Friday, June 5, 2020

Some Insights into Soteriology from J. Golden Kimball (1853-1938)

The following quotes come from:

 

Bonnie Taylor, ed. J. Golden Kimball: His Sermons (Latter-day Publishing, 2007)

 

The Importance of Perseverance in Faithfulness and Belief

 

The Lord’s ways are not as man’s ways, and He does things so differently from the way we want to do them that many of us are oftentimes surprised, and it requires constant faith to say in this Church. I believed it is the hardest church to say in that there is on earth, because you have to always go to keep exercising faith. (October 1905 [p. 72]; cf. God's Love being conditional and unconditional for a discussion of the present participle ὁ πιστεύων "the believing ones" in John 3:16)

 

Attempt to Balance Being Opposed to Antinomianism and Not being Self-Righteous

 

Now, as I said, I waived certain rights when I became a member of the Church; I waived the right of sin. I had my agency and individuality; but as long as I am a member of this Church, I waive the right to sin, to transgress. When you joined the Church, became members of it, you also waived the right to do a great many things. You have no right to break the ten commandments, have you? You have no right to be dishonest. You have no right to commit adultery, or to be immoral. You have waived all these rights. You have waived the right to break the Word of Wisdom. And in many other things we have waived our rights and sometimes I feel muzzled when I wrestle with my nature and human weaknesses. You know there is no other man just like me in all Israel, and probably you are glad of it. I am having a pretty hard time wrestling with myself. I don’t feel self-righteous; I feel more like that poor fellow who stood on the street corner and bowed his head and said, “O God, forgive me, a poor sinner.” I feel confident when I think about the matter carefully, that some people become self-righteous in their own estimation, because they keep one or two or more commandments, they then commence to exercise “unrighteous dominion” when they find a transgressor in the Church. Now, Latter-day Saints, you have all “sinned and come short of the glory of God,” and you stand condemned before the Lord unless there is such a thing as repentance and forgiveness of sins. It is a question: How long will it take for me to secure salvation? The Lord only knows; I don’t: I am not competent to tell whether I will be saved or not. I am making an effort for salvation, and, as I said, I waived a great many rights in order to become a member of the Church. I have trampled ambition under my feet, for I have an ambition, and it takes me all the time to keep my feet on it. I am sometimes afraid of my friends, because if one don’t qualify every statement he makes, he may be like one man said of me in the north country: “Well, he didn’t say it but he intended to, and if he will say to me that he did not intent to say it, then I will take back everything I said against him.” (April 1907 [p. 91])

 

The Importance of Repentance and "the Spirit of Repentance" being a Gift from God

 

Brethren, I want to call your attention to one thing; I am a sort of transgressor. My father died when I was fifteen years old. I have not committed any crimes, but there are some things in my history that I regret. Environment has a great deal to do with a man, and men who have colonized these outlying districts do not look upon some habits as seriously as men who have never indulged in them; if they did, it would be an injustice to themselves. You never saw a man in your life do a wrong thing, who was happy over it. You never saw men violate a commandments of God and feel jubilant over it, but if they have the Spirit of the Lord they feel miserable. I say to you Latter-day Saints, I say it to myself: I have preached this Gospel for fifteen years, and I now understand the doctrine of repentance. A man can’t repent simply because an Apostle tells him to repent; he can’t do it until he gets the spirit of repentance, which is a gift from God; and some of us don’t get it very quickly. Some of us don’t get the spirit of repentance and see things right until our hair is gray. Brethren, let us be tolerant; let us be kind and considerate. It is the proper thing to despite sin and wickedness; but I think it is wrong to despise the man that has a weakness, and make him feel that he is good for nothing, and that there is not much chance for him. I think I can safely say to you Latter-day Saints: You will all be saved, every one of you; the only difference will be this, some will be saved sooner than others. Every man that has transgressed and done wrong must pay the penalty of his transgression, for salvation costs something, and you have to pay the price or you don’t get it. (April 1908 [p. 99, emphasis added])