Bob Betts, Grace, and what the Christian Gentleman calls Mormonese

Mr Betts, commenting on divine grace on a FaceBook page, avers: The problem is, Mormonism has changed or tweeked the definitions of so many biblical terms, that to communicate with Mormons on a level field, we have to know what you mean when you use those terms. For instance, the official LDS definition of the term "grace" is the exact opposite of the definition in the Greek that we Christians go by. Hense, the differing LDS definitions are viewed as "Mormonese.
views them as such] [He fails to say who

----A Latter-day Saint responds to Mr Bob Betts: Mr. Betts illustrates the pitfalls of minimalist thinking in Christianity. He posits that all Christians other than Latter-day Saint Christians have a unified single ubiquitous definition for the word grace. That this is simply not true is easily proven. Besides which, every first year scholar knows the importance of unpacking the definitions of words and terms prior to any discussion in which they may not be uniformly defined or used in order that parties are on what Mr Betts describes as a level playing field. This practice is fundamental to accurate scholarship. I take issue with Mr Betts claim that we Christians - by which he probably means non-Mormon Christians have a single, universally, agreed definition for grace in the Greek or indeed in any language that we Christians go by. What do Latter-day Saints mean when they speak of the grace of God? They consider grace to be the favour of God freely shown and given to human beings

particularly through the life, death, and exaltation of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Thus, Christ is, in large part, the vehicle of Gods grace. As sinners, humanity does not merit Gods love; nonetheless, it is without encumbrance given by God. The love of God towards his creatures is over and above that displayed in the normal blessings and endowments of life. Continual insistence of the necessity of Gods grace characterises Pauls writings. Pauls conviction that the receipt of grace determines right and proper attitudes, dispositions, intentions, explains why he insists on the spirit not the letter of the law, which is an inner attitude of faith in Christ, rather than Jewish reliance on the observance of external deeds. For Paul, grace produces actions within the person of the Christian so favoured, other than the simple blessedness obtained by one favoured by God. Christian theologian Karl Rahner taught that the human race was born in grace but at some point in human history mankind experienced a Fall. This Fall is not the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, since Rahner in common with roman Catholics and the majority of Protestants do not believe the Genesis account is actual history, although he says that at some unidentified point in time humanity lost its sense of the presence of the Holy Ghost and thus was deprived of Gods grace. Mr Betts and his version of Christianity is out of touch with the vast majority of the we Christians he appeals to for vindication of his definition, because they are not on the same playing field as he is. [See Karl Rahner, Theological Investigations, vol, ii, pp, 251f] The challenge to the historicity of the Genesis account of Creation divides Christianity asunder so that none can say with confidence that anything is what we Christians go by any more. Christian theologians and scholars best illustrate this, since there is a fundamentally pathological resistance to anything, however accurate, written by Mormons. What do Non-LDS Christians believe and teach about ? Hereunder are a few disparate examples, none of which are by latterday Saints: THE BIBLICAL USE OF THE TERM "GRACE." The word "grace" is not always used in the same sense in Scripture, but has a variety of meanings. In the Old Testament, we have the [Hebrew] word .The noun

