580 REASONS (and counting) WHY YOU SHOULD LEAVE THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
501 – Saved by Grace vs. Saved by Grace after All We Can Do
2 Nephi 25:23; “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”
Ephesians 2:8-9; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
502 – Saving Our Souls
Era, 24:259; “The saving of souls, including our own soul, is the one great labor of all others that is most valuable and important, and that will bring to us the blessings of our Father and the good will of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.—Era, 24:259.” – Also see Gospel Standards, pg. 31.
Psalm 19:7; “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”
503 – Scriptural Authority
Follow the Living Prophets, pg. 112-113; “Relying only upon canonized scriptures, observed President Wilford Woodruff, “would scarcely be sufficient to guide us twenty-four hours” (in Journal of Discourses 9:324)…Elder Orson F. Whitney said:… The Latter-day Saints do not do things because they happen to be printed in a book. They do not do things because God told the Jews to do them; nor do they do or leave undone anything because of the instructions that Christ gave to the Nephites. Whatever is done by this Church is because God, speaking from heaven in our day, has commanded this Church to do it. No book presides over this Church, and no book lies at its foundation. You cannot pile up books enough to take the place of God’s priesthood… That is the constitution of the Church of Christ. … Divine revelation adapts itself to the circumstances and conditions of men, and change upon change ensues as God’s progressive work goes on to its destiny. There is no book big enough or good enough to preside over this Church. (In Conference Report, October 1916, p. 55.)”
Mark 16:15; “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
504 – Scripture, Acceptance of
Sermons & Writings of Bruce McConkie, pg. 81; “No one today would say: “I will believe in Christ, but will not believe in Peter, James, and John and their testimony of him.” In the very nature of things belief in Christ is more than accepting him as a single person standing alone, as one person independent of any other. Belief in Christ presupposes and includes within it the acceptance of the prophets who reveal him to the world.”
Eph. 2:19-20; “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.”
505 – Scripture; All is Applicable
Ensign May 2004, pg. 111; ““Everything in the scriptures is applicable to our lives. The scriptures answer our questions, they provide role models and heroes, and they help us understand how to handle challenges and trials. Many times the scriptures you read will be the answer to your prayers.””
Romans 15:4; “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
506 – “Scripture”, Changes in
Book of Commandments – PGP JS History pg. 41;“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– 1833.”
Joseph Smith History 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.”
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. 18 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.”
507 – Scriptures, Changes to
Companion to Your Study of the BoM, pg. 313; “In providing a solution for the difficulty of obtaining air, the Lord informed Jared: “Behold, thou shall make a hole in the top thereof and also in the bottom thereof; and when thou shalt suffer for air, thou shalt unstop the hole thereof, and receive air. And if it so be that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole thereof, that ye may not perish in the flood.” (Page 542 of the first edition. Italics added.) This quotation is taken from the first edition of the Book of Mormon because the four thereofs underlined above appear in the early editions, but for some unexplainable reasons were deleted from the 1920 edition and all subsequent editions (perhaps the revising committee thought they were superfluous).”
John 8:44; “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
508 – Scripture is Pure
2 Nephi 29:10; “Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.”
Proverbs 30:6; “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”
509 – Scripture is from Catacombs of Egypt
Gospelink 2001, Introduction to Book of Abraham; “A Translation of some ancient Records, that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt. – The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus. See History of the Church, vol. 2, pp. 235, 236, 348-351.”
Isaiah 30:1-2; “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: 2 That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!”
510 – Scripture not by Will of Man
Jarom 1:1; “Now behold, I, Jarom, write a few words according to the commandment of my father, Enos, that our genealogy may be kept.”
2 Peter 1:21; “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
511 – Scripture, Prophet’s Spoken Words Are
D&C 68:2-4; “And, behold, and lo, this is an ensample unto all those who were ordained unto this priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them to go forth—And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost. And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.”
2 Corinthians 3:3-6; “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
512 – Second Chance Theory
MD, pg. 685; “There is no such thing as a second chance to gain salvation by accepting the gospel in the spirit world after spurning, declining, or refusing to accept it in this life. It is true that there may be a second chance to hear and accept the gospel, but those who have thus procrastinated their acceptance of the saving truths will not gain salvation in the celestial kingdom of God.”
Luke 16:19, 25, 30-31; “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
513 – Second Chances for Salvation
DS 2:132; “The Lord has so arranged his plan of redemption that all who have died without this opportunity shall be given it in the spirit world.”
