfect life, His incredible miracles, His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, His death on the cross, and His literal, physical resurrection from the dead.⁴ The Book of Mormon itself calls Jesus Christ “the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning”.⁴

But LDS theology offers a different understanding of Jesus’s existence before He came to earth and His relationship with God the Father. In LDS doctrine, Jesus Christ is the firstborn spirit child of God the Father and a divine being they call Heavenly Mother.⁵ This means He is the elder spirit brother of all human spirits, and that includes Lucifer (Satan), though, of course, their paths and their devotion to God went in completely opposite directions.²¹ While He is divine and the Creator of the earth under the Father’s direction, He is understood to be a separate God from God the Father, one of the three distinct individuals in the Godhead.⁴

These differences in understanding Jesus (that’s called Christology) are very major. For many traditional Christians, the LDS understanding of Jesus as a spirit child of Heavenly Parents—and therefore a created being in His spirit form, no matter how exalted—and as a separate being from God the Father, makes Him a “different Jesus” from the One confessed in the historic Christian creeds.¹ If Jesus is seen as a created being rather than as eternally God the Son, of the same substance as the Father, then His power to atone for sin and His unique status as the “only begotten Son” (as understood in verses like John 1:14 and 3:16) are seen in a different light. This difference is a primary reason why many Christian groups don’t consider Mormonism to be a branch of historical Christianity.

While both traditions talk about Christ’s atonement, there are some subtle but important differences in understanding how powerful it is and how it applies to us. Mainstream Christianity believes that Christ’s atoning sacrifice is completely sufficient for salvation from sin and for being reconciled to God, and we receive it by grace through faith.¹⁰ LDS theology also affirms Christ’s Atonement as essential for overcoming sin and physical death; in fact, all of humanity will be resurrected because of it.⁵ But to achieve “exaltation”—which is the highest level of salvation in LDS belief, involving becoming like God and living forever in His presence—Christ’s atonement is a necessary first step it must be combined with a lifetime of obedience to specific LDS laws and ordinances, like temple marriage and other covenants.⁵ Some Christian observers believe this framework can seem to lessen the complete sufficiency of Christ’s work on the cross for our full salvation, making it more like He opened a door that then requires a lot of human effort and following specific church rules to get the fullest benefits.¹ This connects to broader differences in the teaching of salvation.

What Is the Role and Nature of the Holy Spirit in Mormonism Versus Mainstream Christianity?

The Holy Spirit is a name we hear in both traditional Christian circles and among Latter-day Saints. He’s seen as a divine presence, a power that’s absolutely essential for our spiritual lives, offering us guidance, comfort, and helping us become more like God. Believers in both traditions talk about feeling the Spirit’s influence. But, just like with the Father and the Son, there are some distinct theological understandings about who the Holy Spirit is and His place within the Godhead.

The Christian View: The Holy Spirit is God, the Third Person of the Trinity

In mainstream Christian teaching, the Holy Spirit is fully God. He’s the third Person of the Holy Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son.¹⁰ He’s not just some impersonal force or influence, no, He’s a divine Person with a mind, a will, and emotions. The Nicene Creed confesses belief “in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father (and the Son, in the Western tradition), who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified”.¹⁰ The Holy Spirit does so much: He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; He gives new life to believers, drawing them to Jesus Christ; He lives inside believers, sealing them for the day of redemption; He empowers them to live godly lives and to serve; He gives spiritual gifts to build up the Church; and He guides believers into all truth, shining a light on the Scriptures.²⁶ The personhood and full divinity of the Holy Spirit are considered so important for His vital role in salvation and the ongoing life and mission of the Church.

