After the Holy Spirit brought me to faith, it took a few months before I understood the differences between Christianity and Mormonism. For a short time, I didn’t realize that the Mormon Church was not Christian. The Jesus I had been taught about while I was Mormon seemed to be the same Jesus as what the Bible taught. It wasn’t until I did a thorough Bible study on Christ’s Atonement, that I discovered the truth. The Jesus taught by Mormonism is a false Christ! He is not the “Christ” who saved us “in our sins”.
While Mormonism teaches similar aspects about the “person” of Jesus as that found in the Bible, the falseness of the LDS Christ becomes apparent when one looks at his stated purpose and mission. I have found numerous ways in which the LDS Jesus falls short of the true Jesus, as revealed on the pages of the Bible. I have already written a post comparing the LDS Jesus as Creditor with the Biblical Jesus as Savior; and, a post comparing the LDS Jesus as Exemplar with the Biblical Jesus who was our Substitute. Today, I focus on comparing the LDS Jesus who cannot save his people in their sins, with the true Christ who took away the sins of the world!
The Christ of Mormonism is a false Christ. We know this because LDS prophets testify that Christ cannot save his people “in their sins”! They make this claim because they believe the words of a false prophet, found on the pages of LDS scripture. This prophet, Amulek, taught of a false Christ who did not have the authority to save his people “in their sins“. Amulek claims that the reason, is because “no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins.”
How can we know that this Christ is not the true Christ, the very Son of God? By testing his mission and purpose, as revealed by Mormonism; with Christ’s mission and purpose, already revealed within the pages of the Bible.
The true Christ’s mission was to take away ALL our sins, leaving us “no longer in our sins”! The Apostle Paul claimed that if Christ had not been raised from the dead, then their faith was in vain because they would still be in their sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17) The fact that Christ was raised from the dead meant that they were no longer in their sins!
John the Baptist testified that Christ’s mission was to take away the sins of the world! (John 1:29). Did Jesus fulfill His mission and return to His Father with honor? Did He take away the sins of the world? Yes!! The empty tomb, the fact that God the Father raised Him from the dead, proves that Christ’s body was accepted as full payment for taking away the sins of the world.
Because the tomb was empty on that first Easter morn, we can trust that we are no longer in our sins! Through the offering of Christ’s body, every sin was taken away from you. All who believe in Jesus can boldly enter into God’s presence, because they are no longer in their sins! When Jesus took away the sins of the world, He reconciled man to God! You are no longer unclean, because Christ’s blood has washed you clean!!!
No longer “in our sins” we are perfect, righteous, and pure. Through the offering of Christ’s body, “He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:10-14). Those whose hope is in the true Christ are as pure as Jesus himself (1 John 3). Just like Abraham, you are declared righteous through faith (Romans 4:20-5:2).
Many of the Jewish leaders didn’t believe that Jesus was the Christ. They thought that Christ’s mission was to overthrow the Romans and set up an earthly kingdom. But this was a vision of a false Christ! Jesus warned the Jews who did not believe in Him: “ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins (John 8:24). The logic here is that if the Jews would just believe in the true Christ they would not die in their sins.
Similarly, if you trust in the words of your LDS prophets, you also believe in the vision of a false Christ. One who cannot, will not, save you in your sins. Just as Jesus warned the Jews, He gives you the same warning: “if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins”. Dying in your sins means Eternal Death. Do you love your children and wish to live with them eternally? Reject the false Christ of Mormonism and in faith, turn to the true Jesus who has already saved you. Then, teach your children about the true Christ, who has already saved them in their sins!
Latter-day Saint Woman 
bangkokjaap said,
April 18, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Being saved in your sins means that you cannot use Christ’s atonement in the way that you still have a desire to sin. This is a grossly misconstrued idea of Mormon atonement.
What makes your Christ any different?
royaltonmd said,
May 3, 2009 at 3:38 pm
LDSwoman,
I am having a difficult time believing you are an honest person after reading this article.
catzgalore said,
May 5, 2009 at 5:19 pm
royaltonmd, On what are you basing your attack on LDSwoman?
royaltonmd said,
May 6, 2009 at 10:58 am
catzgalore,
LDS woman states plainly that LDS believe Christ cannot save. Her twisting of the Book of Mormon passage is not honest in the least, but typical of evangelical critics who ironically lose almost all ethical principles in defaming the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Amulek was preaching to the people of the city Ammonihah- a people who were of the order of Nehor. This was a group of people who did not believe in Christ or repentence. He was telling the people that Christ was real and that they needed to repent and accept Him. I find it amazing that the message of Amulek is somehow painted as anti-Christ, or that of a false prophet. LDS woman either is blatantly lying or she clearly does not understand the text of the Book of Mormon.
