Bible Study for Mormons
When I became a member of the LDS Church as a child of eight years old, I did not understand the Biblical concept of repentance for sins, dying to sin, and rising to a new life in Christ Jesus, symbolized in the rite of baptism (See Romans 6:1-6). I was baptised into the Mormon church, not because I was having my sins washed away, symbolically of course, but because baptism is the guarantee that my body would be resurrected and rejoined back to my spirit should I die, and I could progress on to godhood like Jesus is doing, who is my example. I did not understand any of this at the time of my baptism, though! The only reason I was baptised at all was because my mother and the people at the church said that I was old enough for baptism, and that I should be baptised along with my sister! That is the concept of salvation in the Mormon church! But think about this, too--why would I need salvation from sin in the Mormon church anyway if the church teaches that all human beings are immortal spirits in the first place, and that we are in a state of progression? I have found that the Mormon church does not teach salvation from sin as we know it, because for them, sin is actually necessary for man's happiness. While it does stress that obedience to certain requirements is necessary for progression, there is no condemnation for disobedience to God's Law which is sin. Afterall, if you experience sin and evil, and the resultant suffering, you might by comparison understand good and joy! The baptism somehow is to fix any problems of separation of the body and spirit, which sin has caused!
Mormonism teaches that sin was necessary for Adam and Eve that they might bear children, otherwise they would have remained in the Garden of Eden forever without any children, according to 2 Nephi 2:22, 23. They needed to make progression, so they chose to disobey the lower command of not eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, that they might obey the higher command of God to bear children! By this means they would have opportunity to progress through some form of needful sin and disobedience in a lesser area, to repentance and obedience in another area to become gods themselves!
Quoting The Pearl of Great Price, Moses 5:10, 11: "In that day Adam blessed God...saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God. And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient." No repentance for sin here!
Elder Cornforth states in his book, Meeting the Mormon Challenge With Love, page 140, "In general terms, this is an outline of the plan of salvation according to Mormon teaching. It provides answers to the questions: Where did we come from? and Where are we going? Mormons believe we came from a union of God's spirit children with a body of flesh and blood. They believe that after death, we will progress to become gods ourselves. This doctrine differs widely from the plan of salvation as given in the Holy Bible , as we will see later....
"Let's look now at Mormonism's answer to the remaining question of the three great questions of life: Why are we here? Here is the answer given in a Mormon publication, A Uniform System for Teaching Investigators, a series of lessons in question and answer form designed for Mormon missionaries to use in explaining the church's teachings to potential converts. It says:
'The earth was created so that we can gain mortal bodies and learn to keep God's commandments....The true gospel must provide a means for all men to obey the law." pp. 76, 77
"In other words, we are here in order to obtain a mortal body of flesh and blood and to demonstrate through obedience to the ten commandments that we are worthy of progressing to become gods.
"Actually, Mormons believe that almost everyone who has lived on earth will be saved because of Christ's atonement, without regard to his or her obedience. They believe that with very few exceptions, every man, woman, and child who has ever lived will continue to live eternally after death 'somewhere in the great heavenly kingdoms.' The reason almost everyone will be saved, without regard to the way they have lived on earth, is because Moromons believe 'salvation is of varying states of degrees.' " Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, pp. 21, 22. [The following thoughts, I will be gleaning further from Elder Cornforth's book.]
Quoting Joseph Fielding Smith, "'It is very pleasing and consoling thing to know that the Lord will save all his children, excepting the very few who wilfully rebel against him. When his children have paid the penalty of their transgressions, they shall come forth from the clutches of the second death to receive a place somewhere in the great heavenly kingdoms, which are prepared for them with their several glories and degrees of salvation. It is the purpose of the Almighty to save all mankind, and all will enter into his kingdoms in some degree of glory, except sons of perdition who sin beyond the power of repentance and redemption, and therefore cannot receive forgiveness of sins. All the rest shall be saved, but not with the same degree fo glory or exaltation.' Ibid., vol. 2, pp. 20, 21.
"What are these degrees or levels of salvation, according to Mormon teaching?
'Salvation is twofold: General--that which comes to all men irrespective of a belief (in this life) in Christ--and, individual--that which man merits through his own acts through life and by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.' Ibid., vol. 1, p. 134.
"Thus, Mormons believe in two degrees of salvation--a general salvation which everyone will experience regardless of how they have lived, and an individual salvation which depends upon one's obedience. At the resurrection, virtually everyone will receive this general salvation when the spirit will be united with an immortal body of flesh to live forever. A few, who have openly and flagrantly rebelled against God, will be delivered to Satan to suffer torment and God's condemnation forever.
"But the real goal of the plan of salvation, according to Mormon teaching, is not the general salvation which results merely in eternal life. The real goal is individual, or conditional, salvation. This is known as "exaltation" and confers on the individual the opportunity to progress toward godhood and enjoy the powers and quality of life that God Himself possesses. General salvation comes by grace alone, but individual salvation, or exaltation, comes by personal merit gained through obedience to the commandments and ordinances of God as taught by the Mormon Church. Those who experience this individual salvation, will ultimately find themseles in one of three levels, or kingdoms, of glory."
"Celestial Salvation. The highest of these three levels of glory which the saved will experience is the 'celestial kingdom.' Those who have been properly baptized into the Mormon Church, who have been married in a Mormon temple, and who have faithfully obeyed God's commnadments as taught by the Mormon Church will find a place in this highest kingdom.
"Terrestrial Salvation. The second highest kingdom of glory is the 'terrestrial kingdom.' Those who were good people, but who were not sufficiently obedient to merit the celestial kingdom, will find themselves in this second highest level of glory. They will see Jesus, but can never be in the presence of God the Father.'
"Telestial Salvation. The third kingdom of glory is the 'telestial kingdom.' Most of mankind will find themselves in this kingdom. This kingdom includes saved sinners--those who on earth have lived for self, liars, thieves, adulterers, etc.
"Only those in the highest kingdom--the celestial--can have children and achieve life's ultimate goal--exaltation to godhood. Those in the two lower kingdoms of glory must remain unmarried and childless. They can never visit those in the celestial kingdom. However, life even in the lowest of the three kingdoms--the telestial--will be so much more glorious than anything we can imagine on earth that it will surpass all understanding (see Doctrine and Covenants, 76:89). those in the lower kingdoms will never be able to advance to a higher one. that is why Mormons place such emphasis on obedience during this life--one's position in the coming kingdoms of glory depends on the degree of faithfulness and obedience achieved here on earth.
"'A man who has accepted the testimony of Jesus in the flesh may inherit any of the three kingdoms, according to the degrees of faithfulness he has shown in keeping the commandments of the Lord. If he keeps the full law, he shall be entitled to enter the celestial kingdom.' Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, p. 28
"Thus for Mormons, salvation depends very much on obedience and keeping the law. The Mormon gospel of merit encourages believers to be obedient and to do good works in this life in order to achieve exaltation to the celestial kingdom and eventual godhood. In fact, Mormons teach that God Himself went through this exact same process in His progression to godhood. He was born as a spirit being to a heavenly Father and Mother. He later received a body of flesh and blood, died, was resurrected, and was subsequently exalted to godhood as He perfected His life through obedience. Mormons believe that as man now is, God once was. As God now is, man may become!" Cornforth, pp. 140-142.
In our next study, let us examine from the Bible these claims of Mormonism to see if they stand or fall! Can we look at sin so lightly, and justify it as Mormonism has done? Did God intend that Eve should listen to the serpent and sin? Our next study is, "How Mankind is Saved -- Part 2, What Does the Bible Say?"