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3/09 Share the Son Ministries www.sharetheson.org (208) 589-0363 [email protected] Page 8.1

Clearing Rocks fromthe Road to

Redemption

The above diagram represents ten of the most common obstacles both biblical Christians

and Latter-day Saints encounter when attempting to understand, share and defend their

respective faiths. Any number of these “rocks” may come into play during the course of

dialog or debate.

Note that the path to the cross for Latter-day Saints is on an incline. This is because many

LDS will suffer incredible loss (e.g. family, friends, social acceptance/status, financial

security, etc.) for exchanging the LDS gospel of works for the biblical gospel of grace.

The below diagram represents the ideal sharing scenario—all potential “rocks” have been

cleared from the road to redemption. In other words, the only thing standing between

Latter-day Saints and being forgiven of ALL their sins (besides the potential losses

mentioned above) is pure and simple faith in the FINISHED work of Christ on the cross and

acceptance of His absolutely free gift of salvation.


Rock #8Power Point

…becomes a rock on the road to redemption when LDS remain unaware of the requirement &

impossibility of perfect repentance.

LDS Gospel

Eternal life in the presence of God requires that we be perfectly clean and thus forgiven of

all our sins—on this the LDS Church and biblical revelation agree. The irreconcilable

difference between the LDS and biblical gospels, however, is on whose “work” we ultimately

depend to render us perfectly clean: The LDS gospel depends on Christ’s work to make

forgiveness possible and OUR WORK to make forgiveness actual; the biblical gospel depends

on Christ’s work to make forgiveness possible and OUR FAITH in His work to make

forgiveness actual.

The aim of this lesson is to (1) demonstrate how our obedience to ALL of God’s commands

through perfect repentance is required of the LDS gospel, (2) shed light on the impossibility

of being assured of, let alone achieving, perfect repentance, and (3) lay the foundation for

the biblical gospel salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in CHRIST’S WORK ALONE!


Works,Worthiness,

&Merit

4

TelestialKingdom

TerrestrialKingdom

CelestialKingdom

• Those who do more good “works” will inherit the celestial kingdom; those who do

fewer good works will inherit the terrestrial kingdom; and those who do even fewer

good works will inherit the telestial kingdom.

• Those who perform more faithfully “merit” the celestial kingdom; those who perform

less faithfully merit the terrestrial kingdom; and those who perform even less

faithfully merit the telestial kingdom.

• LDS Apostle, Bruce R. McKonkie, explains that “all rewards gained in the eternal

worlds must be earned” (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 641).

Why Are There Three LDS Kingdoms/Heavens?

Salvation will come to all who enter the terrestrial kingdom. They will receive a

higher grade of salvation than will those in the telestial kingdom. Salvation will

come also to those who enter the celestial kingdom. That will be a still higher

grade of salvation.

Salvation is of varying stages or degrees. Every man is to be judged according to

his works, and for this reason various degrees or kingdoms have been

established.

Joseph Fielding Smith, 10th LDS Prophet & President

Doctrines of Salvation, 1955, 2:12-13

Very gladly would the Lord give to everyone eternal life [in the celestial kingdom], but since

that blessing can come only on merit—through the faithful performance of duty—only those

who are worthy shall receive it.

Doctrines of Salvation, 1955, 2:5


• Returning to

the Father is

our ultimate

goal and

highest

reward.

The Father & the Son

TelestialKingdom

TerrestrialKingdom

CelestialKingdom

Only the Son visits

Neither the Father nor the

Son

Why is the Celestial Kingdom the Supreme Reward?

C3. Those who inherit the celestial kingdom will dwell in the presence of God and

Christ forever (see D&C 76:62).

E1. The inhabitants of the terrestrial kingdom will enjoy the presence of the Son

but not the fulness [sic] of the Father (D&C 76:77).

G5. Those in the telestial kingdom will be servants of God, “but where God and

Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end” (D&C 76:112).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Doctrines of the Gospel–Student Manual, 2000, p. 90

The plan of salvation was prepared before the foundation of

our earth was laid. We were then the spirit children of our

Eternal Father. … This earth is a probationary state, or a

place prepared where we are tested and given the privilege

of walking by faith, that we may become worthy to return

to our Father to dwell in his presence, and become his

eternal sons and daughters.


Answers to Gospel Questions, 1957, 1:29

Eternal life is in the presence of the Father and the Son

and is the kind of life which they possess. It is of the

celestial kingdom.”


“Eternal Life”


“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your

Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

(Matthew 5:48 KJV)

Jesus Christ

How Many Commandments Must We Obey to Be

Perfectly Clean Before God & Inherit Eternal Life?

