Christmas Book Citations Gospel Ideals Part 1

Mormonism 101 is a research ministries Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson has helped many more to understand what separates Mormonism from the Christian faith. Mormonism 101 is available at your favorite Christian bookstore online. MRM.org .1 examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a perspective view .1 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 and with me today is Johnson my colleague MRM today we continue our look at a number of books that were given away as Christmas gifts by the first presidency between the years 1981 and 2017 and as we've mentioned throughout this series. One of the reasons why we felt it important to do so is it shows that the first presidency was at least willing to give away books that contain doctrine that we assume they must've believed and also wanted the reader to believe it as well.

Today were going to be looking at a book by David O. McKay title gospel ideals.

But before we do that Eric. How can people find many of the quotes that were going to be citing through the series is need to go to MRM.org our website and in the search engine type in Christmas gift. The first article that will, contains links to all of the books in this Christmas book series that we been doing these past few weeks and that series goes from 1981 to 2017. So we have compiled quotes that you can look at as well as the quotes reason from the show. An additional quote we don't have time for. So if you hear a quote you like and you want to quote it to your friends. You can go to MRM.org gospel ideals by David O. McKay, David O. McKay was the ninth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He held the position of president for 19 years. That means that he was second. When it came to longevity of for being a resident of the church.

Brigham Young would've held that distinction. He was president longer than any other leader in the church, but they will McKay was a part of the church organization for much of his life. He was born in the late 1800s, but he became an apostle in 1906 he died in 1970, so he was very much a part of the leadership. This book was published in 1953 and was given away as a Christmas gift in 1993 by the first presidency of the church at that time Bill you and I were not around studying this religion. When Davidow McKay was the president. I was talking to Sandra Tanner who founded Utah lighthouse ministry with her husband Gerald many years ago I asked the question who she thought was the most popular president of the 20th century because I was thinking perhaps Gordon B. Hinckley would be the choice for many. She disagreed and thought during his time.

Davidow McKay may have been the most popular president of the 20th century and she said that he was not only very gentle and kind but he had a full set a hair any looks just more handsome than maybe a Gordon B.

Hinckley and some of the other presidency became president. A younger age and so I just found that interesting because I just don't know very much about Davidow McKay well this book gospel ideals.

The reason why we want to look at it.

Of course, is not only because it was one of the books given away as a Christmas gift, but to show that what he's teaching there is still pretty much the same type of doctrine that we hear Mormon leaders speaking of today, but first of all we want to talk about the subject of the age of accountability. First of all, let's read the quote from gospel ideals. Page 74. Then we'll talk about what that actually entails. Davidow McKay said the church of Jesus Christ promulgates the doctrine that little children are redeemed and sanctified through the atonement of our Lord and Savior if they die before reaching the age of accountability.

They become heirs of the celestial kingdom of heaven know what is that mean well, quite simply, it means this if you want to get to the celestial kingdom.

One of the guaranteed ways you can. According to Mormonism is if you die before the age of eight. Because the age of eight and Mormonism is what is known as the age of accountability.

Now, there's really no definition of an age of accountability in the Bible. This is something that's unique to Mormonism, but I find it fascinating. Eric that a person can get into the celestial kingdom if they die before the age of eight. But Joseph Fielding Smith the 10th president of the church also had another escape clause if you will that would prevent you from being damned potentially and what he's have to say about that in doctrines of salvation, volume 2, page 182 he wrote one very significant thing in this revelation which should be remembered is the fact that the Lord did not say that all who are dead are entitled to these blessings in the celestial kingdom if they hear the gospel in the spirit world, but all who would have received the gospel had they been given the opportunity in this mortal life. The privilege of exultation is not held out to those who have had the opportunity to receive Christ and obey his truth and who have refused to do so. What is that telling us we know that the Mormon church as a doctrine known as baptism for the dead or vicarious baptism.

They take this from first Corinthians chapter 15 verse 29. They certainly do not take it in its proper context. They built a whole doctrine around this one verse that is found in first Corinthians, but notice what Joseph Fielding Smith says even though a person may be baptized vicariously by a Mormon does not necessarily mean that that individual is going to receive celestial exultation. In fact, I think it was Spencer W. Kimball who made sure that you understood that the best you could hope for. If you had heard about Mormonism. During this lifetime, and rejected its message, yet were baptized vicariously and receive the restored gospel in the spirit world and spirit prison best you could get would be the terrestrial kingdom you would not get celestial exultation that's basically what Joseph Fielding Smith is saying here so here's what it all comes down to folks. If you want to make sure you get into the celestial kingdom die before the age of eight or never have a missionary tell you about the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. That's the one way you have the opportunity once your baptized vicariously. If you embrace it then then you get a ticket into the celestial kingdom.

