For Catholics:

[Chazemataz]

Mormons believe in the forgiveness of sins, Jesus Christ, and accept the Holy Trinity. Although they have a slew of other beleifs that normal Christians don’t believe, they are for the most part Christian. WIll they obtain salvation?

 

[Genesis315]

Chazemataz:

Mormons believe in the forgiveness of sins, Jesus Christ, and accept the Holy Trinity. Although they have a slew of other beleifs that normal Christians don’t believe, they are for the most part Christian. WIll they obtain salvation?

If they are mormon through no fault of their own, they may be saved provided they follow the graces they are given and the law written on all our hearts and they do not die in state of mortal sin.

 

[Chazemataz]

Genesis315:

If they are mormon through no fault of their own, they may be saved provided they follow the graces they are given and the law written on all our hearts and they do not die in state of mortal sin.

That is what somebody told me. They said that if you follow the Ten Commandments then you will go to Heaven, and also if you accept Jesus Christ as the Saviour. What do you mean by “if they are Mormon through no fault of their own”?

 

[flameburns623]

Chazemataz:

Mormons believe in the forgiveness of sins, Jesus Christ, and accept the Holy Trinity. Although they have a slew of other beleifs that normal Christians don’t believe, they are for the most part Christian. WIll they obtain salvation?

1. Mormons believe in the forgiveness of sins “after all we can do”–that is, they preach Pelagianism–faith PLUS works.
2. Mormon beliefs about Jesus profoundly distort His identity and mission. It can truly be said that Mormons believe in ‘another Jesus’, a fictional one of their own making, who only incidentally reasembles the historical Jesus.
3. Mormons do NOT believe in the Trinity. They at best propose a Tritheistic/henotheistic Godhead–three Gods, with God the Father being the supreme member of the triad. In fact, God the Father, in Mormon theology, is the descendent of previous Gods and is not the Eternal Unchanging One God in Three Persons of the Christian tradition.

We cannot know the eternal faith of anyone outside the pale of Christianity but can rely upon the mercy and justice of God to judge all people rightly.

 

[Genesis315]

Chazemataz:

That is what somebody told me. They said that if you follow the Ten Commandments then you will go to Heaven, and also if you accept Jesus Christ as the Saviour. What do you mean by “no fault of their own”?

Well, here’s the most extreme example: imagine a native american in like the year 1200 AD. Is this person damned just because he was born someplace the Gospel had not been preached yet? It’s not his fault.

Now a more modern example. Imagine a protestant who since his birth has been taught that his brand of protestantism is true. He has searched for truth with an open heart, but due to his lot in life, he is ignorant that Catholicism is true. That person may be saved. Now, if this person learns of Catholicism and the Holy Spirit moves Him to know it’s true, but because of pride or laziness he decides to stay protestant, this person would be in trouble.

Here are two great articles on this subject that will explain it probably better than I could:
catholic.com/thisrock/1991/9111chap.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/1999/9907chap.asp

 

[hermit]

Mormanism or LDS is a cult and not a bona fide christian religion.

 

[Brain]

If through no fault of your own you do not hear or do not accept the truth, and you obey the law written on the hearts of all men (natural law) God may have mercy on you. I do not know his mind, but I would hope that he would not damn people because no one ever told them the good news, that seems too cruel for a merciful and just father. I trust and pray for God’s mercy for the invicibly ignorant.

 

[alterserver_07]

They don’t believe the Holy Trinity, but like with any other religion outside the Catholic Church, some can and will be saved.

 

[Paul_G]

hermit:

Mormanism or LDS is a cult and not a bona fide christian religion.

I think the term cult in this case was coined by Protestants to feel more secure about their own believe. Some LDS take offense to the term, but it doesn’t concern me. If you think I belong to a cult that’s fine by me. They called the followers of Jesus as belonging to a sect = cult. Jesus also taught us that if people called him names they would do the same thing to his followers. So I am humbled and honored to be so classified.

Paul

 

[Tmaque]

I simply cannot believe that a merciful, just and loving God would condemn anyone to hell for doing what they believed to be right. So, my answer to the query posed is yes, faithful LDS will obtain salvation.

 

[stillsearching]

Tmaque:

I simply cannot believe that a merciful, just and loving God would condemn anyone to hell for doing what they believed to be right. So, my answer to the query posed is yes, faithful LDS will obtain salvation.

Unless of course, they had lead the faithful though ignorant and weak and to deny the true Christ. That is another story altogether.

 

[Catholic_Dude]

Tmaque:

I simply cannot believe that a merciful, just and loving God would condemn anyone to hell for doing what they believed to be right. So, my answer to the query posed is yes, faithful LDS will obtain salvation.

