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Mormon View of
Salvation (Only Through The Church)
Joseph
Smith's First Vision
My object in going to
inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might
know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself,
so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the
light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered
into my heart that all were wrong)--and which I should join.
I was answered that I must join
none of them, for they were all wrong; and
the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds
were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt;
that: "they draw near to me with their lips, but
their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men,
having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof."
Magazines/Ensign/1973/Ensign
July 1973 /Salvation Comes through the Church
Elder Mark
E. Petersen
Of the Council of the Twelve
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It does not come through any
separate organization or splinter group nor to any private party as an
individual. It comes only
through the Church itself as the Lord established it. |
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It is all important, then, that
members should not separate themselves from the true church, nor apostatize
from it, nor be guilty of behavior which would justify their
excommunication.
If persons separate themselves
from the Lord’s church, they thereby separate themselves from his means of
salvation, for salvation is through the Church. |
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There is one verse particularly
in that section which they fail to consider. It is especially pertinent. It
says that apostates and others who have been cut off from the Church will
not be found among the Saints of the Most High at the last day. Why? Because
salvation is in the Church, not elsewhere. |
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“Whenever there is a
disposition manifested in any of the members of the Church to question the
right of the President of the whole Church to direct in all things, you see
manifested evidences of apostasy—of a spirit which, if encouraged, will
lead to a separation from the Church and to final destruction; wherever
there is a disposition to operate against any legally appointed officer of
this Kingdom, no matter in what capacity he is called to act, if persisted
in, it will be followed by the same results.” So spoke President Brigham
Young. (Discourses of Brigham Young [Deseret Book Co., 1943], pp. 82-83,
85.)
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(NOTE: Obviously the LDS are referring to their own churches when speaking of
being saved by the church only. After all, according to Joseph Smith's vision,
all other churches were false and an abomination before God and thus the reason
the Mormon church was formed.)
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