Christmas Book Citations Pathways to Perfection

Mormonism 101 minutes of research ministries Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson has helped many more to understand what separates Mormonism from the Christian faith. Mormonism 101 is available at your favorite Christian bookstore online.

MRM.org .1 examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a respected viewpoint when Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism so glad to be with us for this additional viewpoint on Mormonism on your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry and with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM books that were given away as Christmas gifts. Between the years 1981 in 2017 by the first presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. That's what we've been looking at for the past several weeks. This is by far our longest series, but I hope you enjoyed some of the little snippets from the books that were given away and one of the reasons why we feel that it was important to look at these books is because these books being given away as gifts by the first presidency you would have to say shows that the first presidency felt that they had some kind of doctrinal value and certainly they wanted the people who were receiving these books to I would assume believe what was written in the books and again they were given to various general authorities on a lower level as well as to some employees of the church which employees exactly were not sure we do know that there were some BYU professors that receive them. But today were looking at a book that was given away in 2011, titled pathways to perfection. Perfection being a word that often comes up on the show because perfection is a big deal in Mormonism moral perfection and also perfection in this mortality is something that's been discussed a lot. First of all let me just say that Thomas Monson was not really known before speaking.

A lot of times on doctrinal issues. He was known more for telling a lot of very fuzzy folks see stories, many of them were probably impossible to verify whether they were true or not but he was known for doing that and a lot of those stories are included in this book. One of the things that I noticed when I read both of his books or me talking about both of these books here in this series is that it was hard to write down anything and so if you go to our website, MRM.org and look at this Christmas book in violation of all the quotes that I have put together. I don't have very many on the two books that Monson has done because he does tell a lot of stories, but they don't seem to go anywhere and they don't really have much to do with doctrine or unique doctrine, at least. And so it was hard for me to read these books and get much out of them. Will Thomas Monson before he became a general authority in the church. He was in the Navy and so he tells a story of one of his experiences as he was in the U.S. Navy. You can find the story on pages 141 and 142.

What is he say their air I listed in the Navy just 10 days before I would have been drafted into the Army, Navy boot camp was a never to be forgotten experience for the first three weeks I was convinced my very life was in jeopardy the Navy didn't seem to be trying to train but rather to kill me finally came Sunday in the welcome news that all recruits would go to church, standing at attention in a brisk California breeze. I heard the words of the Chief Petty Officer today everybody goes to church.

Those of you who are Catholic you meeting camp Decatur forward March a rather sizable contingent moved out. Those of you who are Jewish forward March a somewhat smaller group marched on the rest of you Protestants you meeting.

Camp Farragut forward March. Instantly, there flashed through my mind. The thought Monson you are Catholic. Monson you are Jewish. Monson you are Protestant you are a Mormon. I stood fast. Then came the perplexed comment of the petty officer sweeter words.

I have not heard just what do you guys call yourselves for the first time I knew there were others standing behind me on that drill grinder in Union we replied where Mormons he queried Mormons well go find somewhere to meet.

Now you've probably already guessed why we decided to zero in on this quotation what does Mr. Monson say to himself, he says that he's not the Catholic. He knows he's not Jewish. He knows he's not Protestant. What is he say you are Mormon.

I wonder would wrestling Nelson have thought that probably not know where we harping on this, because we really feel that Russell and Nelson the 17th president of the church was a bit over-the-top in his criticism of those members who use the term Mormon to describe themselves as members of official title of the church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Here's an example of a young man at this time in the Navy, referring to himself as a Mormon, but not only does Thomas Monson refer to himself as a Mormon, but the others that were left standing in line who had not found a category of which to properly join.

He says in Union we replied we're Mormons so it wasn't just an idea that Thomas Monson Hill to obviously everyone else in his company or whatever it is felt the same way they had no problem referring to themselves as Mormon. They had every right to be able to not go anywhere because they did not fit in the Catholic camp or the Protestant camp and yet so many people today want to say that Mormonism is the same as Christianity.

When Mormonism is its own unique religion and so I think the story very well. I can appreciate what he's trying to do is say I'm not these other guys on my own unique religion and so he should have met separately from the other groups and I agree with you Eric because I think there's a lesson there for us to learn, just as Monson at this time did not feel he could properly worship with those who were Protestants or in any of these other groups, the Christian has to ask themselves why they think it's okay to embrace Mormonism and worship among a lot of Mormons on that say you can't be friends with Mormons but to say that you're going to worship with Mormons to fellowship with Mormons. I think then you start treading into some Bible verses that would probably tell you that that would not be a wise thing to do. Phil is another story that he tells on page 69 and this has to do with dating and I let me read the story and we can talk about it.

