Quotations used in the March 17th Viewpoint on Mormonism broadcast
“To be justified before God we must love one another: we must overcome evil; we must visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, and we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 76. See also Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual: Religion 231 and 232, p. 50).
“We are commanded to overcome all our lustful desires, also our pride, selfishness, and every evil propensity that pertains to the flesh, to keep the commandments of God, and all the commandments pertaining to the holy Priesthood” (Brigham Young, July 14, 1855, Journal of Discourses 3:265).
“If the Latter-day Saints live their religion, they will forsake iniquity and overcome the evil that the enemy of all righteousness causes to rise within them, until every passion and appetite is as perfectly under their own control as a patient animal they hold by the bit” (Brigham Young, September 2, 1860, Journal of Discourses 8:160).
“CELESTIAL SALVATION. Those who keep the full law and obey all the commandments of God are heirs of full salvation in the celestial kingdom, the glory of which the sun is spoken of as being typical. These overcome all things and receive a fulness of the blessings, power, and glory of the Father” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:21. Italics in original)
“It is my duty, it is yours, to be better today than I was yesterday, and for you to be better today than you were yesterday, and better tomorrow than you were today. Why? Because we are on that road, if we are keeping the commandments of the Lord, we are on that road to perfection, and that can only come through obedience and the desire in our hearts to overcome the world” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:18-19. See also The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles manual, 1979, p. 292).
“There is only one objective so far as our Father’s work is concerned, and that is that in the end when we shall have finished our work here on earth, whether after a short space of time or a long, we too shall have overcome the world and have earned the right to that place called the Celestial Kingdom” (Harold B. Lee, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, pp. 230-231).
“This life is the time to repent. That is why I presume it will take a thousand years after the first resurrection until the last group will be prepared to come forth. It will take them a thousand years to do what it would have taken, but three score years and ten to accomplish in this life…Then, every man and woman who is putting off until the next life the task of correcting and overcoming the weakness of the flesh are sentencing themselves to years of bondage, for no man or woman will come forth in the resurrection until they have completed their work, until they have overcome, until they have done as much as they can do” (Melvin J. Ballard, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, p. 241. Ellipsis mine).
“A man may receive the priesthood and all its privileges and blessings, but until he learns to overcome the flesh, his temper, his tongue, his disposition to indulge in the things God has forbidden, he cannot come into the celestial kingdom of God — he must overcome either in this life or in the life to come. But this life is the time in which men are to repent. Do not let any of us imagine that we can go down to the grave not having overcome the corruptions of the flesh and then lose in the grave all our sins and evil tendencies. They will be with us. They will be with the spirit when separated from the body” (Marvin J. Ballard, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, p. 240-241. See also Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 168).
“The Lord promises not only the power to overcome all of our sins but also light, health, and righteousness in our lives” (Shayne M. Bowen, “Fasting with Power,” Ensign, April 2009, p. 66).
“King Benjamin referred to this self-mastery as overcoming the natural man. He taught that the natural man is an enemy to God, always has been, and ever will be. If we don’t overcome the natural man in this life and become ‘a saint through the atonement of Christ’ (Mosiah 3:19), we will never live with our Father in Heaven again” (Shayne M. Bowen, “Fasting with Power,” Ensign, April 2009, p. 66).
Additional citations
“Salvation does not come all at once; we are commanded to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. It will take us ages to accomplish this end, for there will be greater progress beyond the grave, and it will be there that the faithful will overcome all things, and receive all things, even the fulness of the Father’s glo[1]ry. I believe the Lord meant just what he said: that we should be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. That will not come all at once, but line upon line, and precept upon precept, example upon example, and even then not as long as we live in this mortal life, for we will have to go even beyond the grave before we reach that perfection and shall be like God” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:18).
“Remorse in the spirit world for our sins might be avoided by repentance of them so that we remember them no more. Repentance is more difficult the longer it is delayed and may be especially difficult in the spirit world. Hence God urges His children to repent while in mortality. This is easily understood when we realize that habits acquired in the body can hardly be overcome when out of the body. A simple example from life will illustrate. A boy has acquired the bad habit of taking too many steps, called ‘progressing,’ with the ball while on the basketball court. In a crucial contest this habit costs his team the game. In his dressing room the boy is full of gloom; nor can the gloom be easily thrust aside, for he cannot return to the basketball floor and play the game over and so rectify himself in the eyes of his teammates. Nor can he overcome his fault off the floor. All he can do is practice and wait for another game, perhaps in a later season, in the hope of so playing the game as to win the approval of coach and players” (William E. Berrett, The Restored Church, 1956, p. 566).
“I believe there are no people in the world who have mastered and overcome mortal weaknesses quite so well as we have. But, I want to see that mastery more complete. I want to see the children of those who have forsaken the sins of the world, who have left off the use of tea, tobacco, coffee, and liquor, take advantage of the example of the fathers and mothers, thus each generation shall become more perfect, until we shall attain unto that which God has designed we should” (Melvin J. Ballard, Conference Reports, October 1912, p. 109).
