Dual Ponderings

Cedar City Temple

At October General Conference 1986 M. Russell Ballard said:

“Shortly after the death of Sister LeGrand Richards, I was assigned to be Elder Richards’ junior companion to assist him in creating the Atlanta Georgia Stake. As we were flying toward his beloved Southern States Mission, he said to me, “Brother Ballard, I am not afraid to die; the only thing I worry about is, will I be able to find Mommy over there.”

I was impressed to say to Elder Richards that in his case that could be a real problem. Immediately, I had his full attention. He looked me directly in the eye and said, “What do you mean by that?”

With my emotions near the surface, I answered this great missionary, “Elder Richards, when you die, so many people there will be anxious to greet you because you introduced the gospel to them that you might have difficulty finding Mommy in the crowd.” His response was, “Oh, you don’t mean that.”

We all might ask ourselves the question, who will be there to greet us?”

Next, on a different topic:

WORDS OF NOTE PART TWO (Taken the writings of Joseph Fielding McConkie and his book, 50 Truths The Devil Doesn’t Want You to Know)

18. From page 20:  “As members of the Church, when other members are presented to us to serve as leaders, we are invited to raise our right hand in covenant to sustain them.  In some instances pigeons may be called to preside over eagles.  The issue is not who can fly the highest, or the fastest or see the furthest; it is a matter of being able to fly in formation.  We do not nominate those who will serve.  The authority to do so rests with God…

We have no doctrines that have the right to bully others doctrines.  Our doctrines, like our leaders, labor in harmony side by side.  Force or manipulation has no part of leadership nor can it be part of any of our doctrines.

20. From page 23:  “As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we hold to the doctrine that we are members of the only true and living church on the face of the whole earth.’  (D&C 1:30)

If this is not the case, Joseph and Hyrum Smith sealed their testimony in the Carthage Jail for no better reason than we have a wonderful choir, good youth programs and the welfare system.  These are not the things for which thousands upon thousands of people the world over gave up all they had to gather to Zion.  These things are not the reason so many have been disowned by their families for joining the Church.  They are not the reason we pay an honest tithe or respond to the call to serve whatever the cost in time or energy may be.”

21. From page 24:  “Can we serve a God of truth in error and ignorance?  Is it reasonable to suppose the time will come when those who seek after the truth will not draw the wrath of the prince of darkness?  Why is it that God, who we are told does not care what we believe, becomes so concerned when the Latter-day Saints are involved?

In a discussion of religious issues, few questions are more emotionally charged than that of whether there is only one true church.

The announcement that only one church can be true, with its attendant implication that all others are false, gives immediate offense to many who suppose that such a conclusion excludes great hosts of wonderful people from the love of God and the blessings of heaven.  It is thought to be incompatible with the idea of a loving God and often is labeled as intolerant and unchristian.

 

Thus we ask why such a question is so threatening?  Does it not follow that if there are false teachers, false doctrines, false ordinances, false prophets and even false Christ’s that there could be false churches?   Is there not some significance in the fact that Christ did not affiliate himself with one of the various sects of the day?  Is it not of importance that he organized but one Church, not a host of competing sects?

Surely no real blessings can accrue from falsehoods. 

To mistakenly swallow poison makes it no less harmful than to take it by design.  Surely there are ideas that are harmful to the soul as there are practices that are harmful to the mortal body.”