Gift of Repentance and the Bad Neighbor

        Some people are saying, "I am so thankful for the gift of repentance."  Many are seeking to be worthy through their good own works, but the law requires perfection.  When they cannot reach that perfection, some fall back on the "gift of repentance" idea.

        It is similar to having a bad neighbor.  Suppose your neighbor steals from you and a week later apologizes and returns your property.  The next week he steals from you again and again apologizes.  Every week you find him stealing and apologizing.  Soon you would start to believe that your neighbor is insincere and his apologies mean nothing.  If your neighbor declares, "I am so thankful for the gift of apologizing", you are not going to take him seriously.

        On the other hand, you would believe your neighbor was sincere if he apologized for stealing from you, never stole from you again and was a great neighbor for the next 30 years.  The need for daily repentance highlights a person's daily failure.  True repentance involves forsaking the sin.

        So where does real worthiness come from?  2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."  Why do many ignore this truth?  Romans 10:3 states, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."  

        Here is the question: Are we focused on ourselves or on Christ?  Are our eyes on our good works and many acts of repentance or are we focused on Christ and his work on our behalf.  We all must repent, but are we looking to Christ for salvation or are we looking to ourselves for salvation?  God saves in God's way which is through Christ Jesus.  We cannot save ourselves with even our best efforts. 

LDS Survey on Forgiveness

 

LDS Survey on Forgiveness

1.                 Do you believe 1 Nephi 3:7?  Are we without excuse when it comes to fulfilling the commandments of God?  Has He prepared the way for us to accomplish every one of them?

Yes            No

 

2.                 Do you believe 2 Nephi 25:23?  Are we saved by grace “after all we can do”?  How do you know when you have done all you can do?

Yes            No

 

3.                 Do you believe Moroni 10:32?  Is God’s grace only sufficient for us when we have denied ourselves of “all ungodliness” and we have loved God with all of our “mind, might and strength”?

Yes            No

 

4.                 Do you agree with D&C 1:31?  It says that God cannot look upon sin with the “least degree of allowance”.

Yes            No

 

5.                 Do you believe D&C 58:42-43? If a man truly repents of his sins, he will confess and FORSAKE them?

Yes            No

 

6.                 Do you believe that God does not “dwell in unholy temples”?

(Helaman 4:24)

Yes            No

 

7.                 Do you believe Alma 11:37 when it states that “no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven” and we “cannot be saved in our sins”?

Yes            No

 

8.                 Is it important to be sincere when we repent?  (If your neighbor steals from you and then apologizes on a weekly basis, we would say that he is insincere.  If your neighbor steals from you, apologizes and never steals from you again, we will think that his apology was sincere.)

Yes            No

 

9.                 Do you believe D&C 82:7?  “…unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God.”  If we tell a lie, do all our former sins return?

Yes            No

 

10.            Do you believe Romans 10:3?  Giving us some perspective, 2 Corinthians 5:21 states, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”  When we look to Jesus, He takes our sin on the cross and we receive the righteousness of Christ in return.  Romans 10:3 states, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”  Do you believe that some people fail to submit themselves to the righteousness of God and go about to establish their own righteousness? 

Yes            No

 

11.            Where do you stand today?

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

Former Sins Return

     

 "And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge; go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God."  (D&C 82:7)  

This verse can be misused.  Here is an example of misuse:

      If a person had a problem with lying, repented of this sin, and stopped lying for 10 years, it would be quite an accomplishment.  If, however, he again told a lie, then all of their previous lies would be added back onto him.  Therefore he would be guilty of the previous lies plus the new lie.  This view probably misses the intention of the verse.  The verse does not categorize sins.  It speaks of sins in a general sense.  It simply says all former sins.  When a sin is committed, the guilt of all the former sins has returned.
      Spencer W. Kimball emphasized this verse in his book Miracles of Forgiveness.  In chapter 12, he also quoted D&C 58:43: "By this ye know if a man repenteth of his sins - behold, he will confess them and forsake them." pg. 163  On this page he wrote this subtitle: "Desire is not sufficient."  He also said, "True repentance prods one to action."  His next subtitle was "Trying is Not Sufficient."  He said, "To 'try' is weak.  To 'do the best I can' is not strong.  We must always do better than we can." pg. 165  On page 169, he had this subtitle, "Forgiveness Cancelled on Reversion to Sin".  On page 170 he described the situation like this:  "To return to sin is most destructive to the morale of the individual and gives Satan another hand-hold on his victim.  Those who feel that they can sin and be forgiven and then return to sin and be forgiven again and again must straighten out their thinking.  Each previously forgiven sin is added to the new one and the whole gets to be a heavy load."  The words "heavy load" accurately describe the circumstances.  On the same page he stated, "...those who try to taper off find it an impossible task.

      Jesus had these words to say about carrying a heavy load:  "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden , and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  Matthew 12:28-30

Global Warming & Climate Change?

      Did Jesus preached about "Global Warming" and "Climate Change"?  Here is an example of Jesus preaching about global warming and a permanent climate change in Luke 16:22-24  "...the rich man also died, and was buried;  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."   In Matthew 10:28 Jesus said,  "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  Apparently this warming and permanent climate change is going to affect a lot of people.   In Matthew 7:13&14, Jesus said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."  You only have to murder one person to be a murderer.  You only have to steal one time to be a thief.  You only have to tell one lie to be a liar.  You only have to sin one time to be a sinner.  James 2:10 says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."  Have you ever coveted your neighbors property?  Exodus 20:17 says, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."   Matthew 5:28 says, "...whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."  Matthew 5:22 says, "...whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment":.."whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."  Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;..."   Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Is there any hope for the repentant sinner who wants to avoid this inclusive "hell"?  John 14:6 says, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."   Romans 5:8 expresses God's love for sinners, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 10:13 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  Romans 10:9&10 says, "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."  
      Please take the time to read for yourself Jesus' many messages on hell or global warming and permanent climate change.  Repent and turn to God that He may save your soul.

