Original Sin

[orion88]

Can someone refer me to some official teaching on what the LDS Church

believes this is.

I have seen something like, paraphrase, "we don't believe original sin is

the punishment of mankind in regards to Adam's transgression" aka Article

of Faith #2, but is there something that approaches it from the angle of what

it is rather than what it is not?

Personally, I believe original sin refers to the first sin of Adam and Eve

in the Garden of Eden and how physical/spiritual death passed unto them

and their descendants.

Thanks,

Tony

[zerinus]

Can someone refer me to some official teaching on what the LDS Church believes this is.

I have seen something like, paraphrase, "we don't believe original sin is the punishment of mankind in regards to Adam's transgression" aka Article

of Faith #2, but is there something that approaches it from the angle of what it is rather than what it is not?

Personally, I believe original sin refers to the first sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and how physical/spiritual death passed unto them and their descendants.

Thanks,

Tony

Mormonism believes in original sin as you have expressed in your last paragraph, but not as it is understood in traditional Christian theology. We believe that through the Fall of Adam mankind inherited death, and a tendency to commit sin. We became subject to temptation. But we are not guilty because of the sin of Adam. We become guilty because of our own sins. Traditional Christian theology, however, teaches that man is guilty because of the sin of Adam, and needs baptism to have that sin remitted--hence the justification for infant baptisms. In Mormonism, however, you only become guilty because of your own sins, not the sin of Adam.

[mapman]

Original sin means that you are born with sin. We believe that infants are innocent and don't need to be baptized. We don't believe that sins themselves can be transferred from one person to another. That would be unjust. The Book of Mormon does teach something similar to original sin, though. It talks about the natural man being an enemy of God. By virtue of being mortal we are bound to make mistakes and unless we let the atonement work in our life we will stay fallen.

[zerinus]

Original sin means that you are born with sin.

You need to explain what that means. Does that mean that he is sinful the minute he is born? Is he a sinner from birth? That is what I understand by that sentence.

We believe that infants are innocent and don't need to be baptized.

I don't know what particular Christian tradition you come from, but that has been the traditional Christian doctrine; and even Martin Luther retained infant baptisms, although he rejected much of Catholic theology regarding faith, works, sin, justification, the priesthood, and the sacraments.

We don't believe that sins themselves can be transferred from one person to another. That would be unjust.

see above.

The Book of Mormon does teach something similar to original sin, though. It talks about the natural man being an enemy of God. By virtue of being mortal we are bound to make mistakes and unless we let the atonement work in our life we will stay fallen.

See my reply to orion in Post #2.

Edited September 24, 2011 by zerinus

[mapman]

You need to explain what that means. Does that mean that he is sinful the minute he is born? Is he a sinner from birth? That is what I understand by that sentence.

I don't know what particular Christian tradition you come from, but that has been the traditional Christian doctrine; and even Martin Luther retained infant baptisms, although he rejected much of Catholic theology regarding faith, works, sin, justification, the priesthood, and the sacraments.

see above.

See my reply to orion in Post #2.

I've been Mormon my whole life and have never heard of another Mormon believing in original sin. I'm not sure what you're trying to get at with your response to my post.

Edited September 24, 2011 by mapman

[zerinus]

I've been Mormon my whole life and have never heard of another Mormon believing in original sin. I'm not sure what you're trying to get at with your response to my post.

I had got the impression that you were not LDS. My reply to orion I thought was clear. Tell me what was there in that post that you did not understand.

[etana]

Can someone refer me to some official teaching on what the LDS Church

believes this is.

I have seen something like, paraphrase, "we don't believe original sin is

the punishment of mankind in regards to Adam's transgression" aka Article

of Faith #2, but is there something that approaches it from the angle of what

it is rather than what it is not?

Personally, I believe original sin refers to the first sin of Adam and Eve

in the Garden of Eden and how physical/spiritual death passed unto them

and their descendants.

