In part one of this series, “Affirmation and Support for Sin is Not Compassionate,” I addressed the misguided belief that compassion and Christlike love require that we affirm and support a person’s choice to live in sexual sin. I’d like to expand on this topic by discussing another popular argument that is being used to beguile well-meaning and sincere saints to shirk their duty to stand as witnesses for God’s perfect plan. When we teach principles of sexual purity, we are often accused of being disobedient to Christ’s command that we “judge not.” Some members of the church are so affected by this charge that they adopt the notion that declaring truth is tantamount to judging others unrighteous, but in reality, there is no other way to stand as witnesses of truth, but to judge righteously.
It is apparent that the gospel of Christ contains a doctrine of love, but it also contains a doctrine of judgement, and it might surprise some to know that judgment is not in opposition to love but rather a characteristic of love. Members of the church should not be unfamiliar with the role judgement plays in the commission of God’s plan. Members routinely sit before a judge in Israel and account for their actions. As parents, we are expected to make judgments on a regular basis about what is appropriate and inappropriate for our children, we stand as judges in our homes. Every time we choose between right and wrong, good and bad, we make a judgement, and each time we judge we exclude one choice in favor of another.
Even judgments that exclude people from places, experiences, fellowship and association can be made in the spirit of righteous judgment by those who have stewardship. This may seem harsh, but in God’s wisdom some will be excluded from entering God’s kingdom and experiencing all the blessings he desires to give, because they were unable to abide the law that governs His Kingdom. As a parallel, temple blessings are denied to those who do not meet the conditions set by the Lord and will not abide the laws that govern His house. Our homes are to be a type of temple, and to gain entrance into that holy space one must at least show respect for the standards we have set for our home.
These judgments are not evidence of an unloving God, or an unloving person. Like the loving parents who exclude influences from their home that might damage or interfere with the spiritual growth and development of their children, our Father in Heaven has set conditions within the administration of His house that function to protect His children and provide a way for them to return home. Like children, we may sometimes complain about the house rules, but our Father has every right to set and enforce them. I add my voice to Paul’s and ask, “We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9)
One reason that church members are falling prey to the false teachings on the nature of judgement, is because the adversary twists the tender emotions that arise in us when we perceive that our words of truth will cause offense. This is particularly true when we speak against sexual sin. Inevitably this cuts to the heart of those in our association who are engaged in such lifestyles, we can sense the pain that our words cause them. This naturally ignites our compassion and desire for them to feel our love. Standing firm in the truth does not require us to ignore these compassionate and loving desires, any more than the natural desire to be loving and compassionate requires us to falter in our witness of truth. When we are moved upon by the Holy Spirit to teach and testify of truth, and to speak against sin, it is natural for the spirit to direct us to show “an increase of love” afterward. (D&C 121:43) However, it is important that we understand that we cannot control how our love will be received. We are only obliged to offer sincere words of hope and healing by teaching of the reality of God’s love without abandoning the truth of His law.
Our Father has sent us “out to testify and warn,” because, “It becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.” We are called to warn our family, friends, and associates of the dangers of sin, so that “they are left without excuse. Therefore… labor diligently… go forth... for the last time… to bind up the law and seal up the testimony, and to prepare the saints for the hour of judgment which is to come; That their souls may escape the wrath of God…” (D&C 88:81-91) We have been commanded to “stand as a witness… and declare repentance unto this generation.” (D&C 14:8) We have been commanded to do this by a loving God, and testifying of truth is one way we extend God’s love to others. To follow these commands, we must be able to judge, “and the way to judge is as plain.” (Moroni 7:15)
Satan desires to silence us, to keep the light of God’s love from penetrating the midst of darkness wherein the children of God wander without direction. One tool the adversary uses to twist the softness of our hearts, is to create a perplexity wherein the commandments to “stand as a witness” and to “judge not” seem to be in opposition. Unfortunately, this design is working to silence many in the church, and some are responding to this false construct by retrenching their righteous message.
