Night photo of the Mormon temple in Oakland, California at night, overlooking the city.

The sincerely held beliefs of faithful Latter-day Saints have been mocked on Broadway Shows, late-night adult cartoons, influencers, and unfortunately some of our brothers and sisters from other Christian churches who seem to have an axe to grind against the church.  Their goal is to paint The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in a negative light–even if they have to twist the truth to do it.  Usually, this is done by making “Mormon” beliefs seem as strange and weird as possible.

They aren’t totally wrong.  To many, some of our beliefs will seem unique and different.  If you think about it, all religions have unique beliefs.  Otherwise, they wouldn’t be different religions!  Below is a list of some of the unique beliefs that we believe, which is what makes the church unique.  It’s what defines our relationship to Christ.  I think that you’ll see that while the beliefs are unique, they are beautiful at the same time, and they make “Mormons” be good citizens and members of any community.

Note: The official name of the church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Some people have called us “Mormons,” but we prefer the proper name of the church to emphasize our belief in Jesus Christ.

1. Mormons Believe in Eternal Marriage

The Mormon wedding ceremony is unique in a few ways, but it produces incredible results.  Despite countless social programs, the divorce rate throughout the United States has remained extremely high for many years.  Currently, the divorce rate among all people is around 47-50% depending on what statistic you cite.  However, the divorce rate among Mormons who marry in a Mormon temple is far lower.  Some sources cite it at just 6%.  That is remarkable when you consider that the divorce rate among other Christians almost always mirrors the 50% national average of non-Christians.

A portion of that statistic is no doubt a result of the type of faithful people who marry in an LDS temple.  Another reason is that those who marry in a temple believe that the marriage is respected by God after death–not only “to death do you part.”  So when latter-day saint couples hit rough patches, they work out the problems between them rather than looking for an “out.”

Exceptions are many, but statistics show that Mormon families are happy, healthy, and do their best to be good parents.

2. Mormons Believe that Christ, Heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost are Separate Beings

The Mormon belief that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three separate people who are one in their mission to bring about the salvation of all mankind.

The Bible is ripe with evidence in this belief.  When Christ was killed on the cross, he cried an earnest and desperate prayer to Heavenly Father.  His sacred prayer was, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”  Was he desperately seeking a connection with himself?!?!  When he declared, “Into thy hands, I commend my spirit,” was he asking himself to accept himself in his own Heaven?  It takes a contorted and twisted reading of the Bible to honestly believe that.

Another obvious example of this belief in the Bible is in the Book of Mark.  Christ is baptized of John the Baptist.  After Christ comes out of the water, the Holy Spirit descends from Heaven in the form of a dove (Mark 1:10).  This shows that Christ and the Spirit are certainly separate as they are seen separately here.  Christ could not have stood in a river and looked up in the sky only to see himself descending in the form of a dove.  Then, Heavenly Father’s voice from heaven declares, “Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11).  Was Christ’s voice magically teleported into the sky?  Did Christ really call himself his own son, and was he really pleased in himself?  I think not.  To me, this is as clear of a reference to Christ, the Spirit, and God being separate beings as anything.

I could go on, and on, and on.  Really the only scripture that could make one wonder if the three are one being is where the Bible records that Christ, God, and the Holy Ghost are one.  However, I believe that this merely shows their unity in purpose.  The Bible also uses this phrase in relation to married couples who leave their mother and father and become one.

3. The Book of Mormon Says that Christ Ministered to the Whole World

In the Bible (John 10:16), Christ explains that he is the Good Shepherd and that he will be killed.  Then, he says “Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, and they shall hear my voice.  And there shall be one fold and one shepherd.”  The question is who are the “other sheep” that Christ promised to minister to?

Mormons believe that Christ, after his death and resurrection, followed up on that promise and visited other lands throughout the world.  After all, he is the Savior of the entire world–not only the Jews.  The Book of Mormon is a record of Christ’s teachings to the people in the Americas.

This is a unique belief among other religions, and some might find it to be a little weird to read about Christ visiting other places than Jerusalem until they realize that Christ promised to do so.

You can read a summary of The Book of Mormon here.

4. Mormons Believe in Donating 10% of their Money to Charity

Yup, 10%.  Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) feel that it is important to not become overly obsessed with worldly possessions.

They pay a tithe (10%) of their earnings to the church each month.  The church uses these funds for charitable works–nearly all of the church’s clergy are unpaid with only a handful of exceptions out of the 15 million Mormons throughout the world.

No “donation plate” is ever passed around at church and nobody brow beats anyone who doesn’t pay a tithe.  Tithing is an individual choice that the faithful voluntarily chose to give in secret.

Also, latter-day saints pay a generous “fast offering” which is a donation to charity once per month.  They fast (skip food and drink) for 24 hours to show their devotion to God, and donate the money they would spend on those meals, plus a generous amount to charity.  The church uses these funds to do all kinds of humanitarian works around the world.

5. Mormons Believe Everyone Has a Responsibility to Research Their Family History

One unique belief of Mormons is their belief in baptism for the dead.  To understand this principle, a basic Biblical understanding of baptism is required.

John 3:5 says, “Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”  This scripture clearly lays out the requirement of baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost before entrance into heaven is permitted.  God cannot lie, so this teaching is iron clad.

What of the millions and millions of people who die without a fair chance to learn of Jesus, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost?  What of those who live in countries such as China where Christianity is not preached?  Are they all cast down to hell?  Does God not love these people?

Surely not.  God’s plan is perfect, and he wants all of his children on Earth to return to Him.  He provides for this through baptism for the dead.

