If we were to ask members of the public
to answer the question: ‘What did Jesus teach?’, what would they say?
I would imagine that many would say
something along the lines of; ‘Jesus taught us that we must try to be good’. Now
that answer is not correct, but that would be an understandable response from a
society which believes Jesus was, at best, just a good man.
But what if that was the answer
given by those who claim to be familiar with the teachings of Jesus?
On the opening page of the website
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we read the following:
No matter your story, we welcome you to join us as we all try to be a little bit better, a little bit kinder, a little more helpful—because that’s what Jesus taught.[1]
Wait, what? Is that what Jesus taught?
Can you point me to the Bible verses where Jesus said we are to ‘try to be a
little bit better, a little bit kinder, and a little more helpful’?
Be Good
You see, Mormonism, like most other groups that seek to justify themselves before a Holy God, believe that just trying a little bit harder, being a little bit better, attempting to be a little more helpful, will be enough to appease the God of the Universe. As long as they do more good than bad – they will find favour with God. For such as these, it is never about what God has done for them – it is always about what they can do for God.
In this, the Mormons are no different to the religious Jews that both Jesus and Paul constantly challenged.
Challenging the Pharisees’ notion that their ‘good works’ were enough to make them right with God, Jesus said:
‘“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” Matthew 23:13
Similarly, in writing to the Church at Rome Paul said:
Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:1-4)
The ’them’ Paul speaks of are his
fellow Jews, but he could easily have been speaking of the Mormons, the
Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Muslims, and a whole host of others who seek to
establish their own righteousness. Paul says that they do this because they are
ignorant of the righteousness of God. To those who believed themselves to be
good, Paul had this stark message:
What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no
one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no
one does good,
not
even one.”
Romans 3:10-12
What we find throughout the Bible is that Jesus didn’t come to teach us to be good, but rather he came because we are not good. Nowhere did He teach that we are to try a little bit better, a little bit kinder, a little more helpful. No amount of effort can make a person right with God, Paul was clear about that:
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
That is why the Father sent the Son:
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Sadly, Mormons believe that it is their job they to ‘partner’ Jesus to become righteous. Jesus has done his bit, now they must do theirs. This idea is found in The Book of Mormon:
‘’…no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing
entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my
blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins,
and their faithfulness unto the end.’
(3 Nephi 27:19)
“For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” (2 Nephi 25:23)
Alongside these verses, the LDS prophets issue edicts that further bind Mormons in the belief that they must make themselves righteous.
‘…however powerful the saving grace of Christ, it brings exaltation to no man who does not comply with the works of the gospel.’[2]
‘Heavenly Father has promised forgiveness upon
total repentance and meeting all the requirements, but that forgiveness is not
granted merely for asking. There must be works – many works – and an
all-out, total surrender… It depends upon you whether or not you are forgiven,
and when. It could be weeks, it could be years, it could be centuries before
that happy day when you have that positive assurance that the Lord has forgiven
you.’[3]
Not Good Enough
I recently spoke to a group of students from the USA, many of whom had Mormon friends and neighbours back in the States. The overwhelming thought about the Mormons was that they are so nice, so kind, and so helpful. I can also testify that the majority of Mormons I have met have been ‘nice’ people, but they are not ‘good’. The Bible is clear that only One is good.[4]
We can all appear good when we set the bar low. When we compare ourselves with other people, we can always find those who are not as ‘good’ as us. But when the bar is set where it should be, when the comparison is not others, but a Holy God, we see ourselves as we truly are – sinners in need of a Saviour.
To my Mormon friends I say, stop trying to be a little bit better, a little bit kinder, a little more helpful, that is not what Jesus taught. What did Jesus say:
Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Jesus is enough.
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