Beliefs of Melvin J. Ballard Part 4

One member is examining the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective view .1 Mormonism 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 with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM we continue looking at some of the beliefs of Elder Melvin J. Ballard, he served as an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, up until his death in 1939, but the reason why we are devoting some time to looking at his beliefs is because not too terribly long ago there was an article on the church news.com titled president Ballard opens up about one thing he wishes he could ask his grandfather, and of course it's highlighting Mormon apostle M. Russell Ballard, who was the grandson of Melvin J. Ballard. He was speaking to a group in Boston group of about 12,000 people. This was on October 20, 2019 and in this statement. He hadn't regret. He wishes that there was something that he could have asked his grandfather that he never had the opportunity to ask and according to the article it says I've often thought, if I had known that this was going to happen to me, this matter of coming along. Many years later in moving about in his footsteps. I would've wanted to know more about what it meant to be an apostle and of course he's explaining the fact that if there was one thing he could've asked him. It would've been, he would've wanted to know more about what it meant to be an apostle and Eric, I found that it is a little bit awed here. You have a very famous and influential person in your family tree serve as an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and it just struck us as a kind of a strange question of all the questions you could've asked. Given the fact that he had a pretty long career, though he died at a fairly young age. He was only 66 years old when he died in 1939 but to be ordained an apostle, under the leadership of Heber J. Grant to the seventh president of the church who was the last of the prophets of Mormonism who practice polygamy.

Also to be alive during the time of the manifesto in 1890, though he was a young boy at the time but to go through all that tumultuous history and Mormonism and that is the question he could come up with. It just seems a little bit on so we were going through looking at some of the things that I probably would've wanted to ask in about certain beliefs that the Mormon churches had and what his grandfather probably believed on those issues and so were going through some of the things that we know for a fact that his grandfather didn't believe and teach about. So today were going to cover the subject about obedience. What did M. Russell Ballard's grandfather Melvin J. Ballard believe when it comes to the subject of obedience. He says this in conference report, April 1915, page 57. Sometimes we discover that those who have entered into a covenant to serve God do not live any better lives as Latter Day Saints. Then they lived as Methodist or Baptist and this will stand against them as covenant breakers we covenanted in and agreed when we were baptized to obey all God's laws and keep all the requirements that he would make known onto us for our perfection and salvation. Now does that statement sound out of line. Eric with a lot of other statements that we have heard Mormon leaders make on the subject.

This this idea that you have to obey all God's laws before you answer that question. It seems interesting to me how he says a lot of Latter Day Saints don't live any better lives as Latter Day Saints.

Then they lived as Methodist or Baptist.

You think that was kind of a deer at the Methodist and Baptist that they not be living very good lives not there probably are a lot of professing Methodist and Baptist who maybe don't live very good lives, but I'm sure there's also many who do in fact live good lives, just as he is admitting here that there's a lot of Latter Day Saints who certainly aren't living the lives that they probably should be living. Given the covenants that they have made when they were baptized into the Mormon church as well as when they go to the temple, or even as they promised when they partake of the sacrament beginning to that notion of how many Commandments is a Mormon supposed to keep if they are hoping to receive their perfection and salvation which of course would be in the context of celestial exultation of this is something that Spencer W.

Kimball 12 president of the church talked about a lot, including his book the miracle of forgiveness, let me just give you one quote pages 208209. He said this progress toward eternal life is a matter of achieving perfection living all the commandments guarantees total forgiveness of sins and assures one of exultation through that perfection which comes by complying with the formula. The Lord gave us and then he cites Matthew 548 to be therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. He says this being perfect means to triumph over sin. This is a mandate from the Lord. He is just and wise and kind he would never require anything from his children, which was, not for their benefit and which was not attainable perfection. Therefore is an achievable goal that you might criticize Spencer Kimball and say that, well, it's not a book that was ever part of the canon or anything else, but I think that Kimball does a great job of explaining as he says in chapter 1 that this life is the time for you to be able to do this he cites from first Nephi, three, seven, which says that God wouldn't give any commandments that could be Otherwise he wouldn't be a good God, and then he cites out of Alba chapter 34 to show very clearly that it has to be done in this life, and so the book the miracle of forgiveness is all about doing exactly what Ballard says here that you have to keep all the requirements that he would make known onto us for our perfection and salvation that is very clearly aligned with the standard works and I'm talking about the unique standard works because I do think that Matthew 548, was taken out of context and what was cited by Kimball, but very clearly the book of Mormon says you need to keep all of the commandments how often all the time. Will he also uses the phrase covenant breakers. Kimball does the same thing and fact he uses it, even in that same context that if you claim to be a latter-day St.

