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.