MORMON OPPOSITION TO THE CROSS
May it never be that I would boast,
except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galations 6:14, KJV)
"........ such a custom is repugnant and contrary to the true worship of our Redeemer. Why should we bow down before a cross or use it as a symbol? Because our Savior died on the cross, the wearing of crosses is to most Latter-day Saints in very poor taste and inconsistent to our worship ..... We may be definitely sure that if our Lord had been killed with a dagger or with a sword, it would have been very strange indeed if religious people of this day would have graced such a weapon by wearing it and adoring it because it was by such a means that our Lord was put to death." (Answers to Gospel Questions, Volume 4, pages 17-18).The above quotation reveals that the fact Mormons do not understand the true purpose of the cross. Instead, they teach that Christ's atonement took place primarily in the Garden of Gethsemane. They also maintain that His atonement merely reversed the curse of death that was the consequence of the fall, hereby guaranteeing universal resurrection, regardless of our beliefs or lack of them, and that this opened up the way for us to earn the right to forgiveness of our own personal sins. But this is not what the Bible teaches. Nevertheless, the third LDS article of faith states, "We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the [LDS] gospel." And they claim that there is no salvation apart from the LDS church.
But now hath he [Christ] obtained a more excellent ministry, [compared to the ministry of Moses under the law] by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. (Hebrews 8:6, KJV)Nevertheless, even under the Old Covenant, God never ever told the Israelites that they would have to earn the right to forgiveness their sins, as the LDS church insists that we need to do under the New (and better) Covenant. God knows that fallen mankind does not have the wherewithal to do such a thing. So instead, in His mercy, under the Old Covenant He instituted the sacrificial system. When a man sinned he was required to provide a flawless animal to be his substitutionary sacrifice. But before the animal was slain, the man had to place his hand on its head to indicate that it was his substitute and would die in his place to cover his own personal sin (Leviticus 4:27-31, Numbers 15:22-26). This was a graphic picture of the coming, promised Messiah, who would take our sins upon Himself and then die a substitutionary death, in our place, on our behalf.
..... Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29, KJV)The altar upon which Christ was sacrificed was the cross at Calvary. And just as the sinner under the Old Covenant had to identify his sacrificial substitute, so we too, in order to attain forgiveness of sins under the New Covenant, need to identify Christ as being our substitute who bore our sins, in our place. And we do this by putting our faith in Him, his shed blood and His atoning sacrificial death on the cross.
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man take it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again ..... (John 10:17-18, KJV) (Italics inserted by writer.)The LDS detracts from the true meaning of the cross twice over, firstly by saying that the cross was where Christ was killed, intimating that the cross was nothing more than an instrument of execution, and then secondly compounding this by wrongly teaching that Christ's atonement took place primarily in the Garden of Gethsemane. One can't help but wonder what their motivation is in teaching these false doctrines, as they will not be found anywhere in the pages of the Bible, no matter how long or hard you search. On the contrary, the above scriptures very clearly tell us that Christ atoned for our sins on the cross at Calvary. Christ was fully aware that His suffering and death on the cross was the terrible price He would have to pay to cancel our debt of sin. But He voluntarily and selflessly chose to go through with it, for the likes of us:
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43, KJV)
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed [from the ravages of sin]. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. ..... (Isaiah 53:5-6, KJV) (Editor's italics)
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. (Acts 8:30-35, KJV)
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3, KJV)
... Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24, KJV)
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. (John 12: 31-33, KJV).
(Christ said:) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15, KJV)
From that time forth began Jesus to shrew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. (Matthew 16:21, KJV)
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51, KJV)
"The cross is the dynamo which generates in the human heart that response which constitutes the Christian life. 'I'll live for Him who died for me,' states the dynamic of the cross. The Christian life is the soul's reaction to the love of Christ. The cross of Christ inspires true repentance ....." (Knowing the Doctrines of the Bible, Part Two)
"The first effect (of the atonement) is to secure to all mankind alike, exemption from the penalty of the fall, thus, providing a plan of General Salvation. The second effect is to open a way for Individual Salvation whereby mankind may secure remission of personal sins. As these sins are the result of individual acts, it is just that forgiveness for them should be conditioned on individual compliance with prescribed requirements, obedience to the laws and ordinances of the [LDS] Gospel" (Articles of Faith, LDS Apostle James E. Talmage, page 87).However, the following scriptures prove without a shadow of a doubt, that Christ was crucified to pay the full price of all the sins of those who trust in Him for salvation:
"Salvation is twofold: General, that which comes to all men irrespective of a belief (in this life) in Christ, and Individual, that which man merits through his own acts through life and by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the [Mormon] gospel" (Doctrines of Salvation, Volume I, page 134, LDS President and Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith).
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross (Colossians 2:13-14, KJV) (Emphasis by editor. Note that the Garden of Gethsemane is not mentioned as being the place of Christ's atonement, only the cross.)
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3, KJV)
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10, KJV)
... Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood (Revelation 1:5, KJV)
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23-24, KJV)Christians wear a cross as a testimony of their allegiance to Christ and as a symbol of their faith in His atonement for their sin through His sacrificial, substitutionary sacrifice on their behalf on the cross. And churches that follow the teachings of the Bible prominently display a large cross at their place of worship, as a constant reminder to the congregation of who they once were (condemned sinners) and of what Christ has done for them (set them free from the guilt and the penalty of their sins).
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18, KJV)
