Protecting Ourselves from False Teachers

2 Peter 2

Protecting Ourselves from False Teachers

Mormon Message

The Voice of the Spirit

James E. Faust

Read 2 Peter 2:1–19. Record the characteristics of false teachers described by Peter. Explain in writing how your list helps you recognize false teachers today.

Peter warns us of false teachers and describes them as being those who:

“bring in damnable heresies” (v.1)

“deny the Lord” (v.1)

get others to “follow in their pernicious ways” (v.2)

are “covetous” (v.3)

use insincere words to flatter (v.3)

speak “evil of the things” that they don’t understand (v.12)

make “sport of deceiving” others while they “feast with you” (v.13)

commit adultery (v.14)

can’t stop sinning (v.14)

“beguile” and trick the vulnerable (v.14)

forsake the “right way” and go astray (v.15)

are  "wells without water” and “clouds that are carried with a tempest” (v.17)

speak vain words (v.18)

use the lusts of the flesh to draw people to them (v.18)

live “wanton” lives (v.18)

promise liberty but are in fact “servants of corruption.” (v. 19)

Sadly, it isn’t difficult or a stretch to see these traits exhibited today by those who want to lead us off of the strait and narrow path. So many people insist that it is naive and ignorant to even believe in God. We are mocked and told we are weak for relying on something we have no proof even exists. But sadly, it’s not just the atheists and those who insist there is no God who are false teachers. We also have to be aware of those who once knew the truth and have chosen to allow the Adversary to deceive them into believing the prophets and apostles are “old white men” who are “out of date” and don’t keep up with the times. We see this in people who advocate for same-sex marriage and who picket and demand that women receive the Priesthood. There are also Christians who do not understand the commandments who eat out and go shopping on Sundays, or drink alcohol, or stop at Starbuck’s every day for a Mocha Frappucino. They tell us these things are “normal” and “okay”. Other people think it is impossible for humans to be celibate or faithful and advocate watching porn, or having affairs, or living together before marriage, or having one night stands because “YOLO” - You only live once.  All of these things “promise us liberty”, make it seem like these things offer true freedom, but will only cause us unhappiness that chains us and takes away our agency.

2.    Read 2 Peter 2:20–22; Doctrine and Covenants 82:3, 7. In your own words, write a few sentences describing the dangers of returning to the “pollutions of the world.”

D&C 82:3 says “For of him unto whom much is given, much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.” When we have “received the greater light” of the Gospel and then choose to turn our backs to it, it will be worse for us than if we never knew about the light of Christ in the first place. (see 2 Peter 2:21) 

As I’ve shared before, I am an adult convert. During my youth and early adulthood, I made many mistakes. But I can honestly say they were made in true and honest ignorance. I was taught that my actions were okay and normal and acceptable and I had no idea that I was doing anything wrong. But when I joined the Church, that all changed and my eyes were opened to the truth. I struggled with feelings of guilt and immense sadness at the mistakes that I made. But I was reassured that all of those past mistakes were washed away when I entered the waters of baptism and were remembered no more by the Lord. The hard part was giving myself permission to also forget and forgive myself. When you know better you do better. But we also have to be careful to not “long for the good old days.” As Jeffrey R. Holland reminds us, we can’t look back like Lot’s wife did. The consequences are deadly. Here’s a link to that talk if you’ve never heard it. It is POWERFUL. https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-holland_remember-lots-wife/

The Trial of Our Faith Is More Precious Than Gold

1 Peter 1-4

Mormon Message: The Refiner's Fire

1 Peter 1:7 - "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."

1 Peter 2: 12, 15, 21 - "Having  your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation...For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:...For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps..."

1 Peter 3:14-15 - "But, and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that sketch you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."

1 Peter 4: 12-13 - "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1 Peter 4:16 - "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."

These verses so powerfully teach how we should look at our trials and at the mocking that sometimes comes to us as we strive to live our faith. 

