Belief Compass

Across families

Gaudiya Vaishnavism and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Different families with 11 axes in close agreement — the sort of pairing a quiz weighting only the divine axes would never surface. Mean distance across all seventeen axes: 0.16 (0 would be identical).

Gaudiya VaishnavismHinduism

Krishna as the supreme personal God, approached through devotion, chanting and a strict guru lineage. The most personalist theism in the Hindu family and, on the authority axes, among the most centralised traditions in the matrix.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsChristianity

An embodied God within the universe rather than outside it, continuing revelation through a living prophet, and matter organised rather than created from nothing. The Fall is read as a necessary step forward, which puts C3 far above every other Christian body here.

Where they agree

  • A1 Divine reality

    Both sit at a divine reality certainly exists — a gap of 0.00.

  • A2 Personhood

    Both sit at a personal being one can address — a gap of 0.00.

  • C3 The human condition

    Both sit at between fallen and in need of rescue and ignorant but fundamentally sound — a gap of 0.00.

  • D3 The body

    Both sit at leaning to be disciplined — a gap of 0.00.

  • C1 Survival of the self

    Both sit at continues in some form — a gap of 0.02.

  • B3 Institutional authority

    Both sit at clergy and tradition decide — a gap of 0.03.

  • A3 Plurality

    Both sit at leaning strictly one and between strictly one and many powers and spirits respectively — a gap of 0.03.

  • A4 Locus

    Both sit at leaning fully present within it — a gap of 0.04.

  • E1 Exclusivity

    Both sit at one true path — a gap of 0.07.

  • B2 Reading of sacred text

    Both sit at literal and binding and leaning literal and binding respectively — a gap of 0.08.

  • D2 Centrality of ritual

    Both sit at essential and prescribed — a gap of 0.10.

Where they part company

  • C2 Shape of time

    Gaudiya Vaishnavism: cyclical return. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: one life, then judgment. A gap of 0.80 on an axis running from “one life, then judgment” to “cyclical return”.

  • E2 Origin of the cosmos

    Gaudiya Vaishnavism: leaning beginningless or natural. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: leaning an intentional act. A gap of 0.54 on an axis running from “an intentional act” to “beginningless or natural”.

All seventeen axes

AxisGaudiya VaishnavismThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsGap
A1 Divine realitya divine reality certainly existsa divine reality certainly exists0.00
A2 Personhooda personal being one can addressa personal being one can address0.00
A3 Pluralityleaning strictly onebetween strictly one and many powers and spirits0.03
A4 Locusleaning fully present within itleaning fully present within it0.04
B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixedleaning revealed and fixed0.20
B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and bindingleaning literal and binding0.08
B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decideclergy and tradition decide0.03
C1 Survival of the selfcontinues in some formcontinues in some form0.02
C2 Shape of timecyclical returnone life, then judgment0.80
C3 The human conditionbetween fallen and in need of rescue and ignorant but fundamentally soundbetween fallen and in need of rescue and ignorant but fundamentally sound0.00
D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodleaning given as gracebetween given as grace and achieved by effort or insight0.37
D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribedessential and prescribed0.10
D3 The bodyleaning to be disciplinedleaning to be disciplined0.00
E1 Exclusivityone true pathone true path0.07
E2 Origin of the cosmosleaning beginningless or naturalleaning an intentional act0.54
E3 Locus of belongingleaning an individual choicebetween a people, inherited and an individual choice0.14
E4 Standing of naturebetween creation, given for use and animate and itself sacredleaning creation, given for use0.23

Positions for Gaudiya Vaishnavism rest principally on Bhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries; for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on Articles of Faith (1842), Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Mormon. Per-cell sources are listed on each tradition’s own page.

Which of the two is closer to you?

The questionnaire places your answers on these same axes and ranks all 65 traditions by how closely they match. Take it.