For God has given His power unto man

I haven't yet found the painter or name of this image, I'll add that if I can find it. I chose it because God seems eager to send down His Holy Spirit upon those who are sincerely seeking Him.

 

I've read so many personal accounts of being born of God. It's wonderful news that people are being born of God in and out of the church. It's miraculous to see how He does His work and reaches out to all who seek Him. But ironically, this praiseworthy truth is unpalatable to LDS beliefs. I used to believe that God's work of salvation could only happen within the LDS church, where we have the true ordinances and the proper priesthood authority.

I'm not convinced by that anymore, because it fell apart like a house of cards when the storm came. It certainly took a lot of work to rebuild on a firmer foundation, but time in the scriptures has taught me a new perspective;
Studying how an act of faith works,
looking at scripture on good works,
looking at scripture on dead works,
learning a scriptural definition of righteousness and authority,
and learning what scripture teaches about living by the spirit...
...made me realize that we in the LDS church have a skewed idea of having authority from God.

I thought I'd write this to the LDS who believe as I used to, that "This church is the way God has set forth to save all His people who have ever lived."

 

God hath given His power unto men

I didn't think this verse described the beliefs of the LDS church; it was too harsh, and but lately as I have conversations with other LDS, the spirit keeps showing me how it applies:

2 Nephi 28
5 And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;

I hear often, (and I'm sure "old me" said similarly,) "It's not possible for people outside the church to have the gift of the Holy Ghost because the only people on the earth with the authority to give the laying on of hands are in the LDS church.  They haven't even had an authoritative baptism yet!"

Then when asked about the miracles that happen outside the LDS church, the LDS might respond, "They might be able to perform gifts of the spirit with the little amount of the light of Christ that they have, and their strong faith, and so God honours their faith."  (Help me understand, God will do mighty miracles amongst these Christians but just not accept their baptisms, nor give them the Holy Ghost?)

These are both said with respect, sympathy, longsuffering that these Christians won't just hurry up and join the church already, and a little pity; they then say, "Well this is why our baptisms-for-the-dead matter, so that they can become members and receive all the ordinances then."
What is this?  Charity?  I can't tell.

(To rant for a moment, I can't imagine redemption after death is a comfort to many. I experienced a ministering angel once who came to teach me that there was a way to not fear Judgement Day.  I was taught if I lived a life of devotion to God, He would come to me and grant me Eternal Life while in this life. This was a tremendous relief and saved me from years of fretting. Can you imagine that God would require some outside the LDS to ache their entire lives for the Holy Ghost and He not give it to them, when they are offering all He requires?  I've experienced the torment of trying your best but still fearing Judgement Day.  The God I've come to know comes to relieve that suffering.)

 

Where is the power, really?

It's devastating to realize that yes, my people do believe God has given His power unto man, in a way, for the church to remain true, they NEED to deny the power of God that happens outside the LDS church.

Here are some examples:

If you believe authoritative baptism can only happen in the LDS church, then you are denying the power of God, and believing that God has given His power unto man.  I recommend reading the stories of some who have been baptized and hear how the spirit led them to be baptized and then confirmed that God received their baptism.  Perhaps the book, I Dared to Call Him Father.

 

If you believe the Holy Ghost can only be received in the LDS church, then you don't believe that Christ is the keeper of the gate, and employs no servant there.  You are denying the power of God, and believe that God has given His power unto man.  I'd recommend hearing the born of God experiences on A Stronger Faith podcast on You Tube, and really test the fruits. I believe these born of God experiences. Or read The Cross and the Switchblade, or God's Smuggler.

 

If you believe that miracles cannot happen outside of Proper Priesthood Authority, then you are denying the power of God, and believe God cannot work without the power He has given unto men. I'd recommend reading The Heavenly Man, and consider if gifts of the spirit and the power of God are available to all who seek Him.

