LDS Freedom Forum

All sin equally bars us from heaven. Why compare??? Shouldn't we be trying to decide the roots of sin or even what is sin?

Most peoples thinking is so twisted (which is sin) that they don't believe they are sinning.
Most lds are fighting against God and don't even know it.

So many topics on here are a bunch of blind people discussing the differences of sunset without ever seeing one.

Satan is so good at what he does. Gets us all talking argueing and thinking about things that are not important or less important then our growth or correct thinking.

It is in the darkness of men's own eyes that they become lost.

Why are so few of us chosen?

Scriptures say it's the precept of men education.

I wonder what we as a people would be like if we as a people had not rejected the prophets council for the (things of this world education) "public school" and done as we were councled to do and recived our education in church run schools as we were once asked.

the promise was we would be like the people of Enoch. How nice that would be.
Saddens me that's not the case.

a_member wrote:For the record, the Sodom and Gomorrah story isn't about homosexuality, or at least not mainly. That's only tangential to the real point, made clear in the JST, that any society which uses sex as a form of punishment is in serious danger of being pruned.

In a way yes. In Romans 1 homosexuality is condemned as an end-result of a people turning against the natural use of the body (reproduction) and aimed their lusts and desires towards materialism and away from God. However, the homosexuality was an outcome, and as Sodom and Gomorrah is concerned it was a defining feature of the population by the time Lot arrived in the area. The Koran describes it as follows:

Behold, their brother Lut said to them: “Will you not fear (Allah)? I am to you a Messenger worthy of all trust. So fear Allah and obey me. No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds. Of all the creatures in the world, will you approach males, and leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, you are a people transgressing (all limits)!”

Again, there may have been sociological variables that led to the evolution of a primarily gay male population (if there were not even 10 righteous people then obviously there were no children being born) living in those cities. What they were nobody knows. But homosexuality and the total rebellion against Lot were obviously the last straw.

Do they compare equally? No, not entirely.
Are there some similarities? Yes, some.

We have been told that homosexual activity is always a sin, the eternal nature of the family being set between man and woman. Unless there is more we've been told by God, there is no way homosexuality can be used righteously. Like homosexual activity, polygamy is a sin. Unlike polygamy, however, there were times in the past where polygamy was practiced, we believe with God's consent and even at His command.

Another similarity: Both now carry a similar quality with regards to baptism: Both sins, while being practiced disqualify a person from being baptized until they repent. A penitent person must repudiate the practice. In addition, parents living in either of these sins disqualifies their children from being baptized until the child comes of age and can make their own decision. When a child comes of age, they may be baptized as long as they are fully aware of the commandments and agree to covenant with God to obey and live them.

This, I believe, is the current church policy, and while it is usually always done like this, there may be exceptions* to the policy depending on the situation which would be handled on a case-by-case examination. I believe in order to make an exception, the decision would probably be sent to the First Presidency.

*Jesus Himself showed us how great faith can allow exceptions to be made with the example of the Canaanite woman.

All sin equally bars us from heaven. Why compare??? Shouldn't we be trying to decide the roots of sin or even what is sin?

Oh really? What about sinning against the Holy Ghost?

Sin is obviously measured -- having a beer is in no way comparable to having an abortion, looking at a naughty movie on the internet is not as bad as breaking the Sabbath, and since Jesus said it was better that a person who abuses a child should be drowned in the sea it is a far greater sin to abuse children than to tell your wife you really like the dinner she made when you really don't.

It's correct to say that all sin equally bars us from Heaven. However, the difference is in what steps a person must take to repent and find forgiveness. If your sin hurts (mostly) only you, like having a beer, it's going to be easier to find repentance than if someone else is involved.

cayenne wrote:Is it right to compare and parallel homosexuality with polygamy? Since there recently seems to be a lot of talk about these subjects, what are your thoughts?

No, because Plural Marriage is not a sin. Homosexuality on the other-hand is.