Thanks,

Tony

not official, but this LDS believes that it is the first seed. That man needs to overcome sin, but that God, being good, does not contribute that sin. The seed comes from Adam and Eve's first transgression, which either brings them into the natural world or so taints the world they inhabit that it becomes a world of death. So sin enters our sphere at the guidance of the adversary and by our hand. Thus the world itself is tainted so that it can be overcome. Jesus once implied that God is an austere God, reaping where he did not sow. This, I think, is what he was making oblique reference to.

[blackstrap]

I think that one enters this world like one enters a room full of skunk spray. It is impossible not to get some stink on.Young ones are pronounced innocent but as we all know,there are quite a few 6 year olds that are sneaky and not so innocent.

[altersteve]

I think that one enters this world like one enters a room full of skunk spray. It is impossible not to get some stink on.Young ones are pronounced innocent but as we all know,there are quite a few 6 year olds that are sneaky and not so innocent.

I LOVE that analogy!

[Cobalt-70]

Original sin means that you are born with sin. We believe that infants are innocent and don't need to be baptized. We don't believe that sins themselves can be transferred from one person to another. That would be unjust. The Book of Mormon does teach something similar to original sin, though. It talks about the natural man being an enemy of God. By virtue of being mortal we are bound to make mistakes and unless we let the atonement work in our life we will stay fallen.

This is a caricature of what original sin means within classical Christianity. The Book of Mormon does a pretty good job of teaching original sin, and most Mormons don't know this because they don't understand what original sin is.

Original sin is the doctrine that humans are naturally evil. As the Book of Mormon teaches, "the natural man is an enemy to God." It doesn't mean that men inherit the sin of Adam and Eve. I think that most classical Christian theologians would agree with the LDS Article of Faith #2, because that's not what original sin means.

Rather, original sin means that Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, and brought about a state in which humans are naturally depraved and undeserving of salvation without an Atonement. Original sin means that Adam and Eve was "the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil." (Mosiah 16:3). Humanity does not inherit the precise sin of Adam, but that doesn't change the fact that Adam was the cause of all men and women becoming depraved.

Original sin also does not mean that infants who die before baptism go to h***. Several Protestant faiths perform adult baptism as well, and they have the theory that children in such circumstances are saved by the grace of Jesus--which is precisely the same doctrine taught in the Book of Mormon.

[Storm Rider]

This is a caricature of what original sin means within classical Christianity. The Book of Mormon does a pretty good job of teaching original sin, and most Mormons don't know this because they don't understand what original sin is.

Original sin is the doctrine that humans are naturally evil. As the Book of Mormon teaches, "the natural man is an enemy to God." It doesn't mean that men inherit the sin of Adam and Eve. I think that most classical Christian theologians would agree with the LDS Article of Faith #2, because that's not what original sin means.

Rather, original sin means that Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, and brought about a state in which humans are naturally depraved and undeserving of salvation without an Atonement. Original sin means that Adam and Eve was "the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil." (Mosiah 16:3). Humanity does not inherit the precise sin of Adam, but that doesn't change the fact that Adam was the cause of all men and women becoming depraved.

Original sin also does not mean that infants who die before baptism go to h***. Several Protestant faiths perform adult baptism as well, and they have the theory that children in such circumstances are saved by the grace of Jesus--which is precisely the same doctrine taught in the Book of Mormon.

No, I don't think you quite have an understanding of what Original Sin is. Rather than debate it here, it is better to just read about from the hourse's mouth. Here is the article in the Catholic Encyclopedia and clarifies the definition for all.

[zerinus]

Original sin is the doctrine that humans are naturally evil.

I don’t think that that is what the Book of Mormon teaches. Man is not “naturally evil”. That is not the meaning of that verse in the Book of Mormon. What that means is that mankind have become collectively sinful as a result of many generations of disobedience to God’s laws. It is a kind of generational collective accumulation of sinfulness rather than an inbuilt natural sinfulness. Humanity is not hardwired to sin! If they are taught properly from childhood, and brought up in the way of the gospel as God wants them to be (D&C 68:25), the majority of mankind would be inclined to do good rather than evil. The following verses help to clarify the doctrine:

.

