Lois Speaks Out on RLDS Issues
I will start out with three categories:
1. Issues Concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ
2. Guest Commentaries by Fellow Restorationists
3. This Is Serious
Apostasy Within the Restoration Movement
Issues Concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is
the Power Outlet
Added April 30, 2003
I had to use that for the
title, it describes the metaphor I am going to use, and I hope it
got your attention too.
Jesus saith unto us, "I am the way, the truth, and
the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
metaphor, a figure of speech containing an
implied comparison, in which a word or phrase ordinarily and
primarily used of one thing is applied to another (Ex.: the
curtain of night, "all the world's a stage" (from
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition)
Ah ha! I caught you sitting at your computer! Your computer is
plugged into the electric wall outlet or it is run with a battery
which was charged on an electric wall outlet. (Of course maybe
you are reading this from a piece of paper, printed from your
computer. I can only hope that this could be true.)
There are many things in your house which make your life
comfortable, and many of those things are run with electricity.
All you have to do is plug them in to the outlet and pay your
electricity bill.
What is behind that electric wall outlet or switch which turns on
the lights?
Behind the electric wall outlet or switch there is:
a set of wiring inside the walls of your house,
a circuit breaker box in the garage or someplace,
a meter outside so they can tell how much electricity you are
using,
a place to connect to the outside power lines,
maybe a relay station in town,
huge transformer lines which carry the electricity across many
miles from--
the main power source, which is:
a hydroelectric dam,
a coal burning plant,
a nuclear energy plant, or
maybe cutting edge wind machines.
Behind those things are earth's forces of nature:
water and the whole weather system,
dead dinosaurs and prehistoric trees,
atoms smashing into each other, or
wind and the whole weather system.
And the earth does not act alone. The earth's weather is
regulated by the sun. The sun is just a tiny star at the edge of
a galaxy of a universe that we cannot even see a tiny part of.
There are strange things out there, comets, asteroids, nebulas,
black holes, etc. All these things are interacting with each
other and effecting us on the earth.
So when you plug in your Mr. Coffee for your morning cup you have
plugged into the universe!
Do you think I have somehow described God? I think I have. Except
most of us do not attribute a personality to the universe. I do.
I see the universe as part of God. God is even bigger than the
universe, since He created it and continues to create.
Some people think that mankind created God as a way to describe
the universe and that we gave Him human qualities. No, no, God
created us in His own image. The God of the Old Testament does
not get angry, proud, vengeful, or merciful and loving because
ancient people created Him that way. God created us. We have the
capability of becoming angry, proud, vengeful or merciful and
loving because we were created in God's image. But at least God
is mature and knows how to channel His emotions to the ultimate
good of His creation.
Now we get back to the original metaphor, Jesus Christ is
the power outlet. Or in other words, Jesus saith unto
us, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me." And let's get
something straight, Jesus meant what he said.
I have tweaked that verse a tiny bit to let you know that Jesus
is talking to all of us. You can read what Jesus has to say in
the New Testament. If that is too much reading, just skim through
it to the end of the chapter.
--------------------
John Chapter 14
1 Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also
in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And when I go, I will prepare a place for you, and come again
and receive you unto myself; that where I am, ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know; and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest;
and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the
life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also; and
from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it
sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and
yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath
seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in
me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself; but
the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or
else believe me for the very works' sake.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the
works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these
shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that
the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him;
for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see
me; because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in
me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and
I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, (not Iscariot,) Lord, how is it thou
wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he
will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come
unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings; and the word
which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with
you.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father
will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring
all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the
world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid.
28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again
unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go
unto the Father; for my Father is greater than I.
29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it
is come to pass, ye might believe.
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you; for the prince of
darkness, who is of this world, cometh, but hath no power over
me, but he hath power over you.
31 And I tell you these things, that ye may know that I love the
Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.
Arise, let us go hence.
--------------------
Did you notice that Jesus said, "for my Father is
greater than I"?
The outlet is how we get to the power source, which is God the
Father, in all His glory and power. God is so huge that we cannot
even begin to grasp the concept. But God sent His only Begotten
Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could understand some. We know that
Jesus Christ is far more than any of us.
