Ordinances and Assumptions

For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift. 

--D&C 88:33

In this post, I'm going to discuss our common unbeliefs about the meaning and efficacy of our ordinances. If you're not familiar with the term "unbelief" I recommend you read this post first. And maybe the following two as well.

But assuming we're all on the same page about unbelief, let's look at our ordinances.

The biggest unbelief we have about ordinances is that they actually do something.

Let me explain what I mean. The ordinances are important, even essential, but they don't do what we think they do, and it's time we came to a better understanding so we can receive the gifts offered us by a loving Father in Heaven.

Let's look at D&C 132:7. Skim through the following:

And verily I say unto you, that the conditions of this law are these: All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity, and that too most holy, by revelation and commandment through the medium of mine anointed, whom I have appointed on the earth to hold this power (and I have appointed unto my servant Joseph to hold this power in the last days, and there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred), are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead.

Now, this is a hard verse to read because it has a huge idea inserted right in the middle of another idea, and a parenthetical insertion inside the insertion. So let me excise that middle double insertion and sew the ends together to make it clear, as follows:

All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise...are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead.

In practicality, what this means, is that no ordinance, no covenant, NOTHING entered into in this life matters in the next unless it is sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. 

Really? Nothing else lasts? 

Yes. Nothing.

Joseph used a lot of synonyms to make that crystal clear. EVERY priesthood ordinance we perform, expecting to gain eternal benefit thereby, is really just a rehearsal. Nothing is binding until the Holy Spirit of promise binds it. Period.

Now, I know this doesn't come as a surprise to some of us. But I think a sizable number of us actually ARE surprised, shocked, and emotionally devastated by this idea because of the mistaken notion that once you do the ordinance, it's a done deal--forever.

I've been in so many testimony meetings where people testify how thankful they are for their eternal marriage, forever family, eternal companion, or any other combination of adjective and noun implying their marriage is a done deal, forever, no matter what. They made it to the temple, they knelt at an altar, and that's that. It's good as gold forever and nothing can change that. Even civil divorce can't "cancel" this sealing.

But I hold, that in many instances, even most, the celebrated sealing does not yet even exist in heaven because it has not yet been ratified by the Holy Spirit of Promise. 

So let's talk about our ordinances, and what they ACTUALLY do.

Unbelief #1: Baptism Remits Sins

I've been to any number of baptisms where the claim is spoken that baptism "washes away your sins." We tell the grinning 8-year-old that they're clean as they day they were born, while all those nasty sins committed before the age of accountability (huh?) are now safely washed down the drain and on the way to the sewage treatment plant. Let's eat some cake!

Hey, I'm definitely in favor of cake, but first let's take a look at some relevant scriptures:

Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.(2 Nephi 31:17)

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. (3 Nephi 27:20)

And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith. (Moroni 6:4)

From the above, we see that baptism is merely a public testimony of your private repentance. The actual remission of sins, the cleansing, the sanctification are all accomplished by means of the Holy Ghost. Baptism is just the gate by which you should enter (2 Nephi 31:17) to put you on the path leading to the remission of sins. It is an authoritative invitation to receive more. 

But that's no problem, because the very next ordinance takes care of the Holy Ghost part of the equation, right?

Unbelief #2: Confirmation Confers the Holy Ghost

We talk about "giving" the Gift of the Holy Ghost--and that once you've been given this gift you "have" the Holy Ghost. That means that the above-mentioned 8-year-old is eating cake with a new spirit, right? 

But the confirmation ordinance itself doesn't say that. The priesthood holder does not say "I give you the gift of the Holy Ghost," but rather "receive the Holy Ghost." It is nothing more than an authoritative invitation to receive what is offered. The actual reception of this gift is completely up to the recipient. You can choose to receive or you can choose to reject.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel. (2 Nephi 31:13)

If the repentance before baptism is sincere; if there is full purpose of heart and no deception;  if the desire and willingness so witnessed have real intent, then the actual reception of the Holy Ghost may indeed take place at the time of baptism. Such was the case with Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery:

No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery, than the Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation. Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of. (JSH 73-74)

But this is rare. How many baptisms have you attended where the Holy Ghost was manifest in this kind of abundance? Where prophecies were uttered, and rejoicing was proclaimed? How many 8-year-olds have you seen speaking with the tongue of angels and shouting praises unto the Holy One of Israel?

