If You Believe That You Alone Are Right, And That The LDS Leadership Have All "Gone Astray", You May Be On The Road To Apostasy

The Feminist Mormon Housewives blog is one of several in the Bloggernacle discussing the 179th Annual General Conference (don't be put off by the "feminist" moniker; this blog is generally pro-LDS). But instead of reporting any of the events, they've chosen merely to start an open discussion thread HERE.

One comment posted by Martin caused me concern. While only the last sentence in the comment is really pertinent to this post, I will cross-post the entire comment here in order to preserve the context:

As I listen to conference with its familiar cadences and soothing speakers, I find it surprising that I keep thinking about this blog I’ve followed for many months, and I have a question for all you active Mormon FHMers, particularly those who have a serious beef with the church’s policies.

My question is simply this: can any of you cite a circumstance when you feel the patriarchy of this church has EVER demonstrated inspired leadership or relevation for the church as a whole? Beyond the Book of Mormon, I mean, since several of you seem to accept it. I mean after that. The Kirtland bank? Polygamy? Expansion into Missouri? The temple ceremony? The martyrdom? The migration to Utah? Support for prohibition? Civil Rights? ERA? Blacks and the Priesthood? Church correllation? California Prop 8?

While I’ve truly learned a lot from all the comments I’ve read here (particularly from LDS people with un- or semi-orthodox views), I really wonder why many of you stay, especially considering the amount of anger and frustration expressed.

I sit here listening to these men (and woman) speak, and I don’t expect them to be perfect, but they do lead the church. Does God lead them? More than He leads me? Or, rather, does He lead me through them? If so, why then do they appear to be on the wrong side of nearly every issue? If not….

Comment by Martin — April 4, 2009 @ 12:46 pm

The last line of the highlighted section is of concern. Note that Martin now believes that the Church leadership is on the wrong side of nearly EVERY issue.

None of us who remain faithful to Church doctrine, regardless of level of activity, agree with the Church leadership 100 percent on everything. Some question the three-hour meeting block as being too long, others question the demands of various callings, still others wonder why close family members can't be given one-time guest recommends to witness their loved ones being married in the temple, and many honorably disagreed with the Church's stand on California Proposition 8. There is nothing wrong with raising such questions; such conduct is not only NOT apostasy, but doesn't even rise to the level of dissension.

But Martin has crossed that line. He not only is disconnected from the Church leadership on nearly every issue, but arrogantly presumes that the leadership is on the WRONG side on ALL those issues. When you get into a position of disagreeing with every major issue, then it is time for you to quit looking at the other side, and look in the mirror instead. Because the problem may be with YOU.

And Satan lurks behind the scenes literally licking his chops. Because now he gets to do what he does best; namely, dispense counterfeit light. Satan will summon his best missionaries from hell's MTC, and dispatch them to influence Martin. They'll tell him, "Martin, you're right. You're smarter than the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and all the Seventies combined. You know in your heart they've all gone astray; you alone are right. Here's you're chance to be the One Mighty And Strong, to call the leadership to repentance, and to single-handedly lead a 13-million member Church out of transgression. You can become Heaven's Next Idol".

Sound ludicrous? Yes, to rational people such as you and I, but no longer unthinkable to Martin. But the real tragedy isn't just that it can lead to apostasy and excommunication. It can lead to a lot worse. Review the experiences of both Ervil LeBaron and the Laffertys. They too suddenly decided that the leadership had all "gone astray", that they alone could bring the Church back, and presumptively called the Church leadership to "repentance". They ended up committing murder - sealing their "testimonies" with the innocent blood of others.

This is not to imply that the Church leadership is infallible. Individual leaders can fall into transgression and apostasize; the case of George P. Lee is proof. But we have obtained a promise from the Lord that once the fulness of the Gospel was restored, it would not be taken from the earth again. Consequently, neither the Church nor its leadership will be permitted to apostasize as a body.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, populated by individuals clothed in imperfect mortal tabernacles, will trip and stumble from time to time. But it will NEVER fall.

LDS Doctrine: The "Unpardonable Sin", Part II - Who's Capable Of Committing The "Unpardonable Sin"? Duane Crowther's Perspective

In my previous post entitled "LDS Doctrine: The "Unpardonable Sin", Part I - Just What Is The "Unpardonable Sin"? Duane Crowther's Perspective", I presented Duane Crowther's definition of the "unpardonable sin". His doctrinally-supported premise is that it isn't a single act, but a series of 14 acts together that constitute the unpardonable sin and can put you spiritually "beyond the pale".

But on page 415 of the 1998 edition of his book entitled "Life Everlasting", Crowther suggests that "the unpardonable sin cannot be committed by all men, but only by those who belong to the Church and have received guidance through the Holy Ghost". Along those lines, it would seem like only those men belonging to the Church who have received the Melchizedek Priesthood and all their endowments in a temple would most likely qualify, because only they have the maximum amount of spiritual enlightment necessary to fall so far.

