June 1, 2026 | www.gospelofjesuschrist.blog | River Wilde
(The views expressed here are my personal beliefs, shaped by extensive study of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible. I have prayerfully sought God’s guidance throughout my research to remain focused on truth. I do not speak on behalf of any religious organization.)
In my religious studies over the past several years I have learned something that has affected my entire life.
Satan has a plan that I was unaware of. Not his regular “go to” plan of temptation, but something much more inconspicuous, and crafty.
I read the following scripture:
“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
— Matthew 24:24 (KJV)
How on earth could satan deceive the “Very Elect?” This is one of the strongest warnings Jesus ever gave. He taught that the deception in the last days would be so convincing that it would appear spiritual, miraculous, and biblical.
False teachers would not look evil; many would appear righteous, sincere, and persuasive. And as the scripture states, they might even have religious titles like “prophet.” They may teach some correct doctrines, or claim special authority from God.
I am not bosting here, but at the time, I felt as if I was someone who I would consider myself to be the “Elect!” Could this scripture have been written to warn me? Was Jesus telling me, “River, be cautious in your lifetime, because you will belong to a religion that will have a false prophet, who has been manipulated by the adversary, and his intent is to deceive you?” Was this what the scripture was saying to me…or even to YOU. If this was the case, how would such a religious leader deceive us?
As my studies continued, I found the answer to that question, and I’d like to share that discovery with you today.
The “best lie” is mixed with truth. A lie filled with dishonesty is perhaps easier to discover. But what if deception came in a religious wrapping? What if his deception was surrounded with truth. What if a WOLF was dressed in sheep’s clothing? That would be harder to detect, right?
If some of the “prophets” teachings were good, and made a positive impact in our lives, we would hold on to those positive things, and let other things slide, because we have certainly been taught to have blind faith.
We’ve also been taught to “follow the prophet” at all costs. Our teachings have also been that if we question the prophet, we are seen as one who has week faith, and that we are being disobedient.
And there’s this… We have been PROMISED that our prophet would NEVER lead us astray. However, some of us have discovered that this promise was NOT made by God, but from another “prophet” of the same church. We’ve learned that this promise is not even recorded in the church’s scriptures, let alone the bible.
But wait, I use to feel that everything that the prophet taught was good, and religious. Where is the deception?
The deception that I uncovered had a consistent theme. In satan’s crafty plan of deception, it is not necessarily false information, but ALWAYS teaches something consistent. Those false teachings take some of the GLORY away that belongs to Jesus Christ. Let me share some elementary learning regarding this concept. Switch gears for just a moment, and let’s look at some holidays to understand what I am saying.
Christmas and Easter. Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny are not in themselves bad characters. Both of them actually bring all of us “joy.” They bring us together, and Santa even teaches us good principles such as giving. These characters in themselves are NOT BAD, but even have good traits.
But these holidays have changed the focus for many, perhaps even all of us on occasion. On BOTH holiday celebrations, it is Jesus Christ that we should honor. He deserves the glory of the day, and ALL of it.
But through satan’s sneaky plan, he has influenced others to create these characters to “SHARE” the glory that belongs to Jesus Christ. In some cases, as we have seen in today’s world, for some, these characters eliminate all of glory belonging to the Savior in its entirety.
Ok, now that we can see the strategy that satan has in taking the glory away from Jesus Christ, let’s proceeded with this concept into religious deception.
Satan tried to do everything that he could to stop the Atonement from happening. Since he failed at that, he immediately went to his second plan: Take away the glory of His accomplishment. Make it appear that His sacrifice was not enough, and that other things are necessary for salvation.
The atonement of Jesus Christ, in itself, was enough, and nothing more is required for our salvation. This is INCREDIABLY IMPORTANT! Even when Jesus Died on the cross, His last words were: “It is Finished!”
John 19:30 KJV
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
When Jesus said “It is finished,” He was declaring that His work of atonement for sin had been completed. The debt of sin had been paid, the prophecies concerning His first coming had been fulfilled, and the way of salvation was now open through faith in Him. He had completed teaching the “Gospel of Jesus Christ.” The temple veil had been torn, and His work was completed.
