Which Jesus Do You Believe In? Latter-day Saints, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholic, or Protestant?

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Many claim to “believe in Jesus,” but not everyone means the same thing. Latter-day Saints, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Roman Catholics, and Protestants all speak of Jesus—but they describe very different persons.

They can’t all be right.

Why Jesus?

Before looking at the various views about Jesus, let me explain a simple, common-sense reason why Jesus is needed. The Bible says we are born in sin (Psalm 51:5), and even our best deeds are like filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6).

We have nothing good enough to offer that can atone for our guilt. It is arrogant to think we can earn the favor of the holy Creator by our own efforts. But because God loves us, He sent His Son—Jesus—fully God and fully man—who lived without sin and died in our place (Isaiah 53:5–6). Only He could be the perfect sacrifice.

Jesus clearly said He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6), and when we trust in Him, God sees His righteousness and accepts His payment for our sin. Any other view leaves you trying to save yourself, hoping it’s enough.

So—what do you believe about Jesus?

Now let’s look at some well-known views of Jesus.

Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

Founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 in New York, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims to restore the true gospel through modern revelation and additional scriptures like the Book of Mormon.

They believe Jesus is the spirit-brother of Lucifer, a being who became a god and shows others how to become gods. This denies His eternal deity (John 1:1; Col. 1:16–17).

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Begun in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell in Pennsylvania, this group is known for its door-to-door evangelism and denies the Trinity, viewing itself as the only true Christian organization.

They believe Jesus is a created angel—Michael—who was raised spiritually, not bodily. But Scripture says He is God and was worshiped after rising bodily from the dead (John 20:28; Heb. 1:6).

Roman Catholicism

Tracing its origins to the apostles and centered in Rome, the Roman Catholic Church developed over centuries into a global institution that sees the pope as the earthly head of Christ’s Church.

They affirm Christ’s deity but add rituals, priests, and ongoing sacrifices that undermine the finality of the cross (Heb. 10:10–14). Salvation is not by Christ alone but through the Church’s system.

Protestant Christianity

Emerging from the Reformation in the 16th century, Protestants are a broad group of churches that broke from Roman Catholicism over doctrines like justification by faith and the authority of Scripture alone.

They teach what the Bible proclaims: Jesus is the eternal, uncreated Son of God (Col. 2:9), He died once for all to fully save sinners (Heb. 10:14), Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-9).

My View of Jesus

Aligns with the Protestant view—not because of tradition or church history, but because it is what the Bible plainly and consistently teaches.

Why It Matters

This isn’t about tradition or preference. It’s about truth. A false Christ cannot save. Only the Jesus revealed in Scripture—the eternal Son of God, risen and reigning—offers salvation.

• The LDS Jesus cannot save because He is a created being and one of many “gods,” contradicting the Bible’s teaching that Jesus is the eternal, uncreated God and the only Savior (John 1:1, Isaiah 43:10–11).

• The Jehovah’s Witness Jesus cannot save because He is not truly God in their view, but a created angel—yet Scripture says only God can bear the full penalty for sin (Hebrews 1:3–8, John 8:24).

• The Catholic Jesus, though divine, cannot save under their system because salvation is tied to sacraments and works, adding to the finished work of Christ—something Scripture strictly condemns (Galatians 2:16, Romans 11:6).

Only the biblical Jesus, fully God and fully man, who paid for sin once for all, can save all who trust in Him by grace through faith alone (Titus 3:5, John 14:6, Acts 4:12).

So ask yourself: Which Jesus do you believe in?