Same Words; Different Dictionary (Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons)

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Imagine a couple coming to you and saying that they just enjoyed a wonderful vacation in Canada. You congratulate them and ask them what they enjoyed most about their time away and the more they talk, the more things don’t seem to add up. They say, “we really enjoyed seeing the Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, and the Valley of the Kings. We also really enjoyed cruising the Nile River…”

A very puzzled look comes over your face. You think to yourself, “Hang on… what’s happening here? Something is not right at all!”

And you would be right… That’s because although they are using the word “Canada” everything they are describing to you is referring to something in Egypt (not Canada). The more they talk, the more you realize, “this couple didn’t visit Canada. They went somewhere else entirely.”

They remain convinced that they visited Canada, but nothing they saw had any relationship with the real, genuine Canada. They keep using a word you know “Canada,” but in reality, they are using a different dictionary; they mean something else entirely.

While this is just a ridiculous hypothetical situation (thankfully), this is exactly what happens when we engage with members of the “Christian” Cults in our day. They regularly use words like “God”, “Jesus”, “the Holy Spirit”, and talk even of “the gospel” and “salvation” but when you dig just a little below the surface, they mean something completely different from the reality – the true God, the true Jesus, the true Gospel and true salvation.

The New Testament warns us against false Christ’s and false gospels. The Apostle Paul writes, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.” (2 Cor. 11:3, 4). To the churches of Galatia he wrote, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Gal. 1:6-8)

Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons in our day use the same words we do, but they are using a different dictionary. When they say “God” they do not mean what we mean when we say “God”. When they say “Jesus” what they have in mind is nothing like the Jesus of the Bible.

Many are quite confused about all this but even AI intelligence knows the differences. When asked to describe the contrast between Biblical Christianity and the doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) regarding their beliefs on God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, salvation, and what happens after death, based on the official teachings of each group, here’s what it came up with:

Below is a concise comparison of Biblical Christianity, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) on key theological points: the Trinity, God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the atonement of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, Scripture, salvation, and what happens after death, based on standard teachings from each group, focusing on clarity and brevity. For simplicity, “Biblical Christianity” refers to mainstream Protestant, Evangelical teachings rooted in historic Christian orthodoxy.

1. The Trinity

  • Biblical Christianity: God is one being in three co-equal, co-eternal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14). The Trinity is a mystery, but all three are fully God, distinct yet one in essence.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Reject the Trinity. God is one person, Jehovah (the Father). Jesus is a created being (the archangel Michael), and the Holy Spirit is God’s active force, not a person.
  • Mormons: Reject the traditional Trinity. God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three separate beings united in purpose, not essence (the Godhead). They are distinct gods, with the Father as the supreme deity.

2. God the Father

  • Biblical Christianity: God the Father is the first person of the Trinity, eternal, uncreated, and sovereign. He is spirit (John 4:24), not embodied, and the source of all creation.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Jehovah is the only true God, a singular, eternal being with no equals. He is the creator, distinct from Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and not part of a Trinity.
  • Mormons: God the Father (Elohim) is a distinct being with a physical, exalted human body. He was once a man who progressed to godhood, and humans can become gods like Him (Doctrine and Covenants 132:20).

3. Jesus

  • Biblical Christianity: Jesus is the eternal Son of God, truly God and truly man (John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9). He is the second person of the Trinity, uncreated, and equal with the Father.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Jesus is a created being, the first creation of Jehovah, identified as the archangel Michael. He is divine but not equal to Jehovah, and not fully God.
  • Mormons: Jesus (Jehovah in LDS theology) is a distinct being, the literal spirit son of God the Father, born to heavenly parents. He became a god through obedience and is not equal to the Father in essence.

4. The Holy Spirit

  • Biblical Christianity: The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, fully God, a person, not a force. He indwells believers, convicts of sin, and guides into truth (John 14:16-17, 16:8).
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: The Holy Spirit is not a person but Jehovah’s active force, like energy or power, used to accomplish His will (e.g., inspiring Scripture or empowering Jesus).
  • Mormons: The Holy Spirit is a distinct spirit being, a personage, but not equal to the Father or Jesus. He is a spirit without a physical body, serving as a comforter and revealer of truth.

5. The Atonement of Christ

  • Biblical Christianity: Jesus’ death on the cross was a substitutionary sacrifice, paying the penalty for human sin (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24). His atonement is sufficient for all who believe, reconciling them to God.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Jesus’ death was a ransom sacrifice to pay for Adam’s sin, restoring the possibility of perfect human life on earth. It benefits only those who obey Jehovah’s requirements.
  • Mormons: Jesus’ atonement in Gethsemane and on the cross paid for universal resurrection and offers salvation to those who obey LDS ordinances and laws (Articles of Faith 3). It overcomes physical and spiritual death conditionally.

6. The Resurrection of Christ

  • Biblical Christianity: Jesus physically rose from the dead on the third day, proving His deity and victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). His resurrection guarantees believers’ future resurrection.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Jesus was resurrected as a spirit being, not in a physical body. His physical body was dissolved, and He appeared in different forms to His disciples.
  • Mormons: Jesus was physically resurrected, as will all people due to His atonement. His resurrection ensures universal resurrection and enables exaltation for the faithful (Alma 11:42-44).

