Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

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Robert Sinclair
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by Robert Sinclair »

Again,

Under condemnation for rejection of the second witness of the book of Mormon----

That as in the first witness, in the Book of Acts, you are shown, that Peter leading the church, gave distribution of all things in the storehouse treasury and the wealth of the members till they had "All things common"

That as the law of the LORD given to Moses of 2 or more witnesses to establish the truth of a matter a second witness is given you of the Book of Mormon in 4th Nephi, of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ of the members of their own freewill lead, by having "All things common among them."

And so that a 3rd witness be established of the greater celestial law, the instructions on how to do this from the storehouse treasury, and a call put out to the rich and learned, the wise and noble of his true church, are given in "the law to be embraced by the church" of Doctrine and Covenants 42, the "wedding invitation feast of fat things" of 58, and the very "foundation of the church of the living God", none are exempt from of D&C section 70, with warnings in 104:15-18, if you don't do this you shall lift up your eyes from hell being in torment, and section 105:9-10, being instructed to go and learn and return to keep this celestial law.

Discuss these matters in Sunday School, Relief Society, and your Priesthood meetings, and sound the alarm as Jesus Christ has said to do.♡

None should attack you for these things, as President Hinkley admitted that the LORD no longer meets face to face, with the prophet of the church, as was the case with Joseph Smith , but through the still small voice only.

This was also foretold for the House of Ephraim, in the Book of Hosea, which should be discussed in Priesthood meetings, no one angry or upset, just open eyes to the truth of the scriptures, that these things were foretold and true, and time for Hosea 14:8 to be fullfilled.♡

diligently seeking
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by diligently seeking »

Essay 31.* by James Custer

FAITH AND THE POWER OF BELIEVING

Believing is the foundation of faith. It is our part of the gift of faith. When our believing meets the requirement the power of faith is bestowed. Jesus often said, “He that believeth in me . . .” He predicated all gifts and blessings on our capacity to believe. By 1832 vanity and unbelief had brought the entire church under condemnation per Doctrine and Covenants 84. And president Benson reminded us that this condemnation remains to this very day.
55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. (D&C 84:54-56).

THE “NATURAL MAN” AND GENERIC UNBELIEF
The hallmark of the natural man is a peculiar type of unbelief which is virtually beyond our awareness. It is a species of unbelief that leads people to deny in performance what they consciously profess to believe. There is a believing by which we speak, and a believing by which we perform; and the difference between these two realms of belief constitutes denial of what we profess. That denial is the measure of this malignant and peculiar type of unbelief, it is pervasive in its affects upon our lives like an insidious disease of which we are practically unaware even though it constantly makes us liars because we really do not perform according to the believing we profess. This peculiar pervasive unbelief could rightly be called “generic unbelief”.
After our faith has at last compelled us through sacrifice and surrender, and after the "natural man" has been secured in dungeon chains, we will still find ourselves plagued by muted cries from the dungeon: "It can't be done!". There is no evasion of the ultimate realization: we must crucify this enemy we have subdued. Even in chains he constantly molests our limited minds with his "generic unbelief". It attaches to virtually every aspect of life.
Even though we give lip service, claiming to honor and believe in faith, we are virtually paralyzed in its exercise. Jesus could, by faith, create fishes and bread, but that is not for us. Anyone claiming such power as that, in this day, would be subject to scorn, ridicule, and suspicion of Satanic possession. Slay that enemy, the natural man, and his generic unbelief, and be free of contra¬diction in the mind.
Generic unbelief? One might be compelled to exclaim: "What? I don't under¬stand; I'm a believing person! I have a testimony, I know the church is true."
Yes, we may know the church is true, what ever that means; but how well do we know the giver of that gift, Jesus Christ? To what extent do we really believe in him and in ourselves, our own ability to emulate his works?” This is where generic unbelief is manifest.
Perhaps a trite and familiar little story will clarify the term “generic unbelief”, and clearly identify its existence in us all.

A devout advocate of the gospel goes to the mountains for prayer and fasting. He is alone, and in his wandering falls over a precipitous ledge, but haply he grasps a frail branch of some little tree growing out of the rock. There he hangs, every moment threatening to over-stress his frail tenuous support, which can in no way bear up under his weight for more than a few moments. "LORD, HELP ME!" he shouts to the one he came to worship, "have I not served you faithfully?" but he has never seen the Lord, and is unable to see him at this time although he hears a distinct voice from somewhere say,
"Do you really believe I can save you?"
"OH YES LORD!"
"Then let go of that flimsy little branch."
“Lord! Why do you try me at this perilous moment?”
“What better time?”

Generic unbelief! Does this story not make it palpable? Are there any who do not suffer under its debil¬itating burden? Our faith is immature.
Jesus fed the multitude, calmed the storm, healed the lepers, raised the dead, and circumvented his enemies. Then he laid it out for us this way:
He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also. . . (Jon 14:12).

THE DUALITY OF BELIEVING
We have a measure of faith in Christ, perhaps enough to give our life for him, but what about faith in ourselves, our personal ability to emulate him, our own ability to call down the blessings and powers of heaven which are there for our utilization? Creating by faith requires both faith in Christ and faith in ones self– that we are deserving. Generic unbelief is primarily unbelief in ones self. We may firmly believe that the Lord is always prepared to give, but we may not believe in our personal access to his power and blessings:
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Mat 21:22).

