The Vitality of Mormonism: Brief Essays on Distinctive Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsTalmage, James E. (James Edward)
Religion
The Vitality of Mormonism: Brief Essays on Distinctive Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Talmage, James E. (James Edward)
Latter Day Saint churches; Latter Day Saints
Many of those who were so signally privileged and blessed as to
personally hear the Master were astonished at His doctrine and deeply
moved by the simple and convincing presentation: "For he taught them
as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matt. 7:29.) Our
Lord was qualified to teach as He did, not only, by reason of the
sufficing fact that He bore the Father's commission, but because He had
done and was doing just what He required of others. The authority of
Divine precept was united in Him with that of unimpeachable example.
The burden of all scriptural direction relating to the attainment of a
place in the Kingdom of God is: Do the works that are prescribed.
Ever consistent, unchangeable as the Father Himself, our Lord affirmed
the same necessity of works when He ministered among the Nephites on
the American continent soon after His ascension from the Mount of
Olives in Palestine. Having declared that His doctrine was the doctrine
of the Father, the Resurrected Christ thus proclaimed:
"Whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and
they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth
not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned. 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. . . . And again I say unto you, Ye must
repent and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye
can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this, buildeth
upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for
my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock,
but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell standeth
open to receive such, when the floods come and the winds beat upon
them." (Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 11:33-40.)
The accumulated experience of the world sustains the soundness of the
principle thus emphasized in the Savior's teachings. An alien immigrant
to our shores may desire to attain the full status of citizenship; but
desire alone will never enfranchise him. He must first learn the legal
requirements, and then comply therewith in every detail.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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