Throughout this series, we have examined the LDS Church’s fundamental doctrines in light of Scripture—its view of God, Christ, humanity, sin, revelation, and authority. Each piece has revealed significant differences between Mormonism and biblical Christianity.

But it all culminates in these final and most critical questions:

• How is a person saved?
• What must one do to be made right with God?
• What is the true gospel of Jesus Christ?

The answer to these questions is the heart of the Christian faith. And here, the divide between Latter-day Saint doctrine and biblical truth couldn’t be wider.

The LDS Church presents a plan of salvation rooted in eternal progression: a premortal beginning, mortal testing, temple ordinances, covenant-keeping, and eventual exaltation to godhood. It’s a system built on ritualistic obedience in a progression toward becoming like God in substance and status.

By contrast, the Bible proclaims a gospel not of gradual exaltation but of grace. It’s a salvation grounded in the finished work of Christ—not in temple ceremonies or priesthood authority. It’s a gospel that centers not on what man can become but on what God has done.

In this post, we will lay out the Mormon Plan of Salvation as taught in its official doctrines and compare it directly to the biblical gospel in the pages of Scripture.

Only one of these messages is the power of God unto salvation, and only one leads to eternal life.

What the LDS Church Teaches About Salvation

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presents what it calls the “Plan of Salvation,” also known as the “Plan of Happiness.” This plan outlines humanity’s journey from premortal existence to exaltation as gods and goddesses in the celestial kingdom. It’s not a message of rescue from sin alone—it’s a framework for eternal advancement and divine transformation.

Premortal Existence

According to LDS doctrine, each human being began as an eternal “intelligence,” later born as a spirit child to Heavenly Parents in a premortal realm. There, Jesus Christ was chosen to enact the Father’s plan, and those who accepted His role were given the opportunity to be born on earth.

“All men and women are… beloved spirit children of heavenly parents. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.”¹

This doctrine sets the stage for a view of salvation as the realization of divine potential, rather than redemption from wrath.

Mortal Life and Testing

Earthly life is seen as a probationary period where individuals receive physical bodies and are tested. Agency is central. The Fall of Adam and Eve is considered a necessary and even positive step, enabling humanity to choose good and evil.

The primary objective of mortal life is to keep God’s commandments, receive ordinances (baptism, confirmation, temple endowments, etc.), and prove worthy of exaltation.

“Mortality is a probationary state, a time to learn and grow through experiences, trials, and challenges. It is a time to prepare to meet God.”²

Salvation by Degrees

LDS theology does not view salvation as a simple matter of heaven or hell. Instead, it describes three degrees of glory—celestial, terrestrial, and telestial kingdoms—with exaltation in the celestial kingdom being the highest state, where individuals can become like God.

“Those who are worthy to return to God’s presence and dwell with Him forever receive exaltation in the celestial kingdom. They become like God.”³

This exaltation is not granted by faith alone but through a lifelong process of obedience, covenant-keeping, temple ordinances, and enduring to the end.

The Role of Jesus Christ

LDS teaching affirms that Jesus Christ makes resurrection possible for all and that His atonement provides the means for individuals to repent. However, His atonement is only effective for exaltation when individuals fulfill the conditions of obedience and covenant faithfulness.

“We are saved by grace, ‘after all we can do.’” (2 Nephi 25:23)⁴

Thus, Jesus is not the sole ground of righteousness. God’s grace is only effective after you’ve racked up a high enough score. Jesus is the enabler of a process that individuals must complete through effort, works, and ritual participation.

A Gospel of Progression

In sum, the LDS plan of salvation teaches:

• All people began as spirit children of God
• Earth life is a test to prove worthiness
• Salvation comes in degrees
• Exaltation is only achieved through ordinances, covenants, and obedience
• Jesus provides a necessary role, but not a sufficient one

This is not the gospel proclaimed in the New Testament. It is, in effect, a gospel of performance, centered not on what Christ accomplished, but on what man must do to ascend to divinity.

The True Biblical Gospel

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not a celestial ladder to climb. It’s not a system of eternal progression, nor is it a ritual-based pathway toward divine status. The biblical gospel is the good news that through Jesus Christ, God has made a way for sinful humanity to be reconciled, forgiven, transformed, and ultimately raised in glory—not to become gods, but to dwell with God forever.

God’s Initiative, Not Man’s Ascent

Scripture presents salvation not as something that begins in a premortal existence, but as God’s gracious action toward a world lost in sin.

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”—Romans 5:6

Human beings are not eternal intelligences or spirit offspring of Heavenly Parents. We are creatures—formed by God, fallen through sin, and entirely dependent on His mercy. Our problem is not a lack of progression, but a broken relationship with the God who made us.

The solution is not self-perfection, but reconciliation through Jesus Christ.

The Gospel Centers on the Cross and Resurrection

The gospel is not a system—it’s a person: Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. He is not our elder spirit sibling but our Lord and Savior, the eternal Son of God who took on flesh, bore our sins, and triumphed over death.

“Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures… he was buried… he was raised on the third day.”—1 Corinthians 15:3–4

The gospel begins here: not with who we were before birth, but with who Christ is and what He has done.