The Bible makes reference to baptism for the dead a few times, such as in 1 Corinthians 15:29: “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for the dead?”  In this speech, Paul uses the apparently common practice of baptism for the dead to teach the truth of the resurrection.

In the Mormon church, members are asked to research their ancestors.  They study their family history (genealogy) and find those who died without a knowledge of the gospel.  Then, they take those names to Mormon temples and the member of the church is baptized in a font for and in behalf of their ancestor.

The practice of baptism for the dead makes Mormons especially mindful of their families, family trees, and their family legacy.  It is a beautiful practice which is essential to God’s plan.

6. They Believe Innocent Children Are Without Sin

One interesting teaching in The Book of Mormon is that innocent children are without sin.  While many churches believe in “original sin” meaning that Adam and Eve’s sin makes children unclean even though the children did not make the choice to partake of the fruit.

Toward the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni (a Book of Mormon prophet who lived around AD 400 in the Americas) said “Little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world …  How many children have died without baptism! Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell.” (Moroni 8:12-13)

This teaches that we are all subject to the fall of Adam and Eve.  Because of their choice, we can all die and do not live in a perfect Garden of Eden.  However, their sin is their own.  Children are not born evil because of someone else’s choice.  Instead, children are alive in Christ and are not responsible for their sins until they reach the age of accountability (age 8).

Thus, children are not baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints until they are at least 8 years of age.

7. Mormons Dedicate More than 2 Hours Per Week to Church Worship

Mormons have their main church meetings on Sundays.  The meetings last 2 hours long.  The first meeting is called Sacrament Meeting, where the bread and water are passed around as a memory of Christ’s last supper and to renew promises the Mormons have made to serve Christ.

The second meeting is called Sunday School.  The youth and kids each go to meetings with kids their own ages, and adults meet together to study the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

In addition to Sunday worship, we attend the temple (about 2 hours if you live close), read the scriptures daily, have church meetings in our homes, and read our scriptures daily.

The public is always invited to attend Mormon church services.

8. They Serve in their Churches Without Pay–Often for Many Many Hours Per Week

Members of the church are all given specific duties or ways they can help out in the church.  A member may be assigned to make a program for the church service each week, to serve as a bishop (leader of a congregation of about 300), to play the piano during services, to teach a youth class, etc.  Out of the more than 15 million Mormons in the world, only a very small handful receive pay for their ecclesiastical work.

I have been assigned to teach a youth Bible class each morning to the teenagers before they go to high school.  That calling takes about 3 hours of my time each week day, and I am not paid to do so.  While it is a major time commitment, I’m happy to have a way to serve others and fulfill my responsibility to be a servant of Christ.

A few of the common ways people make out latter-day saint beliefs to seem odd

As a life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I commonly hear a few things about my religion that people find odd, and I think they are mostly just misunderstandings.  So let’s discuss a few of those in case that’s what you came to find.

  • Jesus and Satan are brothers – We believe that God is the creator of all living beings in the known world.  So yes, we believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers, but only in the sense that ALL people were created by God.  It would be the same to say that we are brothers with Christ and Satan because we are all children of God.
  • Polygamy – Over 150 years ago, a portion of the members of our church were polygamists.  This included early leaders such as Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.  But actually, they weren’t the first polygamists.  Remember Abraham, the incredibly righteous prophet chosen by God in the Bible?  He was also a polygamist, as were many other Biblical prophets.  This occurred among a limited group of early members of our church but does not exist at all today in the church.  Read more about that here.
  • The Planet Kolob – In one of our books of scripture there is a single reference to a star or planet named Kolob that is near to the throne of God.  That’s really it.  But for some reason people outside our church have really fixated on this teaching as if we somehow are fixated on a bizarre weird planet.  In 38 years of attending my church, I doubt I’ve ever heard even one lesson or church talk about Kolob. More on Kolob here.
  • We believe we can become gods – We believe that God the spirits of every person to ever be born on this earth.  Thus, he is our Heavenly Father.  Personally, as a father, I want my children to learn to become everything I am and more!  I want them to be awesome!  So how much more then, would a perfect Heavenly Father, want us to gain all of the blessings and abilities he has?  We believe that after this life, we will be resurrected, and that in the thousands of years of eternity it may take us, we can eventually keep improving little by little day by day and eventually become perfect like a God.  We believe that’s God’s plan for us.  People like to make fun of us about having our own planets and weird stuff, but it’s really a simple belief for us.  We believe God’s plan is for us to continually improve for eternity if we are willing.

Conclusion

So are Latter-day Saints totally bizarre and weird?  I guess you could say so.  We don’t do the same things as most people.  Actually, they do a lot of things differently in order to serve others and to strive to be good members of society.

Maybe being weird isn’t so bad.  In fact, maybe it helps us to become good Christians.

If you learn more about latter-day saints, you’ll see that although we are different, at the same time we believe many of the same things that you do.

128 Comments

  1. Nice. Direct and to the point. I would like to post this on FB but don’t know how. Any suggestions?

    1. I don’t know why these beliefs are strange. I hope some of these could be really true. Sounds like a nice belief system.

      1. It isn’t strange to me at all, thank God they are close net families at least the majority, it is not hard to believe most of their teachings, it makes a lot more since then and a more realistic approach to accepting God and the Bible teachings

        1. But many LDS beliefs are not biblical. In the book of John it says Jesus was in the beginning, he created all things. He isn’t a creation of God. He himself created Satan. So how could they be brothers? Spiritually or any other way? I could go on with so many more examples of the differences in LDS teachings and Bible teachings.

          1. We believe all of us were created by God spiritually before this world was created. In the beginning of this world, Christ was with God and they worked together to create the world.

