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

247 – Hell

JS-Seeker…Prophet of God, pg. 178; “In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is no hell. All will find a measure of salvation; all must pay for any infringement of the law; but the payment will be as the Lord may decide. There is graded salvation. This may be a more terrible punishment: to feel that because of sin a man is here, when by a correct life, he might be higher. The gospel of Jesus Christ has no hell in the old proverbial sense.”

Psalm 9:16-17; “The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.  17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

248 – Hell

EM, pg. 586; “The Savior’s reference to the “gates of hell” (Hades, or the spirit world; Matt. 16:18) indicates, among other things, that God’s priesthood power will penetrate hell and redeem the repentant spirits there. Many have been, and many more will yet be, delivered from hell through hearing, repenting, and obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ in the spirit world after the death of the body. LDS doctrine emphasizes that after his mortal death Jesus Christ went to the spirit world and organized the teaching of the gospel there (D&C 138; cf. Luke 23:43; 1 Pet. 3:18-20).”

John 8:21; “Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.”

249 – Hell Can be Made Into LDS Heaven

Encyclopedia of Joseph Smith’s Teachings, pg. 319; “I see no faults in the Church, and therefore let me be resurrected with the Saints, whether I ascend to heaven or descend to hell, or go to any other place. And if we go to hell, we will turn the devils out of doors and make a heaven of it. Where this people are, there is good society. What do we care where we are, if the society be good? (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 5:517)”

Proverbs 29:18, 20; “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.  20 Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.”

250 – Hell, You Can Check Out Anytime You Like…

MD, pg. 349; “That part of the spirit world inhabited by wicked spirits who are awaiting the eventual day of their resurrection is called hell. Between their death and resurrection, these souls of the wicked are cast out into outer darkness, into the gloomy depression of sheol, into the hades of waiting wicked spirits, into hell. There they suffer the torments of the damned…Hell will have an end. Viewing future events, John saw that “death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” (Rev. 20:13.)…After their resurrection, the great majority of those who have suffered in hell will pass into the telestial kingdom; the balance, cursed as sons of perdition, will be consigned to partake of endless wo with the devil and his angels…”

Revelation 20:12-15; “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

251 – Holy Ghost Constant Companion

D&C 121:46; “The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.”

Romans 8:26-27; “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

252 – Holy Ghost, Qualifying for

Kenneth Johnson, Ensign, July 2008, pg. 29; “One of the greatest blessings of membership in the Church is the opportunity to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Through virtuous living we can qualify for this divine source of guidance, which enables us to see “things as they really are, and … as they really will be” (Jacob 4:13).”

1 John 2:20-21; “⁰But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. ²¹I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.”

253 – Holy Ghost; Is Holy Ghost Omnipresent?

D&C 130:23; “A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him.”

1 Corinthians 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?”

254 – Holy Ghost; Omnipresent or Not

DS 1:40; “As President Joseph F. Smith says: “He does not have to dwell with one constantly.” This man here, another one over there, and a man over in England, are confirmed members of the Church. The question arises, “How can the Holy Ghost be with them all at the same time?” He does not have to be, but the power of the Holy Ghost is such that it can be manifest in every place at the same moment of time.”

John 20:22; “And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”

255 – Holy Ghost is a Sanctifier

President Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, September 2008, pg. 5; “The Holy Ghost is a sanctifier. We can have Him as our companion because the Lord restored the Melchizedek Priesthood through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The keys of that priesthood are on the earth today. By its power we can make covenants which allow us to have the Holy Ghost with us constantly.”

2 Cor. 4:6-7; “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

256 – Holy Ghost Waiting for Body

Encyclopedia of JS Teachings, pg. 321; “But the Holy Ghost is yet a spiritual body and waiting to take to himself a body, as the Savior did or as God did or the gods before them took bodies; for the Savior says the work that my Father did do I also. . . . He took himself a body and then laid down his life that he might take it up again. (Joseph Smith, The Words of Joseph Smith, p. 382; standardized).”

John 15:26; “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.”

257 – Holy Spirit, Another Comforter

D&C 88:3-7; “Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.  This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom; Which glory is that of the church of the Firstborn, even of God, the holiest of all, through Jesus Christ his Son—He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth; Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.”

John 16:13; “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

258 – Holy Spirit Could Get Females Pregnant

JD 1:51;“I have given you a few leading items upon this subject, but a great deal more remains to be told. Now remember from this time forth, and for ever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost. I will repeat a little anecdote. I was in conversation with a certain learned professor upon this subject, when I replied, to this idea—”if the Son was begotten by the Holy Ghost, it would be very dangerous to baptize and confirm females, and give the Holy Ghost to them, lest he should beget children, to be palmed upon the Elders by the people, bringing the Elders into great difficulties.””