Fact is, for many of us it may take years and years before we finally accept the invitation and actually receive the Holy Ghost. Some of us never will, though we will attend a lifetime of lessons telling us we already received the Holy Ghost at confirmation and therefore there is nothing more to seek. Our unbelief prevents us from receiving more.

Actually Receiving the Holy Ghost

Though we may all, at times, be led by, taught by, and feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, the fulness of what is offered, and what we all must receive is referred to as the "baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost." (2 Nephi 31:13-17, D&C 39:6) This event is the milepost telling you that you have, indeed, received the Holy Ghost; that your baptism and confirmation have been ratified by the Holy Spirit of Promise; that your sins are indeed remitted; that you have been made, in actual fact, a new creature in Christ. 

The name, baptism of fire, is an apt description. You know what it feels like to be immersed in water; and there is no doubt in your mind when you've been dunked. Well, the baptism of fire is similar. You may not know what to call it when it happens, but something so powerful, so unmistakable takes place, that it is likened to being engulfed in fire, because that's how it feels. It changes everything: Your outlook, your understanding, your desires, your sinful nature, your feelings toward your fellow man--all are renovated and repaired by this baptism of fire. 

Like your water baptism, it is not a process; it is an event. And as I said, it may be many years after your baptism when you receive it. If you have not experienced this, or you're not sure, you should ask the Lord about it. 

I was 25 years old, a lifetime active Mormon, returned missionary, married in the temple, and a father before I received the Baptism of Fire. It came because the circumstances of my life were well beyond my capacity to handle, and I literally cried out to God in absolute desperation, with complete, abject surrender of everything I could possibly lay on the altar. 

I'm not telling you this to boast or set myself up for praise. I'm merely hoping to testify by my own experience that this is absolutely real, and that you can--and should--receive this gift. When I was engulfed in spiritual fire, because I had never been taught about this doctrine, I had no idea what was happening, and it took quite a bit of study for me to recognize what had taken place. But it did, indeed, happen, and it did, indeed, change everything. 

I share this in hopes that you will seek to receive this gift, if you have not yet done so. If you've been baptized, this is the next step in your spiritual progression, no matter how long ago your baptism took place.

Unbelief #3: Priesthood Ordination Confers Power

When we talk about "giving" someone the priesthood, we treat it like that man (or boy) is now endowed with a new power to act in God's name, and have those acts binding in heaven and on earth. 

And yet, Elder Packer lamented in a recent general conference: 

We have done very well at distributing the authority of the priesthood. We have priesthood authority planted nearly everywhere. We have quorums of elders and high priests worldwide. But distributing the authority of the priesthood has raced, I think, ahead of distributing the power of the priesthood. The priesthood does not have the strength that it should have and will not have until the power of the priesthood is firmly fixed in the families as it should be. (The Power of the Priesthood, April 2010.)

In other words, ordination may indeed give authority, but until that authority is matched with power from heaven, that priesthood is incomplete. It has a form of godliness, but lacks the power thereof. This is exactly the condition the Lord himself lamented in Joseph Smith's first vision, (JSH 19) and the condition that prompted the restoration in the first place. 

Would the Lord say the same today? 

Priesthood ordination is better viewed as an authoritative invitation for that boy or man to rise up and obtain actual priesthood power from God. 

Unbelief #4: The Temple Endowment Guarantees Something

We speak of being "endowed" and perhaps we are indeed endowed in the temple with symbolic knowledge and offered the opportunity to make covenants. But, like all other ordinances, until these are ratified by the Holy Spirit of Promise, what we have is only preparatory.

Consider this:

We are told unequivocally that the washing and anointing that precede the endowment ceremony are preparatory in nature and not the real thing. We are informed that if we are "true and faithful" the time will come when we will be "chosen, called up and anointed" to the actual blessings promised. Are we seeking the fulfillment of that promise? Do we even discuss how to seek it? Or do we assume that it will just happen, someday, if we follow the rules?

In a similar vein, the endowment symbolically represents the journey back into the presence of God, after being cast out into the lone and dreary world, or the Telestial Kingdom where we now find ourselves. Of course, what is portrayed in the temple is symbolic. We are not actually conversing with the Lord through the veil, we are not actually passing through the veil into His presence. We are merely rehearsing for this great event. 