Therefore the words of James are true [James 2:10].

Unless a man can abide strictly in complete accord, he

cannot enter there [the celestial kingdom], and in the words

of James, he is guilty of all. In other words if there is one

divine law that he does not keep he is barred from

participating in the kingdom, and figuratively guilty of all,

since he is denied all.

… The kingdom of God must exist in absolute unity. Every

law must be obeyed, and no member of the Church can

have a place there unless he is in full accord.


Answers to Gospel Questions, 1979, 3:26-27

We covenant [when partaking of the Sacrament] that we

will keep his [God’s] commandments which he has given us,

not one commandment, but that we will be willing to “live

by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of

God.” [D&C 84:44]



The “Unclean” May Not

Dwell with God

• We must be perfectly clean to dwell in the celestial kingdom.

• Even “one minute speck of dirt” (i.e. one tiny unforgiven sin) renders

us “unclean.”

• Only Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life on earth.

Why Are Many Banned from the Celestial Kingdom?

At that destination [the celestial kingdom] our Father waits

hopefully, anxious to greet his returning children.

Unfortunately, many will not arrive.

The reason is forthrightly stated by Nephi—". . . There

cannot any unclean thing enter into the Kingdom of God

. . ." (1 Ne. 15:34.) And again, “. . . no unclean thing can

dwell with God . . ." (1 Ne. 10:21.) To the prophets the

term unclean in this context means what it means to God.

To man the word may be relative in meaning—one minute

speck of dirt does not make a white shirt or dress

unclean, for example. But to God who is perfection,

cleanliness means moral and personal cleanliness. Less

than that is, in one degree or another, uncleanliness and

hence cannot dwell with God.

Spencer W. Kimball, 12th LDS Prophet & President

The Miracle of Forgiveness, 1969, p. 19


• Only Jesus

Christ lived a

perfectly

obedient and sinless life on the earth.

• Unlike Christ we cannot keep all of God’s commandments perfectly because we sin.

• Therefore, “the blessed gifts of repentance and forgiveness” are the only remedy to

remove the stain of our sins. (See also page 7.3 of Rock #7.)

The Only Way to Remove the Stain of Sin

Repentance

What Is the Only Way to Remove the Stain of Sin?

Repentance is the way provided for us to become free from our sins and receive

forgiveness for them.


Gospel Principles, 1995, p. 123

But to God who is perfection, cleanliness means moral and

personal cleanliness. Less than that is, in one degree or

another, uncleanliness and hence cannot dwell with God.

Were it not for the blessed gifts of repentance and

forgiveness this would be a hopeless situation for man,

since no one except the Master has ever lived sinless on the

earth.


The Miracle of Forgiveness, 1969, pp. 19-20

3/09 Share the Son Ministries www.sharetheson.org (208) 589-0363 [email protected] .8

Obedience & the Repentance of All Our Sins!

Perfectly

Clean

How Many Sins Must We Repent of to Be Perfectly Clean

Before God & Inherit Eternal Life?

19 And no unclean thing can enter into his [the Father’s]

kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it

be those who have washed their garments in my blood,

because of their faith, and the repentance of all their

sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. (3 Nephi 27:19)

Joseph Smith, 1st Prophet & President of the LDS

Church

Translator of the Book of Mormon

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all

mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and

ordinances of the Gospel.

LDS Article of Faith 3

Christ’s Work makes forgiveness possible.

Our “Work” makes forgiveness actual.


Question: How can we know for certain we have recognized every one of

our sins if, as the Bible assures us, our sinful hearts are literally bent on

deceiving us (Prov. 28:26; Jer. 17:9; Mk. 7:22)?

Question: How can we know for certain we have

actually felt, or even felt enough, “sincere sorrow” for

every one of our sins if, as the Bible assures us, our

sinful hearts are literally bent on deceiving us (Prov.

28:26; Jer. 17:9; Mk. 7:22)?

Exactly What “Work” Is Required of Us to Repent?

We Must Recognize Our Sins

The first step of repentance is to admit to ourselves that

we have sinned. If we do not admit this, we cannot

repent.



We Must Feel Sorrow for Our Sins

In addition to recognizing our sins, we must feel sincere

sorrow for what we have done.




Question: How can we know for certain we have confessed “all our sins” if,

as the Bible assures us, our sinful hearts are literally bent on deceiving us

(Prov. 28:26; Jer. 17:9; Mk. 7:22)?

Question: How can we know for certain

we in every instance, and to the degree

required, made restitution if, as the Bible

assures us, our sinful hearts are literally

bent on deceiving us (Prov. 28:26; Jer.

17:9; Mk. 7:21-23)?

