A Different Jesus?: The Christ of the Latter-Day Saints [Paperback]

Robert L. Millet (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2005

Foreword and afterword by Richard J. Mouw Are Latter-day Saints Christian, or do they worship a different Jesus? In this engaging book based on the foundational Mormon documents, Robert Millet clearly explains why Latter-day Saints claim to be Christians and compares their understanding of Jesus with the views of traditional Christian believers. A leading Mormon scholar who has spent much of his career in conversation with traditional Christians and their writings, Millet discusses what constitutes Christianity and examines how the Latter-day Saints fit or do not fit within that rubric. Intended to inform rather than to convince or persuade, A Different Jesus? clears away misconceptions and doctrinal distortions that characterize more polemical works about Mormonism. Millet points out the many beliefs that Latter-day Saints hold in common with traditional Christians, yet he also emphasizes differences where they exist. A Different Jesus? initiates and will foster a significant dialogue between Latter-day Saints and traditional Christians. Of special value are a lengthy chapter that answers some of the most frequently asked questions about Mormonism, a glossary showing how key theological terms are defined by Latter-day Saints, and evangelical scholar Richard Mouws foreword and afterword, which help set an agenda for future discussions between these rich religious traditions.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A humble, inviting foreword by evangelical Christian leader Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary, sets the stage for this groundbreaking book by a Mormon scholar that compares LDS beliefs about Christ with traditional Protestant (and to a lesser extent, Catholic and Orthodox) views. Millet, a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University, has spent years in formal conversation with evangelical friends (including Mouw) and coming to understand their beliefs as he presented the LDS viewpoint. This book is offered in the same spirit of dialogue, with no traces of the smugness or shrill tone that often characterize apologetic works. After providing a brief overview of LDS origins and history, Millet offers the LDS perspective on knotty theological issues such as Jesus' premortal life, the reliability of the Bible, the need for a "restoration" of the New Testament church, the nature of humanity, the mechanics of salvation and the eternal fate of those who've never heard the gospel message. Millet is as at home in the writings of such evangelical heroes as C.S. Lewis, J.B. Phillips, John MacArthur and Max Lucado as he is in the teachings of LDS prophets like Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and Gordon Hinckley. The book's honest and searching tone is deepened still further by Mouw's gracious afterword, in which he respectfully identifies issues where he disagrees with his Mormon friend. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (April 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802828760
• ISBN-13: 978-0802828767
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #409,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Building Bridges?, December 8, 2008

By 

Crazy Horse - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Different Jesus?: The Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (Paperback)

This book, unfortunately highly controversial in some Protestant circles, is the product of the friendship of Robert Millet, who teaches ancient scripture at Brigham Young University, and Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

Its publication clearly marks a significant advance in the relationship of evangelicals and Latter-day Saints. In the past all that was available in Protestant bookstores was the badly informed, highly polemical literature written by the partisan anti-Mormon element of the countercult industry.

Without realizing it, those who have turned to this literature for an understanding of the Church of Jesus Christ have done something analogous to consulting Nazi propaganda for an understanding of the faith of Jews or to old Communist propaganda for an understanding of American life and culture.

Latter-day Saints can also benefit from giving careful attention to Millet's presentation of their faith to Protestants. If there is a weakness in Millet's book, it stems from his inattention to the historical elements in the faith of the Saints and thus his inattention to the sophisticated literature on the historical authenticity of the Book of Mormon.

Sorting out theological issues for evangelicals, as useful as that is, still leaves the crucial truth questions bracketed. However, by publishing Millet's book, Eerdmans, a leading evangelical press, has now made available in Protestant bookstores a sound, nonpolemical presentation of the fundamentals of the faith of the Saints.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Latter-day Saints are part of the Christian community--, July 11, 2008

By 

Neuro (Placentia, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Different Jesus?: The Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (Paperback)

I also recommend _Claiming Christ: A Mormon-Evangelical Debate_ by Robert L. Millet and Gerald R. McDermott.

Pastor McDermott, who is a Lutheran pastor and college professor has concluded after careful study that, "Evangelicals and Mormons agree on lots of things about Jesus. Many evangelicals are surprised to learn, for example, that Mormons believe not only that Jesus is the Son of God but also that he is God the Son. I find that many evangelicals have somewhere picked up the idea that Mormons deny the deity of Jesus Christ. They are often amazed to learn that, unlike Jehovah's Witnesses and other groups they typically classify as "cults," which do indeed deny the deity of Christ, Mormons declare emphatically that Jesus was and is incarnate God. ... I have to say that evangelical agreement with [Mormons] on Jesus is significant and, when compared to a history of evangelical denunciations of Mormonism, remarkable." (pg. 63,64)

69 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Worthwhile Contribution., June 28, 2005

By 

Tad Griffin (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Different Jesus?: The Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (Paperback)

As a former evangelical of 32 years and now member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints living in the heart of the bible-belt I have had many opportunities to dialogue with my evangelical brothers and sisters. Invariably when discussing our views on faith the old familiar "You follow a "different" Jesus" accusation pops up. Before getting stuck in this semantic loop I sometimes attempt to circumvent this stumbling block and get on to more fruitful interaction by initiating the following dialog and illustration.

