Christmas Books Citations Truth Part 2

.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. What is truth. Welcome to this additional viewpoint on Mormonism. I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM where going through a number of books that were given away as Christmas gifts by the first presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints between the years 1981 until 2017. In this portion of the series. We are kind of gleaning from a number of these books and what they have to say about the topic of truth that we have a lot of quotations here and were not going to have time to get through all of them but there are certainly some quotations that are worthy of note.

The first one that we want to talk about. Eric is a citation by sixth president Joseph F.

Smith and this was in his book titled gospel doctrine, page 1 and it says our hope founded on truth. Our hope of salvation must be founded upon the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth, for we cannot build upon air and ascend into the courts of eternal truth and enjoy the glory and exultation of the kingdom of our God, that cannot be done. He goes on and says we believe in all truth, no matter to what subject, it may refer no sect or religious denomination in the world possesses a single principle of truth that we do not accept or that we will reject we are willing to receive all truth from whatever source it may come for truth will stand truth will endure no man's faith. No man's religion. No religious organization in all the world can never rise above the truth.

The truth must be at the foundation of religion, or it is in vain and it will fail of its purpose not so very noble, and what Joseph Smith said and I don't think many of us would have a problem with what he said I don't think though he would be consistent if we were to lay before him a statement or the truth claim I should say that violates what he already believes. So let me ask these three questions and these questions are important because I have often asked these questions of Latter Day Saints. When I begin a conversation with them. The first question I like to ask is, does it honor God to believe something that is false. Now you just heard this statement made by the six prisoner of the church showing the value that Latter Day Saints Pl.

In truth, obviously, if they have value. In truth, they see no value in something that's in error.

So that's why asking this question I think helps us to decide what kind of an individual. We are talking to is it honor God to believe something that is false based on what you just read Eric, it would seem that Joseph F. Smith, the sixth president of the church would have to say no it does not honor God to believe something that's false. So that leads to my second question for the latter-day St., how would you know if something was false. In order to know that something is false, you have to first of all, have a good definition of what is actually true. And of course truth has been historically understood to be that which conforms to reality if you look at a chair and it has red fabric, but you say the chair is blue.

Blue does not conform to the reality. So, obviously, to say the chair is blue when it is not would be false, which leads to my third question, what would you do if you came to see that something you believed was false. What would you do with that information would you put it aside with would you just put it on your proverbial shelf of contradiction or would you perhaps delve deeper into this and realize that in order to continue believing what you already presupposed was not honoring God. You would then abandon it. Those are great questions 03 questions at face value. Joseph F. Smith would agree based on what he said here. Listen to what he says no man's faith. No man's religion.

No religious organization and all the world can ever rise above the truth. And yet when were talking the Latter Day Saints bill.

How often do we hear of a person telling us about their personal revelation or their church.

That's not from their church. If were trying to share information and want to hand it to them and if it doesn't have the signature of the church on it. They won't even receive it because they can't take that because it could possibly contradict the church you raise a good point when ever you handle it. Say a printed pamphlet are attracted to a Latter Day Saints. I know this to be a fact because I've done it many times. One of the first things that a latter-day St. will often do not hundred percent of the time, but often what they will do is they will immediately flip it over to see who publish this whose logo is on the back and I've had Mormons read it and it say it says Mormonism research ministry and has our address on the back of the track, though kind of rolled her eyes and say well I can trust.

This is not published by the church will that is what we call a genetic fallacy.

Brigham Young amazingly addresses the error in following that type of a genetic fallacy when it comes to determining truth what it Brigham Young say Eric and discourses of Brigham Young which was one of the books given away as a Christmas gift by the first presidency is found on page 11. He said our doctrine and practices and I have made it mine through life to receive truth no matter where it comes from no matter where it comes from.