The LDS View: The Holy Ghost is a Personage of Spirit, a Member of the Godhead

Latter-day Saints also believe the Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead, a divine being who works in perfect unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.⁴ They teach that He is a “personage of spirit,” which means He doesn’t have a physical body of flesh and bones. This makes Him different from their understanding of God the Father and the resurrected Jesus Christ, both of whom they believe do have such bodies.⁴

The roles they see the Holy Ghost playing are similar in many ways to what traditional Christianity teaches: He testifies of the Father and the Son, He reveals and teaches truth, He provides comfort (He’s often called the Comforter), He sanctifies individuals, and He guides them.²⁸ Latter-day Saints make an important distinction between the influence of the Holy Ghost, which they believe anyone seeking truth can feel, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift is given by the laying on of hands by someone holding what they call the Melchizedek Priesthood after a person is baptized into the LDS Church. It gives the right to the Holy Ghost’s constant companionship it depends on the individual’s worthiness and faithfulness.²⁸

The way both systems understand the Holy Spirit is tied directly to how they see the Godhead. In Trinitarian theology, the Holy Spirit is of the same divine substance (consubstantial) as the Father and the Son—fully God, uncreated.¹⁰ In LDS theology, the Holy Ghost is a “personage of spirit,” and in this way, He’s different from the Father and Son who are described as having glorified bodies of flesh and bone.⁴ While He is divine and a member of the Godhead, this description suggests a difference in the kind of being or substance compared to the Father and Son within the LDS framework. This distinction, though it might seem small to some, reinforces the non-Trinitarian structure of the LDS Godhead. If the Father and Son are understood as having bodies and the Holy Ghost as a spirit personage, they are not “one substance” in the classic Trinitarian sense. So, the differing views on the Holy Spirit’s exact nature are a direct result of the foundational disagreement about the nature of God Himself.

Do Mormons Believe the Bible Is the Complete Word of God, or Do They Have Other Scriptures?

The Holy Bible is a book that’s treasured by both traditional Christians and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s valued as a source of God’s wisdom, His guidance, and His revelation about His relationship with us. But a very important point where their paths diverge is in understanding whether the Bible is complete and whether there can be additional scripture.

The Christian View: The Bible is God’s Inspired and Authoritative Word

Mainstream Christianity holds that the Bible, which includes the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired Word of God.¹¹ It’s considered the ultimate and sufficient authority for Christian faith, for what we believe, and for how we live. Christians believe God can communicate with people in various ways—through prayer, through circumstances, and through the wise counsel of other believers. But the general belief within historic Christianity is that the canon of Scripture—that’s the collection of books recognized as divinely inspired and that make up our Bible—is closed. This means that no new writings are being added to the Bible that would carry that same unique, divine authority for all believers everywhere.³² The Protestant Reformation really emphasized the principle of Sola Scriptura, which means Scripture alone is the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice.³² The fullness of God’s saving revelation is believed to be completed in Jesus Christ and written down with authority in the New Testament by the apostles and those who worked with them.³³

The LDS View: The Bible is the Word of God, Plus Other Holy Scriptures

Latter-day Saints also believe the Bible is the word of God and they hold its teachings in high regard. They study it and use it a lot in their worship and personal lives.⁴ Their eighth Article of Faith says, “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly”.⁴ That little phrase, “as far as it is translated correctly,” is important because they believe that some “plain and precious” truths were lost from the Bible or that errors have slipped in through the translation process over many centuries. Joseph Smith, their founding prophet, said he believed the Bible “as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers”.⁴

here’s a crucial point: Latter-day Saints believe in an “open canon” of scripture. This means they believe God continues to give new, authoritative scripture to the world through His chosen prophets.⁵ So, along with the Bible, they accept three other books as divinely inspired scripture, and together these are called the “standard works”:

• The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ: This book is seen as a record of God’s dealings with ancient people who lived in the Americas and is believed to contain the “fulness of the everlasting gospel”.⁴
• The Doctrine and Covenants: This is a collection of modern revelations and inspired declarations, given mostly to Joseph Smith and some of the leaders who followed him as presidents of the LDS Church.⁴
• The Pearl of Great Price: This book contains selections from Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of the Bible (including books of Moses and Matthew), his personal history, and their Articles of Faith.⁴

Accepting these additional scriptures is a major thing that makes Mormonism distinct. It means that for Latter-day their understanding of doctrine and divine authority comes from a wider range of texts, and these texts are interpreted through the teachings of their living prophets and apostles.⁸

