Acts 17:11; “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

TodayinMormonHistory.com

“25 years ago today – Sep 27, 1991 – Elder Neal A. Maxwell, speaking at the FARMS annual banquet, tells his listeners,

“The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology,” Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1; “Joseph [Smith] will go on being vindicated in the essential things associated with his prophetic mission. Many of you here, both now and in the future, will be part of that on-rolling vindication through your own articulation. There is no place in the Kingdom for unanchored brilliance.

Fortunately, those of you I know are both committed and contributive. In any case, ready or not, you serve as mentors and models for the rising generation of Latter-day Saint scholars and students. Let them learn, among other things, submissiveness from the eloquence of your example. God bless you!”” – Lavina Fielding Anderson

1 Thessalonians 5:21; “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

Imagine sitting in that room listening to a leader of your church who’s highly admired, and telling you that come what may, you have to be submissive.

What would you do?

Would you obey?

Reject the teaching regardless of who taught it?

Would you stand up and walk out?

Acts 5:41; “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”

Dear Mormons, Jesus loves you so very much! He wants for you to know Him, and invites you to study His word to learn more about Him! 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us scripture is inspired of God and written for your benefit to study, for correction, and for instruction.

This means His words trump whatever someone else has to say.

The Mormon reference listed today is an essay written by Ms. Anderson where she gave 136 examples of how the Church has either publicly, or privately, chastised its members and placed injunctions against many of them.

Sometimes actions against Mormon ‘intellectuals’ were done so on rumors taken out of context, which afterwards were reinstated if found to be innocent. Other people were thrown under the bus, as they say, and left to fend for themselves.

The closing statement in Ms. Anderson’s article was very telling. It gives the reader great insight as to the love and devotion these people have for their church.

p.64 “Consequently, as I hope for forgiveness, so must I offer it. And I do. We must mutually acknowledge our pain, whether intentionally or unintentionally inflicted. We must ask for and offer forgiveness. We must affirm the goals of charity, integrity, loyalty, and honesty that are foundational in the gospel. Such forgiveness, such acceptance hold the promise of movement toward a Christlike community.”

At one time I had that type of love and adoration for the Church. That was, until.

Palm Sunday, March 27, 1993 was a game changer. God convicted my heart and asked me whom I loved more. The Church, or Him. Before that time I had never thought of it in those terms. I had been investigating their teachings in my private diaries, however, the question Hs posed to me on that day had never crossed my brainwaves.

There’s just one question in the takeaway of all this. In the image on the left is a a very large, over sized cross. It sits on a hill just on the ouskirts of Big Fork, Montana that you can’t miss as you drive out of town. On the cross is a pointed question –

He died for you, Will you live for Him?

Each of us has to answer that question in our lifetime because once we’re face to face with Him, the time for questions is over and done with.

We’re praying Mormons will answer affirmatively!