August 17, 2015

Dear Copper Hills Ward Members,

It’s time again for another postcard.  You’ve been receiving my postcards, three times each year, for two and a half years.  And, for those who aren’t members of the LDS church, please pardon me, or feel free to read what I have to say.

President Hinckley counseled us to “stand for something,” and I’ve felt inspired to do just that.

Have you ever heard the saying, “if you put a frog in a pot, and turn up the heat slowly enough, the frog will remain in the pot, not noticing what’s happening, until it’s boiled alive?”

Like the frog, I’m sure it feels good to you in the church, right now, but what if the heat is being slowly turned up on you, without you noticing?

2 Nephi 32:5 states, “if ye enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.”

Nephi didn’t say, if you receive the Holy Ghost, it will show you “some things” you should do, nor did he say it will show you “most things” you should do, but that it will show you “all things” you should do.

Other than myself, and I was excommunicated for wanting to embrace this teaching, I don’t know of any church member, or leader for that matter, who’s receiving the Holy Ghost as outlined here, where it’s showing them “all things” they should do.

So, have I actually apostatized from the church, or has the church apostatized from this teaching?  Is the Holy Ghost showing you all things you should do?  If not, what consequences will you face for your rejection of this concept?

When Jesus was asked, what is the greatest commandment in the law?  He replied, “the first and great commandment is to love God, and the second is like unto it, love thy neighbor as thyself.”  He even stated that all other commandments hung on these two.  See Matthew 22:36-40.

Also, in 1 John 4:8 we read, “whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love.”

And, in John 17:3 we read, “and this is life eternal, to know God and Jesus Christ.”

So, eternal life will be given to those who know God, and to know God, is to know love.

So, how do we know love?  Do we learn to love by obeying commandments?  If we don’t steal, kill, lie, or commit adultery, does this mean we love others? Can we obey commandments, and yet, still not love?

My postcard message this time, was prompted from something along these lines.  It was brought to my attention that some among you don’t like me.  And, those who don’t like me, are most likely obeying commandments, so the answer is “yes,” we can obey commandments and still not feel love in our hearts toward others.

So, how do we know love?  Well, it’s not something within our control.  We can’t obey enough commandments to know love.  It’s an undeserved gift from God to know him, who is love. 

Only by receiving the Holy Ghost, can we know love.  The Holy Ghost, when received, and acted upon, not only leads us, but it also changes our heart, where we’re filled with feelings of love for others. 

Basically, the Holy Ghost leads us to love, rather than to obey commandments.

According to Galatians 5:22-23, “fruits of the Spirit include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

According to 2 Corinthians 3:6-9, “fruits of obedience to commandments are death and condemnation, for the letter of the law killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.”

Eternal life isn’t given to those who obey commandments, but rather, it’s given to those who are enlightened by the Spirit of God, who know love.

In Romans 13:8-10 we read, “Love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.  For this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

It’s been my observation, that those who obey commandments, don’t love, and those who love, don’t obey, but rather, they “keep” the commandments, because their hearts have been changed, which enables them to live in harmony with the commandments of love, without obeying them.

Now, I’ve taken the liberty to define “keeping” the commandments as not being the same thing as obeying the commandments.

It can be confusing in scripture, because obedience is used to describe both obeying commandments and obeying the Holy Ghost, which are two very different things.

We read in Jeremiah 31:31-35, that the Old Covenant required obedience to the letter of God’s laws, but the New Covenant would be different, where God’s laws wouldn’t be obeyed, but rather, “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.”

We read in Hebrews 10:16, “this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.”

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus talked about two praying men.  One man boasted of his obedience to the law, and thanked God that he wasn’t like the sinner standing next to him.  The sinner wouldn’t even raise his head, pleading with God for mercy and a change of heart.

Jesus condemned the obedient man, because of his self-righteousness, which is obedience to the letter of the law without a spiritual change of heart.  And, the sinner was praised, for desiring a change of heart, for focusing on the Spirit of God’s laws, rather than the letter.

