December 22 –The Good Shepherd. 1 Peter 5:2-4; “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”
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Jesus is referred to as the good Shepherd, the great shepherd and others. But here it says He is the chief Shepherd. It means there is none other that fills His shoes of authority. He has the authority over all things, all people, etc.
The English word chief in the Greek is archipoimeôn which means cornerstone and this word came from the Greek word arche which means commencement or beginning. Isn’t it interesting how it all points back to Him? What other god could you do this with except for the One True God of the Bible? He is our All in All! What an incredible thing to think upon to see His face…
To Jesus and Him only do we report and rely upon. So when you show the Mormon this verse ask him or her how it is that only the Mormon Church has the authority for God?
After reading this passage how can someone say they are high and exalted? May God have mercy.
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“Some general authorities are empowered to do one thing and some another. All are subject to the strict discipline the Lord always imposes on his saints and those who preside over them. The positions they occupy are high and exalted…Though general authorities are authorities in the sense of having power to administer church affairs, they may or may not be authorities in the sense of doctrinal knowledge, the intricacies of church procedures, or the receipt of the promptings of the Spirit…Those who join the true Church and keep their covenants gain salvation in the celestial kingdom of God…In the true Church there will be apostles, prophets, true doctrinal teachings, revelation, visions, miracles, healings, the ministering of angels, and all of the gifts of the Spirit…Where these things are found, there is the true Church; where these things are not found, there the true Church is not.” Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 134 & 309.
McConkie talking about the positions of General Authorities as being “High and Exalted”, tells me a great deal about Old Bruce. In Luke 9:48 God tells us:”For it is the least among you all who is the greatest.” Humility will go along way in the eyes of God, Mr McConkie.
In Matthew 23:11, the Lord says: “The greatest among you will be your servants. For those that will exalt themselves (General Authorities) will be humbled and those that humble themselves will be exalted.” Eventually, the Lord is going to humble the Mormon Church and all those that lead it.
How about the need for a Temple Recommend to enter a House of God? In Matthew 23:13, The Lord says:: “You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter nor will you let THOSE ENTER WHO ARE TRYING TO ENTER.” Have the Mormons ever envisioned Jesus standing at the Temple entrance asking to check their Temple recommend? Anybody really believe that Jesus would ever turn somebody away from a house of worship for not having a pass? That said, I could picture the Lord standing at the entrance to a Mormon Temple and telling worshipers, I wouldn’t go in there if I was you. What is being taught in this Temple is not of God, but is of Man.
How about the many Missionaries that are being coerced into serving missions? “You travel over land and sea to win a single convert and when you have succeeded, you make them twice the child of hell as you are.” (Matthew 23:15). I would bet that thee are many former missionaries that truly regret having baptized people.
Read Luke 9, Matthew 23 and Matthew 25, for a description of the Mormon Churches General Authorities. For McConkie to have to tell church members that God has placed him in a “High and Exalted” position is like him telling everybody: “Remember brethren, I am special in the eyes of God and that is why HE HAS CHOSEN ME, and not you, to be your Shepard. Anybody that publicly announces (reminds you) that he is exalted in the eyes of God, turn away from that man because he lacks humility.
Do any of you members of the Mormon Church, honestly believe that Jesus, a lowly carpenter, could ever become a church General Authority?
I see McConkie and the other GAs as being confused, arrogant, haughty and probably miserable in a spiritual sense. I do,however, believe, that there might be one or two of these men (GAs), that know what the truth is, but will maintain their silence so as not to disrupt the workings of the church or the faith of it’s followers.