My LDS friend, the greatest blessing of being a latter-day saint--in fact, the greatest possible blessing that any religion could seek--is this:
To Dwell With Heavenly Father
for time and all eternity...
Given the above reality, allow me to pose to you the three most imporant questions in human existence...
Question #1: Do you have this blessing?
(If you died today and the judgment was held tomorrow, have you met the requirements for dwelling in Heavenly Father's celestial kingdom?)
The celestial kingdom is of utmost importance, not some lesser place. Please click here to see why, then return..
Understand this: since God is holy and righteous, here is what God requires of you to dwell with Him by LDS teachings:
Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:57 "Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for No unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence."
Since no one is without sin, there is only one way to be clean so that we can dwell in His presence: that is to receive His pardon of all our sins forever.
Question #2: Do you know that you are forgiven?
Forgiveness of some sins is not enough, for you must be forgiven of all your sins to be clean. Forgiveness for a little while is not long enough, for you must be clean forever to dwell with Heavenly Father.
There is nothing more important to us than God's forgiveness. With His forgiveness we have everything. Without it we have nothing. So, do you have complete assurance that you know for certain right now that you have exaltation with Heavenly Father? Do you have total confidence that your record book is absolutely purged of all sin for time and all eternity? Do you know that you are completely legally cleansed by His pardon? Do you await eagerly for Christ's return (and subsequent judgment) because you have been declared washed and "holy without spot?"
Question #3: What are the requirements for you to obtain God's total pardon of all sin forever; and can it even be done?
To continue reading will demand that you are honest with yourself. God makes the rules, not you. Many Mormons do not understand how forgiveness is obtained by their own religion. The authoritative sources given below are not intended to be argumentative, but to help you clarify what you must believe if you sustain the general authorities of the Church. Don't make up your own rules, but study the authoritative sources given below, and face the reality of your own religion's teachings.
The Way to Heavenly Father:
By LDS Doctrine
(For another way, advance ahead in this document.)
1. The Lord's Part: Jesus bled in Gethsemene to provide atonement "opportunity" for past sins only, if...
2. Your part: faith, ordinances, and Permanent Repentance. At a point in time (in this life) you must totally stop all sins, never repeat them, and begin keeping all the commandments perfectly. Your moral perfection erases the problem of future sin, and at that point (if you've truly repented) your past is cleansed by His blood.
LDS CONDITIONS FOR REMISSION OF SINS
Book of Mormon: Moroni 10:32,33 "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength [If ye love me, keep my commandments], then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot."
CAN I BE FORGIVEN?
Spencer W. Kimball, Repentance Brings Forgiveness (tract): "The Lord and his church can forgive, but not easily... There is forgiveness if you totally repent."
HOW TO BE FORGIVEN IN LDS PLAN
Spencer W. Kimball, Repentance Brings Forgiveness: "Remember that to obtain forgiveness from the Lord and his Church one must:
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realize the seriousness of the sin and pray in great humility and sorrow,
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forsake the sin and not repeat it,
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confess the sin to the bishop or other Church authority [for serious sins],
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restore as far as possible that which was damaged, and
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live all the commandments of the Lord.
And when he has fasted enough, suffered enough, and when his heart is right, he may expect that forgiveness will come..."
REPENTING BY KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS
D&C 18:46 "And after that you have received this, if you keep not my commandments you cannot be saved in the kingdom of my Father"
D&C 25:15 "Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive. And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come."
Proverbs 23:7 "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." Jeremiah 17:10 "I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways..."
James 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
Spencer W. Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, p.286: "...we are commanded to be supermen. Said the Lord, 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.' (Matt. 5:48) We are gods in embryo, and the Lord demands perfection of us."
WHAT THE LDS CHURCH MEANS BY "REPENT"
Spencer W. Kimball, Repentance Brings Forgiveness: "The forsaking of sin must be a permanent one. True repentance does not permit making the same mistake again."
D&C 82:7 "Go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God."
WHAT ABOUT "LITTLE" SINS?
Spencer W. Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, p.16: "And let us not suppose that in calling people to repentance the prophets are concerned only with the more grievous sins such as murder, adultery, stealing, and so on, nor only with those persons who have not accepted the gospel ordinances. All transgressions must be cleansed, all weaknesses must be overcome, before a person can attain perfection and godhood."
REPENTING OF NOT DOING ENOUGH
Spencer W. Kimball, Repentance Brings Forgiveness (tract): "If the sinner neglects his tithing, misses his meetings, breaks the Sabbath, or fails in his prayers and other responsibilities, he is not completely repentant."
Spencer W. Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, p.95,97: "Shirking of responsibility in the kingdom, brings inevitable condemnation... Declining to serve when called may constitute a sin of omission... if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it..."
ISN'T IT ENOUGH TO TRY MY BEST?
Spencer W. Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, p.164: "Trying is not sufficient. Nor is repentance complete when one merely tries to abandon sin."
Spencer W. Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, p.8: "The Lord will not translate one's good hopes and desires and intentions into works. Each of us must do that for himself."
WHAT ABOUT GRACE "AFTER ALL WE CAN DO..." ?
(You "can do" every commandment, if you will.)
1 Nephi 3:7 "...for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."
Matthew 5:20,27-30 "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven... Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." (Have you really done all that you can do?)
Matthew 19:21 "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." (Have you done all that you can do?)
HOW DO I KNOW IF I'VE STOPPED SINNING?
Can I ever be sure that I am forgiven?