"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." (Jon 16:24).

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts." (James 4:3).

Behold this is my will; ask and ye shall receive; but men do not always do my will." (D&C 103:31)

But will he really give to us? How many times have we failed to receive because of this pernicious discouragement from our beleaguering enemy, the natural man and his generic unbelief. We fail, and then attempt to vindi¬cate our failure by telling ourselves, and others that apparently it just wasn't right, or that the timing was off. Poor impotent creatures that we are. How much assurance do we need? Without faith in Christ and in ourselves, that we have the ability, we are impotent in spiritual things.

Faith in Christ:
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. (Heb 11:6).

Faith in Ones Self:
And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." (I Jon 3:22).

Moroni’s Evaluation of Our Situation:

The prophet Moroni seeing our day, lamented our unbelief and pleaded with us to recognize our awful situation, to repent and believe.
35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
36 And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.
37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your church¬es, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.
38 O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies because of the praise of the world?
39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not? 40 Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?
41 Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer. (Morm 8:35-41).

Moroni’s Commentary on our Unbelief:
6 O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day. 7 And again I speak unto you who deny the revelations of God, and say that they are done away, that there are no revelations, nor prophecies, nor gifts, nor healing, nor speaking with tongues, and the interpretation of tongues;
8 Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them.
9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing? (Morm 9:6-9),

The fact that we are so disabled in exercising the spiritual gifts is, in a very real sense, a denial of belief in their existence and reality. We forbid their existence in us, in our midst, and if they exist not in the midst of the LDS, where are they to be found? Where is there a people the Lord can demonstrate his power through? Where, in this world, can a people be found that are capable of exercising the gifts spoken of by Moroni?
18 And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not many mighty miracles? And there were many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles.
19 And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.
20 And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.
21 Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth . . . (Morm 9:18-21).

24 And these signs shall follow them that believe in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover;

25 And whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing, unto him will I confirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth. (Morm 9:24-25).

We do not actually believe that we can create bread and fishes out of thin air even if the occasion is a matter of life and death. Jesus has most certainly promised us that if we are believing we can ask and receive, and Moroni is also emphatic:
Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth . (Morm 9:21).

But there is a lack of evidence that we are truly a believing people The entire church is under condemnation for "generic unbelief" (D&C 84:54-56). As a body, unbelief still holds us essentially impotent in administering the spiritual gifts imposing itself between us and Zion.
To the modern mind, matured in a mode of modern thinking, anything of a mystic nature is shun¬ned. Things spiritual are mystical, so while we say we believe in things spiritual, down deep within ourselves we doubt and fear. We really don’t believe. It’s a cultural phenomenon. We simply don’t believe in a common person’s ability to multiply fishes and bread or turn water into wine. We simply don’t believe even though Jesus assured us that we are capable of doing the same works he did:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do will he do also; and great¬er works than these will he do; because I go unto my Father.” (John 14:12).

If we are not doing the works Jesus did then apparently we don’t believe what he has told us, and how can we say we believe in the man, if we reject what he has told us “as plain as word can be”. We simply are not a truly believing people:
It is time to think about these things and set our minds to do something about our unbelief which, even now, holds the whole church under condemnation.
54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received
55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. (D&C 84:54-56).

Jumping through a blind hoop when you know nothing of what is on the other side is a dumb thing to do unless Jesus is holding the hoop. Whatever the voice of the spirit, through the intelligence to whom we belong, bids us do is always safe and appropriate if we have learned to distinguish between that voice and the voices of doubt and fear which rise from the natural man.


This essay challenges many long standing mind-sets which we generally assume to be solid doctrine. It will, therefore, challenge the prevailing comfort zones of many who read it. The “wheat” will, by their access to the Holy Spirit, recognize truth, and embrace what the Spirit ratifies. We must seek the truth and the whole truth, never being satisfied with the precepts of men no matter where they come from nor how long they have been around. Rejecting the truth in deference to what is popular puts our exaltation at risk.
At the judgement bar we find grace if we can honestly admit our errors while knowing that we did the best we could to find the truth; However, allowing ourselves to be deceived is a fatal error, deception is not an acceptable extenuation or alibi. We cannot say: “Well, I accepted what I was told, I was obedient. You should indict my parents and others who told me what to believe.” We are responsible to find and prove the truth for ourselves, accepting no “arm of flesh”. Nephi, with all due respect for his father, whom he knew to be a prophet, sought proof for his fathers vision by asking God to show him the same things (I Nep 11:1-5).
Even a true prophet can be made an arm of flesh if we vest our faith in him without the testimony of the Holy Spirit. If our faith in an ordained leader is the product of a witness by the Holy Spirit, we are a support¬ing power to him. If we are simply clinging to his coat-tail for a free ride, we are a burden. And even if we are led as straight as an arrow, there is no virtue or benefit to our faith, and judgement will condemn us as unprofitable servants.
As President Kimball pleaded, we must abandon “the false gods we worship” (Ensign June 1976), and give our time and devotion to a quest for our true God.
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (Jon 17:3).

This scripture recommends an essential quest for the ultimate truth, “the truth of all things” (Moses 6:61). Our dogmatic concepts of God and man are but stepping stones to ultimate truth. They are geared to limited understandings. The stepping stones will remain until we have placed our passing footprints upon them while in quest of the “greater light and knowledge Father promised to send us”.

