Living The Gospel?

What words best describe the Church Handbook definition of Living the Gospel?

Inspired? Based on the word of God, or the precepts of men mingled with scripture? New latter-day revelation?

The section begins with this statement:

God’s work of salvation and exaltation focuses on four divinely appointed responsibilities (see 1.2). The first of these is living the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Before moving on to the Handbook definition of what it says it means to live the gospel, let's look at the introduction that God's work of salvation and exaltation focuses on four divinely appointed responsibilities, which are 1) living the gospel, 2) caring for those in need, 3) inviting all to receive the gospel, and 4) uniting family for eternity. 

Where in scripture is found the phrase divinely appointed responsibilities?  Or that God’s work of salvation and exaltation focuses on these four? Words matter when we are talking about the word of God. The premise is that even one word from men that misrepresents His words qualifies as transfiguring the word of God. Anytime we teach anything that constitutes a perversion of His words it qualifies as a precept of men mingled with scripture and is false. It leads others astray and perverts the right way of the Lord (2 Nephi 28:9-15).

Is this section in the General Handbook an example of perverting the right way of the Lord? Is this someone's understanding of God's work or is it God's work, keeping in mind that He said "This is my work and my glory to bring about the immortality of men."

The phrase living the gospel poses a problem for me. While the Handbook tells us how we live the gospel, does Christ's definition of His gospel in 3 Nephi 27:13-21 make it an impossibility to live His gospel? He defines Himself as His Gospel when He says "this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me." How then do we live Him? We can't live Christ. 

This is an example of how tradition makes the word of God of none effect. Someone invented the phrase living the gospel and it has been repeated so often from the pulpit and among ourselves that it has effectively replaced Christ's gospel. The Church even publishes an email publication titled Living The Gospel.

Further, it removes us from Christ and His gospel by putting the emphasis on us! It is just another example of a tenet being repeated so often that it has made His gospel (Him) only a picture on our walls. This is a good example of when religion as in living the gospel becomes Anti-Christ.

This is emphazed even more when the Handbook makes a list of what it means to live the gospel. Note the emphasis on what we are to do to meet the Handbook's definition of living the gospel.

We live the gospel as we:

Exercise faith in Jesus Christ.

Repent daily.

Make covenants with God as we receive the ordinances of salvation and exaltation.

Endure to the end by keeping those covenants.

Exercise faith in Christ and repent daily, keep covenants and enduring to the end. That's good isn't it? But it is the emphasis that when we live the gospel by doing these four things we will be ...... other than living the gospel?

And nothing is said about how He defines repentance or why we need to repent as Christ does in 3 Nephi 27, which is where Christ defines His Gospel. But no reference to 3 Nephi 27 in the Handbook. 

The point in 3 Nephi 27 is not what we do, but what He does if we do repent--He will hold us guiltless. Not something we can do except in our vain imaginations, and there we are quite effective as evidenced by the myth that we can live the gospel. 

This is an example of how we transfigure His words. While the elements faith, repent, covenant and and endure to the end, on their face seem OK, they are transfigured by creating the phrase live the gospel. Then they have to mingle words from scripture to define what it means.

The Handbook (note the emphasis on us) continues:

As we live the gospel and experience the influence of the Holy Ghost, we desire to help family members and others receive God’s blessings (see 1 Nephi 8:10–12). We learn and teach the gospel (how we define His gospel) of Jesus Christ at home and at church. We also seek to become self-reliant in providing for ourselves and our families, both spiritually and temporally.

Living the gospel encompasses the other aspects of the work of salvation and exaltation. These include caring for those in need, inviting all to receive the gospel, and uniting families for eternity.

Is it any wonder that Christ prophesied that we would reject the fullness of His gospel (3 Nephi 16:10), and that it would be taken from us? It already has been and we don't even know it. Instead we believe that if we do everything mentioned we will be living the gospel.

