Proselyting Techniques of Mormon Missionaries

[The Learner]

 

[The Learner]

 

[The Learner]

Challenge to our LDS guests.

Challenge of listing unique doctrines of LDS. Locating them at newadvent.org in the Early Church Fathers with links to your quotes, please.

www.christianityboard.com

 

[The Learner]

 

[amigo de christo]

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The path that leads to hell to destruction and perdition is very broad indeed .
The path that leads to life is very narrow . His name is Christ JESUS .
The love of the world is very inclusive and has opened many lanes to which they claim will lead to GOD
but in the end it is perdition of ungodly men for those who traveled that road .
The LOVE of GOD points to CHRIST JESUS and offers up no other hope
The love of the world tries to turn JESUS into the ministir of their sins
The LOVE of GOD changes the hearts of the believer , they have turned from the love of sins
and have love for truth and righteousness upon their hearts .
We better beware . Any love that gives the idea its fine and good to hold certain rainbows of a certain community
IS not coming from GOD
and any love that gives the idea it dont matter what religoin one is of , dont matter what they beleived or did not believe
that so long as they just loved their neighbor , IS NOT COMING FROM GOD but from the world
from the carnal minds of men which indeed are influenced by The dragon .
There is a delusion , a way , which seems so right and loving to the world , but its ways are of death
and leads only to the second death .

 

[amigo de christo]

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And does it not clearly say all who loved a lie , the unbelieving will have their part in the lake of fire .
And does that same book not also say , GOD will add the plagues written in this book
and their name out of the book of life , to all who added to or took from that book .
OH it DOES say that . SO my advice to those who try and say otherwise of that which is written in that book
or those who try and ADD TO IT ..........................DONT or prepare to face the punishments written in that book .
We got folks omitting or airconditioning the lake of fire . We got folks
trying to say other relgions are fine too
we got folks saying many things . my advice to them is , DONT ADD TOO ,or TAKE FROM GOD s WORD
from that book . or prepare to reap the punishemnts .

 

[Jane_Doe22]

Not really, God actually does have a favorite color.
And your child knew you when she was in your womb
as her MOTHER.

I’m not sure what you are getting at here.

 

[amigo de christo]

In Christ we have all we need . He is our hope and salvation and has given us the comforter
by which we are taught of Him . let us not be distracted by that which surrounds us in the world .
Let us rather be diligent in the scriptures to stir one another up and in prayer
and being hearers and doers of the Word . The SPIRIT supplies us both the desires from GOD
by which we do the things pleasing to HIM . IF any voice , person , spirit comes and speaks
a word that is contrary to what GOD has said , then that voice must not be heeded .
Test the spirits and heed not the flesh . Remember , THE SPIRIT gives us the desire and ability
to Do the things PLEASING , acceptable to GOD . Sin is not pleasing nor acceptable to GOD .
The flesh is contrary . It will pop thoughts that are contrary to GOD into the mind
but the SPIRIT reminds us , THIS IS NOT pleasing to GOD , and thus DO NOT HEED that thought .
We must heed the SPIRIT and not the contrary flesh . And GOD has given us
the power to do so THROUGH and IN JESUS CHRIST . ONLY, let us HEED the SPIRIT and not the flesh .
IF we would return to daily bible reading , this will help us greatly . Those words , by power of the SPIRIT ,
will remind us , will stir us up to remembrance , will build us up by the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT
which indwells the lambs . Get well dug in the scriptures again my friends .

 

[The Learner]

I’m not sure what you are getting at here.

dear lady it has to do with how well you know Jesus.

 

[The Learner]

“Our first parents and the original forms of life of every kind and specie were placed on earth in a paradisiacal state. In that state there was no procreation, no death, no mortality (as we know it), and no blood flowing in the veins of man or of the animal kingdom. Then came the fall, the effects of which passed upon all mankind and upon every form of life. Sorrow and disease and death entered the world. Man and all created things were able to procreate and reproduce their kind. Blood began to flow in the veins of man and beast. Their bodies underwent a change and they became mortal” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man, p. 643).

