Reasons 344-394

 

580 REASONS (and counting) WHY YOU SHOULD LEAVE THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

 

            

    

344 – Language Problems in the Book of Mormon

TPJS, pg. 299; To the Editor of the Times & Seasons:  Sir:—Through the medium of your paper, I wish to correct an error among men that profess to be learned, liberal and wise; and I do it the more cheerfully, because I hope sober-thinking and sound-reasoning people will sooner listen to the voice of truth, than be led astray by the vain pretensions of the self-wise. The error I speak of, is the definition of the word “Mormon.” It has been stated that this word was derived from the Greek word “mormo.” This is not the case. There was no Greek of Latin upon the plates from which I, through the grace of God, translated the Book of Mormon. Let the language of that book speak for itself. On the 523rd page, of the fourth edition, it reads: “And now behold we have written this record according to our knowledge in the characters, which are called among us the “Reformed Egyptian,” being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech; and if our plates had been sufficiently large, we should have written in Hebrew: but the Hebrew hath been altered by us, also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold ye would have had no imperfection in our record, but the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also, that none other people knoweth our language; therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof.”

 

Is. 18:18-20; 8In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will be speaking the language of Canaan and swearing allegiance to the LORD of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction.19In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD near its border. 20It will become a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them.

[Note: As of 2/2008, there are more than 500 Greek words in the BC era of the Book of Mormon.]

 

 

345 – Laughter is Sin

 

D&C 59:15; And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance.

 

Luke 6:21; Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

 

346 – Law Fulfilled

 

3 Nephi 15:4-6; Behold, I say unto you that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses.5 Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end.6 Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled.

 

Matt. 5:17; Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

 

 

347 – Law, Is Jesus the Fulfillment of the

 

Alma 34:14-15; And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.  15 And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.

 

Romans 10:4; For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

 

 

348 – Law of Capital Punishment

 

Doctrines of Salvation 1:136; In pursuance of and in harmony with this scriptural doctrine, which has been the righteous law from the days of Adam to the present time, the founders of Utah incorporated in the laws of the Territory provisions for the capital punishment of those who wilfully shed the blood of their fellow men. This law, which is now the law of the State, granted unto the condemned murderer the privilege of choosing for himself whether he die by hanging, or whether he be shot, and thus have his blood shed in harmony with the law of God; and thus atone, so far as it is in his power to atone, for the death of his victim. Almost without exception the condemned party chooses the latter death.

 

Numbers 35:16; And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.” (See entire passage – 35:16-30)

 

 

349 – Laws of God can Damn Us

 

Discourses of Brigham Young, pg. 4; We know enough to damn us; and when we know enough for that, we know enough to save us, if that knowledge is improved upon. 6:198.

 

Galatians 3:10-13; For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.  11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.  12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.  13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.

 

 

350 – Laws of God not Perfect Yet

 

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 2:314; The laws that the Lord has given are not fully perfect, because the people could not receive them in their perfect fulness; but they can receive a little here and a little there, a little today and a little to-morrow, a little more next week, and a little more in advance of that next year, if they make a wise improvement upon every little they receive; if they do not, they are left in the shade, and the light which the Lord reveals will appear darkness to them, and the kingdom of heaven will travel on and leave them groping. Hence, if we wish to act upon the fulness of the knowledge that the Lord designs to reveal, little by little, to the inhabitants of the earth, we must improve upon every little as it is revealed.

 

Luke 16:13-15; No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.  15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

351 – LDS, All but LDS go to Hell

 

Encyclopedia of Joseph Smith’s Teachings, pg. 153; Will everybody be damned, but Mormons?”…Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness. (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 vols. 3:28).

 

John 3:15-16; “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 ¶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

 

352 – LDS are Literal Descendants of Abraham

 

Improvement Era, June 1945; With the blood of Abraham in our veins, it should perhaps be easier for us to accept the gospel; but if we have none, if we are “pure gentile,” yet accept the truth of the gospel, and make the required covenants, every good thing implied in Abraham’s blessing will be ours. We are then, because of our obedience, lawful children of Abraham.