I am reminded of a talk from President Thomas S. Monson called "May You Have Courage" (April 2009):

"My final plea tonight is that you have the courage to stand firm for truth and righteousness. Because the trend in society today is away from the values and principles the Lord has given us, you will almost certainly be called upon to defend that which you believe. Unless the roots of your testimony are firmly planted, it will be difficult for you to withstand the ridicule of those who challenge your faith. When firmly planted, your testimony of the gospel, of the Savior, and of our Heavenly Father will influence all that you do throughout your life. The adversary would like nothing better than for you to allow derisive comments and criticism of the Church to cause you to question and doubt. Your testimony, when constantly nourished, will keep you safe."

"Recall with me Lehi’s vision of the tree of life. He saw that many who had held to the iron rod and had made their way through the mists of darkness, arriving at last at the tree of life and partaking of the fruit of the tree, did then “cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.”  Lehi wondered as to the cause of their embarrassment. As he looked about, he “beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building. …“And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who … were partaking of the fruit.” The great and spacious building in Lehi’s vision represents those in the world who mock God’s word and who ridicule those who embrace it and who love the Savior and live the commandments. 

My beloved young (people), with the courage of your convictions, may you declare with the Apostle Paul, 'I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation.'...“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 

Honestly, I don't think I could say it any better than these verses and words of  loving counsel from our prophet do.

Hebrews 11-12 Examples of Faith

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

In Hebrews 11, Paul mentioned many ancient men and women who demonstrated faith and received blessings for it. I love this list of righteous people who are a wonderful example to me of how I, too, can have more faith in my Savior.

Hebrews 11:4 Abel demonstrated faith by offering a "more excellent sacrifice" than Cain and was blessed with a witness from God that he was righteous.

Hebrews 11:5 Enoch had a testimony a strong testimony that his life was pleasing to God and was blessed by being translated and "not seeing death."

Hebrews 11:7 Noah "moved with fear" and "prepared an ark to the saving of his house" even before the rains started to fall. He was blessed by becoming an "heir of righteousness."

Hebrews 11:8 Abraham "went out, not knowing whither he went" and was blessed to receive the land of inheritance.

Hebrews 11:11 Sara had faith that she would conceive because God had told her she would and was blessed by being "delivered of a child when she was past age."

Hebrews 11:20 Isaac had faith to bless his sons Jacob and Esau and was blessed with a mighty posterity of two nations.

Hebrews 11:21 Jacob was faithful in keeping the commandments and was blessed to receive the land of Abraham and Isaac for his seed.

Hebrews 11:22 Joseph showed his faithfulness by doing the right things for the right reasons and was received "blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that leith under, blessings of the breasts and of the womb..." (Genesis 49:25)

Hebrews 11: Moses demonstrated faith by refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, forsaking Egypt, keeping the passover, passing through the Red Sea and was blessed with delivering his people out of bondage and was translated and never tasted death.

There are also wonderful examples of faith found in the Book of Mormon.

1 Nephi 18 Sariah, wife of Lehi, demonstrated faith by following her husband into the wilderness and raising her family up to the Lord. She was blessed with several faithful sons, including two that she bore in the wilderness.

Alma 19 Abish, Lamanite servant to King Lamoni's wife and convert to the Lord, demonstrated faith by choosing to go and tell others what had happened to King Lamoni, his wife and Ammon hoping it would "cause them to believe in the power of God" and was blessed with the blessings of the Gospel and knowing that her actions pleased God.

Ether 2 The Brother of Jared demonstrated faith by following the Lord's command to "go forth into the wilderness" and "build barges" and he was blessed by seeing and conversing with the Lord.

