General Conference Odyssey: Saturday afternoon session, October 6, 2007
Faith, Family, Facts, and Fruits
M. Russell Ballard, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Usually the Sunday afternoon session of general conference has had the most speakers but the Saturday afternoon session in October 2007 had eight, which is as many as several of the Sunday afternoon sessions have had. It started with Elder Ballard, commenting on some of the increased attention the Church had seen over the previous ten years-the pioneer sesquicentennial and 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake were mentioned, and the Church’s membership surpassed 10 million during that time as well. So here Elder Ballard reminded us of some of the basic things we might do when responding to questions from people who know little about the Church.
“The most common request we hear is a fairly simple one that goes something like this: ‘Tell me a little about your Church.’ The key word here is ‘little.’ They are not saying, ‘Tell me everything you know and then send others to tell me everything else.’
“We, of course, welcome people’s interest, and many will want to be taught more about our doctrines and beliefs....
“But we need to remember that there is a difference between interest and mere curiosity. Sometimes people just want to know what the Church is. Those who are curious in this general way deserve clear and accurate information that comes directly from those of us who are members so that they do not have to rely on the incomplete answers, half-truths, or false statements that may come from the media or other outside voices. The many misunderstandings and false information about the Church are somewhat our own fault for not clearly explaining who we are and what we believe.”
He categorized that presentation of information into four categories: facts (who we are), faith (what we believe), family (how it figures into God’s plan), and fruits (how all of the above shape our lives).
“Generally, there is no problem with those who are personally acquainted with our members. But there are millions upon millions who are not acquainted with any members of our faith. I would hope that those who know very little about the Church would seek to learn more about us. I would hope they would get to know our members rather than judging us by the misinformation given by those who do not know and in some cases by those who would deliberately mislead or defame.
“You as members can help this to happen by reaching out and sharing with others the basic information found in the Articles of Faith, along with such things as the facts, faith, families, and fruits of the gospel.
“We should also remember that sometimes the best way to answer people’s interest can be by how we live, how we radiate the joy of the gospel in our lives, how we treat others, and how sincerely we follow the teachings of Christ.”
The Great Commandment
Joseph B. Wirthlin, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Elder Wirthlin spoke about love, and I found his treatment of the subject above average in its profundity; for example, “for us, the measure of our love is the measure of the greatness of our souls.” It’s not just a nice thing to have, but a challenge by which we are measured.
He also taught, “Love is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the pathway of discipleship. It comforts, counsels, cures, and consoles. It leads us through valleys of darkness and through the veil of death. In the end love leads us to the glory and grandeur of eternal life.” Much of that could also apply to faith; it’s no accident that those two attributes have been so closely associated with each other.
Going further, he said, “Sometimes the greatest love is not found in the dramatic scenes that poets and writers immortalize. Often, the greatest manifestations of love are the simple acts of kindness and caring we extend to those we meet along the path of life.”
It reminds me of a joke: To prove his love, he climbed the highest mountains, swam the swiftest rivers, crossed the widest oceans, and walked the hottest deserts. She broke up with him; he was never around. Love can be as simple as being there for someone, and the little things should not be avoided for the sake of bigger gestures that might not materialize.
There’s also value in trying to understand exactly how God loves us:
“We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming.
“The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities.
“The means of this refinement is our Christlike love. There is no pain it cannot soften, no bitterness it cannot remove, no hatred it cannot alter.”
Duty has its value in motivating us, but love motivates us even when duty is satisfied or has made no demand. “When we love the Lord, obedience ceases to be a burden. Obedience becomes a delight. When we love the Lord, we seek less for things that benefit us and turn our hearts toward things that will bless and uplift others.”
Going further with that thought, “When we inspire and teach others to fill their hearts with love, obedience flows from the inside out in voluntary acts of self-sacrifice and service.”
Then, if all of what was said before wasn’t challenging enough, Elder Wirthlin said,
“At the final day the Savior will not ask about the nature of our callings. He will not inquire about our material possessions or fame. He will ask if we ministered to the sick, gave food and drink to the hungry, visited those in prison, or gave succor to the weak. When we reach out to assist the least of Heavenly Father’s children, we do it unto Him. That is the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
The talk itself, as written, is compelling enough. But the delivery took it to another level. After eight minutes on his feet, Elder Wirthlin began shaking as he struggled to keep his 90-year-old frame upright. Then Elder Nelson stepped to the pulpit and quietly steadied his fellow apostle and friend. They had served in the Sunday School general presidency before their calls as general authorities, and prior to that they had served together on the same stake high council. What Elder Nelson did, without a word spoken, illustrated well the kind of love Elder Wirthlin was talking about in the moment.
