What Do Mormons Really Believe?: Part II

What Do Mormons Really Believe? Part II
Article of Faith #2

This is Part Two of my series on what members of the Church ofJesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, sometimes called "Mormons"believe (though according to the church's press guidelines that is notthe preferred name of church members). For the introduction to the series, I encourage you to read it here. Also please remember that I am a member of the church, so my views do come from the church, though I do not claim to provide the official view; I'll leave it to the church to do that (see, for example, www.mormon.org)

And just as a reminder, the intent of these articles is not to attack or demean other faiths or to cause any kind of contention or argument. They are written to simply outline the beliefs of church members in as straightforward a way as possible. I have no intention to convince, trick or deceive anyone. Indeed, this is far from the mind of anyfaithful member of the church. We realize full well that spiritualmatters are deeply personal and can only be accessed through study, reflection, and with the aid of the Divine.

The Articles of Faith were written by Joseph Smith Jr., whom church members take to be a prophet and the first leader of the church in our time. They were written to clarify the church's position about many fundamental issues.

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Article of Faith #2:

We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.

This one needs little commentary, perhaps. Of course, it says "men" because women just don't sin, I guess! [grin] As a quick introduction: just as I would not be punished for my great grandfather's robbing of the stage coach near Tombstone, Arizona in 1887, the church teaches us that we will not be punished for the sin that Adam did. However, Adam's actions in the Garden of Eden affect us greatly!

For this installment, I mostly quote from the church's website, with just a few changes for clarity in the context here on Gather.com:

Members of the church believe that Adam and Eve were the first of God's children to come to Earth. They were created in God's image, and He placed them in the Garden of Eden. Here they did not remember their former existence though they were still able to enjoy God's presence and could have lived forever.

As Heavenly Father has blessed all of His children with the freedom to choose, Adam and Eve were given agency (an important word to church members) to make their own choices on the earth. God commanded them not to eat the forbidden fruit (i.e., the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil). Obeying this commandment meant they could remain in the garden, but they could not grow and learn by experiencing what mortality has to offer. They could not know joy because they could not experience sorrow and pain. Thus, as a part of the plan Satan was allowed to tempt Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit and they chose to do so. As a consequence, they were separated from God's presence physically and spiritually--an event referred to as "the Fall". Adam and Eve then became mortal--subject to sin and death--and were unable to return to Heavenly Father without the help of a Savior--Jesus Christ. They could now also experience disease and all types of suffering. They had moral agency, or the ability to choose between good and evil, which made it possible for them to learn and progress. It also made it possible for them to make wrong choices and to sin. In addition, they could now have children, so the rest of God's children could come to Earth and obtain physical bodies. All this was in accordance with the plan of God. Only in this way could God's children progress and grow to their full potential.

Heavenly Father then sent angels and the Holy Ghost to teach Adam and Eve what church members call "the Plan of Salvation"--or the plan by which God's children are enabled to learn, grow, and return to him, based on their faithfulness in keeping His commandments. Central to this Plan is the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which enables God's children to overcome the effects of the Fall and to obtain eternal life by obedience.

So while the church teaches us that we are not responsible for the Fall of Adam and Eve, it is easy to realize that we are responsible for our own sins.

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I hope this is interesting and helpful! Thanks for reading!

Next: Article of Faith #3