If you have ever talked with a Latter-day Saint about Jesus, you may have noticed something surprising. They speak of Him warmly. They call Him Savior, Redeemer, the Son of God. They pray in His name. So what is the difference between what Latter-day Saints believe about Jesus and what Christians have believed for two thousand years?
The short answer: Latter-day Saints love and honor Jesus, and they speak of Him as Savior. But the historic Christian teaching, held across Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions, is that the one God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that Jesus is eternally God — not a created being, not one god among many, but God the Son, one in essence with the Father. That is the claim this article explains and commends from Scripture.
If you are a Latter-day Saint reading this, you are welcome here. You are made in God’s image and loved by Him, and nothing in this article is meant as contempt for you or your family. The goal is honesty about what the Bible says, and an invitation to weigh it for yourself.
What is the difference between the two views of Jesus?
Latter-day Saints and historic Christians both use the name Jesus, both call Him Savior, and both speak of His death and resurrection with reverence. The difference is not mainly about how much each side loves Him. It is about who He is.
Historic Christianity confesses one God in three persons — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — and says that Jesus is eternally God, equal with the Father, never created. This is the one point where Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians all agree.
Latter-day Saint teaching describes the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as three distinct beings rather than one God in three persons, and speaks of Jesus as the firstborn spirit son of the Father. That is the central difference, and it is why the two faiths, though they share the same vocabulary, are not saying the same thing about Jesus.
What does the Bible say about who Jesus is?
John opens his Gospel with this:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. — John 1:1 (BSB)
And a few verses later:
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. — John 1:14 (BSB)
When Jesus said that before Abraham was born, He is (John 8:58), He was taking to Himself the name God gave at the burning bush. His hearers understood exactly what He meant; that is why they picked up stones. Thomas, seeing the risen Christ, said, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28, BSB), and Jesus did not correct him.
Colossians says of Him that all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, were created by Him (Colossians 1:16), and that He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17). A created being cannot create all things. And in His prayer before the cross, Jesus asked the Father to restore to Him “the glory I had with You before the world existed” (John 17:5, BSB).
This is why Christians say Jesus is eternally God. Not because a council invented it, but because the New Testament says it plainly.
Why does this difference matter so much?
If Jesus is one god among many, then salvation depends on something other than Him alone — on belonging to the right church, on ordinances, on obedience, on a priesthood. If Jesus is eternally God, then He alone is enough.
Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. — Acts 4:12 (BSB)
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, — 1 Timothy 2:5 (BSB)
The gospel is not a ladder we climb. It is a gift we receive. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, BSB). That promise rests entirely on who Jesus is. If He is God, His sacrifice is infinite and sufficient. If He is not, it is neither.
Do Latter-day Saints believe Christians are saved?
This is a question best asked directly of a Latter-day Saint, because individual members often answer it differently, and this article will not put words in their mouth.
What can be said from the historic Christian side is this: no one is saved by belonging to a denomination. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone, and every person — Latter-day Saint, Catholic, Protestant, or none of these — stands on the same ground: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, BSB). No one here is judging any individual’s standing before God. That belongs to Christ alone.
How should a Christian talk with a Latter-day Saint?
With gentleness, and with the Bible open. The Bereans received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true (Acts 17:11). That is the right posture for both sides.
A few things help. Ask questions rather than making speeches. Listen to what your friend actually believes instead of assuming. Speak of Jesus with affection, because He is the treasure of your life, not a debating point. And do not be afraid to say plainly what you believe and why, from the text of Scripture. Jesus Himself said that the Scriptures testify about Him (John 5:39). The Bible is where this conversation belongs.
If you are a Latter-day Saint reading this, you do not need to become a scholar to seek God. Read the Gospel of John slowly. Ask God to show you who Jesus is. He promises that those who seek will find.
Where does this leave you?
Whether you are a Christian wanting to understand a neighbor’s faith, or a Latter-day Saint weighing what you have been taught, the path forward is the same: Scripture, prayer, and a local church where the Bible is taught faithfully. Read John 1 and Colossians 1 this week. Pray honestly. Talk with a pastor or a mature believer face to face. God is not distant from those who seek Him, and He has given us His Word so that we can know His Son.
Common questions
Do Latter-day Saints believe in the same Jesus as Christians?
They use the same name and speak of Him as Savior, but their teaching describes the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as three distinct beings and Jesus as the firstborn spirit son of the Father. Historic Christianity confesses Him as eternally God, one in essence with the Father, never created.
Do Latter-day Saints believe Christians are saved?
Individual Latter-day Saints often answer this differently, so it is best asked of them directly. Historic Christianity teaches that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone, apart from any church membership.
Is it wrong to be friends with a Latter-day Saint?
No. Christians are called to love their neighbors, and friendship is a good context for honest conversation about Jesus. You can be warm and respectful while still being clear about what you believe and why.
What is the best way to study this for myself?
Read the Gospel of John and Colossians 1 slowly, asking what they say about who Jesus is. Pray for understanding, and talk it over with a pastor or trusted believer in person.
