“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1Peter 1:14-16)”
This is a Bible verse calling us out of our evil desires and wicked ways. We are instead to be holy in all we do.
There’s a very similar passage in the Book of Mormon that essentially says the same thing, that Christians totally balk at, and in their own pride, spite Mormons.
Simply for the fact that it’s written in a different book.
“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.” (Moroni 10:32-33)
Christians nit pick that first verse and say Mormons have to sanctify themselves, when in context this is obviously about Christ’s grace sanctifying us.
Context is important. If you’d give funny sounding verses in the Bible context, then please do the same courtesy for the Book of Mormon.
Secondly, we have to be careful about projecting our own language onto the linguistic patterns of old texts—for example, seeing the word “then” as a word implying chronological sequence when none was intended.
Or seeing the reflexive pronoun “themselves” as meaning the power and work of sanctification must be coming from the human. Spanish is full of reflexive pronouns, and it does not mean the person is doing it to themselves. It’s just adding extra emphasis to the verb and the object.
This post is an illustration of how a misunderstanding can so easily come between two faith groups, and make a common doctrine seem like a contradictory doctrine.
If we have a preconceived notion of disagreement, we will be looking for contradictions and see things as contradictions.
But if we instead take the perspective of understanding and respect, looking for ways we agree, I think we can make a lot of progress.
Specifically when comparing the Bible and the Book of Mormon, you might be surprised at how much they have in common. They are very much aligned with each other.
But you will never see it if you’re intent on nit picking and pulling something down merely because it’s unfamiliar or being promoted by a group you disagree with.
Both groups need to be more open-minded and gracious to the good in the other.
If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I’m leaving the Mormon church. I do not in any way agree with their current doctrines.
I do not take their “side.”
But out of intellectual integrity, I refuse to attack a doctrine or scripture as bad without even examining it, looking at the context, and allowing every benefit of the doubt I would afford my own tradition.
Just because the LDS church as whole is incorrect doesn’t mean every single thing about it is incorrect.
It’s okay to find the good.
“You have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth.” (1 Peter 1:22) Whelp. (In my opinion, this verse is a lot more damning)
All I Possess 