In 6 days it will be a year ago that my life as I had experienced it would change in so many ways. In 6 days it will be a year ago that I resigned from my senior pastoral position of a growing and loving Baptist church of 4 1/2 years. But before I talk more about that let me share my faith story from the beginning of my memory.
When I was between 8 to 10 years old, my mom began taking me and my twin brother to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. We started to have a deep desire to study spiritual truth. Eventually mom would stop going to the Kingdom Hall. But the witnesses kept picking us up for services. Eventually I would stop going and began going to a Southern Baptist church a few minutes from the house I grew up in. I went with some family friends for a couple years. I was learning and reading with great delight stuff concerning eschatology in regards to the second coming and the rapture and the Antichrist etc. All the talk surrounding Y2K and the end of the world sparked that interest. But It was around the year 2002 when I was 14 years old that I would see President Gordon B Hinkley on tv talking about the Church in preparation for the Olympics coming to Salt Lake City. It highly got my attention and I became very inquisitive of the Church and its claims. I picked up the phone book and called the local ward that was about 15 minutes from my house. I was a little different lol. I soon had a copy of the Book of Mormon delivered to my mom and dad’s mailbox. I remember running up the road to get it! When I flipped open its pages I knew this was a new world just opened. Nephi? Mosiah? Helaman? Mormon and Moroni? Who are these guys?!
I remember struggling with reading it at first. But soon after I began lessons with the missionary’s I remember gaining my first testimony of the restoration and the joy it brought into my heart! I remember reading A marvelous work and a wonder by Legrand Richards and Jesus the Christ by Talmage! I was enjoying my studies as a 14-15 year old boy! I would eventually become the first known member in my family to get baptized and join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! My mom and dad were very supportive! I remember how clean and pure I felt after being baptized and being confirmed a member! Fast forward a couple years. I began working in fast food at a local McDonalds at 15 1/2. At about 17 years old I started to date a Catholic girl and attend Saturday night mass with her and her family. Eventually I would allow anti LDS literature into my mind and heart and other sins that kept me from being worthy in my mind to go on a mission. Little by little over time I allowed my testimony to weaken. I would eventually leave the Church at 19 to start going to another Baptist Church. The pastor immediately began allowing me to preach in his pulpit a couple times a month. Eventually I would go into vocational pastoral ministry and began pastoring my first church at 25. I was a pastor of 3 different congregations for a total of 11 years.
My spiritual journey back to becoming a Latter-Day Saint again started with some conversations I was having with my twin brother. I had been struggling with some personal issues I was having with pragmatism in relation to the local church in which I was pastoring. Some of the initial conversations that me and my brother were having that launched this new spiritual journey were centered around what is known as the Great commission and it’s passage’s one being Matthew 28:18-20. The conclusion that we came to is that not all churches could be right and guided by God which seems obvious but a truth which has several implications. Jesus said I will build MY CHURCH. Not every church can be His with the multitude of differences in doctrines and practices! We knew that the one true church doctrine in which the Lord was guiding and building was true. The implications of the Great commission passage were that the Lord’s church had to eventually be universal, visible, hierarchical, and organizational. There has to be one true church of Jesus Christ on earth. When Jesus walked this earth he started a church with him being the cornerstone and his 12 living apostles as the foundation of his church. This church was to be united under the leadership of Christ and his authorized and ordained apostles. These apostles had the authority of Christ to act in his name after he left this earth and they made decisions that were binding on his church. Acts 15 is a perfect example of this. If everyone claims to have the same authority in Christ's Church, then no one truly does - resulting in spiritual confusion and division.
Jesus knew this. That's why He founded a visible Church with structure and leadership. The great commission of Matthew 28:18-20 could never happen unless his church is visible, universal, united, and apostolic. The doctrine of the autonomy of the local church is not taught in scripture. There are local churches but they should not function independently from the body much like all the members of our physical body doesn’t . That does not lead to the fulfilling of the great commission as it was given. The great commission is a universal endeavor and commission- not a local one and hence can’t be fulfilled by just a bunch of local churches acting independently because that never would lead to the nations being discipled after the same commandments and teaching.
As I got further into this spiritual journey I did not want to change for several reasons. I struggled with the realization that converting to Catholicism or back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints would mean leaving behind my present church community, livelihood, reputation, and even friendships. However, my commitment to truth outweighed my fears. Once I seen some things I could not unsee them. In my search I found that I was an unlearned Protestant or how I like to describe myself, an ignorant Protestant.