-ME: Is the Jesus that you follow the same Jesus that we read about in the New Testament?
+EVANGELICAL BROTHER: "Yes"
-Did this same Jesus, after his resurrection, walk, and talk and eat with his disciples in a very real and physical way?
+ "Yes, he did"
-Sometime after this event did this same Jesus ascend in a very physical way and promise to return in the same fashion someday as was witnessed by others?
+ "Yes"
-So this same Jesus is at this very moment located somewhere in the universe right now is he not?
+ "Yes, i suppose so"
-Could this same Jesus come and stand here right next to us in a very real and physical way right now if he so chose?
+ "Yes, i suppose he could"
-For the sake of illustration let's pretend that this same Jesus did in reality choose to physically be here- and that he is standing right here next to us right now. Could we not speak and interact with him in the same fashion that you and I are interacting with each other right now if he so chose to do so?
+ "Yes"
-I could put my hand on his shoulder just like this could I not? (I literally hold my arm up as if my hand were on the shoulder of Jesus standing next to us)
+ "yes, I suppose you could"
-You could put your hand on his other shoulder too couldn't you- For the sake of this illustration can you put your hand there? (I literally ask them to put their arm up as if their hand were on the opposite shoulder of Jesus)
-I then say, with each of us having a hand on Jesus' shoulder- this is the Jesus that I follow. This is the Jesus that is testified about in the Book of Mormon. This is the Jesus whom I wholly look toward for my salvation and for forgiveness of my sins and is the "keeper of the gate". This is the Jesus in whose name I pray to the Father in. This is the Jesus at whose feet I will fall at the last day. Is this not the same Jesus that you follow? Rather than claiming we follow a "different" Jesus don't you think it would be much more accurate and more constructive if we were to agree that we do in fact follow the same Jesus- the one that is standing right here- but that we understand the same Jesus differently? If they are truly honest within themselves they will say- yes, we follow the same Jesus, but we understand the same Jesus differently. However, more times than not, within literally 1 minute back it comes- "No!, you worship a different Jesus!.

The net effect of Robert Millet's "A Different Jesus?" will be that it will become increasingly more and more difficult for critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to continue to make this claim while maintaining a straight face.

Robert L. Millet and Richard J. Mouw have made a significant contribution with this book and should be commended. It is not difficult to envision the improved interaction and dialogue that will flow from it. Hopefully this will be another step forward in a trend of more honest and genuine inter-faith interaction that is starting to emerge. As other individuals like Richard Mouw come to acknowledge the mischaracterization and fallacy of so much of the "anti-mormon" materials (and I do believe that there are others who are coming to see this truth as well and that it is a trend that will continue to grow in some circles) "A Different Jesus?" will help begin to fill in the hole for those individuals who genuinely want to understand the LDS position.

Another aspect i like about this book is that it is so well rounded. It contains a variety of elements that readers will find helpful beyond the main body of the book. It contains a forward by the prominent evangelical Richard Mouw, introductory notes titled "Why this Book was Written", next is an introduction titled "How it All Began", then six chapters that make up the bulk of the book. Following these six main chapters is a seventh chapter addressing 21 of the most "frequently asked questions" about Latter-day Saint Christianity followed by a conclusion section and then an afterward by Richard Mouw. Appendix A & B contains two documents important to Latter-day Saints in regard to setting forth their beliefs to others. These are "The Articles of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" which contains thirteen articles of belief that stand as part of the official teachings of the Church. Next is "The Living Christ" a document composed by The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 1, 2000 as part of the commemoration of Christs birth two millennium ago. Following the appendix is a glossary containing definitions of over 120 LDS words and terms followed by the bibliography and index. This book is well written and easy to read without being simplistic.

Non members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will come away from reading this book with an enriched perspective, both deeper and wider than they might have previously had of LDS Christianity and will perhaps realize that they have more common ground with their Mormon Christian brothers and sisters than they might have previously understood. This book will also go a long way toward "de-programming" those who have been negatively scripted by exposure to too much bad "anti-mormon" literature.

Those that are already members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will find "A Different Jesus?" somewhat obvious- but a valuable tool for improving dialogues with their non-LDS Christian friends and neighbors.

Robert Millet has made a worthwhile contribution with this book as it is not difficult to imagine the improved interfaith dialogues it may engender. How can that not be a good thing?

Why some people would have a problem with the publisher for publishing this book is a mystery to me.