You made covenants to keep all the commandments were to obey all God's laws is the phrase he uses and you don't you are a covenant breaker and that's exactly what Spencer Kimball said he did not have very good things to say about covenant breakers, that's for sure. But you mentioned the connection with Spencer W. Kimball and I want to take the rest of the show to bring out another comparison between what Ballard believed in what Spencer Kimball also believed and that is this notion that perhaps something could be done by an individual after they die to make up for lost time that even though they may have died being only terrestrial kingdom material and I should explain that in Mormonism. There's 3° of glory the celestial kingdom. At the top. The terrestrial kingdom and then the tea celestial kingdom. There is this belief by some Latter Day Saints that if they only qualified for the tea celestial kingdom. When they died that through good behavior. They might be able to advance to the next level the terrestrial or maybe even onto the celestial kingdom. What did Melvin J. Ballard say about that in the discourse that he gave at the Ogden Tabernacle on October 22, 1922 found in a book called 3° of glory. Pages 26 and 27 he wrote the question is often asked is it possible for one who attains celestial glory in time and the internal world to live so well that he may graduate from that celestial and pass into the terrestrial and then after a season that he may progress from that and be ultimately worthy of the celestial glory that is the query that has been asked I have just read the answer so far as that celestial group is concerned, where God in Christ. Well, they cannot come worlds without end. I take it upon the same basis.

The same argument likewise applies at the terrestrial world those whose lives have entitled them to terrestrial glory can never gain celestial glory. One who gains possession of the lowest degree of that celestial glory may ultimately arise to the highest degree of that glory.

But no provision has been made for promotion from one glory to another but yet how many times we talk to Latter Day Saints. Eric, who give us the impression that they're not doing what they should be doing now and they all admit that if you asked them.

All you need do folks is to ask a latter-day St., if you were to die right now you have the assurance that you qualify for the celestial kingdom. I think an honest Latter Day Saints.

In looking over their lives at all the times they find themselves having the need to repent of their shortcomings would have to admit no, they don't qualify right now and they will tell you that that's okay because they believe that God is allow them the opportunity to make up for lost time.

They may not use that phrase exactly but basically that's what they're saying that they will be allowed to make up for lost time, or abandon opportunities to be able to eventually end up in the celestial kingdom after they die, will it sounds to me like Melvin J. Ballard certainly did not agree with that. I mean, let's look at some of the things he says here when the question is asked is it possible for one who attains celestial glory in time and the internal world. Now that celestial glory would be the bottom level to live so well that he may graduate from the tea last you and pass into the terrestrial and then after a season that he may progress from that and be ultimately worthy of the celestial glory makes it clear that that's not going to happen and that's exactly what we find Spencer Kimball teaching as well, though I know that there are some who say will Brigham Young was a little confusing on this issue and he did kind of hint that that might be possible will you gamble on that as a Latter Day Saints that it might be possible because let's be serious. Brigham Young said a lot of things that were kind of confusing, vague and even contradictory, but it seems here that Melvin J.

Ballard, Mormon apostle and also the grandfather of M. Russell Ballard, whose venerating his grandfather for the position that he held and that's why were talking about this today is because it was brought up by M.

Russell Ballard on his trip to Boston, Massachusetts. He obviously had a lot of respect for what his grandfather believed and this is what his grandfather believe, which is not really out of harmony with what other Mormon leaders have said is well when it comes to this notion that an individual might be able to jump kingdoms and go from let's say the tea celestial to the terrestrial or the terrestrial to the celestial. It doesn't sound like that's possible within the context of Mormonism and to assume otherwise you would think Eric would might be a bit dangerous. Well maybe for some it's dangerous, but for many others were talking to out on the streets when you asked them if they were to die right now where they would go. They admit to you there going to the terrestrial kingdom and you asked will.

Doesn't that bother you, and you know what the answer often times is now.

I figure that I'm doing the best I can and if God doesn't take that is a good enough then I guess all the sentiments Russia will be happy there. But that's not what the leaders have tried to get their members to think what is the purpose of the temple, but to have eternal families. They sealed together in the temple. They they learn the special new names and and they learn the tokens, all of that is part of the process, hoping that there going to be able to get the celestial kingdom, but I have found many Latter Day Saints don't even really have a great desire to go there and you have to think about that in the context of Mormonism for a Mormon to give up that desire is to really give up the hope that many Latter Day Saints really look forward to. If you asked most Latter Day Saints.

What is it that you really look forward to. After you die.

They will tell you it's to be with my family but yet when you ask more pointed questions, you find that the person you're talking to doesn't qualify thank you for listening you would like more information regarding 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 is