No Mormon Assurance of Eternal Life

A Mormon Stake President and Bishop sat on my deck one summer afternoon. We shared a cool drink and talked about this and that. At length, we came to the point of the visit. With loads of sincerity, they invited me to return to Mormonism. I was quick to agree and expressed my willingness to do precisely that.

I was absolutely sincere because I wanted what was true. Jesus said, the truth will make you free, and I will do what is necessary. My response pleased them until I said, there is one condition. Turning to the Stake President, I asked, where will you go when you die? He answered, I don’t know. I must wait until the judgement and see what happens. The Bishop was equally stumped. Neither man had any assurance of eternal life.

Mormon Assurances Examined

This video looks at some of the possible assurances the Mormon gospel offers. Are they any good? You decide.

A Christian Assurance of Eternal Life

After watching both men struggle to offer anything of value, I opened my Bible, I began to read,

These 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, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

1 John 5:13, KJV

I assured these two men that I have absolute assurance of eternal life. Continuing, I described my incredible peace, “Even now, I have the assurance of eternal life.” I promised a quick return to Mormonism if they could give me a Mormon assurance equal to or better than 1 John 5:13. They quickly agreed, so I continued, “Since God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), I must reject any assurance you bring that equally binding Mormon doctrine or scripture can contradict”. They seemed troubled and asked for a week to prepare an answer. I quickly agreed, and they rose from their chairs and hurried away.

This brief meeting happened in the summer of 2020. The week passed, and they offered no better assurance. I doubt the promised assurance will ever come. Despite their confidence, their hope must stand in the shadow of …

Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive. And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come.

Doctrine and Covenants 25:15

I have no requirement to make 1 John 5:13 subject to Doctrine and Covenants 25:15. The promise of John does not demand a perfect record of commandment keeping. So what assurance can these Mormon men bring that will not be shattered by their own scripture? If they cannot offer any assurance, what is the basis of their Mormon testimony?

Summation

Many years passed without these Mormon leaders offering a better assurance. I see this Bishop and Stake President occasionally, even though avoid me when they are able. Their inability to provide a better assurance has become, for them, a wall that stands between us. I can’t help but think of the Mormon prophet, Brigham Young, and how these two men proved their prophet to be wrong,

We may very properly say that the sectarian world do not know anything correctly, so far as pertains to salvation. Ask them where heaven is?- where they are going to when they die?-where Paradise is! -and there is not a priest in the world that can answer your questions. Ask them what kind of a being our Heavenly Father is, and they cannot tell you so much as Balaam’s ass told him. They are more ignorant than children.

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 5, p. 229, emphasis added

Questions for Mormon Bishops

• Can you offer up even one Mormon assurance better than or equal to 1 John 5:13?