From: af664@yfn.ysu.edu (Frank DeCenso, Jr.)
Subject: MORMONISM VS. THE BIBLE (The Doctrine of Man)
Organization: Youngstown State/Youngstown Free-Net
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:19:32 GMT


THE DOCTRINE OF MAN
 
Mormonism: Each person's essence, his intelligence, has always existed and 
so was never created. Man is as eternal as God Himself. (_Journal of 
Discourses_, X, pg. 5; _D & C_, 93.29)
Bible: All men are a creation of God and had no prior existence before their 
earthly life. (Gen 2:18-25 "And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man 
should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." Out of the 
ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air,
and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam 
called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all 
cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for 
Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the LORD God caused 
a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and 
closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken 
from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said:
"This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man shall leave his father and 
mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they 
were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."; Job 38:1-7 
"Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: "Who is this who 
darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; 
I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the 
foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined 
its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what 
were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning 
stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?")
 
Mormonism: Each person's spiritual body (which looks like his earthly body) 
that clothed his intelligence in the pre-existent state was formed by the 
sexual union of the Father and one of His spirit wives. (_The Seer_, Orson 
Pratt, pg. 37)
Bible: Man did not pre-exist and the Father had no wife. (Isa 46:9 "Remember 
the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and 
there is none like Me)
 
Mormonism: Adam's fall in the Garden of Eden was a "fall upward" that was not 
sinful, but rather necessary for the propagation of the human race. (_Journal 
of Discourses_, Vol. 13, pg. 145; Vol. 10, pg. 312; _Pearl of Great Price_, 
Moses 5:10-12; _Doctrines of Salvation_, Vol. 1, pgs. 114-115)
Bible: Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden caused spiritual and physical death 
for all persons. (Gen 3:16-24 "To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply 
your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your 
desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you." Then to Adam 
He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from 
the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed 
is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your 
life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat 
the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you 
return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to 
dust you shall return. And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was 
the mother of all living. Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics 
of skin, and clothed them. Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become
like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and 
take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--therefore the LORD 
God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was 
taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the 
garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way 
to the tree of life.; Rom 5:12-21 "Therefore, just as through one man sin 
entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, 
because all sinned--(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not 
imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, 
even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the 
transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free 
gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much 
more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ,
abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one 
who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in 
condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in 
justification. For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one,
much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness
will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one 
man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so 
through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in 
justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners,
so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law 
entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded 
much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through 
righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.")
 
Mormonism: Adam's fall in the Garden of Eden "became a necessary, honorable 
act in carrying out the plan of the Almighty". (_Joseph Smith - Seeker After 
Truth_, pg. 160)
Bible: Man's sin is not the result of the plan of God. (James 1:13-17 "Let 
no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted
by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is 
drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it 
gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not
be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is 
from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no 
variation or shadow of turning.")
 
Mormonism: Man has the potential of becoming God, just as Christ did; man is 
king of kings and lord of lords in embryo. (_Times and Seasons_, 8-1-1844; 
_Journal of Discourses_, Vol. 10, pg. 223; _History of the Church_, Vol. 6, 
pg. 306; _Doctrine and Covenants_, 132.20)
Bible: God alone has been and always shall be God. (Isa 43:10 ""You are My 
witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may 
know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God 
formed, Nor shall there be after Me."; Isa 44:8 "Do not fear, nor be afraid; 
Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is 
there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.'"; Isa 
46:9 "Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; 
I am God, and there is none like Me")
 
Mormonism: A baptized Mormon convert has his Gentile blood purged and replaced
by the blood of Abraham via the Holy Spirit. Thus he becomes the actual 
offspring of Abraham. (_History of the Church_, Vol. 3, pg. 380; _Journal of 
Discourses_, Vol. 2, pg. 269)
Bible: True believers in Jesus Christ become Abraham's "offspring" in the 
sense that they become heirs of the promises of God, as did Abraham. 
(Gal 3:26-29 "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For 
as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is 
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male 
nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then
you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.")
 
 
Adapted from _The Mormon Mystique_, American Tract Society
   
-- 
Frank
....
"Forever, O LORD, your word is settled in heaven."  PSALM 119:89
"The entirety of Your word is truth."  PSALM 119:160
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