--------------------
Genesis Chapter 1
1 And it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Behold, I reveal unto you concerning this heaven and this earth;
write the words which I speak.
2 I am the Beginning and the End; the Almighty God. By
mine Only Begotten I created these things.
3 Yea, in the beginning I created the heaven, and the earth upon
which thou standest.
--------------------
God's power and glory is so huge that it is only through Jesus
Christ that we can understand him while we are in the flesh.
--------------------
Doctrine and Covenants Section 22
1 The words of God which he spake unto Moses, at a time when
Moses was caught up into an exceeding high mountain, and he saw
God face to face, and he talked with him, and the glory
of God was upon Moses; therefore Moses could endure his presence.
2 And God spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, I am the Lord God
Almighty, and endless is my name, for I am without beginning of
days or end of years; and is not this endless?
3 And behold, thou art my son, wherefore look, and I will show
thee the workmanship of mine hands, but not all; for my works are
without end, and also my words, for they never cease; wherefore,
no man can behold all my works except he behold all my glory; and
no man can behold all my glory, and afterwards remain in
the flesh, on the earth.
8 And now it came to pass, that when Moses had said these words,
behold, Satan came tempting him, saying, Moses, son of man,
worship me. And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan, and
said, Who art thou, for behold I am a son of God, in the
similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory,
that I should worship thee? For, behold, I could not look upon
God except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured
before him. But I can look upon thee in the natural man. Is it
not so surely?
9 Blessed be the name of my God, for his Spirit hath not
altogether withdrawn from me; or else where is thy glory, for it
is darkness unto me, and I can judge between thee and God; for
God said unto me, Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve. Get
thee hence, Satan, deceive me not; for God said unto me, Thou
art after the similitude of mine Only Begotten.
--------------------
Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of the Father. He has
always been active in our history, he didn't just arrive in
Bethlehem, that was merely his physical entrance. The scriptures
make it clear that we cannot approach the Father without first
going through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the power outlet
which plugs us into the full power and glory of God's universe.
Sincerely,
Lois
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Gospel is Simple
In the spring of 1970 I was a sophomore at
college. I was at the age when young people question everything
about life. I had been a Vietnam War protester, investigated the
concept of reincarnation and had asked God why things were so bad
in the world. I couldn't understand why there were wars, and why
babies had to die and why people had to suffer so much.
I had bought a Book of Mormon at reunion during the previous
summer. I had never read it before and decided that it was time
to read it. One day as I was reading, it finally dawned on me
that I was not as bitter as I had been. Some worries and
questions were simply melting away and in their place was a new
kind of relaxation and peace. I read the Book of Mormon from
cover to cover, and when I got to the last page I cried. I cried
when Moroni had to go away alone, because his people had been
destroyed because of their own wickedness.
Of course at college I was not the only person questioning God.
Many of my friends were challenging the things that they had been
taught. One night I stayed with a friend of mine. I was looking
for new housing and was interested in moving into this house.
Before my friend and I went to sleep that night we discussed the
things young women are interested in, men, of course, our daily
grind of classes, and religion.
As we talked about our religious experiences words began to form
out of my mouth. They were not my words.
"Oh you little children! Why do you try to make My
gospel so hard? When you make the gospel hard you think you are
wise. My gospel is very simple. Why do you make it hard?"
I was exhilarated. I knew that the Holy Ghost had spoken to my
friend and I. My friend was confused, but knew that something
strange had happened. I explained the best I could and soon we
went to sleep.
I was at reunion again. At a prayer and testimony service I got
up and related this experience. I explained that I felt the
experience was for my friend and myself and to warn both of us
not to complicate the gospel simply so we could feel important.
Years later I was a wife and mother. Things were happening at
church which were bothering me terribly. I even thought that I
must have a very bad attitude or something. Finally I left my
congregation because of the women in the priesthood. I had voted
against every one of them and finally became alienated from the
rest of the people. I finally realized that I did not belong
there anymore. I also finally realized that I did not have a bad
attitude. The Holy Ghost had been working in me, making me
dissatisfied with changes that God had not instituted.
