I Worship A Different Jesus?

I’ve been told too many times while on my mission that I worship a different Jesus…

This is an offensive statement. There is only one Messiah, one Redeemer, one King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

You still don’t believe I worship the same Jesus Christ as you?
Please take a few minutes of your time and see what our beliefs are on Jesus Christ.
I hope the things I share below will help you see we worship the Great I AM.

Jesus Christ is the central figure of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint doctrine and practice. Every converted member of the Church should hold a firm testimony that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world, and a knowledge that only through His sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross can mortal man be saved in the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ and His teachings are the central focus of all LDS scripture; the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.

 

In January of 2000, President Gordon B. Hinckley and the Twelve Apostles of the Church published The Living Christ as their testimony to the world about Jesus Christ. It reads in part:

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.

~The Living Christ

We ‘Mormons’ are believers in the divine mission of Jesus of Nazareth and followers of His teachings. Many anti-Mormons and ex-Mormons attack the Church and claim that it is not Christian, because its teachings about Jesus differ from mainstream, traditional Christian teachings. There are, of course, differences between LDS doctrine and Protestant and Catholic teachings, just as there are differences among the various Christian denominations. Latter-day Saints teach that its doctrines were restored to earth by Jesus Himself through living prophets after many centuries of apostasy in the world. Latter-day Saints reject the various medieval and modern creeds declared by the Christian world after Christ's death, because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has revelations from God Himself about who He is.

We teach that Jesus Christ is Jehovah, as revealed in the Old Testament. He is the Messiah who came to earth as Jesus of Nazareth, whose life and teachings are recorded in the New Testament.

He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament.

The Bible is enough to show that Jesus Christ is the same person as Jehovah in the Old Testament. "God" in the Old Testament often refers to Jesus Christ, and the term is used interchangeably to speak of God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son.

The earth is the LORD's[i.e. Jehovah’s], and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

~Psalms 24:1-2

 

[God] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

~Hebrews 1:2

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.

~Colossians 1:13-16

It is clear, then, that Jesus Christ, Jehovah, created the world under the direction of His Father, our God. Jesus also declares that He gave the Mosaic Law to Israel.

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

~John 8:58

By declaring Himself as I AM, Jesus was declaring that He was Jehovah. For I AM, as is shown by the quote below from Exodus, is a translation of the Hebrew word for Jehovah which in most English translations is rendered as LORD in all capital letters. The Old Testament further shows that Jehovah is the judge, the lawgiver of Israel, our King and our Savior:

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

~Exodus 3:14

For the LORD[i.e. Jehovah] is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.

~Isaiah 33:22

Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

~Psalms 96:13

Compare this with the New Testament teaching of Paul:

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

~2 Timothy 4:1

Jesus is therefore Jehovah since Jehovah (LORD) is the judge and lawgiver as Paul declares Jesus to be. Latter-day Saints worship Jesus as King, Savior, and Judge of the world in accordance with the teachings of the Bible.

Jesus is the Christ

Our teachings are consistent in asserting, as with all of Christianity, that we believe that it was Jesus of Nazareth, who was ordered to be crucified by Pontius Pilate, He was the promised Messiah, the Savior and Redeemer of mankind, even The Christ, as was prophesied by ancient prophets as recorded in the Old Testament, and then testified of by those who witnessed His life's mission in The New Testament, and taught His Gospel that He established while upon the earth. It suffices to say that ‘Mormons’ believe in the Bible and that, to quote a verse familiar to all Christians…

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life; for God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

~John 3:16-17

Do Mormons believe in a different Jesus?

There is only one Jesus Christ my friends. We believe in the Jesus whose acts and teachings are found in the Bible, but LDS doctrine rejects the creeds and interpretations of post-New Testament Christian theologians. We teach that to correct errors in understanding about God, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in his First Vision, and called him to be a prophet, just as prophets were called in biblical times, to teach the truth about Jesus and to call all men to repentance.

In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith on January 2, 1831, the Lord Jesus Christ declared who He was:

Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I AM, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before the world was made; The same which knoweth all things, for all things are present before mine eyes; I am the same which spake, and the world was made, and all things came by me. I am the same which have taken the Zion of Enoch into mine own bosom; and verily, I say, even as many as have believed in my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name, by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt, have I pleaded before the Father for them.

