Witness to Mormons
10 Words to Know Before Sharing the Gospel with Mormons
Uncovering how the same religious words can tell very different stories.
Table of Contents
Why Talking to Mormons Can Feel So Confusing
“I keep sharing the gospel with my Mormon friend, and they keep saying they believe the same thing. Do they?”
If you have ever felt this tension, you are not alone. Many faithful Christians walk away from conversations with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints feeling unsettled. You talk about grace, faith, repentance, or heaven, and they nod along. On the surface, it sounds as if you are in complete agreement, yet something inside tells you that you are not.
That instinct isn’t wrong. Christians and Mormons often use the same words but mean very different things. Terms like grace, faith, repentance, and salvation may sound familiar, but in LDS teaching, these words carry meanings that shift the focus away from what Christ has done and toward what we must do. Two people can say “God gives us his grace” and be describing two entirely different gospels.
Understanding these differences can transform your conversations. Instead of feeling confused or discouraged, you can meet your Mormon friends with compassion, patience, and clarity.
This guide explores ten key words that often lead to misunderstanding. It describes official LDS teachings, though not every Latter-day Saint will personally explain their beliefs in the same way. Like any religious group, individuals vary widely in their experiences and understanding. That is why the most fruitful conversations begin with gentle curiosity.
Ask questions. Listen well. Remember that your goal is not to win an argument but to understand the person in front of you.
As you read, take time to reflect on what each word reveals about the heart of the gospel. These words are not only tools for conversation. They are reminders of the finished work of Jesus and the freedom he gives to all who trust in him.
As you read, take time to reflect on what each word reveals about the heart of the gospel. These words are not only tools for conversation; they are reminders of the finished work of Jesus and the freedom he gives to all who trust in him.
Please note, for clarity and brevity, we’ve abbreviated the following Latter-day Saint sources: BoM—Book of Mormon, PoGP—Pearl of Great Price, and D&C—Doctrine & Covenants.
#1: Sin
In Mormonism, sin is usually defined as knowingly choosing to do wrong or disobey one of God’s commandments (True to the Faith, p. 9; Gospel Principles, p. 110). Anything not deliberate, such as mistakes or weaknesses, is placed in a different category and seen as part of normal growth rather than rebellion. By limiting sin to conscious choices, its seriousness is softened, and it becomes something a person can manage or overcome with enough discipline.
Because sin is viewed this way, forgiveness also becomes something a person must take part in. It is granted only after complete repentance and change, including fully forsaking the sin (D&C 58:42–43). LDS teaching adds that if someone returns to a sin, all former sins return as well (D&C 82:7). Forgiveness, in this view, depends heavily on human effort.
The Bible describes sin very differently. It is not only what we do but what we are by nature. Sin is the corruption of the heart that leaves us spiritually dead and unable to please God (Romans 3:10–12; Ephesians 2:1). Even our best deeds fall short because they come from a heart that is corrupted (Isaiah 64:6).
If sin is spiritual death, the solution cannot come from us. Dead people do not revive themselves. We cannot erase our guilt or make ourselves right with God. We need a rescue from outside ourselves.
And this is why the Bible speaks of forgiveness and new life as God’s gifts. Forgiveness does not depend on how completely we forsake our sins. In Christ, sin is taken away once for all and never counted against the believer again (Psalm 103:12; Hebrews 10:14–18). Jesus came to give life to the dead and restore us to God.
Try these words instead: brokenness, rebellion, corruption, spiritual death, separation from God, the sickness of the heart.
#2: Agency
Agency, the ability to choose the right, is one of the most celebrated ideas in Mormonism. The LDS Church teaches that agency is humanity’s greatest gift and the foundation of God’s plan. It is the power to choose good or evil and determine one’s eternal destiny (BoM, 2 Nephi 2:27; D&C 101:78). A person’s place in heaven depends on how well they use agency to make righteous choices and progress toward exaltation.