 

[The Learner]

“Jesus told Adam and Eve to offer sacrifices to our Father in Heaven. One day an angel came to Adam and asked him why he was offering sacrifices. Adam said he did not know why, except that Jesus
had told him to do it. The angel then told Adam the reason for
the law and taught Adam the gospel. Jesus was pleased with Adam
because Adam obeyed Him even before knowing the reason for
the law” (Gospel Fundamentals, 2002, p. 127).

 

[The Learner]

“And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the prince, the archangel” (Doctrine and Covenants 107:54). “And the voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and of divers angels, from Michael or Adam down to the present time, all declaring their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:21). Joseph Smith “Three years previous to the death of Adam, he called Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch and Methuselah, who were High Priests, with the residue of his posterity, who were righteous, into the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon them his last blessing” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 38). “The Priesthood was first given to Adam; he obtained the First Presidency, and held the keys of it from generation to generation. He obtained it in the Creation, before the world was formed, as in Genesis 1:26, 27, 28. He had dominion given him over every living creature. He is Michael the Archangel, spoken of in the Scriptures” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 157). 2nd President Brigham Young “Every world has had an Adam, and an Eve: named so, simply because the first man is always called Adam, and the first woman Eve; and the Oldest Son has always had the privilege of being Ordained, Appointed and Called to be the Heir of the Family, if he does not rebel against the Father, and he is the Saviour of the family. Every world that has been created, has been created upon the same principle” (Brigham Young, The Essential Brigham Young, p. 93). “When our father Adam came into the Garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him” (Brigham Young, April 9, 1852, Journal of Discourses 1:50). “I tell you, when you see your Father in the Heavens, you will see Adam; when you see your Mother that bear your spirit, you will see Mother Eve. And when you see yourselves there you have gained your Exaltation; you have honored your calling here on the Earth; your body has returned to its mother Earth; and somebody has broken the chains of death that bound you, and given you a resurrection” (Brigham Young, The Essential Brigham Young, p. 99). “You believe Adam was made of the dust of this earth. This I do not believe, though it is supposed that it is so written in the Bible; but it is not, to my understanding. You can write that information to the States, if you please—that I have publicly declared that I

 

[The Learner]

SALVATION Standard Works “For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (The Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:23). 2nd President Brigham Young “To explain how much confidence we should have in God, were I using a term to suit myself, I should say implicit confidence. I have faith in my God, and that faith corresponds with the works I produce. I have no confidence in faith without works. My faith is, when we have done all we can, then the Lord is under obligation, and will not disappoint the faithful; he will perform the rest” (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 155. Italics in original). “Every ordinance, every commandment and requirement is necessary for the salvation of the human family” (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 152. )

“Is there liberty in this obedience? Yes, and the only plan on the face of the earth for the people to gain real liberty is to yield obedience to these simple principles. Not but that we should find a great many who do not exactly understand how to yield obedience, strictly, to the requirements of heaven for their own salvation and exaltation; but no person can be exalted in the kingdom of heaven without first submitting himself to the rules, regulations, laws and ordinances of that kingdom, and being perfectly subject to them in every respect” (Brigham Young, October 9, 1872, Journal of Discourses 15:220). 4th President Wilford Woodruff “‘What shall we do to be saved’ was the cry of the people who heard the preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecost, and the same may be said to be applicable to all men in every generation. The answer would be, obey the law of the Gospel. This is the safe means given for the salvation of the human family” (Wilford Woodruff, May 14, 1882, Journal of Discourses 23:126). “HOW TO OBTAIN FULL SALVATION. If I ever obtain a full salvation it will be by my keeping the laws of God” (Wilford Woodruff, The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 23. See also Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, p. 71). 5th President Lorenzo Snow “The true gospel requires works. When the gospel dispensation was introduced, gifts and blessings were obtained upon similar principles—that is, upon obedience to certain established rules. The Lord still marked out certain acts, promising to all those who would do them certain peculiar privileges; and when those acts were performed—observed in every particular—then the blessings promised were sure to be realized. Some vainly imagine that, under the gospel dispensation, gifts and blessings are obtained not by external observances, or external works, but merely through faith and repentance, through mental operations, independent of physical. But, laying aside the traditions, superstitions, and creeds of men, we will look to the word of God, where we shall discover that external works, or outward ordinances, under the gospel dispensation, were inseparably connected with inward works, such as faith and repentance” (Lorenzo Snow, The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, pp. 16-17. Italics in original).