A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit
Bruce D. Porter, Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Porter spoke of the thing which the Lord told us should replace the animal sacrifices that had been made from the time of Adam until Christ’s resurrection: a broken heart and contrite spirit. It’s easy enough to accept that animal sacrifices have been done away for as long as they have, but thinking of a broken heart as a replacement for such sacrifices is something I don’t tend to appreciate fully. “When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master.”
There’s also a remarkable blessing connected with that broken heart. “When we have received a forgiveness of sins, a broken heart serves as a divine shield against temptation.... When we yield our hearts to the Lord, the attractions of the world simply lose their luster.”
Preach My Gospel-the Unifying Tool between Members and Missionaries
Erich W. Kopischke, Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Kopischke spoke about Preach My Gospel, the missionary manual that had replaced the discussions a few years prior, and some of the good it had done. What stood out to me was the suggestion that members study the manual in their families to help prepare future missionaries. “Missionaries and members must speak one language. We must become one in our efforts to proclaim the gospel. It will better enable us to become tools in the hand of the Lord.”
Out of Small Things
Michael J. Teh, Quorum of the Seventy
While Elder Wirthlin had spoken of the small acts of love compared to grand ones, Elder Teh taught the same principle with regards to service. “Many believe that for service to be meaningful it should consist of having elaborate plans and forming a committee. Although many of these worthwhile projects help, much of the service needed in the world today relates to our day-to-day associations with each other. Often we find these opportunities within the confines of our own home, neighborhood, and ward.”
He also included this advice from the Screwtape Letters of C.S. Lewis:
“Do what you will, there is going to be some benevolence, as well as some malice, in your patient’s soul. The great thing is to direct the malice to his immediate neighbours whom he meets every day and to thrust his benevolence out to the remote circumference, to people he does not know. The malice thus becomes wholly real and the benevolence largely imaginary.”
Those who have not encountered the above quote, or the book it came from, ought to know that it consists of advice from a devil to a junior devil on how to lead a Christian (the “patient” mentioned) away from the path of discipleship. But he’s right; getting people to virtue signal for the benefit of an abstract public at the expense of helping people they know is an effective way to get them away from doing good for anyone.
Quench Not the Spirit Which Quickens the Inner Man
Keith K. Hilbig, Quorum of the Seventy
Then, from Elder Hilbig we are taught,
“The path to eternal life is not on a plateau. Rather, it is an incline, ever onward and upward. Hence, ever-increasing spiritual understanding and energy are required to reach our destination. Because the pernicious opposition by Satan continues, the continuous enlightened guidance of the Holy Ghost is absolutely essential. We dare not hinder, disregard, or quench the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Yet when it comes to drawing upon the promptings and the blessings which flow from the Holy Ghost, we often ‘live far beneath our privileges.’”
His focus on the term quench, with regards to the Spirit, was instructive. When a blacksmith quenches red-hot iron in a vat of water, it becomes cold in a matter of seconds. Quenching the Spirit, then, describes putting out a feeling in us that might be just as hot and holy, but is then cooled to nothing. It’s usually not done in seconds, but quenching the Spirit effectively prevents us from being shaped into something the Lord might want us to become.
Instead, we would do well to desire the opposite and make the Spirit a hotter and holier presence within us.
“Do you wish to know the price to be paid for the privileges that are offered after we have received the Holy Ghost? The price is not a predetermined or fixed amount; rather, it is determined by each of us individually.
“If you set your payment, which is your personal effort, very low, you may not be able to avail yourself of all the Spirit has to offer. You may even quench the Spirit! However, if you set your personal contribution high, you will reap an abundant harvest from the Spirit. The payment I reference is, of course, not money; rather, it is a greater commitment to and involvement in personal spiritual endeavors and behaviors.”
