Mormonism vs. Biblical Christianity | Colossians 1:15-17
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The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:15-17
Are Mormons Christians? That question fills TV segments and magazines. Even Gordon B. Hinckley, former LDS president, admitted other faiths often don’t regard Mormons as Christians. At the same time, Newsweek once noted that Mormonism “insists” on the label despite doctrines that “differ radically.” If the answer were yes, then Christians would be Mormons. They are not—and the reason is simple: Mormonism adds requirements to salvation that biblical Christianity does not.
What Mormonism Requires for “Full” Salvation
Mormon sources outline multiple conditions beyond faith in Christ. Among them:
Personal revelation as a consequence of obeying LDS laws and ordinances.
Physical labor — “Man cannot be saved in idleness.”
Obedience to leaders — failure risks “losing salvation.”
Overcoming temptation measured by lifestyle standards (Word of Wisdom, tithing, loyalty to LDS “anointed,” etc.).
Intelligence/knowledge — the “glory of God is intelligence,” pursued to progress toward godhood.
Perseverance — faithful endurance in the “true church” to the end.
Baptism — immersion as a condition for forgiveness and entrance to “celestial glory.”
Laying on of hands — for the gift of the Holy Ghost as “essential.”
Marriage & childbearing — historically tied to “clothing spirit children”; in LDS teaching, procreation is tied to exaltation.
Temple work — including proxy rites for the dead; engagement in these ordinances is presented as necessary for exaltation (godhood).
By contrast, the Bible teaches salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone: “For by grace are you saved through faith…not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8–9). Christ’s substitutionary death is sufficient — Christ plus nothing.
Why the “Christian” Label?
LDS missionaries tell a compelling restoration story: the early church allegedly fell into total apostasy; creeds and churches became an “abomination”; God then restored truth through Joseph Smith (via visions, angelic visitations, and gold plates). But church history tells a different story: from Origen and Chrysostom to Wycliffe, Luther, Calvin, Bunyan, Whitefield, Wesley—and great awakenings — the gospel never disappeared. Calling historic pastors “corrupt” doesn’t square with the faithful witness God preserved.
Watch the Words: Equivocation
LDS media often sounds familiar — God, Jesus, Christian, salvation, anointing, heaven — but those words carry very different definitions than in orthodox Christianity. You cannot discern a counterfeit if you don’t know how language is being redefined.
Core Doctrinal Clashes
1) God:
Biblical Christianity is monotheistic—one God, eternally existing in three persons. LDS teaching is functionally polytheistic and tritheistic: the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are separate beings who were once men; beyond them are many gods over many worlds. Scripture declares, “I am the LORD, and there is no other” (Isa. 45). God is spirit (John 4:24), not a perfected man of “flesh and bones.”
2) Jesus Christ:
In LDS teaching, Jesus is our elder spirit-brother, a being who progressed to godhood; his conception is described in terms alien to the virgin birth; even creation is shared with others. The Bible reveals the eternal Son by whom and for whom all things were created (Col. 1:15–17), uniquely divine and sinless.
3) Atonement and Salvation:
LDS doctrine treats the cross as opening a path to earn forgiveness through law-keeping and ordinances. Scripture says, “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). The cross isn’t the start of your self-salvation project; it’s the finished work.
4) Scripture and the Book of Mormon:
LDS claims about ancient migrations, civilizations, language (“reformed Egyptian”), and New World cities lack corroborating archaeological evidence. Meanwhile, the Bible’s historical claims are consistently illuminated by geography, artifacts, and manuscript evidence. God’s revelation is complete in the Old and New Testaments.
5) Heaven:
LDS theology divides eternity into celestial, terrestrial, and telestial kingdoms, with exalted Mormons pursuing godhood and eternal procreation. The New Testament presents a different horizon: resurrection life in the presence of the one true God for those united to Christ by faith—and judgment for those who reject him.
The Apostolic Warning
Paul’s words are thunderous and timely: “If we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8–9). Any message that adds works to grace or new conditions to Christ’s finished work is “another gospel.”
Hold Fast to the Word
So, are Mormons Christians? Measured by historic, biblical doctrine — No. This isn’t about niceness or family values; it’s about the gospel. Anchor your soul in Scripture. Love your LDS neighbors, listen well, speak the truth in love, and point them to the Savior who fully saves by grace through faith. And as Paul urged Timothy, “Study to show yourself approved… rightly dividing the word of truth.”
