Christmas Book Citations Doctrines of Salvation Part 5

Viewpoint is to examine the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a 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 hoping you're having a very pleasant Friday welcome the addition of viewpoint on Mormonism on your host, Bill McKeever, founder director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM today we wrap up. Looking at the book selections from doctrines of salvation, a book that was purposely put together, to be given away as a Christmas gift in 2001.

This is one among the many books that the first presidency gave away between 1981 in 2017 selections from doctrines of salvation contains quotes from Joseph Fielding Smith the 10th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and so today we're going to look at what he had to say regarding parental claim on children born under covenant, and I should mention a child who was born under the covenant is a child who was born to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

His parents are LDS before I read that quote Bill, let me just ask the listeners if you'd like to help out our radio ministry.

We have a special offer that you might like to consider for a generous gift of any size. We will send you an electronic copy of bills in their own words a compile relation ability of citations as close to 400 pages in length. All you need to do is go to MRM.org or website go to the donate button on the right side of the top main page and then put in your amount in the added notes section. If you could put the letters PDF and then provide your radio station call letters or if you listen on podcast mention the state where you live that would help us out immensely.

So let me read the quote on page 180 parental claim on children born under the covenant. All children born under the covenant belong to their parents in eternity, but that does not mean that they, because of that birthright will inherit celestial glory.

The faith and faithfulness of fathers and mothers will not save disobedient children. Salvation is an individual matter. And if a person who has been born under the covenant rebels and denies the Lord, he will lose the blessings of exultation. Every soul will be judged according to his works and the wicked cannot inherit eternal life. He goes on and says when a man and a woman are married in the temple for time and all eternity and then separate the children will go with the parent who is justified and who has kept the covenant. If neither of them has kept his covenants. The children may be taken away from both of them and given to somebody else and that would be by virtue of being born under the covenant.

Think about this. Folks if the child's parents are not qualified. The kids can be given away to someone else. Perhaps someone they didn't even know during this mortality and does that mean that families are not forever because that's the adage that many Latter Day Saints will talk about those.

Let's look again what he says here all children born under the covenant belong to their parents in eternity, but that does not mean that they, because of that birthright will inherit celestial glory. Now you have to understand Mormonism. The only way you're going to be with your family members is if you find yourself in the celestial glory, you must be qualified to get into the celestial kingdom. That's where the promise of being with your family is going to be realized that when I read this I couldn't help but think of a statement that was in the book written by Robert L. Millet, who was a Mormon apologist, former BYU professor. He wrote a book titled living in the 11th hour and I've cited this before the show, but I think in light of this statement by Joseph Fielding Smith. We need to read this again because this is what Robert L. Millet said on page 78 of the book living in the 11th hour. He said I was inspired and consoled by the teachings of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Jeffrey R.

Holland is an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints pieces as he applied a scriptural passage in a way different from anything I had ever before heard or even imagined in offering comfort and consolation to parents whose children have wondered.

Elder Holland read from doctrine and covenants 101, and asked his listeners to view those teachings in light of their own families and homes. The Lord declares in verse 11. My indignation is soon to be poured out without measure upon all nations, and this will I do when the cup of their iniquity is full. Elder Holland taught quote all in that day. All who are found upon the watchtower or in other words, all mine Israel that's you and your children shall be saved and in brackets it says compare Paul's words in Romans 1126 goes on to say, and they that have been scattered shall be gathered even a child that strays will be reclaimed and all they who have more and including parents about family circumstances shall be comforted now.

Yesterday we talked about Joseph Fielding Smith admonishing members in his church for making the mistake of isolating certain passages. It sounds to me like Jeffrey R. Holland did exactly that. When giving his personal interpretation of doctrine and covenants section 101. He's saying something there and I have to admit, it makes perfect sense when Robert Hill Millet notices that he interprets this passage different from anything I had ever heard before, or even imagined.

If you are a believer and you hear somebody from a pulpit say something that you've never heard before and you know the material. Then you gotta be aware. Gotta check it out because any kind of a new interpretation is probably one that does not fit within the orthodoxy of while Christianity, and in this case Mormonism that Holland was giving his own interpretation and taken a passage that was not meant to be the way that he interpreted it to be. And of course it's going to make Robert Hill Millet feel good, but the fact is that doesn't seem to be the way it's understood by Joseph Fielding Smith the 10th president when he talks about those children are going to be given in the hereafter.

