God’s Love Is Unconditional — No Matter What the Mormons Say

God’s love isn’t something you earn — it’s something He gives. That’s what the Bible teaches, over and over again. But back in 2003, Russell M. Nelson — now the prophet of the Mormon Church — wrote an article in Ensign where he claimed that God’s love “cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional.” According to him, unless you’re obedient, God’s love isn’t fully active in your life.

That’s not just wrong — it’s dangerous. It completely flips the Gospel upside down. Instead of a God who loves you first and offers grace freely, you get a God who holds back until you meet certain conditions. That’s not Christianity. That’s a religious vending machine.

Romans 5:8 (NLT) says it plain:
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
We weren’t obeying. We weren’t repenting. We were still neck-deep in sin — and God loved us anyway. That’s the kind of love the Bible talks about.

Same thing in Ephesians 2:4–5 (NLT):

“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life... (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)”

Dead in sin means completely unworthy — and God still showed us love.

But Mormonism doesn’t teach that. Their Book of Mormon literally says, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23). In other words, grace kicks in only after you’ve given it your best effort. So if you’re struggling? Not faithful enough? Haven’t hit all your spiritual checkboxes? Too bad. That’s not grace — that’s performance-based religion.

Jesus gave us a perfect picture of God’s love in Luke 15 — the story of the prodigal son. The son insults his father, blows his inheritance, lives like a fool. But as soon as he comes home, the father runs to him, hugs him, throws a party. No lectures. No hoops to jump through. No “prove you’re serious” probation period. Just love. The kind that doesn’t wait for you to be worthy.

Nelson tries to sound spiritual by saying that while God’s love is perfect and eternal, it’s also based on obedience. That kind of thinking turns God’s love into a deal — “I’ll love you more if you behave.” That’s not biblical. 1 John 4:10 (NLT) says,

“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

Love doesn’t start with us. It starts with Him. And it doesn’t stop when we fail.

Here’s the deal: obedience matters — but it’s a response to God’s love, not the requirement for it. Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments” (John 14:15). He didn’t say, “If you want me to love you, obey first.” That’s the key difference between biblical Christianity and Mormonism. One starts with God’s love. The other starts with your effort.

Paul warned about this kind of thinking in Romans 4:4–5 (NLT):

“When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.”

If you have to earn it, it’s not love — it’s a paycheck.

Bottom line: God’s love doesn’t come with conditions. The Mormon version of love is just a nicer word for control — keep the commandments, do your temple work, jump through every hoop — then you’ll earn God’s approval. That’s not the Gospel. That’s slavery with a smile.

The real Gospel is better than that. It’s built on the truth that God loved you at your worst, and there’s nothing you can do to make Him love you more — and nothing you’ve done that can make Him love you less.

 Sources

Christian Sources:

The Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers, 2015.

“Romans 5:8.” The Holy Bible, NLT, Tyndale, 2015.

“Ephesians 2:4–9.” The Holy Bible, NLT, Tyndale, 2015.

“Luke 15:11–32.” The Holy Bible, NLT, Tyndale, 2015.

“1 John 4:10, 19.” The Holy Bible, NLT, Tyndale, 2015.

“Titus 3:5.” The Holy Bible, NLT, Tyndale, 2015.


LDS / Mormon Sources:

Nelson, Russell M. “Divine Love.” Ensign, Feb. 2003, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2003/02/divine-love.

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.

2 Nephi 25:23. The Book of Mormon, LDS Church, 1981.


Additional Resources:

“Is Divine Love Unconditional? Grappling with a 20-Year-Old LDS Doctrinal Conundrum.” By Common Consent, 14 Mar. 2022, https://bycommonconsent.com/2022/03/14/is-divine-love-unconditional-grappling-with-a-20-year-old-lds-doctrinal-conundrum/.

Robinson, Stephen E. Believing Christ: The Parable of the Bicycle and Other Good News. Deseret Book, 1992.



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