Beating a dead horse, or who inherits eternal life?

 

THIS IS A REPOST OF MD’s WORK POSTED December 08, 2019 FROM MEASURINGDOCTRINE.COM

Before we start exploring what the scriptures teach about the three degrees of glory, there is one more “loophole” that needs to be closed. Even though the scriptures teach that we can’t be saved anywhere but in the celestial kingdom, and that we can’t receive salvation anywhere but in the celestial kingdom, some might try to argue that we can participate in eternal life in places other than the celestial kingdom. At the risk of beating a dead horse, let’s measure that concept against the scriptures to see if there is any way we can possibly save the traditional interpretation of the three degrees of glory.

You’ll notice all the same themes pop up here as did with saved and salvation: faith, repentance, baptism, etc., plus we even have partaking of the sacrament. To state the obvious, these are all behaviors the telestial and terrestrial categories of people do not exhibit, therefore they cannot receive eternal life.

D&C 133:62
And unto him that repenteth and sanctifieth himself before the Lord shall be given eternal life.

John 6:53-54
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 3:14-16
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 17:1-3
These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Mosiah 5:15
Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye 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. Amen.

2 Nephi 2:27-29
27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit; And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

2 Nephi 31:17-18,20
Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive…Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

Jacob 6:11
O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life.

Alma 7:15-16
Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism. And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.

Notice in this next verse that eternal life and salvation are equivalent.

Alma 11:40
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 5:28-29
Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life. Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.

D&C 14:7
7 And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

Remember D&C 6:13?

If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation.

D&C 59:23
But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.

Eternal life and the celestial kingdom are linked in D&C 101.

D&C 101:65-66
65 Therefore, I must gather together my people, according to the parable of the wheat and the tares, that the wheat may be secured in the garners to possess eternal life, and be crowned with celestial glory, when I shall come in the kingdom of my Father to reward every man according as his work shall be; While the tares shall be bound in bundles, and their bands made strong, that they may be burned with unquenchable fire.

Notice how this contrasts with the terrestrial category, that isn’t crowned.

D&C 76:79
These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God.

Here are several more references to crowns:

D&C 75:5
And thus, if ye are faithful ye shall be laden with many sheaves, and crowned with honor, and glory, and immortality, and eternal life.

D&C 59:2
For those that live shall inherit the earth, and those that die shall rest from all their labors, and their works shall follow them; and they shall receive a crown in the mansions of my Father, which I have prepared for them.

D&C 25:15
Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive. And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come.

D&C 81:6
And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father.

D&C 20:14
And those who receive it in faith, and work righteousness, shall receive a crown of eternal life;

D&C 66:12
Continue in these things even unto the end, and you shall have a crown of eternal life at the right hand of my Father, who is full of grace and truth.

Speaking of the right hand of God, this next one is potent.

D&C 29:27-28
And the righteous shall be gathered on my right hand unto eternal life; and the wicked on my left hand will I be ashamed to own before the Father; Wherefore I will say unto them—Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

The righteous on his right hand receive eternal life, which is the celestial kingdom. So there are no telestial or terrestrial people here. Those on the left depart into everlasting fire. As far as I know, Jesus doesn’t have a third arm. So what happened to the telestial and terrestrial people?

D&C 88 reiterates the link between eternal life and the celestial kingdom.

D&C 88:4
This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom;

And here are a few more scriptures to just drive the point home.

D&C 50:5
But blessed are they who are faithful and endure, whether in life or in death, for they shall inherit eternal life.

D&C 18:8
And now, marvel not that I have called him unto mine own purpose, which purpose is known in me; wherefore, if he shall be diligent in keeping my commandments he shall be blessed unto eternal life; and his name is Joseph.

D&C 51:19
And whoso is found a faithful, a just, and a wise steward shall enter into the joy of his Lord, and shall inherit eternal life.

D&C 45:8
I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not; but unto as many as received me gave I power to do many miracles, and to become the sons of God; and even unto them that believed on my name gave I power to obtain eternal life.

D&C 46:14
To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.

D&C 30:8
Wherefore, give heed unto these things and be diligent in keeping my commandments, and you shall be blessed unto eternal life. Amen.

Moses 5:11
And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.

As with saved and salvation, there are no scriptures that I can find that describe the telestial or terrestrial behaviors as worthy of any degree of eternal life. The scriptural requirements for eternal life match those of being saved, receiving salvation, and being a celestial person. We have strayed from the pure and simple truths of the gospel by introducing all these false doctrines on our misunderstanding of what the scriptures really say about the three degrees of glory.

The next post will talk about when humanity is judged and placed into the three degrees of glory.

The Gift of Salvation

 

THIS IS A REPOST OF MD’s WORK POSTED December 06, 2019 FROM MEASURINGDOCTRINE.COM

In the last post we learned that the only way we can be saved in the kingdom of God is through faith, repentance, baptism by water, baptism by fire, and enduring to the end. We also learned that only those in the celestial glory have met those requirements. Meaning that those of the terrestrial and telestial glories do not meet the criteria to be saved in the kingdom of God.

