Difference between revisions of "Sin"

Latest revision as of 12:00, 3 November 2022

Every accountable mortal soul (everyone of sound mind over age 8) has sinned to some degree and therefore has been cut off from the presence of God, who cannot look upon sin with any degree of allowance. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, men may repent of their sins and receive the Lord's forgiveness, becoming as though they had never sinned at all. Those who consistently repent of their sins while striving to obey the Lord will eventually become like Him.

"Original Sin"

Doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints differs from other Christian faiths in its concept of "original sin."

Because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, all people live in a fallen condition, separated from God and subject to physical death. However, we are not condemned by what many call the "original sin." In other words, we are not accountable for Adam's transgression in the Garden of Eden. The Prophet Joseph Smith said, "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression" (Articles of Faith 1:2).

Through the Atonement, the Savior paid the price for the transgression in the Garden of Eden (see Moses 6:53). He has given us the assurance of resurrection and the promise that, based on our faithfulness, we can return to dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father forever. ^[1]

Overcoming Sin

During the Lord’s three-day ministry in the New World, He taught His doctrine, authorized His disciples to perform priesthood ordinances, healed the sick, prayed for the people, and lovingly blessed the children. As the Savior’s time with the people was drawing to a close, He succinctly summarized the fundamental principles of His gospel.

Said He, “Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day” (3 Nephi 27:20).

The basic principles outlined by the Master in this scripture are essential for us to understand and apply in our lives. First was repentance, “a turning of the heart and will to God, and a renunciation of sin” (Bible Dictionary, “Repentance”). As we appropriately seek for and receive the spiritual gift of faith in the Redeemer, we then turn to and rely upon the merits, the mercy, and the grace of the Holy Messiah (see 2 Nephi 2:8). Repentance is the sweet fruit that comes from faith in the Savior and involves turning toward God and away from sin. ^[2]

The steps of repentance are to first, recognize that we have sinned against God and His commandments; second, we need to desire to reconcile with God; third, we must confess — for minor sins, confessing to God is enough, but for major sins, we need to confess to our bishop and then perhaps our stake president. They can help with the repentance process. Fourth, we must make restitution as best we can by restoring what we have taken or damaged. Fifth, we must stop sinning, and sixth, we must return to goodness in our lives and follow Christ.

After repentance, the believer is expected to make sacred, saving covenants and participate in ordinances required to attain God's kingdom. Then he is expected to pursue every good thing, performing much charitable service, and to endure to the end of his life in righteousness, repenting quickly for any transgression.

The gospel of Jesus Christ encompasses much more than avoiding, overcoming, and being cleansed from sin and the bad influences in our lives; it also essentially entails doing good, being good, and becoming better. Repenting of our sins and seeking forgiveness are spiritually necessary, and we must always do so. But remission of sin is not the only or even the ultimate purpose of the gospel. To have our hearts changed by the Holy Spirit such that “we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2), as did King Benjamin’s people (in the Book of Mormon), is the covenant responsibility we have accepted. This mighty change is not simply the result of working harder or developing greater individual discipline. Rather, it is the consequence of a fundamental change in our desires, our motives, and our natures made possible through the Atonement of Christ the Lord. Our spiritual purpose is to overcome both sin and the desire to sin, both the taint and the tyranny of sin.^[3]

As the faithful believer presses on in an endeavor to be "born again," he will quickly become aware of the huge gulf which separates him, a poor sinner, from the grand perfection of God. Such a perception is daunting, but the Lord simply beckons men to move consistently toward Him:

• For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more (2 Nephi 28:30).

• Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.

Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen (Doctrine and Covenants 6:34–47).

Not All Sins Are the Same

Some sects of Christianity preach that all sin is equal, because all sin distances us from Christ. Latter-day Saints agree that all sin distances us from Christ, but we hold that some sins are more serious than others. For Latter-day Saints, the most serious sin is the "sin against the Holy Ghost." This is much different than being angry at God or even railing against God. One must have Christ Himself appear to him, so that he has a sure knowledge (not just faith) that Jesus is the Christ, and then he must deny Him, thus "crucifying Him anew." This sin is unforgivable. People who commit this sin are the only ones (in Mormon doctrine) who will be consigned to hell, which we call Outer Darkness, for eternity after the judgment.

The second most serious sin is murder, because it is impossible to restore a life and make restitution for sin. It is extremely difficult to receive forgiveness from God for this sin. Our doctrines recognize the mitigating circumstances of self-defense and war.

Sexual sin comes third in seriousness because it is not possible to restore virtue or loss of character you have caused in another person. Because sexuality in all forms has become almost totally accepted in much of western society today, this seems appalling to some who care nothing about God's commandments and who don't understand how destructive sexual sin is. The Holy Ghost will not dwell within a person who is committing sexual sin, although His occasional promptings can lead someone to repent. This said, Latter-day Saint doctrine teaches that same-sex attraction is not a sin, only sexual behavior outside of legal marriage between a man and a woman. LGBT+ activists claim that this discriminates against them, but this law is given of God, not LDS leaders. Human beings are not authorized to change it. Heterosexual members of the Church are also bound to keep the law of chastity to be worthy to enter Latter-day Saint temples.

• See also Repentance, Fall, Adam and Eve, Forgiveness

References