          2. First think logically. J could mean I or Junior depending on perspective. S could be Son or Senior. Choose a perspective or conclude as the third perspective, that there is no way to tell nor know. So they’re equals, brothers.

          1. That’s some interesting logic, Camie. I’m sorry to hear your father is difficult to deal with. But doesn’t it seem like you’re making a hasty generalization about me?

          2. I know thousands of Mormons and about 6 narcissists. The number don’t add up. Plus, of those 6 narcissists, 1 was Mormon, and she was a narcissist 55 years before she became Mormon.

          3. I’m a born again Christian and attend anon denominational church. My dear friend is of the LDS (Mormon). We have slightly different belief symptoms but are still great friends. We agree to differ. God was NEVER a sinner

          4. Where is your proof that most LDS members are narcissists? Just because your father is a member and a “narcissist”, at least in your opinion; that does not mean that other members are narcissists also. You are assuming they are based on your experience.

          5. My name is Francis Richer and my mother was a Catholic Christian manipulative narcissist. When I was about 35 years old I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints “Mormon”. I thought to myself, i have a wife and 3 beautiful daughters. Would I want to treat my own the way this woman treated me? No. sins of the mother were not going to be passed onto me or myb own. Jesus is the way. peace onto all.

          6. did you know, that just because you have a bad experience with someone in the church, that doesn’t mean that everyone in the church is bad?

      2. What a beautiful, well put together article. Thank you. I’m not Mormon, but the only “weird” thing is I already believed in everything you said.

      1. Because this is a place for people who treat each other respectfully. Mocking other people’s religious beliefs doesn’t bring either one of us any closer to Christ.

        I’m happy to take the hard questions, but productive discussions just don’t happen when one person enters the conversation with a disrespectful and toxic attitude toward the other person.

    2. Until the Mormon church begins to accept all people, I will never see them as a true representation of Christ’s teachings.

      1. Did Christ accept all people? What about the pharisees? He loved them, he spent time with them, he taught them, but he didn’t change his teachings to make what they did okay.

  2. Odd, all my Bibles say nothing of the sort, concerning the reference to 1st Corinthians 15:40-42. Maybe this is why the Mormons get a bad rap, because of their founder changing the wording in the Mormon Bible, just to suit his own cause. Something that’s strictly forbidden in the book of Revelation.

      1. Non-LDS here but looked up the verse to see it in context. It’s actually 1 Corinthians 15:29. The author quoted correctly but misattributed the quote. Easy to happen.

    1. Kinda what I was thinking reading through this is really the only thing that I was confused about I agree with most everything else. Glad I’m not the only one who looked this up!

    2. I agree, the Pope is another person who believes he can change the Bible. That is why many celebrate pagan holidays.

    1. Because God & Christ love everybody & want them to return to them. If you don’t believe in it, why would it bother you or you be afraid of it? I would think that you would shrug your shoulders & say something like “silly Mormons, wasting their time!”

      1. But it is appointed to man for ONCE to die, and after that comes the Judgement. We only get ONE chance to accept God’s forgiveness of our sins and His plan for our salvation. No where in the King James Bible does it say we can pray or baptize or even pay someone else’s way into Heaven.

      2. I don’t think anything should be considered silly but read Luke 16:27 the revelation of the rich man. It is all important. Remember Saul was even punished for consulting mediums which is another branch of this topic.

    2. I also would like to know what Mr. JB asked. “Why do you baptize those that are already deceased into the Mormon religion”?

      1. There is a scripture referring to the very early beginning of the church from Paul. But here is why from a Christian standpoint although I cannot comment on anything from a Mormon perspective about the subject. Newly converted Christians who may have professed faith in Christ on their deathbed or moments before death (as did the thief on the cross ) were never given a chance then to carry out Jesus’s command (Mathew 28:16-20) to be baptised as a sign of their obedience and identification with Christ’s death and resurrection. Therefore it was a comforting practice for the loved ones left behind to be baptised in proxy as a visble sign of the work God already had performed previously in the heart of the deceased prior to death, but who had never had a chance to obey Jesus’s command. Paul mentions it when he mentions the resurrection. Corinthians 15:20-34

      2. So the family can all be sealed together basically meaning the family can be together in the celestial kingdom (heaven)

    3. Because they want everyone to be together in the afterlife. Everyone gets a chance to accept their baptism when they’re stuck in purgatory. They belong there are three layers to heaven. To get to the top, you have to have your covenants.

    4. (Member here)Some people go to church and become LDS, but when they get baptized they are officially members of “The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints.” When they die as someone going to church but hasn’t quite gotten baptized yet they go to spirit prison. As far as i know, they stay there until they are baptized, then they can go and live with our father in Heaven.

  3. Baptism is an individual action taken by the person who believes that Christ is his/her Savior.
    A person who passes from life on earth without accepting Christ and being baptized will not enter the gates of Heaven unless God intervenes.
    A family member can not do for another family member what Christ asked man to do alone. God is the judge, not a family member. The Morman Church has added to Christ ‘s commands, again, making the Bible appear incomplete. If you believe you can rewrite the Bible, I say respectively, your faith is not in God. God has a plan for those who are not baptized and did not hear the gospel. Mam needs to follow the scriptures and not try to rewrite them.

    1. Hi Shirley, I think there’s a potential confusion here. You said “God is the judge, not a family member.” I fully agree. We don’t somehow judge our ancestors worthy of heaven. We simply perform the physical action of baptism requiring a body, and give them the ability to accept Christ.

      1. Does the LDS denomination believe that it is through Grace we are saved? That to enter Heaven Christ stands before God as the sacrifice for our sins through Grace? We can not earn our way into Heaven. We can accept the gift of salvation or not. I have a difficult time believing the Almighty hasn’t seen into the hearts of those denied knowledge of Him and then would deny them everlasting life with Him. The truth is religion is man made. We are saved through Faith.

