One of the things that I understood when I received a witness in September, is that there is no need to panic regarding the salvation of my children. I desperately have wanted my children to not make the same mistakes as me. I feared my own weakness and in my shame, I sought to change the environment around my children so that they would not come into contact with the pollutants of the world. My motivation was fear and shame. "See, you are naked! Quick! Hide!"

Society is in a constant state of panic. Conservatives fear losing the morality of society and they worry about the kind of world their children will grow up in. I sympathize with that sentiment. But this fear pits one against his neighbor. Sexual perversions in an unending variety of forms are a great evil in the world, but legislating exercising control dominion or compulsion against them and their choices will never change their hearts. It will never cause them to see the error of their ways, but the Lord can,1 in His way. His way is persuasion, and when that doesn't work, long suffering.2 His way is offering things of eternal value in exchange for laying down whatever is polluting you, and He will give you the power to lay down, what may seem impossible to lay down,3 IF you choose him.4 IF you see a reason to, and make finding Him, the most important thing in your life. It is this, more than anything else,5 that will exorcise the literal devils and demons urging you on to more and greater wickedness.

We should not be surprised that in a telestial kingdom, that these things will exist, they will not go away. We live with beings that have become carnal, sensual and devilish beings. Most of us, to some degree are. Just as one star differeth from another star in glory, but we are all, most of us, still stars; even the conservatives who fight against this stuff. And if our individual glory is ever like that of the moon, it will be because of the virtue of Christ.

Change is internal only, not to be exercised externally by compulsion. Once a true message is received6 the message has power to change if the recipients desire it.

What I learned, is that God has the power to change an individual, as soon as that individual desires it and turns to God and sees that he has something much better to offer than the husks they've been eating.7 There is no need to implement controls, or chain them to the farm to obtain righteousness.

Just because I understood this, doesn't mean my head still isn't a hemlock knot.8 I still at times have trouble believing it enough to let go of my tradition. It's as I said in a previous article, sometimes I have to remind myself "that's what I used to believe."

Melchizedek preached among a people who had waxed strong in iniquity and abomination and were full of all manner of wickedness, yet with the aid of this messenger they knew in what manner to look for redemption and repented.9 Mormon grew up in a very violent and sexually perverted world10 and was yet untouched by it. There is a being that causes haste and panic,11 and there is a being who desired to bring about righteousness by compulsion.12 It is not the Lord.

"God is in no hurry. And he's in no hurry to fix you. He will wait on whatever it is you need to be allowed to dispose of for you to come along. And he will wait." (40 Years in Mormonism, Be of Good Cheer, Be of Good Courage)

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Notes

1. See the conversion of Teresa Carey who was a lesbian porn star. See the conversion of who was a lesbian professor. See how April Kelsey's same-sex attraction was removed by angels. Now compare this to the LDS Church's new position that gay feelings are fine. No need to repent of our thoughts there.

2. "That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness. That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man. Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God. We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but few are chosen. No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—" (D&C 121:36-42)

3. "But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering." (Alma 13:28) Note that we can be tempted more than we can bear, and there are conditions to being able to bear or escape them.

4. "And Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven, bearing testimony of the Father and Son; and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion. And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains? And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever; And thou hast taken Zion to thine own bosom, from all thy creations, from all eternity to all eternity; and naught but peace, justice, and truth is the habitation of thy throne; and mercy shall go before thy face and have no end; how is it thou canst weep? The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency; And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood; And the fire of mine indignation is kindled against them; and in my hot displeasure will I send in the floods upon them, for my fierce anger is kindled against them. Behold, I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my name; and Endless and Eternal is my name, also. Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also, and among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren. But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?" (Moses 7:27-37)

5. See the Sixth Lecture on Faith. Faith unto salvation requires the sacrifice of all things; that we desire the Lord and what he has to offer above all else.

6. "And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people. And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption." (Alma 13:1-2)

7. Luke 15:11-32

8. "But there has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation. It has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn-dodger for a wedge, and a pumpkin for a beetle. Even the Saints are slow to understand. I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to receive the things of God; but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God, will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions: they cannot stand the fire at all. How many will be able to abide a celestial law, and go through and receive their exaltation, I am unable to say, as many are called, but few are chosen." (Joseph Smith, HC vol. 6 ch. 8)

9. "Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem; and his people had waxed strong in iniquity and abomination; yea, they had all gone astray; they were full of all manner of wickedness; But Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of God, did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent." (Alma 13:17-18)

10. "And now I write somewhat concerning the sufferings of this people. For according to the knowledge which I have received from Amoron, behold, the Lamanites have many prisoners, which they took from the tower of Sherrizah; and there were men, women, and children. And the husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain; and they feed the women upon the flesh of their husbands, and the children upon the flesh of their fathers; and no water, save a little, do they give unto them. And notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people in Moriantum. For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue—And after they had done this thing, they did murder them in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death; and after they have done this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts, because of the hardness of their hearts; and they do it for a token of bravery." (Mormon 9:7-10)

11. "And now, behold, this is the will of the Lord your God concerning his saints, that they should assemble themselves together unto the land of Zion, not in haste, lest there should be confusion, which bringeth pestilence." (D&C 63:24)

"See--you are naked. Take some fig leaves and make you aprons. Father will see your nakedness. Quick! Hide!"

12.  "And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor. But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever. Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice." (Moses 4:1-4)

 

See also

"There is never a time when the spirit is too old to approach God. All are within the reach of pardoning mercy, who have not committed the unpardonable sin, which hath no forgiveness, neither in this world, nor in the world to come." (Joseph Smith, HC v. 4 ch. 25. p. 425)

Article: Don't Worry About God.