He did not say, “It has begun,” “It will be finished later,” nor did He say, “There is more to come that will be necessary.” He said, “It is finished.”
What I’m about to share might seem insignificant, which again is satan’s disguise, but is actually a very critical part in understanding the truth about the gospel that Christ taught.
As early as the very first “Christian Church,” through the crafty influence of the adversary, the “Gospel of Jesus Christ” included several things that were included as part of the atonement:
Participation in the church was essential
Obedience to God’s Commandments and the doctrine of the church
Repentance – Confession to a church official was a necessary part of the atonement.
Good works – Doing all a person can do first
At an initial glance, these things seem reasonable, for they are all seemingly righteous actions. They are very good, “religious” teachings, right? But, here’s the important question, “Are they necessary to complete the atonement of Jesus Christ? All that we are talking about right now is the Atonement, and not our religious life.
To understand the depth of what I am presenting, let’s learn what Jesus actually taught about His atonement
According to the Bible, salvation through the atonement of Jesus Christ is presented as a gift of God’s grace, received through faith, not earned by works. Here is that teaching:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV
Attending church, obeying God’s commandments, repentance and good works are ALL righteous activities, HOWEVER, NONE of them are required, NOR contribute, towards our Salvation, (“living forever WITH Jesus Christ”.)
Our Salvation is a gift from God, and ALL of the glory belongs to Him and Jesus Christ. It is NOT to be shared with anyone or anything else.
Satan has deceived us through church teachings, that OTHER things are required in addition to the atonement of Jesus Christ for salvation. Would you like to view the list to see if you too have been deceived by satan’s cleverness?
The following things people may mistakenly believe are required to earn salvation:
- Church membership.
- Membership in a particular denomination.
- Temple rituals or ceremonies.
- Priesthood authority from a specific organization.
- Confession to clergy for forgiveness.
- Paying money, tithes, or offerings to obtain God’s favor.
- Good works as a means of earning heaven.
- Keeping religious laws to merit salvation.
- Human mediators standing between a believer and Jesus Christ.
- Religious titles, positions, or ranks.
- Baptism as a work that earns salvation rather than an act of obedience after faith.
- Any claim that a person must complete additional requirements to make Christ’s sacrifice sufficient.
I belonged to a church which strongly taught this “shared” concept. Our salvation required MORE that the atonement of Jesus Christ. Let me share a scripture teaching from that church:
“For we labour diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.“ (2 Nephi 25:23 – Book of Mormon)
After all that we can do? Requiring Good Works FIRST in obtaining our salvation is sharing the glory of the atonement with Jesus Christ AND those who are doing all that they can do first. This teaches that the atonement is partially EARNED and needs other things, when it is Fully a gift by itself.
Let’s go on to further understand this teaching.
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Romans 4:5 KJV
That scripture is a bit difficult to understand, but teaches that even if a person has no good works, but has faith in “Him,” Faith is what is necessary, not our works.
Let’s consider more scriptures that teach this doctrine.
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…”
Titus 3:5 KJV
Can you see the consistence of His teachings? It’s not through our works that we are saved, it is through His mercy.
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Romans 3:28 KJV
Again, it is our responsibility to have faith in the atonement, without “dees of the law.” “Deeds of the law” refers to works or actions performed in an attempt to keep God’s law and thereby obtain righteousness before God.
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ…”
Galatians 2:16 KJV
This scripture teaches that a person is not declared righteous before God by keeping religious laws, performing good works, or following commandments perfectly. Instead, we are justified—made right with God—through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. Paul is emphasizing that salvation is a gift of God’s grace, received by trusting in Christ, rather than something we can earn through our own efforts. The law reveals our need for a Savior, but only Jesus Christ can save us.
“And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace…”
Romans 11:6 KJV
This teaches us that salvation is either by grace or by works—it cannot be both. Grace means receiving something we do not deserve, as a free gift from God. If salvation could be earned through our efforts, obedience, or religious works, then it would no longer be a gift of grace. Paul is emphasizing that our salvation rests entirely upon what Jesus Christ has done for us, not upon what we can do for ourselves.
