The Vitality of Mormonism: Brief Essays on Distinctive Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — John Shaqi
The Vitality of Mormonism: Brief Essays on Distinctive Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsTalmage, James E. (James Edward)
Religion
The Vitality of Mormonism: Brief Essays on Distinctive Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Talmage, James E. (James Edward)
Latter Day Saint churches; Latter Day Saints
As the natural and inevitable penalty incident to Adam's fall came
upon the race through individual transgression, it would be manifestly
unjust and therefore impossible as part of the Divine plan to make all
men suffer the results thereof without provision for emancipation.
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;
and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Therefore
as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation;
even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men
unto justification of life." (Rom. 5:12, 18). And further: "For since
by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For
as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Cor.
15:21, 22; see further Book of Mormon, Mosiah 3:11, 12).
Without assistance from some power superior to his own, fallen man
would remain eternally in his state of spiritual banishment from the
presence of God. He is tainted and defiled through sin; and though
he must pass the gates of death, that change from the embodied to
the disembodied state cannot consistently be regarded as a means of
ransom from the effect of transgression. We find in Nature an analogy
applicable to our present demonstration; though in its use the present
writer claims no credit for originality.
The lifeless mineral, belonging to the lowest of the "three kingdoms,"
may grow big through accretion of substance, and may attain relative
perfection of structure and form as in the crystal. But, though placed
in the most favorable environment, no mineral particle unassisted by
the power incident to life can become part of a living organism such
as the plant. The living plant, however, may reach down to the mineral
plane, and by absorption and assimilation make the mineral part of its
own organic tissue. So the plant, though of itself utterly powerless to
attain the yet higher plane of animal tissue, may be assimilated by the
animal and become part thereof. And so with respect to either plant or
animal substance becoming a constituent of human tissue.
So for the advancement of man from his present fallen state to the
higher condition of spiritual life, a power greater than his own is
requisite. Through the operation of laws obtaining in the spiritual
world man may be reached and lifted; himself he cannot exalt. A
Redeemer and Savior is essential to the accomplishment of the Father's
plan, which is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of
man" (Pearl of Great Price, p. 7); and that Redeemer and Savior is
Jesus the Christ, beside whom there is and can be no other.
-- 13 --
CHRIST'S UNIQUE STATUS
As Redeemer and Savior of the World
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