Comparing the Latter-day Saint (LDS) faith and biblical Christianity using strictly the textual parameters specified—the New King James Version (NKJV) Bible for Christianity and the scriptures produced by Joseph Smith (Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and the Joseph Smith Translation / JST)—reveals foundational agreements alongside stark, irreconcilable differences in the nature of God, salvation, and divine authority

Based strictly on the parameters specified—the New King James Version (NKJV) Bible for Christianity and the scriptures produced by Joseph Smith (Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price) for the Latter-day Saint (LDS) faith—the explanation of how Jesus came to be, and why He is considered the brother of Satan, highlights a fundamental divergence in cosmology and theology.

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Part 1: How Jesus Came to Be

According to the NKJV Bible

In the NKJV text, Jesus Christ did not “come to be” as a created entity. He is eternally self-existent. He has no beginning and no end, existing as the uncreated Creator alongside the Father from all eternity.

• The Eternal Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3).
• Uncreated Creator: The NKJV teaches that Jesus created everything in heaven and on earth—including all spiritual beings. “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers” (Colossians 1:16).
• The Incarnation: Jesus only “came to be” in a physical sense when the eternal Word took on human flesh, conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:35, John 1:14).

According to Joseph Smith’s Writings

In the scriptures produced by Joseph Smith, the origin of Jesus is framed within an eternal progression where all spirits, including Jesus, have a literal beginning as spiritual offspring.

• The Firstborn Spirit: Joseph Smith’s revelations state that before the earth was formed, all human beings existed as spirits in a “Pre-Mortal Life.” Jesus was the Firstborn of these spirit children begotten by God the Father. In Doctrine and Covenants 93:21, Jesus states: “And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn.”
• The Only Begotten in the Flesh: While all humans are considered spiritual children of God, Joseph Smith’s writings emphasize that Jesus is unique because He is the only person on earth literally begotten by God the Father in a physical body (Book of Mormon, Alma 5:48).

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Part 2: Why LDS Writings Imply Jesus and Satan Are Brothers

The concept that Jesus and Satan are “brothers” stems directly from Joseph Smith’s unique revelations regarding the pre-mortal spirit world, specifically found in the Book of Moses and the Book of Abraham (both contained within the Pearl of Great Price).

1. The Common Origin of All Spirits

According to Joseph Smith’s texts, God the Father is the literal “Father of spirits.” Because all spiritual beings—including Jesus, Lucifer (Satan), and all of mankind—were born as spirit intelligences in the pre-mortal realm, they all belong to the same cosmic family. In this specific structural sense, Jesus and Lucifer are spirit brothers, just as all human beings are considered their spirit brothers and sisters.

2. The Grand Council in Heaven

The relationship is explicitly detailed in Book of Moses 4:1-4 and Book of Abraham 3:27-28, which describe a “Grand Council” where God the Father presented a plan of salvation for His children. Two prominent spirit leaders stepped forward with competing proposals:

• Jesus (The Chosen One): Jesus offered to go to earth to save mankind while preserving human agency, giving all the glory to the Father. He said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever” (Moses 4:2).
• Lucifer (Satan): Lucifer stepped forward with a rebellious counterfeit plan. He offered to save all of mankind by force, destroying human agency, and demanded God’s power and glory for himself. He said, “Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor” (Moses 4:1).

Because God chose Jesus’s plan, Lucifer rebelled, sparked a war in heaven, and was cast down out of the presence of God, becoming Satan (Moses 4:3-4).

Direct Textual Comparison

Theological Topic	The NKJV Bible	Joseph Smith’s Writings
Are Jesus and Satan Brothers?	No. Jesus is the uncreated Creator God (John 1:3). Satan is a finite, created angelic being (Colossians 1:16). A Creator and a creation cannot be siblings.	Yes, in spirit origin. Both were part of the pre-mortal family of spirit children born to God the Father before the earth was made (D&C 93:21, Moses 4).
Satan’s Status Relative to Jesus	Satan is a subject creature who owes his very existence to Jesus, the Architect of the universe.	Satan was a high-ranking “son of the morning” who was a peer/brother to Jesus in the pre-mortal council before his rebellion.