The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent
Jeffrey R. Holland, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
As if the preceding talks weren’t enough to make a memorable session, Elder Holland delivered an absolute banger of a talk as he addressed something legacy Christians have used as one of their primary arguments in claiming the Church of Jesus Christ isn’t a Christian church: the trinity. Citing both scripture and history, he stated,
“We believe these three divine persons constituting a single Godhead are united in purpose, in manner, in testimony, in mission. We believe Them to be filled with the same godly sense of mercy and love, justice and grace, patience, forgiveness, and redemption. I think it is accurate to say we believe They are one in every significant and eternal aspect imaginable except believing Them to be three persons combined in one substance, a Trinitarian notion never set forth in the scriptures because it is not true.
“Indeed no less a source than the stalwart Harper’s Bible Dictionary records that ‘the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the [New Testament].’
“So any criticism that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not hold the contemporary Christian view of God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost is not a comment about our commitment to Christ but rather a recognition (accurate, I might add) that our view of the Godhead breaks with post-New Testament Christian history and returns to the doctrine taught by Jesus Himself.”
After referring to the creeds that were imposed onto Christianity from the 4th century onward, Elder Holland said,
“These various evolutions and iterations of creeds-and others to come over the centuries-declared the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to be abstract, absolute, transcendent, immanent, consubstantial, coeternal, and unknowable, without body, parts, or passions and dwelling outside space and time. In such creeds all three members are separate persons, but they are a single being, the oft-noted ‘mystery of the trinity.’ They are three distinct persons, yet not three Gods but one. All three persons are incomprehensible, yet it is one God who is incomprehensible.
“We agree with our critics on at least that point-that such a formulation for divinity is truly incomprehensible. With such a confusing definition of God being imposed upon the church, little wonder that a fourth-century monk cried out, ‘Woe is me! They have taken my God away from me, ... and I know not whom to adore or to address.’ How are we to trust, love, worship, to say nothing of strive to be like, One who is incomprehensible and unknowable?”
Discussing the theological flaws in the beliefs of other faith traditions is almost never done in conference talks-at least not in the talks I’ve surveyed in this project or heard between this point and the present. But this is an incomprehensible belief that has led many clear-headed people away from the philosophies of men that have been imposed on scripture, and it’s so refreshing to hear an apostle of the Lord calling things what they are. Elder Holland also said,
“It is not our purpose to demean any person’s belief nor the doctrine of any religion. We extend to all the same respect for their doctrine that we are asking for ours. (That, too, is an article of our faith.) But if one says we are not Christians because we do not hold a fourth- or fifth-century view of the Godhead, then what of those first Christian Saints, many of whom were eyewitnesses of the living Christ, who did not hold such a view either?
“We declare it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings, noting such unequivocal illustrations as the Savior’s great Intercessory Prayer just mentioned, His baptism at the hands of John, the experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, and the martyrdom of Stephen-to name just four.”
He named four, but included numerous other scriptural references in a footnote (John 12:27-30; John 14:26; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 1:1-3) and quoted numerous statements Jesus made about the Father that would make no sense if They were the same person.
“To acknowledge the scriptural evidence that otherwise perfectly united members of the Godhead are nevertheless separate and distinct beings is not to be guilty of polytheism; it is, rather, part of the great revelation Jesus came to deliver concerning the nature of divine beings. Perhaps the Apostle Paul said it best: ‘Christ Jesus ... being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.’”
I honestly find it odd that many Western historians and theologians alike consider monotheism to be the ultimate development in religious development, but lots of people think that’s a big deal and clutch their pearls accordingly at the suggestion of more than one being in heaven with the exalted status of Deity. The Bible is quite clear on the truth of the matter, as Elder Holland stated.
Then, regarding the idea of God having a body-another point of contention legacy Christians have against the Church of Jesus Christ-Elder Holland said,
“To those who criticize this scripturally based belief, I ask at least rhetorically: If the idea of an embodied God is repugnant, why are the central doctrines and singularly most distinguishing characteristics of all Christianity the Incarnation, the Atonement, and the physical Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? If having a body is not only not needed but not desirable by Deity, why did the Redeemer of mankind redeem His body, redeeming it from the grasp of death and the grave, guaranteeing it would never again be separated from His spirit in time or eternity? Any who dismiss the concept of an embodied God dismiss both the mortal and the resurrected Christ. No one claiming to be a true Christian will want to do that.”
