Question: Members of the Restored Church say
that the condition of fallen mortal man, called the natural man, is an enemy to
God. Why?
“For the natural
man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be,
forever and ever, unless he 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, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient,
full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to
inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” Mosiah 3:19 The
Book of Mormon
“[Y]ea, even
that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of
their fall; which was the cause of all
mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good,
subjecting themselves to the devil. Thus all mankind were lost; and behold,
they would have been endlessly lost were it not that God redeemed his people
from their lost and fallen state.” Mosiah 16:3-4 The Book Mormon
Members of the Restored Church believe
that the natural mortal man, because it is subject to hungers and lusts, can
lead us to follow our own will and forget the will of God.
When Adam and Eve sinned,
their bodies were changed becoming able to die. This change in their bodies
reflected the fact that they had fallen from God’s law and became subject to
natural laws.
“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For
that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate,
that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it
is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For
I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.” Romans 7:14-18
Becoming a natural
man means that your platform of understanding is from natural sources.
“But the natural man receiveth not the things
of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned,” 1 Corinthians 2:14
“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you
envying, and strife, and divisions, are
ye not carnal, and walk as men.” 1 Corinthians 3:3
The natural man
dislikes and persecutes men who are spiritual.
“But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted
him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.” Galatians 4:29
The natural man,
which lives by carnal natural laws, is concerned about the philosophies and
teachings of man. The natural man has a fear
of man, meaning the natural man seeks and is concerned about worldly
philosophies.
“Be not thou
envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart
studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.” Proverbs 24:1-2
“Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked.” Proverbs
24:19
“And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth
your hearts: for that which is highly
esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16:15
The fear of man is antichrist
and is also known as vanity. The natural man lives by the vanities of man.
“For the earnest
expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity,
not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” Romans 8:19-21
“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of
vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he
taketh under the sun?” Ecclesiastes 1:2-3
What are the
vanities of man? They are the things men
put fear, trust, and hope in, which supersede fear, hope, and trust in God. For example, a man who believes himself
superior because of education, wealth status, or pedigree, trust in vanities.
Education cannot, nor wealth or parentage, provide salvation. A person who
trusts in their beauty or personal success for a sense of worth and value,
trusts in vanities. An individual who seeks
these things for the acclaim of man trusts in vanities. A person who drinks,
does drugs, bullies, or any other thing because of pressures of others, fears
man. These are all vanities, fear of man, and false idols.
“Every man is brutish
in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his
molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their
visitation they shall perish.” Jeremiah 10:14-15
Vanities spread easily. Consider fads, ever
changing style, all the short-lived things that can give a person attention or
have them feel proud. There is never-ending, rapid succession of vanities.
Vanities prohibit
the development of wisdom because wisdom requires the fear of God, not the fear
of man. Vanities are foolishness and sin,
and also lead to more sin.
“The thought of
foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.” Proverbs
24:9
“None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth:
they trust in vanity, and speak lies;
they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.” Isaiah 59:4
“Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords
of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope.” Isaiah 5:18
Vanities are
seductive to the natural man. Vanities bring us into bondage.
“For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of
the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who
live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the
servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” 2 Peter 2:18-19
“My son, if
sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us
lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us
swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the
pit: We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in
the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path.” Proverbs 1:10-15
Vanities are often
learned by children from their parents.
“Thus saith the
LORD, What iniquity have your fathers
found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?” Jeremiah 2:5
“O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge
in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of
the earth, and shall say, Surely our
fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.”
Jeremiah 16:19
Vanities are just
that, vain. They do nothing for us, and
simply waste our efforts and time. Vanities are lusts, false idols, that can
never truly satisfy because vanities cannot save.
“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with
silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.” Ecclesiastes 5:10
“Ho, every one
that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy,
and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which
is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken
diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight
itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul
shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure
mercies of David.” Isaiah 55:1-3
“I have seen all the works that are done under the
sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. That which is crooked
cannot be made straight; and that which
is wanting cannot be numbered.” Ecclesiastes 1:14
Although the
natural man is prone to vanities, vanities are inspired by the devil.
“O that cunning
plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of
men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not
unto the counsel of God, for they set
it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is
foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.” 2 Nephi 9:28 The
Book of Mormon
“[W]ho were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to
the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we
all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” Ephesians 2:1-3
“Yea, wo unto those that worship idols, for the devil
of devils delighteth in them.” 2 Nephi 9:37 The Book of Mormon
Vanities of man,
the fear of man, must be replaced by the fear of God. Vanities make you unclean
and will keep you from knowing God.
“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come
they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have
not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye
have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss,
that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world
is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is
the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that
dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” James 4:1-5
“The fear of the
LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
…” Proverbs 1:7
“Remove far from me vanity and lies. …” Proverbs 30:8
“Who shall
ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that
hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who
hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” Psalms
24:3-4
“For in the
multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear
thou God.” Ecclesiastes 5:7
“And saying,
Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and
preach unto you that ye should turn from
these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the
sea, and all things that are therein.” Acts 14:15
“Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this
is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13
Next Chapter 
Watch- He Teaches Us to Put Off the Natural Man