This belief in an open canon of scripture makes sense if you understand their doctrines about a “Great Apostasy” and a later “Restoration.” If, as LDS theology teaches, the original Christian church fell into apostasy and essential truths were lost 4, then the Bible alone might be seen as not enough or partly corrupted, which would mean further clarification and additions are needed. If God restored His true Church through a modern prophet (Joseph Smith) and continues to lead it through living prophets 5, then it makes sense that these prophets would be channels for new revelations that have scriptural authority. This is in direct contrast to the mainstream Christian view of a closed canon.

The LDS idea that the Bible is the Word of God “as far as it is translated correctly” 4, while it sounds reasonable, allows for their additional scriptures and prophetic teachings to reinterpret, add to, or even take precedence over biblical passages where they see conflicts or things missing. While Christians also study texts carefully and want accurate translations, the LDS approach gives a way for their unique scriptures and prophetic interpretations to take on a corrective or completing role compared to the Bible. This fundamentally changes the Bible’s position as the sole ultimate written authority for doctrine. This difference in scriptural authority means that when Latter-day Saints and other Christians discuss doctrine, they are often working from different sets of foundational texts, which makes it very challenging to agree on certain points.

How Do Mormons Believe We Are Saved, and How Does This Compare to the Christian Understanding of Salvation by Grace Through Faith?

The question of salvation—how can we be reconciled to God and receive eternal life—is at the very heart of both traditional Christian faith and the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Both affirm that Jesus Christ is the author of our salvation. Yes, ! But when we look at how this salvation is received and what it ultimately means, we find some major theological distinctions.

The Christian View: Salvation is a Free Gift, Received by Grace Through Faith in Jesus

The core of the Christian gospel message, the good news, is that salvation is a free gift from God. It’s offered through His grace—His unmerited favor and His empowering presence—and we receive it through personal faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning work on the cross.¹⁰ This isn’t something we can earn through our good works, by following laws, or by participating in religious rituals. The Apostle Paul says it so clearly in 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.” In this view, good works are the natural and grateful response to and evidence of salvation, not something we do to get it.³⁵ This doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone (sola gratia, sola fide) emphasizes God’s unconditional love and the complete sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice. It offers believers assurance and freedom from the burden of trying to earn God’s favor. What a relief that is!

The LDS View: Salvation Through Christ’s Atonement, Plus Obedience and Ordinances for Exaltation

Latter-day Saints also believe deeply in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, teaching that His suffering, death, and resurrection make salvation possible.⁵ They teach that because of Christ’s Atonement, all people will be resurrected from the dead and receive immortality; this is often called “general salvation” and is seen as an unconditional gift.¹⁴

But the LDS concept of salvation has multiple layers. The ultimate goal for faithful Latter-day Saints isn’t just resurrection but “eternal life” or “exaltation.” This means becoming like God, inheriting all that the Father has, and living eternally in His presence as part of an eternal family.⁵ to reach this highest degree of glory in what they call the celestial kingdom, it takes more than faith alone. It involves a lifelong process of obedience to God’s laws and commandments, and participation in specific ordinances (these are sacred rituals believed to be essential and are performed by those holding LDS priesthood authority). These ordinances include baptism by immersion performed by an LDS priesthood holder, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, temple endowments (a series of instructional rituals and covenants), and celestial marriage (eternal marriage performed in an LDS temple).⁴

A scripture often cited by Latter-day Saints that explains this is 2 Nephi 25:23: “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” (emphasis added).²⁴ This phrase “after all we can do” is generally understood within Mormonism to mean the necessity of these works, ordinances, and continued obedience to achieve exaltation. While grace is foundational, human effort and following specific LDS practices are absolutely necessary to reach this ultimate spiritual destiny.