But if you hear it here in this mortality and you reject it, all bets are off. I've actually told Mormon missionaries, you know, according to this doctrine. According to Joseph Fielding Smith you as a missionary are not doing me or anyone else you talk to any good once you share with them what you believe because now you've made them all accountable and that's keeping the entire law which is what the unique standard works as a person has to do. So I think you're right on that and it's it's interesting because if you died early before eight or if you don't hear the gospel, you're much better off than anybody else. I don't like a lot of people have ever thought that through, I don't know if many missionaries have thought that for me ask you this, Eric.

In light of what we've just read from Joseph Fielding Smith, is it really an act of love on the part of the missionaries to tell us about what they believe making us accountable now and we have to understand again that the celestial kingdom is where you should want to go if you're a faithful latter-day St. because that's where families will be together forever. And if you're a family member who doesn't get to the celestial kingdom. You will be forever separated the terrestrial kingdom that celestial kingdom do not offer family relationships. So if we believe as Mormonism teaches that families are forever. This is a pretty daunting doctrine that sits right in front of us and again we talked about it many times before. Who can actually do what Mormonism says. So it seems like these other clauses are the only way legitimately. Many people will ever have a chance to get to the celestial kingdom in page 98 of gospel ideals. Davidow McKay raises an interesting question and I want to raise it to you Eric as an evangelical he said this. If at this moment. Each one of you were asked to state in one sentence or phrase.

The most distinguishing feature of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What would be your answer. When I read that I thought about that when I say as an evangelical would be my answer to that. I would think perhaps you would agree Eric I think justification by faith alone is certainly one of the most distinguishing features of the Christian faith because our salvation is not based on anything we do with not based on our performance. But all of it rests on what Jesus did on our behalf, so I would say, Christianity shows that to be the distinguishing feature in as you like to point out a lot of times bill is that the one word that would distinguish evangelical Christianity for Mormonism is the idea of forgiveness of sins as we we were just talking about and Mormonism. You have to have full obedience. But in Christianity is through faith and faith alone, through the grace has been offered. Ephesians 289 very clearly says it's not based on your works, and I think we need to state at this point because sometimes if someone is listening to us and they hear us emphasizing justification by faith. They could easily assume that we are downplaying the significance of good works or holiness living folks. Please do not jump to that conclusion. We are not doing that at all. Certainly sanctification good works, holiness, living has its place, but that is not what justifies us.

That's the result of being justified. So I would appreciate it if Latter Day Saints don't take us out of context and say that were trying to emphasize that you can live life sensuously.

And that's not a problem if you profess to be a Christian but that's not true but going back to that question that I asked earlier or I should say that Davidow McKay asked because this is on page 98 of his book. What was his answer to that question. It occurs to me now that my answer would be this divine authority by direct revelation.

There are those who claim authority through historical dissent.

Others from the Scriptures, but this church stands out is making the distinctive claim that the authority of the priesthood has come directly from God the father and the son by revelation of Joseph Smith and here's what's telling about that statement. Folks, their understanding of the priesthood isn't even close to what the Bible teaches regarding the priesthood. Now that doesn't mean that the Mormons don't have what they call the Aaronic priesthood and certainly there was a priesthood for the sons of Aaron in the Old Testament, the Aaronic priesthood.

But they did not function the same. Even the people who were called to that priesthood were not called in the same manner. In the Old Testament to be an Aaronic priest you had to be. As I said, a son of Aaron related to Aaron. That's not the way it is and Mormonism. You can just be a faithful male you can qualify if you are a member of the LDS church in good standing.

When it comes to the Melchizedek priesthood. Again, we find no comparison between what Mormons call the Melchizedek priesthood and any such milk is a priesthood in the Bible.

In fact, you won't even find that phrase Melchizedek priesthood being understood as Mormons believe it today. Yes, there was a priest named Melchizedek, but a Melchizedek priesthood as the Mormon church defines it know you're not gonna find anything like that at all… Three different ways that people claim authority one is through historical dissent, and I imagine he is maybe talking about the Eastern Orthodox church. The Roman Catholic Church I'm not sure.

Then he says, others from the Scriptures what you think that that is what we as evangelical Christians would hold that is through Scripture and Scripture alone that were going to understand what authority we have is as believers, I think, absolutely, I think it's the Scripture that does claim whether or not we have authority and spells it out quite definitively so I would agree with you on that tomorrow were going to continue looking at this book gospel ideals by Davidow McKay, a book that was given away as a Christmas gift in the year 1993 by the first presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

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