1 Nephi 14:10

[pam]

1 Nephi 14

10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.

Quote for Discussion

The church of the devil is the world; it is all the carnality and evil to which fallen man is heir; it is every unholy and wicked practice; it is every false religion, every supposed system of salvation which does not actually save and exalt man in the highest heaven of the celestial world. It is every church except the true church, whether parading under a Christian or a pagan banner.

Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:551

Joseph Smith: “If God had a Church it would not be split up into factions, and that if He taught one society to worship one way, and administer in one set of ordinances, He would not teach another, principles which were diametrically opposed” (HC 4:536). “There is no more self-evident truth in this world, there is nothing in all eternity more obvious than that there is and can be only one true Church. A true Church does not create itself any more than man creates God, or resurrects himself, or establishes for himself a celestial heaven. All churches may be false, but only one can be true, simply because religion comes from God, and God is not the author of confusion.”

Doctrinal New Testament Commentary 2:506-7<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t202 o:spt="202" path="m,l,21600r21600,l21600,xe" coordsize="21600,21600"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"></v:path></v:shapetype><v:shape id=_x0000_s1026 style="MARGIN-TOP: 11.65pt; Z-INDEX: 251656704; MARGIN-LEFT: -37.05pt; WIDTH: 36pt; POSITION: absolute; HEIGHT: 27pt" filled="f" stroked="f" type="#_x0000_t202"></v:shape><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">

<o:p></o:p>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Elder Bruce R. McConkie has written: “There is only light and darkness; there is no dusky twilight zone [in regard to the fullness of salvation]. Either men walk in the light or they cannot be saved. Anything less than salvation is not salvation. It may be better to walk in the twilight or to glimpse the first few rays of a distant dawn than to be enveloped in total darkness, but salvation itself is only for those who step forth into the blazing light of the noonday sun.”

The Millennial Messiah, p. 54<o:p></o:p>

The Great & Abominable Church<o:p></o:p>

<v:shape id=_x0000_s1027 style="MARGIN-TOP: 10.95pt; Z-INDEX: 251657728; MARGIN-LEFT: -37.05pt; WIDTH: 36pt; POSITION: absolute; HEIGHT: 27pt" filled="f" stroked="f" type="#_x0000_t202"></v:shape><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">

<o:p></o:p>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><o:p></o:p>

Shortly after the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Elder John Taylor wrote of the great organization John had described in Revelation 13, 17, and 18.

<o:p></o:p>

It will readily be perceived in the foregoing extract that John had no more reference to the Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches, who had a form of godliness, denying the power, than he had to all Babylon from Nimrod down. The old woman, Satan's wife, was "drunk with the blood of the Saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus," and the account actually includes all, whose "names were not written in the book of life, from the foundation of the world." <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Babylon</st1:City></st1:place>, literally understood, is the gay world; spiritual wickedness, the golden city, and the glory of the world. The priests of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region></st1:place>, who received a portion gratis from Pharaoh, the priests of Baal, and the Pharisees, and Sadducees, with their "long robes," among the Jews are equally included in their mother's family, with the Roman Catholics, Protestants, and all that have not had the keys of the kingdom and power thereof, according to the ordinances of God. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

Elder James E. Talmage developed this idea:

<o:p></o:p>

I do not understand that when the Lord states that those churches shall be overthrown-I mean the church of the devil, using his expression as he says-I do not understand that all members of those churches are to meet destruction, physically or otherwise. He is speaking there of the church collectively, and he is not pleased with it; but individually he may be well pleased with many of his sons and the daughters who have been born under an environment that has led them into those churches which are not of God. . . . But the Lord is not pleased with those churches that have been constructed by men and then labeled with his name. He is not pleased with those doctrines that are being taught as being his doctrines when they are only the effusion of men's brains, undirected by inspiration and utterly lacking in revelation. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

President Ezra Taft Benson said:

<o:p></o:p>

In 1845, the Quorum of the Twelve issued an epistle to the heads of state in the world. I quote from one paragraph: <o:p></o:p>

"As this work progresses in its onward course, and becomes more and more an object of political and religious interest and excitement, no kin, ruler, or subject, no community or individual, will stand neutral. All will at length be influenced by one spirit or the other; and will take sides either for or against the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">kingdom</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">God</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>." (James R. Clark, comp. Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. [salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-75], 1:257.) <o:p></o:p>

That day is now here. Opposition has been and will be the lot of the Saints of the kingdom in any age. The finger of scorn has been pointed at us in the past, and we may expect it in the future. We also expect to see men in high places defend the Church; there will also be "pharaohs" who know neither Joseph nor his brethren. The seed planted and watered in 1830 has now matured to a fully grown tree for all to see. Some will seek the refuge of its shade in the heat of the day, but none will be neutral in their appraisal of its fruit. <o:p></o:p>

The Church will continue its opposition to error, falsehood, and immorality. The mission of the Church is to herald the message of salvation and make unmistakably clear the pathway to exaltation. Our mission is to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord. As the world drifts further away from God and standards of virtue and honor, we may expect opposition to the work of the Church. We may expect to see the time, as the Book of Mormon forecasts, when "multitudes . . . among all the nations of the Gentiles [will gather] to fight against the Lamb of God." (1 Ne. 14:13.) The power of God and the righteousness of the Saints will be the means by which the Church will be spared. (See 1 Ne. 14:14-15.) <o:p></o:p>

Kent P. Jackson, ed., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 7: 1 Nephi to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Alma</st1:City></st1:place> 29, p.55-57<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

<o:p>

</o:p>

Edited March 12, 2009 by pam

[prospectmom]

this is hard for me to understand..... I will try and study more..........