Revivalist Isaiah Saldivar recently tackled a controversial topic that has stirred confusion for years: are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints truly Christians? In a recent video, Saldivar said bluntly, “There is no way that you can consider the LDS church, the Mormon church, as Christians. It is a falsehood and textbook cult.”
Saldivar began his message by recounting the origin of Mormonism and the story of its founder, Joseph Smith. “The corruption in the Mormon church starts at conception,” he said. “It starts at the very start with him saying he had an angel appear to him, which was likely a demon, fallen angel.”
Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!
He explained that Smith’s so-called revelation led to the publication of The Book of Mormon in 1830 and the founding of the LDS church. “He gets a revelation nobody else gets but him,” Saldivar said. “He starts writing doctrine, saying he’s the only one that has the true gospel.”
Saldivar read from a statement by Joseph Fielding Smith, president of the LDS church in the 1970s, who said, “Mormonism must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds the world has ever seen.”
“If Joseph Smith was a deceiver who willfully attempted to mislead people, then he should be exposed,” Saldivar said. “His claims should be refuted and his doctrine shown false.”
After laying out the history, Saldivar turned to doctrine, listing 10 fundamental differences between Mormon beliefs and biblical Christianity.
1. The Nature of God
- Christianity: Believes in one eternal, unchanging, triune God.
- Mormonism: Teaches eternal progression, that God was once a man who became divine, and humans can also become gods.
2. Deity of Christ
- Christianity: Jesus is eternally God, the second person of the Trinity.
- Mormonism: Jesus is a created being, “our elder brother,” not equal to God the Father.
3. The Trinity
- Christianity: One God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- Mormonism: Rejects the Trinity; views the Godhead as three separate beings working together.
4. Salvation
- Christianity: Salvation is by grace through faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9).
- Mormonism: Mixes faith and works, requiring obedience, baptism and righteous living for progression to godhood.
5. The Holy Spirit
- Christianity: The Holy Spirit is eternal and omnipresent.
- Mormonism: Claims the Holy Spirit became divine through progression and is not omnipresent.
6. The Atonement
- Christianity: Jesus’ sacrifice fully pays for sin and brings salvation.
- Mormonism: Treats the atonement differently, often tied to destruction narratives and not as the sole basis for salvation.
7. The Church
- Christianity: The body of all believers worldwide.
- Mormonism: Considers all other churches false and calls them abominations.
8. Life After Death
- Christianity: Heaven or hell based on salvation through Christ.
- Mormonism: Believes in levels of heaven and eternal progression toward godhood.
9. Humanity
- Christianity: Humans are made in God’s image and begin existence at conception.
- Mormonism: Claims humans existed pre-mortally and were born near a star called Kolob.
10. The Bible
- Christianity: The Bible is the sole, infallible Word of God.
- Mormonism: Accepts additional scriptures: the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price, as equally authoritative.
Saldivar said these differences prove the LDS church teaches “a completely different gospel.” He noted that Mormons believe “God the Father has a physical body” and that “humans have potential to achieve godhood if they follow Mormon teachings.”
He contrasted these teachings with Scripture. “The Bible does not need to be added to,” he said. “You don’t need a second revelation, a second book, an expansion pack, an update for the Bible.”
Saldivar came to a clear conclusion on the matter: “Mormons are not Christians. Mormon churches are not considered biblical churches. It is considered a cult started by a man that got a revelation from a quote unquote angel, which was probably a fallen angel.”
Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!
He urged viewers to turn away from false revelation and to cling to the Word of God alone. “You do not need the Book of Mormon,” Saldivar said. “You do not need to follow Joseph Smith. You need to follow Jesus Christ. He’s the author and the finisher of our faith.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