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marc
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by marc »

God exempts nobody.
Ether 4:13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.
14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.
15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel.
Until one parts the veil as Enoch, Moses, the brother of Jared, and others, one is kept from “remembering” or “knowing” the covenant because of unbelief. It is this unbelief, which keeps one:

1. In an awful state of wickedness
2. Hardness of heart
3. blindness of mind

Or in other words, under condemnation.

The Lord commanded Moroni to write them, and so he did:
Ether 4:4 Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared.
5 Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord.
6 For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord.
7 And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.
But if the Gentiles have been made clean, who has seen the things the brother of Jared saw? And if members of the church are the House of Israel, then who has seen the things the brother of Jared saw? Who has unfolded all the revelations? If nobody, then why not?

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Arenera
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by Arenera »

marc wrote: August 16th, 2017, 3:01 pm God exempts nobody.
Ether 4:13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.
14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.
15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel.
Until one parts the veil as Enoch, Moses, the brother of Jared, and others, one is kept from “remembering” or “knowing” the covenant because of unbelief. It is this unbelief, which keeps one:

1. In an awful state of wickedness
2. Hardness of heart
3. blindness of mind

Or in other words, under condemnation.

The Lord commanded Moroni to write them, and so he did:
Ether 4:4 Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared.
5 Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord.
6 For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord.
7 And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.
But if the Gentiles have been made clean, who has seen the things the brother of Jared saw? And if members of the church are the House of Israel, then who has seen the things the brother of Jared saw? Who has unfolded all the revelations? If nobody, then why not?
So everyone is under condemnation.

Well, what about Alma 12:9?
9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

So did Denver get an exemption from the not impart?

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marc
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by marc »

And yet Alma proceeded to expound mysteries to Zeezrom and all present who then took the believers and burned them alive along with their scriptures while Alma and Amulek were imprisoned.

Arenera, I have no clue what exemptions Denver did or didn't get. Are you trying to pigeonhole me as others have tried to do?

But to answer your question, "Is everyone under condemnation?" I will tell you that I have not yet parted the veil of unbelief, so I will say I am still under condemnation. If you haven't parted the veil of unbelief, then so are you.

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Arenera
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by Arenera »

marc wrote: August 16th, 2017, 3:34 pm And yet Alma proceeded to expound mysteries to Zeezrom and all present who then took the believers and burned them alive along with their scriptures while Alma and Amulek were imprisoned.

Arenera, I have no clue what exemptions Denver did or didn't get. Are you trying to pigeonhole me as others have tried to do?

But to answer your question, "Is everyone under condemnation?" I will tell you that I have not yet parted the veil of unbelief, so I will say I am still under condemnation. If you haven't parted the veil of unbelief, then so are you.
I am not trying to put words in your mouth, just trying to understand.

If I am understanding correctly, unless a person has seen Christ, they are under condemnation. I personally don't think that is what condemnation means. If it does, then might as well flood the earth again because all are under condemnation.

I think that is quite stringent, I would hope God loves us more than to throw us all away. You have strived valiantly to see Christ and aren't there yet. I know a couple of people who have said they have, yet I believe Denver is a false prophet so I don't believe him.

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marc
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by marc »

Gotcha. Well, I explained in more detail in the OP, but to quote the D&C:
56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written...
I don't know if condemnation is a terrible thing or just a bad thing. I do know that a loving God eagerly desires to bring us all back into His presence (parting the veil) and is why He calls us the "children" of Zion. We haven't yet matured into a terrestrial people who are one heart, one mind, dwell in righteousness and have no poor among us. I just know that time is getting really short. That's what worries me. But I can only try to inform and persuade.

diligently seeking
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by diligently seeking »

Arenera wrote: August 16th, 2017, 3:19 pm
marc wrote: August 16th, 2017, 3:01 pm God exempts nobody.
Ether 4:13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.
14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.
15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel.
Until one parts the veil as Enoch, Moses, the brother of Jared, and others, one is kept from “remembering” or “knowing” the covenant because of unbelief. It is this unbelief, which keeps one:

1. In an awful state of wickedness
2. Hardness of heart
3. blindness of mind

Or in other words, under condemnation.

The Lord commanded Moroni to write them, and so he did:
Ether 4:4 Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared.
5 Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord.
6 For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord.
7 And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.
But if the Gentiles have been made clean, who has seen the things the brother of Jared saw? And if members of the church are the House of Israel, then who has seen the things the brother of Jared saw? Who has unfolded all the revelations? If nobody, then why not?
So everyone is under condemnation.

Well, what about Alma 12:9?
9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

So did Denver get an exemption from the not impart?

