Christmas Book Citations Gospel Ideals Part 2

.1 Mormonism examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 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 welcome to this edition of viewpoint on Mormonism on your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director of Mormonism research ministry and with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM gospel ideals a book that was published in 1953 by ninth Pres. David O. McKay was given away as a Christmas gift by the first presidency in the year 1993. It is one of several books that we are examining in this series to see what exactly is in these books and you think that the leadership that gave these books away did not believe what was contained in those books and that's why we feel it important to go through some of these and just highlight some of the teachings naturally. It's not meant to be an exhaustive study. Yesterday we began looking at the book gospel ideals. As I mentioned, it was published in 1953 David O. McKay held the presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for 19 years.

He was number two behind Brigham Young, who held that office longer than any other leader within the church today were going to look at what David O. McKay calls the marks of the great United church.

He said on page 115 wants us reason for the existing disunion throughout Christendom is recognized and with it the acceptance of the fact that Jesus Christ, the author of our salvation is the only one who has the authority and right to establish his church among men.

Once the ministers of the sectarian churches of so-called Christianity are absolutely honest with themselves and mankind and will acknowledge the fact that they have not been divinely authorized to officiate in the name of Jesus Christ, nor to administer any ordinances in his church.

Once they accept the dictates of reason and the teaching of the Scriptures, both of which give the conviction that a man must be called of God to officiate in the ordinances of the gospel then and not till then, will the great difficulty be overcome of establishing one great United Christian church upon the earth.

Sounds pretty clear here Eric that were the ones that are holding up the train and that we need to get in line i.e. I love the phrase here were he says that once the ministers of the second Terrien churches of so-called Christianity.

If you say that something is so cold. What are you implying you're implying that it shouldn't be called a particular title, so I think what David will McKay is doing here is playing in his hand as to the really I feel the official position of the LDS church when it comes to all the other churches that claim to be Christian, you cannot escape this doctrine of a complete apostasy when studying the history and the teachings of the LDS church at is very much a part of it. In fact, as their leaders have said if there was no apostasy of the Christian religion there would be no need for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to exist. I don't think that David will McKay would be one of those who would argue, as we hear some Mormons argue today that there Christians just like us. I don't think David O. McKay would say something like that.

In fact, I don't think any general authority in the church would argue like that that is usually an argument you hear more from laypeople who probably don't want to offend. Maybe there Christian neighbor and so say something like that even though what they're saying is not exactly true. One of the things that Mormonism has that no other church can claim is the authority of Joseph Smith very important to Latter Day Saints today. This is a quote that comes from page 24 of gospel ideals and he titles us.

The prophets revelations as fact. Many years ago, Joseph Smith, a mere boy between 14 and 15 years of age declared that an answer to prayer.

He received a revelation from God. His declaration was simple but positive and he was surprised when men doubted the truth of his assertion to him. His claim was, but the statement of a fact to the Christian world.

It was a lightning flash that shattered their religious structure from current to foundation. I think that goes along with the quote we just had before, because again, David will McKay is drawing a very clear line in the sand between the truthfulness of Mormonism and the error of what we would call Christianity when he says to the Christian world. What Joseph Smith experienced was a lightning flash that shattered their religious structure from turmeric to foundation it sounds like he's referring to what Mormons call a complete apostasy doesn't.

And here's what's fascinating about this statement when it says that Joseph Smith was surprised when men doubted the truth of his assertion. We really have been surprised. Perhaps if he had only just learned that all the churches were wrong as the official 1838 account of Joseph Smith's first vision states, but we know in his 1832 account he already knew all the churches were wrong and he claimed that he came to that conclusion by reading the Scripture.

So even this story that David will McKay is handing down is not entirely accurate when you look at the grand picture regarding this alleged first vision though.

I want to ask you a question and this has to do with the April 2020 proclamation that was made by Russell M. Nelson at the spring. General conference and they came up with this proclamation that basically on the bicentennial anniversary of the first vision said that this is the true church based on a restored religion that was brought back through God the father and Jesus through that first vision.

It seems interesting that they did that because the church has so often tried to make itself look more Christian by not disavowing just Smith but by talking, perhaps less about the, the apostasy and what Joseph Smith said in Joseph Smith history chapter 1 do you think the church is double down on their idea that this is the one church unique church and that salvation can only be found in its walls.

Nowhere else will.

Two things regarding what you just said.

First of all, as I said before, I don't think the leadership is ever backed off of that position.

I think the leadership has been pretty firm that Mormonism or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints alone represents what they think is true Christianity.