Spencer W. Kimball, Repentance Brings Forgiveness: "The repenting person must start on the never-ending task of keeping the commandments of the Lord. Obviously this can hardly be done in a day, a week, a month, or a year, but must go on all one's life"
Spencer W. Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, p.325: "It depends upon you whether or not you are forgiven, and when. It could be weeks, it could be years, it could be centuries before that happy day when you have the positive assurance that the Lord has forgiven you. That depends on your humility, your sincerity, your works, your attitudes."
I DON'T HAVE TO STOP ALL MY SINS IN THIS LIFE... DO I?
(Eternal progression does not include repentance.)
Alma 34:32-35 "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors. ...I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world. For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked."
ARE YOU READY?
Alma 5:27-32 "Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed...? Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life. Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless."
THE LDS WAY OF SALVATION IN A NUTSHELL
Consistent with all the quotes you have just read above, the following summary of the LDS way of salvation in order to dwell with Heavenly Father in his kingdom has been affirmed by LDS Church headquarters to me as an accurate summary. Here it is:
“In Mormonism, before you can be forgiven of a particular sin by the atonement, you must successfully stop that sin permanently. So, in order to be forgiven of all sin for time and all eternity, you must successfully stop all sin permanently.”
Do you know anyone who has done this?
The Way to Heavenly Father:
The Bible's Good News
1. The Lord's Part: Jesus died on the cross to completely pay the penalty for man's sinful heart and deeds, so that a Holy God could rightly, sovereignly choose to declare a total legal pardon for all time to the unworthy. He does this to reconcile us to Himself so that we can dwell with Him in eternal life and enjoy all the riches of heaven as a free gift. The magnitude of this gift transforms our heart, and, from this, our actions.
2. Your part: Receive it by believing the promise. (Faith, trust)
John 6:47 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath [exaltation] everlasting life." (LDS footnote says "exaltation.")
Romans 4:3 "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."
HE PERFECTS OUR RECORD BOOK
Hebrews 10:14 "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Past tense. Already done.)
Colossians 2:13-14 "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;"
HOW DIFFERENT IS THE FORGIVENESS OF JESUS!
Luke 7:37-50 "And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
THE OLD WAGES vs. THE NEW GIFT
Romans 3:20-25 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood..."
Romans 4:4,5; 6:23 "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness... For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
A gift is free, or it is not a gift. Imagine that your dearest friend was leaving for a time, and offered you an expensive and very sentimental and meaningful gift, like his grandfather's ring. First, it is important to remember that such a gift is never forced, but offered. It must be received willingly or it cannot be yours. Secondly, you would not consider diving into your wallet to find a few dollars to help defray part of the cost of the ring. It would be the highest of insults to your dear friend. Thirdly, if it had such high sentimental value you would not cheapen his gift by immediately hocking it for cash, or throwing it on the ground. So it is with the greatest gift that Heavenly Father could offer: the gift of a full pardon, a legal declaration of righteousness, and eternal life in His presence in the celestial kingdom. Though it is offered freely, it is not cheap, for it cost Him the life blood of our precious Savior in order to offer it. It does not give license to sin, but on the contrary moves us to keep the first and all-encompassing command, to love God, without even trying to muster it.
WHAT SHALL I DO TO DO THE WORKS OF GOD?
John 6:28-29 "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
WHO ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD?
John 1:12-13 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
Romans 10:8-13 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
DO YOU BELIEVE JESUS?
John 6:47 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath [exaltation] everlasting life."
1 John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life"
Do you know that you have eternal life, exalted in God's presence? If not, you don't believe Him, because faith is the "substance of things hoped for." (Heb.11:1) Jesus promised exaltation if you believe. Faith is the first principle of the gospel. If you do not believe His promise, no amount of works in the world will make any difference for you. Your good works are dead. But your life can change right now. Jesus loves you so much He wants to declare an eternal pardon of all your sin. Choose now to take the Lord (not a church) at His word! It is a decision. Don't depend upon feelings; just believe His word, tell the Lord of your decision, and write this day down on your calendar so as to never forget it! Then you can truly say, "I know I am forgiven. I have legal perfection. I do know that I have eternal life." Because nothing in all the world is as certain as the promise of God. If you make this decision, understanding what it cost Him to give you this forgiveness, your life will never be the same. Good works will flow out of you like living water.
YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO JESUS' RETURN
Titus 2:13 "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
2 Timothy 4:8 "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."
My LDS friend, while there are many questions with Mormonism, there is none so important as the fact that it cannot save or offer any certain hope. Dwelling with Heavenly Father is everything, yet Mormons do not have it--by their own doctrine. The message of this web page is not to harm your faith, but to build it. Faith in God, that is. I would be delighted to talk with you more about anything you have questions about via email. It is because of love that I want to be of help to you.
YOUR DECISION FOR CHRIST (click the salvation icon above)...
Yes. I am making my decision today to receive the free gift of forgiveness of all my sins forever. If I have ever been unsure in the past, I want to be sure of it now. I am choosing this day to trust the promise and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ based upon His death in my place upon the cross. I will henceforth never depend upon my own worthiness and righteousness in even the smallest measure to obtain the forgiveness He has already paid for. I have told God of my irrevocable decision, and I would like to let you know, Mark, so that you can be praying for me.
(E-mail Mark Champneys now by clicking the salvation icon above. If the above paragraph reflects your decision, perhaps you might even copy it and paste it into your email to me! I would love to hear from you.)