Kimball Quotes from the Miracles of Forgiveness

Kimball Quotes - Miracles of Forgiveness

"For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God...."  Alma 34:32    Page 1

"...God created man to live in mortality and endowed him with the potential to perpetuate the race, to subdue the earth, to perfect himself and to become as God, omniscient and omnipotent."  Page 2

"But will one receive eternal life on the basis of his good intentions?  Can one enter a country, receive a scholastic degree, and so on, on the strength of good intent unsupported by appropriate action?  Samuel Johnson remarked that 'hell is paved with good intentions.'  The Lord will not translate one's good hopes and desires and intentions into works.  Each of us must do that for himself."  Page 8

"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."  Alma 34:32

"This life is the time to repent. That is why I presume it will take a thousand years after the first resurrection until the last group will be prepared to come forth.  It will take them a thousand years to do what it would have taken but three-score and ten to accomplish in this life."  Melvin J. Ballard, "Three Degrees of Glory."  Page 11

"No Unclean Thing Can Enter"  Heading, page 19

"But to God who is perfection, cleanliness means moral and personal cleanliness.  Less than that is, in one degree or another, uncleanliness and hence cannot dwell with God."  Page 19

"Akin to many of the other sins is that of the covenant-breaker.  The person baptized promises to keep all the laws and commandments of God.  He has partaken of the sacrament and re-pledged his allegiance and his fidelity, promising and covenanting that he will keep all God's laws.  Numerous folks have gone to the temples and have re-covenanted that they would live all the commandments of God, keep their lives clean, devoted, worthy, and serviceable.  Yet many there are who forget their covenants and break the commandments, sometimes deliberately tempting the faithful away with them."  Page 57

"But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come."  Doctrine and Covenants 84:41  Page 117

"When a member of the Church is adjudged guilty of murder or what seems to approach the terrible crime, consideration should be given to excommunication, which in most cases is the penalty required."  Page 131

"By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins - behold, he will confess them and forsake them."  Doctrine & Covenants 58:43

"The saving power does not extend to him who merely wants to change his life.  True repentance prods on to action."  Page 163

"Nor is repentance complete when one merely tries to abandon sin.  To try with a weakness of attitude and effort is to assure failure in the face of Satan's strong counteracting efforts.  What is needed is resolute action."  Page 164

"To 'try' is weak. To 'do the best I can' is not strong.  We must always do better than we can."
Page 165

"One must have the opportunity of committing wrong in order to be really repentant... That is why we should not wait for the life beyond but should abandon evil habits and weaknesses while in the flesh on the earth."  Page 168

"Thus when a man has made up his mind to change his life, there must be no turning back."
Page 170

"Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven."
Doctrines & Covenants 1:32   Page 201

"I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;"  D&C 132:31   Page 201

"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."  Page 206

"This progress toward eternal life is a matter of achieving perfection.  Living all the commandments guarantees total forgiveness of sins and assures one of exaltation through that perfection which comes by complying with the formula the Lord gave us.  In his Sermon on the Mount he made the command to all men: 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.'  (Matt. 5:48)  Being perfect means to triumph over sin.  This is a mandate from the Lord.  He is just and wise and kind.  He would never require anything from his children which was not for their benefit and which was not attainable..  Perfection therefore is an achievable goal."  Page 209

"Advancement to perfection can nevertheless be rapid if one resolutely strides toward the goal."
Page 210

"Numerous members of the Church will be disappointed.  All will fail of these blessings who fail to live worthy lives, even though the temple ordinances have been done for them."  Page 246

"While in this probation and in this life certainly mean the period of our mortal lives."  Page 248

"But they procrastinated the day of their preparation.  The same lamentable cry of 'Too late!' will apply to many of today's Church members who did not heed the warning but who proceeded- sometimes carelessly, sometimes defiantly - to bind themselves through mortality to those who could not or would not prepare for the blessings which were in reserve for them."
"The Lord's program is unchangeable.  His laws are immutable.  They will not be modified. Your opinion or mine does not alter the laws.  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."  Page 249

"There must be works - many works - and an all-out, total surrender, with a great humility and 'a broken heart and a contrite spirit.'  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."  Page 325

"It is that the former transgressor must have reached a 'point of no return' to sin wherein there is not merely a renunciation but also a deep abhorrence of the sin - where the sin becomes most distasteful to him and where the  desire or urge to sin is cleared out of his life."  Page 355