This emphasis flows from a larger LDS belief that God’s purpose is to help humans become like him. For this to happen, individuals must freely choose righteousness and develop godlike qualities through their own decisions (PoGP, Moses 4:3; Abraham 3:24–26). The central problem in Mormonism is not spiritual inability and deadness but lack of knowledge, discipline, and experience. With guidance and effort, a person can choose their way toward becoming better. Sin is therefore viewed as something a person can manage and overcome.
The Bible presents a very different view of the human condition. It does not describe us as people who simply need to choose more wisely. Instead, it describes us as spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1–5), enslaved to sin (Romans 6:17), and unable to come to God unless he draws us (John 6:44). The problem is not a lack of opportunity but a lack of life. True freedom is deliverance from bondage to sin, something only Jesus provides.
The human story does not begin with agency. It begins with death and resurrection. God makes the dead alive and gives new hearts that desire him. Only then can a person truly trust and obey. The good news is not that we can climb our way back to God. The good news is that he came to rescue those who could not rise on their own.
Try these words instead: dependence, new life, deliverance, resurrection.
#3: Grace
If you talk to a Mormon about grace, you could easily conclude that they have the same or at least a similar view to yours. It’s common for LDS to say things like, “I’m saved by grace,” or “I couldn’t do it without Jesus.” But when you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that Mormon grace isn’t about God giving his best gifts to the undeserving. It’s about God giving extra strength to the determined.
In Mormonism, grace is an enabling power that helps one overcome sin and keep the commandments so one can make spiritual progress (BoM, 2 Nephi 25:23; BoM, Moroni 10:32–33). This divine assistance to improve is necessary because the ultimate goal is to eventually become like God (D&C 132:19–20; Gospel Principles, chapter 47, “Exaltation”). In this view, grace is like a spiritual sports drink. It sustains your effort, but it doesn’t win the game for you.
Biblical grace, on the other hand, doesn’t wait for your best effort. It steps in when you can’t even play the game. Grace isn’t God helping you toward victory; it’s Christ winning the victory for you. This victory isn’t focused on human perfection as an end goal (although being sin-free is a blessing we look forward to), but on a fully reconciled relationship with God. By Jesus’ perfect life, death, and resurrection, he conquered sin and gives you his victory as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 5:17). Grace doesn’t help you become worthy. It declares you are forgiven and fully reconciled to God through Jesus. Victory isn’t becoming a god; instead, it is having a secure, everlasting relationship with the only true God.
Try these words instead: mercy, undeserved love or favor, kindness, what Jesus has done for us.
#4: Law/Gospel
If you want to talk about the law and the gospel in your witnessing conversations, be aware that Latter-day Saints do not hear these words as opposites. In Christianity, the law exposes the problem, and the gospel provides the solution. In Mormonism, both terms describe different parts of the same “plan of salvation.”
The law refers to God’s commandments, covenants, and temple requirements, which are seen as attainable with enough effort and faithfulness (BoM, 2 Nephi 25:23; D&C 82:10). The gospel refers to the principles and ordinances that make it possible to keep those laws. The well-known Third Article of Faith captures this blend by saying that people are saved “through the laws and ordinances of the gospel.” In Mormonism, the gospel is called “good news” because it gives people the opportunity and resources to do what God requires (Gospel Principles, chapter 12, pp. 125–126). When law and gospel are merged, justification and eternal life cannot be gifts received. They must be achieved through obedience.
The Bible presents law and gospel very differently. They are not two steps in a self-improvement process but two distinct messages with two different purposes.
The law shows us what God demands and reveals how far we fall short. It is like a mirror that exposes dirt on our face but cannot wash it away (Romans 3:20). The law is good because it reflects God’s holiness, yet it leaves us helpless. Its purpose is not to make us better but to show our desperate need for rescue (Galatians 3:24).
The gospel is not a checklist or a plan. The gospel is a person. Jesus kept the law we could not keep, bore our punishment, and gives us his righteousness as a gift (Romans 8:3–4; Galatians 3:10–14; Philippians 3:9). The gospel does not offer another chance to prove ourselves. It gives us a new heart and a new life (Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
The law commands, “Do this and live.”
