Mormons/Jehovahs Witnesses
Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and Jehovah’s Witnesses both differ significantly from theChristian theology and teachings of an eschatological focus, Trinitarian theology, or emphasis on hope and the universal work of Christ.
1. Doctrine of God
• Mormonism: Teaches that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct beings. God the Father is viewed as an exalted man who progressed to godhood, and humans can also achieve exaltation to godhood through obedience.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Reject the Trinity, teaching that Jehovah (God the Father) is the only true God. Jesus is seen as a created being, the first and greatest creation of God, and the Holy Spirit is described as an impersonal force.
• Christianity: Strongly affirms the Trinity, emphasizing the relational nature of God as a community of love. The triune God is central to Christian hope and is not merely a theological construct but foundational to understanding creation, redemption, and eschatology.
2. Christology
• Mormonism: Views Jesus as the literal son of God, separate from the Father in substance. He is one of many divine beings and a central figure in salvation history, but his divinity is not eternal in the traditional Christian sense.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Teach that Jesus is not co-eternal with God but was created as Michael the Archangel. He is not considered equal to Jehovah but played a key role as the Savior.
• Christianity: Emphasizes the eternal divinity of Christ, focusing on the crucifixion and resurrection as the definitive acts of God’s love and hope. Jesus’ death and resurrection are central to God’s redemptive work and the coming of God’s kingdom.
3. Revelation and Scripture
• Mormonism: Holds additional scriptures, such as the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, as authoritative alongside the Bible.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Use the Bible as their sole authority but rely heavily on their own translation, the New World Translation, and the teachings of the Watchtower Society for interpretation.
•Christianity: Centers theology on the canonical Bible, particularly the eschatological promises found in the Gospels and the Pauline epistles. It does not recognize additional scriptures but emphasizes the Spirit’s ongoing work through scripture and the community of faith.
4. Salvation
• Mormonism: Teaches a combination of grace and works for salvation, with a focus on temple ordinances, family relationships, and eternal progression.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Emphasize faith and works, teaching that only 144,000 will go to heaven, while the majority of faithful followers will live eternally on a restored earth.
• Christianity: Proclaims universal hope in God’s redemptive work, rejecting exclusive or hierarchical soteriology. Salvation is God’s initiative, bringing the whole creation into reconciliation through Christ.
5. Eschatology
• Mormonism: Focuses on a millennial reign of Christ on earth, with a hierarchical afterlife divided into three kingdoms of glory.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Stress the imminent establishment of God’s kingdom on earth and the final destruction of wickedness. Their eschatology is marked by an exclusivist view of salvation.
• Christianity: Offers a universal and inclusive vision of the future, where God renews all creation in a new heaven and new earth. Eschatology is hopeful and transformative, prioritizing the restoration of all things.
Key Differences
• The Trinity: Trinitarian theology directly conflicts with the non-Trinitarian views of both groups.
• Scriptural Authority: Reliance on the canonical Bible contrasts with Mormonism’s additional scriptures and Jehovah’s Witnesses’ interpretative framework.
• Universal Hope: Christian theology emphasizes the inclusive and transformative nature of salvation and the kingdom of God, rejecting exclusivist or elitist soteriologies.
1. Doctrine of God
• Mormonism: Teaches that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct beings. God the Father is viewed as an exalted man who progressed to godhood, and humans can also achieve exaltation to godhood through obedience.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Reject the Trinity, teaching that Jehovah (God the Father) is the only true God. Jesus is seen as a created being, the first and greatest creation of God, and the Holy Spirit is described as an impersonal force.
• Christianity: Strongly affirms the Trinity, emphasizing the relational nature of God as a community of love. The triune God is central to Christian hope and is not merely a theological construct but foundational to understanding creation, redemption, and eschatology.
2. Christology
• Mormonism: Views Jesus as the literal son of God, separate from the Father in substance. He is one of many divine beings and a central figure in salvation history, but his divinity is not eternal in the traditional Christian sense.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Teach that Jesus is not co-eternal with God but was created as Michael the Archangel. He is not considered equal to Jehovah but played a key role as the Savior.
• Christianity: Emphasizes the eternal divinity of Christ, focusing on the crucifixion and resurrection as the definitive acts of God’s love and hope. Jesus’ death and resurrection are central to God’s redemptive work and the coming of God’s kingdom.
3. Revelation and Scripture
• Mormonism: Holds additional scriptures, such as the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, as authoritative alongside the Bible.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Use the Bible as their sole authority but rely heavily on their own translation, the New World Translation, and the teachings of the Watchtower Society for interpretation.
•Christianity: Centers theology on the canonical Bible, particularly the eschatological promises found in the Gospels and the Pauline epistles. It does not recognize additional scriptures but emphasizes the Spirit’s ongoing work through scripture and the community of faith.
4. Salvation
• Mormonism: Teaches a combination of grace and works for salvation, with a focus on temple ordinances, family relationships, and eternal progression.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Emphasize faith and works, teaching that only 144,000 will go to heaven, while the majority of faithful followers will live eternally on a restored earth.
• Christianity: Proclaims universal hope in God’s redemptive work, rejecting exclusive or hierarchical soteriology. Salvation is God’s initiative, bringing the whole creation into reconciliation through Christ.
5. Eschatology
• Mormonism: Focuses on a millennial reign of Christ on earth, with a hierarchical afterlife divided into three kingdoms of glory.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Stress the imminent establishment of God’s kingdom on earth and the final destruction of wickedness. Their eschatology is marked by an exclusivist view of salvation.
• Christianity: Offers a universal and inclusive vision of the future, where God renews all creation in a new heaven and new earth. Eschatology is hopeful and transformative, prioritizing the restoration of all things.
Key Differences
• The Trinity: Trinitarian theology directly conflicts with the non-Trinitarian views of both groups.
• Scriptural Authority: Reliance on the canonical Bible contrasts with Mormonism’s additional scriptures and Jehovah’s Witnesses’ interpretative framework.
• Universal Hope: Christian theology emphasizes the inclusive and transformative nature of salvation and the kingdom of God, rejecting exclusivist or elitist soteriologies.