The Call to Faithful Obedience

The message of salvation in the New Testament always involves response. Faith is not mental agreement or passive belief—it’s trust in Christ that expresses itself in repentance, baptism, obedience, and enduring faithfulness.

Peter’s words on Pentecost are direct and clear:

“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”—Acts 2:38

Salvation is not transactional or earned, but it is conditional. One must respond to Christ’s work on His terms—not through temple ordinances, priesthood authority, or secret rituals, but through a live surrendered in obedience to the gospel of Jesus.

Jesus Himself said:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”—Luke 9:23

Salvation is a gift, but it’s not cheap. It calls for the obedience of faith (Romans 1:5), a life of holiness (Hebrews 12:14), and perseverance to the end (Matthew 24:13).

Our Hope: Resurrection and Eternal Life with God

The biblical gospel does not promise exaltation to godhood. It promises something better: resurrection from the dead, freedom from sin, and eternal communion with the living God.

“And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”—John 17:3

We do not become gods—we behold the glory of the One True God forever.

In short, the gospel is not a formula for eternal progression.

It’s the message that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, sinners can be reconciled to God, cleansed, adopted, sanctified, and raised to eternal life—not by lineage, ritual, or merit, but through obedient faith in Christ, lived out in covenant relationship with Him.

Side-by-Side Comparison: Two Gospels, Two Outcomes

Though both the LDS Church and biblical Christianity use the same words—salvation, faith, repentance, Jesus Christ—their definitions and outcomes are radically different.

At first glance, the language may sound similar. But when you dig into the theology, you find two entirely distinct gospels, two very different Jesuses, and two eternally different destinations.

Doctrine	LDS Plan of Salvation	Biblical Gospel
Origin of the Soul	Spirit child of Heavenly Parents in premortal life	Created by God at conception (Zech 12:1; Ps 139:13)
Purpose of Life	To gain a body, prove worthiness, keep covenants, and become exalted	To know God, be reconciled to Him, and walk in holiness (Acts 17:27; Eph 2:10)
Nature of Salvation	A lifelong process of progression toward godhood	A restored relationship with God through Christ, marked by faith, repentance, and obedience
Role of Jesus	Eldest spirit brother who makes exaltation possible if we obey	Eternal Son of God, Creator, Redeemer, Judge, and Lord Means of Salvation
Means of Salvation	Temple ordinances, priesthood authority, baptism for the dead, covenants, obedience	Faithful obedience to the gospel: repentance, baptism, discipleship, perseverance (Acts 2:38; Rom 1:5)
End Goal	Exaltation: to become a god and rule over spirit offspring	Eternal life with God: worship, communion, and glory—not godhood (John 17:3; Rev 21:3–4)
View of Sin	A necessary part of mortality; manageable through obedience and rituals	A deep corruption needing repentance, cleansing, and divine intervention (Rom 3:23; 1 John 1:9)
Final Authority	Modern prophets and continuing revelation	Jesus Christ, the apostles, and the preserved Word of God (John 17:17; Heb 1:1–2)

What’s at Stake

This is not a matter of different denominations or religious styles.

These are two different gospels. And according to the New Testament, only one can lead to life.

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!”—Galatians 1:8

If the biblical gospel is true, the LDS plan is not a restoration but a replacement of Christ’s gospel with another. It’s a tragedy with eternal consequences for those who are deceived into believing it.

Final Verdict

At the heart of every religious system lies a central question: How can a person be made right with God?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints answers that question with a framework of eternal progression: a premortal origin, mortal testing, temple ordinances, covenant-keeping, and eventual exaltation. It’s a system built on striving—where salvation is not the gift of reconciliation, but the process of divine ascent.

This is not the gospel proclaimed by Jesus Christ or His apostles.

The biblical gospel is not a roadmap to godhood; it’s the announcement of what God has already done in Christ to redeem a fallen world. It’s the call to repent, believe, obey, and follow the Son of God, not to become what He is, but to be restored to what we were created to be: creatures in fellowship with our Creator.

“God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself…”—2 Corinthians 5:19

This reconciliation is the essence of salvation—not exaltation to divinity, but restoration to communion with the one true God.

The message of the New Testament is not that man must ascend into heaven, but that God descended to earth. It’s not that we work toward divinity, but that Christ died to bring us to God. The gospel is not the means by which we become gods, but the way by which we are rescued from sin, made new, and granted eternal life through the righteousness of Christ.

The stakes could not be higher.

“If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”—Galatians 1:9

The LDS Plan of Salvation is not the gospel delivered once for all to the saints. If it were, it would have never been lost and would have never needed to be restored. It’s a different gospel—built upon a different Christ and aimed at exalting man over God.

Therefore, I issue this call with both clarity and compassion:

Abandon the man-made path of progression.Reject the deception of exaltation.Turn instead to the true and living Christ—eternal, uncreated, crucified, risen, and reigning.

Believe the gospel. Obey His voice. Endure in faithfulness.

No, you will not ascend to become a god. That’s blasphemy against the one true God.

You will, hoever, dwell forever with the one true God, in whose presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).