GIFTS: Reply to Doubters on "God's Love Is Not Unconditional"

We have sent out close to a hundred posts over the past two years or more. There has been dispute on only one of them: the supposedly controversial issue of "God's unconditional love." Let's see if further evidences and reasoning will prove helpful.

Around the time of his call to the Quorum of the Twelve in the mid-1990s, Elder Henry B. Eyring spoke to our district seminary teachers at Alta seminary in the Salt Lake Valley. From my notes on that occasion:

"In the eyes of the world sin is rapidly disappearing --- there is none, they say. This takes away the need for a Savior. Not long ago movies reflected right and wrong, but gradually --- you can see it --- humorous comments on immorality began to creep in . . . .

"People who believe in God, like many of our Saints --- our seminary students too --- but who nevertheless feel that 'whatsoever they did was right' [see Alma 18:4--5]. If you don't feel guilt, who needs a Savior? Corianton felt this way. See Alma 42:1--->.

"One young woman was sent to HBEyring who had had not only one abortion but two or three. He asked her about her sorrow. She replied that she had been living in hell and wanted out --- but no mention of the Savior. She had done her own suffering, and so she had not really come unto Christ. She had become numbed to guilt, to godly sorrow. . . .

"A tremendous change is occurring --- God bless the bishops of the Church --- but we are teaching the Atonement now, and the repentance necessary to access it, with some measure of criticism from some LDS.

"Here then is the problem: people are inured to sin, insensitive to it and their desperate need for a Savior. The solution? How do we teach toward the peace that is found only in Him? --- so our people are sure they are forgiven, not just excused in their sins. . . .

"I feel caution with 'unconditional love' --- if that is paramount then the Atonement is not quite so important. . . .

"Standards for missionary service have been changed for these kinds of reasons. Saints excuse themselves in sin, look upon sin with a high degree of allowance! (see D&C 1:31). . . .

"As one comes to know God better one yearns for His presence, and to be clean to enter it and to stay and be comfortable there. Oh, how much He loves you! But oh! how good He is! And oh! how clean we must be to be with Him!"

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Those that have ears to hear can understand the doctrine of Christ, and all its conditions, from such teachings of one of the Lord's anointed. Those already familiar with the scriptures will see it. Those not so familiar will dispute it still.

This instruction from Elder Eyring was given nearly a generation ago. Conditions in the world since then have hardened, along with societal attitudes. His words are even clearer today. His was a subtle warning about the dangers of "God's unconditional love" at the time. I am impelled to exclaim: How in the world can we defend it, when it comes from the world!?! --- the philosophies of men, mingled with scripture!

Another point of emphasis:

Working as an editor with the Church Educational System's curriculum department I had the privilege in 2001, along with the other five or six full-time editors, of a lengthy meeting (a full afternoon) with the Correlation Department of the Church. The Correlation people vet and correct and give strict guidelines on everything the Church produces, from manuals to media, and everything in between.

In this three- or four-hour meeting we editors were told in unmistakable terms not to allow ideas adopted from the world to find their way into the curriculum of the Church. Ideas and phrases like "self esteem" and "unconditional love" --- that they were false ideas produced from the world and, unfortunately, a common part of our vocabulary today. "Ameliorate. . . . Improve . . . . Change, as necessary, the work produced by the called writers of Church curriculum," we were told.

We got the impression that it was a common problem. And we were to help make the curriculum, the talks and written presentations, everything we produce for consumption in the Church, conform to the language and intent of the scriptures and the prophets. The words of President Hinckley echo to us here:

"I have spoken before about the importance of keeping the doctrine of the Church pure, and seeing that it [ie pure doctrine] is taught in all of our meetings. I worry about this." So does the Correlation Department of the Church. As do the Brethren.

This leads us to address what President Benson taught:

"It is important that in our teaching we make use of the language of holy writ. Alma said, 'I . . . do command you in the language of him who hath commanded me' (Alma 5:61). The words and the way they are used in the Book of Mormon by the Lord should become our source of understanding and should be used by us in teaching gospel principles" (April 1987, emphasis added).

The term "unconditional love" is not found in the Book of Mormon nor in any other of the scriptures we have from the Lord. That is significant. The scriptures are the standard --- that is why we call them "the standard works." We could add more to this, but it is sufficiently plain as it stands.

One final proof of our position (for now, that is. We have noted that when a person is firmly set in an opinion, even if a false one, it takes a whole lot of evidence to prove it is not so.)

This final proof is a fairly recent one. Under assignment from the First Presidency, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Twelve was asked to write an article for the Ensign magazine to refute the whole notion of "God's unconditional love." This step was deemed to be necessary because of the harm and dangers inherent in believing such doctrine (see Elder Eyring's remarks above), and because the idea of God's "unconditional love" is so entrenched among us. This again echoes President Hinckley's urgent concern as recorded here above. Elder Nelson's article was duly printed in the February 2003 issue of the Ensign magazine. You can find it there.

None of these extra proofs and evidences and reasons would be necessary if we simply stay with the words and intent of holy scripture. The fact is, so very few of us are intimately familiar with the scriptures, and that is why we err and end up adopting what we hear from the world (see 2 Nephi 28:14).

I hesitate to ask for your comments and feedback, as I usually do. It pains me to see Isaiah's words for the last days sometimes fulfilled among the Saints, that we will call evil good and good evil. I am then left to find comfort in Joseph's words, that "It is our duty to concentrate all our influence to make popular that which is sound and good, and unpopular that which is unsound."

Indeed, "Is there not a cause?" that exists among us.

The beginning of our understanding is the Book of Mormon. If and when we are immersed and steeped in its truths, "If we really did our homework and approached [it] doctrinally", as President Benson taught, we would be able to expose such false ideas from the world as we have discussed here and in other blog posts. Let's not resist. Let's get the doctrine right, without equivocation or excuse, and let's realize the importance of keeping the doctrine pure.

God bless.

Steve