The Lord Cannot Look Upon Sin With The Least Degree Of Allowance

For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance (D&C 1:31)

"This seems a harsh scripture, for it clearly states that God cannot tolerate sin or sinfulness in any degree. He can't wink at it, or ignore it, or turn and look the other way. He won't sweep it under the rug or say, 'Well, it's just a little sin. It'll be all right.' God's standard, the celestial standard, is absolute, and it allows no exceptions. There is no wiggle room.

"Many people seem to have the idea that the Judgment will somehow involve weighing or balancing, with their good deeds on one side of the scales and their bad deeds on the other. If their good deeds outweigh their bad, or if their hearts are basically good and outweigh their sins, then they can be admitted into the presence of God. This notion is false.

"As Doctrine and Covenants 1:31 and other scriptures illustrate, God cannot, will not, allow moral or ethical imperfection in any degree whatsoever to dwell in his presence. He cannot tolerate sin 'with the least degree of allowance.' It is not a question of whether our good deeds outweigh our sins. If there is even one sin on our record, we are finished. The celestial standard is complete innocence, pure and simple, and nothing less than complete innocence will be tolerated in the kingdom of God.

"...the solution to the Great Dilemma, to the alienation of imperfect humans from their perfect God, is precisely what all the scriptures bear witness of in one way or another. And that solution is called the atonement of Jesus Christ." (Stephen E. Robinson, Believing Christ: The Parable of the Bicycle and Other Good News [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1992], 1-7.)

Elder Joseph Fielding Smith made this comment: "No unrepentant person who remains in his sins will ever enter into the glories of the celestial kingdom." (Improvement Era, July 1955, p. 542.) This statement is consistent with all we read in the scriptures on the subject, which is perhaps summed up in Alma's words: "There can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain." (Alma 5:21.) ("God Will Forgive," Ensign, Mar. 1982, 5)

You must be honest with yourself and remain true to the covenants you have made with God. Do not fall into the trap of thinking you can sin a little and it will not matter. Remember, "the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance." (D&C 1:31.) Some young men and women in the Church talk openly about sexual transgression. They seem to forget that the Lord forbids all sexual relations before marriage, including petting, sex perversion of any kind, or preoccupation with sex in thought, speech, or action. Some youth foolishly rationalize that it is "no big deal" to sin now because they can always repent later when they want to go to the temple or on a mission. Anyone who does that is breaking promises made to God both in the premortal life and in the waters of baptism. The idea of sinning a little is self-deception. Sin is sin! Sin weakens you spiritually, and it always places the sinner at eternal risk. Choosing to sin, even with the intent to repent, is simply turning away from God and violating covenants. ("Keeping Covenants," Ensign, May 1993, 7)

Flat Earth Theory Destroyed by Pres Uchtdorf

Honestly, I don't know why people dwell on this flat earth theory.

Let's say it is flat. What do we accomplish? Why would they lie about it? For all I know, they have no idea what it looks like and it's a freaking square. 

All jokes aside.

Joseph Fielding Smith once said: "We will never get a man into space. This earth is man's sphere and it was never intended that he should get away from it. The moon is a superior planet to the earth and it was never intended that man should go there. You can write it down in your books that this will never happen."

I believe Joseph Fielding Smith was right but because NASA said they did, he took it back. Why? I have no idea. 

Let me begin to say that I know NASA is a liar and a deceiver. I don't trust them one bit. I do not believe we did land on the moon. I don't believe it is possible unless God allows it but that's another subject. 

I wonder how many people realized what Pres Uchtdorf said in the October general conference in his talk "Bearers of Heavenly Light" when he stated: "the earth will continue to rotate" https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... t?lang=eng

We can sit here and debate this all day and night but it seems to me that people literally spend many hours/days/months and years debating over something that truly doesn't matter. The only thing we can agree on is that NASA is a liar. That is it. That being said, I refuse to waste any more time in trying to prove that the earth is round.

DREAM: Thomas S. Monson

I had an interesting dream I would like to share with you.

What Was The Great And Terrible Gulf In Lehi’s Dream?