“The second typical explanation tries to divide the effects of the Atonement between physical death and spiritual death. According to this theory, the resurrection saves all from physical death-it is salvation by grace and is not dependent on anything we do. How[1]ever, if we wish to overcome spiritual death and enter back into God’s presence, we must be obedient to laws and principles. This is exaltation by works. Thus, according to this explanation, we are saved by grace and exalted by works” (Gerald N. Lund, Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation, p. 154. Italics in original).
The atonement of Christ overcame physical death through the Resurrection. This is salvation by grace because it comes to all men automatically and does not depend on what kinds of lives they have lived. But, if we wish to overcome spiritual death and enter back into God’s presence, we must be obedient to laws and principles. This is exaltation by works. Thus, according to this explanation, we are saved by grace and exalted by works” (Gerald N. Lund (Second Quorum), “Salvation: By Grace or by Works?” Ensign, April 1981, p. 18. Italics in original).
“The gratification of the desires of the flesh is devoid of sweetness and joy, it gives only transitory pleasure, and leaves a lasting sting. The man or woman who masters self, who overcome evil, shall obtain their reward in the celestial kingdom of God, and receive glory and exaltation, while they who neglect the opportunities of this life may have to wait ten thousand or a million years trying to overcome the sad effects of their neglect. Brothers and sisters, we all have weaknesses that we must overcome. While I say this, I believe with all my heart that I am speaking to the best people on earth. I believe there are no people in the world who have mastered and overcome mortal weaknesses quite so well as we have. But, I want to see that mastery more complete. I want to see the children of those who have forsaken the sins of the world, who have left off the use of tea, tobacco, coffee, and liquor, take advantage of the example of the fathers and mothers, thus each generation shall become more perfect, until we shall attain unto that which God has designed we should” (Melvin J. Ballard, Conference Reports, October 1912, p. 109).
“Mortal persons who overcome all things and gain an ultimate exaltation will live eternally in the family unit and have spirit children, thus becoming Eternal Fathers and Eternal Mothers. (D. & C. 132:19-32.) Indeed, the formal pronouncement of the Church, issued by the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve, states: ‘So far as the stages of eternal progression and attainment have been made known through divine revelation, we are to understand that only resurrected and glorified beings can become parents of spirit offspring.’ (Man: His Origin and Destiny, p. 129.)” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 517. Italics in original).
“The Celestial Glory — There are some who have striven to obey all the divine commandments, who have accepted the testimony of Christ, obeyed ‘the laws and ordinances of the Gospel,’ and received the Holy Spirit; these are they who have overcome evil by godly works and who are therefore entitled to the highest glory; these belong to the Church of the Firstborn, unto whom the Father has given all things; they are made kings and priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek; they possess celestial bodies, ‘whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical’; they are admitted to the glorified company, crowned with exaltation in the celestial kingdom” (James E. Tal[1]mage, Articles of Faith, 1984, p. 83).
“Time and time again at funerals, statements are made that the de[1]ceased will inherit all blessings of celestial glory when that individual has in no way qualified by obtaining the necessary ordinances and by keeping the required covenants. That won’t happen. Such blessings can only be earned by meeting the Lord’s requirements. His mercy does not overcome the requirements of His law. They must be met” (Richard G. Scott, “First Things First,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2001, p. 9).
“Exaltation comes as a gift from God, dependent upon my obedience to God’s law. No works I do solely of my own power can bring this to pass. Only by the grace of God has this course been opened to me, but only through obedience to the laws of God can I claim my inheritance in the celestial kingdom of my Heavenly Father as a son within his family. I cannot be exalted in my sins, but must work until I overcome them” (Theodore M. Burton, “Salvation and Exaltation,” Ensign (Conference Edition), July 1972, pp. 78- 79).
“Full obedience brings the complete power of the gospel into your life, including increased strength to overcome your weaknesses. This obedience includes actions you might not initially consider part of repentance, such as attending meetings, paying tithing, giving service, and forgiving others. The Lord promised, ‘He that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven’ (D&C 1:32)” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference, 2004, p. 135).
“It is my duty, it is yours, to be better today than I was yesterday, and for you to be better today than you were yesterday, and better tomorrow than you were today. Why? Because we are on that road, if we are keeping the commandments of the Lord, we are on that road to perfection, and that can only come through obedience and the desire in our hearts to overcome the world” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:18-19. See also The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles manual, 1979, p. 292).
“Perfection is of two kinds — finite or mortal, and infinite or eternal. Finite perfection may be gained by the righteous saints in this life. It consists in living a godfearing life of devotion to the truth, of walking in complete submission to the will of the Lord, and of putting first in one’s life the things of the kingdom of God. Infinite perfection is reserved for those who overcome all things and inherit the fulness of the Father in the mansions hereafter. It consists in gaining eternal life, the kind of life which God has in the highest heaven within the celestial world” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 567. Italics in original).
“And let us not suppose that in calling people to repentance the prophets are concerned only with the more grievous sins such as murder, adultery, stealing, and so on, nor only with those persons who have not accepted the gospel ordinances. All transgressions must be cleansed, all weaknesses must be overcome, before a per[1]son can attain perfection and godhood” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 16).
“In the resurrection, they stand side by side and hold dominion together. Every man who overcomes all things and is thereby entitled to inherit all things, receives power to bring up his wife to join him in the possession and enjoyment thereof” (Charles W. Penrose, Mormon Doctrine Plain and Simple, p. 51).