LDS Take --Sin and Repentance

Webster's dictionary defines transgression and sin pretty much the same: "an offense against religious or moral law" and "infringement or violation of a law, command, or duty"

Growing up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I was taught there is a distinction between sin and transgression.

From the Gospel Doctrine Old Testament Teacher's Manual, Lesson 4 

“… We celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall. … Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: ‘I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin.’ …

“This suggested contrast between a sin and a transgression reminds us of the careful wording in the second article of faith: “We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression” (italics added). It also echoes a familiar distinction in the law. Some acts, like murder, are crimes because they are inherently wrong. Other acts, like operating without a license, are crimes only because they are legally prohibited. Under these distinctions, the act that produced the Fall was not a sin—inherently wrong—but a transgression—wrong because it was formally prohibited. These words are not always used to denote something different, but this distinction seems meaningful in the circumstances of the Fall” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 98; or Ensign, Nov. 1993, 73).

Elder Dallin H Oaks also taught there is a difference between sins and mistakes:

 "In teaching the Saints not to accuse one another, the Prophet said, “What many people call sin is not sin” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith, [1976], 193). I believe that the large category of actions that are mistakes rather than sins illustrates the truth of that statement. If we would be more understanding of one another’s mistakes, being satisfied merely to correct and not to chasten or call to repentance, we would surely promote loving and living together in greater peace and harmony." 

Bearing these things in mind, it really irks me when people say that we sin every day, implying there is not a day that goes by that we do not need to pray for forgiveness. [It's not just the LDS that say this.] Not everything we do that has bad consequences is sin. I think it is stupid to imply that no matter what we do in a day, we are sinning. Are there really so many commandments and laws that we cannot remember them all?

Ok. Let's say we do sin every single day. So, now what? We have to repent. How is repentance executed?

1. Recognize your sin
2. Feel sorrow for your sin
3. Forsake your sin
4. Confess your sin
5. Make restitution
6. Forgive others
7. Keep the commandments-- including paying tithing, keeping the Sabbath Holy, obeying the Word of Wisdom, Sustaining Church Authorities, being kind to others, and praying

If you don't do all these things, say the LDS, you have not repented. You are still guilty of your sin. Say your sin was being angry with somebody. You can't just apologize and work on your anger issues-- you have to do a whole lot more. That sin will follow you your whole life if you don't obey all the commandments from that time forth. Since you sin every day, you are never obeying all the commandments, therefore you will never fully repent.

The idea that we are always sinners and can't fully repent can do a lot of damage to our self-worth. We are always made to feel guilty about everything we do. We are never good enough. You might say it keeps us humble, that's why we need a Savior. 

LDS say "Jesus suffered for our sins, that we might not suffer if we would repent." Yet, as shown above, repentance is impossible. According to the LDS, not only did Jesus suffer, but so must I, because I can not ever fully repent.

Not only am I a horrible sinner, even if I try to be a good person, and in need of a Savior to save me from myself, I will also suffer for every wrong that I commit. In this case, what good is a Savior? And what good am I?

A few more points on the LDS perspective: If you commit a sin, repent of it, then commit it again, all your previous sins will return to you, because you have not truly repented. Also, there are tons of articles on LDS.org-- in their publications and magazines about how wonderful a gift repentance is. They teach it to the children in Primary classes as well. They teach it as if repentance is attainable. They teach that repentance is a daily chore. They never say that you cannot truly repent. They only state the steps and tell you how wonderful it is. With all the emphasis on the great gift of repentance, I wonder if any of them stop to consider its futility.

The Parable of the Wheat and Tares

^{The Parable of the Wheat and Tares aka The Parable of the Weeds}

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’

As I was reading through the New Testament, I came across this parable. I found it very interesting in light of my last few months. Jesus seems to be comparing this field with a false belief system. There is some truth there, but some untruths, some harmful components. Wheat and weeds. Jesus seems to be saying that harm can be done if the weeds are pulled out before the crop is mature. 