Romans 8:9; “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

259 – Holy Spirit; Nature of

HC 3:379; “There are two Comforters spoken of. One is the Holy Ghost, the same as given on the day of Pentecost, and that all Saints receive after faith, repentance, and baptism. This first Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence…Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole matter.”

John 14:17; “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

260 – Holy Spirit Withdraws from Earth

TPJS, pg. 15; “The Lord declared to His servants, some eighteen months since, that He was then withdrawing His Spirit from the earth; and we can see that such is the fact, for not only the churches are dwindling away, but there are no conversions, or but very few: and this is not all, the governments of the earth are thrown into confusion and division; and Destruction, to the eye of the spiritual beholder, seems to be written by the finger of an invisible hand, in large capitals, upon almost every thing we behold.”

John 14:23; “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

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261 – Idol Worship Makes Confusion

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 953; “Because of the angel Moroni’s role in restoring the everlasting gospel to be preached to all the world (cf. Rev. 14:6-7; D&C 133:31-39), the Church placed a statue depicting him as a herald of the Restoration atop the Salt Lake Temple, and later on the hill Cumorah near Palmyra, New York, where anciently he had buried the Book of Mormon plates. Copies of the statue have also been placed atop several other LDS temples.”

Isaiah 45:16; “They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.”

262 – Independent

Discourses of Brigham Young, pg. 271; “Be just as independent as a God to do good. Love mercy, eschew evil, be a savior to yourselves and to your families, and to your fellow beings just as much as you possibly can, and go on with your independence and do not yield yourselves servants to obey an evil principle or an evil being. 15:7.”

Luke 18:9, 14; “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others…I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

263 – Indians Come toAmerica in 600 BC

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 14:11-12; “Let me here observe that the Book of Mormon, which has been published for forty-one years, gives an account of the first settlement of this country by these inhabitants, showing that they are not the ten tribes, but they are the descendants of one tribe, and they came to this country about six hundred years before Christ. The people when they first landed consisted of only two or three families; and instead of landing on the north-west coast of North America, they landed on the south-west coast of South America. A history of the escape of these few families from Jerusalem is contained in the Book of Mormon.”

Galatians 3:1-3; “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?  2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?  3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”  (Special note:  Please read Jeremiah 42:1-22 which took place circa 600 BC.)

264 – Intelligences (mankind)

Life Before, pg. 39; “In 1833 the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that “man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.” (D&C 93:29.) Several years later, with the publication of the book of Abraham, additional information about the immortality of the soul of man came to light. Abraham says that he was shown by the Lord “the intelligences that were organized before the world was” (Abr. 3:22). The Lord also told Abraham that these intelligences or spirits “have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal” (Abr. 3:18).”

Psalm 8:3-5; “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”

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265 – (New)Jerusalem is in Independent, MO

D&C 57:2-5; “Wherefore, this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion.  3 And thus saith the Lord your God, if you will receive wisdom here is wisdom. Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the courthouse.  4 Wherefore, it is wisdom that the land should be purchased by the saints.. Behold, this is wisdom, that they may obtain it for an everlasting inheritance.”

Zechariah 14:3-4; “Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.  4 ¶ And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”

266 – Jesus Appointed as Savior Contested

Abraham 3:27-28; “And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.  28 And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him.”

Matthew 24:24; “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

267 – Jesus Baptized in 600 BC

1 Nephi 10:10; “And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.”

Matthew 24:23-26; “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.  24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.  25 Behold, I have told you before.  26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.”

268 – Jesus, Be Friends with

JD 8:339; “But the greatest and most important of all requirements of our Father in heaven and of his Son Jesus Christ, is, to his brethren or disciples, to believe in Jesus Christ, confess him, seek to him, cling to him, make friends with him.” – Brigham Young

John 15:13-14; “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

269 – Jesus Became Master Over Elements

Sermons…of Melvin J. Ballard, pg. 177; “While Jesus Christ ministered among men in the flesh, he demonstrated power over all things, for he became master of elements. He had power over the winds and the waves. He could speak, and the trees would wither. At his command the dead came back to mortal existence. This was a glorious accomplishment.”