In Hebrews 12: 1-2 Paul encourages us to: "Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Faith is more than just believing. It requires us to act on our beliefs. I don't think anyone does a better job of differentiating between faith and believing than Elder David A. Bednar did in a talk given at Ricks College in 2000 called "According to Thy Faith":

Frequently, the words "faith" and "belief" are used interchangeably in our everyday conversations. However, the teachings of the Prophet Joseph highlight an essential distinction between these two concepts. Remember, he emphasized that ". . . faith is . . . the principle of action in all intelligent beings" (Lecture 1, p. 31). Belief, on the other hand, is defined in our modern dictionary as the "mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something" (The American Heritage College Dictionary, p. 125, emphasis added). A belief is simply anything we mentally or intellectually accept as true. For example, we believe and accept as true the nature of the Godhead as taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith. We believe and accept as true the restoration of the gospel in its fullness in these latter days. And, most importantly, we believe and accept as true the reality of the atoning sacrifice of the Redeemer. In summary then, belief is the mental and intellectual acknowledgment, acceptance, and assent that something is true. Belief requires only the mind.
Faith grows out of and builds upon belief and produces action. Faith is not merely a positive mental attitude, or a strong will, or a Pollyanna-like approach to significant personal and public problems. A big "happy face" on our bathroom mirror is not an indictor of great faith. Please consider again the explanation by the Prophet Joseph Smith: ". . . faith is . . . the principle of action in all intelligent beings" (Lecture 1, p. 31).
Faith is evidenced in deeds. And as faith is the principle of action, so the opposite of faith, which we typically refer to as doubt, is the principle of inaction. Thus, if you and I have faith in Christ, we accept and live His teachings and we accept and obey His commandments. If you and I have faith in Christ, we strive to live worthily and seek for the companionship of the Holy Ghost, we repentof our sins, we minister to the poor and needy, we carefully listen to and apply the teachings of the living prophets, and we do the works of righteousness. Faith in prayer is evidenced in part when we kneel down. More importantly, however, faith is reflected when we get up and work diligently to accomplish that for which we have prayed. The true exercise of faith in prayer begins when we say, "amen." Whereas belief requires only the mind, faith ultimately requires all of our mind and all of our heart and all of our might and all of our strength."

Titus 1-3: The Epistle of Obedience

Obedience

Titus 1-3

  1.  Read Titus 1:1–5 and the Bible Dictionary entry for “Titus” (pp. 785–86). Write a paragraph about who Titus was and what responsibility he had toward the Saints living in Crete.

Titus was converted to the Gospel by Paul. He was at the conference about circumcision in Jerusalem (Gal. 2:1), probably went with Paul on his third missionary journey and was sent to Corinth to deliver Paul's Epistles to the Corinthians. For 8 years he is not mentioned, but then we know he rejoined Paul at Ephesus and then Crete, where Titus remained to "set in order the things that are wanting and ordain elders in every city" as Paul appointed him to do. (Titus 1:5)

One thing I love about Titus is that he was a convert and yet he went on to do great things. He reminds me of my Home Teacher, Bro. B. Let me explain - I'm an adult convert, too and sometimes I look at members whose families crossed the plains and I think "Oh, those are the people who will be General Authorities and hold leadership positions, not me." But Brother B., our faithful Home Teacher, has completely dispelled that underachieving myth for me. Bro. B. is also an adult convert who just happens to have been a Bishop, a Patriarch and the President of the Dallas Temple. Even though he is a "first generation" member, the Lord has not had any problem with using him for great things! In fact, two cool connections with Bro. B - first, he gave me and my husband our Patriarchal blessings after we joined the Church. He also sealed us in the Dallas Temple on October 15, 1994. Just like Titus, he is a wonderful example of obedience and consecrating his life to the Lord.

2.    List the attributes of a bishop found in Titus 1:6–9; 1 Timothy 3:1–7

Bishops should be: blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children who are not unruly, be a steward of God, not self willed, sow to anger, a teetotaler, not obsessed with worldly wealth, hospitable, a lover of good me, sober, just, holy, temperate, faithful to the word of God, able to exhort and convince others of the truth through sound doctrine. (Titus 6-9) He should be patient, not covetous, a good and righteous leader in his home, experienced and humble. (1 Tim. 3:1-7)

3.    Read Titus 1:10–16 and the institute student manual commentary for Titus 1:12, “The Nature and Character of the Cretans” (p. 373). Make a list of the problems Paul identified that existed among the Saints in Crete.

