How Wide Is The Divide?

Today in high priest group we discussed Elder Holland’s talk to the last General Conference entitled, “My Words Never Cease.”  In it he discusses the doctrine and scripture underlying the principle of continuing revelation and the concept of new scripture that adds to what we already have in the Bible.  During the discussion I became aware of two forces or ideas that were being expressed.  One is that we must teach the true gospel of Jesus Christ in such a manner that it does not offend anyone.  The other is that we must preach the truth even if some are offended because truth always offends some.

Which is it?  Must we preach truth even if some are going to be offended?  Or should we carefully avoid bringing up doctrinal differences with other faiths who might be offended in the interests of being accepted as mainstream or perhaps not so mainstream Christians?  Just how different are our doctrinal beliefs?  Or “how wide is the divide” as some have recently expressed it?  And if the divide is wide, if our beliefs are very different from those of traditional Christianity, how likely is it that we will be able to convince them that we are Christian even though we believe very differently?

Finally, is there any danger to the saints themselves in coming to believe there is very little difference between what we believe and what the evangelicals and other traditional Christians believe?  Is there any chance that some of our own members will become confused about doctrine and begin to think that “one church is as good as another” or that it isn’t really important to be a baptized Mormon if one is a sincere believer in a Protestant faith that is pretty much the same?

What is salvation in Mormon doctrine?

I have been a little frustrated in recent years by the various ways in which knowledgeable Latter-day Saints use the term “salvation.” Since joining the Church as a high school senior in 1963 before my 18th birthday, I have always used it to mean “eternal life” or “exaltation” which means receiving a fullness of the Father and a “continuation of the seeds” in the highest of three degrees in the Celestial Kingdom which is the highest of three kingdoms of glory. (See D&C 76 and 131). Every other reward or punishment in the next life is some form of “damnation.”

I use my definition for salvation because of my studies of the scripture, the writings of Joseph Fielding Smith and Bruce R. McConkie, the writings of Robert L. Millett of the Religion Department at BYU, and the official Church manual True to the Faith which has been through correlation and is distributed to new members of the Church.

Other knowledgeable members with an interest in doctrine insist on using the term “salvation” to mean any inheritance in a kingdom of glory whether it be be telestial, terrestrial or celestial. They reason that any “kingdom of glory” must be considered a form of salvation regardless of whether or not it involves exaltation and eternal life. After all, only the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes such a reward possible, and the Prophet Joseph Smith is reported to have said that the telestial kingdom is so glorious and so much better than the life we live here in mortality that we would commit suicide to get there if we could see what we are missing. What the prophet’s actual words were, and whether or not they were reliably recorded, I cannot say.

While I have never read anything in True to the Faith that I clearly disagree with, and I accept it as an authoritative statement on official Church doctrine, I also believe the Book of Mormon to be the Word of God and the “most correct book on earth” as proclaimed by Joseph Smith. And the other day I ran across this passage which I found interesting because of my frustration over the varying and sometimes conflicting definitions of salvation used by Latter-day Saints. Here is the passage, and it clears things up for me:

40 And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else. (Alma 11:40)

What does this mean for us? In the vast majority of cases where the words “saved” or “salvation” are used in scripture, it is a reference to eternal life and exaltation. There are a tiny number of instances where these words are used to mean something else. But those instances are so few that when we use these terms to mean anything other than eternal life and exaltation, we ought to carefully explain our definitions. Otherwise, many will be confused. Our meaning will not be clear. We must not use these terms willy-nilly and just assume that others understand. Remember, even the Sons of Perdition will be “saved” in the sense of being restored to resurrected, physical bodies before they are cast into Outer Darkness with the devil and his angels. And the resurrection could never take place without the Atonement of Jesus Christ either. But no one would suggest that the Sons of Perdition are “saved” or inherit “salvation.”

False Prophets, True Prophets and Service

“A false prophet tells you what you want to hear. A true prophet tells you what the Lord wants you to hear.”

I heard this a few weeks ago, and it rings true to me. I can’t seem to get it out of my mind. Ever since mankind left the Garden of Eden, he has been stoning the prophets, and otherwise killing them. And that certainly was not because they were telling the people what they wanted to hear.