What about salvation then? We’re taught that the three degrees of glory are a key part of the plan of salvation. Is there a difference between being saved and receiving salvation? Some may argue that while we can only be saved in the celestial kingdom, perhaps we can still participate in salvation in one of the lower kingdoms.

Let’s start with the Webster 1828 definition.

SALVA’TION, [Latin salvo, to save.]
1. The act of saving; preservation from destruction, danger or great calamity.
2. Appropriately in theology, the redemption of man from the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death, and the conferring on him everlasting happiness.

SA’VED, Preserved from evil; injury or destruction.

Those two words appear synonymous. In fact, they are used interchangeably in the scriptures:

D&C 6
3 Behold, the field is white already to harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to reap, let him thrust in his sickle with his might, and reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God.

13 If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation.

Saved in the kingdom                     = The greatest of all gifts of God (meaning no gift is greater)
Salvation                                            = No greater gift (meaning it is the greatest gift)
Greatest of all gifts                           = No greater gift
Salvation in the kingdom of God = Saved in the kingdom of God

All these phrases show that salvation and being saved are equivalent. With that in mind, look at these other scriptures.

D&C 43:25
How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!

Alma 5:9-10
And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved. And now I ask of you on what conditions are they saved? Yea, what grounds had they to hope for salvation? What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death, yea, and also the chains of hell?

Romans 10:9-10
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Isaiah 45:17
But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

Isaiah 25:9
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us:
this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

I don’t think I’m wresting the scriptures when I assert that there is no difference between being saved and receiving salvation. Now that we know they are equivalent, let’s see if the scriptures provide the same qualifications for receiving salvation as being saved.

Alma 9:27-28
And behold, he cometh to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance, through faith on his name. Therefore, prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the time is at hand that all men shall reap a reward of their works, according to that which they have been—if they have been righteous they shall reap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ; and if they have been evil they shall reap the damnation of their souls, according to the power and captivation of the devil.

Alma 34:15
And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.

Alma 26:35
Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.

So far, these are the same requirements as for being saved in the kingdom of God: faith, repentance, and baptism. These next verses add becoming as a little child and continuing in faith until the end, matching the requirements we found in the last post. But notice the qualifiers in red.

Alma 11:40
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.

Mosiah 3
12 But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God! For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
18 For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

Mosiah 4:6-8
I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal body—I say, that this is the man who receiveth salvation, through the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all mankind, which ever were since the fall of Adam, or who are, or who ever shall be, even unto the end of the world. And this is the means whereby salvation cometh. And there is none other salvation save this which hath been spoken of; neither are there any conditions whereby man can be saved except the conditions which I have told you.

There is no other way, no other salvation, no other condition by which we can be saved. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts. To argue otherwise is to deny the scriptures.

This presents the same problem with the terrestrial and telestial people – they don’t qualify for salvation. Salvation is only for the celestial category of people. Yet God says he will save everyone except for the sons of perdition. How can God save everyone, but only save celestial people? How can he save all, but not the terrestrial and telestial people?

1 Nephi 15:34-35
But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is filthy. And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken.

There are no three degrees of glory here. You are either in the celestial kingdom or you are cast out. How can we reconcile what the scriptures plainly teach about salvation and being saved in the kingdom of God with the current LDS interpretation of the telestial and terrestrial kingdoms? It’s not possible. If we believe what the scriptures say, the plan of salvation, as taught by the LDS Church, is really a plan of condemnation. The vast majority of humans will be doomed to the terrestrial and telestial kingdoms, cast out, without salvation, without being saved; while a small portion enjoy the celestial kingdom.

We know that can’t be true, so the conclusion is that our interpretation of what the scriptures say about the telestial and terrestrial kingdoms is wrong. Once we have accepted that truth, we need to cast aside everything we have been taught and start fresh. Which is what we’ll start doing next.

Saved in the Kingdom of God

 

THIS IS A REPOST OF MD’s WORK POSTED December 04, 2019 FROM MEASURINGDOCTRINE.COM

The three degrees of glory are one of the bedrock traditions of the LDS Church. Unfortunately, many of our beliefs about the three degrees of glory don’t agree with the scriptures. Let’s take a look one of these beliefs.

Near the beginning of the vision in D&C 76, we are given a description of the gospel:

40 And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us—
41 That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness;
42 That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him;
43 Who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands, except those sons of perdition who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him.
44 Wherefore, he saves all except them

Verse 43 says God saves all the works of his hands except the sons of perdition. It’s so important, it’s repeated again in verse 44. Everyone except for the sons of perdition are saved. Just to be painfully obvious, this is saying that celestial, terrestrial, and telestial people are all going to be saved.