may denote gracefulness or beauty, Prov. 22:11; 31:30, but most generally means favour or good-will. The Old Testament repeatedly speaks of finding favour in the eyes of God or of man. The favour so found carries with it the bestowal of favours or blessings. This means that grace is not an abstract quality, but is an active, working principle, manifesting itself in beneficent acts, Gen. 6:8; 19:19; 33:15; Ex. 33:12; 34:9; I Sam 1:18; 27:5; Esth. 2:7. The fundamental idea is, that the blessings graciously bestowed are freely given, and not in consideration of any claim or merit. The New Testament word , from , "to rejoice," denotes first of all a pleasant external appearance, "loveliness," "agreeableness," "acceptableness," and has some such meaning in Luke 4:22; Col. 4:6. A more prominent meaning of the word, however, is favour or good-will, Luke 1:30; 2:40, 52; Acts 2:47; 7:46; 24:27; 25:9. It may denote the kindness of beneficence of our Lord, II Cor. 8:9, or the favour manifested or bestowed by God, II Cor. 9:8 (referring to material blessings); I Pet. 5:10. Furthermore, the word is expressive of the emotion awakened in the heart of the recipient of such favour, and thus acquires the meaning "gratitude" or "thankfulness," Luke 4:22; I Cor. 10:30; 15:57; II Cor. 2:14; 8:16; I Tim. 1:12. In most of the passages, however, in which the word is used in the New Testament, it signifies the unmerited operation of God in the heart of man, affected through the agency of the Holy Spirit. While we sometimes speak of grace as an inherent quality, it is in reality the active communication of divine blessings by the inworking of the Holy Spirit, out of the fulness of Him who is "full of grace and truth," Rom. 3:24; 5:2, 15; 17:20; 6:1; I Cor. 1:4; II Cor. 6:1; 8:9; Eph. 1:7; 2:5, 8; 3:7; I Pet. 3:7; 5:12. [Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, 1949), pp. 426-27.] 1. The Word Charis In the English New Testament the word "grace" is always a translation of (pronounced charis), a word that occurs in the Greek text something over 170 times (the reading is uncertain in places). In secular Greek of all periods it is also a very common word, and in both Biblical and secular Greek it is used with far more meanings than can be represented by any one term in English. Primarily (a) the word seems to denote pleasant external appearance, "gracefulness," "loveliness"; cf. the personification in "the Graces." Such a use is found in Luke

(b) (c) (d)

(e)

4:22, where 'wondered at the charm of his words' is a good translation; and similarly in Colossians 4:6. Objectively, charis may denote the impression produced by "gracefulness," as in 3 John 1:4 'greater gratification have I none than this' (but many manuscripts read chara, "joy," here). As a mental attribute may be translated by "graciousness," or, when directed toward a particular person or persons, by "favour." So in Luke 2:52, "Jesus advanced ... in favour with God and men." As the complement to this, charis denotes the emotion awakened in the recipient of such favour, i.e. "gratitude." So Luke 17:9 reads literally, 'Has he gratitude to that servant?' In a slightly transferred sense charis designates the words or emotion in which gratitude is expressed, and so becomes "thanks" (some 10 times, Romans 6:17, etc.). Concretely, charis may mean the act by which graciousness is expressed, as in 1 Corinthians 16:3, where the King James Version translates by "liberality," and the Revised Version by "bounty." These various meanings naturally tend to blend into each other, and in certain cases it is difficult to fix the precise meaning that the writer meant the word to convey, a confusion that is common to both New Testament and secular Greek And in secular Greek the word has a still larger variety of meanings that scarcely concern the theologian.

2. Grace as Power Naturally, the various meanings of the word were simply taken over from ordinary language by the New Testament writers. And so it is quite illegitimate to try to construct on the basis of all the occurrences of the word a single doctrine that will account for all the various usages. That one word could express both "charm of speech" and "thankfulness for blessings" was doubtless felt to be a mere accident, if it was thought of at all. But none the less, the very elasticity of the word enabled it to receive still anothernew and technically Christianmeaning. This seems to have originated in part by fusing together two of the ordinary significances. In the first place, as in (e) above, may mean "a gift." In 1 Corinthians 16:3; 2 Corinthians 8:19 it is the money given by the Corinthians to the Jerusalemites. In 2 Corinthians 9:8 it is the increase of worldly goods that God grants for charitable purposes. In 2 Corinthians 1:15 it is the benefit received by the Corinthians from a visit by Paul.

In a more spiritual sense is the endowment for an office in the church (Ephesians 4:7), more particularly for the apostolate (Romans 1:5; 12:3; 15:15; 1 Corinthians 3:10; Ephesians 3:2,7). So in 1 Corinthians 1:4-7 is expanded into "word and all knowledge," endowments with which the Corinthians were especially favoured. In 1 Peter 1:13 charis is the future heavenly blessedness that Christians are to receive; in 3:7 it is the present gift of "life." In the second place, is the word for God's favour, a sense of the term that is especially refined by St. Paul. But God's favour differs from man's in that it cannot be conceived of as inactive. A favourable "thought" of God's about a man involves of necessity the reception of some blessing by that man, and "to look with favour" is one of the commonest Biblical paraphrases for "bestow a blessing." Between "God's favour" and "God's favours" there exists a relation of active power, and as charis denoted both the favour and the favours, it was the natural word for the power that connected them. This use is very clear in 1 Corinthians 15:10, where Paul says, "not I, but the grace of God which was with me" laboured more abundantly than they all: grace is something that labours. So in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness"; compare 2 Timothy 2:1, "strengthened in the grace," and 1 Peter 4:10, "stewards of the manifold grace." Evidently in this sense "grace" is almost a synonym for the Spirit, and there is little real difference between "full of the Holy Spirit" and "full of grace and power" in Acts 6:5,8, while there is a very striking parallel between Ephesians 4:7-13 and 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, with "gifts of grace" in the one passage, and "gifts of the Spirit" in the other. And this connection between grace and the Spirit is found definitely in the formula "Spirit of grace" in Hebrews 10:29 (compare Zechariah 12:10). And, as is well known, it is from this sense of the word that the Catholic doctrine of grace developed. 3. Grace in Justification This meaning of was obtained by expanding and combining other meanings. By the opposite process of narrowly restricting one of the meanings of the

