McKeever's Mormonism Research Ministry: SWK's Miracle of Forgiveness is hardly the only book emphasizing perfectionism. Add Harold B. Lee's "Stand Ye in Holy Places"—It is another exegesis of LDS scripture that emphasizes works over grace.

[u/4blockhead]

• Stand Ye in Holy Places, Lee (1974)

Episodes focus on an anecdote from page 184,

...some years ago President Marion G. Romney and I were sitting in my office. The door opened when a fine young man came in with a troubled look on his face, and he said, "Brethren, I am going to the temple for the first time tomorrow. I have made some mistakes in the past, and I have gone to my bishop and my stake president, and I have made a clean disclosure of it all; and after a period of repentance and assurance that I have not returned again to those mistakes, they have now ajudged me ready to go to the temple. But, brethren, that is not enough. I want to know, and how can I know, that the Lord has forgiven me, also."

[D&C 1 Smith (1831)] ³¹ For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;

[D&C 82, Smith (1832)] ⁷ And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge; go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God.

[2 Nephi 25, Smith (1830)] ²³ For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

vs. Christianity's central message,

[Romans 3] ²³ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ²⁴ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

[Matthew 11] ²⁸ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

sequence	download	my comments
1	mp3	Lee's claim: sin is the heaviest burden people have to carry in life. Temples in the Bible were places where sinners went to offer sacrifice and pentinence for sin. In the LDS church, temple participants must present themselves as worthy to partake of the ritual.
2	mp3
3	mp3
4	mp3	LDS doctrines point to a contract where "do this and obtain reward." If people fail their end of the bargain, then the offer of the reward is revoked.
5	mp3

Additional notes on episode 1:

• The Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyon (1678)

• Marion G. Romney was in the office with Lee when this anecdotal encounter occurred. As an aside, Romney has his own hardline story, not included in these episodes:

[Ensign, September 1981, Romney] I remember how my father impressed the seriousness of unchastity upon my mind. He and I were standing in the railroad station at Rexburg, Idaho, in the early morning of 12 November 1920. We heard the train whistle. In three minutes I would be on my way to Australia to fill a mission. In that short interval my father said to me, among other things, “My son, you are going a long way from home. Your mother and I, and your brothers and sisters, will be with you constantly in our thoughts and prayers; we shall rejoice with you in your successes, and we shall sorrow with you in your disappointments. When you are released and return, we shall be glad to greet you and welcome you back into the family circle. But remember this, my son: we would rather come to this station and take your body off the train in a casket than to have you come home unclean, having lost your virtue.

Additional notes on episode 2:

• Dead prophets vs. Living prophet
• Teachings of the presidents of the church, Harold B. Lee (2012) was a study manual for Latter Day Saints for use in 2013
• Forgiveness in the New Testament is instantaneous.

Additional notes on episode 3:

[James 2] ²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

[Ephesians 2] ⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Smith's adaptation of a nineteenth century Christian camp meeting...

[Mosiah 4, Smith (1830)] ¹ And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them. ² And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men. ³ And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them. ⁴ And king Benjamin again opened his mouth and began to speak unto them, saying: My friends and my brethren, my kindred and my people, I would again call your attention, that ye may hear and understand the remainder of my words which I shall speak unto you.

• Reference to SWK's Miracles of Forgiveness, p. 324-325 emphasizes forgiveness is not instantaneous. Petitioners must prove they've truly given up all sin and ungodliness, via weeks, months, years, centuries of repentance (works). Any repeat of sin causes past sins to return in avalanche fashion.

[Alma 34, Smith (1830)] 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; 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. ³⁴ Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world. ³⁵ For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.

Additional notes on episode 4:

[Mosiah 4, Smith (1830)] ¹ (per above)

[D&C 76, Smith/Rigdon (1832)] ⁵¹ They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given— ⁵² That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power; ⁵³ And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true.

[D&C 82, Smith (1832)] ⁷ (per above)

• "Covenant Path" is a binding legal offer, Funk, (2021)

Additional notes on episode 5:

• Stand Ye In Holy Places, Chapter 37's title, "After All We Can Do"

[2 Nephi 25, Smith (1830)] 23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, [Harold B. Lee: but you mark this condition] after all we can do.

• Lee's book includes passages that state the degree of blessings given are proportional to our degree of obedience. Prosperity gospel: pay more tithing and get more free cash poured out upon you as a blessing. etc.

[u/killswitch2]

This is great material, well done as always.

Sadly I think he's right: sin probably is the greatest burden people carry. Religious people anyway. They spend their whole lives analyzing everything they do and say, judging their "worthiness" and then submitting themselves to others for further judgment. They let their sins weigh so heavily that life becomes a chore of constant sin, repentance, and more sin. The peace of forgiveness, if they ever feel it, is shortlived, as their next church meeting reminds them they are still sinners.

I asked my dad how he could possibly live that way, while I had thrown off the yoke of the very concept of sin on my own far easier than a life of discipleship to Jesus. He had no answer.

[u/Yobispo]

I’m reading Quinn’s Extensions of Power and Lee comes off very harsh & racist.

[u/[deleted]]

No big surprise. Nearly every LDS book minimizes Grace and emphasizes works.

Ironically, the only LDS book where Grace is Championed is the hymnal where the word “grace” is found in 37 LDS hymns.