Christmas Book Citations Gordon B. Hinckley Part 1

One member is examining the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective 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. I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM we are continuing our look at books that were given away as Christmas gifts by the first presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints between the years 1981 and 2017.

Before we get into our book today Eric. How can somebody find a lot of the quotations that we are citing in the series are you thanks go to MRM.org and in the search engine type in Christmas book and the first article that will, contains links to all the books in the Christmas series that we been doing from 1981 to 2017 as not only the quotes that we are actually using but additional quotes from the different books and so if you'd like to see these quotes and print, we invite you to do so on MRM.org and today were going to be looking at the discourses of Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, Gordon B. Hinckley was the 15th president of the LDS church that what makes this a little bit different is this is one of those cases where the first presidency gave away two volumes of the discourses of Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, so there's two volumes by that title. And so there's a volume 1, of course, in volume 2. That's what were going to be citing in the next couple of days but we want to look at the topic of the Bible and the reason why we want to examine. This is because Gordon B.

Hinckley is not so unusual fashion had a tendency of missing reading Bible passages and of course drawing and interpretation that fits more his presupposition as a latter-day St. as a Mormon, rather than really what the author was intending. And so that's what were going to look at today three passages in particular that we feel that Gordon B. Hinckley really messes up on when it comes to his interpretation.

One of them comes from John chapter 10 verse 16. This is found in volume 1, page 548 and he wrote citing from John 1016 and other sheep I have which are not of this fold them.

Also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.

What is explanation of that, I say to my friends of other churches I have never heard one give an explanation of it to us.

It is prophetic. Wonderfully so. Of the people described in the book of Mormon who came to this Western Hemisphere and here wrote this Testament of the new world which stands side-by-side with the Bible as the word of God that we were discussing off air Eric what you think. Gordon B. Hinckley meant when he said, what is the explanation of that, I say to my friends of other churches I have never heard one give an explanation of it though that's really odd because maybe he hadn't had anybody come up to him and give him an explanation that he thought was good but to say that there is not an explanation. That's good.

He may not of heard of it but there certainly are many good commentaries that have discussed this passage not only during his time, but well before his time, let me just give you one example this would be from a man that I highly respect that would be JC Ryle.

He was an Anglican bishop of the Anglican church in Liverpool, England, and he certainly addresses verse 16. This is what he says in this sentence. Our Lord declares plainly. The approaching conversion of the Gentiles the sheep he specially died for were not merely the few believing Jews. But the elect Gentiles also, they are the other sheep, and that's a pretty traditional understanding of John 1016 that Jesus was speaking, that the church would basically broaden the borders of simply Israel. I mean, let's think about it. John 316 says for God so loved the world, the world obviously from that statement alone. God's love was going to be shared beyond the borders of Israel and go out into the area known as the Gentiles the non-Jewish people.

The heathens the pagans if you will, God was going to do a mighty work among many of those who are outside the realm of of Israel, and it took a while for the apostles of Jesus to fully understand that we have Pentecost and ask chapter 2 where the Holy Spirit comes upon the church at that time of the Jews.

We have a second Pentecost that takes place in acts chapter 10 Peter had a hard time accepting the fact that Gentiles would be allowed into the church until God had to come to him and say this is the way it's going to be.

Then he sees the Gentiles speaking in tongues and he says why shouldn't they get baptized and then I fully understood.

It still took a little bit of time for them to work out all the nuances we see the Council of Jerusalem. In acts chapter 15 where there was a discussion of do we get them circumcise what we make them do and so they that Paul was a very instrumental part because he was the apostle to the Gentiles. And so we see this progression, but very clearly Jesus was predicting that there would be this other group that would come in and it was very obvious. The apostles finally understood that this was the Gentiles. They should be allowed into the Christian church.

Let me read you what William Hendrickson wrote in his New Testament commentary on the Gospel of John. It's very short.

He said the church is going to become international through the labors of Paul and other great missionaries who were to follow him believers from among the Gentiles would be added to the church now of course Gordon B. Hinckley has to ignore all of that and he has to take his presuppositions and believing that the book of Mormon is ancient Scripture and assume that what this is referring to are the people mentioned in the book of Mormon.

The problem, of course, coming from our perspective, looking on the outside. In the book of Mormon is nothing more than 1/19 century novel and as we discussed this week.

It does not really speak of real people, real places and real events.

