Renouncing horizontal worship: living by every word of God (part 7)

This is the part seven of the fifteen-part discussion on Joseph's teaching on the Second Comforter. The topic of today is "living by every word of God".




Before we venture into today's topic, I have to recommend this post, which is a definitive must read!

Why this discussion on the Second Comforter is so important

In "The Words of Joseph Smith" (Ehat & Cook), we find the following footnote (nr 9):

”Joseph Smith asked rhetorically how the Lord’s restatement (D&C 84:98) of Jeremiah’s prophecy on the last days (Jer. 31:31-34) was to be fulfilled. He answered that it will be fulfilled when the Saints’ callings and elections are made sure and when they receive the Second Comforter. (p. 19; emphasis added)

(On the right, what Joseph reportedly said is highlighted. It should be noted that this part on  ”The Doctrine of Election” immediately preceeds the quote that is the main focus of this series.)

In D&C 84, we read:

”And plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness—Until all shall know me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest, and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall see eye to eye, and shall lift up their voice, and with the voice together sing this new song” (D&C 84:97-98; emphasis added)

 Jeremiah prophesied in the following manner:

”Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah[. T]his shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jer. 31:31-34; emphasis added)

Those who want to be a part of the house of Israel need to seek to have their calling and election made sure and to receive the Second Comforter. In order to ease up on the anxiety this might cause anyone, all things are to be done in wisdom and in order and no one are required to run faster than they have strength to.

Now, today’s subject!

Detecting impostors

If we are to live by every word of God, we need to understand how God dispenses his words, where we can find it, what characterizes a true messenger and how we can see beyond and through attributes which give a nice impression but are nothing more than sounding brass, tinkling cymbals and a cover for the ravenous wolf lurking inside of a false messenger.

Honestly, how good are we at searching out and recognizing truth? Against what measuring stick should someone’s message be measured? I've grown up believing that the standard works (OT, NT, BoM, D&C and PofGP) is the standard of truth. In 1844, Joseph (or whoever wrote the piece that ended up in the Times & Seasons) seems to have agreed.

"If any man writes to you, or preaches to you, doctrines contrary to the Bible, the Book of Mormon, or the book of Doctrine and Covenants, set him down as an impost[o]r. […] Try them by the principles contained in the acknowledged word of God; if they preach, or teach, or practice contrary to that, disfellowship them; cut them off from among you as useless and dangerous branches[.]" (Times & Seasons, 5:490-491, April 1, 1844; emphasis in the original)

Here, I need to let you know that I doubt the authenticity of D&C 132. I believe Brigham wrote/added unto it and that it teaches doctrines that contradicts the standard works. Therefore I reserve myself the right to follow the admonition of Joseph and proclaim that it is the work of an imposter and not the word of God.


No one can be given a free pass when it comes to carry the message of the Lord. Joseph said that “a prophet [is] a prophet only when he [is] acting as such." (History of the Church, 5:265) This is such an important concept. It puts the burden on us. We can't sit in thoughtless stupor and accept whatever comes out of someone's mouth, just because they sometime in the past have shared a message from God. 

by Jason Crislip

What's even more thoughtless is to put this trust in a man because his predecessor was a messenger from and prophet of God. It's not a hereditary thing. It's about being called and chosen because of "your prayers and your righteousness" (compare to Mosiah 3:4). Just because Joseph was a prophet, which I believe, it’s not necessarily true that any of his successors where prophets of God. And, it should be noted that it doesn’t matter that we call them ‘prophets’.

This opens up a can of worms, I know. Even though it might be a road less traveled, we can't leave it alone since it leads us to more truth!

The can of worms: the danger of putting your trust in the arm of flesh!

In Times & Seasons, the members of the Church in 1844 was taught that no man or woman is exempt from the absolute requirement to comply with "the acknowledged word of God" when writing, teaching or preaching. This included bishops, stake presidents and every other leader in the Church, all the way to the top. Not even the president of the Church, not even Joseph himself, and his closest associates were exempt. Each and everyone of them could potentially be an imposter. To me, it's a sobering, but also liberating thought. Today, we are taught the opposite (see here, here and here; the last article is the "best"). In my view, this is troubling, false, problematic and not worthy of a Church proclaiming to be Jesus’ own.

