| MORMON CHURCH (LDS) | MORMONS DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE "ORIGINAL SIN" OF ADAM APPLIES TO ALL OF HUMANITY |
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The Mormon church teaches and affirms that it considers the Bible to be one on the four sources
of scripture that compose the official doctrine of the church. If that is the case, then there is a
great question as to why the Mormon doctrine of sin is different than what is taught in the Bible.
This is no where more apparent than in the Mormon doctrine and Biblical teaching regarding
"original sin". ORIGINAL SIN - MORMON DOCTRINE According to Mormon doctrine, one can sin and not be a sinner; one can break the law and not be guilty. The justification for these beliefs is only in how one wishes to twist the definition of a sinner or a lawbreaker. This is seen in the writings of Mormon apologists: It is possible to transgress a law without committing a sin as in the case of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden...it is proper and according to the scriptural pattern to speak of the transgression of Adam, but not the sin of Adam. apostle Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 804 Divine justice forbids that we be accounted sinners solely because our parents transgressed. apostle James Talmage, Articles of Faith, p. 475 In the true gospel of Jesus Christ there is no original sin. John Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, p. 190, 1960 ORIGINAL SIN - BIBLICAL TEACHING One of the greatest evidences of the duplicity practiced by Mormon apologists is found in the statements just quoted. They claim the Bible as one of their sources of scripture, but then deny what the Bible says about the subject and substitute their own teaching. What they actually mean, by claiming the Bible as scripture, is that it is a source of some of their scripture, but only the scripture that agrees with their own contrived teachings. Any doctrine in the Bible, that is in conflict with Mormon teaching, is considered by Mormon apologists to have been translated incorrectly by uninspired men or inserted, in past centuries, by corrupt Catholic priests. Scholarship and history prove that the Bible has not been changed by corrupt Catholic priests and the Inspired Version of Bible has not been canonized by the Mormon church even though it was translated by the founder, first president, first prophet and first seer of the Mormon church, Joseph Smith. Contrary to the words of Bruce McConkie, the Bible states that the transgression of Adam and Eve WAS SIN and not just some obscure errata of history with no consequence. If the transgression of Adam and Eve was not sin, then God exacted a heavy judgment on them by declaring that they would both spiritually and physically die, would be removed from the garden of paradise, have to work for their food and Eve would have pain in childbirth. If their act of transgression was not sin, then it is hard to understand why God would say to the members of the Trinity: Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil..." The Holy Bible, Genesis 3:22a (NAS) If they did not know the definition of evil prior to their transgression, how did they know the definition of evil after their transgression unless their action was evil in itself and considered sin? If their act of transgression was not sin, then why was God so angry? But, more importantly, why is the teaching of the Bible so clear and specific regarding the sin of what Adam and Eve did? Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned - for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Holy Bible, Romans 5:12-21 (NAS) The above passage in Romans destroys the Mormon doctrine:
It is not true that men are made sinners solely through the action of Adam. All men are sinners by their own choice and actions as a result of the defective character inherited from Adam. What the Mormons argue against is their own definition of original sin, which they present as a "straw man" argument, rather than the biblical definition of original sin which is quite different. Mormons would claim that the doctrine of original sin states that humanity is guilty of the same and actual sin committed by Adam and Eve, and then they argue that humanity is not guilty of being sinners because they have not committed that sin "in" Adam and Eve. However, the Bible does not state that definition to be the case. The biblical definition is that humanity are guilty "through" the sin of Adam and Eve as the federal heads of the human race and their consequent fallen nature. Humanity has inherited a guilt based on their human heritage along with an inherited sin nature, as a result of their direct descent from Adam and Eve, because of which it is impossible not to sin, and because of which they are separated from God and cannot, by their own self-defined righteous works, be reconciled to God, Romans 6:12-21. Mormons believe that they can atone for their own sins by their good works, however, they ignore the reality that good works require that they be performed perfectly. In addition to that, human beings must demonstrate perfection in every area of their life, as found in the 10 Commandments, which Mormons claim everyone must obey. As a result, any sin however small, invalidates perfection and places an individual in the position where they cannot meet the perfect standards of God. Perfection is the standard and sin places a person below the standard, by which a person cannot be more than perfect in order to cover or make-up for their imperfection. Mormons would believe that prior to the commission of an actual and deliberate sin, they are innocent and cannot be judged or condemned by God, which is a great deception. "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:18-19 (NAS) ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... The Holy Bible, Romans 3:23 (NAS) Mankind can follow no other course but to sin, according to the Bible. Because of the belief that they can attain to godhood through good works and impute a righteous nature to themselves, the Mormon church must deny the Biblical teaching. Not only must the Mormon leadership and apologists deny the Biblical teaching regarding sin, THEY MUST DENY THE TEACHING OF THEIR OWN "INSPIRED SCRIPTURES" in the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price. Mormons claim that the Book of Mormon is the most perfectly translated book in history. If this is the case, then why does the Book of Mormon teach a different doctrine regarding sin than what is taught by the Mormon church today? The Book of Mormon teaches specifically the doctrine of original sin. And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent: FOR HE SHOWED UNTO ALL MEN THAT THEY WERE LOST, BECAUSE OF THE TRANSGRESSION OF THEIR PARENTS. Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 2:21 And the Messiah cometh in the fullness of time, THAT HE MAY REDEEM THE CHILDREN OF MEN FROM THE FALL. And because that THEY ARE REDEEMED FROM THE FALL they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given. Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 2:26 And Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them saying: Believe it not, and they believed it not; and they loved Satan more than God. And man began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual and devilish. Pearl of Great Price, Moses 5:13 Almost all Mormons, and certainly all the Mormon leadership and apologists would deny the doctrine of "original sin", but in doing so they deny their own "authoritative scriptures" given by "revelation" to their own fallible prophet. But more important than that, they deny the doctrine taught in the Bible and substitute a false doctrine in its place. It may be popular, warm and fuzzy to believe in the goodness of the nature of man; and believe that individuals have the capacity and character necessary to make themselves into gods, but the reality is that the Bible teaches that man is totally lacking in the capacity and character to accomplish the task. Self-deception is a terrible position in which to place oneself, but Mormons insist on condemning themselves before God by claiming that they are worthy to be just like Him. The incongruity in Mormon doctrine should be a warning to anyone who would seriously consider becoming a member of the organization. By refusing to believe the doctrine taught in the Bible, changing the doctrine taught in the Bible, refusing to believe the doctrine taught in the Book of Mormon and changing the doctrine taught in the Book of Mormon, the Mormon church reveals that it is simply an organization created by men and not a true church. The doctrines taught by the Mormon church are not consistent, change at the will of the hierarchy and are not based on the authority of Biblical Scripture. If one wishes to trust their soul to a group who have no conscience about changing what they believe and teach at will, then the outcome will be inevitable: Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of god comes upon the sons of disobedience. The Holy Bible, Ephesians 5:6 (NAS) RESOURES Romans Verse By Verse - Original Sin - Chapter 5 William R. Newell Sin: Its Source And Extent John F. MacArthur A Short Essay On Original Sin Augustus Toplady |
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