Compare this Handbook description with Nephi's plea to "feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do" (2 Nephi 32:3). And if we feasted upon Christ's words in 3 Nephi 27:13-21 we would know all that we are to do. 

"Now this is the commandment: 

Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and 

be baptized in my name, 

that ye may be sanctified 

by the reception of the Holy Ghost, 

that ye may stand spotless 

before me at the last day.

Verily, verily, 

I say unto you, 

this is my gospel" 

(3 Nephi 27:20-21).

We become spotless because of Him, not because we live the gospel. And this makes all the difference. But there will always be those in the Church who will put the cart before the horse. The religious, always. The repentant, never!

The most obvious tell that the Handbook definition of living the gospel is perverted is that "self reliance" is tied to living the gospel. This is a man-made term that has absolutely no basis in scripture. In fact, just the opposite--His Gospel requires being totally dependent on Him--for everything. Are we not all beggars? The angel's word to King Benjamin show us just how off- base self reliance is.

Let me make a few more observations. The way we use covenant making and the way the Lord does are also at odds.

The "Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe on his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel" (2 Nephi 31:2). Not with those who make covenants. See how a watered down version of His words really does dilute His words.

And this observation.

Joseph is told that his ministry (which is also our ministry) is in "proclaiming the gospel...among thy brethren." And then the Lord tells us why our ministry is to proclaim the gospel. 

"And in doing these things 

thou wilt do the greatest good 

unto thy fellow beings, 

and wilt promote the glory 

of him who is your Lord" (emphasis added). Not the glory of those who live the gospel. 

And another:

Notice how the Lord describes what He means by enduring to the end: 

"Wherefore, ye must press forward 

with a steadfastness in Christ, 

having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God 

and of all men. 

(Fruits of our repentance.) 

Wherefore, if ye press forward, 

feasting upon the word of Christ, 

and endure to the end, 

behold, thus saith the Father: 

Ye shall have eternal life" (2 Nephi 31:20).

And one more. Almost without exception the word live is used as in look to God and live (Alma 37:46-47), and "...even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal" (Helaman8:15).

And because of Him you will desire that all have eternal life.

Can you see the difference? Can you hear the difference? Can you feel the difference? 

Teaching Young Children to Understand the Doctrine of Repentance

I will refer to three references in scripture about teaching our children the doctrine of Christ--faith in Christ, baptism, repentance (3 Nephi 11:32-40). Children, as are adults, are baptized unto repentance. In other words they are baptized so they can repent. 

In Mormon's epistle to his son Moroni, found in Moroni 8, we find a clear analysis of why both children and adults are baptized unto repentance, and not just baptized. The distinction is important. Baptism is not an end, but the beginning. For those who are accountable baptism is the first fruits of repentance, but we are also baptized so that we can continually repent! (Mormon 8:8).

The first of the three scriptures is found in D&C 68:25. It says that inasmuch as parents have children in Zion they should teach their children to

"understand 

1) the doctrine of repentance, 

2) faith in Christ the Son of the living God,

3) baptism, and

4) the gift of the Holy Ghost, 

when eight years old" (emphasis on understand added). 

Our failure to teach children to understand results in the "sin being upon the heads of the parents."

Obviously without us understanding the doctrine of Christ (3 Nephi 11:32-40), we cannot teach our children to understand it before they are eight years old, before they are baptized. And even if we do understand, how do we teach it to young children so that they will understand it? Keep in mind that it is not enough to teach them about the doctrine of repentance and baptism. 

We cannot teach what we ourselves do not understand and have not experienced.

At the end of this post is a link to a series on repentance which will help you to understand so you can then teach your children to understand.

Before answering the question of how we teach little children, let's look at the other two references. Both are in Moses 6, one in verse 57 and the other in verses 58-60, the latter being an emphasis on the first, but with the complete doctrine of Christ. 

"Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere must repent, or they can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there..." (Moses 6:57).  