This distinction between general salvation (immortality for everyone) and the conditional nature of exaltation is very important. It means that while Christ’s atonement provides universal resurrection for all, the path to becoming like God and receiving a fullness of joy in God’s presence depends on an individual’s active participation and faithfulness within the framework of LDS teachings and practices.¹⁴

The role of “works” also looks different. In mainstream Christianity, especially within Protestantism, good works are seen as the fruit or evidence of a genuine, saving faith—they show the reality of a changed heart but they don’t help earn salvation itself.³⁵ In LDS theology, specific works—including obedience to commandments and participation in essential ordinances administered by their priesthood—play an effective role in achieving exaltation.¹⁴ These ordinances are seen as necessary channels of saving and exalting grace. This “grace plus works” model for exaltation is different from the mainstream Christian emphasis on salvation as a gift received fully and completely by grace through faith in Christ’s finished work. For many Christians, the LDS view can seem to diminish the all-sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice and God’s grace by adding an element of human merit and church-specific requirements to attain the highest spiritual blessings.

Core Beliefs Comparison

To help us see these foundational doctrinal comparisons a little more clearly, here’s a table that outlines the key differences we’ve talked about:

Do Mormons Believe God Still Speaks Through Prophets Today, and What Does This Mean for Christian Faith?

How does God communicate His will to us today? That’s another area where we see different theological paths. While all Christians believe God is still guiding us, the role and authority of prophets in our modern times are understood in different ways.

The Christian View: The Prophetic Voice and the Completed Word

Traditional Christianity absolutely believes that God continues to guide, speak to, and interact with His people. Yes, He does! The New Testament tells us that the gift of prophecy can still operate within the and it’s there to encourage, build up, and comfort believers (you can read about that in 1 Corinthians 14:3).³² Many Christians can tell you stories of how they’ve experienced God’s leading through the Holy Spirit, through prayer, by studying Scripture, and through the wise counsel of fellow believers.

But most folks within mainstream Christianity believe that the office of a prophet—meaning someone who delivers new, universally binding doctrinal revelation for the entire like the Old Testament prophets or the New Testament apostles whose writings are part of our Bible—that office ceased with the apostolic age and when the New Testament canon was completed.³² The Bible is generally seen as God’s complete and final special revelation, everything we need for salvation and for living a godly life. While God still speaks and guides, we don’t expect new revelations to add to, change, or contradict the foundational truths already established in Scripture. The sufficiency of Scripture for doctrine is a key belief, especially in Protestant traditions.³² The early Church also understood there was a difference between ongoing spiritual gifts and the foundational public revelation which they considered complete with the apostles.³³

The LDS View: Living Prophets and Continuing Revelation

a central and defining belief of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that God continues to call prophets and apostles today, just like He did in biblical times.⁴ They believe that the President of their Church is a living prophet, seer, and revelator who receives divine guidance, inspiration, and revelation from God to govern the Church and for the benefit of its members and the whole world.⁶ This prophet, along with his counselors in what they call the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (who are also considered prophets, seers, and revelators), are seen as holding the same priesthood authority and prophetic role as Peter, James, John, and other ancient apostles.

This doctrine of “continuing revelation” is absolutely fundamental to Mormonism. It means that God is not silent; He is actively communicating His will, revealing new truths, clarifying doctrines, and providing instructions for today’s challenges through these chosen living prophets.⁶ This belief is why they accept additional scriptures, like the Doctrine and Covenants, which is mostly made up of revelations given to Joseph Smith and his successors.⁴

Believing in living prophets isn’t just an interesting characteristic of Mormonism; it’s essential to its entire structure of authority, its open canon of scripture, and its claim to be the uniquely restored Church of Jesus Christ. The LDS theological framework teaches about a “Great Apostasy” when priesthood authority and true doctrine were lost from the earth.⁴ This, they believe, made a “Restoration” necessary, which God initiated through the Prophet Joseph Smith.⁵ To maintain and guide this restored they believe a continuous line of living prophets and apostles is absolutely essential.⁵ These living prophets serve as the authorized channel for ongoing revelation, which can lead to new scripture and authoritative interpretations or changes in doctrine and practice. Without this doctrine of living prophets and continuing revelation, the LDS Church’s claims to unique, restored authority and an open scriptural canon wouldn’t hold up. This doctrine fundamentally sets it apart from mainstream Christian denominations that believe ultimate doctrinal authority is found in the closed canon of Scripture, interpreted by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit not through new, universally binding prophetic statements that add to or change that canon.

