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 