Keep in mind that this is the Lord speaking by His own voice to Adam. 

"Therefore, I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things (vs. 47-57 of Moses 6) freely unto your children, saying: 

¹That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, ²which fall bringeth death, and ³inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so become of dust a living soul, 

⁴even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, ⁵of water, 

⁶and of the Spirit, ⁷and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine only begotten; ⁸that ye might be sanctified from all sin, ⁹and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, ¹⁰and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory. 

For ¹by the water ye keep the commandment; ²by the Spirit ye are justified, and ³by the blood ye are sanctified" (Moses 6:58:60).

Note how specific this commandment to teach is--He even tells us what to say!

The key to teaching this to young children in found in Moses 6:55-56, wherein the Lord tells Adam that our children are conceived in sin and that as they grow up sin conceiveth in their hearts and "they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good. And it is given unto them to know good from evil wherefore they are agents unto themselves..." (emphasis added).

Now remembering that good (as defined by God) represents the righteousness of God and evil is everything contrary to the righteousness of God, it becomes a matter of making a choice between one or the other. 

Repentance, then is choosing only the righteousness of God. They only have two choices--Good or Evil as only God defines Good and Evil. 

Repentance is not about being good, but about choosing good--the goodness of God.

So we teach our children about the fall and the consequences of the fall, how it applies to them individually (death and hell), and what is necessary to overcome the effects of the fall, repentance! which is possible only because of Christ and His Atonement.  

We teach them that they must choose between Satan and Christ. We teach them about the good king and the evil king wannabe.

Repentance, we teach them, is turning to Christ and choosing His righteousness and goodness, being born again (baptized by water) and being changed (by Him) from our lost and fallen state to a state of righteousness (baptized by fire or Holy Ghost). (Mosiah 27:25).

Repentance comes from understanding and experiencing our condition and turning to Christ to change it. It is a lifelong process for all of us. Young children can understand that they have only one of two choices: good or evil. As long as we are turning to Christ and trusting Him, relying on His merits alone, we are repenting. When we turn away and rely on any of our merits we are not repenting and we are in a state of wickedness. 

And you must teach the word of God concerning repentance and not the teachings of men.

Aid to help teach young children to understand the doctrine of repentance.

Once we have taught them the doctrine of the two ways, we then bring up our children in light and truth and not in the traditions of men (D&C 93:39-40). We teach them, using the word of God. We teach them to feast upon the words of Christ. We teach them to not put their trust in men, any men, not even the prophet. We teach them to look to God and live. 

We teach them that repentance is not about being good, but about choosing good--choosing Christ. 

See series on Repentance. 

After we have taught them to understand, keep in mind that there is a difference between understanding and actually repenting. Are you repenting? What will you tell your children when they ask? 

What is your experience? 

And If Ye Be Christ's

Letter to My Friends and Family

This letter is inspired by Paul's letter to the Galations, but its message is as timely today as it was in Paul's time, perhaps even more so. Let me begin by saying Grace (with a capital G) be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, with the reminder that Christ gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world which is Babylon. He did so because it was the will of God His Father.

I worry that ye may be far removed from Him who called you into the Grace of Christ, unto another gospel, and that you may not be His. Even though you give lip service, you could have the cart before the horse and put religion and religious observances ahead of Jesus Christ. This is not really a falling away, but a perversion of His Gospel, as was prophesied to occur among us in these last days.

Can I remind you that though we, or an angel from heaven (clear that it is the message and not the messenger), preach any other gospel unto you than that which His servants have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Let me repeat: As I said before, if any man, or angel, or ecclesiastical authority preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received from Christ, let him be accursed. 

Nephi prophesied they (us) have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men. And your test is--do you know the difference between the precepts of men and the word of God? 

My purpose is not to please you or to persuade you, because I do not seek to please men, because if that was my purpose, I would not be a servant of Christ. But I testify unto you that the gospel which I preach unto you is not of man. For neither did I receive it of man, and neither was I taught it except by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.

