When your 12 year old son texts you from Mormon church to double check the doctrines he’s hearing…
This is not the first time my son has asked me about something or reported to me something weird he heard over the pulpit.
(I’m a very proud mama. I’ve trained him well😂)
People, this is the problem with lay clergy and having whoever from the congregation just get up and speak without anyone in authority checking their script.
(And even the apostles in General Conference have someone checking their script, for this very reason.)
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So let’s talk about “continuing revelation” and whether we need more information than what the scriptures contain, to “get to the Celestial Kingdom.”
First of all. What the heck. That’s the entire point of the scriptures—to tell us how to be saved.
Second of all. This idea of continuing revelation. It sounds like *some people* are trying to make themselves important.
More important than the scriptures? Honestly?
There is a false idea that has festered in the Mormon church, that modern prophets trump dead prophets. So anything a prophet today says is solid unequivocal truth, regardless of what prior prophets (or scriptures) he is contradicting.
This speech was given at BYU by a man who later became “the prophet” and it went wild, even though he was quickly corrected soon after by the current prophet at the time. But too late (or he wasn’t corrected loudly enough), it went down in history.
And can you see why it was corrected?
Jesus himself quoted dead prophets. Like, dead for a thousand years, dead.
Lehi insisted his family return to a city on the verge of destruction, putting his own family in mortal danger, because it was important to get the scriptures.
Anyhow. Back to my son’s question.
How do we get to Heaven?
Or, how do we get to the “Celestial Kingdom,” in Mormon-speak.
Let’s turn to D&C 76* and take a look.
(Hey, Christians, tell me if this description of the “saved” person sounds like you. Cuz usually they say you need to be Mormon and you need temple ordinances for this. But that’s totally not in here. The only issue might be the laying on of hands ordination, which a lot of denominations don’t do.)
51 They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given—
52 That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;
53 And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true.
54 They are they who are the church of the Firstborn.
55 They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things—
56 They are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory;
57 And are priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son.
58 Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God—
59 Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
60 And they shall overcome all things.
61 Wherefore, let no man glory in man, but rather let him glory in God, who shall subdue all enemies under his feet.
62 These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever.
63 These are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people.
64 These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection.
65 These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just.
66 These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.
67 These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn.
68 These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all.
69 These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.
70 These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.
So, what do we need to do to be with God in Heaven?
According to the D&C 76, you need to believe in Jesus and be baptized, be given the Holy Ghost by someone who is ordained, and then “overcome by faith” which just stay faithful, or endure to the end.
So, yeah, that’s not just Mormons. That’s all sorts of Christians!
But even if it was just Mormons. It still says nothing about needing additional ordinances past the Doctrine of Christ (such as what’s done in the LDS temples).
And Jesus himself would concur.
“This is my doctrine (faith-repentance-baptism-Holy Ghost-endure), and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them” (3 Nephi 11:39-40)
Did you catch that!!?
Anyone who claims that you need additional ordinances is going to Hell!
That would literally be the leaders of the LDS church.
So there you have it.
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*Note: I am not preaching from or endorsing the D&C. I don’t quote these verses to teach doctrine, but merely to use the Mormons’ own scriptures to show the contradictions. Their leaders have departed from their own original doctrines. This was the point of my faith journey — whatever church Joseph Smith set up, this ain’t it.
All I Possess 