The number one doctrine after much study that led me to leave Protestantism and to become a Latter-day Saint again was the doctrine of sola scriptura. That’s just a Latin phrase that means “scripture or Bible ALONE”. I had already known as a 14 year old boy that Revelation 22:18-19 could not be used against the Book of Mormon as new revelation! I knew but had forgotten that a careful reading of Revelation 22:18-19 shows very clearly that John the Revelator was speaking only of the book of Revelation and not of any collection of other sacred writings. Moses used a similar expression in speaking to ancient Israel when he said: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it . . .” This is found in the fourth chapter of the book of Deuteronomy, verse 2. In the 12th chapter of the same book, verse 32, Moses said this: “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it”.
I like what apostle Mark Petersen said about these Deuteronomy verses that shows the inconsistencies of my previous Protestant belief of a closed canon AKA as sola scriptura.
“Can anyone suppose that in these words Moses laid down a prohibition against all subsequent revelations and against all books which might be called scripture in years to come? Did he have the power to silence all future prophets and forbid them to speak or write as God intended that they should? Of course not, or we would be without most of the Old Testament and would have none of the New Testament at all.
It was the same with John the Revelator. In warning against additions to the book of Revelation he spoke of that book only, insisting that no one attempt to change or corrupt what he had said. The Bible was not compiled when John wrote the book of Revelation, so he could not possibly have referred to it.”
Mark Petersen continues on powerfully to say:
“ The Bible is a record of the work and writings of the prophets of God throughout the ages, together with a history of their time. It begins with the writings of the Prophet Moses, who is the accepted author of the first five books of the Old Testament. When Joshua was called to lead Israel, he received revelations also, and they were recorded with the history of his time. This record became known as the book of Joshua. It was new scripture for that day and was placed with the writings of Moses. The book of Judges came next. It was new scripture also and was added to the existing volume. Then came the Prophet Samuel. He received many revelations and wrote much history. His record was new scripture for his day and was added to the existing and now fast-growing volume of God’s word.
Who among us would discard the writings of Samuel because in earlier years Moses had said, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you” (Deut. 4:2) It is obvious that Moses spoke only of his own writings and not of anything written in subsequent times by men called to be prophets like unto himself.
When Ezra and Nehemiah came on the scene, they received revelations which were recorded as scripture and placed with what Moses, Joshua, and Samuel had written. This became a pattern by which we obtained the entire Old Testament. Whenever God had a people on the earth, he raised up prophets who spoke in his name. Their writings became our scriptures. New scripture came with each new prophet, and each of these new books was included with the scripture already in hand.
This pattern held true for the New Testament also. As the sacred word of the Christian era was written, it became scripture. Even the letters of Peter, James, John, Paul, and little-known Jude became scripture, new scripture. And they were so accepted by the people of that day and added to the final volume of scripture as it was at last compiled.
That is the way in which the Bible was prepared originally. It came out of a well-ordered procedure of the Lord. It was always the purpose of God to guide his people and not let them drift, but that guidance constituted new revelation every time it was given. Prophets were there to receive it, and as they wrote, their record became new scripture.
Don’t you see that one of the greatest marks of identification of the true Church of God in all the ages has been that it constantly produced new scripture? When there was no new scripture, it was a sign that there was no new revelation, and when there was no new revelation, there was no divine guidance. And when there was no divine guidance, the people drifted into error and darkness. Continuous revelation was essential to the life and survival of the true Church. So were the records of those new revelations, and each new record became new scripture.”
I also like Elder Jeffrey Holland’s comments along these lines:
“Continuing Revelation does not demean nor discredit existing revelation. The Old Testament does not lose its value in our eyes when we’re introduced to the New Testament and the New Testament is only enhanced when we read the Book of Mormon.”- Jeffrey R Holland
I’m very familiar with all the Biblical passages often used to try to establish the teaching of “Bible ALONE” Christianity.
Revelation 22:18-19
2 Timothy 3:15-17; etc….
But If only the WRITTEN scriptures have authority…. How did those that wrote the scriptures get theirs?
Sola Scriptura is conceptually impossible. We must know what actually is Scripture in order to use “Scripture alone,” yes? But how do we know what really counts and what doesn’t? ….
