"Faith" that's not really faith at all

[@justinparker7795]

Thank you Bro Adam, appropriate your time and effort , your a God send! Amen on 2 Nephi 28

[@MyJourJourneys]

Thank you Adam! Nice to see you! I've sent up a prayer that the Lord allow me to speak the words I need to, and today was Brian's day! He got stuck as the driver and I was the passenger. A flood of good stuff all over the van. Brian felt ashamed as he pulled through to get his "Jack-Mormon Coffee". He was outside the box. I just came out of the Russian Orthodox church from Sunday services. I was outside the box. But our conversation was on the mega size miracles found in the Book of Mormon and why we aren't seeing that kind of faith among us. Brian was a humble recipient and we were both in awe as the spirit was with us and guiding the conversation.

[@rubiamclane4684]

Thank you Adam! That was a great and well said!

[@meridentoombs3840]

I can't like this enough!! When you talked about the adversary changing the definition of faith and the Doctrine of Christ, it hit me that the pure simple version of the Doctrine of Christ was changed to temples, eternal sealings and everything else that goes on in the temple. That has become our end goal, rather than to have the Baptism of Fire and Holy Ghost and then to see the face of Jesus. Also, LDS church leaders tell us to doubt our doubts, rather than taking them to Jesus, and experimenting on the word. We can learn so much. God wants to give us so much more, but he can’t because we are figuratively taught to put him in a box. I love being out of the boat (still member, but still out of the boat). At times, it can be scary, but when I call out to Jesus, he is always there to pick me back up. Awesome video!

[@colinbagley786]

Great synthesis of Alma 32 and the “God in a box” diagram. Had some good insights watching this thanks for sharing!

[@lisacollier9179]

Amen to this..Faith and an expectation of receiving the wisdom and knowledge found in God, is real and true! It is personal. He is truly available to teach us! Another great video!

[@leannerickords7380]

Thank you for this. I have been on a recent journey with this very concept. I have been stepping out of the boat in many ways. One simple way is I decided to really dig into the Bible in a way that I never have before. I have recently purchased 3 different bibles in 3 different translations. I know that just reading and studying the KJV will automatically make my mind travel the paths to what the church has always taught me what the Bible says. So by reading from 3 more translations I am learning so much more and my eyes are opening up to the true message of the Bible. I am also reading the BOM with the scales gone from my eyes and the whole thing is a warning to OUR church (not to the world as we have always been taught.) The other ways that I have been stepping out onto the water are too sacred to mention but I will say the Lord is revealing and teaching me so much truth and how the church has been hiding truth behind false traditions and false teachings. It’s an amazing journey but a hard one too. It’s amazing to be taught by the Lord but hard to see where we have been deceived. It’s also lonely because while there are some waking up to our awful situation there are too many who are still deep asleep and very content thinking all is well.

[@ajboyle]

I love your ideas on reading different translations. I do this, too. It's a game changer! Thanks for sharing your journey. Once you step out of the boat everything changes!

[@bethperri]

@@ajboylegreat great idea I just ordered the restoration edition scriptures

[@Notfromhere347]

My Sunday morning sermon! Thank you so much!

[@SidJane10]

Love this one so much. I couldn't agree more!

[@terryswain9733]

Thank you Adam. You have an amazing ability to to take a concept, break it down, and explain it plainly so that it can truly be understood. This is perhaps your most profound video so far. And I don't say that lightly because I honestly feel that ALL of your videos have been at least somewhat life-altering for me. What you said in this video is absolutely amazing -- simple but so extremely meaningful and profound! This explains/defines our LDS faith and us as Mormons (sorry, that's a swear word now) exactly. I feel like I need to have everyone in my family watch this video! Thank you for your work and time in putting out these videos.

[@ajboyle]

Thank you, Terry. :)

[@originalintent6916]

Excellent as usual, Adam. I have wandered well outside the box, and amazingly my testimony of the restoration has only been strengthened. My testimony of the gospel and of the love of God has grown. My faith in the arm of flesh has been weakened. I still take counsel from our church leaders and continue to find much good. But in contrast to what I heard at a general conference some years ago, to an extent what is offered to us is a buffet. Not that WE get to pick and choose which truths to follow, but we do get to take things to Heavenly Father and have that counsel be fortified and/or corrected. We also have been taught that when the prophet or any of the 15 PSRs have spoken that "the thinking has been done." What a damnable doctrine. Greatly appreciate your messages and your courage in encouraging others to not let the thinking be done for them.

