Testing The Mormon Gospel

The Biblical Gospel

The gospel Paul preached and wrote to the Galatians, about which he pronounced a curse on anyone who would teach otherwise, was clearly revealed:

"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Galatians 1:3-5)

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Galatians 2:16)

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" (Galatians 2:21-3:3)

See also Galatians 3:6, 8-9, 11, 26-27 and 5:5

Paul declared the same gospel to Titus when he wrote:

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5)

He likewise expressed the same truths to the Ephesians when he wrote:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

And to the Romans:

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Romans 4:5)

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Romans 10:4)

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation...For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:9-10, 13)

The apostle Paul and John were in agreement:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)

And the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself teach the same thing:

"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6:29)

Thus we see that the Biblical plan of salvation is the substitutionary life, death, burial, and resurrection of The Lord Jesus Christ in the sinner's place:

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" (1Corinthians 15:1-4)

All who truly put their trust in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on their behalf are thereby "born again."

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God...Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (1Peter 1:18-21, 23)

The one verse summation of the above is:

"For he (the Father) hath made him (the Lord Jesus Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2Corinthians 5:21)

Jesus Christ took upon Himself the guilt and penalty of our sins. Upon our receiving Him as our Saviour by faith, we have His righteousness put to our credit (see Romans the 4th chapter)!

The Mormon 'Gospel'

What is the Mormon plan or "gospel" of salvation and how does it match with that which the apostle Paul was moved of Almighty God to minister?

    The Mormon "gospel" has four initial steps:1

  1. Faith in the christ of Mormonism (this christ will be defined later)
  2. Repentance
  3. Water baptism for the remission of sins
  4. Laying on of hand for the receipt of the Holy Spirit

These four steps must then be followed by a life of obedience. Note these verses from the Book of Mormon:

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart...with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism...then ye shall receive the Holy Ghost,...then cometh the baptism of fire...he that endureth to the end, shall be saved...unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son...he cannot be saved...the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost...after ye have gotten into this straight and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, NAY...ye must press forward with steadfastness...and endure to the end...Ye shall have eternal life...this is the way and there is none other way..." (2Nephi 31:13-21)

However, while we are clearly instructed by Mormonism that there is "none other way" in the above, an account in the Book of Mormon is given of a man alone in the forest whose sins were "forgiven" and who had his "guilt swept away" as the result of his crying unto his Maker in mighty prayer and supplication all day and into the night (Enos 1:1-8). He was forgiven without water baptism or laying on of hands!

Mormon teaching utterly renounces salvation simply by faith in the finished work of Christ as sufficient for the salvation of mankind:

"...a most pernicious (Webster's Dictionary...highly injurious or destructive) doctrine - that of justification by belief alone. The Savior taught that works were essential to the validity of profession and the efficacy (Webster's Dictionary...power to produce effects) of faith."2

"Christians speak often of the blood of Christ. Much that is believed and taught on this subject, however, is such utter nonsense and so palpably false that to believe it is to lose one's salvation. For instance, many believe or pretend to believe that if we confess Christ with our lips and avow that we accept him as our personal Savior, we are thereby saved. They say that His blood without any other act than mere belief, makes us clean."3 (Please see again Romans 10:9-13)

The above false teaching of Mormonism is inexcusable in the light of:

"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they (Paul and Silas) said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:30-31)

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Revelation 1:5)

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" (Colossians 1:14)

The Mormons change the definition of Biblical words and thus cause confusion and misunderstanding. When the Bible speaks of personal "salvation" it means the state of sins forgiven and in the possession of everlasting life. Biblical salvation is the possession only of those who have put their faith in the finished work of the Christ of the Bible. However, Mormonism teaches that all men are "saved." By this they mean that all men will be resurrected. At the same time, because their gospel is a progression based upon individual merit, they are ever on the path to salvation, meaning "exaltation." They (males only) hope someday to be very God! Thus a Mormon, according to their doctrine, may say he is saved because he is speaking of resurrection (which is really all that the Mormon christ has obtained for them) and at the same time say no, he is not saved, because he is speaking about exaltation based on his yet to be accomplished works.

They speak of such things as "damnation" and yet believe virtually all will be saved. In utter contradiction, they speak of salvation as a "gift" that requires holding out faithful to the end. Nothing may correctly be defined as a gift when it requires continued payment. Note this passage from their writings as an example of their confusion and lack of understanding:

"If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God; which is the greatest of all gifts of God; for there is no gift greater that the gift of salvation." (Doctrine and Covenants 6:13)

Out of the maze of Mormonism may be gleaned the following. The Mormon's speak of "salvation" in two ways. The first is a general salvation4 which all will receive, except the devil and a few sons of perdition. This will admit all into the lowest heaven (the Mormons believe in three heavens). They equate this with "resurrection" for all will be resurrected. They teach that this is what Christ accomplished for us, "exemption from the penalty of the fall."5 Immediately there is a problem reconciling this with the Bible.

"He that believeth in Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already..." and "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:18, 36). See also Matthew 10:28; Mark 9:43-48; Isaiah 66:24; Reveation 14:9-11 and 20:11-15.

"And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." (Revelation 14:11)

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15)

The teachings of Mormonism obviously contradict the Bible on this subject. They teach that any who deserve eternal punishment will ultimately redeem themselves, similar to the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory, with the exception of Satan and a few sons of perdition.5

"No soul shall be kept in prison or continue in torment beyond the time requisite to work the needed reformation and to vindicate justice, for which ends the punishment is imposed."6

Then, the Book of Mormon even contradicts their own teaching on this subject:

"...do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end...Ye cannot say when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot do this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that you go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world...ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his...and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked."

The second part of Mormon "salvation" is individual salvation7 or often referred to by them as "exaltation." Here Mormons teach that Christ has provided a way..."whereby mankind may secure remission of personal sins...(by) obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel." In addition, a male Mormon who enters into a marriage covenant "for time and for all eternity" may "pass by the angels, and the gods...Then shall ye be gods, because they have all power." (Doctrine and Covenants 132)

They also claim that mankind must avail themselves to the officials of Mormonism or they cannot be saved.8

"...except men come to these legal administrators (the Mormons) and learn of Christ and his laws as newly reveled on earth, they cannot be saved."

This is in contradiction to the word of Almighty God and His plan for the salvation of men's souls:

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" (1Timothy 2:5)

"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John 1:9)

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." John 6:35

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37)

Conclusion of the Gospel Test

It should be abundantly clear that the gospel of which the apostle Paul spoke in Galatians 1:8 is salvation solely and necessarily by faith in the substitutionary work of the Lord Jesus Christ in our place, without any works on the part of the believer. The "gospel" of Mormonism is an attempt to mix the grace of God with the works of man, contrary to the Bible:

"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Romans 11:6)

In Mormonism, the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ is grossly diminished to the place of only providing for the resurrection of man rather than providing the whole of man's salvation.

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)

"And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:10-15)

Mormonism is "another gospel" and therefore under the curse of Almighty God!

  1. Plan of Salvation, (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1978), pp. 8-12
  2. James E. Talmage, Articles of faith (Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, 1949), p. 107
  3. What the Mormons Think of Christ (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1976), p. 22
  4. James E. Talmage, Articles of faith (Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, 1949), p. 87
  5. Ibid, p. 409
  6. Ibid, pp. 146-7
  7. Ibid, p. 87
  8. What the Mormons Think of Christ (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1976), p. 6

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