How do jehovas witnesses differ from the LDS church?

Answer 1

Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses are both self-described Christians. The religions resemble each other in very superficial ways, but their theologies are markedly different.

As individuals, many Witnesses note that adherents of Mormonism have a reputation for neighborliness and godly love which is too uncommon among self-described Christians.

(John 13:34-35) I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.”


It is also true that Mormonism has managed to recognize a few of the obvious bible truths that continue to evade most of Christendom, such as recognizing that Jesus the Son is a distinct person from God the Father.

(Mark 13:32) Concerning that day or the hour nobody knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but the Father.

(John 20:17) Jesus said to her: “...For I have not yet ascended to the Father. But be on your way to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.’”


Also, it is interesting that only Jehovah's Witness and Mormonism have any real program of lay-ministry in which every adherent is encouraged to preach.

(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded


Jehovah's Witnesses work to spread the Good News about the Kingdom of God, and so that is the focus of their message; they do not work at targeting any specific religion. Of course, "Mormonism" is not a single religion, but the so-called 'Latter-day Saints' tolerance of holiday celebrations, warfare, and nationalism are among the beliefs which Jehovah's Witnesses feel are incompatible with true worship.

It seems best to allow Mormons themselves to describe the uniqueness of their beliefs regarding various post-biblical holy writings, modern-day literal prophesy, the correlation between the physical and spirit realms, and the various levels of grandeur in heaven.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_02.htm

Answer 2

Well, we don't believe that there will be a set number of people in heaven like JW's do. Otherwise, we are all trying to get to the same place just like all the other Christians of the world.

Answer 3

Just as much as Catholicism differs from Islam.

Completely differently. I know because I am a Witness.

Answer 4

if you want to learn all about Jehovah Witnesses please see the website at www.watchtower.org. we are not a cult. a cult worships man. we worship the One True God Jehovah. read ps 83 verse 18

Answer 5

In more ways than I can put in a sentence.

Answer 6

This question gets asked every day

Answer 7

JW are a cult. Which differs from most all others.

Answer 8

A LOT
a lot, not much in common.

Answer 9

For the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, please go to
http://www.watchtower.org/

Answer 10

They both have a different set of beliefs that apostatize from mainstream Christianity in different ways.

What Do Mormons Believe: The Primary Differences Between Mormonism & Christianity


What Do Mormons Believe: Divine Authority
The Mormon church uses two sources as its primary authorities: the Book of Mormon and the Bible. The Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price are also viewed as divinely authoritative. The Christian church uses the Holy Bible alone as its authority from God. Joseph Smith is not recognized as a prophet.

What Do Mormons Believe: The Nature of God
The Mormon church sees God as the Supreme Being of the universe. However, He gradually acquired that position over a long period of time by living a perfect and righteous life. God the Father has a body (flesh and bones). The Christian church proclaims God as eternally and infinitely supreme. He is the same today as always. He is a spirit Being.

What Do Mormons Believe: The Nature of Man
The Mormon church teaches that humans exist as spirit beings before their birth. At physical birth, bodies are given to these spirits. They are also given an opportunity for free-will choice. The physical world represents a period of probation. The status of a person in the afterlife is determined by the way that person lived their life on Earth. If the person lived by a satisfactory standard, (including the fulfillment of Mormon temple obligations) that person has the potential to become a god in the after-life. They can also produce "spirit children" to populate a world of his own (like God did with the earth). The Christian church holds that humans do not exist as spirits prior to being born into the world. Humans cannot attain godhood or populate other worlds with "spirit children."

What Do Mormons Believe: The Nature of Jesus Christ
The Mormon church views Jesus and Satan as spirit brothers and sons of God. God put forth His plan of salvation for the world, and Satan proposed his own plan. Jesus accepted the Father's plan and offered to implement it as the Savior. The Father chose Jesus, and the spirit of Jesus was given a body through the virgin Mary. He was crucified on a Roman cross, and rose from the dead three days later to establish His deity. The character and life of Jesus is attainable by anyone who performs at such a righteous level. The Christian church teaches that Jesus Christ has existed eternally as the Son of God, the second "person" of the Trinity. Jesus took on human flesh about 2000 years ago and was born into the world through the virgin Mary. He was crucified on a Roman cross for our sins, and rose from the dead three days later to establish His deity.