The endowment is an authoritative invitation to receive in actuality what is portrayed symbolically. God intends for us to return to his presence, even in this life, in the flesh. This should, can and does happen, even today. (John 14:21-23, D&C 130:3, D&C 93:1, D&C 107:18-19, D&C 88:68) Are we seeking to meet the Lord personally? To make the endowment a reality in our lives? Or do we merely rehearse over and over, ad infinitum, never realizing it is only a rehearsal?

You can read testimonies of the real thing here and here. If you want to experience it yourself, I recommend this book.

Unbelief #5: Your Temple Marriage is Sealed

Many of us labor under the mistaken notion that a temple marriage is "sealed." Of course this comes from the terminology we use, calling it a "sealing" but we give it meaning beyond what we ought to give it.

This really came home to me on my mission, when a church member confessed privately to me and my companion that she had a real problem with the idea of eternal marriage, because she couldn't stand her abusive husband, but she was stuck with him forever. She was terribly depressed and despondent over the idea that there was nothing she could do now, and that her heaven would be her hell. She considered divorcing him, but she knew he would never agree to a cancellation of sealings, so he would just get her back in the next life and the abuse would continue.

Yes, she actually believed this. Isn't that what it means to be "sealed" in the temple? 

I fear there are others who think this is true.

I assured her that there was no way she was stuck with that guy, because, first of all, marriage only continues in the Celestial Kingdom, and, though I'm not the judge, this guy didn't much sound like celestial material to me. It was the best I could offer as a 19-year-old kid, but it actually helped her feel better. 

The point is, there is absolutely NO danger you'll be stuck with someone you don't love. Heaven doesn't work like that. 

But what about looking at it the other way? What if you really love your spouse, have a wonderful marriage, and WANT to be together forever?

Well, I'd say you've got a great start on the right path. That is exactly the kind of marriage God is interested in preserving. If it reflects Heaven while yet on earth, then that marriage will be at home in heaven as well. 

And so it is that your temple sealing is an authoritative invitation to develop a marriage that can be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, and thus preserved eternally. Elder Eyring recently spoke on this very subject in general conference:

The Holy Spirit of Promise, through our obedience and sacrifice, must seal our temple covenants in order to be realized in the world to come. President Harold B. Lee explained what it means to be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise by quoting Elder Melvin J. Ballard: “We may deceive men but we cannot deceive the Holy Ghost, and our blessings will not be eternal unless they are also sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. The Holy Ghost is one who reads the thoughts and hearts of men, and gives his sealing approval to the blessings pronounced upon their heads. Then it is binding, efficacious, and of full force. (Families under Covenant, April 2012)

By now, I hope you've noticed that EVERY priesthood ordinance is actually a beginning, not an ending. Each is an authoritative invitation to receive what is actually offered. But the real gift is always received directly from God, and not from a man. And all these blessings are only received if they are sought.

Damned by Unbelief

This is why unbelief damns us. As long as we labor under the mistaken notion that we have actual remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost, priesthood power, genuine endowment, and eternal sealing, we will never seek to receive these things. One of Satan's most effective lies is that we have already received the offered gifts because we received an ordinance. This is a lie.

The first step to receiving what is offered is to awaken and arise. We must understand we have been offered, and not yet received, these gifts. Then we must receive them.

For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift. (D&C 88:33)

Rejoice in the gifts! Rejoice in He who is their giver! Receive what is offered! This is how we Come unto Christ. Please come to Him.

The Preparatory Church

By now, it should be clear that the things we do in the church are rehearsals. They are designed to prepare us for greater things. The ordinances, teachings, service opportunities, and fellowship afforded us by the church are good and right, and are all designed to prepare us for, and point the way toward, the real thing.

And what is the real thing? 

Christ's church. Not the one on earth that bears His name (Jesus Christ) and ours (Latter-day Saints), but the one in heaven that bears His name alone. He is the Firstborn, and His church is the church of the Firstborn:

They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace; (D&C 76:94)

And all those who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory of the same, and are the church of the Firstborn. (D&C 93:22)

It's good, necessary, and important to rehearse. But rehearsing can only get you so far. At some point you must accept the invitations, step out from behind the curtain onto the stage and into the light, in front of gods, angels, and witnesses for the actual performance. And when THAT performance is successfully delivered, the reaction of the audience is praise indeed as an overjoyed Savior offers his high praise: 

Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Matthew 25:21)

May we overcome our unbelief, awaken, arise and receive what is offered.

