‘The Chosen’ Creator Dallas Jenkins Says Mormons are Saved : ‘I’m Going to Die on That Hill’
Dallas Jenkins, son of “Left Behind” author Jerry Jenkins, and Director of the smash-hit TV show The Chosen appeared on a Mormon podcast LDS Living (Latter Day Saint Living) where he offered up why Mormons and are saved and why he considers the many Mormon folks to work on his show to be believers.
Morgan Jones 1
Well, I am so excited about this. I am honestly such a big fan of “The Chosen,” so this is a treat for me. And I’ll be honest with you, I introduced a good number of people to your show because I love it so much, and I asked several of those people for their thoughts on questions that would be good to ask you. So this is really like a group effort in coming up with these questions for you. But first of all, I just want to establish right off the bat, Dallas, you are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which the majority of our audience are members of the Church. I have been told that you are a fierce defender of the Latter-day Saint belief in Jesus Christ, and that is something that honestly, on behalf of all of us, I just want to say thank you for that. But why is it that you are a defender of our belief in Jesus Christ?Dallas Jenkins ;
Great, so you’re starting off right out of the gate with that one. Well, it’s a tough question. I am happy to answer that and I just say that because I recently have gotten a little bit in trouble in certain circles because I was on another LDS podcast, and I said that LDS and evangelicals love the same Jesus. I got some heat from people who suddenly didn’t want to watch the show anymore because of that. Apparently it’s a controversial statement, which I guess I would have known that a few years ago, but now that I’ve been working with my LDS brothers and sisters over the last couple of years and gotten to know them so well, I’ve learned quite a bit.
I come from a strong evangelical background, and I want to say this, and I’ve said this in a few conversations with LDS people, that there are reasons why I’m an evangelical and not LDS. I do have things theologically that I disagree with or things that even just in kind of practice that aren’t quite my speed in the LDS faith. However, one thing that is unabashedly true and unarguably true is that in getting to know some of my LDS friends here on this, especially through “The Chosen,” you’re passionate about Jesus Christ, and it’s Jesus of Nazareth. When I hear people say, “it’s a different Jesus”—and I’ve heard that, by the way, from both… I don’t know what term, I know you guys don’t use the term Mormon anymore, but it’s too long for me to try to say…
Jenkins goes on to explain how if a man describes a third party as being 6’3 tall and someone else says ‘no, he’s 5’10’ but otherwise the rest of their shared knowledge of that friend is agreed upon, then whether or not a few details are off, it’s still the same person that is being referenced and understood. He says in the same way, Mormons and Christians may have a few different ideas about the biblical Jesus, with some of the details being off, but it’s still the same Jesus, and therefore he considers them his brothers and sisters in the Lord and will die on that hill. He concludes:
So even if you are listening to this right now as an evangelical and are horrified to hear me say some of these things, consider that even if you disagree, even if you think that, “No, it’s two different Jesus’s, and they worship two different Saviors, and what you’re saying is wrong.” Fine, believe what you will. I’m not gonna have these arguments with you…I don’t like it when my friends get attacked. So that’s why I tend to be pretty defensive of my friends, even if not always defensive of the theology on which we sometimes disagree...I don’t really care because I can’t be cancelled unless I cancel myself. So I’m totally fine with it. But I’m happy to say, “Yeah, we disagree on some things, but I’m going to die on the hill of, we love the same Jesus, and we want the same Jesus known to the world.”
For a brief overview of the Mormon views on Jesus and other things, they believe that Jesus was once a man who became exalted and turned into a God after doing many good deeds. ‘God the Father’ himself was also once a man on another planet, but because he likewise was such a good Mormon, he was granted the right to become a God over this earth. They believe that they too can become capital ‘G’ Gods of their own planet one day, and in fact, hold that there are millions of Gods. For them, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all and individual separate Gods, and they all have human bodies of flesh- they are not Spirits.
Mormons categorically deny the idea of salvation by grace alone and believe Jesus and Lucifer are spirit brothers and there was nothing miraculous about Jesus’ birth. They believe the scriptures we have are all corrupted and that’s why they have the new revelation of Joseph Smith,. To read more about why Mormonism is a certified cult, and why Christians have more in common with Muslims than we do with Mormons, click here.
h/t to Colin Miller on YT
About Author
“Seer stones.” ‘Nuff said.