The scriptures say we will be “saved in the kingdom of God”, “saved in the kingdom of heaven”, or “saved in the kingdom of the Lamb”. We want to merge these statements with our interpretation that the telestial and terrestrial kingdoms are places where people will be saved for eternity. This leads us to teach that someone can be a terrestrial or telestial person and still be in the kingdom of God. We teach that we can be “saved in a lower kingdom”, “saved in the terrestrial kingdom”, or “saved in the telestial kingdom”. Yet none of those phrases have a scriptural basis that I can find. So what do the scriptures teach about who is saved, and where they are saved?

What did Jesus teach?

John 3:5
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

3 Nephi 9:22
Whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved.

(Notice also that he declares he has laid down his life for those who repent and come unto his as a little child. He doesn’t say he laid down his life for those who don’t repent. Compare this with D&C 76:41-43 at the top of this post.)

3 Nephi 11:33
Whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.

3 Nephi 11:38
Ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

According to Jesus, we need to believe, repent, be baptized, be born of the Spirit, and become as a little child or we can IN NOWISE inherit the kingdom of God. The Webster 1828 dictionary gives us this definition of no wise.

NO’WISE, Not in any manner or degree.

According to the resurrected Christ, we cannot in any manner or degree inherit the kingdom of God without believing, repenting, becoming as a little child, and being baptized. Moroni adds some more criteria which we cannot avoid in any manner or degree:

Moroni 10:21
Except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope.

Alma piles on, telling us we must also be born of God and be changed from our carnal and fallen state and become a son or daughter of God, and unless we do this, we cannot in any manner or degree inherit the kingdom of God.

Mosiah 27:25-26
Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; and thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

Alma 42:24
Justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.

Alma 38:9
And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness.

Nephi takes it even higher. Now we need to have perfect faith in God or we cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.

2 Nephi 9:23
And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.

He then tells us we need to endure to the end or we cannot be saved.

2 Nephi 31:15-16
15 And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved.

Just in case we’re thinking there is another way to be saved without having faith and enduring to the end, Nephi closes the door to any such possibility:

2 Nephi 31:21
21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

Modern revelation is consistent with this:

D&C 20
29 And we know that all men must repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and worship the Father in his name, and endure in faith on his name to the end, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.

Inheriting the kingdom?

In addition to “being saved in the kingdom of God”, the scriptures talk about “inheriting the kingdom of God”. Is there a difference between inheriting and being saved in the kingdom of God? They also talk about “inheriting the kingdom of heaven”. Is there a difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven?

Nephi uses saved and inherit interchangeably:

2 Nephi 9:18
But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever.

2 Nephi 9:23
And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.

Alma uses kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven interchangeably:

Alma 9:12
Behold, now I say unto you that he commandeth you to repent; and except ye repent, ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

Alma 5:51
And also the Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying: Go forth and say unto this people—Repent, for
except ye repent ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of heaven.

I don’t know how much more interchangeable you can get than that! He goes on to use inherit and saved in the same sentence:

Alma 11:37
And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins.

And the criteria for the kingdom of heaven are the same as for the kingdom of God listed above:

Alma 7
14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

It seems that there is no difference between being saved in the kingdom of God and inheriting the kingdom of God. Nor is there is a difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven.

From these scriptures we’ve just reviewed, here’s a list of the scriptural requirements to be saved in the kingdom of God:

• Faith in God
• Repentance
• Baptism
• Born again / born of God / redeemed of God
• Become as a little child
• Hope
• Charity
• Endure to the end

Now let’s take a look at terrestrial people:

• Died without the law / didn’t receive the testimony of Jesus ,  (76:72-75)
• Blinded by the craftiness of men (76:76)
• Received the testimony of Jesus, but weren’t valiant. (76:79)

Those people don’t meet the scriptural criteria for being saved in the kingdom of God.

What about telestial people?

• Didn’t accept the testimony of Jesus, but don’t deny the Holy Spirit.(76:82, 101)
• Weren’t baptized, or didn’t accept the everlasting covenant (76:101)
• Liars, sorcerers, adulterers, whoremongers (76:102)

They don’t fit the scriptural criteria for being saved in the kingdom of God either.  In fact, we have several scriptures that make it clear that these telestial people will not be saved in the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

If all these scriptures consistently say that telestial and terrestrial people do not meet the criteria to be saved in the kingdom of God, how do we reconcile this with D&C 76:43-44?

43 Who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands, except those sons of perdition who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him.
44 Wherefore, he saves all except them

If we believe in the traditional view of the terrestrial and telestial kingdoms, these people cannot be saved, as only celestial people fulfill the requirements to be saved. Yet God says he saves everyone except the sons of perdition, so he also saves the telestial and the terrestrial people. Both cannot be correct.

I propose that our traditional interpretation of the three degrees of glory is flawed and inconsistent with scripture. For those that disagree with my assessment, I invite you to share with me scriptures that teach that:

• we can be saved in the terrestrial or telestial kingdom
• the terrestrial and telestial kingdoms are part of the kingdom of God
• there is some other way to be saved in the kingdom of God without faith, repentance, baptism, being born again, becoming as a little child, having hope and charity, and enduring to the end.