I like to garden. There have been times when I have thought I should just leave the weeds in my garden. My crops will be stronger as they overcome the weeds and the harvest will be the same. When weeds are pulled, especially if they are as big or bigger than the crops, sometimes they take the crops out with them. However, if I leave the weeds, sometimes they kill the crops by becoming stronger and bigger, shading out my plants and stealing nutrients. Some weeds even look like the crops I want to keep, especially when they are small. When you pull the weeds, there is a risk to pulling out good crops, as they grow close together, sometimes even entangling themselves with one another. One might even come to think that the weed is necessary for the crop's survival.

When the weeds are removed, the crop is spindly and weak. We see the bare dirt and think of all we have lost. It takes time for the garden to recover, for the good plants to grow and flourish. We have to give them care and nourishment.They will recover, and when they do, they will be stronger than ever before.

In my life's garden, I would much rather pull my weeds out when I recognize them as such. I don't like to live with weeds in my life. Sometimes raw truth hurts. It can seem to turn the world upside down. I have been hurt by the truth, because it was not what I thought it was. It was disguised, but in the long run, truth does much more good than bad. 

It's much more difficult to know what to do when it comes to other people. Sometimes weeds masquerade as good crops. We can be fooled into thinking that weeds will bring forth good fruit. When somebody points out that our prize crop of thorns will never bring forth roses, will we be angry or grateful that we don't have to waste time any longer on things that are worthless? Between spending time on false crops and feeling the emptiness of bare ground when the weeds are removed, there can be a lot of pain associated with cleaning up a garden. When you see your friends and family spending time nurturing weeds while their true crops could be so much bigger and brighter, what do you do? Will they appreciate you telling them they are wrong, or will they just get angry and continue in their delusions?

I think in this parable, Jesus is telling us that many people are not ready to see the weeds for what they are. He is saying it will do harm to remove the weeds before the people tending them are ready to recognize them. I can see his point.

Yet, as my garden grows with a lot less weeds and masquerading crops in it, I can see the bare spots begin to fill in. I can see the beauty of my garden develop. I can take the time to examine new weeds and recognize old weeds for what they are and remove them from my garden. I want that for my loved ones, I want to tell them about the weeds I am learning about. I want them to be able to pull them from their gardens, too. Alas, it seems I have to be careful. I have to check to see I am not offending them. I have to make sure I don't suggest their prize thorn-bush will not bring forth the expected roses. As much as I hate watching them waste time nourishing their cherished weeds, I cannot remove the delusion from them. Chances are, if I tried, they would hate me and think me a liar. I have to wait until they start seeing their own weeds for what they are, before I can give them the hope I have, that it's ok to get rid of their weeds, and reassure them that they still have crops in there that will continue to grow and mature.

The teachings of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the one Christians look to for the basis of their faith. We've all seen the WWJD jewelry to remind us to behave like Jesus, or for Mormons, the CTR jewelry, reminding us to Choose the Right like Jesus would want us to. The whole of western religion is built upon this deified man who lived two thousand years ago, yet there are only three small books in scripture that deal exclusively with the life of Jesus-- and much of that on deifying him. The life of this man has influenced countless lives, yet most boil it down to being "good" and loving each other. Is this all there is to it, or is there something more. Since I couldn't think of anything beyond that, I decided to go through the new testament and see what I could find from what Jesus taught. Here are my findings:

These are good things I believe can we learn from Jesus:

Love yourself.

• Education is important (Matthew 4:4)
• Don't do stupid things (self-harm), even if you believe you are invincible. (Matthew 4:5-7, Luke 4:9-12)
• Be true to yourself. Don't sell your convictions for money, treasure, or power. (Matthew 4: 8-10, Luke 4:6-8)
• Have empathy, kindness, and seek to be better. (Matthew 5:3-11)
• Don't hide the good that is in you. It brings variety and joy to the lives of those around you. (Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 25:14-28)
• Be questioning. Search for answers. (Matthew 7:7-8)
• Don't dwell in the past. (Matthew 8:18-22)
• Be teachable. (Matthew 13:1-9; Mark 4:2-8; Luke 8:4-8)