Or, “Another Jesus “ or “a different gospel “ or ….
I’VE WATCHED EVERY EPISODE OF THE CHOSEN AND SUPPORT IT FINANCIALLY. HOWEVER, HOW MANY HERETICAL POSITIONS REGARDING WHO YESHUA WAS AND IS DO MORMONS HAVE TO TAKE ABOUT WHO HE IS BEFORE HE’S A “DIFFERENT JESUS”???
IF DALLAS JENKINS FEELS COMFORTABLE ALIGNING HIMSELF WITH MORMONISM AS IT RELATES TO THE NATURE OF YESHUA AND WHO HE CLAIMED TO BE THAT IS, BY NO MEANS, A TRIVIAL THING. WOULD THE APOSTLE PAUL BE OK WITH IT??? “BUT EVEN IF WE, OR FOR THAT MATTER, AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN WERE TO ANNOUNCE TO YOU SOME SO-CALLED “GOOD NEWS (GOSPEL)” THAT IS CONTRARY TO THE GOOD NEWS WE DID ANNOUNCE TO YOU, LET HIM BE UNDER A CURSE FOREVER!” GAL. 1:8 PROCLAIMING THAT MORMONS DO NOT PERVERT THE GOSPEL BY ASCRIBING TO YESHUA OTHER THAN GODLY CHARACTERISTICS IS ANOTHER GOSPEL, NO MATTER HOW YOU TRY TO WRAP IT IN SWADDLING CLOTHS.
Only triune Lord can make the blind see. Dallas Jenkins blindman analogy is not new. All false religions say something similar. The scriptures define the truth and are the ONLY authority . Those who are standing on scripture alone have the truth.
Nothing is to be added to or taken away from scripture. But still we all try to justify our attempts at being little g gods. That is why we must hold up what God says in His holy Word. That and that alone. Our hearts are so evil we have no problem justifying what man wants over what God says.
Revelation 22:18-19
[18] I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, [19] and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
Proverbs 30:5-6
[5] Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
[6] Do not add to his words,
lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
Dallas: “I come from a strong evangelical background”
…Fact Check, False
Actually, that part is true. His father is Jerry B. Jenkins, author of the popular “Left Behind” series– a STRONG evangelical believer. In watching season 1 of The Chosen, however, I’ve noticed that Dallas has strayed pretty far in a lot of aspects from Biblical truth– the details of Jesus’ ministry. I just finished Season 1 and am not certain I’ll continue to watch or support after doing a little more research.
Thanks for your comment Can I ask why you stuck with it for a whole season and now decided to not watch a second one? You are a rare bird. What changed your mind?
I’ve been trying to be cognizant of blatant or even sublime misrepresentation of the series’ interpretation. One I noticed was the reference of the mother of Jesus as Mother Mary. What have you found to be misleading?
A little leaven + a lot of compromise – discernment – integrity = this disaster
Is he a pre-trib dispensationalist like his father?
Mormons are known for being clean cut and straight laced, a premium is placed on high moral values. Mr Jenkins seems to believe in a version of works based salvation, salvation by moral living, and what you actually believe is irrelevant. That’s a common belief in our society. It’s the same idea behind inane statements like “I know more atheists going to heaven than Christians” and those types of statements. In some ways it’s our own fault because nonChristians see that we have a wide variety of interpretations of our doctrines even within the orthodox faith.
I’m not sure how any Christian could say such a thing, knowing they are patting someone on the back and encouraging them to take the broad and easy road toward eternal damnation. They have no fear of God whatsoever. I wouldn’t want to face my Maker and have to answer for doing that.