Is this a true principle that can be applied to service work? We hear a lot about service in the Church as the answer to almost everything, but when service is mentioned it is usually in general terms. One rarely hears anyone explain just exactly what it is. What is service anyway? Is it work that is wanted by those who receive it, or is it work that the Lord wants them to receive? Sometimes I get the idea that service is whatever we want to do for neighbors that will make us feel good rather than what they need or want.

For instance, to many Elder’s Quorums, service is fixing a roof or painting a fence or perhaps doing some yard work for an elderly widow. Perhaps it is collecting some canned goods for donating to a “poor” family that doesn’t have enough to eat. Does this mean that a brother or sister doesn’t need “service” if he can afford to hire a contractor to fix his roof or paint his fence? If he has plenty of food, does that mean he needs no service? What if his biggest need is to overcome the problem of loneliness? Does the Church have service projects to deal with that? It is hard to see how paint, yard work, canned goods, etc. will help a new member deal with his loneliness after he has lost all his friends and family when he joined the Church. And we all know that many new members lose everything socially. They have no friends except us when we do “service” by taking them into our families and circles of friends. And a person does not have to be a new member to be lonely. With the disintegration of the family in our time, loneliness has become a major problem everywhere including the Church.

What many think of as service is highly overrated, in my view. We need to provide the service that the Lord wants us to provide, not what we think we would like to do. The first step is to find out from the Lord and from our fellow ward members what is really needed. And then we must do like a true prophet does and provide what the Lord wants us to provide. Service is wonderful indeed, but that depends on the service. Let’s not be like the Boy Scout who came home all beat up.

“What happened,” his family asked.

“I helped a little old lady across the street,” he replied.

“But why are you all beat up?”

“I guess she didn’t want to go,” he shrugged.

Let us provide the service that is needed. If we aren’t willing to do that, let us just forget about service.

Will This Dispensation Produce a Paul?

The Apostle Paul was never the President of the Church in ancient times as Peter was.  It is not even certain that he was ever a member of the Twelve.  But few Christians, Mormon or otherwise, would deny that he wrote inspired scripture and was a true prophet of God.  Will God raise up such a man in this dispensation, the one that the Savior brought forth with the help of Joseph Smith?  Will future generations study holy scriptures originating in this dispensation as we today study the writings of Paul?  Perhaps the Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball will someday be part of our open ended canon, do you think?  Something by Jame E. Talmage?  Something by Joseph Fielding Smith?

What do you think?  This is the last and greatest of all dispensations, the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times.  Will this dispensation produce another Paul?  Perhaps it already has.  Is that possible?  For myself, I believe that Elder Bruce R. McConkie is the Paul of our times.  His writings, at least some of them, will prove to be as immortal as we all are.  What is your best guess?

Spiritual Wickedness In High Places

In my last post I reviewed some of what the prophets have taught about “churches” and the fact that ultimately there are only two: the church of Jesus Christ, and the church of the devil. Today, I would like to add what I consider to be a related scripture from the New Testament. I think it is especially pertinent today because of the primary campaigns being waged here in the USA by both the Republicans and the Democrats who are vying for the office of President of the United States.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)

This is the Apostle Paul, of course. But what was he writing about, and how is it relevant to our day? Is it relevant? On the official Church website, this verse is cross referenced in the Topical Guide to Darkness, Spiritual; Secret Combinations, Governments, and Wickedness among others. Does Paul imply by this that governments are or can be a threat to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Is the Church in danger from such threats around the world? How about here at home? What can we learn from Church History? I personally feel it likely that our national elections are very much influenced by the machinations of evil men combined to get power over the people. What to do about it is much less clear to me. But I am weary of our elected leaders obviously serving someone else rather than those who voted for them and put them in office.

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There Are Only Two Churches

In 1 Nephi 14:10 we read this passage in the Book of Mormon.  It is fascinating and rings true, but it is difficult for many to understand. It is difficult for me to understand.  I am pondering it this morning and wondering what it means.  Does it relate in any way to political campaigns in general?  Does it relate in any way to the campaign currently going on in the United States.

  10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.

At the official Church website, in the Guide to the Scriptures it says this:

The church of the devil: Every evil and worldly organization on earth that perverts the pure and perfect gospel and fights against the Lamb of God.

In Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie which is maligned by many and loved by me, this is what he says:

Church of the Devil

See APOSTASY, BABYLON, DEVIL, KINGDOM OF THE DEVIL, SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, WORLD. The titles church of the devil and great and abominable church are used to identify all churches or organizations of whatever name or nature — whether political, philosophical, educational, economic social, fraternal, civic, or religious — which are designed to take men on a course that leads away from God and his laws and thus from salvation in the kingdom of God.

Salvation is in Christ, is revealed by him from age to age, and is available only to those who keep his commandments and obey his ordinances. These commandments are taught in, and these ordinances are administered by, his Church. There is no salvation outside this one true Church, the Church of Jesus Christ. There is one Christ, one Church, one gospel, one plan of salvation, one set of saving ordinances, one group of legal administrators, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Eph. 4:5.)

Any church or organization of any kind whatever which satisfies the innate religious longings of man and keeps him from coming to the saving truths of Christ and his gospel is therefore not of God.

Hence we find our Lord saying, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” (Matt. 12:30.) And hence we find Alma inviting the wicked to repent and join the true Church of Christ and become the sheep of the Good Shepherd. “And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd of what fold are ye?” he asks. “Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil.” (Alma 5:39; Jos. Smith 2:19.)

Iniquitous conditions in the various branches of the great and abominable church in the last days are powerfully described in the Book of Mormon. (2 Ne. 28; Morm. 8:28, 32-33, 36-38; D. & C. 10:56.) Nephi saw the “church which is most abominable above all other churches” in vision. He “saw the devil that he was the foundation of it”; and also the murders, wealth, harlotry, persecutions, and evil desires that are part of this organization. (1 Ne. 13:1-10.)

He saw that this church took away from the gospel of the Lamb many covenants and many plain and precious parts; that it perverted the right ways of the Lord; that it deleted many teachings from the Bible; that it was “the mother of harlots”; and finally that the Lord would again restore the gospel of salvation. (1 Ne. 13:24-42.)

Similar visions were given to John as recorded in the 17th and 18th chapter’s of Revelation. He saw this evil church as a whole ruling over peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues; as being full of blasphemy abominations, filthiness, and fornication; as having the name, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH”; as drunken with the blood of the saints; as revelling in wealth and the delicacies of the earth; as making merchandise of all costly items and of “slaves, and souls of men.” And then John, as did Nephi, saw the fall and utter destruction of this great church whose foundation is the devil.

In this world of carnality and sensuousness, the great and abominable church will continue its destructive course. But there will be an eventual future day when evil shall end, “and the great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall be cast down by devouring fire.” (D. & C. 29:21; Ezek. 38; 39; 1 Ne. 22:23; Rev. 18.) Before that day, however, desolations will sweep through the earth and the various branches of the great and abominable church “shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood.” (1 Ne. 22:13-14; 14:3.)

The resurrected Christ gave to the Nephites this test whereby they might distinguish the true Church from any other: 1. It would be called in his name, for “how be it my church save it be called in my name?” he said. 2. It would be built upon his gospel, that is, the eternal plan of salvation with all its saving powers and graces would be had in it. 3. The Father would show forth his works in it, meaning that miracles, righteousness, and every good fruit would abound in it. 4. It would not be hewn down and cast into the fire as must surely come to pass with the great and abominable church. “If it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return.” (3 Ne. 27:4-12.)

I testify that these are true teachings. We are living in the last days. Many of the organizations that influence our lives are from evil. They are part of this great, evil church. We need to be aware of this as we work to promote the various political parties that are vying for power here in the United States during this campaign. Which of these organizations is going to take this nation toward the light? Which of them is going to drag us down? Or are they both going to drag us down? And if so, what should we do about it? The voters of the USA are not without power, are they? To what church do we belong?

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Evolution and My Favorite Hymn

My favorite hymn is If You Could Hie To Kolob by W. W. Phelps. I love it more than any other hymn partly because it is so uniquely Mormon. Unlike many of our other hymns which could be sung and welcomed on Sunday morning in any Christian denomination, only those who actually believe the teachings of Joseph Smith could love this hymn. Properly understood, it makes mention of the most profound doctrines separating us from the traditional Christian world, a world I gladly apostatized from many years ago. And the hymn symbolizes for me “the rest of the story” that I found when I was a lone man in the wilderness, spiritually speaking, looking for a religious belief that I could find plausible.