Another deception that Satan has constructed to silence the righteous is the ever-expanding philosophy of moral relativism. “We live in a world where more and more persons of influence are teaching and acting out a belief that there is no absolute right and wrong… The philosophy of moral relativism, which holds that each person is free to choose for him or herself what is right and wrong, is becoming the unofficial creed…” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Balancing Truth and Tolerance,” Ensign, Feb 2013) This creed elevates men above God, it denies His law, it denies His authority to direct how families are organized in this world and the next. Members of the church are being affected by this philosophy of moral relativism, especially when family members, friends, and associates make choices to live unchaste lifestyles, and society chooses to sanction these seriously destructive sexual sins, members of the church are choosing to view these choices as legitimate expressions of individual identity and romantic love. When we do this we are denying God’s law.
“And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away… it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.” (2 Nephi 2:13-15)
Whatever the popular philosophies of the world, the truth is, “God is the ultimate lawgiver, by whose command certain behavior is absolutely right and true and other behavior is absolutely wrong and untrue.” (“Balancing Truth and Tolerance,” Ensign, Feb 2013) The existence of absolute truth, is in express opposition to the philosophy of moral relativism, and this puts us into a natural state of opposition to our society that has adopted this philosophy. “Persons who don’t believe in God or in absolute truth in moral matters can see themselves as the most tolerant [nonjudgmental] of persons. For them, almost anything goes. This belief system can tolerate almost any behavior and almost any person. Unfortunately, some who believe in moral relativism seem to have difficulty tolerating those who insist that there is a God who should be respected and that there are certain moral absolutes that should be observed.” (“Balancing Truth and Tolerance,” Ensign, Feb 2013) The enmity between God’s law and the philosophies (and even laws) of the world will make it impossible for us to stand as witnesses of God without being labeled as judgmental and intolerant by those who have been beguiled by the philosophy of moral relativism.
One such absolute truth that the world will not tolerate, is that sexual relations outside a legal and lawful marriage between a man and a woman is a sin. Another absolute truth that is intolerable is that there is only one path that will lead to lasting happiness. (2 Nephi 9:41) As the philosophy of moral relativism permeate even the members of the church, there is more discomfort with scriptures and teachings that proclaim the absolute truth that God will not and cannot abide sin in the “least degree of allowance." (D&C 1:31)
Elder Oaks describes our duty in these difficult times, “In this troubled circumstance, we who believe in God and the corollary truth of absolute right and wrong have the challenge of living in a godless and increasingly amoral world. In this circumstance, all of us—especially the rising generation—have a duty to stand up and speak out to affirm that God exists and that there are absolute truths that His commandments establish.” (“Balancing Truth and Tolerance,” Ensign, Feb 2013) This has become particularly difficult as members of the church attempt to defend the doctrine of marriage and family. As uncomfortable as it has become, we must be prepared to defend the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman and to speak out against sexual sin, because it is a compelling moral issue of profound importance to our religion and to the future of society. How will we respond to those who accuse us of being judgmental? How will we handle the emotions that are stirred up by the discussion of sexual purity in a culture that celebrates sexual sin? Let’s follow the prophets.
In 1 Nephi 16, Nephi concluded a great sermon to his rebellious brothers, and his brothers had taken great offense because of Nephi’s boldness. They said, “Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.” How did Nephi respond to his hurt and offended brothers? Did he retrench his words? Did he recoil from speaking the truth? Did he immediately come to his senses and realize that his words were judgmental and that his Christian duty was to embrace the choices they had made? No. With confidence in the truth of His words, and knowing that he had spoken by the spirit, he responded thus:
“I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth… wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center… if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth… I did exhort my brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord.”
We learn from Nephi, that when we stand as a witness for truth there will always be people who are offended by our words. We learn that there is no escape from this reality, that when we speak as moved by the Holy Ghost, our words, though full of love, will cut some to the very center. Lehi adds witness to this truth in 2 Nephi 1:26-27, he says:
“And ye have murmured because he hath been plain unto you. Ye say that he hath used sharpness; ye say that he hath been angry with you; but behold, his sharpness was the sharpness of the power of the word of God, which was in him; and that which ye call anger was the truth, according to that which is in God, which he could not restrain, manifesting boldly concerning your iniquities. And it must needs be that the power of God must be with him, even unto his commanding you that ye must obey. But behold, it was not he, but it was the Spirit of the Lord which was in him, which opened his mouth to utterance that he could not shut it.”