[@ajboyle]

"I have wandered well outside the box, and amazingly my testimony of the restoration has only been strengthened." Awesome. I think "outside the box" is where the rubber really meets the road, and where we intimately get to know God. This is my experience as well. :)

[@originalintent6916]

@@ajboyle In fairness, I won't say I haven't made some mis-steps on my journey. And yet, even those errors taught me in a way that I would not trade for anything! It teaches me that it isn't just me making things up as I go, there is truth and if we live in conformity to it, we prosper (not always in lucre) and if we do not comply with it, we suffer (even though we may appear to prosper by worldly standards.). God bless you!

[@chrysanthemum8392]

God bless you always and forever!

[@BenjaminJohn316]

Wow, I feel completely convicted. Thank you Adam for sharing this!

[@Telavian]

This is certainly true. A lot of people though expand their box and then stop there. They then camp out with others who have similar boxes. I have been told several times not to question this or that because they are undeniable. However, in reality this means the person is afraid of what would happen if those things were wrong. If God is loving and kind, then he would look much more favorably on someone that is searching for truth than someone who plays it safe for fear of the consequences.

[@ajboyle]

100% true...people jump from one box into the next, and then feel good about themselves ("okay, NOW all is well in Zion!") and stop. Line upon line is not supposed to end.

[@lauraparkes6591]

Thank you Adam for another inspired and well thought out and delivered video. I am blessed to know you.

[@ajboyle]

Thank you, Laura!

[@sylvial3936]

God always has His people, His true church. And it is not what is visible on the surface, loud and flashy. God told Elijah He had 7000 who did not bow down to Baal. It's those who go directly to Him and His Word for nourishment. They don't need mediators/priests/pastors. Christ is their way to the Father.

[@Teresamaisey76]

"Staying in the box causes complacency." *Adam Boyle Amazing perspective 👏

[@jaredeastley9640]

What a great video! I love the faith in the box analogy. I might have to steal that. :)

[@patrickmo7137]

Amen Brother AMEN!!

[@JesseBakerNM]

Beautiful points

[@Esty120]

This was so good!

[@ZakkiLowe]

I love this. I agree 100%. When I stepped outside the box I saw everything differently. I can't get enough of the scriptures. I feel like a sponge when it comes to scripture study, and everything makes so much more sense to me than ever before. I can't imagine going back to blindly following. It feels like I was trudging along in my faith throughout my whole life. But when I started simply focusing on Christ, and realizing that not one single person can stand between me and Him, my entire world changed for the better. Another great video, Adam. 👍

[@bethperri]

Amen 🙏

[@bethperri]

Best video thank you sincerely!!

[@junebeemama8857]

Loved this! Imo, blind obedience is the new description of "faith". Spiritual blindness+obedience. Just like those who are able to identify counterfeit money by studying the real thing so that they can see what is different about a fraud, having real experience with faith as an active growth process, like a tag team with God, the fruitless fraud becomes obvious.

[@littleninjakjh]

amen brother

[@hhsisters5508]

Wonderful, as usual! I'm sure you are aware, but Pres. Eyring titled his talk last General Conference "All Will be Well Because of Temple Covenants." That made me cringe a little!

[@kelseymccracken3355]

Ewe, that makes me cringe a lot.

[@Hmcc0712]

Thanks for all your hard work, I love your insights. A while ago you said you used to teach the doctrine of Christ as a high council speaker. I’d love to see one of those talks. I sometimes have a hard time putting everything into words to share with others. I’m studying and trying to do this on my own but I would love to see how you did that.

[@ajboyle]

Let me see what I can find! I did write out at least a couple of my talks completely, although I prefer to just go off bullet points, since speaking contemporaneously for me helps me speak with more authenticity and the Spirit. But I'll find one and will send you a link! Thanks for asking.

[@whats-up-with-the-Mormons]

If people knew how spiritual discernment works, they could even learn truth from the devil.. That may sound quite challanging to say, but Jesus was clear that once we know what "the good fruit" is, we can know for sure it is "of God".. Nothing on this earth is perfect, except God himself, meaning, God will always have to work through the imperfect, and the sooner we realize he does, we can see the truth even beyond these imperfections

[@MegaJohn144]