Moses 5

:

.

13 And Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them, saying: Believe it not; and they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God. And

men began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish

.

14 And the Lord God called upon men by the Holy Ghost everywhere and commanded them that they should repent;

.

Moses 6

:

.

49 Behold Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him;

and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the presence of God

.

50 But God hath made known unto our fathers that all men must repent.

.

D&C 20

:

.

19 And gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him, the only living and true God, and that he should be the only being whom they should worship.

20 But

by the transgression of these holy laws man became sensual and devilish, and became fallen man

.

The sinfulness is not a natural inbuilt hard-wired sinfulness, but a cumulation of sinfulness acquired over many generations of disobedience to the will of God.

Edited September 25, 2011 by zerinus

[Cobalt-70]

No, I don't think you quite have an understanding of what Original Sin is. Rather than debate it here, it is better to just read about from the hourse's mouth. Here is the article in the Catholic Encyclopedia and clarifies the definition for all.

If you think my description of original sin is incorrect as to Catholics, please point out where to look in this Catholic website for material supporting your position. I haven't read the whole website, but I don't think there's anything in the Catholic Catechism about original sin that is inconsistent with what is in the Book of Mormon. For example, Catechism 404 states:

"By yielding to the tempter, Adam and Eve committed a personal sin, but this sin affected the human nature that they would then transmit in a fallen state. It is a sin which will be transmitted by propagation to all mankind, that is, by the transmission of a human nature deprived of original holiness and justice. and that is why original sin is called "sin" only in an analogical sense: it is a sin "contracted" and not "committed" - a state and not an act." (emphasis added)

In other words, original sin is not the same thing as the personal sin of Adam and Eve (i.e., "Adam's transgression"), but the transmission to humanity of a fallen and depraved "state." That's exactly what the Book of Mormon says, along with Article of Faith #2.

The Catechism goes on to say (405):

"Although it is proper to each individual, original sin does not have the character of a personal fault in any of Adam's descendants. It is a deprivation of original holiness and justice, but human nature has not been totally corrupted: it is wounded in the natural powers proper to it, subject to ignorance, suffering and the dominion of death, and inclined to sin - an inclination to evil that is called concupiscence". Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ's grace, erases original sin and turns a man back towards God"

Again, this is consistent with both the Book of Mormon and Article of Faith #2.

[Calm]

No, I don't think you quite have an understanding of what Original Sin is.

There are multiple views of what original sin is. I've been told that a newborn infant has committed a sin somehow and other variations. Probably would be best for all concerned for each to identify what tradition you are talking about to avoid confusion.

[Cobalt-70]

I don’t think that that is what the Book of Mormon teaches. Man is not “naturally evil”. That is not the meaning of that verse in the Book of Mormon. What that means is that mankind have become collectively sinful as a result of many generations of disobedience to God’s laws. It is a kind of generational collective accumulation of sinfulness rather than an inbuilt natural sinfulness. Humanity is not hardwired to sin! If they are taught properly from childhood, and brought up in the way of the gospel as God wants them to be (D&C 68:25), the majority of mankind would be inclined to do good rather than evil. The following verses help to clarify the doctrine:

.

Moses 5

:

.

13 And Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them, saying: Believe it not; and they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God. And

men began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish

.

14 And the Lord God called upon men by the Holy Ghost everywhere and commanded them that they should repent;

.

Moses 6

:

.

49 Behold Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him;

and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the presence of God

.

50 But God hath made known unto our fathers that all men must repent.

.

D&C 20

:

.

19 And gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him, the only living and true God, and that he should be the only being whom they should worship.

20 But

by the transgression of these holy laws man became sensual and devilish, and became fallen man

.

The sinfulness is not a natural inbuilt hard-wired sinfulness, but a cumulation of sinfulness acquired over many generations of disobedience to the will of God.

