TL;DR: Mormon cosmology is nothing like Lutheran or Catholic cosmology. Lutherans and Catholics both follow classical Christian theology: one eternal God, the Trinity, humans as created beings who never become divine, and salvation through God’s grace. Mormonism, by contrast, teaches that God is a resurrected, exalted man with a physical body, that humans can become gods through temple rituals and obedience, that there are multiple gods and tiered heavens, and that families can become eternal divine dynasties. So in terms of actual cosmology, Lutherans are basically Catholics without the pope—Mormonism is an Arian/Gnostic offshoot with a completely separate universe model.

I was under the impression that Mormonism was "Christian." In my mind, it was what the Lutheran Church would be to Catholicism (the religion I was brought up in). But my internet research . . . is pretty explosive.

Catholics and Lutherans share the entire classical Christian framework:

One eternal, uncreated, omnipotent God who is pure spirit and exists as the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) within a single divine being. Humans are created, not eternal, and they never become gods. Salvation comes by God’s grace—either through faith alone (Lutheran) or faith formed by love (Catholic)—not through ritual achievement or cosmic hierarchy.

The afterlife consists of heaven and hell (with Catholics including purgatory), and resurrection is real but not tied to biological immortality or eternal procreation. Rituals are public sacraments, not secret, and the purpose of the Church is to deliver grace, not to prepare humans to ascend into godhood.

Mormonism teaches a fundamentally different "cosmology":

God the Father is an exalted man with a physical body who once lived a mortal life and became divine through progression. There are many gods in the universe, and humans are literally God’s spirit children—of the same species—who can themselves become gods through obedience, temple rituals, covenants, and eternal marriage.

The Trinity is three distinct beings, not a single divine essence. Salvation is hierarchical, with multiple heavens and exaltation reserved for the worthy. Eternal families become divine dynasties; resurrected bodies are immortal, physical, and required for eternal procreation. Temple rites are secret, esoteric, and necessary for the highest heaven. This is an "Arian/Gnostic theogonic system," not classical Christianity.

I'm of the mind that Abrahamic faiths are all deeply problematic and hierarchical, but LDS mainstream beliefs are patriarchal on steroids. I thought I had religious trauma. NOPE.

Cosmic specialness because you are the LITERAL child of God. You can become a God one day. You have cosmic enemies in a FAMILY system. Lucifer is Jesus' younger, rebellious brother, and he is out to destroy you. The cosmic family structure is WILD.

Heavenly father is the patriarch.
Jesus is the "perfect sibling."
Lucifer is the "rebellious sibling/black sheep."
Humans are children in an eternal family drama.

I can't get over how problematic the belief that "GODHOOD" is a future reward of PERFECT obedience to God's laws. Leadership is seen as a divine calling. And your literal body/corpse will be resurrected, which might be the reason that plastic surgery is so prevalent amongst the "saints." That body is your forever body.

I'm keeping my Chat GPT Chats kept to a minimum because not everyone seems to like the format, so I'm including it below for SHITS AND GIGS.

Lutheranism

• Body is good but not eternally required.
• Resurrection bodies are spiritualized; Church does not define them biologically.

Mormonism

• God has a body.
• Humans must have immortal bodies to become gods.
• Body is an eternal component of divine identity.
• Literal eternal sex and procreation.

Comparison:
Lutherans = soul-centered salvation.
Mormons = body-centered godhood.

Mormonism

• Teaches humans are the same species as God.
• God is an exalted man who progressed.
• Humans can become gods, create worlds, rule eternally, and have spirit children.
• Eternal families become divine dynasties.
• Priesthood = embryonic god-power.

Effect on NPD/HPD traits:

• Grandiose self-concepts find theological justification.
• “Specialness,” “chosenness,” and superiority become spiritually endorsed.
• Image-management becomes cosmic.

Classic Christianity

• God is infinite, uncreated, omnipotent.
• Humans never become gods.
• Salvation is gift, not achievement.
• Humility is the highest Christian virtue.

Effect on NPD/HPD traits:

• Grandiosity is deflated by doctrine.
• Narcissistic inflation has no theological oxygen.
• Everyone is equal at the foot of the Cross.