Eternal life is the greatest gift of God and is bestowed on those who “keep [God’s] commandments and endure to the end.” On the other hand, eternal life with our Heavenly Father is denied those “who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus.” There are a number of stumbling blocks to our valor that can prevent us from reaching the goal of eternal life. Stumbling blocks can be complex; …
A stumbling block is “an impediment to belief or understanding” or “an obstacle to progress.” To stumble spiritually is “to fall into sin or waywardness.” A stumbling block can be anything that distracts us from achieving righteous goals.
We cannot afford to have our testimonies of the Father and the Son become confused and complicated by stumbling blocks. We cannot fall into that trap. Our testimonies of Them need to remain pure and simple.
One Stumbling Block Is the Philosophies of Men
We are committed to knowledge of every kind and believe “the glory of God is intelligence.” But we also know that the preferred strategy of the adversary is to lead people away from God and cause them to stumble by emphasizing the philosophies of men over the Savior and His teachings.
In Athens on Mars’ Hill, {Paul} attempted a philosophical approach and was rejected. To the Corinthians he determined to simply teach “the doctrine of Christ crucified.” …
We know the Apostasy occurred in part because the philosophies of men were elevated over Christ’s basic, essential doctrine. Instead of the simplicity of the Savior’s message being taught, many plain and precious truths were changed or lost. In fact, Christianity adopted some Greek philosophical traditions to reconcile people’s beliefs with their existing culture.
Paul is evidence that some of that reconciliation was not sinister, but simply an honest mistake by imperfect men.
Another Stumbling Block Is Refusing to See Sin in Its True Light
One of the unique and troubling aspects of our day is that many people engage in sinful conduct but refuse to consider it sinful. They have no remorse or willingness to acknowledge their conduct as being morally wrong. Even some who profess a belief in the Father and the Son wrongfully take the position that a loving Father in Heaven should exact no consequences for conduct that is contrary to His commandments.
This was apparently the position taken by Corianton, the son of Alma the Younger in the Book of Mormon. He had engaged in grievous immoral conduct and was being counseled by Alma. We are blessed that the great prophet Alma, who had personally experienced “the darkest abyss [and] the marvelous light,” recorded the instruction he gave.
Alma helped Corianton understand that it is not an “injustice that the sinner should be consigned to a state of misery.” But he noted that starting with Adam, a merciful God had provided a “space for repentance” because without repentance, “the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated.” Alma also established that God’s plan is a “plan of happiness.”
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The remarkable and celestial blessing of the Savior’s Atonement is that through repentance, sinful conduct is blotted out. After Corianton’s repentance, Alma concluded, “Let these things trouble you no more, and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance.”
Looking beyond the Mark Is a Stumbling Block
The prophet Jacob referred to ancient Jews as “a stiffnecked people [who] despised … plainness, … killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall.”
While there are many examples of looking beyond the mark, a significant one in our day is extremism. Gospel extremism is when one elevates any gospel principle above other equally important principles and takes a position that is beyond or contrary to the teachings of Church leaders. One example is when one advocates for additions, changes, or primary emphasis to one part of the Word of Wisdom. Another is expensive preparation for end-of-days scenarios. In both examples, others are encouraged to accept private interpretations. “If we turn a health law or any other principle into a form of religious fanaticism, we are looking beyond the mark.” (Quoting himself from the March 2003 Ensign)
{S}ome members elevate causes, many of which are good, to a status superior to basic gospel doctrine. They substitute their devotion to the cause as their first commitment and relegate their commitment to the Savior and His teachings to a secondary position. If we elevate anything above our devotion to the Savior, if our conduct recognizes Him as just another teacher and not the divine Son of God, then we are looking beyond the mark. Jesus Christ is the mark!
That can’t be emphasized enough – Jesus Christ IS the mark!
If we are to be valiant in our testimony of Jesus, we must avoid the stumbling blocks that entrap and impede the progress of many otherwise honorable men and women. Let us determine to always be in His service. While seeking knowledge, we need to avoid the philosophies of men that lessen our commitment to the Savior. We must see sin in its true light and accept the Savior’s Atonement through repentance. We need to avoid looking beyond the mark and focus on Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, and follow His doctrine.
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