Not according to the Book of Mormon. According to the book, Man is indeed naturally evil: "the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam." (Mosiah 3:19). Thus, the creation of a naturally depraved state began with Adam, and was not the gradual result of years of disobedience. The "natural man" is the inborn state of humanity, which can only be overcome if someone "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." (ibid.) See also Alma 42:10, stating that because of the Fall, humanity "had become carnal, sensual, and devilish, by nature."

This is further emphasized because the Book of Mormon teaches that even though children cannot sin, they are born with a fallen nature: "And even if it were possible that little children could sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are blessed; for behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins." (Mosiah 3:16). The book repeatedly says that "all men" are in a fallen and depraved state, and this includes children. Even though children cannot sin, they are still the sensual and devilish "natural man" and are in need of saving by the grace of Jesus--which Jesus gives freely to children without any need of faith or baptism on their part.

Edited September 25, 2011 by Cobalt-70

[Cobalt-70]

There are multiple views of what original sin is. I've been told that a newborn infant has committed a sin somehow and other variations. Probably would be best for all concerned for each to identify what tradition you are talking about to avoid confusion.

I think there is a general consensus among Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox faiths that original sin is the fallen and depraved natural state that humankind finds itself as a result of the fall of Adam. In the context of theological discussions about salvation, I don't think that any of the major Christian branches believe that original sin refers to Adam's specific transgression. They also do not believe that infants have committed a sin. The focus of original sin is on the corruptness of human nature, not on specific acts of sin.

There are variations among different branches of Christianity. For example, Calvinists and Arminians believe in "total depravity"--that the "natural man" is ruled by the devil and is incapable of doing good. Catholics believe that "humanity has not been totally corrupted," but rather, "wounded." (Catechism 405). The Book of Mormon seems to have adopted "total depravity," considering that the book describes original sin as a "second death" in which one is "cut off...as to things pertaining to righteousness." (Hel. 14:16).

Edited September 25, 2011 by Cobalt-70

[zerinus]

Not according to the Book of Mormon. According to the book, Man is indeed naturally evil: "the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam." (Mosiah 3:19). Thus, the creation of a naturally depraved state began with Adam, and was not the gradual result of years of disobedience. The "natural man" is the inborn state of humanity, which can only be overcome if someone "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." (ibid.) See also Alma 42:10, stating that because of the Fall, humanity "had become carnal, sensual, and devilish, by nature."

This is further emphasized because the Book of Mormon teaches that even though children cannot sin, they are born with a fallen nature: "And even if it were possible that little children could sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are blessed; for behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins." (Mosiah 3:16). The book repeatedly says that "all men" are in a fallen and depraved state, and this includes children. Even though children cannot sin, they are still the sensual and devilish "natural man" and are in need of saving by the grace of Jesus--which Jesus gives freely to children without any need of faith or baptism on their part.

The rule for correct scripture interpretation is to take into account all the verses that have a bearing on the subject, not to focus on one or two isolated verses and ignore the rest. That is a sure way of falling into false doctrine. That is how the Protestants have come up with such false doctrines as justification by faith alone without works. You have ignored all the scriptures that I have given, and focus on a few verses that you think established your particular way of thinking. What is your explanation for the scriptures I had given?

This Protestant idea of "total depravity of man" is alien to LDS theology and culture. Man is not "totally depraved". He is not in fact "depraved" at all. He can become depraved through his own sins, or the sins which he inherits as a result of the environment in which he is brought up. But man is not hard-wired or preprogrammed to sin.

[zerinus]

I think there is a general consensus among Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox faiths that original sin is the fallen and depraved natural state that humankind finds itself as a result of the fall of Adam. In the context of theological discussions about salvation, I don't think that any of the major Christian branches believe that original sin refers to Adam's specific transgression. They also do not believe that infants have committed a sin. The focus of original sin is on the corruptness of human nature, not on specific acts of sin.