Brother V & Veggies and Ice Cream

If

Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash

Then

                                                        Photo by Alex Shu on Unsplash
      

Can you think of three people that have denied themselves of ALL UNGODLINESS?  We are not talking of 90%, 95%  or even 99% of ungodliness.  All means 100% of ungodliness.  Are there three people that you can think of that qualify?  Do you know three people who love God with ALL their might, mind and strength?  Again, we are not talking of those who love God with 50%, 80% or even 98%  of their might, mind and strength.  The word ALL means 100%.  If you are thinking of those three people, you can put them into Moroni 10:32.  It includes an if-then statement.  Keith Walker from Evidence Ministries compares this to an if-then statement about dinner: "If you finish your vegetables, then you can have some dessert.")  With your three, 100%, people in mind, we can read from Moroni 10:32, "...if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you,..."   When do you get the grace?  You get it after denying yourself of all ungodliness and loving God with all your might, mind and strength.  So who gets the needed grace?  Only the three people you thought of get the grace.  You may not have been able to think of anyone.
      This is the verse that Brother V. used with his revelation about grace in sacrament meeting.  In his grace revelation he learned that we cannot meet God half way.  It is not 50 - 50.  We cannot be saved by the law.  It is all about grace.  This is why Jesus was so hard on the pharasees.  They were keeping the law and trusting in their righteous works.  It was not about the law.  Jesus was accused of hanging out with sinners, gluttons and drunkards.  Obviously, they were the ones that realized they needed God's grace and mercy.  It was easy for Brother V. to find New Testament examples of God's grace and mercy.  It was harder for him to find them in the Book of Mormon.  But if you water down this verse in Moroni and twist it some, you can apply it to everyone.

Free Grace

      

Mormons have a better example of grace.  It is baptism for the dead.  The dead man or woman cannot do much.  They cannot pay tithes, pray, attend church, love others, speak kind words or show empathy.  They cannot even repent.  They can do nothing since they are dead.  When someone is baptized for them, it is simply a gift.  It is not earned in any way.  The worker does it for free for the dead person.  This is an act of pure grace.
      Brother V. had another revelation that we are not under the curse.  Now we know that you only have to kill one person to be a murderer.  You only have to steal once to be a thief.  You only have to sin one time to be a sinner.  If God is going to look into the dark motives of our heart, we are all in trouble.  Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.'"  When Jesus hung on the cross, he hung there in our place.  We should have died on the cross for our many sins.  Again the Book of Mormon does not offer this to everyone.  In Alma 34, it is only for those who repent.  In Alma 34:35, an individual can choose to procrastinate repentance and wind up in hell as their "final state" of existence.
      Grace and freedom from the curse were two fine revelations by Brother V. in sacrament meeting.

Sacrament with 2 Gospels

   

  

Yesterday's sacrament meeting had two different speakers representing two different gospels.  It was a husband and wife team with two different viewpoints.  The wife spoke first.  She emphasized a pre-mortal life where we were the spiritual offspring of God in heaven before we came to this earth.  She generously said that we are all children of God.  She said that God's divinity is in our DNA.  Through the many good deeds of the members present, God was being presented.  His light or divinity shines through us as we are kind and loving.  This self-saving gospel is found in 2 Nephi 24:12-16 where an angel tried to ascend and become "like" God.  "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!  For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."   (This passage is also found in Isaiah 14:12-16.)
       In the Garden of Eden, Eve was also presented with this self-saving gospel.  The serpent told her that she could be like a goddess through gaining knowledge.  Genesis 3:3&4 says, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
      Psalm 82:6&7 says, "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes."
      The second speaker, the husband, presented a gospel of grace.  He questioned why the Jesus was so hard on the Pharisees when they were the ones who were keeping the law.  This is true - Jesus was hard on them.  Jesus said to the Jews in John 8:44, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...."  In Matthew 23:27-33, Jesus said "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.  Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"    He seemed to be saying that many were getting off track with 2 Nephi 25:23: "...it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."  He said there is no meeting God half way.  He said you cannot be saved through keeping the law.
      He also pointed out that Jesus was accused of hanging out with sinners too much.  He said it is about grace.  He said he was drawn to the New Testament Jesus and his emphasis on grace.  I agree with the speaker.  Jesus spent time teaching the woman at the well in John 4.  She had had 5 husbands and was with a man that was not her husband.  He did not tell her to get her life cleaned up and come back in 6 months to talk.  He talked and taught her about worship right then and there.  In  Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells us a story about a law-keeping Pharisee and a publican.  "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee and the other a publican.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."  What a powerful story of God's grace?!
      In Ephesians 2:8-9, the Apostle Paul wrote, "For 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."
      In regard to the first speaker, the book of Mormon does not say that we are all God's children.  It commands us to repent and become a child of God.  Mosiah 7:24-26 says, "For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.  And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."
      In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul refuted the Jews.  The Jews were pushing circumcision which represented the mosaic law.  In Galatians 1:8 Paul said, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."  
      May the Great God, the unchangeable being found in Moroni 8:18 draw us closer to Him through His Holy Spirit.  God's grace to all.

