the truth about salvation

A person’s view on the path of salvation is important in shaping this person’s religious beliefs. Salvation is defined as the deliverance from sin and its consequences. The LDS Church believes that there are multiple actions that must take place in order for a person to gain salvation. According to Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, there are two parts to salvation.

The first is called general salvation. This part of salvation is given to all people, regardless of their personal belief in Christ. General salvation is also referred to as salvation by grace. Those who receive salvation by grace have the ability to enter into either the Telestial Kingdom or the Terrestrial Kingdom of Heaven.

The Telestial Kingdom is reserved for the wicked of the world.

The Terrestrial Kingdom is for honorable men who did not accept the Mormon religion.

The second part of salvation is individual. Man, through his actions and obedience, earns this individual salvation. Actions that must take include obedience to prophets as well as to the laws and ordinances of Mormonism.

Christians, however, have a contrasting view on salvation.

“For it is by grace that you are saved through faith- and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8

GRACE saves us through our faith. Mormons often use the James 2:17 to back up their argument that works are necessary.

“So faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:17

The argument that works are necessary for salvation is not Biblical for the following reasons.

The context of this verse is overlooked. In James 2, James is actually “criticizing those who profess to have faith but whose actions do not support this claim” (Johnson, Mckeever, Answering Mormon’s Questions, 154). In other words, James is writing about those who claim to be Christians, but do not actually live the life of a true Christian. A person’s deeds display their faith however the Bible does not say that they are necessary for salvation.

Isaiah 64:6 clearly states, “our righteous acts are like filthy rags” to God. Even if we were required to work our way into Heaven, there would never be enough “good” deeds for us to accomplish. No action would ever be good enough; no time spent in homeless shelters would make us worthy. Our good deeds are like filthy rags. That is why we need a savior, to make up for our imperfections.

If we could work for our salvation, we would not need a savior. Those who believe there are actions that must take place, guidelines to follow that earn our deliverance from Hell, have an inaccurate interpretation of the Gospel.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“ . . . if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 8:1

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do no set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:20-21

A person is able to spend eternity in Heaven through their true faith in the Lord. Nothing more, nothing less.