LDS beliefs about Jesus Christ?

[StJudePray4Me]

During a recent conversation, someone I know claimed that LDS are not Christians. (I know that this is a common belief among non-LDS, but bear with me). I questioned this, because as I understood it, LDS believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he is Christ and Redeemer. This other person claimed that the LDS do not believe in Christ, that they believe he was a prophet and a great man, but not the true Christ.

I have never read the Book of Mormon, so I didn’t really feel confident arguing. The other person claims that the Book of Mormon has conflicting messages from the Bible and that it states that Jesus was not the Savior.

I’m still pretty sure he was wrong. And (name removed by moderator)ut from LDS would be appreciated.

 

[Marie5890]

This other person claimed that the LDS do not believe in Christ, that they believe he was a prophet and a great man, but not the true Christ.

I have never read the Book of Mormon, so I didn’t really feel confident arguing. The other person claims that the Book of Mormon has conflicting messages from the Bible and that it states that Jesus was not the Savior.

.

Former Mormon. You are right, this other person is wrong. Mormons do believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world and that His sacrifice is the Atonement.

The BoM does not contradict this.

There are many of their doctrines that do not conform to traditional Christian teachings, but this is not one of them.

 

[flyonthewall]

During a recent conversation, someone I know claimed that LDS are not Christians. (I know that this is a common belief among non-LDS, but bear with me). I questioned this, because as I understood it, LDS believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he is Christ and Redeemer. This other person claimed that the LDS do not believe in Christ, that they believe he was a prophet and a great man, but not the true Christ.

I have never read the Book of Mormon, so I didn’t really feel confident arguing. The other person claims that the Book of Mormon has conflicting messages from the Bible and that it states that Jesus was not the Savior.

I’m still pretty sure he was wrong. And (name removed by moderator)ut from LDS would be appreciated.

I agree with Marie. There are other differences between our beliefs, but Jesus Christ being the Son of God and Redeemer of the world is not one of them.

 

[po18guy]

Former Mormon. You are right, this other person is wrong. Mormons do believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world and that His sacrifice is the Atonement.

The BoM does not contradict this.

There are many of their doctrines that do not conform to traditional Christian teachings, but this is not one of them.

He is not co-eternal, and not part of a triune God. He is a created being.

 

[z_0101]

I agree with Marie. There are other differences between our beliefs, but Jesus Christ being the Son of God and Redeemer of the world is not one of them.

1st- :grouphug: Many members in my Family are LDS and these people are very dear, kind, quite often closer to being a “Saint” than I ever will be, and I love them very much. As such, one could stretch their actions to be Christ like and thus Christian in the general term.

OK with that said, I can see where some, actually a lot of people, will claim that LDS are not Christians.

Just read the following and see what you say…

There is a profound difference in the basis of belief, as spoken by the Founder:

– “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted Man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens ( Founder and Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith, April 6, 1844, The Journal of Discourses, Vol. VI, page 3)
– “I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of deity, it has been on the plurality of Gods…the doctrine of a plurality of Gods is as prominent in the Bible as any other doctrine.” (Founder J. Smith History of the church Vol.6 pp.308, 474)
– “It [Mormonism] is the only system of religion known in heaven or on earth that can EXALT A MAN TO THE GODHEAD, and this it will do to all those who embrace its laws and faithfully observe its precepts.” (LDS “Prophet” and second president Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, p. 251, 1863)

and then there’s this:
“As man is, god once was; as God is, man may become.”(Lorenzo Snow the fifth President of the Church, LDS Church News, Jan. 16, 1983, p. 14)

Finally, there is the late prophet and president of the LDS - (caution: I haven’t sourced this statement directly; however, I do remember hearing the comment made by Mr. Hinckley in a news replay over the radio; thus, I am fairly certain of the validity, but not the context)

– “President Hinckley spoke of those outside the Church who say Latter-day Saints ‘do not believe in the traditional Christ. - 'No, I don’t. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak.’ ” —LDS Church News, June 20, 1998, p. 7​

So,in the strictest possible definition of the word “Christian” the LDS, by their own Presidents’ words, they cannot claim to be members of the same Christian community as one would place the Catholic, Lutheran, and other Protestant faiths in; plain and simply, the LDS Chuch does not worship the same God nor the same Christ as the other Christain faiths.

:juggle: HOWEVER, once again, :grouphug: there are a lot of very good, kind, spiritual, and moral members in the LDS Church and there is a lot that we could learn as Christians as to how to live our lives more fully in the faith that we claim and often fail to live.

• and -I-R-1-way2oftn!

 

[ParkerD]

He is not co-eternal, and not part of a triune God. He is a created being.

I strongly disagree with your comment here. The Latter-day Saints believe that the words “Only Begotten Son” mean literally that Jehovah was begotten by God the Father both spiritually and physically, and that He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Word who was made flesh and dwelt among us. He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.