But it also sums up concisely my problems with the idea that man upon this earth was created physically by a process of evolution originating in some primordial, Precambrian sea. Here is the first verse which I fervently believe with every fibre of my most religious body:

If you could hie to Kolob In the twinkling of an eye,
And then continue onward With that same speed to fly,
Do you think that you could ever, Through all eternity,
Find out the generation Where Gods began to be?

Which generation of Gods was the first? Who can imagine such a thing? There have always been Gods. If God, our Heavenly Father, had a Heavenly Father, then did he not also have a Heavenly Grandfather? And so on going back forever? There was no first generation. It is one eternal round. The opposing mirrors in our temple sealing rooms acknowledge this eternal truth. Some things never had a beginning, and there have always been exalted men such as our Heavenly Father is. Joseph Smith revealed this grand and glorious truth to us, and for that we may praise him forever.

Which reminds me of another wonderful hymn written by W. W. Phelps, Praise To The Man. That Phelps was some hymn writer.

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Getting Flak For My Attitude Problem

In recent weeks I have received a lot of flak from those who incorrectly perceive in me a faulty attitude towards churches other than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is truth in all religions, I am told by those who arrogantly suppose I do not already know this. But it is a fundamental Mormon doctrine that a person who is baptized without the proper authority remains unbaptized as far as God is concerned, and a proper baptism is essential for obtaining eternal life. This is official Church doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and it is true doctrine.

I invite all my critics on this point to explain to me what the following means when the Savior teaches it in the Sermon on the Mount from 3 Nephi 14: 13-14, 21-23.

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, which leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in thereat;

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

[...]

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them: I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Those who cannot make a good explanation for this passage from Jesus himself are not qualified to critique my attitude toward other churches that teach large amounts of false doctrine.  Had there been no Great Apostasy, there would have been no need for a Restoration, and the Savior was just wasting his time when he visited the boy prophet Joseph Smith. A man cannot be saved in ignorance. And a church cannot save its members by teaching false doctrine. To say that there is some truth in another church is no different than saying that not all of its teachings are false. Either way it doesn’t matter: If one isn’t properly baptized, he loses his eternal life. I didn’t make the rules. Jesus Christ did.

Spiritually Handicapped

As I write this I am listening to the Conference talk of Elder M. Russel Ballard.  Elder Glenn Pace just finished speaking.  During Elder Pace’s talk I was impressed with an important truth: Things of the heart such as love, faith, courage, happiness, loyalty, honor and reverence cannot be measured and quantified scientifically and therefore embody truth that cannot be understood by the logical, reasoning mind alone.  It can only be known by the heart.  And therefore, the heart can know things that the mind cannot comprehend.  Those who are so intellectual that they are unable to know the truth of the heart and can only trust the truth of the mind are therefore stunted and handicapped in their ability to comprehend all truth.  I feel great sorrow for those poor souls who walk in the darkness caused by understanding the truth only through the filter of logic and reason.  I also feel great sorrow for those who disdain logic and reason as a source of truth.  A complete education demands both. Without both we are spiritually handicapped. 

A Controversial Book That Should Not Be Controversial

Many times over the years that I have been sharing my testimony online I have run across active members of the Church, or at least those who say they are active members, who have a very low opinion of The Miracle of Forgiveness by President Spencer W. Kimball. “He wasn’t President of the Church when he wrote it,” they protest. “Before he died he regretted ever having written that book,” I have been told by others. Then why then do I love that book more than any other gospel text outside of the standard works? Much and perhaps most of the genuine repenting I have done since joining the Church in 1963 has been inspired and motivated by reading that book multiple times, each time more carefully than the last. If I were to nominate a book to be included in the standard works in some future dispensation, I would nominate this book by Spencer W. Kimball ahead of anything ever written by James E. Talmage, Joseph Fielding Smith or Bruce R. McConkie. Outside of the standard works themselves, for me it has been the most useful advice on putting the gospel into actual practice that I have ever read. Is it really that controversial? It should not be. If it is controversial, it is controversial only in the sense that the truth almost always is.

Today I was browsing the books that are available from Church Distribution on the Official Church Website. It is a very short list. And guess what? The Miracle of Forgiveness is there. Apparently there are prophets in high places who do not think it is controversial. Some of them undoubtedly have received the same inspiration that I have about this book. If The Miracle of Forgiveness is a controversial book in some circles even among the active membership, it is because there are people who do not like to repent of their sins and have not yet decided that they are going to do so anyway.

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