According to the Joseph Smith's First Vision, the Restoration occurred because of the apostasy of Historic Christianity. All churches "were wrong" and their "professors were all corrupt." "All their creeds were an abomination." The people who inhabited these churches "draw near [to God] with their lips, but their hearts are far from" Him. (JS-H 1: 19.)
This is the historic moment which justifies the Restoration. It forces a choice upon the world. Mormonism is either correct, or it has no reason to exist.
This forces The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into a dilemma. It must either proclaim that it is the only repository of saving truth, or it must strike a compromise which betrays the reason for its existence.
This forces The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into a dilemma. It must either proclaim that it is the only repository of saving truth, or it must strike a compromise which betrays the reason for its existence.
Jesus Christ did not intend to let those who follow the work He was to commission through Joseph Smith to become popular, successful, or live in peace. He intended to put them at odds with all the rest of the world. The very reason for His strange act was to notify anyone who heard about it that they were to repent, change, accept new truths, or remain "corrupt" and with "hearts far from Him." It is an instant challenge to the world.
When we shape the message of the Restoration into a vocabulary which does not offend, we miss the point. We are REQUIRED to offend. We are REQUIRED to sound the alarm to "Awake! Arise!" When the message to those who accept the Historic Christian faiths is that "you're OK" we are contradicting Christ's opening statement to Joseph Smith.
All of this is only true if what we are doing is continuing the work begun by Joseph Smith. If we have abandoned what he restored, then never mind. We can fit in and get along. In fact, we can not only fit in and get along, but we can even mimic the other mainstream faiths of the day. We can adopt a positive mental attitude, and proclaim: "All is well in Zion, Babylon, Athens, Rome and Nineveh. In fact, all is well everywhere. Don't get up. Stay asleep. We're just here to help make you feel better about yourself."
Amen!
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine a better example of Zion than Enoch, who achieved it.
Moses 6:37 And it came to pass that Enoch went forth in the land, among the people, standing upon the hills and the high places, and cried with a loud voice, testifying against their works; and all men were offended because of him.
If you want what Enoch has (Zion), then do what Enoch does (offend, sound the alarm, etc.)
WOW!... continue to hit these home runs in your posts!
ReplyDeleteWE NEED TO HEAR THESE THINGS! Thank you for stepping up to the plate and connecting with the ball.
LOVE IT!!!
ReplyDeleteI have been saying this for years - just not quite so eloquently. With just a little more polishing and abbreviating, I would be willing to put this on my wall!
1 Nephi 16:1
ReplyDelete" 1 And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear."
Let us not be Lamen and Lemuels. ;)
Amen!
ReplyDeleteBTW, this is a 10 on my importance scale...
With this same logic then all who proclaim to have the truth are REQUIRED to offend...the Moslems are REQUIRED to offend, the Southern Baptists are REQUIRED to offend, the Jehovah's Witnesses are REQUIRED to offend, etc....I think what we are REQUIRED to do is to proclaim the gospel with love and power. Here power is defined as being carried by the spirit. Once we proclaim this gospel then others are able to accept or reject it. Since we are living in a world where there are those that will inherit the Celestial, Terrestrial and Telestial Kingdoms then some will hear this and it will resonate with them and they will come to the truth. With others it may not resonate and they will be offended by it. This offense is their choice and not ours. So, I don't think we are REQUIRED to offend but as we do proclaim the gospel many will be offended.
ReplyDelete