D&C 50:4-9

50:4-9 - Here’s an interesting part of this section, not really about false spirits, but the Lord says “Behold, I, the Lord, have looked upon you, and have seen abominations in the church that profess my name… Behold, Verily I say unto you, there are hypocrites among you, who have deceived some, which has given the adversary power; but behold such shall be reclaimed. But the hypocrites shall be detected and shall be cut off, either in life or in death, even as I will; and wo unto them who are cut off from my church, for the same are overcome of the world. Wherefore, let every man beware lest he do that which is not in truth and righteousness before me.” I really like this part, in fact I just had a conversation with a friend last night who said that he didn’t believe in God because of how the “believers” live their lives, full of hypocrisy and hate and anger and violence and fear and pain, all of that put together was enough to make him very averse to religion, but he’s a super nice guy and really does his best to do the right thing and be helpful and kind to others, and the idea he has from other religions is that because he isn’t religious he’s going to go to hell when he dies. That’s disgusting to me! How is it that really good people believe that they are going to be punished eternally because they didn’t join ranks with those who stand for everything that Jesus is not, though they profess to be, talk about the craziest thing I’d ever heard. DJR puts it very nicely when he says, “Perhaps you have worried about a friend or loved one who was raised in a home or under circumstances where they did not get a fair chance to understand the gospel or see it in action. Perhaps there was much hypocrisy, including devastating abuse. Perhaps an acquaintance has been severely offended by hypocrisy on the part of an active member of the Church. Verse 7 reminds us that God is completely fair, and that victims of bad example and hypocrisy will ‘be reclaimed.’ In other words, they will be given a completely fair opportunity to understand and accept or reject the gospel, either in this life or the next. And, according to the Lord, they will be ‘reclaimed.’ This is most comforting.” This is incredible doctrine and can be the only result of an equally just and loving God. Sometimes I think “if only people could see the gospel in the way that I do, understand what I do, then they would surely accept it and be happy, and that might be true, but the point is that one day everyone will see and understand the gospel deep enough that they can make a conscience decision about accepting and rejecting, and it’s hard for me to imagine that some will reject it, even though I know some will, but I think that most will accept it because they have already accepted it in the preexistence.

Sorry, I know that this is short, but I’m really tired tonight.