7. Scripture

  • Biblical Christianity: The Bible (66 books, Old and New Testaments) is the inspired, inerrant Word of God, sufficient for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: The Bible (New World Translation) is God’s inspired Word but interpreted only through Watchtower publications. Other translations are considered corrupted.
  • Mormons: The Bible is scripture but incomplete and corrupted. Additional scriptures (Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price) and ongoing revelation through LDS prophets are equally authoritative.

8. Salvation

  • Biblical Christianity: Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a gift, not earned, and results in eternal life with God.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Salvation requires faith in Jehovah, baptism, and strict obedience to Watchtower teachings. Most believers will live forever on a paradise earth; only 144,000 go to heaven.
  • Mormons: Salvation has two aspects: universal resurrection (general salvation) and exaltation (eternal life in God’s presence) through faith, repentance, baptism, and obedience to LDS ordinances and laws.

9. What Happens After We Die

  • Biblical Christianity: Believers go to heaven to be with Christ immediately (Philippians 1:23); unbelievers face judgment and eternal separation from God (hell) (Revelation 20:11-15). The final state includes a new heaven and new earth.
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses: The dead are unconscious, awaiting resurrection. Most righteous will live on a paradise earth; the 144,000 rule in heaven. The wicked are annihilated, not eternally punished.
  • Mormons: After death, spirits go to the spirit world (paradise or prison) to await resurrection. Post-resurrection, people are assigned to one of three kingdoms (Celestial, Terrestrial, Telestial) or outer darkness, based on obedience and ordinances.

Summary Table

DoctrineBiblical ChristianityJehovah’s WitnessesMormons
TrinityOne God in three personsRejected; Jehovah alone is GodThree separate beings in Godhead
God the FatherEternal, spirit, uncreatedJehovah, singular, eternalExalted man, physical body
JesusEternal God-man, second person of TrinityCreated being, archangel MichaelSpirit son, became a god
Holy SpiritThird person of Trinity, GodGod’s active force, not a personDistinct spirit being, not God
AtonementSubstitutionary sacrifice for all believersRansom for Adam’s sin, conditionalUniversal resurrection, conditional exaltation
ResurrectionPhysical resurrection of JesusSpiritual resurrection of JesusPhysical resurrection for all
ScriptureBible alone, inerrantBible via Watchtower interpretationBible (KJV) + LDS scriptures, ongoing revelation
SalvationBy grace through faithFaith + obedience to WatchtowerFaith + obedience to LDS ordinances
After DeathHeaven/hell, new heaven and earthUnconscious, paradise earth or annihilationSpirit world, three kingdoms or outer darkness

Notes

  • Biblical Christianity draws from historic creeds (e.g., Apostles’, Nicene) and emphasizes sola scriptura (Scripture alone).
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses rely heavily on the Watchtower Society’s interpretations, which shape their doctrine and practice.
  • Mormons emphasize continuing revelation through prophets, making their theology distinct from traditional Christianity.

Calvin and Servetus – The Facts

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I don’t know the author of this… he/she goes by the title “holy nope” – but I appreciate the facts outlined here:

Forgive my spicy response, but the random Calvinist slander on unrelated posts does get tiresome, and I do pity that putrid combination of ignorance and arrogance.

The claim: ”Calvin the murderer had his theological opponents executed, like Michael Servetus.”

The facts:

Calvin had no power to execute anyone. He didn’t burn Servetus in his back yard. He didn’t burn Servetus at all. He had no legal authority in Geneva. He was not a magistrate. He didn’t even become a citizen of Geneva until 1559, four years after Servetus was executed. He had no means by which to arrest, try, or sentence anyone. Geneva was a sacral state: a society in which church and state were formally intertwined, and civil authority was expected to uphold and enforce religious orthodoxy. Geneva was not unique, but rather typical of both Protestant and Roman Catholic cities during the Reformation era. This means that the government assumed a divine responsibility to protect and promote true religion. Heresy and blasphemy were civil crimes punishable by the state. Servetus was found guilty of denying the Trinity, denying Christ’s enteral Sonship and deity, blasphemous speech (often mocking the Trinity and other doctrines), and repeated defiance of church and civil authority. Servetus has already been condemned to death by the Roman Catholic Inquisition in Vienne. He was on the run. He had been warned repeatedly to cease publishing his heresies.

Servetus was condemned by the Geneva Council, not John Calvin. All the major Protestant cities in Switzerland at the time agreed with the death sentence, even those who disagreed with Calvin’s theology. Servetus execution was consistent with the legal treatment of heresy across both Protestant and Catholic regions in the 16th century.

Calvin opposed the method of execution (burning) and urged the city council to use the sword instead, as it was more humane. The council ignored his request.

Calvin wrote in a letter to William Farel on October 27, 1553, “I tried to prevent the capital penalty… I desired that the severity of the punishment be mitigated.”

All of the above is common knowledge. Commenters like this tell on themselves.

So you’re not a Calvinist. I don’t care. I’m a Christian first. Calvin was a flawed man like us all. But “Calvin was a murderer“ is slander to be repented of, a malicious myth worthy of mockery that holds not one ounce of truth.

We moderns often assume moral superiority over the past, when usually we have none.

In the words of L.P. Hartley, “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.”