The Bible is true in its words on these doctrines. The Bible does not use either the words “triune God” or the concept that is expressed in the Nicene Creed about the triune God. The Latter-day Saints trust that God the Father and God the Son and the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible through the prophets and apostles and that the words about God the Father, Elohim, and God the Son, Jehovah–the One and Only Savior of the world–are correctly written.

Jehovah created the heavens and the earth through His own omnipotence as the Son of God, and under the direction of God the Father, thus making the following words by Paul to the men of Athens correct and of great value in understanding God’s plan and purposes for us and for this world:

Acts 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

 

[AndrewJMason]

They believe in what they call the “God-Head”, and its the exact opposite of our Holy Trinity.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

I strongly disagree with your comment here. The Latter-day Saints believe that the words “Only Begotten Son” mean literally that Jehovah was begotten by God the Father both spiritually and physically, and that He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Word who was made flesh and dwelt among us. He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.

The Bible is true in its words on these doctrines. The Bible does not use either the words “triune God” or the concept that is expressed in the Nicene Creed about the triune God. The Latter-day Saints trust that God the Father and God the Son and the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible through the prophets and apostles and that the words about God the Father, Elohim, and God the Son, Jehovah–the One and Only Savior of the world–are correctly written.

Jehovah created the heavens and the earth through His own omnipotence as the Son of God, and under the direction of God the Father, thus making the following words by Paul to the men of Athens correct and of great value in understanding God’s plan and purposes for us and for this world:

Acts 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

The only problem with this is that in the Bible we have God saying that there is no other God but me. If that is true then would not it nullify what you have written in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost being 3 entirley different gods? Would it not lead to the Triniterian of 1 God in 3 persons.

 

[SteveVH]

I agree with Marie. There are other differences between our beliefs, but Jesus Christ being the Son of God and Redeemer of the world is not one of them.

Except that Jesus would be the son of “a” god, not the Son of the “only” God.

 

[SteveVH]

:juggle: HOWEVER, once again, :grouphug: there are a lot of very good, kind, spiritual, and moral members in the LDS Church and there is a lot that we could learn as Christians as to how to live our lives more fully in the faith that we claim and often fail to live.

• and -I-R-1-way2oftn!

There are also a lot of very good, kind, spiritual and moral members in the Buddahist, Hindu, Muslim and New Age faiths.

 

[po18guy]

I strongly disagree with your comment here.

As usual, it is what you do not say that makes all the difference. The LDS simply put, define their deity differently from any and all other world religions.

You use the term Jehovah. Interesting. Don’t you also believe, as other LDS have told me, that the LDS deity (a man made into a god) had physical sexual intercourse with the mother of Jesus?

There are just far too many substantive differences between the LDS deitty and the eternal Father, Son and Holy Spirit of Christianity.

To pretend otherwise is to deceive.

 

[StJudePray4Me]

As usual, it is what you do not say that makes all the difference. The LDS simply put, define their deity differently from any and all other world religions.

You use the term Jehovah. Interesting. Don’t you also believe, as other LDS have told me, that the LDS deity (a man made into a god) had physical sexual intercourse with the mother of Jesus?

There are just far too many substantive differences between the LDS deitty and the eternal Father, Son and Holy Spirit of Christianity.

To pretend otherwise is to deceive.

Wow, I just did some googling on this point and it really shocked me.

It seems that “God the Father” in LDS is said to have physically begotten Jesus in the same way that we regular mortals beget children?? This is shocking to me. What I read also said that God the Father was once a man like us? How could that be? I’m more confused than ever!

 

[Marie5890]

Don’t you also believe, as other LDS have told me, that the LDS deity (a man made into a god) had physical sexual intercourse with the mother of Jesus?

That is not a defined LDS doctrine nor is it officially taught by it’s modern day leadership. So the answer to your question is no.

 

[po18guy]

That is not a defined LDS doctrine nor is it officially taught by it’s modern day leadership. So the answer to your question is no.

‘No’ now, or ‘no’ back then? It is confusing, all of the changes.

The last missionaries to speak with me were honest enough to admit that the LDS deity is different in substance from the Christian God. I appreciate that.

 

[Marie5890]

‘No’ now, or ‘no’ back then? It is confusing, all of the changes.

The last missionaries to speak with me were honest enough to admit that the LDS deity is different in substance from the Christian God. I appreciate that.

No now. Not sure if there was one of the 19th century leaders who taught that, however. Perhaps, but it never was considered officially defined and taught even back then as official doctrine to my knowledge

Yes, the LDS concept of what they call the Godhead is entirely different in substance from the traditional theology of the Trinity. I can’t image any Mormon claiming otherwise.

