“…Hell is a kingdom of glory.” — Dallin Oaks
January 29 — In April 2007 PBS aired the documentary ‘The Mormons’. It highlighted a short bio of the Church which included clips with those in the know of Mormon history. Helen Whitney interviewed Dallin Oaks who at the time was an LDS apostle. None of the things he said were new but it’s always shocking to me how blatantly wrong they are about the Lord and His word.
To read the interview click on link above.
Today we’re looking at a few of the things Mr. Oaks had to say about his church.
DH Oaks: The first revelation received by Joseph Smith was the appearance to him of the Father and the Son — embodied, separate, identifiable, tangible Beings who appeared to him in what we refer to as the First Vision. And that first revelation, concerning the nature of God as an embodied, glorified, resurrected Being, challenged the creeds of Christianity. Christianity describes God as a disembodied, incomprehensible, spiritual entity that fills the whole universe, and an indistinguishable Father and Son.
H Whitney: A big idea! Any other idea that was startling and got people’s attention?
DHO: Before the close of his ministry, in Illinois, Joseph Smith put together the significance of what he had taught about the nature of God and the nature and destiny of man. He preached a great sermon not long before he was murdered that God was a glorified Man, glorified beyond our comprehension, (still incomprehensible in many ways), but a glorified, resurrected, physical Being, and it is the destiny of His children upon this earth, upon the conditions He has proscribed, to grow into that status themselves.
That was a big idea, a challenging idea. It followed from the First Vision, and it was taught by Joseph Smith, and it is the explanation of many things that Mormons do — the whole theology of Mormonism.
H Whitney: Is it the core of it?
DHO: That is the purpose of the life of men and women on this earth: to pursue their eternal destiny. Eternal means Godlike and to become like God.
One of the succeeding prophets said: “As man is, God once was. And as God is, man may become.” That is an extremely challenging idea. We don’t understand, we’re not able to understand, all [about] how it comes to pass or what is at its origin, but it explains the purpose of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is to put people’s feet on the pathway to a glorified existence in the life to come that is incomprehensible, but far closer to God than the Christian world generally perceives.
We have the idea of heaven and hell, of course. Hell is a place where people go that have not done well in keeping God’s commandments. But even that is a kingdom of glory.
After people have suffered for their sins, God has a place for them as His children, which is a kingdom of glory [Telestial Kingdom].
And then the people who are good and honorable people go to a higher kingdom [Terrestrial Kingdom], likened in the scriptures to the glory of the moon in contrast to the glory of the stars for the first group.
Then there’s a third kingdom, which so little is known of that the Mormons are unique in speaking about it. It’s the celestial kingdom, where God and His Son, Jesus Christ, dwell. And the purpose of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the purpose of the ordinance of baptism, the purpose of the commandments and the purpose of the temple and its ordinances, is to qualify people for that celestial kingdom.”
_____
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
_____
Looking at a few things Mr. Oaks said we should first point out the meaning of the two words hell and eternal —
Here’s how Dictionary.com defines eternal —
‘without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing (temporal). eternal life. Synonyms: permanent · perpetual; ceaseless; endless. eternal …’
BlueLetterBible.org describes what hell will be like –
‘The very first ones who will be cast into it will be the “Beast” and the “False Prophet” Rev. 19:20
Satan and his Angels will be cast into it a thousand years later. Rev. 20:10
And then, all the wicked “those who will be delivered up from Hades, the present Hell, whose names were not written in the “Book of Life”, after the “Great White Throne Judgment”, will be cast in the “Lake of Fire” to spend eternity. Rev. 20:12-15
Unchangeable Luk 16:22-31’
As you can see both define eternal and hell as unchangeable or permanent. They reveal the brazen lies Mr. Oaks told in his interview. How did God become a glorified man? Who was he before he became their god and where did he come from?
The longer I’m out of the Church the more shocking their doctrines become.
It’s scary and hurts my heart knowing this is all it boils down to. He never mentioned anything about being in heaven to glorify the Lord Jesus. His focus was solely on what it’ll be like for men to be glorified. This god of theirs is a pretend god that leads people to hell.
Besides all that we have to ask how is hell a kingdom of glory? Oh, be still my heart!
Pray that Mormons will see the futility in this religion and go to the cross to be saved!
With Love in Christ —
Michelle ✟
[…] PBS Interview with Dallin Oaks […]
Sorry to say but I think most of the prophets will probably really see what hell is like. And it isn’t glorious. Prayers for all Mormons to seek Jesus of the Bible.
Oh how I pray they do! Oaks’ comment that hell is a kingdom of glory will always be shocking to me.
That’s what I’ve said too! Telling the truth is so much easier!
Then why do I read and hear that so many members don’t believe the King Follet sermon is an official teaching. To even think we can become gods, or equal to God is blasphemous. God doesn’t share His glory.
Oaks is just as bad as the rest of the crowd. It’s amazing how deep the lies go! Praying that members leave and not buy into the shenanigans!