“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace…”
2 Timothy 1:9 KJV
This verse teaches that God saves us not because of our good works or personal merit, but because of His own purpose and grace. Salvation is God’s gift, freely given through Jesus Christ, rather than something we can earn through our efforts.
“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ…”
Philippians 3:9 KJV
Paul teaches that he does not trust in his own righteousness gained through keeping the law. Instead, he relies on the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ. Our acceptance before God is based on Christ’s righteousness, not our own.
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”
Acts 16:30–31 KJV
When asked how to be saved, Paul and Silas gave a simple answer: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is received through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work, not through religious rituals, good works, or personal effort.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Romans 10:9 (KJV)
This verse teaches that salvation comes through genuinely believing in Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as Lord. A person is saved by placing their faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, trusting Him as their Savior.
In keeping to the teaching of the atonement, I must share some logic with you to consider. Through these scriptures, I hope that you have discovered how the adversary’s strategy to get to the very elect is to have “religious teachings” that take some of the GLORY away from Jesus Christ relating to His atoning sacrifice. Perhaps you see this evident in these scriptures that I have presented.
So, if I believe that the atonement is a gift but only effective after ALL that I can do, have I been deceived? Yes.
If I believe that there are required things such as temple ordinances, paying tithing, church attendance, rituals or ordinances are necessary for my salvation, have I been deceived? Yes!
The gospel of Jesus Christ is SIMPLE. Salvation, living with Jesus Christ forever, is a gift from Christ. It had NOTHING to do with anything of our own doing. Let’s continue learning.
The atonement was given to ALL mankind, but does that mean that the atonement applies to everyone? The answer is NO.
God gave all of us free agency. NOTHING is forced upon any of us, not even the atonement. It is a gift, but each person individually must either accept or reject it. That makes logical sense, right?
So how does a person accept the atonement of Jesus Christ. Looking into Christ’s teachings answers that question. Let’s go there now.
The KJV Bible teaches that a person accepts the atonement of Jesus Christ by faith, not by works. Salvation is therefore a gift from God, not something that can be earned. Before a person can receive this gift, they must recognize their need for a Savior, for “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God“ Romans 3:23.
To accept Christ’s atonement, a person must place their trust completely in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. This means relying on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as the only sufficient payment for sin. As Romans 10:9 teaches, those who believe in their heart and confess Christ as Lord shall be saved.
Jesus taught that every person must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. He declared,
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God“
(John 3:3),
…and again, “Ye must be born again“
(John 3:7).
Being born again has several different interpretations. It is important to understand this concept as Christ taught it.
It is not a physical birth, nor is it obtained through religious rituals, church membership, or good works. It is a spiritual birth that occurs when a person places their faith in Jesus Christ and receives Him as Savior. At that moment, God forgives their sins, gives them eternal life, and makes them a new creation in Christ.
According to the KJV, being born again is not a long process of religious works, but a response of faith to the gospel of Jesus Christ. These are no “required steps to complete,” however, Jesus taught these concepts:
- Recognize that you are a sinner.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23 KJV)
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again.
“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures… and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV)
- Repent—turn your heart toward God.
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…” (Acts 3:19 KJV)
- Place your faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:31 KJV)
- Receive Jesus Christ.
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12 KJV)
- Confess Him as Lord.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9 KJV)
A person is indeed turning their entire life over to Jesus Christ by recognizing that they need Him in their life, and cannot do it alone, as evident when we realize that we are a sinner, and need the atonement in our life to be forgiven.
Through faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit gives new spiritual life, and the believer becomes a child of God forever. This is how a person chooses to receive the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Being born again is a transformation from your old self into someone NEW. It is a spiritual rebirth. When this happens, it is evident because a person’s desire to sin decreases, their desire to do good works increases. This is how you will know.
A person who goes back to their old self was never truly born again. So, to ask, can I do what I want after? That question becomes a series of statements…
“What I want to do after spiritual rebirth is to be the best person that I can possibly be.
I will live to honor Jesus Christ, and TRY as best that I can, to follow the gospel that He taught, while He was on the earth.
I feel different…I look different.
I am not the person that I once was. “
This is how you know the rebirth has happened. Sure, we will continue to make mistakes, and repentance is an ongoing process up until the very end.