Celestial, Terrestrial and Telestial???

      Today's teaching tells us that there is a terrestrial heaven and a telestial heaven for those who do not attain to the celestial heaven and reach exaltation.  However the Book of Mormon does not group people this way.  The book of Mormon only talks about those who repent and those who do not.  There is only a celestial heaven for those who hear the law and repent and a hell for those who do not repent.  Alma 34:35-36 says, "For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to he 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.  And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb."  Many believe that we will have more opportunities after this life.  Alma 34:33 answers this question:  "...I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until he 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."  Alma 34:32 says the same thing:  "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."  .
      Many have an "I'm OK, you're OK" attitude about eternity.  2 Nephi 28:21 warns us about this:  "And others will he (the devil) pacify, and lull 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."
      Some say that hell is just a mental state.  Others say that if we do not progress, become all we can be and return to God, then we will always be frustrated that we did not reach our highest - exaltation.  So we will be in torment, knowing we could have done better.  Some people who believe in hell, think it is a place where only a handful of souls will go.  2 Nephi 28:22-23 warns us about this:  "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.  Yea, 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." 
      Contrary to some modern teaching, the book of Mormon doesn't really have a gray area.  It is black and white.  Either you repent in this life time and are saved to the Celestial heaven or you do not repent and are headed for destruction.
    

Relationship with God - Michael Quinn

      Michael Quinn is a brilliant Mormon historian who worked at BYU.  He has spent much of his life studying and writing about Mormon history.  Though he is far from perfect, he has been very loyal to the Mormon church.  I like his statement about relationship with God:  "Baptism cannot give you a relationship with God, and excommunication cannot take it away.  Neither has eternal significance unless sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise.  I can only trust in God's love and in my relationship with Him."  (Mormon Mavericks pg.351)
     Religion is said to be the effort of man reaching up to God.  Christianity is said to be God's work of reaching down to man.  Some people are VERY religious and yet are very distant from God.  Others are not really religious and yet are very close to God.  Some people are extremely focused on their own religious accomplishment.  Others are very focused on God great mercy.  The woman at the well did not have a long list of religious accomplishments and yet she talked with Jesus face to face.  The Priests and Pharisees had long lists of religious accomplishments and did not even accept Christ or His miracles.  They wanted to kill Jesus.
      I like what Matthew 7:21-23 says:  "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."  What a powerful verse!  In reading about the life of Michael Quinn, it is obvious that having a close relationship with God was very important to him.  We should not be like the religious leaders of Jesus' day who were proud of their religious accomplishments, but hated Christ.  We should be more like the woman at the well.  We should strive to be close to God in spite of our unworthiness.  May we receive the tender mercies of God, our Savior and walk close to Him.

become a god/goddess?

Are you destined to become a god or goddess?

     1)  Do you have to go to the Celestial Kingdom to become a god?  2) To go to the Celestial Kingdom, do you have to be forgiven of your sins?  3) To be forgiven of your sins, do you have to truly repent?  4) Does true repentance involve forsaking all of your sins?  If you answered yes to these questions, then you need to ask yourself a very important question.  5) Have you forsaken all sin?  There are people who have forsaken some sin.  Few people have forsaken most sin.  Some desire to forsake all sin.  Some people are gradually trying to forsake sin but haven't done it yet.  But what matters is this:  Have you forsaken all sin?  If you have not forsaken all sin, then perhaps you have not truly repented.  If you haven't truly repented, then perhaps you haven't been forgiven.  If you haven't been forgiven, then you are not going to the Celestial Kingdom.  If you are not going to the Celestial Kingdom, then you can't become a god.
     In 2 Nephi 24, the son of the morning wanted to ascend into heaven.  He wanted to "ascend above the heights of the clouds" and "be LIKE the Most High."  His name was Lucifer and verse 15 tells us the outcome:  "Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."  His blasphemous attempt to become LIKE God was completely unsuccessful.  In Isaiah 48:11-12 God said, "...I will not give my glory unto another.  Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last."

D&C 1:31 Least Degree of Allowance

     Suppose you are doing the "best you can do."  Does God make up the rest?  We always say that "nobody is perfect."  If we have repented and stopped most of our lying, coveting and stealing, is it good enough to get us by?  Is it a gradual process of repentance and gradually forsaking sin?  If we are looking to our goodness, how good is good enough?  If you are married, you try to overlook some of your partners faults.  Does God do the same for us?
     D&C 1:31 says,  "For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;"  This verse tells us how much sin God overlooks.  Helaman 4:24 say, "...the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples."  Many people describe repentance as a gradual process.  But D&C 58:43 says, "By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins - behold, he will confess them and forsake them."  Alma 11:37 is a strong verse:  "And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven?  Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins."
     The Book of Mormon  and Doctrine and Covenants do not describe a gradual process of repentance or of doing the "best you can."  These scriptures do not speak about us doing a portion and God coming along to make up the rest.  Repentance is tied to forsaking sin.  Forsaking sin is tied to being saved.  In spite of what people say and think, it is clear what these scriptures say about repentance and salvation.  If we are looking to our works and the law, it is clear what the expectation is - perfection.