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"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." Galatians 1:6-7
The word Gospel literally means "Good News". When Paul was writing to the Church at Galatia he was writing because he was concerned and saddened how quickly they had abandoned the pure gospel which is salvation through Christ alone, adding adherence to a set of laws as a part of salvation.
The goal here is to do a simple comparison of the LDS gospel to the Biblical gospel. At the end of this comparison, you must decide for yourself if the Biblical and LDS gospels align or if they are different. This will help us determine if the LDS gospel, is Biblical or Another Gospel like the Church at Galatia.
The best place to start with this analysis is to evaluate the Biblical gospel. There are a few verses of importance that we will want to analyze. During this process we will clearly define our terms for clarity. One of the difficulties that Evangelical Christians and LDS Christians have is that we use similar words, but apply different meanings to them.
Let's start with the clearest passage in the Bible which explains the gospel.
There are three very important pieces that Paul attributes to the Gospel,
| 1. | Christ Died for our sins. | In no way does this statement limit which sins He died for. It does not distinguish some of our sins, only the sins we could not make restitution for, or only those before we were baptized. Christ died for all our sins |
| 2. | Christ was buried. | It is important that Christ died. If Christ did not die, and somehow returned to God without death, he could not have been resurrected. |
| 3. | He rose again on the third day. | Since Christ rose again, we too have the hope that we will live again after this life. |
This passage in Romans makes several key points, related to salvation.
| 1. | We must confess that Jesus is Lord. | We are confessing that Jesus is our savior. If it is Christ it is not us. |
| 2. | Believe in our heart that God raised him (Christ) from the dead. | Belief represents faith. If you don't believe that Christ was resurrected, there isn't much point in Christianity, since our hope is that we too will be resurrected. |
| 3. | If you call on the name of the lord, you will be saved. | By calling on the name of God, we receive salvation. |
| Salvation/Saved: | LDS | 1) Resurrected Body & Christ
payment for Adam's sin. 2) Exaltation- Celestial kingdom, Living with Heavenly Father, Families Forever & godhood. |
| Evangelical | Complete payment of sins, adoption into Gods family and assurance that we will live with God in heaven when we die. |
| 1. | Saved by grace through faith. | Salvation comes by God's grace and our faith. |
| 2. | Not of yourselves. | We don't save us only God does that. |
| 3. | It is a gift of God. | You don't earn a gift. |
| 4. | Not of works, lest any man should boast. | If we earn it or contribute to it, we have the right to take credit. |
| 5. | created in Christ Jesus unto good works. |
One we are saved, God created us unto good works. It is impossible
to do good works unless you are saved. (
Romans 3:10-12,
James 2:17-18) In James when it talks about "show you my faith by my works", isn't to say that we must work or do something to earn salvation. James is talking to those who already have salvation. It is merely saying, if you want to know who is saved, their works will reflect their salvation in the eyes of men.. |
| Grace: /strong> | LDS | Grace is the help or strength given through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Through the grace of God, everyone who has lived will be resurrected—our spirits will be reunited with our bodies, never again to be separated. Through His grace, the Lord also enables those who live His gospel to repent and be forgiven. |
| Evangelical | Grace an unmerited, underserved gift from God, that allow those who accept this gift to have peace with God. |
| 1. | If by grace, then is it no more of works. | Grace is not works. So if you are given something by grace you did not earn it. |
| 2. | If it be of works, then it is no more grace. | If you worked, the payment received is not a gift, you earned it. |
| 1. | To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. | If you work, the person you did the work for become your debtor. It becomes a legal obligation. |
| 2. | To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. | Nobody tells their employer that are gracious for giving them a paycheck if they earned it. However, if someone gives you something, and you did nothing to earn it is a gift. Our faith is credited to us as righteousness |
| Righteousness: | LDS | A righteous person is one who makes and keeps gospel covenants.*James E. Faust, “The Key of the Knowledge of God,” Liahona, Nov 2004, 52–55 |
| Evangelical | Holy before God. Clean, pure, blameless, undefiled. |
| 1. | His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree. Tree also can be translated as Cross. | |
| 2. | we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. Because of Christ's payment, we are dead to sins. | |
| 1. | Man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. | |
| 2. | That we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law. | |
| 3. | By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. |
| 1. | if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. |
| 1. | No man is justified by the law in the sight of God. | |
| 2. | The just shall live by faith. | |
| 3. | The law is not of faith. | |
| 4. | The man that doeth them (the law) shall live in them. | |
| 5. | Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse for us. | |
| 6. | Though Jesus, we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. |
