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| The Mormon Church is now teaching that God and Christ's divine love is not un-conditional. In fact, the church now says divine
unconditional love is an anti-Christ deception: "Jesus 'so loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God.' Indeed, the Father and the Son are one-in purpose and love." "Divine Love Is Also Conditional. While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional. The word does not appear in the scriptures. On the other hand, many verses affirm that the higher levels of love the Father and the Son feel for each of us-and certain divine blessings stemming from that love-are conditional." "Understanding that divine love and blessings are not truly 'unconditional' can defend us against common fallacies such as these: 'Since God's love is unconditional, He will love me regardless …'; or 'Since 'God is love,' He will love me unconditionally, regardless …' These arguments are used by anti-Christs to woo people with deception." "The full flower of divine love and our greatest blessings from that love are conditional-predicated upon our obedience to eternal law. I pray that we may qualify for those blessings and rejoice forever." - Russell M. Nelson, "Divine Love," Ensign, Feb. 2003, page 20 So is the teaching of divine unconditional love really just an "anti-Christ deception?" "God is our father; he loves us; his love is infinite and unconditional. His sorrow is great when we disobey his commandments and break his laws. He cannot condone our transgressions, but he loves us and wants us to return to him. I know of no greater inducement to repentance and reconciliation with our Father in Heaven than an awareness of his unconditional love for us personally and individually." - Elder Ronald E. Poelman, "God's Love for Us Transcends Our Transgressions," Ensign, May 1982, page 27 "The greatest example of love available to all of us is, of course, found in the scripture from John: 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.' (John 3:16.) By the greatest of all acts of love and by this supreme sacrifice, God set the pattern. He demonstrated to us that His love was unconditional and sufficient to encircle every person." -Apostle Marvin J. Ashton, We Serve That Which We Love, Ensign, May 1981, Page 22 "God’s mercy comes from his unlimited and unconditional love for us. Likewise, we should show mercy to others because of our unlimited and unconditional love for them. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, loves us - not because we deserve it, but because we are his brothers and sisters and he has sacrificed for us. Our parents love us - not because we deserve it, but because they have sacrificed for us. -Elder Robert E. Wells Of the First Quorum of the Seventy, The Beatitudes: Pattern for Coming unto Christ, Ensign, Dec. 1987, Page 8 "Christ’s perfect love repels fear. John reminds us that there is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear. The only way that we will not be suffering from the hardness of our hearts, as Christ explains, is to build within ourselves that power of love, literally asking our Heavenly Father for this gift of love and becoming a Saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord and becoming as a child in humility, that we can be filled with this unconditional love, and in this love, being in the Spirit and with this Spirit, being directed in all the challenges of our lives." -Elder F. Enzio Busche, Love Is the Power That Will Cure the Family, Ensign, May 1982, Page 69 "Jesus invited little children to come unto Him and each of us to become as one of them. He invited men to love one another as He has loved us, and then He would call them His disciples. He extended His love to His Apostles on condition that they understood what unconditional love for their fellowman was." -Elder John Sonnenberg, The Invitation of the Master, Ensign, May 1985, Page 24 "God is our father; he loves us; his love is infinite and unconditional." - Elder Ronald E. Poelman, “God’s Love for Us Transcends Our Transgressions,” Ensign, May 1982, page 27 "I testify that He (Jesus Christ) assisted in the creation and management not only of this planet, but other worlds. His grasp is galactic, yet he noticed the widow casting in her mite. I am stunned at his perfect, unconditional love of all. Indeed, 'I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me.'" - Neal A. Maxwell, "Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King," Ensign, May 1976, page 26 "At the conclusion of these twenty-eight years, I testify of our Heavenly Father's love for us. The unconditional love the Father and the Son have for us is so real. The Savior continually invites us to "come unto him and partake of his goodness." I bear witness that He lives, that He loves each one of His children-and that means every human being-every man, every woman, every girl, every boy, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." - Victor