 

"For behold, there is no God today"

The "there is no God today" is harsh, I have a hard time believing it happens in the LDS church,  because there are beautiful people here who really love God, and are seeking Him,... but also if we don't believe God is capable of doing His own work, without the priesthood of the LDS church, then in a way, maybe we do deserve this scathing rebuke.

We believe there is a God, but just not one who is willing to work His salvation outside of the framework of the LDS church.  We're saying, "You cannot have access to God’s salvation without the proper priesthood authority of the LDS church" as if somehow, we're saying God is held back until we LDS have done our part, as God intends.

Our LDS pride is quite Rameumptum-y, and I'm really grieving.

I was taught that outside the LDS church, baptisms were not valid, baptisms of the Holy Ghost were deceptions, and authoritative works of God were not possible outside the LDS church, and we’re going to believe that brainwashing if we continue to just listen to church-approved materials, but it is not at all based in reality.  People are being born of God all over the world.  Christ is redeeming whomever He will.

How arrogant of us to make priesthood authority the catalyst for the works of God. Again, “God has given His power unto man.”

Another point, in this article looking at the covenant path, I make an observation at the end that was quite upsetting.  It seems the covenant path teachings take God's presence out of His own doctrine in every of the 4 ways the Doctrine of Christ promises that God will manifest Himself.

 

LDS, please consider

Let's look at how our LDS beliefs fit in scripture, because God's promise of "immediately" needs an asterisk and disclaimer to be understood as the LDS do.

Alma 34
31 Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately (actually not really immediately, because you also need proper priesthood from the LDS church. I sure hope you find it or you're out of luck.) shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.

32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors. (But don't worry if despite all your broken heart and contrite spirit you never get even an authorized baptism, we'll get you in baptisms for the dead. You might be a stranger, but we're able to do something for your salvation that you can't.)

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; (but just remember this repentance isn't quite enough, God won't work His salvation until we, the LDS have done our part) for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

Or consider Christ's words in His visit to the Book of Mormon people.  I will leave this without the clarifications, but do you see where they'd need to be?

3 Nephi 11
33 And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.

34 And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.

35 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

Every single scripture on the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost needs an asterisk and disclaimer if we're to believe it can only happen through LDS authority.

Now let's look at this one, where is the true authority of the work of redemption?

2 Nephi 9
41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

Christ decides who receives the Holy Ghost, because He's the God who knows our hearts.  He employs NO ONE there.  That doesn't fit well with our theology at all.
Christ says HE WILL OPEN to those who knock. No disclaimers there.

On true priesthood

I feel that much of our ideas of authoritative, lineal hierarchical priesthood come from Brigham's changes to Joseph's original work. Brigham directed all power to him, and ordained evil men to "serve" with Him.  Somewhere along the way the ordination mattered more than the testing of fruits.  And the exclusivity,... I don't believe our priesthood power was ever meant to be exclusive and dismissive of every other work of Salvation outside our church.

It takes a lot of effort to sort through the mess, but as I read scripture, I see that God gives authority to whomever seeks Him. Christ looks on the heart, and quite often authority to do a work of God comes through the spirit. When Christ authors a work through the spirit, He is authorizing the individual to do this work. And He often confirms His hand in this work by manifesting the witness/miracle/good fruit, because he is the finisher of these acts of faith.

Priesthood was never meant to be the idol it has become. And personally, I can hardly find a priesthood holder who has any ability to heal. So why do we believe in our priesthood so much? Why are we not testing the fruit?

First and foremost, we need to understand the Doctrine of Christ and how gifts of the spirit work in the doctrine. Our understanding of priesthood should never step on the toes of that doctrine. 

Honouring the Doctrine of Christ requires us to take a look at our understanding of priesthood. There's a way that it fits perfectly, honouring the doctrine, and I believe the truth about priesthood is there, we just need time to sort through mix of truth and perversion.

My husband has been doing that work for the majority of the past year! So maybe I'll ask him to share his findings in a few posts.