Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-08
THIS SHOULD SUFFICE.

We have received n communication
from n friend IN Southern Utah, In re-
Iation to an article IN these columns.
which WAS written In reply to corr
respondent In this county. who stated
that 1t had been contended by some
persons In reference to Jesus Christ,
and "in coming to earth and taking
upon him mortal body. he was sin
full and In need OF repentance and bap-
tlsm for remission of SINS We showed
from the scriptures that this notion Is
erroneous. That In coming into NOR
tality, Christ obeyed the Will of God.
which He did during his entire earthly
career, and that. as It Is written con-
corning Him: ole did no sin and
guile was not found In his mouth" AS
to the baptism OF the Savior. we
showed that He obeyed the law of bap-
tism, not because He had need of re-
pentance or remission OF sin, but that
being exempt from both. He submitted
10 the ordinance. as He stated, that lie
might fulfill all righteousness Our
friend IN the South now comes forward
with this quotation from Hebrews, v;
SO:
Though he were n Son yet learned
he obedience by the things he suffered,
and being made perfect, he became the
author Of eternal salvation unto all
them that obey him. etc.
The writer then argues In the lam
suage following. ana asks us to make
further explanation;
II have always reasoned as follows.
n He had TO learn obedience He was
disobedient before learning obedience,
III He was disobedient He was a sin.
ner. Further. the things which He SUI.
fered were the result of tlisobedienoc or
sin. And again having been made per-
feet He must have been imperfect be-
fore the degree OF perfection was at
tanned; II He was imperfect lie was q
sinner, etc. etc.
The reasoning In the foregoing APP
pears 10 us to be more assumptive
than logical. It does not follow. he-
cause a person learns some law new TO
him and obeys It, that he was previous
Is disobedlent. Ills obedience may be
progressive. AS each fresh condition
II approached and law relating TO II
Is made known, he pursues the path of
obedience, and thus advances toward
perfection IN submission to law as 1t IL
developed.
The conclusion that Christ was a sim
ner. is predlcated upon the assertion
that He was disobedient, while the evil
dences and positive declarations con-
corning him are that He was "obedient
IN all things. unto death, even the
death Of the cross" The things lie
suffered" We're not, as claimed, "the re-
suit OF disobedIence or SIM" that IT,
committed by himself, The doctrine Of
the scriptures. ancient and modern, is
that he who had no sin bore the sins
of others, and that "In His stripes we
are healed" Peter states that Christ
cnce suffered for sins. the just for the
unjust. that He might bring us to God"
II Peter, H.; Is. Paul says For lie
hath made him to be sin for Us who
knew no sin, that we might be made
the Righteousness OF God in him. III
Cor. v! 2l)
The further reasoning that be-
cause It Is written Christ was made
perfect through suferlnss" He was
therefore previously Imperfect and a
sinner" is about as logical as the other
assumption. The perfection alluded to
in the passage quoted does not relate
to moral conduct, but to complete sub