Grace, Legalism, and the Gospel

After thirty-eight years as a Latter-day Saint, including service as an Elders Quorum President and Branch Mission Leader, Rexford George Beardsley Jr. walked away from Mormonism the night he opened his Bible to prove a pastor wrong, and instead discovered that everything he had built his life on rested on a different gospel than the one Scripture actually teaches.This book opens with that story, not a doctrinal survey. From the very first page, you'll read the author's own testimony, followed immediately by the argument at the center of everything that follows: that grace, as the Bible defines it, cannot coexist with a formula that adds a human condition on top of it, and that this single disagreement is the real dividing line between LDS teaching and biblical Christianity. Only after making that case does the book turn to the comprehensive comparative material its subtitle promises, so a reader meets the person and the argument first, with the full weight of the evidence following behind it.What you'll find inside: - The author's testimony and the full grace argument, positioned at the front of the book rather than buried behind it- In-depth comparisons of LDS and biblical teaching on the nature of God, the person of Christ, the authority of Scripture, human nature, the church, last things, and the temple, drawn throughout from primary LDS sources rather than secondhand characterizations- Direct engagement with the strongest LDS responses to common objections, including recent reinterpretations of key texts, so the arguments here hold up in a real conversation, not just on paper- Historical material handled with real care, including places where common critiques of LDS history are corrected rather than overstated- Practical apologetic strategy built on patience and relationship rather than confrontation, plus a full reference section: comparison charts, key passages, a glossary of LDS terms, and a curated, annotated list for further studyWhether you have loved ones in the LDS Church, encounter missionaries at your door, or simply want to be ready to give a reason for the hope within you (1 Peter 3:15), this book is written to do more than inform. It's written the way the author needed someone to write to him: honestly, patiently, and grounded in the conviction that the real gospel is better news than the one he left behind.Perfect for individual study, small groups, church libraries, and ministry training.