When it comes to the challenge of searching out and recognizing truth, we can't, in good conscience, put our trust in someone just because they happen to occupy a certain position in the hierarchy and claim authority to act in Gods name. The challenge of searching out and recognizing truth is vertical in nature (that is, it's between you, your divine nature and God). In some instances, we might be led to the truth by trusting someone in authority, but that's definitely not a given–even a broken clock shows the right time twice a day. 

Trusting in the religious hierarchy and holders of the priestly authority of our community is, in my mind, seldom a great idea. At the time of Christ, it would have made you reject and crucify your Savior.

When Christ started his ministry, the religious hierarchy was comprised of the scribes and pharisees. They held the priestly authority. In more modern and mormonesque vernacular, they were the General Authorities of the day. 

Jesus was sent from the Father to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19). Jesus challenged the authority of the ancient General Authorities, and in return, they questioned him in every way. They pushed back, and in the end, they, together with the orthodox Jews, pushed Jesus onto the cross. There, He graciously plead that His Father would forgive them for their ignorant act. 

Today, I'd say that the rhetoric of “follow the prophet” and the "never lead you astray"-doctrine of the Church has caused the same blindness and ignorance among the Latter-Day Saints. Many members have, fully trusting the Church, been placed knee deep in the mud of horizontal worship and obeisance. It’s extremely difficult to get out of this mud, because most members have invested so much in it–family, friends, reputation, social standing, worldview and hopes for eternity. Real faith is needed for anyone who dares to open this can of worms. Even though some reach a different conclusion than I do, I greatly admire their courage and desire for truth.


(Here you can find a compilation of scriptures and quotes teaching that we should NOT trust in man or any other kind of arm of flesh!)


Horizontal and vertical worship

Not long ago, I heard in Sunday school that, "The bishop and the stake president are called to help us come to Christ and if we stand by them, we are safe." I felt great uneasiness at this remark. If I would have been Stake President, or bishop, and present when that comment was made, I would've hade to put both my hands in the air an exclaim "Oh no! Don't you ever follow me! If I hope to accomplish any thing at all, it would be to help you receive the Holy Ghost and be born of Christ. So, don't follow me!"


The interesting thing is, that the Stake President was present when the comment was made, but he didn't say a word. I had to say something, so I raised my hand and said that we are all humans, we all make mistakes and we need to firmly build our foundation on the Rock of Christ, that we need to enter through His gate where he doesn't keep any servants and that it doesn't matter by whom we stand, if we don't stand by Christ.

Between my response and the comment that provoked it, there's a certain tension. At the core of that tension lies, what I call, the difference between horizontal and vertical worship. Vertical worship, as I use the term, is when we worship God and through his grace try to find the divine within and without ourselves and strive to help others do the same. When we espouse the belief that we are to follow our leaders instead of looking inward and upward, we are guilty of horizontal worship, that is, we worship someone who's no better or more saved than us and exchange God for the arm of flesh, thus cursing ourselves (2 Ne. 4:34-35).


Horizontal worship is telestial. In D&C 76:99-102 (read all the way through v. 111 for a fuller image of these people), we read the following about those that inherit a telestial glory:

“For [the telestial] are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of Cephas. These are they who say they are some of one and some of another—some of Christ and some of John, and some of Moses, and some of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch; But received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant. Last of all, these all are they who will not be gathered with the saints, to be caught up unto the church of the Firstborn, and received into the cloud.”

 If we stand by someone else than God and Jesus, we have not received the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant. In short, we will come short of salvation into the Kingdom of God.

Horizontal worship is one of many different kinds of idolatry we can engage in. For many, it's really hard to recognize this (self-awareness is, after all, a virtue not possessed by all mankind). The most insidious idolatry is the one where the idol stands so close to God and maybe even, in our mind, represents God that the distinction between them is almost impossible to make.


