Jehovah’s Witnesses and Latter-day Saints: What is the main difference?

Last week, we were invited to a Latter-day Saints’ function with some of my colleagues. I noticed that one of my Jehovah’s Witness colleagues did not participate in the prayer process.

I later asked why she did not participate, and she mentioned that her beliefs had major differences with those of the Latter-day saints, and thus, she could not conform to their way of prayer.

As a theologian, I was interested in understanding the differences between the two denominations. I interacted with more believers from Jehovah’s Witness and latter-day saints to further understand their beliefs.

I also wrote this article for those interested in understanding the differences. So, let’s compare Jehovah’s Witnesses vs. Latter-day Saints.

Join me in this article as I explore the unique characteristics of Jehovah’s Witnesses and latter-day saints. I intend to use the characteristics to draw their similarities and differences.

Please read through to identify the differences and similarities between Jehovah’s Witnesses, latter-day saints, and much more!

What’s the Difference between Jehovah’s Witnesses and Latter-day Saints?

Parameters	Jehovah Witness	Latter day saints
God and the Trinity	They believe in God and shun the Trinity.	They believe in the Trinity (God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit)
Type of Bible used	They use the Bible (New World translated Bible).	They use the Book of Mormon, doctrines, and other covenant laws.
Jesus Christ	They acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God’s son but do not believe he is equal to God.	They believe in Jesus Christ, especially as part of the Trinity.
Baptism	Baptism is administered to adult believers who have mastered the Jehovah’s Witness doctrines.	Baptism is administered when a child is about eight years old to get rid of sin and help them lead a righteous life.
Holiday	They have a strict no-holiday celebration in their doctrines.	They celebrate different types of holidays and also additional ones like Pioneer Day.
Mission work	All members are expected to participate in door-to-door evangelism.	Young adult members of the religion are sent to conduct the mission.
Heaven	They believe that 144,000 people will go to heaven and the remaining people will remain on earth.	They believe in the afterlife and will have more achievements in heaven.

Differences in the beliefs between Jehovah’s Witnesses and Latter-day Saints

Death and Resurrection

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in death and resurrection and that a percentage of selected people will be resurrected. They believe that the non-believers will remain dead because they are not part of the 144,000 anointed people.

On the other hand, latter-day saints believe that resurrection is for all individuals. They imply that depending on one’s glory, the believers can be exalted in the afterlife to become gods.

Baptism

Jehovah’s Witnesses administer baptism to adult believers who understand the religion’s doctrine. Baptism is for the adults because they are conscious of their decisions and dedication towards being Jehovah’s Witnesses.

However, latter-day saints administer baptism to children ranging from eight years. They imply that it is the age where they become susceptible to sin, and baptism plays a huge role in helping them live a righteous life.

Jesus Christ

Jehovah’s witnesses acknowledge that Jesus Christ exists as God’s son and do not believe in the scriptures about his influence.

They believe God is the only deity and Jesus Christ is part of his creations. However, Latter-day saints strongly believe in Jesus, his divinity, and how he is part of the Trinity.

They believe Jesus Christ is God’s son sent to set a path Christians should follow.

Trinity

Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the Trinity and believe in the existence of only one God. They imply that the Trinity is part of God’s creation and should not be considered divine.

The believers are discouraged from believing in the Trinity because it is not part of the doctrine. On the other hand, latter-day saints believe in the Trinity.

Most latter-day saints believe that the Trinity is different but serves a similar purpose.

Salvation

Jehovah’s witnesses imply that you can receive salvation through living by the religion’s doctrines. Jehovah’s Witnesses have rules that should be followed and teachings that help them through salvation and being part of the anointed people to go to heaven.

However, latter-day saints believe that salvation is attained when you understand Jesus Christ, believe in his doctrine, and get baptized.

They imply that salvation means you should be ready to persevere through all tribulations till death.

What are the similarities between Jehovah’s Witnesses and Latter-day Saints?

Theologians explain that the main similarity between Jehovah’s Witnesses and latter-day saints is that they both conduct evangelism.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and latter-day saints use evangelism as a mission to spread the word of God. They both expect that the members will actively participate in evangelism, which should be the top priority.

Another similarity between Jehovah’s Witnesses and latter-day saints is that they worship one God and emphasize living a righteous life.

What do Jehovah’s Witnesses think about Latter-day Saints?

Jehovah’s Witnesses disagree with latter-day saints on what they believe and how the religion is conducted. Jehovah’s Witnesses and latter-day saints have a lot of differences, which causes conflicts between the two denominations.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that believing in Jesus Christ and using the Book of Mormons is beyond what Christianity, in their perspective, should be.

What do Latter-day Saints think of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Latter-day saints think Jehovah’s Witnesses have their doctrines, which are pretty different and strict rules for the believers.

However, Latter-day Saint’s believers imply that the essential aspect is that they both spread God’s words and encourage more people to draw back and be closer to God.

Which one is more popular between Jehovah’s Witnesses and Latter-day Saints?

Jehovah’s Witnesses is quite popular compared to Latter-day Saints because of the efforts incorporated into spreading the religion.

Jehovah’s Witnesses ensure that they spread the gospel through door-to-door evangelism, which makes them quite popular when compared to latter-day saints.

The Jehovah’s Witness denomination is more popular because of its strict rules that should be followed by the believers.

Some of the rules include members are not allowed to celebrate any holidays or engage with non-believers in celebration.

However, the Latter Latter-day Saints denomination is still on the growth verge, and it is less popular. As a Christian searching for a denomination to join, you should ask God for guidance in locating a church that speaks to your faith and will bring you to an excellent community.