Lifting The Veil

I know many in the Mormon faith emphasize that God the Father has a physical body and specific gender. From a biblical Christian perspective, we also call God “Father” because that’s how Jesus revealed Him to us—not necessarily to define God’s gender, but to show His relationship to us. The Bible teaches that God is spirit (John 4:24), beyond human limitations like gender or physical form. When Jesus taught His followers to pray, He said, “Our Father in heaven...” (Matthew 6:9), inviting us into a personal and intimate relationship with God. This isn’t just about a title—it’s about God’s loving, caring role as our Creator and Protector. In the Old Testament, God is called Father because He made Israel and cares for them like a parent cares for their children (Deuteronomy 32:6, Isaiah 63:16). Jesus calls God Father to show us that same closeness and trust. The New Testament goes further by showing that through Jesus, we are adopted into God’s family and can call Him “Abba, Father” (Roma...

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 i...

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, grace is often taught as something God gives you after you've done your part. You’ve probably heard 2 Nephi 25:23 quoted a lot: “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” But what if that’s not how grace really works? According to the Bible, grace isn’t something we earn—it’s something God gives freely. It’s not a backup plan for when we fall short. It’s the only plan. And when you truly receive that kind of grace, it doesn’t make you want to sin more—it changes you. It gives you a completely new life, one that’s not driven by trying to be “worthy,” but by the freedom that comes from knowing Jesus paid it all. The Apostle Paul talked about this in Romans 6. He asked, “Should we keep on sinning so God can show us more grace?” (v. 1, NLT). Then he answers his own question forcefully: “Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” (v. 2). In other words, grace isn’t an excuse—it’s the pow...