I suppose if he is a false prophet, then the prophets in the Bible who preached repentence were also false.
Here is an equally “fair” description of evangelical belief:
Evangelicals do not care about Christ’s suffering. Why? Because they do not believe we need to do any works. Keeping the commandments is work on our part. To not keep the commandments is sin. And Christ suffered for sin. So, since evangelicals do not believe we have to keep the commandments, they therefore do not care about Christ’s suffering. Hence, they are against Christ.
This is the logic employed by LDS woman.
royalton
latterdaysaintwoman said,
May 9, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Royalton,
I am confused that you could accuse me of blatantly lying or that maybe I don’t understand the text of the Book of Mormon. In the link given at the end of my post, I provided ample evidence of official quotes from LDS Prophets and Apostles as proof that I was not distorting LDS teaching. I did not use my own interpretation, and, as always, I turned to LDS leaders to explain their own doctrine.
At that link I provide Elder Burton’s own interpretation of what the Prophet Amulek meant: “Exaltation comes as a gift from God, dependent upon my obedience to God’s law. No works I do solely of my own power can bring this to pass. Only by the grace of God has this course been opened to me, but only through obedience to the laws of God can I claim my inheritance in the celestial kingdom of my Heavenly Father as a son within his family. I cannot be exalted in my sins, but must work until I overcome them. Amulek the prophet explained this most clearly as he said of God: “And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins.” (Alma 11:37.)
Also provided was this quote from True to the Faith: “Note that you cannot be saved in your sins; you cannot receive unconditional salvation simply by declaring your belief in Christ with the understanding that you will inevitably commit sins throughout the rest of your life (see Alma 11:36–37). Through the grace of God, you can be saved from your sins (see Helaman 5:10–11).”
You will have to be more specific to explain how I twisted these Book of Mormon passages. LDS Prophets teach Christ does save man from their sins. Christ does so by providing the unconditional “gift” of immortality (physical resurrection). With this supposed glorious “gift” mankind now has the ability to be saved by obedience to God’s laws. Man can’t be saved “in” his sins, because each sin must be repented of, through the LDS process of repentance.
latterdaysaintwoman said,
May 9, 2009 at 2:33 pm
bangkokjaap said,
You asked: “What makes your Christ any different?”
The Christ paid the entire debt of sin, owed to Justice. That was His mission, to pay for the sins of the world. Because Justice has been paid, Mercy reigns. His blood covers over every sin.
I also refer you to my post of January 6th titled “Is Jesus your Creditor or your Savior?”. Or, my post asking if Jesus is your Exemplar or your Substitute?
jayneisagirlsname said,
June 13, 2009 at 10:47 am
I believe this is a prime example of taking things out of context, and taking things too literally. So much of what is said in the Bible is figurative or allegorical, and that just isn’t what we’re used to seeing in our literature. Christ can not save us “in our sins”, because when we are “in our sins” we have not accepted him and have not come to recognize our sins as such. That is the basis of Mormon repentance, as well. We must recognize that we are sinning, and stop our sinning. Otherwise, what is the point in calling it a sin? If Jesus automatically cleans everyone of sin, why would God tell us what is and isn’t a sin? Shouldn’t we just live as we wish? Any Christian will tell you that we shouldn’t sin, that we should live as God wants us to, because those sins are called such in order to make our lives better by avoiding them.
latterdaysaintwoman said,
June 14, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Jayneisagirlsname, you wrote:
“Any Christian will tell you that we shouldn’t sin, that we should live as God wants us to, because those sins are called such in order to make our lives better by avoiding them. If Jesus automatically cleans everyone of sin, why would God tell us what is and isn’t a sin? Shouldn’t we just live as we wish?”
I understand your reasoning because I used to think like you do. I always assumed that when someone claimed they didn’t have to do any works to be saved, that meant they didn’t want to do any works at all. But, this is not true! Just because I say I don’t have to do anything to be saved does not mean that I don’t live as God wants me to. My life is devoted to God because of His mercy shown to me.
