In the official statement
of the church it reads: “The Church unequivocally condemns racism, including
any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church. In
2006, then Church president Gordon B. Hinckley declared that “no man who makes
disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a
true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the
teachings of the Church.”
Does President Hinckley really mean that any individual
who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race is NOT considered a true disciple
of Christ? If this is the case, are the racist Church presidents and apostles
condemned and not considered true disciples of Christ? Gordon B. Hinckley,
Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Joseph Fielding Smith, Bruce R.
McConkie, others, and the Church have all made some strong statements either
for or against the black race. Are all of their statements authorized? Why do
some directly oppose each other?
Is the current Church
denouncing doctrines that were preached by previous church leaders? Is it
reasonable to conclude that the current official position of the church
condemns precisely the official doctrine that had been approved by the church
for decades? If so, would it seem logical that the church today should be
considered out of harmony with the Church in times past?
If this, in fact, is the
case, could some teachings previously encouraged and upheld by the church be
wrong and be called abominations? Are there any abominations existing among the
saints today? Are false doctrines being taught? Is it possible that some church
leaders have led us astray in the past? If it happened before, could it be
happening today? Are we ever led astray by the President of the Church, who is
sustained by the members as prophet, seer, and revelator? How about the
Apostles who are also sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators? General
Authorities? Other leaders? If Church leaders have ever led us astray, how
often does it happen? Seldom? Frequently? Every day? Always? How can we tell?
Are leaders and members held
to the same standard of discipleship? According to President Hinckley’s
statement, are some past church leaders disqualified as true disciples of
Christ? Does this standard of discipleship apply to Church Presidents? Can
doctrines taught by men, who fall short of true discipleship, be trusted to be
accurate and official? Do the teachings of these religious leaders come from
God and reflect His will? Are their messages valid and binding? Or are their
words merely false traditions and the philosophies of men, which reflect the
current trends of society?
Does God bestow power upon
men who are NOT true disciples of Christ? Can they exercise power in the
priesthood? Is their priestly power valid in heaven? Can anyone who is NOT a
true disciple of Christ, possess sealing power? Is it possible for church
leaders, who lack true discipleship, to hold the keys of the kingdom? Are the words of a non-disciple of Christ held up by
God that whatsoever they shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever they shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven?
Or do the words of an imposter fall to the ground and have no binding effect?
Can they pass priesthood
power on from generation to generation, leader to leader, father to son? If the
current leaders received priesthood from these former leaders who made racist
remarks, and therefore are not true disciples of Christ, how valid is the
priesthood the current leaders hold? How does all this workout? If the origins
of priesthood availability are not entirely clear, and there is an absence of
direct revelation, as declared in the Church’s official statement, does this
raise any apprehension? Alarm? Anxiety? Concern? Uneasiness? Or worry? Does it
bring up any questions?
Contradictory doctrinal
claims and conflicting official statements seem to be obvious and have been
circulating, changing, and adjusting to accommodate the views of men for a long
time. Where do we turn for truth? How can Church hierarchy, who claim to speak
in the name of God, make official doctrinal statements in an absence of direct
revelation? How can church leaders
sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators contradict others sustained in the
same manner? How can both be speaking and acting under direct revelation from
God? Or have one or the other or both been in absence of direct revelation, and
therefore, not speaking the mind and will of God? Are they truly prophets,
seers, and revelators chosen by God himself? Or do they merely hold the title
or leadership position to which they have been sustained? In an absence of
direct revelation how can they be revelators?
Isn’t there a general belief
among members of the church that words coming from the prophet, presently
President Monson, are to be esteemed with high regard, not debated or
questioned, and regarded as the final word of God upon which our salvation
hangs? Does this same standard of belief extend, and at least partially apply,
to the words of the quorum of the twelve apostles and other general
authorities? What does the Lord think of this deep-rooted idea promoted among
the saints? 2
Nephi 4:34 How does He feel about our unbelief? Hebrews 3:19
The church officially
declared that some explanations were made in the absence of direct revelation
and some statements are personal and do not represent Church doctrine. If this
is true, does it seem reasonable to conclude that some leaders were in error?