word, it came again into Christian theology as a technical term, but this time in a sense quite distinct from that just discussed. The formation of this special sense seems to have been the work of Paul. When is used with the meaning "favour," nothing at all is implied as to whether or not the favour is deserved. So, for instance, in the New Testament, when in Luke 2:52 it is said that "Jesus advanced ... in favour with God and men," the last possible thought is that our Lord did not deserve this favour. Compare also Luke 2:40 and Acts 2:47 and, as less clear cases, Luke 1:30; Acts 7:46; Hebrews 4:16; 12:15,28. But the word has abundant use in secular Greek in the sense of unmerited favour, and St. Paul seized on this meaning of the word to express a fundamental characteristic of Christianity. The basic passage is Romans 11:5-6, where a definition is given, "If it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace." The fact that the word is used in other senses could have caused no first-century reader to miss the meaning, which, indeed, is unmistakable. "Grace" in this sense is an attitude on God's part that proceeds entirely from within Himself, and that is conditioned in no way by anything in the objects of His favour. So in Romans 4:4. If salvation is given on the basis of what a man has done, then salvation is given by God as the payment of a debt. But when faith is reckoned for what it is not, i.e. righteousness, there is no claim on man's part, and he receives as a pure gift something that he has not earned. (It is quite true that faith involves moral effort, and so may be thought of as a sort of a "work"; it is quite true that faith does something as a preparation for receiving God's further gifts. But it simply clouds the exegetical issue to bring in these ideas here, as they certainly were not present in Paul's mind when the verses were being written.) "Grace" then, in this sense is the antinomy to "works" or to "law"; it has a special relation to the guilt of sin (Romans 5:20; 6:1), and has almost exactly the same sense as "mercy." Indeed, "grace" here differs from "mercy" chiefly in connoting eager love as the source of the act. Of course it is this sense of grace that dominates Romans 3-6, especially in the thesis 3:24, while the same use is found in Galatians 2:21; Ephesians 2:5,8; 2 Timothy 1:9. The same strict sense underlies Galatians 1:6 and is found, less sharply formulated, in Titus 3:5-7. (Galatians 5:4 is perhaps different.) Outside of Paul's writings, his definition of the word seems to be adopted in John 1:17; Acts 15:11; Hebrews 13:9, while a perversion of this definition in the direction

of antinomianism is the subject of the invective in Jude 1:4. And, of course, it is from the word in this technical Pauline sense that an elaborate Protestant doctrine of grace has been developed. 4. Special Uses A few special uses of the word may be noted. That the special blessing of God on a particular undertaking (Acts 14:26; 15:40) should be called a "grace" needs no explanation. In Luke 6:32-34, and 1 Peter 2:19-20, seems to be used in the sense of "that which deserves the thanks of God," i.e. a specifically Christian act as distinguished from an act of "natural morality." "Grace for grace" in John 1:16 is a difficult phrase, but an almost exact parallel in Philo (Posterity of Cain, 43) may fix the sense as "benefit on benefit." But the tendency of the New Testament writers is to combine the various meanings the word can have, something that is particularly well illustrated in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. In these two chapters the word occurs 10 times, but in so many different senses as to suggest that St. Paul is consciously playing with the term. is the money given to the Jerusalemites by the Corinthians (8:19), it is the increase of goods that God will grant the Corinthians (9:8), it is the disposition of the givers (8:6), it is the power of God that has wrought this disposition (8:1; 9:14), it is the act of Christ in the Incarnation (8:9; contrast the distinction between "God's grace" and "Christs act" in Hebrews 2:9), it is the thanks that Paul renders (9:15). That all a Christian is and all that he has is God's gift could have been stated of course without the use of any special term at all. But in these two chapters Paul has taught this truth by using for the various ideas always the same term and by referring this term to God at the beginning and the end of the section. That is, to the multiplicity of concepts there is given a unity of terminology, corresponding to the unity given the multiple aspects of life by the thought of entire dependence on God. So , "grace," becomes almost an equivalent for "Christianity," viewed as the religion of dependence on God through Christ. As one may think of entering Christianity, abiding in it, or falling from it, so one may speak of entering into (Romans 5:2), abiding in (Acts 13:43), or falling from (Galatians 5:4) grace; cf. 1 Peter 5:12.