Arenera, Keep reading. The descending verses have the answer for you in regards to the mysteries of God and what comes and what does not come when we receive them or choose not to receive them. Also, you're not understanding the verse that you quoted-- to have the mysteries imparted is to know the mysteries. Joseph Smith and other key figures in the restoration imparted a slew of mysteries to members of the church. No Doubt like you and myself and others we like them ( having the Mysteries told and taught to us) enough. we believe them almost enough, but to know is to have heaven impart them to us. Arenera, the descending verses from the one that you quoted explain after our heed and diligence and having the right heart / a heart that is open / believing and not hard --- then we are in the position to be endowed to know nothing doubting no strings attached no borrowed light and knowledge from others... It is instructive to count how many times in that first book of Nephi that the condition of one's heart either restricts or allows the mysteries of God to be received. Laman and Lemuel had many things imparted unto them that were mysteries revealed which if they gave strict head and diligence the windows of Heaven could have opened to them as they did for nephi... But, they would not as the scripture says understand and know God's dealings for them-- their hearts were hard--- hence they murmured and complained and the condemnation for not receiving God's salvational mysteries remained for them... When our hearts are not right-- murmuring and complainning takes on many faces and emotions--- you agree? All of us if we want to advance in Father's Kingdom will have to be received by Jesus and receive his comfort to receive his promise of exaltation etc. There's no way around that. Whether this occurs in the split-second between life and death or in our very much alive and awakened state in the second estate etc-- The Keeper of the gate even Jesus Christ who employes no servant there --he will determine / promise us the reward for our belief / faithfulness... That is why the more knowledge and experience we gained in the here and now the better it will be for us in the Life to Come-- yes?

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Arenera
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by Arenera »

JaredBees wrote: August 16th, 2017, 6:52 pm
Arenera wrote: August 16th, 2017, 3:19 pm
marc wrote: August 16th, 2017, 3:01 pm God exempts nobody.
Ether 4:13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.
14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.
15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel.
Until one parts the veil as Enoch, Moses, the brother of Jared, and others, one is kept from “remembering” or “knowing” the covenant because of unbelief. It is this unbelief, which keeps one:

1. In an awful state of wickedness
2. Hardness of heart
3. blindness of mind

Or in other words, under condemnation.

The Lord commanded Moroni to write them, and so he did:
Ether 4:4 Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared.
5 Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord.
6 For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord.
7 And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.
But if the Gentiles have been made clean, who has seen the things the brother of Jared saw? And if members of the church are the House of Israel, then who has seen the things the brother of Jared saw? Who has unfolded all the revelations? If nobody, then why not?
So everyone is under condemnation.

Well, what about Alma 12:9?
9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

So did Denver get an exemption from the not impart?

Arenera, Keep reading. The descending verses have the answer for you in regards to the mysteries of God and what comes and what does not come when we receive them or choose not to receive them. Also, you're not understanding the verse that you quoted-- to have the mysteries imparted is to know the mysteries. Joseph Smith and other key figures in the restoration imparted a slew of mysteries to members of the church. No Doubt like you and myself and others we like them ( having the Mysteries told and taught to us) enough. we believe them almost enough, but to know is to have heaven impart them to us. Arenera, the descending verses from the one that you quoted explain after our heed and diligence and having the right heart / a heart that is open / believing and not hard --- then we are in the position to be endowed to know nothing doubting no strings attached no borrowed light and knowledge from others... It is instructive to count how many times in that first book of Nephi that the condition of one's heart either restricts or allows the mysteries of God to be received. Laman and Lemuel had many things imparted unto them that were mysteries revealed which if they gave strict head and diligence the windows of Heaven could have opened to them as they did for nephi... But, they would not as the scripture says understand and know God's dealings for them-- their hearts were hard--- hence they murmured and complained and the condemnation for not receiving God's salvational mysteries remained for them... When our hearts are not right-- murmuring and complainning takes on many faces and emotions--- you agree? All of us if we want to advance in Father's Kingdom will have to be received by Jesus and receive his comfort to receive his promise of exaltation etc. There's no way around that. Whether this occurs in the split-second between life and death or in our very much alive and awakened state in the second estate etc-- The Keeper of the gate even Jesus Christ who employes no servant there --he will determine / promise us the reward for our belief / faithfulness... That is why the more knowledge and experience we gained in the here and now the better it will be for us in the Life to Come-- yes?
Thomas knew but doubted. Jesus said those that believe but have not seen are blessed.

So, seeing Christ is definitely in the scriptures. I don't believe that the condemnation is not having seen Christ. It seems like you are looking beyond the mark. Our living prophets and apostles do not teach this.

diligently seeking
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by diligently seeking »

Arenera wrote: August 16th, 2017, 7:42 pm
JaredBees wrote: August 16th, 2017, 6:52 pm
Arenera wrote: August 16th, 2017, 3:19 pm
marc wrote: August 16th, 2017, 3:01 pm God exempts nobody.



Until one parts the veil as Enoch, Moses, the brother of Jared, and others, one is kept from “remembering” or “knowing” the covenant because of unbelief. It is this unbelief, which keeps one:

1. In an awful state of wickedness
2. Hardness of heart
3. blindness of mind

Or in other words, under condemnation.

The Lord commanded Moroni to write them, and so he did:



But if the Gentiles have been made clean, who has seen the things the brother of Jared saw? And if members of the church are the House of Israel, then who has seen the things the brother of Jared saw? Who has unfolded all the revelations? If nobody, then why not?
So everyone is under condemnation.

Well, what about Alma 12:9?
9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

So did Denver get an exemption from the not impart?

