Grace Archive
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This question is often asked by evangelicals, and is, in general, a misunderstanding of the Mormon teachings on what happens after death and how we control that.
Many evangelicals teach that a person gets to heaven by being “saved.” This involves the act of accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. At the same time, they teach that acts cannot get you into Heaven. The Mormons also believe that a person must accept Jesus Christ as His Savior in order to return to God’s presence after death. Both groups agree that at least one act is required of all of us in order to be with God.
The confusion over the number of acts required to be saved comes from the differences in terminology used by Mormons. Mormons believe everyone is saved through the atonement of Jesus Christ, even if they never accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. However, grace and eternal life, to a Mormon, are not the same thing. To understand this complex issue, let’s look at several essential points.
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The topic of limbo has been controversial within the Catholic Church’s history. It refers to those who died without baptism, but without having committed serious sins. Because Catholic tradition does not allow any ability to receive baptism once death has occurred, it is believed that infants who die without baptism may not see God face to face. Instead, they live an eternity of happiness, but without the greatest gift God offers man. They do not consider this punishment, since the child will be happy. They teach that this is necessitated because of the doctrine of original sin, originating from the Fall of Adam.
Mormon beliefs differ strongly in this area. Mormons teach that people are accountable only for their own sins, and not for the choices made by Adam or anyone else. Mormons teach God is just, and a just God does not hold people responsible for situations beyond their control.
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The fall does have an effect on us. Because of it, we’re all subject to death, both spiritual... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal response by Jack
This is a very good and thought-provoking question. I would imagine that many people, at one time or another, have felt that perhaps there is a major conflict between science and religion. The age of the earth, how it was created, evolution, the dinosaurs, and a host of other seemingly knotty questions seem to preclude having faith in God and accepting evidence gleaned from the scientific method of discovering truth.
I just recently read a most fascinating book that for some reason I had missed over the years that helped me make sense out of this supposed science vs. religion conflict. It is Reflections of a Scientist by Henry Eyring. The book was published in 1983 and may be difficult to find but is well worth reading if you can find it.
Henry Eyring was a world renowned chemist who taught for a number of years at Princeton during the late 30s and through World War II. Albert Einstein was also on the faculty and they shared a number of experiences during those... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons or Latter-day Saints) accept the traditional Christian Sabbath, which is held on the first day of the week, Sunday, for worship. Additionally, members of the
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Mormon Church gather on other days of the week to study, pray, and participate in church meeting and activities.
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Personal Response by Karen Merkley
The lights aren’t always green. The bread isn’t always fresh. Tires go flat. Bills mound. People take ill and die at every stage of life. People struggle. Others starve. Wars go on.
Grief is part of the human experience. Opposition is necessary for growth, according to the Mormon view of our mortal experience, revealed by the Lord through modern prophets. It can, however, be lifted through the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Mormons believe that the Savior not only died to pay for our sins but also to take upon Himself our sorrow, grief, and infirmities (Alma 7:11-12).
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) is against all forms of abuse–spiritual, physical, and emotional. Abuse is any hurtful form of treatment of another, including humiliation, domination, physical, psychological or spiritual harm inflicted on another person. The Lord never condoned any like behaviors but was and is an Advocate of peace and harmony for His children. (See Abuse)
In an interview with LDS practitioners discussing “spouse abuse,” John Nelson describes what is deemed inappropriate behavior:
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Personal Response by Karen Merkley
Mormons partake of the Sacrament of the Lord’s supper–initiated by Jesus Christ–every Sunday, as Catholics partake of Communion. We have in common our love of the Lord, and our belief that He would have us partake of this emblem of His love, sacrifice and atonement.
In addition to partaking of the Sacrament as the emblem of Christ’s sacrifice and as an ordinance through which members of the Church renew their baptismal covenants, Mormons do so in a prescribed manner, which was revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith, and is recorded in a book of revelations known as The Doctrine and Covenants–a scriptural record of the Lord’s instructions to Joseph as the Lord’s Church was restored to the earth.
For Mormons, the prescribed manner of administering the blessing of the bread is set forth as follows:
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Personal Response by James Faulconer
One of the scriptures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“the Mormon church“) is the Book of Mormon, from which the Church’s nickname is derived. In that book of scripture we are taught “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and of the flesh; and remember that after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved” (2 Nephi 10:24). The same scriptural writer later says more briefly, “We know that it is by grace we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23).
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