So the teaching of Christianity may be summed up as the word or gospel of grace (Acts 14:3; 20:24,32). So "grace be with you" closes the Epistles as a sufficient summary of all the blessings that can be wished Christian readers. At the beginning of the Epistles the words "and peace" are usually added, but this is due only to the influence of the Jewish greeting "peace be with you" (Luke 10:5, etc.), and not to any reflection on "grace" and "peace" as separate things. (It is possible that the Greek use of chairein, "rejoice," as an epistolary salutation (so in James 1:1) influenced the Christian use of charis. But that "grace and peace" was consciously regarded as a universalistic combination of Jewish and Gentile custom is altogether unlikely.) The further expansion of the introductory formula by the introduction of "mercy" in First and Second Timothy is quite without theological significance. 5. Teaching of Christ In the Greek Gospels, 34; 17:9. is used in the words of Christ only in Luke 6:32-

As Christ spoke in Aramaic, the choice of this word is due to Luke, probably under the influence of its common Christian use in his own day. And there is no word in our Lord's recorded sayings that suggests that He employed habitually any especial term to denote grace in any of its senses. But the ideas are unambiguously present. That the pardon of sins is a free act on God's part may be described as an essential in Christ's teaching, and the lesson is taught in all manners of ways. The prodigal knowing only his own wretchedness (Luke 15:20), the publican without merit to urge (Luke 18:13), the sick who need a physician (Mark 2:17), they who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6), these are the ones for whom God's pardon is inexhaustible. And positive blessings, be they temporal or spiritual, are to be looked for from God, with perfect trust in Him who clothes the lilies and knows how to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11; here Luke 11:13 has "Holy Spirit" for "gifts," doubtless a Lukan interpretation, but certainly a correct one). Indeed, it is not too much to say that Christ knows but one unpardonable sin, the sin of spiritual self-satisfaction"That which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15; compare Luke 17:7-10; Matthew 20:1-16). 6. In the Old Testament

There is no word in Hebrew that can represent all the meanings of , and in the Septuagint itself is used, practically, only as a translation of the Hebrew " ,favour," this restriction of meaning being due to the desire to represent the same Hebrew word by the same Greek word as far as possible. And ,in turn, is used chiefly only in the phrase "find favour" (Genesis 6:8, etc.), whether the reference is to God or men, and without theological importance. Much nearer Paul's use of charis is ,acceptance, in such passages as Isaiah 60:10, "In my favour have I had mercy on thee"; Psalms 44:3, "not ... by their own sword ... but ... because thou wast favourable unto them." Perhaps still closer parallels can be detected in the use of " ,kindness," "mercy," as in Exodus 20:6, etc. But, of course, a limitation of the sources for the doctrine to passages containing only certain words would be altogether unjust. Summary Most of the discussions of the Biblical doctrine of grace have been faulty in narrowing the meaning of "grace" to some special sense, and then endeavouring to force this special sense on all the Biblical passages. For instance, Roman scholars, starting with the meaning of the word in (say) 2 Corinthians 12:9, have made Romans 3:24 state that men are justified by the infusion of Divine holiness into them, an interpretation that utterly ruins Paul's argument. On the other hand, Protestant extremists have tried to reverse the process and have argued that grace cannot mean anything except favour as an attitude, with results that are equally disastrous from the exegetical standpoint. And a confusion has resulted that has prevented men from seeing that most of the controversies about grace are at cross-purposes. A rigid definition is hardly possible, but still a single conception is actually present in almost every case where "grace" is foundthe conception that all a Christian has or is, is centred exclusively in God and Christ, and depends utterly on God through Christ. The kingdom of heaven is reserved for those who become as little children, for those who look to their Father in loving confidence for every benefit, whether it be for the pardon so freely given, or for the strength that comes from Him who works in them both to will and to do. [From: Burton Scott Easton, "Grace," in The International

Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. 2 (Chicago: Howard-Severance Co., 1930), pp. 1290-92. Burton Scott Easton (18771950) was an Episcopalian seminary professor and NT scholar. From 1905
until 1911, he taught NT at Nashotah House. From 1911 until 1919, he taught NT at Western Theological Seminary in Chicago. He was professor of NT at the General Theological Seminary from 1919 until 1948. He served as Associate Editor of the Anglican Theological Review from 1923 until his death. Easton became a NT scholar of international repute with his commentary on The Gospel of St. Luke (1926). Among his many other publications were The Gospel Before the Gospels (1928), Christ in the Gospels (1930), and The Pastoral Epistles (1947). He also published a translation and edition of the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus (1934).]

On Grace : "We have to be on our guard against the supposition that grace is an abstract quality; it is an active personal principle, showing itself in our dealings with those by whom we are surrounded. In the great proportion of passages in which the word grace is found in the New Testament, it signifies the unmerited operation of God in the heart of man, effected through the agency of the Holy Spirit. We have gradually come to speak of grace as an inherent quality in man, just as we talk of gifts; whereas it is in reality the communication of Divine goodness by the inworking of the Spirit, and through the medium of Him who is 'full of grace and truth.'" [Robert Girdlestone, Synonyms of the Old Testament (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1871), p. 179.] "Against a still common view it must be stated that in Paul does not mean primarily a divine attribute (Wobbe, Charis-Gedanke, 32). It does not mean, in good Greek fashion, God's graciousness, nor [does it mean] his free love (Taylor). It almost always means the power of salvation which finds expression in specific gifts, acts, and spheres and which is even individualised in the charismata." [From: Ernst Ksemann, Commentary on Romans, trans. G. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), p. 14.] "In Paul ... is never merely an attitude or disposition of God (God's character as gracious); consistently it denotes something much more dynamicthe wholly generous act of God. Like 'Spirit,' with which it overlaps in meaning (cf., e.g., [Rom] 6:14 and Gal 5:18), it denotes effective divine power in the experience of men." [From: James D.G. Dunn, Romans 1-8 (Dallas: Word Books, 1988), p. 17.] Many more examples cold be provided, but these demonstrate beyond dispute that there is no single definition of Grace common to all Christians. Nevertheless, with these few examples we discover with no difficulty at all, that within Christianity

there are widely differing conceptions of grace. In particular, Catholics and Protestants use the same word in substantially different ways. It has been described as "the watershed that divides Catholicism from Protestantism, Calvinism from Arminianism, and modern liberalism from conservatism." The New Testament, the word translated as grace is the Greek word which Strong's defines as:

: the state of kindness and favour towards someone, often with a focus on a benefit given to the object."
However, no Christian scholar relies on Strongs two-dimensional definitions to provide the depth that theological understanding demands. It is at best a stumbling guide, and, therefore, this definition is misleadingly simplistic if it is taken as the theological model for Divine grace, because as it stands, it does not address what it means to Christians nor how God operates it in behalf of humanity. Yet, that is how Mr Betts defines grace and believes that all Christians, including Mormons, should fall in behind him, even though, as we have seen, as an explanation of the of God in the salvation of humankind it will not serve. From an atheistic, naturalist, and rationalist perspective, the concept of divine grace appears to be the same concept as luck. This is closely aligned to Mr Betts definition that grace is, kindness and favour towards someone, and, while this perception may be true, it does not differ from that of non-believers. Strange for a Christian to embrace atheistic definitions solely to make points. Thus we do not differ in that those referred to as We Christians outstandingly fail to agree on what Gods grace is and how he sends his grace to sinners. Protestants especially emphasise the ministry of preaching and the receiving of forgiveness through faith, itself a gift of God separate from his Grace. Roman Catholics consider grace as a renewing and cleansing power experienced through the sacraments, although both sects agree that the source of grace is God in Christ by and through the Holy Spirit. Yet, even with that agreement, grace is itself subject to finer and finer divisions and each kind of grace must be considered on its own Roman Catholics consider grace as a renewing and cleansing power experienced through the sacraments, although both sects - Catholic and Protestant - agree that the