Arenera, Keep reading. The descending verses have the answer for you in regards to the mysteries of God and what comes and what does not come when we receive them or choose not to receive them. Also, you're not understanding the verse that you quoted-- to have the mysteries imparted is to know the mysteries. Joseph Smith and other key figures in the restoration imparted a slew of mysteries to members of the church. No Doubt like you and myself and others we like them ( having the Mysteries told and taught to us) enough. we believe them almost enough, but to know is to have heaven impart them to us. Arenera, the descending verses from the one that you quoted explain after our heed and diligence and having the right heart / a heart that is open / believing and not hard --- then we are in the position to be endowed to know nothing doubting no strings attached no borrowed light and knowledge from others... It is instructive to count how many times in that first book of Nephi that the condition of one's heart either restricts or allows the mysteries of God to be received. Laman and Lemuel had many things imparted unto them that were mysteries revealed which if they gave strict head and diligence the windows of Heaven could have opened to them as they did for nephi... But, they would not as the scripture says understand and know God's dealings for them-- their hearts were hard--- hence they murmured and complained and the condemnation for not receiving God's salvational mysteries remained for them... When our hearts are not right-- murmuring and complainning takes on many faces and emotions--- you agree? All of us if we want to advance in Father's Kingdom will have to be received by Jesus and receive his comfort to receive his promise of exaltation etc. There's no way around that. Whether this occurs in the split-second between life and death or in our very much alive and awakened state in the second estate etc-- The Keeper of the gate even Jesus Christ who employes no servant there --he will determine / promise us the reward for our belief / faithfulness... That is why the more knowledge and experience we gained in the here and now the better it will be for us in the Life to Come-- yes?
Thomas knew but doubted. Jesus said those that believe but have not seen are blessed.

So, seeing Christ is definitely in the scriptures. I don't believe that the condemnation is not having seen Christ. It seems like you are looking beyond the mark. Our living prophets and apostles do not teach this.

They (living Apostles and Prophets in this dispensation) surely did teach the significance of obtaining gods gifts and assurances of eternal life-- in this life. The question should be asked why has the encouragement of receiving such blessings stopped? Maybe Joseph Smith and other oracles were just overzealous and got it wrong and current group of leaders are getting it right? Or, maybe Doctrine covenants section 84 after reading it sheds greater light on this subject? I would encourage you to prayerfully read it in connection with the things that you said-- and what I'm mentioning and alluding to here.

diligently seeking
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by diligently seeking »

A good quote to consider, again, as you read Doctrine and Covenants section 84.


"Said the Prophet Joseph Smith after one of the most revelatory meetings in his life, “There was nothing made known to these men [the Twelve] but what will be made known to all the Saints of the last days, so soon as they are prepared to receive” (Teachings, p. 237). This is the religion of every man. Not “Take my word for my experience,” but “Duplicate it in your own life.” How far do I go with this? All the way.

Let me then come to a close. I have hiked, with my wife and at night, all the way from the base of what is known as Mt. Sinai to the top. (Incidentally, with a very sore toe. Climbing hurts, and the more you climb, sometimes the more it hurts.) We went up to where the air is thinner and the veil thinner. There isn’t time to describe the feeling, but we were able to recollect that Moses, there, had face-to-face communion with God. He came back down and said to the children of Israel, in the name of the God whose name he knew, “Now, you are invited to go back up with me.”

And they said, “Thank you. No. That’s for prophets. That’s for people who are a bit fanatical. We will stay here and you go up, Moses.”

In his absence they built an idol. The power of religious impulses goes in many directions. They built an idol—a thing—and were denied the privileges of Moses (D&C 84:23–25). That is what our generation is now doing again. We are staying down below and then claiming superiority for our judgment in doing so.” Truman G. Madsen, On How We Know, BYU Devotional Address, Sept. 20, 1994

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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by Durzan »

I recall something the Spirit whispered to me in my mind one time.

What it said was this: "Only a righteous descendant of Joseph or Hyrum Smith can bring the Church out of condemnation."

In other words, the church will only be redeemed when a righteous man with Smith blood running through his veins is called of God and legitimately anointed as President of the Church.

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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by gardener4life »

Durzan, that's a priesthood lineage descendant not a blood descendant. So the priesthood descendant would be the current prophet.

Also in regards to the other comments, the scriptures in the D&C about condemnation clearly show what it's from;

Doctrine and Covenants 20:15
15 But those who harden their hearts in unbelief, and reject it, it shall turn to their own condemnation—

Doctrine and Covenants 5:18
18 And their testimony shall also go forth unto the condemnation of this generation if theybharden their hearts against them;

Doctrine and Covenants 67:8
8 But if ye cannot make one like unto it, ye are under condemnation if ye do not bear record that they are true.

Someone else asked if everyone is under condemnation. There are explanations for this too.

Doctrine and Covenants 105:7
7 I speak not concerning those who are appointed to lead my people, who are the first elders of my church, for they are not all under this condemnation;

There are other sections too where not everyone is shown to be under condemnation.

Doctrine and Covenants 23:1,3-5
1 Behold, I speak unto you, Oliver, a few words. Behold, thou art blessed, and art under no condemnation. But beware of pride, lest thou shouldst enter into temptation.

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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by lundbaek »

The most interesting and exciting part of writings by and about Wilford Woodruff to me are those about his encounter in the St George Temple with those who appeared to him and "demanded" that he see to their temple ordinances. While on a mission at the Family History Library in SLC I was able to read and make a photocopy of the pages of the record book that show the recording of the baptisms of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and about 100 others who had their baptisms done for them by proxy at that time in August of 1877.

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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by marc »

I remember the days before I went on my mission when President Ezra Taft Benson emphasized to read the Book of Mormon and to flood the Earth with the Book of Mormon. When he was called to succeed President Kimball and was sustained the 13th president of the church, his "inaugural" address emphasized removing the condemnation from us as a church. In his first talk in the April 1986 General conference, he declared:
...As I have sought direction from the Lord, I have had reaffirmed in my mind and heart the declaration of the Lord to “say nothing but repentance unto this generation.” (D&C 6:9; D&C 11:9.)...