 

Ezekiel 43:7-9; And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.  8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.  9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

 

353 – LDS; Half of Members Would Condemn Teachings

 

Encyclopedia of Joseph Smith’s Teachings, pg. 497; If the Church knew all the commandments, one half they would condemn through prejudice and ignorance. (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 2:477)

 

Galatians 1:11-12; But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.  12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

354 – LDS; Ninety-nine Percent of LDS Related to Joseph, Son of Jacob

 

Studies in Scripture 3:63; The chances are probably more than nine out of ten that you and I are the lineal blood descendants of Joseph, the son of Jacob. In fact, “Nearly every member of the Church is undoubtedly a literal blood descendant of Jacob.” fn More specifically, President Joseph Fielding Smith explained, “At the present time most of those who are receiving the Gospel are of the tribe of Ephraim [son of Joseph].”

 

Isaiah 59:4-8; None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.  5 They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.  6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.  7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.  8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

355 – LDS Not Obligated to Answer all Questions Raised by Man

 

Straightforward Answers to Tough Gospel Questions, pg. 174; WE HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO respond to every objection raised about our faith. President Ezra Taft Benson explained: “Our main task is to declare the gospel and do it effectively. We are not obligated to answer every objection. Every man eventually is backed up to the wall of faith, and there he must make his stand”… Everyone has unanswered questions, and no one gets all the answers in this life…Our revelations declare that only those “who overcome by faith” can inherit the celestial kingdom (D&C 76:53).

 

Is. 55:8-9; For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.  9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

356 – LDS – OnlyTrueChurch

 

D&C 1:30; “And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually.

 

Matthew 16:18; And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 

357 – LDS – Only True Christians

 

Gospel Doctrine, pg. 137; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no partisan Church. It is not a sect. It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the only one today existing in the world that can and does legitimately bear the name of Jesus Christ and his divine authority.

 

1 Cor. 15:1-4; Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

 

358 – LDS are True Jews

 

 

EM, pg. 706; For two major reasons, Latter-day Saints today apply the name Israel to themselves. First, Moses appeared to Joseph Smith, and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836, and conferred on them the keys, or authorization, for “the gathering of Israel” (D&C 110:11; cf. PWJS, pp. 145-46). This gathering consists not only in restoring people of Israelite ancestry “to the lands of their inheritance” but also in bringing them “out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is…the Mighty One of Israel” (1 Ne. 22:12)…Second, Latter-day Saints have often learned from their patriarchal blessings that they are literally of the lineage of Israel (D&C 86:8-9), primarily the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. The Lord has revealed that it is the particular responsibility of Israel to carry the message of the restored gospel to the world, and Ephraim has the responsibility of directing this work (D&C 133:26-34; cf. TPJS, p. 163)…

 

Romans 8:15-17; For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.  16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

 

359 – Leaders Speak, Thinking is Done

 

Improvement Era, June 1945; When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done. When they propose a plan—it is God’s plan. When they point the way, there is no other which is safe. When they give direction, it should mark the end of controversy. God works in no other way. To think otherwise, without immediate repentance, may cost one his faith, may destroy his testimony, and leave him a stranger to the kingdom of God.

 

2 Corinthians 11:19-20; For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.  20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.

 

360 – Lies, Authorities Admit to

 

Studies of the Book of Mormon, by B.H. Roberts, p. 271;  There were other Anti-Christs among the Nephites, but they were more military leaders than religious innovators… they are all of one breed and brand; so nearly alike that one mind is the author of them, and that a young and underdeveloped, but piously inclined mind.  The evidence I sorrowfully submit, points to Joseph Smith as their creator.  It is difficult to believe that they are a product of history, that they came upon the scene separated by long periods of time, and among a race which was the ancestral race of the red man of America.”

 

Prov. 19:9; A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.

 

361 – Lying for God

 

 

Articles of Faith, pg. 59; Adam found himself in a position that made it impossible for him to obey both of the specific commandments given by the Lord. He and his wife had been commanded to multiply and replenish the earth. Adam had not yet fallen to the state of mortality, but Eve already had; and in such dissimilar conditions the two could not remain together, and therefore could not fulfil the divine requirement as to procreation. On the other hand, Adam would be disobeying another commandment by yielding to Eve’s request. He deliberately and wisely decided to stand by the first and greater commandment; and, therefore, with understanding of the nature of his act, he also partook of the fruit that grew on the tree of knowledge.