It would be kind of ridiculous for Jesus to be referring to a mythical people. Certainly that's not the case. To assume that what Jesus was referring to would be the Gentile people makes much more sense than what Mormons are led to believe.

I've talked about this many times before you go to our website MRM.org. Just type in John 1016 and you'll find an article there as well is our book that we wrote in 2013 answering Mormons questions, you can find this at our website, or you can find it@amazon.com or other online distributors in chapter 28 is titled, to whom is Jesus referring when he mentions the other sheep in 1016 so we give a much fuller explanation. If you want to do some more research and as a Christian you should have very detailed answers when people bring up these passages because otherwise, maybe they have never been told. You might be the one who gets to tell them what this passage really meant when it was written well in our book, answering Mormons questions. We also address another passage from Scripture that Mormons often get wrong and Gordon B.

Hinckley does the same when speaking of the passages out of Ezekiel 37. This is volume 1, page 548 and he quotes from Ezekiel, the word of the Lord came again onto me saying moreover, thou son of man take the one stick and write upon it for Judah and for the children of Israel his companions, then take another stick and write upon it for Joseph. The stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions and joined them one to another into one stick and they shall become one in nine hand. That's Ezekiel 3715 through 17, and then he writes now.

Various scholars have spent a lot of time talking about the interpretation of the word stick but the fact remains firmly in my mind that whatever the description of the instrument. This holy Bible stands as the stick of Judah in this book of Mormon stands as a stick of Joseph and they have become one in the hands of the Lord. Of course, context becomes everything and if you were to continue reading in Ezekiel 37 Ezekiel isn't referring to books that all is not even the right Hebrew word he's using an illustrated sermon. If you will of two sticks, one representing the northern tribes of Israel, and one representing the southern tribes.

And if you just keep reading in Ezekiel 37. You're going to see that he's talking about nations.

He's not talking about bullocks but of course the Mormons must hold to a an understanding such as that in order to give the book of Mormon some kind of validity in this particular passage which, of course, it isn't referring to the book of Mormon at all.

Again, Gordon B. Hinckley gets his interpretation very incorrect in answering Mormons questions chapter 33. If the book of Mormon is just a novel, then why do Isaiah and Ezekiel predict is forthcoming and this is one of the things you'll find about religions that claim to be Christian, but don't have the fundamental basics of the faith is there going to take the Bible they're going to say they believe in it.

But they're going to use verses out of their context to support their way of thinking.

This is not new. Jehovah's Witnesses and other groups do the same thing. So as a Christian, always be willing to look at the Bible and see what has a say in see if the interpretation that the latter-day same is making is accurate for what the Bible was really trying to say we have time for one more.

And this is a statement that Gordon B. Hinckley makes regarding second Thessalonians to three what is a say on page 548 of volume 1. Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that second Thessalonians to three. Those words of Paul prophetic in their statement, which declared that there should be a falling away before there should be a restoration, no notice what they've done. Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first. Where do you see anywhere in that passage that it. Speaking of a complete or universal apostasy as Mormons are led to believe. I don't see it there. There's no doubt that throughout Christian history. There were a lot of following the ways we see a lot of apostasy. He's but it doesn't mention anything to the extent that Mormons are led to believe that there was.

Somehow this grade apostasy that the truth of the Christian church.

The church itself was to fall away, but that's exactly what Mormons are led to believe.

We don't see that in this passage they have to read a lot into this passage in order to come up with the conclusion that they hold to and as I have often said to latter-day Saints. To quote verses like this. Second Thessalonians 2. Three. How do I know that this falling away that it's mentioning is not talking about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, why not one more citation from Gordon B. Hinckley, and this time I meant to say I agree with what he has to say, volume 1, page 336 he writes when I arrived in the mission field 62 years ago, my companion met me at the train station in Preston Lancaster and we went to our digs at 15 Bottom Rd. in that city and the next morning he said. Now we are going to study the Bible we are going to study the gospel of John. You and I together are going to study the gospel of John and we began with that great verse in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory as the only begotten of the father. That's from John chapter 1 verses one and 14. He writes it did something for me try to read the Gospel of John. Once each year it's good for you. Would you recommend Latter Day Saints. Read the Gospel of John. Once each year, absolutely. And I have talked to many latter-day Saints who have, in fact read the Gospel of John. And what did they find out once they read that gospel that the Jesus that gospel refers to didn't sound like the Jesus they were led to believe in.

When they were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Thank you for listening. If you would like more information regarding his 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