Crowther has compiled a list of nine criteria, also beginning on page 415, which perpetrators of the unpardonable sin must have met, before being judged to have committed it:

1. They have received Christ's new and everlasting covenant (D&C 132:27). The new and everlasting covenant is the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see D&C 39:11, 66:2, 133:57). To receive the gospel means to have exercised faith and repentance and to have been baptized and commanded to receive the Holy Ghost by those in authority through the ordinance of confirmation (3 Nephi 27:19-21). In this age, only those who have been baptized as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are capable of committing the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.
2. They know Christ's power and have been made partakers thereof (D&C 76:31).
3. They have tasted the powers of the world to come (Hebrews 6:5). To fulfill these requirements the individual must hold the priesthood or have its power manifested in his behalf (such as being healed by priesthood administration). Either to use the priesthood or to have its power manifested in one's behalf implies a substantial degree of righteousness...
4. They have received the Holy Spirit (D&C 76:35).
5. They have been enlightened (Hebrews 6:4).
6. They have tasted of the heavenly gift (Hebrews 6:4).
7. They have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost (Hebrews 6:4). The act of confirmation into the Church is not sufficient to meet these requirements, for that is only the command for an individual to seek the promptings of the Holy Ghost. It appears that there are many who have grown to adulthood as members of the Church and yet have never knowingly received guidance from the Holy Spirit. They have never kept the commandment to "receive the Holy Ghost" and never knowingly tasted His promptings and guidance. They have never received revelation. Although their failure to heed this commandment has seriously retarded their religious growth, it has also made them ineligible to commit the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.
-- Herein lies the crux of the question of whether a person can commit the unpardonable sin, or commit blasphemy against the Holy Ghost; he can only do so if he has knowingly received guidance and testimony from that Being and therefore understands the divine communication process.
8. They have a revealed testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (D&C 76:43). Before a person can commit the unpardonable sin, he must know through inspiration or revelation that Jesus is truly the Christ... Such a testimony and sure knowledge, revealed through the Holy Spirit, is even more binding upon a man than a personal visit from the Savior. Jesus himself warned that "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men" (Matthew 12:31).
9. They have tasted of the good word of God (Hebrews 6:5).

All nine of these criteria must be met before a person can be considered capable of committing the unpardonable sin. Membership in the Church and knowledge of the Gospel is a starting point. But most importantly, a person must be acquainted with the promptings of the Holy Ghost and must have received guidance and a revealed testimony of the divinity of Christ.

So it's actually rather difficult to commit the unpardonable sin and become a son of perdition. So much so that, in 6,000 years of recorded human history, we only know of one person who has become a son of perdition. And that person is Cain, Adam's oldest son, who received the curse of the black skin but who was then used as the ancestor of the African race (today's Africans should not be held responsible for Cain's sin, even though they inherited his pigmentation).

While some speculate that Judas Iscariot may have been a son of perdition, we have no confirmation. We can't even say for certain that Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin were sons of perdition. We can't even be sure that apostate ex-Mormons like Ed Decker and James Spencer are on track to become sons of perdition. Who knows everything in the hearts of these people.

Perhaps it would be a lot smarter if we would spend less time wondering which historical figure is a son of perdition and more time making sure we are not on the road to perdition ourselves.

LDS Doctrine: The "Unpardonable Sin", Part I - Just What Is The "Unpardonable Sin"? Duane Crowther's Perspective

One of the scariest doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the doctrine of the "unpardonable sin". In a single phrase, the sin is described as sinning against the Holy Ghost. After reading about it, many walk away with the impression that the "unpardonable sin" is a singular act that one can blunder into without fully understanding it.

The consequences of committing the unpardonable sin are cataclysmic; it not only means that your resurrection will be delayed for an additional 1,000 years after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, but that when you are resurrected (at what other Christians refer to as the "Resurrection of the Unjust"), you will be found to be "filthy still", and exiled to eternal darkness with Satan and his devils, with a resurrected body of no glory. The celestial, terrestrial, and telestial systems of glory will be eternally beyond your reach.

Let's see if we can better quantify the "unpardonable sin" and make the concept less scary. To further understand the nature of this sin, let's first present a description as posted on the LightPlanet website:

NOTE: References to TPJS are for "The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith":

The gravest of all sins is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. One may speak even against Jesus Christ in ignorance and, upon repentance, be forgiven, but knowingly to sin against the Holy Ghost by denying its influence after having received it is unpardonable (Matt. 12:31-32; Jacob 7:19; Alma 39:6), and the consequences are inescapable. Such denial dooms the perpetrator to the hell of the second spiritual death (TPJS, p. 361). This extreme judgment comes because the person sins knowingly against the light, thereby severing himself from the redeeming grace of Christ. He is numbered with the sons of perdition (D&C 76:43).

