General Conference, “This Day,” April 2007 “It is hard to know when we have done enough for the Atonement to change our natures and so qualify us for eternal life. And we don’t know how many days we will have to give the service necessary for that mighty change to come. But we know that we will have days enough if only we don’t waste them.” — Henry B. Eyring
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Mr. Eyring’s conference talk is an example of why I’m in ministry. No matter how hard I tried, what rules I followed, I still wasn’t sure it’d be enough. The Mormon gospel was purposefully designed to bring shame and doubt in the minds of their believers. The Lord clearly states if you’re in Christ, your character is changed – that means it happens today!
My personal ‘a-ha’ moment came one day when I was in the middle of my third pregnancy in less than four years. Each pregnancy was a struggle. I remember stopping in my day to ask God to send me to hell if it meant I’d always have to be pregnant here on earth, and in heaven. It was the lowest point I had ever known in my 28 years of life.
Later in the same week as I was taking my oldest daughter out for a walk, I stopped to chat with our neighbors. We were new to Seattle, and I needed friends. Little did I know sweet Jesus was answering my prayers from a few days prior. Not long after that day, I came to know the true Jesus – PTL!!! Our neighbors were true believers, and warmly invited me to church. God is good!!
I’ve used Mr. Eyring’s talk for obvious reasons – I pray daily Mormons will stop to think about their actions. No matter what works you’re performing, it’ll never be enough. Hebrews 10:11-12 states the following –
“And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God”.
What I didn’t realize was that I was a sinner in need of a Redeemer to pay for my sin. It wasn’t a matter of me working to please God – it was a matter of paying for sins. This is something I never realized as a Mormon. I knew I had to be perfect, and I knew I shouldn’t sin, but never connected the dots of how those things worked.
Pray for Jesus to intervene in the lives of these dear people and open their eyes, just as He did for me – my life is proof He still listens!
With Love in Christ;
Michelle
“For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God..FOR WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURES. Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him as righteousness. But to him THAT WORKETH NOT, BUT BELIEVETH ON HIM THAT JUSTIFIETH THE UNGODLY, HIS FAITH IS COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Romans 4:2,3,5)