Chapter 12 (BOMC)

The Book of Mormon teaches that Jesus paid the price for our sins in the garden, not simply on the cross. This is a damnable heresy, while taking away the importance of the cross.  Paul taught that if anyone comes teaching another gospel, let him be accursed. He said, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9) To teach a false gospel is to bring curses upon our lives from God.  So, let’s now examine Mosiah, chapter 3, where the garden atonement teaching is taught.

Speaking of Jesus in Gethsemane, or the garden, the Book of Mormon reads, “and lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.” (Mosiah 3:7) In this passage, we learn that Jesus suffered for our sins in the garden, and bled from every pore. This is a common teaching in Mormonism. They say it gives more insight to what we see in Luke. It is written, “And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:41-44)

Luke doesn't mention the payment for sins in the garden, as this concept is only found in the Book of Mormon. Mormons believe that Jesus began the atonement in the garden as described in the Book of Mosiah and completed it on the cross. The verses teach that Jesus’s suffering is for the wickedness, and abominations of the people. He would suffer for the sins of people but not die. On the other hand, the Bible tells a different story. How in the garden, Jesus asked the Father to remove the cup of suffering, which is the cross. He was in deep thought when it came to this next event, and angels came to strengthen Him. He then began to sweat, which it came pouring down like blood does. Nothing about this act of sweating, or Jesus’s anguish in the garden, is later spoken of in the Bible. However, Joseph Smith thought to add this to the narrative in the Book of Mormon. This way people would get a new understanding of what took place in the garden.

Thankfully, the Bible tells us where the atonement takes place. Paul taught that through Jesus’s death, atonement was made for us. It is written, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:8-11) Notice that through the death of Jesus we receive the atonement.  This is not acceptable in Mormonism. Instead, they put up with a false gospel that involves a garden atonement.

Mormons also love to go to Isaiah 53, which talks about Jesus’s suffering. What people don’t realize is it is speaking of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. It is written, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3-5) The LDS people teach that Isaiah was prophesying of Jesus suffering in the garden. They also mention the time when Jesus was whipped, and explain that everything from what happened in the garden to the cross is part of the atonement process. What they don’t realize is that atonement means blood sacrifice, and that this happened when Jesus died on the cross.

What Mormons don’t realize is that Peter knew about the verses in Isaiah 53. He even clarified what the verses mean. It is written, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:21-24) The mention of stripes and being healed is spoken of again, and the place of this suffering is the tree. This is clarified in other translations as the cross. It is written, “and He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 NASB) Therefore, Jesus suffered for our sins on the cross. As Romans 5 teaches, we receive the atonement with Jesus's blood sacrifice and death.

Paul said, “but I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” (2 Corinthians 11:3,4)

Let’s identify what the gospel message is.  It is written, “moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the grave. This is the true gospel message, and we reject the additional garden atonement for sins. Adding to the atonement is a false gospel.  There are consequences for those who reject the true gospel message in the Bible. Paul said, “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8,9)

Let's examine the verses in Luke one more time. It is written, “and when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:40-44)

The Mormon people have misinterpreted different verses of the Bible. This can be seen by examining the verses in Luke, chapter 22.  They believe that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins while praying in the garden. This is such an abominable teaching, and it causes God’s wrath to fall upon them. It is a heresy to say that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins outside the cross. The Bible is clear about this, as it reads, “knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.” (Romans 6:9,10) The penalty for our sins was paid for at the moment Jesus died.  Paul said that Jesus died unto sin once, which means the atonement happened on the cross alone. The parts in the Bible before the cross are not part of the atonement. This includes the portion in Luke, chapter 22. Jesus’s sweat simply appeared like blood falling to the ground and nothing more. Adding to these verses, where it says nothing about an atonement being made in the garden, causes others to stumble.

While examining Luke, chapter 22, we see Jesus praying for comfort, and the cup representing the cross. The cup speaks of the suffering Jesus would soon go through as he would be raised up on the cross. Sweat is not blood in these passages. Even if it was, it would not be for sin. Jesus died once for sin and Satan hates every part of what happened that day. For this reason, the devil came up with a game plan. He would cause millions of people to think differently about the atonement.  This was to shift people’s focus from the cross and to the garden. It is the garden atonement teaching that came from this. He was thrilled to see people listen to Joseph Smith, and later so-called prophets take away from what Jesus did for us on the cross. It is the Book of Mormon that pushes this message forward.  As we learned in the book of Mosiah, chapter 3, it teaches this garden atonement, where Jesus bled from every poor, of which He suffered for the sins of the people.  Satan helped create this book through Joseph Smith, while teaching a false atonement in its pages. This was to lead as many people astray as he could. Millions of Mormon people are now under his deceptive grasp.

Although the Book of Mormon may appear harmless to the reader, it contains damnable heresies. As mentioned previously, Mosiah, chapter 3, contains these heretical teachings.  It is written, “and lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.” (Mosiah 3:7) Mormons teach that Jesus bled from every pore.  This is while he was suffering in the garden. What they don’t always realize is this belief has formed while reading this book and listening to their false prophets.  This false belief, pertaining to the garden atonement, now appears to be true to them. It doesn’t matter that atonement has always occurred with an animal’s death, where Jesus is the last sacrifice for sin. He died that we might be cleansed through His blood. Therefore, I am pleading to God that the LDS people will allow You to themselves of their false beliefs. I did this in 2012 and am so happy.  It was better to give up what was false for God’s sake, than to stay in a place that felt comfortable. Amen.

Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that the Mormon people will come to know the importance of the cross. How this is the place where You paid the penalty for our sins, and no other. It is blasphemy to add the garden to the atonement. I am deeply disturbed by the teachings of the Book of Mormon that suggests that the payment for sins began in the garden. I rebuke these false teachings. If only people would stop reading the Book of Mormon and read the Bible, things would be different.  They would understand that You died for our sins on the cross, Jesus. Thank You, Lord, for taking upon yourself our sins, that we might come to You and be saved. I give You my life, my everything. Forgive me, Lord. I trust in You, God. I love You. Amen.