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If you like what BY wrote here, I think we are wayyyyy better than OK! Personal Responsibility
By Brigham Young
In the early history of the Church, many converts who joined with the body of the Saints expected to find a spiritual utopia. Frustrated at finding that the communities of the Saints were populated with people, who in many instances were no better than themselves, some of these immigrants voiced their disillusionment and left the Church. These people had anticipated a Zion in which they could bask in spiritual light day and night. Longing to be nurtured by revelations, miracles, and manifestations of divine power, they sought heaven on earth. They did not realize that spiritual maturity often comes slowly and that many, like themselves, find the courage and strength necessary to overcome their own weaknesses. Of such people, Brigham Young would inquire, “What hinders you from enjoying all that you anticipated?” If you are not as you desire to be, if you do not feel the prompting or influence of the Holy Ghost to the extent that you think you should, where is the fault to be found? Responding to his own question, President Young explained that it was a mistake to suppose that others could prevent you from enjoying the light of God in your soul. “All hell,” he said, “cannot hinder me from enjoying Zion in my own heart, if my individual will yields obedience to the requirements and mandates of my Heavenly Master “ (JD 1:311). Brigham Young declared himself to be the only man in heaven, on earth, or in hell responsible for Brigham Young. Further he held that the same doctrine applied equally to every Latter-day Saint. Salvation is an individual matter. “I am the only person that can accept Christ and save myself,” said Brigham. We cannot pin our faith on someone else’s sleeve. No one can accept or reject salvation in behalf of another. It is not the object or design of the gospel to create spiritual dependence. Of those who constantly suspend their own judgment to lean upon others they suppose to have greater wisdom than themselves, President Young said that they ‘will never be capable of entering into the celestial glory to be crowned as they anticipate; they will never be capable of becoming gods.” They cannot rule themselves, let alone give direction to others. Spiritually, he likened them to children who need direction in every trifle. “They cannot control themselves in th least, but James, Peter, or somebody else must control them. They can never become gods, nor be crowned as rulers with glory, immortality, and eternal lives.” Who will?” asked President Young, “those who are valiant and inspired with the true independence of heave, who will go forth boldly in the service of their God, leaving others to do as they please, determined to do right, though all mankind besides should take the opposite course.” Ibid, p.312) (taken from SEEKING THE SPIRIT by Joseph Fielding McConkie)
Quote:“If this life is mostly just a test that only good obedient Mormons can ever pass then it seems like a huge waste of life experience to see that more than 99% of the people in the world are not LDS and the majority of the members they still count are not active while even fewer are “temple worthy.”
To be totally frank, the problem with this is that it’s not what the LDS Church actually teaches.
Within Christianity, Mormon theology is one of the most expansive, “universalist” in existence. Our entire structure of temple ordinances is based on the idea that absolutely anyone can “pass the test” regardless of the religion they believe during this life – or even if they are hard-core atheists. It’s also not correct to say that such universalism applies only to some degree of glory but not the Celestial Kingdom. Abso-stinking-lutely everyone (minus a few Sons of Perdition who are the exception that proves the rule) will be receive salvation within Mormonism simply through the Atonement of Jesus, so temple work can’t be about people qualifying for the Telestial Kingdom – or even the Terrestrial Kingdom, since that essentially is the same place just with nicer people. (Seriously, that’s the best description of the difference I’ve ever heard.) It has to be about opening the possibility of the Celestial Kingdom to ALL – making sure ALL have a chance to pass the test, if you will.
The difficulty is that we tend to be harder on our own than we are on those we don’t know.The standard is the same, but we tend to think those who have been in the Church have had their chance while those outside the Church haven’t. We forget that we aren’t judges of final rewards. It’s one of the most deeply ingrained “natural (wo)man” tendencies that exists, and, as a result, it exists in many members and, thus, in the LDS Church – but it’s not part of pure Mormonism. It’s REALLY important to understand that. Sure, too many members don’t get that fully, but it’s there in great big font and blinking neon colors within the theology itself.
Nice quote Bridget, thanks for that. I second Ray, I feel totally okay here. My bishop may be reading my posts, no problem – we’ve had many in depth discussions and I think he knows where I am coming from. I feel the same about GA’s. Some of them may feel uneasy about us, but our purpose is sincere in helping those truly struggling stay IN the church. How can that be a bad thing?? Apostasy and actions that bring formal discipline include leading people AWAY from the church. Here we simply speak with people in terms of where they currently stand, using language that they are most comfortable with. …No problem as far as I’m concerned. Did Ammon when speaking with king Lamoni feel the need to correct his theological “ignorance”? Not at all. As far as I’m concerned that’s not the way Jesus worked either. As has been pointed out in this thread already the modern LDS culture arguably has many pharisaical tendencies.
This is why I loved Elder Uchtdorf’s talk so much where he said basically that ever lengthening checklists should not dominate our lives — but our focus should be Love.
Thanks Orson and I also agree with Ray. It wasn’t that long ago that I prayed about finding peace in my life and one morning as I woke up, I heard the thought in my head, “Zion is within”. I had such a beautiful peaceful feeling with that thought and realized that I will not find peace from a church or people, but only from peace and purity within- which only God can give. Excellent points that have been brought up. Thanks! Ray- you are spot on there. That is what I have had such a hard time with on the guilt end of it all. I was having a hard time with the thought that I “had the truth” and have turned away from it so I had no chance at celestial glory. It was very difficult to digest that I would be sent away because I had questions that couldn’t be answered. And then it would make you upset that you were ever introduced to mormonism in this life because (IMO) it would be better to have it in the after life when the questions could be answered.
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