Learning how to recognize a messenger from God


As I've thought about the Sunday school lesson I mentioned earlier, I would've liked to have the time, and the assignment to teach a lesson about how to recognize a messenger from God. It's a lesson, which, for those with ears to hear and eyes to see and hearts to understand, could've dispelled some of the misunderstanding about the role of our leaders, or of any of the leaders God and Jesus employs in their service and what the mission of a messenger of God is.

The story about king Benjamin and his people is a good illustration of how "the preaching of the word [*] had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God." (Alma 31:5)


* Alma later defines the 'word' in these words: "believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall riseagain from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works. And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith." (Alma 33:22-23)

King Benjamin received his message from an Angel. He taught the words which the Lord had commanded him to teach (see Mosiah 3) and the people fell to the earth, overcome by their nothingness and carnal state. They cried to God: "O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men." (Mosiah 4:2) The Spirit of the Lord came upon them and they were born again (v. 3).


King Benjamin was desirous to know if the people believed "the words which he had spoken unto them". He got the following response, which is a key to understand how we can recognize a true message from God.

 "Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite goodness of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that which is to come; and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all things. And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy. And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God." (Mosiah 5:2-5)

Just like Alma said, the word of God has a "more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than [anything else]." When a true messenger from God writes, teaches or preaches the word of God, the message becomes "mighty even as [Jesus], unto the overpowering of man to read them" (Ether 12:24) and it causes people to work righteousness, and obtain heaven and seek for the city of Enoch (JST Genesis 14:33-34). Or, as in the case of the people of king Benjamin, they were born again and ready to enter into an everlasting covenant with Jesus. Entering into this covenant was a preparation for them to be sealed His, and thereby "be brought to heaven, that [they] may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all." (Mosiah 5:15) 

(It should be noted that those of the telestial kingdom received not the everlasting covenant.)

Conclusion

The charge to seek truth, and follow it once found, is given to us individually. We need to learn to master this art, for our salvation depends on it. Let’s not entrust this sacred responsibility to someone else.

Humility: the great paradox!

This post is the fifth installment in a 15-part series based on the following quote from Joseph Smith.

"The other Comforter spoken of is a subject of great interest, and perhaps understood by few of this generation. After a person has 

1. faith in Christ, 
2. repents of his sins, and is 
3. baptized for the remission of his sins and 
4. receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him 
5. continue to humble himself before God, 
6. hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and 
7. living by every word of God, and 
8. the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that 
9. the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to 
10. receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints. [This other Comforter is no more nor less] than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even 
11. He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and 
12. the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and 
13. the Lord will teach him face to face, and 
14. and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; 
15. and this is the state and place the ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions—Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and all the Saints who held communion with the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn." (TPJS p. 150-151)

I love this quote. Joseph eloquently summarizes the fulness of the Gospel and gives me a vision of what Jesus offers all of us. Through this description of the Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I've experienced a renewal of, and desire for, faith, repentance, prayer, worship, charity, divine presence and service. I've come to realize that I need to come to Jesus, that His arms are open, and the He employs no servant there. (This brings up the role and place of His servants, but that's a hot issue that won't be addressed in this post.)

Before I venture in to the realm of humility, I'd like to share a thought on the aspect of calling these benchmarks 'steps'. When we climb a ladder or a stair, we pass each rung or step only once on our way up. These steps are, in my mind, somewhat different. For every step you take, the ones you've passed are still essential to get to the next one. That's why faith is at the very start - without it you can't do anything and you've got to exercise it all the time. Repentance is also something that's engrained in every other milestone on your journey towards the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn. Surely the nature of repentance changes as you progress, but the principle will be with you as long as there is something of sub-celestial quality in your person. Joseph translated Hebr. 6:1 to read: "Therefore not leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection." This ties in very well with the quote now discussed.

When I first numbered the steps in the Gospel of Christ, I found 15 of them. But now, I believe that step 5 and 6 are one and the same thing; humility being the label, and the hunger and thirst after righteousness the substance. 

