| a.k.a. | | Latter-Day Saint |
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| Number of Members | 77,000,000[1] | 16,800,000[2] |
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| How does one get saved? | Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, and be baptized. | There is no singular salvation for Mormons: Exaltation, or going to the highest of the three degrees of glory and becoming a god, is achieved by getting baptized, confirmed, ordained in the Melchizedek priesthood (if a man), endowed, and married and then by keeping the covenants for the rest of one's life. |
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| Who gets saved? | Those who God chooses to call and who don't resist Him will be saved and no one else. | Anyone who chooses by his own free will to believe and accept God's gift of grace will be saved. |
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| Can one lose his salvation? | Yes, a Christian can lose his salvation by apostasy. | Yes, the promise of exaltation can be lost by breaking one's covenants, except for a select few couples who are chosen for a second anointing which guarantees exaltation unless one sins against the Holy Ghost or commits murder. |
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| Who gets baptized and why? | The unsaved, typically as infants, get baptized as the first sacrament of Christian initiation, cleansing them of all sins. | Understanding persons get baptized as the first ordinance, cleansing them of all sins. |
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| How should baptism be done? | Baptism should be by pouring water on the head. | Baptism should be by immersion. |
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| When does one receive the Holy Spirit? | The Holy Spirit is received at the moment of salvation. | The gift of the Holy Ghost is received at confirmation. |
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| What is the trinity? | The Trinity is God existing as one god in three equal, eternal, cosubstantial persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. | The Godhead comprises three separate gods—God the Father, his son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. |
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| What is the human nature? | Bondage of the will: Human nature is corrupt, naturally inclined to evil, and incapable of choosing God on his own. | Humans are neither inherently good nor inherently evil. |
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| Are we guilty of Adam's original sin? | Federalism: Yes, Adam represented all of the human race, and all are guilty of his sin. | No, "men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." |
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| Are Christians required to keep the Old Testament ceremonial laws? | No, the ceremonial laws of Judaism were fulfilled and done away with by Jesus. | No, the ceremonial laws of Judaism were fulfilled and done away with by Jesus. |
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| Can Christians become sinless in this earthly life? | No, although Christians can and should sin less, they can never become sinless in this life. | No, although Christians can and should sin less, they can never become sinless in this life. |
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| Do the elements of communion become the body and blood of Christ? | Sacramental union: No, the elements do not become the body and blood of Christ, but Christ's body and blood are non-physically joined to the elements. | No, the elements merely symbolically represent the body and blood of Christ. |
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| Can one be baptized of behalf of someone who has died? | No, the dead cannot be baptized. | Yes, a living person can be a proxy for the dead to be baptized, who then can accept or reject it in the afterlife. |
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| What happens if a saved person dies without being perfect? | Once Christians leave their sinful bodies, nothing else is needed to receive glorified, sinless bodies.[3][4][5] | Once Christians leave their sinful bodies, nothing else is needed to receive glorified, sinless bodies. |
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| Did Mary ever sin? | Most believe that, yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. | Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. |
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| What spiritual gifts are available today? | Most believe cessationism: Spiritual gifts used for serving are available today, while gifts used as signs have ceased.[6] | Continuationism: All spiritual gifts are still available to believers.[7] |
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| What framework has God used in dealing with man? | | God has different periods of history where he has at least one authorized servant on earth.[8][9] |
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| What is the gift of tongues? | The gift of tongues is the ability to speak foreign human languages without knowing how.[10][11] | Speaking in tongues is sometimes unintelligible and sometimes foreign human languages.[12] |
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| What are the requirements for clergy? | Varies widely | |
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| How many church ordinances/sacraments are there? | The church has two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion. | The Church has five saving ordinances: Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood (for men), the Temple Endowment, and the Marriage Sealing. There are roughly a dozen other ordinances important for comfort.[13] |
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| To whom do Christians need to confess their sins? | General sinfulness should be confessed to a priest. This is usually done as a group during a service. | Confession should be made directly to God unless the church might discipline for such sin, in which case it must be confessed to the bishop.[14][15] |
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| How should a church be structured? | Varies widely | Wards should be governed by the president in that stake, who in turn is governed by the seventies, who are governed by the Twelve, who are governed by the President of the Church.[16][17] |
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| What day of the week should Christians worship? | Christians worship on Sunday. | Christians worship on Sunday. |
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| How does God's revelation come to us today? | Sola scriptura: The Bible is the only infallible source of God's revelation, sufficient for all faith and practice. | There are many sources of God's revelation. |
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| How was the Bible written? | Varies widely[18][19] | |
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| How many books are in the Bible? | There are 66 canonical books of the Bible: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. | There are 66 canonical books of the Bible—39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books—and three other canonical books: the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. |
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| Was the Bible written inerrantly? | Varies widely[20][21] | No, the Bible is not inerrant in any respect.[22][23] |
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| Who can speak with God's authority today? | The church as a whole speaks with God's authority at ecumenical councils.[24] | The President of the Church and the Twelve Apostles are prophets, seers, and revelators who speak for God and whose prophecies shall all be fulfilled.[25][26] |
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| How was the earth created? | Varies widely | The earth was created by God organizing matter which has existed eternally.[27] |
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| What is marriage? | Varies widely[28][29][30] | Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman.[31] |
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| Is sex permissible outside marriage? | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible.[32][33] | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible.[31] |
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| When is divorce permissible? | Divorce is permissible for adultery or desertion.[34][35] | Divorce is permissible for any reason allowed by law.[36] |
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| May a Christian remarry while his former spouse is still alive? | The innocent party to the adultery may remarry. | Yes, a Christian may freely remarry after divorce.[37] |
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| When does a fetus become human? | Most have no established doctrine. The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod believes life begins at conception.[38][39][40] | No established doctrine, but the church opposes elective abortions.[41][42] |
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| Is contraception permissible? | Yes, contraceptives are permissible.[32][43] | Yes, contraceptives are permissible.[44] |
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| Are blood transfusions permissible? | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible. | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible. |
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| Should women cover their heads? | No, head coverings are no longer required due to cultural changes.[45][46][47] | No, head coverings are no longer required due to cultural changes.[48] |
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| Should Christians drink alcohol? | Yes, drinking alcohol is fine as long as one does not get drunk. | No, alcohol should be totally avoided. |
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| Should Christians fight in wars? | Yes, Christians should fight in just wars.[49][50] | Yes, Christians should fight in just wars.[51][52] |
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| Whom does the Holy Spirit come from? | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.[53][54] | The Holy Spirit is a separate god. |
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| Where does a Christian's soul go after death? | Christians immediately go to heaven when they die.[3] | The righteous await the resurrection in Paradise, part of the spirit world.[55][56] |
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