Conclusion to The Fall

Show 13
Conclusion to The Fall
March 18th 2008
LIVE!
From the Mecca of Mormonism – Salt Lake City, Utah – This is Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology.!

And I’m Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion., your host.

Heartening Success Stories

Last week I read from a few success stories which are always heartening to hear. Let me take a moment and give you a word of encouragement – a cause to “hope.” The Lord works in mysterious ways and in my opinion – especially in relation to Mormonism – the Lord brings families to him one person at a time. Nearly two years ago a woman came to know the Lord. You might recognize her name – “Lucy from Logan.” Lucy allowed the Lord in her life and stood as a lone Christian for a while. A few months ago, Lucy’s daughter Margaret received Him too and has since caught on fire for Him and His Word. Well, just last week Lucy’s other daughter Kathryn, who was at one time contemplating the marriage invitations of a polygamist in Southern Utah, did the same. His work, His joy, and His truth spreads from heart to heart in people who trust Him and seek Him in their lives. We rejoice with you, our sister Kathryn.

There are a few consistencies we hear from the LDS regarding our ministry and televised programs. One of the claims is the LDS Church – its leaders and missionaries and members – respect all religions, cultures, and faiths. Time and time again LDS people here on the show say that Latter-day Saints never attack other religions nor do they speak against them. I want to give you two sources that refute such a claim.

First, I received a link to www.______.com which presents a fantastic summary of quotes LDS leaders offer AGAINST other churches and religions. Secondly, I recently received a copy of a Salt Lake Tribune article which reveals the bigoted actions of some LDS missionaries – young men who represent both Mormonism and the Lord to the world.

LDS Teachings on the Fall

So we’ve talked about the pre-existence of LDS theology, the nature of God, the trinity verses polytheism, Satan, the location of the Garden of Eden, and two weeks on the LDS views regarding the Fall of Adam. We’re going to conclude tonight with a wrap-up of LDS teachings which are a direct by-product of their teachings on the Fall and which also are in direct opposition to what the Bible says. These LDS “by-product beliefs” include:

Their doctrines on the sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. nature of humankind. Their doctrine and understanding of spiritual rebirth, and The conception of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s address these one by one.

Biblical Perspectives

Because the Fall of Adam was a good thing – a “fall upward,” as LDS teachers and leaders and prone to call it – and was a necessary event in order for Adam and Eve to know how to procreate – the children of Adam and Eve – you and I – are NOT born sinful, but are instead born innocent, pure, and literally children of God from the start. Along with very humanist thought, the popular LDS hymn reinforces this idea:

I am a child of God.
And He has sent me here.
Has given me an earthly home.
With parents kind and dear.

People who believe in a higher power but lacking exposure or understanding of the Bible generally come to a similar conclusion regarding God and our relationship to Him. It is normative to assume that us “human beings” are so lovely and attractive that God can’t help but automatically call us His Children. But in this, the Bible does not tell us so. Rather the opposite.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

1st John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,

The Nature of Sin and Spiritual Rebirth

They are the sons of God. The Bible is manifestly clear that nobody (save Jesus Christ) has ever been born a “son or child” of God by right or as an heir, but they ONLY become such when they arrive by faith in believing in Jesus. The LDS interpretation is “another gospel” and is perhaps one of the most dangerous and misleading core teachings of the religion. Now because the LDS believe that everyone on earth is born a child or son of God, they reject the Bible teaching that human beings are born in sin.

Psalms 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Job 5:7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

Psalms 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Biblical Clarification

And Jesus said plainly to Nicodemus:

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Let me make a clarification here: Little children are born in sin and are sinful by nature. They are self-willed, naturally selfish, violent, angry, and full of gluttony, greed, and lies. However, they are not accountable for their sin nature and if taken by deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God., are saved by grace through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, they are, as the poet wrote, “curly headed monsters” and must be born-again in order to become a true child of God by faith. The LDS have an interesting approach to this subject because the focus on reaching and teaching children who are paradoxically recognized as “natural” but redeemable,” is not on being spiritually born-again but is much more on parenting and activity in the church.

The Role of Grace and Works

Like a stain remover under the kitchen sink, the blood of Jesus in most LDS homes is there to clean up mistakes and sins of the individual only when used in conjunction with a hefty dose of their own elbow grease to scrub it away. When a person is born in sin, the onus to remove it is the author of life itself. When a person is born clean, the onus to remove sin is the individual. See the difference?

This leads us to the title of our book and Ministry—Born-again Mormon. While the Book of Mormon does in fact teach about being spiritually reborn, and actually describes the event in rather revivalistic 19th-century themes which include hand-clapping and being “slain in the spirit,” rarely, if ever, will you hear LDS teachers or instructors emphasize the importance, yes, even the Lord’s imperative, that you must be born-again. Why? Go back to their errant view of the Fall and the nature of Man. If everyone born on this earth is automatically—

A son or daughter of God spiritually

and

without sin

WHY would they need to be spiritually regenerated? Add into the mix that there are some sins that are not so evil and others which are unforgivable, and you have the makings for a group of people who actually grow up to adulthood thinking they are rightfully a child of God who has rarely done anything wrong. The point is, far too many stalwart LDS miss the point that they are sinners inside, and need a new heart and a new spirit—one completely different from the one with which they were born!