Must it be So Hard?

And it came to pass that the people hardened their hearts, and would not hearken unto their words; and the prophets mourned and withdrew from among the people.

Ether 11:13

Picture the following scenario:

The first thing to pierce your consciousness is the pain. You don’t know where you are or why there is such terrible pain, nor why you can't seem to move your legs. As you open your eyes, the scene comes slowly into focus, yet makes no sense. You recognize you are in your car, but everything is out of place. The roof is mostly caved in above your head, the windshield is shattered, and you aren’t sitting in the driver’s seat. You’re more wedged under the steering wheel, against the dash board and you’re stuck. The car isn’t sitting level, either, and there are tree branches, boulders, and a river outside.

Through the broken glass, you can see your car is mostly demolished and isn’t even on the road. The last thing you remember is driving on the mountain road and worrying about sliding on ice. 

As you try to move, the pain intensifies: both legs are trapped, and as you look to try to free them, you see blood pooling on the floor. Lots of blood.

An unkempt-looking, bearded man appears at your window, and yells at you to cover your head with your hands while he breaks out the window with a rock. Once the glass is out of the way, you can see him better. He’s wearing an oversized, threadbare coat over a dirty T-shirt and he appears to be quite weathered. He would look more at home holding a cardboard sign at an intersection than breaking out your window in a mountain ravine. He says the following:

“You’ve been in a terrible accident and your life is in danger. Your leg is nearly severed and bleeding badly. Help is on the way, but if we don’t stop the bleeding immediately you’ll die before help arrives. So here’s what I want you to do. I’m going to give you my handkerchief.”

“What do you want me to do with it? Where do I put it?”

“Don’t put it anywhere. Just touch it.”

“What? What do you mean? Just touch it?”

“My handkerchief has special healing properties. If you touch it, your bleeding will stop and you will live. That’s all you have to do.” 

“How is that possible? GET ME SOME HELP! I need paramedics, not a magic handkerchief! I’m bleeding to death! Hurry!”

“I know it doesn’t seem logical. But please, for your own sake, just do as I say. Touch my handkerchief.

And with that, he holds it out to you. 

Do you touch the crazy, homeless man’s handkerchief? Is there any chance at all that doing so will save your life? Or will you place your faith where it belongs, in the paramedics who are slowly making their way up the slick mountain road 17 miles from where you are?

Now think about it another way. Let’s just say that man’s name is John—the same who was called beloved by the Savior—the same who was translated and tarries still on the Earth. And let’s just say he really was sent to save your life. In fact, let’s assume, just for discussion, that every word he said is true. 

Of course, the only way you would find any of that out would be to do as he asks and touch his handkerchief. And maybe you aren't inclined to do that. Maybe magic healing handkerchiefs don’t exist. Maybe as you lose consciousness, your last hope is placed in the paramedics, and John withdraws in sorrow, unable to help you. 

Now, I know this is a bizarre, contrived story that bears no resemblance to reality and seems a bit ridiculous, but it’s very similar to another story we find in scripture. When Moses led the Israelites in the wilderness, you may recall the incident with the fiery serpents:

And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished. (1 Nephi 17:41 )

When the people were bitten by the serpents, all they had to do was look at the brass serpent Moses raised up on a pole. If they looked, they would be healed and live. If they didn’t look, they would die. Sadly, many refused to look and perished.

They didn’t die of snake bite. What killed them was a heart condition known as hardness.

But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them. O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish? (Alma 33:20-21 )

Heart Disease is the Leading Cause of Death

Hard heartedness is a much-misunderstood condition, difficult to diagnose without experience, and seldom even considered as a possibility. It is a terrible and universal affliction, and if left untreated, it will ALWAYS lead to the loss of eternal life. And yet, we almost universally consider ourselves immune to this problem.

Just as it was with with the Israelites, so it is with us. Too often, when we are offered gospel truth, we reject it outright because of hard heartedness, unable to recognize what we are rejecting. Ironically, our reasons for rejecting truth are rooted in false religious belief, more commonly called unbelief. We refuse to accept truth because of what we already think we know. We point to our belief system as evidence we don’t have hard hearts, even as we use those beliefs to reject truth.