 

[The Learner]

6th President Joseph F. Smith “The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation, and it is absolutely necessary for every man and woman in the Church of Christ to work righteousness, to observe the laws of God, and keep the commandments that He has given, in order that they may avail themselves of the power of God unto salvation in this life” (Joseph F. Smith, Conference Reports, October 1907, p. 3). “I do not believe that a man is saved in this life by believing, or professing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, but that he must endure to the end and keep the commandments that are given” (Joseph F. Smith, Conference Reports, April 1915, p. 119). 10th President Joseph Fielding Smith “One of the most pernicious doctrines ever advocated by man, is the doctrine of ‘justification by faith alone,’ which has entered into, the hearts of millions since the days of the so-called ‘reformation’” (Joseph Fielding Smith, The Restoration of All Things, 1964,

 

[The Learner]

“Salvation is twofold: General - that which comes to all men irrespective of a belief (in this life) in Christ- and, Individual - that which man merits through his own acts through life and by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 1:134. Italics in original). “It is the purpose of the Almighty to save all of mankind, and all will enter into his kingdoms in some degree of glory, except sons of perdition who sin beyond the power of repentance and redemption, and therefore cannot receive forgiveness of sins. All the rest shall be saved, but not all with the same degree of glory or exaltation” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:21). “All that we can do for ourselves we are required to do. We must do our own repenting; we are required to obey every commandment and live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. If we will do this, then we are freed from the consequences of our own sins. The plan of salvation is based on this foundation. No man can be saved without complying with these laws” (Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection, p. 172). “If men would acquire salvation, they have got to be subject, before they leave this world, to certain rules and principles, which were fixed by an unalterable decrees before the world was… any person who is exalted to the highest mansion has to abide a celestial law, and the whole law too” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Man: His Origin and Destiny, p. 537. Ellipsis mine). 11th President Harold B. Lee “But all of these blessings are ours on one condition, and this is spoken of by Nephi, when he said: For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, [but mark you this condition,] after all we can do” (Harold B. Lee, Conference Reports, April 1956, p. 111. Brackets and italics in original). “How can this cleansing take place? The answer is: through holy ordinances which the Lord has established for that purpose. We are saved by grace, yes, through the atonement of the Master, but Nephi taught this other principle: ‘... for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do’(2 Nephi 25:23)” (Harold B. Lee, Conference Reports, October 1956, p. 62. Ellipses in original). “Herein is defined ... individual salvation, which comes to each, dependent upon his own conduct and his own life. But we [also] have what we call ‘general’ [salvation], that which comes upon all mankind, whether they are good or bad, rich or poor, when they have lived—it makes no difference. All have the blessings of the Atonement and the blessings of the resurrection given to them as a free gift because of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice” (Harold B. Lee, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 2000, pp. 22- 23. Ellipsis and brackets in original). 12th President Spencer W. Kimball “One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 206. See also The Book of Mormon Student Manual Religion 121 and 122, 1989, p. 36). “We have discussed elsewhere that other class of people who are basically unrepentant because they are not ‘doing the commandments.’ They are Church members who are steeped in lethargy.

 

[The Learner]