In the next post, we’ll dive into what the scriptures say about salvation and what that means for the “plan of salvation”.

 

Further references

I have only listed a few scriptures in the main article. Here are other scriptures that teach about being saved:

3 Nephi 23:5
And whosoever will hearken unto my words and repenteth and is baptized, the same shall be saved. Search the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things.

D&C 49:5
5 Thus saith the Lord; for I am God, and have sent mine Only Begotten Son into the world for the redemption of the world, and have decreed that he that receiveth him shall be saved, and he that receiveth him not shall be damned

D&C 53:7
And again, I would that ye should learn that he only is saved who endureth unto the end. Even so. Amen.

D&C 56:2
And he that will not take up his cross and follow me, and keep my commandments, the same shall not be saved.

D&C 68:9
And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.

D&C 112:29
And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not, and is not baptized, shall be damned.

1 Nephi 15:14
And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved.

2 Nephi 9:9
Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.

2 Nephi 25:13
Behold, they will crucify him; and after he is laid in a sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name.

Moroni 7:34
And he hath said: Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and have faith in me, that ye may be saved.

Moroni 7:38
For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name; wherefore, if these things have ceased, then has faith ceased also; and awful is the state of man, for they are as though there had been no redemption made.

Mormon 7:3
Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved.

Mormon 9:23
And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned;

Helaman 12:22-23
And wo unto him to whom he shall say this, for it shall be unto him that will do iniquity, and he cannot be saved; therefore, for this cause, that men might be saved, hath repentance been declared. Therefore, blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved.

Jacob 6:4
And how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long; and they are a stiffnecked and a gainsaying people; but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

Ether 4:18
Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name.

Ether 5:5
And if it so be that they repent and come unto the Father in the name of Jesus, they shall be received into the kingdom of God.

Alma 32:13
And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.

Alma 39:9
Now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things; for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Oh, remember, and take it upon you, and cross yourself in these things.

3 Nephi 27:6
And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day.

4 Nephi 1:17
There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.

Omni 1:26
And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.

Mosiah 15:11
Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.

Rigdon v. Young (1844)

 

THIS IS A REPOST OF MD’s WORK POSTED march 24, 2019 FROM MEASURINGDOCTRINE.COM

I’ve been quite busy with the podcast and haven’t had much time to devote to the blog. This was something I had been working on last year but never published. We’re going to be covering the Succession Crisis on the podcast next, so I dusted this off and decided to publish it.

August 1844 was an interesting time for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Joseph and Hyrum had been killed less than two months earlier, and there was no clear replacement. Well, actually, there was a clear replacement if you hearkened to the word of God. But the majority of the members didn’t, and so it was put to a vote instead. Brigham Young won the vote and got control, and Sidney Rigdon was excommunicated.

Let’s take a look at what should have happened in August 1844. Doctrine and Covenants has specific requirements for President of the Church. D&C 107 uses several different names for the same position:

• Presidency of the Church
• President of the High Priesthood of the Church
• President of the office of the High Priesthood
• Presiding High Priest over the High Priesthood of the Church,

I’d sure like to ask Joseph why he did that, but we’ll roll with it. The verses below make it clear these are the same and the highest authority in the church.

D&C 107
22 Of the Melchizedek Priesthood, three Presiding High Priests, chosen by the body, appointed and ordained to that office, and upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayer of the church, form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church.

64 Then comes the High Priesthood, which is the greatest of all.
65 Wherefore, it must needs be that one be appointed of the High Priesthood to preside over the priesthood, and he shall be called President of the High Priesthood of the Church;
66 Or, in other words, the Presiding High Priest over the High Priesthood of the Church.

79 And the Presidency of the council of the High Priesthood shall have power to call other high priests, even twelve, to assist as counselors; and thus the Presidency of the High Priesthood and its counselors shall have power to decide upon testimony according to the laws of the church.
80 And after this decision it shall be had in remembrance no more before the Lord; for this is the highest council of the church of God, and a final decision upon controversies in spiritual matters.
81 There is not any person belonging to the church who is exempt from this council of the church.

91 And again, the duty of the President of the office of the High Priesthood is to preside over the whole church, and to be like unto Moses—
92 Behold, here is wisdom; yea, to be a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet, having all the gifts of God which he bestows upon the head of the church.

Verse 22 says this presidency must consist of three high priests – they can’t be elders. Verse 65 says that one must be appointed of the High Priesthood to preside. Appointed of, not appointed to. That means the person needs to already be a high priest. While the other verses could get away with an elder being chosen and then ordained to the office of high priest, verse 65 says he can’t be chosen before becoming a high priest. Verse 92 also says the president is to be a seer, a revelator, and a prophet.

With that criteria in place, let’s evaluate the the status of both men.

High Priest

Sidney Rigdon

Ordained a high priest on June 3, 1831.

Brigham Young

Never ordained a high priest.