Hebrews 4:1-3; “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
514 – Second Coming; Year of Jesus’ Return
In 1835 Smith said in HC 2:182; “…and it was the will of God that those who went Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, or the coming of the Lord, which was nigh—even fifty-six years should wind up the scene.”
That became a false prophecy in 1891; never mind the fact what Jesus said:
Matt. 25:13; “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”
515 – Secrets, none
Alma 37:25; “I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works and their abominations; and except they repent I will destroy them from off the face of the earth; and I will bring to light all their secrets and abominations, unto every nation that shall hereafter possess the land.”
John 18:19-20; “The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. 20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.”
516 – Secret Organizations
Gospel Doctrines, pg. 110; “It is a well known truth that the counsel of the First Presidency of the Church, in all cases, has been and is against our brethren joining secret organizations for any purpose whatsoever, and that wherever any of them have already joined, they have been and are counseled to withdraw themselves from such organizations, as soon as circumstances permit and wisdom dictates.”
Psalm 10:6-7; “He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. 7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.”
517 – Self Perfection for Salvation
Delbert Stapley, Conference Report, April 1961, 2nd day afternoon session; ““And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3.) As sons and daughters of God, we are required to purify and perfect ourselves in righteousness, otherwise, we cannot be with him nor enjoy eternal lives and glory in his kingdom.”
Ezekiel 28:2; “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.”
518 – Self Sufficiency
Doctrinal Themes of D&C, pg. 40; “In his life’s work, the Prophet Joseph endeavored to establish a society. I would like to call it the “society of Zion”—a society so sufficient and so complete within itself that it could take care of every need of man. There would be no reason whatsoever for giving the Law of Consecration as an economic program for the Latter-day Saints if the Lord did not expect that through this Church program men were to carry out their total economic pursuits. When viewed in this light, Mormonism ceases to be merely a Sunday religion.”
2 Peter 2:9-10; “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.”
519 – Sexual Sin, Incest
Orson Pratt, The Seer, pg. 158; “The fleshly body of Jesus required a Mother as well as a Father. Therefore, the Father and Mother of Jesus, according to the flesh, must have been associated together in the capacity of Husband and Wife; hence the Virgin Mary must have been, for the time being, the lawful wife of God the Father: we use the term lawful Wife, because it would be blasphemous in the highest degree to say that He overshadowed her or begat the Savior unlawfully….But God having created all men and women had the most perfect right to do with His own creation, according to His holy will and pleasure: He had a lawful right to overshadow the Virgin Mary in the capacity of a husband, and beget a Son, although she was espoused to another, for the law which He gave to govern men and women was not intended to govern Himself, or to prescribe rules for his own conduct. ..Inasmuch as God was the first husband to her, it may be that He only gave her to be the wife of Joseph while in this mortal state, and that He intended after the resurrection to again take her as one of his own wives to raise up immortal spirits in eternity.”
1 Corinthians 5:1-5; “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
520 – Sheep
3 Nephi 15:17; “That other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
Mark 16:15; “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
521 – Shema
TPJS, pg. 346; “The Scriptures say it, and I defy all the learning and wisdom and all the combined powers of earth and hell together to refute it. Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power.”
Holman Bible Dictionary says; “The Shema became for the people of God a confession of faith by which they acknowledged the one true God and His commandments for them. Later worship practice combined Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37-41 into the larger Shema as the summary of Jewish confession. When Jesus was asked about the “greatest commandment,” He answered by quoting the Shema (Mark 12:29).”
Mark 12:29; “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.”
Deut. 6: 4; “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.”
Lord = Jehovah which means Self-Existent One or Eternal; it’s also the Jewish national name of God.
God = Elohim which means The Supreme God. When not in use with the article in a sentence it means pagan gods, rulers, kings or judges.
522 – Shunning/promotion of
Discourses of Brigham Young, pg. 204; “If a child or relative of mine forsakes the Gospel, the holy Priesthood, his God, and the Kingdom of God, farewell to that child or relative, whether near or distant. I own none as relatives, only those who love and serve our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. All that belong to my Father’s house I own. I love them, I delight in their society, no matter whether they are poor or rich, learned or unlearned, if they observe the laws of the Kingdom of God and live according to it. 9:155.”
