Understanding Salvation Mormon Doctrine and its Biblical Foundations: Searching for a Common Language that will Enable Latter-day Saints to Converse with Other Bible-Believing Christians

by Eugene Seaich, Eric Hendrickson (editor)

For a number of years, this writer has observed the confusion that often arises when Christians attempt to define salvation and its relationship to grace and works. The primary obstacle to consensus on this crucial matter is the absence of a common definition for “salvation.” This term is frequently employed in conflicting ways, both in everyday language and scholarly writings. For some, “salvation” signifies entry into heaven; however, in Scripture, it generally means to be saved from sin and humanity's fallen condition, often referred to as the “First Death.”

In the former interpretation, “salvation” is viewed as a reward for goodness, while in the latter, it is seen as a healing process that transforms the sinner. This transformation enables individuals to live by the Spirit and qualify for a reward in heaven.

When we juxtapose scriptural statements asserting that “salvation is by faith without works” with admonitions that individuals will be “judged and rewarded according to works,” we begin to suspect that “salvation” and “reward” may represent distinct concepts. Establishing an unambiguous scriptural definition of “salvation” is essential for members of various Bible-based factions to agree on fundamental terminology.

The New Testament doctrine of “salvation” posits that men are saved by grace without personal merit—since it is sinners who require saving. Nevertheless, the saved will be judged on the Last Day and rewarded based on their obedience to God’s laws.

By examining these complementary principles, we shall demonstrate that the Latter-day Saint (LDS) doctrine of salvation by grace, which includes a demand for subsequent obedience, aligns with New Testament teachings. Here, “salvation” is treated as a healing process—a supernatural rebirth that transforms the sinner, enabling them to keep God’s commandments.

This understanding may reassure those who worry they are not yet “good enough” to be “saved.” They should recognize that God has promised to make them good if they will “endure to the end” by incorporating principles of faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Spirit into their lives.

We will also elucidate that the mechanism of “salvation” is best articulated by the 13th-century word “Atonement,” meaning “At-One-Ment” with God. This term describes the union of Man and the Divine through “spiritual indwelling,” a doctrine central to the Gospel of John. Paul explained that when a believer “cleaves” to the Lord, they become One Spirit, sharing in God’s righteousness.

Moreover, we shall investigate what Scripture and early Church Fathers articulated regarding the nature of God, facilitating an understanding of how individuals may become recipients of his transcendent deity. The notion of “deification” has been integral to LDS belief from its inception, rather than a “reconstruction” of Joseph Smith’s earlier theology, as some critics claim.

Knowledgeable Latter-day Saints should be able to articulate these concepts. Yet, there exists “a vacuum of theological talent” among contemporary Mormons, as noted by a writer for Time (Aug. 4, 1997). However, we shall demonstrate that LDS theology is not “unusual,” as it is fundamentally based on New Testament theology and requires no special assumptions to uphold it.

It is our hope that this book may serve as a valuable resource in elucidating the Restored Gospel to adherents of other faiths, in a manner that is both comprehensible and accurate.

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2024