| 1. | I do not frustrate the grace of God. | Frustrate mean to interfere, thwart or prevent (the efforts, plans and/or desires). |
| 2. | if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. | Christ did not need to die, if we could be righteous before God by obeying the law. |
| 1. | If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law | If God could have given us a rule/rules that would have made us righteous before Him, he would have done that, rather than sacrifice His Son. |
| 2. | all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe | All are under sin. By a promise of God, our faith makes us righteous. You do not receive the promise, without belief. |
| 3.. | But before faith came, we were kept under the law | Before Christ died, we were under the law. The law was the old covenant between man and God. |
| 4. | the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. | The law was our teacher. It taught us that no matter how hard we try, we are law breakers. If you don't want to be a law breaker, put your faith in Christ. His blood makes you holy. |
| 5. | But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster | Once we trust in Christ by Faith, the law can not make you righteous before God. |
| 6. | For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. | If we are children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, than if you do not put your faith (hope) in Jesus you are an enemy of God and can not claim Him as your Father. Only those who are saved are children of God. |
| 1. | Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. | Why does this passage say "Stand fast"? Typically someone who is standing fast, is holding their position. Something is trying to move you away from the liberty received through Christ and take away your freedom. |
| 2. | Be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage. | A yoke is a device used to team two animals together so that they could plow the land. In this context the yoke of bondage is referring to us trying to follow a set of rules to produce righteousness. |
| 3. | If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.. | Circumcision is representative of the old covenant, that God had with Man which is the law. |
| 4. | every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law | If you choose to place yourself under the law, you must do it all. Gal. 3:10, James 2:10 |
| 5. | Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of, you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. | If you seek to be justified before God by obedience to the law, Christ is of no benefit to you and you are not the recipient of grace. |
During the examination of LDS doctrine of the Gospel, we want to be careful to look for the conditional statements. A conditional statement, is one where something additional is required to get the promise. For example, we might say to our child, I will give you dessert, after you've eaten your dinner. For the child to get the dessert they must eat their dinner. If the child does not eat the dinner, they will not get the dessert.
| 1. | through the Atonement of Christ | By Christ's Atonement. |
| 2. | all mankind may be saved | Everyone may be saved. The word "may" indicates, something is required. |
| 3. | by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. | To be saved by Christ's Atonement, we must obey the laws and ordinances of the gospel. |
II Nephi 25:23 (BoM)
| 1. | it is by grace that we are saved, | We are saved by God's grace "One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation." (Miracle of Forgiveness, Spencer W. Kimball, p. 206.) |
| 2. | after all we can do | You must do everything possible first, to have God's grace take effect. |
III Nephi 27:19-20 (BoM)
| 1. | And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom | Nothing unclean can live with god. |
| 2. | nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. | To receive the promise requires
faithfulness unto the end. "And however powerful the saving grace of Christ, it brings exaltation to no man who does not comply with the works of the gospel." (Miracle of Forgiveness, Spencer W. Kimball, p. 207.) |
"Jesus did not eliminate our personal responsibility. He forgives our sins when we accept Him, repent and obey His commandments. Through the Atonement and living the gospel we become worthy to enter the presence of our Heavenly Father permanently." (A Guide to Missionary Service - Preach My Gospel, LDS Church, p. 61)
| 1. | Jesus did not eliminate our person responsibility. | We are still accountable before God. |
| 2. | He forgives our sins when we accept Him, repent and obey His commandments. | You are forgiven when you obey His commandments. |
| 3. | Through the Atonement and living the gospel we become worthy | By living the gospel (laws and ordinances) you become worthy. |
What I want you to consider is this. If you're are unable to make yourself acceptable to God without Christ, how come once you accept Christ you must once again try and make yourself acceptable? Does Christ empower you to make yourself worthy before God or is it Christ and Him alone that makes you worthy?
How do you ever have peace with God, or the assurance that you've done enough if it always comes back to you?
Is it really Good News to know that the boat was sinking, so God throws you a rope, and as soon as you grab it, it is yanked back away from you and you must start swimming again?
As you compare and contrast the Biblical Gospel to the LDS Gospel are they the same or is it Another Gospel?
If you conclude that it is another gospel, cry out to God and ask Him to save you. "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