Too many modern churches erroneously teach that you can be forgiven for your sins while you continue to sin. They teach that the Lord’s atonement makes it possible to fulfill the required sacrifice of your heart, might, mind, and strength with something much easier, much less consistent, and much less enduring.1 They teach that as long as you go to church, keep a list of rules, pay tithes,2 receive a list of religious rites,3 or simply profess that you believe that Jesus exists,4 God will forgive you of the ways in which you choose to think, feel, and act differently than you believe he would in your place.
These churches ignore the sacrifice and purpose of the Lord, preaching a watered down version of the law of Moses, where continued proxy sacrifices absolve believers for failing to come up to and become like God. The law of Moses wasn’t provided as a substitute for full obedience to God, nor given because the people couldn’t obey more. The law of Moses was given as a remedial measure,5 because the people wouldn’t obey more.6 Instead of repeating what the
Israelites did to foment the wrath of God,554 we ought to reach for the better way of what they were first offered the opportunity of doing— serving him with their whole souls.
Footnotes
- 1. And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God —he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God. (2 Nephi 28:8) Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity. (Mormon 8:31) ↩
- 2. Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up that shall say: Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins. (Mormon 8:32) ↩
- 3. The performance of ordinances without the cessation of sin does not save sinners. Performing ordinances without first repenting from one’s sins “is mockery before God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and putting trust in dead works.” (Moroni 8:23) These ordinances are meant to come through “faith unto the fulfilling of the commandments,” as it is “the fulfilling [of] the commandments [that] bringeth remission of sins.” (Moroni 8:25) ↩
- 4. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19) ↩
- 5. Yet the Lord God saw that his people were a stiffnecked people, and he appointed unto them a law, even the law of Moses. (Mosiah 3:14) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (Galatians 3:10) ↩
- 6. And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. (Exodus 20:18-19) ↩