The Narrow Path Ministries

This question may be addressed somewhere else, if so just disregard this and point the way.

My wife's entire family has grown up in the RLDS(Community of Christ) church. I have not, but growing up in the same city as their headquarters (Independence, Mo.) I have been exposed to some of thier teachings. Some of my wifes family are no longer RLDS or believe in the book of mormon/doctrine & covenants. However some still do.

So my question is, are the family members who still believe in the book of mormon/doctrine & covenants saved by the same Jesus as the rest of us?

They believe that Jesus died for their sins and was resurrected as we do. But they hold the book of mormon/doctrine & covenants as additional inspired scripture. Does this rule them out for salvation? Or are they saved but just confused?

John B,

I posted a similar question which in the process brought up JW's and those similar in regards to salvation. Here is the link to that post: http://www.wvss.com/forumc/viewtopic.php?t=515
The posts towards the end have kind of gone off on a different topic but Steve's answers that he posted in the beginning was interesting and until he posts a reply to your specific question this might give you something to look at in the mean time. I look forward to seeing what Steve has to say on this as well.

Erich <><

Thanx Erich...very helpful,

I've come to the same conclusion (so far) that I read in the link you typed. I know my views on Christ now are different than when I was a baby Christian. I do believe that if I were to be taken out of this world now that I would have eternal Life in Him although I might not know the entire truth about Him. So I'm very hopefull for my inlaws because they do have a great love for Christ and seem to be humble seekers of the truth.
So I guess it comes down to whether Joseph Smith was a true prophet....Does that sound right?

John, I think God is looking for humble,grateful, believing followers of Christ a lot more then good theologians who understand the trinity and his pre-existance and other doctrines. He said to come to him as a child implying what was important which was trust more then knowledge. And scripture says faith is given to the babes not the wise so it's not so much what you know but more what you do with what you know IMHO.

I recently heard Steve answer a question which was ,do you have to believe in the Trinity to be saved? His answer was if you love the Lord but have'nt been exposed to the Trinity teaching, God will probably judge you on the light you have but if you are aware of the Trinity teaching in scripture and reject it you are rejecting the God of the bible.
I have no difficulty accepting the Trinity but IMO it's far from clear that the Holy Spirit is an independent person as opposed to the influence of God. If this was a requirement to being saved then why is the Holy Spirit not referred to as independent in the OT and not all that clearly in the NT. For example should'nt the Holy Spirit be the Father of Jesus? And in Acts 5 i believe it says "when you have sinned against the Holy Spirit you have sinned against God ,can mean the Holy Spirit is God or it could also mean the HS is the influence of God on earth so sinning against the Spirit is sinning against God but without the meaning that the HS is a separate person. I don't have an axe to grind but it seems if this were a salvation issue it should be crystal clear. I know some bible students who are much more learned in scripture then myself and they don't see a Trinity in scripture and they love the Lord passionately.

Actually, that isn't my precise view. I don't say that someone who has heard the Trinity doctrine and rejected it has the wrong God.

Rather, if someone can see that the Trinity is taught in scripture, but rejects the doctrine for personal reasons (e.g., because it seems irrational, or because there is peer pressure to reject it within the person's family or religious group), then that person is rejecting the God of the Bible. I agree that many people who love God do not see the Trinity clearly taught in scripture. I do not judge them.