 

Acts 5:1-11; But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,  2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.  3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?  4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.  5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.  6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.  7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.  8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.  9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.  10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.  11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

 

 

M

 

MAN

 

362 – Mankind/Men are Agents Unto Themselves

 

 

D&C 29:34-35; Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father, whom I created.  Behold, I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself; and I gave unto him commandment, but no temporal commandment gave I unto him, for my commandments are spiritual; they are not natural nor temporal, neither carnal nor sensual.

 

Psalm 82:5-7; They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.  6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.  7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

363 – Man Has Always Existed

 

DS 1:139; The fact is, there never was a time when man-made in the image of God, male and female-did not exist. The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith the truth that man was also in the beginning with God.

 

1 Cor. 15:44-47; It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.  46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.  47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

 

364 – Man Born Under Sin

 

 

2 Nephi 2:21; For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.

 

Romans 3:23; For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

 

 

365 – Man, Eternal Nature of

 

Gospel Through the Ages, pg. 126; Life, intelligence, mind, the “light of truth,” or whatever name one gives to the center of the personality of man, is an uncreated, eternally existent, indestructible entity. “He—for that entity is a person—. . . is eternal as God is; co-existent, in fact, with God; of the same kind of substance or essence with Deity, though confessedly inferior in degree of intelligence and power of God.”

 

Ezekiel 28:1-2; The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God.

 

366 – Man not Born Under Sin

 

2 Nephi 2:25; Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

 

Romans 5:12; Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

 

 

367 – Man; Natural Man Enemy to God

 

 

Mosiah 3:19; For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

 

James 4:4; Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

 

368 – Man of Sorrows

 

JS, the Prophet, the Man, pg. 15-16; Like his Master, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith was called upon to endure a life of loneliness. It was a life characterized not only by persecution and suspicion, but also by an isolation known only to those who walk in the glorious light of noonday sun…The farm boy who grew to become a prophet’s prophet could bear a personal witness of his divine Redeemer, for Joseph was also, to some degree at least, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, one who knew firsthand the costs of Christian discipleship. “God is my friend,” he wrote to his wife Emma at a difficult time. “In him I shall find comfort. I have given my life into his hands. I am prepared to go at his call. I desire to be with Christ. I count not my life dear to me, only to do his will” (Jessee 239; punctuation corrected). Such expressions enable us to discern the soul of Joseph Smith, to discover the underlying secret of his success, his humility: he knew, and he wanted all others to know, that he walked in the shadow of the Almighty. But he was the prophet of the Almighty; God knew it and he knew it.

 

Isaiah 53:3; He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 

369 – Man has Power within to Become Like God

 

 

DS 2:35; Man has within him the power, which the Father has bestowed upon him… that eventually he shall become like the Father and the Son; this virtue, wisdom, and knowledge on the part of the faithful does not rob the Father and the Son, but adds to their glory and dominion. Thus it is destined that those who are worthy to become his sons and joint-heirs with our Redeemer, would be heirs of the Father’s kingdom, possessing the same attributes in their perfection, as the Father and the Son now possess.

 

Genesis 3:5; For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

 

 

370 – Man; Jehovah Created Man by Faith

 

Millennial Star 1:130; Who cannot see, that, if God framed the worlds by faith, that it is by faith that he exercises power over them, and that faith is the principle of power? and that, if the principle of power, it must be so in man as well as in the Deity? This is the testimony of all the sacred writers, and the lesson which they have been endeavouring to teach to man.

 

Jeremiah 32:17, 27; Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.  27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

 

 

371 – Man is Spiritual then Natural

 

Holiness of Everyday Life, pg. 34; First we were sons and daughters of God. We became “natural” when we came to earth, participated in the fall, and became proud, rebellious, and self-centered. Those “natural” tendencies of our fallen selves are attributes we fight and struggle with all of our lives. Moving beyond the natural man to become more and more that which we already are, children of God, is what our life on earth is for.

 

1 Corinthians 15:46-47; Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

 

372 – Man, Trusting in

 

HC 1:23-24; Now, behold, I say unto you, that because you delivered up those writings which you had power given unto you to translate by the means of the Urim and Thummim, into the hands of a wicked man, you have lost them.

 

2. And you also lost your gift at the same time, and your mind became darkened.

 

3. Nevertheless, it is now restored unto you again; therefore see that you are faithful and continue on unto the finishing of the remainder of the work of translation as you have begun.” (See story of how Joseph Smith’s translations were lost through the wife of Martin Harris.)

 

Isaiah 55:8-9; For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

 

373 – Man, Where Did We Come From?