We read in Matthew 7:21-23, that many self-righteous will come to Jesus, boasting of their obedience, “having done many things in his name, and he will say to them, I never knew you, depart from me.”

Instead of boasting, genuine believers, true receivers of God’s grace will simply and tearfully say, “Thank you for the gift of the Holy Ghost, made possible through thy atonement, which has changed my heart, filled my heart with love, and saved me!!!”

Along these same lines of thought, Jesus taught that those who exalt themselves shall be damned, and those who humble themselves shall be exalted.  See Matthew 23:12.

In essence, those who exalt themselves, like the self-righteous man who prayed, even though obedient, feel judgmental hatred in their hearts toward others, where those who humble themselves, only feel love, even for their enemies.

Jesus was so humble, that he considered himself least and servant of all, which enabled him to love anyone and everyone.  See Matthew 23:10-11, Matthew 20:25-27, Mark 9:35, & Luke 22:25-26.

Man cannot save himself through obeying commandments, “with man, this is impossible” the Lord said, “but with God, all things are possible,” as only God has power to fill our hearts with love.

“Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it,” the Lord said, “and whosoever shall lose his life, for my sake, shall find it,” for everyone who seeks to save their life by obeying the letter of the law, shall lose it, and everyone who seeks to lose their life of pride, who know they need God to change their heart, from being unloving to being loving, shall find it.  See Matthew 16:25.

It’s interesting to me, that in the scriptures, the Holy Ghost is referred to as the Spirit of God, but not as the “Spirit of love.”  We read in 1 John 4:8 that “God is love.”  And, fruits of the Spirit are all loving, so why not refer to the Holy Ghost as the “Spirit of love?”

Let’s consider 2 Nephi 32:5 again, with reference to the Holy Ghost changed to the Spirit of love, “if ye enter in by the way and receive the Spirit of love, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.”

Doesn’t this way of thinking make more sense?  It’s it easier and clearer in our minds to think of the Holy Ghost as the Spirit of love.  Perhaps it makes more sense, because the title, Holy Ghost, has been corrupted in our minds, where we’ve been led astray from thinking of it as a loving voice.

In 3 Nephi 14 and Matthew 7 we’re commanded, “all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets.”

In all scripture, only these two passages, and 2 Nephi 32:5, use the phraseology, “all things,” to describe how often the instruction applies.  So, if we’re guided by the Spirit of love in all things, we’ll also be abiding by the Golden Rule in all things, and vice versa, as both of these ideas are synonymous.

So, when was the last time a church leader asked whether or not you kept the commandment of the Golden Rule?  When was the last time they asked if you were led by the Spirit of love in all things? 

Church leaders don’t ask these questions, do they?  And, why aren’t these questions asked?

Isn’t it because members are in a pot of water, and leaders are slowly turning up the heat?  Aren’t they carefully leading members away from doing unto others as they “think” they would have done unto them, away from being inspired, toward having members do unto others as they’re told to do?

So, why do church leaders think they’re smarter than our Savior?  Why are they leading members to death and condemnation, to do as they’re told, to obey the “letter of the law, which killeth?”

When Jesus gave us the Golden Rule, he knew what he was doing, that it was the only way we could be perfected in love, the only way we could be filled with life, for it requires us to “think” in all things, about how we’d want to be treated, which allows the Holy Ghost to enlighten us in all things.

Jesus didn’t want us to simply do as we’re told, for this wouldn’t allow the Holy Ghost to guide us, which wouldn’t allow his laws to be written in our minds and hearts, which wouldn’t enable us to love, which wouldn’t enable us to know God, which would result in our damnation.

Jesus didn’t want his people to be programmed by powerful people as Dr. Phil describes it.  Or, in other words, he didn’t want his leaders to practice brainwashing, or authoritarianism.

