Travis S. Kerns - The Saints of Zion: An Introduction to Mormon Theology

Many good books have been written on Mormonism, but Ive been especially waiting on just onethis one. When I supervised the PhD dissertation of Travis Kerns, I knew he would one day be a world-leading expert on the Latter-day Saints. Now the day has come when I can recommend the first book to read when seeking to understand Mormonism: The Saints of Zion. Scholarly but accessible, truth-revealing but with kindness, this book is a must-read on the subject. The chapter Are Mormons Christians? is worth the price of the book alone.

Ted Cabal, professor of Christian apologetics, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

The Saints of Zion is a seamless marriage of biblical truth, precise scholarship, and the gentleness and respect so often cited from 1 Pet 3:16. Kerns is neither demeaning nor insulting as he outlines the origins, implications, and outworkings of Mormon history and doctrine as they compare with Gods revelation of himself in the eternal and self-existent person of Jesus Christ, as recorded in his Word, the Bible. Thank you to my friend, Travis Kerns, for showing it is possible to be prepared and to make a defense with gentleness and respect, because to disagree does not require being combative.

Robert E. Marshall, teaching pastor, Risen Life Church, Salt Lake City, Utah

In this fascinating book Travis Kerns introduces us to the theology of the Mormon Church. Citing exhaustive research, Kerns employs the words of Mormon leaders to clearly define their faith. By utilizing this method, he alleviates the threat of an outsiders misunderstanding. And in their own words, the clear distinction between Mormon theology and biblical Christianity becomes evident.

Mike Palmer, pastor, Salmon Valley Baptist Church, Salmon, Idaho, and director, church plant network, Utah Idaho Southern Baptist Convention

The Saints of Zion is a must-read for those that want to know not only about Mormonisms doctrine, beliefs, history, and practices, but also what that means against the true gospel of Jesus. This is a masterful, definitive work on the LDS. For those of us living in cities that have a large LDS community, this is a must-read. I personally will recommend it to every leader I know.

Monty Patton, Send City missionary, North American Mission Board, Phoenix, Arizona

The Saints of Zion is the go-to book for understanding the distinctive beliefs of the LDS Church. Drawing heavily from Mormon sources, Kerns compassionately, humbly, and carefully delineates where the Church has been and what she believes. Interested in Mormonism? You have come to the right place!

J. D. Payne, associate professor of Christian ministry, Samford University

With a deep examination of LDS theology and history, The Saints of Zion makes abundantly clear that Mormonism is anything but historic Christianity. With this well-written, accessible work, Travis Kernsa first-rate scholar on Mormonismhas done evangelicals a great service in making clear what the LDS church actually believes. If you want to know the truth about Mormons and Mormonism, The Saints of Zion is the place to start. I cannot commend the book or its author highly enough.

Jeff Robinson, senior editor, The Gospel Coalition

The Saints of Zion

Copyright 2018 by Travis Kerns

Published by B&H Academic

Nashville, Tennessee

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4336-9217-8

Dewey Decimal Classification: 289.3

Subject Heading:

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
HISTORY / MORMONSHISTORY / THEOLOGY

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version (public domain).

The web addresses referenced in this book were live and correct at the time of the books publication but may be subject to change.

Cover image shutterstock/VinceBradley.

Printed in the United States of America

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This work is dedicated to Staci, the love of my life and my true helpmeet from God. Without you, none of this would have been possible. I am thankful to the Lord every day for blessing me with you and am amazed at the depth of your love and support.

The work is also dedicated to Shane and Dixie, without whose friendship life in Utah would be immeasurably more difficult. I am constantly astonished at your love for Christ and am eternally thankful he called you and your family from death to life.

Similarly, this work would not have been possible without the friendship and teaching of Dr. Charlie Draper. Your end in this life came unexpectedly, but I know without a doubt you are worshipping at the feet of Jesus and glorying in him. Finally, this work is dedicated to Drs. Ted Cabal, Chad Brand, and James Chancellor. Without your constant support, encouragement, and teaching, especially while I was a graduate student and young professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, I would not be the man I am. Thank you for instilling in me the strong desire for scholarship, an insatiable appetite to understand another persons beliefs, and an unquenchable longing to see people in other faith traditions come to a saving knowledge of Christ.

Maranatha, Lord Jesus.

I have been fascinated with the study of alternate faith traditions since I was a young man. Beginning in the 1980s, while in seventh grade, I found myself interested in what others believed and why they believed it. Although I grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, an area of the United States many would call the buckle of the Bible Belt, I still encountered people with non-Christian beliefs and discovered that I was very interested in their beliefs.

The study of the religions of the world and of minority religions in the United States took a serious, and academic, turn while I was a freshman at North Greenville University (then North Greenville College) in Tigerville, South Carolina. In 1996, with a course entitled New Religious Movements and Minority Religions in America, Professor Chad Brand started me down a path of what would soon become a lifetime emphasis for ministry and scholarship. I was captivated by the belief systems of those in alternate faith traditions, especially the doctrines and history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During my graduate studies at both the masters and doctoral levels, I focused as many papers, readings, and independent study courses on Mormonism, the religious tradition of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as possible. Academically, this course of study culminated in the writing of a PhD dissertation focused on Latter-day Saint philosophy, specifically, the notion of truth in epistemology.

As a professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, I began taking students on short-term mission trips to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2007. These trips deepened my interest in Mormonism and, more specifically, in Utah. This interest resulted in trips every summer to Utah, and in June 2012, my interest in Utah peaked and I felt more compelled than ever to move to Utah for full-time ministry. This was made real by a call from North American Mission Board president (and our former pastor) Kevin Ezell in the fall of 2012. My wife and I, along with our son, accepted the call to move to Utah early in 2013 and left Louisville in July 2013.