Here is the passage I noticed a few weeks ago, Im not sure if Im misunderstanding it but it seems to teach the “no fault of their own” clause.

6 For he will render to every man according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.
11 For God shows no partiality. 12 All who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. -Romans2
Now this passage to me says that God doesnt send someone to hell for being born in the middle of the Amazon while we in the USA are surrounded by churches. For everyone God takes into account their actions and conscience, we are not the judge so we dont know who/what will accuse or excuse them, thats up to God. For those that God gives more to more will be asked of them. If you have the chance to look into the Catholic faith, or even any valid Baptizing sect it is your duty to strive to learn the truth.

Im shocked this verse has never been posted in the Catholic defense because it just stood out when I was reading it.

 

[stillsearching]

Tmaque:

I simply cannot believe that a merciful, just and loving God would condemn anyone to hell for doing what they believed to be right. So, my answer to the query posed is yes, faithful LDS will obtain salvation.

Tmaque- it 's more than being faithful. One must be faithful to Christ Jesus and His Father. Once one reads what the LDS preach as their doctrines, not from here the forum, but on their own official website lds.org, it becomes abundantly clear that it is a God and Christ who is diametrically opposed to the Catholic God and Christ. will they obtain salvation on their own terms? who knows?

 

[Tmaque]

stillsearching:

Tmaque- it 's more than being faithful. One must be faithful to Christ Jesus and His Father. Once one reads what the LDS preach as their doctrines, not from here the forum, but on their own official website lds.org, it becomes abundantly clear that it is a God and Christ who is diametrically opposed to the Catholic God and Christ. will they obtain salvation on their own terms? who knows?

You have your opinion and I have mine. I simply cannot believe in a God that would condemn someone for following their conscience…period. If you believe in such a God, that is fine with me.

 

[Jerusha]

CD, that is a very important Bible reading for me. Thank you for presenting it.

 

[stillsearching]

Tmaque:

You have your opinion and I have mine. I simply cannot believe in a God that would condemn someone for following their conscience…period. If you believe in such a God, that is fine with me.

Bless you. Relativism and wishful thinking is not the same as conscience. Plus, we all have a god given duty to properly form our conscience.

 

[Tmaque]

stillsearching:

Bless you. Relativism and wishful thinking is not the same as conscience. Plus, we all have a god given duty to properly form our conscience.

Relativism and wishful thinking have nothing to do with it. Let’s walk through this. Take Tom Nosser for instance. Tom has studied extensively on Mormonism and Catholicism. He truly wants to follow God’s will, I’m quite certain of that. Tom, through hours of study, honest searching and prayer has come to the conclusion that the LDS is church is true. He has used everything God has given him to search and study, but has come to a different conclusion than me. He would be Catholic if it made just a tiny spec more sense to him than Mormonism does. Now, do you really believe God is going to send him to hell? I find the proposition laughable. No fair or just God would do such a thing.

 

[stillsearching]

Tmaque:

Relativism and wishful thinking have nothing to do with it. Let’s walk through this. Take Tom Nosser for instance. Tom has studied extensively on Mormonism and Catholicism. He truly wants to follow God’s will, I’m quite certain of that. Tom, through hours of study, honest searching and prayer has come to the conclusion that the LDS is church is true. He has used everything God has given him to search and study, but has come to a different conclusion than me. He would be Catholic if it made just a tiny spec more sense to him than Mormonism does. Now, do you really believe God is going to send him to hell? I find the proposition laughable. No fair or just God would do such a thing.

No, I am not saying God is going to send him to hell. This would probably fall, (I’m not a priest and don’t hear confessions so is my best guess?) under the category of “invincible ignorance”. If someone is suffering from invincible ignorance, they are not responsible for their actions. On the other hand, invincible ignorance is relatively rare, obstinance in sin being the more common occurence, which is not particularly forgiveable without repentance.This is directly from the Catholic Catechism and is simply not my personal opinion.

 

[st_michael]

We are not saved by our theology. We are saved by the Grace of God.

I do not accept the LDS view of Christianity. However, many people do not accept my Catholic view… I pray the Lord works within our hearts to open our mind to his truth… Conversion comes from the Lord not theology or human wisdom… open your heart to the Lord and his posibilities, and he will come and make his home within you, no matter what your theology. I believe in the power of the Lord to work within all who honestly allow Jesus to be his Lord and God.

Peace and Love,

Michael Jensen
Boise, Idaho

 

[Tmaque]

stillsearching:

On the other hand, invincible ignorance is relatively rare, obstinance in sin being the more common occurence, which is not particularly forgiveable without repentance.

Invincible ignorance is not rare at all! By the standard as described in the Catholic Encyclopedia I would say almost every faithful LDS with a strong testimony is invincibly ignorant.