What Do Mormons Believe: How do we Achieve Salvation
The Mormon church holds that Jesus Christ overcame physical death and guaranteed physical resurrection to all mankind. However, spiritual death can only be avoided through personal obedience of God's commandments. Forgiveness of sins requires faith, repentance and baptism by an approved Mormon priest. The practice of baptism for the dead is an extension of this belief, in which Mormons are baptized in proxy for those who have died without proper baptism. The Christian church teaches that we are unable to live a life righteous enough to meet God's perfectly holy standard. Therefore, we establish a relationship with God by faith in the work of Christ on the cross, not by our own works. Baptism and good deeds are acts of obedience to God, but not the means for gaining eternal salvation.

What Do Mormons Believe: Life After Death
The Mormon church maintains that although there is temporary punishment for those that are most wicked, Jesus Christ will establish a new kingdom that will consist of three levels: the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, and the telestial kingdom. The Christian church holds that there are only two possible fates after death, heaven or hell. These locations are final, both physically and spiritually.

What are the Jehovah Witnesses beliefs?

At first glance, the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses are not much different than those of orthodox, mainstream Christianity. For instance, they believe in the veracity of the Bible, however, their Bible, the New World Translation contains language that has been changed from the original texts and manuscripts, including words not found in the ancient texts and articles not even existing in the original languages themselves.

Among their more problematic tenants, Jehovah's Witnesses adhere to the following:
1) Jehovah is the only name of God;
2) Jesus Christ was a created being and not God-in-the-flesh;
3) Jesus Christ died on a stake instead of an actual cross.

"Jehovah" is, in fact one of the names of God, however it is merely a transliteration. In other words, it is a word or a sound which is constructed of letters used to refer to God (YHWH) since, in ancient Hebrew tradition, God had no name that could be uttered. YHWH become JHVH, the letters which were interchangeable with the former, and then, in order to verbally pronounce this mutated construct, included vowels to form "JeHoVaH." Furthermore, in the Jehovah's Witness' Bible, any name for God from the original language is simply substituted with this derivative, making it a bit of a "strawman." So, while this is one of the names to which God is commonly referred, it is not the only name and is, in fact merely a constructed form of his true, original reference.

Secondly, according to Scripture (John 1:1) Christ ("the Word") was indeed present at the onset of creation and is God's "Son" in the spiritual, eternal sense. However, Jesus pre-existed everything that was created and He did this in such a way that did not compromise his equivalency with God the Father - they were one, according to Jesus Himself. Jesus was not, therefore an inferior, created being but rather a co-creator with God the Father, existing equally as part of what we know as "The Holy Trinity," comprised of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Last, the assertion that Jesus was killed on a stake rather than a cross is merely another misunderstanding of the original language applied to a few verses which has been broadly imposed on all verses containing its uses. The word used for "cross" and "stake" can also be translated as "tree" or "pole." In some instances, it would be correct to use the word "stake." However, to apply it in every instance, ignoring the historicity of the matter, takes away from the spiritual tradition, intention, and power that this symbol represents to historical and present-day Christianity and makes for an unnecessary distraction. To wit, the King James Version uses the word "cross" 28 times when referring to the instrument of Christ's death. Historically, the Roman Empire, legally responsible for this lethal punishment, used crosses, not stakes. The process of crucifixion was meant to cause prolonged suffering as a deterrent to onlookers from committing similar crimes. Impaling on a stake would have provided a much quicker death due to the blood loss and, thus proved a much less effective tactic.

