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[LDS] Plan Of Salvation

This topic deals specifically with a set of doctrines that are commonly referred to as a "Plan of Salvation." I am starting it from a strictly LDS (Mormon) viewpoint. However, feel free to discuss aspects of it from other points of view.

This is the second in my series of topics on basic LDS doctrines.

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Within the LDS church, we have an understanding that there is a real purpose for our existence. That purpose includes reasons for our births, our lives, our deaths, and the things we go through in life.

This purpose is summarized in the Plan of Salvation. An excellent summary of the Plan can be found here at Mormon.org.

Basically, the Plan of Salvation explains that we are born in order that we can gain physical bodies, experience things that can only be experienced in mortality, and learn to exercise faith. Since we believe that we are literally the spirit children of Heavenly Father, the Plan of Salvation provides us with a way to become like our Father. This is His plan. It provides ways for us to become clean of the filth that mortality brings to our souls. It provides a means for us to advance after we regress. It also provides answers to a lot of questions that most of us ask at one time or another.

1. Why am I here?
2. Where do I come from?
3. Where am I going after this life?

The Plan of Salvation is both simple and complex, all at the same time. It consists of knowledge of the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement. It includes information about our premortal existence, as well as some of what we can expect after our deaths.

This is a doctrine that is well worth studying.

Salvation Plan LDS

A very interesting take on salvation. In other christian sects, salvation is something that starts after your birth to atone for your sins that every person is born into. The same basic principle applies that Jesus did come from God and die for our sins on a cross and rise again. I am curious, did the ideals of premortal existence and the pre mortal beginning of salvation come from the book of Mormon, or some place else? I am aware of the standing of `modern` day prophets in the LDS church. I also know that most christian sects believe in knowledge from God via personal revelation to a person or prophet.

[LDS] Plan Of Salvation Studies Doctrine Mormon

It isn't that salvation comes from before birth, but that the plan is eternal, was presented to us before birth, and we accepted and rejoice in it. The plan provides a way for us to attain the blessings that our Heavenly Father has reserved for us, while allowing us to make mistakes and learn from them.

The concepts of pre-mortal existence come from the Doctrine and Covenants, as well as the Pearl of Great Price - two books of scripture in addition to the Book of Mormon. It has been more thoroughly developed through the writings and teachings of the Prophets down through the years.

Specifically, the Book of Abraham within the the Pearl of Great Price refers to a council in the heavens, where God presented His Plan.

Salvation Plan LDS

Konquererz said:

This is something that as LDS we disagree with. We believe that the Atonement paid for Adam's transgression, and that we are responsible only for the sins we commit ourselves during our own lifetime. Therefore, we are not born with sin already, and we are not accountable for actions taken before the "age of accountability" which is 8 years old.

The LDS Church has a list of main points to our belief system, called the Articles of Faith - there are 13. The second one states: We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression. (Pearl of Great Price | Articles of Faith 1:2)

For me, this changes the perspective of being born with somebody else's sin on my head -- how do you cleanse yourself from *that*? -- to knowing that a just God will punish me only for my own sins. The way is made clear for repentance when I transgress.

Roz

Salvation Plan LDS

The idea that we are born into sins comes from the old testament in which the statement is made that the sins of the father are passed down from generation to generation. When I originally read your response, I wondered, since I was raised that sin is passed down, how you got past Exodus 20:5 in which the sins are passed down. But what I wasn't taught from the scripture is that it is specific to those who hate God. So the Bible does not say that the sins are passed down, but that they are passed down from generation to generation on those that hate him. Meaning that if your pattern of sin and hatred towards God is broken, then you would no longer be accountable for those sins of your fore fathers. Does the LDS church believe that evil generations continue to carry the sins of there fathers from generation to generation?

[LDS] Plan Of Salvation

As FarSeer has indicated, the official position is that we are all judged according to our own behavior. It doesn't matter what my father did in his life. Technically. However, I think sins are passed down in a manner of speaking. Not directly. Yet, if I am raised in an abusive household, the odds are I will become abused or an abuser. Perhaps this is what the Bible means. It is a learned behavior.

Children whose parents smoke are more likely to be smokers. Children of alchoholics are more likely to be alcoholics. Yes sin is passed from generation to generation, but only because each subsequent generation chooses to commit those sins themselves. If they don't make that choice, the sins are not on them.

If I am raised in an ungodly home. How am I to learn how to live righteously? So, if I am not taught of the Savior and the Gospel, I am not likely to live those principals and I will have to suffer the consequences of my actions. However, we are also taught that at some point all are given an opportunity to learn of the Gospel and you aren't accountable for not living it if you don't know about it. You will still suffer the consequences of your actions in life, just not eternal consequences. (That is an oversimplification, but is the jist of the belief.)

[LDS] Plan Salvation

First... How do you all use that little 'quote' block and all those goodies I see in these posts!?

Funbikerchick... you wrote: "If I am raised in an ungodly home. How am I to learn how to live righteously?" Well... I guess it just has to do with God's mercy because somehow, in my upbringing, it was rather profane... yet for some reason, the Grace of God sparked a desire in me to go to Church.

Konguererz... you wrote: "The idea that we are born into sins comes from the old testament in which the statement is made that the sins of the father are passed down from generation to generation. "

Actually, I agree with 90% of your statement as a principle... that the 'iniquities' of the fathers are 'visited' to the 3rd and 4th generation to them that hate God (Exd 34:7). As I read it, you are right on in the operations aspect and the breaking of it. My Grandfather, and my father, mother, stepfather were smokers and drinkers. That spirit visited me. Had I yielded... I would be an alcholic to this day. I was spared by God's grace.

Farseer... you wrote: "For me, this changes the perspective of being born with somebody else's sin on my head -- how do you cleanse yourself from *that*?:

About 3 years ago I heard one of the LDS Apostles argue this point. Elder Cook said "How could a sweet, innocent, little baby be 'sinful'? I tho't of the Bible verses about the 'wages of sin being death' and how God warned Adam and Eve that if they stole from God's Tree, they would get the disease... 'sin' which would cause them to die. That's how we know we have the 'sin virus'... we die.

ANYWAY... As Elder Cook was talking, I remembered a news story about Crack Babies. Here were innocent little new born babies hooked on crack. How? Passed from Mom. It hit me. And I tho't... "Gee, thanks Adam! I didn't ask for it... but I got it! So since I got it... what do I do? The 'blood of Jesus' is the serum cure for the disease. I accept it by faith. My spirit is made perfect... (was saved... (my soul is working out, not for, it's salvation) until my body is saved in the ressurrection. It is only when a caterpiller is transformed into a butterfly can it act like a butterfly. So I don't worry about good works. It is quite liberating. I can love God and obey him on the spot and not worry whether I am measuring up. I could say more... but I think I'm on the verge of breaking some longwinded rules.

[LDS] Plan Salvation Mormon Doctrine Studies

That is exactly right. The Atonement can cleanse us of the "generational" iniquities. All it takes is for us to accept and apply it. That is what the Plan of Salvation is all about. It covers our sins, our inherited weaknesses, our mortal frailties, even our illnesses.

Go to this site: https://www.mormon.org/learn/0,8672,792-1,00.html to get some more basic information about this subject.

Offtopic but, Follow this link for information on using the tags. https://www.bordeglobal.com/foruminv/index.php?showtopic=4736