Humility and religion

I believe that religion, before cunning men annexed and incorporated it, was a matter between you and God. It was a matter of spirit and faith. Religion should be about this, about the answer and solution to our brokenness, desire and need for enduring relationships and peace amidst turmoil. Unfortunately, religion has evolved (devolved?) to a question of being right (or, at least more right than they). Brene Brown, in her awesome TED-talk "The Power of Vulnerability", said: "Religion has gone from a belief in faith and mystery to certainty. 'I'm right, you're wrong. Shut up.'"

When it's more important to be (factually) right, instead of acknowledging the lack of righteousness we all experience, religion has lost its transforming power. By then, it has gone from spirituality to factuality, and is based on the fear of disturbing the status quo. My experience from spending time among different groups on the Internet, is that almost everyone wants to be with people who can affirm ones worldview, and that 'dissenters' are frowned upon, and often kicked out. Why? Because they challenge the beliefs of the group. If the group firmly believes that they have the truth, any and every idea that challenges that is discarded as untrue.

This is a question with a complex answer. People sincerely believe and want to protect those beliefs. That's understandable. The essence of the problem isn't the faulty ideas or incorrect assumptions and beliefs, but rather the fact that we haven't been taught a healthy skepticism nor the skill of questioning in search of more truth. Or, put in other words, following authority and accepting the conclusions someone else have come to has replaced the fearless search for truth, no matter where this truth is found, and the collective refusal to 'be acted upon' (2 Ne 2). 

We've inherited a collective denial of free agency, instead of a wholehearted embrace of it. Why is this? My belief is that we don't want to get it wrong. Nevertheless, this is a fact of life. We also need to understand this if we are to be humble. It's important to understand that we will get it wrong sometimes, and that that's ok. God would rather have us use our agency and get it wrong, than have us sit in thoughtless stupor and not get it wrong (as if the thoughtless stupor is a good place to be found in).

Pride - the common enemy!

I've been full of pride my whole life. 

I used to take great pride in the fact that I am a Mormon, that I know my scriptures, I've served 'my' mission, and made covenants in the temple. I've stood up proclaiming that I know this or that to be true. Now, I can't do that anymore. This doesn't mean that the reasons for pride are gone. 

It's as easy to take pride in orthodoxy as it is to take pride in "thinking-out-of-the-boxy". It's as easy to take pride in 'knowledge' of spiritual things as it is to take pride in your lack of faith in things "proven" false. It's as easy to take pride in being in the Church as it is to take pride in having left it behind.

Pride inflates you, whereas humility raises you higher. When you're proud, all you've got are your own two feet. The humble, on the other hand, realizes that standing on someone else's shoulders changes everything.

Humility and the lack of righteousness 

Humility is hunger and thirst for the things of God. Hunger and thirst are, per definition, words that denote a lack of something. Humility therefore is, if nothing else, a realization of the need for and lack of God and his righteousness.

At the core of humility lies the acknowledgment that we are divine, but unable to feed and lift that divinity without the help of God. We can become great humans without God, but that's not enough to meet the end of our creation. The humble person has a clear view of the distance between the glory of God, on the one hand, and our fallenness on the other. This realization, without the atoning presence and nearness of Jesus, can crush us.

The other day, I saw "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" with my kids. The film doesn't do the books justice, but it moved me, and inspired and motivated me, nonetheless. One thing I love with the story of Narnia, is the nearness and direct access these children have to Aslan. He's with them, he comforts them, and he wants to tell them their story. Throughout my life, Jesus has been very distant. He's been close by, all right, but there has always been one more commandment, one more act of service, one more prayer and one more meeting to attend to, before He would accept me. And there's been leaders in the way. As it turned out, I never got through. Waking up to our awful situation has been a game changer. But I can tell you–it's hard to wake up to God.

If we can't accept that God may call us to walk different paths, how can we consider ourselves humble enough to receive God's will for us, wherever it may lead us. If our minds are so fixed on the path we believe that someone else should walk, how could we possibly acknowledge that the one we're currently treading might be wrong for us.

