Christmas Book Citations Gospel Standards Part 1

.1 examines 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. How did Mormon president Hubert J. Grant describe the gospel. Welcome to this edition of viewpoint on Mormonism on your host, Bill McKeever, founder director Mormonism research ministry and with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM. Today we are going to be looking at the book gospel standards. It was compiled by Dr. G Homer Durham, who happen be a member of the first quorum of the 70 and for two years. He was the president of the 70s. He was also the 17th LDS church historian and the reason why I wanted to mention that. Do you think that G Homer Durham would include in a book selections from statements made by Hubert J. Grant statements that Mr. Durham did not think were cool." Orthodox within the context of Mormonism and when the first presidency decided to give this as a Christmas gift in 1994. Do you not also think that the first presidency in 1994 felt that this book had some doctrinal value not only for those who are going to receive the book but as well as all other members in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will Hubert J Grant was the seventh president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

He became the seventh president after the death of Joseph F. Smith, who was the sixth president of the church. He was the son of Jedediah Morgan Grant, who was also an apostle. One thing a lot of people don't know about Jedediah Morgan Grant is that he died at a very young age.

He died at the age of 40. He died not long after Hubert J Grant was born will be looking at the book gospel standards because we find in these books that there pretty much advancing themes and doctrines which have always been a part of Mormonism. So when you hear people say that Mormonism has changed over the years that to a certain degree, you might see some things have changed, but when it comes to the core teachings of the LDS church. When you agree, Eric.

It's pretty much like it's always been yes and you keep reiterating the fact that these were Christmas gifts given away by the first presidency and I think you should be saying that over and over again just to get through to the audience how important these books must be now if they had not been endorsed in such a way and were quoting from books like gospel standards. I would say maybe there's some things that their own opinions and still maybe there are some things that maybe the church didn't agree with. But when you have a church historian putting together these quotations and then it's given away again in the 1990s I think this is the authority that this book needs for us to be able to say why are they saying these things over and over again were seen the same themes through many of these books we've Artie talked about and I might mention before we delve into the book gospel standards that Hubert J Grant was the last polygamist president, how he died in 1945 the manifesto came out in 1890, Hubert J.

Grant was married polygamist sleep after 1890. So if you think that the manifesto got rid of all that in the Mormon church that's just not true gospel standards by Hubert J. Grant and what is he happen to say about the gospel. How does he define the gospel. That was my question at the beginning of the show yes and this is found on pages 197 and 198 of gospel standards and he gave this at a general conference in October 1918, he said time and time again my heart has been melted. My eyes have wept tears of gratitude for the knowledge that he lives and that this gospel called Mormonism is in very deed the plan of life and salvation that it is the only true gospel upon the face of the earth that it is in very deed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, you, and over that rather quickly. Eric but what is he say he says this gospel cold, Mormonism, and there are no italics. There are no quotation marks to say that's what other people are calling it.

He calls it Mormonism. Now do you think that he was offending God when he use that word. I don't think Hubert J. Grant thought he was offending God in the least but yet as we know since 2018, particularly August 2018 17th Pres. Russell M.

Nelson said that they should not use the word Mormon or LDS. In fact, he doubled down in conference. That same year, saying that using words like that offends God not use the word Mormonism. Specifically, I should mention that, but in the style guide that the LDS church has. It also says that you're not supposed to use the word Mormonism. When describing the doctrine of the LDS church but here we find Hubert J. Grant uses the word Mormonism to describe what he thinks is the only true gospel on the face of the earth. Another quote.

This is on the priesthood. This is on page 256. Grant says the important thing for you is to have a love of your work and to do your work under the inspiration of the spirit of the living God. That is the whole difference between the church of Jesus Christ and the people of the world.

They have the letter of the gospel.

They are teaching the Bible just as diligently, and many of them believe in it as strongly and try to live up to its precepts. Just as well as we do. But the spirit of the living God. They do not have. Why because they haven't the power of the priesthood and because they have not accepted the gospel. As we have and again he is defining the gospel very differently than the way Christian church would define the gospel. But if he says that we don't have the spirit than what you do with that passage. It says that we are supposed to worship him in spirit and in truth. According to Hubert J. Grant, we wouldn't be able to do that.

So how could you assume if we cannot worship God in spirit and in truth, that we are in fact Christians at all.