An authority must decide what is Scripture and what is not. The very existence of an authoritative canon which does not assemble itself or fall from the sky necessitates an authoritative compiler. That is the Church itself, which therefore must have its own special authority to speak for God. This guarantees the texts of Scripture are actually the ones which God inspired.
I believe The most important foundational study for an individual is in regards to the authority claims of a church; a religious group or denomination in order to know which one to join in order to be IN CHRIST. They cannot all be right and fulfilling the Lord’s Great commission.
BUT the early Church did have living Apostles and Prophets that were DISTINCT from the other offices.
Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the PROPHETS.
Ephesians 4:11-14
And he gave some, APOSTLES; and some, PROPHETS ; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 FOR the perfecting of the saints, FOR the work of the ministry, FOR the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 TILL we all come in the UNITY of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a PERFECT man, unto the measure of the stature of the FULNESS of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, andcunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
1 Corinthians 12:28-29
And God hath set some in THE church, FIRST apostles, secondarily PROPHETS, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
Ephesians 2:20
And are built upon the foundation of the APOSTLES and PROPHETS, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Just as a building's foundations are not removed when construction of a building is completed, Christ's apostles and prophets were not meant to be removed when the Church was established, but were meant to remain, as were the other offices mentioned in Eph 4:11.
“There are at least 15 and possibly as many as 22 apostles named in the New Testament, and no fewer than three prophets mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Unless one labours under the false assumption of the formal sufficiency of the Protestant canon, nothing, exegetically, allows one to claim that these apostles and prophets were not "forth-telling" prophets and apostles as were Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, etc.”- Robert Boylan.
Sola Scriptura could never be the “apostles and prophets” in the Ephesians 4 passage because if there’s anything that sola Scriptura has not done that is bring unity!
But How easy did I allow others to destroy my testimony in my late teens of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon! Initially the rejection of sola scriptura was leading me to consider Catholicism. But through researching apologetics from a Latter-day Saint perspective, one being the blog of Scriptural Mormonism by my now really good friend Robert Boylan , I began to see the problems of Catholic claims in regards to their particular dogmas in light of historicity which helped me decide to not become a Catholic.
Concerning Robert Boylan and his work, he is the most singular person that led me to take the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and its claims seriously. He is a theological beast and a book eating monster! He is truly one of a kind! He helped me see sound exegetical evidence for Latter-day Saint theology. Understanding the falsehood of the doctrine of sola scriptura and its unbiblical basis opens the door to Divine revelation found outside of just the 66 books of the Protestant canon.
Discovering the flaws and inconsistencies of the doctrine of Sola Scriptura as a Protestant Pastor was life changing and very hard to swallow. The very last thing I wanted to be when I realized I would have to become a Latter-day Saint was a Latter-day Saint. I don’t say that disrespectfully to my Latter-day Saint friends. But I was a senior pastor of a wonderful and loving congregation of people. I still love them. I still struggle some days with no longer being a Pastor and no longer being in “ministry” which was my whole world for many years. I was doing what I loved to do. It was my dream vocation that I had for many years. I thought I would be a Baptist pastor till my life expired. I had been a senior pastor for over 11 years. I enjoyed teaching and preaching with a fiery passion. I would rather die than not preach and if I had to I would pay to preach. It was not easy to be intellectually honest with myself in regards to an unintended theological destination with big life changing effects. I tried to ignore what I was seeing and what’s sad is that there were 3 “Doctors” at least and multiple other seasoned pastors that I reached out to with my questions and insights and not a single one could give me satisfactory answers on something so basic and foundational. I did not want to change my previous beliefs that was precious to me for so many years. It was hard but now has been joyful and exciting at the same time. In order to be intellectually honest I had to recant and repent of teachings that I taught and declared dogmatically for 17 years. This repentance has brought repercussions. This changing has brought further changes. As I got further into this spiritual journey I did not want to change for several reasons. At the time I struggled with the realization that converting to Catholicism or back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints would mean leaving behind my present church community, livelihood, home, reputation, and even friendships. I kind of loved my coffee and tea also! It was a scary phase of life as far as seeing the solutions to the future changes that were looking inevitable. I experienced the truth of these words by Apostle Hugh B Brown:
“The honest investigator must be prepared to follow wherever the search of truth may lead. Truth is often found in the most unexpected places. He must, with fearless and open mind ‘insist that facts are far more important than any cherished, mistaken beliefs, no matter how unpleasant the facts or how delightful the beliefs.’”