Spiritual Transformation According to Titus

But listen to the descriptive illustration given in Titus about who we are before knowing Jesus, what we become once we know Him, why we are saved having come to know Him, and then finally, what we should do with ourselves since we have come to know Him.

Ready? Titus 3:3-8

“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they…

Theological Interpretations in Titus and the Virgin Birth

These things are good and profitable unto men. Does this passage describe human beings as sinless children of God? (verse four)

How did the love of God our Savior appear? (verse five)

It appeared not because of our works of righteousness (not because of all we can do) but according to HIS mercy He saved us. And . . . and . . .

Then finally, Paul then tells us what we are to do with this experience:

1. We were reprobates.
2. We were saved because of God’s mercy and not our righteousness.
3. We were made heirs to eternal life.
4. And now, in this state, we are careful to maintain good works.

Latter-day Saints' Beliefs

The final “Twistian” belief the LDS have proposed over the years (and if not so much publicly anymore, indeed privately) which is linked to their view of “the Fall,” has to do with the Virgin Birth of Jesus.

Defenders of Mormonism today emphatically deny that what I am about to say is LDS doctrine was ever really LDS doctrine. I want you to know that it was certainly taught to me as doctrine when I was active in the Church and as you listen to the quotes from leaders you can decide if it was ever taught as such.

Virgin Birth Controversy

Aside from the biblical references regarding the virgin birth like Isaiah 7:14 (Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.) and the Gospel accounts that refer to Mary in this way, Christians believe Jesus was born of a virgin because to have been conceived and born through the means all other human beings are born would have meant Jesus was born in sin.

Whether doctrinally true or not, this stance makes the line in “Away in a Manger” make sense: “The cattle are lowing, the poor baby wakes. The little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.” Again, had Jesus been conceived like other men are conceived, He would not have been unspotted and without sin as the sin of Adam would have been upon His head. Fittingly, a passage in Job reads: “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one.”

But to the LDS, who believe children are born innocent, without sin, and automatic children of God, there is no theological need for a virgin birth or conception. This lead LDS leaders conclude that Jesus was in fact conceived and born in the way every other human being is conceived and born.

Even without the following statement, the LDS view that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones and that Jesus is His literal offspring supports the notion that God the Father had sexual relationship with Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Controversial Quotes and Perspectives

But let’s read some quotes to support this hotly debated issue:

“God the Father became the literal father of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only person on earth to be born of a mortal mother and an immortal father.” (1992 Gospel Principles, pg. 64)

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims that Jesus Christ is the son of God in the most literal sense. The body in which He performed His mission in the flesh was SIRED by that same Holy being we worship as God, our Eternal Father. Jesus was not the son of Joseph, nor was He begotten by the Holy Ghost. He is the Son of the Eternal Father.” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, as quoted in the April 1997 Ensign, page 15).

Brigham Young was even more to the point: “The birth of our Savior was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood – was begotten of His Father, as we were of our fathers.” (Brigham Young, JOD, 8:115)

McConkie gave a number of statements verifying this teaching, but let’s conclude with one from an LDS non-authorized speaker, one BYU Professor Stephen Robinson who said in 1997: “The official doctrine of the Church is that Jesus is the literal offspring of God. He’s got 46 chromosomes; 23 came from Mary, 23 came from God the Eternal Father.”

Before we go to the phones, let me remind the viewers and listeners what the Bible says about the conception of Jesus: Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the

The Birth of Jesus: Divine Conception

The Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. When Joseph his stepfather was in turmoil of what to do with Mary as she was found with child, he too, was mercifully instructed from where the Savior came:

(Matthew 1:20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

In other words, the angel was saying, “Joseph, do not fear, she remains a virgin as she bears a child who was begotten by the Holy Spirit of God, not the Holy body of God.

Perspectives on Christ's Conception

LDS prophet Ezra Taft Benson said Jesus was not . . . begotten by the Holy Ghost. The Bible tells us that “He was conceived of the Holy Spirit.”

Again – what are you going to choose to believe?

Let's go to the phones:

(801) 973-TV20
(801) 973-8820

Contextual Background: Isaiah's Prophecy

This prophecy was delivered about 740 years before Christ, in the reign of Ahaz, king of Judah. The land of Judea was threatened with an invasion by the united armies of Syria and Israel, under the command of Rezin and Pekah. Ahaz was alarmed, and seems to have contemplated calling in aid from Assyria to defend him. Isaiah was directed in his consternation to go to Ahaz, and tell him to ask a sign from God, (Isa 7:10; 11:1-16); that is, to look to God rather than to Assyria for aid. This he refused to do. He had not confidence in God; but feared that the land would be overrun by the armies of Syria, (Isa 7:12) and relied only on the aid which he hoped to receive from Assyria. Isaiah answered that, in these circumstances, the Lord would himself give a sign, or a pledge, that the land should be delivered. The sign was, that a virgin should have a son, and before that son would arrive to years of discretion, the land would be forsaken by these hostile kings. The prophecy was, therefore, designed originally to denote to Ahaz that the land would certainly be delivered from its calamities and dangers, and that the deliverance would not be long delayed. The united land of Syria and Israel, united now in confederation, would be deprived of both their kings, and thus the land of Judah be freed from the threatening dangers. This appears to be the literal fulfillment of the passage in Isaiah.

Conclusion

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