Through His revelation to me I know that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but only by faith in Jesus Christ, which faith we develop by feasting upon what Christ has caused to be written. It is by faith in Christ that we are justified, and not by the works of the law or by religious observances, or by 'living the gospel.' He has made it clear that by the works of the law no flesh is justified.

But if, while we seek to be justified by faith in Christ, we still find that we sin, is Christ the minister of sin? No. Because of the law we sin. Why? Because no one is capable of keeping the law. It is because we cannot keep the law that we are brought to faith in Christ, and through our faith, He saves us from our sins. And after being baptized and continually repenting, we are no longer under the law, but are under Grace.

We do not live our way into His presence,  but we die in Him that we might live. We are crucified with Christ when baptized, nevertheless we live; yet not us, but Christ lives in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh we live by faith in Christ, who loves us, and gave Himself for us.

Do not frustrate the Grace of God. For if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain, but righteousness comes through Christ, and we show our faith in Him through repentance. We are baptized unto repentance and have faith unto repentance. We become Christ's through repentance, not by performance. Through Christ we become Abraham’s seed, and partakers of the promise.

Now some of you are foolish and have put your trust in men, who have deceived you. You therefore do not obey the truth in Christ. This only then would I ask of you: do you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish as to not look and live?

Do you not remember, or have you not read the scripture that says just because Abraham believed God, it was accounted to him for righteousness? It was not what he did or did not do, but because of his faith in God that was counted as righteousness. 

Know this then, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify us through faith, preached the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with Abraham.

Do you not know that all of you who try to be justified by the works of the law are under the curse? For it is written that cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, for only the just shall live by faith.

Remember that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, by taking upon Himself the punishments prescribed for breaking the law. This is so the blessing of Abraham might come to us, the Gentiles, through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Even though I speak after the manner of men, the covenant made to Abraham was made by God and no man can take away or add anything to the promise.

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made, but only to that seed which is in Christ. And the promise was not made to those who live the law, but to those who have faith in Christ. God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Why then do you continue to seek justification because of your works? You must recognize that such a course will only add to your transgressions? But with this knowledge put your faith in Christ who has paid for your transgressions, and who desires to make you His. Be perfected by Him! 

For if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 

Wherefore the law is our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For we are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for we are all one in Christ Jesus.

And if we be Christ’s, then are we Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Like with us, Christ did not receive of the fulness at the first, but received Grace for Grace. And he continued from Grace to Grace, until he received a fulness. And thus He was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first. And we receive not of the fulness at first but must continue from Grace to Grace until we receive of the fulness and become like Him. In others words we become like Him through Him, through His Grace.

To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Questions About Institutional Knowledge

Answers to the following questions need to be provided by the reader.

Institution is used instead of organization when referring to the learning process that takes place across the organization. While institutional knowledge is generally considered a benefit to organizations, is it beneficial to the individual members of the organizational church?

Is knowledge in the Church institutionalized?

What does institutionalized knowledge actually mean?

Does institutionalized knowledge limit the ability of the members of the institution to learn?

Does authority limit and/or control the ways and in what settings institutionalized knowledge is disseminated?

Is a member of the organization more likely to believe someone in authority in the organization over someone who is not in authority? 

 

Does institutional learning cause learners to rely more on the source than the substance?

 

Is an institution equipped to evaluate its own system which has contributed to knowledge becoming institutionalized?

 

Does institutionalized knowledge allow someone to objectively evaluate what is taught by the teacher or speaker?

Does the institution criticize someone who objectively evaluates what is taught by the institution? 

In an institution what is the basis for evaluating a teacher's or speaker's performance? 

If someone becomes institutionalized, do they gradually become less able to think and act independently?

If so, could this be because of having lived for so long under the rules of an institution?

Does the institution encourage learning outside of the classroom without the forced influence of the system?

