October 2015 Visiting Teaching Message

13 October

Visiting Teaching MsgThe Visiting Teaching Message for October focused on Jesus’ divine attributes of charity and love.

At least that’s what the headlines said, but as is always the case in Mormonism, now for the rest of the story!

This month’s lesson told women that by understanding the Savior’s attributes, they’ll be able to increase their faith and bless others around them.

‘How will understanding the divine attributes of the Savior increase your faith in Him and bless those you watch over through visiting teaching?’

First of all, while knowing more about Jesus might increase your faith in Him, it’s more important to make sure you’re worshiping the Jesus of the Bible. In this case with Mormonism, they’ll never achieve their desired status because they’ve rejected Him.

This year (2015) the Relief Society has based its monthly lessons on various attributes of Jesus, and each month they basically say the same thing. They ‘encourage’ women to adopt, and incorporate the same type of attribute into their own lives.

The problem?

They don’t talk about Jesus! They pull random LDS verses out of their own scripture to use as the model of how they should behave, and throw in an obligatory verse from the Bible to strengthen their position.

This month was no different than all the other months this year. We’re taking a look at some of what they said here –

‘The Guide to the Scriptures defines charity as “the highest, noblest, strongest kind of love” (“Charity”). It is the pure love of Jesus Christ. As we learn of Jesus Christ and strive to become like Him, we will begin to feel His pure love in our lives and be prompted to love and serve others as He would.’

I did a Google search on the phrase ‘pure love of Jesus Christ’ and about 99% of the websites that showed up were pro-Mormon. This phrase was apparently put into use by the Church around 2011 after someone honed in on a verse in the BoM, and used it to promote their agenda.

Moroni 7:47; “But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”

Mark 10:17-24 is a good example of Jesus’ love. When the young rich man approached the Lord and asked what he must do to gain eternal life, Jesus told him to sell everything and follow Him. Immediately the man’s countenance fell because he owned so many worldly things.

Jesus’ example here tells us His love is based in righteousness, not empty deeds. His love was subject to the Father and no one else, therefore, it mandated total devotion to truth. The apostle John gave us two distinctive insights for the definition of what godly love is. We find them in his 1st and 2ndepistles –

1 John 5:1-2; “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”

2 John 1:6; “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.”

The other false teaching in the Mormon paragraph above is when they said the following –

‘As we learn of Jesus Christ and strive to become like Him, we will begin to feel His pure love in our lives and be prompted to love and serve others as He would.’

How will we know how to love someone if God’s Holy Spirit isn’t residing inside of us? They have the tail wagging the dog in that statement. Man’s heart is inherently evil and the only remedy is to have His Holy Spirit residing inside of us! I echo the concern Paul had for the young believers in Corinth –

1 Corinthians 3:19; “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

The last comment they made is very telling as it reveals the lack of understanding on how, or why, we become sons and daughters of God.

‘In the Book of Mormon, we learn the great truth that we “pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that [we] may become the sons [and daughters] of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure” (Moroni 7:48).’

Aside from the plagiarisms they’ve managed to lift and insert into their gospel, their portrayal of how to be saved is wrong!

We don’t pray real hard and then hope He’ll call us children of God. We confess that Jesus is the Christ, and the only way we can be redeemed.

Romans 10:9; “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Acts 4:12; “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

We’re praying Mormons will see beyond the empty words of their prophet, and look in God’s word to discover the truth, for in it He tells us that if we hate our brothers then we’re walking in darkness.

1 John 2:10-11; “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”

If you’re LDS, are you willing to serve the body of Christ like Jesus commanded? What about all un-churched people? Finally, the last thing they said was this –

“Consider This

How is Christ our perfect example of love and charity?”

Our question:

How will they know when they’re not given the truth?

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