~Doctrine and Covenants 38:1-4

This shows the Jesus that we worship: the great I AM, the beginning and the end, the omniscient, omnipotent Creator of the world, the Savior of the world, and man’s advocate with God the Father. The following is Joseph Smith’s testimony of Jesus Christ:

And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father--That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.

~Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-24

It is true that we do not believe in the Trinity as most other Christian Churches do. We believe in three separate beings united in purpose, but not in material. We believe in a Godhead that is made up of three distinct personages that are one in reason and will. Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Father. The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit, independent from both the Father and the Son. The New Testament contains enough to dismiss the Trinitarian doctrine. Jesus declared that “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3). To know God and Jesus Christ is eternal life, so, through the grace and Atonement of Jesus Christ man can know God. This is very different from the unknowable God of the Athanasian Creed which is as follows:

 

[O]ne God in trinity and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the divine being. For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Spirit is still another. But the deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory, coeternal in majesty. What the Father is, the Son is, and so is the Holy Spirit. Uncreated is the Father; uncreated is the Son; uncreated is the Spirit.

Jesus, on the other hand, states the nature of His unity with the Father:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.

~John 17:20-22

Jesus declares that His disciples can be one just as He and the Father are one. This oneness is clearly not that they become the same person, but rather oneness in purpose, glory, exactness, and love. This passage also shows Jesus praying to the Father, which would not make sense if He were the Father. Other passages in the New Testament show that Jesus is distinct from the Father:

At the baptism of Jesus all three personages of the Godhead—God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, were there (Matthew 3:15-17). In the great intercessory prayer recorded in John 17, Jesus prays to the Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, Jesus again prayed to the Father and once asked His Father why He had forsaken Him. At the Martyrdom of Stephen in Acts, Stephen declares, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56).

All these passages make sense only if Jesus and God are separate individuals. In short, the rejection of Trinitarian notions is not a rejection of Jesus Christ. The original saints and Apostles neither communicated nor suggested at the doctrine in the later Creeds, and their Christianity is crucial to the claims of all Christian churches.

Jesus is our Savior

LDS doctrine clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is our Savior. The Book of Mormon states that "there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent” (Mosiah 3:17). We believe that Jesus Christ set the perfect example for all mankind during His mortal life.

 

LDS doctrine teaches that Jesus Christ died for mankind. His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, His death, burial, and resurrection constitute the core events of the atonement which brings about the resurrection of all mankind and offers the means of salvation for those who believe and follow Him.

A hymn I love declares:

There is a green hill far away,

Without a city wall,

Where the dear Lord was crucified,

Who died to save us all.

We may not know, we cannot tell,

What pains he had to bear,

But we believe it was for us

He hung and suffered there.

There was no other good enough

To pay the price of sin.

He only could unlock the gate

Of heav’n and let us in.

("There is a Green Hill Far Away," LDS Hymns, no. 194)

 

Jesus is the Head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We proclaim that Jesus Christ stands at the head of His Church, and that He reveals His commandments and teachings to chosen prophets here on earth. The Bible declares that “Jesus Christ himself [is] the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20). The Book of Mormon explains this even further. Jesus Christ appeared after His resurrection and ascension into heaven to the ancient inhabitants in America. He declared to them,

Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the church for my sake. And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses' name then it be Moses' church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.

~3 Nephi 27:7-8

Thus The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bears His name.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christian

 

As these few quotations and scriptures have shown, the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are surely and purely of Christ, and, therefore, we are Christian in the most exact sense. Jesus Christ stands at the head of the Church and His glorious teachings and His perfect example form the core of LDS doctrine and the basis for the testimonies of all Latter-day Saints. The message we share is that Jesus Christ has called prophets in these last days to prepare the world for His forthcoming return and all are invited to ‘come unto Christ’ and be baptized by His authorized servants.

I am so grateful to have this time to be a missionary, a representative of Jesus Christ and acknowledge my beliefs and the truths I’ve learned to everyone that will give a listening ear! Please, if you have any questions, ask me.

Elder Falslev

My Thoughts on the Restoration of Christ's Church

Christ told his followers, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6) during his brief but powerful ministry on earth. It was a much needed message since hundreds of years before His birth many people stopped living according to God’s commandments.