 

 

Invitation to Exaltation, pg. 17; Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where do we go after this life? No longer need these universal questions remain unanswered. From the depths of my soul, and in all humility, I testify to the truths which I have presented.

 

Romans 8:19-22; For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.  20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

 

374 – Man with God in the Beginning

 

 

D&C 93:29; Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.

 

Job 38:4; Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.  (See all of Job chapters 38-40)

 

 

375 – Mankind is Co-Savior

 

EM, pg. 1074; The man or woman who seeks the perfection of the Redeemer participates in the Father’s work of saving and exalting mankind: “He proceeds to help his frail fellow men in their attempts to progress; thus becoming a partner with God in working out the Plan of Salvation” (Widtsoe, p. 180).

 

Isaiah 40:18, 25; To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?…To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

 

376 – Marriage – Emma Saved Only Through Joseph

 

 

D&C 132:54-56; And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.  But if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an hundredfold in this world, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children, and crowns of eternal lives in the eternal worlds. And again, verily I say, let mine handmaid forgive my servant Joseph his trespasses; and then shall she be forgiven her trespasses, wherein she has trespassed against me; and I, the Lord thy God, will bless her, and multiply her, and make her heart to rejoice.

 

1 Cor. 7:8-9; I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.9But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

 

 

377 – Marriage for Eternity

 

 

HC 5:392; “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; and in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood, [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage;] and if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom: he cannot have an increase.”

 

Mark 12:24-25; And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?  25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

 

378 – Marriage Mandatory

 

Gospel Doctrine pg. 274; Without marriage the purposes of God would be frustrated, so far as this world is concerned, for there would be none, to obey his other commands.

 

Mark 12:23-27; In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife. 24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? 25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. 26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?  27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

379 – Marriage Most Important Thing in World

 

Teens, Temple Marriage & Eternity, pg. 1; “”The most important things that any member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ever does in this world are: 1. To marry the right person, in the right place, by the right authority; and 2. To keep the covenant made in connection with this holy and perfect order of matrimony—thus assuring the obedient persons of an inheritance of exaltation in the celestial kingdom.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966], p. 118.)

 

Isaiah 54:5; For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

 

 

380 – Marriage; Unmarried Become Servants

 

 

Doctrines of Salvation 2:64; UNMARRIED TO INHERIT THE DEATHS.  He means they enter into the world-to-come “separately and singly,” and they have no continuation of the “lives,” no increase. That is death. They don’t go on; they come to an end as far as that progression is concerned. The Lord calls it “the deaths,” and I am sure, I am confident, that every soul who rejects this commandment of the Lord and enters into the broad way, will discover when he enters into the eternities that he surely has entered into “the deaths,” he has reached the end-not the end of his life but the end of increase.

 

Revelations 19:7-9; Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.  8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.  9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

 

381 – Mercy; God Merciful While Still in Sins

 

 

EM, pg. 1315; To escape the effects of sin, mankind must both accept the Atonement and repent. Amulek, a Book of Mormon prophet, explains that the Atonement saves men from their sins, not in them ( Alma 11:37).

 

Hebrews 8:12; For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

 

 

382 – Mercy; Striving to Accept Jesus’ Mercy for Salvation

 

 

Doctrines for Exaltation, 1989 Sperry Symposium, pgs. 225-226; They are taught that because of the Fall, man’s nature is to be evil continually and that only through striving to accept the merits and mercy of the Son of God can any human be rescued from being and doing evil.

 

1 Corinthians 9:25; And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

 

383 – Michael theArchangel

 

 

DS 1:90; The first man placed upon the earth was a perfect being, a son of God. He was Michael, the Archangel, who had reached great distinction and power before he ever came to this earth; and who helped to frame this earth while he was yet a spirit, just as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was a spirit before he was born in Bethlehem.

 

Dan. 10:13; But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

 

 

384 – Michael the archangel has many wives

 

JD 15:322; Some of these angels have received their exaltation, and still are called angels. For instance Michael has received his exaltation. He is not without his kingdom and crown, wife or wives and posterity, because he lived faithful to the end. Who is he? Our first, great progenitor, Adam, is called Michael, the Prince.

 

Holman Bible Dictionary; Archangel who served as the guardian of the nation of Israel (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1).