Repentance

Is hell a reality?  The devil says it is not a reality.

2 Nephi 28:21-23  "And others will he (the devil) pacify, and loll them away into carnal security, that they will say: all is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well - and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.  And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none - and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.  Ye, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment."

Is hell a place for people who have procrastinated in repenting?

Alma 34:35  "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."

Is this really the final state of repentance procrastinators?  Isn't there some kind of work that can be done for them?

Alma 34:33  "And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, 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."

Obviously a person in such a situation would want a chance to escape.

Alma 34:34  "You 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;..."

Many people say that repentance is a "gradual process" - it takes time.  However, we are not guaranteed tomorrow.  We may not have time for a gradual process.  We could die in a car wreck.  We could be hit by a drunk driver or a texting driver.  Some people will die of heart attacks and strokes.  It is best to repent right now!

Alma 34:31-32  "Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.  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."

Does it sound too easy?

2 Nephi 25:23  "..;for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

For those of us who are hard-headed, it is after we try and do all we can do that we realize it is NOT enough.  We actually do have to depend on God's grace, not ourselves, to save us.

The self-righteous Jews stated that Abraham was their father and God was their father. They were irate when Jesus said their father was the devil.

John 8:44  "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...."

The Book of Mormon claims that we must be "born again" and "become His sons and daughters".

Mosiah 27:25-26  "And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;  And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."

It is a miracle of God to be changed from a "carnal and fallen state" to a state of "righteousness" - where good deeds are flowing out of you naturally.

My friend, do not procrastinate your repentance.  Turn to the God who is the unchangeable being in Moroni 8:18 and who is the only "true and living God" in Alma 11:27-39.  Be reborn.  Become a new creation.  May God be with you.

Should the LDS name be on the Holy Bible?

       Should the name “The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints” be printed on the binder of the King James Bible?  Should the Bible be considered Mormon scripture?  Is it worthy enough? 

The story of the woman at the well, in John 4:4-42, is a very gracious story.  Since Jesus was a Jew, it was strange that he would walk through Samaria.  The Jews did not associate with Samaritans.  Jesus started a conversation with the woman at the well.  She does not sound like she was worthy to be in the presence of Jesus Christ.  Jesus said that she had had 5 husbands and the man she was currently with was not her husband.  I think we can assume that she was not “temple worthy”.  She probably didn’t have a temple recommend.  I doubt that she had been paying her tithing.  She does not sound like a religious person at all.  She probably had plenty of bad works and a bad reputation.  Suddenly she was in the presence of Jesus Christ.  As Jesus was talking to this UNWORTHY woman, he told that her if she had known the “gift of God”, she would have asked him for living water.  In John 4:14 he said, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”  When Jesus mentioned her 5 husbands and current man, she changed the subject by talking about worship.  She said in John 4:20, “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”  Jesus answered her question.  In John 4:21, 23, 24 we read, “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father…But the hour cometh,…when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”  If this was not enough, he went on to tell her that he was Christ, the Messiah.  As you continue reading the story, you find that she went on a little mission trip and brought many Samaritans to Jesus.  The Mormon Church seems to have a focus on worthiness.  However, this is a story of an unworthy person and Jesus.  Should this story be considered scripture? 

            There is a temple story in Luke 18:9-14.  “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee and the other a Publican.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”  This story focuses on two men.  One was not only unworthy but called himself a sinner.

      Luke 5:30-32 is another passage that compares worthy and unworthy people.  “But the scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?  And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  The focus here is on the unworthy also.

      The temple in the Old testament must have drawn a lot of unworthy people.  If you sinned against God, you went to the temple with your goat or other animal and the priest sacrificed the animal for your sin.  They did this at least once a year.  The temple was a place for unworthy sinners to come. 

      Moroni 10:32 has more of a Mormon flavor with attention given to worthiness.  “…if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you,…”  The next verse says, “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,…”  You probably know 1 Nephi 3:7, “…the Lord giveth no commandements unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”  According to this verse, it should be possible to keep every commandment.  So we are without excuse.  2 Nephi 25:23 says, “..;for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” 

      So here is the question:  If you were in President Monson’s shoes, would you say that the King James Bible is “worthy” enough to be considered scripture or is it too focused on the “unworthy”?  Should the name, “The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints” be associated with it?