Are you saved by grace or works in Mormonism?

It is often said, perhaps unfairly, that the LDS church teaches a gospel of salvation by works. This is usually very upsetting to Mormons, since they do not believe it accurately reflects their real teachings on the subject. The late LDS Prophet, David O. McKay, illustrated the LDS view of grace and works with this story:

"One day a group of small boys was swimming. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say they were learning to swim: for none could take more than a few strokes. Just below them a short distance down the stream was a treacherous hole much beyond their depth. Into this either through bravado or accident, one daring youngster either plunged or fell. He became helpless to save himself; and for a moment his companions were powerless to aid him. Fortunately, one with presence of mind and quick action, jerked a long stick from a willow fence and held one end of it toward the drowning lad. The latter grasped it and held on tightly and was saved.

All the boys declared that the venturesome lad owed his life to the boy who furnished the means of rescue. This is undoubtedly the fact; and yet in spite of the means furnished him, if he had not taken advantage of it, if he had not put forth all the personal effort at his command, he would have drowned, notwithstanding the heroic act of his comrade.

In this old world of ours, children of men are playing, swimming, struggling in the sea of life. There are those who claim that no one will sink and be lost if he will look to Jesus on the shore and say, "I believe."  There are others who declare that everyone must by his own efforts swim to the shore or be lost forever. The real truth is that both of these extreme views are incorrect. Christ redeemed all men from death which was brought upon them through no act of theirs, but he will not save men from their personal transgressions who will put forth no effort themselves, any more than the young rescuer on the river bank could have saved the drowning lad if the latter had not seized the means provided him. Neither can man save himself without accepting the means provided by Christ for man's salvation." ( David O. McKay, The Gospel of Work, The Instructor, January 1955, pp 1-2)

This blended view of grace and works sounds much more reasonable, until we consider it in the light of scripture. First, let us consider the seriousness of our sin. We are not just drowning and in need of help, we are dead.

"And you hath he quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." (Ephesians 2:1-3, insert added)

Paul is clear in this passage, and in others, that we are spiritually dead because of sin and that this condition is universal. A corpse cannot grab hold of a stick. Before a corpse can do anything for itself, its heart has to be restarted--brought to life. This brings us to our second point: this is something only God can do and it is totally an act of love and grace on His part.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:4-5)

"It is not until God puts the spark of His spiritual life into us, that we have any ability to respond to Him, to renounce our former life, or to even believe in Him. We are totally dependent on God's love and grace for our salvation, because He must initiate it! We have come to call this new birth--or regeneration. Regeneration is monergistic: that is, entirely the work of God and the Holy Spirit. It raises the elect among the spiritually dead to new life in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10). Regeneration is a transition from spiritual death to spiritual life, and conscious, intentional, active faith in Christ is its immediate fruit, not its immediate cause." (J. I. Packer, Concise Theology, Tyndale House Publishers, 1993, p 158)

The third point at which McKay's story is at variance with Scripture is this: our Savior did not stand on the shore and extend a stick to us--He got into the water with us and spent His life in the effort to save us! You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die (Romans 5:6-7).

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

Jesus came to "this old world" of sin and He delivered up His life as a demonstration of God's love. And what a love it is! Lastly, the Bible offers this point for us to consider:

"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Romans 11:6)

"This, too, is very clear. Nothing can be by grace and by works at the same time. They are mutually exclusive. To mix them is to alter in a radical way their character. Either grace would cease to be grace, or works would cease to be works. Paul's text plainly says this." (Zane C. Hodges, Absolutely Free!, Zondervan Publishing House, 1989,  p 72) It is precisely for this reason that the LDS church is said to teach a gospel of salvation by works--because grace and works are like water and oil--they cannot be mixed successfully.

So I ask you, as you've read this has God awakened something in your heart? Have you felt stirrings of new life? Has faith to trust Jesus' sacrifice by God's grace alone been born in your heart? If it has, I invite you to give words to the longing in your heart and pray this prayer with me:

Dear Father,
I believe you sent Your Son Jesus to die in my place, to save my spiritual life. And now you have put in my heart a desire to turn from my sin and to live for Your glory. I know that I am weak. It is hard to believe that you would do all this for me without requiring some sort of effort on my part, but I trust You to be honorable and to keep Your Word. I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief! Thank You for loving me this much. I am overwhelmed by the intensity of Your love. I want to serve you all the days of my life!
Amen.

If God has put His life in you today, please call us and let us know. We want to rejoice with you and with the angels in heaven. We also want to send you a free book which will help you to further understand what God is doing in your life. We want His richest blessings to be yours!