Jacob continues this teaching: “O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.” (2 Nephi 9:40)
We see from these scriptures that when people take offense to a witness of truth, it is not the messenger of truth that is at fault. Those who accuse us of being hateful, bigoted, judgmental, incompassionate, or unloving, because we teach that sex outside of a legal marriage between a man and a woman is a sin, choose to be offended by the Spirit of truth. The Lord says those who “are angry because of the truth of God,” are built upon a sandy foundation and that those who build “upon the rock” receive the truth “with gladness.” (2 Nephi 28:28)
An example of bold words of truth, spoken by the spirit, that cut to the center but teach us the way to judge, are these words related to the doctrine of marriage and family from Julie B. Beck’s talk, “Teaching the Doctrine of the Family.” “Anti-Christ is antifamily. Any doctrine or principle our youth hear from the world that is antifamily is also anti-Christ. It’s that clear.” Even in the church, this clear guide was not universally received well, many believed it too harsh to describe those ideas and lifestyles that do not conform to God’s standard as being Anti-Christ.
It is hard for many to accept such a clear truth, a teaching that makes no allowance for sexual sin. When we are clear about God’s standard of sexuality, marriage, and family, it will be a hard thing for many to hear and it will be hard for us to see them suffer, hard for us to absorb their anger and offense, but we should take courage from Nephi’s example. Nephi is undeterred by the offended feelings of his brothers, and because of his resolve Nephi’s brothers “humble themselves before the Lord; insomuch that [Nephi] had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness.”
It is our Father’s greatest desire that His children “walk in the path of righteousness,” and it should be ours as well. In a universe governed by absolute truths, in a Plan where there is no other way but the narrow way (3 Nephi 27:33), judging righteous judgments is essential to walking the straight course (2 Nephi 9:41) home to our Father, and helping others to find it. We must help others to see the truth, for this life has many choices, but eternity has only two, (2 Nephi 2:27) and the only compassionate, loving, and Christlike thing to do is to boldly teach the one and only way. We must teach repentance, we must say, “Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free; entangle not yourselves in sin, but let your hands be clean, until the Lord comes.” (D&C 88:86) To do this we must judge righteously, we must stand as witnesses, and we must not be shaken by the tactics of Satan that would silence us.
It is apparent that the gospel of Christ contains a doctrine of love, but it also contains a doctrine of judgement, and it might surprise some to know that judgment is not in opposition to love but rather a characteristic of love. Members of the church should not be unfamiliar with the role judgement plays in the commission of God’s plan. Members routinely sit before a judge in Israel and account for their actions. As parents, we are expected to make judgments on a regular basis about what is appropriate and inappropriate for our children, we stand as judges in our homes. Every time we choose between right and wrong, good and bad, we make a judgement, and each time we judge we exclude one choice in favor of another.
Even judgments that exclude people from places, experiences, fellowship and association can be made in the spirit of righteous judgment by those who have stewardship. This may seem harsh, but in God’s wisdom some will be excluded from entering God’s kingdom and experiencing all the blessings he desires to give, because they were unable to abide the law that governs His Kingdom. As a parallel, temple blessings are denied to those who do not meet the conditions set by the Lord and will not abide the laws that govern His house. Our homes are to be a type of temple, and to gain entrance into that holy space one must at least show respect for the standards we have set for our home.
These judgments are not evidence of an unloving God, or an unloving person. Like the loving parents who exclude influences from their home that might damage or interfere with the spiritual growth and development of their children, our Father in Heaven has set conditions within the administration of His house that function to protect His children and provide a way for them to return home. Like children, we may sometimes complain about the house rules, but our Father has every right to set and enforce them. I add my voice to Paul’s and ask, “We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9)
One reason that church members are falling prey to the false teachings on the nature of judgement, is because the adversary twists the tender emotions that arise in us when we perceive that our words of truth will cause offense. This is particularly true when we speak against sexual sin. Inevitably this cuts to the heart of those in our association who are engaged in such lifestyles, we can sense the pain that our words cause them. This naturally ignites our compassion and desire for them to feel our love. Standing firm in the truth does not require us to ignore these compassionate and loving desires, any more than the natural desire to be loving and compassionate requires us to falter in our witness of truth. When we are moved upon by the Holy Spirit to teach and testify of truth, and to speak against sin, it is natural for the spirit to direct us to show “an increase of love” afterward. (D&C 121:43) However, it is important that we understand that we cannot control how our love will be received. We are only obliged to offer sincere words of hope and healing by teaching of the reality of God’s love without abandoning the truth of His law.