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Core Comparison & Contrast:

Theological Topic	The NKJV Bible (Christian Faith)	Joseph Smith’s Books (LDS Faith)
The Nature of God	Monotheism: There is only one eternal God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist distinctly but as one unified Godhead (Deuteronomy 6:4, John 1:1, Isaiah 43:10). God is Spirit and immortal (John 4:24).	Plurality of Gods: The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three entirely separate physical personages/Gods (D&C 130:22). God the Father was once a mortal man who progressed to godhood. Humans can progress to become Gods (King Follett Discourse, Abraham 3).
Salvation & Grace	By Grace Through Faith Alone: Salvation is a gift of God, entirely unearned by human works, though good works flow naturally from a saved heart (Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 4:5).	Grace Conditional Upon Works: Salvation/exaltation requires human effort. “For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23). JST explicitly changes Romans 4:5 to state God does not justify the ungodly without works.
The Nature of Mankind	Created Beings: Humans were created by God out of nothing; we are fundamentally creatures, not of the same species or co-eternal nature as God (Genesis 1:27, Isaiah 45:12).	Co-Eternal with God: The human spirit/intelligence was not created or made, but has existed eternally alongside God. Humans are literal spiritual offspring of God with the potential to inherit His same attributes (D&C 93:29).
The Authority of Scripture	Sufficiency of Scripture: The prophetic word is complete and once-for-all delivered. Adding or subtracting from the core revelation of Christ is forbidden (Jude 1:3, Revelation 22:18-19, 2 Timothy 3:16-17).	Open Canon / Continuous Revelation: The Bible is incomplete and prone to human translation errors (Articles of Faith 1:8). Additional books of scripture and continuous modern revelation through a living prophet are required (D&C 1:30, 2 Nephi 29:9).

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Key Areas of Shared Common Ground

• The Historical Christ: Both text bases firmly assert that Jesus of Nazareth is the Promised Messiah, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on a cross for the sins of the world, and was physically resurrected (Luke 24, 3 Nephi 11).
• The Necessity of Faith and Repentance: Both textual records adamantly instruct that humanity is in a fallen state and must express explicit faith in Jesus Christ, repent of their sins, and be baptized to receive forgiveness (Acts 2:38, 2 Nephi 31:17).
• Moral Commandments: High ethical standards regarding marital fidelity, honesty, charity, and obedience to God’s commandments are consistently woven throughout both the NKJV text and the Book of Mormon (The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7 mirrors 3 Nephi 12–14).

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Profound Theological Divergences

1. The Justification of the Ungodly

The NKJV Bible states that God “justifies the ungodly” entirely on the basis of faith (Romans 4:5). Joseph Smith’s text directly alters this premise. In the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of Romans 4:5, the text is rewritten to say that God “justifieth not the ungodly,” adding in JST Romans 4:16 that “ye are justified of faith, and works through grace”. This contrasts with the NKJV’s strict partition that salvation is “not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). [1]

2. The Trinity vs. The Godhead

Where the NKJV teaches the unity of God—“I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me” (Isaiah 45:5)—Joseph Smith’s revelations establish a plurality of separate Divine beings. Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 outlines that “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.”

3. The Fall of Adam

In the NKJV, the Fall of Adam is presented as a tragic introduction of sin and death into the world, requiring redemption (Genesis 3, Romans 5:12). In Joseph Smith’s writings, the Fall is reframed as a vital, positive step necessary for human progression: “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25). [1]

Comparing the life of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New King James Version (NKJV) Bible with the life of Joseph Smith as recorded in the texts he produced (Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and History of the Church) reveals two figures who both claimed divine callings and suffered violent deaths, but whose personal attributes, teachings, and core missions diverged sharply.