When people tend to back off of that. I usually find it's not someone that the general authority in the church at usually a layperson and again for the reason that I stated, it's probably because they don't want to go out of their way and offend may be there neighbor and because there are some things that we might share theologically, they can calm their fears by sample were Christians just like you and they have in their mind what they're talking about little realizing that the person they're talking to my not be thinking the same things and I think that's where the confusion comes from but I think the leadership is always held that position. One thing about the April 2020 general conference is I think it tears to pieces.

This false notion that even some Christians have that our understanding of Christianity and the Mormon view of Christianity are somehow compatible. I would say no. I think they made that very clear. In April 2020 that the two are incompatible. I wonder how many Latter Day Saints are going to embrace the April 2020 proclamation as they have embraced the 1995 proclamation on the family. It seems like that gets brought up all the time by Latter Day Saints, who when we asked them what kind of revelation has the church have all the last time they had a proclamation was 1995 and the points of that but there really wasn't anything there that was any different than what really the Bible teaches about the family or what Mormonism is taught in the past, and certainly the proclamation made in April 2020 is what is traditional Mormonism. But I'm just I was interested that they actually did that. I wasn't expecting them to come up with the proclamation, I knew that the bicentennial was a big deal but to me I think they did double down and to be truthful. I am glad they did. Yeah, I'm glad that they are being honest about it. There's nothing I can't stand more than when I hear these leaders get up there and be vague about a position paper tells what you really believe that's why I loved Bruce McConkey when he was alive. He said it like you believe that I appreciated that, though I didn't agree with his conclusions. At least he told me what he was thinking. Here's another quote using so-called Christian, pages one 2121 of gospel ideals. McKay says, is a missionary project realistic but does the world need Christianizing our Protestant brother and say why don't you send your elders out to the heathen.

Why go to Christian nations as I have said our mission is to the whole world. We believe so-called Christian nations need the message as well is a so-called heathen lands. Yet when he says again.

We believe so-called Christian nations. He's obviously assuming that those nations which have been given the title of a Christian nation are not really Christian nations at all, at least not by the definition that David will McKay holds to. He's not the first one to talk about this idea of going to those who claim to be Christian in your missionary endeavors.

Della Noakes also had a very similar quotation that goes along with this one to read what Della Noakes had to say and he said this in April 1995 and is reported in the Insight magazine May 1995, page 84. He says the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has many beliefs in common with other Christian churches, but we have differences and those differences explain why we send missionaries to other Christians. The reason why I wanted to emphasize that by bringing out that another quote by Della Noakes is how many times we had Mormons tell us why you go in front of the mosque, or why don't you go over here want to go over there, little realizing that we have done that. Okay I me were equal opportunity critics here, but the point is is they think that somehow we need to exempt them because they're Christian but yet they don't do that with us because they don't see us as Christian believe me folks I don't lose sleep over the fact that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints thinks that my faith is apostate. I don't lose sleep over that. If that's what they believe, that's fine, but at least I know that's where they are and I can meet that objection head on and I think they should have the same view when it comes to us not recognizing their organization as being Christian. A final quote and this comes on page 8 of gospel ideals. It says the fallacy that Jesus has done all for us and live as we may, if on our deathbed.

We only believe we shall be saved in this glorious presence is most pernicious Jesus Christ the Savior of the world has given us the means whereby man may obtain eternal happiness and peace in the kingdom of our father but man must work out his own salvation through obedience to the eternal principles and ordinances of the gospel for centuries, men have been blinded by the false teaching of belief alone sufficient and today there is manifest on every hand.

The sorry plight into which this and other perverse doctrines have thrown the pseudo-Christian sects. The world is in sore need at the present time of the gospel of individual effort.

The gospel of faith and works, he will not grasp. This means provided him will sink beneath the waves of sin and falsehood, pseudo-Christian meaning falls Christian so again I think David will McKay is telling us what he really believes that's fine again.

It gives us a target and how we respond, but I don't think David will McKay would be one of those as I said earlier that would say that they are Christians just like us.

Let's just understand when we have our conversations that that's what we believe regarding each other, but the statement that he makes Eric that I think makes a lot of us as New Testament Christians cringe the fallacy that Jesus has done all for us. Would you say that they cannot claim Jesus is enough as many believers today like to use the phrase. Of course they couldn't. But here's how he qualifies. This is the next portion of that sentence and live as we may, I don't think that's a doctrine of Christianity, though Mr. McKay were not saying that it all. In fact, we understand very clearly what the apostle Paul meant when he brings that very argument up in Romans chapter 6 should we live carelessly so that grace may abound of course were not supposed to. The literal translation is, God forbid it. 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 our free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you join us again as we look at another viewpoint is