Our Father has sent us “out to testify and warn,” because, “It becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.” We are called to warn our family, friends, and associates of the dangers of sin, so that “they are left without excuse. Therefore… labor diligently… go forth... for the last time… to bind up the law and seal up the testimony, and to prepare the saints for the hour of judgment which is to come; That their souls may escape the wrath of God…” (D&C 88:81-91) We have been commanded to “stand as a witness… and declare repentance unto this generation.” (D&C 14:8) We have been commanded to do this by a loving God, and testifying of truth is one way we extend God’s love to others. To follow these commands, we must be able to judge, “and the way to judge is as plain.” (Moroni 7:15)
Satan desires to silence us, to keep the light of God’s love from penetrating the midst of darkness wherein the children of God wander without direction. One tool the adversary uses to twist the softness of our hearts, is to create a perplexity wherein the commandments to “stand as a witness” and to “judge not” seem to be in opposition. Unfortunately, this design is working to silence many in the church, and some are responding to this false construct by retrenching their righteous message.
Another deception that Satan has constructed to silence the righteous is the ever-expanding philosophy of moral relativism. “We live in a world where more and more persons of influence are teaching and acting out a belief that there is no absolute right and wrong… The philosophy of moral relativism, which holds that each person is free to choose for him or herself what is right and wrong, is becoming the unofficial creed…” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Balancing Truth and Tolerance,” Ensign, Feb 2013) This creed elevates men above God, it denies His law, it denies His authority to direct how families are organized in this world and the next. Members of the church are being affected by this philosophy of moral relativism, especially when family members, friends, and associates make choices to live unchaste lifestyles, and society chooses to sanction these seriously destructive sexual sins, members of the church are choosing to view these choices as legitimate expressions of individual identity and romantic love. When we do this we are denying God’s law.
“And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away… it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.” (2 Nephi 2:13-15)
Whatever the popular philosophies of the world, the truth is, “God is the ultimate lawgiver, by whose command certain behavior is absolutely right and true and other behavior is absolutely wrong and untrue.” (“Balancing Truth and Tolerance,” Ensign, Feb 2013) The existence of absolute truth, is in express opposition to the philosophy of moral relativism, and this puts us into a natural state of opposition to our society that has adopted this philosophy. “Persons who don’t believe in God or in absolute truth in moral matters can see themselves as the most tolerant [nonjudgmental] of persons. For them, almost anything goes. This belief system can tolerate almost any behavior and almost any person. Unfortunately, some who believe in moral relativism seem to have difficulty tolerating those who insist that there is a God who should be respected and that there are certain moral absolutes that should be observed.” (“Balancing Truth and Tolerance,” Ensign, Feb 2013) The enmity between God’s law and the philosophies (and even laws) of the world will make it impossible for us to stand as witnesses of God without being labeled as judgmental and intolerant by those who have been beguiled by the philosophy of moral relativism.
One such absolute truth that the world will not tolerate, is that sexual relations outside a legal and lawful marriage between a man and a woman is a sin. Another absolute truth that is intolerable is that there is only one path that will lead to lasting happiness. (2 Nephi 9:41) As the philosophy of moral relativism permeate even the members of the church, there is more discomfort with scriptures and teachings that proclaim the absolute truth that God will not and cannot abide sin in the “least degree of allowance." (D&C 1:31)
Elder Oaks describes our duty in these difficult times, “In this troubled circumstance, we who believe in God and the corollary truth of absolute right and wrong have the challenge of living in a godless and increasingly amoral world. In this circumstance, all of us—especially the rising generation—have a duty to stand up and speak out to affirm that God exists and that there are absolute truths that His commandments establish.” (“Balancing Truth and Tolerance,” Ensign, Feb 2013) This has become particularly difficult as members of the church attempt to defend the doctrine of marriage and family. As uncomfortable as it has become, we must be prepared to defend the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman and to speak out against sexual sin, because it is a compelling moral issue of profound importance to our religion and to the future of society. How will we respond to those who accuse us of being judgmental? How will we handle the emotions that are stirred up by the discussion of sexual purity in a culture that celebrates sexual sin? Let’s follow the prophets.