I can’t believe…I take that back, we can certainly believe who is behind this talk. Anytime satan can mislead, confuse, or entice true believers into accepting something that is CLEARLY unbiblical, he has scored points. I lost family relationships, had numerous discussions, lost family & friends, when I became a Christian. With these kind of statements, you’re saying to me my journey has no meaning, and my relationship with Christ is pointless. That is categorically untrue! I love the Risen Lord, not some really good gas station attendant who got promoted
Please fact check EVERYTHING in this article before believing it. Growing up baptist and then converting to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an adult I testify to each of you that the lower portion of this article stating what members of the church believe is completely false. Please research the true beliefs of the church by going to http://www.ChurchofJesusChrist.org
I am not asking anyone to change churches but to be educated of others beliefs. I am deeply disappointed by this “journalism” for putting out lies about followers of Christ while calling themselves Christians. To the author please be more Christ-like in your writings and fact check before you post. Also please repent of the misrepresentation. I forgive you for the hurt you have caused me. If you have nothing nice to say than please say nothing at all. Be like Jesus.
Thank you, JH. And thank you Dallas Jenkins. It’s so refreshing to hear someone of another faith stand up for a religion other than his own. Unfortunately, this article is like most “journalism” these days – lacking truth, sound facts, and integrity. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 32 years, I can tell you that 1. We absolutely believe that the birth of Jesus Christ was miraculous and sacred. We read from and cherish the Bible just as our fellow Christians do. We read from Luke 2 every Christmas season and honor Christ’s birth as one of the most important events in human history, along with His atoning sacrifice for all of our sins (here’s a great video put out by the church portraying His birth for anyone who is willing to go to the source to see what we believe: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2019-09-0050-the-christ-child?lang=eng). 2. We believe that the ONLY way to heaven is through Jesus Christ. We believe there are steps we need to take to to show our willingness and desire to get there such as faith in Jesus Christ, repentance of our sins, baptism, and following the Holy Spirit but we know that even after all that, we cannot be saved on our own merits alone and rely wholly on the grace of Jesus Christ. 3. We do believe that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ have bodies, eternal glorified bodies, but that the Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit and does not have a body. I think most Christians, if they asked faithful LDS believers or went directly to our church website or other informational material, would find that we do in fact have more in common than we have uncommon. Asking disgruntled members or reading material not produced directly from the source (of ANY religion) will surely lead people to believe untrue or twisted truths. Please go to https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng if you’d like to know TRUTHS about what members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe. I love all my fellow Christians and wish we could come together and unite in our faiths, especially as the world gets more and more evil. We need to come together, not tear each other apart.
And JS who do you say Jesus is? As born-again believers, we say He is the second part of our Triune God made up of Father, Son, Holy Ghost. Jesus is God. He is not Satan’s brother. He is to be worshipped. And we cannot possibly go to heaven on our own good works. The Bible says of man, there is no one good, no not one. There is only Jesus. He said in John 14:6 “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Living a good life is what we all should strive for but it does not win your way into heaven.
By Him and For Him all things were made. Read John 1: 1-3,14. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2) The same was in the beginning with God. 3). All things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. 14). And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of Grace and truth.”
Genesis 3: 1. “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.” That serpent we know as Satan or the devil, our enemy.
Not brothers.
You are following a religion invented by a verifiably dishonest flim-flam man, why would you possibly do that unless you believe traditional Judeo-Christian is wrong? From its founder to the fictitious “Angel Moroni” on top of your churches, Mormonism is a manmade, evil twisting of God’s Word and church.
I am a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I love all my brothers and sisters in Christ. Unfortunately, what is written here about our beliefs in Christ are false. Spreading disinformation about other people’s beliefs is neither helpful nor Christlike. Jesus taught us to love one another. In Mark 9:38-41, Jesus specifically taught us how we should approach fellow believers in Christ who may be of different denominations than us. “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints embrace this belief. We are grateful for all people who follow Jesus. Trying to tear down other people of faith is not what Jesus asks of any of us.
Loved this, thank you. It’s good to see other members standing up. ❤️
Dallas needs to watch Billy Crones 5 part series that teaches everything about Mormonism.
GetALifeMedia.com
Mormons are NOT going to heaven, their religion is demonic and is NOTHING close to the Word Of God/Bible.
Joseph Smith was a disgusting man and his own members shot him to death, after he tried killing some of them and fooling around with other members wives and daughters!