Core Comparison & Contrast

Life Aspect	Jesus Christ (NKJV Bible)	Joseph Smith (LDS Scriptures & History)
Origin & Nature	Divine from Birth: Jesus is the eternal Word made flesh, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and uniquely sinless (John 1:1, 14; Luke 1:35; 1 Peter 2:22).	Mortal & Fallible: Born to human parents, Joseph frequently recorded his own errors and received severe rebukes from God for his transgressions (D&C 3:5-10; D&C 93:47).
Marital Life	Celibate: Jesus never married during His earthly ministry, dedicating Himself entirely to His spiritual mission.	Polygamous: Joseph Smith practiced and commanded plural marriage, marrying dozens of wives (D&C 132).
The Use of Arms	Strictly Pacifist: Jesus rejected earthly violence, rebuking Peter for drawing a sword, and declared His kingdom was not of this world (Matthew 26:52; John 18:36).	Military Commander: Joseph served as the Lieutenant General of the Nauvoo Legion, a large state-chartered militia, and carried a weapon for defense (History of the Church 6:607).
Nature of Death	Sacrificial Lamb: Jesus willingly submitted to execution on a cross, offering no physical resistance, to pay for human sins (Luke 23; Matthew 26:53).	Armed Martyrdom: Joseph died in a gunfight at Carthage Jail, using a smuggled six-shooter pistol to fire back at his attackers before being shot (History of the Church 6:617-618).

Areas of Parallel Claims

• Rejection by the Religious Establishment: Both figures were heavily opposed and persecuted by the established religious leaders of their day. Jesus was rejected by the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:53-65), while Joseph Smith recorded that ministering elites of various denominations united to persecute him after his First Vision (Joseph Smith—History 1:22).
• Betrayal by Close Associates: Both men were betrayed unto death by people inside their inner circles. Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16). Joseph Smith was betrayed by former close associates, including William Law, who published an exposé that directly triggered the events leading to Smith’s arrest and murder.
• The Sealing of a Testimony: Both left legacies that their followers believe were validated by their blood. Jesus shed His blood to establish the New Covenant (Luke 22:20). Joseph Smith’s scriptures state that his martyrdom was necessary to “seal” the truth of the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 135:1).

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Foundational Differences in Their Lives

1. Self-Defense vs. Ultimate Submission

The final moments of their lives illustrate a stark contrast in their teachings on submission to authority.

• Jesus explicitly ordered His disciples to put away their weapons, stating, “All who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). At His trial and crucifixion, He “opened not His mouth” in self-defense (Isaiah 53:7, quoted in Acts 8:32-33).
• Joseph Smith, while imprisoned at Carthage Jail, defended himself and his friends when a mob stormed the room. According to LDS Church history records, he pulled a pepper-box pistol from his pocket and fired all six barrels down the stairs, wounding three of the attackers before he was fatally shot and fell from the second-story window (History of the Church 6:617-618).

2. Earthly Authority and Government

The scope of their earthly ambitions differed fundamentally in how they interacted with political power.

• Jesus resisted all attempts by the crowds to make Him an earthly king (John 6:15) and taught His followers to pay taxes to the secular Roman Empire (Luke 20:25).
• Joseph Smith progressively combined religious, civic, and military titles. By 1844, he was simultaneously the Prophet of the Church, the Mayor of Nauvoo, a Lieutenant General of the Nauvoo Legion, and an official candidate for the Presidency of the United States.

3. Perfection vs. Refinement

• Jesus lived a life of absolute moral perfection. The NKJV emphasizes that He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
• Joseph Smith’s own revelations highlight his human weaknesses. In Doctrine and Covenants 3:9, God warns Joseph: “Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall.”

According to LDS history books and autobiographical scriptures written by Joseph Smith—primarily Joseph Smith—History within the Pearl of Great Price—his life before his 1820 First Vision was defined by economic hardship, labor, and a deeply felt spiritual crisis

Birth and Early Upbringing

• Birth and Family: He was born on December 23, 1805, in Sharon, Vermont, to Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. He was the fifth of eleven children. [1]
• Financial Hardships: His family experienced severe crop failures and financial reversals. This caused them to relocate frequently across New England before finally settling on a farm in Palmyra, New York, around 1816. [1, 2, 3]
• Mortal Labor: As a youth, he spent his days engaged in heavy physical labor. He cut timber, cleared land, and farmed to help support his destitute family. Because of these demands, he received very limited formal schooling. He possessed only basic skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic

According to church history resources published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith Sr. worked primarily as a tenant farmer, day laborer, and merchant/shopkeeper throughout his life. Because the family faced persistent financial hardships, he often had to pivot between different occupations to support his large household. [1, 2]

His primary occupations included:

• Farming: He attempted to operate farms in Vermont and later contracted for a 100-acre farm in Manchester, New York, where the family raised crops and harvested maple sugar. [1]
• Shopkeeping: While living in Palmyra, New York, he operated a small shop on Main Street where he and his family sold gingerbread, pies, boiled eggs, and root beer to customers. [1]
• Day Labor: To make ends meet, he frequently hired himself and his older sons out to neighboring properties as common laborers to assist with harvesting, digging wells, and other physical chores. [1]
• School Teaching: In his earlier years while living in New England, he also occasionally worked as a seasonal schoolteacher. [1]

Later in life, following the organization of the church founded by his son, Joseph Smith Sr. was called to full-time ecclesiastical service and served as the first Patriarch to the Church.