They are good citizens and splendid neighbors, but spiritually speaking they seem to be in a long, deep sleep. They are doing nothing seriously wrong except in their failures to do the right things to earn their exaltation” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 211-212). “Many in the world, and even some in the Church, seem to think that eventually the Lord will be merciful and give them the unearned blessing. But the Lord cannot be merciful at the expense of justice” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 249). “The Lord’s program is unchangeable. His laws are immutable. They will not be modified. Your opinions or mine do not make any difference and do not alter the laws. Many of the world think that eventually the Lord will be merciful and give to them unearned blessings. Mercy cannot rob justice. College professors will not give you a doctorate degree for a few weeks of cursory work in the university, nor can the Lord be merciful at the expense of justice. In this program, which is infinitely greater, we will each receive what we merit. Do not take any chances whatever” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 150). 13th President Ezra Taft Benson “What is meant by ‘after all we can do’? ‘After all we can do’ includes extending our best effort. ‘After all we can do’ includes living His commandments. ‘After all we can do’ includes loving our fellowmen and praying for those who regard us as their adversary. ‘After all we can do’ means clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and giving ‘succor [to] those who stand in need of [our] succor’ (Mosiah 4:15)-remembering that what we do unto one of the least of God’s children, we do unto Him (see Matthew 25:34-40; D&C 42:38). ‘After all we can do’ means leading chaste, clean, pure lives, being scrupulously honest in all our dealings and treating others the way we would want to be treated” (Ezra Taft Benson, The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 354. Brackets in original). “We will never be alone if we live as we should, because our Father will always be with us to bless us. He wants us to be successful. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to achieve the good goals we set. He will do His part if we do our part” (Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, 2014, p. 74). 16th President Thomas S. Monson “By obedience to God’s commandments, we can qualify for that ‘house’ spoken of by Jesus when He declared: “In my Father’s house are many mansions. … I go to prepare a place for you … that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3)” (Thomas S. Monson, “An Invitation to Exaltation,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 1988, p. 54. Ellipses in original). “God our Father, and Jesus Christ, our Lord, have marked the way to perfection. They beckon us to follow eternal verities and to become perfect, as they are perfect (see Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48)” (Thomas S. Monson, “An Invitation to Exaltation,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 1988, p. 54). First Presidency “They [Mormon missionaries] made clear distinction between general salvation or resurrection from the grave and individual salvation or exaltation earned by a man through his compliance with the laws of God. They taught that there are preferential places in heaven as there are on earth and that the highest place or Celestial Kingdom could be attained only by those who faithfully subscribe to and keep all the laws and ordinances Of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and thereby entitle themselves to come into the presence of our God and Jesus Christ, His Son” (Stephen L Richards, Conference Reports, April 1941, pp. 102-103. Brackets mine). “The Church also accepts the scriptural doctrine that following the resurrection each person—then an immortal soul—will be arraigned before the bar of God’s justice and receive a final judgment based on his performance during his mortal probation, that the verdict will turn on obedience or disobedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. If these laws and ordinances have been complied with during mortal life, the candidate will be cleansed from the stain of sin by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ and be saved in the celestial kingdom of God, there to enjoy with God eternal life. Those who have not complied with the laws and ordinances of the gospel will receive a lesser reward” (Marion G. Romney, “How Men Are Saved,” Ensign (Conference Edition), Nov.1974, p. 39). “Let us work for what we need. Let us be self-reliant and independent. Salvation can be obtained on no other principle. Salvation is an individual matter, and we must work out our own salvation, in temporal as well as in spiritual things. Paul’s statement, ‘By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast’ (Eph. 2:8-9), has been misunderstood. Some have interpreted it to mean that works are not necessary. This is an erroneous conclusion. The truth is that we are saved by grace only after all we ourselves can do. (See 2 Ne. 25:23.) There will be no government dole which can get us through the pearly gates. Nor will anybody go into the celestial kingdom who wants to go there on the works of someone else. Every man must go through on his own merits. We might just as well learn this here and now” (Marion G. Romney, “In Mine Own Way”, Ensign (Conference Edition), November 1976, pp. 124-125). “Many people think they need only confess that Jesus is the Christ and then they are saved by grace alone. We cannot be saved by grace alone, ‘for we know that it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do’” (James Faust, Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2001, p. 18).

 

[The Learner]

EXALTATION Standard Works “Therefore, I must gather together my people, according to the parable of the wheat and the tares, that the wheat may be secured in the garners to possess eternal life, and be crowned with celestial glory, when I shall come in the kingdom of my Father to reward every man according as his work shall be; While the tares shall be bound in bundles, and their bands made strong, that they may be burned with unquenchable fire” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:65- 66). Joseph Smith “The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: ‘When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel— you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil [died] before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave’ (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 268). Joseph Smith taught: ‘It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God. ... He was once a man like us; ... God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did’ (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 345–46)” (Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 279. Ellipsis in original). 3rd President John Taylor “Hence, through His atonement, believers in Christ, and those who obey His law, partake of His glory and exaltation, and are inheritors of the Godhead; whilst those who do not obey His law although resurrected cannot inherit this exaltation; they are raised from the dead, but cannot inherit a celestial glory without being obedient to a celestial law, and thus we come again to a scripture quoted before” (John Taylor, Mediation and Atonement, 1950, p. 175. See also Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, p. 51). “We enter into obligations here as young men or young women, or as old men or old women, as the case may be, no matter what or how we enter into covenants before God, holy angels, and witnesses, and pledge ourselves in the most solemn manner to be