 “Now will it cause some of you to marvel that I was not ordained a High Priest before I was ordained an Apostle?  Brother Kimball and myself were never ordained High Priests.”
Journal of Discourses 1:136, April 6, 1853

Sidney was the only High Priest among the two of them. Brigham should have never been in contention for the office of President of the High Priesthood of the Church.

Prophet, Seer, and Revelator

Sidney Rigdon

Ordained on June 3, 1831.

Elder Sidney Rigdon has been ordained a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator.
HC 4:364

Brigham Young

“I do not profess to be a Prophet. I never called myself so.”
Journal of Discourses, 5:176

A reader pointed out that this quotation was actually from Heber Kimball, not Brigham Young. I’m glad my error has been corrected.

During the conference in August 1844 where the fateful vote was taken, William Marks, president of the Nauvoo Stake, said this:

“Now is there a man in the church who has received the ordination of a prophet, seer and revelator.  If there is I want to see him…I think I am knowing to all the ordinations, but I don’t know of a man who has been ordained to the office and calling Brother Sidney has.”

Sidney was the only person who had already been ordained a prophet, seer, and revelator. How could Brigham be ordained a prophet, seer, and revelator by anyone other than Sidney? Yet Brigham excommunicated Sydney and had other apostles ordain him to an office that none of them had the authority to give.

Most Senior Apostle

The current church practice is the apostle who has served the longest at the death of the president becomes the new president of the Church. This isn’t in the scriptures, and it evolved over time with various tweaks to ensure the “right” man got the job. The scripturally approved method is in Section 107. But let’s just pretend that this man-made method of succession was in force back in 1844. Surely Brigham would have won here, right?

Sidney Rigdon – called December 7, 1830

Moroni 2:2
…ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles.

D&C 35:6 – Revelation on December 7, 1830 to Sidney Rigdon
But now I give unto thee a commandment, that thou shalt baptize by water, and they shall receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, even as the apostles of old.

Moroni says apostles give the Holy Ghost, and D&C 35 tells Sidney to give the Holy Ghost even as the apostles of old. Other sections of D&C call Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and others as apostles, years before the Quorum of the Twelve was organized in 1835.

Here’s another interesting tidbit. D&C 84 was received in September 1832, two and half years before the Quorum of the Twelve was organized. Yet the Lord said:

63 And as I said unto mine apostles, even so I say unto you, for you are mine apostles, even God’s high priests; ye are they whom my Father hath given me; ye are my friends;

This revelation was given to Joseph in the presence of six others. We don’t know their identities (if someone knows them, speak up!). But the Lord declares that these seven people are both high priests and apostles. We know Sidney was ordained a high priest in 1831, and we know the Lord called him an apostle in Section 35. I would not be surprised if Sidney was present when Section 84 was received.

Brigham Young – called February 14, 1835

Brigham had four years less seniority than Sidney had upon the death of Joseph. Brigham should have never challenged Sidney if the current law of succession by seniority was the law of the Lord.

Seniority – Part 2

Back in 1844, seniority wasn’t determined by length of service (Brigham invented that during the later years of his reign). Seniority at this time was determined by age.

Sidney Rigdon – born February 18, 1793
Brigham Young – born June 1, 1801

Under this criteria, Sidney has eight years seniority.

Either way you count it, Sidney had more seniority as an apostle than Brigham.

Conclusion

Final tally: Sidney 3, Brigham 0.

D&C: 42:59-60
Thou shalt take the things which thou hast received, which have been given unto thee in my scriptures for a law, to be my law to govern my church; And he that doeth according to these things shall be saved, and he that doeth them not shall be damned if he so continue.

D&C 43:5-7
And this shall be a law unto you, that ye receive not the teachings of any that shall come before you as revelations or commandments; And this I give unto you that you may not be deceived, that you may know they are not of me. For verily I say unto you, that he that is ordained of me shall come in at the gate and be ordained as I have told you before, to teach those revelations which you have received and shall receive through him whom I have appointed.

D&C 84:54-57
And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written.

Had the members in August 1844 relied on the scriptures to solve the succession crisis, things would have been vastly different. No polygamy, no Adam-God doctrine, no blood atonement, and probably no priesthood ban. We would have actually had an ordained prophet, seer, and revelator at the head of the church. But they treated lightly the former commandments that told them Sidney was the only choice, and brought condemnation upon themselves and the whole church for generations.

Saved by grace

 

THIS IS A REPOST OF MD’s WORK POSTED november 29, 2018 FROM MEASURINGDOCTRINE.COM

I was reading in 2 Nephi this week and came across the much-abused scripture: “it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do”. I can’t help but notice how happy mainstream Christians are that believe they are saved by grace. Conversely, many LDS seem weighed down by believing they have to work for their salvation, and they use this fragment of the verse as the foundation for that belief.

Many say this means that we have to do everything within our power, down to the  last calorie, and then and only then will Christ step in to help us make up the difference. Analogies have been made comparing our salvation to a child wanting to buy a bicycle he can’t afford to show us how Christ will help us, but only after we have completely emptied our personal piggy-bank. So much for his yoke being easy and his burden being light!

