His next criticism is presented under the following subheading:
“8. Salvation is By Grace Through Faith, Not By Works”
Which he then expounds in the following words:
“In Mormon teaching,*
“Mormons typically define ‘sin’ as a wrong judgment, a mistake … thus removing the moral sting. … With this weak view of sin, it is not surprising that Jesus’ role in salvation is much reduced. …”
Again, utterly false, a lie, and a perversion of the truth and of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by Latter-day Saints. Latter-day Saints define sin exactly as the Bible does, it is a “transgression of the law”:
1 John 3:
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
James 2:
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Romans 5: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
That is the biblical definition, which is exactly how the Book of Mormon and other canonized scriptures of the Church define sin (punctuation revised in Alma 42:17–24 quote):
2 Nephi 2: 7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.
• • •
13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. … Mosiah 2: 33 For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to obey that [evil] spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins [i.e. without repentance], the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of God contrary to his own knowledge. Alma 42: 17 Now how could a man repent except he should sin? How could he sin if there was no law? How could there be a law, save there was a punishment? 18 Now there was a punishment affixed, and a just law given, which brought remorse of conscience unto man. 19 Now, if there was no law given—if a man murdered, he should die—would he be afraid he would die if he should murder? 20 And also, if there was no law given against sin, men would not be afraid to sin. 21 And if there was no law given, if men sinned, what could justice do, or mercy either? for they would have no claim upon the creature. 22 But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance mercy claimeth; otherwise justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.
23 But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God. And thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice. 24 For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved. Doctrine and Covenants: 35 That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore, they must remain filthy still.
He then continues:
“Jesus’ atonement basically means He was able to overcome physical death for the human race. … Because of what He accomplished, we will all be resurrected. When Mormons talk about ‘salvation’ … they essentially mean resurrection …”
Again, utterly false, a lie, and a perversion of the truth, as explained in my previous post. I gave plenty of references in my previous post to refute that false accusation. He then continues:
“Jesus did His part, and now it is up to us to do our part to prove ourselves worthy of exaltation to godhood.”
If by that he means that we need to repent of our sins and keep the commandments of God to be saved, the answer is yes. But evidently that is not what he means by it. What he is insinuating is that we believe in some kind of “works salvation,” which is false. We need to repent of our sins and keep the commandments of God to be saved, that is true; but repenting of our sins and keeping God’s commandments is not the same as “works”. “Works salvation” means that we “save ourselves by our own works;” or that we “contribute to our salvation by our own works—independent of the redeeming and saving work of Jesus Christ”. But repenting of our sins and keeping the commandments of God are not the same as “works salvation”. It is written all over the Bible, Old and New Testaments, that we need to repent of our sins, and keep God’s commandments to be saved:
Luke 5:
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Luke 15:
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Luke 24:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Acts 2:
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 17:
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
1 Corinthians 6:
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 6:
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
He then continues:
“Mormons reject the doctrine of justification by faith. …”
Wrong. We reject the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Faith “alone,” without repentance, will not save anyone. And to “repent” means to stop sinning. It means to stop doing what one knows to be wrong, and start doing what one knows to be right. It means to “bring forth fruits worthy of repentance” (Matt. 3:8; Luke 3:8) It is another way of saying, “keeping God’s commandments”. And that is not the same as “works”. Repentance is a volitional act. It is something that we choose to do (or not do). It is not something that just “happens” to people whether they like it or not just because they have “believed” (as the heresy of Calvinism teaches):
Luke 6:
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is all about doing, not just hearing or believing:
James 1:
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
He then continues:
“Grace is said to be involved in Mormon salvation, but ‘grace’ in ‘Mormonism’ is simply God’s enabling power that allows people to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have extended their own best efforts.”
Wrong. The biblical definition of grace is not the same as the Calvinistic, Reformed, or Evangelical one. They define grace as “unmerited favor,” which is not biblical. The Bible says, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; Proverbs 3:34). If one needs to be humble to receive grace, then it is not entirely unmerited. In the Old Testament, the word “grace” most often occurs in phrases such as “find grace,” or “obtain grace” with someone, or in the eyes of someone; and it is nearly always obtained by doing them a special favor, or by offering them a special gift in return. Noah “found grace” with God because of his righteousness:
Genesis 6:
7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
And in the Psalms we have this interesting verse: Psalm 84: 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. If being “just” and “upright” is a prerequisite for obtaining “grace,” then it is not entirely “unmerited”. Likewise in the New Testament, “faith” (including repentance) is made a prerequisite for obtaining grace, in which case it is not entirely unmerited.
Romans 5: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And faith comes by “hearing the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). If we are condemned for not believing or repenting (Matt. 11:20-22; 12:41-42; Luke 10:12-14; 11:31-32), then the responsibility is ours to do so.
Also this:
Hebrews 4:
So “finding grace” is not something that happens to people unilaterally and unconditionally. We need to come to the throne of grace (by faith and repentance) in order to obtain it. He then continues:
“These Mormon beliefs on salvation show that, at the heart of the gospel message, Mormonism teaches doctrines that are far different from the New Testament and different from the Christian faith throughout history.”
False claims and slanderous accusations. The beliefs and teachings of Latter-day Saints certainly match New Testament ones—and for most part, for most of Christian history as well. The error he is making there is that he is equating his heretical “Reformed” theology with that of Christianity throughout history, which of course are not the same. Calvinism and “Reformed” theology are heretical inventions of later Protestant history. It is not something that has been believed throughout Christian history. He then continues:
“Christianity teaches that ‘Christ died for our sins’ (1 Cor. 15:3) and that ‘we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified’ (Gal. 2:16).”
No arguments about that. But that is not what is in dispute. The question there is, What did Paul mean by the “works of the law”? He meant the Law of Moses. He meant the elaborate ritualistic rites and performances of the Law of Moses (which Jesus abolished). The Pharisees and the Rabbis believed that those rites and performances saved them, apart from faith in Jesus Christ, or apart from the Atonement and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Paul was saying that that is not the case. That is what Paul was preaching against. That does not translate into saying that we don’t need to repent of our sins, and keep the commandments of God to be saved. Those are two different things. These guys believe in the damnable heresies of later Protestantism, Calvinism, and “Reformed” theology, and want to impose it on everybody else. His remaining two criticisms will be dealt with in the next post.
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*Quoting Ron Rhodes
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