There are variations among different branches of Christianity. For example, Calvinists and Arminians believe in "total depravity"--that the "natural man" is ruled by the devil and is incapable of doing good. Catholics believe that "humanity has not been totally corrupted," but rather, "wounded." (Catechism 405). The Book of Mormon seems to have adopted "total depravity," considering that the book describes original sin as a "second death" in which one is "cut off...as to things pertaining to righteousness." (Hel. 14:16).

There are many different theologies of "original sin". Protestants and Catholics understand it differently; and there are differences between various Protestant denominations as well. There is no one definition of the original sin.

[Rivers]

The Book of Mormon refers to the curse of Adam, but not the sin of Adam. I think there is a big difference.

Moroni 9:8

"Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing win; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me."

Edited September 25, 2011 by Rivers

[orion88]

The Book of Mormon refers to the curse of Adam, but not the sin of Adam. I think there is a big difference.

Moroni 9:8

"Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing win; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me."

Religion 430-431 - Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual says, "No one subject

to death could pay the price, for all mortal beings were under the curse of mortality"

(chapter 9, page 24, section C).

According to this, it seems every one inherited the curse; cured by Christ's atonement.

As for the sin of Adam, the March 2008 Ensign says, ""His ransom for Adam’s original

transgression so that no member of the human family is held responsible for that sin ...

while all members of the human family are freely given a reprieve from Adam’s sin

through no effort of their own, they are not given a reprieve from their own sins unless

they pledge faith in Christ ...and press forward in faithful endurance the remainder of

life’s journey" (The Atonement of Christ, subheading "The Gifts of Christ’s Atonement").

http://www.lds.org/l...a____&hideNav=1

Tony

[HeatherAnn]

Sin=Incorrect thought, & related feelings & actions.

Adam & Even, as taught in the endowment, represent us, male & female.

From an eternal perspective, sin (incorrect thoughts etc.) is part of the plan with free agency.

So, the "original sin" is actually potentially a catalyst for spiritual progression, if we learn from it.

In the story of Adam & Eve, right after taking the fruit (symbolic for sin) - "her eyes were open."

Gospel=Good News (birth to new perspectives/spiritual growth)... & as a GA taught, "We believe in being born again & again..."

[Cobalt-70]

The rule for correct scripture interpretation is to take into account all the verses that have a bearing on the subject, not to focus on one or two isolated verses and ignore the rest. That is a sure way of falling into false doctrine. That is how the Protestants have come up with such false doctrines as justification by faith alone without works. You have ignored all the scriptures that I have given, and focus on a few verses that you think established your particular way of thinking. What is your explanation for the scriptures I had given?

This Protestant idea of "total depravity of man" is alien to LDS theology and culture. Man is not "totally depraved". He is not in fact "depraved" at all. He can become depraved through his own sins, or the sins which he inherits as a result of the environment in which he is brought up. But man is not hard-wired or preprogrammed to sin.

I ignored your quotations of the D&C and the Book of Moses because I'm talking about what the Book of Mormon teaches, not what those other books teach. You have to look at Mormon theology as it exists at a particular point in time, because the theology evolved after the Book of Mormon was published.

But in any event, I don't think that the particular citations you provided necessarily contradict the Book of Mormon. The D&C 20 reference refers to Adam and Eve (see verse 18). They were the "they" in this case who "transgressed." The Moses 6 reference seems to be about Adam and Eve as well.

The Moses 5 reference is the only one that seems a little anomalous in view of Book of Mormon theology. But I don't really think that Smith actually thought while he was translating Moses 5 that the Fall was not an event that affected the whole of humanity, and that each individual is born innocent and undergoes their own personal "fall" when they first sin. I also don't think he ever believed that the Fall into a depraved state was a gradual process across several generations.

As I read it, Moses 5 doesn't dispute the idea of original sin. It doesn't explicitly contradict the idea that Adam's fall resulted in a fallen and depraved state for humanity. Moreover, it doesn't make much sense that Smith was suddenly abandoning Book of Mormon salvation theology, because just a few months before translating Moses 5, he gave D&C 29, which reiterated the doctrine of original sin set forth in the Book of Mormon.