        1. @Kathy- Yes, we believe that the grace of God is required for our salvation. Yes, we believe that to enter heaven, Christ stands before God as the sacrifice for our since through grace. Yes, we agree that we cannot earn our way into Heaven of our own accord.

          1. For years I was pushed away from any sort of Christianity because my church failed to harmonize and properly characterize seeming contradictions between the words of Paul and Jesus, as well as James. That has radically and drastically changed as I\’ve welcomed the Holy Spirit back into my life for the first time as an adult the past year.

            Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us we are saved by Grace through Faith alone; it is God\’s gift.

            James 2:14-26 covers the idea that faith without works is dead.

            Two seemingly contradicting passages which are cherry-picked, misunderstood and mischaracterized individually rather than holistically.

            The composite of these ideas is that YES we are indeed saved by Grace through Faith, because we are sinners. The Law (Torah) was never made to restrict us, it was meant to show us God\’s standard and reveal, highlight the issue of sin. No one can possibly uphold all of the Commandments; that was never the point! Romans discusses this extensively. Using a CJB translation has helped me to untangle all of this, with my KJV partnered next to it.

            The harmony of the seemingly cyclical and contradictory logic is this: We are saved by God\’s gift of Grace because the Law cannot be fully upheld. HOWEVER, the * of it is that we are not to take advantage of that Grace — if we are truly saved by it, the Holy Spirit resides within us. If the Holy Spirit resides within us, we become dead to our old nature; a new Creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) — the works come naturally by very nature of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Obedience and communion with The Most High is the RESULT, not the condition of salvation. \”Faith without works is dead\” means that we are still dead in sin if we claim Grace by Faith, yet have not bore fruits of the Spirit (\”Ye shall know them by their fruits\” Matthew 7:16).

            God searches the heart and mind, rewarding each according to their conduct and the fruits of their deeds (Jeremiah 17:10). We must accept Grace (which qualifies as \”conduct\” and \”a deed,\” one which bears the fruits of the Spirit), and in turn the works come naturally, as the fruits of the Spirit. There is a cause and effect relationship here and the ONLY conduct we need have is Faith; we get put through the purifying fire to see if that faith is authentic. If it is false, our works in the Spirit (or lack thereof) will make it apparent. \” Ye shall know them by their fruits\”

            Yeshua was the human embodiment of this seemingly contradicting but truly harmonious facets of Christianity. He said he came to FULFILL, not abolish the Law. Paul is taken often as saying the Law is done away with, but this is false — We still must make a genuine effort to uphold the Mitzvot, but it is through our genuine Faith and God\’s Grace that those efforts flow naturally from us. It will sometimes be a challenge, but if we are to walk like Christ and abide by the Word, struggles and challenges are an integral part of that walk! We are called to be in this world but not of it; to hate the things of this world; to take up our cross and FOLLOW HIM, not be like goats and go our own way (Matthew 16:24-26, 25:31-46)

            I\’m integrating and understanding these concepts better even as I write this. It is definitely repetitive and may seem redundant but that is intentional. I will be the first to say I am a sinner — please don\’t take me as being self-righteous here.

            PS I am interested if you have any content regarding Old Covenant vs New Covenant, and the Mormon perception of \”fulfillment not abolishment\” of the Law. This is a whole other rabbit hole which I have my own beliefs on but it isn\’t exactly relevant to my points above! God Bless!

        2. kathy jesus is God
          God was the only one that could redeem us because he made us.
          God came as a son to redeem us it is all through the bible
          2 tim 3;16 God manifested himself in the likeness of sinful flesh.
          im trying to get a bible discussion for deeper revelation for those that are really hungry for the true God of the bible

      2. What is the point of baptizing them if they’ve already passed? Don’t you need to be alive to accept Christ? Hebrews 9:27 states that we all die once, and after that comes judgment. So, how is it that you could be saved once you’ve already died?

        1. We believe there is a time between death and the final judgment where we can all learn God’s plan and choose. Otherwise, this life would be patently unfair to those who were born in a country where Christianity is not taught.

    2. shirley that is so true we have to follow the scriptures because it is gods written word. Jesus was the only one that had the words of eternal life. Keep following only the scriptures
      I am trying to get a bible discussion going
      if anyone have any question no matter what we can discuss them

    3. The only way for man to make the choice to be baptized once deceased is through proxy baptisms. The reason mormons (LDS) do baptisms for the dead is solely to give the deceased a choice whether to accept it or not. It’s still their action whether to get baptized.
      Also, the Bible can’t have been perfectly restored and translated, so it would make sense that some records aren’t 100% accurate, right?

      You make a good point, Shirley. Thank you for sharing.

      1. Are there any scriptures in the Bible to support the claim that Joseph Smith was a prophet?

  4. The point of baptism for the dead is to give them a second chance at baptism if they did not have the chance or did not what to be baptized. So that they can go to the kingdom of god.

    1. It is a covenant that you have to do. If you don’t you can’t enter any of the kingdoms in heaven, so you have to wait if you don’t get baptized. So if a person in a another place hasn’t ever heard of the church we are giving them a chance to enter a kingdom. Did this answer your question?

    2. But baptism is an announcement to proclaim your faith in Jesus… the action of it doesn’t save you, it is your faith. The thief on the cross never got baptized, but Jesus said to him “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise -Luke 23:43

      1. We agree. Simply going through the act of baptism is not enough–it requires faith and choice and repentance. We perform the baptism act for them so they can choose to accept or reject that baptism in the afterlife.