Love others

• Don't be angry with people. If you have a disagreement, make up quickly before there are bad consequences. (Matthew 5:21-26)
• Don't judge others. (Matthew 7:1-6; Luke 6:37)
• Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Matthew 7:9-12)
• Relationships with other humans can be stronger than family ties. (Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:33-34)
• Watch what you say! Only good things should come out of your mouth. (Matthew 15:11, Mark 7:15)
•  Forgive always. (Matthew 18:21-22) [It is good for the peace of your being to not hold grudges. This does not mean you should let people abuse you or take advantage of you. It is possible to forgive without allowing situations to repeat.] 
• Divorce is bad. (Matthew 19:1-12, Mark 10:1-12) [Ok, so in general, divorce is certainly not ideal, but there are many reasons it can be right for a couple. I think the point here is not to take your marriage covenants lightly.]
• Don't dwell on what others get. Life is not fair. (Matthew 20:1-16)
• Importance is gained by what you give others. Serve others. (Matthew 20:24-28)
• Take care of the people around you. (Matthew 25:31-45) [This should not mean to give to others to the point of your own impoverishment.]

Hate hypocrisy.

• Don't brag about being good. (Matthew 6:1-18)
• Don't believe flatterers. Observe their "fruit" to know if they are good people. (Matthew 7:15-20, Luke 6:43-45)
• Tell the truth. Do what you say you will do. (Matthew 21:28-31)
• Only teach what you, yourself, live. (Matthew 23:1-12)

 Teachings of Jesus I cannot agree with:

• Thoughts are as bad as actions. (Matthew 5:27-30) [Actually murdering somebody or committing adultery are way worse than just thinking about it. That said, however, it's probably a good thing to not let our thoughts/fantasies get the better of us. A stray thought isn't bad. Dwelling on certain thoughts can be bad for you psychologically, though, and might lead to the committing into action of those thoughts.]
• Let people take advantage of you. (Matthew 5:38-42; Luke 6:34) [What? No. Not good. Being a doormat only makes you a target for people without scruples. Bad advice.]
• Love your enemies. (Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-36) [How about, "don't hold grudges"? Loving enemies would entail double think and cognitive dissonance. No, thank you!]
• Don't save money or dwell on its existence. In fact get rid of any material thing you have accumulated. God will take care of you. (Matthew 6:19-34; Matthew 19:16-30; Mark: 12:41-44; Luke 12:13-34) [This is just stupid. Save for a rainy day. Enjoy wealth, if you have it. Help others with your money, if you desire. If you don't have money, well sure, don't spend your strength worrying about it when you can (or can't) do something about it. Maybe this is just Jesus' way of trying to dispel worry and take a jab at rich people at the same time.]
• Love God with your whole might, soul, and mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 37-40, Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:27) [I give love to those who are worthy of my love. It is a waste of energy and heart to do otherwise. I cannot love a God who I do not know even exists, and if he does exist, does not manifest himself to me. Also, as far as loving my neighbor as myself, sorry, but that is just not feasible. It would entail all sorts of psychological intricacies I cannot begin to deal with. I can, however, accept being kind to those around me.] 
• Be a pacifist. (Matthew 26:52) [I believe you should defend yourself and your loved ones even unto death.] 
• Be like a child. (Mark 10:13-16) [I can understand how people interpret this to mean " be humble" and "be teachable" and "be forgiving". I believe we should always be advancing. We are constantly growing in our understanding, and that is a good thing. We should not be gullible and always believing as a child is. We learn as we develop, and that should never be discarded. It is best to be ourselves and not childish.] 
  
• You can do anything if you just believe. (recurrent theme) [While having positive thoughts can be important, you can NOT do anything just by believing.]
• The "kingdom of heaven" is worth giving up everything for. (recurrent theme) [Not for me.]

Practice Teaching in the MTC

As I was preparing to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I spent some time in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. Within the Training Center is an area with little rooms. These rooms are furnished as living room apartments. As I remember it, the room had one wall that was one way glass so that we could be watched and evaluated.

People from the community are brought in, and we had to practice teaching them. We were told that some of them were members of the church and some were not, so we should try our best, because we may make a difference in these peoples lives. Of course we didn't know. I don't know whether these people were volunteers or paid for their service-- but a bit of current research uncovers this pdf that shows that they were all temple-worthy volunteers, or at least are so now.