Think of a relationship with a husband or a child. Why does a woman do loving things for those she loves? Because of her love! Not because she is trying to earn something for herself. This is also how a person in love with Jesus and God express their love! We love Him and desire to please Him by doing what He asks of us. It’s the love and gratitude for what God and Jesus have done for us that compels us to do works (2 Corinthians 14-15). We already have salvation, so we are free to serve God because of our love for Him.
Think of the questions you asked: “If Jesus automatically cleans everyone of sin, why would God tell us what is and isn’t a sin? Shouldn’t we just live as we wish?”
Jesus has cleansed me of all of my sins and guess what? I do live as I wish!! It is my wish to live a life devoted to God, because Jesus has cleansed me of my sins! I do live as I wish–serving God every minute of every day!
rblandjr said,
August 3, 2009 at 6:49 am
Ldsw,
After reading the article and the other links you have that give the Biblical references. As well as BOM quotes, and other quotes from LDS leadership it seems to me that you have hit the nail on the head. I do feel that you have stated it in a loving manner. Sometimes the truth can be difficult to take. You have spoken the truth in love. My question is, What are we going to do with what Christ said, ” If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins and where I am ye cannot go.”
latterdaysaintwoman said,
August 4, 2009 at 8:24 am
Hi rblandjr,
I can’t remember, is your name Robert?
You asked:
“My question is, What are we going to do with what Christ said, ” If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins and where I am ye cannot go.””
I’m not sure what passage you are referencing. You have all the words in quotes, but this isn’t from John 8. Are you combining two different passages?
Also, I am unsure as to what you mean by your question. I know what I, as a Christian am doing with what Jesus said. I am witnessing the truth to my Mormon people!
Becki
rblandjr said,
August 4, 2009 at 8:44 pm
LDSW,
It is Richard. I made a mistake when I quoted the verse. It was from John 8, but I combined verses 21 and 24 together. Guess I need to check them out to make sure I have quoted them correctly. My question is what do we do in reponse to what Christ has taught in his word in these verses. We can either receive or reject, beleive or be condemened.
latterdaysaintwoman said,
August 5, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Richard,
That’s OK, you must have what I have–old age memory confusion. What can we do in response to what Jesus taught? I pray that ALL who have been brought to faith by the Holy Spirit will not reject the faith they have been given. Believe and receive!!!
Joel Duggins said,
April 29, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Perhaps this may clarify this long-buried discussion. “Saving someone in there sins” can mean two things. If my understanding is correct, the LDS teaching is essentially that God cannot “save” you until you have moved outside of your sins, whereas the Christian (My apologies to those who would say that the LDS church is Christian. I happen to disagree) belief is that it is God’s saving us that moves us outside of our sins.
Massey Nathanael said,
August 13, 2010 at 10:50 am
Jayne–We must recognize that we are sinning, and stop our sinning.
me–I could not agree more but this we can’t do on our own
for example “if I stole a candy bar I then told myself that maybe I shouldn’t have stolen it, but I eat it anyway; with every intenition of not stealing another one, but because I have tasted that candy I convince myself that the taste was worth it thus I steal another one.
Now if I steal that candy bar but Christ confirms that I do wrong I would not want to steal again because I have Christ to help me know without a doubt that it’s a sin to steal
-I hope that makes sense
Jayne-why would God tell us what is and isn’t a sin?
Me–The Christ tells us just like He told to prostitute “Go and sin no more”
Could we sin no more if we did not know what sin is? no it would be impossible we would the sin without the intention of sinning because we would be afraid that what we were not doing might be a sin!
That is why God defines sin for us
Jayne-because those sins are called such in order to make our lives better by avoiding them.
Me-again this is a statment that can be agreed upon in part
We cannot avoid them on our own-if we try that just leads to us sinning all the more; For example
I am psychically challenging and because of that I feel shame because I can’t do certain things–now I believe that the feeling of shame is a sin–if I make an effort on my part to stop feeling that shame; that makes me feel better in the short term-but
if God says I sent my ONLY son to die so you would know I LOVE YOU so stop feeling that shame–I then have a REASON to keep those feelings of shame away–thus I will not get angry..etc–which leads to even more sins
Jayne; I must ask can YOU stop sinning by yourself!