Hungering and thursting after righteousness isn't the same thing as wanting to be right or to be done right by others. Do we want to be in the right, or are we more concerned about being right where and what God wants us to be right now?

Humility is keeping quiet when you would like to shout from the roof tops want, and opening your mouth in quiet defence of truth, love and compassion when God wants you to.

The humble, precepts of men and the paradox of faith

One challenge for the humble is to be watchful against precepts taught by men and open to those taught by the spirit (2 Ne. 28:14). How can we be vigilant in this regard? We need to compare what is taught to the standard of the scriptures and to our conscience, and to the divine voice within. And we need to always be open for the possibility that any mortal man or woman can be dead wrong. Oftentimes, we are tempted to judge new ideas against the backdrop of our prejudices. Any idea that doesn't conform to our way of thinking or our world view are esteemed as a thing of naught. Sub-celestial beings should avoid the illusion that "we have the truth" like the plague.

In 1 Ne. 13 we read that "the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them." (v. 16) One of the great paradoxes of Christianity, faith and even life itself, is evident in this verse: we are strong when we realize that we are weak. The same kind of paradox is expressed by Jesus when he said that "for whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it," (Luk. 9:24) and "whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." (Matt. 23:12) How can we explain the mechanism between humility and the power of the Lord?

Handbook-gate: Defending the doctrine of Christ against the Church

The new revised and updated policy leaked this past weekend doesn't affect me personally. Still, I'm deeply troubled.

For one thing, I'm troubled over the fact that I haven't thought twice about how this policy has been in place for muslim children and children of polygamists a long time. Maybe I should've reacted earlier. We all need to speak up for the weak, and not just the weak people of our choosing, but everyone that needs an advocate. That's why this meme is relevant.

I will try to address a few of the aspects that are disturbing in all of this. At the end, I will address what's, to my mind, is most serious for a Church called by the name of Christ.

The sneakiness

I understand why there wasn't a big press release. It's said to be a clarification that only led to a change in Handbook 1, a handbook most members don't even know exists. I don't know how they thought this would be received, but it seems clear that they didn't consider the risk that someone would leak it on the Internet. How anyone can underestimate the Internet in the year 2015 is amazing. T's equally unfathomable that anyone can overestimate the loyalty among employees in the COB or among leaders in bishoprics and stake presidencies in this day and age.

Instead of owning the situation, the Church is now involved in heavy damage control, and I fear that the credibility of the Church isn't what it used to be and never will be.

The quest for polygamy revisited - this time reversed!

My thoughts are brought back to the 1880's (or to what I've read about it). The Church did all it could to present polygamy as an essential part of the religion. In the end, the Church had to back down and stop practice it (even though the doctrine of plural marriage is very much in force). Today we see the same thing happening, but in reverse. We now do everything we can to keep people out of (our definition) of marriage.

This was shared on a Facebook-group. I don't know who wrote it (if you come around to read this, I hope you accept my apologies for borrowing your analysis.)

If anyone is wondering why the LDS church is taking this stand against same sex couples and their children, the answer is very simple: Dallin Oaks has been obsessed with religious freedom and the legal and theological infrastructure to support it. Oaks is in the background orchestrating a legal strategy to preserve the church's right to refuse to perform same sex marriages. If the church were to perform all other ordinances except marriage for same sex couples and their children, it could theoretically create a contextual precedent that would weaken the church's religious freedom to refuse to perform same sex marriages. That's why the church also included a statement that same sex marriage constitutes apostasy from the church. The LDS church is making a clear line of demarcation so that the church's position from cradle to grave is unmistakable and clear. This is a space where religious freedom and civil liberties collide. The church is bolstering its legal defense against the individual's right to a same sex marriage (in any church). It's a strategy against a long-term threat--a potential threat against the nature of the Mormon temple ceremony, which is the core of Mormon religious life.

This is no revelation; it's a policy change!

