Mormonism and Christianity/Grace and works

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Questions

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How do the LDS see the relationship between works and grace?

To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, click here

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Detailed Analysis

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Differences in terminology

Two LDS authors insightfully described the LDS doctrine of grace and salvation, and compared it to the schema used by many Protestants, as follows:

(1) Latter-day Saints believe that our individual sins (not just the original sin introduced by Adam) are forgiven as a result of God's grace. (2) Latter-day Saints believe that salvation (in the Protestant sense of that term—salvation from death and hell, coupled with immortality in the presence of God) is graciously and unconditionally granted to all but sons of perdition; (3) For Latter-day Saints the real issue of salvation has to do with the individual's continued growth into God's likeness (sanctification) and exaltation, which are the synergistic outcome of divine grace and human striving. It is the Latter-day Saint degrees-of-glory eschatology that does not fit nicely with Protestant models of grace, grafted as they are to a heaven-or-hell eschatology...

Salvation is an all-or-nothing affair for most Protestants, making the distinction between "born again" and "unregenerate" correspond exactly to that between "saved" and "damned." For Latter-day Saints, though, most of the "unregenerate" receive a degree of glory—one which passes all earthly understanding (DC 76꞉89)—for having chosen to come to earth and for deciding not to deny the Holy Spirit. Moreover, Latter-day Saints hold that the life led by those receiving lower degrees of glory is substantially different than that supposedly enjoyed in Protestant heaven or hell. Those in the telestial kingdom for instance (and thus some of those that are "saved") do not enjoy the full presence of the Godhead as they would in Protestant versions of heaven. However, the absence of the Father and the Son (which in this respect would equate to Protestant notions of hell) is a far cry from the Protestant notion of eternal torment, as they still enjoy the presence of God, the Holy Spirit, and a glory beyond human comprehension. Similarly, the residents of the terrestrial kingdom are neither clearly "saved" nor clearly "damned" according to Protestant definitions: they have accepted the testimony of Jesus (corresponding to "saved") but have not been valiant therein and receive only the "glory" and not the "full presence" of the Father (corresponding in this sense to "damned"). Clearly, given these and other differences, the Latter-day Saint understanding of salvation cannot be directly correlated to Protestant soteriology and eschatology...

Latter-day Saints do not accept the Protestant assumption that faith/grace and human agency/actions/works constitute two separate grammars of discourse. To the contrary, we believe that it is false and that James and even Paul, as well as living prophets, make it clear that faith/grace and human agency/actions/works are actually inseparable.^[1]

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Topics

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Early Christian views on salvation

Summary: What can the writings of early Christians tell us about how to receive salvation in Jesus Christ?

Neglect grace

Summary: Some claim that the Church ignores the doctrine of grace at the expense of "works." Critics argue that Church leaders do not teach this doctrine, and as a result most members of the Church do not expect to be saved, since they are not "good enough."

Salvation by faith alone

Summary: Evangelical Christians claim that salvation comes through "faith alone" (sola fide) and they accuse Latter-day Saints of holding to an un-Biblical belief of "works-based salvation."

Scriptures on grace and works

Summary: Critics of the church claim that the Bible teaches that individual works are completely unnecessary, in contrast to the doctrine of the LDS church that an individual's obedience to the commandments of God matters in his salvation.

Unforgivable sin

Summary: Why did LDS apostle Bruce McConkie write that a man may commit a sin so grievous that it will place him beyond the atoning blood of Christ (Mormon Doctrine, 1979, p. 93) when the Bible says that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7)?

== Notes ==

1. [note]  David L. Paulsen and Cory G. Walker, "Work, Worship, and Grace: Review of The Mormon Culture of Salvation: Force, Grace and Glory by Douglas J. Davies," FARMS Review 18/2 (2006): 83–177. off-site wiki, italics in original, see footnote 11 for some of the quoted text.

Further reading

FairMormon Answers articles

Grace

FairMormon web site

Grace FairMormon articles on-line

• John A. Tvedtnes, "Salvation by Grace Alone?" off-site

External links

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Learn more about grace

Key sources	Brad Wilcox, "Have You Been Saved By Grace?' How Do We Respond?," Proceedings of the 2018 FAIR Conference (August 2018). link David L. Paulsen and Cory G. Walker, "'Work, Worship, and Grace: Review of The Mormon Culture of Salvation: Force, Grace and Glory by Douglas J. Davies'," FARMS Review 18/2 (2006). [83–177] link
Online	David A. Bednar, "In The Strength of the Lord," Ensign (November 2004): 76. off-site Gene R. Cook, "Receiving Divine Assistance through the Grace of the Lord," Ensign (May 1993): 79.off-site Karen Lynn Davidson, "Toward a Mature Discipleship," Ensign (July 1984): 45.off-site Colin B. Douglas, "What I've Learned about Grace Since Coming Down from the Sycamore Tree," Ensign (April 1989): 13.off-site Bruce C. Hafen, "The Atonement: All for All," Ensign (May 2004): 97.off-site Bruce C. Hafen, "Grace," in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, (New York, Macmillan Publishing, 1992), 2:560–562.off-site Jeff Lindsay, "Salvation by Charity Alone?", mormanity.blogspot.com, 21 September 2006.off-site Gerald N. Lund, "Salvation: By Grace or by Works?," Ensign (April 1981): 17.off-site Dallin H. Oaks, "Have You Been Saved?," Ensign (May 1998): 55. off-site Blake T. Ostler, "Bridging the Gulf (Review of How Wide the Divide? A Mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation)," FARMS Review of Books 11/2 (1999): 103–177. off-site Robert E. Parsons, "I Have A Question: What is the role of grace in LDS theology?," Ensign (July 1989): 59.off-site Robert E. Parsons, "I Have A Question: Will you explain these Bible references in view of the Latter-day Saint doctrine that works are necessary for salvation: Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5; Romans 4:5?," Ensign (April 1986): 36.off-site Daniel C. Peterson and Stephen D. Ricks, "Comparing LDS Beliefs with First-Century Christianity, (Provo, Utah: FARMS, no date). off-site Stephen E. Robinson, "Enduring to the End," Ensign (October 1993): 12. off-site S. Michael Wilcox, "I Have A Question:I am confused by the gospel principle of justification by faith. Can you explain it to me?," Ensign (July 1991): 51.off-site David L. Paulsen and Cory G. Walker, "'Work, Worship, and Grace: Review of The Mormon Culture of Salvation: Force, Grace and Glory by Douglas J. Davies'," FARMS Review 18/2 (2006). [83–177] link
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Printed material

Grace printed materials

• David W. Bercot, Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up: A New Look at Today's Evangelical Church in the Light of Early Christianity, 3rd edition, (Tyler, Texas: Scroll Publishing Company, 1999[1989]), 56–68. ISBN 0924722002 (Key source)
• Matthew B. Brown, "Salvation and Grace," in The Plan of Salvation: Doctrinal Notes and Commentary (American Fork, UT: Covenant, 2002), 251–257. ISBN 1591560888. ISBN 978-1591560883.
• Roger R. Keller, Reformed Christians and Mormon Christians: Let's Talk! (Urbana, Ill.: Pryor Pettengill, 1986). ISBN 0933462069. ISBN 978-0933462069.
• Robert L. Millet, By Grace Are We Saved (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1989). ISBN 0884946940. ISBN 978-0884946946.