Christmas Book Citations Obedience Part 4

Point is to examine 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. How much obedience is necessary for a latter-day St. to obtain eternal life. Talking to the sedition viewpoint on Mormonism. I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry and with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM we continue our look at several books that were given away as Christmas gifts by the first presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints during the years 1981 to 2017. You may ask why are we doing this well it seems pretty obvious that if the first presidency felt that a certain book was worthy of giving away as a gift that they must think what the book contains is something that Latter Day Saints should believe and so we are going through some of these books just to see what is in some of them and I might mention that the books they gave away are very well produced leather bound books of actual books that were for sale to the general public, but some of them are not, in fact, one of the books that were going to be talking about today is one of those unique books that you could only get if the first presidency gave you a copy for Christmas or you happen to find it on eBay because, as we mentioned in this series. Many of these books even though they were received as a gift were eventually put on eBay and sold or perhaps given away to other friends and it could be a number of reasons for that. I'm not going to assume that those people thought those books were not worthy to read they may have had other copies of them. I don't know, but the fact is the only way you're going to find a copy of these books is if someone put it on eBay or put it on Amazon or selling it by some other means still at the beginning of the series.

I had talked about how I owned over a dozen copies of this series. In fact, if you want to see those books, you can go to our website MRM.org/books employee gift with hyphens between books employee gift and you can see the 37 different books that were made available by the first presidency of the books that I purchased about 1/4 of them were brand-new with the plastic seal still around brand-new books never even read by whomever it was given to they can even take the cellophane off this particular book selections from doctrines of salvation was given as a Christmas gift in 2001 and we are continuing our look at a topic that is in several of these books and that is the topic of obedience if you listen to the show for any amount of time you know that the LDS church certainly emphasizes that commandment keeping or covenant keeping is absolutely essential if a latter-day St. hopes to receive eternal life which is synonymous with exultation or godhood. It's not to be confused with general salvation, which is a mere resurrection from the dead as Mormonism defines it, but let's look at some of these quotations Eric to show that. Certainly the LDS church does not believe in justification by faith does not believe that it's purely the blood of Christ which saves the believer from his sins. There is in effort that has to be made on the part of the latter-day St., if they hope to receive this exultation or eternal life as they call it in all of these come from selections of doctrines of salvation that we just mentioned on this is on page 501 very gladly with the Lord give to everyone eternal life. But since that blessing can come only on merit through the faithful performance of duty. Only those who are worthy shall receive it now as Christians, we would say that yes, our eternal life is based on merit. It's just not our own. It's on the merit of Jesus himself. His righteousness is added to the account or imputed to the believer when they put their trust in what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary on their behalf.

But as you can tell when he says, but since that blessing. What's the blessing eternal life. It only comes by merit through faithful performance of duty. You have to be worthy in order to receive it will how worthy must the Latter Day Saints be in order to receive this eternal life. He wrote complete obedience brings eternal life but to be exalted one must keep the whole law.

This is the great love he shows forth for his children, notwithstanding they sin and close your eyes against the truth, yet his arm is stretched out still and he will fill after them and bring them back if they will keep his commandments, and if not he will do for them just the best he can. The commandments of the Lord must be kept in all things. This is where I get a little frustrated when I read these things and it's almost as if words have no meaning, because when we ask Mormons personally are you completely open saying every commandment that you're supposed to obey in order to get eternal life. They always insist that they're not and they usually say it by saying something like, well, I'm trying or I'm doing my best. Rarely do I hear Mormons say yes they are keeping all the commandments or they are completely obeying every commandment and covenant that they're supposed to keep and again, notice the language but to be exalted one must keep the whole law, and he has that in italics the whole law has to be kept in order for you to get the celestial kingdom not to be resurrected not to receive the grace that Jesus made available for everybody. Through the atonement. But if you want to get eternal life synonymous with exultation than the whole must be kept.

Listen to this quote. This comes from page 127. Smith writes the Lord redeemed us with his blood. He gave us salvation provided and there is this condition which we must not forget that we will keep his commandments. And always remember him if we will do that then we shall be saved. While the ideas and foolishness of men shall perish from the earth and again Bill, you have to read the word saved here as exalted because you have to define with a latter-day St. when they use the word you have to be saved or salvation asked them what they mean by that, in here, obviously he's talking about exultation. That's a very good point because the word salvation does have two meanings within the context of Mormonism, one general salvation for resurrection from the dead, which comes to all people, regardless of what they believe or what they've done in this lifetime. And then there's this personal salvation or exultation that we've been discussing.

I think you're exactly right that this is what he is talking about on page 127 of selections of the doctrines of salvation. Let's move over to page 531 and he writes in boldface full obedience leads to son ship now. How are we going to become the sons of God and of course daughters as well. How is it done. Can we become the sons and heirs of our eternal father simply by being baptized for the remission of our sins. After we have repented and have had faith and have had hands laid upon us for the gift of the Holy Ghost and have come into the church know it takes more than that. My question is this, is that what the apostle John taught. If you're going to have a choice between the apostle John of the New Testament or Joseph Fielding Smith, who do you think is going to be more reliable. He says full obedience leads to son ship now. How are we going to become the sons of God. He ask will the apostle John makes it very clear in the Gospel of John, starting with verse 12, but to all who did receive him, him being Jesus who believed in his name whose name Jesus's name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God not let me ask you this. Listener, if a Latter Day Saints wills to be exalted, and he knows he must do certain things in order for that desire to be fulfilled would not that be the will of man, that he would see the necessity of keeping the commandments of course it would be but yet John says very specifically who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. It becomes real to the believer when we put our trust in Christ we believe in his name. Then we become children of God, so both cannot be right. In this context, Joseph Fielding Smith cannot be telling you the truth if the apostle John is telling us the truth in the Gospel of John chapter 1 verses 12 and 13 let me go to another quote page 528. He writes full obedience leads to joint airship. Now we want to become heirs, joint heirs with Jesus Christ possessing the blessings of the kingdom.

There is only one thing required of you and of me and that is that we keep the whole law in italics, not a part of it only do you think it would be fair, just, proper for the Lord to say to us. I will give unto you commandments.

You may keep them if you will, you may be indifferent about the matter.

If you will keep some reject others, or partially keep some and I will punish you.

But then I will make it up to you and all will be well noticing makes it very clear folks. It's the whole law. You must keep the whole law, not a part of it only yet every Latter Day Saints is doing exactly that they may be doing a pretty good job of keeping some of the commandments that they're supposed to keep, but they are only keeping part of them.

If Joseph Fielding Smith is a true prophet of God.

Every single member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is going to be damned. According to the definition given by that same church. None of them are going to make it into the celestial kingdom if this is the requirement and I would go further and say Joseph Fielding Smith himself didn't even qualify by the standard that he gives on page 528 of selections of doctrines of salvation and notice on our final quote. The result, if you keep the whole law. This is pages 527 and 528 of selections of doctrines of salvation.

Smith wrote the father has promised her the sun that all that he has shall be given to those who are obedient to his commandments, they shall increase in knowledge, wisdom and power going from grace to grace until the fullness of the perfect day shall burst upon them, they shall through the glory and blessing of the Almighty become creators. All power and dominion, and might shall be given to them and they shall be the only ones upon whom this great blessing shall be bestowed all others, no matter how much learning wisdom and power. They may obtain shall nevertheless be restricted in their several spheres. For they cannot attain to the fullness which is held in reserve for those who are permitted to pass by the Angels and the gods who are set to guard the way to this great exultation.

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