For decades, the theological relationship between Evangelical Christians and Latter-day Saints has been characterized by a complex mix of social admiration and doctrinal suspicion, leaving many to wonder what our Protestant neighbors actually think of us. While Evangelicals often praise Latter-day Saints as highly moral neighbors with strong family values, they simultaneously draw a hard theological line, pointing to profound differences in our understanding of the Godhead, scriptural authority, and the eternal potential of humanity. A fascinating new article over at the Latter-day Saint history blog, From the Desk, explores this divide through the work of Evangelical scholar Kyle Beshears, unpacking the “prophet puzzle” of Joseph Smith and the inherent friction between classical Trinitarianism and the Restored Gospel. The piece challenges both sides to abandon uncharitable caricatures and the temptation to minimize our differences, arguing that to truly love our theological neighbors, we must first understand them with clarity rather than compromise.
What Do Evangelical Christians Think About Latter-day Saints?
The “Different Jesus” Paradox
One of the most persistent accusations leveled against Latter-day Saints by Evangelicals is the claim that we worship a “different Jesus.” The From the Desk piece tackles this head-on, noting that from a strictly creedal perspective, this accusation is “both rashly uncharitable and yet precisely true.”
Evangelical theology is firmly rooted in classical Trinitarianism, which dictates that Jesus is coequal, coeternal, and of the same ontological substance as the Father. The Latter-day Saint Jesus, however, is the firstborn spirit child of God the Father and a heavenly mother, a being who achieved His divine status through personal progression. While our devotion to Christ’s mortal ministry, teachings, and atoning sacrifice is deeply shared, the underlying theology of who Jesus is and how He relates to the Father diverges sharply.
The Temptation to Minimize
In interfaith dialogues, Latter-day Saints often fall into a predictable trap: we try to minimize these profound differences to gain social and religious acceptance. We emphasize our shared biblical heritage and our love for the Savior while quietly sidestepping the King Follett discourse or our unique views on exaltation.
The article points out that while emphasizing commonalities is a great starting point for friendship, glossing over our distinct doctrines prevents genuine theological understanding. We do ourselves a disservice when we water down the audacity of the Restoration just to fit into a traditional Christian mold. As the article notes, “Latter-day Saints tend to want to minimize” these differences, but doing so masks the fundamental realities of our faith.
Caricatures and “Cringeworthy” Questions
Evangelicals, however, are equally guilty of missteps in this relationship. Because many rank-and-file Evangelicals have little to no actual, real-world connection with faithful Latter-day Saints, their understanding of the Church is often built on caricatures or anti-Mormon polemics.
This lack of proximity leads to what Beshears describes as “cringeworthy” and misguided questions. He frames this as a failure of the Greatest Commandment: it is impossible to fulfill the Biblical mandate to “love your neighbor as yourself” if the “neighbor” you think you are loving is actually a strawman. Truly loving one’s neighbor requires engaging with their actual beliefs, not a funhouse-mirror version of them.
The Stumbling Blocks of Authority
Ultimately, the Evangelical-Latter-day Saint divide isn’t solely about the nature of God; it is also about the nature of authority. Evangelicals operate under the banner of historic Christian orthodoxy and biblical sufficiency. The Latter-day Saint narrative—which introduces a young boy experiencing a First Vision, the excavation of golden plates, the addition of three new books of scripture (the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price), and the claim of exclusive, restored priesthood authority—is too far beyond traditional Christianity for acceptance into its ranks. The “prophet puzzle” surrounding Joseph Smith remains the ultimate stumbling block.
The path forward for both faiths isn’t theological compromise; it is informed charity. Traditional Christians would do well to recognize our shared devotion to the Savior’s grace and to discard their caricatures, while Latter-day Saints must comfortably own our theological distinctiveness without taking offense when Evangelicals draw their boundary lines.
For a deeper dive into Kyle Beshears’s analysis of the Evangelical perspective on Latter-day Saint doctrine, exaltation, and the nature of the Godhead, head on over to the Latter-day Saint history blog, From the Desk, to read the full article.
While you’re there, check out my updated Zerah Pulsipher interview!
Leave a Reply