Why Do Many Christian Churches Say Mormonism Is Different from Their Understanding of Christianity?

When various Christian churches and denominations take a close look at the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day many of them come to the conclusion that there are fundamental, deep-seated differences from their understanding of Christianity. This conclusion isn’t usually reached out of any ill will from a careful comparison of core beliefs.

The main reasons for this distinction consistently come down to these foundational beliefs:

1. The Nature of God: Historic Christianity is built on the Trinitarian belief in one eternal God who exists in three co-equal Persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) sharing one divine substance.¹⁰ The LDS view of the Godhead as three distinct, separate beings (or Gods), with God the Father being an exalted man who once lived on an earth, and the teaching that humans can progress to become gods themselves—this is seen as a radical departure from that monotheistic (one God) and Trinitarian understanding.¹
2. The Person and Nature of Jesus Christ: While Latter-day Saints show deep reverence for Jesus Christ, the traditional Christian understanding of Jesus as the uncreated, eternal Son of God, of the very same substance as the Father, is significantly different from the LDS view. In LDS theology, Jesus is the firstborn spirit child of Heavenly Parents, making Him the elder spirit brother of all other spirits, including Lucifer (though their paths and loyalties are completely opposite). He is also considered a separate being and a distinct God within the Godhead, not of the same substance as the Father in the Trinitarian sense.¹
3. The Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture: Mainstream Christianity believes the Bible (Old and New Testaments) is the complete, inspired, and final authoritative Word of God for doctrine and practice (that’s a closed canon).³⁰ The LDS belief in an open canon, which includes the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price as additional scripture, and their belief in ongoing, binding revelation through modern prophets—this is viewed as altering or adding to God’s foundational and sufficient Word.¹
4. The Way of Salvation (Soteriology): The Christian belief in salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, based on His finished atoning work, is absolutely central.²³ This contrasts with the LDS path to “exaltation” (their highest form of salvation, becoming like God). While faith in Christ is essential in LDS teaching, exaltation also requires lifelong obedience to LDS laws and participation in specific ordinances (like temple marriage and endowments) performed by LDS priesthood authority. This is often summarized by the phrase “by grace… After all we can do”.¹

Different Christian traditions explain these distinctions based on their own specific theological understandings: For example, some denominations emphasize faith and grace as the primary means of salvation, while others focus on works and adherence to religious laws. This diversity is also reflected when examining the relationship between other belief systems, such as when drawing a scientology and christian science comparison that highlights how each tackles the nature of spirituality and healing in their respective frameworks. Such variations illustrate the complex landscape of Christian theology and its intersection with other religious ideologies. Additionally, the distinctions within Christianity can be seen in the discussions of pentecostal vs evangelical differences, particularly regarding beliefs in spiritual gifts and the role of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives. These contrasts further deepen the understanding of how various communities interpret foundational aspects of their faith. As these dialogues continue, they contribute to the broader narrative of religious belief and practice in an increasingly pluralistic world. Furthermore, the exploration of Methodist beliefs and practices provides another dimension to this diverse Christian landscape, as it highlights a unique approach to grace, social justice, and community engagement. Methodists often emphasize the importance of personal holiness alongside societal transformation, which distinguishes them from other traditions. This commitment illustrates how different expressions of faith can lead to varying interpretations of service and compassion within the broader Christian community.