...We must respond by saying that all is not well in Zion. As Moroni counseled, we must cleanse the inner vessel (see Alma 60:23), beginning first with ourselves, then with our families, and finally with the Church...

...Unless we read the Book of Mormon and give heed to its teachings, the Lord has stated in section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants that the whole Church is under condemnation: “And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.” (D&C 84:56.) The Lord continues: “And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written.” (D&C 84:57.)...

...“That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.” (D&C 84:58.) We have felt that scourge and judgment!...https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... l?lang=eng
In the Bible, we learn about finding "rest" while in the flesh:
Matthew 11:28 ¶ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Hebrews 4:1 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.
But the Book of Mormon teaches us "how" to find that rest. This is the crux of the message, but not only to "say," but to "do."
Moroni 7:3 Wherefore, I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven...
We read in Ether 4, which I have quoted in another topic, Moroni giving to us the words of Jesus Christ admonishing us all to enter into that rest as the brother of Jared did. And that rest is to receive the fullness of His glory. This is the fullness, which the ancient Israelites rejected when the Lord offered it to them from the top of the mountain.
D&C 84:24 But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.

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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by marc »

The next day, Sunday, during that same general conference in 1986, President Benson spoke again:
...In the opening session of this conference we talked about cleansing the inner vessel. And so we must.

The Lord inspired His servant Lorenzo Snow to reemphasize the principle of tithing to redeem the Church from financial bondage. In those days the General Authorities took that message to the members of the Church.

Now, in our day, the Lord has revealed the need to reemphasize the Book of Mormon to get the Church and all the children of Zion out from under condemnation—the scourge and judgment. (See D&C 84:54–58.) This message must be carried to the members of the Church throughout the world...

...I promise you that from this moment forward, if we will daily sup from its pages and abide by its precepts, God will pour out upon each child of Zion and the Church a blessing hitherto unknownand we will plead to the Lord that He will begin to lift the condemnation—the scourge and judgment...https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... y?lang=eng
This was his clarion call: to read the Book of Mormon, to obtain "a blessing hitherto unknown," to remove the condemnation.

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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by marc »

The following general conference, in October 1986, in the very first talk given by President Benson, he declared:
...Has the fact that we have had the Book of Mormon with us for over a century and a half made it seem less significant to us today? Do we remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon?...

...If the early Saints were rebuked for treating the Book of Mormon lightly, are we under any less condemnation if we do the same? The Lord Himself bears testimony that it is of eternal significance. Can a small number of us bring the whole Church under condemnation because we trifle with sacred things? What will we say at the Judgment when we stand before Him and meet His probing gaze if we are among those described as forgetting the new covenant?...

...Over ten years ago I made the following statement regarding the Book of Mormon:

Do eternal consequences rest upon our response to this book? Yes, either to our blessing or our condemnation..."
Who has received that blessing "hitherto unknown?" President Benson went on to say:
...I reaffirm those words to you this day. Let us not remain under condemnation, with its scourge and judgment, by treating lightly this great and marvelous gift the Lord has given to us. Rather, let us win the promises associated with treasuring it up in our hearts.

In the Doctrine and Covenants, section 84, verses 54 to 58, we read:

“And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—

“Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

“And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

“And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—

“That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.”...https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... n?lang=eng[D&C 84:54–58]
I remember accepting that challenge and I began to read the Book of Mormon. It prepared me to be a better missionary just a few years later. I distinctly remember wanting to be like Ammon who went among the Lamanites to serve them and I remember sharing this desire in my farewell speech when I left on my mission to Germany.

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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by marc »

In his closing talk the next day on Sunday, October 1986, President Benson declared:
...To the Prophet Joseph Smith the Lord said, “This generation shall have my word through you” (D&C 5:10). The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants are part of the fulfillment of that promise. Together these two great works of scripture bring great blessings to this generation.

Each of these two books of modern scripture contains a powerful proclamation to the world. The Book of Mormon title page declares its purpose is threefold: to show what great things the Lord has done, to teach of the covenants of the Lord, and to convince both Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ...

...It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of our testimony. It is a keystone in the witness of Jesus Christ. It is a keystone in helping us avoid the deceptions of the evil one in these latter days. Satan rages in the hearts of men and has power over all of his dominions (see D&C 1:35). But the Book of Mormon has greater power—power to reveal false doctrine, power to help us overcome temptations, power to help us get closer to God than any other book (see Introduction to the Book of Mormon).

The Book of Mormon must be reenthroned in the minds and hearts of our people. We must honor it by reading it, by studying it, by taking its precepts into our lives and transforming them into lives required of the true followers of Christ...

...“No member of this Church can stand approved in the presence of God who has not seriously and carefully read the Book of Mormon”...

...How can we not stand condemned before the Lord if we treat them lightly by letting them do no more than gather dust on our shelves?...https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... n?lang=eng

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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by marc »

The following year, on April 1987, President Benson gave the opening talk:
My dear brothers and sisters, as we commence another great general conference of the Church, my heart is full of love and gratitude to the Latter-day Saints throughout the world.