        Yes, Christ said to the malefactor on the cross next to him that he would be with Christ in Paradise. We know no details of the man’s life so it’s unfair to judge that, but it could be as simple as saying that he would be at peace in the spirit world, which is a place where we can learn more of God’s plan and continue to choose to improve our lives as we learn more from God.

  5. Okay, so let’s discuss. I want to understand what makes the Mormon congregation Christian? I mean if they are Christian why have the title of being ‘Mormon’??…
    Please make me understand.

    1. People call us “Mormon” but that is not what we call ourselves. We’re members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

      What makes us Christian? We believe in Jesus Christ as the savior of the world, and only through his grace do we believe we can be saved. We follow him.

      1. The problem is Mormons are the only ones who consider themselves Christians, the rest of the Christian world doesn’t consider them to be Christian

        1. So what definition of the word “Christian” are you using? I consider a Christian to be someone who follows Jesus Christ? That’s what we strive to do every day.

        2. So “the rest of the world”, has Violated one of the Ten Commandments, that says, “Judge not”. So who gave you the sacred authority to judge people trying to live a Christ like life?

    2. Just like pizza can be made in different ways & still be pizza, we may have some differences with other Christian religions but we still accept Christ as our Savior, we worship Him, he died for us & rose again, breaking the permanency of death, & He continues to guide us through the Holy Spirit. If you study other Christian religions you will also find differences between them (baptism for one example). Does that make them non-Christian?He said that a church in a man’s name is that man’s church. His church would have his name in the name of the church. How many “Christian” churches have other names? Are they then not Christian? Instead of churches arguing about who is/isn’t Christian, we should be doing as He did, using our energy to help lift the downtrodden, comforting the sick, & helping one another on this mortal experience so we can all return to Him!

      1. You see, some of us believe and take the Word as fact, that when Jesus said, “if you do not believe I am he, you will die in your sins”, and “Before Abraham was, I am” (I am, was a name God went by in the Old Testament to Moses and the Jews). We believe Jesus is God in the Flesh, as John 1 testifies to. Without belief that Jesus is God, you will die in your sins, as Jesus says. We’re not arguing with you. We simply care for you. Hope that helps.

      2. I like your comment brother Dave
        You have given a such inspiring and a positive objection
        “We are not supposed to define ourselves as a church name but our relationship with God”

  6. Interesting
    How can you believe in any religeon as no human has ever made contact with God
    I respect the good the Mormons do .
    Jos Bots

    1. We actually do believe that some people have made contact with God like Joseph Smith and other prophets in the Book of Mormon and Bible. Also we believe that when we pray we are talking to god and he can answer our prayers.

    2. Didn’t Joseph Smith say both God and Jesus visited him on the mountain? That is contact. Not even Mose see God in His fullness. He described his encounter with God through fire and the voice. What did Joseph Smith see to know it was God and Jesus?

    3. Jos, great questions!
      Here are my thoughts; I am not a Mormon:
      1. Religion is MAN’S attempt to reach GOD. Christianity is GOD’S attempt to reach MAN. Just stop and think about that.
      2. Perhaps you meant to say that humans have not SEEN God. That’s true. But you’ve heard some things along your way that have caused you to believe that men and women have never CONTACTED God. That’s not true. I can make contact with Him EVERY DAY when I pray because He hears my prayers! I make contact with Him when I say, “Thank you, GOD” every time I see a beautiful sunrise, or sunset, or newborn baby fawn, or joy on my children’s faces…because God loves to make me happy and He loves my grateful heart. I make contact with Him when I cry out to Him in pain or sickness, or in grief, or in desperation, or when I feel sad or lonely, or when I need Him to quickly SAVE ME, or HELP ME when no one else can! And this is because He is my Protector, my Healer, my Creator, my Friend, my Constant Companion, my Confidant, my heavenly Father, my God. And I am His Chosen, His Child. We, as humans, will NEVER understand how God CONTINUES to love us…in spite of all the bad thoughts and things we have done. “But if we confess our sins, He is FAITHFUL to forgive us and CLEANSE US from all unrighteousness.” YOU, too, Jos Bots, can have contact with God when you ask Him to forgive you of your sins (He already DID this when He took your sins and DIED FOR YOU in your place on the Cross.) Ask Him to come into your life by just giving Him control of your life. Ask Him to be your Savior. And HE WILL!!! You will experience true joy like you have never known; true love like no one in this world can give you!
      And 3: I, too, admire the good deeds that Mormons and others do for those less fortunate than we are. But only DEEDS don’t get us into Heaven. We must have FAITH ALONE in CHRIST ALONE.
      I will pray for you, Jos Bots.
      From Jeanette in Comfort, Texas (where it was 108 degrees today!!! Whew! And Thank you, God, for air conditioning!!! 😃🙏✝️🙋🏼‍♀️

  7. If good Christians practice charity and honor truthfulness
    Then tell me how any strong devout covenant living member of the church of Jesus Christ be a politician we all know they have a responsibility to ride the fence and since politicians would rather steal te candy from a child and claim they did it for the child’s own welfare.
    How can politicians be Christians
    Such as Mitt Romney,Hillary Clinton,
    Schumer,Pelosi,Newsome the list grows exponentially.