Christ brought light back into the world when He declared His gospel just as he had to the prophets of old like Moses, Isaac, and Abraham.

He chose twelve men to be His apostles… including Peter, James, and John. He laid His hands on their heads to give them authority called the priesthood to perform baptisms, govern His church, and spread His word throughout the world.

In spite of His great influence and many miracles, He was ultimately scorned and crucified. After his death, His valiant and faithful apostles carried on without Him, baptizing new members, and starting various congregations.

Regardless of the courageous efforts of Christ’s apostles and their devoted followers, the original church that Christ restored began to fade away. Members faced severe oppression and all but one of the apostles was martyred. This is a period called the Great Apostasy, when there was a "falling away" (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3) from the gospel Christ organized. The apostolic authority to bestow priesthood keys and to receive revelation for the Church was lost along with many precious teachings. Errors about His teachings crept into the church resulting in inconsistent opinions and lost truths. This period is what we call the Great Apostasy.

Without divine authority or direction, Christianity struggled to survive with conflicting opinions on even the most basic teachings of the gospel. Without priesthood authority or the full gospel, people had to rely on human knowledge to interpret the scriptures, principles and ordinances. Many false ideas were taught as truth, and much of what we know about the true character and nature of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost was lost. Essential doctrines like faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost became distorted and important doctrines were lost completely.

Centuries later, inspired people, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, recognized that practices and doctrines had been changed or lost and tried to reform the churches to which they belonged. But without the authority of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, His gospel and Church could not be returned to their original form.

If the boy next door told you he was called by God to restore His true church on earth, would you believe him? Probably not. Neither did many people in Nazareth believe their neighbor, Jesus Christ the carpenter, was the Messiah.

After centuries of spiritual confusion people were in desperate need of Jesus Christ’s original truths. When God selected a 14-year-old boy in 1820 as His messenger, most people refused to listen. Joseph Smith lived in the United States, which was the only country to proclaim religious freedom at the time. His family was deeply religious and constantly sought the truth.

Joseph had to decide which of the many Christian denominations to join. After careful study, Joseph Smith still felt confused as to which Christian church he should join. He later wrote, "So great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was . . . to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. . . . In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?" (Joseph Smith History 1:8,10)

 

P.S. I love Minerva K. Teichert paintings! If you ever feel obliged, a painting from her would be the best thing ever. 

 

He turned to the Holy Bible for guidance. He read a powerful verse, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5). With faith he decided to do just that. In the spring of 1820 he went to a nearby grove of trees and knelt in prayer. He described his experience: "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Joseph Smith History 1:16-17). In his vision, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ appeared. The Savior told Joseph not to join any of the churches. Although many good people at that time believed in Christ and tried to understand and teach His gospel, they didn’t have the fullness of truth or the authority to baptize and perform other saving ordinances. This vision marked the beginning of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth, which God authorized to be established 10-years later by a wiser, heaven-tutored Joseph Smith (admit it, you thought you knew everything as a teenager too. He needed to learn just as we all do), once again allowing everyone to receive the joy and blessings that come from living it.

 

 

What does having divine authority really mean? It’s a great question. The authority to act in the name of God is called the priesthood. Some mistakenly think it gives one the power to tell other people what to do. What it actually means is that a person can act in God’s name in behalf of His church—like when we give someone power of attorney so they can act in their behalf.

Prior to the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith received priesthood authority at the hands of John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John who received that same "power and authority" from Jesus Christ Himself (Luke 9:1). These men appeared as angels and bestowed the priesthood upon Joseph Smith. The prophet today, Thomas S. Monson, is the authorized successor to Joseph Smith. He and the Church’s other Apostles trace their priesthood authority back to Jesus Christ in an unbroken chain of ordinations.

 

The Book of Mormon testifies that Jesus Christ did indeed live on the earth and still lives today as our divine Savior. It’s a second witness confirming the existence of Jesus Christ and the truth of the Bible. The account of its origin is as wondrous as the other events surrounding the restoration of the Church.

