Understanding Mormonism

by Eugene Seaich

This book was written with the hope that it might be of use in explaining Mormonism and the restored Gospel of Christ to the members of other persuasions, and in a way that will be both understandable and technically correct. At the same time, it should help Mormons to better comprehend their own doctrines, and to refute the arguments of would-be detractors that their beliefs are "unbiblical" and "non-Christian." Indeed, it has now become possible--thanks to a flood of new information from the time of the Primitive Church--to show that those Latter-day Saint doctrines which recent "orthodoxy" rejects as "non-Christian" were widely known and essential to early Christians, and were in no way "unbiblical." These included such doctrines as the preexistence of the soul, the Three Degrees of Glory, a non-Trinitarian Godhead, the deification of man, eternal marriage, baptism for the dead, and the basic pattern of the Temple experience, doctrines whose former existence was not even suspected prior to their restoration by Joseph Smith, though they have since been documented by countless independent researchers. Latter-day Saints are privileged to possess these ancient doctrines once again, and should resist the temptation to hide them from the world so as to appear less controversial to "main-line" believers. We shall begin by examining a doctrine which is common to all Christian, namely salvation. Unfortunately, a great deal of confusion arises when different sects attempt to define this important concept, and how it is related to grace, works, judgment and reward To some, salvation means simply 'to be resurrected and enter heaven;' whereas in Scripture it often has the more technical and specific meaning of "redemption from sin" i.e. from man's fallen condition (the "First Death"). In the former case, salvation is thought of as a reward for goodness, while in the latter it is thought of as a healing process, one which '"cures" the sinner and brings about his "rebirth" thereby enabling him to begin living by the Spirit and to qualify for a reward. Indeed when we compare statements in Scripture that salvation comes through "faith without works" and warnings that men will be judged and rewarded "according to works" we begin to suspect that salvation is one thing, and reward another

152 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2012