Jehovah’s Witness vs. Mormon: What is the real difference?

Though I grew up in a Christian (protestant) family, I have always been curious to find out what happens in other denominations. I remember during my theology years in college, I enjoyed the topic of denominations as I find such discussions intriguing. Recently, I was discussing with my friends about two famous denominations; Jehovah’s Witness and Mormon. I had a lot to share because of the vast knowledge I have collected in the area over the years. So, today, I decided to give an in-depth insight into these two denominations, Jehovah’s Witness vs. Mormon; how do they really differ?

In this article, I invite you to join me as I deeply analyze the difference between Jehovah’s Witness and Mormon. I will also discuss their differences in beliefs and the similarities between the two denominations. Keep reading to learn more.

Jehovah’s Witness vs. Mormon: difference in meaning

Jehovah’s Witness is an orthodox Christian denomination that believes God is Jehovah and Jehovah alone (they do not believe in the Trinity). They believe in the millennial restoration of Christians when God comes to rule and get their authority from their unique translated Bible called New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.

On the other hand, Mormons also originated from the Orthodox Christian denomination, formed their independent church, but still consider themselves Christian. They get their authority from the holy book called The Book of Mormon alongside interpretations from modern-day prophets. Also, they believe that God is called Elohim, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are different gods—no incarnation.

Differences between Jehovah’s Witness and Mormon

Differences	Jehovah’s Witness	Mormon
Name of God	They refer to God as Jehovah, believing it is his real and original name.	Refer to God as Elohim
Jesus	They believe that Jesus and Archangel Michael are one and the same person.	Jesus Christ is Jehovah
Archangel Michael	They do not believe in Jesus; thus believe he is Archangel Michael.	Mormons believe that Adam is Archangel Michael.
Holy Book	Their Holy book is the newly translated Bible that only they, among Christians, use. They call it; New World. Translation of the Holy Scriptures. It is their only source of authority.	Mormon’s Holy Book is called The Book of Mormons. They rely on the holy book, interpretation from modern prophets, and other scripture books for authority.
Leadership	They are led by the church’s governing body.	The head of leaders is the President. Other leaders include ministers.
Beliefs about death and resurrection	They believe that we die in both the body and soul and that the afterlife does not exist. However, they believe that resurrection can happen, but it is conditional.	They believe in the afterlife and resurrection.
Rules about Food	They do not have a lot of dietary restrictions, but the meat they eat should be drained of all blood.	Mormons are not allowed to take tea, coffee, or alcohol and should eat meat sparingly.
Holy Trinity	Jehovah’s Witnesses believe God is Jehovah and cannot be compared to anyone, hence do not believe in the Trinity. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not equal to God.	Mormons also do not believe in the Holy Trinity either, but their approach is different in that they believe Jesus, Holy Spirit, and God exist as different gods.

What differences in beliefs between Jehovah’s Witness and Mormons?

The Bible

Jehovah’s Witness believe that their Holy Book does not have any errors. Therefore, they solely rely on the Bible and their interpretation of it. On the other hand, Mormons believe that the Bible has errors. They rely on other sources for authority, including contemporary prophets and other scripture books.

Death and Resurrection

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that once you depart physically, the whole of your existence, including your soul dies too. Your soul will only be alive after resurrection. On the other hand, Mormons believe in the existence of the spirit world where the soul of the dead resides, waiting for resurrection.

Belief about the Holy Trinity

Both denominations do not believe in the Holy Trinity, but their beliefs about the three parties that form the Holy Trinity are different. Jehovah’s Witness believes in Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit’s existence but still maintains that God is the most powerful. Jesus cannot be compared to God, according to them. On the other hand, Mormons also believe in their existence, but they believe God, Holy Spirit, and Christ are different gods.

Divorce and remarriage

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not have strong beliefs regarding divorce. Mormons, on the other hand, allow their members to freely remarry after divorce.

Salvation

Both Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons believe that Christians can lose salvation. However, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe one can lose salvation by apostasy, while Mormons believe that one can lose salvation when one breaks any covenant. However, they believe there are a few selected people that cannot lose salvation unless they commit murder or blaspheme the Holy Spirit.

Similarities between Jehovah’s Witness and Mormon

First, Jehovah’s Witness and Mormon are Christian denominations with Christian roots. However, as stated above, these two orthodox denominations do not ascribe to the trinity concept (God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). While Jehovah’s Witness believes there is only one Jehovah, Mormons believe God and the Holy Spirit are separate gods; hence, they dispute that God exists in three forms.

Both Mormons and Jehovah’s Witness put heavy emphasis on evangelism. They both consider most of the beliefs of the mainstream Christian groups as incorrect. However, they still hold on to the fact that Christians should not be required to keep the ceremonial laws as mentioned in the Old Testament as they were fulfilled by Jesus. Furthermore, both denominations also believe that though Christians cannot become sinless in their earthly life, they should aim to sin less and live a righteous life.

What do Mormons think about Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Though Mormons view Jehovah’s Witnesses as fellow Christians working towards leading a sinless life, they think they are more similar to other denominations, like Catholics, than they are to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Even Jehovah’s Witnesses disagree with many of Mormon’s teachings but respect their commitment to preaching God’s commands.

Mormons also disagree with Jehovah’s Witness approach to priesthood authority and scripture interpretation. They believe that it is wrong for anyone to interpret the scripture, and only a person with priesthood authority (must have gained from someone with authority), should interpret the Bible. What is important is that Mormons think that Jehovah’s Witness members are Christian, just like them. They believe their weaknesses are due to human nature, and everyone has them. The most important thing is

Do Jehovah’s Witnesses have a book equivalent to the Book of Mormon?

Yes, they do. They have a newly translated Bible called New World, the Translation of the Holy Scriptures. This holy book is a Bible translation specifically produced by and for Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, the two denominations do not treat their holy books the same. Jehovah’s Witness believes that their holy book is always correct. The Mormons also rely on other sources because they believe their book might have errors.