Dallas needs to trust God for his incoming funds and stop worrying about offending Mormons and Catholics! He will answer to God for twisting The Truth of God’s Word with man’s stupid doctrines and ideas!
It is easy to determine if LDS believe in the same Jesus. Did the LDS Jesus create the universe? (Colassians) Is Jesus God from the beginning of time? (Titus 2:11-14). Was Jesus created? (John 1) Do the LDS members believe that we all go to one of 3 levels of heaven? Do LDS members believe there are errors in the Bible? Did Brigham Young and Joseph Smith believe in polygamy and can we achieve God-hood and be the god of our own planet? Will we populate these planets throughout eternity?
Dallas needs to watch Billy Crones 5 part series that teaches everything about Mormons.
GetALifeMedia.com
Mormons are NOT going to heaven, their religion is demonic and is NOTHING close to the Word Of God/Bible.
Joseph Smith was a disgusting man and his own members shot him to death, after he tried killing some of them and fooling around with other members wives and daughters!
Dallas needs to trust God for his incoming finds and stop worrying about offending Mormons and Catholics! He will answer to God for twist The Truth of God’s Word with man’s stupid doctrines and ideas!
Dallas, I hope you open your eyes! Just because THE lds are helping you with earthly things and especially money you are walking in the wrong direction, saying their Jesus is the same as OUR JESUS, IF YOU ONLY HAD TO GIVE ONE REASON, (which there are many) THEY DO NOT BELIEVE OUR JESUS IS THE ONE AND ONLY GOD they’ll say he’s a God.
Dallas.. did you ever consider the fact that maybe the Lord put you in a position where you could share the true Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ with the Mormons they are precious people that are deceived !!! God bless you 🙏
My brother was a Mormon and I believed died a Mormon,although my prayers were answered in part when I asked the Lord to turn his heart towards the Holy Bible alone for his faith. He was posting more scriptures from the Word of God on FB, but the devil can use scriptures for his end as well. I wanted him to know that Jesus Blood alone atoned for our sins and that when he said “It is finished” on the Cross,he meant that he had done what the Father told him to do, and that sin was atoned for by his death and death was defeated when he arose from the grave. Mormons do not have assurance of salvation. THey never know if they have “done” enough to earn the Father’s approval for Heaven. We, as Believers, are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, but the thought is not the same. We are accepted in the beloved when we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of your selves, it is the gift of God;not of works,lest any man should boast. (Eph.2:8-9)” Pride (Lucifer fell by) says I must do something myself to earn salvation;a tenet of many false religions.
Dallas, I really love the shows and the story lines, they help humanize the characters and provide context. The depth of emotions that is brought out in both the actors and viewers, I’ve never seen in other productions on the Life of Christ. I understand that the Gospels all tell Christ’s story from each writer’s perspective. By blending the Gospels and showing the individual writer’s personalities, it makes reading the scriptures easier to understand by understanding them as a person and what contributed to their shared adventure.
I read your version of what the LDS Church beliefs are, several of your readers also expressed their views as well, you are not alone in not understanding their beliefs. Your asking people to trust you, but someone’s whole beliefs about a church or its people could be based on something that you quickly wrote down on a post. Sometimes it’s best to just refer people to their website http://www.churchofjesuschrist.org so they can talk with a member and ask them directly what they believe in and let them decide for themselves.
I think Dallas speaks of his experience with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where the Spirit confirmed to him of the goodness of our people. All doctrinal differences aside, to know the heart of a “Mormon” and then claim we are damned as we do the work of the Savior (along side other faiths) is disingenuous at best. When you’re honest with yourself, your understanding can enlarge.
i get it that you are sincere in yoyr beliefs as a Mormon, but at the judgment, Jesus will tell MANY RELIGIOUS people, “depart from me, i never knew you, you who practice lawlessness”. Jesus is King, Son of God-Second Person of the Trinity, and the Father (1st Person of the Trinity-WHO HAS NO BODY-Jesus said that.
On Behalf of some other comments? For the response of why Mormons believe what they do? It should never be based upon Jesus’s birth. When we were told to focus on his death; only. And Jesus wasn’t born in December .