1 John 4:20; “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
523 – Sidon
Alma 2:17; “And they began to slay the Amlicites upon the hill east of Sidon. And the Amlicites did contend with the Nephites with great strength, insomuch that many of the Nephites did fall before the Amlicites.”
Matthew 11:21-23; “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”
524 – Sin; Former Sins Can Return
D&C 82:7; “And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge; go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God.”
Isaiah 43:25; “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”
525 – Sin, Man’s Blood Atones for
DS1:136; “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.”
Hebrews 10:10-12; “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”
526 – Sin; Original Sin
Introduction to the Gospel, pg. 312; “Joseph Smith became a prophet and spokesman for God, a living witness of the principle of continuous revelation which characterized God’s relationship to man…In the restoration, man was raised to the dignity which he had formerly known both in the Hebrew and Christian scripture. Original sin and human depravity were done away with and in their place came again Jesus’ high regard for the dignity of man, the worth of every individual as a child of God, and great emphasis on man’s freedom and accompanying moral responsibility…in the Latter-day Saint teaching of salvation which reveals a fine balance between the grace of Deity and man’s individual merit.”
John 2:24-25; “But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”
527 – Sin; Same Sin Twice is Unforgiven
D&C 42:26; “But if he doeth it again, he shall not be forgiven, but shall be cast out.”
1 John 2:1-2; “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
528 – Sins; Who Bears Our Iniquities?
Discourses of Joseph Smith, pg. 28; “Notwithstanding my weaknesses, I am under the necessity of bearing the infirmities of others, who when they get into difficulty, hang on to me tenaciously to get them out, and wish me to cover their faults. (HC 5:516.)”
Isaiah 53:11; “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”
529 – Sinful or Born Perfect?
2 Nephi 2:23-5; “And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. 24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. 25 Adamfell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”
Romans 5:12-14; “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: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.”
530 – Son of man or Son of Man?
Answers to Gospel Questions 1:9; “In each of the four gospels we read where the Savior frequently refers to himself as “the Son of man.” Invariably in the New Testament, the common noun, “Man,” is printed with a lower case “m.” This is very likely due to the fact that the scholars who did the translating did not understand the significance of this expression. Seemingly, they took the view as you have expressed it, that it has reference to the fact that our Lord became a man and while on the earth appeared as a man. You will realize that for centuries the prevailing notion that God, when speaking of either the Father or the Son, was without body and was not in the form of man, except as our Lord appeared among man in his earth ministry.”
Son of Man – this phrase appears 84 times in the Gospels with all but one used as by Jesus as a self-description. Jesus used this term more than any other to describe Himself. In the Book of Luke Jesus Christ presents Himself as a man without equal by referring to himself as the Son of Man, without contradicting that He is also fully God. For Christ to atone for the sins of men He had to become a true man Himself. Jesus needed to show them that he was a man and sinless so that when He was slain people would understand that a spotless lamb had been sacrificed. The question of His humanity is not a debate internal to Christianity but external. It is a central belief of Christianity.
Luke 19:10; “For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”
531 – Spirit Babies – Duty to Bring Forth
JD 4:56; “Do you understand this? I have told you many times that there are multitudes of pure and holy spirits waiting to take tabernacles, now what is our duty?—to prepare tabernacles for them; to take a course that will not tend to drive those spirits into the families of the wicked, where they will be trained in wickedness, debauchery, and every species of crime. It is the duty of every righteous man and woman to prepare tabernacles for all the spirits they can; hence if my women leave, I will go and search up others who will abide the celestial law…This is the reason why the doctrine of plurality of wives was revealed, that the noble spirits which are waiting for tabernacles might be brought forth.”
John 6:28-29; “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
532 – Spirit Children Born to Exalted Men
Mormon Doctrine, pg. 751; “In a future eternity, spirit children will be born to exalted, perfected glorified couples for whom the family unit continues. The very glory of exalted beings is to have “a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.””
Isaiah 14:12-15; “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”
533 – Spirits Choose Parentage
JD 2:117; “Do good spirits want to partake of the sins of the low and degraded? No; but they will stay in heaven until a way is opened for purity and righteousness to form a channel in which they can come, and take honorable bodies in this world, and magnify their calling. Let us take that course, and if we do not draw the brightest spirits to honor our generations, it is because I do not understand…Try this, and your offspring will be the fairest specimens of the work of God’s hand. If the servants of God will maintain the principles of holiness and integrity, they can then have more than one wife, and by that means you can draw in your train more of those spirits that will glorify the God of Israel.”