Matthew 8:23-27; “And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.  24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.  25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.  26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.  27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”

270 – Jesus Begotten by Holy Spirit vs. not Begotten by Holy Spirit

Teachings of Harold B. Lee, pg. 14; “You asked about the birth of the Savior. Never have I talked about sexual intercourse between Deity and the mother of the Savior. If teachers were wise in speaking of this matter about which the Lord has said but very 11little, they would rest their discussion on this subject with merely the words which are recorded on this subject in Luke 1:34-35…Remember that the being who was brought about by [Mary’s] conception was a divine personage. We need not question His method to accomplish His purposes. Perhaps we would do well to remember the words of Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Let the Lord rest His case with this declaration and wait until He sees fit to tell us more. (1/2/69).”

Luke 1:35; “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

271 – Jesus Begotten through Natural Laws

Brigham Young, JD 8:115-116; “While brother Joseph was referring to the providences of God, I was led to reflect that there is no act, no principle, no power belonging to the Deity that is not purely philosophical. The birth of the Saviour was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood—was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers.”

John 1:34-36; “And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.  35 ¶ Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”

272 – Jesus’ Birth

Promised Messiah, pg. 468; “There is no need to spiritualize away the plain meaning of the scriptures. There is nothing figurative or hidden or beyond comprehension in our Lord’s coming into mortality. He is the Son of God in the same sense and way that we are the sons of mortal fathers. It is just that simple.”

Matt. 1:18; “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”

273 – Jesus’ Birth, No Darkness at

Answers to Gospel Questions  3: 45; “Not only was there a period of darkness at the death of Christ, but the prediction that there should be a day and a night and a day of no darkness on the American continent, also occurred, at the time of the birth of our Savior.”

Luke 2:32; “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”

274 – Jesus’ Birthplace;Jerusalem orBethlehem?

 Alma 7:10; “And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.”

Luke 2:4; “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David).”

275 – Jesus, Birthplace of

Companion to Your Study of the D&C 2:266; “ Bethlehem had been the prophesied place of the birth of the Messiah at least since the days of Micah. (See Micah 5:2.) The statement by Alma that the Messiah would be born “at Jerusalem, which is the land of our forefathers” probably has reference to the greater land area rather than the exact city, as Jerusalem and Bethlehem are only about six miles apart, and both were part of the inheritance given to the tribe of Judah when the land was divided among the tribes of Israel. (Josh. 15.)”

Micah 5:2; “But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

276 – Jesus’ Blood not Enough

DS 1:133; “The Latter-day Saints believe in the efficacy of the blood of Christ. They believe that through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel they obtain a remission of sins; but this could not be if Christ had not died for them. If you did believe in blood atonement, I might ask you why the blood of Christ was shed, and in whose stead was it shed? I might ask you to explain the words of Paul, “Without shedding of blood is no remission.””

Hebrews 9:13-14; “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

277 – Jesus’ Blood is Perfect Sacrifice

D&C 76:69; “These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.”

Romans 3:24; “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

278 – Jesus Bows to Adam

TPJS, pg. 157; “Daniel in his seventh chapter speaks of the Ancient of Days; he means the oldest man, our Father Adam, Michael, he will call his children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. He (Adam) is the father of the human family, and presides over the spirits of all men, and all that have had the keys must stand before him in this grand council…The Son of Man stands before him, and there is given him glory and dominion. Adam delivers up his stewardship to Christ, that which was delivered to him as holding the keys of the universe, but retains his standing as head of the human family.”

Philippians 2:10-11; “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

279 – Jesus’ Character

August 1889, Contributor 10:368-369; “…When he appears again, he is a man, conscious of strange powers within him, conscious of his mission, conscious of the difficulties before him. He had learned since the days of his boyhood, that whatever road of life he should have to walk henceforth, he should have to go alone, all alone, not understood even by his mother, not appreciated by his people, without any support but that which he expected to have from Him that sent him. For by that time he had not only solved the problem of marvelous powers within him, he had also solved the yet more difficult one in finding out the purpose for which they had been given. This comprehension of the situation having gradually dawned upon him, he presents himself before John for baptism, “that all righteousness might be fulfilled…””

John 7:15-17; “And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?  16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.  17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (Discernment)

280 – Jesus Comes with Angels

D&C 110:10-16; “And the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands; and this is the beginning of the blessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people. Even so. Amen.  11 After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us…”

Matthew 24:30-31; “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

281 – Jesus’ Conception

Mormon Doctrine of Deity, pg. 264; “When the time came that his first-born, the Savior, should come into the world and take a tabernacle, the Father came himself and favored that spirit with a tabernacle instead of letting any other man do it. The Savior was begotten by the Father of his spirit, by the same Being who is the Father of our spirits, and that is all the organic difference between Jesus Christ and you and me.”

