God’s Nature in Mormonism vs. Biblical Christianity
The god of mormonism/LDS is not the God of Christianity, and the Bible. They are not the same. No man can claim that mormons/LDS are Christians after reading this short comparison. If he does, he is a deceiver.
Comparison: LDS vs. Historic Christian Doctrine of God
One of the most striking theological differences between Latter-day Saint (Mormon) belief and historic Christian orthodoxy is their understanding of God’s eternity and nature. The following chart outlines the contrasts clearly.
| Doctrine | Historic Christian / Biblical View | LDS (Mormon) View |
|---|---|---|
| 1. God’s Nature (Essence) | God is spirit, infinite, eternal, uncreated, and unchangeable in being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth (John 4:24; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). | God the Father is an exalted, glorified man with a physical body of flesh and bone (D&C 130:22). He is one of a species of “gods” who achieved exaltation. |
| 2. Eternity / Beginning | God is eternal and self-existent — He never came into being. He is aseity itself: the uncaused cause (Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 43:10). | God the Father had a beginning as a man; He lived on another world, progressed, and was exalted to godhood. “As man now is, God once was.” (Lorenzo Snow) |
| 3. Creation | God created all things out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo) by His word (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). | God organized pre-existing matter; the universe and intelligences are co-eternal with God (D&C 93:29; Abraham 3:18–19). |
| 4. The Trinity / Godhead | One divine being in three coequal, coeternal persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1). | Three separate beings — the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost — “one in purpose,” but not in substance or essence. |
| 5. Immutability (Unchangeableness) | God is eternally the same in nature and perfections (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). | God progressed to His current state of perfection and glory; some LDS sources imply He may still progress in knowledge or glory. |
| 6. Humanity’s Destiny | Humans are creatures made in God’s image but not of His essence; they remain created beings (Isaiah 43:10; Romans 11:36). | Humans are of the same species as God—“intelligences” co-eternal with Him—and can become gods themselves (D&C 132:20). |
| 7. Salvation / Exaltation | Salvation = eternal life in God’s presence by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). God remains God alone (Isaiah 44:6–8). | Salvation (in its fullest sense) = exaltation — becoming gods like the Father, ruling over spirit offspring eternally (Moses 1:39; D&C 132). |
The Core Difference: “Uncreated Creator” vs. “A Created, Exalted Man”
Historic Christianity
- God is wholly other—not part of creation, not composed of matter, and not subject to time.
- There is only one God, uncreated and infinite, the source of all being.
- Humans can be glorified and made holy but never become divine by nature.
Latter-day Saint Theology
- God the Father was once a man and progressed to godhood.
- Matter and “intelligences” are eternal; God did not create existence itself but organized it.
- Humanity shares the same kind of being as God and can ascend to the same state of exaltation.
Biblical Conflict Points (from a Historic Christian View)
| LDS Claim | Biblical Response |
|---|---|
| “God was once a man.” | “Before the mountains were brought forth… from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” — Psalm 90:2 |
| “There are many gods.” | “I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God.” — Isaiah 45:5 |
| “Man can become a god.” | The serpent’s temptation: “You shall be as God” (Genesis 3:5). Believers become like Christ in holiness, not gods in essence (2 Peter 1:4). |
| “God has a body of flesh and bones.” | “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” — John 4:24 |
Modern LDS Clarifications
In recent years, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has:
- Affirmed that God has a physical body and that humans can become exalted.
- Avoided speculation about God’s life before His godhood.
- Emphasized worship of the Father alone, not a chain of gods.
“Little has been revealed about the first stages of God’s life or how He became God. Latter-day Saints believe that all of God’s children can progress toward a divine destiny.”
— Gospel Topics Essay: “Becoming Like God,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org
Summary
| Aspect | Christian Orthodoxy | LDS Doctrine |
|---|---|---|
| God’s origin | Eternal, without beginning | Once a man, became God |
| Ontology | Uncreated Creator, unique in being | One among many divine beings |
| Creation | Out of nothing (ex nihilo) | From eternal matter |
| Human destiny | Redeemed creatures | Potential gods |
| Continuity | Infinite distinction between God and man | Infinite continuity between God and man |
Final Thought
Historic Christianity sees God as the uncreated Creator, wholly distinct from His creation, while Latter-day Saint theology envisions God as an exalted man, sharing the same kind of existence as His children.
The difference ultimately shapes how each faith understands worship, salvation, and the very meaning of divinity.
God says in His Word,
“21 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman *said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when He comes, He will declare all things to us.”
26 Jesus *said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”” John 4:21-26 (LSB)
If you read this, and still claim that mormons are Christians, I’d like you to reconsider. They are by definition, not Christians. They are in a works righteousness cult that puts the onerous obligation on the member to warrant enough favor with their god through works to become an exalted man themselves one day, and ultimately to become a god of their own solar system. Anyone who knows anything about God, knows that mormonism is a lie. The claims the Bible makes about God, and the claims that mormonism makes, are mutually exclusive truth claims. One can be right, both can be wrong, but both can’t be right. If you are mormon, stop calling yourself Christian! You most certainly are not! Repent of your sins, and trust solely in the justifying work of the 2nd Person of the Triune God, Jesus. Stop believing the lies of a second rate, ignorant, con-man, who created a cult for power, profit, and perversion. He is nothing like Jesus!
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