We cannot overcome our own hard hearts until we understand the affliction. So here’s a primer on hard heartedness. As you read these scriptures, ponder how they may apply to you:

1. If your heart is hard, you will not—and cannot—receive or understand truth.

And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell. (Alma 12:10-11)
See also Mosiah 26:3, Alma 16:17, Mosiah 3:15, 2 Nephi 33:2, 1 Nephi 15:11

In general, those with hard hearts reject new ideas outright that conflict with their existing ideas. In other words, if you have a hard heart, you cannot learn anything new because you assume you already know everything about the matter. It's a very effective tool of the devil to tell you that you have all you need, and therefore should reject anything more. It goes like this:

That’s not true!
--Why not?
Because it can’t be true.
--Why can’t it be true?
Because I don’t believe it. 
--Why don’t you believe it? 
Because it’s not true.

And so on.

The hard-hearted response may also involve a cursory search for evidence to support the ideas you already hold. Maybe you pull a few quotes or scriptures to prove you're right. This approach cannot lead to truth, because it is not a search for truth. It's merely a search for weapons to win a battle.

If your first response is a desperate attempt to prop up your own position rather than considering the opposite position, you will never learn anything beyond what you already think you know.

2. A hard heart makes you angry at the truth

And his brethren were wroth with him because they understood not the dealings of the Lord; they were also wroth with him upon the waters because they hardened their hearts against the Lord. (Mosiah 10:14)

Why should a new idea make you angry? In reality, it comes down to fear. You fear being wrong and you fear your ignorance. When this fear is coupled with potential loss and everlasting consequences, the emotions heighten and fear becomes anger. 

3. This anger even leads to violence

And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually. (Mormon 4:11)
See also Ether 8:25, Helaman 10:15, 1 Nephi 22:18

When faced with a troubling message, the hard-hearted reaction is often to attack the messenger. I've received several responses to what I've written that generally go along these lines: "I'm not confident enough to discuss doctrine, history or what you wrote, so instead I'll just go ahead and attack your style, motives, and personality. That way I can safely discount your message without ever giving it a fair hearing."

Attack the messenger. Destroy the message. This is the coward's way out. 

4. A hard heart prevents repentance

Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. (Alma 34:31)

 See also Alma 21:12, Alma 33:21, Alma 12:33, Alma 12:37, Jacob 6:5

Repentance requires us to re-learn and re-think existing ideas in light of truth. As long as you are too correct to ever consider you may be wrong, you simply cannot repent.

5. If your heart is hard, you cannot enter into the Lord’s rest, and you will be destroyed.

And now, my brethren, behold I say unto you, that if ye will harden your hearts ye shall not enter into the rest of the Lord; therefore your iniquity provoketh him that he sendeth down his wrath upon you as in the first provocation, yea, according to his word in the last provocation as well as the first, to the everlasting destruction of your souls; therefore, according to his word, unto the last death, as well as the first. (Alma 12:36) 

See also: Alma 12:35

6. A hard heart is a tool of Satan

And many more things did the people imagine up in their hearts, which were foolish and vain; and they were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come. (Helaman 16:22)
See Also 3 Nephi 1:22

But perhaps most amazing is how heard-heartedness functions in those who are religious. When Christ came to the Nephites, he brought new doctrine, new truth, and a higher law to replace the Law of Moses. The prophets knew this would be the case before it happened, and actually feared their children would reject Christ Himself because of the religious law they already accepted:

Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our children may know the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what end the law was given. And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against him when the law ought to be done away. (2 Nephi 25:27)

Imagine that! They feared that Christ Himself couldn't teach the people because their hearts would not be prepared to accept anything new--even from their God!

And yet, as the record shows, this very nearly happened. The people were not able to receive Christ's word without more preparation. He almost left them to try again later:

I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time. Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again. (3 Nephi 17:2-3) 

At the last moment, because the people wanted him to stay, our Lord improvised an ordinance involving the children to save their parents. It's breathtaking in its beauty, and it brought about the necessary changes so the people could be taught. The key was the children, whose hearts were soft. This aligns perfectly with what Christ had just taught the people concerning his doctrine:

And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. (3 Nephi 11:37-39)

Why Little Children?