And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever. (1 Nephi 12:18)

The justice of God cannot allow the wicked and righteous to receive the same reward. This seems simple enough, however Alma's son Corianton had trouble with this concept, 'I perceive there is somewhat more which doth worry your mind, which ye cannot understand - which is concerning the justice of God in the punishment of the sinner; for ye do try to suppose that it is injustice that the sinner should be consigned to a state of misery' (Alma 42:1). Alma goes on to show his son that it is injustice if the sinner is not punished, 'What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice?...whosoever will come [unto God] may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds. If he has desired to do evil and has not repented in his days, behold, evil shall be done unto him, according to the restoration of God' (Alma 42:25-28).

The D&C teaches that the individual must be able to abide the law of the kingdom he/she enters, 'For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory' (D&C 88:22). A corollary to this principle is taught by Moroni, 'Do ye suppose that ye could be happy to dwell with that holy Being, when your souls are racked with a consciousness of guilt that ye have ever abused his laws? Behold, I say unto you that ye would be more miserable to dwell with a holy and just God, under a consciousness of your filthiness before him, than ye would to dwell with the damned souls in hell' (Mormon 9:3-4).

Therefore, the justice of God is actually merciful in requiring that the righteous and wicked be separated. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, this same gulf is described separating those in Spirit Prison from those in Spirit Paradise, 'between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence' (Luke 16:26).

Hugh Nibley
"...'a great and terrible gulf divideth them.' There it is again. It is a figure of speech, an image. Nothing could better describe it; there is a great and terrible gulf between two different ways of living. There is nothing in common between them at all. You can't breach it...." (Teachings of the Book of Mormon--Semester 1: Transcripts of Lectures Presented to an Honors Book of Mormon Class at Brigham Young University, 1988-1990, p. 195)

Prophetic Warnings

More than ever before, we need to learn and apply the principles of economic self-reliance. We do not know when the crisis involving sickness or unemployment may affect our own circumstances. We do know that the Lord has decreed global calamities for the future and has warned and forewarned us to be prepared.” (President Ezra Taft Benson)

Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earthquake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they somehow will be set aside because of the righteousness of the Saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion. (President Ezra Taft Benson)

When will all these calamities strike? We do not know the exact time, but it appears it may be in the not-too-distant future. Those who are prepared now have the continuing blessings of early obedience, and they are ready. Noah built his ark before the flood came, and he and his family survived. Those who waited to act until after the flood began were too late. Let us not be dissuaded from preparing because of a seeming prosperity today, or a so-called peace.” (President Ezra Taft Benson)

For the righteous, the gospel provides a warning before a calamity, a program for the crises, a refuge for each disaster. …The Lord has warned us of famines, but the righteous will have listened to prophets and stored at least a year’s supply of survival food.” (President Ezra Taft Benson)

My brothers and sisters, I feel our anxieties are justified. It is the opinion of many that more difficult times lie ahead. We are deeply concerned about the welfare of our people and recognize the potential privation and suffering that will exist if each person and family does not accept the word of the Lord when he says, “Prepare every needful thing” (D&C 88:119) (Victor L. Brown)

There are some who feel that they are secure as long as they have funds to purchase food. Money is not food. If there is no food in the stores or in the warehouses, you cannot sustain life with money. Both President Romney and President Clark have warned us that we will yet live on what we produce. (J. Richard Clarke)

When we really get into hard times, where food is scarce or there is none at all, and so with clothing and shelter, money may be no good for there may be nothing to buy, and you cannot eat money, you cannot get enough of it together to burn to keep warm, and you cannot wear it.” (J. Richard Clarke)

Let us become efficient in our production operations so that we don’t merely go through the motions of having welfare farms. The time will come when we will need all the products and more from our projects—even more than we do now.” (President Spencer W. Kimball)

The day will come, when, as we have been told, we shall all see the necessity of making our own shoes and clothing and raising our own food.” (President Wilford Woodruff)

The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah.” (President Ezra Taft Benson)

It is by the Prayers of the Righteous that YE ARE SPARED

Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for the prayers of the righteous, who are now in the land, that ye would even now be visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by pestilence, and the sword.