In my loneliness at being cut away from a viable church
congregation I began reading every bit of church literature I
could lay my hands on. I was reading books from staunch servants
of God who had been shuffled away. I learned a lot from them. It
was like finally eating meat after a diet of milk toast. And I
was reading the Herald and the Position Papers. I began
highlighting things that bothered me and that were not
scriptural. These things that bothered me were the things being
taught in the church.
All of a sudden I remembered my experience from 1970. I
remembered standing in front of church officials who sat on the
podium and bearing the testimony of what the Holy Ghost had said
to my friend and I. I realized that this is when the Position
Papers had come out. The Position Papers were not meant to be
seen by the rank and file. They were given and taught to the
church appointees and officials. I believe that God was letting
certain men know that God knows the secrets of their very souls.
Nothing is hidden from the Lord. The Position Papers are cloaked
in complicated language. No doubt the writers felt very, very
wise. Hidden in the complicated language were their plans to
destroy Christ's church and pervert His gospel.
God had warned me that His gospel is very simple, so that I would
recognize certain actions when I finally saw them in the years to
come.
Following I offer definitions of the gospel from the Old
Testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and the
Doctrine and Covenants. The simple components are the same in
each one, Jesus Christ, repentance, salvation for those who will
come to Jesus Christ.
Genesis Chapter 4
6 And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord. And
after many days, an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying,
Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto
him, I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
7 And then the angel spake, saying, This thing is a similitude of
the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full
of grace and truth;
8 Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest, in the name of
the Son. And thou shalt repent, and call upon God, in the name of
the Son for evermore.
9 And in that day, the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth
record of the Father and the Son, saying, I am the Only Begotten
of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever; that,
as thou hast fallen, thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind,
even as many as will.
Luke Chapter 1 Zacharias, the father of John the
Baptist says:
75 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest,
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his
ways,
76 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people, by baptism for
the remission of their sins,
77 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the day-spring
from on high hath visited us,
78 To give light to them who sit in darkness and the shadow of
death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.
I Nephi Chapter 3
28 And the way is prepared from the foundation of the world, if
it so be that they repent and come unto him;
29 For he that diligently seeketh shall find;
30 And the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them by the
power of the Holy Ghost, as well in this time as in times of old;
31 And as well in times of old as in times to come;
32 Wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.
Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants
[Sec 76:4g] And this is the gospel, the glad tidings which the
voice out of the heavens bore record unto us, that he came into
the world, even Jesus to be crucified for the world, and to bear
the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse
it from all unrighteousness;
[Sec 76:4h] that through him all might be saved, whom the Father
had put into his power, and made by him; who glorifies the
Father, and saves all the works of his hands, except those sons
of perdition, who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him;
Sincerely,
Lois
Guest Commentaries by Fellow Restorationists
A Letter to Friends from Jan
added May 2, 2003
February 4, 2003
Dear friend,
It was good to see many of the saints I worshipped with for so
many years. So much has changed over the years, and yet, so much
has stayed the same.
In your sermon you cautioned that we needed to challenge our
traditions saying some are not supported by scripture. You cited
women in the priesthood as an example. I agree with you that some
of our traditions have been false, but we need to exercise
caution in challenging traditions just for the sake of
challenging traditions. In fact, scripture itself says
"Stand fast, hold thy traditions you have been taught,
whether by word or our epistle." (2Thess 2:15) Traditions
are like a coin, they have two sides. Either a false tradition or
a true tradition may be a common practice. Our challenge is to
discern which is which. You implied since there is nothing in the
scripture against women in the priesthood, therefore an all-male
priesthood must be a false tradition. (I have heard some say
there is nothing in the Bible about abortion, therefore it is
okay.)
I would like to share with you my experience on this issue. When
the issue of women in the priesthood surfaced in the 1980s, I
heard sermons quoting scripture that women in the priesthood was
acceptable. But because there was so much hubbub about it, I
assumed the scriptures were not definitive either way. (No
scripture emphatically says "Thou shalt...or thou shalt not
have women in priesthood.) I began to search the scriptures on
this issue and others. * I spent many months searching and
considering the issue. In 1989 I was called to the office of
elder by our pastor. Because I was unsure of its appropriateness,
I declined. My final judgment was that there was no
definate,clear cut resolution, but scriptures give us a
preponderance of evidence
Your sermon on "Do What Christ Did" fits nicely with
the preponderance of evidence. (Just as you urged us to follow
Christ because he didn't discriminate (he showed His love of all
groups and people) I urge you to consider Christ's example in
calling priesthood. He called twelve apostles (all male) in
Jerusalem and twelve disciples (all male) in Zarahemla.
