Category: Mormon Theology
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John 3:5-6: Is baptism a requirement for salvation?
By Bill McKeever and Eric JohnsonJohn 3:5–6 says, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”We must ask…
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Luke 3:3: Does this say baptism is necessary for the forgiveness of sins?
Luke 3:3: says, “And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” The word for (Greek: eis) in “for the remission of sins” can mean with a view to or because of. Those who responded to John’s invitation of baptism had already heard his message of…
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Mark 16:16: “Does this verse say baptism is necessary for salvation?
Mark 16:16 says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Assuming that water baptism is meant, then the Mormon needs to explain the second half of the verse. If belief plus baptism truly equals salvation, then why wasn’t this formula used when it says that…
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1 Peter 3:21: Are we saved by water baptism?
“Baptism is an essential principle,” President Lorenzo Snow said. “Some deem it wrong to number baptism among the essential principles ordained of God, to be attended to in obtaining remission of sins. In reply, we say that the Savior and Apostles have done so before us, therefore we feel obligated to follow their example.” (Williams, The…
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Acts 2:38: Baptized For the Remission of Sins
By Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson The following is from chapter 21 in Answering Mormons’ Questions (Kregel, 2013). To get additional help in answering LDS questions, we recommend purchasing the book. Click here to see more. A common passage used to support the view of baptismal regeneration (the necessity to be baptized in order to be saved) is…
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Matthew 5:48: Perfection
By Bill McKeever and Eric JohnsonPresident Spencer W. Kimball told of a man who wanted to make sure he had made final spiritual preparations before undergoing “radical surgery.” Kimball wrote,
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Ecclesiastes 12:7: Does This Teach Preexistence?
Mormons believe in a preexistence, where spirts once existed in what is known as the First Estate. Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, in part, that “the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” This poetic book is describing how the body decomposes to “dust” and the spirit returns to God for judgment; this does not imply a preexistent…
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Hebrews 12:9: Does This Verse Support the Idea of Preexistence?
Mormons believe in a preexistence, where spirits once existed in what is known as the First Estate. The Ensign magazine cited Hebrews 12:9 to support the doctrine of premortality, saying, “God is our Heavenly Father, a literal spiritual parent.”(“God is Truly Our Father,” Ensign, January 2010, 15). The verse from Hebrews reads, “Furthermore we have had fathers of…
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Jeremiah 1:5: Does This Verse Speak About Preexistence?
By Bill McKeever and Eric JohnsonCertain biblical passages have been used by Latter-day Saints to back premortality, though they have to be taken out of their context to do so. One commonly-used proof text is Jeremiah 1:5, which says,”Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of…
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Psalm 82:6 and John 10:34: Ye are Gods
By Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson
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Plan of Salvation (Defined)
Plan of Salvation. The: A plan given by God the Father to allow the Children of God to become like Him (see Godhood). As a Spirit Child in the Preexistence, a person who rightly choses Jesus as Savior is given the chance to be born onto the earth with a physical body and has the opportunity…
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Is Jesus’ Grace Sufficient in Mormonism?
Brad Wilcox is a religion professor at LDS Church-owned Brigham Young University who also serves on the Sunday School board. He gave a devotional address at BYU on July 12, 2011 that has been widely circulated on the Internet. The talk, titled “His Grace is Sufficient: How does God’s Grace really work?” tries to make…
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The Adam-God Challenge
Once upon a time I was a member of the Mormon Church. I was converted at age 14 and ardently followed the teachings and lifestyle of Mormonism. I went to Church every Sunday, read the Book of Mormon, and had an active and productive Mormon lifestyle. In High School, I went to Seminary, and when…
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Hymns Teaching False Doctrine
In order to discover new quotes to insert into a revision of our book Mormonism 101, I have decided to read through a number of LDS manuals, including the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church series. Tonight I was paging through the volume featuring the talks and writings of Heber J. Grant and I…
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Matthew 19:16-22: Becoming Perfect?
By Eric JohnsonMany Latter-day Saints have pointed to the story of the rich young ruler to show that perfection is required in order to obtain salvation. The passage reads: 16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”17 “Why do you ask me…
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Two parables about the Atonement
Understanding the Atonement of Christ is vital if we are to understand exactly what salvation is all about. In 1977, Apostle Boyd K. Packer told a parable that talked about a creditor, debtor, and a third party who paid the debt. Then this friend turns the tables and says that he is the debtor’s new…
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Sin Entered, Blood Formed
The Mormon Church recently released an updated edition of its scriptures. One of the resources that underwent some change is the Bible Dictionary, found in the back of the LDS edition of the KJV Bible (print editions). In reviewing some of the changes made to the new digital edition I found one of particular interest…
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Review, The Plan of Salvation
The Plan of Salvation booklet was produced in 2008 and is apparently used by Mormon missionaries to explain the three questions that potential converts commonly ask: Where did I come from? What is my purpose in life? And where am I going? This 24-page booklet (measuring 5×7 inches) 8 pages of pictures, taking up one-third of…
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Word of Wisdom (Defined)
Word of Wisdom: A Mormon health law found in Doctrine & Covenants 89 commanding Mormons to abstain from hot drinks (interpreted as coffee and tea), tobacco, excessive amounts of meat, and alcoholic beverages. Obedience to this health law is one of the requirements to receive a temple recommend. Those who keep these sayings are promised…
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War in Heaven (Defined)
War in Heaven: Conflict in the premotral life started by Lucifer when his bid to become the savior of the world was rejected. For more information, see here.Return to dictionary here.