L. Brown, "A Lifetime of Learning," Ensign, Nov. 1989, page 76 "Remind your family that Jesus' love is unconditional. That means he loves us no matter what we do and say. Explain to your family that if they are to truly love one another as Jesus commanded them, they need to love each other in this same way. Have family members define what is meant by unconditional love. They may wish to give examples, such as "I will go on loving you even if you do things I don't like," or "I will love you whether you love me or not." Discuss the examples given, and help them to refine and clarify their definition of unconditional love." "Have a scripture search for examples of unconditional love. As you find scriptural examples, draw parallels for your own family so that family members can see how divine unconditional love can be applied in their own lives. Emphasize that this doctrine is not vain and idealistic, that we can learn to love our enemies and have compassion and charity for all if we will exercise our faith in Jesus Christ and apply his teachings. - Family Home Evening Resource Book, Family Home Evening Lessons, 17: Love at Home, page 74 "Just as Brother and Sister Barnes felt the Savior’s unconditional love as they studied the gospel and found hope in Christ; and just as the people of King Benjamin found hope in him, so can we find respect for ourselves and others, rid ourselves of self-defeating habits, be nonjudgmental, be optimistic and of good cheer, be assured of his love for us, and find hope in him. -Relief Society General President Barbara W. Winder, Hope in Christ, Ensign, Nov. 1986, Page 90 "Charity develops in us as we see ourselves moving in our lives from a 'what’s in it for me' kind of love to the love of family and friends and, blessedly, beyond that to an awareness of our Lord’s unconditional love for us that tells us of our divine kinship with one another and with him. Such love, or charity, does not spring whole and steady in most lives, but it can come as we learn and grow and reach for ways to know God’s love. The scriptures are a great help to us in understanding this. There we read that love precedes knowledge of God. We test our efforts by following Christ’s way of unconditional love and understanding. We believe our acts of kindness and demonstrated love have meaning to the degree that they draw the Holy Spirit into our lives." -General Primary President Aileen H. Clyde, Charity and Learning, Ensign, Nov. 1994, Page 94 "I have listed five areas which are critical in a young woman's life: the first and most important is for you, a young woman, to work to gain a sure knowledge of Christ's unconditional love and concern for you." - Sister Arlene B. Darger, "Directing Your Lives," New Era, July 1980, page 12 "Jesus' unconditional love for us motivated His atoning sacrifice for our sins. Without His unconditional love, we would be unable to return to our Heavenly Father. How He lived His life is the example we should follow. His way should be our way. - Elder Robert J. Whetten, "True Followers," Ensign, May 1999, page 30 "The tenderness of this experience was that Robbie went from challenging the idea that Jesus could love everyone to a sweet trust of Christ's unconditional love. Each of us can feel our Savior's unconditional love through the righteous example of others." - Sister Ruth B. Wright, "Be Thou an Example," Ensign, Nov. 1991, page 90 "I hope that each person who attends will be welcomed at the door and will sense a great feeling of love and caring that the bishop has. That is symbolic of the Lord's great, unconditional love for each of us." - Elder W. Mack Lawrence, "Sunday Worship Service," Ensign, May 1991, page 30 "Charity develops in us as we see ourselves moving in our lives from a "what's in it for me" kind of love to the love of family and friends and, blessedly, beyond that to an awareness of our Lord's unconditional love for us that tells us of our divine kinship with one another and with him. Such love, or charity, does not spring whole and steady in most lives, but it can come as we learn and grow and reach for ways to know God's love. ...We test our efforts by following Christ's way of unconditional love and understanding." - Sister Aileen H. Clyde, "Charity and Learning," Ensign, Nov. 1994, 94 "Just as Brother and Sister Barnes felt the Savior's unconditional love as they studied the gospel and found hope in Christ; and just as the people of King Benjamin found hope in him, so can we find respect for ourselves and others, rid ourselves of self-defeating habits, be nonjudgmental, be optimistic and of good cheer, be assured of his unconditional love for us, and find hope in him." - Sister Barbara W. Winder, "Hope in Christ," Ensign, Nov. 1986, page 90 Is unconditional love bad like the Mormon Church is now teaching? "To love completely with a wholeness even as Christ loved, to manifest a mature and unconditional love in all human