Some modern Mormons would contend that God could not have cut off the LDS church, because if he had they would not have the benefits they enjoy as members of the church. They are ignorant of scripture, which voluminously attests to the general failure of people who have been cut off to notice.
Isaiah speaks of a people who are “weighed down by sin,” “forsaken Jehovah,” and “lapsed into apostasy,” yet they make “abundant sacrifices” in the temple, has “meetings at the New Month and on the Sabbath,” and “spread[s] forth [their] hands” in temple ordinances (Isaiah 1:4,11,14-15, Gileadi Translation.) They “importune me daily, eager to learn my ways, like a nation practicing righteousness and not forsaking the precepts of its God.” (Isaiah 58:2, Gileadi Translation.)
In 3 Nephi, chapter 27, the Lord gives the criteria by which we can determine that an organization is His church. First it must be called by His name. Second, it must be built on His gospel. Third, it must demonstrate the works of God (examples in 3 Ne. 26:11). While the LDS church fulfills the first requirement, its institutional neglect and active abandonment of the gospel as revealed through Joseph Smith suggests that the second criteria is not met. A Mormon from 1842 would not recognize the church today if he were teleported to our day. What about the third criteria? Does the church and its members bear the fruits of the gospel? On Sept 13[th] , 2015 Elder Ballard praised the Utah South area. These are the accomplishments he lauded them for:
- A nationwide polling service found Utah to be the most religious state.
- Three missions.
- Six temples with two under construction.
- The largest religious university in America.
- Vibrant institutes of religion programs associated with the great colleges and universities in the area.
- An expanding Missionary Training Center in Provo.
- Numerous ward, stake, and seminary buildings.v
Where are the fruits? All of these items—all of them—are a result of how much money a people has. As demonstrated by the Israelites and by King Noah’s people, all of these characteristics can be demonstrated while being in complete apostasy from God. How many members of the church have been baptized by fire? How many prophesy? How many miraculously heal the sick, the blind, or the deaf? How many have seen angels? How many have seen God? Instead of being known for these fruits, Utah leads the nation in suicides per capita, porn use, and prescription antidepressants.
So many times, modern Mormons contest “But this is the Lord's church, therefore whatever it does must be sanctioned by God.” Wouldn't it be nice if we could point to the church's actions and say, “these match God's word, therefore this is God's church” rather than using the claim that it is God's church (a claim God himself hasn't made since before 1832 when he said this church was under condemnation) to justify actions that are contrary to God's revealed word?
Modern Mormons truly are dripping in pride about their supposed exalted status. Yet, the Lord has explicitly rejected them. Though their failure as an institution is sealed, the fate of each individual member is still at stake. Chuck Baldwin once said,
What happens when an institution becomes more important than the cause for which the institution was formed? How long should people who believe in the cause remain loyal to such an institution? And at what point does loyalty to such an institution comprise an abandonment of the cause itself?
As the church continues to turn away in greater and greater degrees from the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, members must choose: will they align their actions and beliefs to God’s word as revealed in scripture, or will they join the church in drifting further and further away from God?
They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men. (2 Nephi 28:14.)
Only those few true followers of Jesus will be able to escape the calamity that is about to fall on the Gentiles, and be numbered among the remnant of Jacob.