Oaks Cleansed By Repentance — Part 5

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Mormonism 101 is available at your favorite bookstore online@mrm.org .1 examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical 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 hoping you're having a very pleasant Friday. Welcome to this additional viewpoint on Mormonism. I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson my colleague MRM today we wrap up our look at a conference message that was given by Dallen H. Oaks, first counselor in the first presidency was the message title cleansed by repentance and yesterday Eric we were talking about where Dallen Oaks states that although we are taught that some repentance can occur in the spirit world that is not certain and how we have talked to many Latter Day Saints who seem to think that it is certain.

In fact there almost betting on it. They know they haven't done all the things that even Dallen Oaks says to do in this conference message and they are hoping that somehow that God when he says he cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance that maybe that's just a vain threat in doctrine and covenants section 1, verse 31, more than we cited from Melvin Ballard where he said it is much easier to overcome and serve the Lord, when both flesh and spirit are combined as one so if it's easier to do in this life. Why aren't you doing in this life and if you think you're going to be able to do it in the next life, and it's gonna be harder than how much more impossible is that going to be yeah I think that statement by Melvin J. Ballard Mormon apostle seems to put the lid on that whole kind of controversy if it's hard enough to do it. As you said, with both flesh and spirit are combined. It's going to be virtually impossible to do it when they're not. If you can't do it now. You're not going to do it then.

So if you think you are. I think you are merely deluding yourself in order to make yourself feel better, but it says at the very end of that paragraph what Ballard says this life is the time to repent he goes on and says when we repent we have a large assurance that our sins, including our acts and desires will be cleansed and our merciful final judge will quote on quote remember them no more and that's from doctrine and covenants section 58 verse 42. I think it bears repeating. When we repent and remember this is in the context of Mormonism and as we been mentioning repentance is confession of sin of forsaking the sin never to repeat it again when the Latter Day Saints. Does that as Oaks says we have the Lord's assurance that our sins, including our acts and desires will be cleansed and our merciful final judge will remember them no more. I just have to chuckle over his use of the word merciful. If mercy is something that is undeserved. He certainly using the wrong word here because it sounds very clear that the only way you can have an assurance of your sands is if you've done everything you're supposed to do, then the mercy kicks sin, which makes no sense to me if that word mercy has any meaning at all.

While the definition of mercy is not getting what you do deserve. Romans 323 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God in Romans 623 says the wages of sin is death.

So if the wages of sin is death, and we deserve that we don't get that based on God's mercy. That's not something that you can earn down Oaks goes on to say in his talk does this restoration perfect us of all our unholy or unconquered desires or addictions that cannot be. We know from modern revelation that we will be judged for our desires as well as our actions and that even our thoughts will condemn us, that's interesting. He uses the word desire here is almost just having the positive desire to want to change is going to be good enough, but then in the very next sentence he says that even our thoughts will condemn us will couldn't it be said that a latter-day St. who may have a desire to do right, but really doesn't do it at all. What does that say about their desire wasn't really a strong desire or is it one that that the think is just going to get them to skate why it seems like in this context that maybe what Oaks might be telling us is that desire is not enough. And if that is what he saying that I would argue that he is agreeing with what Spencer Kimball said the 12th president of the church.

He made it clear that a desire to do better is not going to be enough. You must do it. You can't just say will I wanted to do it.

You have to actually accomplish the task and also what Kimball said about abandonment of sin. He cited from D&C section 58 versus 42 and 43 and he says trying is not sufficient, nor is repentance complete when one merely tries to abandon sin to try is weak to do the best you can, is not strong, you must always do better than you can. This is true in every walk of life.

Pages 163, 164. I'm going to say that how many times Bill we hear Latter Day Saints.

We talk to them about doing it in this life. They like to say well I'm trying I'm doing my best.

They have these excuses, but according to the Scriptures that the Mormons are supposed to believe, according to their leaders that they're supposed to believe it has to be done in this life. In fact, he goes on Oaks does on page 194 and he says we must not procrastinate the day of our repentance on until death amulet taught me citing from, 34, 33, because the same spirit that has possessed our body in this life. Whether the Lords of the devils will have power to possess our body in that eternal world. Let me just stop you there because earlier as we read he says. Although we are taught that some repentance can occur in the spirit world that is not certain what we wait a minute. It sounds like now he's making it clear that it's certain that you cannot do that in the next life.