 

[The Learner]

true to these covenants. If we violate these covenants, and trample under foot the ordinances of God, we ought to be dealt with by the church and either repent of our sins or be cut off from the church, so that by purging the church from iniquity, we may be acceptable before God; for the Gods spoken of are not going to associate with every scalawag in existence; scalawags are not going where they are; and if men do not live according to the laws of a celestial kingdom, they are not going into a celestial glory; they cannot pass by the angels and the Gods, who are set to guard the way of life” (John Taylor, The Gospel Kingdom, pp. 18-19). “These eternal principles must be kept, and one principle is that no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God. What, then, will be the result? Why, the people I have referred to—people who do not keep the celestial law—will have to go into a lesser kingdom, into a terrestrial, or perhaps a telestial, as the case may be. Is this according to the law of God? Yes, for if they are not prepared for the celestial kingdom, they must go to such a one as they are prepared to endure” (John Taylor, The Gospel Kingdom, p. 19). 5th President Lorenzo Snow “We must work for our own exaltation. I cannot imagine anything that is so vastly important as to work for and obtain one’s own individual exaltation and glory. That undoubtedly is one great purpose for which we came into the world. When we lived in the other life we had no doubt some understanding with reference to our duties in this life when we were permitted to come to this our second estate. And very likely we put ourselves under certain obligations that we would discharge certain duties devolving upon us when we came here into our second estate. And we had rendered ourselves worthy to come upon this earth for the purpose of securing those blessings that could only be obtained by observing the laws pertaining to our present estate. (6 April 1898, CR, p. 12.)” (Lorenzo Snow, The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p. 95. Italics in original). “We do not all of us fully comprehend the blessings and privileges that are prepared in the gospel for us to receive. We do not fully comprehend and we do not have before our view the things which await us in the eternal worlds, nor indeed the things which await us in this life and that are calculated to promote our peace and happiness and answer the desires of our hearts” (Lorenzo Snow, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, 2012, p. 89). 6th President Joseph F. Smith “The object of our earthly existence is that we may have a fulness of joy, and that we may become the sons and daughters of God, in the fullest sense of the word, being heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ [see Romans 8:14–17], to be kings and priests unto God, to inherit glory, dominion, exaltation, thrones and every power and attribute developed and possessed by our Heavenly Father. This is the object of our being on this earth. In order to attain unto this exalted position, it is necessary that we go through this mortal experience, or probation, by which we may prove ourselves worthy, through the aid of our elder brother Jesus” (Joseph F. Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 1998, p. 150. Brackets in original). 8th President George Albert Smith “Now, brethren and sisters, somebody said in this conference that the same laws apply, the same rules govern today, and it is just as necessary for us to keep the commandments of our Heavenly Father today as it was for any of the prophets of old or any of his faithful sons and daughters who have lived upon the earth, who have earned a right to a place in the celestial kingdom. We can’t gain our exaltation by the good lives of our neighbors, but we can profit by their good example, and we can improve ourselves” (George Albert Smith, Conference Reports, April 1948, pp. 162-163). “We are living eternal life, and our position hereafter will be the result of our lives here. Every man will be judged according to his works, and he will receive only that degree of glory that he has earned. (Conference Reports, April 1945, p. 139.)” (George Albert Smith, The Teachings of George Albert Smith, p. 30). 10th President Joseph Fielding Smith “There was a council held in heaven, when the Lord called before him his spirit children and presented to them a plan by which they should come down on this earth; partake of mortal life and physical bodies; pass through a probation of mortality, and then go on to a higher exaltation through the resurrection which should be brought about through the atonement of his Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ. The thought of passing through mortality and partaking of all the vicissitudes of earth life in which they would gain experiences through suffering, pain, sorrow, temptation and affliction, as well as the pleasures of life in this mundane existence, and then, if faithful, passing on through the resurrection to eternal life in the kingdom of God, to be like him, filled them with the spirit of rejoicing, and they ‘shouted for joy,’ The experience and knowledge obtained in this mortal life they could not get in any other way, and the receiving of a physical body was essential to their exaltation” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 1:58). “Very gladly would the Lord give to everyone eternal life, but since that blessing can come only on merit—through the faithful performance of duty—only those who are worthy shall receive it. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:5). “Exaltation is the act of being raised or elevated, as in position or rank; it is to be magnified or glorified. So in the celestial kingdom those who pass by the gods who are set to guard the way to a fulness, receive exaltation. The telestial kingdom is not a kingdom of exaltation; the terrestrial kingdom is not a kingdom of exaltation, although it is higher than the telestial kingdom; and there will be many who will enter the celestial kingdom in their saved condition without an exaltation in it, for there are different degrees even in the celestial kingdom” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:12-13. Italics in original). “Exaltation is to dwell in the presence of God and to be like him” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:13. Italics in original). “NOT HALF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS TO BE SAVED. Those who receive the fulness will be privileged to view the face of our Father. There will not be such an overwhelming number of the Latter-day Saints who will get there. President Francis M. Lyman many times has declared, and he had reason to declare, I believe, that if we save one-half of the Latter-day Saints, that is, with an exaltation in the celestial kingdom of God, we will be doing well. Not that the Lord is partial, not that he will draw the line as some will say, to keep people out. He would have every one of us go in if we would; but there are laws and ordinances that we must keep; if we do not observe the law we cannot enter” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:15. Italics in original). “God is not going to save every man and woman in the celestial kingdom. If you want to get there, and you have failings; if you are