Little children have the following qualities:

1. Children are inquisitive. Ever spent time with a 4-year-old kid? How many questions per minute were asked? Heaven responds to questions. Joseph Smith's life is ample illustration of this principle. James 1:5 applies. You must ask.
2. Children are open. Not only don't they know much, but they KNOW they don't know much. They happily accept new truth and readily believe it.
3. Children are humble. They generally don't argue with what you teach them because they think they know better. They eventually learn this behavior, of course, but they learn it from adults.
4. Children are believing. How many adults believe in Santa Claus? The Easter Bunny? Tooth Fairy? And yet, are we asked to believe in anything less miraculous in the atonement? The difference is that most adults have lost that sense of wonder, magic, and the divine. Do we really believe in miracles? Children do.

You might not reach for the handkerchief, but I guarantee a child would.

Here’s the upshot:

In this blog, I’ve taught truths that contradict our tradition. I’ve supported what I’ve taught by using scripture and historical record. These things are important and worth consideration. 

Too many of us respond to the truth with a hard heart. And remember, a hard heart cannot be changed unless it is broken--something Christ is willing to do for you, if there's no other way. He will break your heart, if he must, to save you, having already suffered himself the heartache you will experience. I can't imagine the love that motivates such a sacrifice! 

And even then, many will not respond. 

Why not choose instead to be humble?

The only remedy for a hard heart is recognition and repentance. We must voluntarily choose to soften our hearts, even to the point of breaking, so that the Lord can intervene and give us a new heart that is like His.

He CAN, He WILL, and He DOES work this miracle in the hearts of ALL who will come to him and seek it. I am a witness of this miracle. He IS mighty to save.

In Closing

I recognize there are many good folks who read what I’ve written and are desperately troubled. Faced with the cognitive dissonance between historical facts and scripture on the one hand, and long-held tradition on the other, you must make a choice. 

Either you can consider what is offered, and study it out, or you can close your mind, ignore the message, and try to pretend you never saw it. One is an act of faith, and one is an act of fear. One requires a soft heart, and one is a symptom of a hard heart. 

And that's the heart of the matter.

History, Hearsay and Heresy, Conclusion: Hastening What Work?

Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope; That say: Let him make speed, hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it.

—2 Nephi 15:18-19

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

In this series, we've examined a sampling of the unbeliefs that are damning us. They take the form of false doctrines, false quotations, and mythical stories designed to promote "faith." And yet, rather than learning from the past, we seem intent on continuing the problem and amplifying it. This concluding post in the series will examine the making of a modern, Mormon myth.

Consider this:

We testify fervently and often that we KNOW the current President of the church is a prophet of God. We also like to throw in even more literal titles like "the Lord's mouthpiece on earth" or "the Lord's anointed." We teach this church is founded upon revelation, run by revelation, and currently receiving revelation. We're certain of it because we KNOW it (not merely believe it) with every fiber of our being (whatever that means.)

We up the ante with our Ninth Article of Faith, canonized as scripture: 

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

And yet, nothing new has been revealed in a very, very long time. The prophet doesn't actually prophesy, publish revelations, or claim to deliver any message he got directly from God. He mostly tells stories about himself and his good works, reads us poetry and thoughts from philosophers, quotes scripture, reminisces about the past, and encourages Christian living through positive platitudes. In the face of a world exploding in unprecedented wickedness and crumbling to chaos, God's mouthpiece tells us...well...pretty much the same thing he's told us the last umpteen times we heard him speak. God, evidently, has not much else to say.

Now I completely support President Monson's right to receive revelation for the church. He has our collective common consent, and the unequivocal right to preside over the church. Whatever keys the church has, he holds them. That's not my point. I sustain him in his office and pray for him to be inspired and guided, to receive the revelatory guidance we so desperately need.

My point is that we have received no new prophecy, revelation, vision, or word from heaven in a very long time. 

Faced with the cognitive dissonance of viewing the obvious gulf between the Joseph Smith definition of prophet and the Thomas Monson definition of "prophet," we deal with it in the way our Mormon culture has taught us to. 

We invent myths. 

We're so desperate for genuine revelation, for the "great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God," for proof that our leaders are, in fact, in direct contact with heaven, that we ascribe heavenly sources to the most mundane of acts. In other words, we INVENT revelation where there is none. This obvious fact shouldn't come as a surprise, as we've already discussed in this series how we're perfectly comfortable with inventing history, inventing doctrine, and even inventing miracles to satiate our need for the divine. 

