In this article, I will discuss the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)—commonly called Mormonism—and explain why, from my perspective as a Protestant Christian, I believe their teachings are theologically counterfeit and highly heretical.

This article reflects my worldview and presuppositions as a Protestant, not a full-scale argument for the truth of Christianity. If you want a more comprehensive case against Mormonism and for Protestant Christianity, see the resources section.

Brief History

According to LDS history, Joseph Smith received his first vision in upstate New York in 1820 at the age of 14. He claimed that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him, telling him not to join any existing Christian denomination because they were all corrupt.

Three years later, he said he was visited by an angel named Moroni, who revealed the location of gold plates containing a sacred record. These plates, according to Smith, could only be translated using special divine instruments—often described as “spectacles”—and only by him. While some witnesses claimed to have “seen” the plates, even LDS scholars debate whether these were literal sightings or visionary experiences.

In 1830, Smith published The Book of Mormon, which he said was the translation of the plates and the restored gospel lost after the death of the apostles. This book, along with later revelations, became the foundation of the LDS Church.

Core LDS Beliefs (Brief Summary)

God

• Denial of the Trinity.
• God the Father (Elohim) is a distinct being with a physical body and was once a mortal man who became a god.
• Jesus (Jehovah) is a created being and the spirit brother of humans and angels.
• The Holy Spirit is a separate god without a body.
• The “Godhead” consists of three separate gods united in purpose.

Authority & Revelation

• Four authoritative texts: The Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price.
• The Bible is considered trustworthy only “as far as it is translated correctly.”
• Living prophets and apostles continue to receive revelation and define church doctrine.

Humanity

• All humans are literal spirit children of Heavenly Father and his wives in a premortal existence.
• Humans have “free agency” and can progress to godhood through obedience.

Sin & Commandments

• Sin is disobedience to Heavenly Father.
• Additional commands exist that are not in the Bible (e.g., the Word of Wisdom).

Salvation

• Four basic ordinances: faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, and laying on of hands for the Holy Spirit.
• Temple ordinances are necessary for exaltation (becoming a god).
• Almost everyone receives one of three “kingdoms of glory.”

Creation

• Jesus, with the help of others, organized pre-existing matter.
• Many reject biological evolution and interpret the creation “days” as phases.

The Afterlife
LDS doctrine teaches:

• A premortal spirit life.
• Earth life as a “mortal probation.”
• After death: Paradise or Spirit Prison.
• Spirit Prison offers a second chance to accept the gospel.
• Heaven is divided into three kingdoms: Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial.
• The highest level (Celestial) allows exalted individuals to become gods, create worlds, and populate them with their own spirit children.

Why I’m Not a Mormon

There are several significant reasons why I reject Mormonism and do not consider it a Christian denomination.

1. Internal Contradictions

LDS scriptures and revelations contain contradictions:

• Between individual books,
• Between early and later LDS teachings,
• And between modern prophetic revelations and earlier doctrine.

A faith that claims divine, authoritative revelation should not require its doctrines to be revised or reversed.

2. Historical Inaccuracies

The Book of Mormon describes civilizations, technologies, animals, materials, and events that have no archaeological or historical support. Examples include:

• Massive ancient American battles,
• Pre-Columbian horses, steel, wheat, or certain weapons,
• Named people-groups with no historical trace.

Some claims have even been quietly changed in later editions as evidence contradicted earlier assertions. This raises serious questions about authenticity.

3. Problems with “Continual Revelation”

Mormonism relies heavily on the idea that God is constantly revealing changing doctrine through modern prophets. This contradicts:

• God’s immutability (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8),
• The idea of absolute truth,
• And even earlier LDS claims of restored, eternal doctrine.

If truth changes, then nothing revealed can ever be final or trustworthy.

4. The Question of the First Cause (or Highest God)

Mormon theology teaches that:

• God the Father was once a man,
• He became a god under a previous god,
• And gods create other gods.

This creates an infinite regress of gods with no first cause.
This contradicts reason, science, and Christian theology, all of which affirm a necessary, uncaused, eternal being. Mormonism cannot answer:

• “Who created the first god?”
• “Why worship a lesser god instead of the highest one?”
  This undermines the entire LDS worldview.

5. Concerns About Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith’s background raises many red flags:

• Involvement in treasure seeking and occult practices,
• A legal record identifying him as a “glass looker,”
• Deep connections to Freemasonry, which show up in LDS temple ceremonies,
• No training in ancient languages despite claiming to translate golden plates no one else was allowed to translate.

There is little external verification for his claims, and much evidence suggests fabrication rather than revelation.

Conclusion

There is not enough credible reason to trust Joseph Smith or the doctrines of the LDS Church. Mormonism rejects essential Christian beliefs, contradicts Scripture, conflicts with logic, and presents a completely different God, Jesus, gospel, and path of salvation.

For these reasons, the LDS Church should not be viewed as another Christian denomination, but as a theological counterfeit—a religion with cult-like tendencies that departs from historic Christianity in foundational ways.

When examined carefully, its claims simply do not align with truth.

Scripture 

Matthew 10:16–22 – “You will be hated by everyone because of me…”

John 15:18–20 – “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”

Acts 5:40–41 – Apostles flogged for preaching Christ.

Acts 7:54–60 – Martyrdom of Stephen (not an apostle, but establishes early pattern).

Acts 12:1–2 – James the son of Zebedee killed by Herod.

Acts 14:19–22 – Paul stoned and left for dead.

2 Corinthians 11:23–28 – Paul lists beatings, imprisonments, and dangers.

2 Timothy 4:6–8 – Paul anticipates his death.

1 Corinthians 4:9–13 – Apostles portrayed as suffering and despised.

1 Peter 4:12–16 – Encouragement to endure persecution for Christ.

Resources 

https://www.gotquestions.org/Mormons.html 

https://biblethinker.org/learning-about-cults/  (some on Mormonism)

Fawn M. Brodie — No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith 

Richard Lyman Bushman — Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling

Grant H. Palmer — An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins 

Dan Vogel — Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet 

Thomas A. Wayment & Haley Wilson-Lemmon — “A Re-evaluation of the 1769 King James Bible in the Book of Mormon” 

Charles M. Larson — By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri 

Brent Lee Metcalfe (ed.) — New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology 

John Charles Duffy — “The Use of ‘Magic’ in Mormon Studies” 

Anthony A. Hutchinson — “LDS Approaches to the Relationship Between the Book of Mormon and History” 

Jerald & Sandra Tanner — Mormonism: Shadow or Reality?