“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Jude 1:24-25
‘Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains’ “Talk summary: “My dear brothers and sisters, my call to you this Easter morning is to start today to increase your faith. …
To do anything well requires effort. Becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ is no exception. First, study. Become an engaged learner. Second, choose to believe in Jesus Christ. Third, act in faith. Fourth, partake of sacred ordinances worthily. And fifth, ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for help.
“Faith takes work. Receiving revelation takes work. … Do not minimize the faith you already have. It takes faith to join the Church and remain faithful.”” — Russell Nelson, Sunday April 4 2021
Mark 9:24 “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
Today we have a few questions/observations about Mr. Nelson’s talk. We’re listing his comment first, followed by our response.
Mr. Nelson –
‘To do anything well requires effort. Becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ is no exception.’
Wrong. While doing things well requires effort, being a ‘true disciple’ means you’ve chosen to follow Jesus Christ.
This doesn’t mean you’re sinless, or that you won’t make mistakes. It does mean, however, that you’re following ONE person and not an organization.
It also means there’s no sliding scale grading system. You’re a believer, or you’re not. Nelson has made it sound as if he’s the judge. You can read a great article on this topic at GotQuestions.org. You’ve applied what it says in Jude 24-25 to your life.
Mr. Nelson said everyone must –
‘…partake of sacred ordinances worthily.’
He might want to walk his talk. Here’s what Paul taught while instructing new believers in Corinth –
1 Corinthians 11:27 “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”
The bread is supposed to be unleavened, and there’s no mention of water when taking communion/sacrament. Moreover, partaking of the elements requires believing in the Jesus of the Bible which is something Mormons do not do.
Last but not least, Mr. Nelson said –
‘…Faith takes work. Receiving revelation takes work. … It takes faith to join the Church and remain faithful.’
Well, Mr. Nelson’s right on one thing. It would take a lot of work to stay LDS. We have to ask…why would receiving a revelation take work?
Ask the Mormon you know for their opinion on Nelson’s talk and share what Jesus has taught you about your faith!
With Love in Christ —
Michelle
[…] LDS Prophet: It Takes Faith to Stay Mormon Russell Nelson […]
Idol worship is a grievous sin in God’s eyes. He says in Isa. 42:8 He will not give His glory to another, etc., etc. This ‘church’ worships itself and adds a touch of diety now and then. That is really bad news.
Amen sister! How I pray they’d read Isaiah chapters 40-53. 🙂
Mr Nelson, like most active members of the LDS church, believe that works and not so much faith, are the key ingredients to salvation. The kinds of works that the Mormon church emphasizes, are typically centered around service to the church and not so much service to God, our neighbors or mankind.
Jesus spoke of “works” and “faith” many times. Jesus summarized what God expects of his followers in the following Bible verse: “Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. ALL the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
The Mormon church adds to Jesus’s words, by commanding church members to perform many “works”, such as tithing to the Mormon church (exclusively); perform callings that benefit the church, not so much one’s neighbors; become qualified and certified to enter the temple. Temple recommends are needed for salvation, for without temple ordinances being performed on a person, salvation is not complete. According to the Mormon belief system, the blood of Jesus was never enough for salvation. Joseph Smith downplayed the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and the blood that he shed for our salvation, by reminding church members that this sacrifice was never enough. Joe Smith created a lot of self serving rules and standards, that members must obey, that typically minimize Jesus’s death and his resurrection.