2) Most Mormons believe they are "saved" by "obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ" i.e. by doing what Church leaders tell you to do, partaking of all ordinance of the Church, getting the Melchizedek priesthood for men, being active, attending all meetings, paying tithing and offering faithfully, doing what your leaders tell you to do, until the Resurrection of the dead.
3) Mormons believe there are two levels of Salvation:
Resurrection (all men and women...because of Jesus' death on the cross)
Exlation: becoming a God or Goddess (faithful Mormons only, many Mormons will not achieve this). Most Mormons believe Exaltation comes via "obedience to the laws and ordiances" of the Mormon Church.
Older Mormons really don't think much about the blood of Jesus, or that the blood of Jesus has much at all to do with their salvation except for "resurrecting" all men and women.
Young Mormons are abit more "Jesus centered" than older Mormons, because the Church is coming around, a little bit, and very slowly, to be more Christ-centered in its teachings than it used to be.
Mormon Apologists insist that the "blood of Jesus" is essential to all levels of Salvation (including Exaltation), but, again 98% of Mormons are not taught this in Church nor Sunday School nor in General Conference talks, and most do not believe as do most Mormon apologists who spend hundreds of hours of "thinking" about such things. Most Mormons simply don't "think" about theology or "how" they are saved, etc. They simply think that "if" they remain faithful to the Church, they're going to be "saved" in the Celestial Kingdom; which means to become Gods/Goddesses for all eternity.
Note: The Book of Mormon itself teaches there is only One God, Who consists of Father (Spirit) and Son (flesh) i.e. "Jesus Christ". The Book of Mormon also teaches that "salvation" comes via being "born again" which basically takes place as Alma the Younger is "saved" in the Book of Mormon which is "being convicted of sin" having fear of an endless Hell, calling upon Jesus for salvation, and then being "born again" and having an assurance from the Spirit one is saved. The Mormon Church DOES NOT TEACH THIS, but rather that "Salvation" (exaltation) comes via "obedience to the laws and ordinances" of the One True Church.
Most Mormons believe "salvation" and "exaltation" is the very same thing, and one must be a faithful Mormon to be "exalted/saved" and one must believe that Joseph Smith was a Prophet in order to be "a good Mormon". So, yes, most believe you must accept Joseph Smith as a Prophet to be saved.
The Mormon "doctrine of salvation" is quite different from what The Book of Mormon teaches. What the Book of Mormon teaches is very, very similar to what Evangelical Christians believe; that one must only call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus, and be a true Believer, to be "saved" from an "endless Hell" via being "born again" via the Holy Spirit. That is what the Book of Mormon teaches, but the Church teaches NONE of this, but rather "salvation" is via obedience to Church leaders (i.e. the Living Prophet). The "Living Prophet" of the Church has become like the SatGurus of India; one must "follow and obey" them to be saved.
dogmatic wrote:Don't know too much about Mormons, but I've been listening to this "out of Mormonism" podcast. I had a few questions.
- how is a Mormon saved?
- What does it mean to be saved, what are you saved from?
- can you be outside the Mormon church and be saved?
- can you deny Joseph Smith as a prophet and be saved?
thanks