Acts 15:7-8; “And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us.”
534 – Spirits Come Only to Heirs of Salvation
Doctrinal Themes of D&C, pg. 21; “The good spirits, in the superlative sense of the word, are they who, in this life, partook of the Holy Priesthood and of the fulness of the gospel. This class of spirits minister to the heirs of salvation, both in this world and in the world of spirits. They can appear unto men, when permitted, but not having a fleshy tabernacle, they cannot hide their glory. Hence, an unembodied spirit, if it be a holy personage, will be surrounded with a halo of resplendent glory, or brightness above the brightness of the sun. Whereas, spirits not worthy to be glorified will appear without this brilliant halo, and although they often attempt to pass as angels of light, there is more or less of darkness about them. (Key to Theology, p. 115.)”
2 Corinthians 11:14-15; “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
535 – Spirit is a Substance
Handbook of Restoration, pg. 269; “The Father is a glorified and perfect person, and Jesus Christ the Son is in his express image and likeness. One is an individual as much as the other. Each is a spirit clothed with a spiritual, yet tangible, immortal body. Spirit is substance, not immateriality. It is eternal in its essence, and so are the elements of that which is known as matter.”
Job 33:4; “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”
536 – Spirits; Two Spirits with All Men
CR, April 1938:11; “There are two spirits striving with all men; one telling them what to do that is right, and one telling them what to do that will please themselves, that will gratify their own pride and ambition. If we live as we ought to live we will always follow that spirit that teaches us to do that which is right.”
1 Corinthians 2:11-14; “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
537 – Stick of Joseph
JD 13:175-176; “The Old and New Testaments are the stick of Judah. You recollect that the tribe of Judah tarried in Jerusalem and the Lord blessed Judah, and the result was the writings of the Old and New Testaments. But where is the stick of Joseph? Can you tell where it is? Yes. It was the children of Joseph who came across the waters to this continent, and this land was filled with people, and the Book of Mormon or the stick of Joseph contains their writings, and they are in the hands of Ephraim.”
Ezek. 37:16-19; “Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. 18And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these? 19Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.”
538 – Straw Man
Answers: Straightforward Answers to Tough Gospel Questions, pg. 216; ““To build a straw man, your critic takes something he knows he can pound the stuffing out of, and he attributes it to you as your belief. He then beats it up as evidence that the doctrines of the Church aren’t true. One way for him to do that is to show where two of our leaders have said something that appears to be in conflict. The fallacy in his doing so is that he has the notion that we believe in the infallibility of prophets. Thus if Brigham Young said something that is not the doctrine of the Church, then the Church can’t be true because one of its prophets made an error. Now, Elder, do you see what is happening? Your critic is telling you that we believe in the infallibility of prophets. The truth is, we simply don’t believe that.”
Matthew 13:18-23; “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
539 – Strength from the Lord, Qualifying for
President Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, May 2004, pg. 16; “The restored gospel of Jesus Christ gives us help in knowing how to qualify for the strength of the Lord as we deal with adversity. It tells us why we face tests in life. And, even more importantly, it tells us how to get protection and help from the Lord.”
Matt. 19:24-26; “And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 25When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 26But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
540 – Study the Lives of the Master and the Prophet Joseph – 2/2008
Ensign, Nov. 2006, 61; “All of us would do well to study the life of the Master and try to emulate His words and doings. We would likewise do well to study the life of the Prophet Joseph. From his example, each of us could learn much concerning our own behavior.”
John 7:17-18; “If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself. 18 He that speaketh from himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.”
541 – Suffering
Neal Maxwell, That Ye May Believe, pg. 10; “If we criticize God or are unduly miffed over sufferings and tribulation, we are really criticizing the Planner for implementing the very plan we once approved, premortally (see Job 38:4, 7). Granted, we don’t now remember the actual approval. But not remembering is actually part of the plan!”
Job 38:4-7; “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; 7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
2 Cor. 4:8-18 gives us a good synopsis of suffering w/ vs. 11 being the summation of why and how we are to suffer; “For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.”
542 – Suicide
Eternal Man, pg. 26; “Rewarding Rewording – Even Latter-day Saints, when the idea is put in ways that break out of routine phraseology, may find that it shakes their ordinary ways of thinking. Here, for example, are some of its meanings and entailments…Death, like all events, is lived through. It is comparable to the loss of an arm, and that is temporary…Suicide is just a change of scenery. Through all transformations of eternity, no self can change completely into another thing. Identity remains.”