 

[The Learner]

committing sins; if you are breaking the commandments of the Lord, and you know it; it is a good time right now to repent and reform, and not get the idea that it is such a little thing that the Lord will forgive you; just a few stripes, just a little punishment and we will be forgiven; for you may find yourselves cast out, if you insist and persist in such a course” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:17). “To enter the celestial and obtain exaltation it is necessary that the whole law be kept. The word of the Lord is that they of the celestial world are those sanctified from all unrighteousness” (Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection, p. 206). “Do you desire to enter into the celestial kingdom and receive eternal life? Then be willing to keep all of the commandments the Lord may give you” (Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection, p. 207). “The exaltation to the celestial kingdom is so great that the Father is fully justified in making it dependent upon strict obedience to all of his commandments. The celestial kingdom is a kingdom of perfection. All who enter there must be thoroughly tried and proved and become perfect to inherit it” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Man: His Origin and Destiny, p. 532. Italics in original). “The Savior was emphatic in his statement that all should come forth, the righteous to receive the blessings of his kingdom, and the wicked to be punished for their rebellion. We may be sure that in his mercy, the Lord will do for all the best that can be done. Some will merit the exaltation, others punishment until they have paid the ‘uttermost farthing.’ The exaltation will be given to those who have kept the commandments and have been faithful to every covenant and obligation upon which the exaltation rests. Others will be assigned to such degree of glory, or lack of it, according to the deeds committed in the flesh; but the mercy of our Eternal Father and his Son Jesus Christ will give to all mankind, except those who have denied the Holy Spirit after they have received the blessings, some place where he will make them just as happy as he can in the terrestrial, telestial, or some other place, suited to their condition and capacity” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions 3:88-89). “Those who receive the exaltation in the celestial kingdom will have the ‘continuation of the seeds forever.’ They will live in the family relationship. We are taught in the gospel of Jesus Christ that the family organization will be, so far as celestial exaltation is concerned, one that is complete, an organization linked from father and mother and children of one generation to the father and mother and children of the next generation, and thus expanding and spreading out down to the end of time” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, 2013, p. 68). “In order to fulfill the purposes of our Eternal Father, there must be a union, husbands and wives receiving the blessings that are promised to those who are faithful and true that will exalt them to Godhood. A man cannot receive the fullness of the blessings of the kingdom of God alone, nor can the woman, but the two together can receive all the blessings and privileges that pertain to the fullness of the Father’s kingdom” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, 2013, p. 197). 11th President Harold B. Lee “There is only one objective so far as our Father’s work is concerned, and that is that in the end when we shall have finished our work here on earth, whether after a short space of time or a long, we too shall have overcome the world and have earned the right to that place called the Celestial Kingdom” (Harold B. Lee, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, pp. 230-231). 12th President Spencer W. Kimball “One may be saved in any one of three kingdoms of glory—the telestial, the terrestrial, or the celestial—but one can reach exaltation only in the highest of the three heavens or degrees in the celestial glory” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 8). “One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation. Along with all the other works necessary for man’s exaltation in the kingdom of God this could rule out the need for repentance. It could give license for sin and , since it does not require man to work out his salvation, could accept instead lip service, ‘death-bed repentance,’ and shallow, meaningless confession of sin” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 206-207). “However good a person’s works, he could not be saved had Jesus not died for his and everyone else’s sins. And however powerful the saving grace of Christ, it brings exaltation to no man who does not comply with the works of the gospel” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 207). “Immortality has been accomplished by the Savior’s sacrifice. Eternal life hangs in the balance awaiting the works of men” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 208). “After death we continue to learn. Exaltation means godhood, creatorship. ‘As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be’” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 53). “To the Corinthian saints, he explained that after the resurrection, there were three heavens or degrees of glory—the telestial, terrestrial, and celestial. In modern revelation, Joseph Smith amplifies these truths. All good people of every nation will be saved in one of these kingdoms, but neither Paul nor Peter nor modern prophets, nor the Lord himself, has ever promised celestial life or eternal life to any soul who does not live celestial laws” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 69). “Baptism into Christ’s true church by proper authority opens the doors for exaltation in the eternal kingdoms of glory, exaltation to be earned by repentance, by living righteously, keeping the commandments of the Lord, and service to one’s fellowmen” (Spencer W. Kimball, “The Stone Cut without Hands,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 1976, p. 7). “If we are true and faithful, we shall rise, not alone in immortality but unto eternal life. Immortality is to live forever in an assigned kingdom. Eternal life is to gain exaltation in the highest heaven and live in the family unit. One man said the other day, the only thing he didn’t like about the Mormon Church was that it claims to be the only one through which a man could be saved. I said, ‘Oh no, we make no such claim. We say that every good religionist and every good man who is not a religionist will be saved but there are degrees of salvation’” (Spencer W. Kimball, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 2006, p. 7). “It is true that many Latter-day Saints, having been baptized and confirmed members of the Church, and some even having

 

[The Learner]