The gospel through Jesus announces, “It is finished. Live in me.”
Try these words for law: God’s commands, what God requires, mirror.
Try these words for gospel: God’s promises, what God gives, complete rescue in Christ.
#5: Faith
When you talk about faith with a Latter-day Saint, remember that they do not think of faith as trust. They think of faith as something you do with diligence and dedication. In LDS teaching, the root problem is not spiritual inability but lack of effort, growth, and experience. Because of this, faith becomes the power to act, improve, and become more righteous.
In Mormonism, faith is defined as a “principle of action and power” that increases as a person keeps commandments and lives worthily (True to the Faith, pp. 54–55; Articles of Faith 1:4). Believing and obeying are almost identical because faith is seen as the strength that helps a person do what God requires. Faith is the first step in a long process of becoming worthy. And in this system, Jesus is treated mainly as the example who shows the way, not the one who has already finished the work (Gospel Principles, chapter 18).
The Bible defines faith very differently. Faith is not action but trust. It is complete reliance on what Jesus has already done through his life, death, and resurrection (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 3:28). Faith is God’s gift to the spiritually dead, bringing life where none existed (Ephesians 2:1–5). It is the new heart that clings to Christ alone (Ezekiel 36:26; Philippians 3:9).
As biblical faith grows, it does not lead to greater independence but deeper dependence. The mature believer sees more clearly their great need and God’s even greater mercy. Good works naturally follow, just as fruit grows from a living tree. Works show that faith is alive, but life itself comes entirely from God (John 15:4–5; Galatians 5:22–23).
Try these words instead: trust, reliance, dependence, belief.
#6: Repentance
Repentance is one of the most important and most confusing words in conversations with Latter-day Saints. They see repentance as the process that makes forgiveness possible. To repent means to recognize sin, confess it, make restitution, and abandon it altogether. Only when all these steps are completed can a person hope to be forgiven (Gospel Principles, chapter 19, pp. 107–109; BoM, Alma 42:22–24). Repentance, in this view, is how people show they are worthy of mercy. The focus falls on changing behavior in order to qualify for forgiveness.
This view of repentance comes from a deeper assumption in LDS teaching. Because humans are believed to retain the natural ability to choose the right and improve themselves, repentance becomes the means by which a person proves sincerity, exercises agency, and progresses toward greater righteousness. Forgiveness is not something God gives to the unworthy. It is something he grants when a person has done their part to overcome sin.
The Bible describes repentance very differently. Repentance is not a human achievement but a gift from the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25). It does not make forgiveness possible. It flows from forgiveness already given. God changes the heart first, and that new heart turns from sin because it has been met with mercy (Romans 2:4; 1 John 1:9). Repentance is the Spirit-created sorrow that trusts what Jesus has already done.
When the Spirit opens our eyes to grace, repentance becomes something entirely different. We turn from sin because we already stand forgiven. We walk away from darkness because we have been brought into the light. We leave behind the old life because God has given us a new one. Repentance is not the price we pay to earn God’s love. It is the evidence that his love has already claimed us forever (Romans 8:1; Titus 3:4–7). Repentance and faith always go together. To turn from sin is to turn toward Jesus.
Try these instead: Turning, change of heart, renewal, turning to God, new direction.
#7: Works
In conversations with Latter-day Saints, works often sit at the center because they are seen as the evidence of faith and the requirement for worthiness. Many will say they are “not saved by works,” but salvation in LDS vocabulary usually refers to universal resurrection. Exaltation, eternal life with God, is still understood to depend on obedience, covenants, and consistent effort. Commandment keeping and personal righteousness determine a person’s standing before God and their place in heaven (BoM, 1 Nephi 3:7; D&C 82:10; Gospel Principles, chapter 47). A faithful life is measured primarily by what a person does.
This view comes from a deeper assumption in LDS teaching. Humans are believed to retain the natural ability to choose righteousness and progress toward becoming like God. Because of this, works are not the result of being accepted by God but the means of becoming acceptable to him. Jesus’ atonement provides resurrection and an opportunity to progress, but obedience is what moves a person toward worthiness. Works are how individuals show they are serious, sincere, and ready to receive greater blessings.