 

[ParkerD]

The only problem with this is that in the Bible we have God saying that there is no other God but me. If that is true then would not it nullify what you have written in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost being 3 entirley different gods? Would it not lead to the Triniterian of 1 God in 3 persons.

Actually, you may want to check the words as I think the passage says “no other God beside me.” (Isaiah 44 and 45). That conveys a meaning of “instead of me”. It also refers specifically in those passages to the Savior being the Only Savior. This is the major point of those passages, with the commandment to the Israelites that they worship no other god and particularly no god made with hands.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

Actually, you may want to check the words as I think the passage says “no other God beside me.” (Isaiah 44 and 45). That conveys a meaning of “instead of me”. It also refers specifically in those passages to the Savior being the Only Savior. This is the major point of those passages, with the commandment to the Israelites that they worship no other god and particularly no god made with hands.

“‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.” Isaiah 44:6
“Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.” Isaiah 44:8
“Surely, God is with you, and there is none else, No other God.” Isaiah 45:14
“I am Yahweh, and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:18
“Is it not I, Yahweh? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.” Isaiah 45:21

All sound like God saying He is the only God.

Place this with scripture such as John 1:1-4
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] The same was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. [4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Jesus could not be another god, But is the One God, though he is the son not the Father.
I as a human can not understand that that does not chang it.

 

[po18guy]

“‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.” Isaiah 44:6
“Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.” Isaiah 44:8
“Surely, God is with you, and there is none else, No other God.” Isaiah 45:14
“I am Yahweh, and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:18
“Is it not I, Yahweh? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.” Isaiah 45:21

All sound like God saying He is the only God.

Place this with scripture such as John 1:1-4
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] The same was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. [4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Jesus could not be another god, But is the One God, though he is the son not the Father.
I as a human can not understand that that does not chang it.

Unless, for some reason, there was a 'revelation" thousands of years later, by a heretofore unknown angel, claiming that there are many gods, and that men can become gods, too. But, man’s first sin was to desire to be like gods. No, thanks!

 

[flyonthewall]

He is not co-eternal, and not part of a triune God. He is a created being.

From my perspective, the “triune God” is a construct of philosophies of man, not an eternal being.

 

[flyonthewall]

1st- :grouphug: Many members in my Family are LDS and these people are very dear, kind, quite often closer to being a “Saint” than I ever will be, and I love them very much. As such, one could stretch their actions to be Christ like and thus Christian in the general term.

OK with that said, I can see where some, actually a lot of people, will claim that LDS are not Christians.

Just read the following and see what you say…

There is a profound difference in the basis of belief, as spoken by the Founder:

– “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted Man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens ( Founder and Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith, April 6, 1844, The Journal of Discourses, Vol. VI, page 3)
– “I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of deity, it has been on the plurality of Gods…the doctrine of a plurality of Gods is as prominent in the Bible as any other doctrine.” (Founder J. Smith History of the church Vol.6 pp.308, 474)
– “It [Mormonism] is the only system of religion known in heaven or on earth that can EXALT A MAN TO THE GODHEAD, and this it will do to all those who embrace its laws and faithfully observe its precepts.” (LDS “Prophet” and second president Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, p. 251, 1863)

and then there’s this:
“As man is, god once was; as God is, man may become.”(Lorenzo Snow the fifth President of the Church, LDS Church News, Jan. 16, 1983, p. 14)

Finally, there is the late prophet and president of the LDS - (caution: I haven’t sourced this statement directly; however, I do remember hearing the comment made by Mr. Hinckley in a news replay over the radio; thus, I am fairly certain of the validity, but not the context)

– “President Hinckley spoke of those outside the Church who say Latter-day Saints ‘do not believe in the traditional Christ. - 'No, I don’t. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak.’ ” —LDS Church News, June 20, 1998, p. 7​

So,in the strictest possible definition of the word “Christian” the LDS, by their own Presidents’ words, they cannot claim to be members of the same Christian community as one would place the Catholic, Lutheran, and other Protestant faiths in; plain and simply, the LDS Chuch does not worship the same God nor the same Christ as the other Christain faiths.

:juggle: HOWEVER, once again, :grouphug: there are a lot of very good, kind, spiritual, and moral members in the LDS Church and there is a lot that we could learn as Christians as to how to live our lives more fully in the faith that we claim and often fail to live.

• and -I-R-1-way2oftn!

We have always maintained that we are not mainstream or traditional Christians. We are not Catholic Christians, we are not Baptist Christians, Methodist, Quaker Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Lutheren, Calvanist, etc., but Christian none the less.

If you would not read into the statement by Gordon B. Hinkley, you would understand that what he was saying is we do not believe in the same THINGS about Jesus, but we still believe in JESUS. We worship the SAME God, but have differing beliefs about Him, such as the Godhead vs the Trinity.