He said some time ago, several outstanding teachers were honored at the general Sunday school conference.

It was my privilege to pay a tribute to a Sunday school teacher of my boyhood days.

Lucy Gertz Thompson. Lucy was lovely and ever so sweet.

She was deserving of a worthy companion. Yet such success evaded her. The years flew by and Lucy reached the worrisome 20s, the desperate 30s, even the frightful 40s and then she met Dick let me stop you right there. The worrisome 20s, the desperate 30s, even the frightful 40s now.

Those of you that are listening. Why do you think Thomas Monson would use those words to describe those age groups well.

It's quite simple because in Mormonism marriage is essential to exultation and if you are in your 20s and you have not found yourself to have a prospect for marriage then you're going to be worried about it when you get into your 30s and still you're not married. Knowing the doctrines of Mormonism that's going to cause you to probably be desperate.

But then when you get into your 40s as Monson uses this word. Now you're going to be frightful because you probably recognize that you're getting to the age where the chances of being married or going to become more and more slim and marriage is essential in the context of Mormonism to be exalted now that does not mean that they have not come up with a lot of extra scriptural excuses when that does not happen because they have because this is something that bothers a lot of single members in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, so they had to bring up some kind of extra scriptural excuses to put their minds at ease but basically the doctrine says that you need to be married. If you hope to receive celestial exultation.

He doesn't go any further than the 40s but notice the desperate 30s and the frightful 40s.

Not only are you having a lesser chance of possibly getting married to your eternal spouse, but you're running out of time to have children, and in Mormonism. It's about the marriage but it's also about the children because your family will be together forever and you want your children to be able to have that experience.

We should also bring up that when you're in your 40s the number of marriageable men who have not already been sealed for eternity with another woman becomes less and less. Another words, when you're in your 40s or 50s. And let's say there is a single man out there in your word that you feel drawn to the chances are much higher that they've already been married, probably a widower or could even be divorce, but still sealed for eternity to another woman. You can see the problems that that could raise in the mind of a single latter-day St. woman, and that could also be true for the woman who had been married to a man who died. She sealed to that man. She can't be sealed to a second man, so if you end up marrying a woman like that then you're not can be able to see her or her children in the next life. The story goes on and says it was a case of love at first sight. When she met Dick just one problem. Dick was not a member of the church did Lucy succumb to the age-old fallacy of marrying out of desperation with the fleeting hope that one day he would become a member, not Lucy. She was wiser than this. She simply told Dick Dick. I think you're wonderful. But we would never be happy. Dating together. Why not, he countered, because you're not a Mormon. How do I become a Mormon. I want to date you. He study the gospel.

She answered his questions. He was baptized.

Then he said Lucy now that I'm a member we can be married at last. Lucy replied oh Dick I love you so much. Now that you are a member of the church you would be content with anything but a temple marriage. How long will that take Lucy about a year. If we meet the other requirements. One year later Lucy and Dick entered the house of the Lord Lucy live the truth of the verse dare to be a Mormon dare to stand alone dare to have a purpose firm dare to make it known. Plan your future with purpose. Notice again. The word Mormon being used.

No problem for Thomas S.

Monson uses this word freely. Obviously he didn't feel convicted about calling himself or calling another member of the church by that title.

Personally, I don't either, but that's a big issue now with Latter Day Saints but notice the stance that she made. She could not marry this gentleman because he was not a Mormon after give her credit for that. And it's interesting that before he tells the story on page 68 of his book pathways to perfection Thomas Monson site.

Second Corinthians 614 be not on equally yoked together. It's interesting how Thomas Monson sees that a marriageable Latter Day Saints with a non-member of the church is being unequally yoked. I wish more New Testament Christians would see the same way and I think that second Corinthians 614 can go much broader than just a marriage relationship but I think it does include a marriage relationship marrying a Latter Day Saints and not being a Latter Day Saints if they have certain goals as a latter-day St. You won't be able to fulfill those goals.

Would that really be a case of love for that individual knowing that you would prohibit them from reaching those intended goals as wrong as they may be, and that something important that needs to be thought about. Also, when you're dating a latter-day St. Christian if you're dating a latter-day St., you're asking for trouble. Thank you for listening you would like more information regarding research ministry.

We encourage you to visit our website www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you will join us again as we look at another viewpoint is