Another words, if the pamphlet I am handing to the Latter Day Saints though not published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints contains unit words that are accurate and words that do conform to the reality that leaders did say these things that I'm attributing these quotations to then you would think, according to what Brigham Young has said here that that should be taken into consideration. It would be wrong for the latter-day St. automatically reject what is in that pamphlet, or for that matter what we say here on this radio show or what is put on our website or what is in our newsletters, they should not just reject them out of hand because we're the ones putting out that information. This is what we talk about being open minded. I mean, I think I want to know truth wherever it comes from and if I'm wrong. I want somebody to show me where I'm wrong and I think that's what Brigham Young at face value again is what he's saying to receive truth no matter where it comes from now in that same book, and again this is one of the many books that the first presidency gave away during the Christmas season. The book discourses of Brigham Young on page 435 this is what Brigham Young said a duty to listen to the truth. Do not say you are Mormons and we do not want to hear anything about you. Wait until you have searched and researched and have obtained wisdom to understand what we preach, or to prove it to be untrue. If you cannot prove it on true and are not disposed to receive it, let it alone if it is the work of God. It will stand what you say outsiders what you say Christian world and heathen world. If we have the truth to present to you, which will do you good here and hereafter, which will save you today and tomorrow and every day until it saves you in the kingdom of God and brings you to a perfect state of felicity and happiness in the presence of the father will you have it, that's a great question.

I think it's a fair question, and if Brigham Young was to ask me that question which you could say he has because it is important I would suggest if it's true, I would embrace it, but he brings out another interesting point.

If you were to take what he said and just change the words a little bit when he says do not say you are evangelical Christians and we do not want to hear anything about you.

Wait until you have searched and researched and obtained wisdom to understand what we evangelical Christians preach, or to prove it to be untrue. In other words, that sword is sharp on both sides, though I would not automatically say that because a Mormon told me something I need to just dismiss it out of hand without examining what he has to say.

I would think that same rule would apply to the Latter Day Saints when it comes to the New Testament Christian presenting them with information. The Mormon should be just as honest as we should be honest in examining what they have to say.

They should also be honest enough to examine what we would have to say I find it interesting when I'm talking a Latter Day Saints and a topic it's brought up where they would just completely reject whatever it is I'm trying to say. For instance, the Trinity, and they would just reject it completely. I always like to ask the question what do you think I mean when I use a word such as the Trinity and hear what they have to say and so often they have a false impression they do not understand what it is that the Trinity is meaning what I believe it to be and if they would just let me explain myself instead of just having the presupposition that, well, anything that has any day with the Trinity or anything having to do with evangelical Christianity is wrong if they would be open-minded enough to be able to at least hear the presentation from the Bible and they can rejected, then based on what the Bible teaches and they show me that is not true. I'm okay with that but to just reject it just because of where it comes from that genetic fallacy are talking about just because I am saying this, and the church doesn't say it doesn't mean that what I am saying is untrue. When this also include admonitions from the pulpit. In general conference where leaders in the past have told members to stay away from the Internet and some of the things that the Internet has to say about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This is the same kind of problem. I would imagine that it's not that I'm against the church, cautioning its members as to where they get their truth. I understand that completely. I know that they are aware that there are people out there critical of the faith, and I think they have every right to caution their people but to say that you shouldn't embrace what's on some of these sites merely because they come from a site such as our own MRM.org would of course be the very genetic fallacy that Brigham Young seems to try and convince his people to stay away from committing just because it comes from a site that even is critical of Mormonism doesn't necessarily mean that what is on that site is all in accurate. Could there be some inaccuracies on those particular sites certainly certainly there could be more all fallible and no one can claim that they don't make mistakes but the fact is, you can't just reject in total winter on some of those sites, or even in the pamphlet that you might be trying to hand to an individual member of the church. The citations for the past two days on the issue of truth coming from these Christmas volumes given away by the first presidency are available that were using and pack many of the quotes waiting get to. As you mention we have too many of them, but we have a PDF file. If you would like to see these quotes and others on truth as well as your book in their own words Bill all a person has to do to help our radio ministry were asking for donations to help us stay on the air. You just need to go to the right hand side of MRM.org to donate click that it will take you to PayPal and for a generous gift of any size you can go ahead and put in a number and in under the add a note if you would just put down the letters PDF and include if you would will help us immensely if we knew the call letters of the radio station or if you listen on podcast or which state you're in.

That will help us hundred percent of all the money we raised during this series is going to go toward helping our radio ministry and I might mention that in their own words alone is almost 400 pages worth of quotation. So it's quite a resource if you don't have a copy of that. But please do that. We could certainly use your help to continue this radio ministry. Thank you for listening. If you would like more information regarding this research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website at www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you'll join us again as we look at another viewpoint is