One technique I was taught to understand scripture is to avoid using my own definitions and interpretations, but to use the definitions the writers used. If you look around the scriptures, usually you will find that the definition or interpretation is in there. It’s best when the definition is provided by the same author. If it’s a different author, chances are the second author will use the terms consistently, but is isn’t always guaranteed.

Let’s take a look at our “after all we can do” verse in context:

2 Nephi 25:23
For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children and also our brethren to believe in Christ and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

The primary point of the verse is that they labor diligently to persuade people to believe in Christ and be reconciled to God. Why are they laboring so hard to persuade people to be reconciled to God? Notice that Nephi doesn’t labor diligently to persuade people to perform a checklist of righteous activities. Being reconciled to God doesn’t give you a list of things to do, but it does give you grace. And grace is what saves us. Let’s look at other places that Nephi talks about grace.

2 Nephi 2:6-8
Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

Notice Nephi again states the importance of teaching people to believe in Christ and that it is through his merits, mercy, and grace that anyone is saved. Without that, no matter how much we work, we’re doomed. Christ offers his sacrifice to those with a broken heart and contrite spirit, not those who do a lot of good works. But what about that “after all we can do” phrase?

2 Nephi 10:24
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.

Whoa! Nephi says after we are reconciled to God, it is only in and through grace that we are saved. No other works after we are reconciled to God will save us. “All we can do” is to reconcile ourselves to the will of God. We are saved by grace, after we have reconciled ourselves to God.

Nephi repeats this later on:

2 Nephi 33:9
I have charity for my people, and great faith in Christ that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment-seat. I have charity for the Jew—I say Jew, because I mean them from whence I came. I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation.

Why can’t he hope for them except they be reconciled unto Christ? If we don’t reconcile ourselves to Christ, nothing else matters. All we can do is reconcile ourselves to Christ and have faith in him.

This doesn’t mean that once we reconcile ourselves to God that we can do whatever we want with no consequences. What it does mean is that we don’t have to worry about someone else’s lists of tasks that we must do for salvation, nor should we worry if we are doing enough, or if we will ever be good enough.

Now some will accuse me of glossing over the rest of verse 9 in 2 Nephi 33. They may even argue that walking in the strait path does indeed require lists of things we should be doing and if we don’t exert all our energy on all those activities we won’t have done everything we can and we won’t be saved. But that isn’t how Nephi viewed walking in the strait path.

2 Nephi 31:18-20
And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive. And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

What are the things Nephi says we must do after we enter the strait and narrow path? Have hope, love God and all men, feast upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end. That’s it! Those things are the foundation of our daily walk with God.

Notice what Nephi doesn’t write? He doesn’t write a checklist of activities we must do to be acceptable to God. He doesn’t talk about attending meetings, home teaching, family history, gardening, emergency preparedness, or anything else. If Nephi the prophet won’t tell us what we are supposed to do after we have reconciled ourselves to God, who will?

2 Nephi 32:3,5,6
Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do. Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ.

If God wants us to do something, he’ll tell us. He will likely tell you do to something different than what he tells me, so comparing your answers to my answers is pointless. His yoke is easy and his burden is light…if we really accept it. If you instead put on the yoke of man and rely on the arm of flesh, your mileage will vary. Jesus didn’t think highly of men who “bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders.” God does not require that we run faster than we have strength – and he knows perfectly how much strength we each have personally. He will tell each of us personally what we wants us to do – we just need to ask and listen.

When we revert to a checklist of things to, and compare our activities to the activities of others, we aren’t relying upon the merits of Christ. We aren’t putting our faith in him. We’re putting our faith in our own works and the arm of flesh that created the checklist.

Once you look at the totality of what Nephi wrote about grace, you realize he and Paul were preaching the same gospel.

Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Leaders vs. Followers

 

THIS IS A REPOST OF MD’s WORK POSTED november 11, 2018 FROM MEASURINGDOCTRINE.COM

As Nephi is wrapping up his writings, he gives some detailed descriptions of the last days and the state of churches at that time.

2 Nephi 28:11-14
Yea, they have all gone out of the way; they have become corrupted. Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up. They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up. They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.

How Nephi distinguishes the followers from the leaders is significant. All have gone astray except for a few who are humble followers of Christ. These people are a small minority. Yet their leaders teach by the precepts of men, and cause these humble followers of Christ to err.

Let’s see what the rest of the scriptures have to say about these leaders that cause people to err.

2 Nephi 13:12
O my people, they who lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths.

Notice the Lord is speaking to his people, the House of Israel.

2 Nephi 19:13-16
For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts. Therefore will the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush in one day. The ancient [elder], he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

The leaders of Israel cause the people to err. And those that follow these leaders are destroyed, not blessed.