source of grace is God in Christ by and through the Holy Spirit. Yet, even with that agreement, grace is itself subject to finer and finer divisions and each kind of grace must necessarily be considered on its own and in strict accordance with non-LDS Christian theologians. Actual grace is the work the Holy Spirit does to assist a person to be receptive to the gospel message and become a Christian, and this grace further assists the believer in remaining faithful to God and his will. Baptismal grace is the placement by God of a new principle of life in the heart of the one baptised. This is related to baptismal regeneration. Common grace is the kindness of God experienced by human beings of all kinds. Efficacious grace is the work of the Holy Spirit that produces in an individual the end that God had in mind for him or her. This kind of grace stands opposed to moral freedom granted by God, if God is able to make a person pursue his own will for them. The Westminster Confession states the doctrine of Efficacious Grace thus: All those whom God has predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of death, in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly, to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by His almighty power determining them to that which is good; and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ, yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace. Habitual or Sanctifying grace is the presence of a new habit in the heart of an individual that moves him or her to love of God and to Good work s. It is a supernatural state of being infused by God into our soul that gives us participation in the divine life. The participation in the divine life is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Illuminating grace is the light of the Spirit bringing light into the mind of a sinner so that he recognises his sin and perceives what God has provided for him in Christ Jesus.

Imputed grace is the merit or righteousness of Christ that the Father merits or counts or imputes to the sinner that believes in Christ. This is also known as Imputed righteousness. Irresistible grace is found in the work of the Holy Ghost that makes an individual first desire and then Accept Gospel of Christ. This is similar to efficacious grace, but it emphasises the fact that the sinner had no choice but to how made willing and responsive. This also raises the question, How free is humanity? Prevenient grace refers to the preparatory work of the Holy Spirit within the sinners heart, making him ready to hear the Gospel message. Prevenient grace is divine grace which precedes human decision. It exists before and without reference to anything, humans may have done. As the effects of sin corrupt humans, prevenient grace allows persons to engage their God-given free will to choose the salvation offered by God in Jesus Christ or to reject that salvific offer. Whereas Augustine held that prevenient grace couldnt be resisted, Wesleyan Arminians believe that it enables, but does not ensure, personal acceptance of the gift of salvation. Sacramental grace is the presence of the Holy Ghost in the life of the believer, and which makes him holy. Sanctifying grace [see above] belongs to the whole soul, including the intellect and will. It is greater than the virtue of charity because charity belongs only to the will. Sanctifying grace is a permanent part of our soul as long as we co-operate with its effects. When we have sanctifying grace in our soul, we are said to be in the state of grace. If we pass into eternity while in the state of grace, we will go either to purgatory or directly to heaven. When we commit a mortal sin, the offended Holy Spirit departs from us and we lose our sanctifying grace. If we pass into eternity while in the state of sin we will, objectively speaking, send ourselves to hell. Actual grace helps us grow in sanctifying grace. Sanctifying grace is sometimes called habitual grace or justifying grace.

Substantial grace is Gods self-revelation in Jesus Christ, who is Gods Son made man through the in carnation, by which God comes to the aid of man and gives himself wholly to man through his Only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Sufficient grace is the particular assistance rendered by the Holy Spirit to a person to enable them to perform a particular task or mission. Saint Augustines teaching on Moral Choice as Gods gift to mankind stands against the dogma of irresistible grace, for Augustine recognised that even the sheer power of the Omnipotent Deity could not compel free creatures voluntarily to choose to exercise moral virtue. It is hoped that this excursus into the world of Christian scholarship and theology, will be a warning to those seeking to impose an uncharacteristic definition of an urgent and essential characteristic of theology, and that any tempted so to do in future times will reflect on the sober lesson he has been handed here. Treating Mormons as if they were ignoramuses is an unpleasant and frequent ploy of Anti-Mormons, and especially of those that think they know something about their subject when their weaknesses and flaws are so easily exposed, and their arguments so easily disposed of. Q: How many legs has a sheep if you call the tail a leg?