I’m not aware of how many people have reexamined their understanding of the Bible or prejudices against the Church in the 17 years since this talk was given. I don’t expect it to be a large number, but every word Elder Holland said here was worth saying.
Scriptural Witnesses
Russell M. Nelson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Elder Holland mentioned a second objection legacy Christians have against the Church of Jesus Christ, our acceptance of an open canon of scripture. He didn’t address that second objection in his talk, but Elder Nelson did as he concluded the session. (It’s rather remarkable how those two talks were paired together when speakers aren’t assigned topics, no?)
“Love for the Book of Mormon expands one’s love for the Bible and vice versa. Scriptures of the Restoration do not compete with the Bible; they complement the Bible. We are indebted to martyrs who gave their lives so that we could have the Bible. It establishes the everlasting nature of the gospel and of the plan of happiness. The Book of Mormon restores and underscores biblical doctrines such as tithing, the temple, the Sabbath day, and the priesthood.
“An angel proclaimed that the Book of Mormon shall establish the truth of the Bible. He also revealed that writings in the Bible available in our day are not as complete as they were when originally written by prophets and apostles. He declared that the Book of Mormon shall restore plain and precious things taken away from the Bible.”
It’s at time exasperating to me how those outside the Church refuse to believe that we regard each volume of scripture as complementary to the others rather than as competitors; each has its strengths, and each has value. The Bible itself speaks to the importance of witnesses, which other books of scripture provide. “With these scriptural witnesses, false doctrines will be confounded. With these scriptural witnesses, doctrines of the Bible are not only reaffirmed but clarified.”
Some of those clarified doctrines Elder Nelson mentioned include Christ’s birth at Bethlehem, the Sermon on the Mount, the doctrine of resurrection, the role and nature of the Holy Ghost, the degrees of heavenly glory alluded to by Paul, and Christ’s suffering during the atonement. “This important word-atonement-in any of its forms, is mentioned only once in the King James Version of the New Testament! In the Book of Mormon, it appears 39 times!”
God cannot and must be limited to a single book. Each book of scripture-the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price-has unique and valuable things said by and about God; each are true and inspired. And, as Latter-day Saints we look forward to receiving more of God’s word as inspired scriptures from the lost Ten Tribes of Israel one day come to light.
M. Russell Ballard, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Usually the Sunday afternoon session of general conference has had the most speakers but the Saturday afternoon session in October 2007 had eight, which is as many as several of the Sunday afternoon sessions have had. It started with Elder Ballard, commenting on some of the increased attention the Church had seen over the previous ten years-the pioneer sesquicentennial and 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake were mentioned, and the Church’s membership surpassed 10 million during that time as well. So here Elder Ballard reminded us of some of the basic things we might do when responding to questions from people who know little about the Church.
“The most common request we hear is a fairly simple one that goes something like this: ‘Tell me a little about your Church.’ The key word here is ‘little.’ They are not saying, ‘Tell me everything you know and then send others to tell me everything else.’
“We, of course, welcome people’s interest, and many will want to be taught more about our doctrines and beliefs....
“But we need to remember that there is a difference between interest and mere curiosity. Sometimes people just want to know what the Church is. Those who are curious in this general way deserve clear and accurate information that comes directly from those of us who are members so that they do not have to rely on the incomplete answers, half-truths, or false statements that may come from the media or other outside voices. The many misunderstandings and false information about the Church are somewhat our own fault for not clearly explaining who we are and what we believe.”
He categorized that presentation of information into four categories: facts (who we are), faith (what we believe), family (how it figures into God’s plan), and fruits (how all of the above shape our lives).
“Generally, there is no problem with those who are personally acquainted with our members. But there are millions upon millions who are not acquainted with any members of our faith. I would hope that those who know very little about the Church would seek to learn more about us. I would hope they would get to know our members rather than judging us by the misinformation given by those who do not know and in some cases by those who would deliberately mislead or defame.
“You as members can help this to happen by reaching out and sharing with others the basic information found in the Articles of Faith, along with such things as the facts, faith, families, and fruits of the gospel.
“We should also remember that sometimes the best way to answer people’s interest can be by how we live, how we radiate the joy of the gospel in our lives, how we treat others, and how sincerely we follow the teachings of Christ.”
