Hinckley says Mormons Believe in a Different Jesus

by Matt Slick

"In bearing testimony of Jesus Christ, 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. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. He together with His Father, appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in the year 1820, and when Joseph left the grove that day, he knew more of the nature of God than all the learned ministers of the gospel of the ages.'" (LDS Church News Week ending June 20, 1998, p. 7).

Christians have long maintained that Mormonism teaches a Jesus that is different from what the Bible reveals.  Of course, the Mormons say that they believe in the same Jesus that originally walked on the earth and is revealed in the Bible.  Though they may make this claim, it is up to them to prove it.   Especially in light of what Mormonism says about God and Jesus.

In Mormonism, Jesus is a creation, the product of relations between god and his goddess wife who used to be people from another world (McConkie, Bruce, Mormon Doctrine, p. 192, 321, 516, 589).   Jesus is the literal spirit brother of the devil and of you and I (McConkie, p. 192, 589).  Also, in Mormon theology, God has a body of flesh and bones (Doctrine & Covenants 130:22) as does his wife and together they produce spirit offspring in heaven who inhabit human bodies on earth.

Very few, if any, of the 'different' Mormon doctrines are found in their Standard Works:  the Bible, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price.  Rather, they are taught by Mormons of high standing:  prophets, apostles, members of the 70 Quorum.  McConkie, for example, was a member of the 70's Quorum, a very high ranking Mormon and wrote the book, Mormon Doctrine, from which much of the documentation for this is taken.

President Hinkley, the prophet and revelator of the Mormon church, has publicly declared that the Jesus of Mormonism and traditional Christianity are not the same.  Let's take a look at the difference between the Mormon Jesus and the one of Traditional Christianity:

 
The Mormon Jesus

 

The Christian Jesus

  1. The literal son of god and his goddess wife begotten in the pre-existence.
  2. The brother of all spirits born in heaven in the premortal existence.
  3. One of 3 gods in the godhead.
  4. The Trinity is three separate gods.
  5. First one to receive a spirit body.
  6. Atoned for sin on the cross and in the garden of Gethsemane.
  1. Not the literal son of god and his goddess wife.
  2. Not the brother of all spirits born in heaven in a premortal existence.
  3. Not one of 3 gods in the godhead.
  4. The Trinity is 3 persons in one God.
  5. Was always spirit from eternity.
  6. Atoned for sin on the cross alone.

This brief comparison should help you see the difference between the two.  Jesus cannot be both the literal son of god and his goddess wife and not the literal begotten son.  He cannot be both one of 3 gods, and not one of 3 gods.  They are different.  In fact, it would be a lot easier if the Mormons called him by a different name.  For example, Bolok would be good.   Bolok is one of three gods, but Jesus is not. etc.  That way, it would be a lot easier to tell them apart.

Mormonism definitely does not teach the same Jesus as Christianity.

 

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