Are we Punished for Sins of Forefathers to 3rd Generation?

Q.

I need some help with a question of a friend of mine. He wants to know; (Q) do we believe that we will we be punished for the sins of our forefathers? (A) We believe that you will be punished for your own sins and not for Adam's transgression. (Q)(where I am stuck) The Word of the Lord (Bible) says that for some sins the punishment will last for 3 (example) generations. Please Help.


A.

The statement in the Articles of Faith that we won't be punished for Adam's transgression was written to oppose a Catholic concept.

The Catholics believe that we are all born with sin already upon us because we come under the curse placed upon Adam. This is why the Catholics feel it so imperative to baptize babies. For they believe that if they die without baptism they will go to hell forever.

We can feel assured that God is not that cruel, by knowing that we aren't born with sin upon us. We are born with the consequences of Adam's transgression in that we get sick and die. But we aren't born with his sins on our conscience.

The statements in the Bible that the sins of the parents are visited upon the children to the 3rd and 4th generations is relative to consequences and thinking.

For example let's suppose that I believe in committing adultery. I will teach my children that it is alright to commit adultery also. Thus my sins are visited upon the next generation. And as they teach their children who then teach their children, this false idea has reached the 4th generation. And in the intermediate generations continuing on with it the curse goes on.

However that can be broken by a generation accepting the truth. Then that can pass on to the generations to come, who will benefit by the principle of good things being passed on in stead.

So we won't be punished for the sins of our for-fathers unless we follow them in committing those sins. Ezekiel points out that any curse or blessing that God places upon anyone for their sins or righteous acts will be removed if the person changes (Ezek 33:12-16).

Temple Garments 1 or 2 Piece

Q.

I would like to know why the church discontinued the old style garments? Originally they told us we had our choices of the old or the new, and they have never officially disowned the old style, yet one cannot purchase them any longer. This seems a futile attempt to keep people from honoring the covenants they have made.


A.

As this question hasn't been completely qualified I am left to assume you are worried about the change from 1 piece to 2 piece garments.

We must remember that temples are about symbolism and types. For example the Israelites before Christ were told to sacrifice sheep or goats to remove their sins. We know that this didn't really happen. The Israelite was supposed to search for understanding and realize that the animal was a type of the Savior that will remove the sins when they repented.

In reality they could have used a kangaroo to do the same thing (had they had one). God isn't a crackpot or without understanding of our various situations. He has made these symbols for us to learn the message he wants to deliver to us.

The temple garment is symbolic of a contract. We have the parts we have promised and that he has assured us are necessary for us to do to obtain eternal life. Christ has the part he has promised as an assistant to us as we do our part.

To make the temple garment really plainly obvious of its symbolic meaning it would in fact cover us from the tip of our heads to the tip of our toes. But this is impractical. And the point is to understand the covenant that he has made.

I understand your apprehension in wearing something different to what you first covenanted to wear. But I can assure you that the apprehension isn't necessary. The meaning of the garment remains as long as you see it as a single covering. It wouldn't matter how many bits it was in. So it is all in your perception, rather than the material itself.

As time has gone on members have moved to the more practical 2 piece garments. So it is understandable that they are no longer making the one piece garments, if almost no one is buying them.

I can testify to you that God will not hold you in contempt of your covenant by wearing 2 piece garments. It is the covenants that you are wearing on them that you need to observe. Focus on those. Let Christ take care of the covering part.