BYU devotional, Elder Glenn L. Pace: The divine nature and destiny of women

Women have a sacred role in the sanctification and purification of men, Elder Glenn L. Pace of the Seventy told students and faculty during the campus devotional in the Marriott Center at BYU on Tuesday, March 9.

Reflecting on the love he felt from his mother, sister, wife and daughters, Elder Pace spoke of the positive influence women have had on his life.

Speaking specifically about a time when his daughter fell asleep in his arms, Elder Pace noted the comfort it must have brought his daughter to be held by her father. He realized afterward that even greater was the peace and comfort she brought to him.

Looking to the Savior as an example, Elder Pace spoke of the love and respect He bestowed upon women.

"As we read about these associations, our focus is generally on what He teaches them and the love and understanding He gives them," Elder Pace said. "Have you ever considered the possibility that these women provided immense comfort to His burdened soul? It is my belief that He needed them as He journeyed toward living a perfect life in order that He could provide the ultimate sacrifice."

Just as the Savior needed righteous women, so do men today in purifying and sanctification in their lives.

Sharing excerpts from the story of the creation found in the book of Abraham, Elder Pace told of how the earth was created — before Eve — where Adam had been placed in the Garden of Eden. In the garden, Adam was enjoying a utopia in physical surroundings as well as open communication with God. Still, it was not complete without Eve.

"I believe the Father's statement 'It is not good that the man should be alone' (Genesis 2:18) had a much more profound meaning than the obvious biological implications," he said. "It also went further than providing Adam with company. Adam's ability to obtain the purification necessary to get back into the presence of God was dependent upon his continuous association with Eve."

In order for men and women to obtain the highest degree of celestial glory, there is need to be married, Elder Porter said.

"There is a limit to our spiritual development as long as we are single. There is a spiritual development which can only be obtained when a man and a woman join their incomplete selves into a complete couple," he said. "Just as conception requires the physical union of male and female, perfection requires the union of the very souls of male and female."

Although single men and women can accomplish great things on their own, they are incomplete until united intellectually, emotionally, physically and most important, spiritually, he said.

"The world we live in has gone awry with its focus on the physical part of the male and female relationship. If there is too much focus on the physical, the vital areas of intellectual, emotional and spiritual union are not being placed in an environment where they can flourish and grow."

Elder Pace spoke of the obsession the current society has on "making love," rather than developing a complete relationship that enables "expressing love." Because melding divine natures is a necessary element in bringing about perfection, Elder Pace said, individuals must guard against any deterioration of those natures.

"If the world keeps chipping away at the divine nature of women, it is probable that our relationships in marriage will not bring about the sanctification necessary for exaltation or, at a minimum, the process will be delayed," he said.

Referring to the phrase, "men have the priesthood and women have been given the blessing of procreation," Elder Pace spoke of the importance of each role in a relationship, and the ability couples have to complement one another in their eternal roles.

"It is the marriage ceremony in the temple where husband and wife receive the power to perfect their relationship and, thereby, obtain their exaltation."

As individuals work together to become a whole, as the Lord has commanded, they work together to become a combination of complementary capacities and characteristics.

"Sisters, I testify that when you stand in front of your heavenly parents in those royal courts on high and you look into Her eyes and behold Her countenance, any question you ever had about the role of women in the kingdom will evaporate into the rich celestial air, because at that moment you will see standing directly in front of you, your divine nature and destiny."

BYU devotional, Elder Glenn L. Pace: The divine nature and destiny of women
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“an impending “genocidal” pogrom against mormons”

Maybe a fatwa by the morg against Glenn Pace and the editors of the new BYU devotional ???

To put women up equal with mormon males who are “divine” due to their “god-in-embryo” status has to be a death penalty crime...

On Sept. 21, 1856, President Brigham Young, the 2nd prophet of the church, publicly proclaimed that certain sins could only be atoned for by the shedding of the sinner’s own blood:

“There are sins that men commit for which they cannot receive forgiveness... and if they had their eyes open to their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to have their blood spilt upon the ground, that the smoke thereof might ascend to heaven as an offering for their sins; and the smoking incense would atone for their sins, whereas, if such is not the case, they will stick to them and remain upon them in the spirit world.

“I know, when you hear my brethren telling about cutting people off from the earth, that you consider it is strong doctrine, but it is to save them, not to destroy them.... I know there are transgressors, who if they knew themselves, and the only condition upon which they can obtain forgiveness, would beg of their brethren to shed their blood, that the smoke thereof might ascend to God as an offering to appease the wrath that is kindled against them, and that the law might have its course. I will say further; I have had men come to me and offer their lives to atone for their sins.

“It is true that the blood of the Son of God was shed for sins... yet men can commit sins which it can never remit... There are sins that can be atoned for by an offering upon an altar, as in ancient days, and there are sins that the blood of a lamb, or a calf, or of turtle doves, cannot remit, but they must be atoned for by the blood of the man.... You have been taught that doctrine, but you do not understand it.” (Sermon by Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 4, p. 53-54; also published in the Mormon Church’s Deseret News, Oct. 1 1856, p. 235)

President Brigham Young said that if the Mormons really loved their neighbors they would be willing to kill them to save their souls:

“Now take a person in this congregation... and suppose that... he has committed a sin that he knows will deprive him of that exaltation which he desires, and that he cannot attain to it without the shedding of blood, and also knows that by having his blood shed he will atone for that sin, and be saved and exalted with the Gods, is there a man or woman in this house but what would say ‘shed my blood that I may be saved...’