During the past six months I have been deeply touched by the response of members of the Church who have heeded counsel to read and reread the word of the Lord as set forth in the Book of Mormon. This has resulted in increased spirituality and is helping to cleanse the inner vessel...
One year later, President Benson emphasized how a number of the members accepted the challenge to read the Book of Mormon and to "cleanse the inner vessel," which was the title of his "inaugural" address the year before. He then goes on to recount the most significant event in the Book of Mormon--Jesus Christ's visit to His people at Bountiful. President Benson then seemed to lament:
"...How few people in all the history of the world have heard the actual voice of God the Father speaking to them..."
President Benson endeavored to clue is in to the result of the church giving heed to strip themselves of "vanity" and "unbelief" and to "do" what the Book of Mormon teaches. There is a reason President Benson focused on the account in Third Nephi of Jesus Christ's visit to His people at Bountiful. This was everything! I wonder how many members got it. He then quoted Jesus Christ:
...“I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time.

“Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again”...
Although at the time, I was still a teenager in my senior year of high school and still beginning my discipleship, looking back now, I can see that the Lord was giving the church at this time a most glorious opportunity. It wasn't just about reading the Book of Mormon. It was about what the Lord was offering to everyone in the church. President Benson was pleading with the members to obtain that "rest" as everyone at Bountiful had obtained! He then said:
...Third Nephi is a book that should be read and read again...
and concluded with
May we daily be the manner of men He is and thus be prepared to meet and dwell with Him, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen....https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... a?lang=eng
Of course we know about all of the events leading up to Christ's visit before 3 Nephi 11. Lots of vanity and unbelief, lots of evil and bloodshed and then destruction. I wonder what the church would look like today if all of the membership had taken the challenge and continued as "true followers of Christ?" Up to this point, the church was still under condemnation.

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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by lundbaek »

Truth be known, we (generally speaking) are under condemnation for neglect of any number of things we have been told by latter-day prophets to do, including:

Read and study the Book of Mormon

Seek out our deceased ancestors and see to their temple ordinances being done for them

Learn the principles of the US Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers

Preparedness for emergencies

Become educated in those things mentioned in D&C 88:79, which include history, current events, prophecy

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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by marc »

The next day, Sunday, President Benson gave the concluding talk in the April 1987 General Conference. He said
...I thank the Lord for the great record that has been made...The Book of Mormon brings men to Christ...The words and the way they are used in the Book of Mormon by the Lord should become our source of understanding and should be used by us in teaching gospel principles...

...God uses the power of the word of the Book of Mormon as an instrument to change people’s lives: “As the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God” (Alma 31:5)....

...Alma reminded his brethren of the Church how God delivered their fathers’ souls from hell: “Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word” (Alma 5:7).

We need to use the everlasting word to awaken those in deep sleep so they will awake “unto God.”

I am deeply concerned about what we are doing to teach the Saints at all levels the gospel of Jesus Christ as completely and authoritatively as do the Book of Mormon...

...Do we understand and are we effective in teaching and preaching the Atonement?...

...What does redemption from the Fall mean to us?...

...Now, what is the instrument that God has designed for this gathering?...

...It is that scripture which is the keystone of our religion.

It is that most correct book which, if men will abide by its precepts, will get them closer to God than any other book. It is the Book of Mormon...https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... s?lang=eng
How close did Nephi get to Jesus Christ? How close did the brother of Jared get to Jesus Christ? How did they do it? The Book of Mormon tells us exactly how.

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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by marc »

The following October general conference, President Benson again spoke his ongoing message to remove the condemnation:
...The major mission of the Book of Mormon, as recorded on its title page, is “to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.”...

...Over one-half of all the verses in the Book of Mormon refer to our Lord. Some form of Christ’s name is mentioned more frequently per verse in the Book of Mormon than even in the New Testament.

He is given over one hundred different names in the Book of Mormon. Those names have a particular significance in describing His divine nature...

...Once one is convinced, through the Book of Mormon, that Jesus is the Christ, then he must take the next step; he must come unto Christ...

...We have an increasing number who have been convinced, through the Book of Mormon, that Jesus is the Christ. Now we need an increasing number who will use the Book of Mormon to become committed to Christ. We need to be convinced and committed.

Let us turn again to the Book of Mormon, this time to learn some principles about coming unto Christ, being committed to Him, centered in Him, and consumed in Him...

...In the final letter recorded in the Book of Mormon from Mormon to his son Moroni, he gave counsel that applies to our day. Both father and son were seeing a whole Christian civilization fall because its people would not serve the God of the land, even Jesus Christ. Mormon wrote, “And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God” (Moro. 9:6). You and I have a similar labor to perform now—to conquer the enemy and rest our souls in the kingdom...https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... t?lang=eng
Yes, lundbaek, we must be diligent also in securing our liberty. President Benson also spoke at this conference about the Constitution and befriending it. The Lord made us free that we might serve Him diligently that we might be gathered and redeemed. President Benson was trying to get the membership at this time to be diligent in coming unto Christ. One can feel his yearning in this talk. One can feel the urgency.

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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

Post by marc »

President Benson continues to urge the membership to cleanse the inner vessel according to his "inaugural" speech two years before. In the April 1988 General Conference, he gives the opening talk:
...My heart has been touched as I have learned of the many children, youth, and adults of the Church whose lives are being changed by the study of the Book of Mormon. You are helping to cleanse the inner vessel...

...The great test of life is obedience to God. “We will prove them herewith,” said the Lord, “to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abr. 3:25).