The Doctrine and Covenants tells us God gives us a pattern in all
things (DC 5:42), and God does not change His pattern (Mal 3:6)
It is Satan who attempts to alter our perceptions through the
precepts of man (2Nephi12:39) and he flatters us (2Nephi 12 :22)
away from God's principles.
The patterns we have been given regarding priesthood can be
divided into two categories: NEW BEGINNINGS and RIGHTEOUS
MEN/GOD"S PLAN
NEW BEGINNINGS EXAMPLES:
1. Adam and Eve--In Genesis both Adam and Eve were taught the
gospel, but Adam was called to the priesthood. Eve was called to
be a helpmeet "to womenhood, motherhood, and
sainthood". They taught the gospel to their sons and
daughters, (Gen 4:10-12), but the priesthood was passed from
father to son. (DC 104:18) At this point the idea of the culture
being too rigid to accept women is unfounded.
2. Noah--Noah had a new clean earth to reestablish the gospel in
his dispensation. He was inspired by God to follow God's plan for
redemption of mankind. Priesthood was conferred on righteous men.
3. Jesus Christ--Our savior came, fulfilled the Mosaic covenant
and law, and preached His gospel of love and Zionic living (Matt
5;6;7) If we follow His example he quoted scripture to ward off
Satan, followed many of the Jewish traditions, and reestablished
the Melchesidek priesthood (males). Later in the New Testament,
Paul makes many statements about the role of women in church,
most of which modern women do not like.
RIGHTEOUS MEN/GOD'S PLAN EXAMPLES:
1. Enoch--This prophet and leader created a community of
righteous people who were taken to Christ. He followed
Melchesidek Order and called only men.
2.Joseph Smith--Our prophet, seer, and revelator of this
dispensation was to restore the Gospel and establish Christ's
church, following God's plan. He was challenged to call women to
the priesthood, and even though it was common in his day, (Shaker
groups not 16 miles from Kirtland had many women ministers) he
called and ordained only men. This would have been an ideal time
to introduce the practice of ordaining women to the priesthood
(he would have been way ahead of the women's movement)--if it had
been part of God's plan. Certainly Emma Smith was an elect woman,
but she had a calling of a different nature: "to comfort her
husband".
Yes, there are false traditions that still exist in the church.
As followers of Christ we need to use the scriptures to support
our position (2Nephi 12"4) and be extremely cautious about
succumbing to the precepts of modern man (2Nephi 12:39) When
Christ was tempted three times he responded each time with
"It is written" to defer Satan. I urge you as you face
the issues of the church (homosexual priesthood and redemption
through Jesus Christ) to do as Christ did and search the
scriptures for your understanding.
And finally, (if you are still with me), one of the gravest
traditions in the restored gospel deals with the six principles
(Heb 6:1-2) Because of a missing comma, we have been taught the
six principles, when God's Gospel has seven principles. (Hebrew
poetry makes lists by repeating and and prepositions--here it is
"of")
SIX PRINCIPLES
1. of faith
2. of repentance
3. off doctrine of baptism s
4. of laying on of hands
5. of resurrection
6. of eternal judgment
or
SEVEN PRINCIPLES
1. of faith
2. of repentance
3. of doctrine**
4. of baptisms
5. of laying on of hands
6. of resurrection
7. of eternal judgment
* Other issues were open communion, homosexual acceptance, and
redemption through Christ
** The Book of Mormon uses the phrase "come unto me"
which refers to making a covenant before baptism. Come unto me is
the critical covenant step which puts our faith and repentance
into action.
I write this letter to present you another side of the tradition
coin, not to be contentious, critical or argumentative. It is
critical to use God's word as our guide, listen to the Holy
Spirit, and pray that we not be deceived. Our salvation depends
on such issues--we have been told to "trifle not with sacred
things (DC 6:5d)
May God bless your understanding,
Jan
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