The Great Commandment
Joseph B. Wirthlin, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Elder Wirthlin spoke about love, and I found his treatment of the subject above average in its profundity; for example, “for us, the measure of our love is the measure of the greatness of our souls.” It’s not just a nice thing to have, but a challenge by which we are measured.
He also taught, “Love is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the pathway of discipleship. It comforts, counsels, cures, and consoles. It leads us through valleys of darkness and through the veil of death. In the end love leads us to the glory and grandeur of eternal life.” Much of that could also apply to faith; it’s no accident that those two attributes have been so closely associated with each other.
Going further, he said, “Sometimes the greatest love is not found in the dramatic scenes that poets and writers immortalize. Often, the greatest manifestations of love are the simple acts of kindness and caring we extend to those we meet along the path of life.”
It reminds me of a joke: To prove his love, he climbed the highest mountains, swam the swiftest rivers, crossed the widest oceans, and walked the hottest deserts. She broke up with him; he was never around. Love can be as simple as being there for someone, and the little things should not be avoided for the sake of bigger gestures that might not materialize.
There’s also value in trying to understand exactly how God loves us:
“We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming.
“The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities.
“The means of this refinement is our Christlike love. There is no pain it cannot soften, no bitterness it cannot remove, no hatred it cannot alter.”
Duty has its value in motivating us, but love motivates us even when duty is satisfied or has made no demand. “When we love the Lord, obedience ceases to be a burden. Obedience becomes a delight. When we love the Lord, we seek less for things that benefit us and turn our hearts toward things that will bless and uplift others.”
Going further with that thought, “When we inspire and teach others to fill their hearts with love, obedience flows from the inside out in voluntary acts of self-sacrifice and service.”
Then, if all of what was said before wasn’t challenging enough, Elder Wirthlin said,
“At the final day the Savior will not ask about the nature of our callings. He will not inquire about our material possessions or fame. He will ask if we ministered to the sick, gave food and drink to the hungry, visited those in prison, or gave succor to the weak. When we reach out to assist the least of Heavenly Father’s children, we do it unto Him. That is the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
The talk itself, as written, is compelling enough. But the delivery took it to another level. After eight minutes on his feet, Elder Wirthlin began shaking as he struggled to keep his 90-year-old frame upright. Then Elder Nelson stepped to the pulpit and quietly steadied his fellow apostle and friend. They had served in the Sunday School general presidency before their calls as general authorities, and prior to that they had served together on the same stake high council. What Elder Nelson did, without a word spoken, illustrated well the kind of love Elder Wirthlin was talking about in the moment.
A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit
Bruce D. Porter, Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Porter spoke of the thing which the Lord told us should replace the animal sacrifices that had been made from the time of Adam until Christ’s resurrection: a broken heart and contrite spirit. It’s easy enough to accept that animal sacrifices have been done away for as long as they have, but thinking of a broken heart as a replacement for such sacrifices is something I don’t tend to appreciate fully. “When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master.”
There’s also a remarkable blessing connected with that broken heart. “When we have received a forgiveness of sins, a broken heart serves as a divine shield against temptation.... When we yield our hearts to the Lord, the attractions of the world simply lose their luster.”
Preach My Gospel-the Unifying Tool between Members and Missionaries
Erich W. Kopischke, Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Kopischke spoke about Preach My Gospel, the missionary manual that had replaced the discussions a few years prior, and some of the good it had done. What stood out to me was the suggestion that members study the manual in their families to help prepare future missionaries. “Missionaries and members must speak one language. We must become one in our efforts to proclaim the gospel. It will better enable us to become tools in the hand of the Lord.”
Out of Small Things
Michael J. Teh, Quorum of the Seventy
While Elder Wirthlin had spoken of the small acts of love compared to grand ones, Elder Teh taught the same principle with regards to service. “Many believe that for service to be meaningful it should consist of having elaborate plans and forming a committee. Although many of these worthwhile projects help, much of the service needed in the world today relates to our day-to-day associations with each other. Often we find these opportunities within the confines of our own home, neighborhood, and ward.”
He also included this advice from the Screwtape Letters of C.S. Lewis:
“Do what you will, there is going to be some benevolence, as well as some malice, in your patient’s soul. The great thing is to direct the malice to his immediate neighbours whom he meets every day and to thrust his benevolence out to the remote circumference, to people he does not know. The malice thus becomes wholly real and the benevolence largely imaginary.”