But, as predicted in Ezekiel 34, in the latter-days, and against the Lord’s wishes, his leaders are practicing these evil approaches to leadership, even to the point that his leaders are referred to as, “general authorities,” rather than as general examples to follow.  It’s “do as I say,” and not “do as I do.”

And, not only has it robbed church members of their ability to think, but it’s also robbed them of their ability to love, for the miracle of love can only exist, in the hearts of those who are inspired for themselves.

Recently, I sent a letter to the First Presidency, about how I was only told at baptism, to “receive the Holy Ghost,” and how I was excommunicated from the church for honoring that directive.

In response to my letter, the First Presidency didn’t even mention the Holy Ghost, but rather, repeated what I’ve been told over and over again for eight years now, that “I’m to hearken to the counsel of church leaders, in order to enjoy the blessings and privileges of church membership.”

This begs the question, is the First Presidency so spiritually blind, that they don’t understand, that if we hearken to the counsel of church leaders, which is to obey the letter of the law, it will lead to spiritual death and condemnation, rather than to life?  Don’t they know the scriptures, “that the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life?” 

Don’t they know Romans 8:1-14, that only those who “are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of God,” that if the Spirit doesn’t dwell in us, and if our walk isn’t by the Spirit in all things, we won’t be saved?

So, why aren’t they encouraging me to be led by the Spirit?  Why are they denying the Holy Ghost?

It all started, years ago, when I asked a few simple questions about a church position, that I might understand it, that I might experience the Spirit of love for myself, in regards to it.

Church leaders were offended by my questioning, considering it disloyalty, and grounds for my excommunication from the church.

And, to this day, these questions still haven’t been responded to.

Perhaps the biggest enemy of love in the LDS church, which has destroyed the Golden Rule, in favor of doing unto others as we’re told to do, is the statement made by the church years ago, that God won’t allow the prophet to lead the church astray, for this statement has caused members to deny the Holy Ghost, and listen to the prophet’s voice, instead.

In 2 Nephi 28:21, it was predicted, that “others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say, all is well in Zion, yea Zion prospereth, all is well, and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.”

To replace the voice of the Holy Ghost, with the voice of a mortal, even if it’s the prophet, is to have our souls cheated, for a prophet has not the power to change our hearts, and so, when this is what we do, we’re led carefully down to hell, being obedient, but never filled with love, born of the Spirit of love.

For eight years now, I’ve tried over and over and over again to convince church leaders to practice what they preach in 2 Nephi 32:5, and they’re still not convinced, for they still want me to live in a state of carnal security, and obey them, rather than be shown “all things” I should do by the Holy Ghost.

In eight years of seeking to reason with church leaders, not one of them has owned up to the fact that at baptism they only tell people to “receive the Holy Ghost.”  When confirming members, they don’t say anything about obeying church leaders.

Yet, if I were to be re-baptized, they would say unto me, once again, “receive the Holy Ghost,” when really, to be honest, they should say, “hearken to the counsel of church leaders,” for this more accurately represents their true expectation.

Is the church true, because it has “true” leaders who are to be obeyed, or else?

Or, is the church true, because it has “true” leaders who are authorized to bestow the Holy Ghost, which if “received,” will result in members being perfected in love, which will save them?

D&C 50:7-25 states, that unless we’re enlightened by the Holy Ghost to act on what we’re taught, we’re not to obey those who teach us, that if we obey without this enlightenment, “it’s not of God.”

And, this makes sense, when we understand that obeying “the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life,” for without the Spirit, there’s no love, and without love, there’s no salvation.

The key, here, is that we must “think” for ourselves in order to love.  The miracle of love can only exist, when it comes from our own heart.  If we’re a puppet in the hands of our leaders, if we’re simply obeying them, which is to be brainwashed, then our actions aren’t born of the Spirit of love.

The scriptures teach, “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out all fear, because fear hath torment.  He that feareth,“ to displease a brainwasher, “is not made perfect in love.”

