Summary: "Am I saved?" "Is this idea or that practice ‘pertinent to my salvation’?" Many Mormons and other Christians focus quite a lot of energy on concerns about possible rewards or punishments in the afterlife. And many, as seems natural for humans living in an unpredictable and confusing world, long for and (even very consciously) seek assurances here and now that their life is acceptable to God, their "salvation" is secure. Concepts such as having one’s "calling and election (a New Testament phrase and idea) made sure" reveal this longing and concern. Christians seek to know they are "saved" in many different ways, as do Latter-day Saints, but Mormonism also has a formalized ritual in which these concerns are directly addressed and assurances that one’s life is fully accepted by God are given. "Salvation"--it’s a huge idea. But it often comes as a bit of an eye-opener to those who are raised fully within some form of the Christian story to learn that the idea of "sin" as the major problem we need to overcome in this world and that we as humans would need a "savior" (especially a god of some form to intervene on our behalf) to overcome it are not simply the obvious primary problem to those in other traditions. In fact, many religions do not focus much at all on "salvation" in terms of eternal rewards or punishments, instead viewing religion much more practically, such as helping one seek meaning or mediate social conflicts that affect us in "this" world. In this three-part episode of the Mormon Matters podcast (our biggest one to date), host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Chelsea Shields Strayer, and Danielle Mooney dive deep into "salvation." What are the various ways other world traditions view the human predicament and how to overcome it? How does Christianity differ from these, and then Mormon views from those of other Christians? What, exactly, is Mormon salvation theology? How is the LDS "plan of salvation" typically presented, and what are some ways of looking at it that might lead to more profound insights and understandings? Finally, how does the idea of "calling and election" fit into this story? Is it still part of Mormon thought or focus today? What about the ritual of the "second anointing" that was practiced intensely at times in LDS history but has had declines and resurgences since early in the twentieth century? What are its major features? How does it make sense within the overall salvation narrative? What clues does it offer about deeper views about women and priesthood than one typically sees explored in LDS discourse? What information is available about this ritual being practiced today? Finally, what is the currency in today’s Mormonism about other seemingly exotic teachings related to a soul’s journey toward salvation and exaltation? In all of the above discussions, the panel tries to pay close attention to insights from myth and ritual studies, scripture, and concepts about blessings and acts serving as tokens of promises to come rather than automatic sealings of those promises. Within such contexts, are LDS notions and practices really all that "weird"?
