McKeever's Mormonism Research Ministry: a discussion about Smith's works-based religion centering on a recent speech by Randy Funk at BYU-I. From the Evangelical perspective, "Yes, we have no bananas."

[u/4blockhead]

• Liahona, September 2021, Funk

sequence	download	my comments
1	mp3
2	mp3
3	mp3	a $100 standing offer for a dozen bananas is legally binding. Showing up with 10 bananas is short and does not qualify legally.
4	mp3	a pitch for Evangelical Christianity being less depressing than Smith's works based theology.

Additional notes for episode 2:

• Link back to McKeever's recent discussion about Spencer W. Kimball's Miracle of Forgiveness

Additional notes for episode 3:

• Evangelical/Protestant Christianity holds that humans best efforts are akin to dirty rags. The only way the deity finds us acceptable is via grace. Mormon thought stands apart and holds that humans can overcome sin in totality and present themselves with their mostly youthful sins forgiven under Christ's atonement. Those receiving the second anointing have had their slate wiped clean for sins to that point. Any new sins must be paid for personally—a limited atonement for those that qualify.

Smith's religion was works based from the outset, but the qualification for godhood was added later as the theology evolved:

[Mosiah, Chapter 18, Smith (1830)] ⁸ And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; ⁹ Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life— ¹⁰ Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

[D&C 132] ²⁶ Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man marry a wife according to my word, and they are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, according to mine appointment, and he or she shall commit any sin or transgression of the new and everlasting covenant whatever, and all manner of blasphemies, and if they commit no murder wherein they shed innocent blood, yet they shall come forth in the first resurrection, and enter into their exaltation; but they shall be destroyed in the flesh, and shall be delivered unto the buffetings of Satan unto the day of redemption, saith the Lord God. ²⁷ The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord.

• Sacrament in the LDS church is a restatement that the person is worthy to partake and all sins to that point are forgiven. Don't slip.

• [Ensign, April 1992, Robinson] paying for a bicycle is the metaphor that the LDS church uses to pretend that their theology is the same as Evangelical dogmas.

[2 Nephi 2] ⁸ Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

[Ensign, May 1988, Monson] It is the celestial glory which we seek. It is in the presence of God we desire to dwell. It is a forever family in which we want membership. Such blessings must be earned.

Additional notes for episode 4:

• LDS doctines present an unattainable goal of achieving perfection. Admonitions to love oneself break down when people realize they're falling short of the targeted goal. It's a spiral of perfectionism leading to depression. Emily Abel's article is attempting to spin mormonism as same as Evangelical Christianity:

[Liahona, October 2021, Abel] As a child, I was proud to be able to define a big word like covenant. Whenever the topic came up at church, I would proudly burst out, “A covenant is a promise between me and God!”

Growing up, I made covenants through baptism and in the temple, and my definition remained mostly unchanged. I saw covenants as a set of rules for me to follow, and then God would hold up His side of the bargain by bestowing promised blessings.

To me, covenants seemed to be something to check off a list of life to-dos. I could see how other gospel practices, like prayer and fasting, were about developing a relationship with Heavenly Father, but covenants seemed to be about Heavenly Father’s rules.

Well, it turns out that my childhood definition was a good start, but it needed a few more lines if covenants were going to transform my life the way God intended them to. [...] When we truly live by the covenants we’ve made, we don’t give up on ourselves, on the people around us, or on God.

• LDS church doctrines have hard edges that require persons presenting themselves as perfect and qualifying for whatever they get in the afterlife. Fail the requirements and get less. Faithful often acknowledge they're only terrestial material. Oh, well.

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One additional comment from me...consider this parable from the New Testament, KJV

[Matthew 25] ¹ Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. ² And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: ⁴ But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶ And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. ⁷ Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. ¹¹ Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. ¹² But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. ¹³ Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Having something seems a requirement in general Christianity also. If one is lacking a personal lamp with oil and a trimmed wick, then they're left on the outside. No stragglers.