received their endowments and having been married and sealed in the holy temple, have felt that they were thus guaranteed the blessings of exaltation and eternal life. But this is not so. There are two basic requirements every soul must fulfill or he cannot attain to the great blessings offered. He must receive the ordinances and he must be faithful, overcoming his weaknesses. Hence, not all who claim to be Latter-day Saints will be exalted” (Spencer W. Kimball, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 2006, p. 9. Italics in original). 13th President Ezra Taft Benson “There are members who know this latter-day work is true, but who fail to endure to the end. One who rationalizes that he or she has a testimony of Jesus Christ but cannot accept direction and counsel from the leadership of His Church is in a fundamentally unsound position and is in jeopardy of losing exaltation” (Ezra Taft Benson, The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 467). “I think that our Heavenly Father expects the youth of our Church to become exalted in the celestial kingdom. I guess all the rest is encompassed in that. We are not striving for the lower kingdoms. We are not candidates for the telestial or terrestrial kingdoms. The young people of this Church are candidates for the celestial kingdom and the highest degree of glory in that kingdom. That requires a great deal, a great deal that has to do with our dayto-day standards. This means not just going to Church, not just holding the priesthood, not just being married in the temple, not just being a good citizen, not just being happy, as measured by the world. It means living every standard of the Church fully” (Ezra Taft Benson, The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 560). 15th President Gordon B. Hinckley “To my Eternal Father I give thanks for that essence of divinity which is within each of us and for the gift of life which comes from Him. I thank my Redeemer for His supreme gift to all, the gift of eternal life” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “My Testimony,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 1993, p. 53). 16th President Thomas S. Monson “President Spencer W. Kimball has always been a prolific worker. He spent several summers working on a book which he later entitled The Miracle of Forgiveness. As one reads the book, particularly the first portion, one wonders if anyone will make it to the Celestial Kingdom. However, in reading the final portion, it is apparent that, with effort, all can qualify” (Thomas S. Monson, On the Lord’s Errand: The Memoirs of Thomas S. Monson, 1985, p. 342). “It is the celestial glory which we seek. It is in the presence of God we desire to dwell. It is a forever family in which we want membership. Such blessings must be earned” (Thomas Monson, “An Invitation to Exaltation,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 1988, p. 56). First Presidency “Hear it, O house of Israel! ye who are seeking to attain to the Celestial Kingdom of our Father—none but the pure in heart can see God; none but those who have sanctified all their affections and passions by entire and complete subservience to His laws can dwell in His eternal presence!” (John Taylor, George Q. Cannon, Messages of the First Presidency 3:62, March, 1886). “There will be immortality to all the sons and daughters of God, whether they are suffering for sin or have been redeemed; whether they are in the celestial, terrestrial or telestial worlds; but only those who attain to the celestial glory, and the power and dominion and exaltation, and