We're not above putting the words in our leaders' mouths that God didn't put there. We'll even ascribe our invented words to God Himself if necessary. And soon, we'll believe we have ourselves some bone-a-fide revelation, a cause we can get behind, a testimony of it to share, and lots and lots of meetings to discuss, explain, and encourage the myth. Oh, we do like to keep busy and distracted.

It's fascinating to watch, much like a train wreck in slow motion, only even more tragic. 

Allow me to illustrate:

A curious problem began to percolate in the church around the year 2002. That's the year the First Presidency "raised the bar" for missionary qualification, and began excluding otherwise willing and repentant young people from missionary service due to past transgression. The predictable result was that the number of missionaries in the field began plummeting from a high mark of 61,638 in 2002 to 51,067 just 2 years later. That's a drop of over 10,000 missionaries, nearly 20% of the missionary force, in 2 years--as more willing prospective missionaries were turned away and told they didn't qualify and would never qualify to serve the Lord.

The missionary numbers continued falling, when measured as a percentage of church membership. See below.

To make matters worse, convert baptisms were falling and church growth was faltering as well:

This was, as you can plainly see, not good for the church's image of vibrant and continuous growth. Drastic steps were in order, and drastic steps were taken. 

As it turns out, the point at which many young prospective missionaries, the male ones anyhow, "fell off the wagon" was that crucial year between high school graduation and the magical mission age of 19. That was the year most young men spent away from their home, parents, ward, and the influences they had grown up with. Many did just great, but sadly, many did not. They made mistakes that would forever preclude them from missionary service, no matter their desire to repent. (Remember, the bar has been raised!)

And so it was, in October, 2012, ten years after the missionary implosion, President Monson surprised the church by announcing the change in mission age. At the time, he didn't announce it as revelation--quite the contrary, he outlined that the church had been successfully testing this age change in certain missions and areas of the world for years, so it was decided to roll it out worldwide. He specifically called it a "policy" and not a "revelation."

Similarly, at the official press conference that followed this announcement, the age change was called a "change in policy" that was arrived at after testing in a few, select countries. Revelation was not mentioned. Nobody ever claimed God was behind this. 

Well, as you know, the age change policy opened up an overwhelming flood of new missionary applications as more young men, and MANY more young women opted to serve at the new earlier, and much more convenient, age. The missionary ranks quickly swelled, and the church had to scramble to provide training and places for these missionaries to labor.

Soon, the massive growth in missionary numbers became the topic of much conversation, from the ward level, all the way to top leadership. Something was changing! Something was happening! And somebody noticed a scripture they thought applied!

YES! That explains it! The Lord is hastening his work!

Never mind that the scripture in question was pulled out of context--actually spoken by the Lord when telling a group of High Priests who had been on missions to stay home. But that's OK. It fit the bill and provided an important way to tie the missionary explosion to a "prophecy." 

Incidentally, the only other time this scripture reared its head in General Conference was when Elder Nelson quoted it in 1990, saying that the time of the hastening was THEN. Oops. 

Well, in the next General Conference after the age change, a Seventy tied "hastening" to the "work of salvation." And Elder Nelson tied the wave of new missionaries to "hastening the work" and "answering the Prophet's call."

Then in the following General Conference, now a year after the announcement, four general authorities spoke on hastening the work. But none did so with quite the aplomb of Elder Gifford Nielsen of the Seventy, who titled his talk, Hastening the Lord's Game Plan, and said the following:

All over the world, stakes, districts, and missions are experiencing a new level of energy, as the Savior’s declaration to Joseph Smith in 1832 is being fulfilled: “Behold, I will hasten my work in its time” (D&C 88:73). Brothers and sisters, that time is now! I feel it, and I’m sure you do also. 

(Do you find it confusing that Elder Nielsen contradicted Elder Nelson? But I digress)

By now, as you can see, the story had legs. The theme was popping up everywhere--in leadership broadcasts, in ward and stake meetings, in every stake conference, in testimonies on fast Sunday, and even on its own website. Heck, my ward did a whole-weeekend-long activity for youth based on the hastening theme.

Over and over we heard that President Monson told us it's time to hasten the work. I was actually assigned to teach the topic to my Elder's Quorum earlier this year, so I set about tracking down the original quote from President Monson about hastening the work. I wanted to read to my brethren the call from the prophet himself.

Except he never said it.