See this is why I love the statements of the presidents of the church. The general authorities in the church, whether they be the first presidency or the Council of the 12. They seem to be much more precise in how they define themselves and how they define others as opposed to how we hear Morgan's define themselves on a lower lay level and usually you're fine. There's a big disconnect between the two and we've often said I know we've done this many times we speak at churches that there seems to be a disconnect between the late membership sometimes and what the leaders have said on this particular topic. As far as who are true Christians and who are not earlier this week we were talking about this very issue that Grant brings up here that the Christian community out there does not have the power of the priesthood and so therefore they have not accepted the gospel. As we have here again is this separation that is being made by the general authority to say that their view of God, their view of the gospel is true and anybody who does not have this restored gospel does not have the power, the priesthood, and therefore should not be accepted as true. Another issue that he talks about is the first vision we talked about this earlier in the week, but this is a common denominator among many of these books that were given away as Christmas books. Let me read this quote from Grant and this comes from gospel standards. Page 3 either. Joseph Smith did see God and did converse with him and God himself did introduce Jesus Christ to the boy Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ did tell Joseph Smith that he would be the instrument in the hands of God establishing again upon the earth.

The true gospel of Jesus Christ or Mormonism so called is a myth and Mormonism is not a myth, it is the power of God onto salvation. It is the church of Jesus Christ established under his direction, and all the disbelief of the world cannot change the fundamental facts connected with the church of Jesus Christ of latter that we should mention here he uses the word Mormonism. He does not put it in quotation marks. So obviously Hubert J Grant didn't seem to have a problem with that, especially when he equates it with the gospel, but I think here. He's also making a very clear distinction to and it's a very similar one that other leaders have made. Jeffrey Holland has done the same thing. Especially Gordon B. Hinckley that if when it comes to the first vision.

If that did not happen.

Mormonism has a problem as he says if that did not happen if Joseph Smith was not that instrument in the hands of God establishing again upon the earth.

The true gospel of Jesus Christ. Mormonism is a myth. It's a myth and we would argue that's true, we would have a problem with Joseph Smith's claim regarding the first vision we have a problem regarding the way he changes his story as the years go by.

We have a problem with the timeframe in which he puts it, we have a problem in the way that he describes how a human being cannot even see God the father and live to tell about it. According to his Joseph Smith translation so there are a lot of things that should cause us to have problems with this first vision yet is foundational to the story of the LDS church and he says very clearly Mormonism would be a myth and he's exactly right. You have to have a historical view of the first vision you have to have a historical view of the book of Mormon. Those are foundational pieces in Mormonism, just like the resurrection is for the Christian.

And so if you have an existential view of the first vision that it may have just happen in his own mind.

It's not going to work but he not only equates myth with Mormonism at the first vision did not take place, but then he goes on to call it a fraud.

If that story did not actually take place. Page 15. He writes if Joseph Smith did not have that interview with God in Jesus Christ. The whole Mormon fabric is a failure and a fraud it is not worth anything on earth. I think that's a statement that I can agree with about you Eric, I agree to and I'd certainly have long held the position that the story the first vision was fabricated by Joseph Smith that was not something that he was saying early on after he allegedly happened even though he said he was persecuted for that vision. There is no evidence to support that it all. Let me give you a quote from BYU professor James B. Allen, who wrote an article in dialogue. Journal of Mormon thought volume 1, number three, page 30. This is what he said. According to Joseph Smith.

He told the story of the vision immediately after it happened in the early spring of 1820 as a result, he said he received immediate criticism in the community. There is little if any evidence, however, that by the early 1830s Joseph Smith was telling the story in public, at least if he were telling that no one seem to consider it important enough to have recorded it at the time and no one was criticizing him for it to stop, either because fear you were talking about how you had read Mormonism unveiled by ED how purposely reading that with this thought in mind is ED, how ever mention the first vision in that book is one of the earlier criticisms of Joseph Smith and his movement did you see anything in that entire book that spoke of this first vision. You're right, I did read it. With that purpose criticizes the book of Mormon and it story, but never once intimates anything having to do with the first vision in this book was written in 1834.

Joseph Smith had only written about it in 1832 in his private diary.

So how would not have had information to be able to criticize the first vision, and I think that's important because, as James Allen brings out he was not talking about this in those early years. Obviously, he would not of been criticized for it.

Even though Joseph Smith claimed that he was. 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 our free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you'll join us again as we look at another viewpoint is 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 showing 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 for order directly from MRM.org