"To
become a joint heir of the heirship of the Son, one must put away all his false
traditions.''
-Joseph Smith (TPJS, p 321.)
D&C 84
53 And
by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world
groaneth under sin and darkness even now.
54 And
your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and
because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
57 And
they shall remain under this condemnation
until they repent and remember the new covenant, even
the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not
only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—
58 That
they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there
remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.
60 Verily,
verily, I say unto you who now hear my words, which are my voice, blessed are
ye inasmuch as you receive these things;
61 For
I will forgive you of your sins with this commandment—that you remain steadfast
in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to
all the world of those things which are communicated unto you.
"President
Joseph Smith read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel--said the Lord had declared by
the Prophet, that the people should each
one stand for himself, and depend
on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church--that
righteous persons could only deliver their own souls--applied it to the present state of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints--said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall--that they were depending on the Prophet,
hence were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the
duties devolving upon themselves, envious towards the innocent, while they
afflict the virtuous with their shafts of envy." TPJS pp. 237-38
"What
a pity it would be, if we were led by one man to utter destruction! Are you
afraid of this? I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in
their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are
led by him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security,
trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless
confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God in their salvation,
and weaken the influence they could give to their leaders, did they know for
themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way.
Let every man and woman know, themselves, whether their leaders are walking in
the path the Lord dictates, or not. This has been my exhortation
continually."
-Brigham
Young (JD 9:150)
Mormon 8
34 Behold,
the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which
must shortly come, at that day
when these things shall come forth among you.
35 Behold, I
speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus
Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
36 And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there
are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their
hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and
malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even EVERY ONE, have become polluted because of the
pride of your hearts.
37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance,
and your fine apparel, and the adorning
of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick
and the afflicted.
38 O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who
sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted THE HOLY CHURCH of God? Why are ye
ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater
is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies—because of the praise of the world?
"My
beloved brethren and sisters, for some years now I have been deeply concerned that we are not
using the Book of Mormon as God intends. As I participated in the Mexico City
Temple dedication, I received the distinct impression that God is not pleased
with our neglect of the Book of
Mormon. In the eighty-fourth section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord decreed that the whole Church
was under condemnation, even all the children of Zion, because of the
way they treated the Book of Mormon. "And they shall remain under this
condemnation until they repent," said the Lord, "and remember the new
covenant, even the Book of Mormon" (D&C 84:57). Zion cannot fully arise and put on her beautiful garments if she is
under this condemnation. (See D&C 82:14)."
-Ezra Taft Benson
The following book has helped me to remove the condemnation in my own life as I do my best to study and understand the new covenant or in other words the Book of Mormon:
The following book has helped me to remove the condemnation in my own life as I do my best to study and understand the new covenant or in other words the Book of Mormon:
