Journal of Discourses 8:355-356 “If you wish this Temple built, go to work and do all you can this season. Some say, “I do not like to do it, for we never began to build a Temple without the bells of hell beginning to ring.” I want to hear them ring again. All the tribes of hell will be on the move, if we uncover the walls of this Temple. But what do you think it will amount to? You have all the time seen what it has amounted to.
I can say, for my comfort and consolation, and for yours too, that we did build two temples, and commenced another. We completed a temple in Kirtland and in Nauvoo; and did not the bells of hell toll all the time we were building them? They did, every week and every day. For our consolation I will say, We are here and not there.” — Brigham Young, Great Salt Lake, March 3, 1861
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
It goes without saying, Brigham’s words can be taken in a variety of ways. Our concern is why he would’ve said them at all.
Why would you want your most sacred work, i.e. temples, to be associated with evil?
Why would a pastor (I use that term loosely) direct members to focus on Satan’s work, and not the Lord’s?
What man of God finds comfort in hearing that Satan is at work?
Where in the Bible can we find any comparison to what Brigham said here?
Matthew Henry also pointed these things out in his commentary for this passage of scripture. Here in part is what he said –
“The doctrines of human infallibility, implicit faith, and blind obedience, are not the doctrines of the Bible. Every Christian has and ought to have, the judgment of discretion, and should have his senses exercised in discerning between good and evil, truth and falsehood…our Saviour has told us (John 7:17), If a man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.
Corrupt affections indulged in the heart, and evil practices allowed of in the life, will greatly tend to promote fatal errors in the mind…He who is not shy of the appearances of sin, who shuns not the occasions of sin…will not long abstain from the actual commission of sin.”
I pray these are questions every Mormon would ask themselves when they read any sermon from their so-called inspired leaders. In the next few days we’ll see more examples of false teachings from their latest teaching manual, ‘Come Follow Me’.
Be sure to pray for these dear people, and with loving concern ask what they think!
With Love in Christ;
Michelle
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