Have you ever noticed how church leaders will almost always tell you “what to think and do,” but seldom if ever tell you “how to think, that you may know what to do, for yourself?”

Although church leaders would never admit to brainwashing us, that they were seeking to take away our ability to think, that’s exactly what they’re doing, even to the point that if you oppose this approach, if you insist on thinking for yourself, if you insist on obeying the Golden Rule, which is to be led by the Spirit of love in all things, you’ll be excommunicated from the church like I was.

Hitler created his empire through brainwashing.  It was used by the former Soviet Union when they participated in communism.  China uses it.  In any situation where freedom is rejected, there’s programming by powerful people, authoritarianism, or brainwashing, which denies love.

In essence, these approaches lead people to become sons and daughters of perdition, because people are led to deny the Spirit of love.

In fact, it’s evil genius that the devil would cause people to believe that salvation is obtained through obeying commandments, for this idea leads them astray from receiving the Holy Ghost.

In the Doctrine and Covenants, it’s explained that only those “who’ve taken the Holy Spirit as their guide” will be among the five out of ten virgins ready for the Lord’s second coming.

Commandments can be conveyed through brainwashing, people can be programmed to obey, but those thus programmed will not be saved, for they aren’t taking the Holy Spirit as their guide, which prevents them from loving.

So, with all this in mind, why would people allow themselves to be brainwashed?  Why would they allow themselves to be programmed by powerful people?  Why would they reject 2 Nephi 32:5, D&C 50:7-25, and JST Mark 9:40-48 which teach us to “think” and be led by the Spirit of love in all things, and rather choose to obey the letter of the law?

Isn’t it because members are truly in a pot of water, and the heat from church leaders to obey and obey and obey has being turned up slowly, until now, it’s believed that obedience, rather than love born of the Spirit, will save us?

So, how can we resist being brainwashed, that we may “keep” the commandments, rather than obeying them, that we may experience the miracle of a loving changed heart, through being guided in all things by the Spirit of love?

Well, to begin with, we must embrace the teachings of D&C 50:7-25, and cease from accepting anything as truth, unless we’re moved upon by the Holy Ghost, or in other words, unless we’re moved upon by the Spirit of love.

We must believe 2 Nephi 32:5, that the Holy Ghost will show us “all things” we should do.  We must only accept and support teachings, policies, and procedures that harmonize with the Golden Rule, for anything that doesn’t, will lead us astray from receiving the Holy Ghost.

We must oppose church leaders who would condemn us for wanting to be led by the Spirit of love in “all things,” who want us to obey them, who promise, falsely, that if we do, we’ll be saved and perfected.

In fact, these are the wolves in sheep’s clothing that we’re to beware of according to the scriptures.

We must understand how to think for ourselves, that there are two voices seeking to guide us.  We must choose between these voices.  We must choose to either hearken to the voice of the Spirit, or to the voice of the flesh, which is anything other than the Spirit, including the voice of church leaders.

In Romans 8:13 we read, “for if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

In Mosiah 3:19 we read, “for the natural man is an enemy of God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticing of the Holy Spirit.”

Fruits of yielding to the Spirit include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Fruits of yielding to the flesh include coveting, impatience, materialism, lust, boasting, bullying, dishonesty, self-righteousness, pride, hatred, misery and fear.

Really, it’s rather simple.  If we yield to the enticing of the Spirit, we’ll be saved.  If we yield to the enticing of the flesh, we’ll be damned.  Those who exercise faith in the atonement, by yielding to the enticing of the Spirit, are not only forgiven, but also their hearts are changed from wanting to satisfy the flesh, to the enjoyment of freedom from all carnal desire, where they only feel love toward others.

Jesus taught, “if you continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free,” from all carnal desires of the flesh.

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,” the Lord said, “and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me,” through always being led by the Spirit of love, “for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you shall find peace unto your soul, for my yoke and burden is easy and light.”