The Bible places works in a very different category. Good works are not the path to righteousness but the fruit of it. They do not make us closer to God but flow from those who have already been brought near. We are not saved by works but saved for them (Ephesians 2:8–10; Titus 3:4–8). Works arise from a heart made alive in Christ, not from an effort to prove loyalty or secure acceptance.
Think of it like safety. In Mormonism, works help build a wall of protection that must be maintained to stay in God’s favor. In biblical faith, Jesus himself is the wall. Because we are safe in him, forgiven and secure, we no longer need to protect ourselves or earn our identity. That freedom releases us to love others generously and wholeheartedly.
Good works are not how we hold on to God. They are what happens when we discover that he already holds us.
Try these words instead: fruit, response, service, evidence of faith, expression of gratitude.
#8: The Atonement
Most Latter-day Saints speak of the atonement with deep sincerity and gratitude. In their view, the atonement of Jesus Christ makes resurrection possible for everyone and provides the help needed to pursue exaltation. But it does not secure eternal life with God on its own. Forgiveness, worthiness, and exaltation must still be obtained through repentance, obedience, covenants, and temple ordinances (BoM, Alma 34:8–16; D&C 19:16–19; Gospel Principles, pp. 57–59). The atonement is essential, but it is not enough by itself.
This viewpoint grows out of LDS beliefs about how justice and mercy work. In Mormon teaching, justice must be satisfied by personal obedience, and mercy can be given only when a person has shown sincerity through ongoing and optimal effort. The atonement does not fully pay the debt of sin. Instead, it makes repentance possible and gives people the strength to improve. God is seen as fair to all humans because he gives everyone the same opportunity to try, progress, and become worthy. The atonement functions as empowerment rather than substitution. Jesus opens the way, but people must walk it. He makes exaltation available, but they must make it actual.
The Bible presents the atonement very differently, as something finished, something full. In Hebrew, the word atonement (kāphar) means “covering.” In the Old Testament, innocent blood covered sin temporarily, pointing ahead to the day when God would provide the final sacrifice. On the cross, Jesus became that sacrifice. He bore the full punishment for sin and declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Through his death and resurrection, God fully reconciled us to himself (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Those who trust in Jesus are now covered in him, wrapped in his righteousness, and protected by his blood. Our standing with God does not rise and fall with our obedience. The covering is complete because the work is complete.
The difference changes everything. In Mormonism, the atonement gives people a chance to try again. In Christianity, the atonement provides people a new identity: forgiven, righteous, and secure. We do not work our way toward belonging. We live out of the belonging we already have. Because Jesus’ work is complete, Christians can rest in the Savior who has already done everything needed to bring us to God.
Try these words instead: Sacrifice, payment, substitution, covering, reconciliation, Jesus’ finished work.
#9: Salvation
“Are you saved?” sounds like a simple question, but for Latter-day Saints, it usually refers to something far narrower than what the Bible means. In Mormon teaching, salvation most often means physical resurrection, the unconditional gift of being raised from the dead because of Jesus. Every person, believer and unbeliever alike, receives that kind of salvation (BoM, Alma 11:40–44; D&C 76:40–44). What Christians mean by salvation, complete forgiveness, reconciliation, and eternal life with God, Latter-day Saints call exaltation. That kind of life with God depends on keeping covenants, receiving temple ordinances, and remaining faithful to the end (Gospel Principles, chapter 47).
This view comes from a deeper LDS assumption about God’s plan. Mormonism teaches that Jesus removes the obstacle of physical death but leaves the work of moral and spiritual progression in human hands. Exaltation is seen as a partnership in which Jesus provides the opportunity and strength while the individual provides obedience, worthiness, and continued faithfulness. In this framework, salvation cannot be a fully secure gift. It must remain open, depending on personal performance.
Because of this difference, the word salvation often confuses. It is usually better to speak in more specific biblical terms, such as forgiveness of sins, eternal life with God, or being made right with him.
