“We’re Closer Than You Think”: Expert Theologian on Mormonism And Christianity
Can Latter-day Saints and other Christians actually be closer in theology than most people think? In fact are “Mormons” Trinitarians? In this episode we sit down with BYU historian and theologian Grant Underwood, author of Latter-day Saint Theology Among Christian Theologies, to talk about where Latter-day Saint beliefs line up with Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox traditions—and where they really are distinct. We get into God’s nature, the Trinity, embodiment, salvation, and why words like “Christian,” “orthodox,” and even “theology” get used so differently online.
Underwood shows that a lot of the online “Mormons aren’t Christian” arguments come down to definitions, not devotion—and that many Latter-day Saints would benefit from seeing themselves inside the wider Christian conversation, not outside it. This episode is perfect for Latter-day Saints who talk with evangelical friends, for Christians who are curious about LDS beliefs, and for anyone who wants a calmer, better-informed way to talk about God.
⸻
In this episode you’ll hear about:
•Why Latter-day Saints should care about “theology,” not just “doctrine”
•How Latter-day Saints and other Christians talk past each other using the same words differently
•LDS belief in an embodied God and how that compares to creedal Christianity
•“Separate-being” or “social” Trinitarianism and why it’s closer than people assume
•LDS inclusivism: affirming the Restoration while honoring centuries of sincere Christians
•How publishing with Eerdmans opened the door for real dialogue between traditions
•Surprising overlaps with Eastern Orthodoxy on deification and theosis
•Why better definitions can “bulldoze down” unnecessary walls between believers
⸻
For viewers coming from other Christian traditions:
This episode is not a debate. It’s an attempt to show the actual range of Christian belief across 2,000 years, and to place Latter-day Saints inside that bigger story instead of outside it. If you’ve only seen LDS beliefs described in polemical books or social posts, this conversation will feel very different.
⸻
Subscribe for more long-form, faithful, informed conversations on Latter-day Saint history, doctrine, and how we fit in the wider Christian world.
#LatterDaySaint #Mormonism #Christianity #InformedSaints #GrantUnderwood #LDSTheology #Restoration #Trinity #Theosis #BYU #FaithAndReason #Interfaith
Chapters
(00:00:00) - Latter Day Saint Theology Among Christian Theologies(00:00:32) - Grant Underwood on His Book, The Life of Early Mormonism(00:01:12) - Why should Latter Day Saints care about theology?(00:06:20) - What is it about our conception of God that distinguishes us from other(00:11:50) - Mormons and the Language(00:14:06) - A Taste of the Book(00:16:56) - Mormons: We Are Not Creeal Christians(00:29:13) - The Problem of the Term "Christian"(00:37:42) - Latter Day Saints and Eastern Orthodoxy(00:42:28) - Eerdmans Publishing: Who's Christianity?(00:48:00) - The Church and its apostolic status(00:51:33) - A message on the Light of the Church(00:57:39) - Christianity: Inclusivist vs. Expulsivist(00:59:06) - Why Do You Believe in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Ireland