Those who have not encountered the above quote, or the book it came from, ought to know that it consists of advice from a devil to a junior devil on how to lead a Christian (the “patient” mentioned) away from the path of discipleship. But he’s right; getting people to virtue signal for the benefit of an abstract public at the expense of helping people they know is an effective way to get them away from doing good for anyone.
Quench Not the Spirit Which Quickens the Inner Man
Keith K. Hilbig, Quorum of the Seventy
Then, from Elder Hilbig we are taught,
“The path to eternal life is not on a plateau. Rather, it is an incline, ever onward and upward. Hence, ever-increasing spiritual understanding and energy are required to reach our destination. Because the pernicious opposition by Satan continues, the continuous enlightened guidance of the Holy Ghost is absolutely essential. We dare not hinder, disregard, or quench the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Yet when it comes to drawing upon the promptings and the blessings which flow from the Holy Ghost, we often ‘live far beneath our privileges.’”
His focus on the term quench, with regards to the Spirit, was instructive. When a blacksmith quenches red-hot iron in a vat of water, it becomes cold in a matter of seconds. Quenching the Spirit, then, describes putting out a feeling in us that might be just as hot and holy, but is then cooled to nothing. It’s usually not done in seconds, but quenching the Spirit effectively prevents us from being shaped into something the Lord might want us to become.
Instead, we would do well to desire the opposite and make the Spirit a hotter and holier presence within us.
“Do you wish to know the price to be paid for the privileges that are offered after we have received the Holy Ghost? The price is not a predetermined or fixed amount; rather, it is determined by each of us individually.
“If you set your payment, which is your personal effort, very low, you may not be able to avail yourself of all the Spirit has to offer. You may even quench the Spirit! However, if you set your personal contribution high, you will reap an abundant harvest from the Spirit. The payment I reference is, of course, not money; rather, it is a greater commitment to and involvement in personal spiritual endeavors and behaviors.”
The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent
Jeffrey R. Holland, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
As if the preceding talks weren’t enough to make a memorable session, Elder Holland delivered an absolute banger of a talk as he addressed something legacy Christians have used as one of their primary arguments in claiming the Church of Jesus Christ isn’t a Christian church: the trinity. Citing both scripture and history, he stated,
“We believe these three divine persons constituting a single Godhead are united in purpose, in manner, in testimony, in mission. We believe Them to be filled with the same godly sense of mercy and love, justice and grace, patience, forgiveness, and redemption. I think it is accurate to say we believe They are one in every significant and eternal aspect imaginable except believing Them to be three persons combined in one substance, a Trinitarian notion never set forth in the scriptures because it is not true.
“Indeed no less a source than the stalwart Harper’s Bible Dictionary records that ‘the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the [New Testament].’
“So any criticism that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not hold the contemporary Christian view of God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost is not a comment about our commitment to Christ but rather a recognition (accurate, I might add) that our view of the Godhead breaks with post-New Testament Christian history and returns to the doctrine taught by Jesus Himself.”
After referring to the creeds that were imposed onto Christianity from the 4th century onward, Elder Holland said,
“These various evolutions and iterations of creeds-and others to come over the centuries-declared the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to be abstract, absolute, transcendent, immanent, consubstantial, coeternal, and unknowable, without body, parts, or passions and dwelling outside space and time. In such creeds all three members are separate persons, but they are a single being, the oft-noted ‘mystery of the trinity.’ They are three distinct persons, yet not three Gods but one. All three persons are incomprehensible, yet it is one God who is incomprehensible.
“We agree with our critics on at least that point-that such a formulation for divinity is truly incomprehensible. With such a confusing definition of God being imposed upon the church, little wonder that a fourth-century monk cried out, ‘Woe is me! They have taken my God away from me, ... and I know not whom to adore or to address.’ How are we to trust, love, worship, to say nothing of strive to be like, One who is incomprehensible and unknowable?”
Discussing the theological flaws in the beliefs of other faith traditions is almost never done in conference talks-at least not in the talks I’ve surveyed in this project or heard between this point and the present. But this is an incomprehensible belief that has led many clear-headed people away from the philosophies of men that have been imposed on scripture, and it’s so refreshing to hear an apostle of the Lord calling things what they are. Elder Holland also said,
“It is not our purpose to demean any person’s belief nor the doctrine of any religion. We extend to all the same respect for their doctrine that we are asking for ours. (That, too, is an article of our faith.) But if one says we are not Christians because we do not hold a fourth- or fifth-century view of the Godhead, then what of those first Christian Saints, many of whom were eyewitnesses of the living Christ, who did not hold such a view either?
