BEING SAVED

"But do Latter-day Saints believe in "being saved?" If I ask my classes on campus that question with just the right Southern drawl in my voice, I can usually get about a third of them to shake their heads and say, "No, We don't believe in 'being saved.' That's those other guys, the ones of TV." What a tragedy! Of course the Latter-day Saints believe in being saved. They do now, and they always have. How can Jesus be called the Savior if he never saves anybody?" (Believing Christ, Stephen E. Robinson, 1992, page 18)

"We believe that man will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." (The Articles of Faith, Joseph Smith, Article 2)
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"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:12-21)
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"Traditional Christianity teaches that, rather than being appreciative of what God had done for them, our first parents openly defied their Creator when they ate forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because they wanted the knowledge that God had. For this reason most Christians view our first parents as being selfish, greedy, arrogant, and proud.
And it is because of this defiance that most Christian churches teach that God cursed not only Adam and Eve but also their offspring whereby, from the very moment of our conception, each person is born with the same tendency to be selfish, greedy, proud, ungrateful, and rebellious, just as our original parents were. That is why when Protestants read the Bible they believe it teaches that not one person is capable of pleasing God ("And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6), because God considers all people sinners who have fallen short of His glory ("for all have sinned and fall short to the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:23[-24]), and that God considers even our best efforts to do good as filthy rags ("All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6) * This verse is part of a praise and prayer to the Lord for divine deliverance, not how God considers our best efforts. . Most Christians believe there is not one person who does good ("All have turned away, they have together worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Romans 3:12) *This verse is a quote from Psalm 14:1-3. Paul charges that both Jews and Gentiles alike are under the power of sin. Old Testament quotations were effective tools for teaching during the time of Paul. Jesus Christ is the only one good enough for God. because all of our thoughts are continually evil ("The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." Genesis 6:5 *This is part of the story of the flood. 'This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny over takes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.' *Under the heading, A Common Destiny for All. 'The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?'" Jeremiah 17:9) *The prophet makes an observation, then asks a rhetorical question. The heart, the wellspring of life, in which wickedness must not be allowed to take root.
Christians teach that the reason why all of this is true is because of what they call "original sin," which is defined, not as any action on our part, but rather as a state of being we inherited. It is an ethical deformity in our genes that prevents us from doing anything morally good. Therefore, to believe in the doctrine of original sin is to believe that mankind doesn't have the ability to obey God's commandments. And if that is true then we are forced to conclude that all of us are being punished for Adam's sin." ( Accent on Mormon Beliefs, Original Sin, http:www. 14lds.com/sin.htm) *I added the full scripture so you can read what the writer is meaning.)

To be saved is to know that Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden. They disobeyed God's command. As a result of this disobedience, sin entered the world. It was not part of God's plan to have Adam sin. God cannot look upon sin, so it does not stand to reason that God the Father intended Adam to sin. It isn't in the nature of the Father to consider the fall. Satan, on the other hand, loves to do whatever he can to cause Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Forbidden is forbidden according to God. Something does not change, or become acceptable just because Satan comes around. We must all know that through the one man comes sin and death, and through the other man comes life and salvation.
God is a merciful God, He had to give mortal man someone to ransom in order for Himself to be satisfied. Jesus Christ was the ransom. He payed a price that none other could pay. It is only through Jesus Christ that we can ever be in the presence of the Father. Jesus Christ covered the sin of the one man who brought sin into the world. Only after we believe and confess to God that we are sinners and repent, can God come into our hearts. Then we can be justified for heaven.
A plan for salvation was set forth ever since a burnt offering to the Father was necessary in order for the Father to be satisfied. Jesus Christ was that offering who payed the ultimate price.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes that Jesus Christ saves them from some of their own sins only. The official web site for the LDS has a post that defines the churches stand on the plan of salvation.
The grace of Jesus is not enough for eternal salvation for the LDS. The Christians who know that those who believe through faith we will be saved and gain eternal life. When there is love in the heart of a Christian, the things that person does should reflect the love that was given to them from God. Gods love is given to us freely by grace, or in other words, you don't have to work for it, to those who continue to have faith day by day.

1 comments:

Godhead November 14, 2010 at 4:49 PM  

Good to see that you have a perfect understanding of the Gospel. This kind of understanding is what is needed to have a saving knowledge.

About Me

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Michigan, United States
I spent a lot of time deciding if I should write this blog or not. I'm not a great writer and I'm not going to pretend to be. I need to share what I have learned and I might not make some people happy with what I am saying. This blog is a way for me to release the thoughts and feelings that come with knowing I grew up in the wrong religion. A healing process if you will.

How To Read This Blog

Please start with the month of February 2007 and read backwards. This is the most effective way to understand, in order, why I say what I do.

Handmaidens Creed

1.I believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as one God without beginning or end.
2.I believe the Bible to be the Holy Inspired word of God with full truth and righteousness. No other writing is.
3.I believe that the work of the Lord comes first. Before any temporal thing or person.
4.I believe that grace is a gift and Christ gives that gift freely to all who believe.
5.I believe that the beauty of a woman is contained inside of her and not by what she looks like on the outside.
6.I believe that marriage is sacred and represents the Godhead on earth; two are one just as three are one.
7.I believe that love is more powerful than any other power. Remember, God is love.
8.I believe that tithing is not a part of God's new covenant, free will offerings are. And that doesn't mean just money.
9.I believe that the Aaronic, Levitical, and Melchizedek priesthoods are abolished and Christs Holy Priesthood whom Christ is the "Great High Priest" is eternal.
10.I believe that every believer is a priest in the "Priesthood of Believers".
11.I believe that when two are one, nobody is to separate the one.
12.I believe that Christ is the only way to heaven.
13.I believe that our bodies are temples, not man made buildings.
14.I believe that liars make fools out of others and the liar hates the fool.
15.I believe that all believers are in authority to preach the gospel.
16.I believe that the word 'organization' to describe Christs body is evil and has no place with God.
17.I believe the Americas are not the land of Zion and Christ will return to His origonal land-Israel in the Middle East.
18.I believe that God has set out correct ways of worshiping Him, not man.
19.I believe in holding to the truths of the Bible and not mans understanding of it.
20.I believe that the world is full of evil and Satan can easily gain control over the minds of those who do not profess Christ of the Bible to be their only Messiah.
21.I believe that Saints are those who know the real Savior, Jesus Christ, of whom the Bible speaks of; not the jesus of a cult.