FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Difference between revisions of "Mormonism and Christianity/Grace and works/Unforgivable sin"
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The counsel here is to pray for those who sin unless they have committed the "sin unto death" which cannot be forgiven. Obviously, if one rejects the atonement of Christ, one cannot be saved by it, and so one will not be forgiven for that sin. | The counsel here is to pray for those who sin unless they have committed the "sin unto death" which cannot be forgiven. Obviously, if one rejects the atonement of Christ, one cannot be saved by it, and so one will not be forgiven for that sin. | ||
| + | {{SeeAlso|Blood_of_the_Prophets:_Brigham_Young_and_the_Massacre_at_Mountain_Meadows/Use_of_sources/Unpardonable_sin|Unpardonable sin in anti-Mormon polemic}} | ||
==Endnotes== | ==Endnotes== | ||
''None'' | ''None'' | ||
Revision as of 21:15, 18 June 2009
Contents
Criticism
Why did LDS apostle Bruce McConkie write that a man may commit a sin so grievous that it will place him beyond the atoning blood of Christ (Mormon Doctrine, 1979, p. 93) when the Bible says that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7)?
Source(s) of the criticism
- Tower to Truth Ministries, "50 Questions to Ask Mormons," towertotruth.net (accessed 15 November 2007). 50 Answers
Response
"Mormon Doctrine" is not an official publication of the LDS Church.
In this particular case, however, Elder McConkie is in good company since Jesus taught that there was an unforgivable sin:
- 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
- 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. (Matthew 12꞉31–32, emphasis added)
Thus, it seems that 1 John is best interpreted as meaning that any forgivable sin is cleansed through—and only through—the blood of Christ. Latter-day Saints understand the "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost" to be rejecting the atonement of Christ when one has a perfect knowledge of it.
John later qualifies his statement making clear there is a sin that is unforgivable.
- If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it 1 John 5:1.
The counsel here is to pray for those who sin unless they have committed the "sin unto death" which cannot be forgiven. Obviously, if one rejects the atonement of Christ, one cannot be saved by it, and so one will not be forgiven for that sin.
Endnotes
None
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
FAIR web site
| Grace FairMormon articles on-line |
- John A. Tvedtnes, "Salvation by Grace Alone?" off-site
External links
Key sources |
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Online |
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Navigators |
Printed material
| Grace printed materials |
- David W. Bercot, Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up: A New Look at Today's Evangelical Church in the Light of Early Christianity, 3rd edition, (Tyler, Texas: Scroll Publishing Company, 1999[1989]), 56–68. ISBN 0924722002 (Key source)
- Matthew B. Brown, "Salvation and Grace," in The Plan of Salvation: Doctrinal Notes and Commentary (American Fork, UT: Covenant, 2002), 251–257. ISBN 1591560888. ISBN 978-1591560883.
- Roger R. Keller, Reformed Christians and Mormon Christians: Let's Talk! (Urbana, Ill.: Pryor Pettengill, 1986). ISBN 0933462069. ISBN 978-0933462069.
- Robert L. Millet, By Grace Are We Saved (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1989). ISBN 0884946940. ISBN 978-0884946946.