My companion and I were shown into a room. I don't remember if we knocked on the door first, or what. Probably. We sat down across from an older man, with a coffee table between us. We proceeded to teach the discussion. At that time, they were written word for word in little booklets we were supposed to memorize. The man started out by being difficult. Unfortunately, I don't remember specifics. neither I nor my companion were very outgoing individuals, and we were stunned to silence. Neither of us spoke. In fact she nudged my leg and said under her breathe, "talk". I didn't know what to say, I think by that time we were both in tears. I did finally say something, the man softened up considerably, and we finished the lesson.

After the lesson, we were supposed to pray with the man. It was expected. It was written in the booklet, even. This was a fake lesson, I couldn't very well pray that this man would feel the Spirit to be converted or want to be baptized. I didn't know this man, only his fake life. I had no idea how I could pretend to pray. I didn't know that we truly had anything in common to pray about, and how that would relate to this fake teaching experience. Was I supposed to fake-pray or real pray? Fake-praying went against everything in my heart. I could not do it. It was wrong. If I was supposed to real-pray, I didn't know what to pray for. I think I just said something non-descript, certainly without feeling, and got the heck out of there.

I hated that experience! I am not a fake person. I wanted to teach the gospel. I wanted to help people. I didn't want to pretend to teach people. I didn't want to fake anything, especially prayer to my Father in Heaven. It felt wrong. Very wrong. I got past it at the time, but I found it greatly disturbing. I felt the Gospel was true, but some of the practices of the church were very much wrong. This was one of them.

Race and the Priesthood

The LDS Church has the following article on their website: Race and the Priesthood

I have an issue with the information they present in their article. Quotes from the above webpage are in red.

"Over time, Church leaders and members advanced many theories to explain the priesthood and temple restrictions. None of these explanations is accepted today as the official doctrine of the Church." 

and

"Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form."

These statements bother me, because the following "theory" was not only accepted as church doctrine, but canonized in scripture:

"According to one view, which had been promulgated in the United States from at least the 1730s, blacks descended from the same lineage as the biblical Cain, who slew his brother Abel. Those who accepted this view believed that God’s “curse” on Cain was the mark of a dark skin."

Though the Mormon scriptures say this:

2Nephi 26:33
 33  For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

It  does not change the fact that the scriptures also say that dark skin is a curse from God, as the following scripture references present:

 Moses 7:22

 22 And Enoch also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam; and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam save it was the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, and had not place among them.

Moses 7:8
 8 For behold, the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof shall go forth forever; and there was a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people.

Genesis 4:15
 15 And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

Now you can argue that it doesn't say what sort of mark the Lord set upon Cain, but the word "mark" is cross-referenced in LDS scripture to:

Alma 3:7
7  And their brethren sought to destroy them, therefore they were cursed; and the Lord God set a mark upon them, yea, upon Laman and Lemuel, and also the sons of Ishmael, and Ishmaelitish women.

which is then cross referenced to:

1Nephi 12:23
23  And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.

Further evidence in LDS scripture which shows that dark skin is a curse from God:

2Nephi 5:21
 21 And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.

2Nephi 2:15
 15 And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites;

Alma 3:6
 6 And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men.

Jacob 3:5
 5 Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them.


As you can see, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in an effort to distance itself from racist accusations, have been less than honest about their own scripture, posting that dark skin as a curse is not, nor has ever been doctrinal and was just a wrong theory held in belief by some. LDS apologetics, FairMormon, have even gone so far as to write a new article (Dec 2013)which suggests the word "skin", in the above references, is not literal, but only symbolic and was only seen with the spiritual eye. Isn't it funny how words change their meaning in order to fit into some preconceived notions (the church is true so I have to change how I understand things in order to fit into their published articles)?

How to help Friends/Family who have left the Mormon Church

This is a pretty good, non-antimormon video produced to help people deal with friends and family who have historical or doctrinal reasons for leaving the LDS Church.

There are a few points I wish Mr. Dehlin would have explained/addressed further. For instance, that Joseph Smith was not only married to over 30 women and teenagers, but engaged in intimate relations with them, in some cases even fathering their children. (there's plenty of documented historical sources on the web, but maybe not any "approved church sources"?) Also, specifically how current apologetics/policies/statements directly contradict approved scripture. I'd like to see more of this, so I'll personally address some of it later. Overall, though, I think Mr. Dehlin did a good job. I hope much social good can come from him and his video