Credit For Trying — Part 1

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MRM.org .1 examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a 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 viewpoint on Mormonism on your host, Bill McKeever, founder director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson my colleague MRM today we're looking at an article that is found in the May edition of inside magazine.

That's the conference addition and we love going to the conference addition because Mormons have been told in the past that when they attend general conference and listen to the speakers at Gen. conference. It's as if they are hearing the voice of God speaking through his servants. If that's the case then it must've been taking place while Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was giving his talk title tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you that Eric, one of the problems I have when some of these leaders speak is I believe words have meaning that when you say something you're trying to get a thought across and you're hoping that the thought you get across is the thought that you have in this case, the speaker has when he speaking to those listening to him. Would you agree, I what effective communication is not only saying what you think you mean, but having people understand what you actually mean. In other words, we want to understand the mind of Jeffrey Holland when we listen to this talk that he gave tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. I can't get past the first pull quote and already I'm puzzled. What is the thought that's trying to be put forth here. The pull quote that is used on this article and is found on page 124 in the May & 2016. Keep loving keep trying keep trusting people leaving keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today. Tomorrow and for ever very poetic.

It sounds okay, as you say very poetic about what the world is it saying to us heaven is cheering you on today tomorrow and forever and I'm trying to think of what he's trying to get across in using the word forever in the context of Mormonism. If I was a Latter Day Saints who throughout my lifetime was trying very hard, wanting to go to the celestial kingdom, but failed in keeping celestial law in the past I Was terrestrial law. I would, according to the dictates of Mormonism.

I would be assigned after judgment to the terrestrial kingdom and Mike to believe that that was to happen to me as a latter-day St. that I was assigned to the terrestrial kingdom that heaven is cheering me on. Today, tomorrow and forever my thought would be. Who cares, I'm not going to step 1 foot in the celestial kingdom.

Now that I've been assigned to the terrestrial kingdom. Let's give some background to that, the idea that you can't jump from one kingdom to the other has been taught by Mormon leadership.

The notion that a person can jump from one kingdom to another. For the most part has been taught by LDS leaders is something that's improbable. There were some things taught by Brigham Young that maybe gives you the impression you might be able to, but I'll even take a lot of modern Latter Day Saints even drawback and cannot is certainly Spencer Kimball made it clear that you couldn't jump levels but I'm just trying to understand what Jeffrey Holland is getting across to his listeners and no doubt his listeners are going to take what he says in this message and they're going to run with it and I'm wondering based on some of the things that he teaches in this talk that he gave in general conference in April 2016 was that really what Jeffrey Holland was trying to convey. Because if he was, there's a whole lot of inconsistency going on within the leadership of Mormonism and I can understand why the Mormon church has laid a foundation for its people that if they hope to get into the celestial kingdom. As we've already mentioned, they must keep celestial law that entails keeping all the laws all the ordinances keeping all the covenants that they've made and doing it consistently.

And of course that's always been the problem that we've had with with Mormonism is. Nobody does that, Holland. In this talk tends to admit that, but at the same time he's trying to comfort. I think his listeners and in comforting him. I think he may be misunderstood and if he is misunderstood. Imagine those poor Latter Day Saints who misunderstood him an hour taking his words is somehow a license to not worry about it so much anymore.

Whether or not they've done all that they are supposed to do. Let's look at what he says when I could go through by paragraph by paragraph. But he does make some comments at the very beginning when he is giving accolades to Thomas S.

Monson, who is the current president of the Mormon church when he talks about what another remarkable general conference.

We have had we have been especially blessed by Pres. Thomas S. Monson's presence and prophetic messages. Let me stop you. There what did Thomas Monson really say that was so profound I mean I know he's the leader of the Mormon church. I know Mormons respect Thomas Monson. They revere him as the leader of their church, but really Jeffrey Holland when you talk about his presence and prophetic messages.

What in the world did he say to get that kind of an accolade because Thomas Monson made two very short speeches very short. In fact, you could probably put everything he said on within a page and 1/2 of the inside magazine, but what did he say that was so profound that we never heard before that priesthood holders should continue to be good and also to make good choices those of the two articles that you can find the inside magazine and that consistently has been taught by LDS leadership for many years. In other words, there was nothing really all that profound. There was nothing really all that controversy all that he said that's for sure, but I'm just wondering, did it really deserve that kind of an accolade from Jeffrey Holland and that's not really the gist of what this whole show was about folks, but I just still I want to know why do you say that it didn't strike me that Monson really said anything that was so prophetic, other than as you said, value your priesthood makes the right choices even uses Alice in Wonderland in order to make that point. I guess Lewis Carroll has some kind of prophetic insight for us today. Perhaps.

