Perceptions of Divine Grace Among Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Grace, a central construct in Christian and Western culture described as "an act of showing kindness, generosity, or mercy to someone who is undeserving and potentially incapable of returning the kindness shown," (Bufford et al., 2017, p. 2) is lacking in research of the psychology of religion/spirituality. This study presents a qualitative exploration of perceptions of grace among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Applying a thematic analysis approach to the grounded theory framework, researchers conducted, transcribed, and coded interviews with Latter-day Saints (N = 30) on grace. In this sample, grace is seen as a source of salvation and guidance for all, irrespective of religious affiliation, that inspires gratitude and love toward God and others. Participants perceived grace to be both: (a) granted freely and (b) merit based. Similarly, grace was described as both easily accepted and evoking dissonance. The enormity of the gift of grace was identified as difficult to fully comprehend, inspiring awe and reverence. The importance of mindfulness and spiritual practices in recognizing grace also emerged. Participants strongly advocated that God loves everyone, regardless of beliefs. Grace was described as a generous gift that can evoke a range of emotions (e.g., gratitude, guilt) and behaviors (prayer, seeking guidance, sharing grace with others, striving to be "worthy") with implications for individual and social functioning. Results inform continued exploration of the role of grace for cultural norms and values, health, and well-being among diverse groups.