 

385 – Mind Control

 

 

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 341 it says; “President Joseph Smith again arose and said—In relation to the power over the minds of mankind which I hold, I would say, It is in consequence of the power of truth in the doctrines which I have been an instrument in the hands of God of presenting unto them, and not because of any compulsion on my part… (March 24, 1844.)”

 

Romans 16:17-18; “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

 

 

386 – Missionaries Not Sent to be Taught

 

 

D&C 43:15; Again I say, hearken ye elders of my church, whom I have appointed: Ye are not sent forth to be taught, but to teach the children of men the things which I have put into your hands by the power of my Spirit.

 

1 Corinthians 1:18-19; For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

 

 

387 – Moon and Sun Inhabited

 

Oliver Huntington Journal, Book 14; also found in The Young Woman’s Journal, published by the Young Ladies’ MIA, 1892, 3:263-64 and Journal of Discourses 13:271 by Brigham Young; “In 1837 Joseph Smith prophesied to Oliver Huntington; “Inhabitants of the Moon are more of a uniform size than the inhabitants of the Earth, being about 6 feet in height.  They dress very much like the Quaker Style and quite general in Style, or the one fashion of dress.  They live to be very old; coming generally near a thousand years.  This is the description of them as given by Joseph Smith the Seer.”

 

Ezekiel 13:2-3, 6; Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD; 3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!  They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.

 

 

388 – Mormons and Masons

 

 

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 1018; Many visitors came to view the new city, and efforts to promote cultural and intellectual exchange increased. Joseph Smith and about 1,500 other Church members joined the Masonic lodges in Nauvoo and nearby Keokuk and Montrose to promote fraternal relations (see Freemasonry in Nauvoo). However, once again the old settlers outside the Church clashed with the LDS settlers, and hostilities grew.

 

2 Chronicles 33:3-6; For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.  4 Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.  5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.  6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

 

 

389 –Moroni a Symbol of the Gospel

 

 

Gordon B. Hinckley, Heroes from the Book of Mormon, pg. 195; From my window I frequently look at the figure ofMoroni on the tallest tower of theSaltLakeTemple. He has been there since 6 April 1892…When the capstone was placed, thousands of voices joined in shouting, “Hosanna to God and the Lamb.” Later that day the statue was placed on top of the capstone.

 

     Today, strangers who see him wonder who he is…Others are simply puzzled…But he is no puzzle to us. He is a symbol of the restoration of the gospel in this the dispensation of the fulness of times…Of all the characters who walk the pages of the Book of Mormon, none stands a greater hero, save Jesus only, than does Moroni, son of Mormon.

 

Gal. 1:6-9; I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

 

 

390 –Moroni Used to be Nephi

 

 

JST 1:33; He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.

 

Times & Seasons 3:753, April 1842; He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Nephi. That God had a work for me to do, and that my name should be had for good and evil…”

 

 

391 –Moroni’s Third Visit & the Crow Cocked

 

 

Joseph Smit’s Testimony 1:47; After this third visit, he again ascended into heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced; when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me for the third time, the cock crowed, and I found that day was approaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of that night.

 

Luke 22:34, 60-62; “34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.  60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

 

 

392 – Moses Tempted by Satan

 

 

Moses 1:12-13; And it came to pass that when Moses had said these words, behold, Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me.  13 And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee?

 

Matthew 4:1-11; Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.  2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.  3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.  4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.  7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.  8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.  10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.  11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

 

 

393 – Moses Took Melchezidek Priesthood with Him at Death

 

 

Jan. 1885, Contributor 6:121; FROM the death of Moses dates the supremacy of the Aaronic Priesthood. So long as he remained, the Melchisedek Priesthood was the controlling power in Israel, as it must be at all times wherever present and in active operation, but when Moses was taken the Melchisedek Priesthood went also, and the Lesser Priesthood was left to bear rule in the person of Eleazer.

 

Psalm 110:1-4; The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.  2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.  3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.  4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

 

394 – Moses Uses Name of Only Begotten Son, Filled with Holy Spirit

 

 

Moses 1:21, 24; And now Satan began to tremble, and the earth shook; and Moses received strength, and called upon God, saying: In the name of the Only Begotten, depart hence, Satan.  24 And it came to pass that when Satan had departed from the presence of Moses, that Moses lifted up his eyes unto heaven, being filled with the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and the Son.

 

Acts 7:22-23, 30-32; And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.  23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.  30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.  31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, 32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.

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