Hugh B. Brown
I also remember one day reading a quote that rocked my world and found me right where I was in my spiritual journey.
It is a quote taken from a good book on the great apostasy that exactly described the dilemma I was in when deciding between crossing the Susquehanna River or the Tiber River.
“Elder Orson F. Whitney, an apostle of the restored Church, once told of a learned Catholic theologian who spoke to him as follows:
“You Mormons are all ignoramuses. You don't even know the strength of your own position. It is so strong that there is only one other tenable in the whole Christian world, and that is the position of the Catholic Church. The issue is between Catholicism and Mormonism. If we are right, you are wrong; if you are right, we are wrong; and that's all there is to it. The Protestants haven't a leg to stand on. For, if we are wrong, they are wrong with us, since they were a part of us and went out from us; while if we are right, they are apostates whom we cut off long ago. If we have the apostolic succession from St. Peter, as we claim, there is no need of Joseph Smith and Mormonism; but if we have not that succession, then such a man as Joseph Smith was necessary, and Mormonism's attitude is the only consistent one. It is either the perpetuation of the gospel from ancient times, or the restoration of the gospel in latter days.”
That, indeed, is the issue: Did Christ's Church continue uninterrupted for two thousand years since the meridian of time, or was there a cessation of that church followed by a restoration?
-The Inevitable Apostasy and the Promised Restoration by Tad R. Callister
After my research I decided to cross the Susquehanna River! The way I summarize my position is that if I lived BEFORE 1820 I would be a Catholic Christian but after 1820 I’d be a Latter-day Saint! The great apostasy is the conclusion of the massive mixture of false doctrines found in Catholicism and Protestantism. This involves canon issues and doctrinal divisions including false doctrines that were accretions not found in the Lord’s original Church and teachings.
Another doctrine that resulted in me becoming a Latter-Day Saint again was the biblical teaching of baptismal regeneration in light of Protestantism’s material principle of sola fide. Sola fide is the doctrine of justification by faith alone. I echo what Michael Griffith said in his book One Lord, One Faith:
“After having studied ancient Christian writings for many years, I can make the the following statement without hesitation or qualification: The early church did not teach the Protestant doctrine that we are saved simply by having faith in Christ and that our works do not count for salvation." (p. 165).
To a man, the ancient Christian bishops and apologists believed that baptism was essential for salvation." (p. 173).
Sola scriptura ( Bible Alone) and sola fide (Faith Alone) are the two foundational principles of the Protestant reformation. If these two pillars fall then Protestantism falls also.
Studying this one doctrine of Baptism showed me once more that I would likely have to become Catholic or become a Latter-day Saint again.
In the ancient Church, we see complete unity on a doctrine most protestants reject, namely, baptismal regeneration.
I shared the same experience with well known Catholic apologist Joshua Charles who said:
“As a protestant, I was open to the possibility baptismal regeneration was true. I knew smart people who affirmed and denied it.
Baptism in general is an issue upon which most protestants agree to disagree. We’d have separate denominations over it (which bothered me), but didn’t necessarily deny those who disagreed with us were Christians. I knew most protestants rejected baptismal regeneration, and I did too. But only very softly. Baptism in general was one of many subjects I felt fairly agnostic about given that good, educated people took different positions on it.
But when I opened the Church Fathers, the situation could not have been more different. I was absolutely stunned at the unanimity they exhibited on the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. It’s absolutely everywhere.
In baptism, they said, we are:
—Reborn/born again/made new creatures;
—Cleansed of/forgiven of all our sins;
—Given the Holy Spirit;
—Justified/made righteous.
7 years into studying the Church Fathers, I have yet to find a single one who denied any of these.
This was very disturbing for me, because I knew most of us protestants rejected precisely what ALL the Fathers were affirming. And while we treated baptism as a “non-essential” issue (though it was apparently essential enough to divide into different denominations), that never made sense to me either.
Baptism is one of the three basic commands of Christ in the Great Commission to the Apostles before He ascended into heaven. How could this be a “non-essential” issue? Likewise, baptism comes up constantly in Scripture. Indeed, however you interpreted it, St. Peter flat out says “baptism now saves you” (1 Pet. 3:21). How can something that “saves you” be “non-essential”?
Again, I held all these doubts at bay for many years because good, educated men disagreed, so I figured they had figured something out that I hadn’t.