I’ve observed a substantial difference personally through this process. You don’t sin because it’s a commandment not to do so, rather, you don’t sin because you want to follow Jesus Christ. And isn’t that the gospel that He taught us.
Keeping commandments, following rules, ordinances, and regulations were the teachings of the Old Testament.
Jesus taught something deeper than mere outward rule-keeping. He taught that true righteousness begins in the heart. Rather than simply commanding behavior, Christ called people into a relationship with Him. He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Notice that obedience flows from love for Christ, not from an attempt to earn salvation.
Believers are saved by grace through faith, not by keeping rules (Ephesians 2:8–9). Once saved, the Holy Spirit works within them to produce a desire to please God. As Paul wrote, “For the love of Christ constraineth us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). In other words, Christians do not avoid sin in order to become saved; they seek to avoid sin because they love the One who saved them.
Let me solidify this teaching by looking how all of this ends. When we die, the scriptures teach us that there are two distinct different Judgments. A judgment for those who have accepted the atonement of Jesus Christ and have experienced this spiritual rebirth – The Judgment Seat of Christ…AND a judgment for those who have rejected Christ’s atonement, The Great White Thorn Judgment.
The Judgment Seat of Christ is a judgment for believers in Jesus Christ who have accepted the Atonement, not to determine salvation, but to evaluate their service and faithfulness after they have been saved.
Since Christ has already paid for their sins, believers are not condemned for them (Romans 8:1). Instead, they receive rewards or suffer loss of rewards based on their works for Christ. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10), and “every man’s work shall be made manifest” (1 Corinthians 3:13). This judgment concerns rewards, crowns, and faithfulness, not entrance into heaven at the time of this judgment.
The Great White Throne Judgment is the final judgment of the unsaved after the Millennium. Revelation 20:11–15 describes all those who rejected God’s gift of salvation standing before God to be judged according to their works. Because their names are not found written in the Book of Life, they are cast into the lake of fire. This judgment is not about rewards but about eternal destiny. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).
The Great White Throne demonstrates God’s perfect justice toward those who refused His offer of grace through Jesus Christ. Spoiler alert: All in attendance of this judgment will be “cast into the lake of fire”.
(I invite you all to continue studying these judgments for yourself. Be sure to include God in your research).
So, I would like to conclude with a simple plan as well as some reassurance to many of you.
“If a person belongs to a church that teaches incorrect doctrine, will they go to haven, and even more, will they be included in God’s Rapture plan?
Belonging to ANY church has NOTHING to do with our Salvation. It doesn’t matter if you go to a church, or if you don’t even attend a church, the answer to going to heaven, and being included in the rapture, comes down to one identifying question…
Have you been through the spiritual rebirth of being born again as taught in the New Testament?
If you have accepted Jesus Christ into your life, and receive His atonement through faith, then YOU will be going to “heaven” as well as be raptured.
***It is VERY LIKELY that some of you have experienced this spiritual rebirth, even in a religion that teaches some false doctrine.***
It is not a church that is responsible for a spiritual rebirth. This comes from a person’s direct relationship with Jesus Christ. The title, “Born Again” is not imperative; it is the actual “rebirth” that is important. There are many who have had this spiritual rebirth that do not associate it with a title of “Born Again Believer.” Again, the title is not necessary, even though it is descriptive. Your declaration should be that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior.
If you are just discovering the false teachings of your religion, let me help you here.
The feeling of betrayal and even anger are a natural part of your discovery. As quickly as you can, give this burden to the Savior. He will assist you in processing your emotions.
There is “spiritual danger” if you choose to harbor these hateful feelings, as they will become another tool for the adversary to try to bring you down and destroy you spiritually.
I’ve seen this personally from those who discover deceptions of the church and then choose to entirely walk away from God and ALL of the good things that they have been taught through the church.
Just know that God will deal with this deception, and I must tell you that there are some tremendous consequences for those who have used religion to deceive people. You can look those consequences up in the scriptures for yourself, but I will share one word with you that is quite descriptive of His plan for these people, “vengeance!”