Isaiah 28:7
But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

Although this verse talks about wine and strong drink, it is a metaphor, and cannot be misread to say that leaders who don’t drink alcohol won’t do this. We say leaders can be drunk with power, and we know that doesn’t require alcohol. One chapter earlier the Lord explained what he means when he says leaders are drunk.

2 Nephi 27:4-5
For behold, all ye that doeth iniquity, stay yourselves and wonder, for ye shall cry out, and cry; yea, ye shall be drunken but not with wine, ye shall stagger but not with strong drink. For behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the prophets; and your rulers, and the seers hath he covered because of your iniquity.

Micah 3:5-7
Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.

Again, the Lord says these prophets make his people err. After the people give heed to these false prophets, the Lord withdraws. Refer to my post on the decline of revelation to see the data showing that the sun did set on the church and there has been no answer from God for quite some time.

Notice how the message these false prophets preach is “Peace”, whereas the true prophets teach repentance and consequences. Here’s an example:

Jeremiah 14:13-16
Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.

How many Christian churches in these days have men they sustain as prophets? How many of these modern churches believe they are the modern day Zion? It is to those churches that think of themselves as modern Zion that Nephi warned:

2 Nephi 28:21
And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

Heck, a church like that might even sing a song about how all is well.

Erring by Proof-texting

Part of the problem that causes these errors is that people misuse the scriptures:

D&C 10:63
And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention; yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them.

Proof-texting is a common example of this. In proof-texting, you start with your conclusion, then look for verses that confirm your precept while ignoring all the others that undermine your precept. One clue that proof-texting is in play is if only a few words from a verse are quoted. Without the context surrounding the words being quoted, it is easy to make a few words mean what you want them to mean.

Here’s one example of proof-texting on this very topic: whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. This gets used all the time to tell us we need to listen to and obey every word that today’s Church leaders say. But if we read everything that the Lord says about these servants in the section, we see that interpretation is wrong.

D&C 1:37-38
Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

The Lord is not referring to talks at General Conference. He is specifically talking about the published revelations in the Book of Commandments. The promise is that his  prophecies and promises shall all be fulfilled, and whether those words are fulfilled by his own voice or the voice of his servants doesn’t matter. He is not opening the door to everything these servants say being backed up by God. Why not?

D&C 1:24-28
Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.

And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known;
And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed;
And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent;
And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong,
and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time.

These servants make errors and need to seek wisdom. They sin and need to humble themselves to receive knowledge. Joseph made it clear that a prophet was only a prophet when speaking as a prophet. To suggest that anything said over the pulpit is the word of God is non-scriptural, for even his servants err.

Jeremiah 6:13
For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

D&C 121:39-40
We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but few are chosen.

Just because a man is called to a leadership position does not mean he is chosen. Most who are called to positions of authority do not have the nature and disposition to exercise righteous dominion. To pretend that everyone called to a leadership position is a humble servant of God and incapable of exercising unrighteous dominion is to deny the scriptures. The scriptures say that most in authority will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.

What else does Section 1 tell us about these commandments?

D&C 1:17-20
Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets—

The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh— But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;

The Lord’s desire is that no one tries to counsel others. A servant trying to fulfill the Lord’s commandments would not insist that people heed his counsel, nor try to maintain that power and influence by virtue of his priesthood position. Nor would there be a hierarchy of counsel, with counsel from someone higher up the ladder being more important than counsel from someone lower down the ladder, or even, heaven forbid, someone not on the ladder at all!

Who specifically are these servants that the Lord gives this authority to in D&C 1? Is it anyone and everyone that assumes a leadership position in the LDS Church? No.

D&C 1:6
Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.

The servants that D&C 1 is talking about are a very select group of people – those who were given the Book of Commandments to publish. The last time I checked, none of them were still alive. To claim that verse 38 applies to anyone living today is a proof-text, ignoring the very specific, very limited scope the Lord used in that revelation.

Modern leaders err

D&C 33 was received in October 1830 – six months after the establishment of the Church of Christ. Yet the Lord says only a few do good, and even they err in many instances. This links directly back to Nephi 28:14.

D&C 33:4
there is none which doeth good
save it be a few;
and they err in many instances
because of priestcrafts, all having corrupt minds.

2 Nephi 28:14
they have all gone astray
save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ;
nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err
because they are taught by the precepts of men.

Presumably, the members of the church were among the few people doing good in October 1830. Yet they erred in many instances and were dealing with priestcrafts. These verses link teaching the precepts of men with priestcrafts, which Nephi defined as:

2 Nephi 26:29
Priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.

Christ taught us:

3 Nephi 14:13-15
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; Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Christ taught that few will find the way that leads to life. Just like Nephi and D&C 10, Jesus follows up talking about the few by talking about bad leaders, in this case false prophets, who will teach:

2 Nephi 28:5-6
Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men; Behold, hearken ye unto my precept;

We have also been commanded to prevent these false prophets from coming among us:

Alma 5:60
60 And now I say unto you that the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed.