We Must Confess Our Sins

We must confess all our sins to the Lord. In addition we

must confess serious sins … to proper priesthood authority.

If we have sinned against another person, we should

confess to the person we have injured. Some less serious

sins involve no one but ourselves and the Lord. These

may be confessed privately to the Lord.


Gospel Principles, 1995, pp. 124-125

We Must Make Restitution

This means that as much as possible we must make right

any wrong that we have done. … As we do these things,

God will not mention our sins to us when we are judged

(see Ezekiel 33:15-16).




Question: How can we know for certain “our hearts are

fully cleansed of all” unforgiveness if, as the Bible

assures us, our sinful hearts are literally bent on

deceiving us (Prov. 28:26; Jer. 17:9; Mk. 7:22)?

We Must Forgive Others

The Lord will not forgive us unless our hearts are fully

cleansed of all hate, bitterness, and bad feelings against

other people.



We Must Forsake Our Sins

If we have stolen something, we will steal no more. If we

have lied we will lie no more. … The Lord revealed to the

Prophet Joseph Smith, “By this ye may know if a man

repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and

forsake them” (D&C 58:43).



What Is the Ultimate Proof of Our Repentance?


• If sin is

abandoned

only because

we are caught

in it and/or of

the

consequences

(i.e. wrong

“motives”), then our repentance most assuredly counts for nothing.

ANY SIN REPENTED OF AND COMMITTED AGAIN AT ANY TIME

PROVES THE INITIAL REPENTANCE …

• “not complete”

• “not real”

AND FORGIVENESS WAS DENIED!

There is one crucial test of repentance. This is

abandonment of the sin. Providing that a person

discontinues his sin with the right motives—because of a

growing consciousness of the gravity of the sin and a

willingness to comply with the laws of the Lord—he is

genuinely repenting. This criterion has been set by the

Lord: "By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins-

behold, he will confess them and forsake them." (D&C

58:43. Italics added.)

In other words, it is not real repentance until one has

abandoned the error of his way and started on a new path.


The Miracle of Forgiveness, 1965, p. 163

“When we speak of the continual need of repentance, let it not be understood that

we refer to a cycle of sinning and repenting and sinning again. That is not

complete repentance. We must see the right and follow it recognize the wrong

and forsake it with a ‘Godly sorrow’ if we would obtain the blessing of complete

repentance . … Without repentance there can be no forgiveness, and without

forgiveness all the blessings of eternity hang in jeopardy.”


Doctrines of the Gospel–Student Manual, 2000, p. 39


False Repentance Compounds Our Sins

“former sins return”

Repentof Sin #1

RepeatSin #1

• We could repent of a sin convinced we were forgiven only to find out 60 years later

that its stain had never been removed when we repeat it! If this were NOT true we

would be guilty of only one sin (i.e. the repeated sin). Repeating the sin, however,

proves our initial repentance to be false and that we committed the sin twice.

• Question: What assurance can we really have that any of our sins are actually

forgiven, let alone every one of them to render us perfectly clean, considering these

6 requirements of LDS repentance (i.e. OUR “WORK”)?

How Does False Repentance Compound the Stain of Sin?

Compounded?

7 And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge;

go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former

sins return, saith the Lord your God. (Doctrine & Covenants 82:7)

And the Lord in our dispensation said: By this ye may know if a

man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will . . . forsake them.

(D&C 58:43.) The discontinuance must be a permanent one.

True repentance does not permit repetition. … Forgiveness is

not assured if one reverts to early sins. The Lord said: . . . go

your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth

shall the former sins return. . . . (D&C 82:7.)


Faith Precedes the Miracle, 1972, p. 181


“After All We Can Do”

SALVATION

Obedience Sin

Incorrect–Grace forgives us of commands not kept if we try hard enough to keep

them.

Correct–Grace enables us to keep all commands if we try hard enough to keep them.

• The only

remedy for

unforgiven

sin is

repentance

and

therefore

keeping the

command that was not kept and resulted in sin.

LDS “Grace” & Correctly Interpreting 2 Nephi 25:23

23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to

believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are

saved, after all we can do. (2 Nephi 25:23)

As a church, we are in accord with an ancient prophet who

said, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”

(Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:23.) Grace consists of God’s

gift to his children wherein He gave His Only Begotten Son in

order that whosoever would believe in Him and comply with

His laws and ordinances would have everlasting life.

… By His grace and by our faith in His atonement and our

repentance of our sins, we receive the strength to do the

necessary works that we could not do by our own power.

Ezra Taft Benson, 13th LDS Prophet & President

Come Unto Christ, 1983, pp. 7-8

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