Jehovah Witness: The Basic Theology
Jehovah Witness theology has many subtle (and not-so-subtle) nuances. Here are the basics of Watchtower doctrine: God is a single being, not a Trinity. He is not all-knowing or present everywhere. (At one point, the WBTS proclaimed that God ruled the universe from somewhere in the Pleiades star system. They have since backed down from this teaching.) First, God created Michael the Archangel, through whom God later created all "other things," such as the earth, the universe, and all mankind. This process took place over exactly 42,000 years. When it was time for the birth of a savior, Michael became a man, in the form of Jesus Christ. He was without sin and kept every law of God. According to Jehovah's Witness theology, Jesus was put to death on a "torture stake." It is here that He bore the sins of all mankind (except for Adam). Later, Jesus rose from death in spirit, but did not rise in physical form. Jehovah's Witnesses who faithfully abide by God's organization on earth (the WBTS) will be spared from eternal annihilation. They will live forever on Paradise Earth. Heaven is a special place that is reserved for a distinct group of 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses, who have been deemed "born again" by the WBTS and are allowed to take annual communion. Generally, Jehovah's Witnesses agree to attend five meetings a week where they are taught from WBTS literature. After studying the material for at least six months, they answer a series of questions before a panel of elders, and upon approval, are baptized into the organization. Followers are then asked to maintain a modest appearance and demeanor, refusing to vote in government elections, salute the American flag, join the U.S. armed forces, or celebrate birthdays and Christmas. Each member is required to fulfill a schedule of public canvassing in order to distribute WBTS literature and collect donations for WBTS headquarters in New York. If a Jehovah's Witness leaves the organization, he is shunned in all ways. Outside the WBTS organization, "Christendom" is considered "demonic." Christianity is deemed "apostate," filled with pastors who are antichrists, in churches run by Satan, who support the earthly governments.

Jehovah Witness: Watchtower Doctrine vs. Christian Doctrine
Jehovah Witness and Christian theology actually have some basic similarities. Generally, they both teach that God is the Creator of everything, as opposed to naturalistic evolution, and they both share the belief that Jesus Christ will ultimately return to earth to destroy Satan and establish God's eternal kingdom. However, this is where the general similarities cease. There are many important differences in doctrine between the Jehovah's Witnesses and evangelical Christianity, most important of which is the person and nature of Jesus Christ. The deity of Christ is the central point of the entire Bible. Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is God. The Jehovah Witness teachings concerning Jesus Christ clearly contradict the teachings of the Bible. Multiple passages tell us that Jesus Christ, who existed as God, took the bodily form of a humble servant so that He could die on the cross in our place.

Jehovah Witness doctrine considers the 66 books of The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) as the only true and divinely inspired Word of God. The NWT is produced and published by an "anonymous" translation committee of the WBTS. The NWT is regarded as the best and only translation of the Bible, because "the translators held so closely to what is in the original Bible languages." In addition, the "governing body" of the WBTS is regarded as God's only true channel of accurate biblical interpretation. As such, Jehovah Witness doctrine requires that we be "associated with God's channel, his organization" in order to be true followers of God. This means that there is no salvation apart from the WBTS. Christian doctrine holds that the Bible is indeed composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, and is indeed the inspired and infallible Word of God. However, the NWT is not a legitimate translation, and merely reflects Jehovah Witness theology, especially its bias against the deity of Jesus Christ and the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. For example, John 1:1 in the NWT reads, "and the Word [Jesus] was a god." All other legitimate Bible translations say, "and the Word [Jesus] was God."

Jehovah Witness: The Basic Christian Response
As far as the Jehovah's Witness claim that the NWT is the only true interpretation of the Bible, the Christian response is that no religious leader or religious organization can claim exclusive control or possession of the true interpretation of the Bible. Through the Holy Spirit, all Christians are capable of interpreting and understanding the Holy Bible. As far as the Jehovah's Witness claim that the WBTS is the only way to God and salvation, the Christian response is that all people who have accepted the free gift of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are saved. Salvation is "by grace through faith" in Jesus Christ alone. No amount of works or membership in any religious group is required for eternal life with God.