Ponder the Path

In my study and summary of the Myths of Christianity that the Book of Mormon Refutes (see myth #1 here , myth #2 here , myth #3 here , myth #4 here , myth #5 here , myth #6 here ) I covered many myths that have arisen from misinterpretations of scripture or the doctrines of men that have woven their way into the teachings of Christian sects. The next myth the Book of Mormon boldly refutes, that a person can find happiness living in sin, is a myth that has wormed its way into the attitudes of Christian people from the antithetical teaching of moral relativism which had its birth in the secular world and is a doctrine of atheism. This false philosophy teaches people that that “each person is free to choose for him or herself what is right and wrong” ( Truth and Tolerance by Dallin H. Oaks ) and that there are no absolute truths and that happiness is not achieved by adherence to those truths, but rather, happiness is a fluid concept that is relative to the individual’s desires. It is exp...

So far in my study and summary of the Myths of Christianity that the Book of Mormon Refutes (see myth #1 here , myth #2 here , myth #3 here , myth #4 here , myth #5 here ) the subjects I have tackled have been verily straight forward. This next myth hits at the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is the divine atonement of Jesus Christ and the power that flows into our lives from it. The atonement is central to God’s plan for the salvation of his children and their happiness now and forever. Myth 6, “We Are Saved by Grace Alone,” is more nuanced and will take longer to uncover the misconceptions that have grown up around the teachings of grace. The phrase “Saved by grace alone,” is not entirely false, but it is almost universally misunderstood. The reason I define it here as a myth is because the concepts of salvation and grace as taught commonly among Christians are shrouded in fundamental misunderstandings on the central points of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Book of M...

To continue with my study and summary of the Myths of Christianity that the Book of Mormon Refutes (see myth #1 here , myth #2 here , myth #3 here , myth #4 here ), this next myth is related to the last myth that the practice of baptism began during New Testament times and all those who lived before Christ were lost. The Book of Mormon refutes the practices of baptism without immersion and the proper authority. Most of the Christian world is ambiguous about the need for baptism not to mention the proper form of baptism or questions of authority to baptize. Many believe that baptism is ceremonial and that there are no specific requirements related to the practice. Those who perform baptism believe that the sincere feelings of their heart are the evidence of their authority to do so, but the essential nature of baptism in the Plan of Salvation should prompt follower of Christ to seek more certain knowledge of the proper observance of the ordinance. Jesus was clear about the essential ...

To continue with my study and summary of the Myths of Christianity that the Book of Mormon Refutes (see myth #1 here , myth #2 here , myth #3 here ), this next myth seems kind of singular at first glance, but the impacts of having lost this plain and precious truth have led to many false doctrines that have negatively impacted Christianity in expansive ways. For almost two thousand years Christian doctrine taught that baptism as a practice began during New Testament times and was a symbolic witness of the "new gospel" of Jesus Christ. This was taught in spite of Old Testament reference to the concepts of baptism in the stories and symbols of the scriptural text. The Book of Mormon provides the clear critical link that weaves a golden thread through the Old Testament, New Testament, and Last-day Restoration of all things ( Acts 3:21 ). The Book of Mormon record makes clear that the ordinance and covenant of baptism was practiced under the Mosaic Law, before the coming of Chri...

“Wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing.” (2 Nephi 26:30) I read these words as I studied the 26th chapter of 2 Nephi today, and pondered them within the greater sermon about the “laberor in Zion.” I pondered them in light of a very difficult and sensitive decisions being placed before administrators of public and private institutions regarding transgender persons who ask to associate as the gender they “identify with,” rather then as their biological sex dictates. Often the request comes with the pleade for all those who associate within the organization to “love them as they need to be loved," the meaning of which is that if we can't affirm the gender change of the transgender person we are not "loving them." I spent many hours pondering this question and what the scriptures teach about how to love as Christ would love, to welcome and invite al...

To continue with my study and summary of the Myths of Christianity that the Book of Mormon Refutes (see myth #1 here , myth #2 here ), I will expand upon the second myth I summarized which was the notion of Original Sin. Implied in the traditional Christian theology of Original Sin is the idea that Adam and Eve were sinful and rebellious, and that humans are born sinful and as such little children need to be cleansed of original sin to prevent them from being spiritually lost if they were to die at a young age. The practice of infant baptism, which is much less popular in the Christian world today, was for almost two thousand years believed to be necessary to save a child from eternal damnation. Infants who died without baptism were believed to be lost forever which belief caused great pain for Christians throughout the world. Clearly greater clarity in Christian teaching was needed, and the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon through the gift and power of God was the answer to count...

To continue with my study and summary of the Myths of Christianity that the Book of Mormon Refutes (see myth #1 here ), I will move onto how the Book of Mormon refutes the notion of Original Sin, but to do so, I think it will require some explanation of the Christian theology of Original Sin. I have found in my interactions with Christian friends over the years that the concept of Original Sin as explained in the official declarations of most Christian’s sects is not well understood by parishioners. In fact, most of the time my non-LDS friends respond positively to the LDS teaching of Original Sin, though it is significantly different then main stream Christianity. This is not to say that there is one consistent teaching of this concept throughout Christianity, but that the ancient teachings of the Catholic Church have left a lasting impact even after the reformation. In the standard teachings of the Catholic Church for almost two thousand years, "Original sin was defined as (1)...