The Prophet Joseph Smith explained, "No man can commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body, nor in this life, until he receives the Holy Ghost" (TPJS, p. 357). To commit the unpardonable sin, a person "must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against Him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him…. he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened to him, and to deny the Plan of Salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it" (TPJS, p. 358; cf. Heb. 10:26-29).

If people have such knowledge and willfully turn altogether away, it is a sin against light, a sin against the Holy Ghost, and figuratively "they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame" (Heb. 6:4-6; D&C 76:35). Such remain as though there were no Atonement, except that they shall be resurrected from the dead (Alma 11:41).

This description does provide more insight, but is still primarily conceptual in nature. What does the phrase "crucify afresh" really mean? What does it mean to have the "heavens opened up to you"? We still are not presented with a list of specific actions necessary to make one a "son of perdition", nor can we yet nail down who specifically qualifies.

But all is not lost. Enter Duane Crowther, stage right. Crowther is an active Mormon who is a prolific author, writing on matters of doctrine and faith. One of his most influential books is entitled "Life Everlasting", which is described as a definitive study of life after death. There are two editions; the most recent was published in 1998 and is the edition I'll be referring to later in this post.

In this book, Crowther presents definitive answers to two questions; first, what is the unpardonable sin, and second, who is capable of committing it. His premise is that the unpardonable sin is not a single one-time act, but a series of actions which collectively can place one "beyond the pale". Furthermore, Crowther also suggests that only Latter-day Saints who possessed the Melchizedek Priesthood could ever truly commit the unpardonable sin and become "sons of perdition" because only they could ever be exposed to sufficiently qualifying enlightenment. This, of course, is only his own educated opinion based upon his interpretation of applicable doctrinal guidance, and does NOT necessarily represent the official opinion of the LDS Church leadership.

Unfortunately, the text of this book is not available online. Consequently, I am transcribing the information directly from the book. First, I will cross-post his guidance on the unpardonable sin itself, which begins on page 418 of the book. Some of the descriptions will be abridged:

Those who are candidates judged to have committed the unpardonable sin must do the following:

1. They deny the truth (D&C 76:31). They must reject the gospel and their testimony, though they have known of its truthfulness. Their denial must be an outright rejection of righteousness.
2. They deny the Holy Spirit after having received it (D&C 76:35).
3. They speak against the Holy Ghost (Matthew 12:31-32).
4. They withdraw themselves from the Spirit of the Lord (Mosiah 2:36). They reject that Holy Being, speak irreverently of the guidance He gives to man, and impiously deny that such a Being has ever manifested Himself unto him. They must reject Him as their guide and revelator.
5. They deny the Only Begotten Son of the Father (D&C 76:35,43).
6. They put Christ to an open shame (D&C 76:35)
7. They assent unto Christ's death (D&C 132:27)
8. They crucify Christ unto themselves (D&C 76:35). ...[They] come out in rebellion against Christ and desire to thwart His Church. In their rebellion they become so wretched that in effect they rejoice in the Savior's suffering and crucifixion and affirm that they would put Him to death if He lived in their day.
9. They defy Christ's power (D&C 76:31)
10. They come out in open rebellion against God (Mosiah 2:37).
11. They turn from and break the oath and covenant of the priesthood (D&C 84:41). ...[They] come out in full rebellion against the power of Christ as it is manifested on the earth. They oppose priesthood authority and actively fight against the Church. They seek the downfall of its leaders and attempt to bring misery to all who are following the paths of truth and righteousness. It is this spirit of opposition and rebellion that removes a disgruntled member of the Church into the category of apostasy and into the fate of the sons of perdition.
12. They suffer themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome (D&C 76:31).
13. They become an enemy to all righteousness (Mosiah 2:37). Those guilty of this sin "listeth to obey the evil spirit" and "remaineth and dieth an enemy to God" (Mos. 2:37,38). They have come to love Lucifer and hate Christ...
14. They commit murder in that they shed innocent blood (D&C 132:27). For murder to be classed as a portion of the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost, it must be committed by one who has been "sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise" after he has received the new and everlasting covenant. [Ed. Note: By "murder", we mean what is called "capital murder" or "first degree murder", deliberate and premeditated. Murder by negligence or spawned by passion may not necessarily qualify as murder in this context.]

In conclusion of this segment, Duane Crowther opines that the above 14 elements, drawn from the scriptures, together comprise the unpardonable sin, or blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. No single one of them alone is "unpardonable". But to commit one of them causes man to become entangled in Satan's web, and before long he may be led farther and farther down until he is guilty of all of them and is beyond the powers of redemption and forgiveness.

In the next post of this series, "LDS Doctrine: The "Unpardonable Sin", Part II - Who's Capable Of Committing The "Unpardonable Sin"? Duane Crowther's Perspective", I will discuss Duane Crowther's assessment of who is capable of committing it. Since this post was getting rather long, I decided to break the series into two posts.