Not too surprising to me that there are many schisms in Christianity - the Bible is a complex Work subject to interpretation, both good and bad. Again, the important thing isn't which 'schism' you're following, but in Whom you place your faith.
Totally agree.
The biggest question for most people with Mormonism is "Do they believe they can earn their way to heaven?" and if so, frankly, they are screwed. They insist they believe in grace, but even they admit it's a 'different concept' of grace, which...makes things confusing to say the least. You can interpret their concept of grace to be real grace or not.
Like you said, I guess it depends on the person. The protestant theologan that wrote in that book I mentioned wrote in the afterward that, while he was no more convinced of the authencicity of the Book of Mormon or the writings of Joseph Smith then he was before (he heard Walter Martin, a now deceased minister who was an expert on what he believed were cults, rip up the Mormon religion), and that he still had the same basic problems with their theology, the better he got to know his Mormon friend, the more he believed him when he said that, if he were asked at the gates of heaven why he should be allowed in, that his reply "Because Jesus paid the price for me," that he was sincere, and that he'd let God sort out the rest.
Thanks for your fair analysis. I wonder if the book you mention is the same one I have read or a different one?
"How Wide the Divide?: A Mormon & An Evangelical in Conversation" By: Craig L. Blomberg, Stephen E. Robinson
As a Mormon the book changed some of my ill-informed views of what Evangelicals believe. I appreciate it for that, as well as fairly presenting our belief in the Divinity of Christ.