In 1 Nephi 16, Nephi concluded a great sermon to his rebellious brothers, and his brothers had taken great offense because of Nephi’s boldness. They said, “Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.” How did Nephi respond to his hurt and offended brothers? Did he retrench his words? Did he recoil from speaking the truth? Did he immediately come to his senses and realize that his words were judgmental and that his Christian duty was to embrace the choices they had made? No. With confidence in the truth of His words, and knowing that he had spoken by the spirit, he responded thus:
“I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth… wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center… if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth… I did exhort my brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord.”
We learn from Nephi, that when we stand as a witness for truth there will always be people who are offended by our words. We learn that there is no escape from this reality, that when we speak as moved by the Holy Ghost, our words, though full of love, will cut some to the very center. Lehi adds witness to this truth in 2 Nephi 1:26-27, he says:
“And ye have murmured because he hath been plain unto you. Ye say that he hath used sharpness; ye say that he hath been angry with you; but behold, his sharpness was the sharpness of the power of the word of God, which was in him; and that which ye call anger was the truth, according to that which is in God, which he could not restrain, manifesting boldly concerning your iniquities. And it must needs be that the power of God must be with him, even unto his commanding you that ye must obey. But behold, it was not he, but it was the Spirit of the Lord which was in him, which opened his mouth to utterance that he could not shut it.”
Jacob continues this teaching: “O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.” (2 Nephi 9:40)
We see from these scriptures that when people take offense to a witness of truth, it is not the messenger of truth that is at fault. Those who accuse us of being hateful, bigoted, judgmental, incompassionate, or unloving, because we teach that sex outside of a legal marriage between a man and a woman is a sin, choose to be offended by the Spirit of truth. The Lord says those who “are angry because of the truth of God,” are built upon a sandy foundation and that those who build “upon the rock” receive the truth “with gladness.” (2 Nephi 28:28)
An example of bold words of truth, spoken by the spirit, that cut to the center but teach us the way to judge, are these words related to the doctrine of marriage and family from Julie B. Beck’s talk, “Teaching the Doctrine of the Family.” “Anti-Christ is antifamily. Any doctrine or principle our youth hear from the world that is antifamily is also anti-Christ. It’s that clear.” Even in the church, this clear guide was not universally received well, many believed it too harsh to describe those ideas and lifestyles that do not conform to God’s standard as being Anti-Christ.
It is hard for many to accept such a clear truth, a teaching that makes no allowance for sexual sin. When we are clear about God’s standard of sexuality, marriage, and family, it will be a hard thing for many to hear and it will be hard for us to see them suffer, hard for us to absorb their anger and offense, but we should take courage from Nephi’s example. Nephi is undeterred by the offended feelings of his brothers, and because of his resolve Nephi’s brothers “humble themselves before the Lord; insomuch that [Nephi] had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness.”
It is our Father’s greatest desire that His children “walk in the path of righteousness,” and it should be ours as well. In a universe governed by absolute truths, in a Plan where there is no other way but the narrow way (3 Nephi 27:33), judging righteous judgments is essential to walking the straight course (2 Nephi 9:41) home to our Father, and helping others to find it. We must help others to see the truth, for this life has many choices, but eternity has only two, (2 Nephi 2:27) and the only compassionate, loving, and Christlike thing to do is to boldly teach the one and only way. We must teach repentance, we must say, “Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free; entangle not yourselves in sin, but let your hands be clean, until the Lord comes.” (D&C 88:86) To do this we must judge righteously, we must stand as witnesses, and we must not be shaken by the tactics of Satan that would silence us.
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