The severe economic struggles of Joseph Smith Sr. were caused by a series of compounding financial disasters, localized medical debt, and catastrophic climate-driven crop failures. He initially began his married life in relatively comfortable financial circumstances, owning part of a farm, but a quick succession of events left his family entirely destitute. [1, 2, 3]

The main catalysts for his financial ruin include:

1. The Ginseng Investment Swindle (1802)

While running a store in Randolph, Vermont, Joseph Sr. invested heavily in crystallizing wild American ginseng root to export to China, where it was highly valuable. He bought store goods on credit and sent his ginseng on consignment with a partner named Stevens. [1, 2, 3]

The investment was highly successful, but Stevens defrauded Joseph Sr., pocketing the immense profits and fleeing to Canada. Left with approximately $3,800 in debt to his suppliers and no profits to show for it, Joseph Sr. had to sell his family farm and liquidate his wife Lucy’s $1,000 wedding dowry just to avoid prison. This event permanently threw the family into poverty. [1, 2, 3, 4]

2. High Medical Debt from Typhoid Fever (1812–1813)

A devastating wave of typhoid fever swept through the region, infecting all of the Smith children. While they survived, the sickness caused a severe bone infection in young Joseph Smith Jr.’s leg, requiring an agonizing and expensive experimental surgery. The medical bills heavily burdened the family finances at a time when they were already barely scraping by. [1, 2]

3. Three Consecutive Crop Failures and “The Year Without a Summer” (1814–1816)

After losing his store and farm, Joseph Sr. tried to bounce back as a tenant farmer in Norwich, Vermont. However, he suffered three consecutive years of total crop failure. [1, 2]

The final blow came in 1816, known historically as “The Year Without a Summer.“ The cataclysmic 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia threw so much volcanic ash into the atmosphere that it disrupted global weather patterns. Heavy frosts occurred throughout June, July, and August across New England, destroying all crops. Facing starvation and legally “warned out” of town under local poor laws because they could not support themselves, Joseph Sr. was forced to abandon Vermont entirely and relocate the family to Palmyra, New York. [1]

4. The Loss of the Manchester Farm (1823–1825)

In New York, the family built a frame house and made progress on purchasing a 100-acre plot of land in Manchester. However, in 1823, his eldest and most economically productive son, Alvin, tragically died from an abdominal ailment. Alvin had been driving the family’s efforts to make the physical land payments. Devastated by grief and short on labor, Joseph Sr. defaulted on the land payments and lost ownership of the farm, forcing them to live there as tenant renters under a sympathetic neighbor. [1, 2, 3]

Yes, all of this information is actively taught and documented in official LDS historical books, scholarly resources, and current curricula.

While older 20th-century church manuals occasionally glossed over the highly detailed financial minutiae of the family, modern official histories and educational projects published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints present these exact events as crucial context for the Restoration.

The specific official LDS publications that contain this history include:

1. Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days (Volume 1)

In 2018, the Church published an official, narrative-style history titled Saints. [1]

• Chapter 1 (“Ask in Faith“) explicitly highlights the catastrophic weather patterns of 1816, directly detailing how Joseph Smith Sr. watched his crops shrivel under relentless frosts, bringing the family to financial ruin and forcing their migration from Vermont to New York. [1]
• The text explicitly connects these climate struggles to the global weather disruption caused by the massive volcanic eruption in the East Indies (Mount Tambora). [1]

2. The Joseph Smith Papers Project

This monumental, multi-volume academic project was officially sanctioned by the Church to publish every surviving document related to Joseph Smith’s life.