Elder Christoffersen was clear - this is not the result of inspiration from God! How can I say that? Well, for one, he never claimed it was. If no one claims that the Lord was involved, I won't assume that He was. This approach isn't widely accepted. Many members, who have defended the Church, say, in substance, the following:

Since my testimony that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God is firm I have a testimony that he, and the apostles, are called of God, and that they speak for God. I don't need to know anything else. With this testimony, I feel peace that the leaders will lead the church according to God's will, not man's. Against this backdrop, there is no need to re-evaluate my testimony every time an issue arises because my testimony was established ages ago. We have been promised that God will not allow his prophets to lead us astray. I pray that I will be wise instead of learned.

In the last days the wheat will be separated from the tares.  

Our leaders are human. I won't let this fact shake me. Nor will I be shaken by any new policy or counsel from church leaders. 

As a youth I learned that when the light has moved from me, I'm the one who moved. It is my responsibility to look inside myself to get back to the light.  

If new policies, or any kind of guidance, rubs me wrong, I know that what I need to do is pray for peace and understanding, pray that the Lord will help change my heart.

In my mind, this is an attitude that is prevalent in today's Church and totally contrary to what elder Charles W. Penrose said in 1882. In my view, it's problematic.

President Wilford Woodruff is a man of wisdom and experience and we respect and venerate him; but we do not believe his personal views or utterances are revelations from God; and when ”Thus saith the Lord” comes from him, the Saints investigate it; they do not shut their eyes and take it down like a pill. When he brings forth light they want to comprehend it. Light, truth, intelligence, wisdom, progress, growth all the time - that is ”Mormonism” - to grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth. […] The Latter-day Saints are not blindly led by leaders or blindly directed by priests; but every man can receive the divine testimony in his own heart and be a priest in his own house. – Charles W. Penrose, Millenial Star 54:191

There are more quotes to the same effect.

People are permitted to assume that whatever comes from the COB is the word and will and mind of God and as good as, or even better, than scripture. This could be considered as dishonest. And if it is, it's serious.

All are equal before God, but some are more equal than others

The children of same-sex couples get special treatment from the Church. Whereas the children of murderers, rapists, sexual abusers, spouse abusers, abusers in general, adulterers, fornicators, heterosexual cohabitants, abandoners of family responsibilities etc. are welcome to be baptized (if these parents consent), the children of married same-sex couples can't be baptized, even if the parents are ok with it. The rationale? The desire to not expose the children to conflicting messages and causing them to stand between the lifestyle of the parents and the beliefs of the Church.

If we truly want children to not experience conflicting messages between Church and the home, thy don't we ban the use of TV,video games, the Internet and so forth. And why are the children of same-sex couples even allowed to visit Church (in reality, you don't have to be baptized in order for you to hear what's taught)? And when will the Church charge the home teachers to go into full surveillance of their families? I mean, we don't want the kids to hear one thing at home and something else in Church. If this policy is to be taken to its extreme, we are headed for Big Brother: Mormon Edition!

The destruction of Article of faith #2 

Not being allowed to receive the "saving" ordinance of baptism is, in my mind, equal to being punished. If this is done because of the sins of your parents, I'd almost consider it evil (at least medEVIL).

We [used to?] believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression. - Joseph Smith in the Wentworth Letter

This change should have been brought up in General Conference for the sustaining by Church members.

The thought of original guilt is actually about Adam and Eve. Still, the thought resurfaces every now and then. Regretfully it seems to have taken hold of the Church in a modified version.

The denial of the doctrine of Christ

This is the most important in my mind.

In 3 Ne. 27:8-11, we read:

And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel. Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you; And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it. But 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.

What is the gospel of Jesus? What is his doctrine? Later in the same chapter, He answers this question himself.

Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; (v. 20-21; read v. 13-21 for the longer explanation)

Jesus taught the same thing when he first came to the Nephites.
Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine. And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine. (3 Ne 11:31-35)

He then added this most important warning.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandyfoundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them. (v. 39-40)

I dare to say that no one is exempt from this warning. Not the Pope, not your home teachers, not the Bishop, nor the First Presidency or the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

And this, makes me seriously concerned. Have we just seen the Church turn its back to the doctrine of its founder? Have we just seen the Church adopt anti-christ policies? If yes, we've witnessed something historical, and we will see the Church 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."