Luke 1:37-38; “For with God nothing shall be impossible. ³⁸And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”

282 – Jesus, Conception of Through Holy Spirit

Mormon Doctrine, pg. 822; “Our Lord is the only mortal person ever born to a virgin, because he is the only person who ever had an immortal Father. Mary, his mother, “was carried away in the Spirit” (1 Ne. 11:13-21), was “overshadowed” by the Holy Ghost, and the conception which took place “by the power of the Holy Ghost” resulted in the bringing forth of the literal and personal Son of God the Father. ( Alma 7:10; 2 Ne. 17:14; Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38.) Christ is not the Son of the Holy Ghost, but of the Father. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp. 18-20.) Modernistic teachings denying the virgin birth are utterly and completely apostate and false.”

Isaiah 7:14; “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

283 – Jesus as Creator vs. Creation

MD pg. 127; “As far as man is concerned, all things center in Christ. He is the Firstborn of the Father. By obedience and devotion to the truth he attained that pinnacle of intelligence which ranked him as a God, as the Lord Omnipotent, while yet in his pre-existent state. As such he became, under the Father, the Creator of this earth and of worlds without number; and he was then chosen to work out the infinite and eternal atonement, to come to this particular earth as the literal Son of the Father, and to put the whole plan of redemption salvation, and exaltation in operation.”

Col. 1:15-17; “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

284 – Jesus Crucified for Polygamy

JD 1:346; “The grand reason of the burst of public sentiment in anathemas upon Christ and his disciples, causing his crucifixion, was evidently based upon polygamy, according to the testimony of the philosophers who rose in that age. A belief in the doctrine of a plurality of wives caused the persecution of Jesus and his followers. We might almost think they were “Mormons.””

Romans 4:25; “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

285 – Jesus Crucified for Sins of Man

1 Nephi 11:33; “And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.”

John 12:32; “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

286 – Jesus’ Death was Death of a god

Sermons…of Melvin J. Ballard, pg. 227; “And One only had the power to break the bands of death, and he, the Son of God, holds the power to break the bonds of death not only for himself, but for everyone that has been born into the world. He purchased the prize, acquired the prize, by giving his own sinless life; and his death was the death of a God.”

Heb. 2:14-18; “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”

287 – Jesus Died for All Sins

D&C 132:27; “The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord.”

John 19:30; “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

288 – Jesus is The Eternal God

Title page, Book of Mormon; “…And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the ETERNAL GOD…”

John 8:58; “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

Exodus 3:14; “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

289 – Jesus is God/Trinity

2 Nephi 26:12; “And as I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.”

John 8:24; “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

290 – Jesus Christ is the God of this Earth

Mary Pratt Parish, This is the Truth, pg. 46; “Jesus Christ is the God of this earth.  If you were to close your eyes and think about Jesus, what mental picture would come to your mind?  Would it be that of a man or a God?…You see Him as one who suffered hunger, thirst, pain and weariness, who was in His physical aspects much like those with whom He associated from day to day.  You fail to comprehend that He is the God of this earth.”

2 Cor. 4:3-4; “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

291 – Jesus is a Saved Being

Lectures on Faith, pgs. 97-98; “…whatever constitutes the salvation of one will constitute the salvation of every creature which will be saved. And if we find one saved being in all existence, we may see what all others must be or else not be saved. We ask, then, where is the prototype? or, where is the saved being? We conclude as to the answer of this question that there will be no dispute among those who believe the Bible that it is Christ. All will agree that he is the prototype or standard of salvation, or in other words, that he is a saved being. And if we should continue our interrogation and ask how it is that he is saved, the answer would be that he is a just and holy being. If he were anything different from what he is, he would not be saved; for his salvation depends on his being precisely what he is and nothing else.”

Acts 20:28; “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

292 – Jesus and Holy Spirit Created by God

EM, pg. 548; “Yet God the Father is not one in substance with the Son or the Holy Spirit, but is a separate being. The Father existed prior to the Son and the Holy Ghost and is the source of their divinity. In classical terms, LDS theology is subordinationist; that is, it views the Son and the Holy Ghost as subordinate to and dependent upon God the Eternal Father. They are his offspring. Thus Joseph Smith referred to the Father as “God the first” to emphasize his priority in the Godhead (TPJS, p. 190).”

Colossians 1:15-16; “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”