I went through every General Conference address, and every other speaking gig President Monson did since the age change, and I couldn't find even a single instance of him speaking of hastening the work. Not one.

And yet, in the April, 2014 General Conference, no fewer than FIVE speakers spoke on the "hastening," often tying it in some way to President Monson, and thus putting words he never said, squarely in his mouth.

Incidentally, President Monson has since written about hastening the work. It was in a First Presidency Message in the Ensign in June of this year. And it was about family history work. Confused? Predictably, the message has been adjusted and we are now hearing about hastening the work of salvation--among the living and the dead. No problem. 

Meanwhile, I've also been hearing increasing references to President Monson's revelation to change the mission age. Bam! We've got revelation! We've got a cause we can get behind! Whatever's going on, we're gonna HASTEN it baby!

So let's review:

1. The church changed a policy in 2002, with disastrous consequences for missionary work
2. In 2012, the church changed another policy, resulting in many more missionaries
3. The resulting growth in the missionary force was tied to a scripture that didn't apply
4. Excitement grew around the new explanation for the growth
5. The whole thing was then pinned on President Monson as his idea
6. And thus it became revelation

If you ask a typical Latter-day Saint to tell you what is the most recent revelation the church has received, I can almost guarantee you'll get told some flavor of the change in mission age or hastening the work. 

But the age change was NEVER presented as revelation! And the hastening NEVER came from President Monson! Nevertheless, we've invented a myth that does a good job of doing what myths do--

• It provides us comfort that our leaders are in touch with God, so we don't have to be. 
• It gives us evidence that we're on the Lord's team and enjoying his favor because we have an increasing number we can count and measure. We take this as proof of the Lord's favor.
• It convinces us we're witnessing miracles when we are not.
• It keeps us from having to awaken and arise to confront the awful prophecies about us, issued by the ancient prophets who saw us. 
• It persuades us we are doing something important and meaningful in a world that is crumbling around us.
• It keeps us comfortably asleep.

This one will be an interesting one to watch develop. On the one hand, our desire for the divine means we will likely continue to embellish this myth to make it even more miraculous, particularly in the face of the troubles that lie ahead. We'll call just about anything a revelation, just so we can claim revelation.

But on the other hand, a number of unintended consequences are beginning to take the shine off the "hastening." Convert baptisms are not up, despite the massive growth in missionary numbers. The primary missionary growth has come from sisters, not the elders originally targeted by the change. Missionaries are spread so thick in some areas that they have almost nothing to do. (In my area of Idaho, we're nearing one companionship per ward, in an area that's already 20% LDS) This means that the missionaries can personally contact every non-member in their area in about 3 days. And activity rates are very high, so there's little to do on the activation front either. The missionaries beg for service opportunities, and they are, literally, thrilled if you'll let them mow your lawn.

Faced with boredom, immaturity, lack of experience away from home, and few baptisms, increasing numbers of missionaries are calling it quits and coming home early. A missionary serving in my brother's ward has seen three companions leave early so far. He's been out ten months.

The Lord's work cannot be hastened. When he commences the gathering, it will not be in haste. The scriptures warn us not to hope the Lord will hasten his work, because we should be in no hurry to encounter the coming destruction. 

Why-oh-why don't we read the scriptures?

By inventing this myth and calling it revelation, we're doing exactly what's been done by past generations, ancient and modern. We're putting misleading words in the prophet's mouth, based on our own false beliefs, then claiming they came from God. Joseph Smith preached on Ezekiel 14 both early and late in his ministry. I believe this is why.

It's misleading, it's dishonest, it will damn us. We should stop.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is wondrous and amazing. It is stimulating and exciting. If you find it boring and stale, you should stop relying on others to spoon-feed you the same worn-out, warmed-over garbage we get in our manuals, and start seeking the Lord for yourself. The opportunities before us are incredible beyond words. 

If we spend our time and attention studying the truth, there's no time for, and certainly no need for, faith-promoting rumors, falsehoods for history, hearsay for prophecy, and heresy for doctrine. 

The truth is infinitely better than the myths. The knowledge of God is the only thing that will satisfy our yearning souls. 

If you must hasten something, hasten your efforts to know Him.


********

Postscript January 13, 2016: Not surprisingly, Elder Russel M. Nelson has officially declared, over 3 years after the fact, that the missionary age change came as a result of a revelation to President Monson. I've written about it here.