In coaching many people through this process of religious deception discovery, let me share somethings that have been consistently helpful for those who are in the middle of this experience.
Your religion has probably been a very good influence in your life. Chances are that it has introduced you to Jesus Christ, and perhaps the relationship that you already have with Jesus Christ has also included your spiritual rebirth. I can see this is the countenance of MANY church members.
Through your church, you have been taught so many “Christ-like” principles such as service, loving and caring for your neighbor, empathy, striving to live a Christ-like life, prayer, scripture study, seeking out those who are struggling, charitable giving, ward family, unconditional love, many hands make quick work, courage for public speaking, leadership, repentance, accountability, guiding the youth… and on, and on…
Spend some time as you process your difficult emotions from your discovery of untruth, to see all of the positive things that this church has taught you. Realize that it has actually shaped your life into something very positive.
Your involvement in this church has not been a waste of time. Quite contrary. I can say personally, that it has been the very best religious environment that I could have ever been involved in throughout my life. I actually thank God that I had this church in my life.
Secondly, realize that it is satan that has deceived you. Not your ward family, nor your Bishop or Stake President. It might or might not even be the current church leadership that is responsible for this deception. These men might feel that they have a very good thing going in helping people stay close to God, and are continuing with the doctrine of Joseph Smith.
But clearly to me, I can see how satan deceived Joseph Smith into starting a religion under his influence to include these deceptive teachings. This is where the adversary entered and influenced Joseph to be the DECEIVER of doctrine.
Joseph did not “restore” the gospel of Jesus Christ, you can easily see through research that he “changed” the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is what Christ taught when He was on the earth, and is recorded in the New Testament.
So, a simple way forward is not to focus on false teachings of the church, for they do you no good. Begin today by searching for TRUTH. And your plan can be 100% effective if you do this. You team now is You, God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and the Bible. This is the most powerful team that you have ever been on.
Study the gospel of Jesus Christ as He taught when He was here. Take your findings to God in prayer for conformation of the truth. It has been my experience that God will not simply say yes or no in answering your prayer, but He will answer with His words as recorded in scripture through continual study, or even certain material that He will place before you, specific to His gospel teachings.
Again, decide today that you will NOT take the teachings of any man or woman as gospel. Rather let God be your final authority, for He will guide you, and that promise IS in His word:
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
— Proverbs 3:5–6 KJV
“For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.”
— Psalm 48:14 KJV
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth…”
— John 16:13 KJV
“God never leads His children astray. When we trust in Him and follow His Spirit, He directs our paths and guides us into truth.”
This is your simple plan forward! I pray for your continual understanding of His words. The way forward is very positive, as the evidence in my own life can testify to:
I now KNOW tht I will be going to Heaven! There is no longer an uncertainty to where I will end up when I die.
I KNOW that I will be involved in God’s rescue plan, the Rapture, which will take place soon.
I KNOW that all of my terrible sins have been forgiven…ALL of them!
I know that I will live with my family and spouse in heaven forever, even though we will not have our current specific titles.
I know that I will not become a God, or make spirit children, and be in a polygamous relationship for ETERNITY. This is such a tremendous relief to me!!! I spent a lifetime thinking that this would be a terrible way to spend eternity. Having to worry and be concerned for my own children and grandchildren has been exhausting. I can’t imagine being responsible for billions of spirit children!
I KNOW that the deep, incredible relationship that I have always been looking for will be fulfilled with the relationship that I will have with Jesus Christ when I die. (Please take some time to study this teaching. It is FAR beyond what you have ever imagined.)
I have been “Set Free” by the gospel of Jesus Christ. This life is NOT about perfection. It is NOT about checking off “church requirements.” It is not about the daily worry of not being good enough!
As a person that struggles in life with anxiety, this one aspect of life has been incredibly challenging for me. I can not even begin to describe the relief that I have found from not worrying about me being good enough, or doing all that is required to make it into heave. LIFE CHANGING!!!
Well, again a simple writing has become a novel… I’m sorry to take up so much of your time…But I have been where many of you are currently, and have a tremendous desire to reach out and help you. The gospel simple, and freeing. I invite you to discover this for yourselves. God’s speed.
River Wilde
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