Oftimes I will make a statement like the one here without the reasons why I make it. I want to see if there is an interest before I spend the time documenting my reasons.

I don’t know too much about conversion therapy as practiced at BYU. Gender is such a complicated issue that all churches are struggling with. Most take a stand. The Church, however, is not very clear on the issue and it will alienate all those with an opinion one way or the other. I am reminded of what Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

There is great danger when one finally says “Thus saith the Lord” and I get the impression that the Church is trying to avoid that peril. However, Jesus was clear. When you take a stand for righteousness, you won’t be popular. Indeed, you will suffer persecution.

Luke 6:22. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
23. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
26. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

One must take a stand and this is especially true with prophets.

I had two references in mind when I wrote about Pres. Oak’ influence.

Disregard for Past Prophets

In his conference talk called “Trust in the Lord” in the October 2019 General Conference, he says

As to all of these, the wise cautions of Elders D. Todd Christofferson and Neil L. Andersen in earlier general conference messages are important to remember. Elder Christofferson taught: “It should be remembered that not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. It is commonly understood in the Church that a statement made by one leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, not meant to be official or binding for the whole Church.”

In the following conference, Elder Andersen taught this principle: “The doctrine is taught by all 15 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. It is not hidden in an obscure paragraph of one talk.” The family proclamation, signed by all 15 prophets, seers, and revelators, is a wonderful illustration of that principle.

This is an opening, if accepted, to disregard anything at all that past leaders have declared. If the Church decides to change a doctrine that has been preached for centuries, all they have to do is state that the doctrine was just the prophets personal opinion and therefore was never really binding on the Church.

An example is past use of the name “Mormon”. Presidents Monson and Hinckley are almost, if not directly, accused of being duped by the devil in their “I am a Mormon”, Mormon.org, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir were also demon inspired. Any practice, doctrine, policy or publications can be modified at will as we go in that direction. This willy-nilly approach to eternal truths will destroy any trust in what the current Prophet is telling us because the next one can just tell us that he was sharing his personal opinion.

Please note one of satan’s oldest trick:

Moses 4:7 And he said unto the woman: Yea, hath God said--Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

“And he said unto the woman: Yea, hath God said _________?” Fill in the blank with any scripture or declaration of past prophets. Really? Are you sure the scriptures were translated correctly? Was it only his personal opinion? Was it an incomplete revelation of the truth? The devil, your enemy, will cast doubt on any statement made by God in the past.

That is exactly the effect, if not the intent, of Oak’s precept.

Universalism

He has been pushing the idea that everyone, with exceptions too few to be considered, will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and receive glory.

A common misunderstanding of the judgment that ultimately follows mortal life is that good people go to a place called heaven and bad people go to an everlasting place called hell. This erroneous assumption of only two ultimate destinations implies that those who cannot keep all the commandments required for heaven will necessarily be forever destined for hell.

A loving Heavenly Father has a better plan for His children. The revealed doctrine of the restored Church of Jesus Christ teaches that all the children of God—with exceptions too limited to consider here—will finally wind up in a kingdom of glory. “In my Father’s house are many mansions,” Jesus taught. From modern revelation we know that those mansions are in three different kingdoms of glory. In the Final Judgment each of us will be judged according to our deeds and the desires of our hearts. Before that, we will need to suffer for our unrepented sins. The scriptures are clear on that.

Because of our Heavenly Father’s great love for all of His children, He has provided other kingdoms of glory—as Elder Quentin L. Cook explained yesterday—all of which are more wonderful than we can comprehend.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ makes all of this possible. He has revealed that He “glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands.” That salvation is granted in different kingdoms of glory.

The Church has always been universalist in nature, but this is getting a renewed and stronger emphasis. He says “A common misunderstanding of the judgment that ultimately follows mortal life is that good people go to a place called heaven and bad people go to an everlasting place called hell”. The problem is that this is the teaching of all the standard works. One would have to be purposely blind not to see this. The understanding that there is wheat/chaff, 5 wise/5 foolish, good fish/bad fish, wheat/tares, sheep/goats, those on the right hand/those on the left hand….and these references are from only the New Testament.

John 5:28. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

The doctrine that “the judgment that ultimately follows mortal life is that good people go to a place called heaven and bad people go to an everlasting place called hell” is found in each of the Standard Works.

Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 9:23. And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.
24. And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it.

Doctrine and Covenants

Doctrine and Covenants 29:43. And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation--that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe;
44. And they that believe not unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not;

Pearl of Great Price

Moses 7:1 AND it came to pass that Enoch continued his speech, saying: Behold, our father Adam taught these things, and many have believed and become the sons of God, and many have believed not, and have perished in their sins, and are looking forth with fear, in torment, for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God to be poured out upon them.

I could spend the rest of the night and morning citing scriptures supporting the “erroneous assumption of only two ultimate destinations”. One more:

1 Nephi 15:35 ….the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken.

Nehor and an Amalkite

This “everybody gets in” is nothing new. It is foreseen as something Mormon saw and warned us about. Look at the doctrine of Nehor:

Alma 1:4 And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.

Does Nehor sound more like Jesus or Oaks?

(Let’s not quibble about a twisted definition of “Eternal Life” or messing with false definitions and distinctions between “Kingdom of God” and “Kingdom of Heaven”. You can redefine “saved” to fit the Universalist precept, but I assure you, we can have that discussion and I will show you that all those terms are just as plain as they appear. I will go there if you or anyone shows an interest. The Book of Mormon always defines the terms it uses.)

Amalekite and Aaron

Aaron, in the Book of Mormon had a discussion with an Amalikite that could easily have been had with President Oaks.

Alma 21:5. ….Behold are not this people as good as thy people?
6. Thou also sayest, except we repent we shall perish. …..We do believe that God will save all men.

Now, I ask you to ponder Aaron’s response. To the casual reader, it will seem a non sequitur. But it is weighty:

7. Now Aaron said unto him: Believest thou that the Son of God shall come to redeem mankind from their sins?

Do you see that if God will save all men, then the Son of God’s work in redeeming men FROM their sins would be unneeded?

The Amalikite basically says what Oaks would have us believe:

8. We do not believe in these foolish traditions. We do not believe....that thy fathers and also that our fathers did know concerning the things which they spake.

In other words, when the scriptures talk of the final destination is either heaven or hell, it is because the prophets who wrote stuff like that did not have all of the information about degrees of glory, etc. They did not know concerning the things which they spake.

It continues:

9. Now Aaron began to open the scriptures unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and that there could be no redemption for mankind save it were through the death and sufferings of Christ, and the atonement of his blood.

Aaron was bold enough to open the scriptures to show the man that there is no redemption without the atonement of Christ’s Blood. There is no atonement of Christ’s blood without faith, repentance and enduring to the end.

Jesus said in 3 Nephi 27:19 “And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore 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”.

So if there are any erroneous misconceptions regarding eternal destination, it is on Oaks’ part. Unfortunately, he seems to mock the idea that there is a hell. To repeat, “A common misunderstanding of the judgment that ultimately follows mortal life is that good people go to a place called heaven and bad people go to an everlasting place called hell. This erroneous assumption of only two ultimate destinations implies that those who cannot keep all the commandments required for heaven will necessarily be forever destined for hell.”

Jacob warns about being hewn down and cast into the fire and, further, warns against mocking this truth:

6. Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die?
7. For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire?

And he asks you…yes, YOU:

8. Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him….and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?

Conclusion

Oaks is taking the Church down some pretty dangerous paths. I am convinced that he has President Nelson’s ear.

Anyway, this is what I was thinking when I wrote that “negative” comment.