In 1823 Joseph Smith was visited by a heavenly messenger named Moroni just as angels often appeared to Apostles in the New Testament. Moroni told Joseph about a record of the ancient inhabitants of the American continent that was buried in a nearby hill. He said it contained the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and was written on thin metal sheets of gold. Joseph translated the book into English. The book was named the Book of Mormon after Mormon, the ancient prophet who compiled it.

Fun Fact: Joseph Smith said that Mormon means more good. The Book of ‘More Good’!

Translated and written in the same scriptural style of the Holy Bible. The Book of Mormon tells us about the struggles of the righteous people of that time who were trying to live God’s commandments. Just as sometimes happens today, they were often made fun of and persecuted for their beliefs. A notably inspiring section of the book recounts Christ’s visit to the American continent soon after His resurrection. He invited the people to feel the wound marks in his hands, feet and side. He blessed and healed them, performed miracles, and gave twelve men the same authority as His twelve apostles whose works are recorded in the Bible. The effect of His visit was so profound that for nearly 170 years the people lived in peace and righteousness.

 

 

^My most favorite part in the book!

The central truth of the restored church is that God is our Heavenly Father and we are his spirit children. He knows us personally and loves us more than we can comprehend. He wants us to be successful in this life and return to live with Him. Our life on earth is part of His plan for us to gain a body, learn, grow and find joy. Sometimes life is hard, lonely or frightening, but Heavenly Father is always concerned about you. In answer to your prayers, He is ready to give you comfort, peace and guidance. I know He will, but you’ve got to want it!

He has prepared a path for you to follow that will bless your lives. Let me say that again, that will bless your lives! This path is necessary for us to return to Him. This will enable us to receive the fullness of the effects of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. As we do, we’ll find greater peace and joy both in this life and in the life to come.

 

Maybe you were raised in a happy and secure family with two loving parents. Maybe you weren’t, and growing up was tough without the love and support you longed for. Likely, as an adult you want a happy home.

 

Living peacefully in a family isn’t always easy, but in God’s restored church, marriage and families are believed to be the most important social unit now and in eternity. God wants us to do all we can now to prepare ourselves to live with our family forever. If we build our marriage and family around Christ’s principles including faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work and wholesome fun, home can be a place of refuge, peace and immense joy.

Do not get discouraged. No matter how hard you will try, your home and marriage won’t be perfect. That’s part of the growth process we are meant to experience. God wants us to learn how to be patient and loving when our siblings, spouse, toddler or teen is acting only too human. Our job is to serve them, which in turn will help us become more like God.

I realize that was a long post… but I wanted you to know these truths. Don’t take my word for it though. Test it out yourself. Ask God just as Joseph Smith did. You’ll receive an answer, I know it. You can’t learn without experience, so experiment.

 Elder Falslev

 

A Missionary Online?

The role of a missionary as viewed by the majority of people: a person who dresses up, wears a nametag, and knocks on doors all day, every day, talking to people about Jesus Christ.

Lately, you may have seen missionaries at the libraries, online.  Have you ever wondered what are they doing at the computers?

Our purpose online is the same as walking the streets: to invite others to come unto Christ.

When we are online, we are doing many of the same activities that we do offline: we share spiritual messages, contact a variety of people, and invite others to learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  You've probably seen a lot of the messages that we've written.  The purpose of those is to help strengthen you in your life and your testimony of Christ.

Some people live far away, or can't be eagerly waiting at their door for the missionaries to come by.  (We get it, you have lives that involve more dynamics than reading scriptures and talking to the missionaries.)  A way that we can still reach out to them is through online services, where we can answer questions about who God is, what do Mormons believe, and what is the Book of Mormon.

The messages we share online also make it easy for you to share the gospel with your friends and family.  Every time you like a post or share it with your friends, it gives you an opportunity to share your testimony with them.  It opens the door for them to ask questions about your beliefs and faith - where you can easily point them to the missionaries that are serving in your area.  After all, they're online!

Good has already come from this shift to online.  Many missionaries have been able to teach family members and friends back home, lives have been touched, and the gospel has been shared to those who might not have had an opportunity otherwise.

So the next time you see a post from the missionaries that you like, share it on your wall.  Share your testimony on the posts and share spiritual experiences.  :)  We are here to help you!  So whenever you have a question, feel free to ask us!