• The Joseph Smith Papers Biographical Histories explicitly detail the 1802 ginseng mercantile disaster.
• It records how Joseph Sr. entered the mercantile business in Randolph, Vermont, invested heavily in a ginseng root consignment bound for China, and “lost all” due to deception and theft by his business partner. [1, 2]

3. Lucy Mack Smith’s History (Biographical Sketches)

The absolute primary source for these financial trials is the memoir written by Joseph Smith’s own mother, Lucy Mack Smith, originally titled Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations. [1]

• Since the mid-19th century, her book has been printed and sold by the Church.
• In her dictated history, she explicitly recounts the heartbreak of the ginseng fraud (referring to it as the “China adventure”), the staggering medical bills from Joseph Jr.’s bone surgery, and the agonizing grief and financial fallout of losing their eldest son, Alvin, right when the Manchester farm payments were due. [1, 2, 3, 4]

4. Church History Educational Manuals

The Church’s higher-education curriculum, such as the Church Educational System (CES) institute manual Church History in the Fulness of Times, includes a chronological timeline of these exact events—specifically charting the 1812–1813 typhoid epidemic and the subsequent 1816 forced move to Palmyra. [1]

LDS historians emphasize these details because they demonstrate that the Smith family’s deep poverty was not caused by laziness, but by a streak of tragic events—such as fraud, illness, and unprecedented global weather anomalies

According to modern LDS historical books and essays, Joseph Smith Sr.’s involvement in treasure seeking—and his support of his son looking into a hat—was caused by a combination of two things: desperate financial poverty and a 19th-century frontier culture that deeply believed in folk magic. [1, 2]

LDS resources emphasize that this practice was not seen as a fringe occult movement at the time, but as a normal, culturally accepted way for religious people to interact with the supernatural. [1, 2]

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1. Cultural Context: “The Magic Worldview”

In early 1800s New England and western New York, many devout, Bible-believing Christians also practiced folk magic and “scrying” (using seer stones). It was widely believed that God gave certain people spiritual “gifts” to see things hidden from the natural eye—such as lost property, stolen cattle, or buried Spanish gold. [1, 2]

Local newspapers at the time openly reported on treasure hunting. For instance, an 1825 article in the nearby Wayne Sentinel explicitly described finding treasure “by the help of a mineral stone, (which becomes transparent when placed in a hat and the light excluded by the face of him who looks into it)”. Because placing a stone in a dark hat to block out light was a standard cultural method, the Smith family adopted it naturally. [1, 2]

2. Family Financial Desperation

Following the compounding economic disasters (the ginseng fraud, crop failures, and heavy medical debt) that left the family entirely destitute, Joseph Smith Sr. was willing to try any honorable means to save his family from starvation. Seeking buried treasure was seen as a high-reward venture—much like buying a modern lottery ticket—that could instantly reverse their fortunes. [1]

3. Joseph Smith Jr.’s Reputation as a “Seer”

Around 1822, while helping a neighbor dig a well, a teenage Joseph Smith Jr. discovered a small, chocolate-colored “seer stone”. Local neighbors, hearing about the stone, believed the boy possessed the spiritual gift of “sight” or “glass-looking”. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Joseph Smith Sr., who was deeply religious and prone to believing in visionary dreams, became convinced his son possessed genuine divine gifts. He encouraged his son to use the stone to help find things. [1, 2]

4. Employment by Wealthy Landowners

Because of this local reputation, wealthy men approached the cash-strapped Smith family to hire them for treasure expeditions. [1]

• In 1825, a well-to-do farmer from Pennsylvania named Josiah Stowell traveled to New York specifically to hire young Joseph Jr. and his father. [1, 2]
• Stowell paid Joseph Jr. fourteen dollars a month (a substantial wage at the time) to use his seer stone to look for a rumored lost Spanish silver mine. [1, 2]
• For a family facing the imminent loss of their farm, this steady income was a lifeline. [1]

The Transition to Religion

Official church publications, such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints historical topics essays, note that while Joseph Smith Jr. initially used his stone for money-digging ventures, he eventually outgrew the practice. [1, 2]

According to these texts, an angel commanded Joseph to stop using his spiritual gift for earthly wealth and instead dedicate it to translating the Book of Mormon. Interestingly, historical records show that Joseph used the very same stone and hat method to translate much of the Book of Mormon text that he had previously used while treasure seeking. [1, 2]