“All mankind love themselves, and let these principles be known by an individual, and he would be glad to have his blood shed. That would be loving themselves, even unto an eternal exaltation. Will you love your brothers and sisters likewise, when they have committed a sin that cannot be atoned for without the shedding of their blood? Will you love that man or woman well enough to shed their blood?...

“I could refer you to plenty of instances where men have been righteously slain, in order to atone for their sins.... I have known a great many men who left this Church for whom there is no chance whatever for exaltation, but if their blood had been spilled, it would have been better for them...

“This is loving our neighbor as ourselves; If he needs help, help him; and if he wants salvation and it is necessary to spill his blood on the earth in order that he may be saved, spill it... That is the way to love mankind.” (Deseret News, Feb. 18, 1857; also reprinted in Journal of Discourses, vol. 4, p. 219-20)

There is NO biblical teaching about Christ we reject. Not one. And you, as one who supposedly lived as a Mormon for 45 years, SHOULD KNOW that.

1. Edward, since when do Lds in general focus on Jesus unilaterally dying for their personal sins? [Who says “no, He doesn’t” – Lds apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, etc., who makes it all "conditional" -- not unilateral] Biblical verses rejected: 1 John 1:7; 1 John 2:2; 1 Peter 2:24; Heb. 1:3

2. Since when do Lds pray directly to Jesus? Verse rejected: Acts 7:59 (Stephen)

3. Likewise, Lds reject Jesus Christ as Creator of ALL "thrones...principalities, or powers" (Col. 1:16) and "All things came into being through Him [Jesus]; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being" (John 1:3) by claiming one of those principal powers -- Lucifer/Satan -- was Jesus' "brother" in the pre-existence. (How can THE Creator -- Jesus Christ -- possibly be the spirit-brother of His own creation? Impossible!)

4. Lds reject Jesus Christ being divine from eternity past -- and say instead it was something he had to attain. Edward Watson's Reality check: Mormons flat-out deny the teaching found in John 1:1, 18 and Micah 5:2, because they claim Jesus was part of a past creation process – (obviously if Jesus’ Mormon “father” was once a man, then Jesus was at some point “less” in stature at that “time”) • "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...the Word became flesh and dwelt among us [Jesus]" (Jn. 1:1,18). • ”But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)

5. Lds reject Jesus Christ as the ONLY begotten son (practical rejection of John 1:14 as uniquely begotten of the Father). [Note: Oh sure, D&C 76:23,25 labels Jesus as the “Only begotten Son” – but sandwiches those verses around v. 24, teaching that “well, no He isn’t”: “That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.” [I mean if the worlds are full of "begotten sons...unto God", how is Jesus universally unique as "the only" begotten Son? What, by way of Mormon doctrine, makes Him an "only" begotten Son?]

Lds leaders say Jesus, the author of salvation, was a created being of another god – and that He needed to advance to being a "saved being."

6. Lds reject Jehovah is our Elohim, and that the Father is in Jesus Christ, and by teaching that the Son of God was denied the fullness of God “at first” (D&C 93:13-14) in sharp contradiction to the Bible’s teachings that the fullness/volume of the deity resides/resided in Jesus Christ. This is a rejection of…
(a) James 2:19: Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well…” and replaces Him with multiple gods;
(b) Exodus 34:14 – only one God can be worshiped!
(c) Deut. 6:4: Jehovah is our Elohim. Gen. 27:20: “The Jehovah, your Elohim.” Ex. 3:6-7: “I the Jehovah, your Elohim.” (Elohim used to describe the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6 and 40:3). Cf. Jer. 32:18, 27. [Mormons even thereby reject plain Book of Mormon passages as well, such as “Jesus IS THE eternal God” (2 Nephi 26:12) and “Jesus [is] THE VERY GOD! (Mormon 3:21)].
(d) the true union of God the Father and God the Son teaching found in the Bible, and reduces the union between God the Father and God the Son to one a mere will and purpose, when the Bible never limits the union to those terms or descriptors.

7. Lds reject Jesus Christ being the unique and ONLY universal Savior. How? Why?
(a) Brigham Young taught both that Joseph Smith was Jesus’ “co-consenter” as to who would enter eternal life;
and (b) he also taught that many worlds existed – and that “every earth has its redeemer” [meaning other saviors on other planets].
Edward Watson's Reality check: Mormons flat-out deny the teaching found in Acts 4:12 and 1 Tim. 2:5: "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12) "For there is one God and one mediator also between God and men: the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5). [Brigham Young indeed taught other names & other mediators & other redeemers exist!]

8. Lds reject the blood of Christ as being completely "salvific" for the sins of mankind by adding works of the law into the magic Mormon "formula." Lds also reject the cross as the key component of the very gospel. Although I’ve found the word “cross” in the D&C, it isn’t even in the D&C index! It’s missing! Edward Watson's Reality check: Mormons flat-out deny the clear and dominant teaching found in numerous verses. I’ll highlight four verses for brevity sake: "I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died needlessly" (Gal. 2:21); "For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:3); "He saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to his mercy." (Titus 3:5); "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" (Heb. 10:14).

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