    1. Hi Joe, not all the people you mentioned there are part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, such as Hilary Clinton… Unless some of them are members but it’s not public knowledge 🤷🏼‍♀️.
      However members or not, people are entitled to specific ideas and ways of thinking. And they are all people… Who make good decisions and bad decisions. However probably the decisions of one person who I am sure is still learning right and wrong and growing probably shouldn’t speak for an entire group of people and how they would act in the same situation. Have you ever made a bad decision? Or done something that others who believe the same beliefs as you disagree with? Whether or not you feel that your beliefs are the correct beliefs you probably make errors in your life because you are just as human as the rest of us. I have religious beliefs that at times I probably was not the best at being a symbol for. All politicians may study the scriptures and pray but at the end of the day they all have their own way of thinking and there is no mass population that would fully agree with every decision any politician makes. That’s a poor representation of any religious factor. The only politician in that grouping that I am currently aware is a member of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints is mitt Romney and I personally (being a devout member) disagree with him half the time. He represents only his thoughts not the church’s views and opinions though they may sometimes align.

  8. Why is there not a cross on the steeples at the Mormon churches…do you call where you worship a church? Why is they have already been baptized in a Christian Church do all Mormons have. to be baptized to be a part of the Mormon church? Why do Mormons keep to themselves and not mingle with non-Mormons? I have experienced this in Salt Lake City, the east coast, in the south and in Colorado. The Mormon church(?) seems to represent that of a cult – please explain if you disagree.

    1. Hi Diane. We don’t use the symbol of the cross much because we focus on Christ’s resurrection. We believe that his death didn’t define him, but his overcoming death. I really appreciate that many love using the cross to remember Christ and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that at all. It’s wonderful. I just personally like to think of him coming out of the tomb in victory.

      We believe authority is required from god to perform baptism, so if someone was baptized previously but not by someone with the priesthood, that it should be done again.

      I don’t really think we keep to ourselves. I mingle a lot with non-members of our church.

      A member of a cult? Hmmmm. Well, I go to church and learn about loving others. I serve in my community, never harm anyone, and love my family. I study the Bible daily. If that’s a cult, then sure. We’re a cult. But you should really attend one of our worship services and see if you still think we’re a cult.

      1. I am a Christian missionary from England working in a poor part of Hungary. I do not in understand enough about what you believe in although I now understand that you follow Jesus. Do you believe the Holy Spirit speaks and lives inside you today.
        Do you believe that myself as a bible believing Christian am on the wrong track by not following the book of Mormon?
        What about hell…do you believe anyone is going there?
        What about Satan?

        Sorry for all the questions 🙂

        1. Yes, we believe the Holy Ghost can abide in us and guide us to God.

          If you are following Christ, we believe you are on the right track. We believe The Book of Mormon helps us to learn of Christ.

          Yes, we believe what God said about hell.

      2. I think it’s super interesting that the resurrection of Christ is more significant to you than the crucifixion. Yes, He defeated death. He also did not have to die for us to begin with. Not only did he overcome death, he allowed it to happen when he could’ve defeated them all before they even had the chance. The biggest sacrifice that has ever and will ever be made. And that should be EQUALLY focused on with the resurrection.

      3. Great smart responses. Life long Catholic here. I enjoy my faith. I went to a LDS device in Salt Lake yesterday. Nothing weird, and nice people. Don’t think I’ll convert but Mormons are good people. The early Christians were considered a cult by the Romans and Jews. In my opinion a religion is a cult + time. I’m fine with that.

  9. Just had a civil discussion about who Jesus Christ is and what He came to do with a friend and 2 Morman “Elders” trying to gain interest in their religion. They say they believe and teach the Bible. Yet, this is a deception because they teach the philosophies of their “prophet” Joseph Smith whose teachings and supposed visions are contrary to the Bible. While the Bible has great authority in its historicity, scrutiny from scholarly research over centuries, such evidences as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, eye witness testimony of early disciples, verified prophesies and so on, to prove its authenticitym, one man’s vision which stands in opposition to these things is not to be trusted. I am glad we have religious freedom in America according to our own consciences. However, I would encourage any legitimate seeker of truth to put their confidence and trust in what the Bible says and not be led astray with any who teach otherwise. God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son so that whoever believes on Him would have eternal life. The Gospel of John the Beloved is a good place to start.

      1. Where in the Bible does it teach that we were spirit beings in heaven and were paired with physical bodies upon birth, or that we can become Gods and inherit our own planet ?

        1. Jeremiah 1:5 says “BEFORE I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee.”

          Psalms 82:6 says “Ye are gods”

          1. This just means that God knows each one of us before we were born, he knew who we would be, He knit us together in our mothers’ womb, not that we existed as spirits in Heaven prior to birth….also, in Psalm 82:6, if you use the study part of your bible, instead of taking parts of a verse out of context, you would see the verse that says “you are Gods”, you are all SONS of the most high” (meaning his creation) verse 7, “but you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler”….rulers and judges, as deputies of the Heavenly King could be given the honorific title “Gods” in Old Testament language….You can’t just pick and choose phrases out of scripture to suit some belief that has no merit!

          2. What you’re describing is that god came to know us AS he formed us. You said it “just means that God knows each one of us… he knew who we would be. He knit us together in our mothers’ womb.” That’s not what the scripture says. It says he knew us BEFORE he formed us in our mothers’ belly. Thus, BEFORE this life.

      2. Why is he called a prophet? You cannot anoint yourself or appoint yourself over anyone that is technically a sin. If God did in fact speak to smith why did he go make his own book? Why is the book known as the book of Mormons and not the book of believers?
        Salvation comes through the declaration and acceptance of Jesus Christ as your lord and savior. Not through Joseph Smith who is a human.

      3. In your article, you discussed eternal marriage. However, Jesus specifically says in Matthew 22:30, that “At the resurrection people with neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” (NIV) I mean no disrespect or to be argumentative in anyway, I am just curious what you think about this.

        I am also wondering about Galatians 1:8 which says “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse. As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse.”