With too much institutionalized learning, is individual creativity stifled?

Is forcing people to learn and discuss institutional leaders' material an efficient way to learn, especially while the 'instructor' solicits institutionalized responses?

Now let's summarize the learning process of the organizational Church.

Top down

Authority trumps knowledge

Teach very young several slogans and tenets.

Correlation sets down learning curriculum.

Curriculum developed by institution without regard to individual gifts of the Spirit of those in local congregations, so that gifts of the spirit are not even recognized or acknowledged.

Institutional idea that teacher must follow the manual and teach lessons and cover material rather than teach people the word of God.

Lesson curriculum trumps word of God.

Pulpit narrative is favored over the scripture narrative.  

Discussions based on opinions are encouraged.

We feed downstream rather than from the spring head (Word of God).

We are definition oriented rather than experience oriented. For example a teacher is more likely to ask what is unconditional love rather than to ask if you have ever loved or been loved unconditionally. 

No thought for the meaning of words, but all the same we are captured by the words we use.

We will not search knowledge. Search has been replaced with the term 'daily scripture study' or 'reading' the scriptures.

Ignorance is encouraged.

Lessons and talks are boring.

Prefer devotion over concept.

Talks and lessons are shallow and objectified.

Cliches and truism are our main diet.

Spiritual gift of knowledge is ignored as are those with the gift of prophecy.

Regurgitate what others have said, often repeating false ideas and wrong interpretations.

Rote method of learning, repeating back parrot style what we have heard.

Institutional learning vs. direct revelation and results of institutional learning:

• people will not search knowledge
• prefer devotion to knowledge
• tools like manuals become an end instead of a means
• veil of stupidity--JS
• missing the mark
• buy into the mantras and tenets and will not go beyond them
• discount the value of knowledge (even though JS says knowledge is key to salvation)
• content with what they have (we need no more bible)

Cultural learning

"Culture is a way of working together toward common goals that have been followed so frequently and so successfully that people don't even think about tryng to do things another way. If a culture has formed, people will autonomously do what they need to do to be successful" (Clayton Christensen).

 

It also works the other way--culture is a way of working together toward common goals (even when the goals are not the proper goals) that have been followed so frequently (and without question) that people do not even think about trying to do things another way. If such a culture has formed, people will autonomously do what they think others (the institution) wants them to do to be successful.

As MLK said: "Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and concientious stupidity."

What is the priority of our learning culture in the Church? Problem is that we have accepted a culture that does not have as its priority--receiving direct revelation, from God and through the word of God, even though this is God's and Christ's priority as evidence by the Book of Mormon and other scriptures.

The key aspect of culture is not passed on biologically from parents to the offspring, but rather learned through experience and participation. The scriptures refer to this as the 'traditions of the fathers,' or as the Lord said 'the mainspring of all corruption' (D&C 123:7).

Traditional Learning

Traditionally, people have been learning by absorbing and soaking up information that is presented by people who are known (or just believed) to be more scholarly, educated or in authority, even though they may be without knowledge in the specific subject matter. 

Based on the writing of Paulo Freine in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, education has been limited to just narrating of materials on the part of the 'narrating subject' (the teacher) so that what is presented is lifeless or irrelevant to the 'listening objects' (students). Exactly as Isaiah describes the Ephraimite Gentiles. 

We prefer horizontal learning or conversing among ourselves rather than being taught vertically by our Heavenly Father, and as a result we have lost the ability to hear His voice.

Traditional learning is also referred to as the 'rote method of learning' or just parroting back what the teacher has said.  (Isaiah 28 refers to this rote method of learning as the primary method among Ephriamite Gentiles in the last days.)

Persons who feel compelled to subordinate their wills to the dictates of an institution or ecclesiastical leader can never know the empowerment that comes from answering solely to God.

As teachers in an institution do we make our students victims of our meager expectations?

What Do You Teach?