When he says we must not procrastinate the day of our repentance until death.

It sounds like you better not procrastinate your repentance until death on Elma is very clear about that. If you read that whole passage versus 32 and following a listener what it says in verse 35 for behold if you have procrastinated the day of your repentance even on till death, behold, he had become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he dost seal you his.

Therefore, the spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you and have no place in you and the devil hath all power over you and this is the final state of the wicked. To me it sounds very clear that if you don't want to be in the devils grasp. You gotta do it in this life. Because if you wait until after this life, then you have basically lost all ability to do what you were supposed to do in the life that you were given will when he says here, our Savior has the power and stands ready to cleanse us from evil.

Now is the time to seek his help to repent of our wicked or unseemly desires and thoughts to be clean and prepared to stand before God at the final judgment certainly sounds like the responsibility is on the part of the Latter Day Saints to meet these certain requirements if they hope to get that forgiveness that they are seeking. He may say our Savior has the power and stands ready to cleanse us from evil, but clearly folks what Oaks is saying you better do it and you better do it now if you hope to stand prepared at the final judgment, but then he has in this last section section for the arms of mercy, and again I I have a real problem when Mormons use that word mercy, especially when they explained it in this way, he said, overarching God's plan and all of his commandments is his love for each of us which is most desirable above all things in the most joyous to the soul. No.

If this is mercy, and this is his love for us.

I would have to ask is a Latter Day Saints if he's given me requirements that I'm not going to be able to meet how when the world is that really love on the part of the Mormon heavenly father.

What a mortal father give requirements to their kids that they could never meet and then punish them when they don't meet it and that somehow be colder understood to be love. I would question that.

And this is where the they talk about the love of heavenly father but yet how the world is love. When he makes the requirements so high that no Latter Day Saints can do what no human can do it.

Is that really love as we understand it in the biblical sense. I would say no it's not. He cites several different verses from the Bible as well as from the book of Mormon, including third Nephi 914, which the risen Lord told the neophytes he writes behold mine arm of mercy is extended towards you and whoever will come him will I receive, and then he writes this from these and many other scriptural teachings.

We know that our loving Savior opens his arms to receive all men and women on the loving conditions he has prescribed to enjoy the greatest blessings God has for his children. This is not the biblical definition of mercy of God's love. There is conditions that you have here according to Mormonism he calls a loving conditions and you have to keep these conditions if you hope to have the blessings God has for his children. Are you doing everything that you're supposed to do, which he says in this article you're capable of doing. We quoted from verse Nephi 37 it's possible to do because God doesn't give commandments that cannot be And if you're not keeping those commandments. If you are not success with the repenting.

What is going to be your destination after death. While I think too many uses that descriptor loving conditions, not loving folks.

If the conditions are so steep that no human being is capable of meeting them, then obviously that cannot be what we would call a loving condition. This is why Jesus himself paid that debt on behalf of his people.

He did what we could not do, he lived the law perfectly. He is God manifest in the flesh, and he goes to the cross to pay for the sins of mankind and ask us to put our trust in what he did on our behalf. What Dylan Oaks is describing here is simply this what Jesus did on the cross was not enough you have to add something to it.

If you hope to gain the desire of what he says of the very end summarizes the impossible gospel we been talking about. He says because of God's plan and the atonement of Jesus Christ, I testify with a perfect brightness of hope that God loves us and we can be cleansed by the process of repentance we are promised that quote if we press forward feasting upon the word of Christ and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the father ye shall have eternal life."

That's from second Nephi 3120. Maybe I'll do so. I plead and pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen Bill. There's a difference between Christianity and Mormonism as you were describing just a few minutes ago. Christianity is who you are. Based on what God has done for you. Mormonism says here's what you have to do. Now go and do it. I think what he is saying here is is possible to repent. By forgoing all sense and I think that it's impossible gospel. Nobody's going to be able to do this again if that's if it's impossible how merciful really is this God of Mormonism.

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