ShadowAce, I thought you did too.
Reno -
Faith. Where do you place your faith. Is it in Christ? Or is it in the works and ordinances of your organization. Be careful. It is THE most important question.
None of us who are Christian on this thread share a common denomination (that I know of), yet we all walk the same path - the path of faith in Christ, period. Some of us may stumble upon the pebble that is called “women in authority,” or “gays who continue to lead while continuing in sin.” Yet we all have the same goal of Christ to reach on that path.
You my friend Reno, are on a different path. In Mormonism the goal is in your own exaltation. The goal is eternal family. The goal is in authority and judgment. Put your eyes on Christ, your faith that HE saves you and to be in Him is all you ever need - He fulfills your every desire. All the rest of our man-made confusion is a stumbling stone - it causes one to take your eyes off Him who is the end of the path. Instead you focus on your own two feet and where they are leading you. Self focus is a sin.
Do you see the difference?
Now that I think of it, my story was stupid. We who are Christians have already reached our goal of Christ. But He has numbered our steps and set us a path. Our own human foibles and sin cause us to stumble upon those pebbles while we live out our eternal lives on Christ’s path. Someday (soon I hope) He will come and ultimately save us from our stumbling and groping, but we are already with Him.
If you believe so, why did the Lord even institute the Commandments? Why did Paul go to the Corinthians & set them straight on the doctrines, something he thought was imperative, instead of just visiting them & saying, well, you've got the doctrines a little screwed up, but hey, you believe in the Lord, so don't worry about it.
And then of course, we could talk about the dozens of scriptures that talk about the principle of “faith without WORKS is dead”.
Anyway, hope all is well w/ you CC.
Faith. Where do you place your faith. Is it in Christ? Or is it in the works and ordinances of your organization. Be careful. It is THE most important question.
In conclusion let us summarize this grand key, these “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet”, for our salvation depends on them.
1. The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
3. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
4. The prophet will never lead the church astray.
5. The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
6. The prophet does not have to say “Thus Saith the Lord,” to give us scripture.
7. The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
8. The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.
9. The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.
10. The prophet may advise on civic matters.
11. The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
12. The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
13. The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—the highest quorum in the Church.
14. The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer.
I testify that these fourteen fundamentals in following the living prophet are true. If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord then let us ask ourselves how well we stand with His mortal captain—how close do our lives harmonize with the Lord’s anointed—the living Prophet—President of the Church, and with the Quorum of the First Presidency.
Ezra Taft Benson
(Address given Tuesday, February 26, 1980 at Brigham Young University)