[Cobalt-70]

This Protestant idea of "total depravity of man" is alien to LDS theology and culture. Man is not "totally depraved". He is not in fact "depraved" at all. He can become depraved through his own sins, or the sins which he inherits as a result of the environment in which he is brought up. But man is not hard-wired or preprogrammed to sin.

I agree with you as to modern Mormon theology. But Mormon theology has evolved since the Book of Mormon was published. Smith's "exaltation" theology in the 1840s basically superseded the "salvation" theology of the Book of Mormon. According to Smith circa 1844, humanity doesn't so much need saving from a natural depraved state, as they need light and knowledge so that they can become gods and goddesses. The only difference between God and the human is that the human is less advanced. This is a much more liberal theology than the relatively conservative original sin-based theology of the Book of Mormon.

[zerinus]

I ignored your quotations of the D&C and the Book of Moses because I'm talking about what the Book of Mormon teaches, not what those other books teach. You have to look at Mormon theology as it exists at a particular point in time, because the theology evolved after the Book of Mormon was published.

That is a common claim of the critics of course, and it is a load of crap. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God at lightning speed, and published it in March 1830. D&C 20 was received one month later in April 1830, almost as soon as the Church was organized. And Chapter one of the book of Moses was received two months after that in June 1830. All this time Joseph Smith was very busy organizing the Church, preaching the gospel, and dodging his persecutors. He didn't have any time to "evolve doctrine". He didn't even have time to fully absorb all the great doctrine that was being revealed to him, never mind about "evolving" any doctrine.

But in any event, I don't think that the particular citations you provided necessarily contradict the Book of Mormon.

Of course it doesn't. Who said it did? The problem is with you not understanding either of them correctly.

The Moses 5 reference is the only one that seems a little anomalous in view of Book of Mormon theology. But I don't really think that Smith actually thought while he was translating Moses 5 that the Fall was not an event that affected the whole of humanity, and that each individual is born innocent and undergoes their own personal "fall" when they first sin. I also don't think he ever believed that the Fall into a depraved state was a gradual process across several generations.

As I read it, Moses 5 doesn't dispute the idea of original sin. It doesn't explicitly contradict the idea that Adam's fall resulted in a fallen and depraved state for humanity. Moreover, it doesn't make much sense that Smith was suddenly abandoning Book of Mormon salvation theology, because just a few months before translating Moses 5, he gave D&C 29, which reiterated the doctrine of original sin set forth in the Book of Mormon.

The words speak for themselves. Your turning a blind eye to them does not make them go away:

.

Moses 5

:

.

13 And Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them, saying: Believe it not; and they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God. And men began

from that time forth

to be carnal, sensual, and devilish.

14 And the Lord God called upon men by the Holy Ghost everywhere and commanded them that they should repent;

.

D&C 20

:

.

19 And gave unto them

commandments

that they should love and serve him, the only living and true God, and that he should be the only being whom they should worship.

20 But

by the transgression of these holy laws

man became sensual and devilish, and became fallen man.

Man is not preprogrammed to sin. The Fall did two things: It brought on mankind physical death; and it made them subject to the temptations of the devil. But it did not "hard-wire" them to sin. The sinful nature came as a result of yielding to temptation, and passing on that tradition to future generations.

Edited September 26, 2011 by zerinus

[zerinus]

I agree with you as to modern Mormon theology. But Mormon theology has evolved since the Book of Mormon was published. Smith's "exaltation" theology in the 1840s basically superseded the "salvation" theology of the Book of Mormon. According to Smith circa 1844, humanity doesn't so much need saving from a natural depraved state, as they need light and knowledge so that they can become gods and goddesses. The only difference between God and the human is that the human is less advanced. This is a much more liberal theology than the relatively conservative original sin-based theology of the Book of Mormon.

That is nonsense, see above. Book of Mormon, the formal organization of the Church, D&C 20, and book of Moses all happened in 1830, not in 1840.