the gift of everlasting increase, wherein their posterity will be multiplied worlds without end, have the real gift of eternal life. All their powers will be developed to the full” (Charles W. Penrose, Conference Reports, April 1901, p. 43). “Before we finally succeed, each individual must have played his own part. There can be no substitutions. No individual in the organization can afford to get out of step or lag behind, or, through lack of faith or determination, hinder the work of the Priesthood, and this must be so in either temporal or spiritual matters. Our Church is founded upon the premise that spiritual growth and exaltation must be earned by the efforts of the individual, and cannot result from the efforts of those who o preside over us” (Henry D. Moyle, Improvement Era, “The Church Security Program: Its Present and Future,” December 1937, p. 787). “There are preferential places and conditions in the hereafter, as there are here. The highest and most desirable is the celestial kingdom of our Father. In that kingdom and only there do intelligences attain their highest state of perfection. Only there do we have assurance of the reunion of families and the perpetuation of family relationship and eternal increase. In that kingdom man may ultimately become divine” (Stephen L. Richards, Conference Reports, April 1938, p. 24). “Thus we see that the atonement of Christ brings upon us the redemption from the dead. We all become fruits of the resurrection. Redemption from our own sins depends upon us. We are not saved from ourselves by grace alone as we are from Adam’s transgression. To understand this simple difference gives us the power to differentiate in large measure truth from error. When we seek the inspiration of God in answer to our prayers; he inspires us. We repent, and repentance leads us to an appreciation of the laws and ordinances of God by which man can, through his own effort, through the exercise of his own will power, lift himself from sin to righteousness. When he does this, he is on the way to eternal salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of our Heavenly Father” (Henry D. Moyle, Conference Reports, October 1959, p. 92). “The Lord has given us all that we need to know-that Christ is our Savior, the Redeemer of the world, the One through whom we attain that destiny which is marked out as possible for all of God’s children who earn it” (J. Reuben Clark, “President Clark Delivers Annual Easter Address,” Church News, April 23, 1960. p. 18). “Mercy will not rob justice, and the sealing power of faithful parents will only claim wayward children upon the condition of their repentance and Christ’s Atonement. Repentant wayward children will enjoy salvation and all the blessings that go with it, but exaltation is much more. It must be fully earned. The question as to who will be exalted must be left to the Lord in His mercy” (James E. Faust, “Dear Are the Sheep That Have Wandered,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2003, p. 62). “Our conviction is that God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to live the life that He does. We learn both the spiritual things and the secular things “so we may one day create worlds [and] people and govern them” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 386)” (Henry B. Eyring, “Education for Real Life,” Ensign, October 2002, p. 21). “It is hard to know when we have done enough for the Atonement to change our natures and so qualify us for eternal life” (Henry B. Eyring, “This Day,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2007, p. 90).