But it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye are spared; now therefore, if ye will cast out the righteous from among you then will not the Lord stay his hand; but in his fierce anger he will come out against you; then ye shall be smitten by famine, and by pestilence, and by the sword; and the time is soon at hand except ye repent. (Alma 10:22-23)

The most famous relevant story comes from Genesis, when the prophet Abraham bargains with the Lord on how many righteous individuals it takes to offer protection to the wicked city of Sodom.

'And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

...Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.

And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.

And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.' (Genesis 18:23-32)

Apparently, the Lord will preserve a city if there are but ten righteous individuals. In Ammonihah, there were a lot more than ten. However, these were soon killed (Alma 14:8) - leaving only the wicked. When that happens, as with Sodom, the people are visited with utter destruction.

The same principle applies to the preservation of every nation on earth, including the United States.

Spencer W. Kimball
"Our world is now much the same as it was in the days of the Nephites prophet who said: '...if it were not for the prayers of the righteous...ye would even now be visited with utter destruction' (Alma 10:22). There are many upright and faithful who live all the commandments and whose lives and prayers keep the world from destruction." 

(Ensign, June 1971, p. 16 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 262)

For I was called many times and I would not hear

And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among all those who know me; yea, and behold, I have many kindreds and friends, and I have also acquired much riches by the hand of my industry.

Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people.

Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month, which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges. (Alma 10:4-6)

Hugh Nibley
"(speaking of Amulek) A model citizen, hardworking, rich, well-born, immensely respectable: 'And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among all those who know me' (Alma 10:4). But to get rich this man could not neglect his business; he was contracted to Mammon instead of God: 'Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord,' even though he had the best opportunity to know them, 'for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power. . . . Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear. . . . I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart' (Alma 10:5-6). That went on until an angel stopped him (Alma 10:7). Being thus admonished, Amulek forsook 'all his gold, and silver, and his precious things which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God' (Alma 15:16). It had to be one or the other. But all was not lost, you might say, he still had his old friends and admirers and loved ones. Please let us not underestimate the power of money. Having lost his fortune, he was promptly 'rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred' (Alma 15:16)." (The Prophetic Book of Mormon, p. 562)

The voice of the Lord calls to us regularly. It is not wickedness or carnality alone which keep us from feeling and hearing the word; it is preoccupation. We need not be guilty of gross sin to be unready for the impressions of the Spirit; we need only have our minds and hearts focused upon other things, to be so involved in the thick of thin things that we are not taking the time to ponder or meditate upon matters of substance. Excessive labor in secondary causes leads to a lessening of spiritual opportunities. President Ezra Taft Benson told the following story, which highlights the need for being attentive and open to heavenly guidance:

'Bishop John Wells, a former member of the Presiding Bishopric, was a great detail man and was responsible for many Church reports. President David O. McKay and President Harold B.Lee used to relate an experience from his life that is instructive to all of us.

'A son of Bishop and Sister Wells was killed in a railroad accident in Emigration Canyon, east of Salt Lake City. He was run over by a freight car. Sister Wells could not be consoled. She received no comfort during the funeral and continued her mourning after her son was laid to rest. Bishop Wells feared for her health, as she was in a state of deep anguish.

'One day, soon after the funeral, Sister Wells was lying on her bed in a state of mourning. The son appeared to her and said, 'Mother, do not mourn, do not cry. I am all right.' He then related to her how the accident took place. Apparently there had been some question-even suspicion-about the accident, because the young man was an experienced railroad man. But he told his mother that it was clearly an accident.

'He told her that as soon as he realized that he was in another sphere, he had tried to reach his father but could not. His father was so busy with the details of his office and work that he could not respond to the promptings. Therefore, the son had come to his mother. He then said, 'Tell Father that all is well with me, and I want you not to mourn anymore.'

President McKay used this experience to teach that we must always be responsive to the whisperings of the Spirit. These promptings come most often when we are not under the pressure of appointments and when we are not caught up in the worries of day-to-day life. (Come unto Christ, p. 18.)"

(McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, pp. 68-69)