      4. Jesus speaks in Matthew & Luke that there will be no marriage in heaven. Lds believe in sealing of marriage & families. Can you give further explanation of “eternal marriage” please? Thank you for this site. God bless.

  10. Thank you for your blog. I am really interested to someday a member of the church of LDS. I hope there’s one near my place.

    1. Where do you live because there are LDS churches all over the world. Just walk into one on a Sunday and tell them you want to talk to the missionaries. The missionaries are there to teach you about the teachings of the church.

  11. There are many contradictions between the Bible and Book of Mormon. You cite on at the very beginning of this article. Celestial marriage. Jesus clearly teaches there is no such thing (Mark 12: 22-25, Luke 20: 34-36). If Jesus was not God, how does His sacrifice on the cross wipe away our sins? Only God can do that. If Jesus was wondering the Earth after His resurrection, how could Stephen see Him standing in heaven as the book of Acts describes? You see Jim, since the dawn of time, Satan has used half-truths to lead people astray from God. Started in the garden of Eden (“surely you won’t die”). Satan is now using Joseph Smith and his apostate church to accomplish that goal. Repent of your sins, trust in Christ alone and find a good Bible teaching church to join. Your eternal soul depends on it.

    1. 1. It says in Genesis 2:24 that when married “they shall be one flesh” this is what it means to have a celestial marriage, in Mark and Luke they are explaining something that is without true authority and the power of God.
      2. Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father and The Holy Ghost are three separate beings, but they together are one God, there are references to each one of them calling them God, but that is because they are all in the God Head. I’m Matthew 3:16-17 it states “the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son” does this not prove they are two separate beings? If Christ pleased Heavenly Father does that not show that Christ could have done different and is separate from God our Father because God was pleased with his decision?
      3. Joseph Smith did not write the Book of Mormon and there were multiple witnesses in which proves he did not make it up it was a book of historical text. In the first pages of the Book of Mormon it explain the purpose of the Book of Mormon it is another testament of Jesus Christ and we study both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The first pages also have testimonies of 11 witnesses of Joseph Smith translating these texts.

  12. Why is baptism such a determinant? I mean, WHY… I get that it wipes us of our sins so that we can enter the gates of Heaven…. but for those who weren’t baptized – alive or dead – do they really deserve such harsh punishment? This 1 ritual determines eternal heaven or hell? The idea of “hell” or not being allowed to re-unite as one with God seems incredibly harsh. I have a hard time believing that a God who unconditionally loves us inflicts such harsh punishment on those that do not participate in a human ritual. This can be applied elsewhere too… like FEARING God. Why should we fear Him? I guess the difference lies in judgment. See, I believe God is NOT judgmental because LOVE is non-judgmental. LOVE is unconditional… but so many religious teachings scream condition.

    1. Hi Carson, I think baptism is often times misunderstood. It’s more of a gift given to people that they may either accept or not. It’s completely and totally a symbolism thing. Prior to baptism people are supposed to evaluate thier lives and wrongdoings and have a desire to have those wrongdoings and bad feelings taken away from them. The baptism is a symbol of willingness to follow Christ. Even with things like baptism for the dead though in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it’s merely a gesture. Those people who it’s done for can accept that or not. But what your supposed to understand and really be choosing when you choose baptism or not baptism is are you willing to follow God? And I personally believe that people that are not baptized in this life because maybe they don’t truly understand what it means to be baptized will be better taught and given the choice later. But if you really think about it, if baptism is God saying “are you willing to follow my commandments and do good” and you say “nah that doesn’t sound like something I would want to do” then he would probably say “that’s ok. It’s your choice… But you can’t stay with me while you do that stuff.” And he’s probably extremely torn apart to see you go. The church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints also believes in kingdoms of glory though which means if you told God “hey I don’t really want to follow your commandments and be baptized” you wouldn’t be in the his kingdom of glory, but if you are not an inherently bad person either you don’t go straight to hell. You would just end up in a lesser kingdom of glory, and completely by choice!!

      As for the “Fear God” thing. That used to bother me too and for the exact same reason. But you have to remember the bible has been translated hundreds of times over and in translating the person doing it chooses the closest possible word. I didn’t really get that statement till I learned other languages and read scriptures in other languages. Most of the other languages that I have read it in translate more as: “Respect God” or something to that effect. Kind of like how your parents tell you to do something and you do it cause you respect them, not really cause your afraid of them. It’s just the translation.

      That was long😮‍💨 sorry.

    2. I’m not a Mormon, but I am a Christian and I wanted to respond to your comment regardless 🙂 as far as baptism goes, I don’t wanna speak much on that because I don’t want to theologically say the wrong thing to you. BUT, the Bible does stress immense importance on baptism. I do think it’s important. But I don’t believe people go to hell for not being baptized. I think there’s more to it than that. And God is the final judge. But also, speaking on what you said about the fear of God. I used to think the same thing. But the “fear” of God doesn’t necessarily mean fear as in, afraid or scared. It’s more like humility. Recognizing how mighty and righteous God is. God is our designer. He made us. He knows how we should live our lives in the way that we would feel the most fulfilled. It’s not a matter of being angry or judgmental in that sense. My pastor once said “God loves you just as you are, but He loves you too much to let you stay that way.” 🙂

  13. Hey just want to clear up some confusion here.. the divorce rate of 6% is a bit misleading due to the church only counting a divorce as the cancellation of a sealing which is a process most people either decide not to go through or is denied. If you look at unbiased statistics the divorce rate in the Mormon culture is actually slightly higher than the national average

    1. I don’t think that’s true. I have never heard of an active couple who did not get their sealing canceled when divorced. I’ve never heard of it being rejected or not sought. Usually that’s something people immediately seek after divorce if they are active in the church.