Yes, the definition of faith has been redefined. This was done after Constantine took over Christianity and demanded that the various Christian churches unify on a common definition of what they believed. The definition of faith changed from your definition of faith as "interactive discovery" to belief in a fixed creed. THIS was the great apostasy, not the loss of authority. In the First Vision, God told Joseph Smith that the creeds of the churches were "an abomination in my sight". Does that mean that a church could have a creed that was NOT an abomination? I don't think so. Creeds are meant to put you in a box. Creeds are meant to stop experimentation. Creeds damn you. We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. We believe that these ordinances ARE 1st, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; 2d, Repentance; 3d, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; 4th, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. There are no additional ordinances. But, are faith and repentance ordinances? Yes, according to the definition in use at the time of Joseph Smit. This is what he would have understood. From Webster's 1828 Dictionary: OR'DINANCE, noun 1. A rule established by authority; a permanent rule of action. An ordinance may be a law or statute of sovereign power. In this sense it is often used in the Scriptures. Ex. 15. Num. 10. Ezra 3. It may also signify a decree, edict or rescript, and the word has sometimes been applied to the statutes of Parliament, but these are usually called acts or laws. In the United States, it is never applied to the acts of Congress, or of a state legislature. 2. Observance commanded. 3. Appointment. 4. Established rite or ceremony. Heb. 9. In this sense, baptism and the Lord's supper are denominated ordinances.

[@ajboyle]

LOVE the additional background and clarity you give here, John. Thank you!

[@stephenbrown9370]

Any church with a higherarchy is nonsense.

[@MarkHigbee]

(Ephesians 4:12-14) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

[@ajboyle]

@@MarkHigbee Ephesians is not describing a hierarchy. It's describing a body (the "church"), with many parts. We read into this scripture a MLM-like hierarchy, but that's not how it works. Leaders are called to guide and assist, but never to insert themselves in between people and God, making themselves an idol and blocking out people's responsibility to hear and follow God's voice.

[@MarkHigbee]

@@ajboyle The body of Christ or the church has been given apostles, prophets, evangelists. The church has and needs organization and leaders ordained to watch over it. (Alma 6:1-3) And now it came to pass that after Alma had made an end of speaking unto the people of the church, which was established in the city of Zarahemla, he ordained priests and elders, by laying on his hands according to the order of God, to preside and watch over the church. 2 And it came to pass that whosoever did not belong to the church who repented of their sins were baptized unto repentance, and were received into the church. 3 And it also came to pass that whosoever did belong to the church that did not repent of their wickedness and humble themselves before God-I mean those who were lifted up in the pride of their hearts-the same were rejected, and their names were blotted out, that their names were not numbered among those of the righteous.

[@ajboyle]

@@MarkHigbee can we just agree that apostles, prophets, evangelists, etc are called to be servants and not rulers? If we can agree to that, then we can also agree that there is not a hierarchy between us and God. Only lots of servants willing to help us.

[@MarkHigbee]

@ajboyle Hopefully we can agree that the leaders called have the duty to watch over the church and the responsibility to disfellowship and excommunicate apostates and those who seek to destroy the testimonies of others to justify their disobedience to God's laws.

[@loum111]

What is the jab your family took part of???

[@MommaCrissa]

It's the 2021 thing.

[@ajboyle]

@@loum111 YT apparently disallowed my last answer to this question, even though I tried to make it cryptic. Yes, as @MommaCrissa said, it was the 2021 thing.

[@paul3441]

Is this a mormon lecturing us on false doctrine?!? Wow, maybe now I've seen it all...

[@ajboyle]

Yep, pretty crazy, I know!

[@LolaleeNichcowy]

Are you saying not to trust the leaders ? Why even be lds then

[@darrylkirky]

Cannot trust. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqLMaXhqaqqBiZYsi=vNc0vj2Mb3a8M26x. 16 min vid

[@ajboyle]

A leader does just that--leads, mentors, assists, and guides. Helps people get unstuck. Tells people their own journey to Christ and tells them how to have the exact same experience with God that they did. A leader should *never* insert themself between you and God. According to Nephi's prophecy in 2 Nephi 28:3-5, that's exactly what false leaders in the last days will do. I have learned a ton from leaders in the LDS church. This video doesn't say that religion is 100% bad or even close to it. However, religion does not 🚫 equal God or faith.

[@LolaleeNichcowy]

@@ajboyle I never thought about it like that . Thank you for explaining it

[@holyroller4391]

You need to just have more faith. 😊 Have a question? Your lacking faith.