• Evangelical Christians: They typically emphasize the sole authority of the Bible (Sola Scriptura) and salvation by grace through faith alone (Sola Gratia, Sola Fide). They see LDS doctrines about the nature of God (non-Trinitarian, God as an exalted man), the person of Jesus (a created spirit, brother of Lucifer), the acceptance of additional scriptures, and a salvation that includes works and ordinances for exaltation as fundamentally against these core biblical teachings.¹ Some Evangelical leaders have said that Mormonism isn’t Christianity by definition because of these differences, especially regarding who Christ is and the Trinity.¹
• The Catholic Church: They assess Mormonism as incompatible with historic Christian faith primarily because of its understanding of God, which Catholic theology views as having polytheistic implications (meaning multiple gods, and humans becoming gods).⁴¹ Because the LDS understanding of the Trinity (and therefore of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is fundamentally different from the Catholic (and historic Christian) doctrine, the Catholic Church does not recognize Mormon baptism as valid.⁴¹ It considers Mormon theology to be outside the boundaries of Christian theology.⁴¹
• The Orthodox Church: They also emphasize the traditional Christian understanding of the Holy Trinity as one God undivided, and the absolute distinction between the uncreated God and created humanity. Orthodox sources view the LDS concepts of God the Father as an exalted man, the Godhead as three separate beings, eternal progression leading to humans becoming separate deities, and additional scriptures as contrary to Orthodox Christian teaching.²¹ They often call Mormonism a heresy because of these fundamental departures from the historic faith.⁴⁴

Even with the theological variations among these major branches of mainstream Christianity, there’s a broad agreement that the core doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints concerning the Godhead, the nature of Jesus Christ, the canon and authority of Scripture, and the means of achieving the ultimate form of salvation are fundamentally distinct from what has been historically understood and confessed as essential Christian belief. These differences aren’t seen as just minor denominational variations; they are seen as touching upon the very essence of what it means to be Christian.

How Do Latter-day Saints See Their Own Faith in Relation to Jesus Christ and Christianity?

To get the full picture, it’s so important to understand how members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints see their own faith when it comes to Jesus Christ and the wider Christian world. With deep sincerity and strong conviction, Latter-day Saints say, without a doubt, that they are Christians.⁸ Their beliefs about Jesus Christ and His teachings shape their understanding of what it means to follow Him. Additionally, practices such as the latterday saints coffee prohibition reasons highlight their commitment to health and spiritual well-being, further distinguishing their faith within the broader Christian context. By adhering to these guidelines, they believe they are nurturing a closer relationship with God.

Jesus Christ is Central

Latter-day Saints emphasize that Jesus Christ is the absolute center of their beliefs, their worship, and their lives. The official name of their The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day was chosen to show just how central He is.⁸ Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of the LDS said: “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it”.⁸ Latter-day Saints pray in Christ’s name, they partake of the sacrament (which is their form of communion) in remembrance of His atoning sacrifice, they seek forgiveness of sins through Him, and they strive to follow His teachings and example in their daily lives.⁸ Latter-day Saints also cherish the doctrine of ongoing revelation, which allows them to receive guidance and inspiration from God through modern prophets. This belief fosters a dynamic relationship with their faith, encouraging individuals to seek personal revelation and understanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ. However, inquiries often arise about various public figures, such as the musician Benson Boone, leading many to ask, “is benson boone part of the mormon church.

The “Restoration” of Original Christianity

A foundational belief for Latter-day Saints is the idea of the “Great Apostasy.” They teach that after the death of Jesus Christ’s original apostles, the pure doctrines of the gospel, as well as the priesthood authority to lead the Church and perform its ordinances, were lost from the earth.⁴ This, they believe, made a “Restoration” of Christ’s true Church necessary. Latter-day Saints believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820, and this started the Restoration. They believe Joseph Smith was called as a prophet to bring back the fullness of the gospel, correct doctrines, and restore the priesthood authority, establishing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as Christ’s restored Church on earth, complete with living apostles and prophets.⁵

From this viewpoint, Latter-day Saints see their church not just as one Christian denomination among many as the only true and complete restoration of the original Church established by Jesus Christ.⁹ This is reflected in LDS scripture, which calls their church “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:30).⁷ This claim of being the only fully restored Church naturally critiques other Christian traditions, suggesting they are in a state of apostasy or, at best, only have partial truth.

