One of the central doctrines of Mormonism is that every human being is a spirit child of God.   They teach that we were each born as a spirit child of Heavenly Father and one of His wives.  This teaching is central to the faith as it lays the ground work for further doctrines such as eternal families and eternal progression onto Godhood.  However, does the Bible teach that we are ALL children of God?  I would have to say no. 

 The Bible teaches that when we accept Christ we are adopted in as a child of God.  Being called a child of God is a gift to believers given as a result of what Christ did for us.

John 1:12 says “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (Emphasis mine)

This verse makes it very clear that it is only those who believe in Christ who are children of God.   Another key verse…

Romans 8:14 “because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God”

It is only those who are led by God that can be called children of God.  You might say, “So what!  This is just a minor difference in doctrine and does not really matter.”  I disagree.  The Bible makes it very clear that to be called a child of God is a GIFT that has been given to us by Christ and that it is only through accepting Him that we can profess to be God’s children.  To say that someone who refuses to follow Jesus Christ is a child of God is a slap in the face to Christ.  It is minimizing Christ’s sacrifice for us.

Darrell