[@MarkHigbee]

In Alma 32, the word or gospel is likened to a seed. The gospel or the word is what we are to experiment on. He doesn't counsel us to experiment on our gospels and our own ways. See 2 Nephi 31 the doctrine of Christ path is straight and narrow path. When we leave the path to experiment on our own gospel or ways we are damning ourselves. Peter didn't leave the boat to experiment on his own gospel or his own ways. Tithing should not be confused with fast offerings or humanitarian aid. The church doesn't prevent anyone from giving as much as they want to humanitarian aid or fast offerings and others charities. Don't let all is not well in Zion be an excuse stop paying tithing. It's a standing law forever see D&C 119:4 God wouldn't tell anyone to stop paying tithing, after saying it's a standing law forever.

[@ajboyle]

So I should turn off my brain and let my tithing funds go to the corrupt UN/UNICEF secret combinations that are inside the LDS box that has obviously apostatized from the true doctrines of Christ? Got it. I see where your box is. I've taken this to God. I pay well over 20% "tithing" the way the Lord has instructed me to, and he's continuing to help me learn how to direct the funds in the best way possible. But I do see what you're saying: "Hey Adam--All is well in Zion, stay in the boat, and don't question the men who claim that God has stopped speaking to man and has given them the keys." Your thoughts sound hauntingly like Nephi's prophecy in 2 Nephi 28. Also, I'm not arguing that you "experiment" with idiotic doctrines. Of course it's the Word that you experiment on. And we don't live the gospel at all like Christ did. Maybe we should experiment on doing exactly that?

[@MarkHigbee]

@@ajboyle I didn't say turn off your brain. I suggest you study D&C 119 and D&C 112:24-28 along with Joseph Smith's teachings on how God doesn't tell us to do things contrary to the scriptures.

[@CSWolfHunter]

@@MarkHigbee Interesting you quote those verses in D&C 112. To quote the great Inigo Montoya... "I do not think it means what you think it means". And as far as D&C 119 goes...same goes for that as well. When the term "Zion" is used in the scriptures, (especially in the D&C) it has a much more narrow definition than what is commonly understood and taught today. I highly recommend studying how the term "Zion" was defined by God through the revelations Joseph received as well as letters written at the time found in the Joseph Smith Papers. I was blown away when I researched this topic using the original source materials. The first thing I learned, was the bifurcation of the church in the summer of 1831. D&C 52 outlines how a select group of individuals were "called" to "establish Zion", while the main body of the church remained in Kirtland and elsewhere waiting and preparing themselves for Zion to be more established so they could join Zion. There's much more to the story outlined in letters between Joseph and the men chosen to establish Zion in Jackson county. Joseph, like Moses, tried his best to help the early saints develop a personal relationship with Christ and become one with Him, which would qualify them as a Zion people. Unfortunately, like the Children of Israel during Moses' time, the early saints weren't ready, couldn't abide by the higher law and were expelled from the "Zion" location. Fast forward 200 years, and we're still not there. Once it became apparent the establishment of Zion failed, Joseph tried and tried to redeem Zion during his lifetime, but it never happened. Zion is still fallen and in need of redemption. The marvelous work and a wonder is still a future event. There are still amazing times ahead. It's gonna be Incredible! (Read the Parable of the redemption of Zion in D&C 101) Sadly, God's definition of Zion and what it means both as a physical gathering place and what is required to qualify as a Zion-like people has been corrupted. But that's ok... God is patient. He is whispering to us and inviting us to return to Him, to trust in Him...not the arm of the flesh. I know how hard it is to accept that this level of corruption exists. It shouldn't be that hard to comprehend, simply based on the pattern of God's people being corrupted all throughout scripture. What makes us any better?! May God continue to be patient and help us soften our hearts, see the corruption and recognize the error of our ways.

[@MarkHigbee]

@CSWolfHunter Yes, the saints failed to establish Zion in 1836. I understand Zion hasn't been established yet. This knowledge doesn't change D&C 119:4, which says tithing shall be a standing law forever. The keywords are: shall be a standing law forever.

[@MarkHigbee]

@CSWolfHunter it's interesting that you assume that I don't understand section 112. It's not a hard section to understand. It's not just a revelation for the apostles that it was given to. It's a pattern for all members. We should not exalt ourselves over Joseph Smith or the president of the church. See verse 15. We should instead not concern ourselves with the affairs of the church and have faith that the Lord knows how to run his church and he will clean out all those who have blasphemed in his house. When we begin to exalt ourselves over the leaders that he has called, we are exalting ourselves over Jesus himself. Like the apostles, it's not our place. We have been asked to purify ourselves and preach the gospel, not go rogue, stop paying tithing, and take it upon ourselves to preach against the church and its leadership.