Yet the Lord’s people don’t obey that command:

Jeremiah 5:30-31
A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

Hope for the future

Fortunately, the scriptures do tell us that at some point in the last days, we won’t have to worry about false prophets any more.

Zechariah 13:1-4
In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:

D&C 64:38-40
For it shall come to pass that the inhabitants of Zion shall judge all things pertaining to Zion. And liars and hypocrites shall be proved by them, and they who are not apostles and prophets shall be known. And even the bishop, who is a judge, and his counselors, if they are not faithful in their stewardships shall be condemned, and others shall be planted in their stead.

At that future date, the inhabitants of Zion (not the leaders, but the pure in heart, the humble followers of Christ) shall judge all things. When they do, there will be men claiming to be apostles and prophets who really are not such, and leaders who are not faithful in their stewardships, and others will be planted in their stead.

Baptism: Procedures

 

THIS IS A REPOST OF MD’s WORK POSTED october 26, 2018 FROM MEASURINGDOCTRINE.COM

Now for the final post (I think) in this series on baptism. Having reviewed the doctrine behind baptism, let’s focus on the mechanics. What is the proper procedure for baptism, confirmation and the gift of the Holy Ghost?

D&C 20
37 And again, by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism—All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church.
68 The duty of the members after they are received by baptism—The elders or priests are to have a sufficient time to expound all things concerning the church of Christ to their understanding, previous to their partaking of the sacrament and being confirmed by the laying on of the hands of the elders, so that all things may be done in order.
69 And the members shall manifest before the church, and also before the elders, by a godly walk and conversation, that they are worthy of it, that there may be works and faith agreeable to the holy scriptures—walking in holiness before the Lord.

Contrast how things were commanded to be done in 1830 with how things are done today. (Color coded for your convenience!)

Preach My Gospel, Chapter 12
The district leader or zone leader who conducts the interview should: Hold the interview in a comfortable, private place…Ask the baptismal interview questions. Use follow-up questions to get a feeling for the strength of the person’s testimony and the sincerity of the person’s repentance.

Church Handbook of Instruction 20.3.9
A person becomes a member of the Church only after the ordinances of baptism and confirmation are both completed and properly recorded…The bishop ensures that it is performed soon after baptism…Converts are confirmed in any sacrament meeting in the ward where they live, preferably on the Sunday following their baptism.

Rather than using the presence of a godly walk and conversation before the membership to determine if someone is prepared for confirmation, the modern Church uses a young,  visiting missionary who may have never met the candidate before the private interview, who then asks questions to get a feeling for the sincerity of the candidate’s repentance. Rather than ensuring a sufficient time between baptism and confirmation for the candidate to learn and implement the gospel in their lives and manifest that by their works, the confirmation is scheduled as quickly as possible after the baptism. And unlike the scriptural commandment to receive people into the church after baptism (because there should be a significant amount of time between baptism and confirmation), the modern Church only accepts people into the Church after confirmation.

When it is time for the gift of the Holy Ghost, the scriptures give us procedures for that too.

Moroni 7:2
Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles.

Now it’s possible that this was a one-time requirement: that only the first time they ever perform a confirmation do they need to call upon the Father in mighty prayer to receive the power, and after that they have the power for the rest of their lives. I don’t think that’s how it works, but the text is ambiguous. Regardless, the Father is involved in the gift of the Holy Ghost:

3 Nephi 28:11
And the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and the Father giveth the Holy Ghost unto the children of men, because of me.

Acts 2:33
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 15:26
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Notice these other instances in the D&C:

D&C 14:8
And it shall come to pass, that if you shall ask the Father in my name, in faith believing, you shall receive the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance, that you may stand as a witness of the things of which you shall both hear and see, and also that you may declare repentance unto this generation.

D&C 18:8
18 Ask the Father in my name in faith, believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which manifesteth all things which are expedient unto the children of men.

Notice a similar pattern with ordinations:

Moroni 3:1
The manner which the disciples, who were called the elders of the church, ordained priests and teachers—After they had prayed unto the Father in the name of Christ, they laid their hands upon them, …

Even Jesus himself prayed unto the Father to give his apostles the Holy Ghost:

John 14:16
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

In the modern Church, there is no reference to the Father at all.

Church Handbook of Instruction 20.3.10
The person who performs the ordinance:

1. States the person’s full name.
2. States that the ordinance is performed by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
3. Confirms the person a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
4. Uses the words “Receive the Holy Ghost” …
5. Gives words of blessing as the Spirit directs.
6. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps we don’t need to call upon the Father in these days because he has “given his power unto men.” (2 Nephi 28:5)

We as a church have strayed quite far from what is written. Our current beliefs and practices about the purpose of baptism, how and when one receives a remission of sins, and even the basic procedures used to administer baptism and confirmation contradict the written word of God. Even if we somehow left Nauvoo with God still accepting our baptisms, can our baptisms be acceptable to God now when we have transfigured the holy word of God into policies and teachings that are almost exactly the opposite of what is written in scripture?