The Bible teaches that what Jesus gives is far greater than physical resurrection. He rescues us completely from sin, death, and judgment. His salvation is not a new opportunity to prove ourselves but a finished rescue. Those who trust in him are already reconciled to God, already declared righteous, and already alive in Christ (John 5:24; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8–9).
This difference changes everything. In Christ, we are not waiting to find out whether we have done enough. We live from the safety of what he has already done. We are forgiven, accepted, and secure because salvation rests on him, not on us.
Try these words instead: Forgiveness of sins, Eternal life with God, Being reconciled to God, Being made right with God, Complete Rescue
#10: Heaven
If you talk about being confident that you will go to heaven when you die, most Latter-day Saints will not find that unusual. In Mormon teaching, nearly everyone goes to heaven because of the atonement. However, heaven is divided into three kingdoms of glory: the Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial.
- Celestial Kingdom: The highest glory, reserved for those who have kept covenants, received ordinances, and remained faithful to the end. Within this kingdom is exaltation, life in God’s presence, continuation as eternal families, and becoming like him
- Terrestrial Kingdom: For honorable people who lived good lives but did not fully accept the restored gospel. They receive glory but are separated from God the Father.
- Telestial Kingdom: For those who rejected the gospel or lived in sin. After suffering for their own sins, they are resurrected and receive a lesser glory.
(D&C 76:50–70; Gospel Principles, chapters 46–47)
This tiered system grows out of a larger LDS belief about God’s purpose. Mormonism teaches that God’s goal is not simply to save people from judgment but to help them progress toward becoming like him. Because people are believed to retain the ability to improve and choose righteousness, heaven is arranged according to personal obedience and covenant keeping. Different kingdoms reflect different levels of growth, turning heaven into a series of rewards. It sounds hopeful, yet it keeps people striving for a place they can never be sure they will reach.
The Bible paints a simpler and far more beautiful picture. Heaven isn’t divided into levels or earned through worthiness. It is the gift of eternal life with God, secured entirely by Jesus. The focus of heaven is God’s presence. It is a restored creation where God wipes away every tear, ends all sorrow, and makes all things new (Revelation 21:4–5). Every believer is welcomed equally because they stand in Christ’s righteousness. Jesus prepares a place for his people based on his finished work, not their performance. Heaven is where believers see God face to face, know perfect joy, and rest secure in his love (1 John 3:2; Psalm 16:11; Romans 8:38–39).
Heaven isn’t the prize for the faithful. It is the home of the forgiven. Those who trust in Christ are already citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20), fully welcomed because of him, not because of themselves.
Try these words instead: Eternal life with God, being with Jesus, God’s presence.
Witnessing with Confidence
If the thought of witnessing to a Mormon feels intimidating to you, you are not alone. Many Christians worry they will say the wrong thing or get caught in questions they can’t answer. But God does not ask us to be experts. He calls us to be witnesses. You do not have to know it all; you only need to know Jesus and trust that his Word will do its work.
Here is some comfort that is real. If you start sharing your faith, you will make mistakes. Everyone does. But your God uses flawed witnesses all the time. The fate of the person you talk to is not in your hands. It is in his. He loves them far more than you ever could and knows precisely what they need to hear. Even when you make a mistake, his plan is still good.
What is even more amazing is that God invites you into that plan. He does not need you, but he wants you to share in his joy. You may be one link in a much longer chain, one voice among many that God will use to draw someone closer to himself. What an honor it is to be part of his story of grace!
So be curious. Ask questions. Listen well. Let them share what they believe, and then tell them what Jesus has done for you. The same Spirit who opened your heart to grace is able to open theirs.
God does not call us to be persuasive experts. He calls us to be faithful witnesses. The gospel carries its own power to save. Speak it simply, clearly, and compassionately, and trust that God will do the rest.
You do not have to know everything, only the One who finished everything.
Stop talking past each other. Gain a better understanding of the words that are unique to Mormonism and the differences of shared terms between Mormonism and Christianity.