This is the chance for us all to root ourselves even more firmly on the rock of our Redeemer, for he alone is might to save.

Mitt inlägg i debatten: Ett försvarstal för Jesu lära

Till alla det berör:

Det har under helgen förts en intensiv diskussion och debatt på internet och Facebook. Den jag tänker på gäller tilläggen till handbok 1 gällande personer i samkönade äktenskap samt deras barns tillgång till evangeliets frälsande förrättningar. Många är upprörda, andra inte, vissa tycker det är helt galet, andra ser en vishet i ändringarna.

Det är inte min avsikt att reda ut detta en gång för alla. Jag vill dock lyfta min röst för att försvara Jesu lära.

Jesus förklarade sin lära för nephiterna: ”Se, sannerligen, sannerligen säger jag er: ”Jag skall förkunna min lära för er. Och detta är min lära, och det är den lära som Fadern har givit mig. Och jag vittnar om Fadern och Fadern vittnar om mig, och den Helige Anden vittnar om Fadern och mig. Och jag vittnar om att Fadern befaller alla människor överallt att omvända sig och tro på mig. Och var och en som tror på mig och blir döpt, han skall bli frälst, och det är de som skall ärva Guds rike. Och var och en som inte tror på mig och inte blir döpt skall bli fördömd. Sannerligen, sannerligen säger jag er att detta är min lära, och jag vittnar om att den kommer från Fadern, och var och en som tror på mig tror även på Fadern. Och för honom skall Fadern vittna om mig, ty han skall besöka honom med eld och med den Helige Anden.” (3 Ne. 11:31-35)

För att det inte skulle råda några oklarheter la Jesus till följande: ”Sannerligen, sannerligen säger jag er att detta är min lära, och var och en som bygger på den bygger på min klippa, och helvetets portar skall inte få makt över dem. Och var och en som förkunnar mer eller mindre än detta och påstår att det är min lära, han är av den onde och är inte byggd på min klippa, utan han bygger på en grund av sand, och helvetets portar står öppna för att ta emot sådana när översvämningar kommer och vindarna slår mot dem.” (3 Ne. 11:39-40)

Att förvägra någon som tror på Jesus Kristus, omvänder sig och vill ta emot dop står i strid med Jesu lära. Ingen får lägga till eller ta bort ifrån denna.

Denna aspekt av situationen vill jag lägga fram, för den gör mig orolig på riktigt.

To be born into independence

I believe that everyone, sooner or later, needs to learn how to stand on their own two feet, needs to learn how to be independent of everything beneath the celestial world (D&C 74:18). The only dependence worthy of having is dependency on God. Any other will eventually turn into an addiction. And things that you can be addicted to are not admissible into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Becoming independent is hard work. It takes faith, it takes determination, it takes courage, and it's oftentimes a lonely path. It's done in the anguish of your own soul, far away from pulpets and firesides. It's done on your knees and in your humble heart, and not where you are seen. It's done entirely between God and yourself, a sphere where no person or earthly institution should be allowed to interfere.

When I think of this concept of becoming independent, I find there's a parallel in giving birth to babies. The baby has grown and matured in the womb and is finally ready to breath with its own two lungs, and see with its own two eyes, feel with its own two hands. The process of birth is lethal for both the baby and its mother. Despite this fact, God has designed it to be this way. I believe this is indicative of how it is to become independent, or in other words, born again.

Both the mother (i.e. the thing, place, group of people, organization) and the baby (you) experience pain when you are born. The mother had less pain when you still were in the womb, and might have chosen it to be that way forever if God hadn't designed it to be otherwise. And you might also have chosen to stay in the safety of your mother. Nevertheless, we do know, that this isn't possible. And I believe it's a spiritual impossibility as well.