This presentation was delivered at River of Life Church, Tremonton, Utah on November 13, 2022.

I invited a Mormon friend to join us for this frank discussion of the gospel and salvation. I feared he wouldn’t come, and he didn’t. But he did watch the live stream.

We examined the Biblical gospel, as contained in 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4, and contrasted it with the Mormon version.

1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

In its fulness, the gospel includes all the doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants necessary for us to be exalted in the celestial kingdom.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/gospel

When asked, my friend could not make a list of every doctrine, principle, law, ordinance, and covenant. Because he could not make a list of these things, he did not answer the question, how can you know you are living that gospel of unknown demands? Because he could not make a list and know that he is keeping the Mormon gospel, he could and did not answer my question, how is this good news?

Instead, he questioned my love for the Mormon people.

A contrast between these two gospels illustrates that the Mormon variant is another gospel. My friend could not answer the question, how does Galatians 1:8 not apply to the Mormon people?

8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Nor could he explain why Galatians 5:2, 4 did not apply to him.

2Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

Instead, he accused me of setting traps to hurt the Mormon people.

Neither could he present me with an assurance from Mormon scripture or doctrine equal to or better than 1 John 5:13a.

13These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life...

He turned from that challenge and called me an apostate with an axe to grind.

It is an easy thing to experience events such as these and become discouraged. I would disagree. I think this is a time to praise God. An unbeliever has come face to face with the beauty of the Biblical gospel and the assurance of salvation. He is well aware of his inability to defend his faith. He knows that he hid from the message and attacked the messenger. He stands convicted! Through this, God will draw my friend to Himself. Will he respond? I have no idea. For now, I leave my friend in the loving care of the Lord, who I petition for the salvation of the lost.

Grit 'n Grace