Have they taught for doctrine the commandments of men? Matthew 15:9
Is it sensible to believe that some men within the church
hierarchy have practiced priestcraft and taught contrary to the will of
God? Have some authentic bona fide
church leaders set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get
gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion? 2 Nephi 26:29
Or have they just made foolish human mistakes and contradict each other by
following the crowd of the day?
When inconsistency and
discrepancies of doctrinal views rise within a single church over a relatively
short time, red flags are sent up all over the place. Sincere people seeking
truth, together with critics, start asking some pretty tough and searching
questions. D&C
123:12 Sensible, logical, and acceptable answers are very difficult, if not
impossible, to obtain without admitting apostasy, priestcraft, and corruption
within the church itself.
Lucifer employs
fabrications, trickery, deceit, and cover-ups. One of his tactics is to imitate
God and supplant true prophets with counterfeit powerless substitutes. The father
of lies uses priestly leaders, formal procedures, and ceremonial observances to
manipulate people and endorse collective apostasy. All the while, sincere folk
think they are following God, obeying his commandments, making sufficient
sacrifice, walking the path to heaven, and believing all is well in Zion. “And
thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell” 2 Nephi 28:21.
Lyings, deceivings,
whoredoms, secret abominations, idolatries,
murders, priestcrafts, envyings, strifes, evil doings, much wickedness, and abominations are
used in the grand scheme of deception by the evil one. If the adversary
succeeds by keeping us from receiving a remission of our sins and being filled with the Holy Ghost, we will
fail to be numbered among the people of God, who
are of the house of Israel. 3 Nephi 30:2
Is a true messenger sent
from the presence of God? Would he be clothed with power? Does he have a
message for mankind? Is the message clear, binding, and unalterable? Are God’s
messengers different than mere men who promote their own agendas? Are true
prophets chosen of God or simply called by men? Do they really know God or just
say so and claim His authority? Have they yielded to the enticings of the Holy
Spirit, been born again, sanctified, redeemed from the fall, and become a saint
through the atonement of Christ the Lord? Or do they remain a natural man and
enemy to God? Mosiah 3:19
Have they heard the voice of
their Redeemer and personally received the testimony of Jesus? Or do they
simply bear testimony of Him like many Christians do in churches throughout the
world? Do prophets receive the sealing authority from God, possess heavenly
power, and proclaim a binding message from God to society? Or do they use
modern social sciences to determine public opinion and go with the flow?
Do they waver, change their
minds, vacillate, back track, submit to and build up Babylon, and attempt to
please the general public? Do they forget God, search for political
correctness, succumb to peer pressure, and yield to society? Do they remain
unclear, uncertain, unprepared, unqualified, unredeemed, unsaved and lost,
being disconnected from heaven like most men find themselves? “Yea, how long
will ye suffer yourselves to be led by foolish and blind guides?” Helaman 13:29
What is the description of a true prophet who you want to receive?
Joseph Smith had something
to say about true prophets: “The world always mistook false prophets for true
ones, and those that were sent of God, they considered to be false prophets and
hence they killed, stoned, punished and imprisoned the true prophets, and these
had to hide themselves "in deserts and dens, and caves of the earth,"
and though the most honorable men of the earth, they banished them from their
society as vagabonds, whilst they cherished, honored and supported knaves,
vagabonds, hypocrites, impostors, and the basest of men.” TPJS p. 206
Are true messengers, sent
from heaven, ever accepted, praised, or placed on coveted pedestals for public
display? Do they ever receive special awards, earn high honors, have their
names attached to buildings and engraved on granite, or accept recognition and
praise from men? Or are they mocked, persecuted, reviled, and cast out by the
non-repentant souls who attempt, against odds, to vilify their names, ignore
the message of repentance, and deny the power of the Holy Ghost?
How can Church leaders in an
absence of direct revelation possibly call repentance to Babylon, prophesy,
declare warnings, curses, and blessings without Godly authority, teach the
doctrine of Christ with power, and point souls to Christ, who is the One
authorized to redeem mankind? Does the word of God spoken by prophets bend to
worldly power, conform to popular opinion, and succumb to society? Or must the
people humble themselves, repent of their sins, and surrender their will to
God? What must we do to be saved and avoid damnation?
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