Mormonism and the Family Part 5

Mormonism 101 for teens is a valuable resource for anyone wanting a simplified view of the Mormon religion from a Christian perspective. Mormonism Research Ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect.

And now, your host for today's Viewpoint on Mormonism. We're going to continue that thought by looking at another talk that was given in the same General Conference, and this would be the April 2021 General Conference. And these talks can be found in the May 2021 edition of the Liahona Magazine. The Liahona Magazine has a lot to do with the importance of Latter-day Saints to be worthy enough in the hope of being with their families for eternity.

The Liahona Magazine has replaced the Ensign Magazine as being the magazine for adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We're looking today at a talk given by President Dallin H. Oaks. He is the first counselor in the First Presidency. He gave a talk titled, What Has Our Savior Done for Us? And then there's a pull quote, and we're going to discuss this pull quote because just as we have a problem with the pull quote in Henry B. Eyring's talk that is found in this edition of Liahona Magazine, I have a problem with this one as well. The pull quote underneath Dallin Oaks' title is, Jesus Christ has done everything that is essential for our journey through mortality toward the destiny outlined in the plan of our Heavenly Father.

So that we're not accused of taking this statement out of context, we're going to read for you the first paragraph and a half that includes this particular pull quote. In a Saturday evening meeting at a stake conference many years ago, I met a woman who said her friends had asked her to come back to church after many years of inactivity, but she could not think of any reason why she should. To encourage her, I said, when you consider all the things the Savior has done for you, you have many reasons to come back to worship and serve him.

I was astonished when she replied, what's he done for me? What has Jesus Christ done for each of us? He has done everything that is essential for our journey through mortality toward the destiny outlined in the plan of our Heavenly Father. Now, if Dallin Oaks had in his mind when he made that statement the idea of resurrection from the dead, which would be, as some Mormon leaders have said, salvation by grace.

In other words, it doesn't matter what you believe, doesn't matter what you've done, every human being ever born on earth is going to be resurrected from the dead, and this would be considered salvation by grace. However, if Dallin Oaks was really implying that Jesus has done everything that is essential for your exaltation in the celestial kingdom, as it is understood by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I would say that that statement is false. I don't see too many Latter-day Saints driving around in cars with bumper stickers that say Jesus is enough. Evangelical Christians? Absolutely. Latter-day Saints?

Not hardly. Why? Because they know that in order to receive exaltation, it's not only important that they are resurrected from the dead, that's a given, but they also must include a lifetime of faithfulness to the laws and ordinances of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is no escaping this, and as we have been showing throughout this series, it is certainly contingent upon this life of faithfulness, and Oaks actually agrees with that in this talk. He goes on to say, because we believe the Bible and Book of Mormon descriptions of the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ, we also accept the numerous scriptural teaching that a similar resurrection will come to all mortals who ever lived upon this earth. As Jesus taught, because I live, you shall live also, citing from John 14, 19, and his apostle taught that the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, citing from 1 Corinthians 15, 52 and 54. Notice he doesn't cite where Jesus said there are two resurrections, one to eternal life and one to eternal damnation.

That passage seems to be overlooked. If there is the opportunity of being resurrected unto damnation, then how can you say in all consistency that being resurrected from the dead is salvation by grace? You can't.

You just can't do that. He goes on. But the resurrection gives us more than this assurance of immortality. It changes the way we view mortal life. The resurrection gives us the perspective and the strength to endure the mortal challenges faced by each of us and those we love. It gives us a new way to view the physical, mental, or emotional deficiencies we have at birth or acquired during mortal life. It gives us the strength to endure sorrows, failures, and frustrations. Because each of us has an assured resurrection, we know that these mortal deficiencies and oppositions are only temporary.

Now, notice what he said, and he clarifies it here. Because each of us has an assured resurrection, we know that these mortal deficiencies and oppositions are only temporary. Notice he doesn't say because each of us has an assured exaltation. You see, that's not assured.

That's only assured if you're doing everything you're supposed to be doing. And that would be in accordance with Doctrine and Covenants section 1 verse 32 that says, In order to receive forgiveness of sins, you must repent and keep the commandments. And as we've discussed many times on this show, the definition of repentance, according to Mormonism, in section 58, 43, is to not just merely confess your sin, you must also forsake your sin. And Mormon leaders have been very clear to say that you must forsake that sin permanently, never to repeat that sin. Again, if that's the case, can you honestly say that Dallin Oaks comment where he says Jesus has done everything that is essential for our journey through mortality toward the destiny outlined in the plan of our Heavenly Father is a correct statement. I would challenge that, not if he's talking about exaltation.

That certainly cannot be true. Listen carefully to the next two paragraphs of this talk. The resurrection also gives us a powerful incentive to keep the commandments of God during our mortal lives. When we rise from the dead and proceed to our prophesied final judgment, we want to have qualified for the choicest blessings promised to resurrected beings. In addition, the promise that the resurrection can include an opportunity to be with our family members, husband, wife, children, parents, and posterity is a powerful encouragement to fulfill our family responsibilities in mortality. We heard a lot about family when we were looking at Henry B. Eyring's conference message.

Here we go again. In fact, this is a theme, Bill, throughout this entire April 2021 General Conference. The Temple is very much emphasized and families being together forever. And if your hope and desire is to be with your family forever, then you can see why talks like this would be an incentive to be doing what you should be doing. You should be going to the Temple.

You should be doing work on behalf of the dead. You should be living up to the standards that they believe God has set forth for members of the only true church on earth as they understand their church to be. Because if you want to be with your husband, wife, children, parents, your posterity, then you need to do something about that. That has not been guaranteed by Jesus. So Jesus Christ has not done everything that is essential if that's the journey you are taking as a member of the LDS Church. He goes on to say that it also prepares us with the courage and dignity to face our own death, even a death that might be called premature.

Let's think about that for a minute. If there are all these things that a member of the church must do in order to achieve these promises that have been laid out in just the two talks that we have covered this week, does that really give the average member of the church the courage and dignity to face their own death? Let's say for a moment I was to take a survey at any retirement community here in the state of Utah, and I was to go to each room talking to the residents living in those retirement communities, and I were to ask them, do you feel that when death comes to you, you will be able to face it with courage and dignity? Let me also add, with an assurance that you're going to get the best your religion is offering you as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Do you really think that if the requirement includes repenting of your sins, confessing and forsaking never to do them again, and also keeping all of the commandments that God has laid down for you, do you really think that those residents would say to me, to my face, that they are prepared for death with courage and dignity?

The reason I doubt that is because a good friend of mine that attends my church works in hospice. He came to me one day asking me, why is it that Latter-day Saints seem to be afraid to die? Now he's dealing with Latter-day Saints that are on death's doorstep, and he has experienced personally, apparently, a number of Latter-day Saints who do not seem to be facing death with courage and dignity.

One last quote we want to give on page 76. This is what Oakes says, And then he's quoting from Moroni 10, 32, and 33. We notice, don't we, Eric, that a lot of Latter-day Saints have been quoting Moroni 10, 32. Many times they don't quote it in its entirety.

And this is the case with Dallin Oakes. He says we must become perfect and sanctified in Christ. We must love God with all our might, mind, and strength. And then he has the reference, Moroni 10, 32. But what does Moroni 10, 32 actually say?

What did he leave out? Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness. And if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind, and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ. And if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in no wise deny the power of God. With that verse in mind, I take us back to the illustration I gave earlier. If that is the requirement, that you must deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and only if you shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, that his grace will be sufficient for you. Would you really have the courage and dignity to face your own death? Join us again as we look at another viewpoint on Mormonism.