  14. Hi Jim, nice to see a factual posting of information regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for once. Soo much weird stuff out there!! Thanks for writing this.

  15. While jesus was alive he did not claim to be God. How many places in the Old Testament say there is only one God. That one God did not tell Abraham, Issac, Jacob how to get born again or say someone had to be tortured for peoples sin.

  16. TIGERRED EXACTLY. No one is righteous, “no, not one.” Christ is the only One w/Father, and He is the only one who can clense us of all unrighteousness, that being SIN of every kind included what is in our minds at any time. Not one of us is worthy no matter what we think or do. Christ is the only one who can cleanse of all righteousness for eternal life because He is the Son & the Christ & Spirit. WORKS doctrine is made for the putrid ideals of man who think we have even the slightest ability to be enough at any time. Christ went to the cross as the innocent Lamb laid down by His love for us. He is ready for anyone who will seek his forgiveness no matter how terribly we have done.

  17. If the fall of man (sin) is the reson for death, they why if children are sinless before 8, why do they die?

    1. We aren’t responsible for Adam and Eve’s sin, but we do live with the consequences of our first parents’ choice to bring us into an imperfect and sinful world. Thus, children born into the world can die–even if they have no sin on their conscience.

    2. Physical death isn’t because of sin. It is because of being mortal, a condition caused by the fall. Spiritual death, a separation from God, is caused by sin. When Adam & Eve partook of the fruit (the act of partaking, because God said “you will surely die”) they brought mortality & death into the world. Because of the sin, Adam & Eve were forced to leave the Garden (God’s presence).

      1. I have a friend who is Mormon and Ive never really know what it is you believe in. So I was researching it tonight and came across your article. I know I’ve commented on a few different things on here tonight, I’m sure it might be coming off aggressive. I do think a lot of things believed by the LDS church are taken out of context from the Bible. But I also respect you as my brother in Christ regardless and as much as I might disagree with you, I don’t mean to offend you at all. So I just wanted to add that along with everything else I’ve said.

  18. Why would we need to manipulate Christ and his love? Why would we try and manipulate his teachings? All we want is Christ. These are the truths we have seen. It’s up to you in what you believe, what an awesome thing agency is. And keep asking those questions. Many a good thing come from truth.

  19. To me one of the most interesting beliefs of the LDS people is that all men can become gods of their own planets one day. I am surprised that did not make the list.

  20. I am a member and there is one scripture that has been quoted to me, by non members, is the verse in Rev. 22 : 19 to prove that the Book OF Mormon cannot be true. The verse says, “And if any man shall take away from the words of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and the things whick are written in this book.”
    When John wrote the book of Rev. the bible as a book did not exist. The verse means the the book of Rev.

  21. The meaning of scripture and christ teachings aren’t always 100% clear. Different religions interpret them different ways. No one is manipulating any teachings.

    I agree with your comments on agency. Keep asking questions.

  22. Cheri, this is not true. Nothing about LDS teaching implies this. This could have been a myth originating from all men and women being resurrected and becoming perfect when entering heaven.
    Nothing about planets or becoming gods. Nothing about men having more privileges.

  23. Your site isn really too bad. I’m an active member. My huge concern is that you brought people to your site by showing pictures of temple garments. Not cool. Not cool at all. Seriously think it through.

    1. Lynne, I have no idea what you’re talking about. The only picture I have ever published on this site of the temple garment is the picture PUBLISHED BY THE CHURCH in the public church media library on the official church website.

  24. mormons do not accept the gay LGBTQIA++++ community which offends me personally as a hemiosexually avantaged queer women, (they/that), i don’t appreciate the discrimationtion.

    1. Catholics don’t think we should use condoms or other forms of birth control. My wife and I do use birth control. Is it OFFENSIVE to me that someone has a religious belief that makes them believe something I’m doing is a sin? No, it doesn’t. I am friends with many catholics. They have their own beliefs on what moral behavior is, and I have mine. We get along just fine.

      So my question is, why are you OFFENDED? People can think differently than you, and you can be friends and treat each other well. Your choice to be offended is your own problem.

      1. Thank you for you information, there is no doubt that Mormons are good and family people but still a few things bothers me aliitle ,like jesus being Satan’s bro and the baptism of the dead, Satan was an angel while Jesus is the son of God

  25. I still find it sad in my heart that there are so many christian groups, followers of Christ all with reference fact sheets supporting claims on the text interpretation of the bible. All which define the branch differences of religious faith. God, the Son and the Holy Spirit as One body or 3 sepperate things. So many versions of the Bible with different translations with backing by different scholars belief in the text. Is it a Trinity or not? Was Gods interpreted name Jehovah not removed from the bible in so many versions? Enough time spent listening, reading and trying to understand the case behind each still leaves me uncertain of any True path and understanding and empothetic to the beliefs and reasoning of many of the different teachings.
    Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus I pray. As the days near and the light gets brighter, I pray you correct any misbeliefs I have of you. That my heart be read, and my faith be understood. I accept Christ Jesus as my savior through the grace of God, Jehovah. I let His Holy spirit guide me. I have faith though I am uncertain of so much we will still know eachother when we meet. I am grateful for all your mercy, love and guidance in my life. In Jesus name, I pray Amen.
    I have met so many wonderful people n so many branches of Christianity. Those with absolute faith within their branches.
    I have met many bad people also, hiding behind the cloth, as sinners with no remorse.
    I just long for this part of humanity to be over and Gods children to be together again, for their future generations to be born and grow up in a time where there is no doubt. I am doing all I can to be a part of that. Even if I am not, I have peace knowing that will all come to be one day and a world of sin and life in these troubling times will be no more.

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