The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Cover image via Church Newsroom.
While serving on assignment in the Pacific, a mission president contacted me about meeting with a missionary who wanted to go home early. Evidently, the missionary had read some anti-Church literature and felt he no longer had a sufficient testimony to teach the gospel. I met with the missionary and asked if I might ask him a few questions. He consented. The questioning went essentially as follows:
- Do you believe in the pre-mortal existence — that we lived with God as His children before we came to this earth? He replied that such doctrine was taught in the Bible and he believed it.
- Do you believe in the doctrine of the spirit world — that everyone will have a fair chance to hear the gospel in its fullness either on earth or in the spirit world before they are judged? He said that that seemed fair and right to him.
- Do you believe, then, in baptism for the dead? “Yes,” he replied. “That is in the Bible.”
- Contrary to the doctrine of the Trinity as taught by most of the Christian world, do you believe that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ are two separate personages with glorified bodies of flesh and bones? He replied in the affirmative.
- Do you believe in one heaven and one hell as taught by most of the Christian world, or do you believe in three degrees of glory? He replied, “Three degrees of glory.”
- Do you believe in the eternal nature of families? He said he had always believed in such a doctrine.
- Do you believe that Christ’s Church today should have Apostles just as existed in Christ’s mortal ministry? He replied that that seemed right to him.
- Do you believe in on going revelation today or believe that it ceased at the time the Bible ended and thereafter God left us on our own? “No,” he said. “I believe we should have revelation today.
In all, about 10-12 questions were discussed. I then asked this fine young missionary, “Can you think of any Church that teaches one, let alone all of these doctrinal principles?”
I will never forget his response: “I hadn’t thought of that before.”
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
HalDecember 24, 2019
I really loved this article by Elder Callister. I have several family members, friends, and neighbors who are drifting away or who have left the church. I can say, without exception, that regardless of their statements that they "have never been happier," their despondent countenances and withdrawal from family circles and community tell me otherwise. Despite our many efforts to show our love for them they become more and more reclusive. One family in particular has become so unhappy that it shows in their faces. When we do see them, they look haggard and miserable. We pray for them daily that they can find again the joy they once had in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.