But that all changed when I read the Church Fathers. They were completely consistent on baptism century after century; east and west; in Europe, Africa, and Asia; pre-Constantine and post-Constantine, etc. Not only was I shocked at their doctrinal position, but at their doctrinal unity! Truth be told I had all but given up on that sort of thing as a protestant, despite the fact that it was commanded in the strongest terms in Scripture, and obviously necessary given the nature of Truth, which cannot contradict itself.”
In conclusion:
Below are a few reasons I’m a Latter-day Saint again:
- Because of the Book of Mormon- Involved with this is the falsehood of the Bible Alone being the exhaustive complete revelation of God.
- Because of Baptism issues including Baptismal regeneration - Involved with this is the falsehood of sola fide.
- Because of Authority and Ecclesiastical issues - Involved with this is a high ecclesiology view of the Church instead of the falsehood of local church autonomy alone in Church government.
- Because of the Great Apostasy - This is the conclusion of the massive mixture of false doctrines found in Catholicism and Protestantism. This involves canon issues and doctrinal divisions including false doctrines that were accretions not found in the Lord’s original Church and teachings. The Great apostasy was the topic that kept me between Catholicism and becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I’d like to declare MY PERSONAL TESTIMONY entitled : “I KNOW”
There is no greater subject in all of the pages of Holy Writ than our Savior Jesus Christ! To Him give all the prophets witness. I'm here to bear witness of my personal testimony of the glorious gospel of Christ . I KNOW and do testify that over 2000 years ago God's love for humanity was shown in the giving of His only begotten Son. I KNOW that there was a day when he was born of a virgin and he grew in stature and in wisdom and increased in the favor of God and of men. I KNOW that he walked on the very earth that he created as the SON OF GOD. I KNOW that He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him. I KNOW that he raised the dead, healed the lame, gave sight to the blind and did many mighty works that if they could be written down all the books in the world could not contain them. I KNOW that he was tempted in all points as we are yet WITHOUT SIN! I KNOW that He suffered many things of wicked men. He was spit upon, mocked, reviled, humiliated, scourged, beaten, despised rejected and nailed to a cross in his hands and feet after falling to his knees under the load of it. His side was pieced with a spear after hanging on the emblem of suffering and shame. I KNOW that he suffered for my sins and he was bruised for my iniquities and the chastisement of my peace was upon Him. I KNOW HE was buried to take my sins away. If that isn't good enough to know I KNOW also and bear witness that HE was RESURRECTED bodily 3 days later and that death could not hold him! I testify that He was RISEN and that He was seen of many witnesses in the old world and in the new world as also testified in the Book of Mormon. And because he Rose from the dead I need not fear because he LIVES FOREVER more! I KNOW that after his resurrection he ascended to heaven and that this same Jesus I bear witness of is COMING back again! I Bear witness that He loves sinners and that he came to call them to repentance. I KNOW the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; It was my privilege to speak from its pages over 2,000 times. It is a precious treasure that I love dearly. But I also KNOW the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. My love for my Savior and my commitment to Christianity have been intensified and strengthened by the Book of Mormon, because it helps me understand many of the doctrinal questions the Bible leaves unan-swered. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. “When the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him.’ [Jeremiah 28:9]
“Twenty-four centuries after Jeremiah set forth his challenge and test [in Jeremiah 28:9], God saw fit to raise up another prophet. Like Jeremiah, the prophet of the latter-days was a simple youth from a small village. Like Jeremiah, he was given his prophetic calling while still very young. Like Jeremiah, he became a dynamic spokesman who fearlessly set forth the word of God to all who would give heed. Like Jeremiah, he suffered intense persecution because of his faithful fulfillment of his prophetic mission. And like Jeremiah, his prophecies – literally hundreds of them – came to pass, thus substantiating his claim as a prophetic spokesman of God. When Jeremiah’s test [in Jeremiah 28:9] is applied to Joseph Smith, this prophet of the latter days, the discerning student cannot fail to find the vindication of his prophetic claim.” - Duane S. Crowther
He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, he sealed his mission and his works with his own blood (D&C 135:3).
I KNOW that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Church. It is the only true church upon the whole face of the earth (D&C 1:30). It has the Priesthood of God restored to it!
This is my testimony of the GLORIOUS RESTORED GOSPEL OF CHRIST which I'm not ashamed of.