Why They Believe They Differ (and Why It’s Understood as a Strength)

Latter-day Saints know that their beliefs on the nature of the Godhead (they reject post-New Testament creeds like the Nicene Creed about the Trinity), their acceptance of an open canon of scripture (including the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price), and their belief in continuing revelation through living prophets make them different from other Christian traditions.⁸ They see these differences not as things that disqualify them from being Christian rather as proof of the restored fullness of Christ’s gospel. They believe these “restored truths” clarify, expand upon, and sometimes correct understandings that come only from the Bible, which they believe has suffered from the loss of “plain and precious parts” or mistakes in translation.³ The LDS Church clearly rejects post-New Testament Christian creeds, seeing them as products of apostasy and the result of Greek philosophy having too much influence on early Christian thought, rather than as faithful summaries of biblical truth.⁹ They believe their doctrines represent a return to a more “original” or “Hebraic” understanding of God and the gospel.

This creates a unique position: Latter-day Saints strongly identify as Christians devoted to Jesus Christ, yet their foundational story of apostasy and exclusive restoration, along with their distinct doctrines and open scriptural canon, sets them apart from—and in their view, above—all other Christian traditions. While they want to be accepted under the broad umbrella of “Christian,” their core theology includes a claim that they have superseded other Christian bodies, saying that they alone possess the fullness of Christian truth and divine authority. This dual stance really adds to the complexity of the “Are Mormons Christians?” discussion.

Concluding Thoughts

as we’ve explored whether Mormons are Christians, we’ve seen a landscape of deeply held beliefs, a shared reverence for Jesus Christ, and also some very major theological distinctions. It becomes clear that while members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sincerely see themselves as Christians and place Jesus at the very center of their faith, their understanding of God’s nature, the person of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the authority and extent of Scripture, and the path to ultimate salvation is fundamentally different from the historic, orthodox beliefs held by the vast majority of our Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters. This divergence in beliefs is reflected in the mormon population statistics worldwide, which show a distinct identity that has both flourished and faced challenges in the broader Christian context. While their numbers continue to grow, the differences in doctrine often lead to misunderstandings and debates among various Christian communities. In this complex landscape, it is essential to engage in respectful dialogue that acknowledges both shared beliefs and significant theological differences.

These differences aren’t just on the surface; they touch the very core of what it has meant to be “Christian” for two thousand years, as taught in the Bible and historic Christian creeds. The LDS Church’s foundational claim of a “Great Apostasy” and a unique “Restoration” through Joseph Smith, which led to an open canon of scripture and ongoing prophetic authority, naturally positions it as distinct from, rather than a branch of, traditional Christianity. While the LDS perspective emphasizes modern revelation and additional scriptures, traditional Christianity largely relies on the Bible as the sole authoritative text, leading to differing interpretations of fundamental doctrines. Additionally, various denominations, such as Baptists, hold distinct theological views that further separate them from both LDS beliefs and each other, which is why understanding the foundational doctrine, including the ‘baptist beliefs explained in detail,’ is crucial for comprehending the broader landscape of Christian thought. These varied teachings reflect the rich tapestry of beliefs that have developed over the centuries, illustrating both the unity and diversity within the faith. The differences in interpretation and practice also extend to other groups within Christianity, such as Lutherans and Baptists, who each contribute to the broader conversation of faith with their unique perspectives. Understanding how these teachings—like ‘lutheran and baptist beliefs explained‘—intersect and diverge is essential for grasping the complexities of Christian doctrine. This diversity not only highlights the richness of theological inquiry but also underscores the ongoing dialogue among various Christian traditions in the pursuit of truth and understanding.

For Christian readers who are seeking clarity, this journey is about understanding these different paths. The most important thing we can do is to stay firmly rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the Holy Bible, always seeking wisdom through prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God’s truth, provides a steadfast foundation that will never fail us. In all our discussions about faith, let’s always have a spirit of love, respect for every individual, and a commitment to understanding truth, trusting that God leads every seeking heart into a deeper and more wonderful relationship with Him.