AboutMichael Kelley Expertise For a different viewpoint on Mormonism for your questions, try me. I am a staunch believer in the Book of Mormon and belong to another church (the Church of Christ)that is set up identically to the Biblical church. If there are things about traditional Mormonism that trouble you or you have questions about, just ask and you might find the answers from the Book of Mormon to be quite surprising. I have been studying the scriptures diligently for 16 years under the school of hard knocks... I may not have all of the answers but will sure go find them if I don`t. I`m strongest on Biblical and Book of Mormon doctrines, and am also somewhat familiar with Mormon history and archaeology.
According to your knowledge and beliefs what is your stance about fornication today? Do you still consider it a horrible sin or is it not an issue anymore since today we have better use of contraceptives, and we have genetic tests to prove whose kid is whos etc....
i can understand its problem in the older days, but not today. I think times have changed too greatly so it is surprising that most followers of the world's religions whether jewish, chrisian, muslim, hindu,etc..insist on how sinful it is (whether they do it or not) and do not really question whether such a rule still applies today or not (which may be called blind faith if one doesnt question)...i would like to know your views and beliefs and perhaps learn something from you
ps: if u have something to say about homosexuality id love to hear about it too...i know homosexuals and that its for a fact that it isnt in their hands who they are attracted to..so it just doesnt feel right when religious ppl say they are damned to hell for following their heart.."
Answer Hi Doudi,
I will be happy to answer your questions. Please note that I am ex-LDS and belong to the original Church of Christ that believes in the book of Mormon.
In answer to your question... yes we still believe fornication is a sin. The Biblical definition of fornication is pretty broad and covers all illicit sexual activities such as homosexuality, polygamy, sex before marriage, rape, child molestation, beastiality etc. Since the scriptures strongly teach an unchanging God who has no variableness it would be impossible for something to be an abomination to God in days past and not be likewise today.
Mormon 9:9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
The Old Testament, the New Testament and the Book of Mormon all strongly teach against all forms of fornication, terming it the 3rd most abominable sin behind murdering innocents and knowingly denying the Holy Ghost. The sin hardens the heart and blinds the mind and draws them into darker and darker paths in life... often ultimately leading to one's ruin... in this life as well as the next. This is not me judging a fornicator, but rather the scriptures as inspired by God that condemn the sin.
The same applies to homosexuality. The Old Testament lumps it in together with rape, incest and sex with animals. The New Testament also condemns it strongly. This of course will be hard for a practicing homosexual to accept, or for those who believe homosexuality is not a sin. I believe the hardest thing for a homosexual to understand is that something can be natural yet still be a sin. Yes, it is natural, for some, to be attracted to the same sex. How then can something natural be against God if he created nature?
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Mosiah 3:19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
You see, when Adam and Eve were in the garden, they were in a state of ignorance and innocence. When they willfully disobeyed God and were cast out... they became FALLEN, corruptable sinful mankind who naturally has a tendancy towards all manner of sin. This is Adam and Eve's fault, not God's. We being decendants of Adam and Eve are under this same curse and are naturally gravitated towards sin. Our only escape is through Jesus Christ... by being willing to put off the natural man and obeying His commandments... even when we don't want to. As one strives to do this... it becomes easier and easier and the old tendancies die off or at least diminish to manageable levels. The last thing a person should do is follow thier heart...
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Now this does not mean homosexuality is the greatest of evils, or that a truckload of hillbillys should go beat them up! Nevertheless we should not excuse sinful behaviour in the name of misguided compassion. Look at all the hardships, misery and cursings that happen to fornicators (hetero or homosexual) in THIS life. All the broken marriages, fatherless children, and assorted deadly diseases that are caused by fornication. We can wipe out AIDS and all STDs in one generation just like that! All that is required is abstinance until they are married.
Personally I believe God is so strict on this subject for one reason... His great love for children. When there is homosexuality, or adultery, or whatever other perversion goin on, it often results in divorce and the children get hurt. Also the innocent spouses are hurt. People say it is a victimless crime but I strongly disagree. I personally know of one innocent person who died of AIDS because of a blood transfusion where the donor had AIDS. God was so upset with the practice that he utterly destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
I know this still goes against those who feel these urgings are natural and thus must be OK. Would you say the same for a serial rapist? What about a child molestor? A child molestor is addicted to their work... even with the harshest of punishments... they still keep doing it! Even when they are caught and treated... they STILL keep doing it until locked up for life. Would any in society justify this? Shall we provide them children to molest just because they have these "natural" urgings and can't help it? There are TV news shows where they pretend to be children on the Internet and trap molestors all the time. There are cruise ships that kidnap children and use them as sex slaves for molestors and rapists... whould any say this is OK with a loving God??
We all have natural urgings toward sin... I do and you do. What matters is what we do with those urgings... give in to them or put them away. It's not a matter of a "Holier than thou" attitude... it's a matter of what is best for you in this life and the next. Yes, we are born natural creatures in these vile bodies that betray us... but God has given us an avenue of escape through Jesus Christ... if we just are willing to believe it and obey.
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