relations, would minimize many fears." -First Presidency Message: With an Eye Single to His Glory, Ensign, Dec. 1971 "A person's ability to love unconditionally can have powerful effects. Seeing another person in an eternal perspective, knowing that he is of infinite worth, helps us to look beyond his weaknesses." - "Unconditional Love-The Key to Effective Parenthood," Family Home Evening Resource Book, Building a Strong Family, page 238 "[Our children] have to learn somehow that they are more important than their mistakes; that they are worthwhile, valuable, useful; that they are loved unconditionally. I knelt with my own family, at the conclusion of a great family home evening, the night before our lovely daughter was to be married in the temple. I think she wouldn't mind my telling you that after we had laughed and wept and remembered, she was asked to pray. I don't recall much of her prayer, the tears and the joy and the sweetness, but I remember one thought: she thanked God for the unconditional love she had received. This life doesn't give one very many chances to feel exultant and a little successful, but I felt wonderful that night, and thank God that she really believes and understands what she said. We cannot, my dear brethren, condition our love by a beard or beads or habits or strange viewpoints. There have to be standards and they must be enforced, but our love must be unconditional." - Marion D. Hanks, "Love Unconditional," Ensign, Dec. 1971, page 104 "I am convinced that when we give unconditional love; when our interest is first in serving, building, edifying, strengthening without thought of self; when we do not expect an automatic return for each act of kindness, generosity, or sincere effort to help; when we are not concerned about what we will receive or what others will say or whether our own burdens will be diminished, but selflessly seek to build another, the miracle of the power of the gospel is released in our lives. When we permit the Lord to work through us to bless others, that sacred experience releases power in our own lives, and miracles occur. Well did the Master say, "For inasmuch as ye do it unto the least of these, ye do it unto me." (D&C 42:38.)" - Richard G. Scott, "The Power to Make a Difference," Ensign, Nov. 1983, page 70 "All mothers go down into the valley of the shadow of death as they labor in birth to give us life. My mother has now been dead many years. I miss her sweet, loving influence in my life. I miss her general counsel and reproof. But mostly I miss her unconditional love." - James E. Faust, "Them That Honour Me I Will Honour," Ensign, May 2001, page 45 "We cannot, my dear brethren, condition our love by a beard or beads or habits or strange viewpoints. There have to be standards and they must be enforced, but our love must be unconditional." -Apostle Marion D. Hanks, Love Unconditional, Ensign, Dec. 1971, Page 104 "As disciples of Christ, we need to feel genuine charity for one another. I encourage you to build personal, meaningful relationships with your nonmember friends and acquaintances. Interest in the gospel may come later as a natural extension of a good friendship. If they are not interested in the gospel, we should show unconditional love through acts of service and kindness, and never imply that we see an acquaintance only as a potential convert" -Apostle M. Russell Ballard, October 1988 General Conference: The Hand of Fellowship, Ensign, Nov. 1988, Page 30 "President Hinckley has reminded us repeatedly of the many opportunities to reach out and touch someone. In speaking of those who have recently joined with us, he described a need to reach out and touch them with love and fellowship; to those who are estranged, a touch of encouragement, unconditional love, and a full measure of forgiveness if required; to our neighbors, associates, and friends who are not of our faith, the blessing of being touched by the Holy Spirit because of our words and deeds." -Presiding Bishop H. David Burton, A Season of Opportunity, Ensign, Nov. 1998, Page 9 "The anxiety and fear that have often obstructed my efforts to serve have gone away only as I have recognized three important principles: (1) I cannot solve another person’s problems. (2) Loving another person unconditionally is the most powerful way I can serve. (3) I must depend on Christ, the only source of unconditional love, if I am to bless others." -Sister Susan Hainsworth, If You Would Serve Them, Love Them, Tambuli, Mar. 1987, Page 26 A search of officially published Mormon Church addresses over the last thirty years shows over 840 matches in support of divine "unconditional love". So why has the church recently changed this plain and precious doctrine? |
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| I was asked about this article deep in another thread and figured it warranted a thread all it's own, if for no other reason then to let our readers, lurkers and otherwise, know about this.