The Cretans who taught false teachings into the Church are: vain talkers, deceivers who subvert whole families by teaching things they shouldn't, just for the love of "filthy lucre." Paul said they were "liars, evil beasts, slow bellies (gluttons) (Titus 1:10-12) and that their minds and consciences were "defiled". They say they know God, but their works show they deny him. They are "abominable and disobedient" and generally just "unfit and worthless" according to the footnote for verse 16.

4.    Read Titus 2–3. Then write your answers to the following questions:

o       In Titus 2:1, what did Paul encourage Titus to speak of? Paul encouraged Titus to teach "sound doctrine."

o       What impact did Paul say sound doctrine would have upon the aged? Sound doctrine will help the aged be "sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience, holy, not false accusers, not imbibers and teachers of good things." (Titus 2:1-3)

o       How could that also apply to the young? True doctrine can also help young people gain wisdom and understanding that can help them withstand the tides of immorality and misinformation that is out there. It can strengthen them and help them not be deceived.

o       How can the counsel given in Titus 3:2–5 help us be patient with new members of the Church?

I LOVE THESE VERSES!! What an awesome reminder! Paul teaches us that we need to be gentle and meek towards everyone, especially new members, who are in the process of making huge life changes. We need to not forget that we aren't perfect either. We have sinned and fallen short and have weaknesses, too. At some point, we have all been disobedient. Joining the Church is a HUGE life changing experience and some aspects of the Gospel are harder to live than others, especially when we have years of "practice" doing the wrong things. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ can help us all change for the better, through His grace.

o       What role does the Lord’s grace play in our salvation? Read Titus 3:5–7; 2 Nephi 2:6–8; 10:24; Moroni 6:4; 10:32–33; Doctrine and Covenants 45:3–5. Grace is defined as "the enabling power from God that allows us to obtain blessings in this life and gain eternal life and exaltation in the life to come. It can change our sinful nature and turn our weaknesses into strength. This divine help is given through mercy and love of God to those who exercise faith, repent and earnestly strive to keep the Commandment." Through the Lord's grace we are "justified" and "made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 7) We need to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit and when we do, our sins are forgiven us through his grace and truth. (2 Nephi 2:6-8)When we "reconcile ourselves" to the will of God, we are saved through Christ's grace. (2 Nephi 10:24). 

5.    Read Titus 3:9 and the institute student manual commentary for Titus 3:9, “Why ‘Avoid Foolish Questions, and Genealogies, and Contentions, and Strivings About the Law’?” (p. 374). Write a definition for what is meant by foolish questions and genealogies. Write a paragraph about how you could stay grounded in “sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1) and “avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law.” When I think of "foolish questions" I think of those questions that we may be curious about but that have  no bearing on our eternal progression. For instance - where is Kolob? or How old is the earth really? Or "did the Big Bang happen?" Interesting to think about - not necessary for exaltation.

When we focus instead on the Basic Doctrines of the Church (which are, in case you're interested:)

1. The Godhead

2. The Plan of Salvation

3. Creation and Fall

4. Atonement of Jesus Christ

5. Dispensation, Apostasy & Restoration

6. Prophets

7. Priesthood

8. First Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel

9. Ordinances and Covenants

10. Commandments

11. Marriage and Family

(https://seminary.lds.org/bc/content/seminary/materials/english/teacher-resources/seminary-basic-doctrineseng.pdf)

We are going to strengthen our testimonies, deepen our conversion and be protected from every wind of dissent and controversy that people may throw at us.

The important thing to remember about genealogy isn't who our famous ancestors are, or whether we come from a royal line or not, but rather the obligation we have to our ancestors to do the temple work for them so they have the opportunity to accept the Gospel.