I shared with them that I felt that there were many Christians on the earth who were righteous but they were not Mormon. They disagreed. They love good literature so I pointed out C.S. Lewis as one who spoke and wrote things that were beyond the scope of anything we've seen in a hundred years within the leadership of the church. Their answer - was that C.S. Lewis was "good" but he's going to need a real LDS baptism and to accept the gospel before he can be truly saved.
Fine.
"What about Mother Theresa!?," I asked. Answer: she's not going to make it either. She needs an LDS baptism and she needs to accept it - then she'll be saved.
I get so depressed about stuff like this. I was so sad I felt paralyzed. I just sat on my the couch and stared out the window. Stupor. Deep sorrow. Anger. Repeat. I hate false doctrine that has no scriptural foundation. The arrogance of any who believe that "only they" can offer you true salvation.
Let's explore. Does your church or group say this?
3 ...Behold, I, I am the Lord’s; and the others shall say: I, I am the Lord’s; and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches... (2 Nephi 28)
5 O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!Being "thrust down to hell" is strong verbage and I had to ponder on why saying "I, I am the Lord's" induced such strong language. I believe that saying, "I...I am the Lord's" is akin to breaking the third commandment and is taking the name of the Lord, God in vain.
Elder Bednar has said:
"It cracks me up when people say we are not Christians. We are the only ones who by proper authority can lay claim to the title.”
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." (Revelation 21:1-2)
Matthew 7: 21 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.
22 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?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me,
Hebrews 8:Okay, that scripture is kind of vague...we'll need a specific prophet to teach us though - ya? Someone who can speak with God and obtain promises/an invitation from God for you, right?
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Hebrews 1:
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
But we need a specific/special group of people striving to bring about Zion. Right?
2 Nephi 30:
2 For behold, I say unto you that as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off; for the Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel.
1. Do the Lords will (v. 21 "keep all my commandments")
2. Embrace the truth (v.22)
3. Keep the first commandment & look to God (repentant Matt. 22:37)
Genesis 9 (JST)
21 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch, that, *when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch, which I have caught up unto myself.
22 And this is mine everlasting covenant: that when thy posterity shall *embrace the truth and *look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy;
23 And the general assembly of the church of the firstborn shall come down out of heaven, and possess the earth, and shall have place until the end come. And this is mine everlasting covenant, which I made with thy father Enoch.
Jeremiah 32:
38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
Matthew 7:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Ezekiel 16:
60 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant....And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD
Isaiah 61: 8-11
...I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them...that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed...For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
2 Nephi 6: 12-14But I need to meet with fellowships or my church in order to help practice being of one heart and one mind so Zion can come about. Right? I need to make and keep sacred covenants via a one who has authority.
And blessed are the Gentiles...if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children;...For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah...wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him; and none will he destroy that believe in him...for the Mighty God shall deliver his covenant people. For thus saith the Lord: I will contend with them that contendeth with thee
D&C 101
37 Therefore, care not for the body, neither the life of the body; but care for the soul, and for the life of the soul.
38 And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life.
39 When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men
Matthew 22
1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen. (D&C 121: 40)
First we must cleanse and perfect our own house. We need to learn how to be attuned to the spirit in our own home. To learn how to receive personal revelation. To learn to have discernment before we set to manufacture a Zionistic group ascension. To attempt to gather and seek Zion before you achieve it in your own home would be akin to a diet of junk food and then working out three hours every day. Your progress will be minimal, if at all. First perfect your diet and then the effort will not be in vain.
"I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work." (2 Nephi 27:21)
I have set before you life and death...Now choose life. (Deuteronomy 30:19)