http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/ If you take a look at this article which is "Adapted from an address given 25 June 1992 at a seminar for new mission presidents, Missionary Training Center, Provo, Utah" you'll find all sorts of "hidden" knowledge that Nelson felt comfortable sharing with the Mission Presidents: "Many of you are experienced in the difficult task of translating written text from one language to another. I am intrigued, as you are, with the process Joseph Smith used to translate the Book of Mormon, which he said was done through "the gift and power of God." (Book of Mormon, title page.) The Prophet learned the nature of that gift the night the angel Moroni first visited him. Moroni told him that "there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of [the American] continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; "Also, that there were two stones in silver bows?and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim?deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted ?seers' in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book." (JS?H 1:34-35.) The inscriptions on the plates were written in a Semitic language, using a modified Egyptian type of script. Some critics have scoffed at such a linguistic mix. May I tell you of Doctor Moses Maimonides, one of the greatest rabbis and Jewish philosophers of the Middle Ages. He died in A.D. 1204. He served as a court physician in Cairo and is one of the most famous figures in the early history of medicine. Hospitals are named after him today. In Cairo he read and pondered the words of earlier Muslim thinkers and wrote his philosophical books in Arabic using the Hebrew alphabet. This is but one of many instances from ancient and medieval periods in which the script of one language has been used to write in another language. (See Daniel C. Peterson, Abraham Divided; An LDS Perspective on the Middle East, Salt Lake City: Aspen Books, 1992, p. 205.) Indeed, history confirms that such a linguistic mix was not unusual at all. I am intrigued that Joseph Smith?an unschooled young man in rural America?could have translated this Semitic language mix into the English language. That unlikely scenario relates to Isaiah's remarkable prophecy: "I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder." (Isa. 29:14.)" And then the admission: "As Oliver Cowdery testified a few years later: "These were days never to be forgotten?to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated ... the history or record called ?The Book of Mormon.' " (JS?H 1:71.) The details of this miraculous method of translation are still not fully known. Yet we do have a few precious insights. David Whitmer wrote: "Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man." (David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, Richmond, Mo.: n.p., 1887, p. 12.)"  All I can say is that when I found out about the 'head in the hat' trick, I was seriously creeped out. I mean if this has a majorly satanic, occult ring to it. To find out that it was acknowledged and accepted by an "apostle" is even more creepy to me. When I read things like this, I always wonder how long it will take the COB to take it down off the website in their quest for information control. |
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| http://www.petitiononline.com/ekerila...
http://www.removenelson.net/ Russell M. Nelson, an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) recently signed "A Letter from America's Religious Leaders in Defense of Marriage" demanding that the Constitution of the United States of America be amended to ban legalized same-sex marriage and define marriage "as the exclusive union of one man and one woman." Just days after signing this letter, in April 2006 the widower Russell M. Nelson was married "for time and all eternity" to Wendy Lee Watson in the Salt Lake Mormon Temple. However, since Nelson also married his now-deceased first wife, Dantzel White, "for time and all eternity" in a Mormon Temple, this now makes him an eternal polygamist, celestially "sealed" to both women forever, in accordance with Mormon doctrine and practice. Nelson's actions and beliefs in being married to two women for eternity belie the letter he signed defining marriage as being exclusively between "one man and one woman", and his name should be removed from the Religious Coalition's letter immediately. |
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| I like to tell this true story when the topic of marriage comes up -- just to get a reaction from the TBMs. I tell about a man who is 81 who is a widower and gets re-married and sealed to a 55-year-old never-before married woman.
The reaction is usually one of surprise and, yes, disgust. Some say it is inappropriate and even "dirty-old-man" comes out occasionally. Then I drop the bombshell and say that I was speaking of Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Twelve Apostles. Then, all of a sudden, their whole attitude changes and they all feel it is great. Some even say that if they were unmarried today, they would jump at a chance of marrying a "general authority" and especially an "apostle" even if he is 25 or 30 years older. A more dramatic example is telling about a man in his thirties who wants to marry a 14-year-old. The reaction is usually very predictable -- "He is a child molester . . . scum." Then I tell about Joseph Smith and MOST TBMs change their whole attitude and say that for Smith it was okay, because he was a prophet. It's rather funny to see their complete change of opinion -- a complete flip-flop. (Yes, I know it's cruel to play these mind games with the poor TBMs.) |
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| http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3903718
"While those of us here today represent a broad spectrum of religious diversity, we are firmly united in our declaration that marriage of a man and a woman is ordained of God," Nelson said at a news conference earlier in the day... ...he avoided discussion of the Doctrine and Covenants definition of "God-ordained" marriages. Or that fact that God...wink, wink...gave Nelson the go-ahead to marry another "a woman" so he can have two "a woman"s in the afterlife... ...and once again, Apostle Almighty fails to mention that polygamy is the Mormon-leader-defined entrance requirement to Godschool. Nelson also failed to comment on the possibility of God ignoring these ordained unions if there is dirty talking going on during sexual relations. Especially, using the Lord's name in vain when you orgasm. It's like sending Sweet Jesus or Oh God a prank hang up prayer call... ...and they can hear you giggling afterward. |