Aaron32
Well-known member
for some reason, it won't let me edit my response. Here's the part I missed:
1) Isolating the law from God, 2) seperating the letter from the spirit, 3)Adding rules to God's law
D&C 88:
38 And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions.
39 All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified.
If becoming Christlike is the embodiment of the spirit and letter of the law - that's not legalism. That's glorifying God.
What is the essence of the law? To love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Where does baptism fit in there? It's evidence of our faith in Christ and following Him because we love Him.
Baptism itself is not the law - the commitment itself is the spirit of the law. Thus, King Benjamin's followers took upon themselves the name of Christ, the people of Ammon all past out and woke up. Baptism is simply an expression of that faith, it's also a gateway into the Church. In actuality it has to do more with sanctification than justification. It's moving from the "love of God" to the "love your neighbor as yourself":
Mosiah 8:
8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?
Salvation is individual - Exaltation is collective.
The church is for the perfection (not the salvation) of the Saints. (Eph 4:12) Baptism is how we join the church.
Owning their accusation of us having a "works-based Salvation" is what's wrong.
Accepting faith, and how they understand faith is right.
But too often, Mormons can't seem to distinguish the relationship between works and faith. The grudgingly perform works, and get depressed because they feel they don't do enough, and they question if they have salvation. My view is "Stop being self centered. Accept you're fallen and imperfect, and our works are worth nothing. Accept you have salvation in Jesus Christ, and perform works to glorify God because you love Him."
There's nothing in our religion that contradicts my perspective. It's the fear that we're too much like protestants comes into play, and it some how challenges our weird subconscious belief that "Protestant Christianity must be wrong for Mormonism to be right". That's BS! We can take all they good they have and add to it.
First, let's get a clear understanding of what legalism is: https://www.ligonier.org/blog/3-types-legalism/If you are what you say you are, I believe you said you were a counselor in a Bishopric, then you know that our church is very legalistic and that no one can enter heaven except they are baptized by one having authority to do so.
1) Isolating the law from God, 2) seperating the letter from the spirit, 3)Adding rules to God's law
D&C 88:
38 And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions.
39 All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified.
If becoming Christlike is the embodiment of the spirit and letter of the law - that's not legalism. That's glorifying God.
What is the essence of the law? To love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Where does baptism fit in there? It's evidence of our faith in Christ and following Him because we love Him.
Baptism itself is not the law - the commitment itself is the spirit of the law. Thus, King Benjamin's followers took upon themselves the name of Christ, the people of Ammon all past out and woke up. Baptism is simply an expression of that faith, it's also a gateway into the Church. In actuality it has to do more with sanctification than justification. It's moving from the "love of God" to the "love your neighbor as yourself":
Mosiah 8:
8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?
Salvation is individual - Exaltation is collective.
The church is for the perfection (not the salvation) of the Saints. (Eph 4:12) Baptism is how we join the church.
I never said the Church was wrong.Trying to lay common ground by a peace offering in the form of admitting we were wrong is nothing more than saying we are just like them all... equally wrong.
Owning their accusation of us having a "works-based Salvation" is what's wrong.
Accepting faith, and how they understand faith is right.
But too often, Mormons can't seem to distinguish the relationship between works and faith. The grudgingly perform works, and get depressed because they feel they don't do enough, and they question if they have salvation. My view is "Stop being self centered. Accept you're fallen and imperfect, and our works are worth nothing. Accept you have salvation in Jesus Christ, and perform works to glorify God because you love Him."
There's nothing in our religion that contradicts my perspective. It's the fear that we're too much like protestants comes into play, and it some how challenges our weird subconscious belief that "Protestant Christianity must be wrong for Mormonism to be right". That's BS! We can take all they good they have and add to it.