“Shapen in iniquity” is a
parallelism and bears the same meaning as “conceived in sin.” According to the
Scripture, this is the heritage of all men.
The atonement of Christ has effect
on two classes of sin; in the following we note the distinction. (1) “behold
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”—John 1:29. (2) “And
she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall
save his people from their sins.”—Matt. 1:21.
In the first Scripture, “sin” is
in the singular; here it is considered to be original or Adamic sin, and all
come under its effect. “As in Adam all die,” and for which Christ atones, “even
so in Christ shall all be made alive.” In the second Scripture the word “sin”
is in the plural and has reference to personal sins for which repentance and
baptism must precede forgiveness. The second article of our Epitome of Faith
reads, “We believe that men will be punished for their own sins and not for
Adam’s transgressions.”
The atonement of Christ so affects
little children who die before accountability that they are saved in the
kingdom of God. Of them Jesus said, “Suffer little children and forbid them
not, to come unto me, for such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands
on them.”—Matt. 19:14, 15. Mark says of this circumstance, “And he took them up
in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.”—Mark 10:16. The Book
of Mormon is in harmony with this, and is very explicit.
“Behold, I came into the world not
to all 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 sin; 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.”—Page 769, verse 9.
On this question the Inspired
Version has interesting and detailed information. Adam is told by God that he is
forgiven of his transgression in the Garden of Eden. This is evidently extended
to all his posterity, for it goes on to say, “Hence came the saying abroad
among the people, that the Son of God hath atoned for original guilt, wherein
the sins of the parents cannot be answered upon the heads of the children, for
they are whole from the foundation of the world.”—Gen. 6:56, I.V. It definitely
states that Adam’s children are conceived in sin and that when they grow up sin
conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter that they may know to
prize the good. Parents have the responsibility of teaching the children the
gospel plan of faith, repentance, and baptism of water and the Spirit. (Question
Time [Independence, Miss.: Herald Publishing Company, 1953; repr.,
Independence, Miss.: Price Publishing Company, 2003], 40-41)