2 Corinthians 6:17-18, 7:10; “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 7:10; For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
2 Timothy 2:25-26; “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
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543 – Temples – A place for individuals to work
Abundant Life, pg. 132; “Temple building to us is different from building chapels, or tabernacles, or meeting places. We build temples for the express purpose of having a holy place into which the worthy may go to perform ordinances calculated to bind together the living and the dead.”
Hebrews 10:1; “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.”
544 – Temple Clothing
EM, pg. 534; “The white garment symbolizes purity and helps assure modesty, respect for the attributes of God, and, to the degree it is honored, a token of what Paul regarded as taking upon one the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:13; cf. D&C 27:15). It is an outward expression of an inward covenant, and symbolizes Christlike attributes in one’s mission in life. Garments bear several simple marks of orientation toward the gospel principles of obedience, truth, life, and discipleship in Christ….A biblical tradition teaches that Adam and Eve, prior to their expulsion from Eden, wore sacred clothing.”
Colossians 2:15-16; “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.”
545 – New Testament Temples
D&C 124:39; “Therefore, verily I say unto you, that your anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes and judgments, for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house, which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name.”
1 Cor. 6:19; “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
545 – Temples: Molten Sea, OT Temple
Answers to Gospel Questions 5:12; “It is verily true that the Bible as it has come down to us has very little to say about baptism in the Old Testament. Yet there are passages in the writings of Moses and the old prophets which clearly indicate to the prayerful student that baptism was a principle which was practiced all through the days of old Israel. When the temple of Solomon was built, we read of a “molten sea,” ten cubics from one brim to the other, it stood on the backs of twelve carved oxen. This font, or brazen sea, was not used for baptisms for the dead, for there were no baptisms for the dead until after the resurrection of the Lord. It is a logical venture to say that it was used for baptizing the living for the remission of their sins.”
1 Kings 7:23-26; “And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. 24 And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. 25 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. 26 And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.”
2 Chronicles 4:6; “He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.”
546 – Temple Ordinances
EM, pg. 1444; “All participants must be baptized and confirmed members of the Church, and must receive a temple recommend. However, children under eight years of age may participate in their own family sealings before being baptized. Members who are twelve years of age or older may serve as proxies in baptisms for the dead. Worthy adults may participate in the temple Endowment ceremonies. All men must have been ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood. Temple ordinances are performed in sequence.”
Philippians 3:9-10; “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”
547 – Testimonies of Traitors Cannot Influence LDS
D&C 122:3; “And thy people shall never be turned against thee by the testimony of traitors.”
Is. 55:11; “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
548 – Temples; Who can enter
EM, pg. 1446; “Temples have always been revered and reserved as sacred ground. Anciently, the prophet ezekiel [sic] declared, “Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary” (Ezek. 44:9). The Prophet Joseph Smith prayed that “[the temple] may be sanctified and consecrated to be holy, and that thy holy presence may be continually in this house” (D&C 109:12), “and that no unclean thing shall be permitted to come into thy house to pollute it” (D&C 109:20)…After construction and before a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been dedicated to the Lord, an open house is held and the general public is invited to enter and view the rooms….”
Ezekiel 44:9; “Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.”
549 – Testimonies
Gospel Standards, pg. 22; “THE MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST. We are not dependent upon the testimony of men who lived many hundreds of years ago. We have the testimony that is given to us from the Prophet Joseph Smith, and from Sidney Rigdon that they saw the Son, that they heard the voice declare from the heavens that He was the Only Begotten of the Father, that by Him and of Him the worlds were created, and that He lives, for they saw Him.”
Romans 4:18, 23; “Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him.”
550 – Testimony, How to Gain a
Gospel Standards, pg. 26; “HOW TESTIMONY IS GAINED. Wherever the gospel of Christ has gone, men and women by the hundreds and thousands have embraced it and have been able to bear individual testimony that they received a witness of the divinity of the work in which we as Latter-day Saints are engaged after supplicating God for a testimony. This testimony has not come through their own study, nor through the natural intelligence with which God has endowed them, but in answer to earnest and sincere prayer, uttered in the name of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, for light and knowledge regarding the divinity of this work.—70th Birthday Pamphlet, November, 1926, pp. 14-15.”
Hebrews 11:6; “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
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