To those that are worthy. Let's not forget the story of Helen Mark Kimball Helen Mark Kimball was the 14-year-old that Joseph Smith married just before he was killed in Carthage jail. He was sealed to Helen Mark Kimball for time and eternity. After Smith was killed Helen Mark Kimball ends up marrying a man by the name of Horace Whitney in that relationship.

They had several children, but because Helen Mark Kimball was sealed to Joseph Smith.

That means that the children that Helen Mark Kimball had with her husband, Horace Whitney would not be Horace's children. Even though he is the biological father of those children you see how crazy this gets another citation given from the book selections from doctors of salvation.

Page 543.

All children saved in celestial kingdom. Quoting from doctrine and covenants section 137 verse 10 and I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at that years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven. He writes it does not make any difference whether it is a Catholic baby a Protestant baby or a Mohammed in baby which would be Islamic. No matter whose baby it is.

It is not responsible for Original Sin. It is not responsible for any sin, and the mercy of God claims it and it is redeemed.

Bill we were talking throughout this week about the unique doctrines that Joseph Fielding Smith.

Perhaps like his great uncle Joseph Smith was able to come up with teachings that don't have any kind of support.

Certainly in the Bible and it seems like it's made up out of thin air. Yeah. And I wouldn't credit Joseph Fielding Smith with coming up with this unique teaching because Joseph Smith. If I recall, made similar assertion when he said that if you die before hearing the gospel and having an opportunity to embrace it that you will go to the celestial kingdom if you embrace it in the hereafter. This is speaking again of children under the age of accountability. Unlike the children spoken of in the quotation that we gave earlier, those children were older they were over the age of accountability or the age of eight, and therefore responsible for their actions.

What we are basically hearing here is something that I have said to many Mormon missionaries if they really loved us. I say don't tell me about your religion because once you tell me now I become responsible. I had a better chance of getting into the celestial kingdom as a child under the age of eight or as an ignorant adult never hearing about the so-called restored gospel. Now that I've heard it. I am responsible. Just as every other human who hears from the Mormon missionaries. This is one of the short ways an individual can get into the celestial kingdom die at a young age. As an infant, younger than the age of eight, and you're guaranteed a position in the celestial kingdom, though you probably won't be with your family because now they are responsible, and unless they've repented of all their sins and All of the Commandments. They will not qualify in being there with you one more citation that relates to what were talking about here. This is found on page 547 and again I'm going to suggest this is something that I'm not sure where he's getting this from but he says children in the resurrection. When a baby dies he goes back into the spirit world that would be the world that where we came from and the preexistence so the baby goes back of the spirit world and the spirit assumes its natural form as an adult, for we were all adults before we were born in the spirit world. When a child is raised in the resurrection. The spirit will enter the body and the body will be the same size as it was when the child died. It will then grow after the resurrection to full maturity to conform to the size of the spirit, if parents are righteous, they will have their children after the resurrection little children who die whose parents are not worthy of an exultation will be adopted into the families of those who are worthy, so you can expect that child to be formed out to another family. If of course they qualify him again folks. Nobody qualifies it Mormonism as much as they hope to qualify as much as they think they may. They don't qualify. The bar has been raised way too high for any sinful human being to meet the qualifications of celestial exultation again. Where do we get this. There's no Bible verses to support this whatsoever. It's a lot of speculation as are a lot of the teachings of these leaders, especially Joseph Fielding Smith and others when it comes to families being together forever. There just seems to be a lot of parsing that's going on and I'm not quite sure who gets to be the final judge is that Jesus is a Joseph Smith is a God, the father of woo hoo is going to go where and how that's going to be decided, with no support that he's providing from the Bible especially.

But even from the standard works we have to wonder, is this just one man's opinion will exactly in don't you think Eric that becomes very dangerous because how do you know for sure that that individual is telling you something that is true. Just because he's the president of the church does not guarantee that what he's teaching is accurate and truthful. We know that other leaders in the LDS church have certainly taught things that are not believed by Latter Day Saints.

Today we would caution anybody before listening to the teachings of any leader from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Thank you for listening you would like more information when guarding this research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you join us again as we look at another viewpoint, looking for strategies that will help you engage in meaningful conversations with members of the Mormon church. So take a look at sharing the good news with Mormons a new book produced by harvest House publishers and headed to my Mormonism research ministries Eric Johnson and Shawn Miguel sharing the good news with Mormons includes 24 helpful essays from two dozen Christian apologist scholars and pastors pick up your copy of the Utah lighthouse bookstore court order directly from MRM.org