Christ Alone is Not Up For Negotiation

The Doctrine of “Christ Alone” Is Not Up for Negotiation

The LDS Apologetics attempt to engage with the doctrine of Sola Christus is not merely a misunderstanding of Reformation theology—it is a distortion of the Gospel itself. In their treatment of Sola Christus, they affirm Christ in name while subtly eroding the sufficiency and exclusivity of His work. What we are dealing with is not a mere theological difference; it is a different gospel (Galatians 1:6–9).

At the heart of Sola Christus—“Christ alone”—is the biblical truth that salvation is through Christ and Christ alone, with no mediator, prophet, ordinance, or priesthood standing between God and man. As Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT), “There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.” This is a crystal-clear statement. Not one of many mediators. Not a mediating priesthood. Not a prophet with new keys. One mediator—Jesus Christ.

The LDS article attempts to affirm Christ’s atonement, but not without also inserting the LDS Church structure as necessary for salvation—temples, ordinances, and prophets. That contradicts the very essence of the Gospel. The sufficiency of Jesus’s atonement means that His death and resurrection completed the work of salvation. As Hebrews 10:14 (NLT) declares, “By that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.” There is no room left for modern prophets or man-made rituals to finish what Christ declared as “finished” (John 19:30).

The fallacies in the LDS article are numerous. First, it asserts that Protestants misunderstand Sola Christus by ignoring other roles in God’s redemptive work, like prophets or ordinances. But that’s a straw man. The doctrine never claims that God doesn’t use means to spread the Gospel—only that none of those means ever replace or supplement Christ’s work on the cross.

Second, the article falsely equates “believing in Christ” with believing in a system that includes Joseph Smith and the “restored gospel.” That’s theological bait-and-switch. The biblical Gospel is not “Christ plus.” It is Christ alone. To add to it is to deny it altogether.

Third, the LDS appeal to continuing revelation undermines Scripture’s authority and sufficiency. The Bible is complete and wholly sufficient for doctrine, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16–17). The idea that 19th-century or modern prophets can revise, clarify, or “restore” lost gospel truths flies in the face of biblical warnings. Revelation 22:18–19 gives a sobering caution to anyone who adds to the Word of God.

Finally, it is worth noting that the LDS Church’s own history betrays their position. They claim to defend Christ, yet consistently elevate Joseph Smith as the key to understanding salvation. In Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, he is quoted as saying, “No man can enter the celestial kingdom without the consent of Joseph Smith.” That statement alone disqualifies the LDS position from any claim to Sola Christus. It is a direct contradiction of John 14:6 where Jesus proclaims, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Let’s be clear: Christianity is not a cafeteria where we pick and choose doctrines that suit us. The Gospel is not a patchwork of traditions, ordinances, and prophets. It is Jesus Christ crucified and risen, once for all.

Being Christian means accepting all of history—even the parts where professing Christians failed miserably. Yes, there were atrocities done in the name of Christ. But historical failures do not nullify the Gospel—they affirm our desperate need for it. Unlike the LDS Church, which conveniently whitewashes its own racist and heretical past—including the fact that early Mormons owned slaves and denied priesthood to Black men until 1978—Christian orthodoxy does not depend on its adherents being perfect. It depends on Christ being sufficient.

In a world filled with confusion, syncretism, and deception, let us remember: Christ alone saves. He doesn’t need a prophet’s help. He doesn’t need secret temple rites. And He certainly doesn’t need a second gospel.

The LDS Church wants to redefine “Christ alone” on their own terms. But truth doesn’t bend to restorationist rewrites. Truth stands on the eternal Word of God.

And Christ stands alone.

---

Key Scriptures (NLT):

1 Timothy 2:5

Hebrews 10:14

John 14:6

2 Timothy 3:16–17

Revelation 22:18–19

Galatians 1:6–9

John 19:30