Basically, after our hearts are changed, it’s an easy and light burden to keep the commandments of love, for without a change of heart, while living in pride, it’s an impossibly heavy burden to obey them.

The Book of Mormon talks about a group of people who experienced this loving change of heart, who declared that they had no more desire to do evil, but to do good from then on, continually.

And, this is what I feel in my heart, but it’s considered apostasy by church leaders, who think that my peace should come from the burden of obtaining their stamp of approval, from obeying them, from accepting their brainwashing.

It’s true, there’s a sense of peace that comes from being accepted by a group, like the church, but it’s nothing like the peace that comes from being accepted by God, from knowing he’s leading you,  knowing he’s changing your heart, filling your heart with love, and saving you.

So, think about this.  You don’t need a leader to tell you what to think and do.  If you have a desire of the flesh, resist it and pray for a change of heart.  If you have a desire of the Spirit, act on it, and know that in doing so you’re being perfected in love.

This is “how to think, that you may know what to do, without being told by priesthood authority.”

Course, if you’re led by the Spirit of love, you’ll probably be excommunicated, for church leaders don’t like it when members aren’t guided by them, but it’s better to be perfected in love, than to follow church leaders into hell, as JST Mark 9:40-48 explains.

Universally, church leaders have presented a fraudulent plan of self-righteousness to me, where they’ve wanted me to obey dictated counsel rather than be guided by the Spirit of God in all things, which denies the miracle of a loving changed heart.

Basically, the church will baptize people and say unto them, “receive the Holy Ghost,” but then they’ll expect them to hearken to the counsel of leaders, even to the point that they’ll excommunicate members, like I was, who seek to be led by the Holy Ghost in all things.

“All things, whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them,” was the command given by our Lord.  And, only those who practice this, who “think” about how they would want to be treated, are led by the Spirit, having their hearts changed and enabled to love that way.

In previous postcards, I’ve focused on the Golden Rule.  I’ve even asked you to consider opposing any leader who doesn’t keep and promote this commandment, because aren’t they leading us astray?

Aren’t church members being slowly boiled alive?  Isn’t the heat is being turned up on them, as they’re being led from thinking for themselves, to doing as they’re told, from being self-controlled, to being controlled, from self-disciplined, to disciplined, from being led by the Spirit of love, to being led by church leaders, from living by the Spirit of the law, to living by the letter?

Hasn’t the church arrived at the boiling point of damnation, because isn’t good considered evil and evil good?  Isn’t it considered good in the church, to do as you’re told?  And, isn’t it considered evil in the church, to do as you’re inspired of God, in all things?

Jesus kept the commandment of the Golden Rule.  He always “thought” for himself.  He had perfect self-control.  He was perfectly self-disciplined.  He wasn’t programmed by powerful people.  He wasn’t brainwashed.  He didn’t obey church leaders.  He was only led by the Holy Ghost.

Jesus loved perfectly, because in “all things” he was led from within by the Spirit of love.

We have a choice, to either be led from without, which is to be in bondage, which denies the miracle of love, which leads to death and condemnation, or to be led from within, by the Spirit of God, which produces the miracle of love, leading to perfect self-mastery, eternal life, and freedom.

“A new commandment I give unto you,” the Lord said, “that you love one another as I have loved you.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you love one another as I have loved you.”

Is there any other way to keep this commandment, is they any other way to love one another as Jesus loves us, than to be led by the Spirit of love in “all things,” as our Savior was?

How often have you heard it said of the LDS church, “it’s the only true church, because we have authority, prophets, apostles, eternal marriage, and a fullness of truth?”

But, do any of these things matter, without the Holy Ghost?

Why not tell people, “it’s the only true church, because it’s the only church authorized to bestow the saving gift of the Holy Ghost, and its members are solely dedicated to receiving that Spirit of love?”

Why doesn’t the church simply live up to the charge given at baptism, “receive the Holy Ghost?”

Sincerely,

Aaron McMillan