“We declare it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings, noting such unequivocal illustrations as the Savior’s great Intercessory Prayer just mentioned, His baptism at the hands of John, the experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, and the martyrdom of Stephen-to name just four.”
He named four, but included numerous other scriptural references in a footnote (John 12:27-30; John 14:26; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 1:1-3) and quoted numerous statements Jesus made about the Father that would make no sense if They were the same person.
“To acknowledge the scriptural evidence that otherwise perfectly united members of the Godhead are nevertheless separate and distinct beings is not to be guilty of polytheism; it is, rather, part of the great revelation Jesus came to deliver concerning the nature of divine beings. Perhaps the Apostle Paul said it best: ‘Christ Jesus ... being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.’”
I honestly find it odd that many Western historians and theologians alike consider monotheism to be the ultimate development in religious development, but lots of people think that’s a big deal and clutch their pearls accordingly at the suggestion of more than one being in heaven with the exalted status of Deity. The Bible is quite clear on the truth of the matter, as Elder Holland stated.
Then, regarding the idea of God having a body-another point of contention legacy Christians have against the Church of Jesus Christ-Elder Holland said,
“To those who criticize this scripturally based belief, I ask at least rhetorically: If the idea of an embodied God is repugnant, why are the central doctrines and singularly most distinguishing characteristics of all Christianity the Incarnation, the Atonement, and the physical Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? If having a body is not only not needed but not desirable by Deity, why did the Redeemer of mankind redeem His body, redeeming it from the grasp of death and the grave, guaranteeing it would never again be separated from His spirit in time or eternity? Any who dismiss the concept of an embodied God dismiss both the mortal and the resurrected Christ. No one claiming to be a true Christian will want to do that.”
I’m not aware of how many people have reexamined their understanding of the Bible or prejudices against the Church in the 17 years since this talk was given. I don’t expect it to be a large number, but every word Elder Holland said here was worth saying.
Scriptural Witnesses
Russell M. Nelson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Elder Holland mentioned a second objection legacy Christians have against the Church of Jesus Christ, our acceptance of an open canon of scripture. He didn’t address that second objection in his talk, but Elder Nelson did as he concluded the session. (It’s rather remarkable how those two talks were paired together when speakers aren’t assigned topics, no?)
“Love for the Book of Mormon expands one’s love for the Bible and vice versa. Scriptures of the Restoration do not compete with the Bible; they complement the Bible. We are indebted to martyrs who gave their lives so that we could have the Bible. It establishes the everlasting nature of the gospel and of the plan of happiness. The Book of Mormon restores and underscores biblical doctrines such as tithing, the temple, the Sabbath day, and the priesthood.
“An angel proclaimed that the Book of Mormon shall establish the truth of the Bible. He also revealed that writings in the Bible available in our day are not as complete as they were when originally written by prophets and apostles. He declared that the Book of Mormon shall restore plain and precious things taken away from the Bible.”
It’s at time exasperating to me how those outside the Church refuse to believe that we regard each volume of scripture as complementary to the others rather than as competitors; each has its strengths, and each has value. The Bible itself speaks to the importance of witnesses, which other books of scripture provide. “With these scriptural witnesses, false doctrines will be confounded. With these scriptural witnesses, doctrines of the Bible are not only reaffirmed but clarified.”
Some of those clarified doctrines Elder Nelson mentioned include Christ’s birth at Bethlehem, the Sermon on the Mount, the doctrine of resurrection, the role and nature of the Holy Ghost, the degrees of heavenly glory alluded to by Paul, and Christ’s suffering during the atonement. “This important word-atonement-in any of its forms, is mentioned only once in the King James Version of the New Testament! In the Book of Mormon, it appears 39 times!”
God cannot and must be limited to a single book. Each book of scripture-the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price-has unique and valuable things said by and about God; each are true and inspired. And, as Latter-day Saints we look forward to receiving more of God’s word as inspired scriptures from the lost Ten Tribes of Israel one day come to light.