Has the LDS Church changed its belief on perfection?

Today I met with two LDS missionaries, after ordering a DVD off the LDS.org website.  During our discussion we talked about the reason I left the LDS church.

As stated in “my conversion”  I left because the Jesus of Mormonism doesn't offer the same salvation as the God of the Bible.

During this discussion we talked about Matthew 5:48 and 3 Nephi 12:48 which state, “be ye therefore perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”  I asked the missionaries if they were perfect?  To my surprise they answered with a resounding “yes”.

For a minute I was taken back.  Did the LDS Church change its beliefs on forgiveness, repentance, the Laws and Ordinances?  How could they possibly say they are perfect through Christ.

Since I’d recently read some articles from the Ensign, I knew the LDS Church has not changed its views on righteousness.  Righteousness is dependent upon us. 

At this point I decided I needed to do two things, first slow the conversation way down.  Second ask inquisitive questions as to this perfection they profess.

As the conversation continued, I asked if it was possible to lose this perfection.  They stated, no as long as you do not turn away from Christ.  I then asked, what it means to turn away from Christ.  They said it means to deny Christ.

 I asked, what about sin?  Does this mean I can continue to sin?  They said as long as you continue to repent and are facing God, you will still have your perfection.

My next question was, is my righteousness before God contingent on my repentance?  After some working out of their thoughts out loud, they came to the conclusion that their righteousness before God is contingent upon their repentance.

I then asked them to read Hebrews 10:14 and Hebrews 10:10.  And then asked them what these verses mean?  After reading them they conceded that Christ has perfected those who are being sanctified once and for all.

But they were a little disturbed, since this did not seem to agree with their theology.  Unfortunately they had another appointment and were unable to stay to continue the conversation, so we scheduled a time for them to come back and meet again.

But to answer the question, “Did the LDS Church change its beliefs on forgiveness, repentance, the Laws and Ordinances?”  the answer is no.

Satan continues to lead the LDS people astray and he tries to make the LDS Church look closer to Christianity.  However like the apostle Paul taught in Gal. 5:1-4, “Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.”

As with these missionaries, although they profess a perfection based on Christ, they are trying to maintain their perfection by the works of the law and Christ is of no affect.

Following are some statements made by LDS leaders in the Oct. 2006 Ensign:

"The temple is sacred, so we need to be worthy to enter it and prepared to receive what we learn there. Your bishop or branch president may ask you to attend a temple preparation class. To prepare to attend the temple, you need to continue to pay tithing, support Church leaders, repent of sins or wrongdoings, attend church regularly, keep the Word of Wisdom and law of chastity, and strengthen your testimony." (RICHARD M. ROMNEY AND VICTOR D. CAVE, "Where Do I Go from Here?", Ensign, Oct 2006, pg 24

"conversion is at least a two-part process. One part is the very individual process of learning and accepting restored truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ and becoming spiritually changed or converted by our new faith. It is a lifelong process that includes repenting, making and keeping covenants with the Lord, and striving to do His will." ( JAN PINBOROUGH, "Learning How the Church Works and Finding Your Place in It", Ensign, Oct 2006, pg 29)

The Lord welcomes every soul who wishes to repent, pass through the door of baptism and confirmation, and enter His kingdom. Said He, “All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto
the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church” (D&C 20:37)(ELDER F. MELVIN HAMMOND Of the Seventy, " New Members, New Traditions ", Ensign, Oct 2006, pg 34)

" The Old Testament does not clearly teach the principles of faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and their interrelationship, but Book of Mormon prophets Nephi, Jacob, Alma, and his son Alma all taught the importance of these principles prior to the coming of Christ.(CLYDE J. WILLIAMS, "Plain & Precious Truths Restored", Ensign, Oct 2006, pg. 50) (2 Nephi 9:23; 31:4–11; Mosiah 18:8–10; 25:17–18, 22; Alma 5:62; Alma 9:27.)

"Dealing with Disappointment Sometimes you will disappoint yourself. Baptism and confirmation made you clean, not perfect. It’s the same for the other members of the Church. We all make mistakes, and we all have to repent and renew our baptismal covenants by taking the sacrament. And as we continue to repent and strive to do better, the Holy Ghost helps us become more pure. We begin to lose our desire to sin (see Mosiah 5:2). The power of the Atonement begins to change our very nature.(LARRY HILLER, "Meeting the Challenges", Ensign, Oct 2006, pg. 57)

“Whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name . . . if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.“. . . 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 27:16, 19.) (Quoted by ELDER JEFFREY R . HOLLAND, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "What I Wish Every and Every Longtime", Ensign, Oct 2006, pg. 10-16)

 

I encourage anyone who thinks their efforts or good works play a role in salvation to look at the following scripture verses:

John 6:68-29	28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?  29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Romans 1:17	For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 3:23-28	For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Romans 3:10-12	As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 4:4-5	Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Romans 5:1	Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Romans 5:8	But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 10:3	For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Romans 10:4	For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Romans 10:9	That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Act 1:21	And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Galatians 1:3-9	Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,  Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Galation 2:16, 21	16Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Galatians 3:10-14	For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:22-25	But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
1 John 1:9	But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.
Philippians 2:13	For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Colossians 2:13-15	13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;    14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;    15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
1 Timothy 1:9-10	9Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
1 Timothy 2:3-6	3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;   4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.    5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;  6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Titus 3:4-9	4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,  5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;  6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;   7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.   8This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.    9But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
Hebrews 10:38	Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Hebrews 11:6	But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
James 2:10	For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
1 Peter 2: 24	Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1 Peter 3:18	For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1 John 2:1-2	My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:29	If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
1 John 5:17-18	All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.