The great task of life is to learn the will of the Lord and then do it.

The great commandment of life is to love the Lord.

Come unto Christ,” exhorts Moroni in his closing testimony, “… and love God with all your might, mind and strength” (Moro. 10:32)...
President Benson is appealing to the membership to "love" God. He quotes Moroni that we should "love" God with all we have. He is reiterating God's commandment not only to say, but to do. He now appeals to this love, which Lehi experienced. He is cluing us in to that "rest" that we can expect. He is cluing us in to what God is anticipating:
...The fruit that Lehi partook of in his vision and that filled his soul with exceeding great joy and that was most desirable above all things was the love of God.

To love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is all-consuming and all-encompassing. It is no lukewarm endeavor. It is total commitment of our very being—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—to a love of the Lord....
This is what the Lord meant when He said to "be fruitful" and to "bring forth fruit" meet for the kingdom of heaven. The entire point of the journey-the entire point of laboring-is to partake of the fruit. It is to find rest. One must put God first and above ALL else! President Benson continued with:
...Joseph was put in prison because he put God first. If we were faced with a similar choice, where would we place our first loyalty? Can we put God ahead of security, peace, passions, wealth, and the honors of men?

When Joseph was forced to choose, he was more anxious to please God than to please his employer’s wife. When we are required to choose, are we more anxious to please God than our boss, our teacher, our neighbor, or our date?

The Lord said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:37). One of the most difficult tests of all is when you have to choose between pleasing God or pleasing someone you love or respect—particularly a family member...
...“Whatever God requires is right,” said the Prophet Joseph Smith (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979, p. 256)—and so Nephi slew Laban. And God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

Had Abraham loved Isaac more than God, would he have consented? As the Lord indicates in the Doctrine and Covenants, both Abraham and Isaac now sit as gods (see D&C 132:37). They were willing to offer or to be offered up as God required. They have a deeper love and respect for each other because both were willing to put God first...

...The great commandment of life is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” (Mark 12:30).

May God bless us to put the first commandment first and, as a result, reap peace in this life and eternal life with a fulness of joy in the life to come, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen...https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... d?lang=eng
There is a pattern to President Benson's talks. Each seems to build on his previous talk to "come unto Christ" and "find rest."

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marc
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

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President Benson's health, beginning to decline, had Gordon B. Hinckley read President Benson's next talk, which was the concluding talk of the same conference in April 1988. In it, President Benson declared:
...May we all go to our homes rededicated to the sacred mission of the Church as so beautifully set forth in these conference sessions—to “invite all to come unto Christ” (D&C 20:59), “yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him” (Moro. 10:32)...

...Are we as families and individuals reading daily from the Book of Mormon and using its teachings to bless and perfect our lives and those of our children?...

...I pray that we will be obedient to God, learn His will and do it, and, above all, that we will keep the first and great commandment—to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength...

...Let us all come unto Christ and be perfected in Him, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen...https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... m?lang=eng

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marc
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Re: Why we are still under condemnation and what we can do.

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The following general conference this same year, October 1988, President Benson opened with another clarion call-to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon. I remember this one and I remember preparing for my mission at this time.
...This has been a landmark year in the history of the Church in the use of the keystone of our religion—the Book of Mormon...

...The Book of Mormon is the instrument that God designed to “sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out [His] elect.” (Moses 7:62.) This sacred volume of scripture needs to become more central in our preaching, our teaching, and our missionary work...

...At present, the Book of Mormon is studied in our Sunday School and seminary classes every fourth year. This four-year pattern, however, must not be followed by Church members in their personal and family study. We need to read daily from the pages of the book that will get a man “nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (History of the Church, 4:461.)...

...The time is long overdue for a massive flooding of the earth with the Book of Mormon for the many reasons which the Lord has given. In this age of the electronic media and the mass distribution of the printed word, God will hold us accountable if we do not now move the Book of Mormon in a monumental way...

...“Few men on earth,” said Elder Bruce R. McConkie, “either in or out of the Church, have caught the vision of what the Book of Mormon is all about. Few are they among men who know the part it has played and will yet play in preparing the way for the coming of Him of whom it is a new witness. … The Book of Mormon shall so affect men that the whole earth and all its peoples will have been influenced and governed by it. … There is no greater issue ever to confront mankind in modern times than this: Is the Book of Mormon the mind and will and voice of God to all men?” (Millennial Messiah pp. 159, 170, 179.) We testify that it is...

...Now, my good Saints, we have a great work to perform in a very short time. We must flood the earth with the Book of Mormon—and get out from under God’s condemnation for having treated it lightly. (See D&C 84:54–58.)...

...My beloved Saints, I am now entering my ninetieth year. I am getting older and less vigorous...I do not know fully why God has preserved my life to this age, but I do know this: That for the present hour He has revealed to me the absolute need for us to move the Book of Mormon forward now in a marvelous manner. You must help with this burden and with this blessing which He has placed on the whole Church, even all the children of Zion...

...Moses never entered the promised land. Joseph Smith never saw Zion redeemed. Some of us may not live long enough to see the day when the Book of Mormon floods the earth and when the Lord lifts His condemnation. (See D&C 84:54–58.) But, God willing, I intend to spend all my remaining days in that glorious effort. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen...https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... n?lang=eng
Wow! What a final statement! President Benson knew, as Lehi knew, that his time was short. He double downed this day with a series of challenges...not only to say, but to do!

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