C
CatholicGuyNY
Guest
Doctrine and Covenants 42:18 states that murderers will not have forgiveness in this life or in the life to come. This is based on the LDS belief that “restitution” is a necessary step of repentance. Since we can’t make the victim come back to life, restitution is not possible for the sin of murder, therefore it cannot be forgiven.
eom.byu.edu/index.php/Murder
Is there a Biblical basis for the belief that God does not forgive the sin of murder, no matter how repentant the murderer is? As far as I am aware, Catholicism teaches that one can be absolved of the sin of murder.
The second area I would like to touch on the book “The Miracle of Forgiveness” by Spencer Kimball. I found a few quotes from the book on a critical wiki called “Mormonwiki”, and found a few interesting in comparison to Catholic teaching. For example:
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"“Your Heavenly Father has promised forgiveness upon total repentance and meeting all the requirements, but that forgiveness is not granted merely for the asking. There must be works, ”many works, ”and an all-out, total surrender, with a great humility and a broken heart and a contrite spirit. It depends upon you whether or not you are forgiven, and when. It could he weeks, it could he years, it could be centuries before that happy day when you have the positive assurance that the Lord has forgiven you. That depends on your humility your sincerity, your works, your attitudes” (pp. 324-325). "**
This is very interesting. As Catholics, we believe that if one is truly repentant of their sins, they can be assured that they are forgiven in the Sacrament of Confession.
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“There is one crucial test of repentance. This is abandonment of the sin. Desire is not sufficient. In other words, it is not real repentance until one has abandoned the error of his ways and started on a new unintelligible] the saving power does not extend to him who merely wants to change his life. Trying is not sufficient.” (p. 163)
"“This passage indicates an attitude which is basic to the sanctification we should all be seeking, and thus to the repentance which merits forgiveness. It is that the former transgressor must have reached a “point of no return” to sin wherein there is not merely a renunciation but also a deep abhorrence of the sin where the sin becomes most distasteful to him and where the desire or urge to sin is cleared out of his life.” (pp. 354-355) "**
These quotes seem to indicate that there is no repentance (and therefore forgiveness) unless one does not commit the sin again (ever). So, let’s say I commit the sin of lying. I repent. What if I lie at some point later in life. Does that mean that I wasn’t forgiven when I repented the first time? Is this what he meant by it taking years to know that we have been forgiven?
And finally, not really about repentance, but I found this quote interesting, since I’ve seen it said in many places:
"“One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation.” (pp. 206-207) "
Catholicism teaches that we are saved by grace alone, however “grace alone” is not the same thing as “faith alone”, which is what I think Mormonism is really against. Catholicism disagrees with the belief that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone (which is an Evangelical idea), however we do not disagree that we are saved by God’s grace alone. The question is how we receive that grace. To me, it seems as if a number of Mormon authors confuse “grace alone” with “faith alone”.
mormonwiki.org/Miracle_of_Forgiveness
eom.byu.edu/index.php/Murder
Is there a Biblical basis for the belief that God does not forgive the sin of murder, no matter how repentant the murderer is? As far as I am aware, Catholicism teaches that one can be absolved of the sin of murder.
The second area I would like to touch on the book “The Miracle of Forgiveness” by Spencer Kimball. I found a few quotes from the book on a critical wiki called “Mormonwiki”, and found a few interesting in comparison to Catholic teaching. For example:
**
"“Your Heavenly Father has promised forgiveness upon total repentance and meeting all the requirements, but that forgiveness is not granted merely for the asking. There must be works, ”many works, ”and an all-out, total surrender, with a great humility and a broken heart and a contrite spirit. It depends upon you whether or not you are forgiven, and when. It could he weeks, it could he years, it could be centuries before that happy day when you have the positive assurance that the Lord has forgiven you. That depends on your humility your sincerity, your works, your attitudes” (pp. 324-325). "**
This is very interesting. As Catholics, we believe that if one is truly repentant of their sins, they can be assured that they are forgiven in the Sacrament of Confession.
**
“There is one crucial test of repentance. This is abandonment of the sin. Desire is not sufficient. In other words, it is not real repentance until one has abandoned the error of his ways and started on a new unintelligible] the saving power does not extend to him who merely wants to change his life. Trying is not sufficient.” (p. 163)
"“This passage indicates an attitude which is basic to the sanctification we should all be seeking, and thus to the repentance which merits forgiveness. It is that the former transgressor must have reached a “point of no return” to sin wherein there is not merely a renunciation but also a deep abhorrence of the sin where the sin becomes most distasteful to him and where the desire or urge to sin is cleared out of his life.” (pp. 354-355) "**
These quotes seem to indicate that there is no repentance (and therefore forgiveness) unless one does not commit the sin again (ever). So, let’s say I commit the sin of lying. I repent. What if I lie at some point later in life. Does that mean that I wasn’t forgiven when I repented the first time? Is this what he meant by it taking years to know that we have been forgiven?
And finally, not really about repentance, but I found this quote interesting, since I’ve seen it said in many places:
"“One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation.” (pp. 206-207) "
Catholicism teaches that we are saved by grace alone, however “grace alone” is not the same thing as “faith alone”, which is what I think Mormonism is really against. Catholicism disagrees with the belief that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone (which is an Evangelical idea), however we do not disagree that we are saved by God’s grace alone. The question is how we receive that grace. To me, it seems as if a number of Mormon authors confuse “grace alone” with “faith alone”.
mormonwiki.org/Miracle_of_Forgiveness