But here's the controversy and this is when he's talking about members who don't seem to live up to all the standards of the Mormon church, he said. First of all, if in the days ahead. You not only see limitations in those around you, but also find elements in your own life that don't yet measure up to the messages you have heard this weekend. Please don't be cast down in spirit and don't give up the gospel.

The church in these wonderful semiannual gatherings are intended to give hope and inspiration.

They are not intended to discourage you. Only the adversary, the enemy of us all would try to convince us that the ideals outlined in general conference are depressing and unrealistic that people don't really improve that no one really progresses.

And why does Lucifer give that speech because he knows he can't improve the Progress that worlds without end.

He will never have a bright tomorrow. He is a miserable man down by eternal limitations and he wants you to be miserable to let me stop you there because what Holland is trying to do again is comfort his listeners.

Only the adversary, the enemy of assault would try to convince us that the ideals outlined in general conference are depressing and unrealistic that people don't really improve that no one really progresses were not saying that a person can't go to general conference and hear something encouraging them out of live their life and maybe start on the course that uses those ideas to help them in that life changing decision were not saying that people can improve from general conference and I think Holland is trying to let them know. Yes, you can improve by listening to what said, but when he's not seen so far is how is a Mormon supposed to end up. What is the endgame for a Latter Day Saints. What are they supposed to be when they finally die and their earthly mortal probation as they understand it is now complete. Certainly everybody goes through decisions in life.

We go through the metaphorical valleys and we go through the metaphorical hills, but okay. Lucifer can't progress Mormons. They can progress how much must they progress how much must they progress how much must they improve in order to get the best the Mormon religion has for them. And I find it interesting when he says that the ideals outlined in general conference are depressing and unrealistic that that somehow comes from Satan and how many Latter Day Saints have I talked to have admitted that this got checked they get twice a year. It's very difficult and sometimes they do walk away from general conference depressed here. He's saying it. Satan's fault, but these are the leaders who are giving the words that seem to be depressing, at least in my estimation, and I think that's what Holland is going to try and correct. Perhaps in this talk that he's given don't walk away depressed. Don't walk away thinking this is unrealistic. I'm going to encourage you and this is where the controversy comes up, and then he goes on and says well don't fall for that with the gift of the atonement of Jesus Christ and the strength of heaven to help us, we can improve and the great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying.

Even if we don't always succeed that phrase right there.

We are already starting to here. Mormons use this as somehow the Mormon church is making a course correction when it comes to the standards for celestial exultation were already hearing this. It's kind of like when Brad Wilcox, a BYU professor gave a talk several years ago we started hearing a lot of Latter Day Saints say we don't have to keep all the commandments we don't have to be perfect. Listen Brad Wilcox, a BYU professor gave a talk and he said we don't have to do all that is if Brad Wilcox really has the priesthood authority to override years and years of talks given by general authorities in the church. This phrase here when it comes to the gospel that we can improve in the great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying.

Even if we don't always succeed. What in the world does Jeffrey Holland mean by that. As I mentioned were already hearing some Latter Day Saints give us the impression that he is implying that you don't have to keep all the commandments that you don't even have to repent of all your sins that somehow God is going to overlook your shortcomings.

So don't be worried about that. Do you really think Eric that that's what Jeffrey Holland was implying how it's debatable that it doesn't really seem that that would be consistent with what he has said in the past as well as the other leaders of said in the past.

Good point. What he has said in the past as well as what others have said in the past and that becomes problematic because it Mormons are misinterpreting what Jeffrey Holland said in that short phrase that you get credit for trying. And somehow a Latter Day Saints assumes that well I guess I don't really have to keep all the commandments like the DNC says I don't really have to deny myself of all ungodliness. Like the book of Mormon says I am trying and that's good enough. Is that really today's Mormonism and is that really what Jeffrey Holland was trying to get across. This is what we want to talk about in this series folks because I don't think that that's what Jeffrey Holland was really trying to communicate with the fact that some Mormons seem to be taking that away from his words that could be problematic if there misinterpreting what Holland was saying. We'll talk more about this and tomorrow show. Thank you for listening you would like more information is research ministry.

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